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In a mind-blowing twist, I found myself reborn into a steampunk-themed JRPG made by a Japanese game company. To my shock, I was appointed as an executive of the villainous faction. However, the protagonist’s party was way too diligent.

Chapter 0 : Prologue

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 0

Prologue

I must have been unconscious for quite a long time. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling. It was an old, wooden ceiling, riddled with tiny holes, almost as if it had been chewed by insects. Thick cobwebs clung to the corners. This was clearly not a hospital.

If I had indeed suffered a stroke, as I suspected, it would have been a critical situation, and I would have undoubtedly been transported by ambulance to a hospital equipped to handle such a medical emergency.

A hospital with such facilities would be quite large, and one would expect it to be well-maintained. But more importantly, it would be difficult to find a wooden house like this in the middle of Seoul.

After blinking at the ceiling for a while, I slowly sat up. The bed I had been lying on groaned loudly, its old wooden frame creaking under my weight.

My body felt unusually light. I no longer had the cervical disc problem that had developed from staring at a cheap, low-quality monitor for hours every day, nor did I feel the chronic lower back pain caused by my hunched posture. When I stretched my arms above my head, my shoulders didn’t ache, and my vision was clear even without glasses.

…Yes, my body felt light. It was almost as if I had turned 25 years younger. The problem was, if I were actually 25 years younger, that would make me five years old.

My vision was limited. My body was thin and small, hardly resembling an adult. My hair hung long, reaching my waist. I grabbed a handful, noticing its shiny, jet-black color, which seemed out of place in this dilapidated setting. My hands were not those of a man in my thirties, approaching middle age. They were small, pale, and delicate, with an almost ethereal quality.

“Ah, ah.”

I tested my voice for no particular reason. The voice was so young that I couldn’t tell if it belonged to a boy or a girl, but at least it wasn’t the rough, hoarse voice of someone who drank and smoked.

When I turned my gaze, I saw children gathered around my bed.

Their faces were dirty, and they were all thin, as if they hadn’t eaten properly. They were wearing oversized, old shirts that looked almost like dresses, and they stared at me with their mouths open.

“……”

“……”

For a while, they simply stared blankly at each other, unsure of what to say.

“Who are you?”

The question finally came from the tallest boy among the children, who seemed to be the leader. The language he used sounded like English. Of course, it was simple enough for me to understand… but for some reason, it felt different from the English I usually heard.

No, was it even English?

There was something about it that seemed slightly off.

“……”

Well, whether I understood the question or not, I still had no idea how to respond.

*

Initially, I believed I might have been transported to England during the Industrial Revolution era.

You know, those alternate history settings where someone suddenly collapses and wakes up as someone from a different era. I wasn’t exactly a history buff, but I had read such alternate history novels from time to time. Reading web novels was a great distraction during my commute.

I didn’t particularly care about genres; I’d browse various sites and read whatever caught my interest. Whether it was a subscription model, pay-per-episode, or free chapters, if it was interesting, I would follow it consistently. So, while I couldn’t claim to have proper historical knowledge, I had a basic understanding of the era.

Based on the clothing of the people around me and the grim atmosphere of the back alley, I initially thought it might be the Victorian era, the time when Jack the Ripper roamed the streets.

… That assumption shattered completely two days later, when I saw a battleship flying overhead in the alley.

It was a strange-looking ship, as if a sea battleship had been hung upside down in mid-air. It left a trail of black smoke behind, suggesting its propellers were driven by a steam engine. The battleship was absurdly large, resembling a massive airship with the bridge and gun turrets of an interwar-era battleship attached to its underside. It even had a wooden deck, making it look like you were looking down on a naval battleship from above.

Such a thing would be impossible in reality. Even if the battleship were filled with hydrogen or helium, it wouldn’t be able to carry such a heavy load and fly. Even if it could barely stay afloat, it wouldn’t be possible to actually use the cannons. The moment they fired, the recoil would throw off its center of gravity.

However, that battleship was confidently soaring through the sky, accompanied by biplanes flying in formation alongside it, forming what could be called a fleet. And after seeing that battleship flying outside the window, I knew exactly what kind of world I had ended up in.

I wasn’t entered into one of the web novels I used to read. Well, that made sense; I had never left a single comment on any of those, so there was no reason to be dragged into one.

This world wasn’t from a web novel. It was the world inside a video game. A JRPG series I had been playing consistently for the past seven years.

A game inspired by the British Industrial Revolution, combined with steampunk elements, and sprinkled with the unique flair of Japanese subculture—a game with a cult following among certain groups of otakus.

It was clearly part of the Millennium Corp’s ‘Chronicles of Aetherna’ series.

*

Millennium Corp was a small to medium-sized company headquartered in Osaka, Japan. With only about 40 employees, their games often had poor graphics and optimization, leading players to complain that the visuals seem outdated.

While they have made some progress, their development has been slow. Compared to other Japanese gaming companies that started around the same time, Millennium Corp’s technology was clearly behind.

But that’s what people who didn’t play the games say. The fans of the series were grateful that a new installment came out each year. After all, it wasn’t a game with impressive sales figures, so it wasn’t until about five years ago that a Korean version was even released.

The series had a history spanning about 20 years. Initially, it was released on PC, but after suffering significant losses due to piracy, the game shifted to handheld consoles. Later, it returned to home consoles, and now it’s being released on PC again.

By porting past works to current-generation consoles or re-releasing them for PC, they consistently attracted new users. Even though it wasn’t technically advanced, the series continued to draw in new players fascinated by its unique atmosphere.

Seven years ago, a friend had introduced me to the series, and since then, I had been a loyal fan, purchasing and playing every new installment. As often happens, the one who starts later ends up diving deeper; I found myself importing limited-edition artbooks directly from Japanese online stores, playing the Japanese versions of the games before the Korean versions were released, and even blogging my playthrough strategies. Before I knew it, I had become deeply immersed in the game.

Despite its 20-year history, the series offered a diverse range of worldviews. Titles from the first to the fifth, the sixth to the eighth, the ninth to the thirteenth, and those from the fourteenth onward each featured entirely different worlds. It was like a periodic reboot that maintained the core system. Thanks to this, despite its long history, it was easy for newcomers to get into. And following the epic finale of each world in real-time was incredibly satisfying.

Perhaps that was the reason I got hooked on the game seven years ago.

“……”

Well, that was beside the point.

The real issue was why I, who wasn’t even Japanese, had ended up right in the middle of a Japanese game world.

While posting walkthroughs on my blog, I had criticized the sparse cutscenes and repetitive event scenes and dialogues. I had laughed at setting errors only to delete my posts after realizing they were merely plot hooks. I had even caused a stir on internet forums because I didn’t like a particular character.

…

Okay, maybe there were a few things to be guilty about, but there was no way the game company in Japan had been watching all of that. Besides, it wasn’t even a direct release but a game sold through an importer.

…

Well, no point in thinking about it now.

What mattered most was where and in what role I had reincarnated in this world. And, as if that weren’t enough, I had been reincarnated as a girl.

Given the nature of this world, orphanages weren’t exactly great places, but if I wasn’t in the same one as the original heroine, maybe I could manage. If luck was on my side, I might even be adopted into a childless bourgeois family.

“Sylvia!”

I was looking up at the battleship that had now almost turned into a dot when a sharp voice broke through.

A skinny old woman was approaching me. She held a roughly carved wooden cane and had a hunched back. Her grumpiness gave her a fierce look. For reference, Sylvia was the name I had received after coming to this world. My surname was Black.

Though I hadn’t originally been at this orphanage, I had apparently just popped up out of nowhere two days ago. The staff had checked the records, only to find my name listed here.

Seeing the annoyed orphanage owner grumbling about where I had been hiding, I wanted to ask if she was simply too incompetent to read the list properly, but I held back because I had seen a child get beaten with the cane the old woman was holding just moments before.

If I had the strength of a 30-year-old adult, I could have easily overpowered the old woman, but now I was just a five-year-old child.

“Yes.”

I turned my body towards the old woman, answering as softly as possible.

“A new child has arrived. You take care of them.”

What? Me?

I barely managed to hold back those words. I didn’t like children at all, but it wouldn’t matter here. After all, I was a child myself.

Normally, the head child of the orphanage would have taken on this role, but a kind-looking couple had adopted that child just last evening.

“See, I’m different from you beggars!”

The child sneered at us as he left.

“You’re the oldest here now. Besides, you managed to sneak around without my knowledge for so long, so you should be capable of doing at least this much.”

That was the reason.

The old woman always reeked of alcohol, and I figured that defying her would only get me beaten, so I quietly nodded. I followed the old woman downstairs to the first-floor parlor. There, just like the other children at the orphanage, stood a dirty child, her face covered in dirt. But despite the dirty appearance, the child’s white skin and thick, deep blue hair reminiscent of the sea made it clear to me who the child was.

“This is Claire. She will be living here from now on. Get along well.”

…or else you’ll get beaten. It felt like those words were implied.

The child, who had been looking at me shyly, gave an awkward smile when our eyes met.

…And at that moment, I was stunned.

Claire Fangriffon.

The appearance and the name. They matched the Claire Fangriffon in my mind.

Of course, she probably didn’t carry the Fangriffon surname just yet.

…And she was the last person I wanted to meet in an orphanage.

Chapter 1 : Raging Flames

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 1

EP.1 Raging Flames (1)

It was unusual to see heroines like this in modern games unless you’re playing an adult-only game. However, about 20 years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for heroines with a past of sexual abuse to appear in even all-ages games.

Of course, such scenes weren’t explicitly shown. It was often just implied that “this character has a tragic past,” and leaving it at that. Still, in hindsight, it was a setup that could easily cause one to spit blood.

However, while Claire Fangriffon could certainly be classified as a heroine character, she wasn’t a heroine that players could romance. At least, not in the series up until I played it. Actually, the issue wasn’t whether you could pursue her romantically; it was that she was a character you couldn’t save.

The series had been around for twenty years, but this current world’s storyline only started about five years ago. The fourteenth installment was released five years ago, and since then, three more installments have been added to the series. By the late 2010s, the trend of introducing such ‘humiliation-type’ characters had faded.

Claire’s character traits might be considered attractive, I supposed. Tragic backstories often gave rise to compelling character traits. Like a character who pretended to be cheerful to hide a dark past, one who was more mature for their age, someone who acted tough to mask their vulnerabilities, or someone who, after being saved from a profoundly dark past, reconciled with a stepsister they didn’t get along with—— these setups existed for Claire. Still, the truth was, a dark past didn’t need to involve “humiliation” to be impactful.

Was it simply a matter of the production team’s preferences? Or perhaps the writer who created the story twenty years ago was still involved in the series?

Regardless of Claire’s popularity, that provocative backstory always held her character’s appeal back. In Korea, at least, there were a few users who continued to exploit her tragic backstory, further tarnishing her image.

Whether the production team realized this issue, or Claire was initially designed to serve such a role, remained unknown. But eventually, in the latest installment of the series, Claire sacrificed herself, rejecting even the Emperor’s command to save her stepsister—the Emperor’s true daughter.

Despite all the controversies surrounding her character, no one criticized that part of her story. A character who remained unhappy until death but still choose their own ending was always popular.

“Hmm…”

If there was one problem, it was this: the Claire nervously sitting before me hadn’t yet earned the name “Fangriffon,” nor did she possess such a dark backstory.

Claire was sold to a brothel by the orphanage owner for money. In fact, the orphanage had a secret arrangement with the brothel. It pretended to be a normal orphanage, but it would secretly sell orphans to the brothel when one of their ‘special clients’ needed a new child.

…Most likely, the child who was “adopted” recently had also been sold for “such purposes.”

Considering they ‘purchase’ them according to those with “special tastes,” it didn’t matter if the children were male or female.

Claire, a girl who had once lived in a brothel became the emperor’s daughter. While this might seem impossible in ordinary circumstances, there’s a backstory that justifies it here. As it turned out, she had a certain talent.

During one of the usual humiliations she faced, Claire eventually snapped. Unable to bear it any longer, she exploded in rage and ended up killing the “client” she was servicing. Hearing the screams, a group of bouncers rushed in, but Claire slit their carotid arteries one by one with a single fork she held. On her way out, she accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, which resulted in the brothel catching fire.

This world lacked proper firefighting systems and didn’t place much value on human rights. The fire that started in the dilapidated brothel, packed closely with other buildings, quickly spread, engulfing the entire slum in a massive blaze that caused numerous casualties. Ironically, many nobles who opposed the emperor were at the brothel during the fire, and their deaths ended up dealing a significant blow to the aristocratic faction. This, at least, was part of the backstory.

The emperor, discovering Claire’s existence during the investigation of the incident, promptly took her in and claimed her as his daughter. Many of the emperor’s “children” became loyal followers in a similar fashion, aligning themselves with him and pledging their loyalty. Of course, these children had no right to the throne; they were simply close aides created to further the emperor’s ambitions.

Claire’s true identity remained a mystery, even up until the latest installment of the series. There had been hints that her biological parents might appear in a future sequel, but that was all.

At any rate, she wasn’t “Fangriffon” yet, meaning she hadn’t experienced those terrible events.

But on the flip side, this also implied that the orphanage where I currently resided was somehow connected to that deranged brothel.

That’s right. This meant that not only Claire but also “I” could be sold off. My reflection in the mirror was that of a girl with an almost mystical aura. Even if my true self was that of an adult man, those nobles who bought children for such acts would likely consider it just another form of entertainment.

“This is screwed up.”

“Sc-screwed up…?”

“Ah.”

Claire mimicked my muttering, and I clasped my head in my hands as I watched her do so.

For the past month, I had done absolutely nothing. Of course, it was not that I hadn’t thought of anything. I had considered trying to find a way out of this orphanage and escaping to a better place. I even knew of a viable option.

The protagonist of this game was a very diligent and kind person. The parents are the same. They belong to a baronial family of some standing, having lived in the capital for generations. To underscore their virtue, the family ran a proper orphanage—not like this place, which only had the façade of one, but a true orphanage that genuinely cared for and loved the children, taking full responsibility for them until they come of age.

I had earned platinum medals in all console versions of The Chronicles of Aetherna that I had played. Before the Korean version’s official release, I even imported the Japanese version and completed it with the help of a Japanese dictionary, and then write down strategy guides in the process. So, I was familiar with the map of the Imperial Capital. If this world truly was the one from the game I knew, I should be able to navigate my way using the map I remembered.

The problem, however, lies in the scale of the game.

Unless a studio with an enormous budget was involved, there were hardly any companies that would attempt to replicate an entire city within a game. For a mid-sized developer with a team of around 40 people, such a feat would be impossible.

Still, they managed to meticulously create certain regions for the setting, but not all the areas were connected seamlessly. In reality, they had only crafted the essential or significant locations needed for the game. These places corresponded to about two or three city blocks, and there were eight such regions represented in the game.

The rest of the game took place in battlefields outside the city. And naturally, as typical of JRPGs, these fields were populated with monsters and treasure chests, so the layout wasn’t necessarily logical. They were designed solely as dungeons, making it unsurprising that they differed completely from the actual outskirts of this world’s city.

Even though I had some knowledge of the city’s layout, I wasn’t adept enough at navigation to find my way solely using maps or signs. The capital was described multiple times as a complex place. If it were a well-organized metropolis, it might have been different, but back alleys filled with illegal shantytowns and century-old wooden houses wouldn’t be accurately represented on any map.

That’s why I’ve been stalling for time.

“Sylvia, is something wrong?”

The children here seemed to like me. Perhaps it was because the previous leader, who ruled over them with an iron fist, was gone. Whenever the kids caused trouble, he was the one who got beaten, so to keep things quiet, he would resort to violence. Through all of this, he never laid a hand on me. Maybe it was because of this pretty face of mine.

…It feels strange to say such things about a child’s face, but it was indeed a face that other children would find attractive. To an adult’s eyes, it would be seen as a face with a promising future. And to the eyes of a criminal, it was probably a face they’d want to possess immediately.

I didn’t know why I ended up in this orphanage with such a face. If this were a web novel, I would probably end up saving the child in front of me, and from then on, the main story would deviate completely from the original plot—But how?

I pondered as I looked at the other children who were staring blankly at me.

Since they were all considered ‘merchandise,’ everyone had quite attractive faces. I couldn’t fathom how they managed to gather only such children from the back alleys.

…Perhaps they weren’t just ‘ordinary orphans.’ Well, there was no way for me to prove that right now.

Sure, being born into another world was fine. Meeting a heroine from her childhood days was fine, too. Honestly, when I first realized it, I was quite moved. Magic, battleship soaring in the sky, steam engines powering all sorts of unbelievable devices—weren’t these things that ignite one’s sense of adventure?

The problem was, it seemed like I was destined to be sold off and exploited to death before I could enjoy any of it.

Who knew, perhaps a character named Sylvia Black already existed. Maybe she was supposed to be someone Claire knew before becoming the emperor’s daughter. It’s possible she was just a character who got sold off and disappeared before the main story began, hence why she never appeared.

“……”

No matter how anxiously I racked my brain, I couldn’t see a way out.

There was no status window and no personal notifications. Even after racking my brain, it didn’t seem like I had any extraordinary abilities.

“Sister?”

“……”

It was definitely a language similar to English, yet it carried that distinctive feel unique to Japanese games. Maybe it wasn’t just my imagination.

In reality, it was highly likely that there wasn’t much of an age difference between Claire and me. At most, it might be a year, or maybe just a few months. Given that our heights were similar, that seemed about right. But since the old hag claimed I was the oldest, all the kids here called me ‘sister.’

“…No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

I tried to be kind to the children whenever possible. After all, there wasn’t much I could do for them.

I wasn’t the kind of person who empathized with everyone’s pain and tried to help at all costs. If there was something I couldn’t handle, I preferred to keep my distance and just watch. That was the kind of person I was. I could at least offer a kind word to children destined for a terrible future.

…Thinking about it now, maybe that’s why the kids were so attached to me.

*

And before long, the day of our farewell arrived.

“Claire!”

And it came in the worst possible way.

“Someone has come to take you! Be happy!”

“……”

When children leave this place, they are a bit happier. Considering that they were escaping from a place filled with nothing but those who beat and tormented them, it was normal to feel happy about leaving.

Besides, they didn’t even realize they were being sold off. They just assumed they were being adopted into a wealthy family where they would be loved, well-fed, and warm.

…The children still didn’t understand that there was no way a noble or a bourgeois would take kids from such a shabby place like this.

Despite that, Claire just looked up at me. Her eyes were filled with fear and sadness.

Did she form a bond with me during this time?

“…I’ll walk you to the front.”

I stood up as I said that. Claire smiled at me, as if she was unsure of what was about to happen.

Chapter 2 : Raging Flames

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 2

EP.2 Raging Flames (2)

“What is this? Are you saying you’ll come along?”

“……”

The old woman spoke, and I simply stared up at her. She clicked her tongue in disapproval and continued.

“Well, since you’re here, hold this lamp.”

She handed me the oil lamp she was holding. The lamp, filled with oil, was quite heavy. There were lighter gas lamps available, but they didn’t last as long as oil lamps.

Everything in this orphanage was cheap. The clothes had been worn by previous orphans countless times, so the necklines were stretched out, the hems were frayed, and holes gaped where the fabric was worn thin. Underwear was so stretched out that it rarely fit properly. We had to pin it to our waists to keep it from falling off.

When was the last time this building had been repaired? The windows were damaged and filled with whatever rags we could find, but the cold wind still seeped in. The floorboards were old and squeaky, as if they might collapse at any time.

The porridge we got daily, barely enough to fill our stomachs, was clearly made from the cheapest ingredients, thrown together without care. The most expensive things in this orphanage were probably the orphans themselves.

“No matter how pretty your face is, if you keep acting all gloomy like that, no one will want to take you.”

“……”

I chose to keep my mouth shut.

Could a five-year-old child win against the old hag?

No, even if she walked with a cane and had lost most of her teeth, she was still stronger than a five-year-old. I remembered her yanking my arm once, and I was shocked at the difference in strength between us. If I argued back, I might just get hit or, worse, be prevented from even walking beside Claire.

Even at this moment, I was racking my brain, thinking of a way to get Claire out of here. I didn’t have any brilliant ideas, but I didn’t want to just let her go.

Claire’s first impression in the game was far from favorable. She was rude, insecure, and frequently made fun of the princess, a character the player was often attracted to.

But as her past was gradually revealed, she then reconciled with the princess, and her image improved. Eventually, she stood alongside the emperor, who sought to conquer the world. In the end, she defied even the emperor’s orders to sacrifice herself for the princess.

I… liked Claire as a character.

In fact, I liked almost every main character that appeared in this game series. Each installment took anywhere from 70 to 150 hours to complete, and I often played through multiple times to fully explore each game. Having spent so much time with these characters, I had grown attached to almost all the main characters in the game.

For seven years, I eagerly awaited each new release, pre-ordering the games and opening the packages with excitement. I even bought the digital version once because I couldn’t wait for the physical copy to arrive.

Over the years, these characters had become so important to me. I desperately wanted to help them escape their terrible situations. After all, I knew what their future would be.

But… I didn’t have the power to do anything about it. Even if I knew the future, I was still only five years old.

In other cases where someone transmigrated into another world, especially into a game, they often find themselves with a status window or some incredible special abilities. But… I had none of that. And even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to use them immediately.

Why did it have to be here, of all places? Why was I placed near the heroine when I couldn’t do anything?

“Now, greet them.”

The old woman’s voice came from behind.

The door was open and the sky was pitch black. A middle-aged couple, who appeared to be from a wealthy family, had gone out of their way to come here in the middle of the night.

“…Hello.”

Knowing that I would get beaten if I didn’t greet them, I bowed politely. Claire, who was standing next to me, awkwardly followed my lead and bowed.

“Ho-ho.”

A man, neatly trimmed with a thick mustache and wearing a tall silk hat, leaned over to look at my face. The wind was still cold, suggesting that it was early winter. A chill ran through my body, not just from the cold wind grazing my skin.

The man, with his protruding cheekbones and a monocle over one eye, had his other eye appear grotesquely large due to the glass lens.

“Is this the child?”

“Ah, no. The one you came to see is this one…”

The old woman, who usually spoke to the children with a voice full of irritation, spoke politely to the man.

“…But of course, this one is also available for sale.”

“Hmm.”

The man snatched the oil lamp from my hand and held it up next to my face. The distinctive smell of burning oil filled the air, and I could feel the heat from the flame through the thick glass. The lamp’s flame flickered a deep red, tinged with blue, almost as if it were a gas flame instead of oil.

He scrutinized my face under the light and slowly lowered the lamp, examining me from head to toe. Then, taking a few steps to the side, he did the same to Claire.

“Unfortunately, I only have enough money for one child today. But this one is just at the right age. The customer will be pleased. Is the price the same?”

The man asked after thoroughly inspecting Claire.

A plump middle-aged woman, standing a few steps away from the man, seemed completely uninterested in what was happening.

“Ah, well, you see, this girl has always been a top-quality product, so I’ve kept her well hidden. I was planning to sell her to customers who prefer slightly older children…”

The old woman explained.

“Hmm.”

The man turned back to me and reached out, grabbing a handful of my hair. A shiver ran down my spine. Even if I had my original body, I didn’t think I could win against this man.

Beneath the fine fabric of his suit, the contours of bulging muscles were clearly visible. His thick, rough fingers looked like they could crush my skull if he decided to squeeze my head. The man seemed unconcerned by my rigid stance as he lifted my hair closer to the lamp, as if checking its color.

“This one suits the client’s tastes better. Is she experienced?”

Dropping my hair, the man asked the old woman.

“Oh no, of course not. We always deal in new products. That’s the standard after all.”

“I see. Then the processing will be done on our end.”

Now that I noticed, the man was holding a sturdy cane in his right hand. It wasn’t like the old woman’s roughly hewn wooden cane. His was black and gleaming, with a handle shaped like an eagle’s head. It might have even been made of silver.

“Ah, yes, so what was the price again?”

the man asked, looking down at the old woman with his head held high. It seemed she had already forgotten the flattering way she had described me just moments before.

“Oh, no, there’s no difference in price since they’re both orphans. Just the price you mentioned last time will do.”

“Alright. Got it.”

The man pulled a hefty pouch from inside his suit pocket and tossed it to the old woman. She barely managed to catch it, peering inside with a broad smile. The wrinkles on her face bunched up, and her nearly toothless mouth gaped open. With the lamp below her, the shadows made the creases on her face look like something out of a horror movie.

“Thank you very much. Please continue to use our services in the future…”

The old woman said, bowing even lower, her already hunched back bending further.

“Sure. Keep that one safe until then.”

The man pointed at Claire.

“Of course, of course… There will be no problems.”

“Let’s go.”

The man turned to me and spoke.

“Sister?”

Claire finally looked at me, confusion in her eyes as if she still didn’t understand what was happening.

“…Claire.”

I hadn’t expected things to turn out like this, but maybe, at least for now, this was a good outcome. I couldn’t be sure what would happen to Claire in the future, but had I managed to prevent something terrible from happening right now?

“…Stay healthy.”

Anyway, I said my farewell.

“Sister, where are you going?”

Claire asked anxiously, looking at me. I was about to nod in reassurance when—

“Indeed.”

The man spoke, cutting me off. His voice was no longer the stiff tone he had used earlier; now, it was disturbingly warm, almost soothing.

The man turned around and walked toward Claire, bending down to her level. And then he placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder, as if trying to act the part of a kind adult.

“Your ‘sister’ is going to a better place. Somewhere much warmer, where she won’t have to go hungry. So, be a good girl and wait here. We’ll come back to get you soon. Then you can be happy together, just like your sister.”

“……”

But even at such a young age, Claire didn’t seem to believe his words. Her gaze flickered nervously between the man and me.

“……”

The man smiled at Claire and patted her head. Then he straightened up and turned around. Without saying anything more, he walked directly toward the carriage waiting on the street.

“……”

I waved at Claire. It wasn’t the kind of moment to be smiling, but I forced one anyway. Seeing my smile seemed to ease Claire’s worry, and she finally waved back. With nothing more I could do, I turned and headed toward the carriage.

*

Thud!

A loud sound filled the air. I thought it was just the sound of the carriage door closing the moment I got inside. But then a wave of pain spread across my forehead, and I realized I had been slammed face-first onto the floor. My vision flickered, and my ears rang. The dizziness overwhelmed the pain. A grown man had grabbed a five-year-old child’s head and smashed it against the floor. The fact that I could even make sense of what was happening felt like a near miracle.

“Ah…?”

But that didn’t mean my body was fine. Blood was trickling down my face. Had my nose broken? Something felt loose inside my mouth. I reached up to touch my face—

Slap!

A loud noise echoed as my head snapped to the right.

“H-Hngh…”

Only then did the pain register. It hurts. It was probably the first real pain I had experienced in my life. In this world or the other. Tears blurred my vision, and my head buzzed so loudly that I couldn’t hear properly. Maybe my eardrum has ruptured from the slap.

“Sorry.”

A cold, emotionless voice seeped through the ringing in my ears.

“I don’t have anything against you personally. The client just prefers you to be a little broken.”

A thick hand roughly grabbed my neck.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

“Ugh…”

I wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

I could barely see the man raising his hand with my still-unswollen eye.

No, please…

*

…And then, in the next moment, I realized the pain in my body had suddenly vanished. I stayed curled up, bracing myself, but no further blows came. In fact, the warmth that I had felt inside the carriage had abruptly disappeared.

Had I died?

Tense and confused, I slowly lifted my head.

Standing in front of me was Claire, looking bewildered.

“Sister?”

She asked, seeing me crouched on the bed, arms raised in fear.

“…What?”

I slowly lowered my arms and looked around. This was the orphanage. Everything was exactly the same as it had been before I left.

I raised a hand to my face. There were no cuts, no bruises. I wasn’t in pain. I moved my tongue around my mouth; no teeth were broken or missing.

What was going on?

Before I could fully grasp the situation, I heard the old woman’s voice.

“Claire! The person who will take you has arrived! Show your smile!”

I had already heard those words once before.

Chapter 3 : Raging Flames

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 3

EP.3 Raging Flames (3)

The three people’s shadows flickered wildly as they walked down the hallway. Unlike the stable light of modern fluorescent or LED lights, the oil lamp’s flame was always unsteady, causing the shadows to flicker slightly. But now, the shadows were shaking much more intensely than they had been earlier.

My hand, holding the lamp, was shaking.

“Huh? What’s wrong with you? Did you eat something bad?”

The old woman asked. Her expression didn’t convey much concern; rather, it was more of a curious look.

I never showed any emotion when I was around her. Most of the children were scared of her, but I could keep my feelings hidden. Not because I had any extraordinary skill. If that were the case, I wouldn’t be shaking like this right now.

When I was young, I had dreams of becoming a voice actor. I had my own—

…No, no, this wasn’t the time for that.

I needed to think about how to understand this situation.

There were no wounds on my body. I didn’t feel any pain. So there was no evidence that I had been beaten by that man. The pain I felt then was so real it was hard to believe it was just a dream or a figment of my imagination.

The feeling of falling face-first onto the floor of the carriage. The disturbing sensation of something breaking inside my mouth. The hard, small object moving around in my mouth, the metallic taste of blood from somewhere torn, the blurred vision—

Thud.

The old woman hit my leg with her cane, causing me to stumble slightly.

“You useless brat. Can’t you even hold a lamp properly? The flickering light hurts my eyes. What are you going to do if my eyesight gets worse?”

The old woman’s eyesight was far from poor. She could see a child misbehaving from one end of the room to the other and rush over to hit them with her cane.

But I tried my best to stand straight.

I felt cold sweat running down my back.

I didn’t want to get hit again.

When was the last time I had been hit? It must have been over ten years ago. Especially as an adult, unless you get into a fight, you don’t get hit. It’s not a good look to be the one who throws the first punch. People don’t want to be around someone who resorts to violence.

Even though I didn’t feel the pain right now…

If things continued like this…

“Sister?”

I jumped at the sound of Claire calling me.

Turning my gaze, I saw Claire looking at me with a worried expression.

…Right. I had been sold off instead of Claire. And I had been beaten. I didn’t know the exact reason, but considering the man’s talk about preferences, it seemed the person who wanted to buy me had a taste for that.

I thought to myself that if I faced the same situation again, I shouldn’t have stepped in. If the person waiting outside was the same as before, the same thing would happen again.

And if I didn’t go through it, then Claire would be the one to suffer.

What should I do? How can I get us both out of this situation?

My mind raced, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t come up with anything a five-year-old could do.

“What are you whispering about? Keep your eyes forward and walk straight. The gentleman is waiting.”

We had barely exchanged a word. Claire had called out to me, but the old woman grew irritated at even that small action, tapping my leg with her cane.

“….”

We couldn’t say anything. We had seen a child beaten mercilessly with that cane before. Even more so, I had been exposed to brutal violence before, so I was more terrified.

I could only hope that the person waiting up ahead wasn’t the same man I had seen before.

And then…

“Now, go and say hello.”

The old woman said.

When I looked up, I saw a man wearing a high-quality coat and a silk hat. He had a monocle over one eye and a thick mustache on his nose.

“Ah…”

Seeing the look of despair on my face, the man responded with a curious look.

“Oh.”

From that point, everything proceeded exactly as I remembered.

*

“….”

I woke up again, curled up.

I was back a few minutes ago.

“Sister?”

Claire called me.

At her words, I opened my eyes. I looked at my arms—still no wounds. There was nothing rolling around in my mouth, no metallic taste like blood, and my vision was clear. I had returned to the moment before we met that man.

Claire looked at me with confusion as I quickly checked my body again.

I looked around.

The other children were watching me.

Had I… reset the time?

Or was it some higher being, maybe the one that had sent me into this world in the first place, who had reset the time for me?

With my mind struggling to function under the weight of fear, I tried to recall the lore from the game world. In this world, gods do exist, but whether they possess personal attributes is uncertain.

Over the different series, the lore has changed several times, but the portrayal of the gods has remained consistent. Players often theorized that these gods might be the same being, exerting a force similar to the will of the world itself. This idea of a god creating a kind of predetermined narrative was sometimes criticized by players as a “lazy storytelling trick” to keep the story moving.

Was this just another one of those tricks?

Could a god really reset time? And if so, by what criteria was time being reset?

Couldn’t time have been reset before I was beaten? Did I have to be in mortal danger for it to happen? But no, it wasn’t mortal danger. It was excruciating, and I felt like I was going to die, but the man didn’t intend to kill me. He had purchased me as a product, after all, and destroying me entirely during processing would have been a waste.

If that’s the case, then… was this my ability?

“Claire!”

Once again, the increasingly familiar and unsettling voice called out.

“The gentleman who will take you has arrived! Come out and be happy!”

Once more, the situation was repeating itself.

*

I still didn’t fully understand my ability. I couldn’t control it freely. I didn’t know if there was a limit on the number of uses, or if there was a maximum amount of time that could be reset in a single use.

I had no idea how I’d ended up with such an absurdly powerful ability, or what the person who gave it to me might be thinking—

—but I didn’t have the luxury of pondering such things.

Getting hit was terrifying. I wasn’t someone used to pain. I was the kind of person who, if I got a paper cut while reading, would spend the whole day wincing at the sting, or if I pulled a muscle, would lie down and whine about it.

Even so, I had plenty of opportunities.

I confirmed it once more.

I could reset the time.

This time, it had happened the moment I saw the man’s face.

“Sister?”

I opened my eyes to the same voice I’d heard countless times now. There were no wounds on my body. I was still unharmed.

And by then, I was starting to get a vague sense of what might trigger my ability to reset the time.

Strong emotions or a desperation.

Whenever I regretted my choices and my emotions fell apart, I always ended up back at this point in time. I didn’t know why it was this specific moment or if I could change the moment. There simply wasn’t time to think about those things.

“Claire!”

And once again.

“The gentleman who will take you has arrived! Come out and be happy!”

Time repeated itself.

*

Even after experiencing the same event three times, adjusting to it wasn’t easy. It’s like starting a new office job, it takes about a month to get used to it and stop making mistakes. But here I was, repeatedly facing a life-or-death situation… Or, to be precise, the tipping point where a life could either be ruined or not.

The pain from being hit didn’t make me immune to suffering. No, in fact, no one could ever become immune to pain. A five-year-old’s body certainly wasn’t tough enough to hold the punches of an adult man.

But still, I racked my brain furiously.

What should I do?

How could I ensure that both of us would avoid such a horrible fate?

It didn’t seem like telling the man that we were useless would help. After all, personality wasn’t a requirement by his standards. He intended to “process” us in his own way.

Claire stabbing a noble and setting fire to a brothel would happen much later. If Claire were to go instead of me now, I might be okay, but she would suffer for years.

In that case, it was better for me to do whatever I could to protect her, especially since I seemed to have an opportunity.

Let’s not think about things like the number of times I could do this. Let’s just pretend it didn’t exist. Even if it did exist, it was meaningless because I didn’t know how to use it properly anyway.

As I pondered what to do, I remembered that I was holding an oil lamp.

Something I could use immediately.

“Is this the child?”

The man began approaching me.

There was no time to think.

Without hesitation, I hurled the lamp with all my strength toward the man.

“What—?!”

The old woman shouted in surprise, and the woman standing behind the man screamed. I had no idea what Claire was saying.

The lamp was thrown by a five-year-old… didn’t set the man on fire.

Smack!

Before the lamp could reach the man’s body, he swung his cane, knocking it away.

The lamp shattered in mid-air, spilling oil and igniting a small fire, but that was all.

“……”

The man looked at me, his expression unchanged.

“Ah.”

I was screwed.

*

“Sister…?”

I had returned once again.

Luckily, before the man could do anything, I was able to reset time. With each repetition, I felt like I was getting better at this.

There didn’t seem to be any special conditions for reversing the time. It simply happened when I desperately wanted it to.

I still didn’t know how to rewind time further back than this point. Even if I could, it wouldn’t be useful right now.

“It’s okay.”

I reassured Claire.

I still had chances left.

In fact, the more time passed, the more things were turning in my favor.

*

This time, I threw the lamp again.

But I didn’t throw it at the man.

I threw it at the old woman standing next to me.

Thankfully, Claire was standing closer to me than to the old woman, so she wasn’t covered in the burning oil.

“Aaaaah!”

The old woman screamed in agony, thrashing around like a madwoman as the fire engulfed her. At first, the flames had only caught on her legs, but as time passed, the fire climbed higher, consuming her upper body as well. The flames rose so high that her face was no longer visible.

The problem was, I had never done something like this to a person before.

No matter how terrible a person might be—even if they were the kind of person who would sell children to a brothel—on the outside, they still appeared human. Even when I thought about hitting someone I hated, my hands would tremble uncontrollably. But this… this was outright incineration.

Claire, standing beside me, was just as frozen as I was, staring at the scene—

Then I felt a hand suddenly grab my shoulder.

“Ah…!”

The rough hand yanked me backward, making me fall—

*

—Again.

Setting the man on fire wouldn’t work. Burning the old woman in front of him hadn’t frightened him either.

In that case, I needed to try something different.

“Claire—”

I waited for the old woman to approach.

“The gentleman who will take you—”

Then I stepped forward, saying I would go instead. The old woman grumbled, while Claire looked at me with a bright smile.

“Well, since you’re already here, you might as well carry this lamp.”

I accepted the lamp.

And as soon as it was in my hands, I smashed it against the floor of the hallway leading to the entrance, shattering it into pieces.

“You little…!”

A few drops of oil splashed in my direction since I had thrown the lamp towards the entrance, but fortunately, none of it caught fire.

“What are you doing—?”

The old woman’s words were cut short.

I grabbed the old woman’s collar as she leaned forward with her cane raised and spun her around with all my strength. No matter how strong she was for her age, if her upper body was hunched forward, even a little strength would cause her to lose her balance.

“You crazy bitch…!”

With eyes wide open and both hands clutching her cane, the old woman lost her balance and fell into the blazing pool of fire on the floor.

Chapter 4 : Raging Flames

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 4

EP.4 Raging Flames (4)

“Aaaaah!”

A scream echoed from inside the orphanage.

“Hmm?”

The man and woman waiting by the carriage turned their gaze towards the dilapidated building.

Horrific screams continued to come from inside the orphanage. The man recognized the voice as that of the old woman they encountered each time they visited this place.

“What could be happening?”

The woman asked anxiously.

She was a middle-aged woman, with heavy makeup attempting to conceal the wrinkles that had come with age. Her eyes were fixed on the old building.

The screams were so loud that lights began to flicker on in the windows of the tightly clustered neighboring buildings. Light also appeared through the orphanage’s windows. But this light was unlike the ordinary flicker of a single candle, gently swaying with human movement, just barely enough to illuminate a room. Instead, crimson flames seemed to dance within. Maybe it was because the building was an old wooden structure. Or perhaps the low water levels of the Splin River, caused by a drought, contributed to the fire.

The parched wooden building burst into flames like a pile of tinder.

“Tsk.”

The man clicked his tongue.

This wasn’t a normal fire caused by regular oil. The deep red flames flickered with a strange blue hue at their core, an indication that the oil had been mixed with magic stone powder, a common fuel for steam engines.

Could it be scraps of magic stone stolen from a factory nearby? He thought it was certainly something the old woman would do. She had likely sent the orphans to steal them.

However, magic stones had another effect: they made flames burn much larger. While useful for making the lamp burn brighter and hotter when confined within, once that flame was unleashed, it became uncontrollable.

With the fire now raging uncontrollably, even the fire brigade would struggle to put it out.

“…Let’s go.”

the man spoke up, adjusting his silk hat.

“But, what about the goods…?”

The woman hesitated, and the man replied in his usual flat tone.

“For now, we’ll have to source our supplies directly, without going through a distributor. It comes with risks, but there’s no choice.”

The man signaled the driver’s seat, and the waiting coachman took the reins and drove off.

“…And we’ll need to find a new distributor. Things have gotten annoying.”

The woman glanced at the now fully engulfed building with a look of unease. Screams echoed from all directions. She shivered once, pulling her collar tightly around her neck, then followed the man into the carriage.

*

Was it really a good idea to set the building on fire?

I had managed to avoid the man. Even after some time had passed, it seemed he wasn’t going to force his way inside. It made sense; the fire had spread much faster than expected, consuming the entrance before anyone could do anything about it.

Thinking back, it was like this in the original story. The lamp looked similar to the ones in my world, which didn’t seem to burn very strongly. Yet, the fire spread rapidly, leaving no time to react.

Many players questioned how a single lamp knocked over by Claire could cause such a fire. The developers used the “magic stone” resource, which played a crucial role throughout the story, to make it plausible.

The oil in the lamp had been mixed with magic stone powder to enhance its effect, which is why the house caught fire so uncontrollably. The flames weren’t the usual orange one might see from a lighter; instead, they glowed with a blue hue, like the flame from a gas stove. I had quickly stepped back, but even then, I could feel the searing heat rushing toward my face.

“Sister?”

Claire’s anxious voice brought me back to reality.

The old woman was already dead. The flames were so intense it was hard to tell the state of her body.

“Let’s go.”

I quickly turned around and grabbed Claire’s hand. The first thing we needed to do was get out of here. The fire I had started might burn down the entire neighborhood. We could end up harming people who were just living their lives, causing innocent victims to suffer. But right now, I had something more important to worry about: the safety of Claire and me.

We had to escape first. Once we were out, I could think more seriously about my powers and what to do next. At least I’d managed to prevent one disaster—

“Wait.”

She pulled my hand in the opposite direction. When I looked at her, I saw fear on her face, but her grip on my hand was firm.

“The kids… The kids are still inside.”

“…”

I froze. Claire had just watched me kill someone, but she still didn’t judge me. Even though I hadn’t done anything special to win her trust, she still believed in me. Maybe it was just in her nature to be this kindhearted, a trait that hadn’t yet been shattered by the harshness of the adults around her.

Or maybe, compared to the old woman who beat and abused her, I just seemed like the lesser evil. Still… this was Claire. Even in the original story, she had a good heart.

Even after escaping from that hellish place, she was tormented by the fact that many houses burned and people died because of the lamp she dropped. She only showed it in the episodes leading up to her death, but even while serving the Emperor and playing the role of a villain, she did her best to prevent innocent casualties and ultimately sacrificed her life for the princess.

So it made sense that Claire, before her innocence was shattered, would want to save the others.

“…Alright.”

I turned around. The fire was still raging, but there was still time.

Instead of heading toward the back door, we ran up the stairs to the second floor. I could hear Claire coughing behind me. I turned and quickly used her collar to cover her mouth. Then I crouched low and continued to move forward. The house wasn’t yet filled with smoke, which was a relief.

As we reached the second floor, the sound of children crying echoed through the hallway. Holding Claire’s hand tightly, I ran to the source of the noise and burst through a door.

“Come on, we have to get out of here!”

At my words, the children struggled to their feet. Their faces were covered in tears. But we couldn’t go back down the stairs. When I stepped closer to the door, I felt a wave of heat roll over me. The first floor must have already turned into a sea of flames. Even if the fire hadn’t completely engulfed it, the hallway would be choked with thick black smoke. I could see the dark fumes creeping up the staircase already.

I quickly shut the door. While it couldn’t stop the fire, it might hold off the smoke for a little while longer. At least it would slow down the spread of smoke compared to leaving the door wide open.

There was no time to think.

I tore down the old curtains from the window. They smelled moldy, but they seemed strong enough to hold the weight of a small child.

Seeing me tear down the curtains, the children started pulling down the other curtains too. In total, we managed to gather four curtains.

I tied the curtains together as tightly as I could. Good. They looked sturdy enough to hold at least the weight of a child. I tied one end to the frame of the nearest bed and opened the window.

Thankfully, the flames hadn’t spread outside the building yet.

“Hurry!”

The children rushed toward me.

Could they climb down the curtain by themselves? But there wasn’t enough time for me to help each one down. I couldn’t just leave them either.

Claire was watching me, her eyes full of trust.

Driven by her gaze, I began calling the children one by one.

“James, hold on with both hands. I’ll lower you down slowly.”

The boy with straw-colored hair, his face covered in tears, nodded at my words.

“Everyone, hold onto the curtain behind me. We’ll lower each person one at a time, slowly.”

We lowered them one by one, starting with the heaviest child first. Indeed, as each child descended, it became harder. The number of people supporting the curtain decreased, and my strength, being just a five-year-old, was limited.

Still, since one end was tied to the bed, there was no risk of the children falling if my grip weakened.

“You go first.”

Claire was the last one. She nodded, her face still pale with fear, and held onto the curtain tightly. By now, smoke was filling the room, hanging heavily near the ceiling. I couldn’t see what was happening below us, but the fact that the curtain hadn’t caught fire suggested that the flames hadn’t reached outside yet.

“Sister! Everyone’s down!”

Claire’s voice shouted from below. Her voice was faint, but I could hear it clearly amidst all the surrounding noise. Claire must have been shouting with all her strength.

“Ah…”

But my hands felt weak. Having lowered so many children, my hands were trembling from exhaustion. Could I even hold onto the curtain and make it down myself?

As these thoughts ran through my mind, I heard a cracking sound, like something breaking. I turned to see that the fire had already spread to the door. My eyes and throat stung. Being right next to the window allowed me to breathe, but if I hesitated any longer, I might end up dying here too.

“…”

I grabbed the curtain and wrapped it around my waist. Was it long enough? If it was too long, I’d end up crashing into the ground.

But then again… I had more chances than just this one.

With the curtain tied around my waist, I used the last of my strength to leap out the window.

*

The result was both good and bad.

“Ah…!”

The curtain was just the right length. Considering the knot I tied, it was just enough to dangle without hitting the ground. However, because my hands were weak when I tied it around my waist, it hadn’t been secured properly.

I fell straight to the ground. Fortunately, the curtain had slowed my descent enough that I managed to avoid any serious injuries. It still hurt, though. But at least it wasn’t bad enough to make me reverse time.

As I stood up, I saw that all the children were looking at me. Feeling the heat from behind, I turned around. The old orphanage was now completely consumed by fire.

“Fire!”

Someone shouted.

The sound of galloping horses and a carriage carrying a large water tank approached.

“…Let’s go.”

I quickly urged the children forward.

Many people had already seen us. The area was brightly lit, and people were running around in chaos. The scene was a mess. But the children were safe. None of them were hurt, and neither was Claire.

Unlike the hidden red-light district, where even carriages couldn’t go, this area was accessible, which was a relief. Now that the fire brigade had arrived, the flames wouldn’t spread into a massive inferno like in the original story. In a world where magic was used to start fires, it would be used to put them out too.

However, if we got caught here, we’d just end up being sent to another strange orphanage. It would be better to slip away while everyone was distracted by the fire, running around in fear that it might spread to their homes.

The children followed my lead. They trembled with fear but followed me because they knew the adults who had somewhat looked after them were gone.

*

“Where are we going?”

Claire asked. The other children looked up at me, curious about the same thing.

“…I know a place we can go.”

I wasn’t entirely sure. I didn’t know if I could find the way or how far it would be from here. But for now, we didn’t have any other options. This was all I could think of. I might need to use my powers quite a lot.

Chapter 5 : Raging Flames

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 5

EP.5 Raging Flames (5)

One fortunate thing was that the map of this world was the same as the one I had in my head. Of course, not the entire map of the capital was in my head. The capital’s map was just for decoration in the actual game, and only the important parts for the story were implemented.

However, those ‘important parts’ were mostly important regions in the empire. In other words, they were places that could be considered landmarks within the empire.

At the center of the capital was a massive castle—the Imperial Palace. While it wasn’t so enormous that it could be seen from everywhere in the capital, it was visible from most parts of the central area. In the game, almost every region set in the capital had a specific angle where the castle was visible.

Millennium, the company behind the game, wasn’t known for its graphics, nor did it have the technology to create an open world of the entire capital. However, they paid great attention to detail for the fans, designing each region so that a specific angle of the Imperial Palace was visible.

In the game’s map menu, the imperial map in the game was meticulously designed so that each area logically fit together. Even though some areas were blocked by transparent walls, at least the visible parts were designed to give the impression that traveling through those places would lead somewhere meaningful.

And I had explored those areas many times, whether it was for multiple playthroughs to find specific events, hidden notes or NPCs placed by the developers. Additionally, since I was running a blog series on game strategies and related stories, I had to examine the details more closely.

Aside from the poorly managed slums, the capital was well-maintained, considering the era. You could find your way by following the signs along the main roads.

However, there was one problem—

“Hey, you kids over there!”

—The capital wasn’t particularly kind to street orphans or homeless people.

It wasn’t that the passersby were unkind. Their gazes were similar to how people in my world looked at the homeless. Some looked with pity, while others wrinkled their noses and kept their distance.

But one key difference was that the concept of human rights hadn’t fully developed in this world.

The capital attracted many foreigners, making cleanliness important. As a result, they tried to control any “unsightly” elements on the streets as much as possible. And if those “unsightly elements” weren’t just litter but people with legs moving around, it was the police’s job to handle them.

“Hey, don’t run! Stop right there!”

So, whenever I spotted the police, I would grab the children’s hands and run frantically.

Of course, getting caught by the police meant being sent back to the orphanage. I had tried lying about having parents a few times, but it never worked. We would be dragged to the police station and handed over to the shabby orphanage a few days later.

And every time, I would reset time.

The baron’s house wasn’t that far, but getting there was the problem.

“Sister, I’m sleepy…”

We had come out onto the streets in the middle of the night. While people were running around in fear of the fire spreading to their homes, no one paid much attention to us. But the children didn’t have the stamina to walk for hours without sleep.

Even as a five-year-old, I struggled to keep up. After walking for about an hour, my legs felt stiff and tired. Mentally, I was also exhausted from setting the house on fire. With short strides and frequent breaks, it took even longer.

Initially, the children were relatively quiet, but as the breaks became less frequent, they started whining more, and I grew more exhausted.

“…Alright, let’s rest here.”

Eventually, we would stop to rest every hour or so. Usually, we found a dark alley where we were less likely to be seen.

Though it was smelly and damp, as long as we weren’t noticed—

“Hey, you kids. Who gave you permission to be here?”

—if we weren’t noticed, we could rest for at least an hour.

I looked up at the intimidating man with a long scar across his face who was tapping my legs with his toes. I mumbled in a weary voice.

“…Let’s move again.”

*

One fortunate thing was that my ability didn’t seem to have any limits. I could always reset time and start over from the most advantageous moments. When I turned around and saw that some children were missing. When we encountered thugs while resting in an alley. When we got caught by the police. When a resident reported us.

Over and over, I reset time until I found the most ideal outcome.

The actual time we spent walking was probably about half a day. We arrived in front of the baron’s house just as the sun was rising and people were starting to come out onto the streets.

But to me, it felt like several weeks had passed.

Resetting time restored my physical energy. Even without sleep, my mind cleared. My legs regained strength, and the pain in my feet disappeared.

But my mind didn’t get any rest. No matter how comfortable my body felt, I just wanted to collapse and rest, to give up on everything. Maybe I could afford to abandon one or two children? Even if we got caught by the police, maybe we’d end up in a decent orphanage? Maybe that rough-looking person was actually kind-hearted?

Every time such thoughts crossed my mind, I reset time again.

It was somewhat better to rethink things while my body was at least in a more comfortable state. It felt like trying to clear an incredibly difficult action game without missing a beat, or in some ways, like attempting a real-time TAS (tool-assisted speedrun). Either way, it was exhaustingly tiring.

But…

“…I did it.”

Yes, I did it.

I muttered as I looked at the name on the mansion’s main gate in front of me.

Baron Grace’s Estate.

In this world, in the Aetherna Empire, barons did have territories, but they were not particularly large. Moreover, a baron’s land was often part of a larger noble’s territory rather than their own land. All land in the empire was fundamentally owned by the emperor, and thus noble territories were also nominally managed by the emperor.

If it were a duke’s territory, it would be both the emperor’s land and the duke’s domain. The same applied to marquess or count territories. Of course, titles were inherited, so an individual might hold multiple titles, making things more complex.

Barons were ranked below these titles. If the emperor granted the baron’s title directly, the baron’s land would be both the emperor’s and the baron’s. If it was granted by a duke or count, it would be the emperor’s land and the duke’s or count’s domain, as well as the baron’s territory.

Thus, a baron directly appointed by the emperor could wield significant power depending on the circumstances. However, it didn’t necessarily mean they always matched the power of a duke or count.

The Grace family held a baron title directly granted by the emperor.

Naturally, in the noble faction versus emperor faction conflict, they were staunchly on the emperor’s side. This dynamic shifted as the game’s story progressed, eventually flipping entirely by the end, but that was far in the future and not relevant now.

For reference, the Grace barony’s land was all the property beyond this fence. While it was enormous for a private estate, it was quite small when considered as a territory. This was understandable, given it was part of the emperor’s land within the capital.

“…”

But how was I supposed to get in?

There were no guards at the gate, but the gate was firmly closed.

Of course, no one would let just anyone into a noble’s estate, even if it wasn’t heavily guarded.

Still, there was a way.

The Grace couple was known for never letting anyone pass if they were deemed unfortunate, and outside the game, they were often mocked as easy targets by players.

So, the goal was to get noticed when the baron and his wife came outside. Then, they would either take us into their orphanage or, if not, send us to an orphanage run by someone with a verifiable identity.

The problem was, the baron’s estate was in the middle of the capital.

Standing here would surely get us caught by passing police.

“…”

Was it time to use my ability again?

As I sighed deeply, the children who had been looking up at me tilted their heads in confusion.

Well… it’s almost over now.

*

Still, given the experience of hiding around the streets up to this point, hiding wasn’t too difficult.

The most important thing was to avoid the gaze of the police and not get reported by the public. It didn’t matter if we didn’t sneak through the alleys. As long as we didn’t get caught by those we needed to avoid, that was enough.

As I saw the baron and his wife appear, I muttered to myself.

‘Ah, they’re coming out.’

I stood at the very back of the group. It was more efficient to shepherd the children from behind rather than leading from the front since I couldn’t afford to lose even one child.

“Let’s go. We just need to get to those people. Once we do, it’ll be over.”

“Really? Is it really okay?”

Claire asked, looking at the couple who appeared to be a wealthy, well-off pair. I nodded in response.

I remembered the couple’s faces. Although they were represented by 2D illustrations and models based on those illustrations, their appearance was exactly as I recalled.

Their blue hair, which could not exist in reality, the well-groomed mustaches and sideburns. The impression of youth rather than middle age, as seen in the game. The wife beside him had similarly blue, wavy hair and very clean skin.

Seeing them walk out arm in arm, I quickly followed the children.

“Come on, let’s hurry.”

The couple had no guards.

In fact, they didn’t need any. They were powerful enough to casually split a carriage in half with their sword skills. They wouldn’t be surprised or scared if we approached them. That was why there were no knights stationed at their estate.

I urged the children along. Though they had been somewhat anxious at first, they eventually moved toward the couple. These children had survived various dangers with my help. Over half a day, they had built a certain level of trust in me.

Growl.

I heard my stomach growl from skipping breakfast. The children were probably just as hungry.

Just as I was starting to relax…

Suddenly, my mouth was firmly shut. I was so startled I couldn’t even make a sound.

The children, having heard my instructions, continued walking forward. But I couldn’t move. My legs had somehow been lifted off the ground.

Someone was hugging me from behind.

What was this? Did a pervert popped out from the back alley? Logically, considering the appearance of my body, it wouldn’t be surprising to attract a pedophile’s attention.

Again…

“Ah, ah, wait. Calm down. I won’t do anything bad.”

I stopped moving when I heard that voice. It was a pretty young voice, like someone who had just gone through puberty. Probably mid-teens?

‘I recognized that voice.’

As I stopped struggling, the hand covering my mouth relaxed a bit, though it didn’t fully let go.

“You’re clever. That baron will definitely take in those kids. They’ve been talking about expanding the orphanage lately.”

In the distance, the kids were almost near the baron couple, and the couple turned around when they heard the kids approaching.

“Oh, I’ll get caught if I stay here.”

My vision suddenly changed. The man turned around while holding me in his arms. He then quickly ran off, taking me far from the spot.

…Ah.

It seemed that I wouldn’t make it to the orphanage. If this man had been following us from the start, no matter how many times I reset time, I wouldn’t be able to escape.

Well… at least the children arrived safely. They would grow up in a proper place with proper care. And Claire would be safe as well. She wouldn’t have to experience that terrible past.

And I, too, would probably be safe if I followed this man. At least he wasn’t a crazy murderer who kidnapped orphans on the streets to kill them.

It was a shame that I won’t be able to see how Claire grows up though.

Chapter 6 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 6

EP.6 Interlude

“This is good, right, sister?”

The two people in front of her seemed kind.

Claire found it quite strange. Even though she was young, she wasn’t so innocent that she couldn’t tell how others felt.

From her earliest memories, she had wandered the back alleys. Being caught by alley thugs and forced to beg on the main street with a dented tin can was the first image Claire could recall of herself.

The thugs always frightened Claire, telling her that she’d meet a terrible fate if the police caught her. So, whenever she saw a police officer from afar while begging on the street, she would slip into the alley to hide.

Claire, being young, wasn’t subject to strict daily begging quotas like the older kids. These older kids had to beg a certain amount of money, or they’d be brutally beaten. The swelling from these beatings often made it easier for them to get more pity and money from people.

The reason the thugs didn’t give the younger kids quotas wasn’t because they felt sorry for them; it was because they knew the kids were too young to make enough money. If they had any compassion, they wouldn’t have sold Claire to an orphanage for money.

The old woman, who regularly visited the thugs, saw Claire and immediately handed over money, purchasing her. Even though Claire was still just a child, she easily understood that she had been sold. After all, she had witnessed the exchange of money for goods multiple times.

Of course, the orphans under the thugs received nothing more than moldy bread, no matter how much money they brought in.

“You’ll sell for a high price.”

Claire remembered the smile on the old woman’s face as she led her to the orphanage. It hadn’t been so long ago that she’d forgotten.

Life in the orphanage was better than living under the thugs.

The porridge might have had the texture of paper soaked in water, but at least she could fill her empty stomach at the same time every day. As long as she listened to the old woman, there was no fear of being beaten. And most importantly, even if she did get hit, it was rare for the blows to cause bleeding or leave scars.

Moreover, in the orphanage, Claire met a “good person” for the first time.

Sylvia.

She carried the surname “Black,” and she seemed to be the oldest among the children. But the age difference between Sylvia and Claire didn’t seem that large. At a glance, they could almost look the same age.

But since the old woman had said so, Claire decided to believe it. Even when Claire called her “sister,” Sylvia didn’t seem to mind.

She might have looked a bit startled, but that was the extent of it.

When Claire first heard Sylvia referred to as the leader of the group, she thought Sylvia would be like the others—someone who hit the other children. The “bosses” appointed by the thugs were always like that. To avoid being beaten, you had to follow their orders.

But… Sylvia was different.

“Are you hungry? Here, take this. Eat more.”

Although the food was served on time, the portions were too small for one person to feel full. Sylvia would finish her portion and then quietly share bits of it with the children who sat staring at their empty bowls. She never hit anyone, nor did she raise her voice. She didn’t get angry if someone laughed, and when the kids whined, she would try to calm them with kind words.

For Claire, who had never met anyone like Sylvia before, she found Sylvia to be truly fascinating. In some ways, Sylvia felt more like an “adult” than even the old woman, who had likely lived longer than the combined ages of all the children in the orphanage.

And it seemed the other children felt the same way.

They followed Sylvia.

Sylvia was usually quiet, but when the children became restless, she would awkwardly tell them old stories. Most of these tales were repetitive, with only the names of the characters, the ending, and the setting being different. However, with nothing else to entertain them, the children loved to hear those stories.

In reality, Sylvia hadn’t been the leader of the children for very long. Only about a month had passed from the time Claire arrived at the orphanage until it burned down.

But for Claire, that month was the happiest and most comfortable period of her life.

After the fire, after the old woman’s death, and after escaping with the other children, Sylvia led them towards the heart of the city. The entire journey had been nothing short of miraculous. They managed to avoid the notice of the countless police officers patrolling the main streets, and they didn’t have a single altercation with the thugs in the alleyways. Sylvia moved forward without hesitation, right to the city center.

And somehow, she had found her way to this place.

“The children’s condition is quite poor.”

The man with the splendid beard said as he lifted the sleeve of the child in front of him for a closer look.

“It looks like they haven’t eaten for days.”

The lady beside him said.

Claire had encountered people on the streets who, from time to time, would drop money into her tin can. Those people had looked at her with pity, but never before had she seen someone actively checking on her condition or speaking with such genuine concern.

“Where did you come from? Are there more children like you?”

“I don’t know.”

The child, whose hand was held by the man, said fearfully. The man nodded and let go of the child’s hand.

“Is there someone who brought you here?”

“Ah, that would be—”

Sylvia. It was Sylvia who had led all the children, including Claire, to this point.

“This is good, right, sister?”

The two people seemed kind.

Sylvia must have known this and brought them here, seeking a place of refuge. How she knew didn’t really matter. What mattered was that, from this moment on, they would be far safer than they had ever been in the orphanage.

“Sister?”

But the gentle voice that always answered Claire when she spoke didn’t respond this time.

She turned around.

Sylvia had been standing at the very back of the group—

But when Claire turned around, no one was there.

“Huh?”

Claire quickly spun around. There were people walking along the main street, carriages passing by on the road, and countless individuals going in and out of shops. But Sylvia was nowhere to be seen.

“Sylvia!”

Claire called out, but still, there was no response.

“What’s the matter?”

The lady, who had approached unnoticed, asked.

“Was there someone else?”

“My sister, my sister is gone!”

Claire exclaimed. Hearing this, the lady’s expression immediately turned serious.

“You mean there was originally one more person with you?”

“Yes, she was at the back of the group…”

Claire’s voice trailed off as the lady turned her gaze toward her husband, their eyes locking in silent communication.

“Don’t worry, we’ll look for her. We’re sure to find her.”

The lady said, kneeling down to meet Claire’s eyes.

“Really?”

Normally, Claire wouldn’t have asked such a question. Every adult she had encountered so far hated being questioned. That’s how anxious Claire felt. She was afraid that just as suddenly as Sylvia had come into her life, she might vanish just as quickly.

“Yes. We’ll definitely find her.”

Instead of yelling at Claire, cursing her, or hitting her, the lady was kind to her. She just gently patted Claire’s head with her hand.

Claire nodded.

From then on, everything seemed to go smoothly. It didn’t take long for Claire to learn that the two people were Baron Grace and his wife, the Baroness. Within the barony, there was a newly built orphanage, and the Baron and Baroness were more than willing to take in the group of orphans who had come to their doorstep.

And that wasn’t the end of it. As time passed, the number of orphans increased steadily. All the children wore clean clothes, lived in a hygienic environment, and had proper meals to grow strong and healthy. The education provided was thorough. Despite the fact that all the orphans originally came from the back alleys, some of them grew up to be smart enough to enter the Imperial Runedarium Academy, while others developed swordsmanship skills that were no less impressive.

One of them even grew so close to the Grace family’s eldest son that they became like siblings.

That one was Claire.

At the age of ten, Claire was adopted by the Grace family and became “Claire Grace.” With swordsmanship skills surpassing those of the Grace family’s eldest son, who was considered a prodigy, she was able to enter the Imperial Rundarium Academy at the age of fifteen, the age when all noble children began their higher education, as the second-highest ranked student.

However, even during those years, Claire never found Sylvia among the newly arriving orphans.

Chapter 7 : Children of The Emperor

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 7

EP.7 Children of The Emperor (1)

Lately, I’ve been realizing just how ridiculously overpowered my ability to turn back time was.

Ah, of course, to anyone else, this might sound like nonsense. After all, the mere idea of having the power to erase my mistakes would naturally reek of unfairness. What I meant to say was that the range of applications for this ability was unbelievably wide. As anyone who possesses this power would instinctively think, it can be used to correct mistakes.

For example…

“Eek!”

“Huh…?”

…like when my ‘stepbrother’ suddenly slashed me with his sword.

In the original story, Claire was supposed to become one of the Emperor’s children. She would end up being one of the evil commanders, wielding a ‘whip-like sword,’ who was highly favored by the Emperor—a trope often seen in Japanese subcultures.

Now, when I said a whip-like sword, I didn’t mean that the blade was flexible and could be swung around like a whip. No, imagine the kind where the sword’s blade was segmented, like the snapped-off pieces of a utility knife, each segment connected by a sturdy cord. I was not exactly sure how it worked, but it could be used as a regular sword in normal situations and then extend and whip around when needed.

Although it didn’t exist in reality, this kind of sword design somehow showed up quite often in various subculture settings.

Moreover, Claire’s appearance was that of a hardcore sadist, with a high-pitched, sharp voice to match her cruel attire. Although that wasn’t her true self—it was a persona she adopted after giving up on everything in life. Still, the combination of her characteristic dead eyes and a decadent atmosphere made her a strangely popular character.

Sometimes, she even appeared as a guest character in the protagonist’s party. There was also a connection gauge, so you could increase her affection level to unlock special events. However, she was also a character who would inevitably die as part of the story.

Well, given her popularity, the developers often found all sorts of excuses to bring her back to life in sequels. But in the latest installment I played, she was dead…

Of course, that’s not the case now.

Claire was safely residing in the orphanage run by the Grace barony. I didn’t know how the original story would progress from here, but at the very least, Claire in this world wouldn’t have to suffer through a fate of agony worse than death. Nor did she have to become one of the evil commanders. There’s no reason for that, and no need for it.

…The issue is that I’ve taken up that role as one of the ‘evil commanders’ instead.

My impression has changed a lot since I first got here. I’ve made an effort to adapt. I figured staying in this place was safer than being cast aside by the Emperor. I always kept up with my grooming and made a point of being respectful to my superiors. I even cut my long, hard-to-manage hair short and kept it tidy at all times.

But looking at my current situation, I was starting to wonder if all that effort was really necessary.

Especially since there’s a perfect example right here of someone who’s doing the exact opposite—living carelessly yet still not being discarded by the Emperor.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I heard my ‘stepbrother’ ask.

“…”

My body wasn’t completely split in half. It wasn’t a serious strike.

However, it was also a fatal attack enough to dull the pain entirely. My brain must have been frantically pumping endorphins throughout my body to prevent me from dying of shock. But in my experience, this state didn’t last long. Soon enough, the excruciating pain would hit, and I’d start screaming. And when that happened, my value in the Emperor’s eyes would plummet.

That would be a problem.

“Hey, wait a sec, you’re bleeding…”

You crazy bastard, you were the one who did this.

I glared at my stepbrother as I thought to myself.

Reset.

*

Well, anyway.

By resetting time like this, I could avoid a sword strike that should have hit me. I could even dodge without looking.

Of course, the faster the opponent’s sword, the harder it became to dodge. As a result, the number of ‘mistakes’ increases, and naturally, so does the number of retries. But it didn’t really matter. I could reset time as many times as I needed.

Not only could I simply dodge, but I could also retry until I dodged in the way I wanted. Whether it was a desperate roll on the ground or a cool, half-step dodge, it depended on how many times I tried.

…And over the past seven years since I became ‘Sylvia Fangriffon’ instead of ‘Sylvia Black,’ I had dodged my stepbrother’s sword strikes countless times a day. Even if my dynamic vision didn’t improve, dodging the sword strikes of one of the world’s greatest swordsmen a few times every day—no, hundreds—of times a day, I couldn’t help but get a feel for it.

Now, I could dodge such half-hearted strikes with a single step.

But seriously, what kind of person swings a sword at a twelve-year-old?

I was grateful that he brought me here, but this guy was crazy.

Then again, he was like that in the game, too. The reason he stayed under the Emperor was so he could fight with more people.

“Whew!”

As I dodged the sword strike by moving forward, I heard him whistle. I immediately spun around, drawing the pistol from the holster under my left armpit.

After becoming the Emperor’s daughter, I’d pondered my situation for quite some time. Even though I could turn back time, my physical abilities were nothing extraordinary. They were just like any other child my age.

Compared to the other monsters under the Emperor’s command, my body was weak and underdeveloped.

Of course, to those who didn’t know I had the ability to reset time, I appeared to have insane reflexes, sharp hearing, and superhuman senses. To them, I was a monster capable of dodging any attack, sensing an assassin the moment I walked into a room, or knowing exactly who stood outside a door before it was opened.

Naturally, I was just acting based on what I’d seen beforehand. But to everyone else, it looked like I was perceiving everything with my own senses.

In a way, it’s like a real-life TAS (Tool-Assisted Speedrun).

But no matter how you look at it, there’s no way the Emperor would be satisfied with just this ability. A person who dreamed of world domination would want someone who could fight and decisively defeat any opponent. That’s why I chose to specialize in firearms.

The developers have stated that the game’s setting was inspired by the Industrial Revolution. However, perhaps because they thought it would be boring to copy historical events exactly, the developers made various differences from the real-world Industrial Revolution. The design and general technological level were depicted similarly to the mid-19th century. But, true to the steampunk fantasy genre, there’s a significant amount of over-technology, allowing for the mass production of all sorts of goods and the use of techniques like press molding. In the original world, these were crude and just emerging technologies, but in this world, they were commonplace. They even have computers of a sort, making certain aspects of this world reminiscent of the 21st century, especially things like school uniforms.

True to its fantasy elements, some technologies in this world resemble those from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The firearms here had metal cartridges and looked similar to the personal firearms typically associated with the World Wars. Some aspects of their technology seemed to lag behind the same period on Earth, but considering the original work, this would likely be resolved within a few years.

Even in an era of widespread mass production and the introduction of press molding, revolvers were still more popular than automatic pistols, and bolt-action rifles were preferred over semi-automatic rifles or submachine guns. The designs were not yet fully stabilized, so simpler firearms were still much more reliable than more complex ones.

The revolver I carried was a military-grade model from Wexler. It used a top-break design that allowed the barrel to tilt forward completely, ejecting all spent casings at once. It then reloaded with a moon clip containing six rounds, which snaps into place like a magazine. Since it’s designed for an adult male’s hand, it’s not exactly the right size for my not-yet-fully-grown hands.

Initially, I dropped it several times when I first tried to draw it. But as I said, I had infinite opportunities. I reset time countless times to find the optimal way to draw the gun.

Resetting time also meant that any physical training, such as strength exercises or running, became void. My physical state reset to match that specific point in time. However, the muscle memory in my mind remained.

I could practice drawing the gun thousands, even tens of thousands of times. If it became too difficult, I could just reset time and keep practicing until I got used to it. The same goes for shooting. As long as I had a single bullet in my gun, I could practice my shooting anywhere, at any time, and as many times as I wanted—whether it was with a revolver or a bolt-action rifle nearly as tall as I was.

Moreover, even if I missed, I could continue practicing until I hit the target. If needed, I could aim at the exact same spot, repeatedly firing until only one bullet hole remained. I could keep resetting time until I achieved that.

I guarantee that no soldier in the Empire had as much shooting practice as I did.

Bang!

A powerful jolt shot through my hand as I fired the revolver—

“…Huh?”

“…Ah.”

Did you know If you focused too much on hitting the center of the target it could make it difficult to shoot off-target intentionally.

Then, there was a bullet-sized hole right in the middle of my stepbrother’s forehead.

Uh, well…

Reset.

*

In Norse mythology, there was a god named Baldur. He was immune to injury, no matter where he was struck or what weapon was used. The other gods would throw things at him, just for fun.

…To clarify, they weren’t bullying him. They were literally just playing with him, since Baldur couldn’t be harmed by anything. That’s exactly how my stepbrothers and stepsisters looked at me. Whether they suddenly jumped out and swung their swords or shot arrows at me, they would do so as if it were some kind of joke, knowing I would dodge them in advance.

Of course, the only person who really did it consistently was the guy I just shot.

Hmm.

Since I reset time before he completely died, I guess I didn’t need to count that as killing him, right?

Bang!

With the gunshot, his movements stopped.

If only dodging the first sword strike was enough to end it, but this lunatic had apparently been preparing a follow-up attack. The tips of his red hair, more precisely the area near his temple, were singed slightly. That’s where the bullet had passed. I hadn’t intended to aim so precisely, but since it served as a proper warning, I could be satisfied with that.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, little sister.”

Little sister, my ass.

“…Do you usually swing such murderous sword strikes at your sister?”

“Come on, you dodge every time I swing. I knew you’d dodge this one too.”

He said that while dramatically sheathing his sword.

I didn’t dodge it, you crazy bastard.

Even if I explained, he wouldn’t believe me.

“What if I hadn’t dodged?”

I asked, and he frowned, thinking for a moment before replying.

“Huh? But you did dodge.”

Exactly.

This guy’s intelligence didn’t match his swordsmanship skills. No wonder he let his guard down and got shot by me earlier.

No matter how good I was, I couldn’t match his swordsmanship. Of course, since I could keep resetting time to achieve the best possible outcome, no one would ever think so.

To dodge his constant attacks, I needed to exercise every day just to stay in shape. Otherwise, my role would just be shooting from a distance and running away. Damn it.

And, there were still three years until the main storyline started. According to the game’s setting, they selected outstanding children who turned fifteen that year to send to the academy, so this guy still had some room to grow. Mostly in terms of intelligence.

Even in the original story, he wasn’t dumb enough to get shot by underestimating his opponent.

Considering he’s only twenty-two now, maybe he just lacked experience.

…Then again, I was only twelve.

*

Damn it.

“Whoa, whoa, Sylvia.”

The guy spoke, raising both hands as if to show he meant no harm, looking at me like I was some cute, pouting child.

“Calm down. I’m your big brother. Would I really swing my sword at my little sister?”

You literally did.

Well, I couldn’t argue if he said it wasn’t serious since my body wasn’t split in two.

“…Lucas.”

“Hey, little sister. Are you really going to call me by my name like that? Just call me ‘brother.’ Come on? Honestly, you’ve seen me more than Father.”

Those “more” hours amounted to only a few extra hours, but sure.

Actually, the Emperor had been observing the orphanage from the beginning. Of course, it wasn’t to find talented kids like Claire or me from the start. He planned to find out which nobles visited the brothel associated with the orphanage and use this information to have power over them.

And the one given the task of watching the orphanage was none other than “Lucas Fangriffon.”

After the orphanage burned down, Lucas saw me leading the orphans to safety without any trouble and judged that I had ‘talent,’ so he kidnapped me and brought me before the Emperor.

But then he swung his sword at a five-year-old.

This crazy bastard.

I barely managed to dodge after several attempts.

Still, thanks to that, I caught the Emperor’s attention, which is why my name is now Sylvia Fangriffon.

“…Lucas. If you do something like that one more time, I’ll purposely let your sword strike me and report it to His Majesty.”

“Oh no, is that right? Is our sweet little Sylvia upset? Gonna go tattle to Daddy?”

“…”

Should I kill him?

Maybe I should just kill him.

As I toyed with the gun in my hand, I seriously considered it.

Chapter 8 : Children of The Emperor

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 8

EP.8 Children of The Emperor (2)

Well, if it were a moment like earlier when Lucas let his guard down, maybe it would work. But facing him head-on like this, no matter how many attempts I made, there was no way I could land a shot on Lucas’s head.

It might take not just a few tries but hundreds, maybe even thousands, to get a single successful hit.

…But for the sake of the story’s main plot, this guy needed to stay alive. He was a key antagonistic character in the original story, after all.

In other words, to anticipate future events, I would have to go through the hassle of resetting time and saving this jerk, even if I went through all that trouble to kill him. What a pointless task.

Besides, even though Lucas annoyed me, and sometimes I genuinely thought about killing him, he wasn’t someone I genuinely hated. I didn’t particularly like any of the male characters in the original game, but I didn’t hate them to that extent, either.

To be fair, my current predicament was partly my own doing.

Moreover, in the original story, the Emperor played an indirect supporting role for the protagonist, primarily through his children. Lucas was one of them.

There was a chance I might become one of them too. After all, it was me standing in this position now, not Claire.

In the original story, Claire didn’t enter the academy from the start. She initially got involved with the protagonist’s party as an outsider and only infiltrated as a transfer student after the story progressed.

She was actually the Emperor’s informant and a spy.

I didn’t know if I would end up taking Claire’s role in this situation. At least, in my opinion, my personality was quite different from Claire’s.

Claire was a character who charmed everyone around her with her little devil persona, only to reveal her true colors as an incredibly sharp and edgy individual. In contrast, the character I had built under the Emperor was a “cold, expressionless type who stays calm no matter the situation.”

I had no choice.

While I had once dreamed of becoming a voice actor and attended a voice acting academy, I didn’t have extraordinary talent for acting. Instead of trying to craft expressions and reactions appropriate for every situation, I opted to maintain a consistent, emotionless demeanor.

This approach matched well with my ability to react as if I could foresee the future. The ability to reset time and start over with full knowledge of the situation made this consistent atmosphere even more fitting.

“Oh, Sylvia. And Lucas.”

Ignoring Lucas, who was trying his best to irritate me, I walked quickly down the palace corridor when someone approached from afar.

Unlike Lucas, who wandered around like a wild child without even bothering to take care of his hair despite being an ‘Children of the Emperor,’ this person had brilliantly shining golden hair that neatly parted in a precise 2:8 ratio, and even the fine hairs of his eyebrows were immaculately trimmed. Like Lucas, he was also one of the “Children of the Emperor.”

The smile on his face when he saw me faded quickly when he saw Lucas. I could tell this wasn’t just my imagination. He had a strong preference for cleanliness, and Lucas, if anything, gave off a rather unkempt vibe.

Despite his noble appearance, this man wasn’t a true noble. Among the Emperor’s children, the only legitimate royal was the blood-related daughter. The rest were all street urchins gathered from the back alleys. Why all these street urchins turned out to be such monsters, I had no idea.

“Lucas, please, at least in the palace, can you button your jacket all the way up?”

“Huh?”

And of course, Lucas didn’t like him very much either. They were incompatible.

“What makes you think you can tell me what to do? Are you trying to act like my older brother or something?”

“I was born a few months before you.”

And he’s taller too.

Saying this now would only provoke Lucas further.

“Hey, Jayden.”

Lucas stormed over to Jayden Fangriffon with a seemingly angry expression.

…But it was obvious that his expression was an act.

Lucas always picked fights with Jayden whenever they met, but it wasn’t just because he didn’t like him. Jayden was already the Empire’s strongest knight.

Lucas, on the other hand, was destined to become the Empire’s greatest swordsman.

The coexistence of the strongest knight and the greatest swordsman was somewhat questionable, but Jayden earned his reputation on the battlefield, while Lucas would later gain his by defeating the Sword Saint. So, the meanings of their titles were subtly different.

Jayden was a soldier who idolized the Emperor and would do anything for him, even if it meant risking his life, while Lucas was a madman with ambitions to surpass the Emperor and become the strongest being in the world.

He also had a tremendous love for fighting. If I had seriously attacked him, he probably would have been thrilled and charged at me.

…Though, as mentioned earlier, I had managed to shoot him in the head before he could even make a move due to his lapse in vigilance.

“Didn’t I tell you before? If you want to give me orders, you’d better start by defeating me with your sword. If you can prove that you’re definitely stronger than me, I’ll follow any command you give, even if it’s to drink horse piss.”

“…Sigh.”

Jayden let out an exaggerated sigh, brushing his face with an elaborate motion, and then pointed dramatically at me.

“Look at Sylvia over there. Every movement she makes is filled with grace! No matter how many times you swing your sword at her, she dodges them all with refined, noble movements. And that’s not all! Even when she meets His Majesty, she shows impeccable manners beyond her years. You should try to be half as refined as your sister!”

All of that was the result of thousands of practice sessions.

But to everyone here, it looked like I had been that way from the start.

…And this was also a significant deviation from the original story.

Setting aside the fact that I was in Claire’s place, Claire and Jayden didn’t get along. Jayden, who liked people who dressed neatly and carried themselves with noble grace, found Claire’s attire to be too “ugly.”

Of course, I had no intention of dressing like Claire, and I thought they didn’t suit my image, so I dressed as neatly as possible.

It seemed that this aligned with Jayden’s preferences and made me his most beloved “sister.”

…To the extent that he openly declared that if I ever got a boyfriend, he would personally check his qualifications first.

Why the hell would you need to do that, you crazy bastard?

Well, it was not entirely surprising since Jayden was a character known for his comedic elements as well, so his reaction wasn’t completely out of line.

“…”

Lucas’s expression, which had been full of arrogance a moment ago, now looked genuinely distressed. Yeah, it was a bit much, wasn’t it? Even for a madman like you, it sounded a bit… pedophilic. She was merely twelve years old, and Jayden’s compliments were completely sincere, but still…

“Come on, Sylvia. Let’s go.”

Lucas, who had been speaking in a completely obnoxious tone, suddenly switched to a very kind, older-brother-like voice.

“Don’t stay near that pervert.”

“Pervert? What nonsense is that!”

Jayden, who had been strongly protesting, followed us as Lucas gently but firmly guided me away, taking my shoulder and turning me around.

*

The term ‘Children of the Emperor’ usually has no other meaning beyond its literal one in normal circumstances. However, in this game—or rather, in this empire—it’s used almost as a common noun. Commoners might not know, but among the nobility, it’s used to describe a kind of private organization of the Emperor. And indeed, it was true.

How the Emperor gathered them was anyone’s guess, but those he referred to as “sons and daughters” were all extraordinary humans far beyond the scope of ordinary humans…. and that included me.

“Oh, everyone’s here?”

Lucas said as he opened the door to the audience chamber.

In a normal situation, there should have been knights guarding the Emperor in the audience chamber… but right now, there were only the Emperor and two adults, one male and one female.

“Oh, you’ve arrived.”

Even though he was the final boss of the evil organization in the game, his voice was surprisingly fatherly when he spoke to us.

Emperor Arthur III.

The incarnation of ‘Fangriffon.’

The Emperor who founded the most powerful imperial authority in the history of the Aetherna Empire.

An ambitious villain who literally wished to “conquer the world,” wanting to place everything under his feet.

And the two people kneeling before him were also among those ‘Children of the Emperor.’

The man with long black hair that reached his back, who had a delicate appearance, was, in fact, a very strong paladin. Despite his delicate appearance, his body was lean and muscular with hardly any body fat.

He was quiet, and with a handsome face, he was quite popular among female players of the game.

By the way, Lucas was also one of the popular characters.

Jayden was not.

Next to him sat a woman with a somewhat gloomy appearance, who, in the original story, served as Claire’s mentor. Of course, due to their relationship, Claire called her “sister.”

She wielded a whip-like sword. In the original story, she was already deceased at the start. It wasn’t revealed how she died; she was only mentioned as the original owner of Claire’s weapon.

Apparently, she was very fond of Claire and taught her many things, including her bad personality, which contributed to Claire becoming a polarizing character.

…Well, no, to be fair, it wasn’t really the character’s fault. The blame lay with the author’s writing… but, anyway, there’s no point in nitpicking about that here.

I wonder what kind of swordsmanship Claire, with her natural talent, would learn at the Grace household. If Baron Grace has any sense, he’ll definitely train Claire in swordsmanship and send her to the academy.

The real daughter of the Emperor, the princess, wasn’t present. In the original story, her character arc involved overcoming her inferiority complex towards the ‘Children of the Emperor.’ That process was a key part of her character development.

So, did that mean she might feel inferior to me too?

“Are you feeling well?”

I asked, kneeling in a position I had practiced hundreds of times.

“Yes.”

The Emperor replied, nodding approvingly with a smile.

I could hear Jayden behind me, visibly touched, letting out a sigh of admiration, but I ignored him.

“You’ve been well, then?”

I couldn’t exactly tell him I almost died being sliced in half by my brother’s sword.

“Yes, I’ve been spending my time training as always.”

“Excellent. It’s important not to neglect your training even when you know you have exceptional abilities. You’re old enough now, so I’ll be assigning you a mission soon. Don’t worry too much. It will be a mission you can handle with your abilities.”

Despite being the villain, he spoke in a genuinely fatherly tone, but it was clear that the mission would involve killing someone.

It would likely be an order to kill a noble from the noble faction or put them in a similar state. In the original story, it was said that the Emperor had secretly killed dozens of nobles. There were only suspicions, but blaming the Emperor based on mere suspicions wouldn’t work.

“I’ll be waiting.”

The fact that he was assigning such a mission to a twelve-year-old confirmed that he was indeed a villain.

It’s likely that this Emperor played a role in why Claire’s personality turned out to be so twisted.

“I’ve completed my mission, Father.”

Jayden was the most devoted to the title ‘Children of the Emperor.’ This was also why he wasn’t popular. He was a character without much depth, solely focused on the Emperor.

“Good. Did the count survive?”

“Yes, he didn’t die. But he surely understood your message clearly.”

“Good.”

What kind of words were these to come out of the Empire’s greatest ‘knight’?

“Lucas.”

“It’s done.”

Jayden glared at Lucas’s casual tone, but the Emperor didn’t seem to care at all.

“Excellent. It pleases me greatly that my children perform their duties so well. Continue to do so in the future.”

The Emperor smiled warmly.

…And I was convinced that this smile was genuine. His calling us his children, his self-identification as a father—this Emperor meant every word.

And precisely because of that, he was a true villain.

That’s what I believed.

Chapter 9 : Children of The Emperor

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 9

EP.9 Children of The Emperor (3)

Honestly, I had no real intention of carrying out that mission with utmost seriousness.

Assassinating a count, really.

Not that I couldn’t do it, of course. I had already tested whether or not I could complete such a mission. Taking the carriage the Emperor provided all the way to the count’s estate and infiltrating the mansion itself was perfectly feasible.

Not that I succeeded on the first try, of course. It was the count’s mansion, after all, so there were numerous guards, and the count himself had a meticulous nature, with countless servants and guards swarming inside the estate.

But no matter how thorough the security, there were always gaps to exploit.

Especially in this world, where there was no such thing as CCTV yet. Sure, there were devices like the Analytical Engine and the Difference Engine—steam-powered machines akin to computers. There were also mechanical calculators, cameras, and printers. However, all these technologies were based on analog systems.

The Difference Engine could store numbers and letters, but not on semiconductor-based storage devices. Instead, it used a complex network of variously sized gears that physically represented data in its configurations. Think of it as a very expensive analog wristwatch. The intricate gears constantly powered by steam engines would hold information in a physical form, which could then be retrieved by feeding other gears into the system and printing it onto paper.

Naturally, these devices required a continuous supply of coal or magic stones to keep running. Maintenance had to account for wear and tear on every single component. And compared to modern computers I was familiar with, these machines were massive. Even a Difference Engine capable of storing a few images was the size of three grand pianos stacked together.

Storing images was highly inefficient, so the machines were typically used for complex calculations. If they were set to remember numbers instead of images, they could store far more data and significantly speed up output times.

Even then, the only real advantage over human calculation was being “a bit faster and a bit more accurate.” So, unless a calculation needed to be completed urgently or to several decimal places, it was more practical to hire a professional mathematician, known as a “calculator.”

Furthermore, the Analytical Engine, which was supposed to match the capabilities of a 386 or 486 computer, wasn’t something that could fit into the space of a few grand pianos. It required an entire building, with hundreds of technicians on standby to repair its gears at any given moment. Although it’s smaller than a library, considering the cost alone, it might be more efficient to just build a library.

The latest, more compact version of the Analytical Engine was supposedly installed in the flying battleship “Dreadnought” that soared over the capital, Runedarium. But being scaled down meant sacrifices in functionality, so dozens of calculators were on standby to support the Analytical Engine’s calculations.

There were cameras, but video recording hadn’t been invented yet. When we think of analog cameras, we think of film, but this world hadn’t developed such film yet. Here, the “film” was not a flexible strip but a wide glass plate. Naturally, the higher the resolution of the camera, the larger the glass plate needed. This also increased the risk of breakage.

By the main storyline’s beginning, film around the size of the 35mm film we’re familiar with was supposed to be available. However, since this was before the start of the main storyline, I hadn’t seen any yet.

…I have to say, the setting is strangely detailed in odd areas.

In any case, this is a world where a blend of over-technology and the actual atmosphere of the 19th century exists in various ways.

From what I confirmed by being caught dozens of times, the Crowfield Count family relied solely on human resources for security without using any Difference Engines for surveillance.

And as long as humans were involved in guarding the place, there would always be a way to break through.

I managed to reset the time forty-six times and succeeded in getting close to the count twice.

Out of thirty-four attempts, I succeeded in creating a situation where I could shoot the count in the head three times while he was walking along the road.

As for successfully planting a bomb in the carriage the count was riding, that was achieved twice out of thirty-seven attempts.

Lastly, I disguised myself as a newly hired maid and managed to slip poison into the food the count would eat once. This method only succeeded on the fifth and final attempt out of five.

After confirming how inefficient this method was, I decided to scrap it altogether. Each infiltration took at least a week to two weeks, and the success rate was low. In fact, success was achieved only once, and even that was the result of numerous time reversals in between. This means that, in total, I had to reset the time five times. But in reality, the number of times the ability was used was the highest for this method.

Considering the time needed for escape and the possibility of someone remembering my face later, the second method was the most appropriate: shooting from a distance and then escape.

Of course, I didn’t actually kill him. I only tested the feasibility, and the count was still alive.

“…Hmm.”

I perched on a tree, lost in thought, watching the procession of the count’s carriage through binoculars.

I knew the name ‘Crowfield.’ As ominous as it sounded, the count had a very sinister aura. His mustache curled up at the ends in the style of a Kaiser’s mustache, and his skin was so pale it was almost white.

Well, honestly, this appearance was a first for me. I only remembered the name because I had heard it in the game.

Mia Crowfield.

One of the heroines. She had a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, with drooping hair, but if you brushed aside the bangs covering half her face, she was an incredibly beautiful girl.

In the game, it was revealed that she lost her father due to the Emperor’s schemes three years before the main story began… but in reality, Count Crowfield was involved in all sorts of dirty deeds behind the scenes. That was the setting.

Among the important characters in the noble faction that the protagonist belonged to, each had a tragic backstory, and Mia Crowfield was one of them.

At home, he was a stern but caring father. However, behind the scenes, he was deeply involved in human trafficking, prostitution, and the opium trade targeting commoners.

Mia Crowfield’s storyline revolved around discovering the truth about her father, whom she believed to have been a victim of power struggles, and then apologizing to the heroine from the commoner faction, accepting and overcoming her past.

“…But I never thought I’d be the one to eliminate Crowfield.”

I sighed lightly.

The character of the Emperor believed that everything he did was for the Empire. He loved the Empire so much that he was willing to sacrifice everything outside the Empire to make it his own and use the results for the Empire. In real-world terms, he was a typical imperialist.

However, his love for the Empire was genuine, so he sincerely wanted to eradicate the opium trade and human trafficking rooted within the Empire. He didn’t care what happened to other countries; he was ready to sacrifice everything for the Empire.

Of course, there were many flaws in his logic. But then again, which villain didn’t have flaws in their logic? If there were no flaws, they wouldn’t be villains but rather good characters.

So, honestly, until I learned the name Crowfield, I hadn’t decided that I would “definitely eliminate him.”

The problem was—

“……”

I raised my binoculars again and focused on the carriage carrying the count. Beyond the lenses, crafted meticulously by the finest artisans in the Empire, the black carriage of the count came into clear view.

It was indeed a luxurious carriage made of expensive wood, but it wasn’t the one the count usually rode. The count’s usual ornate carriage was parked in front of another inn. The count had switched carriages twice before heading to his destination.

And that destination was a brothel located in a secluded part of the count’s territory.

By the way, the term “brothel” was something I personally decided to call it. The actual sign on the building read “Orphanage.”

Out of the forty-six attempts I made to evade or neutralize the count’s guards and get close to him, twelve were carried out at this brothel. And once, I succeeded in getting close enough to press the Wexler revolver to the count’s head. Because of that, I knew quite well what went on inside that building. The name “brothel” was far more fitting than “orphanage.”

The nauseating stench that assaulted the nose. The haze-inducing scent of opium. The screams and groans. The cries of children begging for their lives.

Oh, and something I forgot to mention, during those twelve times I infiltrated the brothel, I thoroughly searched every corner of it.

I managed to obtain client lists, records of the children used up, the cost of their lives, and the names of the organization’s members. When a .455 caliber bullet lodged in his leg, the count had blurted out everything he knew, practically crying.

The brothel “imported” children from “an orphanage in the capital” and “processed” that “raw material” as needed.

“Do you think eradicating this one brothel will root out such situations? This organization is just one of many small criminal groups! If you want to eliminate those who are corrupting the Empire, you need to ally with the big players! S-spare me. I’ll do anything for His Majesty. I’ll reveal all the information I know…”

“…Then, let me ask you one thing. The carriage you came in. What about the coachman? Is he a member of this organization?”

“Y-yes, he is. Of course. To ensure that information about our clients doesn’t leak, we use only loyal members at every step of the process…”

That’s what the count had told me directly during my previous encounter with him.

Of course, the count now wouldn’t even dream that he had said such things.

There were no innocent people in the carriage the count was riding. They were all entangled not just by money but by drugs and prostitution. They couldn’t easily speak out or pull out because they were involved in the very act of using drugs and assaulting children. The moment they tried, the pre-prepared evidence would be exposed to the world. Of course, this information wasn’t acquired by threatening the organization members. Those who couldn’t handle the guilt would never be so deeply involved in the first place.

Most of the members supporting the organization were criminals who had been in and out of prison multiple times. Even in a country where human rights were barely recognized, committing atrocities against children was seen as nearly unforgivable.

…Honestly, when I think about it, it’s a strange thing. People don’t bat an eye when a ten-year-old child gets their hand crushed in a press while working in a factory, yet they are deeply concerned about imprisoning and assaulting such children. No matter how many times I see it, I can’t quite grasp the concept of “good” in this world.

Well, setting those thoughts aside.

To summarize,

Neither the count nor the members of the organization driving that carriage were people whose deaths would matter much.

As the carriage drew closer to the brothel, it began to slow down. I took out a pocket watch from my pocket and checked the time. Although a mechanical watch has its limitations in terms of accuracy, it should still give me a rough estimate of when the bomb would—

Boom!

—explode.

I quickly raised my binoculars to look in the direction of the explosion. Half of the carriage had vanished without a trace. The coachman, who had been seated up front, was rolling on the ground, his legs missing. The bodyguard, who had been riding with the count for protection, stumbled out of the opposite door with one arm gone before collapsing. Other members of the organization, who had been following in carriages behind, hurriedly disembarked—

Only to be swept away by a series of successive explosions.

The entire procession following the count’s carriage was blown far away in a chain reaction of detonations. Unlike the carriage carrying the count, where the placement of the explosives had been carefully calculated to target his seat, the subsequent carriages were hit in various locations. Some exploded near the coachman’s seat, others blew out to the left side—opposite from the count’s carriage—or, at least outwardly, appeared relatively intact.

Of course, even the carriages that seemed undamaged had their windows blown out from the inside, suggesting no one inside could have survived. I could see some bodies with their limbs scattered in different directions.

Not just humans, but several horses had been blown apart as well. The surviving horses, startled by the deafening blasts, thrashed about wildly, causing further chaos among the remaining members of the organization who were struggling to control them. I felt a pang of guilt for the innocent animals caught up in all of this.

The count’s body would likely never be found.

On the eighth attempt, I had succeeded for the third time.

“……”

This wasn’t my first time killing someone. It really wasn’t, but… honestly, I didn’t feel good about it.

“Ugh.”

Suppressing the nausea welling up inside me as best as I could, I climbed down from the tree. I changed out of my dirty clothes, stuffed them into my travel bag, and closed it. I had to escape before the chaos settled within the estate.

Chapter 10 : Children of The Emperor

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 10

EP.10 Children of The Emperor (4)

Even so, escaping wasn’t all that difficult. With the count blown away, there was significant confusion within the command structure of the count’s territory. Moreover, since the count had moved with his underworld associates without informing anyone, and since the explosion had left the bodies in pieces, the initial assumption was not that he had “died” but rather that he had “gone missing.” While the count’s closest aides might have known where he went and what had happened, there were few who could openly speak about it.

As a result, the search for the count’s killer within his territory only began in earliest three days after the explosion, when his death was confirmed. They had deduced this from scraps of clothing and fragments of the count’s facial skin found among the shattered remains.

“……”

And I was reading all this in the newspaper.

“You chose a very grand method.”

Lucas commented as I silently turned the page.

As expected, right after the count’s death, I had changed my clothes and slipped out of his territory. The wider the territory, the more people lived in it, which meant higher productivity. Even though the Industrial Revolution had ushered in an era of mass production with factories being built everywhere, numerous workers were still required to run those factories. And most of those workers were residents of the land.

No matter how wealthy a commoner—known as a bourgeois—might be, they couldn’t match the starting point of a noble. Nobles, who originally possessed both land and money, established their own companies and built factories. Even if a commoner wanted to build a factory, the land on which that factory would stand usually belonged to a noble.

Therefore, nobles with extensive territories, like the count, were often incomparably wealthier than even the richest commoners.

“A chain of explosions involving carriages, not cars. It’s obvious he was murdered.”

Of course, Lucas didn’t say this with a hint of accusation towards me. This madman didn’t really care how people died. If Lucas ever had to kill someone, he’d almost certainly choose to do it with a sword.

For a count to be murdered, it typically implied that the person responsible had backing so powerful that even the count’s family couldn’t dare to challenge or suspect them. And there were only two people with more power than a count: a duke and the Emperor.

Even a duke didn’t always have a better political standing than a count. The difference between a duke and a count mainly stemmed from whether they were of imperial blood or not; in terms of land size or real power, a count could sometimes surpass a duke. While “generally,” dukes wielded more power, it’s similar to how, on rare occasions, a baron might have more power than a count.

However, a duke wouldn’t have the kind of social standing necessary to easily kill a count. A duke, after all, was just another noble of the realm. In these times of fierce rivalry between the Emperor’s faction and the nobility, killing a count without attempting to bring him to their side would only strengthen the opposition.

Given these circumstances, the only one who could plausibly have ordered the murder of this count was the Emperor himself.

The issue was, of course, that this was just conjecture with no concrete evidence. Since the days of the previous generation, the emperor’s power had been unshakable. He could afford to make a statement like, “Defy me, and only death awaits.”

However, without solid evidence, blaming the Emperor based solely on suspicion wasn’t an option, especially given the solid position of the emperor’s faction.

In truth, only the nobles who harbored extreme hatred for the Emperor would believe such a thing. When the Emperor ordered me to eliminate the count, he likely already had evidence of the count’s corruption. If the count’s associates tried to confront the Emperor, he would only need to present that evidence. If they didn’t want to face a fate “more humiliating than death,” the Crowfield County would have to keep their mouths shut, at least for the next few years. Even the count’s own daughter wouldn’t know why her father had died.

“A boiler explosion looks very different from an explosion caused by a bomb. Even if there was an explosion in a car, it would be immediately obvious if a bomb had been used.”

All steam-powered vehicles had boilers installed inside. Since they carried coal mixed with magic stones or pure magic stones, there was always a risk of explosions. In fact, such incidents did happen from time to time. The car Lucas and I were riding in also carried that risk. However, the nature of a boiler or magic stone explosion differed from that of a conventional gunpowder bomb. Not that I had any professional knowledge about it.

Feigning indifference, I answered, and Lucas shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I wasn’t trying to say that… Anyway, forget it. Father probably wanted something that could serve as a ‘warning’ in that way. Now I understand why Jayden is so fond of you… Though, just listening to him talk can be a bit unsettling.”

Lucas raised his hand, seemingly intending to pat my head, but I quickly swatted it away.

*

“Impressive.”

The Emperor spoke as he looked at me.

“I didn’t specify how you should kill him, yet you managed to carry out my intentions well. I believe that, no matter how I had instructed you to kill, you would have followed through just the same.”

“…Thank you.”

What the Emperor said was both true and false. Given my ability to try as many times as needed until I succeeded, I could theoretically kill in any way the Emperor commanded. Moreover, I could escape safely and ensure no one found out.

“Indeed, you are my daughter. I am proud.”

“…”

Praising a twelve-year-old for completing a murder mission.

Recalling the Emperor character I had seen in the game, I knew his words were genuine. The Emperor was not the kind of person to lie unnecessarily.

“Thank you.”

So, I merely offered my thanks.

“You’ve worked hard traveling such a long distance. I will hear a detailed report once you’ve had time to rest.”

“Understood.”

I bowed deeply once again, then turned and left the room, walking with a military-like precision I had practiced countless times. Every movement was crisp and graceful. My speech was always formal, my expression perpetually blank. This was the “character” I

had chosen. Surrounded by monsters who could read emotions from facial expressions and body language as if peering straight into one’s mind, this was my way of protecting myself.

For the first few years, it was difficult, but for the last few years, I felt I had managed fairly well.

Although the Emperor had openly orchestrated the count’s death, he apparently had no intention of boasting about it to others. Not a single guard or maid could be seen in the audience chamber. Well, it was hard to imagine anyone in this capital who could fight the Emperor one-on-one and win. So, those of us who regularly visited this ‘family-only’ audience chamber were used to opening and closing the doors ourselves.

“Ah, move aside! I need to see Father.”

“Whoa, calm down, Your Highness. Sylvia is having a private audience with His Majesty right now—”

“I am His Majesty’s daughter! I have every right to enter, no matter who’s inside!”

“His Majesty has ordered that no one else be allowed in.”

“…Oh…”

Just as I was stepping out, that conversation unfolded before me.

” Your Highness.”

I gave a slight bow toward the ‘princess’ standing before me. She looked somewhat flustered as she met my gaze. To explain once more, both Lucas and I are ‘Children of the Emperor.’ Officially, we hold the titles of Princess and Prince. However, not all of these ‘children’ were treated as true princesses or princes. Even though we were officially adopted, we did not have the right to inherit the Empire.

The true heir to the Empire, the one who genuinely carried the Emperor’s blood, was the real ‘Princess’ standing before me now.

Children like Lucas and me were essentially the Emperor’s personal assassination squad. Although he might consider us his real children, our roles were different.

Unlike me, with my completely black hair and eyes that couldn’t even be falsely claimed to carry the Emperor’s blood, this real Princess had long, dazzling golden hair with a slight curl at the ends, giving her a noble appearance.

Well, my appearance was somewhat noble too. But a princess who was born into royalty had a drastically different aura. Despite being under the emperor’s care since I was five, I had memories of adult men; I could only barely mimic a soldier by recalling my past as a military recruit. However, I could never hope to match Princess Alice, whose royal bearing shone through even when she threw childish tantrums.

Her skin was so white that it seemed like it had never seen sunlight, and her eyes were a clear, deep blue. Looking at her, I couldn’t help but think, “Yes, this child truly is the emperor’s daughter.”

“……”

The Princess, Alice Fangriffon, who was the same age as me, stared at me with eyes full of jealousy. It was understandable.

Even though she was a princess, she was still just a child. At an age where she should be showered with love from her father, she had to share his attention with a bunch of other ‘children’ who didn’t even share his blood. Moreover, these other children spent far more time with him than she did. Not feeling angry would be abnormal.

In fact, I, who could casually assassinate someone and come back without a care, was probably the one who was truly abnormal at this age.

“…Now I can go in, right? Since your private audience is over.”

Alice asked, her tone especially sharp toward me.

We were the same age, and both female. Yet everything else about us was the complete opposite. Alice occasionally got scolded, but I never did. It made sense for her to feel jealous in her young heart.

…And this situation closely resembled the relationship between Claire and Alice in the original story.

Hmm…

“Yes, of course.”

I replied politely to Alice, stepping aside to give her room to pass. While I was at it, I held the door open for her as well.

My actions seemed to only further irritate Alice. Naturally, when you were upset and the other person remained calm, it tends to make you even angrier. It was similar to why those complex villains in subcultures often irritate people.

If you think about it, I was playing the villain right now too.

The girl who was so hostile now would grow up and eventually reconcile with Claire. At least, that’s what the story said. But that reconciliation happened during Claire’s death event.

… Did that mean I would die, too?

“……”

Alice gave me one last glare, lifted her chin defiantly, and walked past me. Once she was inside, I carefully and slowly closed the door. Just before it shut completely, I thought I heard her shouting, “Father!”

“You’re so cold to the other siblings, but you go all soft when it comes to her.”

Lucas grumbled.

…Were you really, at twenty-two years old, feeling jealous of a twelve-year-old kid?

“It’s pitiful.”

I said simply, finding it too bothersome to go into a long explanation.

“Huh…”

Lucas let out a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a scoff, as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said.

Chapter 11 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 11

EP.11 Interlude

“Lucas, what do you think of Sylvia?”

“Huh?”

Lucas was momentarily stunned by the sudden question. What did he think of Sylvia?

However, the Emperor’s words could not have been without intent. At the very least, the question wasn’t simply a request for his opinion. Whatever Lucas said about Sylvia, there would surely be further instructions from the Emperor.

If Lucas showed even a hint of not fully understanding Sylvia, he might be classified as a “useless person” by the Emperor. Well, considering even someone as clueless as Jayden didn’t receive such treatment, that might be a bit of an extreme conclusion.

“……”

Thus, Lucas began to ponder about Sylvia.

She was expressionless, always polite and formal, and if Lucas tried to touch her, she would immediately brush him off. At first glance, she might seem to have a bad personality, but in reality, there was a softness to her. Sylvia was particularly lenient with Alice.

It didn’t seem to be merely because they were the same age. Sylvia, who was oddly mature for her age, often acted as if she had stolen Alice’s place. Whenever there was a chance to be considerate, she took it. If there was something to yield, she yielded.

Sylvia even seemed to extend this “stolen” mindset beyond herself to include all the “Children of the Emperor.” For instance, even if it was Lucas’s or Jayden’s turn for something, if Alice’s turn overlapped, Sylvia would stand like a shield, making sure Alice benefited first.

Unfortunately, Princess Alice didn’t seem to understand Sylvia’s intentions at all.

It had been the same just a while ago. After Sylvia, it should have been Lucas’s turn to meet with the Emperor. Lucas himself didn’t have much to discuss, but the Emperor had mentioned he had something important to say. Yet, Sylvia had casually let Alice go in first.

…If Alice had barged in on her own, she would have been scolded by the Emperor on the spot. But since the Emperor knew Sylvia had let her in, Alice wasn’t blamed. And Alice probably knew this unconsciously. That’s likely why she felt more irritated by Sylvia.

If Sylvia were truly an emotionless machine, Lucas wouldn’t have interpreted her actions as being “soft-hearted.” Instead, he would have seen it as a mechanical behavior to protect the Emperor’s only real bloodline.

But Sylvia wasn’t an emotionless clockwork doll. When Lucas or Jayden annoyed her, she showed irritation and often ran away to avoid her brothers. Though her version of hiding wasn’t like the usual child’s game of hide-and-seek, it was more like a professional spy concealing and camouflaging herself.

This was evident when she returned after completing her recent mission.

Sylvia had seemed somewhat displeased. At a glance, one might think it was because Lucas was sitting next to her, but Sylvia was holding a newspaper in her hand, with a large headline about the count’s assassination.

Although Lucas had seen Sylvia kill someone before… This murder wasn’t a spontaneous act. It was an assassination she had meticulously planned and executed herself.

“She’s… somewhat soft-hearted?”

“Oh.”

At Lucas’s assessment, the Emperor’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“Did I say something wrong?”

That peculiar smile annoyed Lucas, prompting him to respond with a slightly cocky tone. Of course, Lucas’s demeanor was always somewhat cocky, no matter whom he was talking to.

“No, not at all. In some sense, it aligns with my thoughts.”

If their thoughts were perfectly aligned, the Emperor wouldn’t have used the phrase “in some sense.”

“Is that why Your Majesty goes easy on Sylvia? Because you understand her personality…?”

The Emperor was cold-blooded enough to order a twelve-year-old to assassinate a count, but at the same time, his affection for the children was genuine. At least, that was how Lucas, who had been with him since childhood, felt.

If the Emperor had expected Sylvia to fail, he would never have given her such a mission in the first place.

“Perhaps.”

The Emperor gave another ambiguous answer.

As Lucas looked up at the Emperor, the Emperor asked again.

“Lucas, do you think you could ever hurt Sylvia?”

“I—”

Lucas was about to say “of course,” but he paused.

“……”

He soon fell into serious contemplation.

Could he really hurt Sylvia?

No, the question wasn’t about his feelings; it was purely about skill.

If Sylvia were unarmed, maybe he could manage. After all, every time Lucas swung his sword at her, Sylvia had done her best to avoid it. In terms of physical ability alone, Lucas was several steps ahead of her. This was to be expected, given that Sylvia was only twelve years old.

But… Lucas couldn’t imagine a moment when Sylvia wasn’t armed. Since the day she was first brought here as a child, Sylvia had always carried a gun.

Well, there were moments when she wasn’t armed—important events, or occasions where she had to wear tight-fitting clothes that couldn’t conceal a weapon. At least, it seemed like Sylvia didn’t carry a weapon when she was resting comfortably.

However, despite that—

Strangely, Lucas couldn’t shake the feeling that Sylvia would always be ‘armed’ and ‘prepared’ whenever he tried to cut her down. Maybe when he went to strike, Sylvia wouldn’t be there, and the place would be rigged with bombs, or it would be a trap, and the real Sylvia would be far away, aiming an Ergensen rifle at his head. He had this odd certainty because Sylvia had always been like that.

Even if you ambushed her in a place where you were sure she’d never expect it, she’d dodge with just a half-step to spare. Even if Lucas managed to sneak past the Imperial Guard knights, Sylvia would still be able to feel his presence. It was almost as if she could read the future.

“Yes, I feel the same.”

The Emperor nodded as if he understood exactly what Lucas was thinking.

“No matter what I imagined doing, even if I pictured mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers to kill her, I could never picture Sylvia dead. For some reason, I could never imagine a ‘Sylvia who wasn’t prepared.’ If I devised a plan that was impossible to avoid, Sylvia would most certainly not be there. That’s the Sylvia in my mind.”

The Emperor leaned in slightly towards Lucas and spoke.

“Now, let me ask again. Do you still think Sylvia is just soft-hearted?”

“……”

“Sure, maybe she is. Perhaps she could slaughter everyone in this palace and walk out unscathed, but she doesn’t because she ‘feels sorry’ for us. But do you really think ‘that’ Sylvia would act that way?”

“……Uh……”

Lucas hesitated to answer.

“The reason I ordered her to kill the count this time was because of that. I didn’t give Sylvia any information about him. I simply told her to ‘kill.’ I didn’t say how or why. And I assigned you to monitor her. The reason I chose the Count of Crowfield was simple: he was exactly the type of person Sylvia would utterly despise.”

Indeed, Sylvia had previously belonged to a supplier who ‘sold’ such orphans. If she had known what she knows now, she wouldn’t have thought that place was just an orphanage. And she wouldn’t have burned it down the way she did.

“If Sylvia were an emotionless being, she would have simply eliminated the count and returned as per my orders. But somehow, she figured out within a few days that the count was a client of that orphanage. And she blew up every carriage that followed. Do you know what that means?”

The Emperor leaned in even closer to Lucas.

“It means Sylvia is not here because she thinks of my grand cause or to bring some benefit to this Empire. She is here because she wants to be, doing what she wants to do. She has a very willful personality, doing only what she wants. Think about it. If the count had been a good person, someone who genuinely cared for his people, how would Sylvia have acted? Even if she disobeyed my orders and smuggled him out, could we have stopped her?”

There was no way to know.

But… she probably wouldn’t have acted the way she did this time.

“Are you thinking of… getting rid of Sylvia?”

At Lucas’s question, the Emperor burst into laughter. Seeing Lucas’s startled expression, the Emperor spoke.

“Oh, no, that’s a misunderstanding. On the contrary, I find Sylvia to be a lovely child because of this. In other words, as long as we keep her happy, Sylvia will stay here. And she will bring us victory. It seems I, as her father, need to pay more careful attention to her from now on.”

Author’s Note:

The Ergensen rifle mentioned in the story is similar to the real-world “Krag-Jørgensen rifle.” This weapon was used in Denmark, Norway, and the United States. The appearance is based on the American version, but it lacks the magazine cut-off feature typical of the American model.

The reason for choosing this particular rifle is simply because, among bolt-action rifles, its design appealed to me the most.

Chapter 12 : The Trusted One

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 12

EP.12 The Trusted One (1)

Playing with settings was fun because you can pick out the interesting parts and play with them. I had always loved the Chronicles of Aetherna, and I wanted to memorize the lore of that game series as much as possible. The mythology, the continents and countries, the magic, and the culture that appeared in the lore… I read everything that was meticulously organized.

I bought and read thick setting books, combed through every text that appeared as “books” within the game, and read all the descriptions of monsters and beasts, as well as the notes that filled up once I completed events with different characters.

Since a new installment came out once a year, there wasn’t much else to do after finishing one and waiting for the next. Sure, I played other games during that time, and I also played all the previous entries that were released before I completed the latest one. But no matter how much I loved a series, after seven years of eagerly devouring everything about it, I eventually ran out of content.

Besides, even if the series continued for a long time, there were occasional lore resets. So, even if I gathered every piece of in-game text and added all the setting books, it would only take about three books to summarize one lore, assuming each book was as thick as a setting book.

That was why it was enjoyable to read.

…The problem was that this only applied when it’s a game.

Not every game showed only the bright side of its universe. But neither did it reveal every dark corner. Settings that were so gloomy they would spread depression just by looking at them were often briefly mentioned in dialogue and then skipped over. Sometimes, a game might give you a fleeting glimpse of the world’s dark side.

It was fun to study the setting by skimming over the depressing parts and focusing only on the interesting stuff…

But things were different if it’s the real world.

A scene that the game briefly showed as, “There’s this kind of back alley, too,” became hundreds of detailed papers in the real world. Countless examples and solutions were presented, debated, and defended, exploring how to solve such issues of poverty.

History was the same way. The game neatly summarized only the crucial parts for the main story. But here, history books were as thick, boring, and numerous as those in the world I came from. Interpretations vary based on the key figures they focus on, and there are lengthy debates over ambiguous points.

Steam engines, firearms, magic. Even the three core elements that make up the universe were broken down into all kinds of disciplines—materials science, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, magic studies, arcane science, magical engineering… Enough to make your head spin.

And at the heart of all those theories lay none other than mathematics.

I, however, had given up on math back in high school, deciding it was not for me.

…Why should I study math just to immerse myself in a setting?

*

However, understanding all of it wasn’t entirely impossible for me.

After all, what else did I have but time?

Even if I read a single book, I could go back in time and read it repeatedly until I fully understood it. I could ask the same tutor a hundred times or a thousand times—it didn’t matter. As far as they knew, I was only asking once.

Plus, there was a considerable benefit that came with understanding things that way.

“As expected of Your Highness!”

The tutor clapped his hands enthusiastically, his face beaming with joy.

The title “Princess” still felt awkward, but I couldn’t very well ask this man to address me any differently. After all, I was indeed a princess. Of course, my situation differed significantly from the real princess, Alice, but that didn’t matter to a tutor like this. As long as he could boast later about being the tutor of such a capable princess, he probably couldn’t care less.

“How is it possible that you understand everything I explain to you so effortlessly? You truly have a natural talent, Your Highness! I’m sure you’ll be able to blossom even more when you attend the Imperial Academy!”

…He seemed a bit too enthusiastic, but I kept my expression as neutral as possible.

Of course, I had no intention of becoming an expert in any particular field. My only goal was to get into the Imperial Academy.

In the game, the exam only had a few questions, but it was obvious reality wouldn’t be that easy. It would undoubtedly be a strict test environment, where I’d have to answer dozens of questions within a set time limit.

Well… I could always take a peek at the test questions and then reset the time, but that would expose my lack of preparation in the long run. So, it would be better to maintain this “smart and competent” image consistently.

What made me so determined to join the Imperial Academy? In the original story, Claire didn’t enroll from the beginning but was placed there by the Emperor during the storyline.

The reason I was so determined to enter the Imperial Academy myself was obvious. I loved the Chronicles of Aetherna and had grown deeply attached to its characters. Attending school alongside those characters? How could I pass up such an opportunity? There was no way I could!

Sure, I was technically under the command of the Emperor, the leader of the evil forces in the game. This could lead to some conflict with the protagonist’s party… but honestly, even that had its appeal for me.

There were a few characters who died in the original story. Depending on the choices made by the protagonist, certain characters were destined to die. The exact characters varied based on those choices, but in every route, Claire was one of the inevitable deaths. In some paths, two to three characters would die permanently.

That’s how it was in the latest game installment I played. The developers even mentioned that they planned to carry over save data into future games to continue those outcomes.

Of course, the players never believed that the small company would continue to maintain that consistency until the series ended. The general opinion was that they’d make things grim at first and then somehow bring everyone back to life. I agreed with that sentiment.

Still…

Even so, I couldn’t bear the thought of my beloved characters dying.

So, I’d prevent it. As long as I remained under the Emperor’s wing and earned his trust, it wasn’t an impossible task.

*

“……”

Well, studying harder than I ever did as a student in my original world had its side effects.

Just like Alice, who was glaring at me right now.

Both of us would turn fourteen this year.

In this world, students enrolled in the Academy at the age of fifteen. By the end of this year, we would be taking the entrance exams, and those who secured the top and second spots would receive special privileges upon admission. After that, we would spend four years studying at the Academy, with exams held each semester to determine our ranks. In Korean terms, it was like entering high school in the third year of middle school and staying until graduation.

In the original story, the top scorer upon admission was Princess Alice.

“…How did you do it?”

Alice asked in a somber tone, her voice filled with jealousy.

Alice had only gotten five questions wrong across all subjects during the entrance exam. The Imperial Runedarium Academy’s exam was famously difficult, and usually, scoring above 450 out of 500 points would earn you the reputation of a prodigy. With a score of 487, Alice was undeniably a prodigy among prodigies. She had achieved this feat through hard work, driven by her desire to outshine her ‘siblings.’

“……”

I glanced down at the practice test in my hands. The score read 495. Incidentally, these practice tests were generally considered to be somewhat harder than the actual exam.

…Had I overdone it?

“……”

Alice’s face turned red, perhaps interpreting my silence in some way.

“…Tell me. Did you really solve that on your own?”

Hmm…

Strictly speaking, I suppose that was true.

If resetting time was a part of my ‘ability,’ then yes, I had managed to secure enough time to study and memorize everything. While Alice studied, only getting four hours of sleep each day, I was getting a solid eight hours, completely relaxed. To others, including Alice standing before me now, I must have seemed more like a genius than just a mere prodigy.

…Had I gone too far?

“…I was just lucky.”

“Lucky?”

That was the best excuse I could come up with under pressure.

“Yes. There were some questions I didn’t know, but it seems my guesses turned out to be correct. I remember it was about five questions. If I had left those unanswered, Your Highness would have scored higher than me.”

I spoke in my usual calm tone, trying not to give away that I was making this up on the spot.

“As you know, Your Highness, I tend to be luckier than others.”

Whenever something happened, I would see the future, go back in time, and solve the problem. Although I often came across as competent, some of my successes appeared to be sheer luck. Naturally, some people saw me as someone with incredible luck.

Well, I agreed with them. After all, here I was, standing face to face with one of the protagonists I adored.

“…Hmm.”

Alice narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing me as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth. But soon enough, her expression softened.

“Really??”

Alice, aware of this, tried to hide her softened expression.

“Really. Have you ever seen me lie, Your Highness?”

“…No.”

Over the past nine years, I had never betrayed anyone in the palace. If I was asked to do something, I did it quietly. If I was asked a question, I answered sincerely. I never lied. Of course, when I did lie, I made sure to create the appearance that it wasn’t a lie. In the end, people only saw the same results anyway.

For the record, the Emperor hadn’t asked me to carry out any assassinations since the last time. I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but he probably had some hidden agenda. It made my act easier, though.

“Hmph, I see. So, is it because of your luck?”

Eventually, Alice couldn’t hold back her smile and seemed pleased.

…I felt a bit guilty lying to someone like her, but if it worked, then so be it.

“Yes, it is. Congratulations, Your Highness.”

“Hmph.”

Alice responded with a haughty snort.

“Well, they say luck is a skill too. If this were the real exam, you would have been the top scorer.”

Alice looked at me with eyes burning with determination.

“Just watch. Next time, I’ll make sure you can’t win with just luck.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

She really was adorable.

…In the entrance exam, I should probably make sure to get at least five more questions wrong.

*

Aside from constantly provoking Alice’s temper, there was one more side effect of my efforts.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Are you interested in international affairs?”

“……”

In a private audience with the Emperor, he suddenly asked me a completely random question. For a moment, I almost asked, “Excuse me?” but I held back.

“Hmm.”

Judging by my silence, the Emperor made a small, thoughtful sound before continuing.

“There will be a trilateral conference between the Papal State, the Kingdom, and our Empire in a month.”

“……”

I remained silent, not thinking much of it. The Emperor often summoned me to make these kinds of random comments, so I thought this was just another one of those moments.

“But I have a scheduling conflict and won’t be able to attend.”

So what? I tried to keep my face from betraying the question forming in my mind as I continued to listen.

“Therefore, I was wondering, would you attend on my behalf this time?”

“What? Me?”

“Hmm?”

Ah.

I failed to hold back my response.

…Let me try that again.

*

“…May I ask why Your Majesty wishes to send me instead of someone else?”

Given the way the Emperor had phrased his request, it seemed likely that his mind was already made up. If he hadn’t intended to assign this task to me, he wouldn’t have summoned me in the first place.

…But still, even thinking it over again, it seemed utterly insane.

Regardless of my actual age, I was officially fourteen years old. That meant sixteen by Korean standards, just about to enter the Academy next year—in other words, the equivalent of starting high school.

Even if it was a common trope in anime-style subcultures for teenagers to wield influence over world affairs, this was taking things too far, wasn’t it?

“That’s because I trust you. What other reason could there be?”

“……”

Hmm.

It seemed I had been working a bit too hard.

The people around me—my fellow Emperor’s Children, Princess Alice, and even the Emperor himself— even if they didn’t trust me as a person, their faith in my ‘abilities’ was becoming…unshakeably solid.

And this was a side effect of my ability that I’ve been worrying about lately.

Chapter 13 : The Trusted One

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 13

EP.13 The Trusted One (2)

But seriously, why send me when the Empire already had a chancellor? Sure, I’ve read a few books, but I’ve only taken a handful of practice tests at most. What good could come from sending me?

No, wait. Why didn’t the chancellor, after hearing such a ridiculous suggestion, speak up? He was the chancellor, right? Wasn’t it his job to say something like, “Have you lost your mind?” when the Emperor said something crazy? Wasn’t that what he was paid the most for as a civil servant?

No, hang on a second. What did it mean to send someone to a trilateral conference who’s not even related by blood, someone rumored to be part of the Emperor’s personal assassination squad? Was it like saying, “If you don’t listen, you’ll end up like them?” But seriously, how did the Emperor plan to assassinate someone in the Papal State or the Kingdom? Was he planning to make me do it?

No!

I kept shouting “No” in my head, but I couldn’t come up with a proper conclusion.

“……”

I stared at myself in the mirror.

The meeting would take place in Lutetia, the capital of the Kingdom of Velbur. It was a little over 400 kilometers from the Imperial Capital, Runedarium. Given that the Empire’s capital was slightly eastward compared to its overall size, the distance wasn’t surprising. In terms of actual land area, the Empire was about four times larger than the Kingdom. The population difference was even more significant, and the Empire’s military power far exceeded that.

While the Empire had several colonies, the Kingdom had none to speak of. Despite their efforts, the results had been underwhelming.

The Papal State was adjacent to the Kingdom, and it was even smaller. Technically, it was no bigger than a single large city. Although the Pope’s words carried significant influence, the Empire didn’t pay much attention to it.

Even if the Kingdom and the Papal State, along with other nations, combined their efforts, the Empire’s overwhelming technological and military superiority meant they could still stand strong.

So, the Emperor’s arrogance wasn’t entirely baseless.

…Looking at it from this perspective, sending me to such an important summit might actually be a strategic move to show contempt for the others.

In the mirror, I still looked like a child. Describing me as “youthful” didn’t cover it—I was just a kid. No matter how you looked at it, I appeared to be at best a middle schooler, maybe a high school freshman if you were generous. I’d probably still grow another inch or two in the next year or so.

Sending such a child as a representative to the conference clearly conveyed the Emperor’s message: “We don’t intend to have a serious conversation with you.” If that’s what he intended, then maybe it made some sense after all.

The problem was, I’d be the one bearing the brunt of the cold stares from the representatives of these other nations.

I glanced at the clock hanging above the bathroom window. It was 1 p.m. About two hours left until arrival.

The steam locomotive I was on traveled at a speed of 100 km/h. While its maximum speed was 130 km/h, this was considered a more stable pace.

Incidentally, despite being an era that primarily used steam engines, the Empire had already begun testing high-speed rail technology, as expected in a world filled with various over-the-top technologies. The steam trains in question comfortably maintained a speed of 200 km/h, and in the game, they became available for use midway through the main storyline.

No matter how fast the high-speed train traveled at 200 km/h, it still took hours to cross the Empire, and it was impossible to maintain that maximum speed constantly. However, in the game, the protagonist’s party could travel from one end of the Empire to the other multiple times a day thanks to some game-related liberties. Of course, such a thing would be impossible in “reality.”

According to the setting, all the events that occurred in those regions were each listed as happening within a single day in the official guidebook. So, if the protagonist wanted to complete all the optional side quests in each area, they would have to be incredibly diligent, scouring every corner of the region. Obviously, that wouldn’t be possible in reality.

“…Hoo…”

There was no need to worry about the main storyline before it had even started. In fact, the protagonist and their party would likely manage just fine without my interference. As long as I subtly guided the heroines at risk of death towards their survival routes, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

So, for now, I should focus on my own concerns instead.

“……”

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, gradually erasing the worry lines from my face. I relaxed my furrowed brow and eased the tension in the corners of my mouth. I massaged my face a few times to release the tension before looking back into the mirror.

“Alright.”

I resolved to keep my mind at ease.

If the Emperor really intended to send me as an insult to the opposition, I just needed to follow his lead. I could simply keep my mouth shut, say nothing, and return without incident.

“Alright.”

With my mind made up, I stepped out of the bathroom.

“Hey, little sister!”

And as soon as I did, I heard a voice that made my blood pressure spike.

Given that I was the Emperor’s representative, this train was running solely for me. All unnecessary baggage had been removed, and the train was moving with the ability to escape at top speed in case of an emergency.

To protect me, the Empire’s two best swordsmen had been assigned to accompany me—

“Come over here and sit down. We’ve got time, so let’s play a round of poker.”

—And those two were Jayden and Lucas.

Lucas, who was cheerfully calling out to me, seemed to have the attitude of someone going on a picnic rather than remembering the serious mission we were on.

Well, it made sense. There was nothing to worry about. We were on the Imperial family’s private train, with both Jayden and Lucas aboard. Even I, the one being protected, was no pushover. Plus, the Imperial Guard was stationed in other compartments of the train.

Before departure, the personnel and luggage had been meticulously checked multiple times, and all stations along the tracks had been arranged to give priority passage to this train. So, it was understandable that they were at ease.

“What are you trying to teach the kid?”

Jayden scolded Lucas. Yet, despite his words, he himself was holding a hand of cards.

“Come on, don’t be like that. We’ve got time to kill, so why not join us? There’s nothing else to do anyway.”

I glanced at the table where the two of them were sitting. Lucas had an overwhelming pile of chips in front of him, while Jayden was giving me a slightly anxious look. It seemed he was worried that if I sat down, he might lose all his remaining chips.

…Could they have actually bet real money? Well, considering they even brought chips with them, it wouldn’t be surprising. Maybe there was even a casino car on this train.

“I’m not interested.”

At my words, Jaden looked relieved.

“Why not?”

Lucas asked, genuinely curious. After nearly ten years, he still asked such things after knowing me? How many times have I actually joined in their games when they were fooling around?

…Though, there were a few times I got swept up into playing with them, but that wasn’t really my choice.

“……”

Instead of answering, I looked off to a corner of the train.

From my angle, all I could see was the back of a seat. But Lucas, seeing my gaze, shrugged as if he knew exactly who was sitting there.

“You’re too soft. Why do you keep protecting someone who doesn’t even appreciate it?”

“……”

Without bothering to reply, I walked past him. Lucas didn’t seem to expect an answer anyway, as he just shrugged again.

“Don’t be too harsh. She’s the only one of her siblings who’s the same age as her.”

“Yeah, but even if she’s the same age… Forget it, I’ll just stop talking.”

I could hear Jayden and Lucas continuing their conversation, but I paid them no mind and walked over to the seat.

Alice was sitting there with a slightly pouty expression, on the side of the four-seater that would be perfect for a family to sit facing each other.

“Why don’t you go play with your brothers?”

Her tone was almost like she was whining, but I didn’t bother responding and simply took my seat.

…Of course, part of the reason I didn’t play poker with those two wasn’t just because I didn’t feel like hanging out with them. It was also because the game they were playing was poker.

Even with my ability to reset time, I was extremely weak against random factors like rolling dice or drawing cards. The smaller the variables, the more minor actions could completely change the outcome—whether it was the way the cards were shuffled, a comment made during the shuffle, or just taking a card a little later than usual. Every action I took could become a variable that would lead to endless chaos.

Sure, maybe I could avoid losing if I didn’t aim for a sweeping victory. I could reset the time in fine detail, taking back each card draw to check the opponent’s hand and decide whether to fold or bet. I might be able to win that way.

But the opponent was Lucas.

If he started cheating with his superhuman skills, I’d have no way to counter him. To prove he was cheating, I’d need sleight-of-hand skills on par with Lucas himself, but I didn’t have that kind of ability.

And that’s the biggest danger.

The reason I’ve earned the Emperor’s trust up to now is because of the image that I “never make mistakes and always succeed no matter what I do.”

If that image were to crumble over something as trivial as a game of poker, what would I do then? Unless I somehow learned to cheat at cards and became a dealer, which wasn’t going to happen. It’s far more advantageous to simply avoid such card games altogether, considering the effort involved.

“I’m more comfortable sitting here.”

I replied, settling into my seat.

I said that and then reopened the newspaper I had folded before leaving my seat. What I needed was information.

In a world without smartphones or the internet, vital information sometimes arrived at the Imperial Palace via telegrams, but they rarely contained detailed content. So, I had to gather information myself to reduce the variables in future events. If I didn’t, I might have to reset time by several years and resetting large stretches of time like that was incredibly challenging. It was one thing to predict poker cards, but if I reset time on such a large scale, there was a significant chance that my intentions wouldn’t be accurately realized. After all, years were enough time for people’s thoughts and values to change.

“……”

“……”

For a while, the only sound that could be heard was the rustling of the newspaper as I turned the pages.

“Hey, you know…”

“Yes.”

Alice spoke to me, and I responded while keeping my eyes on the newspaper.

“Am I a bother to you?”

“……”

I lowered the newspaper slightly and looked at Alice. She was glancing nervously between the window and my face, not sure where to direct her gaze.

Technically, it was I who was headed to the conference. Even though Alice was a princess, she couldn’t enter the conference without the Emperor’s direct order. However, as soon as she found out that I was going to the conference, Alice, who had always been somewhat jealous of me, insisted on getting on the train with me.

It seemed that the Emperor had anticipated this, which was why he hadn’t informed Alice about the situation until the last moment. But this only made her more determined to get on the train, rebelling even harder. If the Emperor had been there to scold her himself, Alice would have likely backed down. Unfortunately, the Emperor was on the opposite side of the empire at the time.

Alice’s tantrum came just before the train was about to depart, which could have caused us to miss the conference altogether. In the end, the situation was resolved by allowing the princess to board the same train under my supervision.

So, I understood why Alice was feeling the way she was.

“I’ve never thought of you that way, not even once.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, really.”

I meant it.

Honestly, it was favoritism, plain and simple.

In the original story, Alice was the princess who, as part of the main character’s group, traveled across the empire, bolstering the forces against the Emperor’s opposition.

Though she seemed a bit immature now, her boldness in the main storyline was starting to show.

And I had a deep affection for the protagonist and all his companions.

So, what could I do? If I was being honest, I was the real intruder here.

“Your Highness is destined to stand at the pinnacle of this empire someday. It wouldn’t hurt to become familiar with the atmosphere of such conferences.”

“… Really?”

Alice’s face brightened immediately when she heard what could be considered praise from me. In the original story, this was the correct way to interact with her, at least in the early stages.

She had a high sense of pride but low self-esteem. Being outshined in talent by her step-siblings, who shared no blood with the Emperor, and in the original story, her self-esteem was further diminished by the presence of Claire. Honestly, Alice’s current demeanor showed much more growth compared to the original.

“However, even if you wanted to enter the conference room in my place or join me, I’m afraid I can’t accommodate that request. It’s by His Majesty the Emperor’s orders.”

“Oh, I know.”

Alice would be fine. She hadn’t thrown a tantrum with the genuine expectation that she would be allowed on this train. It was just a series of coincidences that led her here.

Besides… even without entering the conference room, Alice would have plenty of people to meet. As the legitimate heir of the Emperor, it would be impossible for her to not face anyone in that position, so she would likely have a productive time. With either Jayden or Lucas accompanying her, her safety would also be assured.

Hmm… if I had to guess who she might meet, it would likely be a princess from one of the neighboring kingdoms. The original story mentioned that a princess once faced the Emperor, so perhaps this was that moment.

…That reminds me, what kind of merits did the original protagonist accumulate in the past life to end up entangled with not just their own country’s princess, but also a foreign one, despite being a mere baron?

Well, it made sense, though. The romance subplot, separate from the main storyline, did unfold in a way similar to a school harem drama.

I had to admit, I was a bit envious.

Chapter 14 : The Trusted One

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent -14

EP.14 The Trusted One (3)

The capital city of Lutetia was a beautiful place.

I already had a rough idea of its atmosphere from the game. Compared to the heavily modernized Imperial Capital, Runedarium, Lutetia felt much more old-fashioned.

Of course, even though Runedarium was ‘modernized,’ most of its buildings were still made of old-fashioned brick, and there were neither proper electrical nor internet lines installed. After all, this world didn’t have electricity or the internet yet.

However, telephone lines were in place, and all the sewage systems were buried underground. Most notably, the city had a vast gas pipeline system that allowed the streetlights to be consistently lit at night. Since there was no electrical system, civil servants had to walk around and manually light the lamps when the time came.

Even so, it was more advanced than carrying a torch. The lamps could be lit like a lighter, and once ignited, they would stay lit as long as the gas supply remained uninterrupted. By this world’s standards, those streetlights were cutting-edge technology.

To be honest, coming from a world where electricity was the norm, this seemed incredibly dangerous… but I suppose this was similar to how streetlights were lit in a comparable era back then.

On the other hand, Lutetia, which had yet to fully modernize, still employed people to manually light the streetlamps, except near the train station. The sewage system was only just starting to be constructed, and the railway lines were still expanding nationwide.

Unlike the Imperial Capital, where automobiles were slowly becoming more common, Lutetia officially had only three cars, all of which were imported from the Empire. Since the parts also had to be imported, only royalty could afford to use them. By next year, when the main story begins, a few companies would have entered the market, improving the situation, but Lutetia would still lag far behind Runedarium.

But because of this, the sky in Lutetia was blue.

Although the city center was as densely packed with buildings as the heart of Runedarium, there were no skyscrapers, fewer people bustling about, and no visible factory smoke in the distance, giving the city an oddly rural feel.

“It’s quite peaceful compared to the capital.”

Alice, who was in the same carriage as me, remarked.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

“But… the sky is beautiful. It’s a sky I’ve never seen in the Capital.”

The sky in the capital was also blue, but it was rare to see a clear stretch of blue sky due to the thick smoke billowing from boilers all over the place. The sky was always partially obscured by black smoke.

Incidentally, the Empire took pride in that smoke. It was a symbol of modernization itself. The productivity of the factories emitting that smoke was the number one factor sustaining the Empire.

“People here wear clothes of such varied colors. Do they all love to dress up?”

Alice wondered aloud.

No, it was just that they didn’t have alternatives.

Mass production of a few varieties.

The Industrial Revolution greatly advanced textile technology, allowing most people in the Empire to wear similar factory-made clothes. Only nobles or the wealthy upper class could afford hand-crafted garments.

However, Lutetia still didn’t have many factories. While some were being built, it would take a long time before they could produce goods on a large scale for the general population.

As a result, handmade clothes were still the norm in the kingdom. Although sewing machines were widely used, making clothes faster and in larger quantities than by hand, each household still had different fabrics and designs. The unique individuality of clothing not yet standardized by industrialization was evident.

That, too, would likely disappear in a few years.

“This is my first time outside the Imperial Capital.”

Alice said, quietly gazing out of the carriage.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

She nodded. I hesitated, unsure of what to say next. How was I supposed to respond to a princess’s first impressions of a foreign land, especially when it was her first time leaving the Capital? After some thought, I decided to respond as positively as possible.

“In that case, you’re fortunate to visit Lutetia. Since it hasn’t been industrialized yet, there’s a lot to see.”

Of course, if she ventured out into the Empire’s plains, she would find far more breathtaking natural beauty than this.

“…Have you been to Lutetia before?”

“…No.”

It felt like I had been here before, though.

What I had seen was the world within the game. Not the kind with AAA graphics, but rather one created by a mid-sized Japanese company, with graphics that looked a generation or two behind. Still, the designers had captured the city’s characteristics well, and at least the level design from the train station to the royal palace was intricately detailed. That was probably why everything felt strangely familiar.

They really did their best, I thought.

“This is my first time in Lutetia as well.”

Though I had left the Capital before due to the Count’s assassination, this was my first time in a foreign country. And it wasn’t as if I had gone sightseeing during my time in the Count’s territory either.

“Then you shouldn’t be saying that, should you?”

“…”

She had a point.

*

The protocols for Alice and me were identical. As expected, Lucas and Jayden were treated with the same respect as the Emperor’s actual children. It was amusing to think that they were technically my ‘guards.’

Within the Empire, it was common knowledge that Alice, as the Emperor’s real daughter, was treated differently than the rest of us. However, the Emperor always treated us equally, which meant that even abroad, we had to be treated the same.

It would be unthinkable for foreign dignitaries to compare us differently. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know what kind of trouble they might get into.

As a result, the kingdom was thrown into quite a commotion.

“We apologize. We did not expect another princess to arrive…”

The Kingdom’s diplomat said, sweating nervously. He likely wanted to ask, ‘Why didn’t you inform us properly?’

Since everyone involved was so important, they couldn’t afford to be careless with the protocol, which meant the cost of our stay was substantial. Now, with an additional unexpected guest, the expenses would increase even further.

“I’m so sor—”

Alice began to apologize, finally realizing the situation she had caused. Her face turned red with embarrassment as she faced the diplomat, but I quickly raised my hand to stop her apology.

I had never been a diplomat. I had never worked in that field, nor did I have the capability. However, I had at least a basic understanding of such matters.

Although Alice had not yet been officially given the title of Crown Princess, she was destined to ascend to the throne one day. Even if she was being treated like me for now, it meant she was in a position far more noble than mine.

Therefore, she should not be apologizing to a mere diplomat who was much lower in rank. While ignoring a mistake was also problematic, if she must apologize, it should be done through official channels to someone of equal standing, and it should be accepted personally by that individual. This was because, for people in our position, even personal matters could become public.

Moreover, the Empire was a hegemonic state. By sending not just a mere daughter but the Emperor’s own daughter as a representative to a trilateral conference where the world’s leaders gathered, it effectively communicated the stance of ‘I am not on equal terms with you.’

Thus, we were expected to show the arrogance fitting of a representative of a hegemonic state as the Emperor wished. It was unacceptable for a future Emperor to bow their head.

And what if they didn’t like it? If they had a problem, they should have come themselves instead of sending me.

After giving a subtle gesture to the flustered princess to remain quiet, I addressed the diplomat.

“Do you have a room of the same standard as the prepared one?”

“Ah, yes. Since we rented the entire hotel, we do have rooms available.”

“In that case, please prepare an additional room immediately. I would also like the security forces to be matched to mine in terms of both quality and quantity.”

“Ah, understood. I will ensure that it is arranged immediately!”

Normally, this would be considered a severe breach of etiquette, almost bordering on oppression. However, if the Emperor did not want this, he wouldn’t have sent me.

And, once again, if they had a problem, they should have come themselves.

*

While Alice’s room was being prepared, she temporarily stayed in the same room as me. As usual, Alice took the seat directly in front of me on the sofa in the center of the spacious room. She stared at me intently.

“……”

“……”

Without saying a word.

Honestly, that gaze was a bit annoying.

Did my behavior earlier seem excessive to her?

Alice was indeed a typical “outer strength, inner weakness” character. Initially, she was proud and looked down on others like Claire in the original story, but gradually opened up to the protagonist and their companions. She was also a character who always seriously considered the future of the Empire and its people.

Her personal narrative involved opposing her father, the Emperor, who sought to conquer the world and drive many people to their deaths… and ultimately, perhaps, triumphing in the end.

The reason I say “perhaps” was because I did not complete the game before I was transported here. Though the company favored classic endings, it makes me wonder if my presence here was necessary.

The world would be saved even without me.

The only thing I could attempt was to save characters who might die. And who knows if that would ultimately help the world.

There was no god greeting me with a “Hello, I’m God,” nor was there a neatly organized status window displaying my abilities. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

“How can you be so confident?”

Alice asked me, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and irritation. I looked up from the book I had been glancing at without reading.

“You always act so confidently, as if you’re never wrong. Just now, too. What if the people of the kingdom had reacted negatively to what you said?”

Hmm.

The reason I could be so confident was because I had the assurance that I could correct any mistakes. And honestly, even if I had been wrong earlier, it wouldn’t have mattered much.

I hesitated briefly. I couldn’t talk about my abilities right now, and if I offered an unsatisfactory reason, Alice wouldn’t understand.

After some thought, I decided to go with a universally acceptable answer.

“Princess, who is your father?”

“Huh?”

Alice was momentarily taken aback by my sudden question.

“Well, the Emperor of the Empire, of course!”

She answered, slightly irritated. Understandable, since I had asked as if I didn’t know.

“Then who is my father?”

“Uh, well, that’s…”

She didn’t want to admit it.

Because, in reality, Alice was the only legitimate child. She probably didn’t want to admit it.

But officially, I was also the Emperor’s daughter. Even if not everyone thought so and even if it wasn’t a matter of blood, I was still officially recognized as a daughter, and the Emperor treated me as such. Even sending me in his place, as he did now. So, who would dare outright tell me, “You’re not the Emperor’s daughter”? Even Alice, who was the actual blood-related princess, couldn’t outright deny it in front of me.

“Regardless of what you think, Princess, I am recognized as the Emperor’s daughter. It doesn’t matter if anyone disagrees. I still hold the same power as you. A power that won’t disappear even if someone denies it.”

“……”

Alice bit her lip in silence, and I continued.

“Borrow the power of the Emperor confidently. If someone challenges you, assert and prove your identity as the princess. No one will dare look down on you. Not a single person in this world.”

“But… what if I make a mistake…”

Alice stammered, asking hesitantly.

“Mistake? Just act confidently. No one will say anything. The Emperor is not a solitary ruler. There will be people around to correct any errors and to help execute your plans. In fact, the more you bow your head, the more people will see you and the Empire as insignificant.”

Alice looked up at me with a somewhat dazed expression.

“Even if you make mistakes, you’re still a princess and someone who will one day become the Empress. Who would dare to reprimand you? Perhaps if it’s a cautious piece of advice, but still…”

“But if I become the Empress someday…”

“If you become the Empress, you’ll be at the pinnacle of the Empire. At that point, who could possibly say anything against you?”

“……”

Alice remained silent. I continued to watch her quietly and spoke.

“Of course, you must become the most capable person in the Empire. Even if you’re not the best, you should at least excel in every aspect. The Emperor’s power permeates throughout the Empire, and if any area is lacking, someone might rise to betray you. However, if necessary, wield your power freely. It’s the greatest weapon you have.”

I gathered my thoughts and offered what I hoped would be encouraging words. Seeing Alice looking at me with a hint of admiration made me feel a bit proud.

Well, once she goes to the academy, she’ll meet much better friends and learn many more important things than she could have learned by my side.

“…Alright. So, I just need to act like that?”

“Exactly. If you encounter something you don’t know, you can learn it then. The truly shameful behavior is not being confident despite knowing nothing, but refusing to learn. No one knows everything about the world. So—”

“Do you?”

“Huh?”

Alice suddenly interrupted my statement about no one knowing everything. I found myself replying without thinking.

Fortunately, Alice, who was watching me quietly, didn’t seem to mind my reaction.

“Do you not know everything about the world?”

“Well, I would think that’s quite obvious.”

I tried not to show my disbelief and answered, but Alice looked at me as if she was seeing something curious.

“But you handle everything so quickly, as if you knew what was going to happen. Isn’t that because you already know everything?”

“It’s a combination of my knowledge, skill, and luck. I’m not a prophet, you know.”

“Is that so?”

Alice looked somewhat ambiguous, but sensing that digging further might lead to more explanations, I quickly continued.

“—Anyway, if anyone mocks you for not knowing something, they are the ones who should be embarrassed. They are the ones who think they know everything. Such people get angry when confronted with unknown facts. They don’t feel embarrassed like you do. So, there’s no need to envy them. In fact, you should feel even more confident in acknowledging your mistakes.”

From personal experience, I knew people often questioned the game’s settings, even though I’d memorized every detail. I’d use information from untranslated guides to prove them wrong. If they persisted, I’d make it my mission to completely debunk their arguments.

Of course, there were times when I was wrong and faced the consequences, but what could you do? I was the only one who translated and summarized even the smallest details, so if anyone had an issue, they should just translate it themselves.

Now that I’m actually living in the world I used to summarize, I couldn’t do that anymore.

“I see…”

Alice nodded slightly, as if impressed by my words. Seeing her expression filled me with a sense of pride, though I had to make an effort not to show it.

Chapter 15 : The Trusted One

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 15

EP.15 The Trusted One (4)

No matter how much I carried the Emperor’s authority as his representative, I was still a fourteen-year-old child. To the King of the Kingdom or the Pope of the Church, I must have appeared quite insignificant. But they couldn’t afford to show that derisive expression on their faces.

The military power of the Kingdom of Velbur was nothing compared to the Empire. Both Velbur and the Empire relied on a conscription system, but the Empire’s larger population meant a significantly larger army. Meanwhile the Kingdom’s military was in a precarious position.

In addition, compared to the Empire, which was actively expanding its modern air force and navy, the Kingdom’s military power was still ‘medieval’. Of course, that didn’t mean they fought with swords, spears, and bows, but they still lacked tanks and aircraft. The Kingdom’s military, which had barely moved past the rudimentary tanks of World War I, was nothing compared to the Empire’s, which had advanced to main battle tanks equipped with rotating turrets and powerful cannons.

To make matters worse, the Empire’s aerial battleships, though seemingly inefficient, were terrifying in a world that lacked highly developed anti-aircraft missiles. There was no anti-aircraft gun capable of matching the range of the main guns mounted on a battleship. Nor was there any anti-aircraft artillery with enough penetration power to breach the armor of the Dreadnought-class aerial battleships.

In theory, you’d have to hit them with battleship guns to take them down, but the range of naval guns firing upwards and battleship guns firing downwards was vastly different, favoring the latter. Aerial battleships could move at speeds of up to 120 km/h, faster than any ship in this world, and they never traveled alone, making it difficult to take them down even with large bombers.

And let’s not forget, the Empire’s air force was the most powerful in the world. If a bomber, which was slower than an interceptor, approached from a distance, it would almost certainly be shot down. And likely, that bomber would also be Empire-made.

To summarize, the Empire’s massive gunships could fire shells more powerful than modern artillery from distances comparable to those of self-propelled artillery, with relatively accurate targeting from the air. These gunships had armor similar to that of battleships and were escorted by dozens of interceptors. For countries just beginning to modernize, this was the embodiment of terror.

In fact, the role of aerial battleships in the Empire’s military doctrine was identical to that of modern American gunships. The problem was that there were no effective means of shooting them down.

Therefore, regardless of their real thoughts, the King and the Pope’s representative greeted me with the utmost respect.

“We understand the Church’s position. However, we cannot abandon our religious freedom. The Kingdom of Velbur has always been a nation of diverse races. If we make the Goddess Church the state religion, it would cause severe social unrest. I’m sorry, but we must decline your proposal again.”

“As always, we regret to hear that.”

However, their courteous attitude didn’t mean they took me seriously in the discussions.

I didn’t plan to actively participate anyway, and the two countries would have the most to say in this trilateral conference. The Empire, which held absolute dominance, had no need to intervene unless its interests were threatened.

Thanks to this, I spent most of the meeting enjoying fragrant tea. The milk tea, generously mixed with milk and sugar, was delicious. A specialty of the Velbur Kingdom, perhaps?

“The Church may be a small nation, but we possess strong military power. We thought that if we could join hands with the Kingdom, we would both benefit greatly…”

“Hmm…”

The King glanced at me.

Look at these people.

The Church was a very small country, practically the size of a single city. It had gained independence centuries ago through some old treaty. The nation held immense religious significance, leaning heavily into a “fantasy” element. While the Empire, with its practical aerial battleships soaring through the skies, was already fantastical, the Church leaned even further into fantasy than the Empire.

The Church’s cathedral knights, wielding holy magic, were threatening in a different way compared to soldiers with firearms. Their numbers were small, but on the battlefield, they could have the impact of tactical weapons.

That was why the Church was offering the Kingdom an alliance.

“……”

I watched the two of them closely but remained silent.

I knew this to some extent. The Kingdom opposed religious unification, but the Church subtly supported certain figures within the Kingdom.

The Church had the ambition to unify all religions under the Goddess Church, a goal that seemed rational and ordinary on the surface but concealed a deeper, more aggressive agenda. In truth, they were seeking to challenge the Empire’s dominance. The Empire, much more than the Kingdom, was a melting pot of races, cultures, and religions—an amalgamation of colonial peoples, annexed territories, and indigenous beliefs. Naturally, this would be something the Church found distasteful.

Strictly speaking, that was their “ultimate goal.” Just as the South Korean government’s constitutional goal was to reclaim North Korea and achieve reunification, but didn’t invade for practical reasons, the Church knew that if they tried to implement their plan outright, they would be wiped off the map.

So, they were working meticulously, starting with small, realistic changes.

The Kingdom was a nation directly exposed to the threat of the Empire. While the Empire seemed content with its current situation, internal dissatisfaction was slowly accumulating. And when the time came, the best way to channel that discontent would be to direct it outward.

It wasn’t surprising that both the Kingdom and the Church, two small nations sharing borders with the Empire, viewed it with the same wary eyes.

Thus, most of the conversations in this three-party meeting were likely just for show. The real discussions were probably happening between the two nations behind the scenes. Even if things appeared to fall apart here, there would likely be a secret alliance forming between them. Of course, even if this was all for show, they had to act convincingly enough to make the Empire believe in it.

Was the king’s slight frown a genuine expression of his feelings?

“……”

I pondered as I watched the two of them.

Whether or not the alliance was formed, the Emperor would eventually take action. So… it didn’t really matter what I said or didn’t say here.

“…It’s not that we are denying the Goddess. Our royal family has worshiped the Goddess Church for generations. However, if we were to declare it the ‘exclusive’ religion, there would inevitably be turmoil within the Kingdom. If that happens, the alliance with the Church would lose all meaning, wouldn’t it?”

“In that case, the Church’s proud Cathedral Knights will help fill that gap.”

“That sounds a lot like you’re planning to station your troops in the Kingdom.”

Nice try.

In reality, they were already stationed.

Of course, their numbers were so small that they didn’t consume resources like the US troops in Korea, and they weren’t present in unit formations either.

I had infiltrated the kingdom, disguised as a cleric in one of the Goddess Church’s churches. This is a setting that was introduced in the main story. Well, even so, I guess they thought it would be best if the secret alliance remained hidden from my sight.

“If…”

Honestly, I disliked the Church as a faction. Their scheming was one thing, but their characters were all afflicted with a cringeworthy teenage angst. If they were over-the-top manga characters, I might have found it amusing, but…

Instead, they were the kind of characters who pretended to believe in a religion they didn’t even care about, claiming they enjoyed killing people, or hypocritically spouted phrases like, “In the name of the Goddess, justice shall prevail!” while slaughtering innocent civilians. And yet, these characters were unnervingly popular, likely because they were all unnaturally beautiful. Maybe it was just a staple of Japanese RPGs that these characters would eventually get “redeemed” in some sort of redemption arc.

Sure, there were good characters, and some even became friends with the protagonist or turned into heroines, but a few of them annoyed me so much that I often ended up wiping out their entire faction in the game.

Sometimes, I’d take bits and pieces from the lore and twist it to suit my own purposes… though eventually, I got caught.

Anyway, that was the kind of nation they were, so I felt like throwing a wrench into their plans.

Something like…

“If the Empire adopts the Goddess Church as its state religion, would the Church be willing to form an alliance with the Empire?”

The way both of them froze at my words was priceless.

Of course, the Emperor despised the very idea of the Goddess, so it was something that would never happen. That was precisely why I could say it without worry.

Whether or not the Goddess actually existed in the lore didn’t matter. I didn’t like the Church, and naturally, I had no intention of forming an alliance with them.

From the Empire’s perspective, the Empire didn’t need it anyway.

“Are you saying the Empire is willing to accept the Goddess Church as its main religion?”

“It depends on the benefits. The Empire is a modernized state and has no intention of making an unproven belief its state religion. However, if the benefits outweighed the harm, it’s something we might consider.”

The representative from the Church narrowed his eyes at my words. He was trying to discern whether I was serious or just testing him.

In truth, if the Church aligned itself with the Empire, there was a chance it would be absorbed by the Empire. The Empire was powerful enough to do that. Judging from the Emperor’s attitude, he’d certainly be willing to make that happen.

And even if the Goddess Church became the state religion, it would be impossible to eradicate all other religions. Unless they planned to tear the Empire apart, this proposal, even if executed, would likely not go beyond ‘state religion.’

At the same time, though, this suggestion touched on the core of the Church’s existence. It was their first step toward abolishing all other religions and uniting the world under one faith, one “true belief.” Of course, that was assuming they didn’t get swallowed by the Empire in the process.

“Is that the Emperor’s intention?”

The Church’s representative asked me.

“That’s what I’d like to know. Since the Pope himself didn’t attend, do the words of the representative here carry the same weight as the Pope’s?”

“I am here as the Holy Father’s representative. Naturally, everything I say reflects the will of the Church.”

“Is that so? In that case, my words are also equal to those of the Great Emperor. I am here as his ‘representative,’ after all.”

I alternated my gaze between the King, who had a stiff expression, and the Church’s representative, before finally focusing on the representative again.

“Now, if you are truly speaking on behalf of the Church, and if your words reflect the will of your nation, are you willing to take full responsibility for everything you’ve said here?”

“Of course. That is why I am here. Isn’t it the same for you, Princess?”

“Meeting with His Majesty, the King of Velbur, I would never dare speak falsehoods.”

The King’s eyebrows twitched slightly at my use of “His Majesty,” but I didn’t pay it much mind.

“In that case, borrowing the authority of His Majesty the Emperor, I have something I wish to ask.”

I directed my question to both of them, who were intently staring at me.

“Is there perhaps something more you’ve discussed outside this three-party meeting? Is what I’m witnessing here the entirety of your conversation, or are you establishing some secret alliance elsewhere?”

“……”

I felt a bit sorry for trying to intimidate the King, since I bore no particular ill will toward him. Still, seeing the Church’s representative stiffen up was rather amusing.

Not that I expected them to give me an honest answer. They would proceed with their alliance anyway, regardless of what I said.

“Do you have evidence for this question? If you’re speaking with the Emperor’s authority behind you, you’d better be prepared to bear the weight of your words.”

This time, the King spoke with a serious expression.

“Is evidence needed for this question? We’re discussing a military alliance, so shouldn’t we ensure that the words exchanged here are truly for the benefit of all three parties, rather than just one nation?”

“……”

The two of them remained silent at my question.

It was a weak argument, but since I had clearly stated that I was here with the ‘Emperor’s authority,’ it would be difficult for them to confidently say ‘no.’ If they did, they would be ‘officially’ denying it, and if it was revealed later, they would have no defense.

Not that I expected the alliance to break because of this. Their words were carefully crafted to neither confirm nor deny anything. Even if caught later, they could claim they ‘didn’t say it outright.’

“I would like to ask once more.”

Breaking the silence, the Church’s ambassador spoke.

“Does the Empire truly intend to make the Goddess Church its state religion?”

“I’m afraid that’s only my personal opinion. Such a decision would require the approval of the Imperial Parliament, so I can’t give a definitive answer.”

I replied. It was a double-edged answer.

On the surface, it seemed like I was saying that the Emperor and the Parliament had different powers, implying that it was beyond the Emperor’s control. But in reality, the Parliament was little more than a rubber stamp for the Emperor’s decisions. Anyone observing the Emperor’s behavior would know that.

Just moments ago, I’d spoken as if the Emperor’s authority was absolute, only to now hide behind the Parliament as an excuse. For them, it must have been infuriating.

But what could they do?

The power of the Empire’s Emperor stood behind me.

Besides, I didn’t care about the Empire’s image. If I had, the Emperor wouldn’t have sent me here in the first place.

I sipped my tea, feeling detached from the conversation as they continued to stare at me.

What? Why?

There wasn’t much left to discuss here anyway.

They could handle the rest on their own.

There was a reason the Empire of Evil was called the Empire of Evil, after all.

Chapter 16 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 16

EP.16 Interlude

She was a strange child.

That was Alice’s first thought when she saw Sylvia.

To be honest, there was nothing odd about her. Sylvia, sitting quietly with her mouth shut, was just a pretty girl who liked reading books.

Even if you exchanged a few words with her, you wouldn’t notice anything particularly odd. Her speech might be a little stiff, but she used polite, formal language and knew her place well, always bowing her head to those above her.

However, the longer you spoke with her, and the more you observed her actions, the more the oddities began to reveal themselves.

Sylvia had grown up alongside Alice since they were very young. Alice didn’t remember exactly how their first meeting went. Somewhere in the hazy memories of childhood, Sylvia had suddenly appeared and was soon exchanging words with her.

Or rather, to be precise, it was Alice who initiated conversations, and Sylvia simply responded.

According to Lucas, Alice used to be scared of Sylvia, who never changed her expression no matter how much Alice talked to her. Alice would hide behind the adults whenever she encountered Sylvia and would run away as if afraid Sylvia might speak to her.

‘Me? Scared of Sylvia?’

When Alice first heard this, she didn’t quite believe it.

But after taking some time to reflect, she began to think maybe there was some truth to it.

Because, if she was honest, Alice was still a little afraid of Sylvia.

Alice was the only legitimate heir to the Emperor. It was right for Alice, who had no siblings or half-siblings, to inherit the bloodline of the Fangriffon dynasty. If the current Emperor, Arthur III, didn’t have a hobby of bringing orphans into his inner circle, it might have been so.

Even without the bloodline, Fangriffon was still Fangriffon.

Long ago, when the world collapsed and order was being remade, a deformed child had been abandoned on a cliff. That child survived among twisted beasts. That child, who defeated a pack of gryphons and rode the largest one, later became the first Emperor of the Empire. People called him the ‘Leader of the Gryphons’ in reverence. That name, “Fangriffon,” carried that meaning.

Of course, Alice knew it was a myth. Gryphons still existed in modern times, but no one had successfully tamed one. They might be captured or hunted, and one might even ride on their back, but the gryphon would resist until the end. That’s why the story of someone taming a gryphon was considered a myth. Gryphons didn’t even live in packs.

But in an Empire with such a myth, the name ‘Fangriffon’ held special significance.

It was unclear how the Imperial Parliament or the people of the Empire felt.

But at least from the Fangriffon perspective, the name Fangriffon signified the ability to rule as Emperor. Even if someone didn’t share the bloodline, as long as they had the capability to carry the name Fangriffon, the emperor would gladly hand over the throne to them.

That was why Sylvia was frightening. She didn’t have the same terrifying aura as the legendary first Emperor from the myths, but Sylvia handled things effortlessly, as if she knew what was going to happen.

It was hard to imagine Sylvia riding atop a gryphon.

And that was why Sylvia was a strange child.

Despite her extraordinary abilities and the name Fangriffon, she acted as if she would never ascend to the Emperor’s throne. She repeatedly said that the true princess was Alice and that she was merely there to assist Alice.

At first, Alice wondered if Sylvia was hiding her true intentions… but, well, Sylvia had never shown any signs of contradicting her words.

Judging someone’s intentions based solely on their appearance was one of the worst mistakes in politics.

But at least from Alice’s perspective, Sylvia seemed to relax when she was around Alice. Though she remained expressionless, Sylvia often ignored or gave curt responses to other step-siblings, but she actively engaged in conversation with Alice.

Whenever Alice felt anxious, Sylvia encouraged her, and when Alice was sad, Sylvia comforted her. Though her tone was always emotionless, Alice felt reassured by her words.

Was it all an act?

Was Sylvia merely acting mechanically in front of Alice because she was the princess?

Was Alice being deceived by such a simple act?

If so—

—Yes, if even that was an act, then Sylvia was indeed fit to be Emperor from the start.

*

Despite having followed Sylvia all the way to the kingdom, Alice Fangriffon was now deeply regretting her decision.

She knew her father held Sylvia in high regard. That didn’t mean he didn’t love Alice, but there was a difference between favoring someone as a talented individual and loving someone as his child. Unlike Alice, who hadn’t been assigned any significant duties or even officially designated as the crown princess, Sylvia was already handling the most important affairs of the Empire with ease.

Sylvia herself always treated Alice as the future Emperor… but that didn’t ease Alice’s anxiety. Ultimately, it was not Sylvia but Alice’s father, the current Emperor, who would decide the next Emperor.

“I’m going to get scolded again…”

Her father often called Sylvia to ask her about future matters. Alice, not wanting to be left out, would either try to eavesdrop or awkwardly mimic what Sylvia was doing.

And each time, her father’s stern rebuke would follow.

He never shouted or hit her, but the weight of his words was heavy, befitting an Emperor. Alice felt intimidated whenever she heard those words.

And each time, it was Sylvia who comforted her.

Alice knew that Sylvia’s words weren’t always entirely sincere. Whenever Alice felt disappointed about scoring lower than Sylvia, she would claim she had only been lucky enough to get a few more questions right. But Alice knew better—there was no way Sylvia had simply been lucky.

If Sylvia wanted, she could easily score a perfect mark.

Yet, knowing this, Alice still felt her spirits lift whenever Sylvia spoke to her.

It brought her joy to hear someone as capable as Sylvia call her the “future empress.” In a palace where Alice had no one she could truly call a friend, Sylvia was both her competitor and her only true companion.

After getting scolded again, Sylvia would surely comfort Alice. That fact left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Lying in the luxurious bed of the finest suite the kingdom had provided, Alice absentmindedly stared at the ceiling. Her main guards were Lucas and Jayden, but honestly, Alice found those two far more uncomfortable to be around than Sylvia.

If she had some free time, maybe she could ask Sylvia to walk around the capital with her.

As she was pondering this—

Knock, knock.

A cautious knock at the door startled her, and she quickly sat up.

[Princess, may I come in for a moment?]

“W-What!?”

Alice jumped up at the words.

“W-Why, what is it!?”

She shouted in a panic. She had never received a visitor without Sylvia or someone else present. There were Imperial Guards outside, of course—wait, it must have been one of the guards who knocked. They were responsible for directly guarding the princess, after all.

But even so, she’d never been in a situation where she had to greet a guest alone. Since she had boarded the train at the last minute, her personal maid hadn’t been able to join her either.

[“Princess Charlotte of the Kingdom of Velbur requests an audience with you.”]

“P-Princess—ugh!”

Alice instinctively covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp.

In terms of rank, the princess of the Kingdom of Velbur was not on the same level as a princess of the Fangriffon. Perhaps that’s why Princess Charlotte had come in person, having heard that the “real” imperial princess was in town. Though neither princesses nor queens held any executive power, they could still form bonds of friendship.

Social connections between nobility often led to practical alliances later. This was especially true for royal and imperial families. It would be far easier to communicate with someone you’ve met face-to-face, rather than a complete stranger.

Despite her lack of practical experience, Alice had received some political education and could recall information about the Princess of Velbur.

Princess Charlotte, like Alice, was an only child. She had a high chance of inheriting her country’s throne, and she was the same age as Alice and Sylvia.

“……Phew.”

Alice didn’t know why Charlotte had come to visit, but it wasn’t like she could refuse a princess who had come all this way.

Nervous as she was, Alice realized this was something she would have to handle on her own.

She recalled her recent conversation with Sylvia.

─ Always act with confidence, like a true heir to the throne.

Alice quickly glanced down at her clothes. Were there any wrinkles? Any stains? Luckily, there were a few creases, but nothing too noticeable.

She straightened her back, pushed her chest forward, and raised her chin slightly, imitating the posture she’d once seen a duchess assume.

And she put on an expression, just like Sylvia would.

After taking a few more deep breaths to calm herself, Alice finally spoke.

“Yes, let her in.”

Of course, her heart wasn’t as calm as Sylvia’s.

Chapter 17 : Stubbornness

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 17

EP.17 Stubbornness (1)

Considering the mess I made in the diplomatic arena, the Emperor didn’t seem to care much. It seemed like he really didn’t mind if I stirred up trouble like that. Either that, or the Empire’s overwhelming power was so terrifying that the other nations feared retaliation if they misspoke.

In the main storyline, the Emperor had intended to wage war on the entire world—a truly insane move—and nearly succeeded until the protagonist and his companions managed to stop him. Given that, the Kingdom and the Holy State were handling things wisely, all things considered. No nation could hope to win a war against the Empire unless it was internally divided or the rest of the world united against it.

Even if war broke out, the first to strike the Empire would never escape unscathed.

…And I was one of the Empire’s key figures. At just fourteen years old.

Would I become a war criminal?

Well, I still had a few years left before that happened, so I figured I’d think about it slowly. If push came to shove, I could always wipe out the entire mess and just assassinate the Emperor. Not that I really wanted to see things escalate to that point.

I planned to do everything in my power to avoid such a scenario.

In any case, it wasn’t all that surprising that my reckless behavior hadn’t caused any major problems.

What was surprising, though, was something else entirely.

“Did you have a conversation with the princess?”

“Why? Am I not allowed to? You were the Empire’s representative at the trilateral conference.”

“No, it’s not that…”

Alice’s face was literally glowing with pride as she spoke to me.

And she had every right to feel that way. Alice was usually confined to the palace, spending her time studying and training. Of course, she’d feel proud to have accomplished something significant—especially something like forming a connection with the kingdom’s only princess.

I didn’t know much about the king himself, as he only had a few lines in the game. But his daughter, Charlotte, was a good person. She wasn’t the type to feign kindness in front of others. She was one of the heroines, after all. If she had been written as a deceitful character, she wouldn’t have been nearly as popular.

If Alice had talked to someone else, I might have been suspicious. But with Charlotte, there was no need to worry. Besides, we were going to meet her at the academy next year anyway. She’d be sent as an exchange student by the king.

There was probably a reason the Emperor hadn’t scolded Alice too harshly this time. Maybe it was because I had personally asked him not to be too hard on her.

“You had a productive time.”

At my words, Alice raised her chin proudly. Honestly, it made her look cuter than dignified.

*

After that, nothing major happened. The Emperor didn’t summon me for another round of questioning, nor did he issue any orders for assassinations.

I figured it was because I’d be attending the academy next year. It wouldn’t look good if rumors about me spread at a school where I’d be a student. Besides, if the Emperor was sending me to the academy, it wasn’t to study diligently. It was more likely to keep an eye on the future leaders of the noble class, as well as any talented commoners.

Claire from the original story was the same. Claire hadn’t been enrolled in the academy from the start but had transferred later on due to the emperor’s wishes. She didn’t even particularly want to attend the academy.

So, naturally, I thought that with all my hard work—studying diligently and attending every mock exam—I would be able to enter the academy without any issues.

But—

“There’s a place you need to go.”

‘Huh?’

I had to put in quite a bit of effort to hold back the words that almost slipped out.

No matter what, if such a thing was planned, it should have been communicated in advance.

“It seems the time has come to deal with the northern warlords. The Autonomous State of Rickland has finally requested aid from our empire. I’ll provide you with the information on the warlord leaders; go and take care of them.”

Ah, so it was a military matter.

This world’s military was just like any other—giving orders at the last minute, telling people where to go.

“…Understood.”

Of course, there was no valid reason for me to refuse. At best, I could say something like, ‘I’d rather go to school than to the battlefield,’ but the emperor hadn’t raised me here to send me off to school anyway.

However, just because I was going to the battlefield didn’t mean I wouldn’t be able to attend school.

I could take the entrance exam in the nearest city to the front lines, and there was still plenty of time before April next year.

…If this game were modeled after a European country, the academic year would probably start in August or September. But Chronicles of Aetherna was a Japanese game. Although it has been exported overseas, it was primarily designed to cater to Japanese players, where it sold the most. Naturally, the game’s content was tailored to their preferences.

Japanese gamers who bought the game hoping for a school story wouldn’t necessarily want a European academic calendar.

That was why the Imperial Runedarium Academy also started in early April and followed a three-semester system, just like in Japan. It was convenient for including those typical summer and winter vacation episodes that you’d find in Japanese anime.

Interestingly enough, even though the setting was European, there was a Valentine’s Day event too. Depending on which character you spent the year with, the heroine who gave you chocolate changes.

“Are you disappointed?”

“……”

The emperor asked me that, so I looked up at him. He was gazing down at me with his usual expression—a slight smile on his face but without revealing any particular emotion.

“No, Your Majesty. I will follow your orders.”

I knew exactly what the emperor was asking. He was well aware that I had been preparing for the entrance exams alongside Alice.

Perhaps this command was meant to emphasize the difference between me and the real imperial princess, Alice.

This would be my first assassination mission since the count’s assassination. And it wasn’t a small task either, with all the warlords rising up in the north. I’d heard that some of them were bold enough to cross the empire’s borders.

It seemed the emperor intended to take this opportunity to wipe them out.

“Hmm.”

The Emperor made a sound that was hard to interpret, and then…

“Understood. You may go now. our departure will be in a week. Someone from the military will come shortly to brief you on the details.”

If that was indeed the emperor’s intention, it seemed unlikely that I would be able to enroll in the academy next April.

What a shame.

*

“Are you really going to the battlefield?”

As I was packing my things, the door swung open, and Alice asked me with an urgent tone.

I paused from attaching the canteen pouch to my bag and turned around.

Alice stood in the doorway, drenched in sweat.

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Seems so?”

At my response, Alice strode into the room.

“You’re just going to leave it at that? Didn’t you want to go to the academy? You studied so hard!”

Hmm…

It was true that I wanted to go to the academy. And I did study hard. Much harder than Alice realized. It was, after all, a place filled with the characters I loved. I was curious to see whether Claire—who likely grew up much happier here without me around—had entered the academy as she did in the original. I also wondered how Charlotte, who had become close with Alice unlike in the original, would react.

Maybe I’d even get swept into the original story and join the protagonist. If any dangerous situations arose, I could handle them before they spiraled out of control.

…Actually, that last part was something I’d seriously planned to do.

But just because I couldn’t go now didn’t mean I would never be able to go. Even if I wasn’t a student, there were several ways I could still intervene in the protagonist’s story.

“Say something!”

Lost in thought, I hadn’t said anything, and Alice seemed to think I was at a loss for words.

“I have received an order from His Majesty the Emperor to deal with the warlord forces beyond the northern border and stabilize the political situation in the Autonomous State of Rickland.”

At the mention of “His Majesty the Emperor’s order,” Alice seemed momentarily at a loss for words, but she quickly lifted her chin and spoke.

“So?”

So?

I blinked a couple of times at her, unsure of what she meant by that.

In this country, the Emperor’s orders were absolute. The Imperial Parliament didn’t dare oppose the Emperor. The Parliament was strictly decided by popular vote, and the people wanted the Parliament to follow the Emperor. The Emperor’s authoritative policies instilled a sense of pride in the citizens as “citizens of this country.” And in reality, the Emperor had significantly improved the people’s situation.

Most of that was due to the cheap raw materials he extracted from the colonies, though.

And those ‘citizens’ who elected the imperial parliament? That privilege only extended to ‘pure-blooded adult imperial males.’

You could overlook the fact that minors were excluded, but… actually, that’s absurd, too. In this country, anyone over the age of twelve was practically considered an adult and was immediately thrown into factories.

Even if it wasn’t official Empire policy, this nation was a chaotic blend of extreme capitalism, imperialism, and an absolute monarchy—forces that seemed incompatible but somehow coexisted. The emperor’s ultimate goal was to consolidate all of it into one unified empire. It sounded impressive in theory, but the method—war, the most brutal form of diplomacy—was far from ideal.

The emperor spoke of a “war to end all wars,” a phrase that had been heard before and dismissed as nonsense. Yet, he was fully intent on carrying it out.

Anyway, children as young as twelve were made to work fourteen-hour days in hard labor, and no one cared if they drank, smoked, or got addicted to opium. Yet, they weren’t given the right to vote until they turned twenty-one. If they managed to survive until then, it was a miracle, and even if they did, they wouldn’t have received a proper education to take an interest in politics.

As a result, there were always plenty of volunteers for the military. Those with disabilities or those starving couldn’t fight effectively, so they were well-fed, well-rested, and exercised. The pay was also much better than working in a factory. Although they occasionally had to risk their lives, the technological superiority meant fewer casualties compared to the enemy, and compensation was promptly given.

…It almost felt like the empire intentionally kept things this way.

On top of that, women didn’t have the right to vote, nor did people from the colonies or those of mixed blood. Only those with a pure imperial lineage—and even then, only if they were considered to meet the minimum “quota”—were granted voting rights. If someone looked too much like they were from the colonies, they could still be rejected.

Workers complained that colonial people were taking their jobs, and there were rumors that foreigners were forming secret societies to undermine the state from the shadows…

Didn’t it all sound a little too familiar?

And yet, despite all of this, history still included tales of empresses. What an ironic contradiction.

“Aren’t you a princess? You’ve got the Emperor’s power behind you. Shouldn’t you be more assertive? So why are you just following his orders without question?”

“Even if I’m a princess, I’m not the same kind of princess as you. I’m someone His Majesty took in because he thought I could be useful. But you are the true heir to this Empire.”

“…So, you’re saying you’re some kind of tool?”

Of course.

The emperor likely saw me as nothing more than a tool.

It was probably true that he loved me as a daughter. Just as he did with Ruth, Jayden, and my other siblings. In fact, the emperor was always deeply heartbroken whenever one of his children died in the story.

But at the same time, even his children were tools to him.

Perhaps it could be explained as the difference between a cherished tool and a disposable one.

Naturally, Alice was the most important tool among them.

…But there was no need to tell Alice that. She was too young to understand.

I turned back to my backpack and spoke.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ll complete my mission and return. I won’t die.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about…!”

Alice shouted in frustration at my back but then stopped. The door was still open. If she yelled, all the maids would hear.

Although Alice often threw tantrums in the hallway, she had learned that such behavior negatively affected her image as she grew older. Of course, she still occasionally threw tantrums, causing trouble for everyone.

“…”

For a moment, she was silent, likely trying to get her emotions under control. I couldn’t see her face, but I could hear her heavy breathing, so she was probably struggling with it.

Finally, Alice spoke—though it was clear she hadn’t calmed down at all.

“…I’m going to see Father.”

“Princess—”

Before I could stop her, Alice had already bolted out of the room.

“…Hah.”

With a sigh, I set my half-packed bag down and hurried after her.

Chapter 18 : Stubbornness

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 18

EP.18 Stubbornness (2)

Morphine was discovered in the early 1800s. Given that morphine is a type of opium, it’s reasonable to think it emerged around that time without needing a detailed historical investigation. Moreover, morphine frequently appeared as a painkiller for soldiers in World War I and II.

Morphine, the most potent painkiller derived from natural plants, had a powerful effect and acted very quickly on the brain. Therefore, it was distributed like crazy to soldiers until World War II. And it also caused a lot of suffering for soldiers who survived World War I and II. It was, after all, a famous form of “opium.”

Its addictive nature was so strong that even today it’s used only as a last resort, when other painkillers are ineffective. In the past, when the side effects of drugs were relatively less researched, morphine was used because there were no real alternatives.

And now, I had a stash of morphine hidden in my room.

“……What is this?”

“……”

That’s right. Just because it was the past didn’t mean people were unaware of the harmful effects of opium. Remember, even in Britain, they sold opium to China with great enthusiasm, leading to the famous Opium Wars when China, thinking the opium was destroying their country, rebelled.

This world knew about its effects, too.

I was using it even though I knew.

And now, Alice was rummaging through my room, uncovering every hiding spot, like under the bed or on top of the wardrobe.

“Princess.”

“…Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like.”

Alice asked, looking at the morphine on the bed.

It wasn’t a large amount. I didn’t need much. A dose or two was sufficient. I had a few small bottles, just in case.

But it was enough to raise Alice’s suspicion.

“You’re not addicted or anything, right?”

“……Princess.”

I called out to Alice, who was asking anxiously, in a calm voice.

“Have I ever shown symptoms of opium addiction?”

“……”

One of the most easily noticeable symptoms after taking morphine was constricted pupils. I had seen it a few times myself, a few years ago in the Count’s territory.

Moreover, if I were truly addicted to morphine, it would be impossible to hide. Being intoxicated with opium like morphine made one acted insane and unable to think straight for a while, and withdrawal symptoms like vomiting, fever, and diarrhea were very obvious.

But my body was perfectly normal. When I was busy, I never showed any withdrawal symptoms. Strangely, I didn’t even catch a cold.

Alice glared at me and asked.

“So, what is this for?”

“It’s for emergencies.”

“…But there are mages in the castle.”

That was right.

This world had real magic. Mages used magical stones to cast spells. They could heal injuries almost without leaving a scar and, recently, they’ve even managed to reattach severed limbs.

“Healing with magic takes too long.”

“Then what about during that time…?”

“And an unhealed body still experiences pain, which makes it less agile.”

No matter how well-trained a person was, it was impossible to move exactly the same after getting injured as before. So, in urgent situations, it was important to numb the pain and move quickly by tricking the brain.

…Honestly, it was a bit unfair. I hadn’t actually used it yet.

But I planned to use it when necessary, experience the situation once, and then reset the time.

Addiction to drugs had both psychological and physical reasons, but the physical effects were the most significant. The harm they did to the brain and nervous system was severe. When someone was addicted to drugs, the craving was as desperate as a starving person searching for food. The brain had been deceived into feeling hungry.

However, I could cancel out that addiction in the brain and nervous system.

So, if I got severely injured and faced an unknown level of danger, I could endure, see the future, and then apply that idea to try again. Of course, without drugs in the final state.

“……”

Alice bit her lip.

“Is it because of me?”

“……”

Hmm…

It wasn’t just because of Alice. To be precise, it was a preparation for all possible scenarios. I might really need to assassinate the Emperor someday.

The Emperor’s personal combat ability was among the strongest in this world. Even Lucas couldn’t defeat him with a sword, so he was probably overwhelmingly stronger than anyone known as a ‘Sword Saint’ in this world.

Still, as a human, he must have very tiny gaps.

But those gaps were so tiny that it might take thousands of attempts, repeating every second, to find and exploit them. So, these morphine vials were tools to slightly enhance the efficiency of that process.

Seeing me remain silent, Alice seemed to think something and suddenly reached out to me.

Alice… in terms of ‘talent,’ she was far superior to me. Simply put, she was the daughter of ‘that’ Emperor. Her physical abilities were top-notch, and she was incredibly smart. Honestly, if I didn’t have the ability to reset the time, I could never defeat Alice in a one-on-one confrontation.

And the same went for studying. I could read the same book dozens, hundreds of times, attend hundreds of hours of lectures from tutors, and still have the same amount of time to invest as others… No, if I wanted, I could just erase the time spent and retain the knowledge. If I had just studied normally, I wouldn’t have even gotten into the academy.

I wouldn’t have survived until now, either.

So, well.

If Alice suddenly grabbed me by the collar, I wouldn’t be able to avoid it. My face would be pulled close to hers, about a fist’s distance away.

…Should I reset the time?

I briefly considered it but decided to postpone that decision. For now, I would see how the situation played out. After all, Alice was one of the characters I liked.

I’d prefer not to reset the time I had spent with her.

“Hey.”

Oh.

This was bad.

Alice seemed genuinely angry.

“I’m going to ask you some questions now, and you better answer them properly.”

“……”

It was sheer luck that my expression didn’t crumble. The practice I’d put into maintaining a neutral face was paying off.

“What do you think of me? And what do you think of yourself?”

“You are the future Empress of the Empire. My role is to assist you.”

“According to what my father said?”

“……”

No, this was my own will.

If Alice weren’t here, I would have run away immediately. Preferably near Claire… or I would have sought help and hidden with the heroines, the protagonist, or even some male characters, though less willingly. Except in the Church.

I didn’t know what Alice thought of my silence, but she stared at me with fiery eyes.

“Let me ask you a different question. What if my father appointed you as the Crown Princess instead of me?”

“That would never—”

“If you think my father won’t do such a thing, then you are greatly mistaken.”

…Hmm.

I believed Alice was the one mistaken, but the current situation didn’t seem appropriate for arguing that.

“—If that were to happen, I would do my best to ensure the imperial authority is placed in its rightful position.”

“…Even if it’s Father’s command?”

“Yes. Because it would be the right thing to do.”

This was sincere.

I had no intention of becoming the Emperor. In fact, based on the storyline up to the point where it had progressed, I doubted whether the Emperor could continue to hold power. After all, wasn’t the Emperor the leader of an evil empire?

Ultimately, the protagonist would be the one who triumphed in the end, supported by the heroine and other male characters, along with many other allies.

Although the ending wasn’t clear yet, most players speculated that it would involve a democratic revolution.

Even if Alice didn’t inherit the imperial throne, she could become a hero of the people. And that would be much better for her future. No matter how much reality was reflected, it was still a game. Considering the developers, it was unlikely that all the royal family members would be executed.

“Even if it means ruining your body?”

Alice’s eyes were fixed on the bottle of morphine on the bed. I nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Of course, I had no intention of using it all the way through, but if I answered straightforwardly, there would be no reason for me to have collected the morphine in the first place, so I used it as an excuse.

“……”

Alice glared at me for a while before finally releasing her grip on my collar. I tried my best not to stumble. Thankfully, almost a decade of effort paid off, and I managed not to stagger awkwardly.

“I’m taking this with me.”

“……”

Alice picked up the morphine from the bed. Then she looked at me and spoke.

“Don’t worry. I won’t need it. A princess of a nation can’t be addicted to morphine, right?”

And that remark about being ‘a princess of a nation’ was directed at me as well.

“……”

“And I will make sure that such substances can’t be obtained within the palace. From now on, only those deemed absolutely necessary will be allowed to handle such things, and not someone of your dignity. Understood?”

“……Understood.”

Only after I said that did Alice nod firmly and turn on her heel, leaving my room.

“……”

I counted to roughly thirty seconds before letting out a long sigh.

As expected of the Emperor’s daughter, her spirit was no joke. I felt crushed the entire time she had me by the collar. Fortunately, I managed to maintain my composure, so there was no need to reset the time.

When I followed Alice a little while ago, the Emperor had already left. Even if I had met him directly, I wasn’t sure if the situation would have been resolved, but the fact that I didn’t even get a chance to see any potential resolution seemed to have really irritated Alice.

Returning to my room in a huff, Alice, unable to control her frustration, started pacing around and then flung open my bag.

At first, I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but then she began unpacking everything inside the bag. While she didn’t throw my things around recklessly, she seemed to want to recreate the state of the bag before it was packed.

I watched in disbelief as Alice, while unpacking my bag, discovered a vial of morphine, which led to the commotion.

“……Hmm.”

Honestly, even if Alice decided to crack down on morphine, it was still easy to obtain. This world had opium dens hidden in the corners of cities. Although illegal, the Empire had little interest in the harsh lives of the lower classes.

As a result, opium was somewhat popular among the nobility as well. Of course, it was harder to catch nobles than commoners. Even the Count indulged openly until he was assassinated.

…Still, bringing morphine back into the palace would be risky.

If Alice caught me next time, I might really be suspected of addiction and forced into a sanatorium. The mental hospitals of this era had… somewhat barbaric aspects, didn’t they? I wasn’t keen on ending up in one of those.

“Hmm…”

If not morphine…

Well, there were a few other drugs that came to mind. Even if they weren’t painkillers, there were substances that could drastically improve the success rate of my attempts.

For example, yes, there are substances that were too recently introduced to have their harms and side effects properly studied. Drugs that, when taken, could exponentially increase concentration, allowing one to complete tasks at double the usual speed and with greater accuracy. Not magic potions, but real-world drugs.

Methamphetamine.

In reality, this drug was marketed as ‘Philopon.’

Since the pharmaceutical company was Japanese, it was sometimes called ‘Hiroppon’ following the Japanese pronunciation.

Of course, like any drug, it severely wore down the body. Didn’t they say it caused permanent damage to dopamine receptors? And dopamine was used to create positive emotions in humans. In other words, once taken, one could never feel normal happiness again without the drug.

I could simply reset the time to fix it, but…

“…Maybe I should reconsider.”

While morphine could be used for ‘exploring possibilities,’ methamphetamine was strictly a ‘results-oriented’ drug. The results obtained using this drug couldn’t be utilized.

Even if I succeeded in an assassination under its influence, I would either have to live as an addict for life, experience no pleasure other than from the drug, or ultimately reset time to achieve results without it.

Nothing was ever easy.

I took a long breath again.

Chapter 19 : Stubbornness

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 19

EP.19 Stubbornness (3)

A day had passed since Alice’s visit. There had been no news since then. The Emperor’s order to me had not been revoked. It seemed Alice still hadn’t met with the Emperor yet, which made sense since I had heard he was away.

The belongings Alice had unpacked… I hadn’t repacked them yet. For now, I simply returned everything to its original place. Since Alice herself had unpacked them, I decided to wait a bit before repacking.

No matter how determined Alice was, convincing that stubborn Emperor wouldn’t be easy. He was the kind of man who, even though he loved his daughter, always placed his goals first. On the surface, he claimed everything was ‘for the empire,’ but in reality, he was just obsessed with governance—like a man with a bizarre fixation on state affairs. If he thought something would harm his rule, he wouldn’t hesitate to discard even his daughter.

The Autonomous State of Rickland hadn’t appeared in the main game yet, but it existed in the lore. It might play a significant role in the sequel… though that was just a bit of speculation for now. By the time I arrived in this world, the game’s development was already underway, but its release was still far off, so I hadn’t even seen a trailer.

Among fans, the prevailing theory was that the protagonist, who had fled to the unstable State of Rickland amidst military factions, would consolidate power, gain trust, and find a new place to settle. If I were to take down all the warlords before that, those predictions would be pointless… but I doubted the Emperor intended to eliminate all of them. He’d probably leave just enough to cause trouble for the autonomous state while ensuring they still needed the empire’s support.

If he truly wanted to wipe out the warlords, the Emperor would have simply sent the army. Then again, if he had proposed sending the army, the autonomous state would likely have refused. What sovereign nation would welcome a foreign army to deal with their criminals? It was a blatant infringement of sovereignty. The intention would be obvious.

“…Wait a minute.”

Could it be that the Emperor was sending me for that very reason?

The State of Rickland might refuse an entire Imperial Army, but they might not mind if he dispatched a single assassin. Or maybe he didn’t intend to send me as a soldier at all. He could’ve slipped me in as a diplomat, or even as a princess.

…I’d be able to create opportunities to move freely within the state, carrying out assassination missions in between official duties.

Uh…

..Was the Emperor’s trust in me becoming a bit too much?

Did the original Claire ever earn this level of trust? I couldn’t recall her being sent on solo missions like this, no matter how much she was tasked with.

I pondered, resting my hand on my forehead.

If I had blindly gone to the autonomous state and decapitated all the warlords, the future could’ve shifted dramatically.

Well, Millennium Corp. did enjoy surprising people, so they probably wouldn’t have crafted a story that players could easily predict.

Should I refuse?

I seriously considered it.

If the Emperor truly trusted me, believed in me completely, there might be another way. I could go there and do absolutely nothing, then return. Even if I lied, the Emperor would likely think, “Well, there must’ve been a good reason for it.”

The problem, though, was whether the Emperor trusted me 100 percent—without a single shred of doubt. The answer to that was simple and required little thought.

The Emperor was not someone who trusted anyone fully. The only thing the Emperor truly believed in was his own convictions. So, if I returned after completing no mission at all, he would doubt me. He might trust that I had an “unavoidable reason,” but he wouldn’t believe it was a physical impossibility that prevented me from assassinating the target. He’d assume there was some political entanglement at play.

And once that train of thought began, the Emperor’s actions would stray too far from my predictions.

That wasn’t a good thing.

I was trying to avoid choices that would inevitably lead to the deaths of several people. If the Emperor acted outside of my expectations, it would jeopardize my ability to make use of the foresight I had been relying on.

The reason I hadn’t attempted to assassinate the Emperor and was following his orders for now was to minimize variables and create a favorable situation for myself. While breaking the pattern wouldn’t eliminate new opportunities, the further apart the opportunities were, the harder it would be to align them.

“……”

I sat in the chair, resting my chin in my hand, deep in thought. But no matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t reach a clear conclusion.

Even if I used Alice as an excuse, it was too late. I had already agreed to the mission, and changing my stance now would only increase the Emperor’s suspicions.

Hmm. No easy solution.

Just as I was thinking that—

The door suddenly burst open.

“……”

I didn’t jump in surprise. After ten years of experiencing such interruptions, it no longer startled me. Being slashed by Lucas’s sword had set a pretty high bar for surprise.

It was probably Alice again. If she had met with the Emperor, she’d have been rejected for sure and would be sulking by now, barging in with a frown. She wouldn’t be here to brag about receiving new orders from the Emperor; she’d likely be dragging me along to meet him instead. Alice always had an air of confidence before confronting the Emperor.

“Got it!”

“What?”

But her sudden shout caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily dazed. Got what?

Turning my head, I saw Alice standing proudly, her face glowing with pride. The sunlight from the window caught her hair, making it shimmer like gold.

With her hands on her hips, laughing like a victorious general, Alice declared…

“You don’t have to go to the North!”

“……”

I stared at her for a moment before replying calmly.

“No matter how much of a future empress you are, you are not above the current Emperor’s orders.”

In response to my calm voice, Alice snorted dismissively.

“I know, okay? I am a real princess, after all. If you still don’t believe me, just take a look at this.”

With that, Alice raised her hand from her waist, revealing a document clutched in her grip.

It was the Emperor’s order.

[By decree of Emperor Arthur III of the Aetherna Empire, the northern dispatch order for Sylvia Fangriffon is hereby rescinded.]

It wasn’t an official decree. Just a random scrap of paper torn off, with a sloppy message scrawled in fountain pen. Calling it an official document would be an overstatement.

But the handwriting was familiar.

And so was the Emperor’s signature.

“…Forgery or impersonation of official documents is a serious crime. If you’re faking an imperial order—”

“I’m not!”

Alice interrupted me, shouting at the top of her lungs.

“If you’re so suspicious, go verify it yourself! I may do a lot of things, but I wouldn’t lie about something like this!”

“……”

If Alice was insisting this much…

…Could it be real?

If it was real, how did she manage it?

I managed to maintain my expressionless face, but perhaps my confusion was visible. Alice looked at me victoriously and exclaimed.

“See? Now it’s settled! We’re heading to the academy together! Well, I won’t pack for a while, though.”

This time, she added with a beaming smile.

“I’m definitely going to beat you in the next exam!”

Uh… Wait, seriously?

How did she do it?

Even in my state of confusion, a part of my mind was already celebrating, clenching its fist in triumph.

*

A few minutes earlier—

Crash!

The sound of something breaking was rarely heard in the Emperor’s audience chamber. The maids working in the palace were all daughters of noble families, receiving high-level education, and naturally, they wouldn’t accidentally break precious items in the palace.

And no one would dare to deliberately break something either. After all, meals weren’t usually served in the audience chamber.

But this time was different.

The sound came from a small glass vial shattering on the floor. The clear liquid inside splattered across the floor, though not enough to reach the Emperor’s clothes.

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

The Emperor himself asked, seeing his daughter behaving so outrageously in front of him.

Even Lucas, the guard at his side, looked bewildered, but Alice paid no attention to their expressions. Under normal circumstances, Alice would have shrunk before her father, the Emperor. The mood in the room wasn’t exactly favorable either. But Alice was furious, her anger burning to the tips of her hair.

And when a Fangriffon gets angry, they tend to stop caring about anything.

Alice was still a Fangriffon, after all.

It was the first time she’d ever been this angry at her father. While she wanted to surpass Sylvia, she never wished for her to be taken out of the race entirely.

“This is morphine. It was found in Sylvia’s room.”

“Hmm?”

At those words, the Emperor’s expression immediately shifted from irritation to intrigue.

“Sylvia is using morphine?”

His reaction wasn’t surprising. No one utilized Sylvia’s talents more effectively than the Emperor himself. She’d only been sent on one assassination mission, but there was no one better at gathering all sorts of information than her.

It was hard to imagine someone like Sylvia needing morphine. After all, she’d never been seriously injured by bullets or swords.

Lucas was just as shocked. His usual laid-back demeanor had vanished, and his eyes widened in disbelief. Despite the situation, Alice found herself pleased by that small detail.

“She said it was for emergencies. In case something went wrong, and she had to fight without time to recover.”

“…Oh.”

Coming from Sylvia, such a statement couldn’t be taken lightly. Sylvia had said she might be injured and have to fight without the luxury of healing.

What kind of danger was she anticipating?

“…Your Majesty.”

Normally, Alice would have addressed him as ‘Father,’ but at this moment, she stood before him as a princess addressing her Emperor. The conversation they were about to have wasn’t between a daughter and her father; it was between the future Empress and the current Emperor.

“Sylvia said that I am the one destined to become the next Empress.”

“……”

The Emperor was listening intently.

“If she becomes a candidate, she will do whatever it takes to ensure I get that position.”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened as he focused on the princess before him.

“So, Your Majesty. Sylvia is my ally. Not yours.”

Alice smiled as she said this, though it wasn’t a genuine smile. It was a smile twisted by nervousness, slightly trembling at the edges. A facade of confidence.

But Fangriffons never backed down, because they were ‘Fangriffons.’

“Sylvia may be a Gryphon. But the first Emperor Fangriffon was not. Fangriffons are the leaders of the Gryphons, not Gryphons themselves. They are the ones who command the Gryphons and ride above them. The ones who lead the pack. There’s no need to be stronger than a Gryphon to lead one.”

Indeed. Fangriffons—the leader of the Gryphons. And leading people didn’t always require sheer strength. Especially if the pack in question was made up of humans.

“So, Sylvia will be mine. Of course, if you ever need her, I could lend her to you. But not this time.”

Sylvia, that Sylvia, was supporting the ‘true princess’ as the next Empress.

And the princess realized what that truly meant.

She realized it and was now informing the current Emperor.

And as the Emperor heard her declaration, he smiled.

Chapter 20 : Reunion?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 20

EP.20 Reunion? (1)

There was always a reason why mock exams were difficult.

Even though they were just mock exams, the style of the questions and the difficulty level were quite different from the actual entrance exams. The balance of difficulty was often off, with some questions being too easy and others too hard. Overall, the difficulty level was generally high.

This wasn’t limited to the academy entrance exams. In the world I came from, most mock exams were somewhat or excessively harder than the actual tests.

The reason was simple. The companies creating these tests want to boast about how students who use their mock exams end up passing the real thing.

Even though students knew mock exams were not the real deal and had almost no official credibility, they still rode an emotional rollercoaster while taking them. Humans were naturally wired to seek rewards. Once we feel we’ve achieved a certain goal, we tend to relax.

That was why they deliberately made the mock exams tough. If the real test turned out to be difficult, students wouldn’t be caught off guard, and it ensured they remained tense and focused on their studies.

Alice and I had taken such exams multiple times before.

Alice, with her brilliant mind, always studied hard and scored high—

—I, on the other hand, used my unique abilities, repeatedly reviewing the material until I memorized and understood everything.

Honestly, it was incredibly tedious. Even though my body followed my mind, and when I reset the time, my physical state reset, my memory didn’t. I accumulated experience rather than perceiving it as time being reset.

In other words, no matter how many times I reset, it always felt like I was reliving the same moment over and over again.

…Did that make sense?

Well, anyway.

Because of this, I made sure to carve out moments to rest or nap during all those chances I had. Sometimes, I’d skip class and wander outside the capital. Other times, I’d lock my door and sleep the whole day away.

I didn’t care what people thought. After all, that time was essentially being wasted anyway. By minimizing mental exhaustion and resetting, I could go back to how things originally were.

Although human memory had its limits, seeing and reviewing the same things repeatedly inevitably led to memorization. Whether it was because my brain had a larger capacity than normal or I had some untapped talent all along, I wasn’t sure.

Thinking back to how I used to save and load different game files to replay over and over… wondering what potential the old me might’ve had didn’t really matter anymore. After all, I was now Sylvia Fangriffon, a character who never even existed in the original story.

“How did the test go?”

Even as a princess, I was required to take the entrance exam at the designated location.

The Empire was large. Even with the most advanced trains, it took hours, if not half a day or more, to travel to Runedarium from the provinces. And if you push yourself too hard the day before, it inevitably affects your performance during the exam.

It was understandable that commoners from the provinces had to deal with these inconveniences, but when it happened repeatedly, even the nobles began to express their complaints. After all, no matter the time or place, the education of one’s children has always been a serious matter—except for those struggling just to make a living day by day.

That’s why designated exam centers are set up in the provinces as well. There are, of course, those who still can’t make it to the test centers, but people in that situation probably wouldn’t even know if they had the talent for it. They’d likely live in places without access to any educational opportunities in the first place.

Anyway, that was how Alice and I ended up taking the exam at the Imperial Runedarium Academy, right in the capital.

Honestly, for someone living in the capital, taking the academy exam was considered lucky. It meant you get the chance to visit the academy in person. Whether you passed or failed, entering that well-built institution was a worthwhile experience. Since the school wasn’t open to the public outside of the festival period, most people never get to see it in its studious, academic atmosphere.

“The exam was easier than the mock tests.”

“As expected, right?”

Alice responded.

Of course, even though we took the exam at the Academy, we didn’t receive exactly the same treatment as other students. There were issues with security, and besides, having us in the same classroom would be incredibly distracting to the other students. That distraction could end up affecting their scores.

Many nobles were extremely sensitive when it came to their children’s grades. It would’ve been one thing if they directed their frustrations at their own kids, but there were always those who blame the exam location instead.

The Emperor, of course, ignores such complaints. Those trivial matters rarely make it to his ears.

But the Academy’s staff can’t dismiss them so easily, and neither can the high-ranking officials who manage the Empire’s education system. When families from a count or duke’s house start to raise complaints, those officials find themselves pulling their hair out in frustration.

To avoid such issues, we were given the privilege of taking the exam in a separate classroom.

As we stepped out of the classroom, I glanced at Alice. Her expression wasn’t bad—looks like the exam was easy for her.

It was the same for me. After all, I had studied the material to the point of exhaustion. My score would likely surpass my mock test results, not fall short. Of course, I did intentionally make a few mistakes here and there.

“Let’s go and do a quick check on the answers, no need to go through everything. You should remember some of the trickier questions, right? Just going over those will give us a rough estimate of our scores.”

I nodded in agreement.

Alice was already certain she’d be admitted into the Academy.

And why wouldn’t she be? In the original storyline, Alice was a student at the Academy.

While the building was currently filled with student candidates, we took the exam individually with guards present. However, by the beginning of the semester, any undesirable elements among the admitted students would have been removed. Inside the academy, we would be equals, speaking informally to each other.

Of course, as time passed, the unspoken hierarchies would inevitably form, as they always did. But Alice was so well-known that she wouldn’t need any introduction. Everyone already knew her face.

As we walked, we heard a commotion up ahead.

Students were pouring out of the classrooms. It wasn’t just us who had finished the exam.

We paused for a moment. There were certainly ways we could clear a path through the crowd of students, but there was no need to rush. One of the knights guarding us stepped forward and took a position in front of us, signaling for the students to keep their distance.

Some students glanced our way, but most were too intimidated to approach, deterred by the imposing presence of the knights. Besides, Alice was never one to form close relationships with anyone from a young age, so even children from prominent noble families found it awkward to strike up a conversation with her. They didn’t know how to approach someone like Alice, who wasn’t just a princess but also aspired to become the emperor. While others attended balls, she’d choose to spend her time reading or practicing swordsmanship. It was no surprise that she had no acquaintances among the nobles.

“How many of these kids do you think will make it into the Academy?”

“Probably very few.”

I replied.

In the original story, the Academy admitted only 30 nobles and 60 commoners per year. But the actual named characters were far fewer than that. Compared to the sea of students passing by, those numbers felt like a mere handful.

We stood there, waiting as the students filed past, watching them from a distance.

“……”

And then suddenly, I almost gasped.

A girl with striking blue hair walked by in the distance.

It wasn’t the same look I remembered. Not from the game, and certainly not from the last time I’d seen her in that filthy, disheveled state. She had grown significantly, her long blue hair neatly tied back in a classic ponytail. There was none of the bold makeup she sported in the game, and her uniform wasn’t modified in any way to show off her body.

She simply looked like the perfect, upstanding student. Honestly, she could easily pass for a class president. She wasn’t wearing glasses, but it was unmistakable.

It was Claire.

Claire was walking alongside a handsome boy, talking and laughing with him. That must be the son of the Grace family—the protagonist of the game.

“……”

“What’s wrong? Do you know someone?”

“Yes. I see some children from noble families.”

I answered, choosing my words carefully. It seemed better to give a vague excuse than to deny it outright. Alice simply hummed in response.

“Is there anyone we need to be cautious of?”

“There is, but this isn’t the place to discuss it.”

Not Claire, though. It was better that Claire remained unaware of me for now.

But even so, there were certainly people to be cautious about.

The daughter of Count Crowfield, whom I had killed, was also supposed to be attending this school. She was one of the heroines in the original story.

“…Alright, then let me know when we get back. It wouldn’t hurt for me to be cautious as well.”

“Understood.”

I replied, noting the immediate shift to seriousness in Alice’s expression.

In the original story, Alice and Claire had a very strained relationship, and Alice wouldn’t have received such information. However, since I wasn’t Claire, and Claire’s image had changed significantly from the original, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to share this much information.

*

“…Huh?”

Claire suddenly stopped walking and looked back. Leo, who was walking with Claire, asked.

“Why? Did you see something?”

“Well, it’s just…”

Claire stared blankly behind her for a moment. Leo thought she might have seen someone standing at the corner up ahead. One person had striking golden hair, and the other had short black hair. Leo could guess who the golden-haired person was. It was said that the princess would be attending the Academy this year, so the presence of the two knights in front of them made sense. As for the other person, Leo wasn’t sure.

“Do you know them? Should we go and meet them?”

Leo tried to backtrack with a suggestion, but stopped awkwardly as he received disapproving glances from the other students.

“No, never mind. It’s not worth it.”

Claire said, shaking off her thoughts. She finally gathered herself and spoke again.

“Maybe… maybe I just saw wrong. It could have just been someone who looked similar.”

“…Really?”

Though Claire’s behavior seemed odd, Leo decided to let it go.

He knew Claire had been searching for her sister. She had mentioned it several times since childhood. However, even if that sister existed, she wouldn’t be here. To take the exam here, one’s identity had to be verified first.

Unfortunately, according to Claire’s story—though Claire never believed it—her sister, who had been a lost child, had an extremely low chance of surviving and growing up to take the entrance exam at the Empire’s top academy. Moreover, taking the exam next to the princess was even less likely. She didn’t seem like a maid either. If she were a real maid, she would have taken the exam mixed in with the other students, like Leo and Claire.

Moreover, Claire seemed to have mostly given up on finding her sister. Although the chance wasn’t zero, it was extremely low.

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s probably just… a feeling. Just like last time.”

Claire had been someone who, as a child, would approach anyone with black, long hair to check their face. Having verified several times that they weren’t her sister, she must have learned to lower her expectations.

After all, there were plenty of students with long black hair passing by.

“…Let’s go.”

Leo followed Claire, who started walking again, with a slightly bitter expression.

Chapter 21 : Reunion?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 21

EP.21 Reunion? (2)

Our scores came out quite similar to what we expected. I scored 475, and Alice scored 492. Both of us had far surpassed the passing mark.

For me, this score was rather surprising. Of course, I had deliberately gotten a few questions wrong, but Alice had entered the Academy with a score of 487 in the game, and she had been praised as a prodigy. Though that score wasn’t low by any means in the game’s setting, the Alice standing before me had managed to score even higher.

“You’re incredible, Your Highness.”

I said, with just a hint of genuine emotion. It wasn’t enough to be concerning, though. After all, I had occasionally shown subtle emotions in front of Alice before. Honestly, since my reason for attending the Academy was to meet the original protagonist and heroines, it didn’t seem like a big deal if I let my guard down a little in front of her. Besides, we would be seeing each other regularly, so it would be hard to keep up the facade all the time.

Of course, I would still need to be cautious in front of the Emperor and his other children.

“Hmm…”

Alice’s reaction, however, was a little different from what I expected. The pitch of her “hmm” was much lower than usual. Instead of her typical pleased tone, she sounded suspicious—directly so, as she narrowed her eyes at me.

“You, is that really your true ability?”

Alice asked, catching me off guard with a rather pointed question.

“…”

Ah.

She had figured it out immediately.

“You said while walking through the hallway that the test was easier than the mock exam. But instead of your score going up, it went down. Doesn’t that seem strange for someone as meticulous as you?”

“…”

“And did you… deliberately score lower than me?”

She pressed.

“…”

Ah.

She truly wasn’t the Emperor’s daughter for nothing. It seemed she had definitely inherited some of his sharpness. Or perhaps I had just been too obvious.

“You.”

Alice spoke again.

“Don’t do that anymore. You’re going to work for me, aren’t you? I need to know your true capabilities if that’s the case. If you keep trying to make me look better, how am I supposed to judge your skills properly?”

I stared at Alice intently as she spoke.

Alice had also changed quite a bit from the image I had of her. Not just from her childhood self—though she had certainly changed since then as well—but from the Alice in the game.

The Alice I knew had spent her entire childhood dedicated solely to catching up to her father, immersed in swordsmanship and books. She barely attended balls or royal gatherings, having only gone to a few in her early childhood. Her focus had been entirely on becoming a ruler, and she hadn’t engaged much in typical royal activities.

Of course, to become Emperor, she would need to build relationships with the nobles as well… but she had been young. At fourteen, it was the perfect age for a rebellious streak to emerge. She must have thought, “While others were wasting time on foolish things, I was studying the art of ruling.”

Though this Alice was somewhat similar to the one from the game, her attitude was quite different.

In the early stages of the game, Alice had very low self-esteem despite her high character stats. Outwardly, she had the appearance of an arrogant princess, but there were several scenes where she was jealous of someone better at swordsmanship or studying than she was.

In other words, there were no scenes early on where she openly acknowledged someone else’s abilities.

But now, we were no longer in the early stages. Both Alice and I were fifteen, but the attitude Alice occasionally showed me was much more composed and mature, unlike the childish tantrums she used to throw.

“Why, why are you staring at me like that?”

Alice asked, seeming a bit uncomfortable as I looked at her silently.

“…It’s nothing.”

I replied, lowering my gaze slightly.

“I’m sorry. I’ll make sure not to hide my abilities from you in the future, Your Highness.”

“Huh? Ah, uh, well, alright…”

Alice seemed a bit flustered at my straightforward admission and apology. And that reaction was very much like Alice. Regardless of which version of Alice I compared her to.

*

Honestly, I was thrilled.

Or rather, the word “thrilled” didn’t quite capture it.

No, the word “ecstatic” would fit better.

In fact, even “ecstatic” wasn’t quite adequate to express how I felt. There was no perfect word in the world to capture my feelings. If I had to describe it, I felt like a child who had just received a console game as a birthday gift, bouncing around the room with sheer excitement and joy.

It had been ten years. Ten years of waiting.

I had come to this world when I was five years old, and it had taken ten years to meet the characters I had cherished from the game. The actual time might have been even longer since I had reset time multiple times.

It was astonishing to me that I had waited this long.

Think about it. I had only played the Chronicles of Aetherna series for seven years. It was shorter than the time I had waited in this world.

Even after becoming the Emperor’s child, I often wondered how long my enthusiasm would last. Sometimes, childhood dreams seem trivial when you grow up, or acquiring something you longed for as a child might feel empty once you finally have it.

But… it didn’t seem to be entirely that way.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes had waited seven years for new stories, and it’s common for game or film series to have similar long waits. It’s more accurate to say that time passed while doing various things rather than waiting for the entire period. Eventually, you forget how long you’ve been waiting.

I guess, thinking about it, that’s how it was for me.

Or maybe it was because the characters I knew were real and nearby that kept me aware of the passage of time. With the Emperor’s children, Alice, Claire, Leo Grace, and other characters all existing somewhere in this world, it was a constant reminder that I was still here.

“Haah…”

I took a deep breath, trying to relax.

It felt just like going to meet a celebrity. I had been around Alice and other characters before, and I had even met Claire directly, but when I met Claire, I was too preoccupied with the escape to fully enjoy it. Alice, on the other hand, had been with me since childhood, so she felt more like a little sister than a celebrity. Alice would probably be horrified if she heard that.

Moreover, meeting one person at a time was different from suddenly meeting a group of people all at once.

I had already packed everything the night before. There wasn’t much to pack anyway. I was supposed to receive my school uniform at the academy, and the same went for textbooks. They said it was okay to bring personal items for the dormitory, but for me, the only personal item was my weapon.

And the school was responsible for handling weapons. There were already several characters in the original story who used firearms. Even if they weren’t firearms, the weapons brought were all practical weapons meant for killing, so such measures were necessary. After all, who knew what kind of lunatic might go on a shooting spree during class?

The background checks for students entering the academy were for the same reason.

So, there was no need for me to pack additional items. This meant I had no way to distract myself from my thoughts. I wasn’t sure if reading a book would even help.

So, I had been pacing around my room for a while. No matter how excited I was, I couldn’t jump on the bed. I had to maintain my character’s dignity.

While I was wandering around, someone knocked on the door.

[Lady Sylvia, I’ve come to move your luggage. May I come in?]

Commoners would carry their own luggage to school, but nobles or royalty had many people under them. Such items could be sent in advance through these individuals and delivered to the dormitory. This was only allowed on the first day of admission and the two days after the end-of-term ceremony. It was a sensible safety measure to protect the students, so there was no real reason to complain.

I took a small breath, hoping my voice wouldn’t tremble, and replied.

“…Yes, please come in.”

It seemed that ten years of acting practice had been quite effective.

*

The Imperial Palace and the Imperial Runedarium Academy were not far from each other. The area around the palace had the best security in the Empire, making it an ideal location for the academy. There were quite a few other academies around here as well. Most of them only accepted children from fairly well-known or wealthy families.

Although it wasn’t a long walk, we didn’t commute. This was the case even for students whose families lived within the Empire. The Imperial Academy required all students to stay in the dormitory.

While there were public transportation options like carriages, they were not as efficient as modern buses in terms of cramming people in. Even though it was the safest place in the Empire, it wasn’t as secure as central Seoul. To ensure student safety—and to avoid being held responsible if something happened—most academies, including the Imperial Academy, adopted a full boarding system.

Additionally, traveling by carriage was much safer for escorting someone than walking, so we even used a carriage for that short distance.

“Are you excited?”

“Yes?”

Alice’s sudden question made me turn my gaze from the window to her. Lately, I had been feeling unusually excited, which seemed to make me more prone to surprises. However, since it was Alice, it wasn’t really a problem.

Alice, sitting across from me, wore an exceptionally… mischievous expression.

It seemed like Alice’s expressions had become more varied. Perhaps she had become more at ease? If that was because of me, then it didn’t seem like all my efforts to comfort and encourage Alice had been a bad idea after all.

“Why do you think so?”

Despite her question, I maintained a neutral expression. I knew without having to touch my face or look in a mirror that I was succeeding in keeping a blank face. I had been consciously practicing this for ten years, so maintaining a neutral expression was something I could manage.

So, the fact that Alice could read my feelings was quite significant. If Alice could notice, it meant others might be able to as well.

I needed to check and correct this.

“You usually don’t show much interest in the outside scenery. Besides, you have a book on your lap, but you’re not reading it. Normally, you’d be engrossed in a book no matter what was happening around you.”

“……”

“And there’s nothing particularly new to see in the Empire, is there? While I may not know, you’ve probably seen this scenery enough to be bored with it.”

I had wandered around the Empire on various errands for the Emperor. I knew the area better than Alice did. In fact, I had thoroughly familiarized myself with every corner of the Empire, so I was confident I could find my way no matter where I ended up. Even if I encountered a new alley, I had memorized all the significant landmarks.

“So, I just figured that you were unable to concentrate on the book. If that wasn’t the case, then I’m sorry.”

Of course, even when she said “I’m sorry,” Alice still had that sly smile on her face, so it was clear there was no sincerity in the “if that’s not the case” part.

“……”

I didn’t bother responding to Alice. Even if I denied it, Alice would just say, “Oh, really?” and if I admitted it… it was still too early for that.

So, I simply turned my gaze back to the window.

And for the short time until we arrived at the academy, I had to put up with Alice’s sly expression.

Chapter 22 : Reunion?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 22

EP.22 Reunion? (3)

The Imperial Runedarium Academy was grand and magnificent. It was a building that embodied the pride of the Empire, constructed with the Empire’s cutting-edge architectural technology. In some ways, it was even more impressive than the Imperial Palace. While the palace had been continuously renovated and expanded over centuries, its foundation was a medieval structure.

However, the academy was only about 30 years old and was still constantly expanding with new buildings. There was even a structure similar to the Crystal Palace built in England on Earth within the academy grounds, and the streetlights were powered by magic stones instead of gas. In fact, most of the lights in the buildings were powered by magic.

Moreover, the academy had an overwhelming number of telephone lines compared to other buildings in the capital, and a dedicated analytical engine operated in an entire building just for the academy, making its data processing nearly perfect and significantly faster than elsewhere. The engine was powered by pure magic stones, so there was no black smoke.

Additionally, the infirmary could handle minor surgeries, and it was even connected to a university hospital. All the daily necessities provided were of the highest quality, utilizing the Empire’s industrial production capabilities to the fullest. Students could also replace their personal weapons with Imperial-grade ones if needed.

Despite this, the tuition for attending the Academy was fully covered by the Imperial Family for students from the Empire. For students from outside the Empire, the tuition was still significantly cheaper compared to other academies. The Empire operated this Academy at a loss.

The reason the Empire was so invested in this academy was that it admitted not only Imperial citizens but also children from famous families abroad, and even royalty.

The idea was that after experiencing a high standard of living here, they would feel inconvenienced when they returned home. Additionally, it would instill trust in the quality of goods produced by the Empire. The Empire had turned this place into a “presentation room” for the Empire itself.

So, the costs covered by the Imperial family could be seen as marketing expenses. There was no reason to save money. The students who lived here and returned home would grow up to use Imperial goods, and in large quantities.

Ironically, this made the academy the perfect place for children of the Imperial family.

Even if Alice’s or my grades had not been up to par, we would likely have been granted special admission. After all, who could challenge the Imperial Family’s decisions?

“Top student of the Imperial Runedarium Academy, Alice Fangriffon.”

Of course, Alice didn’t need such preferential treatment.

The headmaster, with his hair turned completely white and parted precisely in a 2:8 ratio, and his mustache curled up neatly into a classic Kaiser mustache, stood facing Alice.

Here, in this place, neither Alice nor I was a princess. We were just students. Although the students wouldn’t treat us casually, the headmaster was different.

Abraham Fitzgerald Winterfield, the former Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief. He came from one of the most prominent noble families in the North, known for producing three Imperial Army Commanders. If this were a romance fantasy, he might be referred to as a duke of the North.

It was not surprising that the headmaster’s granddaughter attended this Academy. However, she was not a heroine. After graduating from the Academy, she joined the military but eventually left that path to become a teacher and instructor at the Academy, taking on the role of a teacher for commoner students.

Despite being from a northern duke family, she had an open mind and often clashed with her grandfather’s strict aristocratic views, making her a typical but positive character.

She later appeared as a guest character, and while her performance was outstanding, her synergy with other characters was lacking, so she was rarely chosen except in the first playthrough. Moreover, as a guest character, she couldn’t be used in the final battle.

“And the second-ranked student, Claire Grace. Step forward.”

At the headmaster’s words, the two students who were already standing in front took another step forward.

I had seen Claire going to the Grace family’s orphanage, but I hadn’t expected her to grow so remarkably and be adopted by the Grace family.

For reference, in the original story, Alice was the top student, but the second place was held by a different character, who was a minor supporting character. Claire, in the original, hadn’t even taken the Academy entrance exam.

Since Claire was adopted by the Grace family, I wondered if she had learned the Grace family’s swordsmanship. Although her movements didn’t look exceptionally impressive, other characters described her as a ‘model of uprightness,’ and even Headmaster Winterfield had expressed admiration.

She might use a completely different swordsmanship style from the original Claire, who wielded a whip-like sword… a longsword.

Although I was a princess, I wasn’t the top or second-ranked student, so I stood among the other students. Sylvia’s appearance was beautiful, but it couldn’t compare to the two standing in front. In fact, my view of beauty was quite subjective.

I noticed that both Leo and Claire had blue hair, with Claire’s being darker. They could easily pass as siblings, and while rumors might already be circulating among the nobles, no one would doubt it.

“Both students have achieved outstanding results compared to their peers. With your brilliant intellect, live up to the Academy’s name and become great individuals who will dominate the Empire.”

What a joke.

Both the top and second-ranked students were women, so technically, they didn’t even have voting rights. Alice, as the future emperor, didn’t need to worry, but for Claire, the best way to make a name for herself in the eyes of the nobility was to marry well.

Fortunately, the Grace barony wasn’t a “typical noble” family.

Still, the Imperial Army accepted both men and women and treated them equally, so that was an option. Unless the story deviated from the original, and the emperor suddenly became a virtuous ruler.

Claire lightly bowed her head to the headmaster.

…But Alice didn’t…?

…Huh?

“…”

“…”

A brief moment of silence.

Despite clearly feeling the attention on her, Alice did not bow her head to the headmaster. Instead, she stood upright, staring directly at him.

Even the headmaster’s icy expression softened for a brief moment.

And, if my eyes weren’t deceiving me, the headmaster seemed to smile just a little.

A satisfied smile.

The “Chronicles of Aetherna” was not a meticulously researched historical simulation but rather a blend of the histories of several well-known European countries, combined into a loose, fantastical world typical of Japanese fantasy games. However, to maintain its steampunk genre, the game did reference the atmosphere of real-world countries at the time.

Regarding the atmosphere of these real-world countries, specifically England—

—It was a macho culture where it was considered “manly” to never tolerate unfair treatment, to argue one’s case, and to assert one’s rights even if it meant risking one’s life in a duel.

Of course, being a game, there were some exaggerations.

Alice, though not a man, was the sole legitimate heir to inherit the country. The weight of the name “Fangriffon” was by no means light. Even if you combined the weight of all the names in this country, it wouldn’t be heavier than Fangriffon.

Therefore, Alice’s attitude of holding her head high as the legitimate heir of the Imperial Family, though not ideal according to the Academy’s rules, was seen as an exemplary stance for a future Emperor by the rigid-minded headmaster.

If Alice were to become the Emperor in the future, the headmaster would be under her command if he were still alive.

Perhaps for this reason, the headmaster didn’t discipline Alice. Had it been another student, like one from a ducal family, engaging in similar behavior, they might have faced punishment.

With a satisfied expression, the headmaster handed Alice the plaque he was holding.

Alice took the plaque with a precise posture that suggested she had practiced it several times and turned around in a military fashion. Claire seemed a bit flustered by Alice’s actions but quickly followed suit.

Alice opened the plaque and read the inscription.

“In the year 1901, marking the beginning of the glorious New Century, Alice Fangriffon and 89 other new students entering the Imperial Runedarium Academy solemnly pledge to adhere strictly to the Academy’s rules, dedicate themselves to learning, diligently train, and forge friendships with their peers to become individuals who will lead humanity.”

1901.

In both the game and reality, this was undoubtedly the “Belle Époque,” the era often referred to as the good old days.

In reality, it took over ten years for the World War to break out, but in the game, covering that much time would make the story excessively slow. So, in the game, events began to unfold even before we graduated from the academy.

Those good times would collapse within less than five years.

…And I intended to save every heroine who might die in the process, even if it meant turning back time multiple times.

“…”

The atmosphere in the auditorium was far from light.

But in truth, it was likely because of the presence of the headmaster and the princess standing in front. Most students probably just wanted to go back and rest. The academy’s dormitories were luxuriously furnished, something even most nobles couldn’t easily experience.

After all, the new students were just fifteen-year-old kids. Or rather, they were about to turn fifteen this year, so there might be some who were even younger. They probably wanted to make friends and experience romance.

And… to be honest.

I wanted to make friends too, even if romance wasn’t on my mind. It would be great if I could become friends with the protagonists from the original story.

As I stood there, lost in thought, I suddenly felt a gaze on me.

“……”

I focused my peripheral vision while keeping my eyes on Alice. I couldn’t see clearly, but—

— it seemed like Claire, who was standing next to Alice, was looking at me.

…Did she recognize me?

It was possible. Claire, who had been extremely intelligent in the original story, might be even sharper now, having grown up comfortably. She probably hadn’t been addicted to opium or engaged in drinking or smoking, so her mind was likely much clearer.

However, I couldn’t reveal my identity right now…

…Wait?

Why shouldn’t I reveal it?

It felt a bit strange if I just reveal it, but I also didn’t really see why I shouldn’t either.

“……”

Perhaps I should think about it a bit more.

I pondered while watching Alice, who stood proudly, drawing the attention of all the students.

Chapter 23 : Reunion?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 23

EP.23 Reunion? (4)

The term “Children of the Emperor” wasn’t an official designation.

By saying it was not an official term, I meant it wasn’t a title we, including myself, Lucas, or Jayden, use for ourselves. There was no secret society emblem or code name associated with it. It was not a dramatic or stylish setup.

Legally, we were simply the Emperor’s sons and daughters, and in terms of status, we were not much different from Alice. We were literally adopted by the Emperor.

However, despite the legal aspect, the perception and public opinion were different. The individuals gathered by the Emperor were all exceptionally talented beings. Sometimes they even disappeared from official events, and when they returned, something from the Empire was often found missing, or someone was found dead.

These deaths and disappearances sometimes appeared as accidents, but at other times, they resembled cruel crime scenes as if meant to serve as warnings. The Empire conducted investigations, but they never manage to find solid evidence, and the cases were often closed without resolution.

So, if one wasn’t a fool, it was easy to deduce that the Emperor’s elite, exceptional individuals were involved in these incidents. Excluding Alice, who was almost always at the palace, the rest of us who were not of the same blood—were the Emperor’s top-tier pieces. We accomplished whatever task we were given without fail.

Of course, most commoners were unaware of this. Lower nobles might have heard rumors, but they likely dismissed them as coincidences. Only high-ranking nobles with the means to gather solid circumstantial evidence truly feared us. And that was precisely the emperor’s intention. If you value your life, kneel and submit. That’s the message the Emperor wanted to convey. And it would probably spread slowly throughout the entire Empire.

*

Anyway.

The whispers around me were likely because I wasn’t the “real princess.”

“Sylvia.”

“Yes.”

Alice, who was walking slightly ahead of me, stopped and turned towards me.

“Walk beside me, not behind.”

“…Understood.”

At Alice’s command, I slowly moved forward and stood beside her. Of course, I didn’t maintain an overly close distance. Even in same-gender relationships, walking around holding hands or linking arms was something you saw in comics. Well, this world was somewhat similar to that, though.

Thinking back, there wasn’t much physical contact between characters in the game. Except for female characters who formed a love line with the protagonist and had kissing scenes, or the occasional hug of joy, there was almost no physical contact between the main characters.

…Whether this was a deliberate, delicate reflection of real human behavior or just due to the limitations of graphics and motion, I would need to reconsider.

“You told me to be confident. If you’re a princess, act confidently and behave the same as me.”

“But, Princess…”

“And here, just call me ‘Alice.’ We’re the same kind of people, aren’t we? Didn’t you know that there’s no hierarchy among students?”

Alice’s stance was remarkably assertive, considering how rigidly she held her head up in front of the headmaster.

Alice, sensing my silence, averted her eyes slightly and began walking forward again. Well, since it’s a command from the princess, I decided to follow it.

I didn’t know exactly how the Academy’s classes were assigned. It wasn’t likely to be completely random. Given the way certain necessary individuals ended up in the same class, there seemed to be some purpose behind it.

Thirty nobles, including Alice and me, were divided into two groups of fifteen. Leo Grace and Claire were also placed in the same class, probably due to their status as siblings. There were also instances where the eldest son of a duke or the eldest son of a baronial family were placed in the same class, or where two people who were betrothed were placed together. It seemed that those with ‘connections’ were intentionally placed together to maintain those relationships. The fact that the groups were split exactly into fifteen members might be a coincidence, or it might have been done purposefully from the start. For reference, I knew all the students in the noble class.

One of the highlights of “Chronicles of Aetherna” was that even extra characters were given some level of backstory. Of course, it wasn’t enough to influence the main storyline directly. It was often limited to side quests that didn’t impact the main story or a few lines of dialogue. But those side quests continued through the game, with those few lines of dialogue evolving over time, sometimes continuing into sequels where the characters made appearances and referenced previous dialogues.

Honestly, despite the game’s less-than-stellar graphics and motion, the world felt alive because each character had their own story. The issue was that to earn a Platinum Medal, all achievements in the game—Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals—had to be completed, which included writing character cards for every named NPC. To complete these character cards, every single piece of dialogue had to be seen at least once. This meant searching for every hidden side quest or NPC tucked away in corners of maps. People called it an ‘NPC marathon.’ And I wrote a guide on that method.

Stupid developers.

At least, the sequel made things much more convenient by marking the characters I had interacted with or eliminating the need to search for quests separately, but it still didn’t eliminate the need for interaction.

Anyway, NPCs with dialogue were divided into those with unique modeling and dialogue, those with unique names but no special modeling, and those with no unique names, like ‘girl in a sailor suit,’ ‘commoner student,’ or ‘man in a suit.’ Noble-class NPCs all had unique modeling. While matching a polygonal mass directly to a real human face was impossible, certain hairstyles like ‘purple roll buns’ or ‘green twin tails’ weren’t exactly common. So, at least for the NPCs in the noble class, I knew their stories fairly well.

…Actually, as soon as my surroundings stabilized, I had pre-written notes on all of this. Since it was all in Korean, no one else could read it. Before entering the Academy, I had reread through all that content after a long time.

“Wait, wait a moment!”

As I was about to start the first day at the Academy with Alice, a somewhat urgent voice came from behind.

Schools typically take a little time for students to adjust, with each person’s adaptation period varying. However, in this country, very few have experienced anything like a “school.” Most nobles hired private tutors for homeschooling before coming to the Academy, while commoner children usually went to work in factories if they weren’t from bourgeois families.

That’s why the hallway was bustling with students on the first day. It wasn’t just a feeling that Alice and I had an unusually quiet space around us. In fact, the areas away from us were even more crowded, creating a sort of “circle” around us filled with people.

Yet, one person was pushing through this crowd towards us.

“Claire!”

No, two people. One girl, one boy.

The girl was Claire, and the boy was Leo. Both of them were prominent figures. Completely unexpected or not. In reality, I had expected it. Claire’s gaze at the entrance ceremony was anything but ordinary. And from my perspective as someone who had played the game, these two were prominent, but in the current setting, I was an even more significant figure. Regardless of what others acknowledged, I was still a princess.

“Eek!”

“…”

I blinked a couple of times as I watched Claire weave through the crowd, almost stumbling as she approached us.

What was this? Her actions and words seemed straight out of a romance story.

Even from a distance, she had seemed pure, but seeing her up close, she looked even more innocent. Unlike the harsh makeup she wore in the game, the Claire before me had almost no makeup at all.

And, naturally, she was beautiful. Comparable to Alice.

“Ah…”

Though she stumbled a bit, she didn’t fall awkwardly, which spoke to her discipline in training. She quickly regained her balance, straightening up with practiced ease.

“Princess.”

She immediately bowed slightly, touching the front of her uniform skirt, as if a noble in a dress was greeting royalty.

And Alice, who had just said that there was no hierarchy among students—

“Here, this side too.”

—without skipping a beat, pointed towards me with her hand.

“Yes?”

“This side, too, is a princess.”

Claire, slightly taken aback, asked again, and Alice responded in a somewhat stern tone.

I had to use superhuman patience to prevent my head from spinning around. I managed to keep my expression from faltering, though sweat trickled down my back.

Just a moment ago, Alice had mentioned there was no hierarchy among students…?

Of course, Alice couldn’t have known about Claire’s and my relationship.

From Alice’s perspective, Claire might have appeared as someone who had forcefully come to us just to make a connection with the princess.

Furthermore, just as I knew all the nobles in the elite class, Alice likely did as well. In the original work, there were scenes where characters naturally matched names without explicitly seeing or hearing them.

Claire was from the Grace family, a baronial family granted a domain directly by the Emperor and thus had significant power, though a baronial family wasn’t on par with a ducal family.

If one were to think of the Academy as a grand ballroom and consider the etiquette of addressing nobility for the first time, Claire had made a monumental blunder from the start. A baron’s heir, not even the head of the family, had addressed someone before those from ducal or count families had the chance. Moreover, Claire had made the mistake of showing courtesy to only one of the two “equal princesses” standing side by side.

“Claire…!”

Leo Grace, who had arrived late, was stunned into a rigid posture upon seeing the scene unfold before him.

Well.

In the original work, Leo was known for being exceptionally kind-hearted. Despite being a male character, he was always among the top ranks in popularity polls. The game was popular with Japanese women as well, and Leo’s just, albeit somewhat ordinary, sensibility made him a character that players could easily empathize with.

I liked him quite a lot too.

But…

Given his ordinary and empathetic nature, it was no surprise that he was now rigidly frozen by the awkward situation.

“……”

The surroundings fell into silence.

Alice, Claire, Leo, and I.

Even the people surrounding us.

No one said a word.

Seriously, what were we going to do about this awkward situation?

Chapter 24 : Reunion?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 24

EP.24 Reunion? (5)

“Y-Your Highness, the Princess.”

Claire greeted me with the same posture she had just used for Alice.

It was an unbelievably awkward moment—one that made my mind almost go blank. Of course, I wasn’t literally losing my mind, just figuratively speaking.

Yes, I knew Claire. Although I had known her as a child, the Claire I truly recognized was not this innocent version before me. The Claire I knew was the one who had become a villain under the Emperor’s command.

As I’ve already mentioned several times before, in the game, Claire never had this pure and naive image. No matter what she said, she never backed down, and if her opponent annoyed her, she wasn’t shy about showing her displeasure. You would never catch her stuttering or faltering.

The only time she ever showed any emotion, whether flustered or angry, was when someone brought up one of her sisters—the one who had doted on her—but who, by the start of the main storyline, was already dead.

…Though, at this point in time, that sister was still alive. I wasn’t sure how she had survived, but I was certain that my existence had played a major role in it. After all, the only thing that had changed in this world was me.

Had the Emperor become more cautious?

It wasn’t a crucial issue at this moment. That sister, who was originally just a background character—the original owner of the sword Claire wielded—would become relevant later on. I didn’t need to worry about her now. After all, I had the ability to reset the time.

Next to Claire, Leo Grace, who had been standing stiffly, also lowered his head toward us.

The original protagonist, Leo Grace.

As fitting for the main character of this type of game, he was good-looking and decently skilled. Story-wise, he was a cheerful, expressive hero with some harem-like qualities typical of shonen manga protagonists.

In terms of gameplay, though, Leo was infamous for being weak in the early stages. But as the game progressed, his potential grew steeply, and he became a late-blooming powerhouse. His strength didn’t lie in raw stats but in his utility skills as a leader, which were overpowered. Though he lacked healing abilities, his “Morale Boost” skill temporarily increased the stats of his entire party, with the boost reaching up to 70%, depending on the setup. And it was an area-of-effect skill, no less.

On top of that, the skill centered around Leo himself and applied a self-buff as well. If used periodically, it could melt enemies even at the highest difficulty levels—assuming the rest of the party was properly equipped, of course.

That didn’t mean his individual stats were poor, either. In fact, by the end of the game, his stats ranked among the best in the final battle.

Because of this, Leo had a reputation as a character you had to grind relentlessly early on, as his key buff skills didn’t unlock until the mid-game.

It made me curious about how this character would survive in the real world.

After all, “Morale Boost” functioned as a literal attack buff in the game. But in reality, no amount of cheering would allow a person to exceed their physical limits.

In the game, this was just a way to express how much his words could inspire others, but that was purely a game mechanic.

Similarly, I was curious to see how some of the other characters would turn out in this world—like those touted as the “strongest mages in the world” or the “deadliest mercenary.” In the game, these guest characters or enemy bosses had strangely subpar combat abilities due to game balance adjustments. Would their performance here be based on their in-game stats or their lore?

Well, when you think about it, the game was turn-based and didn’t offer the kind of freedom you’d find in a Western RPG, so things would inevitably play out very differently here.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Sylvia Fangriffon.”

“Sylvi…!”

At my words, Claire quickly looked up at me, then met Alice’s eyes and immediately bowed her head again.

It was the complete opposite of the original story.

No, it was more than that. In the original, Claire had always been superior to Alice in almost every way, but Alice had never bowed her head to Claire. At most, their dynamic had been that of sisters with a one-sided rivalry—Claire treated Alice like a younger sibling, but there had always been an undercurrent of tension between them.

Saying their relationship was bad might have been an understatement, but calling it merely strained wouldn’t have captured the full picture, either.

“Both of you.”

Alice, who had been quietly watching the two bowing, finally spoke.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Ah, um, that is…”

At Alice’s words, Claire bravely lifted her head again.

And she looked at me.

I was a bit startled by her gaze. Even under pressure, Claire’s eyes were intense as she looked directly at me, unflinching. There was something in her expression that reminded me of the Claire I had seen in the game, the one who never avoided a confrontation, even if her words were faltering now. But that was fine.

Claire had grown up well. Without experiencing a terrible past.

“S-Sylvia… Your Highness!”

“……”

I could sense that Claire had almost called me something else, a title or a word that wasn’t quite ‘Your Highness’. But at least she hadn’t called me sister. That would have been much worse.

Seeing her rush over like this, it was clear she was as close to Leo as a sibling. And in some ways, she might have grown even closer to him than Leo. Leo was born a noble, but Claire wasn’t.

“Yes. What is it?”

I replied to Claire half a beat late.

“Could it be…?”

Claire seemed about to ask me something but then gasped.

She had just realized that every pair of eyes in the vicinity was focused on us.

It had finally dawned on her that asking a “Princess” if she was from an orphanage in such a public setting would be disastrous.

Hmm.

Claire needed to learn to be more cautious. In the game, Claire had been portrayed as proud and sharp-witted, but in hindsight, it was clear she had survived her

circumstances by necessity. Quick thinking had been essential for her to navigate the challenges she faced.

The Baron and Baroness Grace were renowned for their justice and kindness. They had raised Claire with no distinction between her and Leo, even though she had been adopted.

Claire had grown up as a loved child.

There was no chance she would grow to secretly envy Alice for having a biological father.

“Could it be?”

When I echoed her question, Claire’s face turned pale as she stammered.

“C-Could you, p-please accept my greeting!?”

“…”

The atmosphere grew awkward once again.

Alice’s expression had shifted from rigid to one of utter bewilderment. Initially, she had thought Claire had some ulterior motive when she approached and didn’t greet me. But now, she couldn’t understand what on earth Claire was trying to say.

“If it’s a greeting, I’ve already accepted it.”

Claire’s face turned bright red at my words, while Leo, standing beside her, seemed to grow even paler. If he became any paler, his face might match the color of his hair.

“Before that, why don’t you introduce yourself properly?”

When I asked this, Claire’s face turned even redder.

“I… I am Claire Grace, the daughter of Baron Grace.”

However, Claire’s voice was steady and did not stutter as she bowed her head.

“I see.”

“The Grace Barony is not far from the capital.”

Alice said, as if searching her memory.

She then took a sweeping glance around us, as if to make a point. While there were still students surrounding us, the ones closest to us didn’t seem too pleased to be there. Judging from their expressions, it looked like they were stuck at the front of the crowd, unable to retreat due to the pressure of the students behind them.

“…Keep this in mind, as long as we attend this academy, we are students just like you. The title of princess is a status outside the academy; inside, we are all here to learn, whether a noble or a commoner.”

That’s right.

This wasn’t just about the hierarchy between students. It also involved the relationships between students and teachers. While the headmaster was a duke, many of the teachers came from baron or count families, and some were even commoners. If the status system were enforced here, it would lead to absurd situations where teachers would have to bow deeply and speak formally to their students.

The academy’s rule of “no social hierarchy within the academy” was established to prevent such situations. While it sometimes felt like an empty rule, it still held significance. It allowed friendships between nobles and commoners and sometimes led to talented commoners being valued after graduation. It had also played a part in breaking down prejudices.

“So, there’s no need for you to show me that level of formality here. Of course, I’m not forcing you to follow my words. But if you choose to treat me that way, I’ll treat you like a subordinate, as a princess would. If that’s what you want, feel free to continue.”

“……”

There was no verbal response, but a faint murmur spread through the distant part of the crowd.

Not all the students gathered here were first-years. Since this corridor led to the first-year classrooms in the main building, second- through fourth-years were likely present as well. Alice’s words weren’t just for Claire and Leo—they applied to everyone who could hear them.

After glancing around again, Alice refocused her gaze on Claire and Leo in front of her, her expression calm yet firm.

“How will you proceed?”

It became clear why Alice had refused to bow before the headmaster. That had likely been her non-negotiable stance—something she couldn’t back down from. Despite the academy’s rules, she believed that as the Emperor’s daughter, she shouldn’t apply them in certain situations. However, outside of those moments, it seemed she was willing to follow the academy’s regulations.

Now, I understood why Alice had been so formal with Claire earlier. Since Claire treated her as a “princess,” Alice, in turn, treated Claire like a subordinate.

“Ah…”

Claire looked a bit dazed for a moment, then quickly brightened up with a smile. Straightening her slightly bowed back, Claire walked directly up to Alice. She extended her hand and spoke.

“I’m Claire. Claire Grace.”

There was an audible gasp from the crowd around us. Maybe Leo, who was standing further back, had also let out a breath of surprise.

Alice stared at Claire for a moment before extending her hand to lightly shake Claire’s. Her expression wasn’t particularly cheerful, but it didn’t look entirely displeased either.

Unlike the original Alice, this version was incredibly calm…

Wait a minute. Was she copying my expression?

“I’m Alice. Alice Fangriffon.”

“Alice.”

Claire smiled brightly at the expressionless Alice and then released her hand. Alice let go without hesitation.

Then, Claire turned towards me. The earlier confusion seemed to have vanished, replaced by a refreshing smile.

That smile… It was reminiscent of the one Claire had in the original story, right before she sacrificed herself for Alice.

This confident expression, I realized, must have been Claire’s true self. The twisted attitude she had shown throughout the game was likely a result of her tragic circumstances.

“I’m Claire.”

She said again, reintroducing herself, this time directly to me. With an assertive posture, she extended her hand towards me as well.

“Claire Grace.”

She declared her name confidently.

“…”

I glanced down at her hand briefly. Her white skin was marred with a few calluses—likely from the rigorous sword training she had undergone.

I reached out and lightly grasped Claire’s hand.

“My name is Sylvia Fangriffon.”

Maintaining my stern expression, I said that, causing Claire’s eyes to waver slightly.

But she quickly smiled and gently shook my hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

Claire’s hand was a bit warm.

Was it the same in the original story?

Chapter 25 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 25

EP.25 Interlude

“Whoo…”

Claire let out a deep breath, feeling relieved only after parting ways with the two princesses.

The students who had been surrounding them earlier briefly glanced at Claire and Leo once the princesses left, but they soon went on their way. Most had the look of someone who had just witnessed something entertaining, but Claire didn’t pay them any mind.

“Thank goodness…”

“What’s there to be thankful for!?”

As Claire put her hand on her chest and muttered, Leo screamed after hearing her muttering. Some passing students glanced at the two, but Leo was too preoccupied to care about their stares.

“They were princesses! One of them is the real princess! How could you just walk up to them and start talking like that? What if you made a bad impression!?”

Claire’s expression didn’t change at all despite Leo’s continuous screams.

“It’s fine. The princess… no, Alice said it herself. Here, we’re all just students. We just need to treat them the same.”

Claire began walking toward their classroom, and Leo followed behind her, tugging at his hair in frustration.

“That’s obviously just a formality! Think about the times we’ve been to banquets. When a duke or count told us to speak casually, did you really do it? What would’ve happened if you did?”

“School and banquets are different. Banquets are over in a day.”

“That’s exactly why you should be more cautious! The academy lasts four years!”

Even with Leo’s frantic words, Claire remained unfazed, muttering to herself instead.

“Did she cut her hair? Or is that length more comfortable for her? Maybe back then, she didn’t have a choice and couldn’t cut it…”

“Are you even listening?”

Leo waved his hand in front of Claire’s face, trying to get her attention.

“Hello? Little sister?”

That remark instantly made Claire frown, her previously smooth forehead wrinkling. Although it wasn’t a deep wrinkle like an adult’s, it was clear that Claire was quite annoyed.

“You’re calling me little sister when your birthday hasn’t even passed yet? I was born first, so I’m the older one.”

The two had been arguing about this for as long as they could remember.

Technically, Leo was born a few months later than Claire. However, from Leo’s perspective, Claire was the one who had “joined the family” later. When they were younger, Leo often took care of Claire, who knew nothing about noble life, since she had been adopted into the Grace household from an orphanage.

Because of that, Leo saw himself as Claire’s older brother, while Claire insisted she was the older one based on the birthday she remembered.

Their ongoing argument had led to several “duels,” which had resulted in three wins, three losses, and two ties each. Neither could claim a definitive victory, so there was no need to argue further about it.

The truth was, Claire’s birthday wasn’t even certain. The date she remembered was just one she’d held onto for as long as she could remember, even before she was taken into the orphanage in the Grace estate. Claire herself wasn’t sure why or how she started thinking of that day as her birthday.

“So, you’re finally coming back to your senses now?”

Leo said, breaking the silence.

“My mind is always clear and transparent.”

Claire replied confidently.

“A clear and transparent mind, huh? Then why did you suddenly rush up to two princesses?”

“Who rushed at them?”

“Of course, you, Claire Grace! The daughter of a baron!”

Leo shot back, pressing his fingers firmly against the bridge of his nose.

“…Fine, even though Her Highness—”

“Alice.”

“What?”

“She told us to call her Alice. You know, that ‘Her Highness’ you were talking about.”

“…”

Leo closed his eyes tightly, as if battling a headache, pressing harder against his nose. Claire couldn’t help but think that there would definitely be a mark left.

“Fine, even if Princess Alice said ‘everyone in this school is equal.’ You saw it too. No, you probably saw it better than anyone. The princess didn’t bow to the headmaster.”

“…”

Claire couldn’t argue with that. The saying “Once a soldier, always a soldier” was well-known in the empire. It wasn’t a famous quote exactly, and no one knew who first said it or when, but it was ingrained in the culture.

The saying meant that once someone pledged their loyalty as a soldier, they should uphold the dignity of that commitment even after they retired, ensuring they didn’t tarnish the honor of the one they had served. And when encountering someone they had once sworn loyalty to, they should always conduct themselves with the utmost respect.

The headmaster of the academy, Abraham Fitzgerald Winterfield, was a soldier. Anyone who had studied even a little bit about the Empire’s military history—essentially, anyone who attended this academy—would have certainly heard his name. He was a living legend. A pioneer in modern military tactics, trench warfare, the development of machine gun belts from older ammunition belts, and the design of turret tanks. He was a hero of the Empire, so much so that the Empire’s current main battle tank was named “Abraham” after him.

His legacy and reputation went far beyond being just the headmaster of the academy; he was quite literally “a walking modern history of war.” Yet Alice Fangriffon hadn’t bowed to him. Why? Because, retired or not, he was still loyal to the Empire, and if ever the need arose, he would surely be back on the front lines. He was, in essence, still a soldier loyal to the Imperial family.

“See? You have nothing to say, right?”

Leo sighed deeply, watching Claire’s silent reaction.

“Think about it. You’re speaking casually to her, but if the other noble kids start using honorifics… even if it’s something the princess said herself, wouldn’t the contrast look strange?”

“…Hmm.”

Claire seemed to briefly consider it, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

“But Alice didn’t seem like that type of person to me. This is just my guess, but I think she’d actually be colder to the kids who use honorifics with her.”

“…”

Leo dragged his hand down his face, looking utterly defeated.

“…By the way.”

Leo spoke up after walking silently alongside Claire through the corridor for a while.

“What did you mean by ‘thank goodness’ earlier? Don’t tell me…”

“That’s right.”

Claire smiled brightly at Leo.

“Yeah, you guessed it, she said her name was Sylvia. My sister’s name.”

“…She said her name was Sylvia ‘Black,’ didn’t she?”

Leo corrected her, his eyes darting nervously around the hallway. Although some students glanced their way, it didn’t seem like anyone was eavesdropping. More likely, people were just noticing a boy and a girl walking together.

“But I’m Claire Grace too, right? And nobody has a problem with me introducing myself that way.”

Of course, the Grace family name would eventually be passed down to Leo. Claire wasn’t too concerned about that.

“That’s the problem.”

Leo scratched the back of his head.

“Even if that person is the ‘Sylvia’ you’re talking about.”

“No, she is.”

“…”

Leo pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. He had always thought the similarity in names was purely coincidental.

Living in the Grace family, he had heard plenty of rumors about the Imperial family. After all, the title of baron had been bestowed upon their family directly by the Emperor himself.

Rumors about the Emperor’s children were widespread, and Leo’s parents had shared some of these stories with him, knowing he would eventually inherit the family’s title. One of the most famous rumors was that the so-called ‘children of the Emperor’ didn’t actually share his blood. It was common knowledge, and while no one dared to investigate further, there was a general unease about their unclear origins.

The official stance of the Imperial family was that these children were the “descendants of a deceased lower noble family” or “children of a couple who died honorably in battle”. But few believed that explanation, except perhaps for some remote baron family in the countryside or poorly educated commoners.

Among the nobility, there were far more sinister whispers. Some claimed the Emperor was secretly training an assassination squad, and that these children were the survivors of brutal training regimens designed to create superhuman warriors.

Whether these rumors were true or not, one thing was certain: such extraordinary individuals couldn’t have been simple children who just happened to be lost in some alleyway.

The Sylvia that Claire remembered seemed almost superhuman in her memories, but how reliable could the memories of a child be? The most likely scenario was that Sylvia had simply gotten lost or separated on the way to the Grace household and was never seen again. That was the most realistic possibility.

Moreover, Claire had met several people who shared the name Sylvia. Some even had black hair and eyes. There was even someone who had introduced themselves as Sylvia Black. Initially, Claire had gotten her hopes up, trying to talk to these people, retrace her memories, but she had always ended up disappointed.

As this happened repeatedly, Claire’s anticipation and joy when meeting a new “Sylvia” gradually faded. For the past two years, she hadn’t even mentioned it.

Leo, who had witnessed this from close by, found Claire’s current certainty strange. What was the reason behind it?

…He decided to figure that out later. For now, Leo chose to say what needed to be said to Claire.

“Alright, let’s assume you’re right.”

Claire’s cheeks puffed up slightly at the words “let’s assume,” but Leo ignored it and continued.

“Do you really think it’s appropriate to dig up the past of someone in such a high position? Would they appreciate it? You should think about that first.”

“Oh…”

It seemed Claire hadn’t thought that far, caught up in the excitement of finally finding her lost sister.

Leo sighed dramatically and continued.

“And even if you remember her, she might not remember you. If you approach her without warning, you could end up giving off a strange impression.”

“…That’s true.”

Claire’s expression turned serious as she nodded.

Then, a bitter look crossed her face.

“…Don’t worry too much.”

Leo said, attempting to comfort her.

“If she really is the person you’re thinking of, she’ll remember you eventually. Even if she doesn’t recall immediately, she’ll surely remember soon enough. Someone with her kind of ability wouldn’t forget memories from childhood.”

“Got it.”

Claire clenched her fist as if to show her determination, and Leo shrugged.

Still, the idea that this Sylvia might have reappeared as a princess never crossed Leo’s mind. Even when they took the entrance exam, Claire had already seen her once but hadn’t reacted strongly. Maybe it was just because she had only seen her from a distance.

Moreover, the Sylvia Claire had spoken about in her childhood seemed much kinder and warmer than the princess they had encountered. Though they had only met her briefly, Leo couldn’t imagine Sylvia Fangriffon sitting down with a child and telling them old stories.

“By the way, we won’t be in the same class as those two, will we—”

“What, you didn’t know?”

Claire blinked at him, wide-eyed.

“The class assignments and seating arrangements are already done. Both of us are in the same class as Alice and Sylvia.”

“Ugh.”

Leo’s face, which had just returned to normal, turned pale again.

Author’s Note:

In the original story, Claire’s personality was best described as ‘endlessly pessimistic.’ She had a habit of viewing the world cynically and speaking in a sarcastic, mocking tone no matter the situation.

But in this novel, Claire grew up more positively. So now, she’s become the opposite, with an ‘endlessly optimistic’ outlook.

Chapter 26 : First Impressions

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 26

EP.26 First Impressions (1)

The back of my head was tingling.

Technically speaking, the sensation of feeling someone’s gaze on you was purely subjective. People couldn’t actually shoot lasers from their eyes. When we say we ‘feel’ someone staring, it was not because of light coming directly from their eyes, but rather because of how light reflects off of them, like how sunlight reflects off of a mirror. Unless you were a night-hunting animal like an owl or a cat, there was no reason why you would see light coming from a person’s eyes.

So, to be exact, the reason my scalp was prickling was most likely due to my own thoughts. I was really noticing that Claire was sitting behind me and Alice.

If Claire hadn’t recognized me, I probably wouldn’t be feeling so upset. I might have been a little sad, but I would have been happy knowing she was doing well. There would still be plenty of opportunities to get to know her better, after all.

Of course, with my expressionless character, I wasn’t about to suddenly act all friendly. Wasn’t there always that common story where a character who didn’t show any emotion started to change over time? At first, they didn’t care about anything, but eventually, they became more like their friends, their face became less serious, and they even started to smile.

Ah, it would be perfect.

I couldn’t stop feeling excited about talking and laughing with the characters I love. Just thinking about how surprised they might be when I smile was making me really look forward to it. For now, though, I had to maintain my poker face. I’ve kept up this persona for over ten years, so it wouldn’t be hard.

“……”

A strange tension filled the classroom.

It was likely because of what happened in the hallway earlier. Alice had pointed out that someone hadn’t properly greeted the princess.

Everyone must have seen what happened afterward, but they had also seen Alice not bowing to the headmaster. So, instead of immediately choosing one way to treat Alice, they were probably waiting to see which approach Alice preferred.

Being overly casual could leave a bad impression on someone strongly considered for the next Emperor. In other classes, the kids from dukes’ or counts’ families might be gossiping freely, but no matter how high their rank, they couldn’t be compared to the Emperor.

Besides, Alice rarely attended social events like balls or banquets, so none of the students here knew her personally. It wasn’t surprising that the atmosphere in the class was so stiff. I bet the commoner class was much more relaxed.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

The classroom was so quiet that I could hear the ticking of the pocket watch inside my coat. That silence remained until the sliding door creaked open.

…For the record, the reason the classroom door was a sliding one and why the desk layout inside was oddly reminiscent of a Japanese classroom, was because the original game this world was based on was developed by a Japanese company. The hallways had a steampunk, Victorian feel to them, but the classrooms looked straight out of an anime. I know, the contrast was jarring. But it seemed like no one else cared much, though.

“Hmm.”

The teacher who opened the classroom door seemed momentarily taken aback by the frozen atmosphere. She paused at the entrance, then, as if embarrassed by her own surprise, cleared her throat and stepped inside.

She was a young woman, and this was her first time ever teaching a class. Unlike Winterfield’s granddaughter, who was in charge of the other noble class, Class B, this gentle-looking teacher didn’t have a military background. However, that didn’t mean she was just some random person. She was the second daughter of a duke’s family.

Her name was Carolyn Northwood. Her family ruled a territory that was quite far from the capital. Even though they weren’t as powerful as the people in charge of the capital, they were still a very important family with royal blood.

Carolyn had short, light brown hair and matching light brown eyes. Her eyelids were a bit droopy, which made her look a little tired. The clothes she wore only added to her soft appearance, as they were a bit loose-fitting, almost like a middle school student’s uniform. Beneath those clothes, however, she had a surprisingly great figure, which she normally kept hidden under such modest attire. This was part of her character’s setting—a teacher who wasn’t a playable character, but still had a romance route with the protagonist. She played a somewhat important role in the main story, but mostly like a side character who could become a love interest.

In order to control Class A, which was filled with high-ranking nobles and families close to the imperial family, it was necessary for a teacher from an equally powerful household to take charge. Although Winterfield would have been a suitable candidate to oversee Class A, her rebellious nature and refusal to listen to her grandfather’s advice led to Carolyn being assigned as the homeroom teacher instead—at least, that’s how it was explained in the original story.

Even though she was from a noble family, Carolyn was only a little older than us. She had just finished college and was starting her first job as a teacher.

Seeing two princesses sitting side by side in the front row, right next to the teacher’s desk, would naturally be intimidating. Moreover, the classroom atmosphere was cold, possibly due to the two princesses, and a girl in the back was staring intently at the back of one of the princesses’ heads.

Just thinking about how tense the room must have been would be enough to make anyone feel dizzy. But how must Carolyn have felt, actually being in that situation?

“……”

Finally, after freezing at the open door, Carolyn snapped back to reality and started moving. Her head was slightly lowered, her eyes focused on the floor as she walked, as if hoping to avoid making eye contact with the two princesses.

Unfortunately, to stand at the teacher’s desk and look at the attendance sheet, she had to make eye contact with us, even if just for a moment.

“E-everyone?”

Ah.

Her voice cracked on the first word. The pitch was off.

But no one in the classroom laughed. If someone had laughed, Carolyn might have felt embarrassed, but the fact that no one did only pushed Miss Northwood further into a corner.

“I-I am… I am…”

As a teacher, retreating wasn’t an option.

Even as a rookie, she was representing her family name as an academy teacher. If word got out that she’d been intimidated by her students, it would bring disgrace to the Northwood ducal family’s name.

Carolyn tried to pull herself together and shouted, but her voice was thin and high-pitched, so it didn’t come across as a shout.

“I am Carolyn Northwood! The second daughter of the Northwood Ducal Family!”

“……”

Of course, there wasn’t much of a reaction.

After all, there were twelve ducal families in the Empire. Among the heroines prominently featured in the main story, two were duchesses, and across all grades, there were sixteen children from ducal families.

That’s right. The Empire was such a vast nation that one could determine their social standing simply by their ducal status. While flaunting a ducal title might be somewhat effective for an individual student, it would be rather underwhelming to have a whole class full of them. Most importantly, there were two princesses sitting right in front of Miss Northwood.

“N-nice to meet you all!”

Meanwhile, I watched Carolyn with a faint sense of amusement.

I was the kind of person who had completed all the heroines’ stories in the game and uploaded a playthrough video. I had seen Leo and Carolyn’s kiss scene. And I had also witnessed the event where Winterfield, the homeroom teacher of Class B, tricked Carolyn into appearing at the student pool in a bikini.

Despite her many flaws, she was a positive character in the game.

Her commitment as a teacher was nothing but sincere. In the later part of the story, when the Empire was torn apart by civil war after the Emperor initiated a world war, Carolyn risked her life to protect her students. Not just the academy students, but any minors she came across—she shielded them all in the name of Northwood. And she did so with great dignity, at least until the latest game release.

Although she seemed somewhat clueless as a first-time teacher, she was a character with impeccable integrity. That was my impression of Carolyn. So, her first impression was naturally positive. Though, I kept that to myself and maintained a blank expression.

“……”

After Carolyn introduced herself, the class remained silent for a moment, before—

Clap. Clap.

Someone began to clap, breaking the silence.

The sound came from right beside me.

That’s right. Alice had started clapping.

Slowly, as Alice’s applause continued, I joined in, and soon after, a few other students followed. In no time, the entire class was filled with enthusiastic applause.

I glanced at Alice’s face and noticed a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Seeing that, Carolyn finally seemed to relax a little, placing her hand over her chest and exhaling softly.

Well, at least Alice hadn’t left the impression of being ‘terrifying’ on the homeroom teacher, which was a relief.

*

Though the academy was a four-year institution, it wasn’t exactly modeled after a university. It had more of a structure that resembled the final year of middle school and the three years of high school combined. In this world, higher education institutions like universities existed separately. So, no teacher here would end the first class after just a few minutes of self-introductions. Especially if the person standing at the front was a passionate history teacher. Carolyn Northwood was that kind of teacher.

It was somewhat unfortunate for the students that the first period was taught by their homeroom teacher, Carolyn. However, no one dared to underestimate Carolyn, chat during her class, or openly sleep. Why? Because the princess sitting in the front row was diligently studying.

The academic atmosphere of a class was often influenced by its leading students. If the “leader” of the class was a troublemaker who had given up on studying, the rest might not have paid much attention either.

Of course, the imperial social hierarchy also played a role in how things operated at this academy. Even in the original story, Class A was known for maintaining a serious academic atmosphere.

“…And that’s how the Aetherna Empire came into existence.”

The first lesson was easy. It started with the well-known story of how the Empire was founded, talked about how the Empire took over nearby kingdoms, and explained how big the Empire was when it was first started.

Most of the students probably already knew this, since it was part of the entrance exam for the academy. But they were still just fifteen-year-old kids. To learn more difficult things, it was important to review the basics. Plus, there were some foreign students among the freshmen.

As soon as Carolyn finished speaking, the bell rang.

In the original story, I thought the dialogue was timed to match the end of the class, but seeing the bell ring right after Carolyn’s explanation made me think she must have carefully planned her lesson before coming to school.

“That’s all for today. Any questions?”

No one raised their hand.

No one wanted to waste their precious ten-minute break.

“Alright, class dismissed. See you in the afternoon.”

Carolyn, who seemed much more relaxed after teaching, gave us a slight smile before leaving the classroom.

…At least there wasn’t a formal ‘stand, bow’ type of ritual at the end of class. It would have fit the setting though. Then again, the original story never had such scenes either. Perhaps the creators saw the absence of rigid greetings as their attempt at making the setting feel “more Western” while retaining a system that otherwise resembled a Japanese high school.

“It’s not as hard as I thought.”

Alice spoke to me, the tension from earlier completely gone.

“At the beginning of the term, they usually start by reviewing what we already know. After all, there might be some students who struggled with the imperial history portion of the entrance exam.”

There were no failing grades in the academy’s entrance exams, after all.

“Hmm, I see.”

Alice seemed quite relieved, probably feeling that she could keep up with the curriculum. She wouldn’t just keep up, she’d end up being one of the top students here. Maybe I had overused my abilities in the past?

“How have you been?”

While I was lost in thought, someone greeted us with a formal, old-fashioned phrase.

That voice—

“Ah, Charlotte!”

Alice called out to Charlotte with a surprisingly lively voice, catching me off guard.

I stared at Alice in shock. Thankfully, I managed to keep my expression from completely breaking.

Wait a second.

Charlotte?

Chapter 27 : First Impressions

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 27

EP.27 First Impressions (2)

Charlotte was a French name that was often pronounced differently in English. While the French pronunciation was ‘shar-LOHT’ with a silent ‘e’ and an aspirated ‘t,’ the English pronunciation was ‘shar-lut’ with a short ‘u’ and a non-aspirated ‘t’.

Sure, there may not be any ill will between the Aetherna Empire and the Kingdom of Velbur right now—at least not on the surface. But no matter how friendly things may seem, calling someone by your country’s version of their name without their permission was still rude.

In the original story, it took a long time for friends to start calling Charlotte in French pronunciation. They only did so after becoming very close, and Charlotte herself suggested they call her that. When the Aetherna Empire officially began its invasion of Velbur, Charlotte leaves the group and explicitly asked them not to call her Charlotte in French version anymore.

So, this situation was surprising.

… Could they have gotten this close after just that one meeting?

“Are you Princess Sylvia? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Charlotte greeted me politely, looking at me next to Alice.

I hesitated for a moment, debating whether I should stand up or not. In the end, I decided not to. After all, we were both students here, and I’d agreed to that idea. Even though in reality we weren’t equals, treating it that way would make it easier to get along with the other students in the long run.

“I am Sylvia Fangriffon.”

“I’ve heard about you.”

Charlotte smiled warmly.

“You came as the Empire’s representative instead of His Majesty the Emperor last time. My father spoke highly of you.”

Wait, not gossiping behind my back?

Considering how rudely I’d acted, it wouldn’t have been strange if he’d cursed me out behind my back.

Moreover, that trilateral conference was known among those aware of it as a session where the kingdom got completely outplayed.

The empire sent me, a princess, and the pope sent a cardinal, but the kingdom had sent their king himself. From the kingdom’s perspective, it was a gesture of consideration since the meeting was held in the kingdom, but I doubted the high-ranking nobles saw it that way.

The Empire was a superpower capable of crushing other nations’ militaries, so that was expected. As for the Church, even though its territory was tiny, its global influence was enormous. While the Holy Church might not be the model for all religions, it did have the most followers as a single faith.

Moreover, the cardinals and priests of the Church of the Goddess were all citizens of the Papal State. It might have seemed like a mere formality, but the more followers a country had, the greater the influence of its clergy.

The Kingdom of Velbur, which was one of the countries that ceded some of its land to form the Papal State, had an extremely high percentage of Church of the Goddess followers. While it was not the only religion, it was probably the largest single faction.

So, the Kingdom couldn’t just ignore the Papal State’s influence.

However, sending Charlotte to that meeting wouldn’t have been appropriate either.

In fact, the details of that meeting were barely disclosed. For the Kingdom, that was probably a blessing, considering how badly it went for them. But the fact that Charlotte was bringing up the meeting and making it public knowledge meant that Charlotte’s head must be filled with all sorts of… flowery thoughts.

…No, that couldn’t be it.

She was too kind, incapable of deceit. But just because someone was kind didn’t mean they were not smart.

Charlotte was the type of person who could get along with everyone, yet she also knew how to choose the most important people to stay close to. She was someone who moved for the benefit of her people, meaning that when necessary, she could handle unpleasant tasks with grace. Of course, she wouldn’t hide the fact that she disliked it.

“…I see.”

In that sense, Charlotte didn’t seem to harbor any overtly negative feelings toward me just yet. However, I noticed that her expression slightly differed when she spoke with Alice compared to when she spoke with me. Her clear, ash-gray eyes locked onto mine, steady and unwavering, as if she were trying to read my intentions.

“I had many conversations with Alice back then. Your name, Sylvia, came up several times.”

Ah-LEES. The French pronunciation of Alice.

I see. So, they called each other that way back then.

“…”

“I-I didn’t say anything bad!”

Alice stammered, her face turning a light shade of red when I looked in her direction.

“Yes, absolutely. I can assure you, we never spoke ill of you, Sylvia. I swear it.”

“I believe you.”

I replied, looking up at Charlotte.

“Although it is a bit late to ask for permission, I heard that it is a school rule to set aside our statuses and speak to each other by name. Would it be a bother to call you by your name?”

“Not at all.”

I answered again.

If Charlotte had indeed decided that Alice was someone worth befriending, then getting along with me would naturally follow. Given the circumstances, it seemed likely that Alice and I would spend quite a bit of time together, and wherever Alice went, I would inevitably run into Charlotte as well.

Charlotte, still watching me intently, tilted her head slightly in curiosity.

“Are you always this quiet?”

“…Yes.”

I replied.

While I might be more talkative in front of Alice, I tried to speak as little as possible in front of others. Of course, since Charlotte was one of the main characters in the original story, she was on my list of people I wanted to befriend. But breaking my expressionless facade from the first meeting wouldn’t set the right tone.

…Did this make me seem too obsessed with maintaining my persona?

“Um, excuse me.”

As we were talking, someone else interrupted. I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Claire seemed to be quite certain that I was who she thought I was. In the original story, she had this oddly persistent side to her, and it seemed that personality trait hadn’t changed.

“Sylvia?”

I turned to see Claire standing there, with Leo beside her, looking quite uneasy. It was as if Leo felt out of place, standing in the presence of two princesses and a queen’s daughter, all speaking confidently to each other. But if you think about it, this whole scene had a distinct feel of a harem novel introduction, didn’t it? The clumsy younger sister without much tact, and the older brother, following her around, trying to keep things under control, only to gradually grow closer to her friends… It was not like I could think of any specific story that followed this exact pattern, though.

“…Claire.”

I decided to clear my mind and not dwell on it.

“Ah, sorry, were you guys in the middle of a conversation?”

Claire asked, her tone a bit hesitant.

“No, it’s alright.”

Charlotte responded, gracefully tucking a strand of her shining silver hair behind her ear.

“We were just getting to know each other. I was just greeting someone I’ve known. Though, it seems I don’t know many people here.”

“Oh, are you from abroad?”

Claire asked.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Charlotte lightly pinched the front of her skirt, mimicking the gesture Claire had shown Alice and me earlier, though Charlotte’s was far more elegant. Not that Claire had done it poorly, of course—it was just the difference between someone to whom such gestures came naturally and someone who was still learning.

“My name is Charlotte de Velbur.”

“—Gurk!”

Suddenly, a strangled sound broke through, drawing the attention of the four of us to the source.

It was Leo, both hands clamped over his mouth, looking as if he were barely holding back a scream.

“De Velbur…?”

He managed to stammer.

“Yes. I am the princess of the Kingdom of Velbur.”

Charlotte replied, her voice playful. She seemed amused by Leo’s dramatic reaction.

It might seem odd for the son of a baron to not recognize a neighboring kingdom’s princess. But in this world, unlike in the 20th century, photography had yet to replace portraits as the standard. Here, having a photograph taken was seen as rather vulgar, especially among royalty and nobility.

Even though photos were cheaper and faster to make than portraits, portraits had the advantage of being in color and being more artistic. Also, it wasn’t that photos weren’t taken at all, but putting them in newspapers was a different thing entirely.

If a noble’s photograph appeared prominently in the newspaper, someone could easily cut it out and use it for mocking or insulting purposes. This was a time when words like “freedom” and “democracy” were only just starting to emerge, but both the empire and the kingdom still operated under monarchies. Press control was strict, and who knew what would happen in another fifty years?

Even with the introduction of modern, thin film and portable cameras earlier this year, pictures of nobility or royalty were rarely published in newspapers. This created a gap in information, leading to situations where one might know a name but not a face—just like Leo right now.

“Charlotte, huh?”

Claire repeated.

Maybe Leo deserved some praise for not making another awkward sound after Claire’s remark.

“I’m Claire. Claire Grace. The eldest daughter of the Baron Grace.”

In terms of the setting, Claire was actually older than Leo by birthdate, though I doubted anyone here would know that. The only reason I did was because I had memorized the story’s lore to that level of detail.

“I see.”

Charlotte said with a polite nod.

Charlotte wouldn’t know about the Grace Barony. It wasn’t as if she had the leisure to memorize the names of nobles from a neighboring country. However, she was far from the type to foolishly disregard a noble from another nation either.

“Nice to meet you, Claire.”

“Yes!”

Claire responded enthusiastically, wearing an expression that seemed to say, ‘I’ve already made three friends!’ However, Leo, standing beside her, looked as if his heart was about to give out.

“…So, may I ask why you wanted to speak to me?”

I asked, curious about Claire’s earlier interruption.

“Oh, right.”

Claire clapped her hands together as if she had remembered something important.

“I was wondering if you had time after class—”

But before Claire could finish her sentence…

Bang!

The classroom door burst open. It was opened so forcefully that the usual sliding sound was skipped. There was only one person in the original game who would throw open a door like that.

“Everyone!”

A voice shouted.

Standing there was a woman, possibly in her mid-twenties, with wild, untamed black hair and arms crossed over her chest. She wore the uniform of an imperial officer, but several buttons of her inner shirt were undone, and a coat was draped over her shoulders like a cape. Four medals hung from her coat.

“Outside!”

She ordered.

Even though the class bell hadn’t yet rung, there was only one person in this academy who could speak so boldly. Jennifer Winterfield, the rebellious granddaughter of the headmaster and the homeroom teacher of Class B.

*

We hadn’t even finished enjoying our break when we followed the teacher outside to the field. Just as we reached it, the bell rang—ding, dong, dang—its hollow sound echoing through the academy. The students were visibly annoyed, but I wasn’t surprised. I had expected that our first meeting with Jennifer would go something like this.

The field was empty. Even though there were physical education classes, no teacher would gather students outside for exercise on the first day.

Jennifer, despite wearing a military uniform and speaking like a soldier, didn’t teach in a military style. She didn’t care if the students were loosely scattered around or not in perfect lines.

“Proud students of the academy!”

Jennifer shouted from the podium without a microphone, gathering us roughly. Her voice was loud enough to make our ears ring.

In the game, her dialogue font would grow huge in situations like this, and the students would be shown covering their ears or looking shocked. It was no different now—Alice was frowning, and even Charlotte furrowed her brows.

“I am Jennifer Winterfield, the tactical instructor here to hone your combat abilities!”

That’s right. A tactical instructor.

Since this academy also functioned as a kind of military training academy, classes like this existed.

“But no matter how much I teach you the tactics written in books, if you lack the ability to follow them, it’s useless. And the tactics needed in a battlefield change depending on the weapons and the proficiency of the soldiers using them. So!”

As her voice softened, the students began to relax slightly, but then Jennifer suddenly shouted again, making everyone flinch.

“I will assess your skills! To see what weapons you prefer and how you handle them! Right here and now!”

Clap!

Jennifer clapped her hands together energetically.

“And the best way to measure your weapon handling skills and proficiency is through a duel!”

Jennifer grinned widely.

“You’ll be provided with any weapon of your choice, so give it your best shot!”

Chapter 28 : First Impressions

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 28

EP.28 First Impressions (3)

The students began murmuring in confusion, but I wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, this duel marked the first combat scene in the game. Whether you win or lose didn’t matter much; it was more of a tutorial.

Sure, the difficulty was a bit high for an early battle, but the real challenge came from the fact that the opponent you had to face in a one-on-one duel here was treated as a boss by the system, and a Bronze Medal was at stake. If you were aiming for the Platinum Medal, this was a fight you had to win.

Though the duel could be manageable if you knew the strategy and avoided any unreasonable setbacks, but the problem was that this was only applied when you played from Leo’s perspective, the protagonist. What I was experiencing now was not a turn-based JRPG where characters attacked in a set order depending on their speed; it was more like an ultra-realistic first-person shooter. No, scratch that—this wasn’t even a game anymore. It was real life.

To be honest, I had confidence in my own skills. Dodging basic attacks from amateurs swinging a sword clumsily would be easy. I was certain of that.

And why wouldn’t I be? I had dodged Lucas’ strikes countless times, and he would eventually surpass the Sword Saint in strength. At this point in time, the Sword Saint was still alive. He wouldn’t die until the second installment of The Chronicles of Aetherna, when Lucas killed him, so he had to be alive during the early events of the first game.

However, there wasn’t much time between the events of the first and second games—about a year, give or take. If Lucas went to challenge the Sword Saint for a duel now, I believed Lucas would win. Of course, that was just my speculation.

I watched the students carefully selecting their weapons with a blank expression.

They weren’t using personal weapons brought from home. Even though this academy focused on practical combat training, they weren’t going to make students shoot or cut each other for real. The weapons, whether swords or spears, were all made of wood and rubber. It would hurt if you got hit, but as long as you didn’t take a blow to the head, you wouldn’t die from a couple of hits.

There were also staffs for mages. These were adjusted to minimize the magic stones so that when a spell was cast, only light would come out. When mages cast spells, Instructor Jennifer would judge the range and effectiveness of the magic based on the student’s skill and tell them if they hit or missed. At least, that was how it was in the game.

There were also guns.

Because guns have more moving parts, they weren’t made out of rubber. In fact, they were real guns. Instead of creating model guns, it was easier to use actual firearms with a few modifications. The difference was that the barrel was a solid metal rod and there was no firing pin inside, so even if you loaded a round, it couldn’t fire. The bullets themselves were harmless metal slugs without any gunpowder.

That was why the Ergensen rifle I held was heavier than the real one I was used to, as was the revolver holstered under my arm. It wouldn’t cause any major issues during a brief sparring session, though.

“Alright, has everyone got their weapons!?”

Jennifer shouted, surveying the students.

Although no one answered, everyone had a weapon in hand. The variety of weapons among the students was striking, but there was not a single weapon left unused. This suggested that Jennifer had carefully considered each student’s strengths before the class.

“…”

As Jennifer’s gaze swept over the group, her eyes lingered on me for a brief moment. Was it just a coincidence?

“Facing off against a stranger on the first day might feel awkward. If there’s someone you’d prefer to spar with, ask for their consent and pair up. If anyone’s left without a partner, I’ll assign them one myself.”

…And, the one without a partner would end up duelling with Jennifer. That was the worst-case scenario. Maybe I could win if I kept resetting time and trying again, but I had no idea how many retries it would take.

Jennifer was a warrior of the battlefield. Though her time there was short, she made a fierce impression. She was a character who could use anything at hand as a weapon.

In the game, due to the limitations of a turn-based RPG, she was portrayed as a character who could freely mix firearms, swords, and magic. However, in some event scenes, she was depicted fighting with whatever was at hand—chairs, ladders, cups, water bottles, rocks, or even pens and pencils.

It seemed like an attempt to mimic a famous Hollywood character, but honestly, the motion and graphics were awkward, so it didn’t look that cool.

Clap!

Another clap echoed…

“Alright, you have one minute!”

Jennifer shouted.

I turned to look at Alice.

“…No thanks.”

The moment Alice’s eyes met mine, she recoiled in horror, stepping back immediately.

…That hurt a little.

“If I fight you, I’ll definitely lose. Why would I want to fight you? I’d rather lose to the instructor; it’s less embarrassing.”

Hmm.

Alice wasn’t exactly an easy opponent, but her swordsmanship was still far below Lucas’s level. If we fought, I’d win. After all, I had the ability to undo my mistakes.

“Oh my.”

Charlotte, who had been listening to the conversation, stepped in.

“Alice, would you care to spar with me instead? I may not look like it, but I’m quite confident in my swordsmanship.”

Unlike Alice’s wooden bastard sword, Charlotte held a rapier with a blade made of rubber. She gave it a few quick swings and then pouted slightly.

“Indeed, the material makes it different from a real sword. This feels more like a riding crop than a sword.”

“By that logic, this is just a club.”

Alice said, raising her wooden sword.

And as for me? I was holding a toy gun.

There was no one around us. No matter how skilled they were, no one wanted to risk fighting with the royal princesses. Who knew what kind of trouble that would cause?

“Ah! I know! I’ll pair with Sylvia!”

Whoa! That startled me.

Claire, who had somehow snuck up behind me, shouted, nearly making me jump.

If it weren’t for the past ten years of being attacked by Lucas whenever I let my guard down, I might have actually leaped in surprise.

“Huh?”

As Alice turned to face Claire who had spoken, Jennifer’s voice filled the room.

“Alright, listen up!”

The murmuring stopped, and everyone turned their attention to Jennifer.

“Those of you who’ve found a duelling partner, sit down!”

At Jennifer’s command, the students began to sit down one by one. Despite their noble status, many felt slightly uneasy, but none of them dared to challenge the experienced instructor. After all, it was only the first day.

Alice and Charlotte sat down.

“Sylvia, hurry!”

Claire, who had plopped down as soon as Jennifer shouted, tugged at my sleeve with sparkling eyes.

“…”

Across the room, Leo was glaring in my direction with a look full of resentment. Still, it was better to spar with Claire than face Jennifer, so I quickly sat down beside her. Sorry, Leo. I won’t forget this debt, though I have no intention of repaying it.

As Class A consisted of nobles with connections to one another, many of the students had already taken their seats.

“Good, now you two pair up.”

Jennifer said, matching up the last two remaining girls. Then, turning her attention to Leo Grace, who was left alone, she smiled.

“Oh? You’re the eldest son of Baron Grace, correct? How is the Baron doing these days?”

“Y-yes? Oh, yes, yes! He’s doing well!”

Leo stammered, immediately snapping to attention with a salute.

“Good. Your voice is loud and clear. Alright, you’ll be sparring with me. Now, sit down.”

Jennifer didn’t bat an eye as Leo’s face turned pale. After Leo sat down, the instructor surveyed the group of students again.

“Alright, then…”

She pulled a pocket watch from her coat, checked the time, and continued.

“We don’t have nearly enough time to spar one team at a time. Alright. We’ll do three teams at once. Don’t worry. I can watch all of you and judge who wins.”

Actually, no one was worried about that. What we were concerned about was her insane pace, though none of us dared to say it out loud.

“Then, first, hmm. Alright, let’s start with the future pillars of this country.”

Jennifer pointed at me and Alice with a smile.

“You two, bring your chosen partners and come forward. And you two, come forward as well. These three teams will go first.”

“…”

Although everyone exchanged glances, hesitant to stand, they eventually began to rise one by one. Except for one person, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.

“So, you’re a Grace too.”

Jennifer said, looking at Claire.

“Good eyes. I hope you keep that spark in whatever you do.”

“Yes!”

Claire responded enthusiastically.

They surprisingly got along well.

Though, honestly, Claire didn’t seem like someone suited for the military… but that wasn’t really relevant right now.

Jennifer’s gaze lingered on me for a moment. And at that moment, I knew for sure—this wasn’t just my imagination or a coincidence.

Why? Was it because I was one of the Emperor’s children? Maybe she thought the Emperor was behind the death of Count Crowfield from Winterfield? Well, the Duke’s family probably all suspected that anyway.

…Did I somehow get marked on the first day of class?

“Alright, don’t just stand there, come forward!”

“…”

At Jennifer’s command, we stepped forward.

Alice and I stood with our backs to each other, maintaining a little distance.

In front of me, Claire stood tall, gripping a large sword with both hands, her posture incredibly upright. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her lips twitched, as if she was thrilled at the prospect of sparring with me.

…

Well, it’s nice to see her so excited, but I had no idea what to expect from her skill. Unlike the somewhat unconventional fighting style she’d learned in the game, Claire now probably practiced a straightforward swordsmanship, just like the protagonist, Leo.

Would she be easier to deal with?

I had seen her use a practice sword before. Indeed, it would be much better than dealing with her unconventional style.

Alright.

I pulled back the bolt of the rifle and loaded the first round into the chamber.

I held the rifle to my shoulder, leaned slightly forward as if I was a soldier on the battlefield, and spread my legs slightly to prepare for quick movement—

—Wait, is it really okay to put someone like me, a basic foot soldier, right in front of someone with a sword?

“Okay, let’s start!”

Before I could even voice my objection, Jennifer shouted the start of the match.

…Well, of course, someone like her would probably say something like, ‘In war, you must be ready to fight and win under any circumstances!’—

“I’m coming!”

Before I could finish that thought, Claire shouted and charged toward me!

It was like in kendo when someone was shouting while lunging forward, except she took a big step with her left foot, running straight at me, both arms raised high above her head.

In a game, this move would probably be labeled an ‘overhead slash.’

Simple, but incredibly fast.

I threw myself to the side with all my strength, barely managing to avoid falling over. My shoes scraped against the sandy ground, making a rough sound as dust flew up around me.

The long rifle wasn’t easy to handle. Even though I was ready to shoot, there wasn’t enough time to aim with Claire closing in so quickly. She was too close to line up a proper shot with such a lengthy weapon.

Alright.

Next time, I should prepare a shorter rifle.

Click.

Even though I pulled the trigger, Claire had already anticipated it and dodged forward, evading the muzzle.

“Missed!”

I only heard Jennifer’s voice shouting out the obvious.

I quickly leapt back, releasing my grip with my right hand while reaching under my left armpit.

“Hiya!”

Claire let out a shout, and I immediately pulled my body back.

Claire, who had swung her sword down, quickly changed the direction of her sword towards me. If I had stayed in that spot a moment longer, I would have been hit—

“Ugh!?”

Half a beat later, I felt the shock on my right arm and fell to the left as if I was flying.

What? What just happened?

I hurriedly scrambled to my feet, realizing all eyes were on me.

“Sister?”

Claire looked at me with a very confused expression.

My arm throbbed. At first, I hadn’t even felt the pain where I’d been struck, but now it was starting to register, and my brain screamed in protest.

Claire’s sword was glowing with a faint blue light.

…Sword energy. Claire had enveloped her wooden practice sword with sword energy.

And that energy had followed her swing, trailing slightly behind her sword like a whip.

…A whip sword!

Wasn’t using sword energy on a wooden practice sword basically cheating?!

“Again!”

Feeling an odd sense of injustice, I shouted it with all my might.

Chapter 29 : First Impressions

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 29

EP.29 First Impressions (4)

No matter how many times I reset the time, the feeling of embarrassment didn’t disappear immediately. It might vanish from the memories of others, but it didn’t disappear from mine.

Well, whatever.

At least I realized firsthand that Claire was serious about this.

Since I hadn’t revealed my identity, it seemed Claire wanted to figure it out for herself. That bright smile on her face made it all obvious. She must have been startled when I was knocked down earlier for the same reason.

The time Claire and I spent together wasn’t that long. But the memory of someone who treated her warmly during her most difficult times must had left a strong impression.

On top of that, in young Claire’s perspective, I probably seemed like someone with extraordinary abilities. It was as if I knew the future, moving the children around to bring them to the baron’s house.

Honestly, I considered hiding my identity a little longer. Not because of any grand reason, but just because I wanted to maintain the character I’d built. After all, it would be a shame to let it crumble after ten years of effort. But if I manage to dodge Claire’s attacks and defeat her here, she would realize that I was ‘Sylvia Black’ all along.

…That wouldn’t be so bad, actually.

A reunion between older sister and younger sibling, proven through skill. It would make for a great scene in a Japanese manga-style story, wouldn’t it?

“……”

I slung my rifle onto my back and drew my revolver. I hooked my finger around the trigger. Since the Wexler revolver was double-action, there was no need to cock the hammer back.

“Alright then!”

Jennifer’s voice rang out once more.

“Begin!”

As soon as Jennifer shouted, Claire raised her sword above her head again—

But this time, I had a different weapon, so the situation didn’t unfold exactly as it had before.

Instead of dodging Claire’s movement, I extended my arm straight toward her.

Click.

When I pulled the trigger, the hammer of the gun snapped back and then snapped forward. There was a slight recoil due to the movement, but that was all. Without any gunpowder in the chamber, there was no force pushing the gun back.

“Missed!”

Jennifer declared.

The moment I extended my arm, Claire had already twisted her body sideways, moving out of the line of fire. She might not be able to see the future like I could, but she must have seen my arm lifting. Dodging a bullet was impossible. But adjusting her stance in anticipation of the shot was feasible.

In the turn-based combat of the original game, it was as simple as walking up and hitting your opponent, but in reality, that kind of approach wouldn’t work. To face an opponent with a gun while wielding a sword, you’d need this level of speed.

To my right—Claire’s left—she twisted her body sideways as she moved. Even the way she gripped her sword had changed, holding it in a position where the flat of the blade almost seemed to shield her face. She probably wasn’t trying to block a bullet, but rather trying to maintain her form as she turned with all her strength.

I swung my arm to follow Claire, but before I could aim the gun at her, she was already swinging her sword. It wasn’t that my arm was slow—Claire’s next move was simply faster than my reaction time. The distance was too short for her to hit me with the sword. In fact, her diagonal slash missed my body.

But half a beat later…

“Ugh…!”

A sharp impact slammed into my right shoulder, as if something struck down hard.

I dropped the revolver from my hand.

Again.

*

Right after I pulled the trigger the first time, Claire had returned to her earlier stance, but before she could swing her sword downward again, I moved first.

Half a step to the left.

As I moved to the left while aiming at Claire, the sword energy struck the ground belatedly, scattering the sand.

Click.

“Missed!”

Her voice sounded a bit too excited.

This time, I had been too hasty. While the revolver allowed for faster aiming with its shorter barrel, any extra distance made the shot go wide. And when you were moving wildly and holding the gun with just one hand, it only got worse.

Before I could pull the trigger again, Claire shifted to the left.

Click.

The revolver made an empty sound. Jennifer didn’t even bother announcing it this time. It was too obvious that I had missed. And now, Claire raised her sword above her head with both hands.

Swish!

With a whoosh, the sword came down at a frightening speed.

Once again, it wasn’t close enough to hit me, but the sword energy followed, kicking up dirt from the ground.

And this time, I couldn’t dodge the sword energy.

Again.

*

I think I was starting to understand. Claire’s sword energy followed her sword like a whip, but it didn’t move as freely as the whip sword from the game. Compared to the “snake-like” movements in the game, Claire’s sword energy was too straightforward.

Was it because of the nature of the sword energy? Or maybe her skills weren’t fully honed yet? Either way, it worked to my advantage.

Though I had to admit, dealing with a two-hit combo was still annoying.

…Alright, I’ve made up my mind.

Next time, I would prepare a shorter shotgun. In a battlefield where people were swinging around swords like that, having more options was always better—unless it was an assassination mission.

For now, all I had was the revolver.

I aimed the gun at Claire again, sidestepping to the left. This time, I used my other hand to steady the one holding the revolver. I aimed at Claire once more, but just like before, she shifted her body to the left from my perspective.

In this world, there were machine guns. One of the most famous methods to counter them was to run in a zigzag pattern, making it harder for the shooter to predict the next move and increasing the chances of the bullets missing. Of course, dodging bullets with just one’s body required extreme physical abilities.

However, I wasn’t wielding a machine gun or a submachine gun right now—I had a revolver. While it could fire rapidly, the double-action revolver had a high trigger pull weight, making quick successive shots difficult. Moreover, Claire wasn’t just swinging her sword; she also had the long-range attack of her sword energy.

Alright.

Again.

*

Claire’s feet moved. I hadn’t noticed before, but after resetting time a few times, I started to catch her movements. Claire was preparing to shift to her right, which meant to my left. A subtle, split-second movement, too small to see in the heat of battle.

But just like a frame that flashes by too quickly in a video, if you watched it enough times, it became clear. I didn’t have the skill to precisely aim based on such a tiny difference in movement in real-time. But that didn’t matter.

With one shot, I could try again a hundred or even a thousand times. I turned the barrel to the left and pulled the trigger.

“Missed!”

Again.

*

Click.

“Stop! Claire Grace loses!”

Jennifer, who had been carefully watching both of them, declared the outcome. The other two teams had both used swords, so Jennifer didn’t need to intervene as much—the students could judge the fight themselves. Not that she wasn’t paying attention, though.

It was rare for nobles to handle guns.

After all, guns were often regarded as weapons anyone could use. Unlike cold weapons, which required years of training to master, firearms took relatively little time to learn. A soldier could be trained in as little as three months to fight effectively on the battlefield.

But still, a weapon is a weapon.

Once you start training, there was no end to mastering it. Estimating the paths needed to strike distant targets that were typically difficult to hit, rapidly aiming in close combat to overpower the enemy, and even using the gun itself to defend oneself was part of mastering firearms.

However, soldiers who use firearms typically hone their skills not under excellent teachers but by rolling through real battles. It was difficult to simulate true combat with firearms in training. For instance, the gun that the princess had been using wasn’t even loaded with gunpowder, and the feel of firing it would have been different from using a real weapon.

Survival breeds strength. This applied to all soldiers who have experienced battle… but a fifteen-year-old girl? Was she a talent worthy of being deployed to the North? Or perhaps she had already been forced to wield that weapon and fight for her life before?

Moreover, there was something strange about Sylvia’s movements. It seemed as if Sylvia knew in advance how Claire would swing her sword and move her body. When Claire tried to strike down with her sword, Sylvia was already extending her hand to aim at Claire, and when Claire brought the sword down, Sylvia calmly stepped aside to avoid it.

And…

While the one aiming the gun might think differently, at least from Jennifer’s perspective, Sylvia was already turning the gun in the direction Claire would dodge.

And she fired at the moment Claire moved diagonally.

Unlike the other students, who were engaged in fierce, drawn-out sword clashes, their duel ended in an instant. That didn’t mean their duel seemed easy, though.

“Hmm.”

Jennifer wondered if it was truly in the Empire’s best interest for Sylvia to have come to the academy instead of heading north to the battlefield.

It piqued her curiosity.

*

There was no physical exhaustion and no pain either. Mentally, I was a little drained, but even including the resetting time, it hadn’t taken that long.

Still, the sensation of being hit wasn’t something I enjoyed. If it hadn’t been Claire, I would’ve felt much worse about it.

As I was putting the revolver back in its holster, Claire approached me.

Despite having lost, her face was lit up with a bright, beaming smile. It was a lively, energetic smile. The only time I had seen her smile like that in the game was once, at the very end. And at that time, the ‘sister’ she was smiling at wasn’t me, but Alice.

From behind us, I heard the clashing of two wooden swords. Alice and Charlotte’s sparring match wasn’t over yet.

Thud, thud.

Claire reached me and extended her hand, as if offering a handshake.

“…”

I looked at her hand for a moment, then slowly extended mine and grasped it lightly. However, I was the only one holding lightly but Claire gripped my hand tightly. Then she pulled me toward her. I didn’t think it was an unexpected attack, since I had somewhat expected something like this. I didn’t lose my balance because I had anticipated this situation. As I was gently pulled closer, Claire looked directly into my eyes and spoke.

“Sister.”

Her voice was steady.

“You’re my sister, right?”

Her eyes were already filled with certainty.

…Well.

I had anticipated this anyway. If it were Claire, she would think that cleanly winning against her would prove that I was that Sylvia Black. That was why she had been so startled when I took her hit.

“You’re quite confident, aren’t you?”

I said that, but the smiling expression on Claire’s face didn’t change at all.

“Of course. I knew you would dodge just like that, just like you did back then.”

The time Claire and I had known each other was very short. And in truth, that foresight-like ability I had displayed… while the principle was the same, it was fundamentally different. Now, I was using it in short bursts to dodge each attack, whereas back then, I had used it to avoid an immediate threat.

“Those people back then were definitely part of a human trafficking ring.”

The fact that only one victim had been reported when the orphanage burned down had been a mystery even at the time. Honestly, while we had escaped in broad daylight, the fire had spread to nearby buildings, causing chaos with reports pouring in from everywhere.

The children had vanished without a trace, only to reappear at House Grace the next morning. It would’ve been more surprising if the Baron and Baroness Grace hadn’t noticed something was off.

“…Did you find that human trafficking ring?”

I asked.

The trafficking deals happening in the Count’s mansion were separate from what had been going on at that orphanage. If I had ever found that man with the monocle, I would’ve shot him on the spot. He might not remember, but I was beaten unconscious by him. I was thinking that many other children must’ve died from his fists. The term that he called a ‘processing.’

If it had been Claire, would they have beaten her just enough to keep her alive? Or could it have something to do with that resurrection ritual mentioned in the game’s lore? Maybe she had just been lucky enough to avoid being sold off to some necrophiliac pedophile.

After I revealed my identity, Claire’s expression stiffened slightly. She shook her head in response to my question.

I see.

Though I hadn’t encountered this particular figure in the original story, that didn’t guarantee he wasn’t important. Perhaps he was meant to appear in a future sequel. If he was still alive, he might have become a major player by now.

“…”

I glanced around. There were quite a few eyes on us. The students were staring with curiosity since our duel had ended first, and Jennifer’s gaze still lingered on us as well.

“Claire.”

“Yes, sister.”

“…Call me Sylvia here.”

I said, revealing my identity once more. Claire’s eyes widened in surprise before she nodded vigorously.

“Information should not be revealed carelessly. You never know how it might be used.”

“Got it.”

Claire said, nodding obediently, her expression reminiscent of a well-behaved child.

She didn’t look anything like the scruffy orphan from back then anymore. Her hair was neatly styled, and she wore much better clothing—though the academy uniform was military-like in design.

At the very least, she no longer appeared like a ‘child with nothing.’

“…”

“…”

Hmm.

Even though our conversation had ended, Claire still hadn’t let go of my hand.

It would be nice if she could let go first, so we could continue the conversation more comfortably.

Chapter 30 : First Impressions

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 30

EP.30 First Impressions (5)

There was one thing I had firmly decided. I was going to stick with this concept to the very end. Sure, part of me wanted to blend into the main cast as a character, but on a deeper level, I realized it was far too late to hide my true nature—my otaku nature.

Then again, would people in this era even understand the concept of an otaku?

No, wait… Actually, this world already had a few famous characters. Not the ones that appear in this game, but characters that existed in the background setting.

Most of the old characters that are popular on 21st-century Earth actually originated in the early to mid-20th century. Many of these characters gained popularity through short animations, weekly, or daily comic strips that emerged with the development of printing and video technology, and their popularity has continued to this day.

Of course, since this world was set in 1901, some might question whether such characters could even exist here yet. However, even before then, there were characters like “The Yellow Kid,” who gained sensational popularity. This character was so famous that it became the origin of the term “yellow journalism,” and the comic strip featuring this character was serialized in the 1890s.

…This was something the developers mentioned in an interview to defend the game’s setting.

The setting in question involved a character that was quite popular in this world. It was a dog named Digger, the star of an in-universe comic called Digger the Dog. The story revolved around Digger, a dog who loved to dig, and the chaos that unfolded every time he dug the ground, depicted in short comic strips. The comic had gained massive popularity in the newspapers.

Since Yellow Kid had problematic elements like its racially charged content, it seemed like they had created Digger as an original character to avoid that. Even so, Digger had that bold line work that was typical of early 20th-century characters, with a style reminiscent of those old-fashioned Disney characters.

Last year, film and camera technology had finally debuted, and the movie industry was just starting to take shape. Short, three-to-five-minute silent animations were also starting to emerge, though everything was still in black and white.

So, what if I adopted this quirk of liking the Digger character?

“…”

It didn’t seem like a bad idea.

I originally liked watching cartoons. I wasn’t fanatically obsessed with Disney cartoons, but I had seen almost all the famous ones.

Since some rough-quality stuffed dolls were starting to be produced, maybe I could buy a few later. Of course, not right now. I’d do it later—maybe a year or two from now. Because if I did it now, it would be too embarrassing. It had already been mortifying enough turning back time, and I couldn’t imagine enduring that level of cringe in real-time. No matter how long I had lived as a girl, I still had those thirty years of life as a man before that.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Alice’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I looked up at her.

“You’re staring at the book, but your eyes aren’t moving at all.”

I heard Alice’s comment.

It was true, I hadn’t been fully focused. Then again, I didn’t really feel like concentrating anyway.

“I was just thinking about this morning’s sparring match.”

I replied.

“Sparring? Oh.”

Alice seemed to have drawn her own conclusions from my words.

“Were you evaluating the movements of our classmates?”

…I hadn’t been, but I decided to go along with her assumption. It fit my character better anyway.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I nodded as I answered.

Honestly, attending the academy was much more challenging than staying in the capital. If nothing else, maintaining my character was a lot harder than I had anticipated. And this was just the first day of classes.

Alice, embodying the idea that “a student’s duty is to study,” headed straight to the library after classes ended. She began reviewing today’s lessons, so I sat in front of her and pretended to read a book.

…I didn’t see much point in reviewing class material. Given my situation, I’d probably have to redo it multiple times anyway. It made more sense to cram when the exams came around. It might be cramming for everyone else, but I would have more than enough time.

“How was it?”

Alice put down her pen and asked. She seemed to be expecting my evaluation.

Although I hadn’t seen Alice’s fight in full, I could tell she wasn’t asking for an assessment of herself.

“Most were average.”

I spoke honestly.

Even among the main characters in the game, some had led lives that had nothing to do with fighting. The academy might serve as a military school, but not every student who graduated was aiming to become an officer.

So, even from my perspective—or rather, from the perspective of an ordinary person with no special training—most students had awkward movements.

“But there were a few exceptional ones.”

Alice nodded, as if she had felt the same.

Alice had won her duel against Charlotte. However, Alice believed she had won by a narrow margin. From the brief glimpse I had of Charlotte’s swordsmanship, I agreed. Although she hadn’t used sword energy, her refined swordsmanship alone was impressive.

As for Claire Grace, I’d already sparred with her directly, so I didn’t need to revisit that.

Leo Grace, too, performed admirably, especially considering his opponent was Jennifer. The fact that he held his own, even though Jennifer hadn’t used firearms, showed that his movements were at least on par with Claire’s. But then again, he was the protagonist, so it made sense.

And then… there was Mia Crowfield, the daughter of Count Crowfield—the man I had killed. Like me, she had black hair, but her bangs were so long that they almost completely covered her eyes, giving her a gloomy atmosphere.

Considering that her once kind and caring father had been brutally murdered, it made sense she would seem so withdrawn. People had said the largest piece of his body they found was a finger. The rest? Bone fragments and flesh. They had identified the count’s remains based on the scraps of clothing clinging to them.

Though Mia Crowfield hadn’t seen her father’s corpse herself, she must have heard the story. And in all likelihood, she had also caught wind of the rumor that the Emperor was behind the assassination of Count Crowfield, just like in the original story.

The staff Mia Crowfield wielded during class was nothing more than a dummy. It could cast minor spells but nothing lethal. The staff even had a magic power gauge resembling a thermometer, showing how much mana a spell would require. When Mia tried to use magic with the dummy staff, the gauge shattered completely. Jennifer declared Mia the victor right on the spot, with a pleased expression on her face.

…In the original game, Mia had cast a powerful spell that pierced her opponent with a large ice spike.

Mia hadn’t made eye contact with me even once. But if she ever learned that I was the one who killed her father, how would she react? She barely spoke to me now, likely because of my status as a princess. If she knew the truth, she might actually try to kill me. After all, in the original story, she had reacted the same way once Claire’s true actions were revealed. That thought sent a chill down my spine.

In the game, the injuries were just visual effects—no real wounds, no blood. But in reality, a giant hole would be punched through the body. In the game, getting slashed by a sword or shot by a gun only reduced HP, and most characters stood there unfazed. It was an accepted game mechanic, and players didn’t question it. People who nitpicked about such things were considered odd. In FPS games, there were those who pointed out how characters recovered after a few seconds of rest after being shot.

I didn’t see any way Mia and I could become friends. And even if we didn’t get along, it wouldn’t be a big problem. The Crowfield family’s storyline progressed independently of mine. There was no need for me to intervene. Leo was there, after all.

“Well, at least we’re not surrounded by complete nobodies. There’s definitely something to learn here.”

Alice remarked with a satisfied smile, picking up her pen again.

I knew that her smile wasn’t just because there was something to learn. It was likely because she had found new friends, like Charlotte.

I hoped that smile would never fade.

And I would make sure of that.

*

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Leo, Claire’s sibling—although he insisted he was her older brother despite being younger—asked her. The two were seated together at an outdoor café. It was mid-April, and the warm sunlight, a sign that winter had fully passed, bathed the area. Claire believed it would be foolish to let such sunshine go to waste.

The buildings near the academy used the most modern boilers available. Though smoke still rose from the chimneys, it was white, not black. Instead of thick smog, it was just steam.

Many in the Empire viewed black smoke as a symbol of modernization, something to be proud of, but Claire did not agree. Coming to the academy had opened her eyes to how different the world could be. What did those people see in black smoke anyway? Let them clean the chimneys themselves if they were so proud of it.

Of course, the world seemed different for reasons beyond the clear skies and clean air.

“It’s a secret.”

Claire replied.

However, Claire couldn’t reveal the reason to Leo.

She cherished him as family, but despite having known Leo far longer than Sylvia, Claire still felt closer to Sylvia. Perhaps it was because Sylvia had been the first “protector” Claire had ever known, despite not being an adult herself. She had been more mature than any adult around her.

Being separated from one’s biological parents at a young age didn’t erase the bond. Children often remember their parents for years and shed tears of joy when reunited. Sylvia wasn’t old enough to be Claire’s parent, of course, but from the looks of things, they appeared to be the same age.

In truth, Claire had wanted to go out to a place like this with Sylvia and have tea together. She wanted to talk about what had happened, how they had been. But Sylvia must have her own stories. After all, she had gone from being an orphan, almost lost in the back alleys, to living in the imperial palace as a princess.

“…”

As a child, Sylvia used to smile often. She had never been the kind to laugh loudly, but she would offer quiet smiles to the children, sharing food and telling old stories. Those memories, though distant, were ones Claire could never forget—they were the first “memories” she had ever cherished.

Now, Sylvia spoke formally even to those her own age and was filled with secrets.

What had happened to her during her time in the imperial palace?

It was clear that whatever it was, it wasn’t the kind of thing one could simply laugh off as a fond memory.

“Actually… Never mind. I feel like asking more would only cause trouble.”

Leo mumbled. He had been about to ask something when he noticed Claire’s sudden change in expression and decided to stay quiet.

Even if he had asked, Claire couldn’t have answered—Sylvia had asked her to keep quiet, after all.

But that was fine. They would continue seeing each other in the future anyway.

Considering how many times Claire had hoped and been disappointed over the past ten years, she knew there would be plenty of opportunities to bring back Sylvia’s smile.

“Now you’re smiling again.”

Ignoring Leo’s muttered comment, Claire took a sip of her milk tea, which was loaded with sugar and milk.

Chapter 31 : Student Council

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 31

EP.31 Student Council (1)

The game didn’t show every detail of the characters’ daily lives. Of course, there were sections where the daily life aspect was present—attending classes, going to the library to study, or wandering around the school talking to other students. There were even quests where you run errands for teachers.

The way you interacted with certain characters during this process could affect the level of your relationships with them. If your relationship gauge with a character reached a certain level, specific events could happen with that character at certain times. These events could be anything from going on a date to running into each other by chance somewhere… and sometimes, they even end in a kiss.

In the first playthrough, because of the game’s “limited time” mechanic, it was impossible to talk to everyone. But in the second playthrough, this restriction was lifted, allowing unlimited conversations. Eventually, you could choose any heroine or even one of the male characters as your partner. Choosing a male character didn’t lead to a BL route or anything like that… it was more of a friendship ending. Although, some players really milked that concept.

Since the story’s actual ending was fixed, the relationship events before the finale were more about having fun with someone, either as a romantic partner or a close friend. It was not exactly crucial to the main plot. It was more of a service the developers provided for players who wanted to romance their favorite heroine.

In the sequel, if you linked your save data from the first game, it carried over the storyline as if you were still dating the heroine from the previous game. If there was no save file, the game asked whom you were with at the start of the story. Regardless of your choice, the main plot proceeded similarly. Sometimes, the romantic subplot faded away and the player could switch to another character by the end.

However… that kind of indifference in relationships was only allowed because it was a game. Things wouldn’t be that simple here. You couldn’t just stop dating someone and go back to being friends without any issues. It would be strange if there were no conflicts among the female characters as well.

And now, the dynamics between the characters had drastically changed because of my presence.

…Would things really go as they did in the original? Honestly, hadn’t everything already gone off track? I was not sure how much knowing the original story would help me at this point.

“Sylvia.”

I was thinking about class when Alice, who was sitting next to me, spoke up.

“Yes?”

As soon as I responded, Alice asked without waiting for a pause.

“What are you going to do about the student council?”

…Right. The student council.

I had almost forgotten about it.

Alice had been part of the student council in the original game too.

The student council members were one hundred percent selected by recommendation from the student council president. The president was the only one chosen purely by vote. Of course, the student council president was usually someone with a good reputation, a wide network, or both.

In other words, it was nearly impossible for a commoner to become the student council president. Naturally, there were no commoners in the student council either.

In some ways, this wasn’t much different from the political scene in this country. Most commoners were too busy working to vote. Even if they could, they wouldn’t know who’s who. The Emperor served as the head of the executive branch, so most appointed ministers were nobles. Nobles were also the ones with the money and time to run for parliament and campaign. Though nobles made up a fraction of the population compared to commoners, the voter turnout for nobles was overwhelmingly higher. This political landscape was reflected in the academy attended by their children.

Even if the commoner students wanted to elect a commoner as the student council president… the commoner families that could afford to send their children here were likely to have connections with the nobility. After all, there were two stages of filtering—before and after the entrance exams—that ensure only certain people got in.

In any case, the student council operated in such a way that when a high-ranking noble child enrolled, it was customary for the student council president to recommend them for a council position. However, this wasn’t just a formality. If they accepted, they were genuinely allowed to take on the role. No one was forced into it if they didn’t want to, either.

Alice, whether in the original story or here, would certainly be recommended.

“I haven’t thought about it yet.”

I replied while pulling out my textbook for the first class.

In the original game, joining the student council was optional. However, joining had its perks, such as increasing Alice’s affection gauge, unlocking events and items exclusive to the student council, and most importantly, being a requirement for completing the character card system.

Additionally, joining the student council was treated as a hidden quest. If you wanted the silver medal for completing all quests, joining the council was mandatory. On top of that, raising Alice’s affection also had the subtle benefit of freeing up more action points to increase the affection of other characters during the first playthrough. The rewards for the student council quests were also moderately helpful during the first playthrough.

On the other hand, in the second playthrough, there was little reason to join. The only thing you gained was some extra slice-of-life events and access to the student council room. But with unlimited action points in the second playthrough, it was easy to max out Alice’s affection just by completing her main events.

And here, there was no reason for me to try and earn a platinum medal. This was reality, not a game.

“Really? Should I just go ahead and put your name in as well?”

“…”

But Alice seemed to have a different opinion.

When I stopped moving and turned to stare at her, Alice looked back at me with a questioning gaze.

“What? You don’t want to?”

Alice asked, looking puzzled.

Hmm…

Honestly, I didn’t feel like joining at all.

As you could probably tell from the explanation, the student council at this academy existed as a microcosm of how deeply powerful the noble class was in society—both in the game and outside of it.

When Leo joined, there were events where he was often ignored or looked down upon because he was from a baron’s family. Of course, Alice drove the troublemakers away, reminding them that his title had been personally bestowed by the emperor, but still…

Naturally, as a princess, I wouldn’t be ignored. Sometimes in fantasy novels, there’s talk of “ducal families older than the royal family,” but in this game, the founding of the Empire was practically a mythological event akin to “creation.” At least in this world, there was no name older than Fangriffon.

But even so… I still had no desire to join.

While it was portrayed as a simple quest in the game, the student council involved a lot of actual work.

Not to mention, the other council members would all be high-ranking nobles, and maintaining a diplomatic smile in front of them would be exhausting.

“…You don’t want to?”

Alice asked, her expression softening with a hint of disappointment as she gazed at me.

In the original story, Alice eventually ended up in the student council at some point. But even then, there must have been a moment where she had to make the choice to join. Moreover, Alice never really had close friends among the noble families.

Well, I suppose it didn’t matter.

If things went wrong, I could always just turn back time.

“Fine. Shall we go together after class?”

“Yes, that’s the spirit. You’ll get an invitation anyway, won’t you?”

Alice said with a grin.

She wasn’t wrong. I was sure an invitation would come. It might have already been waiting for me at my dorm room.

“Sylvia!”

Before I could voice my thoughts to Alice, someone interrupted our conversation.

“Hello!”

Of course, it was Claire.

“…”

How should I respond to that?

Truth be told, I wasn’t the type to greet others warmly. The only person I regularly greeted was the Emperor, and even then, it was with formal phrases like, “I hope you are doing well,” or “I am at your service, Your Majesty.” Not exactly the most personable greetings.

It was part of my character’s concept, after all. I rarely needed to greet anyone first. Even when Jaden or Lucas were making noise right next to me, my character would just ignore them. As the Emperor’s child, I wasn’t required to engage in morning pleasantries. More often than not, Alice or the other imperial children would initiate the conversation for me.

Thinking about it, even the first time I introduced myself, it wasn’t with a greeting but by stating my name.

Now, trying to offer a friendly greeting felt awkward. If no one else was around, it might be different. But with Alice, who had been watching me all this time, sitting right next to me, fumbling through it would be embarrassing.

“Uh, hi…?”

I mumbled, trying to get the words out.

Still, I had to appreciate Claire for sticking to her word and not calling me “sister” again.

“Even if you greet her like that multiple times, it won’t make a difference.”

Alice, sitting next to me with her chin propped on her hand, said with an amused smile.

“Sylvia doesn’t respond well to greetings. She rarely initiates them herself.”

Nice, Alice.

That was right. The character I was portraying was a cool beauty. Not a tsundere—there was no chance of me ever becoming sweet or soft—but a cool, elegant type.

Smiling and responding warmly to greetings was something that would happen much later, after I’d come to truly cherish my friends.

Honestly, I already felt some level of affection for them before we even met, and I did care about them in my own way. But they didn’t know that yet. For now, it was important to maintain this cool facade.

Perhaps one day, a moment would come when I’d feel comfortable enough to drop the act.

Maybe, after the final battle, I’d be the one saying things like, “I don’t know what expression to wear in situations like this.”

“R-Really? That’s what it was about?”

Claire, who had been worried that I might dislike her, seemed relieved after hearing Alice’s words, letting out a deep breath.

“Oh my, that would be troubling, wouldn’t it?”

Just as the conversation between us started to settle, yet another voice interjected.

Even without hearing the voice, just from the way the words were spoken, anyone could easily tell who it was—Charlotte.

With her beautiful platinum blonde hair slightly curling at the ends, she took her seat beside Alice with a graceful movement, as if it were a scene from a painting. She placed her student bag, which looked like something out of a Japanese subculture, neatly on the side of the desk and spoke.

“For someone of royal blood, it’s better to have a friendly demeanor. Even those with lower titles are worthy of respect.”

“Hello, Charlotte.”

Alice greeted her casually.

“I hope you have been well, Alice.”

Charlotte responded with an equally light and respectful tone. The scene between the two was quite pleasant to watch.

To be honest, Alice, at least in the first game—well, not the first in the series but the first set in the Aetherna Empire—had always worn a stiff, tense expression through the early part of the story. It seems my efforts to boost confidence in her had paid off.

…Charlotte’s attitude towards me, despite my arrogant behavior in front of her father, was also impressive.

“And also, Sylvia.”

After finishing her greeting to Charlotte, Alice turned her attention back to me.

“Your father sometimes takes the initiative to greet others, doesn’t he? Especially when it comes to dukes of former royal bloodlines.”

Though, of course, he never bows his head. Those dukes were all on the waiting list for purging anyway. Even though it’s been hundreds of years since their kingdoms were absorbed into the Empire, those regions still retain their strong regional identities. They even harbor resentment toward both the capital and the northern territories.

“…I always strive to be polite.”

I replied.

“Just because you’re using formal language doesn’t mean you’re actually being polite…”

Alice sighed deeply at my response.

Chapter 32 : Student Council

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 32

EP.32 Student Council (2)

“Student council?”

“Yes, I’ve received an invitation too.”

Charlotte said, taking out an envelope that looked like a wedding invitation from her bag.

“I’m not very familiar with the atmosphere or traditions of the academy… Does this invitation go out based on academic rankings?”

“It’s not sent based on academic ranking.”

Alice said, shaking her head at Charlotte’s question.

“To be precise, it’s determined by whether you’re from a noble family or not.”

“Ah, I see.”

Charlotte seemed to understand, nodding slightly.

“So, I received this invitation because I’m a royalty.”

“That’s probably it. Do you happen to know who the student council president is?”

Alice asked.

Charlotte slowly shook her head at Alice’s question.

“I’m afraid I don’t. I’m not well-versed in the Empire’s nobility. I’m quite familiar with the nobles of my own country, though…”

“That makes sense.”

Alice replied.

In truth, Alice wasn’t particularly familiar with her own country’s nobility either. There were even nobles who had been personally granted titles by the Emperor, yet they didn’t recognize Alice’s face. It spoke to how much she neglected building relationships with the nobility.

Though in a country where the imperial authority was as strong as it was, Alice could afford to overlook those connections.

“So, Silvia, did you get one too?”

Claire, leaning over my desk with her hands propped up, asked with a curious glint in her eyes.

“No, I haven’t received one yet.”

“Maybe we came out too early this morning?”

Alice, even if she neglected her connections with the nobility, had a clear desire to be recognized by the Emperor. That’s why she diligently studied every morning.

And because of that, I had ended up studying alongside her as well.

Thankfully, I got plenty of rest every night on the soft bed, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. After all, there weren’t any late-night games to keep me up in this world. In a way, I was living much more comfortably here than in my original world. Was it because I was the Emperor’s daughter instead of a working adult?

“If Charlotte received an invitation, there’s probably already one waiting for us in front of our dorm rooms too.”

Alice remarked.

At this, Claire’s eyes sparkled even more, to the point where I wondered if it was optically possible for them to shine that brightly. It was quite overwhelming, really.

“Silvia, are you planning to join the student council?”

“…”

I glanced over at Alice and responded.

“If Her Highness decides to join, then I will likely follow suit.”

“Then it’s settled.”

Alice said with a confident smile spreading across her face.

“I’m thinking of even becoming the student council president later on. Considering that I’ll be taking my father’s place someday, wouldn’t it be good to experience being at the top of something once?”

Alice’s confident statement reflected a well-thought-out plan. Since the academy’s student council was filled with the heirs of powerful noble families, it wasn’t a bad idea to establish connections that would be useful when she eventually had to govern. Even in the original story, Alice, who had entered the academy alone, joined the student council with similar thoughts.

As for Charlotte… she hadn’t shown much interest. Judging by her background, she probably received an invitation, but her priorities were elsewhere. Being a princess who perfectly fit the image of nobility, Charlotte likely didn’t care much for the politically charged student council. After all, she was only attending the academy because the king of Velbur had sent her here.

“In that case, shall I visit at least once?”

However, the Charlotte of this world was a bit different. In the original story, she started building a relationship with Alice much later, but now, Alice no longer harbored the inferiority complex she once did towards the ‘perfect princess.’ That complex had vanished, and it was partly due to my presence in this world.

It was a positive change.

“Oh, are you interested?”

When Alice turned her gaze to Charlotte, Charlotte shook her head.

“It’s not that I’m particularly interested, but who knows.”

Charlotte smiled softly, and the boys nearby, who had been stealing glances, audibly gasped. Especially the boys. Regardless of race, the fact that Charlotte was foreign made her seem like an exotic beauty to them. Her soft Velbur accent only added to her allure.

Foreign beauties have always been popular. Of course, it was more of a fantasy in the minds of those looking, but Charlotte might be an exception. Her hair color and aura gave her an air of mystery.

“Being with friends makes it worth considering at least.”

Charlotte added.

“I see.”

Alice replied.

“I-I’d like to come too!”

Claire, seeing Alice’s smile in response to Charlotte, quickly jumped in.

“Can I come along as well?”

“You too?”

Alice seemed slightly surprised this time. Showing up to the student council without an invitation was essentially the same as showing up to be turned away.

In the original story, Leo ended up going to the student council room because Alice had suggested it, but even then, he hadn’t wanted to go out of any personal desire. That event was supposed to happen about a month from now in the game’s timeline, when the main story quests would officially start.

So, Claire’s sudden request to go with them was unusual, especially for a baron’s daughter. While Alice often said that “we’re all just students here,” it was clear she understood the difference between herself and other students.

“Uh? Is it not possible?”

Claire turned her pleading eyes toward me after seeing Alice’s reaction.

Why was she asking me…?

…No, wait. This might actually be a good opportunity.

The student council was filled with incredibly authoritative individuals, but that also meant they were likely just as fearful of that authority. So, taking Claire along might turn out to be entertaining.

Who is that girl? Why is the daughter of a mere baron sitting between the princess and a royal? How is she talking so comfortably with them? We’ve never seen any of them before—

— Wouldn’t that make for an exciting scene? Like a satisfying twist, right?

Maybe not. But imagining Claire being ignored… I really didn’t want to see that.

After all, I’d been waiting for this game every year for seven years. It wasn’t just this world I loved; I had a soft spot for all the worlds and protagonists from the game series. Of course, there were characters I absolutely despised, but they hadn’t shown up yet, so that’s something to worry about later.

The point was, I hated seeing the characters I liked being put in frustrating situations. If the student council members ignored Claire or Leo, I might not be able to keep my cool.

“…”

That’s why I was conflicted.

“…Hmm?”

Alice, who had been sitting next to me, made a curious sound as she noticed my inner turmoil. Did I overthink this? Hopefully, my emotions hadn’t shown on my face.

“Let’s go with that, then.”

Just as I was mulling over things, Charlotte responded lightly.

“Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”

“There isn’t… really.”

Seeing Alice turn her head at Charlotte’s words, I felt a bit relieved. I mean, breaking a concept I’ve maintained for ten years in just two days is a bit much.

“The fact that only those with an invitation can enter the student council room seems a bit strange…”

Charlotte said this while glancing down at the envelope in her hand.

“But aren’t all students equal while we’re here at the Academy? I doubt anyone would have an issue with Claire joining us.”

Her expression suggested she’d found something amusing.

“…Hmm.”

Noticing that expression, Alice groaned. Well, she had seen my expressionless face for the past ten years, so she could probably recognize Charlotte’s subtle changes.

It was the kind of look that said she’d found something interesting, paired with a hint of competitive spirit.

Charlotte really disliked people who didn’t follow their own rules. That’s why she had a distaste for the “equal” student council here at the Academy.

“…”

Even though Alice’s self-esteem had improved a lot compared to the original story, her pride hadn’t diminished. She still carried the pride of being the Empire’s princess and the honor of being the top student at the Academy, which was, in fact, the best academy in the world. Of course, I had intentionally answered some questions wrong, so she’d end up taking the top spot, but Alice seemed to view me as something “outside the norm,” so losing to me probably didn’t hurt her pride too much.

That’s why she was conflicted now.

Would it hurt her pride more to bring Claire along and reveal the reality of the student council? Or would it be more damaging to her pride to find an excuse and leave Claire behind?

But if there was one thing I was sure of…

Alice, who had both a strong sense of pride and self-esteem, wouldn’t choose either of the two options.

“Alright, let’s go together.”

At Alice’s words, Claire’s face lit up with a bright smile.

Yes, if it was Alice, I was certain she’d choose to break through the situation entirely, rather than be bound by either choice.

*

In the original story, Alice had a strong sense of pride but was a timid character at the start. However, after I continuously drilled into her mind that she was destined to inherit the Emperor’s throne, she changed. If there was something she didn’t like or found embarrassing to show others, she would simply fix it.

And it wasn’t like she lacked the power to do so.

Actually, this wasn’t really my doing. It was Leo, who, in the process of getting to know Alice, unintentionally helped her build confidence. By the end of the first game, Alice had become bold enough to stand up to the Emperor directly.

Though, Alice had already defied the Emperor once. She had gone to confront him to get me admitted into the academy. I don’t know what happened during that confrontation—Lucas wouldn’t even tell me—but I was certain Alice hadn’t spoken to the Emperor in a soft voice.

“…”

Meanwhile, the same Leo who had triggered Alice’s transformation in the original story was now trembling as he quietly sipped his tea.

Claire, on the other hand, was so composed that she almost resembled Alice or Charlotte in her demeanor.

The current student council members, wrapped in silence, were watching us from a distance with suspicious eyes.

It wasn’t strange for me to be with Alice. Since starting at the academy, I had always been by her side.

It wasn’t odd for Charlotte to be with us either. Being a princess from another country, it made sense for her to be more closely associated with royalty than with the imperial nobles.

But what could those two children from a baron’s family be doing here?

Of course, being from a baron’s family didn’t automatically mean they were of lower standing. If a baron’s family had been granted land directly by the Emperor, they received orders from the Emperor himself, which sometimes put them in a position of more practical power than even local lords. The House of Grace, for example, had earned great merit in wars as the Emperor’s sword and were highly respected in the capital.

However, the academy’s student council consisted of nobles even more influential than that. No matter how esteemed a baron might be in the capital, their standing wouldn’t surpass the children of dukes with imperial blood or counts with lands adjacent to the capital. That’s why they hadn’t received invitations.

So, seeing the baron’s children enter with two princesses and a royal, it was only natural for the student council to suspect something was up.

The key point was that they had no idea what the reason was.

Because they didn’t know, because they had no understanding of the situation—this was exactly why Charlotte’s playful suggestion to mess with the student council had led to this turn of events, which Alice had eagerly accepted.

“……”

And now, no one seemed to be thinking about how to navigate this awkward situation.

Chapter 33 : Student Council

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 33

EP.33 Student Council (3)

If we hadn’t brought Claire with us to the student council, the atmosphere might have been a bit more comfortable. Two imperial princesses and a foreign princess—no one would find anything strange about that. They were the children of those at the pinnacle of power in their respective countries. Even though one of them didn’t share the imperial bloodline, no one would dare question their presence.

But with the daughter of a baron thrown into the mix, the hierarchy felt off.

It wasn’t exactly something to worry about, though. If there had been someone with good intuition or a child of a high-ranking noble who had moved in similar circles, they would have known exactly how to handle the presence of the baron’s daughter and her brother.

For example—

“Ah, Your Highnesses, and Your Royal Highness.”

—just like the student council president who had just entered.

The young nobleman, with his perfectly groomed, dazzling golden hair, came from the Granchester Duchy, known to be the most noble house in the empire, aside from the imperial family. In fact, the Granchester house had the highest amount of imperial blood flowing through their veins, second only to the royal family itself.

Of course, the most famous members of the imperial family were the Emperor and Alice. However, that didn’t mean they were the only members. There were some who lived quietly away from central power, holding honorary titles or living like high-ranking civil servants.

These were all people who knew how to keep their heads down.

While some dukes and counts would occasionally overstep their bounds and find their names added to the Emperor’s blacklist—or worse, be assassinated—the members of the imperial family knew how to stay cautious.

In the game, members of the imperial family often appeared as background characters. They would usually say lines that made them seem oblivious or empty-headed, but sometimes they would slip and reveal their cautious nature, begging the player to keep their secrets.

Of course, in reality, no one would ever confess such things. It was just a narrative tool used by the game to convey the situation.

“And… the children of the House of Grace.”

Just as he had greeted Alice, Charlotte, and me, the student council president smiled warmly and politely extended a greeting to the children of the Grace family as well.

The reason for the prior silence was now clear. He didn’t know the names or personalities of the Grace siblings, so he had refrained from speaking to them. After all, these were the children brought by the imperial princess herself, and they might hold more power than they appeared to.

As I mentioned before, in noble society, it was considered improper for someone of lower rank to speak first to someone of higher rank. For several reasons, this had contributed to the silence in the student council room until now.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had some business to attend to.”

The student council president said.

There was a good chance that his words were true. As the president of the student council, he was undoubtedly busy. Even if he had sent an invitation, he wouldn’t have known exactly when we would arrive.

“It’s no problem. We didn’t wait long.”

Alice responded.

“Hmm.”

At Alice’s response, the student council president narrowed his eyes slightly before quickly returning to his usual expression.

Alice had used formal language, likely as a sign of respect, treating him as her senior, despite her stance of treating fellow students as equals.

The president’s gaze lingered on Alice for a moment, then shifted to Charlotte, and finally to me. He spent the least amount of time on each of us in that exact order. As for Claire and Leo… rather than directing his gaze at them, it would be more accurate to say he barely glanced at them.

“It’s an honor to have you here so soon after sending the invitation. Are you enjoying the tea?”

“This must be a very special tea. It’s the same kind used by the royal family, isn’t it? It seems the student council pays a lot of attention to detail.”

I had no clue, though. No matter how many times I repeated the day and tried the tea again, I couldn’t tell the difference between its origins. If I were to live through the entire conversation once more and get another chance, maybe then I’d catch on.

This was also why I played the role of the quiet type. It saved me from the hassle of having to reveal any unnecessary information.

“These leaves are from our estate. I’m glad they suit your taste. But…”

The student council president’s gaze finally settled on the children of the Grace family, lingering longer than before.

“May I ask what relationship the two of you have with the princesses?”

Now even Claire and Leo’s eyes were on Alice.

Good question—what were we to each other? It had barely been a week since we’d met, and though we’d spoken, we hadn’t exactly formed any deep bonds. Alice had brought along the Grace siblings more on a whim after Charlotte mentioned it would be amusing.

“They’re friends.”

Alice replied without hesitation.

Claire’s eyes sparkled at her words, causing Alice to look momentarily flustered.

It was almost as if their roles were reversed. Something about their dynamic seemed opposite of what one might expect… though I wasn’t opposed to it.

In fact, it seemed like a perfect balance. Alice had nothing to be jealous of when it came to Claire, and Claire didn’t seem envious of Alice for having parents, either. Any potential conflict was resolved before it even began.

Besides, it looked good from my perspective. It reminded me of those fanfictions where relationships were flipped or roles reversed. If this were a gender-swapped version of the game, I might have found it a bit cringeworthy, but this kind of relationship reversal? It wasn’t bad at all.

“Ah, I see.”

The student council president responded, though he didn’t seem entirely convinced.

He might have understood some of Alice and Charlotte’s intentions. Coming from a strict noble family and receiving a thorough noble’s education, he likely attended numerous social events and learned how to read between the lines.

“Well then…”

The student council president slowly walked to his desk, taking his time to sit down with a relaxed posture.

“Do you know why we sent you the invitation?”

He asked.

“Wasn’t it to invite us to join the student council?”

Alice replied.

“That’s correct.”

The president said with a smile.

In noble circles, it’s not unusual for someone to speak as directly as Alice. Only someone unaware of their own flaws would be so straightforward. Well, except for the fact that Alice wasn’t your average noble.

“Do you have any intention of joining?”

He asked.

That question, of course, included Claire and Leo as well. In the original story, Leo had ended up following Alice and received an offer to join the student council, which gave rise to a choice. It seemed that this situation was just happening a bit earlier than expected.

At that time, Alice and the student council president were in the middle of a power struggle. At least, right now, it didn’t seem to be the case.

“May I ask which positions are still available in the student council?”

“What positions—”

But the president’s offer was interrupted.

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking echoed through the student council room.

“May I?”

The student council president asked politely.

When Alice nodded, the president also gave a nod to a young woman standing outside the door.

The person outside was presumably someone the president had already called for in advance…

Or so I thought.

“Oh.”

The president’s eyes widened so slightly, as if someone completely unexpected had arrived. It wasn’t strange for other high-ranking nobles to show up since the invitation likely hadn’t only been sent to us.

However, the problem was…

“Miss Crowfield.”

The person the smiling president addressed was none other than Mia Crowfield.

Despite being the daughter of a count, she didn’t appear to be particularly well-groomed. Still, as a member of the high nobility, she was at least presentable enough to not appear unkempt.

But her black hair, which would have gleamed if properly maintained, appeared somewhat dull and brittle. Some strands were tangled near the ends, giving off a slightly messy appearance.

And perhaps the most eerie aspect of her hairstyle was the long bangs that fell loosely over her face.

If you’ve ever seen the ghost from The Ring, Sadako, you’d get the idea.

She looked like someone who might crawl out of an old black-and-white TV screen at any moment.

If this were Earth and not a game-based world, the hair underneath those bangs would likely cover acne-ridden, unkempt skin. Even with good hair care, it was impossible to prevent oil from building up.

But beneath Mia Crowfield’s unkempt hair lay the delicate features of a beautiful young woman.

“…I received an invitation…”

Her voice, though weak, carried a distinctive gloominess. Even after all these years, I could immediately recall the peculiar sound of her voice—a voice that could be described as somber, yet memorable. Not a bad voice, per se, but definitely unique in its melancholy.

“Indeed. I sent you the invitation.”

The president responded, his tone shifting from the formal speech he had used with us to a more casual one. Though he lowered his tone, it wasn’t disrespectful. It was as if a dignified company president were speaking to a regular employee—naturally, as if that was how it should be.

“Oh, but…”

“It’s alright.”

Before the president could continue, Alice cut him off, sensing what he was about to say.

“Is it okay if she joins the conversation?”

“Well, it’s not really a problem…”

We were in the middle of discussing joining the student council, so there didn’t seem to be a problem with Mia Crowfield, who had likely come for the same reason, listening in on the conversation. At least, not from the perspective of the student council president or the others.

But for me, there was definitely a bit of an issue.

Wait, did Mia Crowfield ever join the student council in the original story?

Her grades were decent, and the Crowfield family hadn’t fallen into ruin. The head of the family had died, but the estate remained intact, and no crimes had been exposed. The Emperor’s order to assassinate the count had been purely political, not out of a sense of justice.

In fact, with the family’s power and estate still intact, Mia Crowfield’s value as a person might have increased. If she graduated from the academy—or even if she dropped out and married early—she could likely do something with that empty estate.

There’s also the possibility of someone trying to seduce the widow of the Count Crowfield, but someone of her stature wouldn’t fall for such an obvious ploy.

Even though her face was partially covered, I could see her eyes through the strands of hair. Of course, she had to see where she was going, so when she looked at me, part of her eyes were exposed.

And I was sure of it—Mia Crowfield had made eye contact with me.

She even stared at me for a while.

“…”

It didn’t really matter how much information Mia had. The Emperor surely made some under-the-table deal with the countess after the assassination. In exchange for turning a blind eye to whatever had happened in that estate and what kind of man the count really was, she’d have to stay quiet and live a discreet life.

The message was clear: don’t even think about opposing the Emperor politically—next time, it’ll be your life.

And when someone was forced into silence like that, it was normal they bear a deep grudge against the Emperor.

And that resentment would be passed down and refined through generations. Parents would teach their children why they should hate their enemies but wouldn’t explain how they ended up in that situation.

If the Crowfield family was like that, then Mia likely harbored a deep resentment toward me.

If she’d done her homework, she would’ve heard the rumors about us being the Emperor’s children.

“…Huh?”

Alice’s gaze darted between Mia Crowfield and me. She must have noticed something in Mia’s behavior, just as she had seen the expression on my face.

“…Those people over there.”

“Hm?”

Mia’s sudden comment seemed to catch the student council president off guard.

She hadn’t shown proper etiquette to either the princesses or the royal princess, nor had she greeted the president.

“Those people… are they also joining the student council?”

Her voice was as eerie as ever, with some parts unclear, but I understood her intention.

Did she want to join the same club as me?

…Or was she trying to get closer to me?

I looked at Mia Crowfield’s face again.

This time, I was sure.

She was glaring at me.

Chapter 34 : Student Council

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 34

EP.34 Student Council (4)

As soon as I met Crowfield’s gaze, one thought came to mind: How much does she know?

Given the Emperor’s personality, there was a chance he’d fully revealed his involvement. After all, flaunting his role in such matters was his style. He likely would have said something like, “I took care of your husband. So if you and your daughter want to stay safe, you’ll do as I say.”

In this era, recording devices were too large and inefficient, and while magic stones could serve as power sources, they couldn’t replace all parts of a recorder. So, even if the Emperor made such a brazen admission, there wouldn’t be any way to capture it as evidence.

Magic wasn’t all-powerful. Throughout the game, there were never any instances of surveillance devices being used, despite all the political and legal intrigue.

“…”

Both Alice and Charlotte could sense killing intent. In this world, terms like killing intent and presence were common, the kind of concepts you’d expect to see in martial arts novels or Japanese anime. Characters would exclaim in awe: “How could such killing intent be possible?” or “How could they hide their presence?”

…But I couldn’t sense any of that.

I couldn’t use magic, nor could I feel anyone’s presence or killing intent. If I could, my expression would have cracked ages ago. Lucas had tried to rattle me with his killing intent as much as with his swordplay. He stopped when he realized I didn’t even flinch—though in truth, I just couldn’t feel it at all.

“…”

Everyone’s gaze was now on me. Apparently, Mia Crowfield was directing her killing intent at me. Though she wasn’t a character who wielded a sword, and so her killing intent wasn’t overwhelming, they were probably amazed at how I stood there, unfazed.

“Are you participating in the student council, Princess?”

She asked, enunciating each word clearly while looking straight at me.

In the original story, Mia Crowfield had been a very quiet character. She knew that Alice’s father, the emperor, had murdered her own father, but she didn’t direct any excessive hostility toward Alice herself. After all, she likely didn’t believe Alice had personally killed her father. In the original plot, it was Claire’s doing anyway.

Mia later tried to kill Claire, but her desperate attempt was easily stopped, leaving her in painful screams.

“I’m curious about your intention in asking me that.”

I asked quietly, staring directly at Mia Crowfield.

…I didn’t feel entirely guilt-free. My actions had destroyed her family, after all. But at the same time, I didn’t regret what I’d done. Perhaps it was a way of rationalizing things, but I had never believed in killing anyone without cause.

Yet, I’d seen Count Crowfield in bed with a child who couldn’t have been older than eight.

Both the child and the count had been drugged, high on opium.

‘When I killed him’—of course, it wasn’t that kind of situation, but if I had let that man live, that event would have inevitably occurred in the future.

Afterward, such acts were strictly forbidden within Count Crowfield’s territory. Not because they were immoral, but because the countess, fearing further scrutiny, shut down all of their business dealings.

I wondered if the countess had felt disappointed upon learning the truth about her husband. Looking at Mia Crowfield now, it didn’t seem like she had.

“I…”

Perhaps Mia had just realized that everyone’s eyes were now on her. The look of hostility she had been sending my way—if it was even there—wavered as she cast a nervous glance around. She didn’t seem as composed as I initially thought.

That was consistent with the original.

“Is it because I killed your father?”

“…What?”

The atmosphere in the student council room froze instantly. What had been a somewhat relaxed mood suddenly tightened like a string about to snap. Even though I couldn’t sense killing intent, I could feel the room’s temperature drop several degrees.

Some here may have heard the rumors, but no one had ever openly confirmed them like this. Assassinations, after all, were most effective when they remained unnoticed.

“You… you killed…?”

“Yes, I did. I planted a bomb in the carriage. Twelve people died.”

“What… are you talking about?”

Alice turned pale, staring at me with disbelief.

“I’m talking about how I assassinated Count Crowfield. Did you not know?”

Alice shook her head.

She must have suspected something, even if she denied it now. But she would never have imagined that I was the one who killed Crowfield. After all, I was only twelve years old at the time.

“…What do you mean? Did you… kill someone?”

“I killed someone while escaping from the orphanage too.”

When I calmly answered Claire’s question, the others’ faces paled even more.

“What did you plan to do if you joined the student council… if we were in the same council?”

I asked, looking at Mia Crowfield again.

I looked at Mia Crowfield again and asked.

“…Why?”

But Mia’s expression was one of sheer confusion. The sudden revelation seemed to have left her in shock, unsure of how to react.

Was it because she had no weapon? She didn’t seem to be trying to kill me yet.

Thud.

Her legs gave out, and Mia Crowfield collapsed to her knees on the spot. No one moved to help her up. They just stared at me, wide-eyed, as if they were looking at a monster.

“Didn’t you already know? Wasn’t that the reason you were looking at me like that?”

I asked again, but Mia remained silent, her expression vacant.

“…You.”

As I continued to observe Mia, kneeling on the floor, a cold voice interrupted from the side. Charlotte, who had just set down her teacup, was glaring at me with an expression so icy it felt as though she could freeze the air around her.

“Are you saying the Emperor of the Empire killed one of his own nobles?”

Even in a moment like this, Charlotte maintained her manners—perhaps a testament to her rigorous etiquette training.

“Yes.”

I responded.

“Why?”

She asked.

“For the sake of the Emperor’s power.”

I replied calmly.

Alice’s face turned even paler. I had already made it clear to Alice that I fully supported her. Even if I were somehow designated as the next Emperor, I would only pledge my allegiance to Alice. Now, hearing the reason for Count Crowfield’s assassination, Alice might think I killed him to secure her power base.

“…Do you think it’s acceptable to do anything for power?”

Charlotte’s gaze was filled with genuine disgust.

“My personal judgment played a role as well.”

I added.

“Personal judgment…”

Claire echoed my words quietly.

“…What do you mean by personal judgment?”

Charlotte, despite the repulsed look in her eyes, continued to question me without interruption.

The princess of a kingdom, even in this tense situation, was trying to remain impartial. Perhaps she didn’t fully believe me. After all, I claimed responsibility for the assassination, but there was no proof. She might think I was only saying this because the Emperor had ordered me to, and the story would still make sense.

“The count was involved in opium trafficking. There was an opium den in his territory, and within it, a brothel that exploited children younger than ten years old. Even if the count wasn’t directly managing the operations, he was clearly one of the patrons of that establishment.”

“…What proof do you have?”

“I saw it with my own eyes.”

“…But what about an investigation and trial—”

“That was impossible.”

Had that been an option, such things wouldn’t have occurred in the count’s territory to begin with. No matter how powerful the Emperor was, the highest authority within a noble’s domain was still the noble themselves. The Emperor could have intervened directly in the territory, yes, but that’s exactly what he did. He wielded the power of violence to eliminate the count.

“Would it have been possible in your kingdom?”

I asked.

“…”

Charlotte fell silent at my question. The expression of someone who had been looking at me as if I were a monster had shifted slightly. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what emotion she was feeling.

“…Father… why…?”

Mia Crowfield muttered to herself, her voice barely audible after hearing my explanation.

“Mia Crowfield, I still haven’t heard your answer.”

I looked at Mia Crowfield and asked her again.

“What did you plan to do once you joined the student council? If you figured out that I killed the count, were you going to kill me?”

“…”

Mia Crowfield remained silent for a moment, staring at me blankly. Then, finally, she spoke.

“…I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you!”

She screamed.

“Even if your father was the kind of man who did such things? Even if he sacrificed countless children?”

“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe you!”

“Lady Crowfield!”

The student council president finally regained his composure and stood up abruptly. Mia had started to get up, as if ready to charge at me.

“So, you’re willing to believe that I killed your father, but you won’t believe that your father committed such heinous acts?”

I asked her.

“I will… kill you with my own hands!”

She shouted.

As the student council president tried to intervene, the other noble ladies rushed in to restrain Mia Crowfield.

“Hold on, Lady Crowfield! Please, calm down—”

“I understand.”

I said quietly, causing the entire room to fall into a tense silence once again.

“So that’s what you think.”

“Sister, wait a moment.”

Claire spoke up, her voice tense.

Just as I didn’t know how to sense killing intent, I also didn’t know how to project it. The best I could probably do was to glare at someone. But perhaps they thought there was something more behind it. After all, I had been killing people without flinching since I was twelve years old. Maybe they were starting to realize something was off. Perhaps they even thought I might try to eliminate Crowfield here and now.

Claire, half-risen from her seat, was watching me closely. Maybe she was thinking that more killing would be unacceptable. Her gaze wasn’t one of contempt or hatred; instead, it was filled with concern.

“Wait, Claire.”

Alice stammered, trying to calm the situation.

“Everyone, let’s take a moment to calm down. We don’t even know if everything that was said is true.”

Alice was doing her best to defend me.

Leo remained completely frozen, while Charlotte still looked utterly confused.

Hmm. So this was how they were all reacting, huh?

I slowly glanced around the student council room, taking in their faces and etching the moment into my memory.

And then—

Again.

*

“Nothing has been decided yet.”

I spoke to Mia Crowfield in a calm voice.

“Your Highness… no, Alice will decide. What do you think?”

“Oh? Uh, well, I’m considering it favorably.”

Alice replied, looking slightly flustered as her gaze shifted between Mia and me.

“In that case, I will also consider it favorably.”

I responded, taking a sip of my milk tea.

“…Then I too would like to consider it favorably.”

Mia Crowfield, who had been glaring at me earlier, finally spoke.

Chapter 35 : Student Council

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 35

EP.35 Student Council (5)

“…Hey, hold on.”

Thus, the awkward meeting at the student council room had come to an end. Or rather, to be exact, it was after school, with all classes over.

Since I hadn’t officially joined the student council yet, it was more like a “maybe I will” situation, so there wasn’t much to do after classes. Yesterday, we studied at the library. Claire seemed like she wanted to meet me after school today, but I had a lot on my mind, so I hurried back to the dormitory. Well, I might get another chance after I’ve sorted my thoughts. If I really wanted, I could always turn back time and spend that moment with Claire.

Dating a heroine… Hmm, to be honest, I had no desire for romance.

It’s true that I was immersed in playing as the character Leo Grace. I’m not as good-looking as Leo, nor do I live as well, nor am I skilled in studies or swordsmanship like him. In reality, I barely managed to find a job, spending whatever free time I had on games or reading manga. Comparing myself to Leo, a guy who had women flock to him just by standing there, was impossible.

Still, I was the one controlling Leo in the game. There weren’t that many choices to make, and none of them drastically altered the ending, but a certain attachment to my in-game avatar had formed.

And now, I had entered the game I used to play.

I am interested in the couplings. I’m curious to see who Leo ends up with and how the altered story unfolds. Honestly, it felt thrilling knowing that I was the catalyst behind the change.

From the perspective of a player who originally played the game, my existence would probably make them cough up blood. Infinite regression without any risks? While my physical abilities may not be superhuman, this power allowed me to toy with even the strongest characters.

On top of that, thanks to this ability, I’ve already accessed information that should have been impossible for me to know. Like sneaking into the forbidden library deep within the imperial palace and reading all the so-called prophecy books. I didn’t even need to worry about escaping afterward; I just needed to read them once, then return.

…Anyway.

For these reasons, I had refused Claire’s invitation and returned to the dormitory.

The dormitory, fitting its luxurious label, was as clean and well-equipped as my room in the imperial palace. In some ways, it was even better.

As I stepped into my dorm room and was about to close the door, Alice grabbed the door handle and spoke.

There’s no way I could physically overpower Alice. I could avoid her if I saw it coming, though.

“…”

Knowing that, I let go of the door handle. Alice took advantage of the now unresisted door and stepped into my room.

Bang.

The door slammed shut a little too hard.

She seemed… a little angry. Or maybe just emotional. Was there even a difference?

“Earlier, Crowfield’s gaze at you wasn’t ordinary.”

Alice crossed her arms and asked after firmly shutting the door. It seemed like she was angry but trying to keep a rational approach to her questions.

“Do you know something?”

“…”

How should I respond?

Alice probably knew about the death of Count Crowfield. She might not know the exact cause, though. The Emperor likely wouldn’t have shared that detail with her. She might have her suspicions. Alice wasn’t a fool—just lacking information. She likely had doubts that the Emperor was eliminating his rivals one by one. After all, who would have a better understanding of a father’s character than his own daughter?

“Answer me. This is…”

Alice suddenly stopped speaking. She frowned as if contemplating something, then spoke as if making up her mind.

“This is a question from the next Empress. It seems like information I need to know.”

“…”

So that’s how she was approaching it.

There was a similar scene in the original story, but back then, no one paid much attention to it. Alice’s demeanor had been more desperate, like someone clutching at straws. Likely because, in most cases, her questions had been directed toward the Emperor’s children.

But the Alice standing before me now wore a serious expression. She wasn’t simply using her status to throw a tantrum—she was genuinely wielding her authority as the future Empress to demand answers.

And I was the one who had shaped this version of Alice.

…In that case, respecting her authority would be the right choice.

“I killed him.”

“…”

Alice continued staring at me, her expression unchanged for a moment. Then, about five seconds later, her face slackened as she made a small sound of disbelief.

“…What?”

“The explosion of the carriage Count Crowfield was riding in—it was because I planted a bomb under it.”

“…”

Alice, who had been standing with her mouth open, staggered over to my bed and sat down heavily. She looked up at me, her voice trembling as she asked.

“Why?”

“Because His Majesty the Emperor ordered me to.”

“…And back then, how old were you?”

“I was twelve.”

“…Since then, have there been any other assassination orders?”

“That was the first and the last for me.”

“What about the others?”

“I don’t know. But given the circumstances, it wouldn’t have been the only time.”

“…”

Alice fell silent, lost in thought.

It was different from her reaction back in the student council room. Perhaps because there, she hadn’t been the only one to hear the truth. In a situation like that, handling the fallout would have been nearly impossible.

“…Did you kill the Count… solely because of that order?”

“…”

Alice’s gaze, as she looked up at me, was filled with complex emotions.

She trusted me, but that didn’t mean she knew everything about me. Setting aside the fact that I came from another world, she wasn’t aware of all the things I had done in this one. The Emperor might see me as a difficult tool to handle, but Alice didn’t think of me as just a tool. The way she had been horrified when she saw the morphine I had kept was proof of that.

“The Count was running an opium business within his territory.”

“…”

Alice looked at me, as if waiting for more, so I continued.

“He also trafficked children to set up brothels. He frequently used them himself.”

Whether the Count had set it up himself or turned a blind eye in exchange for some form of profit, I couldn’t say. But what I did know was that Count Crowfield was a regular patron of those brothels. It wasn’t something I had only seen once. I had verified it multiple times by rewinding time and even heard it from the Count himself.

“They were likely children from orphanages.”

I added.

“…”

“And I am also from the orphanage.”

“…”

Alice, who had been quietly looking up at me, exhaled softly, as if a weight had lifted from her.

“Then… let me ask you one last thing. What if the Count had been truly innocent? What if your father wanted him dead purely for the sake of power? What would you have done then?”

“I wouldn’t have killed him.”

What I would’ve done after that, I couldn’t say for sure. Maybe I would’ve exposed the truth and helped stage his death, or perhaps I would’ve simply stepped aside and let things unfold without taking action. That’s something I can’t definitively answer since it never happened.

But one thing was certain: I wouldn’t have killed him. Even though I knew from the game what kind of person Count Crowfield was, I still double-checked everything just to be sure. After all, things could’ve played out differently than in the game.

In the end, I had decided to kill him.

“I see.”

Alice sighed deeply at my response, then nodded.

“So that’s how it is.”

She sat quietly for a few moments with her eyes closed before rising to her feet.

“Alright.”

Standing tall, Alice looked me square in the eye and spoke.

“From now on, you won’t have to do such things anymore.”

Huh?

I stared at Alice, wondering what she meant by that sudden statement. Alice looked at me with a determined expression and spoke.

“From now on, you won’t need to stain your hands with blood.”

“…”

Uh, well.

“That sort of dirty work won’t be necessary. Not when I become Emperor.”

She added, her voice filled with unwavering determination.

Hmm.

I couldn’t quite believe that someone who would become an Emperor could avoid dirty work entirely. Even in the modern world, national leaders didn’t personally assassinate people, but they often ordered soldiers or spies to carry out unsavory tasks. Reality didn’t run on chivalry.

“If His Majesty orders me to carry out a mission—”

“Ignore it. I’ll handle it.”

She interrupted.

“…”

What was this?

Had I accidentally pressed some kind of button inside Alice?

Alice’s words seemed somewhat unrealistic. Honestly, it sounded like something a child throwing a tantrum might say. No matter how much she was destined to become the next Emperor, the current Emperor was still very much alive and well. It would take decades for her to ascend to the throne.

And if the Emperor were to issue a direct command, how could I possibly refuse?

…Even though it seemed absurd.

“…Understood.”

I found myself wanting to agree with her, despite everything.

I didn’t believe Alice’s words could be entirely upheld. But I could sense her sincerity. She genuinely intended to shield me from the Emperor’s orders.

And seeing Alice like this made me feel proud.

“…Why are you making that face?”

Alice spoke curtly, as if annoyed by my expression.

Huh?

“…What expression are you talking about?”

I was sure I was expressionless. I would have noticed if my expression had changed. After all, I had trained myself to maintain a neutral face for years.

I had the urge to raise my hand and touch my face but resisted the temptation. If this was a bluff, I’d be walking straight into it. It was better to be confident that I wasn’t showing any emotion and just look at her calmly.

“Hmph.”

Alice snorted softly and turned away.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she walked toward the door.

With a soft click, the door opened.

…Had she locked it?

“Well, get some rest.”

She said that before closing the door behind her.

“…”

I was planning on resting, even if she hadn’t told me to.

I sat down on the bed. Initially, I had thought about organizing my thoughts for a bit, then resetting the time to have tea with Claire… but now, I felt like I should abandon that idea. After having such a conversation with Alice, it felt wrong to reset the time. Even if I had tea with Claire, there was no guarantee Alice would ask me the same questions or that our conversation would go the same way. Based on my experience with resetting the time, things never played out exactly how I wanted them to.

Even the smallest change in my actions would lead to drastically different results. If I knew what outcome I wanted, I would have to repeat my exact actions without the slightest deviation to achieve the same ending.

“Ignore the Emperor’s orders, huh.”

Did Alice have some sort of leverage over the Emperor? Or was she planning to use what I had told her as a weapon?

Both seemed unlikely.

So, it seemed Alice was simply determined to handle things herself.

…That thought made me feel proud of her again.

Perhaps my life in this world hadn’t been in vain after all.

With a satisfied smile, I lay back on the soft bed.

Chapter 36 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 36

EP.36 Interlude

Crowfield.

Despite its name, the Crowfield County wasn’t exactly swarming with crows. At least, it wasn’t named so simply because of the presence of crows.

There was a vast meadow, stretching across the land, where the green grass looked breathtakingly beautiful until autumn arrived. But to say the scenery turned ugly during autumn wouldn’t be right either. The lush green merely shifted into golden hues, never devolving into a desolate wasteland.

Compared to other territories, the city had a modest level of modernization. Though the air wasn’t thick with clouds of smoke rising from countless chimneys, there was still a distant industrial district, with a few chimneys emitting dark smoke into the sky. The small size of the territory meant that crime was not a major issue, even with the presence of the industrial zone. As a result, people who were uncomfortable with the ominous name of the area would often ask after visiting, “Why is such a lovely place called ‘Crowfield’?”

Originally, Crowfield was part of the Kingdom of Velbur. More specifically, it was once the borderland between the Kingdom of Velbur and the Aetherna Empire.

During a past war between the empire and the kingdom, one of the largest battles took place here. The land changed hands several times, and many lives were lost. Imperial soldiers, kingdom soldiers, kingdom civilians massacred by the empire, and even those who were executed by the kingdom for collaborating with the empire during its occupation—all piled up. Bodies were left scattered across the plains, and others rotted away in the forest where they had been tossed carelessly.

Crows flocked to the unclaimed corpses, feasting and breeding among the remains. For a while, the sky over that land was filled with cawing flocks of crows. The name “Crowfield” became commonly used, replacing the old name of the territory. After all, most of the original residents had long since perished.

Although many people died, the empire continued to grow larger and eventually established its current borders. Crowfield was no longer a border territory—there was now a small piece of land between Crowfield and the Kingdom of Velbur. It seemed like the days of violence in Crowfield were over. The area looked ready to continue living peacefully.

Until the Count died in a single explosion.

“…Mia.”

Some time after her father’s funeral, the Countess called Mia over.

The grieving woman wiped the tears from Mia’s face with her fingers, then pulled her into a gentle embrace, patting her back.

“This was all the Emperor’s doing.”

She whispered.

“…What?”

The official report claimed that a gas pipe explosion beneath the Count’s carriage had caused the fatal blast, killing the Count and his entourage. Accidents involving gas pipes were not unheard of, so until this moment, Mia had believed her father’s death to be a horrific tragedy born of misfortune—nothing more.

Until her mother said those words.

“The Emperor… This was his doing. Or maybe… maybe his children were behind it.”

Her mother didn’t sound certain. But it was clear that she believed this to be the truth, though Mia couldn’t understand why.

“Mother?”

“Mia, my daughter.”

Holding Mia tightly, her mother whispered into her ear.

“Never forget this fact. Though there’s nothing we can do right now…”

Speaking so softly that only her daughter could hear, ensuring no one else could, her mother continued.

“Until the day Crowfield becomes the reigning imperial family.”

*

After the death of the Count of Crowfield, his widow continued to gather information relentlessly. Some of it was accurate, while other pieces were uncertain, but it didn’t matter much to her. After all, every name on her list of enemies—those marked for revenge—would meet the same fate regardless.

Collecting information was merely a way to keep her hatred alive, and perhaps to involve others in her cause when the time came. At the very least, Crowfield would need to fight from a position of strength when seeking vengeance.

Mia also remembered that hatred. She studied hard, memorizing every detail to make sure she never forgot.

There was a rumor circulating in the empire:

“On the day a prominent figure of the Empire dies, one of the Emperor’s children disappears.”

It was just a rumor, but the Empire’s nobles seemed to believe it was true. Among the information circulating around high-ranking nobles was a list of “children who disappeared on the day an Imperial figure died.” While the rumors were based solely on circumstantial evidence, there were indeed correlations between the deaths of certain nobles and the disappearances of certain imperial children.

And yet, the Emperor made no move to suppress such rumors. If this list were true, the Emperor would have even known that the list was circulating.

For Mia Crowfield, this only deepened her hatred of the Emperor. The image of him, sitting high upon his throne, waiting as if daring anyone to challenge him. The Emperor, who had murdered her father without showing any remorse or emotion, further fueled her resentment.

The one who disappeared on the day Count Crowfield died was Sylvia Fangriffon who was twelve years old, the same age as Mia. Some nobles didn’t believe the list for that reason. The idea that a twelve-year-old could infiltrate the heavily guarded Count’s estate, plant a bomb under the carriage, and assassinate the Count was absurd. It seemed like a conspiracy theory trying to fit the facts.

Even if the information was obtained from maids and servants in the palace, it wasn’t necessarily accurate. Dates could be mistaken, or the princess might have just stayed in her room or been visiting somewhere else.

It probably that some nobles on the list had even died of natural causes.

However…

During their first training session, Sylvia Fangriffon had used explosives. Despite the close combat being extremely disadvantageous for someone using firearms, the Emperor’s daughter had remained calm, evading all of her opponent’s attacks and overpowering them.

It wasn’t a move from any textbook.

It was the kind of movement one could make only if they already knew their opponent’s next move.

Would it be difficult for someone with such abilities to infiltrate a Count’s territory?

That wasn’t the only strange thing.

When Mia received the student council’s invitation and went to the student council room, she faced Sylvia Fangriffon. Even under Mia’s murderous gaze, Sylvia didn’t flinch. Perhaps Mia’s killing intent was too weak as a mage, but Alice Fangriffon and Princess Charlotte de Velbur, sitting right next to her, showed signs of discomfort.

It was strange that Sylvia didn’t react to the killing intent directed at her, especially in front of the Imperial Princess. Sylvia Fangriffon just remained calm, as if it were completely normal.

*

Back in her room, Mia glanced at her desk. There stood a small picture frame. Inside was a black-and-white photograph of three people—Mia and her parents.

Nobles usually preferred portraits over photographs. Portraits were seen as more “elegant” and “befitting of nobility.” Taking a photograph was something only those who couldn’t afford the time to wait for a portrait or the money to hire an artist would do.

Moreover, the face depicted in a portrait was always more flattering than in a photograph. While a photograph captured reality as it was, a portrait allowed for the artist’s interpretation. And that interpretation usually aligned with the paying noble’s desires.

For that reason, Mia did not hang a family portrait in her room.

The father Mia remembered from her childhood, he was always busy, running around to help the people of the estate, and sometimes not coming home at night. He looked a bit haggard, but Mia remembered that it was because he always worked so hard.

Mia thought back to the face of Sylvia Fangriffon, who had looked her straight in the eyes without a single flinch. That expression seemed utterly devoid of guilt. Sylvia Fangriffon, calmly drinking tea with hands that had surely been stained with blood.

“…I won’t forgive her.”

Mia muttered those words, her hatred once again swelling deep within her chest.

Sylvia Fangriffon would die. She would pay for her crimes with her life. Even if Mia had to sacrifice her own life in the process.

*

Perhaps due to their shared surname, Alice Fangriffon treated Sylvia Fangriffon with a certain friendliness. Of course, despite the conversations they had, Sylvia Fangriffon’s expression rarely changed. No matter how much Alice spoke, Sylvia’s responses were usually short and to the point.

And yet, there was a strange sense of camaraderie between the two. Neither of the princesses smiled easily, and both always wore stern expressions.

How could Sylvia remain so calm?

Did she see Mia Crowfield as a naive young lady incapable of seeking revenge?

“…Ah.”

Today, however, was different.

Alice Fangriffon’s expression shifted slightly as she looked at Mia. It was different from yesterday. Yesterday, she had simply been taken aback by the killing intent Mia directed at Sylvia. Or perhaps it was precisely because of that, that her expression softened today.

Mia, if she tries to fight Alice Fangriffon without a staff, she will simply be overpowered. The princess was an excellent swordswoman, after all. So, it wasn’t likely that she was afraid of Mia’s killing intent.

Maybe she was feeling a sense of regret?

“…Mia Crowfield.”

“…Your Highness.”

At least for today, Mia decided to hide her hatred a little. No matter how much she despised someone, if she constantly radiated such feelings, she was bound to fail even at things she could succeed in.

But still, could she succeed?

“…”

Sylvia Fangriffon’s face appeared as she quietly stared at Mia. Her expressionless face was so cold that it sent chills down Mia’s spine, revealing no emotion. It was as if Sylvia felt nothing toward the existence of Mia Crowfield, as if Mia held no value at all.

“Are you hungry?”

Suddenly, Alice Fangriffon asked Sylvia Fangriffon.

The cold gaze that had been fixed on Mia now turned toward Alice.

“…”

Sylvia remained silent.

“Then let’s go quickly. You should eat breakfast. You tend to eat quite a lot in the mornings.”

“…”

Sylvia still didn’t respond.

Was Princess Alice deliberately drawing Sylvia’s attention away from Mia?

Why?

“Well then, we’ll go ahead. You need to eat three meals a day to function properly.”

“Ah, yes…”

Mia replied, her expression faltering slightly at Alice’s words. But soon, the fire within her heart reignited.

“…”

Did they truly not care about her?

If so, she would prove that this righteous anger of hers could turn into a terrifying blade that would pierce them.

Mia Crowfield stood still, glaring at the two figures walking away from her.

*

Wait, how did she know?

Did my stomach growl or something? Alice had no reason to make that assumption.

“It was written all over your face, why?”

On my face?

“……No, I don’t think so….”

When I stared at Alice intently, she averted her gaze, looking a little embarrassed.

Could her eyesight be microscopic, capable of noticing the tiniest twitches in my facial muscles that no one else would pick up on? Movements so subtle that even I wasn’t aware of them?

“…And just because someone shows hatred towards you doesn’t mean you have to accept it every time.”

“I have no intention of accepting it unconditionally.”

When Alice spoke as if offering advice, I responded firmly.

“It’s just that, considering the circumstances, her anger is understandable.”

After all, I killed her father.

On top of that, she didn’t even know the truth. Considering what happened yesterday, even if I told her directly, she wouldn’t accept it right away.

It would be better to give her a hint, so she could discover it on her own.

“……”

As I was lost in these thoughts, Alice stared at me.

She wasn’t expressionless, but it wasn’t a look I could decipher either. Her face showed a mix of emotions, all blended together, making it hard to tell what she was feeling.

…It felt a little unfair that Alice could read my expression, but I couldn’t read hers.

Chapter 37 : Hunting

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 37

EP.37 Hunting (1)

“Do you know what the most glorious battlefield of all is?”

True to form, Jennifer led the entire class out to the field as soon as her lesson began, just like she had done on the very first day of class. It seemed the concept of a “curriculum” didn’t exist in her mind.

I was pretty sure we received textbooks when we first entered the academy, but we hadn’t even cracked them open. If we weren’t going to use them, why hand them out in the first place? It just made our bags heavier every morning.

Still, I wasn’t particularly surprised. I already knew what kind of person Jennifer was.

Jennifer was the kind of character who acted as a sort of device, enabling players to engage in “gameplay” during “class time.”

A student’s role, naturally, was to study. But if the game only focused on students studying, it would be incredibly boring. This wasn’t some dating sim or a trivia game about lore, after all.

So, the game significantly minimized the study portions and created opportunities for “combat time” during class.

Through that process, conflicts between characters became more pronounced, and the one who effectively utilized those conflicts was none other than Jennifer Winterfield.

Of course, if every single lesson consisted of gathering the students for duels, the story wouldn’t progress either. That’s why, while the early parts introduced the characters through such sessions, later chapters exploded with accidents.

“Hmm.”

None of the students raised their hands.

And I knew exactly who Jennifer was going to call on.

The person she pointed to—

“Leo Grace!”

That’s right. Leo Grace.

He was the protagonist, and according to the backstory, Baron Grace had been Jennifer’s childhood role model. Although her favoritism wasn’t blatant, there were subtle hints that she felt some level of affinity towards him. Of course, Leo had no knowledge of this backstory and likely thought the teacher was picking him at random.

Oh, now that I think about it, in the original game, depending on the choices, Leo could end up dueling Jennifer. Maybe this was normal after all. Considering how Jennifer and Leo had sparred just a few days ago, it didn’t feel like a coincidence that he was chosen again this time. In reality, it wasn’t random at all.

“Ah, yes.”

Leo stood up with a look that said he’d been unfairly chosen, but Jennifer didn’t seem to care.

“What do you think is the most glorious battlefield?”

“Uh…”

Here’s where the choices appear.

It didn’t matter which one you picked. Each of the three options had its own reasoning, but they were all wrong in the context of Jennifer’s question.

“The battlefield of the North, perhaps?”

True to his diligent nature, Leo pondered deeply before finally giving his answer.

So, he chose the first option.

The other two choices were the southern and western battlefields. The south was still underdeveloped, with continuous skirmishes between local tribes, while the west was the coast. While the coastline itself was relatively safe, the deeper waters were teeming with pirate ships preying on trade vessels heading for the New World.

All three choices were about maintaining imperial order, but the particularly imperialistic tone of the southern battlefield—due to the clashes with the “natives”—led fans of the game to jokingly call it the “Imperialist Route” on certain niche forums. Not that it really affected the game’s endings or story progression.

In one of the sequels, there was even a storyline focusing on the conflicts in the southern Empire, where Leo, rather than siding with imperial forces, earnestly helped the natives.

“Hmm.”

Jennifer, who had served in the north, seemed intrigued by Leo’s response.

“And may I ask why?”

She inquired.

“Yes. The northern front borders the Autonomous State of Rickland. However, the autonomous state is extremely unstable, lacking the ability to properly secure the area near the Empire’s borders. As a result, local warlords frequently cross into imperial territory. Thus, the soldiers stationed there, constantly vigilant to protect the Empire’s citizens, surely serve on the most glorious battlefield.”

“I see.”

Jennifer nodded in satisfaction.

” Yes, those so-called warlords are essentially mercenaries who are not employed by any particular group. They’ll do anything for money, no matter how dirty the task. Facing such men is certainly an honorable duty. However…”

Jennifer looked Leo straight in the eye.

“…That glory is only earned once you’ve returned alive, or as a corpse brought back. The battlefield itself holds no glory. But it was a good answer. You may sit.”

Leo visibly relaxed as he returned to his seat.

“The battlefield—ah, right.”

Jennifer paused mid-sentence.

Hmm.

Usually, this was the part where she’d launch into a speech about her personal philosophy. She’d never interrupted herself like this before. Then her gaze shifted toward me.

“Sylvia Fangriffon. Stand up.”

“……”

Why me?

Of course, I didn’t actually say that out loud. It wasn’t exactly strange for a teacher to call on a student, after all. At least it was more reasonable than an Emperor sending a fourteen-year-old girl to act as his representative in a diplomatic meeting.

I stood up without a word, and Jennifer looked at me quietly before asking.

“What do you think? Where is the most glorious battlefield?”

“…”

I really hate giving presentations.

Back in college, I would always take on the entire slideshow for group projects, but I’d still let someone else do the presentation. Even if presenting earned the highest grade, I avoided it at all costs.

Because if I said the wrong thing, it would be humiliating.

Of course, I knew what answer Jennifer wanted. After playing through the game a few times, I started skipping the event scenes. However, on my second playthrough, I decided to revisit the story to ensure I fully understood it, particularly the dialogue, for my translations.

This particular scene was one I replayed several times, just to confirm which of the three choices was the correct one.

“…There is no glorious battlefield.”

Yes, that was the answer Jennifer was looking for. If Headmaster Abraham Winterfield were here, he would’ve blown up at such a response.

“Oh?”

Jennifer’s eyes narrowed as she observed me.

A slight smile curved on her lips, as though she was pleased with the answer. I had chosen it thinking that, if I were going to be embarrassed, it might as well be for the right answer rather than a wrong one.

I did wonder though, what Jennifer’s reaction would be if I came up with a fourth option.

“And why do you think that?”

Jennifer pressed again.

“The battlefield is hell. There can be no place of glory in hell. Surviving and returning from it might be glorious, but nothing else.”

This world was in a period roughly equivalent to the interwar era. It was an era transitioning from line infantry tactics to modern warfare, where soldiers took cover and engaged in long-range gunfire.

The world had just begun to see tanks and aircraft of a more modern style, but there were no precision weapons that could smartly take out just what was needed. Barbed wire, trenches, and bunkers filled the battlefields, and thousands of soldiers would charge the enemy’s trenches, only to be mowed down by machine guns. Above them, mortar and artillery shells would fall unpredictably, and if you got hit directly, there wouldn’t even be a body left to recover.

In the no-man’s-land between the trenches, corpses were strewn about carelessly.

Flamethrowers, poison gas, landmines, machine guns—these were all terrifying weapons for flesh-and-blood soldiers to face, yet the means to accurately take them out were severely limited.

Even in the modern wars of Earth, battlefields were hellish, but this world’s wars, which resembled a form of total war, were a different kind of nightmare.

“…”

Jennifer’s expression softened, just slightly.

She took a few steps closer, looking me straight in the eyes.

“…I see.”

She nodded to herself, as if coming to an understanding.

“Yes, you’re right. The battlefield is hell. The days of knights clashing with swords are long gone—a relic of old stories.”

Though, even those wars fought with swords and shields were undoubtedly hell in their own way.

“Sit down.”

Following her command, I sat back down. I could feel the stares from my classmates burning into me, but I ignored them.

“I don’t know how many of you will survive the battlefield. Frankly, it’s not something you can learn by studying. No matter how much I teach you my own strategies and experiences, you’ll never fully master them. When you’re out there in the field, you’ll adapt to survive in your own way.”

Jennifer’s gaze swept over the students as she added.

“I don’t know how many of you will even become soldiers. But at the very least, my class is meant to prepare you to be soldiers. And the most important skill for a soldier is the ability to survive any trial, no matter how unpredictable.”

The reason Jennifer had gathered us for a sparring match from day one was clear—she was always sincere about her words. As someone who had experienced the battlefield firsthand, she believed in teaching us how to face unforeseen trials.

“And so today, you will learn how to confront unpredictable challenges.”

She said, her smile returning. Beaming, Jennifer spread her arms wide, almost like a theater director introducing actors on stage.

“Your sparring partners for today will be the commoners from that class over there.”

Right on cue, Class C, made up of commoner students, emerged from the building. The reason they were coming out later than us was simple—Jennifer had suddenly changed the class schedule. It wasn’t that she had stolen their opportunity; rather, she had coordinated with another teacher so that Class A and Class C would have overlapping schedules.

“…Instructor?”

One student nervously raised their hand, prompting Jennifer to turn her head towards them.

“Yes, what is it?”

Looking uncertainly at the approaching Class C students, the student asked.

“Aren’t those students commoners?”

“Indeed, they are. Is there a problem with that?”

Jennifer responded.

The student, still unsure of the situation, glanced at the approaching commoner students with a worried expression before asking.

“But… commoners don’t have a formal training, do they? Can the way they fight really be considered a ‘challenge’ for us?”

A few students chuckled quietly at that remark.

“Oh? Is that so? And yet, Her Highness Princess Sylvia over there doesn’t use any weapon that belongs to a formal school either.”

“…”

Jennifer’s biting sarcasm instantly silenced the room.

It was true—among commoners, only a very small number trained in formal schools to learn swordsmanship, spear techniques, or magic. In other words, most commoners used weapons that were easier to wield without formal training.

As the students from Class C came into clearer view, the truth of Jennifer’s words became evident. Most of them carried rifles or hunting shotguns slung over their shoulders. While many of these firearms were civilian-grade rather than military-issued—

“……”

—That was more than enough to silence the noble students.

Chapter 38 : Hunting

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 38

EP.38 Hunting (2)

There were bears in this world too. However, these bears were not like the ones people from Earth would imagine.

Of course, the bears on Earth were dangerous as well. Bears could tear a person apart. One swipe from their claws would have your guts spilling onto the ground, and the bear would enjoy its meal. For similar reasons, there were other large land animals like elephants and rhinos, along with predators like lions and tigers. They were even called by the same names here—”bears,” “lions,” “elephants”—and the monster encyclopedia in the game used the same terms as well.

But whether the beasts in this game could really be considered the same as the ones I knew was questionable.

First of all, their fur colors were different. On Earth, bears usually had brown, black, or white fur. But in this world, the bears’ fur came in more vibrant colors—red, blue, green, and brown. And the shape of their claws? Forget about thinking of typical animal claws. Unlike the hard keratin claws of ordinary animals, these bears had claws that looked like they were made of frozen ice or ones that were perpetually engulfed in flames. Some could swing their claws and generate wind strong enough to send a person flying, or even slam them into the ground and cause earthquakes. These were not ordinary animals; they were capable of things that defied any natural logic.

The same went for the animals called lions, tigers, elephants, and rhinos. The only animals here that resembled Earth’s creatures were horses. But even the horses had lore that they were bred specifically for human use. Wild horses, on the other hand, had manes made of fire…

…Anyway, that was the way things were here.

And astonishingly, humanity had still managed to survive and become the dominant species in a world ruled by such insane creatures. Then again, the first Emperor was said to have led a pack of gryphons with his bare hands, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising after all.

Because of this, civilian firearms weren’t something to be underestimated. Shotguns and rifles were all designed to take down those monsters. Some people even made a living by hunting these beasts and selling their parts.

They used large-caliber shotguns loaded with slugs to blow out the brains of bears, or rifles with calibers far larger than those used by typical military rifles. Mages, too, focused on survival-based practical magic.

“…Instructor!”

Even as nobles, it wasn’t as though they were completely unaware of this fact. After all, nobles ate meat and had hunting trophies on their walls.

“How can they point hunting rifles at us? This is an insult! How could they aim weapons meant for beasts at us?”

Surprisingly, the developers of the game seemed to have drawn this perception from real history. During World War I, Europeans were surprised to see American soldiers using shotguns in battle. Meanwhile, Americans were appalled by the Germans using submachine guns, believing they were weapons typically associated with criminals like gangsters.

But whether anyone liked it or not, it didn’t matter. In the cramped trenches, shotguns and submachine guns were incredibly useful. In the midst of a panic where there wasn’t even time to aim properly, just firing off rounds or grabbing hold of a weapon and spraying bullets could silence your opponent.

That was probably the same reasoning behind pitting the commoners and nobles against each other like this. Jennifer had fought against warlords who shot at their enemies regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners.

“Do you think humans are any different from beasts?”

She asked.

As one of the noble students raised their hand in protest at the approaching group of commoners, Jennifer looked at the student quietly and asked.

“Whether it’s a human or a beast, when shot, both bleed and die. Just because you’re human doesn’t mean every pellet from a shotgun will miss you. Let me say it again: on the battlefield, there is no honor, no glory. There is only one mud-covered beast, struggling to survive in a waterlogged trench.”

With that, Jennifer curled one side of her lips into a smirk.

“Or, perhaps, we should ask our princess here. Sylvia?”

Why me, again?

I had been standing quietly without saying anything—

—Hmm, thinking back, it seemed I was the only one who remained silent. The other noble students, even Leo, Charlotte, and Alice, had all shown signs of discomfort, while I remained calm. To be fair, Claire was also calm, but she probably had a rough idea of ​​what the depths of humanity were like.

“What do you think? Would you oppose the enemy using shotguns? Will you ask them to use a ‘noble weapon’ instead?”

Jennifer was likely asking me this because she knew I wouldn’t give such an answer, especially after I had said earlier that there was no glory on the battlefield.

After all, I had once assassinated a count instead of challenging him to a formal duel. Sure, I planted a bomb on his carriage, but that wasn’t exactly a “noble” act. A true noble would’ve declared a duel and faced their opponent in an honorable fight.

Whether Jennifer knew about that or not, I couldn’t say. But at the very least, she seemed to have some strange sense of trust in me. She seemed to view me as a “soldier.”

…Did she hear that I was supposed to go to the battlefield?

“Would I be able to get a shotgun or a submachine gun?”

I asked.

My question caused a stir around me.

Pistols and rifles were standard battlefield weapons, and no one would question their use. While they might mock commoners for lacking formal training, they wouldn’t dare call them ‘cowards’ to their face.

“Of course. The most important thing on the battlefield is to ‘prepare your weapons’ in advance. I’ll give you the opportunity to choose your weapons before the fight. Whether it’s a rifle, a pistol, or a hunting gun, pick whatever you want.”

“Thank you.”

Jennifer nodded with a smile, seemingly pleased with my response.

…She really was quite beautiful, like a character straight out of this game, but honestly, the way she spoke didn’t make her seem all that sane. Then again, considering the kind of battlefield she had seen, perhaps it wasn’t so surprising.

*

The sparring match resembled a team battle, though the noble class wasn’t entirely working as a team. With only fifteen people, moving like a squad wouldn’t have been a bad idea, but some noble students were uncomfortable with the idea of holding a shotgun on the battlefield. While their view might evolve as they progressed through the academy, to the newly enrolled students, it currently seemed like a “disgraceful” act.

“…”

The expressions of the people gathered around me didn’t look very good either.

“If you don’t want to use them, you don’t have to.”

I said that after seeing that even Alice, who normally had no biases against me, and Charlotte, who treated everyone equally, didn’t seem too thrilled.

“If you use a weapon you’re not familiar with, you might make mistakes. No matter how easy it is to use, if it’s your first time, it won’t feel natural in your hands.”

As I said this, I loaded shells into the shotgun.

The M1889. The shotgun Jennifer had provided was supposedly a standard-issue weapon for the private soldiers of the northern Winterfield family. It had a perforated heat shield on top, a groove for attaching a bayonet, and no external hammer—much like the trench guns used by U.S. forces during World War I. Then again, knowing the game developers, they probably just changed the name and threw it in here.

The shotgun held five shells in the tubular magazine and one in the chamber, giving it a total of six shots.

While my primary weapons were a rifle and a revolver, I wasn’t unfamiliar with shotguns. I had practiced with them quite a bit, though I probably spent more time practicing reloading than shooting. After all, shotguns had one of the coolest reloading methods among modern firearms.

“…Well then…”

After finishing loading the shotgun, I grabbed the speed loader for my Ergensen rifle, which looked like a cigarette case, and stashed it away. At that moment, Alice finally spoke up.

“I’d appreciate it if you could show us how to use it.”

All eyes turned to Alice at her words.

“If we know how to shoot it, we can at least use it, right? Surely, there’s nothing better for dealing with enemies at close range.”

“…”

I looked at Alice for a moment before picking up a break-action double-barrel shotgun nearby. I loaded both barrels with shells and handed it to Alice.

“Both barrels are loaded. Point the muzzle at the enemy and pull the trigger.”

Although it had two triggers, they were arranged for easy double-tap firing. Just pulling the trigger would fire both shots in quick succession, making it ideal for immediate shooting.

“After firing both shots, you can drop the gun and draw your sword.”

If she fired both shots, it meant the enemy was already very close. Alice knew how to use her sword, so if she could get that close, she would have a chance.

…. If it didn’t work out, I could always reset the time and adjust our tactics from the beginning.

“Does anyone else need a weapon?”

I asked.

“…”

The room fell into a brief silence before a voice muttered.

“Ah, whatever.”

It was Leo.

“Claire, please don’t tell Father about this.”

“Why would I?”

Claire responded cheerfully to Leo’s request. Leo frowned at her in response.

It seemed like she had snitched on him a few times already.

“Princess—”

“Call me by my name. In the classroom, it might be different, but here, using titles could lead to mistakes.”

Since our team had two princesses, and there are even people with the same last name, it would be quite confusing.

“…Sylvia. I’d like you to teach me how to use this too.”

I had heard that nobles on Earth engaged in duck hunting, but it appeared that wasn’t the norm here. Maybe what they did was just swing the swords in training rooms instead?

I handed over the same shotgun I had given to Alice.

“You heard the explanation earlier, so I won’t repeat it. Don’t try to reload in the middle of a fight. If you can draw your sword, it’s better to use it. You’re not soldiers trained to handle firearms, after all.”

Leo nodded at my words, looking a little tense.

They might be commoners, but these kids had enough skill to get into the academy. There’s no way their shooting skills were bad. In fact, some of them might even be better than me, since I haven’t had that much experience with actual combat shooting. If things went wrong, I could always reset the time until I got it right.

“Me too!”

Claire said in her usual cheerful voice. Without a word, I handed her a shotgun as well.

There were submachine guns too, but unless used as a primary weapon, they would be inconvenient to use as they were larger than the short double-barrel shotguns.

If the shotguns didn’t work, I could give her submachine guns later.

“…”

With each of us holding a gun, we all looked at Charlotte.

“…”

Charlotte, who had a peculiar sense of pride, seemed uncomfortable with our stares and looked away.

“Oh, fine!”

She grumbled and extended her hand as we continued to stare.

She was quite adorable, actually. That gap in her personality was part of why she was such a popular character. Maybe I should try to learn from that.

Chapter 39 : Hunting

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 39

EP.39 Hunting (3)

It was a surprising sight to see Alice, the Grace siblings, and Charlotte all armed with guns.

A key characteristic of JRPGs was the restriction on freely changing weapons. While you couldn’t swap weapons as easily as in a first-person shooter, each character was limited to specific weapon types, preventing them from using other kinds of equipment.

There were various reasons for this. It could be to save resources, reduce the need for additional motion or skill animations, or simply to avoid confusing players with party members’ weapon choices.

For whatever reason, in the original game, it was impossible to equip multiple types of gear or have characters use weapons they weren’t designed to handle. In fact, if this were the “original,” this style of combat would be impossible to begin with.

Creating an actual battlefield in a schoolyard setting would never have worked—there was no way you could dig trenches on a sports field. In the end, all we had were a few sandbags stacked in a makeshift barrier, which felt far from resembling an actual battlefield. But, well, if the instructor said so, what could we do?

The game used a turn-based system, so even if you were hit, you only lost health points. There was no instant death. While this was unrealistic, it was a common feature in JRPGs.

However, in this world, things were different. I could give a character who normally used swords a gun, and the world seemed to operate under a different set of rules.

Jennifer was standing up on a platform, looking down at us. She was probably up there to announce who got shot and “died.” Forty-five people between both teams. I wondered if she’d be able to keep track of everything. In the game, it wouldn’t have mattered because of the turn-based system, but…

Well, that’s the instructor’s problem, not mine. I decided not to worry about it.

“For now, I’ll provide cover while you run forward. Always run in a zigzag pattern and as fast as possible. If you don’t, you’ll be marked as dead.”

“…”

Everyone nodded.

In the nobles’ class, there were very few who had actually handled firearms before. And I was one of those few, which explained why they all seemed to place so much trust in me.

In fact, the battle had already started, but no one was eager to make the first move. Whoever poked their head out first would probably get shot.

Still, I wasn’t too worried.

“Shouldn’t we head out?”

Alice, lying beside me, whispered.

“It’s fine.”

I replied.

And it really was fine. The reason—

“Charge!!”

—was because we had idiots like them.

The game didn’t always follow a single person’s perspective. Sometimes the camera shifts to supporting characters or even random extras. And I knew there would be people who’d charge recklessly. And the game depicted that clearly.

The ones who believed that standing behind the defensive line and staying still wasn’t “honorable.” The only reason they could charge forward like that was because they knew this wasn’t a real battlefield. They weren’t going to die, so they wanted to show off their idea of “glory.”

Of course, they weren’t stupid enough to run straight into the line of fire.

Bang!

A shot echoed across the field, making Alice, lying beside me, flinch. Her eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn’t nearly as loud as a real gunshot. They probably used far less gunpowder to avoid any accidents. After all, if the barrel got blocked, it could explode. But there was still enough powder in the blanks to create a gunshot sound. The muzzle had a tiny hole drilled in it, just in case.

If anyone got injured, it would be just a minor burn.

“Mackenzie, out!”

…Out with a single shot, just as expected.

“They’re blanks. No need to worry too much.”

I said, rising slightly from my position.

It was risky, but not enough to make me an obvious target.

And then—

Bang!

A loud noise came from the rifle I was holding. The stock gently kicking into my shoulder.

“James, out!”

A commoner who had been peeking out from behind a sandbag stood up and retreated.

Bang!

“Sylvia, out!”

So, that’s where they popped out from, huh?

I kept track of the direction the shot came from.

Time to reset.

Again.

*

Bang! Click. Bang!

Two shots. Each one hit a target.

“Sylvia, out!”

But then a return shot followed immediately. It wasn’t just me. As soon as the first couple of shots rang out, the students from Class B responded with a barrage of gunfire, and the field quickly descended into chaos. Jennifer began calling out the names of those eliminated in rapid succession, determined not to miss a single one, as casualties piled up between the fake trenches.

I memorized every position where someone had popped their head out.

Again.

*

“I’ll cover you! Run!”

I shouted, firing off shots in quick succession.

Bang!

Before even checking if I hit the target, I pulled the bolt back and aimed at another spot without hesitation, firing again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice leap over the sandbags. She was running at full speed, a double-barrel shotgun in her left hand and a sword in her right.

Alice’s running speed was much faster than I had expected, running in a wide zigzag pattern as I had instructed. The commoners from the other class struggled to land a shot on her.

But—

Bang!

“Alice, out!”

While it wasn’t easy to hit her, it wasn’t impossible either. Alice turned to look at me with a slightly dejected expression—

Again!

*

The Ergensen rifle could hold five rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Unlike other rifles with clip-fed loading systems, it had a more cumbersome method where you had to open the side magazine, load five rounds in, and then close it. This required large hand movements and wasn’t the most efficient design.

There was a speed loader available, but since it “poured” the rounds in, it was less reliable compared to the more secure bullet insertion system of other bolt-action rifles. Still, if you got the hang of it, you could load the rounds swiftly and get back to firing in no time.

If there were several people here who could handle the rifle skillfully, I would’ve tried reloading and fighting that way too, but—

“Charlotte, out!”

Unfortunately, none of my team members were adept enough with the rifle. Despite the fact that the targets were more exposed and closer now, it was inevitable that bullets would start coming our way too.

Still, we were improving bit by bit.

I had stocked up several Ergensen rifles, anticipating a situation like this. Jennifer’s stance on the battlefield was clear: “Preparation on the battlefield is up to the individual.” So, even if I mounted several rifles behind the sandbags, Jennifer wouldn’t raise any objections.

…The only downside was that having a few riflemen with six-shot rifles would’ve been a lot more practical than this method.

Ah, really, so frustrating.

At least we managed to get pretty close. The problem was being eliminated once we got to that point.

“Once you’re close enough, you can start using your firearms again. Just aim and shoot.”

I had told them before the battle.

But—

“Out!”

In the end, we only managed to take down a few more before being eliminated ourselves.

“…”

In the original game, this part had been handled through a cutscene. The problem was that Crowfield was the one using magic in that scene.

With my team members all eliminated, I turned to the side. Mia Crowfield was still behind the sandbags. She was gripping her magic staff tightly. It seemed she had been left alone because everyone else had charged recklessly.

Hmm.

Well, I might as well give it a try.

Again.

*

Before handing out shotguns to my teammates, I stood up and confidently walked over to where the other noble students were gathered.

“Sylvia?”

Alice called my name in surprise as I walked towards Mia Crowfield, but I continued on confidently, as if I had done nothing wrong. Even if I faced an embarrassing rejection, I could just reset the time anyway.

I had already told Mia the truth before. I wasn’t the type to back down from making a simple suggestion.

The nobles gathered around Mia Crowfield parted to let me through. The title of princess, even in name only, had its conveniences.

When Mia noticed my approach, she flinched and took a small step back, but I met her gaze directly.

“Lady Crowfield.”

I addressed her calmly.

“Ah, um, w-what do you want…?”

Mia Crowfield, who had shown no hesitation in revealing her hostility in the student council room, now appeared different. Her earlier aggression was likely just a moment of lost control, a fleeting display of anger directed at me.

But I remained unreactive, and she probably considered it a mistake on her part.

…Even if she openly disliked me, it didn’t matter much. Mia Crowfield had said she would join the student council if I did. She would likely try to hurt or defeat me. The chances of success were slim, though.

I was curious about her thoughts on my lack of reaction, but at least she was trying to stay close to me. While that didn’t necessarily mean she was offering to help, there was potential there, so I decided to make a proposal.

“We need your assistance. Would you be able to help us?”

The students around us held their breath.

…Did it seem so weird for me to say something like this?

It probably did. I had never asked for help from any of the students before. I was trying to maintain the image of a cool beauty who didn’t need anyone’s assistance.

But right now, I needed that help.

In the original story, the protagonist’s party relied on Crowfield’s support to navigate this situation. It wasn’t that I needed her skills, but I needed to recreate the ‘event scene.’ At this point, Crowfield’s ability to create that scene was really important.

“Y-you need help…?”

Did my suggestion seem too bold? Mia’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at me.

Her long bangs framed her face, giving her the appearance of a cute, delicate character.

In the original story, neither I nor Claire were with Leo. Leo had different reasons for being with other characters. He was with Alice and Crowfield, who wanted to control Alice. By now, Mia Crowfield should have been part of Leo’s party.

With me and Claire around, Leo’s party diverged somewhat from the original path.

As a result, Mia Crowfield’s absence as an ally in this event meant we weren’t fighting effectively.

“…”

Mia paused to think for a moment, and while the attention of those around us shifted toward us, I focused solely on her.

Would she reject me? Would she mock or enjoy my failure? Her earlier demeanor hadn’t suggested that, but perhaps she just didn’t have the luxury of time alone to process her thoughts.

“…What kind of help do you need?”

Finally, Mia asked me that.

“I need light.”

I explained simply and clearly.

In the original story, the idea had come directly from Mia Crowfield herself, but at this moment, Leo would have already been eliminated.

“I want to create the strongest light possible. Can you do that?”

Chapter 40 : Hunting

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 40

EP.40 Hunting (4)

The original game’s battles were typical of Japanese RPG, but with unique twists within the turn-based system. However, its battle system struggled to tell stories through fights. It couldn’t show large-scale battles, unlike strategy RPGs, which would have been better suited for depicting World War I trench warfare. Some games had even attempted this. But perhaps in an effort to maintain the series’ identity, this game adopted a relatively traditional JRPG combat style, which created challenges for expressing situations solely through battles.

Anyway.

The method chosen by the developers was “consecutive battles.” After finishing one battle, the story would transition to an event scene, then move to the next battle, and so forth. If the players won all three battles, they would successfully capture the makeshift trench. However, if they lost at any point, they would be eliminated. The downside was that they wouldn’t receive any reward items for their efforts. In truth, these items were only slightly helpful at the beginning. It was not very important, but…

It still felt unpleasant to think of someone else getting them. After all, in the game, I had claimed all such items for myself. Having some memory of what might happen in the future and not being able to reap those benefits felt like there was no point in being transported to this world.

Not that I had chosen to come here.

Moreover, it could negatively impact the image I had built in this world. I had cultivated the persona of someone who could handle anything, and I didn’t want to create the impression of “Oh, she can’t even do this.”

… Maybe I should have just created the image of someone who avoids annoying situations.

Besides that, there were many other things I wanted to confirm. Especially regarding items obtained “systematically”—like when a message pops up saying, “You have obtained ●●● as a reward for success.” I was curious about how that would play out in reality, considering there wasn’t a status screen in this world.

I understood that if something was systemically blocked, it would be entirely feasible in reality. But what about areas where the “system” was involved beyond the worldview or storyline?

To confirm that, I needed to win here.

“Light…?”

After hearing my words, Mia Crowfield seemed to enter a moment of contemplation before appearing to grasp what I was thinking.

“But if you emit a bright light, it will also block your vision, right?”

Mia Crowfield’s skepticism made sense.

After all, light wasn’t something that only certain people can see. If someone couldn’t see it, it would mean there’s a significant issue with their optic nerves or brain.

There were magics related to illusions, but deploying them on such a large scale, affecting dozens of people, was impossible. At least, I had never seen such magic throughout my game completions. However, I’ve seen magic where a giant hand emerges from the sky and shoots lasers though.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Mia Crowfield asked, taking a step back as I continued to stare at her.

Yeah, in the game, it was just a visual effect designed to look as cool as possible. Just like the special attacks in the Super Robot Wars series. Whether indoors or outdoors, you could just use those skills without any restrictions.

But how would such skills or magic function in reality?

That was something I’d need to confirm eventually. I also had to remember that, if mishandled, that magic could be directed at me.

“Is it possible?”

It should be. It was possible in the original story.

Mia was best at ice and water magic, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t use other kinds of magic. In the game, there were ‘simple spells’ that could be used without extra stuff and ‘spells that needed extra stuff.’ Her specialty wasn’t especially strong, but having those simple spells let her use other spells more easily.

And her ‘magic attack power’ was really strong. Other characters could use the same spells if they had the right equipment, but because they didn’t have any simple spells, they couldn’t use many spells, their magic attack power wasn’t good, and they didn’t do much damage.

At this point, Mia Crowfield was the only character who could wield such magic.

“…”

She didn’t seem pleased with my silent questioning, but eventually, Mia Crowfield nodded.

Good, that was how it should be.

Even though she had shown hostility in the student council room, Mia Crowfield had said she would join the student council if I did. Whether we became friends or not, she needed to be around me to find evidence that I killed her father and possibly take revenge if the opportunity arose.

It was impossible to clarify the misunderstandings with Mia regarding her father’s actions right now. Given the atmosphere, even if I calmly explained it while alone with her, she wouldn’t believe me. Who would want to accept that their father was a drug addict and a pedophile?

It would be better to give her time to come to terms with it.

“But this magic staff…”

“It’s not intended for killing, so it shouldn’t be a big problem. If you could just send ‘bright light’ as far as possible, that would be enough.”

“…”

In the original story, everyone charged forward blindly, eyes covered. They succeeded in the end, but both Leo and Jennifer agreed that it was a risky approach that shouldn’t be tried in real life.

But what if there were a variable like me here?

Not by chance, but by necessity.

Of course, what I planned to do relied entirely on coincidence.

Well, from the opponent’s perspective, only necessity would remain.

I shifted my gaze slightly and noticed Jennifer observing me intently, her face filled with curiosity. It seemed she had developed a bit of interest in me since our last duel.

Jennifer was likely aware of the rumors surrounding the “Children of the Emperor” and the questions related to the death of Count Crowfield.

“Then, let’s proceed this way.”

When I turned back to my squad, I noticed Mia Crowfield was right behind me. The fact that nobody tried to prevent her from leaving proved how afraid they were of me.

Or maybe Mia Crowfield didn’t really get along well with the people here.

*

“…Leaving us aside for the moment.”

Alice said, looking at me with a serious expression after hearing my plan.

“What are you going to do? You won’t be able to shoot properly if you can’t see ahead.”

“I can provide covering fire.”

“…And you’re sure you won’t hit us by mistake?”

“I’m sure.”

“…Well, alright then.”

Alice, who had no doubts about my skills, eventually agreed to my words.

“But still, no matter how skilled you are, if you can’t see ahead—”

“Sylvia said it’s fine.”

Claire cut off Leo’s skeptical remark.

…Originally, this was your plan, Leo. Well, back then, you didn’t have anyone offering to shoot behind your back.

Claire seemed to have more than just confidence in my abilities—her belief in me bordered on a sort of faith. But I could set that aside for now.

Charlotte was squinting her eyes as she looked at me. Her gaze carried both doubt and, strangely, some kind of certainty. She must have heard something from her father.

“I agree. We don’t have any other options.”

Charlotte finally said.

“So, when should we head out?”

Alice asked me, now that everyone was on board.

“The timing is—”

Just as I was about to explain my thoughts on the timing…

“Chargeee!”

A loud shout rang out from the group that Mia Crowfield had been part of a moment ago.

“Now.”

I said, looking over at Mia Crowfield. She seemed startled for a second but then stood up, preparing to cast a spell—

“Mia Crowfield! Out!”

— Only to get shot before she could finish her spell.

… Let’s try that again.

*

“Now!”

I said, immediately standing up and looking at the enemy side. I aimed at an opponent who had just poked their head out and fired, resulting in an immediate elimination notice for them.

“Luxina!”

Light!

It was quite interesting to hear the original language of the game world, the spirit language, and human language overlapping. Now that I thought about it, despite being in a world where magic played a significant role, this was my first time witnessing magic firsthand.

For a moment, my vision turned completely white, and then I saw that ball of light flying far away. It felt more like looking at an incredibly bright lamp than a flashbang. It was like staring directly into the high beams of an oncoming car. But unlike car headlights, this light spread in all directions.

From what I could see, the light was blinding the enemies just as much as it was blinding us. From our side, it was hard to even make out the silhouettes of the people on the other side.

I heard the sound of Alice, Charlotte, Claire, and Leo leaping over the sandbags. They each had a shotgun in hand.

Well, alright.

The operation had begun.

That meant I only had to do my part.

With the quickest motion possible, I pulled the bolt back, ejecting the spent cartridge, and loaded the next round. The process felt oddly satisfying.

I had already spotted the enemy’s position several times.

Click!

Of course, hitting them was another matter entirely.

I pulled the trigger, but there was no “Eliminated!” announcement.

In that case—

Again!

*

I jumped over the sandbags only when those who had charged ahead were almost out of sight.

It wasn’t because of distance, though. The massive light hovering in the sky had obscured them.

Whatever her feelings toward me, Mia Crowfield had faithfully followed my orders and cast the light spell repeatedly, lighting up the sky with glowing orbs.

In the meantime, I had taken down several enemies. Seven? Eight? I didn’t really remember since I was shooting so quickly. However, since I had to swap guns after shooting one enemy per shot, it had to be at least six or more.

Just before standing up again with my shotgun, which held one round in the chamber and five in the magazine, I spoke to Mia Crowfield.

“You stay here and cast the spell one more time.”

She nodded stiffly, her expression hard.

After all that, she’d likely follow my instructions.

Even if she didn’t, it wasn’t a big deal. I’d figure out a way on my own.

By now, the others should have reached the trenches.

With that thought in mind, I stood up and jumped over the sandbags.

“Ah!”

Only to trip and fall face-first.

“….”

A moment of silence.

For a brief second, I wondered if the entire battlefield had gone silent, but no, that couldn’t be right. It was just my imagination.

Probably only Jennifer, who was observing from above, and Mia Crowfield, who was watching from behind, had seen me fall.

How embarrassing.

Let’s try again.

*

Fortunately, this time I didn’t fall. Upon closer inspection, there was a small stone in front of the sandbags. I must have tripped over it.

Alright.

Satisfied that I had jumped over the sandbags more gracefully this time, I started running forward. I avoided looking up at the light and kept my gaze low, advancing in a zigzag pattern.

No gunfire came my way.

I figured that students from the other noble squads had managed to get past the sandbags, too. I could hear footsteps and the sounds of something being swung on the other side, which suggested they were panicking as well.

After sprinting with all my strength, I spotted another sandbag pile, even brighter than the midday sun. Gathering all my energy, I dived into the cover of the sandbags.

Chapter 41 : Hunting

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 41

EP.41 Hunting (5)

In the end, we won.

More than a third of the noble class were declared “dead,” but none of the students from my squad were among them. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if more than half had been eliminated, but we managed to finish the battle with fewer losses, largely thanks to the magic Mia Crowfield had cast.

It seemed that many of the commoner class students were terrified by the sudden, incredibly bright ball of light flying over their heads. Even though they knew logically that no truly dangerous magic would be used in this situation, seeing it with their own eyes was a different story.

Furthermore, the magic wasn’t completely ineffective—it at least obscured their vision. Because of that, the students who were hit by gunfire and eliminated were primarily those from the noble class who had initiated the charge.

Had we been carrying only swords when we approached the sandbags, we might have faced heavier casualties. However, all of the students in my squad were armed with shotguns.

Though they only held two rounds each, they were double-barrel shotguns that didn’t require pumping between shots. It shouldn’t have been too difficult for them to take down the enemies at close range. And after firing, they switched to swords, likely causing even more chaos among the commoners.

Bayonet combat wasn’t just effective because of the close-quarters sword fighting. Being stabbed by a sword and the fear of someone charging at you with a deadly weapon could be terrifying. The common belief that nobles were skilled with swords made it even more overwhelming for the commoners.

So, by the time I crossed the sandbags, the noble class students had almost secured victory.

All I did was take down two or three more enemies after crossing. They didn’t physically injure because they weren’t hit by real bullets.

“Your shooting was impressive.”

Alice commented after the battle ended.

“When we charged in, everyone was crouched behind the sandbags. They seemed to think they’d get shot if they poked their heads out.”

…Honestly, knowing their positions beforehand played a big role for me.

And every time I missed a shot, or hit one of my own allies, I simply reset the time. Of course, to the others, it must have looked like I was hitting targets with pinpoint accuracy from the start.

“…Yeah.”

I replied.

As Alice and I stood near the sandbags that had been used by the commoner class, someone suddenly joined our conversation.

“I’m curious how you managed to hit your targets in such a blinding situation.”

Even though the ball of light created by magic had a range limit, it wasn’t far enough to completely obscure the commoner class students. From Jennifer’s high vantage point on the platform, she could see most of the commoner class students and make elimination calls.

From Jennifer’s perspective, my shooting must have seemed strange, hitting the commoner class students so accurately.

“…”

“…Hmm.”

The problem was, I had no way to explain it. Telling her I reset the time would be dangerous for several reasons. If I told my classmates, they’d probably brush it off as a joke, but Jennifer was different. Beneath her outward appearance, she was someone who took everything seriously. Even if she didn’t believe me immediately, she’d be the type to investigate it as a “possibility.”

Not only Jennifer, but the Emperor and all my other siblings were the same. There was a reason I never spoke of my abilities to anyone, even as a joke.

“Well, alright.”

Jennifer shrugged, crossing her arms.

“Normally, I would have something to say about executing such a risky plan. It looked like you were just running on pure luck.”

…Not that there were any other options.

We didn’t have mortars or howitzers, and the distance was too close for such weapons anyway. The situation was more akin to urban warfare than actual trench warfare.

Jennifer probably wanted us to experience firsthand how dangerous a battlefield could be.

That was the conclusion in the original story as well. “But on the battlefield, even lucks are results. Well done.” Jennifer had probably said something like that in the original story. It wasn’t crystal clear in my memory, though.

“But… your shooting…”

Jennifer looked at me intently.

“…It didn’t seem like you were just shooting on instinct. It was as if you knew exactly where they would appear. So… yeah, calling it ‘luck’ wouldn’t do it justice, would it?”

It was just luck, though.

Of course, I had reset the time several times, turning that luck into inevitability. Honestly, I probably fired far more than just seven or eight bullets.

Every time one of my teammates was about to be eliminated, I reset the time and fired wildly in the direction where a bullet might have come from.

That’s another difference between this and real combat. Since our guns weren’t loaded with actual gunpowder, there was no gunshot sound. No one could tell where or who was hit. All I could do was reset time and slowly adjust my aim, praying for a hit.

If that wasn’t luck, what was that?

Not that I wanted real combat. I didn’t want to see characters I cared about actually get injured or die from gunfire.

“Because of you, my entire plan fell apart.”

Jennifer said, glancing at the commoner students who were now watching us from a distance, some looking thoroughly defeated.

She had intended to show that even commoners could use firearms to defeat nobles, but our side had far fewer casualties, leading to the conclusion that “nobles can overturn even such situations.” Especially since the commoner class had twice the number of students as the noble class.

I noticed a few familiar faces among the commoner class—characters who, in the original story, would go on to become part of the protagonist’s party. Some looked completely disheartened, while others gazed at us with curiosity and interest.

Maybe I should talk to them next time.

My affection didn’t discriminate between commoners and nobles. In fact, some of my favorite characters had been commoners.

“Well, alright. There’s no rule that says commoners can’t become officers. If anything, today will serve as a valuable lesson for them. It proves that battlefields are full of monsters with absurd skills.”

That much was true.

This world was indeed filled with freaks who could dominate the battlefield with nothing but a sword in hand.

“Anyway, those who lead their side to victory deserve a reward.”

Jennifer said as she reached into the pocket of her jacket.

Oh.

As expected, what used to be a simple notification of “You have obtained such-and-such item” in the game had transformed into spoken words in this world. It was much more natural than just finding it in my pocket out of nowhere.

“Take it.”

Jennifer handed me a gem that looked like a ruby, carved into a spherical shape.

It was a Marmaros.

The name, derived from the Greek word for marble, was fitting. The gemstone glowed softly with a red hue, living up to its name, which meant “shining stone.” Anyone could tell just by looking at it that it had magical properties.

When I picked up the stone from Jennifer’s palm, it felt pleasantly warm where my skin touched it. Not so hot that it would burn, but like something you’d want to hold in the dead of winter, the perfect warmth for a hand warmer.

Of course, it would be a rather expensive hand warmer.

A Marmaros was a refined magic stone. Magic stones generally had an inherent “element,” but most were a chaotic mixture of attributes, making them difficult to use for specific purposes. Magic stones that were too impure to refine were simply used as fuel. However, there were rare instances of magic stones that contained nearly pure attributes. By carefully carving out the elemental part and magically processing it for safe use, you’d get a Marmaros like this one.

In the original story, equipping a Marmaros onto a weapon could alter its elemental properties or even add extra damage.

I assumed the same rules would apply here.

“It’s a fire-element Marmaros. It’s yours now, so use it as you see fit.”

I nodded in response.

In the later stages of the game, Marmaros stones became quite abundant. Some could even possess two or three elements at once and still be just as powerful as those with a single pure attribute. Of course, those more advanced stones weren’t mined from the ground but were obtained by defeating high-ranking monsters.

So, this item was valuable now. In the game, the later stages passed quickly, but in this real world where I live day by day, a year felt like a long time.

“If you want, I can introduce you to a craftsman. I’ll also return the gun you entrusted me with. To be honest, I’m quite curious about how you intend to use that Marmaros.”

… That wasn’t part of the original story.

Well, I had a rough idea of who the craftsman might be.

“Thank you.”

I replied, slightly bowing my head toward Jennifer.

*

“So, where are you going to use that? On a gun, I assume?”

Alice asked.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

However, I was still considering which firearm to use it on.

I had come to realize that this world differed from the original game in subtle but significant ways. In the game, only certain people could wield specific weapons. But here, people were casually using both guns and swords together. That meant “bullets” were likely bound by physical laws as well.

In the original game, you could attach a Marmaros to your gun to give the bullets special elemental powers. So, I assumed that part would work the same here.

But how exactly would a “fire-element” bullet manifest?

There didn’t seem to be much point in just making the bullet hotter. Bullets were already heated as they traveled through the air anyway.

If the gun barrel were to get too hot, that would lead to a malfunction, and in a battlefield, a malfunctioning weapon meant death. Even though I could reset the time, I’d rather avoid dying.

Besides, I had never actually died before. The first time I reset the time? I wasn’t even sure if I had died then. Maybe I had just been knocked unconscious. So, unless I was left with no other choice, I would try to avoid dying at all costs. And by “no other choice,” I meant a situation where I wouldn’t even realize I was dying.

It’s best to avoid creating such situations altogether.

“I’ll take some time to think about it and consider which firearm would be most advantageous to equip it on.”

“Well, they say you can reuse it anyway, so no need to worry too much, right?”

…That was a good point. That was a relief. In the original story, you could take it out and equip it on another weapon if needed, so it made sense it would work the same way here.

“…”

“…”

And then we walked in silence for a while.

The group consisted of the same six who had been gathered at the training field earlier: me, Alice, Claire, Leo, Charlotte… and Mia Crowfield. Mia seemed uncomfortable, as if she had accidentally ended up tagging along, her expression awkward. Her awkwardness seemed contagious, and the rest of us found ourselves walking quietly as well.

We had all grown up in noble society, so we could read the room—

“Oh, right!”

Or maybe not.

The one to break the silence with a voice far too bright for the atmosphere was Claire.

“Shall we go to a café after class? I found a place that has great parfaits.”

“…Shall we?”

Alice, seemingly relieved by the change in topic, was the first to respond.

“Parfaits, huh? There were quite a few excellent cafés in Lutetia as well… Alright, it might be fun to compare which is better—Runedarium or Lutetia.”

Then the three of them turned to look at me, Leo, and Mia Crowfield.

“…”

For a moment, none of us said anything.

Well, there wasn’t really a reason to refuse, right?

These were all characters I had been fond of. As a fan, it wouldn’t be right not to go along with them in a situation like this.

Chapter 42 : Debate

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 42

EP.42 Debate

There was a meme about how British food was tasteless, but honestly, I didn’t fully agree with it. Take fish and chips for example, the quintessential British dish. It was a combination of fried fish and fried potatoes—how could that be bad? Sure, it could get greasy, but it was not without flavor. Of course, if someone hates fish, that might be a different story.

When I actually tried it, I found it quite tasty. The problem, though, was that the version I had was in my previous life, in Korea.

Now, the ingredients might differ depending on the region, but I couldn’t imagine that the taste of fish and chips in England would be drastically different. Maybe they used a bit more oil or sprinkle vinegar on it, which could change the aroma, but at the end of the day, it was still just fish dipped in flour and fried. How different could it be?

I’ve heard that there’s actually quite a lot of edible English food, even if it was not necessarily fish and chips… I didn’t even need to hear someone defend it. It was common for subcultures that were popular among otakus to depict specific races or nationalities in a stereotypical way. Honestly, I thought British food was a similar case.

The real issue, though, was that this world wasn’t Korea, nor was it England—it was the Aetherna Empire.

Right. A world that didn’t exist in reality. Or rather, since this was my reality now, it was a world that didn’t exist on “Earth.”

But here’s the thing.

The game series set in this world was called The Chronicles of Aetherna, developed by Millennium Corp., a company based in Japan. And in Japanese subculture, whenever “foreign cuisine” was mentioned, British food always seemed to come up. British people were often portrayed as bad cooks, or British cuisine was depicted as inedible.

Aetherna, in fact, drew some of its inspiration from the British Empire. It was even set during a time resembling the Industrial Revolution, when life for the lower classes—except for the nobility—was utterly miserable.

So, yes. The food in the Aetherna Empire? For the most part, it was terrible.

Oh, the meats were generally good. If it was something simple, like a steak—just grilled meat—it would taste fine. Desserts weren’t bad either, and neither were the tea and biscuits served at tea time.

But those were luxury foods, weren’t they? The kinds of dishes wealthy people leisurely enjoyed. And if you pour enough money into making something, it was bound to taste good.

Whenever I wandered around Runedarium to familiarize myself with the geography, I would sometimes buy food from street vendors or small eateries. Street food that cost only a few pence? Most of it was barely edible.

Seriously.

When you think of “fish and chips,” you probably imagine crispy, golden-brown fried fish—at worst, a bit soggy—alongside crispy or somewhat soggy, but still decent, chips. But in this world, the fish and chips were far from the quality you’d expect.

It was the Industrial Revolution. The era when everything shifted toward mass production. The fish that served as the raw ingredient for fish and chips—usually cod—was caught in huge quantities using steam-powered ships.

And the best way to handle such massive amounts of fish at once? Throw them into boiling oil and fry them all together, without much care for quality.

The fish and chips in this world were made from low-quality fish, often near spoiled, and fried in equally poor-quality oil. The flour coating was just a way to prevent the fish from being completely soaked in grease. This resulted in a dish that was simply “cooked,” with little concern for taste or texture. Most people would peel off the greasy batter and discard it, eating only the fish inside. And no, the fish here wasn’t deboned like in fish cutlets. You had to pick through the bones and eat the white flesh, which wasn’t even as good as simply grilled fish.

It wasn’t just fish and chips either. Most commoner food in this world was made solely for survival, with little attention paid to flavor or enjoyment.

Have you ever had a sandwich made by toasting bread, seasoning it with salt, and then putting it between two slices of bread? I had. I tried one once, and it tasted like dry, salty bread. Seriously, who thought of selling this? Making it was one thing, but selling it? I hope this monstrosity didn’t exist on Earth.

After that experience, I stopped eating “commoner food” in this world. There was curry imported from the colonies, but even with my Korean taste buds, I couldn’t get used to the unfamiliar spices.

The only dishes that suited my palate were black pudding, which reminded me of sundae (a Korean sausage), and sauerkraut, which came from the Empire’s other cultural inspiration, Germany. But neither of these were main dishes, and both were unpopular enough that I doubted “cool beauty” types would like them.

“Ta-da!”

Claire exclaimed, proudly showing us the food she had picked up after ordering our drinks.

The dish in front of us was so impressive it shattered my preconceived notions about commoner food.

Or, well, maybe it wasn’t technically “commoner food.” It wasn’t particularly cheap, but it wasn’t priced out of reach for the average citizen either. If a commoner really splurged, they could afford it—though their meals might be scarce for the next week. Then again, we weren’t exactly in a poor neighborhood. This part of the Aetherna Empire was one of the most well-off and safest areas.

The parfait was made with tropical fruits, probably mango, as the base, topped with a generous amount of whipped cream, followed by more fruit, another layer of whipped cream, and various other fruits. It was served in a glass cup, making it look almost like a cake.

“This is the café’s specialty, parfait!”

There wasn’t just one type; there were various kinds.

“I didn’t expect much for the price, but this is impressive.”

Alice remarked, her voice filled with genuine admiration.

“Right? I also ordered it without expecting much!”

Claire replied cheerfully.

If any workers from the Aetherna Empire had overheard their conversation, they might’ve felt a revolutionary spirit stir within them. This parfait was an indulgence far beyond the reach of the proletariat of this world.

Of course, by noble standards, it was still considered cheap, especially for Alice, who was a princess.

“Impressive. It doesn’t seem much different from what I’ve seen in my homeland.”

Since the word parfait was French, it was likely a common dessert in Velbur, a fictional country with cultural motifs blending French and Belgian elements.

“Still, you never really know until you taste it.”

Charlotte said, with a slightly eager expression.

“Honestly, the bread from the academy wasn’t that good.”

Charlotte remarked.

“Huh?”

Alice’s head whipped around at Charlotte’s comment.

“Wait… are you saying the academy food isn’t tasty?”

Not only Alice, but Claire, Leo, and even Mia Crowfield were staring at Charlotte in shock.

“Uh… yes? Are you telling me you think that bread is good?”

Charlotte blinked, her expression showing she was just as shocked by their reactions.

“What do you mean? It is good, right?”

Alice, sounding baffled, looked over at Claire and Leo, who nodded in agreement.

The bread was delicious, actually. In fact, it might even have been better than most bread I had back in Korea. The majority of what I ate was mass-produced convenience store bread. But here, every loaf was baked with care, making it hard not to enjoy.

However, Charlotte was from Velbur, the “Kingdom of Taste,” and one of its cultural inspirations was France.

France. The country where the method of making baguettes was so sacred that it was literally written into law.

If the Aetherna Empire was known for its meat, tea, and cookies, then the Kingdom of Velbrun was the land of bread, wine, and chocolate.

Even though Aetherna’s bread was of the highest quality due to its British-inspired cultural roots, it seemed the creators of this world wanted each country to have its own distinct flair. In this world, Velbur was considered the place with the best bread. This was so official it was even mentioned in the lore books. Whether one liked it or not, it was “canon.” In this world, it was practically common knowledge.

“Alice, haven’t you been to the Kingdom of Velbur before? Didn’t you try the bread?”

Charlotte asked.

“Yes, it was great, but just because one thing is good doesn’t mean the other is bad. You could say it’s ‘better,’ sure, but—”

“No, that’s not the case at all. Aetherna’s bread just isn’t good.”

By the way, the word “bread” in this world came from Velbur’s language.

“But I mean, they’re both good, Velbur’s is just better, right?”

Alice, likely holding onto her pride as an imperial princess, clearly didn’t want to back down.

“To say Velbur’s bread is better implies that Aetherna’s bread is worse, and that means Velbur’s bread is superior. Honestly, objectively speaking, can we really say Aetherna food is delicious? All they do is bake, boil, or roast fresh ingredients. That’s it.”

“W-what!?”

Alice looked utterly flabbergasted.

“By that logic, Velbur’s dishes that drown everything in wine without preserving the original flavors are the real culinary sin! Aren’t you even a little sorry for the cows that gave their lives only to be drowned in wine!?”

Velbur cuisine was indeed famous for its frequent use of wine, even among the lower classes, because the country produced so much of it.

Even among the nobles and royalty of the Aetherna Empire, Velbur wine was considered the best.

“Velbur wine is objectively the best, though. Of course, the food made with such ingredients would be the best as well. Besides, the very dessert we’re eating right now originated from the Kingdom of Velbur.”

“E-excuse me! The Empire has plenty of delicious desserts, too!”

Alice snapped back.

“The delicious dessert we are about to eat is from the Kingdom of Velbur, isn’t it?”

Charlotte pointed out with a subtle smile.

“Well, it’s not like we can only eat Aetherna Empire food all the time!”

Alice shot back.

“I can live just fine eating only Velbur food.”

Charlotte countered smoothly.

“That’s… that’s not what I’m trying to say here…!”

Alice stumbled over her words, clearly flustered.

“…Sister?”

Their heated argument was suddenly cut off.

Arguing about food was pointless. Sure, the Empire’s British inspiration was often emphasized, but one of Aetherna’s cultural influences was also Germany. In this world, sausages were a signature Aetherna dish. Just thinking about sausages brought the Empire to mind, so why were they debating so fervently over bread? If it tastes good, that’s what matters.

“…Sister, you’re smiling…?”

Claire was the first to notice, her mouth dropping open. Next was Leo, and finally, Alice and Charlotte were simultaneously struck with shock.

Mia Crowfield looked confused, as if she hadn’t fully grasped what was going on.

“…Sylvia?”

“Is this parfait really that delicious…!?”

Alice muttered my name with a dazed expression, and Charlotte asked me with a shocked expression.

Delicious was an understatement.

Having tried some of the commoner food in this world, I had learned to truly appreciate a dish like this.

The key to enjoying good food wasn’t to debate about it but humbly savoring it.

Anyone who didn’t smile after tasting such a sweet and exquisite dessert either had broken taste buds or lacked emotions altogether.

…Though, I wasn’t ready to let them see me smile just yet.

A smile should be reserved for truly important moments.

Besides…

With a motion fitting of a princess, I gracefully picked up a napkin and wiped the whipped cream from the corner of my mouth.

Then I took a small breath and murmured.

“Again.”

Since it had come to this, I might as well indulge in all the parfaits laid out before me.

Chapter 43 : The Early Bird

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 43

EP.43 The Early Bird (1)

…Alice had been reading my expressions more frequently these days.

No, it wasn’t just that. It had become a daily routine for her to read my face. In fact, it wasn’t all that long ago when she started to seriously decipher my expressions. Back when Alice viewed me as a sort of “rival,” she had little interest in reading my face. To be exact, she wasn’t interested in that at all. Even though she had some degree of interest in me, she’d never cared much about what I did personally.

But at some point, she started becoming more familiar with me on a personal level, and now, she had gotten to the point where she could read my expressions with ease.

If I had to pinpoint when exactly that change happened…

It must have been since that trilateral conference.

Before then, I had started to feel like we were growing closer. It made sense, in a way. No matter what else was true, I was the same age as Alice, and I was the only peer in the imperial palace that she could casually speak with. There were maids around Alice’s age, but they were still maids. To be a maid in the imperial palace, one had to at least come from a noble family of count rank or higher. These girls were acutely aware of the social distance between themselves and the princess, so becoming friends with her was out of the question. Alice hadn’t made much effort to act friendly with them either.

And most importantly, I had always been diplomatic towards Alice.

She was the main heroine of the game, after all. Having spent hours staring at her face—well, technically a polygonal version of it—while playing the game, I’d developed a sense of familiarity with her. That familiarity often bled through in the way I interacted with her.

Plus, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her.

Claire, the person Alice had felt inferior to, was no longer around, but I had appeared to take her place. Though I didn’t tease Alice as actively as Claire did, my abilities were on par with hers. In fact, considering how the Emperor and the people around him viewed me, Alice might have seen me as a superior version of Claire. If I had mocked or looked down on Alice as well, her self-esteem might have crumbled completely.

Whether I was truly a mature person or not wasn’t important—I had no intention of tormenting a girl more than ten years younger than me. I’d tried to boost Alice’s confidence in various ways, even giving her space when needed. So, if Alice still felt distant from me, I would have been pretty hurt.

“Did you not sleep well last night?”

Alice asked, her expression full of concern.

“…”

How did she manage to read my expression so well? Especially when I’d made a conscious effort to ensure my face didn’t reveal anything before leaving the room this morning. I’d checked myself in the mirror, carefully making sure I didn’t look tired or worn out.

My neutral expression had been crafted meticulously. Not just a simple “blank face,” but a look I had refined over time, correcting it whenever someone pointed out anything noticeable. It was a perfected blankness, so much so that even I struggled to read my own face at times.

How did she know? No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

“Sylvia?”

Alice’s concerned voice pulled me from my thoughts. I debated how to respond. After all, she wasn’t wrong.

I had woken up at 4 a.m. today.

*

At my core, I was a full-blown otaku.

In the past, I tried hard to deny it. But no matter how much effort I put into avoiding my tendencies, my hobbies always reverted to their original state. If I stopped watching Japanese anime and manga, I’d switch to Japanese or American dramas. When I quit collecting figurines, I’d move on to assembling plastic model kits. And when I quit otaku games, I found myself diving into Western games instead.

In the end, it all came full circle. I’d start assembling military models, then Gundam, followed by cute girl figures, and ultimately return to collecting action figures and statues of anime characters. It was the same with movies. I’d buy a Blu-ray of a regular film, only to find myself purchasing anime movie Blu-rays, eventually leading me to buy series and OVA Blu-rays.

After repeating this cycle for about ten years from my late teens, I decided to accept my true nature by the time I turned thirty.

Honestly, I wasn’t even trying to escape for seven of those ten years. I was still playing Chronicles of Aetherna the whole time, so any attempt to break free wasn’t a serious one to begin with.

As a die-hard otaku, I also devoured light novels and web novels endlessly.

By now, I knew almost all the typical things that happen in stories about protagonists being reincarnated into another world.

There’s one cliche that came to mind—a character was reincarnated, but instead of becoming the protagonist, they ended up as a supporting character. Then, they swoop in to claim the protagonist’s destined treasures or fortuitous encounters, eventually becoming stronger and more important than the main character.

I didn’t really have any plans to do that.

I had affection for all the characters—Leo, Claire, Alice, Charlotte, even Mia Crowfield, and the others who hadn’t yet joined the main group. I wanted them all to have their shining moments.

My only real goal was to ensure that none of the party members ended up dead. That’s all.

The problem was—

“…So, you’re telling me the request has already been completed?”

“Ah, y-yes, Your Highness. I sincerely apologize…”

Well, it was not really your fault.

As the trembling officer stood before me, I turned my head to glance at the clock. The large, weight-driven, spring-powered clock showed it was 6 a.m.

Right. Six in the morning.

“As far as I’m aware, the working hours begin at 6 a.m.”

That was correct. The academy staff typically began their shifts at six in the morning.

Of course, not all staff started at the same time. From what I had heard, there was a separate early morning shift for some employees.

Then, there were roles like the dormitory guards, who worked through the night.

And today was Sunday. Yesterday and today were both rest days. Naturally, the students didn’t have any classes. While there were no formal lessons, some students still chose to participate in volunteer activities.

In this world, there are no common part-time jobs like the Adventurer’s Guild, which often appears in fantasy novels. The Empire was fundamentally a centralized nation ruled by an Emperor, and other kingdoms were similar. While there were a few noble republics, even they didn’t entrust law and order to organizations like an Adventurer’s Guild.

This era was the dawn of the concept of ‘nations.’ The argument Alice and Charlotte had after class on Friday reflected how such ideas were starting to influence young minds. And, of course, the best way to demonstrate the superiority of a nation was to show how good the living conditions were for the people. Public safety was a crucial part of that.

…Though, from my perspective as an orphan, the security wasn’t all that impressive. But for the middle class and above, it was probably a decent place to live, so I didn’t dwell on it.

Anyway, that’s why there were no Adventurer’s Guild. However, they couldn’t just remove the RPG staple of ‘quests’ entirely, so this world had its own version—the ‘volunteer service.’

The students admitted to the academy were strong, but the Empire’s security was still unstable in some areas. Not only in the nearby back alleys, but also on the roads between cities, there have been cases of human and material damages caused by beasts.

The volunteer service was meant to prevent and resolve such issues. But since it would be a bit much to offer no rewards at all, they’d come up with a system where people could offer gifts out of ‘goodwill’ in exchange for the services.

I had already received such a reward from Jennifer before. If it was a reward given directly by someone, I could expect it to end up in my hands more reliably.

“Ah, well…”

But then—

“I usually arrive around 5:30 to prepare for work. However…”

Here it comes.

“Well, there were some students already waiting by the door before that. I thought it was admirable…”

“…”

So, basically, at a place that officially started work at 6 a.m., these students had finished their quest early, parked themselves at the front, and then—

With impressive dedication, they caught the attention of the receptionist, who had arrived 30 minutes early to prepare for work, and received their reward before anyone else could.

Slowly, I raised my hand and pressed my fingers against the bridge of my nose.

It had been hard enough for me to get up at six, but these insane students had already completed their task and were waiting even earlier.

“Could you tell me the names of those students?”

At my question, the staff member hurriedly rummaged through the stack of documents on the desk.

Technically, revealing a student’s personal information just because someone asked wasn’t something a staff member should do. However, when the ‘Princess’ was standing in front of you with an unmistakably irritated expression, refusing her request wasn’t easy.

“Let’s see… Leo Grace and Claire Grace.”

“…”

Of course, it was them.

I took a deep breath and muttered quietly.

“…Again.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said again!”

*

Six in the morning.

Yes, six in the morning.

Which meant they had already finished their task and were waiting there even earlier. According to the staff, they arrived 30 minutes before, so they must have completed their task well before 5:30 a.m.

…Okay, to be fair, the official start time for the volunteer work was exactly 6 a.m. The person who posted the quest must have done so the previous evening, as part of their closing duties. They likely posted the requests just before finishing for the day.

The requests were complaints from residents and government agencies, selected to be manageable for students. So, if someone had tried to bend the rules, they could have started working on it from the night before.

But I didn’t think Leo and Claire would have tried to cut corners like that. After all, “Fair and Square” was the motto of the Grace family.

So, they must have started working as soon as the new day began.

Besides, no one in their right mind would stay up all night just to get ahead on a task like this. It was still early in the story. A side quest this early wouldn’t have a significant impact on the main storyline.

That’s why I decided to aim for 5 a.m.

The night before, I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m., planning to wake up early, get ready, and head out. I didn’t want to show up looking like a mess, half-asleep—it would ruin my image.

And then I failed to wake up.

I barely managed to wake up at 4:50 a.m. Grateful that I kept my hair short and not long, I rushed through getting ready, then bolted out of the dormitory and sprinted at full speed.

Only to realize something crucial.

It would take at least two hours to reach the quest location on foot.

In a game, you can just skip the travel time between zones, and time didn’t pass until you trigger the event. But reality was different.

The quest location was outside the capital, in a rural area, where they needed help dealing with troublesome beasts.

And, of course, the capital was absurdly large.

So, Leo and Claire must have gotten up even earlier, taken a carriage, and headed out to complete the quest.

…But why?

Chapter 44 : The Early Bird

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 44

EP.44 The Early Bird (2)

Honestly, I was curious.

How did they find the time to travel all over the huge empire, do all the side quests, and experience every relationship event?

Of course, I’ve never seriously considered such settings or delved into them. After all, there was no such thing as a “second playthrough” in real life. From that perspective, the protagonist’s life could only be limited to the first playthrough, and in that first playthrough, the protagonist could never see all the relationship quests.

Some side quests were often hidden, so if you forgot to talk to an NPC, you’d miss them entirely.

So, I just thought of it as “game logic.” Just like how FPS characters didn’t die from a single bullet and could walk around shrugging off gunshots with a bit of body armor, RPGs simplify time concepts to avoid making the game too difficult for the player.

But what happened when that logic crossed over into reality?

In an FPS, the protagonist would be so amazing that they wouldn’t get hit by bullets, taking out every enemy in their path. In a game, you might die multiple times, but you couldn’t afford to do so in reality.

So, what about the unique time concept of an RPG?

The answer was simple: cramming everything into a limited timeframe.

In the game, there weren’t important events every weekend. If there were, the game would be too long. So, there were three important weekends in the first half of the game and two in the second half before the main story took the protagonists out of the academy.

And there were a total of seven side quests that happened on these important weekends: three in the morning, three in the afternoon, and one at night. Morning, of course, means “morning”—the time from when you wake up until lunch. Generally, this runs from 7 a.m. to noon. Within that time, you had to complete “three” quests.

Wait, logically, wouldn’t it make more sense to have four in the afternoon and three in the morning? No matter how I think about it, the morning slot felt excessively narrow, didn’t it?

Moreover, side quests weren’t the only problem. The “relationship events” between characters also overlap with the concepts of morning, afternoon, and night. Side quests and relationship events were separate entities, and those relationship events didn’t just consist of brief conversations; they often involved errands, consultations, training, studying, helping with a request, and so on—stories that could easily take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour to complete.

Given that, if we assume that experiencing all those relationship events was the goal, it was indeed the right choice to finish the side quests with no time limit early on.

…But still.

“Four in the morning…?”

Four a.m.?

They were already out in the wild, hunting beasts at that hour?! Were they out of their minds?

And it was just Leo and Claire.

Oh, right, I remember seeing in the game that the academy had a 24-hour carriage service that was very reliable. It went directly between stations without getting lost or being robbed. It always followed the schedule, so even local people used it. Of course, they charged the students for it.

It seemed that the 24-hour carriage service was running for the sake of people like Leo and Claire, who moved around at such odd hours. However, I never thought there would actually be those who rode this carriage in the dark, pre-dawn hours.

“Huh? Sylvia?”

Claire turned around at the sound of my footsteps, having just defeated the elemental beast. The streetlights were bright, so I could clearly see Claire’s slightly dazed expression.

“…May I ask what you’re doing here at this hour?”

I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible to hide the fact that I had run all the way from the carriage.

“Huh? Uh…”

Did I look angry? Claire seemed a bit flustered as she glanced at Leo. He shook his head as if he didn’t understand the situation either.

“Well…”

Eventually, Claire opened her mouth, still not fully grasping the situation.

“Leo and I were doing early morning training—”

“…Early morning training?”

“Ah, yes.”

Even though I interrupted her, Claire continued to explain calmly, without looking particularly upset.

“Every morning, we do meditation and sword practice. We’ve been doing it consistently.”

“…Morning?”

I looked up at the sky.

It was starting to get light. But anyone could see it was still “night.” The sky was tinged with blue, but honestly, it looked more like the middle of the night than early morning.

“Uh, yes, and?”

Claire tilted her head in confusion.

So, they got up at four a.m. and—wait, no.

The fact that they were already doing meditation and sword practice at that time meant they woke up even earlier. Plus, it took quite a bit of time to get here. Even if the roads were clear, the only transportation available to us was the carriage.

They could have ridden horses, but I doubted they had horses. The academy had stables, but very few students brought personal horses. There were cars, but fewer students used cars than horses. Moreover, cars had many restrictions within the capital due to conflicts with carriage drivers.

Bicycles… They could have ridden bicycles. But I didn’t see any parked bicycles on the way here.

“Don’t you get tired waking up and moving around at such an hour?”

“Tired?”

Claire looked genuinely puzzled by my question. She then turned to look at Leo.

Leo also had a bewildered expression.

…I felt a strange, cold sensation. No, it wasn’t just the chilly early morning air. It was more like… a feeling from my mood, not my body.

“Uh… Well, it’s related to our energy, right?”

“Energy?”

Was he talking about some pseudo-religious nonsense?

“The first thing you learn in the Grace style is how to circulate clear energy through your body… To handle sword energy, you must always maintain a clear mind, and to do that, you can’t be tired. So, we always learn how to calm our minds through meditation…”

Leo explained this to me in a tone that suggested he was trying hard to suppress a more formal way of speaking.

Huh.

Energy? Clarity? Mind?

Are we reciting Buddhist scriptures in a steampunk fantasy set in the industrial age?

…

Ah, right.

Well, I already knew this.

This world casually used term like sword energy. Claire, who fought against me, also used sword energy. Sword energy in the Age of Enlightenment? What nonsense.

But surprise, surprise, this world had magic and magic stones! Absolutely! There was! No such thing!

“……”

That said, I had no idea whether meditation had any real benefits beyond mere self-hypnosis to alleviate mental and physical fatigue and clear one’s mind.

“So.”

I decided to ask one last time.

“Even if you don’t sleep long, you can drive away fatigue and maintain a clear mind through morning meditation? And you can still use your sword properly?”

“That’s… right?”

Leo answered as if wondering what was so strange about it.

Ah, so I was the odd one here.

I had been mistaken.

I should have considered that the protagonists would actually complete all the side quests in the game!

“…Hey.”

Wait a minute.

I felt a chill run down my spine again. It might have been my imagination, but it felt like my body temperature dropped by about two degrees.

The number of people that Leo, the protagonist, could take on side quests was limited to six, including Leo himself. Two of them were support characters who followed along.

Then, what about the remaining characters? Did they do side quests too?

What if the protagonist were to split the tasks with them?

“Sylvia? What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

As I stood there silently, sweat dripping from my forehead, Claire stepped closer, looking concerned.

“….”

I glanced at Claire and then…

I reset the time once more.

*

I needed to get a driver’s license. I wasn’t sure if such a system existed in this world, but learning how to drive a car seemed like the best option.

After all, horses required constant care. Cars needed maintenance too, but they were certainly easier to manage than living creatures. Plus, learning to drive a car would be much more convenient than horseback riding. If I were nearby, I could hop in anytime, just like now.

“….”

No matter what the coachman sitting on the driver’s seat said, I wouldn’t hear him well. Even without listening to his voice, I could sense from his demeanor that he found the situation extremely uncomfortable.

And it made sense.

The academy staff received important information about their students. Everyone likely knew I was a princess, and seeing me riding alone in a carriage at this hour would definitely make them uneasy.

Well, they might not think I was off to assassinate someone or anything like that.

“….”

If a high-ranking person with a bad temper sat there with a sullen expression, arms crossed, and staring ahead without saying a word, the coachman would probably wonder if he had done something wrong.

Of course, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

I was just annoyed by myself.

“We’ve arrived at the eastern road of the capital.”

“…Thank you.”

When the carriage stopped, and the coachman got down to open the door, I thanked him as I got off.

“The next carriage will arrive in thirty minutes. Is that alright with you?”

“It’s fine.”

Seeing my stiff response, the coachman must have sensed something was off because he quickly bowed and climbed back onto the driver’s seat.

“….”

I quietly watched the carriage disappear, then reached into the pocket of my coat to pull out my pocket watch.

Tick-tock. In the stillness of the night, the ticking sound seemed particularly loud.

“…Three-thirty.”

I quietly muttered and looked up at the sky.

The moon was bright.

…Huh.

After taking a deep breath, I started walking slowly.

Well, fine.

Let’s finish this quickly and go back.

At least I managed to get five hours of sleep since I had reset the time and went to bed early last night.

….

Should I learn that meditation thing too?

*

Elemental dogs weren’t particularly strong beasts. Despite being called “dogs,” they were larger than wolves, and their fur color and the effects around them vary based on their elemental attribute.

Of course, those “effects” manifested as real elements like wind, grass, fire, or ice in this reality.

I had already encountered these creatures several times before. They made good targets for shooting practice.

The quest request stated, “An elemental dog has appeared on the road, threatening people. Please deal with it.”

The elemental dog that appeared before me had green fur and seemed to be surrounded by swirling winds. I was sure if I caught it and brought it to Earth, I could sell it for a good price.

But here, it was just a common sight.

“……Hah.”

Suddenly, I slipped into a contemplative state.

So, did I wake up early in the morning just to catch this one creature? And I already knew it would be a monster like this?

“……Grrr.”

The elemental dog growled, keeping its distance as if it understood how dangerous a lone human could be.

“……”

Click.

I looked at the dog and silently pulled the bolt back, loading a bullet into the chamber.

Chapter 45 : The Early Bird

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 45

EP.45 The Early Bird (3)

The reason the academy operated a 24-hour carriage service and had staff managing students’ weapons around the clock was precisely because of situations like this.

Even in the middle of the night, students might need to take their weapons and return home. It was not just weapons; there were students who need to pack their belongings and leave as well.

If students needed to pack up and leave in the middle of the night, one might imagine they were running away. While such cases exist, more often than not, it was because of an unexpected family emergency.

For instance, the head of the family might pass away, requiring an immediate succession, or there might be a rushed wedding, or in extreme cases, a family might need to participate in a border conflict.

The noble society was always prone to unexpected variables. And since attending the academy wasn’t mandatory, if a situation arose that required them to quit, it was often better to do so.

That’s why, even though the academy took in a full batch of students each year, about 10 percent end up leaving before graduation for various reasons.

…And here I was, using that emergency system just to deal with a single elemental dog.

“….”

Well, not that it would lead to any consequences in my school life. It was just… well. In hindsight, I wondered if it might have been better to simply buy the quest reward with money.

Leo and Claire might find that a bit difficult. The Baron Grace family wasn’t poor, but it’s not like they would allow either of them to waste money on unnecessary things. In the game, the setting was that they only received just enough living expenses. Upgrading weapons fully without quests was nearly impossible with just their regular income.

While the main quest provided some money, even if you didn’t do any side quests, it was not nearly enough to equip all the characters with top-tier gear.

In the first playthrough, if you didn’t focus your resources on your main characters, the finances became quite tight. There were plenty of things to spend money on beyond weapons and armor—like the Marmaros gear.

But I was a princess.

If I really needed something, couldn’t I just write a letter to the Emperor and ask for it?

…That thought only crossed my mind just now.

“….”

My butt felt slightly cold.

I got up. I had dragged the corpse over and was sitting on it, having tied a rope around it. As expected of a wind-element creature, the corpse was disgustingly cold. If it had been an ice attribute, I wouldn’t have even considered sitting on it.

Even though it was late April, it was still cold in the early morning. Even with a coat draped over my shoulders, a cold draft snuck its way through.

…Should I just wear it properly instead of draping it over my shoulders?

“….”

I rested my chin on my hand and seriously considered it.

Then I dismissed the idea.

It looked way cooler draped over my shoulders.

I’m not trying to be edgy, but in this world, many soldiers wore their coats draped over their shoulders. Jennifer did it, and so did other soldiers. So, if you think about it by this world’s standards, it’s considered the latest trend. It’s better to follow the trend, even slightly, than to look unfashionable and awkward.

Besides, my coat already had a strap at the front, like a cloak, so it was meant to be worn draped over the shoulders.

Even the naval officers in One Piece draped their coats over their shoulders, right? By Japanese subculture standards, it was a pretty common sight.

As I stared down at the corpse of the Elemental Dog with a hole in its head, I heard the sound of horse hooves clopping in the distance.

“Sylvia?”

Claire’s surprised voice reached me.

I turned my head to see Claire looking at me through the window of the carriage.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Claire jumped out before the coachman could even get down to open the door.

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

That was what I wanted to ask.

It was because of you two in the first place.

Of course, I couldn’t say that after turning back time.

“…I took the opportunity to complete a request posted on the bulletin board while I was out.”

“At this hour?”

So, you two being out at this hour was any different?

Ah, well, from their perspective, it might seem like I woke up incredibly early. Even if they only slept a few hours a day, they could meditate and train… Anyway, it seemed this hour was early even by their standards.

“Did you have something to do?”

“….”

Not really.

Saying that I got up earlier because I didn’t want them completing the quests before me sounded a bit petty. It’s not like they could understand even if I told them the truth, and I couldn’t exactly reveal that I reset the time.

But as I hesitated to answer, Claire’s expression softened, as if she had misunderstood my silence.

“I wonder if it might have something to do with the imperial family…”

Hmm.

“I’m afraid I cannot tell you right now.”

I decided to go with that vague response, since I didn’t have much else to say.

After all, it wasn’t a lie. I hadn’t said I was here because of imperial orders. Plus, there were reasons why I couldn’t explain everything just yet.

At my response, Claire pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

“Could you help me load this corpse into the carriage?”

“Oh, yes.”

When I asked the coachman, who was worried we wouldn’t get back in the carriage, he quickly opened the trunk at the back and pulled out a thick, waterproof cloth. As expected from a carriage operated by the Academy. It seemed that students often carried various things as evidence after completing quests.

The game allowed players to easily obtain Marmaros fragments by hunting beasts, but in the real world, it was not that simple. To get Marmaros, you have to process the bodies of monsters using a specific method.

Since I didn’t know the details of that process, it was safer to bring the entire corpse instead of just part of it.

Claire and Leo probably did the same.

To prevent blood from leaking and staining the trunk, we wrapped the corpse tightly in several layers before loading it into the trunk together. After that, we got back into the carriage.

“By the way, Sylvia, you’re amazing.”

Claire said with a smile as we rode back in the carriage.

“Taking down a beast with a single shot to the head.”

“It wasn’t a particularly challenging beast, even for the two of you.”

Besides, I had plenty of time to get it in one shot. If I had missed, I could just reset the time.

“No, still. Something that big would be hard to take down cleanly with a single sword strike.”

Claire said, glancing at Leo, who nodded in agreement. There was a hint of genuine admiration in his eyes, which was surprising.

“Well, I suppose it’s a bit late to be surprised. After all, Sylvia once managed to hit her target even when she could barely see.”

“…It’s nothing special.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed by Claire’s praise, I turned my gaze to the window, trying to keep my expression neutral.

*

“The corpse is in excellent condition. I’m sure we’ll be able to refine high-quality Marmaros from it.”

The academy staff member also seemed a bit impressed as he inspected the corpse with just a single bullet hole in the head.

“But refining Marmaros takes time. So, I’ll give you a Marmaros of the same attribute as this Elemental Dog. Is that acceptable?”

“That’s fine.”

I nodded.

So, the reward was given that way.

Regardless of the process, the result was essentially the same as in the game. The Marmaros I received would likely have been refined from other Elemental Dogs or similar beasts.

Marmaros, whether it was refined from magic stones or extracted from creatures with special abilities, was essentially the same material. However, the processes had their respective advantages and disadvantages. Mining pure magic stones from deep in the earth yielded a large quantity of high-quality Marmaros, but mining itself was dangerous.

On the other hand, extracting Marmaros from beasts was relatively stable, but finding beasts of high enough quality to yield excellent Marmaros was rare.

The Marmaros I received this time was much smaller and less impressive than the one I’d gotten from Jennifer before. Still, it wasn’t useless. In the game, its attribute values were slightly lower, but that actually made it more useful for filling small gaps without taking up too many slots.

People generally thought that Marmaros was found in many places. The game’s lore said that it formed when powerful magic stones gathered in areas where magic energy was strong. Also, it could be found in the bodies of very dangerous creatures that hunted other animals. This information was explained in the game’s guide.

If one were to ask whether Marmaros could be extracted from humans, given that they are considered ‘top predators’—

The answer would be yes. The highest quality Marmaros could be extracted from humans. Unlike beasts, humans didn’t have magic enveloping their entire bodies, but they used the magic within them to cast spells and emit sword energy. It would be stranger if Marmaros couldn’t be extracted from them.

Of course, this was generally a taboo act. But in works that include such settings, there were always characters who ignore common sense.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Your Highness. Since you’re the first to successfully complete this quest, you’ll be a role model for many of the students.”

No, I’d prefer not to be.

If all the students at the academy decided to diligently follow my example, the rewards I could obtain would diminish. After all, quest rewards improved as you progressed.

After completing the request and stepping outside, I handed the Marmaros I was holding to Claire.

“Take this.”

“Huh?”

Caught off guard, Claire accepted the Marmaros with a blank expression.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t particularly need it.”

Indeed, I didn’t need it. After obtaining it, I realized it wasn’t worth all the effort.

“Oh, uh, thanks?”

Claire responded awkwardly, still a bit dazed, while Leo, standing beside her, just stared at us in confusion. Without saying more, I turned around.

…I should just go back and get some sleep.

*

“…I’m not particularly tired.”

Despite my response, Alice looked at me with complete disbelief. Her eyes narrowed. I had been seeing that expression more often lately.

“Is it something related to your father?”

Why did everyone keep thinking the same thing?

Well, it made sense to be suspicious of the Emperor. He practically screamed, “I’m plotting something.” Who would trust someone like that?

So, I decided to shift all misunderstandings onto the Emperor.

He was already under suspicion, so what harm could adding a bit more do?

Besides, I didn’t even have to lie.

“….”

I just had to keep my mouth shut and stay silent.

“….”

Alice’s eyes narrowed even further as she looked at me.

I apologize, Your Majesty.

If you don’t like it, maybe try being a better person.

Or, blame the protagonists who start training at 3 a.m.

Chapter 46 : Plan

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 46

EP.46 Plan (1)

Alright. Let’s make a plan.

No matter how good one’s memory was, it was impossible to remember every single detail of a game’s lore. Even among hardcore fans, there weren’t many who could recite their favorite game’s script from start to finish without missing a word.

This was evident from the fact that not many people bother to translate the lore of their favorite games. Many didn’t even read the walkthroughs because they find learning a foreign language too bothersome. So, how many would take on the unnecessary task of memorizing every line of dialogue?

Even though I replayed the game several times to write walkthroughs, completed it more times just for fun, and even compared the original and translated versions to point out any translations or tones that didn’t sit well with me to the publisher, I still didn’t memorize all the lines.

But games weren’t meant to be “studied and memorized” like that.

Unless it was a text-based game, most games—whether 2D or 3D—offer an environment where the player could move the characters. Unless someone had serious spatial awareness issues or the developers designed the levels so poorly that every texture felt like a copy-paste with no recognizable hints, players would naturally recall where things were, and which events were triggered after exploring the map a few times.

At least, I could remember most key events from start to finish just by thinking things through. It also helped that this game series didn’t consistently share the same background and settings across all its installments.

This steampunk-style world had only been in use since the 14th installment. Considering there had been three games set in this world—14, 15, and 16—it meant I only had to think about the setting from those three.

The playtime was long. But most of that time was spent exploring maps, leveling up characters, and reading lengthy dialogue scripts. When it came to actual strategy, there weren’t that many critical elements to remember.

From my exploration of the capital, the city’s layout was almost identical to the game, at least in the areas that appeared in the game. The roads, however, looked quite different. It was probably too difficult for Millennium Co., not being a major corporation, to implement the long roads to scale.

Even AAA games didn’t go that far. Some games claimed to recreate all of Egypt or Greece, but when you actually explored those maps, the cities were barely a few hundred meters across, and the whole map stretched no more than a few dozen kilometers. If the map were the actual size of the real locations, it’d be far too boring to play. Still, the fact that they could implement regions at such a scale was impressive.

The information I wrote down about “roads” from the game’s guide probably wouldn’t be useful in this real world. So, I would just pay attention to the side quests listed for this area. However, if there was a significant place located on a road, it might be like the game and had something important there.

“Next is…”

I flipped through my notes and pointed to a section.

“Dungeons.”

That was right.

If quests were the heart of an RPG, then its foundation was undoubtedly the dungeon. The protagonist’s party in a game grew stronger by hunting monsters in these dungeons, gaining rewards along the way. This was a framework that was hard to escape from, unless the game was an SRPG (Strategy RPG) where battles themselves often occupy entire episodes.

No matter how open the background was—whether it was a dense forest, a city filled with buildings, or a space battleship—there was always a path, obstacles, and monsters roaming in between, keeping the game within the mold of a “dungeon.” Even if it tried to break away from this, at best, it became a “field,” which was, in a way, just an open-air dungeon.

So, what about the dungeons in this world?

Strictly speaking, roads could also be considered a type of dungeon, but since roads couldn’t be maintained at a 1:1 scale, their limitations were clear. However, many places, such as abandoned castles, underground prisons, or sewer systems, seemed realistically sized to be presented in such a manner.

Especially in this game, toward the later stages, complex dungeons emerge where reality and the supernatural world blend together, creating fantastical and complex environments. These vast dungeons were challenging to navigate, which makes them enjoyable to strategize through. And if such dungeons existed, wouldn’t they be implemented at a 1:1 scale in the game?

Well, I couldn’t be completely certain. No matter how accurate they aimed to be, the idea of monstrous creatures piling up in city sewers waiting to be exterminated still seemed odd.

“…Should I check it out?”

Dungeons didn’t typically appear until the second chapter of each series. I was not referring to the second game in the world’s universe, but rather the second chapter within each installment. The prologue and the first chapter usually served as tutorials, helping players get accustomed to new systems.

Still, there were many places that could be classified as “dungeons” left unexplored. Wouldn’t the capital’s sewers suffice for now?

*

Due to two people who woke up absurdly early, I was forced to wake up at dawn today.

I couldn’t exactly sleep in while Alice was around, as that wouldn’t fit my character, so I forced myself to down some espresso that didn’t even suit my taste and started the day.

Thanks to that, my Sunday was shaping up to be incredibly long. But even factoring in the time spent with Alice, I had plenty of hours left to explore on my own.

…Or at least, that was the plan.

Whenever I was preparing something, Alice would start talking to me.

Alice and I didn’t always stick together. We had grown quite close—much faster than I had expected—but it wasn’t like we constantly longed for each other’s company. Our relationship was somewhere between sisters and friends, a vague middle ground.

The problem was, unlike me who had already finished studying before turning back time, Alice’s situation and memories always reverted, and her determination also reset.

They say swans look graceful floating on the water, but beneath the surface, their legs are paddling frantically to maintain that elegance. Actually, swans are built with bodies buoyant enough to float effortlessly and have long legs that allow them to glide forward with minimal movement, but the problem lies in how ‘other people’ perceive them.

To me, Alice’s skills were always top-notch, but to meet the expectations of those around her, she always studied and trained hard, in a different way than Leo or Claire.

Alice saw weekends as very precious time, like gold. She knew she couldn’t buy more time, so she decided to use it to study and practice, hoping to get better at what she was doing.

…And to Alice, the best study and training partner was, of course, me.

As I was packing my bag in my room, I heard a knock at the door. Alice walked in, her arms full of books, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Where are you going, all packed up like that?”

“Oh, well—”

“…Is it because of Father?”

“….”

That was right. I had already met Alice earlier this morning and blamed the Emperor for why I was so tired. Even if Leo or Claire found out later, I figured I could just say, “It was part of the Emperor’s grand plan,” and they’d let it slide. After all, hadn’t Claire accepted it the last time?

To be honest, this time I just didn’t have anything else to say, but Alice seemed to have interpreted it a bit differently.

“I’m coming with you.”

I almost smacked my forehead.

“…What?”

“Oh.”

Again.

*

I managed to barely stop myself from slapping my forehead. I almost blurted out, ‘Why?’, but I was able to hold it back. The fact that I could consciously prevent myself from making a huge mistake… Maybe I had some other pretty amazing abilities that I was not aware of?

“…It’s fine if you look at me like that.”

What kind of look was she talking about?

Of course, I couldn’t ask that out loud. This was Alice, after all—she could read my expressions effortlessly.

But reading expressions didn’t mean she always knew what was going on in my mind. You could see someone frown and assume they were either in pain or scared, right?

“Your Highness, it’s not a place for a princess to go.”

“And you’re not a princess?”

“…We are not the same, Your Highness.”

At my words, Alice raised an eyebrow slightly, a clear sign that she was annoyed.

“You are the one who will become the Emperor of this country.”

“And you think there’s somewhere in this Empire that the Emperor can’t go?”

No matter how I thought about it…

…wait, on second thought, the Emperor probably wouldn’t care if he was in the imperial palace or a sewer. As long as it benefitted him or helped him wield power, he wouldn’t care at all.

He was the kind of person who’d do whatever was necessary, even if it meant running away. And he could say it without a hint of shame, as if he were proud of it.

“And.”

Alice pointed at me with her finger.

“I think you’re the hardest person in this Empire to control. You never tell me what you’re thinking, yet you clearly want me to become Emperor. To be honest, since I don’t know what you’re planning once I become the Emperor, I feel like I need to keep a close eye on you.”

“….”

Well, she wasn’t wrong about anything.

Indeed. To the people of this world, I was a mysterious figure. And that air of mystery was something I had carefully cultivated. It was like the quills on a hedgehog’s back—a clear warning to others: “You definitely don’t want to mess with me.”

The problem, however, was that this warning only worked because no one really knew my true intentions.

I genuinely wanted to see Alice overcome all her insecurities, stand confidently as the Emperor, and rule with wisdom. Why? Simply because she’s Alice.

Whether she was the legitimate heir or the only child with the Emperor’s true blood didn’t matter to me. If Alice remained the person she was now, with her current personality, I would have wanted her to become Emperor even if her backstory had been different.

Because, in the game, that was what happened.

At the end of the 16th installment, Alice became the Emperor. She was a character Claire saved by risking her own life, so she hadn’t reached “death-possible character” status just yet. Although, in the game, even heroines who were killed off found ways to return in sequels. I had picked up a few clues since arriving here, but I would have to think about those later.

The current Emperor plunged the world into chaos and was eventually overthrown by the protagonists.

…Of course, with two more installments planned after that, the Emperor’s death was probably faked, or someone brought him back to life.

“…Alright.”

In the end, I said that to Alice.

The sewers, even in this world—or rather, especially in this world—were a place no one wanted to visit. I figured Alice would freak out and wanted to leave the moment we reached the entrance. After all, she hated it in the game too.

“…I don’t like the look on your face, but fine.”

I had a pretty good idea of what Alice saw on my face this time.

It was probably just annoyance.

Chapter 47 : Plan

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 47

EP.47 Plan (2)

The sewers.

Not exactly a place you’d want to go to unless you had a really good reason. Whether it was because you had a task to complete down there, a job related to that environment, or perhaps it was an essential facility that not just anyone can enter.

Of course, Aetherna wasn’t exactly a hyper-realistic game. While there were some disgusting monsters here and there, that was just part of the creature design. Overall, it had a style closer to anime-inspired characters, aimed at the subculture, and was known for its long, epic storyline that wouldn’t be out of place even if the word epic was attached to it.

The sewers didn’t necessarily need to have cockroaches crawling on the walls and floors or filthy things floating around in the graphics.

Considering the size of the sewer system that spans the entire capital, fully rendering its massive scale would’ve been impossible. But since parts of the capital were accurately represented in the game, the sewers likely looked just like they did in the game.

At first, I thought about acquiring a sewer map or something. But my impatience got the best of me, and I quickly realized that getting such a map within a single day—on a Sunday, no less—was impossible. However, I wasn’t too worried. Even if I got lost inside, I could always reset the time and get out easily.

“…”

“…”

That was until the two princesses decided to follow me.

Leo and Claire had gone off to handle another request. There wasn’t any reward greater than what we had earned earlier that morning. So, instead of going through the headache of trying to beat those two to the punch, I figured it’d be better to check on something else.

But it seemed that the protagonists, who were always so diligent about their tasks in the game, weren’t all that different here in this reality.

In the game series, the party members often separated due to various events or started out in different regions. But even in those situations, the characters were always shown as being hard at work wherever they were.

To the game developers, these characters were like their children. And of course, the popularity of those characters was key to selling merchandise and sequels. That’s why I wasn’t particularly worried, even when I saw the option where a heroine could die. It wasn’t a point of controversy among the players either.

Some of the death-possible heroines were very popular.

Given the sales of the sequels and the fact that it was impossible for the developers to create separate routes for every significant choice, resurrecting a heroine was inevitable. I even suspected they might bring Claire, who was set to die no matter what, back to life.

Anyway.

In short, the game developers made sure that the heroines were always doing something meaningful elsewhere, so they wouldn’t be seen as slacking off while the protagonist was suffering.

And it seemed that same diligent personality has carried over into this world.

“Your Highness, Princess.”

Standing in front of the sewer entrance, I addressed the two who had followed me.

“Alice.”

“Please call me Charlotte.”

“…….”

“……”

If they had looked like they were determined to do something great, I wouldn’t have anything to say, but these two people looked so calm, as if they owned the place.

Well, fine. It wasn’t strange for Alice to be here, but Charlotte?

Why on earth would the princess of Velbur need to go down into the capital’s sewers?

“The inside may be far dirtier and more unpleasant than either of you imagine.”

I warned.

It would probably be much filthier and more unpleasant than I imagined. There was a sense of realism that couldn’t be conveyed through the game. The developers were notoriously bad at optimization. The absence of small bugs or rats was likely because including them would have caused the frame rate to drop drastically, not because they didn’t want to include them.

Even the sewer entrance I saw was different. In the game, it was just a generic metal door texture, but here, it was rusted in various places. Still, the surroundings weren’t too different from what I remembered. Expecting a cash-strapped company to create photo-realistic textures was unrealistic.

So… I assumed that at least the interior wouldn’t be drastically different from my memory.

“What’s the problem? As the princess of the Empire, any unpleasant territory will belong to me. Should I avoid it just because I’m the leader?”

“…”

She had a point. It was hard to argue when I was the one who had instilled this kind of thinking in her.

But… if she kept thinking like this, she’d be in for a rude awakening eventually. It had happened in the original story, too. There was a big difference between knowing something and seeing it with your own eyes.

Then again, maybe Alice wouldn’t need to witness such horrors firsthand. After all, Claire hadn’t fallen into darkness in this world, so Alice might be spared that particular trauma.

I turned my gaze to Charlotte, who stood confidently beside Alice.

“I happened to have no other plans. The royal family of Velbur doesn’t turn a blind eye when a friend is in need of help.”

I never asked for any help, though.

Charlotte had just happened to meet us while I was walking with Alice, overheard our conversation, and decided to tag along on her own accord.

But I still had something to say to Charlotte.

“The sewers are important national facilities. No matter what, it’s not appropriate to let a foreigner—”

“Oh my.”

Charlotte interrupted with a soft sound, cutting me off mid-sentence.

Her eyes were fixed on my hand.

…Where I was holding a lockpick.

Yes, that’s right. One of those lockpicks commonly used in foreign RPGs to pick locks with stealth skills or that sometimes appeared in horror games as a disposable master key.

Clearly, this wasn’t the behavior of someone who had been given permission to enter. Because, well, I hadn’t been given permission. This area only opened up after a specific main quest in the game. And we were still in the very early stages of the game. It would be a long time before this place became accessible.

“Keys these days have quite a unique design. Perhaps they’re made disposable for security reasons?”

“……”

Without changing her expression, Charlotte gave me a look that clearly mocked my efforts, but I just turned back to the lock without saying a word.

The lock was somewhat a bit odd. Although terms like ‘magic’ and ‘energy’ were casually thrown around in this world, the setting was still fundamentally steampunk. The brass lock looked sturdy enough.

However, its internal structure was much simpler compared to modern Earth locks. They could make it as complex as they wanted, but it was just a sewer. There was no reason to use an expensive lock equivalent to a pocket watch here.

And because of that, the lockpick worked easily.

Having realized that my physical abilities paled in comparison to the monsters of this world, I had decided to expand my skill set into more utility areas. One of those areas was lockpicking.

In the original game, there were important scenes where locks were picked to open doors, so I thought I could do it too. It took a lot of perseverance, but I eventually learned how to pick locks.

“Why? You can keep staring at me, but it won’t change my mind.”

Alice said, lifting her chin as she noticed my gaze shift toward her.

No, I was hoping she could do something about Charlotte… but fine. The main reason this place was sealed off was to prevent people from getting lost inside, not because of any real danger. And it wasn’t as if Charlotte would plant a bomb in here or anything.

Besides, if the smell inside was too overwhelming, they’d probably run away on their own.

Suppressing a sigh, I turned back to the lock.

I knelt down and inserted the lockpick into the keyhole. After fiddling with it for a while—

Ping—

A clear snapping sound rang out as the lockpick broke in half.

The lock didn’t open.

To make matters worse, the broken lockpick jammed the keyhole, making another attempt impossible.

“Ah.”

“…”

“…”

There was complete silence behind me.

…But I could easily imagine what kind of expressions they were making.

Without bothering to look back, I thought to myself.

Again!

*

Click.

With a crisp sound, the lock opened.

“You have quite the talent.”

Charlotte said, sounding genuinely impressed as I opened the maintenance door to the sewer.

Though both Charlotte and Alice were capable swordswomen, having reached the level where they could emit sword energy, it seemed neither of them possessed this kind of finesse. Not just Charlotte, but Alice, too, was looking at me with a hint of admiration.

“It’s nothing special.”

I answered, then entered the sewer—

—It was fortunate that I went in first, so they couldn’t see my expression.

My face must have crumbled terribly at that moment. I barely managed to reset it to a neutral expression, but after inhaling the stench that filled the air, I seriously considered turning back.

“…”

And it seemed that the two who followed me inside felt the same way.

“Ugh.”

Alice’s voice was cut off abruptly, as if she had clamped a hand over her mouth to stop any sounds from escaping.

Having finally managed to control my own expression, I turned to look at them and spoke.

“If either of you wishes to turn back now, feel free to do so.”

Alice, who had been holding her mouth with her hand and squinting her eyes in discomfort, removed her hand from her mouth. To my surprise, beneath her hand, she was smiling.

“You’re the one whose expression is saying otherwise.”

“Is it really that bad?”

Charlotte, who was peering at me from behind Alice, tilted her head, but Alice was right.

“If you want to leave, you can still go back. Isn’t that what you said?”

Alice continued, still smiling.

“…”

With Alice’s words, I turned back around.

Alright, I get it.

If I had come alone, I would’ve probably given up and turned back by now. But with Alice acting like that, any thought of giving up vanished completely.

Fine, let’s see who gives up first.

*

“But, the weapon you’re holding now…”

Charlotte asked, looking at the weapon in my hand.

The weapon I was holding wasn’t my usual firearm. It was a crossbow that looked like it was made from brass and steel parts intricately intertwined. Its size wasn’t much different from the Ergensen rifle I usually carried.

It had all sorts of cranks and gears inside, allowing it to be loaded with minimal effort. However, compared to a firearm, its only advantage was that it was relatively quiet. In terms of reloading speed, rate of fire, bullet speed, and durability, it didn’t compare favorably to a bolt-action rifle.

“It’s just in case.”

For now, it was just the smell, but this was a sewer. If there was any gas buildup, using a firearm could result in an explosion.

Of course, if the gas concentration was that high, our bodies would show signs of distress before the weapons caused an issue.

“I see.”

Charlotte responded.

Fortunately, while the stench was strong, it wasn’t unbearable, and there didn’t seem to be any gas that would make us dizzy or sick. Still…

…I didn’t want to stay here any longer than necessary, so I decided to check what we came for and leave as quickly as possible.

Raising a mana stone lamp above my head, I made my decision.

Honestly, I had planned to wander around a bit more if I came alone, but that was definitely not going to happen now.

Chapter 48 : Plan

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 48

EP.48 Plan (3)

Looking back, the game from Chronicles of Aetherna Part 14 wasn’t solely about Leo. Sure, Leo was the playable character, never leaving the party, and being the one character you couldn’t remove—clearly designed for the player to easily immerse themselves in. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t use other characters.

If there were other characters in the party, you could set a different one as the lead, changing the character displayed in the field. The field mechanics were important, allowing for strategic maneuvers like initiating combat by attacking monsters first or sneaking up from behind for a stun.

So, in most strategies, players would often select a character with ranged attacks as the lead, starting battles by hitting monsters from afar. One of the most utilized characters was Mia Crowfield, who shot ice arrows as her basic attack.

And none of the party members ever refused to enter places because they were filthy or smelly. Even when crawling through ventilation shafts, none of them—whether it was the princess, royal ladies like Jennifer, or any other guest characters—ever expressed any reluctance.

“…”

“…”

“…”

So, my earlier decision to assume that the foul smell would make them give up was an incredibly stupid one.

About ten minutes after entering the sewer, I was already regretting my choice.

The two following me had superhuman physical abilities, so they could endure the smell without any issues. But for me, who could barely scrape the “super” in “superhuman,” it was torture. Not that I was even sure I could really claim to be at that level—it was just a hopeful guess.

I seriously considered resetting time during those ten minutes, but in the end, I didn’t.

It’s like starting a game on the highest difficulty on the first playthrough, getting stuck at a boss fight due to a wrong strategy, experiencing three party wipes, and then seeing the message, “Would you like to reset to a lower difficulty?”

The developers included that message hoping players wouldn’t give up, but reading it felt like a blow to my pride. Even though no one was watching, and I wasn’t streaming the game, pressing that button felt humiliating.

Multiple playthroughs are essential for writing a strategy guide, and even if I don’t earn the difficulty-related medals now, I’ll eventually get them.

So, with a mindset similar to pressing “No” on that difficulty reset message and retrying the game, I didn’t reset the time.

The one thing I could be thankful for was that the two behind me seemed to lack the energy to engage me in conversation. Opening their mouths to speak would invite the foul air inside. You couldn’t really smell with your mouth, but there’s still that unpleasant, grimy feeling, right?

“This way.”

I carefully spoke to avoid breaking the silence. There was no response from behind, but I could still hear their footsteps.

At this point, even if I wanted to leave alone, it would be tricky. The path we took to get here was already quite complicated. While it wasn’t a complete maze, it was confusing enough for a first-timer.

That’s right. A “first-timer.”

But I wasn’t one.

There were some parts that were different from what I remembered. In the game, the map was made with low-resolution textures, so it didn’t feel quite as repulsive. And while it tried to convey darkness, it wasn’t like a horror game where you couldn’t see a thing without light. Actually, in terms of brightness, it was as if a fluorescent light had been switched on. It wasn’t a horror game, after all, and annoying gimmicks like that wouldn’t have gotten a good reaction.

In the game, each block of the mini-map lit up as soon as you stepped into it, immediately revealing the area ahead. The in-game clock was also reliable, so getting lost wasn’t really a concern. It was just that sometimes you forgot the gimmick and had to go back, which was annoying.

In that sense, this sewer we were walking through was quite different from the game. Especially the atmosphere.

It wasn’t so dark that I couldn’t see in front of me. From what I could tell, the place was occasionally maintained—albeit infrequently—because dim lamps powered by magic stones were installed in various spots.

But the paths between the lamps were extremely dark. In the places where water flowed, there was… some truly filthy liquid running through. And every now and then, I saw black creatures that looked suspiciously like cockroaches scuttling across the ground.

Still, the layout itself matched the one I knew.

I didn’t know what lay beyond the iron doors blocking some areas, but that didn’t matter. In the game, those places weren’t accessible anyway.

I’d run through this dungeon countless times while working on my game strategies.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I remembered every corner like a GPS. It was a game I played over ten years ago, after all.

Still, I remembered the really important areas. As soon as we got down here, I had jotted everything I could recall in my notes.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?”

“Yes, of course.”

I answered Alice’s slightly uneasy question with confidence.

At the very least, I knew where we were now. As we ventured deeper, we’d likely encounter real monsters.

But they wouldn’t come this far. The game was still in its early stages. The monsters wouldn’t pose a real threat for some time yet.

And even if they did show up… well, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

In the game, monsters were considered dangerous because of their “level,” but that didn’t apply in real life. Chronicles of Aetherna wasn’t a game where you could roam the open world freely. The game unlocked new areas and monsters as the story progressed, with levels designed to match the protagonists’ increasing power. The levels didn’t stop you from going somewhere—they just ensured that by the time you did, you were strong enough to handle the enemies there.

But this wasn’t turn-based like in the game. The creatures down here wouldn’t stand a chance once they got hit by my crossbow.

“This is the place.”

With one final turn, we entered a small room that resembled a storage space. Why a room like this existed in a sewer was beyond me. In the game, it made sense—it was a dungeon designed for adventuring, so such spaces were common. But in real life, there was no reason for a sewer to have a room like this.

…Well, maybe it was just a makeshift storage area. The sewer was long and wide, so it wouldn’t be strange for there to be resting spots along the way. Yet, for such a place, this room wasn’t locked, and all it contained was a few scattered bits of trash and a single closed chest.

The chest, however, looked almost identical to the ones that held items in the game. Its lone presence in the middle of this empty, dimly lit room gave off a slightly eerie vibe.

“…A chest?”

I heard Alice mutter from behind me, but I didn’t bother responding. I simply approached the chest.

A thick layer of dust covered it, enough that you could probably draw on its surface with your finger. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pair of black leather gloves, slipping them on before I bent down to open it.

The dust-covered chest opened surprisingly easily, almost anticlimactically. There were no special locks or security measures—just like in the game.

“…..”

I confirmed that my memories and assumptions were correct, but now that I saw it in front of me, it felt a little unsettling. How long had this chest been here? Who had placed it in this room, and why was it the only thing left in this otherwise empty space?

I bent down further and retrieved the item inside.

“Huh?”

“Is that…?”

It was a Marmaros.

The object I held in my hand was a Marmaros, a crystal often featured in the game. Compared to the ones found later in the game, this wasn’t anything particularly rare or valuable.

But here, in this reality, it was an entirely different story. This Marmaros was of the highest quality—something incredibly difficult to come by. In the game, rare Marmaros became more common as the empire descended into chaos during the later stages of the story. And maybe the same would happen in reality, but for now, this was a rare find, even if you had the money to buy one.

The perfectly spherical, blue Marmaros was cold to the touch, so cold that I could feel its chill through my gloves. If I had touched it with my bare hands, I wouldn’t have been injured, but it would’ve felt like holding a can of soda fresh from the fridge—painfully cold.

This particular Marmaros was far more powerful than the fire-aligned one Jennifer had given me. In the mid-game storyline, it was used to enhance Mia Crowfield’s staff, boosting her offensive magic.

In the game, it merely raised the damage of ice-related spells. But here, in reality? It would likely be far more dangerous.

“Why is something like that here?”

Charlotte asked as she stepped closer.

In the game’s lore, Marmaros could be embedded directly into magical weapons. If I had kept this for myself and secretly crafted a weapon, I could have carried it around unnoticed by anyone.

If someone else, someone we didn’t know, had found this instead of me, things might have turned dangerous. Is it more dangerous than a gun? Well, if someone asked me that, I wouldn’t have much to say.

Regardless of its danger, this was a precious item. Charlotte’s question wasn’t just about why this was here. It was more about how I knew this item was here in the first place.

I glanced at Charlotte and Alice, both illuminated by the faint light of the magic stone lamps. Their faces were filled with questions. Up until now, I could brush off everything with a simple “I’m just that good.” But coming this far, to this specific place, was something entirely different. The only way to arrive here was to already know this item existed and where to find it.

And yet, the room was thick with dust. If someone had prepared this ahead of time and tipped me off, this place wouldn’t have been abandoned for so long. Charlotte asking these questions wasn’t surprising at all.

“How do you know that this was here?”

That was the real essence of Charlotte’s unspoken question.

“I’ll tell you… next time.”

I said, pocketing the Marmaros into my coat. Honestly, doing this defeated the purpose of wearing the coat, but… well, I couldn’t just carry it in my hand.

As I made my way toward the door—

Thud.

Someone’s body blocked my way.

Without needing to check, I knew it was Alice standing in front of me.

“Explain.”

Alice looked at me with determination in her eyes.

“How did you know such an item was here? I won’t move until you tell me.”

“……”

Hmm.

What should I do?

Chapter 49 : Plan

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 49

EP.49 Plan (4)

One of the reasons I had come this far was because I was afraid of death.

Just because I could reset the time didn’t mean I was invincible. The first few times I reset the time, it wasn’t by my own will, but at least I hadn’t died. Or rather, I believed I hadn’t.

After that, every time I turned back time, it was because of my own actions. In truth, it might be more accurate to say that even those early instances happened because of my strong desire. I still didn’t know whether this ability was truly mine, or something granted by some higher being observing me. It wasn’t like I met a god during the transition to this world or received any explanations, nor was there a system or status window.

This was also different from a save-and-load function. Unlike making a save point and resetting to that moment, my ability allowed me to turn back to the right moment when I needed it most.

While the trigger was a “strong desire,” it didn’t necessarily have to be a life-threatening moment. Time could easily turn back if I felt embarrassed or wanted to make a different choice.

But what if I were in a situation where I couldn’t make such a wish?

What if I got shot? Or was torn apart by an explosion before I could do anything… or worse, if an ice spear pierced right through my head?

Mia Crowfield was a significant threat to me. While she didn’t have a way to kill me yet, with this Marmaros, she just might. Ice magic was her specialty, after all.

I didn’t want the protagonist’s party to be in danger, but I couldn’t disregard my own life either. For now, I planned to keep the Marmaros. Once Mia Crowfield posed less of a threat to my life, I’d consider handing it over. At least until the end of the first semester, she wouldn’t be able to easily obtain a Marmaros of this level, and I would gain some time.

The real problem was explaining all of this.

What Alice and Charlotte were curious about wasn’t why I had come to retrieve this item, but how I knew it was here in the first place.

“…I can’t tell you yet.”

In the end, with no better answer, I had to insist on that.

“…”

Alice stood in front of me, eyes unwavering, blocking my path. Her gaze was sharp, but I tried my best to keep my expression neutral as I spoke again.

“I’ll tell you someday when the time is right.”

Alice continued staring at me.

She had become somewhat adept at reading my expressions. She might have noticed that I was flustered. How she interpreted that expression, I couldn’t say.

“…”

“…”

We stared at each other for a while.

“…Hmm.”

Fortunately, Alice was the first to back down.

“…You know.”

Alice glared at me as she spoke.

“I have a pretty good memory. I’ll never forget what you said today. So, when the time comes for you to tell the truth, make sure you do.”

“Understood.”

Well, that was my plan anyway.

Once we became close enough and everything was over, when I no longer needed to use this ability. And if my relationship with the protagonist’s party remained positive, there would be no reason not to tell them. By that time, my “mysterious persona” wouldn’t matter anymore.

But now wasn’t the time. It had only been a week since the story had really started moving. It was far too early to reveal all the secrets, especially since doing so might actually put the protagonist’s party in danger. These fools, who only knew of justice, would immediately turn against the Emperor if they knew. And most of all, if Charlotte found out that the Kingdom of Velbur and the Empire of Aetherna were heading for military conflict, there was no way she’d sit idly by.

“At that time, can I also hear that truth?”

“…I believe so.”

I replied.

When I said that, Alice’s expression brightened a bit.

“If Sylvia says that, it means she’s certain. Charlotte, you’ll probably be there to hear it too.”

“Really?”

Alice’s words suggested she was willing to let the matter rest for now, but Charlotte still seemed unable to fully trust me. And she had every reason not to. After all, I had openly threatened her father, the King of Velbur.

“…Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do. If Sylvia keeps her mouth shut… honestly, I don’t see a way to make her talk.”

It was good that I had built up my image like that. Alice could read my expressions, but to everyone else, I was an enigma. If they gave up on making me talk, that was enough.

“Are we done here? Let’s get out of here. Honestly, the smell has been terrible since we came in. My nose feels almost numb now.”

“…Let’s change clothes first. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to wear these again.”

Charlotte commented.

…She was right. The fur on my coat had probably absorbed the smell by now. Would washing it even get rid of it?

“And since we’re already out, how about we grab some parfaits together after we change? You know, as a treat.”

Alice said, turning to me with a big grin on her face.

“You love parfaits, don’t you?”

…So even with all my efforts to control my expression, it seemed I couldn’t hide it from Alice.

“Was that a happy expression?”

“Your emotions show clearly on your face.”

As Alice made that comment and started walking ahead, Charlotte looked at her with a curious gaze, as if trying to understand something strange.

At least at that moment, I could empathize with Charlotte.

How did she even figure that out?

*

I woke up early, completed a quest on the main road, explored the sewers, took a shower, changed clothes, had a light meal at a café, and even ate parfaits, yet it wasn’t even 3 PM.

It made me realize how much time you could have when you start your day early.

“More things to do?”

When I mentioned that I had more tasks after eating the parfait, Alice looked at me with a slightly exasperated expression.

“Well, fine. Honestly, I am curious about what exactly you plan to do, but… at this point, I doubt even looking further into it will help me figure anything out.”

I was glad Alice thought that way, and her judgment was spot on. Because, truthfully, I was planning to head back to my room and laze around in bed for the rest of the day.

I had spent more than half of this golden Sunday working non-stop, even resetting time to get a few more hours of work done. I figured it was about time I took a break.

Leo and Claire were probably still out and about, completing requests here and there, while Mia Crowfield was likely holed up in her room.

“Charlotte, why don’t we head to the library to study together?”

Alice asked.

“Sure, let’s do that. Sylvia, I had a great time today. I still don’t know you very well, but…”

Charlotte trailed off.

“Right, it’s not every day we get to explore the city’s sewers.”

Alice added with a nod.

I wondered what kind of face Alice would make if I told her that soon, we’d be going much deeper than the sewers, facing disgustingly hideous monsters.

Hmm, on second thought, even if I told her now, she’d probably frown and ask me how I knew that rather than imagining the situation. So, I decided not to say anything.

Sometimes, you don’t need to rewind time to know certain things.

“Alright then, see you in the evening.”

“Okay.”

I gave a slight bow to the two as they walked away.

“…”

And then I relaxed my shoulders a bit.

Phew.

Even going alone would have been exhausting, but taking two people along made it feel twice as tiring.

Alright. Time to do absolutely nothing.

I’ll go back to my room and roll around on the bed with all my might. And when evening comes, I’ll reset time and roll around again, and then reset time once more to roll around some more. I felt like that was the only way to relieve my mental fatigue.

“Oh, look who it is. The princess herself.”

And my expectations were brutally shattered by a certain blonde, tanned delinquent. No kidding, it was really a blonde, tanned delinquent. And he had girls on both sides.

“…What do you want?”

Do you even know who I am?

I barely managed to hold that question. After all, this was our first encounter.

I couldn’t tell if he’d just happened to approach me while passing by or if he had been waiting for me on purpose.

But… judging by the way he looked, the latter seemed more likely.

“Oh, my apologies.”

The blonde, tanned delinquent quickly gave a slight bow. Despite his somewhat rough appearance, his manner of greeting was so smooth and polite that I couldn’t help but be impressed.

It made sense, though, since he was the eldest son of a well-known duke’s family in the Empire.

For reference, the reason his skin was tanned was because he had actually “tanned” it. He wasn’t born with dark skin. On the other hand, the black-haired girl standing next to him was genuinely dark-skinned.

Among the two girls flanking him, the one with the nearly expressionless face was… a colonial. In the illustrations, it was hard to distinguish race, but here in reality, she could easily be perceived as “Indian.” However, she wasn’t a pure-blooded colonial but a half-breed with some imperial lineage.

The girls standing beside the tanned, blonde guy who spoke to me also bowed. Just moments ago, I could hear them giggling, but now, upon seeing my expression, it seemed they didn’t find anything funny anymore.

“I just happened to see the Princess while passing by and wanted to greet you. I apologize if I disturbed you.”

“…”

What was the point of beating around the bush?

He was also one of the protagonist’s party members.

When people think of a “golden boy” in fan works, they often imagine a character who steals the heroine. But that’s a trope from adult comics or erotic games. In most cases, golden boys in these kinds of stories were just hot-blooded idiots.

Well, it’s not like this guy was a complete fool, but… let’s just say his inability to tolerate injustice made him fit the “hot-blooded idiot” category quite well.

He was popular, good-looking, and had no shortage of female admirers, but he only had eyes for one girl—the mixed-race colonial standing beside him. A distant relative by blood, or so they said. Even though she had some noble blood from the duke’s family, in the end, she was still a colonial and remained his “maid.”

Even though she entered the academy as a student rather than a servant, she was still treated as a commoner, so they were in different classes.

“My name is Jake Lindbergh.”

In the original story, he wasn’t much of a schemer. Though he wasn’t completely without noble sensibilities, he was the type whose fists moved before his words.

He was kind to women but ruthless to men. You could say he held the position of a “comic relief” character, similar to the protagonist’s best friend in a harem story.

The reason the developers paired him with this character was probably to avoid giving him the image of a disruptive “harem blocker.”

Still, his devoted, romantic nature became a defining feature, helping him carve out a respectable niche.

“I’m Sylvia Fangriffon.”

When I introduced myself, Jake Lindbergh straightened his slightly bowed posture.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

“…”

Got something else to say?

I tried to convey that with my gaze, but the only person who could truly read my expression was Alice, so there was little chance this fool would understand my thoughts. As expected, Jake Lindbergh just kept smiling his extroverted grin.

I subtly shifted my gaze to the mixed-race colonial standing beside Lindbergh.

In the original story… she was quite interested in Jake, though she was primarily portrayed as his support. You could choose to exclude one of the two from the party, and she even had a side quest with some connection, but she wasn’t meant to be paired with the protagonist.

Most likely, she was the one who suggested Jake speak to me.

Chapter 50 : Plan

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 50

EP.50 Plan (5)

In truth, despite his character traits, Jake Lindbergh was a character who often found himself in unfortunate situations.

His internal backstory of an impossible love was overshadowed by his appearance, leading him to be portrayed in various fan works with less-than-flattering images. Though the game itself was well-known, there weren’t that many of those kinds of fan works.

In later sequels, much of that negative image disappeared, but this time, his reputation as a “devoted lover” led to him being featured in stories where the person he loved was stolen from him. All in all, he was a pretty unfortunate character.

“…”

“…”

The problem was that there wasn’t much for us to talk about.

At this point, Jake would probably have more to say to Alice than to me. Alice was in line for the throne, and other nobles likely viewed her that way too. Honestly, even if he tried to form a connection with me…

Oh, maybe not? Since I was almost always with Alice, getting close to me wouldn’t be a bad idea from his perspective. The difficulty of approaching me due to my image was a different story.

By the way, the girls who had been standing beside Jake started inching away as soon as we exchanged a few words.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Princess. I apologize for not greeting you first as a fellow classmate.”

But Jake was someone who could talk to women without hesitation. Just because there was a brief silence didn’t mean he would run away from me.

…Thinking about it again, he really was like one of those “oblivious harem protagonists.” Unlike the heroines around the protagonist, the heroines around this guy were mostly side characters. Since we were in the nobles’ class, they had names and all, but at most, they played brief roles as jealous types.

And those side characters had been slowly backing away since Jake and I started talking.

Even if scenes of jealousy and ostracism appeared, they were still daughters of noble families. Regardless of their backgrounds, they wouldn’t openly confront someone of my status, someone who even had rumors circulating among some noble families of being a “noble killer.”

It wasn’t common for nobles to approach me directly.

“I don’t care.”

I replied while glancing at the maid standing just behind Jake.

Even though there were separate classes for nobles and commoners, the design of the uniforms wasn’t different. If it weren’t for the distinct pleats in the skirts, it would be hard to distinguish whether it was a school uniform or a military one. The design likely aimed to promote the message of “all students are equal,” but… among the nobles, most already knew each other by face, so it wasn’t that meaningful. Besides, even if you didn’t know someone’s face, rumors spread fast.

“At least within the school, we are all just students. There’s no need to address me as Princess.”

“Oh, then…”

Jake pondered for a moment and then said,

“Can I call you Sylvia?”

“…”

Well, whatever.

It was true that calling me “Lady Fangriffon” felt a bit too formal. After all, it was a name tied to the imperial family, and using it so casually didn’t sit quite right with me. Yet, the way he just jumped straight to using my first name—well, I couldn’t decide whether to call him shameless or simply bold.

But then again, this was Jake. He was the type to call every character he met by their first name from the start, so there was no real point in making an issue of it. Instead, I focused my attention on the maid who likely brought Jake over to me in the first place.

Her skin was a bit darker. In the game, there was even content where she faced discrimination because of it. However, her skin wasn’t entirely dark either, as she was half-white to begin with.

‘If people are going to discriminate based on skin color, should I be discriminated against too?’

That was something Jake had said in the original work, standing up for her.

Others would point out that Jake’s tanned skin was due to sun exposure, making it different, but Jake countered with:

‘Skin color can change just from being in the sun, so how does it make sense that someone would be held back because of something as insignificant as that?’

No one could argue with him. They probably had a lot they wanted to say, but what could they do when their opponent was a duke?

“Oh, this is…”

Jake seemed to notice my gaze shifting behind him. He reached out and patted the back of the girl standing next to him, prompting her to step forward.

“This is Lottie…”

Jake introduced the somewhat petite girl.

Like in the orphanage, she didn’t have a last name. In this world, if you didn’t inherit a surname from your parents, you either married into a family or created your own surname later on. Otherwise, you lived without one.

Lottie was an illegitimate child of the Lindbergh family. Even if a noble had a child with a commoner, they wouldn’t acknowledge the child, and it was even more so for a child born from a maid brought from the colonies.

Lottie had lived her entire life as a maid, while Jake had been born a nobleman’s son from the moment he came into the world. They were an interesting pair, even if they were just a side couple.

“I’m Sylvia Fangriffon.”

“I’m… Lottie. I apologize for not greeting you first.”

Normally, a maid wouldn’t introduce herself directly. Even though she had grown up with Jake, Lottie would be acutely aware of that fact. Her expression, though… was impressively blank, to the point where I could learn a thing or two from her about maintaining a perfect poker face.

“Did you have something to do? Sorry for suddenly talking to you. Lottie suggested that it’d be best to talk to you to get those girls off my back.”

“Young Master.”

“…”

I stared at Jake’s face for a moment.

There wasn’t a hint of negative emotion in his expression. As a member of a noble family, especially one as prestigious as a duke’s, he would know how to speak diplomatically. So, this statement was intentional. Even so, I didn’t feel like it was meant to test me. More likely, he had said it out of genuine intent.

“Don’t worry, Lottie. Sylvia isn’t the kind of person you need to worry about.”

Jake assured her confidently.

Where Jake’s certainty came from, I couldn’t really tell.

“Really?”

I asked.

“Yeah. I don’t know what others might think of you, but I don’t get the feeling you’re a bad person.”

Jake nodded in response to my question.

In the original story, there was never any mention of whether Jake was good at reading people or not. He was just a character who treated everyone warmly. When the protagonist and their group went on the run, Jake lived peacefully in a port town, casually mingling with commoners and spending his time fishing without a care in the world. He even went so far as to lie that he and Lottie were newlyweds.

Thinking about it, he might have had a good eye for people. If he couldn’t trust those around him, he wouldn’t have been able to live so leisurely in such a situation. It could be said that he was just lucky, but a bit of suspicion wouldn’t hurt, right?

So, I raised my guard against Jake just a little.

“So… yeah. You give off a similar vibe to Lottie.”

“…”

“…Young Master.”

Lottie called him once again. Though her expression remained as unreadable as ever, it seemed my lack of response prompted her to speak. However, Jake’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

I glanced at Lottie. Her gaze dropped to the ground beneath my feet. Being the eldest son of a duke, his words held too much weight for her to dismiss or retract. Though her face remained blank, her stance betrayed a sense of fear.

“Well, I can’t say we’re entirely different.”

I finally replied. Loti’s gaze lifted slightly, though she still didn’t meet my eyes.

“Was that the only reason you spoke to me?”

I asked.

“Oh, yeah. Just wanted to say hi since we’re in the same class.”

“I see.”

“Yeah.”

“In that case, I’ll be going now.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

Jake waved cheerfully as I turned my back on him without returning the gesture.

To be honest, I was nearing my limit. Even though I had gone to bed early, waking up at dawn had really taken a toll on me.

…I should take a good long nap. I could worry about Jake and Lottie after I’d rested.

With that thought, I quickly made my way back to my room. At least sticking to the plan to rest wouldn’t hurt, right?

*

“…”

“…”

As they watched Sylvia walk away, it was Lottie who broke the silence first.

“Young Master.”

“Hmm?”

“…Do you realize who you just spoke to?”

Lottie’s voice held a hint of sharpness.

“Well, you were the one who told me to talk to her, Lottie.”

Jake responded, seemingly unfazed.

“Young Master.”

Lottie couldn’t hold back and snapped at Jake, who had followed her suggestion to talk to Sylvia in order to shake off the group of girls constantly surrounding him. He’d picked the perfect moment too—when the two princesses he usually traveled with weren’t around. And it had worked perfectly. The girls who had crowded around him had all scattered.

“See? It worked. Hmm… maybe I should hang out with that group more often?”

“Young Master.”

“Why not? I mean, there’s the princess of Velbur, the Empire’s potential next Empress, and the Grace family may just be a barony, but they’re closer to the imperial family than most dukes. They’re all perfect people to build connections with.”

“…”

When Lottie fell silent, Jake burst into laughter.

“Alright, fine. I’ll admit it. At first, I only spoke to Sylvia to tease you.”

“…”

Lottie remained silent, but Jake shrugged and continued.

“But after talking to her, I realized something. Sylvia doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Jake tilted his head slightly at Lottie’s question, lost in thought.

“Honestly, there’s no logical reason.”

“…”

“She’s similar to you, Lottie. Sylvia didn’t deny it either. If she were just another high-ranking noble, how do you think she would have reacted to being compared to you?”

Indeed, Sylvia Fangriffon’s reaction had been unexpected. Most imperials—no, most white people—would have been offended if they were compared to someone with darker skin, especially someone from a colony. But Sylvia, despite being a princess, hadn’t shown any sign of being upset.

…Though, she had kept her expression blank.

“The princess rarely shows emotion.”

Lottie added.

“I know. I saw it up close.”

Jake replied immediately to Lottie’s comment.

“But I know someone who almost always keeps a straight face. Believe it or not, I’ve been learning to read expressions for the past decade. Thanks to someone.”

“…”

“Are you trying to say you and Sylvia are that different?”

Jake grinned as he spoke. And then he continued,

“How about a bet? On whether Sylvia’s a good person or not.”

“…Is now really the time to be talking about this? If the princess—”

“Are you worried that if the rumors about her are true, I’ll be in danger? Thanks for the concern.”

“…”

Lottie fell silent as if she had run out of things to say, but Jake didn’t stop talking.

“Even if it’s true that Sylvia killed that person, I don’t believe someone like her—someone who gives off the same feeling as you—would kill without reason.”

Jake said this with a bright smile, and Lottie sighed deeply, realizing there was no getting through to him.

Chapter 51 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 51

EP.51 Interlude

Following someone wasn’t an easy task.

People were surprisingly perceptive, reacting sensitively to even the smallest sounds around them. Especially at night, when there was little movement, those sounds were much more noticeable.

Of course, there were plenty of spells that could minimize those sounds. They all required using large amounts of expensive Marmaros, but if there was a real need to observe someone secretly, Mia Crowfield wouldn’t hesitate to bear the cost. Especially when the person in question might have killed her father.

The problem was, if Sylvia Fangriffon really did assassinate the count and escaped without a hitch, then even using these methods, there was a high chance of being detected.

Mia Crowfield was a mage, not an assassin. Although she had received some training, it was to expose the weaknesses of the imperial family as a noble, not to eliminate assassins.

Moreover, Mia had observed Sylvia Fangriffon up close during the mock battle. Despite firing into a blindingly bright area, Sylvia had effortlessly taken down one person with each shot, never once hitting an ally. The sight had shocked Mia. It had been so precise and unerring that Mia couldn’t help but wonder if some kind of magical influence was at play.

Wearing the softest shoes she had, dressing in the darkest clothes she owned, choosing pants over a skirt, and even donning a mask, Mia knew she looked ridiculous. She was also well aware that no excuse would work if she got caught.

But even if she got caught…

Well, she’d like to see them try and kill her. Mia had no intention of dying alone. If it came to that, she’d at least leave behind a serious wound before she died.

With that kind of determination, Mia had started tailing Sylvia Fangriffon from the early hours of the morning—no, perhaps it was still more accurate to call it the dead of night.

Mia didn’t know much about Sylvia’s daily routine, so she had to observe it carefully, starting with confirming how Sylvia lived her life.

“…At this hour?”

Thankfully, Mia had chosen to begin her watch in the middle of the night, just in case. Sylvia had risen far earlier than expected. It made sense that she’d move at such an early hour if she had something covert to take care of.

But…

“…Huh?”

If it was something that needed to be done so secretly that it required moving at dawn, shouldn’t she be more cautious of her surroundings?

Sylvia Fangriffon, who now sat on a bench as if waiting for a carriage, didn’t seem to be paying attention to her surroundings at all. No, more accurately, she seemed even more absent-minded than usual.

Sylvia Fangriffon was…

Dozing off on the bench, her head bobbing as she fought against sleep.

“What?”

And she looked incredibly defenseless. If someone were to attack Sylvia Fangriffon, she would be caught off guard.

…No, that wasn’t right.

Maybe even this was a trick. Mia shook her head, reminding herself not to be fooled. Right. If this was an act, it wasn’t entirely out of the question. It could be a tactic, projecting an air of carelessness while remaining extremely vigilant, thus lulling any potential tail into a false sense of security.

…But if Sylvia Fangriffon knew she was being followed, wouldn’t it be more effective to attack the stalker instead?

“Huh?”

Sylvia, who had been nodding off, suddenly jerked her head forward as she almost fell over. Startled awake, she rubbed her eyes. From Mia’s position, it wasn’t easy to see, but Sylvia’s eyes were probably red and bloodshot by now.

Seriously, what was this?

Was this really the same Sylvia Fangriffon, someone so meticulous that you’d think she wouldn’t even bleed if you cut her? Even when eating delicious food, she never let her expression change—Sylvia was known as an Iron Lady. Of course, Alice Fangryphon always claimed there was something else behind Sylvia’s stone-faced demeanor, but Mia had never believed her.

“Yawn…”

“Huh?”

…Yet watching Sylvia now, yawning without even bothering to cover her mouth, Mia’s certainty began to waver.

Sylvia drew her coat closer, as if the early morning chill was biting, and yawned deeply again before snapping her head up and glancing around as if she realized she had let her guard down. The whole scene made it seem as though she was trying to hide that her usual unreadable expression was a mere façade.

“…”

Was she really an assassin?

No, no.

Mia shook her head again, more forcefully this time.

This could be an act. An act to shed the stigma of being an assassin. After all, she was still a princess.

Slap. Slap.

Hearing that sound, Mia quickly looked at Sylvia, who was slapping her cheeks with both hands as if to shake off her sleepiness.

“…”

At this point, Mia was beyond shocked.

This was so different from the usual Sylvia Fangriffon she knew.

…Could it be that Sylvia didn’t even notice Mia’s presence? Sure, there was some distance between them, and an ordinary student likely wouldn’t sense Mia trailing them.

In fact, Mia had planned this out carefully, fully expecting Sylvia to detect her at some point. If Sylvia noticed her, she would surely confront Mia. And if Mia provoked her enough, perhaps she could uncover some clues. That had been her plan.

“…Ah.”

Could it be…? Was this all part of Sylvia’s own plan?

While the imperial family had exploited the rumor of Mia’s father’s assassination to some extent, they had never publicly acknowledged it. The official stance was that the count’s death had been a tragic accident, and the imperial family had publicly expressed their condolences. But because of that, they couldn’t openly present any evidence. Officially, the imperial family never admitted to the assassination. They let the nobles tremble in fear, yet when confronted, they simply denied it. This was their stance.

Mia remembered her mother once having a conversation with the Emperor. She hadn’t overheard the details, and her mother never revealed what was discussed. All her mother had told her was that the Emperor had killed her father.

So…

“…”

Sniff.

Sylvia Fangriffon sniffled loudly, perhaps thinking no one was around to hear her.

…

Was it truly possible that this woman had murdered her father? Was she really a ruthless killer, who not only slaughtered her father but also blew up several carriages, causing the deaths of many innocent people?

Could it be that Mia had misunderstood?

Watching from afar as Sylvia heard the approaching sound of a carriage and reverted to her usual impassive expression, Mia Crowfield found herself deeply questioning everything.

*

Monday morning.

“Your Highness.”

As soon as Mia left the dormitory and entered the classroom, she headed straight to where the two princesses and the royal princess sat. Bowing slightly, she greeted Sylvia Fangriffon.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

Mia had spent all of Sunday thinking about the Sylvia Fangriffon she’d observed the night before but still found no clear answers.

“Mia, how are you doing?”

It was Alice, the “real princess,” who responded to Mia’s greeting first.

“Thank you, Princess. I’m doing well.”

Mia replied.

For someone as quiet and reserved as Mia, starting conversations, especially early in the morning, was a bit overwhelming. Approaching a group and initiating a greeting was even more challenging.

But Mia had something to confirm.

She needed to know if the Sylvia Fangriffon she saw in the early hours of Sunday was the real Sylvia or not.

No matter how consumed with revenge someone might be, no one could go two nights without sleep. Therefore, Mia figured that the best way to confirm Sylvia’s state was to check her expression as early as possible on Monday morning. If she showed even a hint of fatigue, Mia would feel somewhat reassured.

“…”

But Sylvia Fangriffon, who gazed blankly at Mia, wore the same stoic expression as always.

“Sylvia, no matter how tired you are, you should respond to someone who greets you first.”

…Tired?

Mia scrutinized Sylvia’s face once more after hearing Alice’s comment. Not even the slightest trace of fatigue was visible in her expression. It was the same blank face as always.

“Good morning.”

Even her voice showed no signs of exhaustion.

“Watching the two of you is really fascinating.”

Charlotte remarked.

“Fascinating? How so?”

Alice asked, curious.

“Well, from my perspective, Sylvia always has the same expression—completely neutral. But you, Alice, can read her expression like it’s nothing.”

Charlotte explained.

…Could she really read it? Mia, who had witnessed a different expression on Sylvia Fangriffon’s face the previous night, found herself questioning this too. Was Alice truly reading Sylvia, or was she just convincing herself she could?

“Hmm, there were quite a few people in the imperial family who annoyed Sylvia. Sylvia’s reactions aren’t just that one neutral expression. She gets annoyed or… oh, right, mostly she’s annoyed, but still, the reactions she shows me are much better than the ones she shows to the other siblings.”

Alice snorted with a hint of pride.

“….”

Sylvia Fangriffon turned her head toward Alice. Her face remained expressionless, as usual, so it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

“Is that so?”

Charlotte said, still looking confused as she glanced back at Sylvia’s face.

“I’m telling you, it’s true.”

Alice insisted.

“…”

Mia also glanced at Sylvia’s face. However, the expression she had witnessed the night before was nowhere to be found.

*

… Was I too careless?

Sure, I maintained a neutral expression most of the time, but I did treat Alice, Lucas, and Jaden differently. I was curt with Lucas and Jaden, and more cordial with Alice.

But how could I not be? Lucas and Jaden were already adults when I first met them, whereas Alice was just a child at the time. She was the same age as Claire. Watching her struggle during her early childhood, being pushed aside by more competent siblings, made me want to treat her kindly, even without considering the fact that she was a part of the protagonist group in the original story.

Still, aside from Lucas, who would suddenly draw his sword at me, and Jaden, who liked me a little too much, I think I got along fairly well with the other two. No, maybe Alice had reached the point where she could read my expressions because of these various reactions.

“…”

Though I didn’t make eye contact, I could tell Mia Crowfield was staring at me intently.

What’s with her?

We hadn’t crossed paths all weekend. Could one of the Emperor’s other children have stirred up some trouble behind the scenes?

“Hmm.”

Charlotte, who had been silently observing me, hummed thoughtfully and then said,

“I still don’t get it.”

Exactly.

If someone took a photo of my face, even I wouldn’t be able to tell what I was feeling.

How could Alice, an outsider, possibly read my expression?

…Maybe Alice has some hidden ability.

As I watched Alice smiling cheerfully, I thought it might not be a bad idea to investigate that.

Chapter 52 : Discovery

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 52

EP.52 Discovery (1)

I am, at the very least, a person with a bit of social awareness. I mean, there were times when I mistakenly thought I had gotten close to someone just because I talked about my favorite games, only to realize they were just being polite and not really interested. Thankfully, that was back in high school, and since there weren’t many girls around me, it just ended with rumors of me being a nerd.

After that, I decided to improve my ability to read people. I was not someone who naturally drew people in with my looks, nor was I great at talking. Sure, I used to say whatever came to mind on the internet, but that was different—it was easy to forget you were talking to real people when you couldn’t see their faces or reactions. There was no way to tell if you were making someone uncomfortable online.

Working at a company and navigating social life eventually taught me how to get through most interactions smoothly. At the very least, I could now read when someone was clearly disinterested in a conversation or unsure of how to respond to me.

For example, right now, Mia Crowfield, sitting across from me, wore that exact expression—the one that said, “I have no idea how to deal with you.” People tend to find it uncomfortable to make eye contact with someone who never shows any expression, especially when that person was someone from a high-ranking family.

Of course, there were exceptions—people who confidently claimed they could read my expression, those who proudly declared themselves my younger sister, those who were always confident, or those surrounded by so many women that one more expressionless woman wouldn’t make a difference.

Now that I think about it, I really did seem to attract quite the odd bunch of people. But when you remembered that they were all part of the original protagonist party, their quirks became easier to accept.

Although the protagonist still seemed to have a hard time dealing with me, I figured time will sort that out on its own. So, let’s not worry about that for now.

The real issue was Mia Crowfield.

Up until just last week, Mia would glare at me with a ferocity that was hard to ignore every time our eyes met. She didn’t even bother hiding her murderous intent—it was so blatant that I had to stifle a laugh.

As a heroine in this game, she had quite a curvy figure, but she was a bit short, and her eyes were often hidden by her bangs, making her seem timid. In fact, unless she was glaring at me, she usually remained in that timid state. So, when her attitude toward me changed, I noticed immediately.

This was the same Mia Crowfield who acted like a scared rabbit in front of people like Charlotte or even Alice, the Emperor’s daughter, but would always shoot daggers at me. Yet recently, she’d started avoiding my gaze more and more.

Had something changed in her mind?

If so, why? What had caused this change?

“…”

“…”

Hmm.

Wait a minute.

Why didn’t I just ask her directly?

Seriously, what was stopping me? I’m someone who can reset the time if things go south. All I need to do was ask her upfront.

Moreover, I had said far worse things in the past.

I glanced around the room. Alice and Charlotte were present in the student council room. Other committee members and the student council president were also there.

While we had joined the student council, we didn’t have specific roles yet. It seemed they wanted to keep us around as valuable assets. In the original work, the student council president was quite a noble-minded person but also judged people based on their abilities, though he gave significant weight to their backgrounds. And, of course, the two Graces who had confidently followed Alice were also present.

We offered them some milk tea, though it was clear they weren’t as warmly welcomed as Alice, Charlotte, or Mia Crowfield. It felt more like they were given tea just because they were there. Leo looked as if he were sitting on pins and needles, while Claire appeared entirely unbothered.

Hmm.

I could ask her. Even if people around us got startled, it wouldn’t matter since I could just reset the time.

But Mia Crowfield didn’t know I could reset time. So, she might hide the truth during the conversation. Would I get a proper answer if I asked here?

“…”

I stared at Mia Crowfield, observing her quietly. She began shifting her gaze around the room, clearly uncomfortable, though she didn’t blush. So it wasn’t embarrassment, it seemed.

Why was she acting like this?

Her behavior was making me more anxious.

“…”

Ah, forget it.

“Mia Crowfield.”

When I quietly called her name, she nearly jumped out of her seat like she’d seen a ghost.

Thud!

The sound of her chair and desk scraping echoed through the room, drawing everyone’s attention to us instantly.

…This felt familiar. Though, it wasn’t as intense as last time. Mia’s reaction was different as well—this wasn’t nearly as serious a conversation yet.

“Y-Yes, yes, yes!?”

Her response was pure panic.

Was it that surprising?

I rarely called others by their names first. I didn’t want to engage in long conversations and reveal any weaknesses. Of course, I could adjust the conversation by turning back time, but doing so was mentally exhausting. Even if my body didn’t tire, my mind experienced several times the duration of a typical conversation.

For someone like me, who was naturally introverted, dragging out conversations I didn’t want to have felt like pure torture.

“I have something I’d like to discuss. Could we talk for a moment?”

“N-No, n-no, no, no! I don’t want to!”

Mia Crowfield immediately rejected my request.

I had even suggested having the conversation privately to avoid prying ears, but she refused outright.

For the record, the people around us had their mouths wide open in shock.

…Was this really something to be so surprised about? After all, even introverted people need to talk to others sometimes.

…Wait a minute.

I thought I had built up a cool beauty image for myself, but did others see me as just a socially awkward loner? Like someone with social anxiety who can’t even talk properly to others?

Could it be that I give off a similar vibe to Mia Crowfield or something like that?

“…You don’t want to?”

I asked again.

“No! What do you think you’re going to do to me!?”

I had no intentions of doing anything.

But, that kind of response made me seem like some sort of villainous character who preys on girls. Of course, Mia Crowfield probably meant it as ‘kill,’ but the way she worded it was perfect for causing misunderstandings.

Judging by the dumbfounded expressions on everyone’s faces, except Alice, who was frowning deeply, the others seemed to be staring at me in shock.

…Or am I just overthinking things again? Maybe I’ve just watched too many anime and read too many manga and now I’m paranoid.

I wanted to shake my head to clear the thoughts, but even if I intended to reset time, I still had to maintain some level of character consistency.

“I won’t do anything to you.”

“How can I trust you?”

Fair point.

From Mia Crowfield’s perspective, that’s the only way she could see me. After all, I was the enemy who killed her father.

The real question, though, was why her attitude toward me changed over the past week.

“If that’s the case, I’ll ask my question here. Is that alright?”

“…Ah.”

When I said that, Mia Crowfield’s expression went blank for a moment. She likely wasn’t expecting me to bring anything up here, in front of everyone. She might have thought I wasn’t going to bring up her father, but she had no way of knowing what kind of information I could reveal, especially if she still saw me as an assassin.

“Go ahead, then,” she replied, trying to sound confident but clearly putting on a brave face.

“…”

I narrowed my eyes slightly, studying Mia Crowfield before I spoke again, calmly.

“Very well, then.”

After a brief pause, I continued.

“Mia Crowfield, the way you looked at me last week was different from how you’re looking at me now. May I ask why that is?”

It was as if a light bulb went off above Mia Crowfield’s head. Well, not literally, but that’s how I imagined it. This world didn’t have convenient features like a system or status window.

“Th-Th-Th…”

Mia Crowfield stammered for a moment, before finally blurting out,

“Even if there was a change, it has nothing to do with you! Why do I have to explain every little thing to you!?”

With that, Mia Crowfield spun around and dashed out of the student council room as if fleeing from the scene.

“…….”

Hmm.

In the brief silence that filled the student council room, I quickly sorted out my thoughts. Judging by her reaction, even if I had called her aside for a private conversation, I wouldn’t have gotten a proper answer.

…It seemed there’s nothing I could do for now.

“Sylvia?”

Seeing Claire still looking surprised speak to me, I realized it was time to reset the situation.

Again.

*

I might not have a refined sense for tea leaves, but when something was truly expensive and of high quality, even someone unfamiliar could tell the difference.

The milk tea we drank in the student council was delicious—smooth, fragrant. I felt tempted to dump in heaps of sugar, but with just two cubes, the sweetness was tolerable enough.

Even as a cool beauty, gaining weight wasn’t something I could afford.

The rich aroma of brewed premium tea leaves filled every corner of the student council room. We drank tea so regularly that the subtle scent of black tea had seeped into the space itself, detectable whenever we walked in.

And as I leisurely enjoyed this high-quality tea, I continued to observe Mia Crowfield.

Just like before I reset the time, Mia Crowfield was desperately avoiding my gaze.

…So far, the only people I’d assassinated were the count and his cronies. The Emperor had asked me about global affairs, and I’d provided some information—twisting what I knew from the game’s original storyline—but that was the extent of it. I had been sent on missions to gather intelligence, but the only major figure I had “killed” was the count.

Could she have heard some baseless rumor elsewhere? Maybe Mia learned that I was much more dangerous than she initially thought, and that’s why she was so afraid. That seemed plausible. Her reaction earlier made it clear. She seemed scared of being alone with me.

“……”

I silently took a sip of the milk tea, now cooled to a pleasant temperature.

…Should I follow her?

The weekend was just around the corner, so why not? If Mia was getting her information from someone, I could figure out who. There hadn’t been anyone like that in the original story, but this world had shifted significantly, with the backgrounds of several characters having changed because of me.

Alright then.

Looks like my weekend plans are set.

Chapter 53 : Discovery

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 53

EP.53 Discovery (2)

“I will keep an eye on Mia Crowfield.”

Initially, I intended to keep it a secret, but our diligent princess often sought me out on weekends to study together. Although she wasn’t the type to dedicate herself entirely to studying all day, Alice seemed to believe that reviewing the week’s lessons on the weekend was a given, even when it wasn’t exam season.

I could only imagine how intensely she would study once exam season actually arrived. It would be beneficial for me as well. While I often reset time during regular classes to grasp anything I didn’t understand, having Alice around was helpful.

Anyway, if I didn’t mention this in advance, Alice would undoubtedly search for me all over the place.

“…Did Crowfield do something wrong?”

“No, she didn’t.”

I lightly shook my head at Alice’s slightly concerned question.

“But Mia Crowfield could pose a threat.”

In the original game, she was one of the strongest magic dealers. If you fully upgraded her staff and properly combined and equipped her with Marmaros, she could spam spells with damage equivalent to other characters’ ultimate skills. Especially in the first game, where the balance wasn’t perfect, there were a few overpowered Marmaros that made it nearly possible to cast spells infinitely during her turn.

Although this world differed somewhat from the game… it still retained some system elements. If the spells from the game existed here, even a fraction of them could be lethal to me.

“Wait, are you thinking of… eliminating her?”

Alice’s face was full of rejection as she spoke. Naturally, she didn’t know about the possible future I foresaw. For Alice, Mia Crowfield was just another classmate.

Honestly, I didn’t harbor any ill feelings toward Mia either. Sure, her father was trash, but Mia herself wasn’t a bad person. If anything, she leaned toward being good, especially in terms of her strong sense of justice.

“No, I’m not.”

That was my truthful response.

I wasn’t trying to eliminate Mia Crowfield. My goal was to avoid any potential danger and prepare for defense. Besides, who would deal with the body if I killed a student inside the academy?

“Really?”

Alice asked again, still doubtful. I gave her a firm answer.

“Really.”

She studied my face as if searching for something, then finally sighed and nodded.

“…Alright. If you say it with that expression, I suppose I have no choice but to believe you.”

…I wasn’t sure what kind of expression that was. I was just as expressionless as always. For a brief moment, I wondered if Alice had some kind of psychic ability to read people’s emotions. Of course, I dismissed the thought immediately. I had read the original story in detail, including all the character profiles and their abilities.

There were no spoilers for the sequel, but the settings regarding the main characters had mostly been revealed. Alice definitely didn’t possess any psychic abilities like that. If she had, there was no way she wouldn’t have noticed the Emperor’s schemes.

“Well, Crowfield’s attitude has changed… If you feel there’s a threat, we can’t ignore it.”

Alice muttered to herself and then suddenly looked at me.

“Should I help?”

“I’m fine.”

“…You answered that a bit too quickly.”

Alice looked a bit hurt by my immediate response.

“The fewer people tailing someone, the less likely we are to get caught.”

I had prepared this answer in advance, anticipating Alice might say something like that.

“Still… What if I get close to Crowfield first and try to gather information?”

“Your Highness, you’re the daughter of His Majesty, the Emperor. Approaching her would only raise her guard.”

If the daughter of the man who killed her father came near her, of course, she would be extremely cautious. Though Mia didn’t seem to harbor any particular ill will toward Alice, it would still take time for her to warm up, at least half a year of gradual effort.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

I confirmed again to Alice, who spoke with a hint of disappointment.

To be honest, I felt much more comfortable doing this alone. It allowed me to relax a bit.

*

Thanks to what I said, I managed to get Alice off my back.

This wasn’t my first time surveilling someone. I had done it before when I assassinated the Count, tirelessly exploring all possible routes, retracing steps, and resetting time repeatedly.

The same method worked well within the academy. I had a high-performance pair of binoculars, and even a scope typically attached to a rifle, which could be used effectively on its own.

Each dormitory room had a large window, strategically placed to give a scenic view. The academy wasn’t an isolated skyscraper, but it did stand in the midst of the capital. Although the surrounding environment was carefully managed, it was still located in the heart of the city, surrounded by buildings.

Between the dormitory and the nearby structures, however, there was a large lawn, designed to provide a calming view when looking out the windows. It wasn’t as vast as Central Park in the middle of New York, but the greenery within the bustling city had its own way of soothing people.

It was the weekend, and students were sprawled out on the lawn. Couples sat on picnic blankets eating sandwiches, and others were napping. Well, it was spring after all.

But I wasn’t here to watch them.

The large windows were designed to help students relax, and if the curtains weren’t drawn, the inside of the rooms was clearly visible. Especially on a sunny day like today.

From my vantage point atop a building outside the academy, it would normally be impossible to get a good view of the dormitory far in the distance… but I had a large sniper scope in my possession.

I could clearly see up to 400 meters ahead. Of course, even at that distance, a person would appear about the size of a finger joint, but it was large enough to hit a target if needed—that was good enough.

I knew exactly where Mia Crowfield’s room was. There was no need to search the dormitory records. After all, the dormitory building was one of the locations implemented in the game. Not every room was designed in detail, but the rooms of important characters were. Especially the rooms of the protagonist’s party, which were naturally included.

In the original game, you could enter almost any house. Even if you barged in uninvited, none of the NPCs would get angry, let alone accuse you of trespassing. Instead, they would share their thoughts or talk about what they were currently doing. Of course, that wasn’t to suggest you were actually breaking into homes and gathering personal information. It was more of a game mechanic meant to immerse you in the world.

…Thanks to that, I knew Mia Crowfield hid important items under the floorboards beneath her bed.

Since I couldn’t just walk in and open the door, I was observing from the rooftop.

“……”

As expected, the window had curtains drawn. They weren’t particularly thick blackout curtains. They were thin, white curtains that would likely show shadows if there was light inside. But it was daytime now. The outside was brighter than the inside. So, the room’s interior wouldn’t be visible through the curtains.

Mia Crowfield was likely inside.

In the game, she was a character who preferred staying in her room. She even had a line like, “It’s dangerous outside the blankets…” It made sense that she wasn’t fond of being out in the sunlight.

Gloomy, timid.

That was the Mia Crowfield designed to fit those traits.

Though, the atmosphere around her had lightened somewhat, likely because her father’s enemy was nearby.

“Hmm.”

I made a sound as I pondered.

If so many characters had changed because of my presence, wouldn’t the future events I knew also drastically change? If the story’s development shifted too much, would my knowledge of what was to come become useless?

“……”

Even after mulling it over, I couldn’t reach a clear conclusion.

…I would worry about that when the time came. For now, observing Mia Crowfield was the priority. If things got really bad, I could always reset the time.

*

“……”

I should have anticipated this.

For someone who ranked staying indoors as their top priority, there was always the possibility they wouldn’t leave their room for the entire day.

I had been stationed on the rooftop for half the day, and the sun was now beginning to set. Despite that, the curtains of Mia Crowfield’s room hadn’t budged. No light came from inside either.

Was she sleeping?

I seriously pondered the situation, but with no signs of movement, no answers came to mind.

“….”

Fine.

I decided to put away the scope I had been holding. Since things had turned out this way, perhaps it was best to visit Mia Crowfield’s room directly. Thinking back, the fact that Mia evaded answering properly yesterday might have been because I spoke in front of so many people. If Mia Crowfield was trying to avoid being alone with me, I just needed to create a situation where we were alone.

…But if I went now, wouldn’t that mean I wasted my entire day?

“……”

Whatever, I might as well go talk to Mia Crowfield while I’m at it. After we talk, I can decide whether or not to reset the time.

With that thought, I stood up, patting my body which ached from lying down for so long. Fortunately, I had laid down a military poncho before lying down, which was a relief. With a deep sigh, I rolled up the poncho and got ready to go.

*

Luckily, I didn’t run into anyone I knew on my way to the dormitory. If I had, those social butterflies would never have let me leave without dragging me to a café for a parfait or something. As much as I enjoyed those moments, I had something important to do today.

I made my way to Mia Crowfield’s room, which was on a different floor than mine or Alice’s.

Standing before the large door, I took a deep breath and looked around.

No one was in the hall. Good. It was Saturday, so many students had probably gone home to rest. Or maybe “rest” wasn’t quite the word—high-ranking nobles were likely off receiving private lessons. But Crowfield Manor was too far away for Mia to make the trip home every weekend. Even in the game, Mia Crowfield was always in her room.

Alright.

I raised my hand and knocked on the door.

“Miss Crowfield.”

Nothing.

After waiting a moment, I knocked again, a bit harder this time.

Knock, knock.

…Still no response from beyond the door.

I glanced around the hallway once more before pressing my ear to the door to listen for any sounds inside.

Silence.

…Was she really not here?

“….”

I hesitated for a moment, then checked my surroundings again.

No one.

Alright, the opportunity was here, and time was on my side.

I pulled a lockpick from my pocket.

Chapter 54 : Discovery

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 54

EP.54 Discovery (3)

And then, I failed far more times than when I was picking the lock at the entrance to the sewer.

Of course. As the lock at the sewer might not be the most expensive, but it was still exposed to the outside. It would have been better if it had been a bit simpler but sturdier, something that could withstand being exposed to wind and rain for a long time. The person who installed that lock probably never imagined anyone would try to get in there. So, they likely chose a reasonably sturdy yet cheap lock to prevent casual entry.

But Mia Crowfield was the daughter of a Count. Not only that, but the security of the dormitory itself was excellent. Guards thoroughly checked and recorded everyone who entered, and anyone without permission was stopped at the dormitory entrance.

Although the rooms used by the noble students and those used by the commoner students were fundamentally the same in terms of facilities, it didn’t mean the level of security was lacking. This academy was the “best,” after all.

Fortunately, the keyholes didn’t use Marmaros or have any magical enchantments. In other words, it wasn’t a door that couldn’t be picked with a lockpick.

…Though I broke over thirty lockpicks in the process.

Still, if I hadn’t practiced picking various locks in the past, I probably would’ve broken more than a hundred without even opening the door. So, I reassured myself that my efforts weren’t wasted. Maybe the difference between thirty and a hundred didn’t matter when I could reset the time, but still…

…

Well, anyway.

Pushing aside the sense of emptiness deep in my chest, I opened Mia Crowfield’s door and stepped inside. I did worry for a moment about what to do if she was sleeping inside, but fortunately, she wasn’t.

“……”

The room was clean. Well, that was expected. In the original story, most of the noble students’ rooms were spotless. They’d been raised that way—to keep things presentable at all times, even for a visit from a maid or servant, let alone a guest.

Of course, there were some exceptions, but I would skip over that for now.

In any case, considering that personal maids or servants weren’t allowed inside the academy, the fact that Mia kept her room this clean was something worth commending.

The layout of the room was the same as mine. The furniture—bed, desk, wardrobe—was all provided by the academy, so there was no reason for the design to differ. No noble would complain about the quality of the furniture since everything was top-grade.

But the personal items—the books on the desk, the bed covers—those reflected individual taste.

It felt slightly unfamiliar yet oddly familiar at the same time. I had seen this setup many times while playing the game. Though the poorly rendered graphics couldn’t capture the atmosphere like reality did, it was enough to trigger my memories.

Most of the books on the desk were related to magic. There wasn’t a single book about swordsmanship or shooting.

A training staff hung on the wall.

In truth, there wasn’t much decoration, so there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about the room’s overall—

Click.

“Huh?”

I turned my head towards the sudden sound coming from the door.

At first, I thought someone else had entered behind me. Maybe Mia Crowfield herself, or someone who had seen me sneaking in. But when I turned, there was no one there.

It wasn’t the sound of a ghost or any other supernatural being, either. Well, to be precise, magic could technically be considered a supernatural phenomenon. This world, driven by steampunk and flowing in a completely different direction than actual history, made such distinctions trivial. Ghosts were even a proven existence here.

“……”

Without a word, I approached the source of the sound to investigate.

There was a strangely shaped device locked inside the door. Faintly glowing with a soft red hue, the Marmaros embedded in the device was likely supplying it with energy through its minimal heat emission. I suspected there were a few other magical components involved.

The device, which looked similar to the old door locks from the apartments in my previous world, was firmly holding the door shut with its sturdy metal frame.

It seemed like the kind of lock that would automatically engage if someone entered without permission.

“……”

This device wasn’t in the original game.

*

After several attempts to figure out how to open it, I gave up.

There wasn’t even a keyhole to work with—this was the kind of device that couldn’t be opened unless someone who knew the secret activated it. Most likely, Mia Crowfield would need to use her magic to unlock it.

“Hmm.”

Still, I wasn’t too concerned. Even if Mia Crowfield caught me, I could always have a brief conversation, gather some information, and then reset the time. Nothing lost.

“……”

Since things had already come this far, I decided I might as well investigate the room a little more.

I knew from the original story that Mia Crowfield hid something important beneath the floorboards under her bed. Although I knew what was supposed to be there, this room had a strange new locking mechanism. The contents might have changed.

Lifting the bed sheet draped over the side, I crawled under the bed. The space beneath was just high enough for a person to squeeze into.

There wasn’t even a suspicious speck of dust. Normally, when someone enters a space like this, the dust would shift, leaving marks where they moved. It was clear Mia had cleaned it thoroughly, making sure no traces remained. Someone might think she had an obsession with cleanliness, but for Mia Crowfield, this level of meticulousness was likely enough.

While there were no visible clues on the floor, I wedged a coin between the floorboards, and sure enough, one of the wooden planks lifted up.

The space underneath wasn’t big enough to hide a large item, but there was enough room for storing several Marmaros stones of different types.

“……”

And indeed, there they were—Marmaros stones, sorted by their elemental attributes.

Though they weren’t of the same high quality as the ones I’d found in the sewer chest, but they were enough to combine with a magic staff and kill a person if necessary.

It felt eerie, looking at it this way.

In the original story, Mia Crowfield was described as someone deeply interested in magic who had secretly brought in these Marmaros stones for her research. But in this world, Mia had entered the academy knowing her father’s enemies were already there. It wouldn’t be surprising if she had been collecting them for revenge, waiting for the right opportunity.

However, the real issue wasn’t the Marmaros stones.

Beside the neatly arranged Marmaros was a small handgun. It wasn’t the kind of heavy-duty revolver I used, but a small derringer. With a break-action design, it allowed two relatively large-caliber bullets to be loaded—one per barrel. It was more for self-defense than for combat.

Yet even for self-defense, if those bullets were well-aimed, it could easily kill someone.

“….”

I picked up the gun and held it in my hand. For such a small weapon, it was surprisingly heavy. Then again, it was a solid chunk of metal.

When I broke the barrel downward, I could see that both chambers were already loaded.

No spare bullets.

Did she think two bullets were enough to kill someone like me, or did she believe there wouldn’t be time to reload anyway? Or perhaps she intended to use one shot on me and save the other for something—or someone—else.

Click.

The gun made a soft sound as I snapped the barrel back into place. It felt out of character for the Mia Crowfield I remembered from the original story.

Then again, that was just my assumption. In the game, characters couldn’t equip any weapons outside of their designated main ones, but this wasn’t a game—it was reality. If she could conceal it, whether in her sleeve or pocket, hiding a small firearm would be easy. This world didn’t even have metal detectors yet.

Still holding the gun, I crawled back out from under the bed, brushed the dust from my clothes, and sat down on the edge of the bed. With the weapon still in my hand, I waited silently for Mia Crowfield to return.

*

‘I’m afraid to go in.’

Mia thought as she stood in front of her door.

Just last weekend, she had followed Sylvia Fangriffon, wondering how an assassin could act so carelessly.

But upon further reflection, something about the whole situation seemed off.

Sylvia Fangriffon, who wore such a cold and calculating mask in front of others, acted like an ordinary girl when no one was watching. Mia couldn’t understand it.

What was there to gain from such behavior?

Playing the role of a cold and ruthless assassin would only make people suspicious. If Sylvia were really someone who killed people and wanted to maintain her innocence, she wouldn’t display “assassin-like” behavior at all.

No, she would have played the role of a kind and affectionate person, building connections with others. And when it seemed like her true nature might be revealed, she would have smoothly escaped suspicion by relying on the words and perceptions of those around her.

That’s why it didn’t make sense.

Was it possible that Sylvia Fangriffon had known Mia was following her? Maybe she had been acting all along to confuse Mia’s thoughts. That explanation seemed more plausible.

Because of this, Mia had avoided even making eye contact with Sylvia all week. By the time the weekend approached, Sylvia had likely noticed Mia’s strange behavior. That must have been why she decided to take action this morning.

The academy was surrounded by residential areas. Since the Industrial Revolution, the influx of people had caused the houses to be built narrowly, side by side. The stairways were so cramped that if two people met on the stairs, one would have to step up a few steps for the other to pass.

Sylvia had climbed to the roof of one of these buildings—a space too small for Mia to follow without being noticed. The roof itself wasn’t large either. Even if Mia had waited a little longer before climbing up, she would still have been forced to face Sylvia one-on-one up there.

Sylvia had waited on that rooftop until sunset, like a spider waiting for its prey to get caught in its web. Mia, however, had not mustered the courage to follow her.

After a long while, Sylvia descended with a calm expression, as if she had been waiting for no one. She walked confidently toward the dormitory, as if completely unaware that anyone had been tailing her.

And now, she had somehow quietly broken into Mia’s room.

Though Mia had set up the mechanism to lock the door automatically if someone entered, opening the door would mean finally being trapped in a room alone with Sylvia Fangriffon.

Would Sylvia really try to kill her in the dormitory, of all places?

Then again, someone like Sylvia didn’t need to resort to killing. She likely had ways to persuade Mia without any violence.

“……”

Mia stood in front of her room, hesitating for a long time before finally steeling herself.

Fine.

If Sylvia Fangriffon wanted to confront her face-to-face, so be it. Even if it meant death, Mia would fight honorably under the Crowfield name.

She took a deep breath, pulling out her Marmaros stone from her pocket.

Click.

Unlocking the door, she swung it open, revealing Sylvia Fangriffon casually sitting on Mia’s bed, quietly toying with the gun Mia had hidden just in case.

Mia nearly fainted on the spot.

Chapter 55 : Discovery

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 55

EP.55 Discovery (4)

She must have realized that something was wrong the moment she noticed the door had been locked in an unusual way. It wouldn’t have taken long for her to guess that someone was inside. And if that someone happened to be the person she suspected of killing her father, it would have been even more shocking.

Not to mention, that person was now sitting on her bed, casually handling a gun.

…Had I gone too far?

The thought crossed my mind for a brief moment but was quickly dismissed. If things truly spiraled out of control, I could always turn back time and adjust the situation.

“What… What do you want?”

Mia asked, her eyes darting between my face and the gun in my hand.

“Do you know what this gun is?”

I asked calmly.

“……”

Mia hesitated, seemingly debating how to respond. She could easily claim ignorance and move on. After all, the gun had been hidden under the bed in a place without any special locks. For someone who hadn’t known where to look, it would have been impossible to notice it was there.

But the problem was that I was the one asking.

It wasn’t just about knowing where the hidden space was. What mattered was how people around me viewed me. The Emperor and his children had always treated me as if I possessed some kind of clairvoyance, and during the last lesson, I had demonstrated my fearsome abilities.

So, it made sense that they’d expect me to be capable of finding something hidden under a bed. Whether I actually found it or not was almost irrelevant.

“Firearms are prohibited on school grounds. Are you not aware of this?”

I asked.

It didn’t matter how she had managed to smuggle it in. What mattered was that she’d been caught.

“May I ask why you brought this gun with you?”

I asked, still seated on the bed, gazing up at Mia.

“Th-that’s…,”

She stammered, visibly trembling, her face still pale. She looked pitiful in a way.

To be fair, Mia herself might not have been at fault. The blame lay with her father. Maybe even her mother. Mia, on the other hand, was just a child who had grown up believing everything they told her.

She hadn’t even used the gun yet.

However, under imperial law, things were far less forgiving. At a minimum, this could lead to her expulsion from the academy. And depending on her reasons for hiding the firearm, it could easily cost her life.

Even worse, if the Emperor desired it, he could fabricate any reason necessary. With enough justification, the entire Crowfield family could be wiped out. Compared to the circumstances surrounding her father’s death, this situation was infinitely more dangerous.

After all, I was the imperial princess.

“D-do you plan to kill me?”

Mia Crowfield stammered for a long while before finally asking me that question.

“…Close the door first. Then, we’ll talk.”

I said.

Only then did Mia, flustered, hurriedly close the door.

Silence.

The room felt stifling with just the two of us inside. Alice knew what was going on, of course, because I had told her in advance. But aside from Alice, no one else knew about the dark history between Mia Crowfield and me.

“Would you mind telling me why you believe I would kill you?”

I asked.

“…Because I am a child of the Crowfield family.”

She replied.

“In that case, you should also be aware that I cannot simply kill a noble like yourself, yes?”

“F-father…,” she stuttered, swallowing hard before continuing, “You killed my father….”

“….”

I gazed at Mia Crowfield in silence.

Was she speaking based on solid evidence, or was this merely a blind belief?

The last time, I had initiated the confrontation by revealing part of the truth to provoke her. But now, it seemed important to understand what exactly she knew.

“And what makes you so certain?”

I asked.

Mia closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again, speaking hesitantly.

“…On the day my father died, you weren’t in the imperial palace.”

“….”

I waited for her to continue, but no further explanation came.

“Is that your only piece of evidence?”

I pressed.

“It’s not just you. Every time a noble died mysteriously, one of the Emperor’s children would go missing from the palace,” Mia added.

“….”

I see.

It wasn’t surprising. The Emperor had never bothered to hide it. In fact, he probably wanted it to be known—making a statement to the nobles: those who defied him would be eliminated.

So, it made sense that Mia was so convinced. After all, I had killed her father.

“So, are you seeking revenge? Are you planning to kill me?”

I asked.

Mia didn’t answer immediately, her expression faltering.

Was it fear? Was she afraid that answering incorrectly might lead to her death right here and now? Or perhaps she was worried that by confessing her intent, she would lose her chance for revenge?

“…I’m not sure.”

She finally admitted, her voice wavering with uncertainty.

“….”

Not sure? After going through the trouble of preparing a gun and a Marmaros, was she still uncertain about whether to kill me or not?

I paused for a moment, deep in thought.

In the original story, Mia eventually gave up trying to kill Claire, but only after being confronted with irrefutable evidence of her father’s wrongdoing during the Crowfield episode. That episode was still a long way off in the current timeline.

From the moment Claire first appeared, Mia Crowfield’s suspicions about her never wavered. Could those unshakable suspicions truly falter now, just because of my appearance?

Logically speaking, wouldn’t I be an easier target to kill? Not in terms of method, but psychologically. I was nothing more than a cold, expressionless killing machine, after all. A kind of person who didn’t feel even a sliver of remorse when taking lives.

I had never shown any signs of humanity, so wouldn’t that make me easier to kill?

“…There’s something I want to ask you.”

Mia Crowfield spoke up.

“Yes?”

I tilted my head, curious.

“Why did you show a more human side of yourself when no one was around?”

She asked.

“A human side?”

I repeated, puzzled.

What was she talking about? Did she think I had smiled or something when no one was looking?

Mia’s expression seemed as if she’d given up on everything. Her face was drained of energy, like someone who had been worn down by too many thoughts and now just wanted to give up, to let go of everything.

It was the face of someone who had experienced too much at once, someone who just wanted to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep—like a soldier on their first day of battle.

“…I followed you.”

She confessed.

…What?

“I wanted to observe what you did when you were alone.”

Mia continued, her voice low.

…Huh?

“And… when you thought no one was watching, you acted like any other ordinary person. You sniffled, yawned, and even nodded off while sitting down.”

“….”

Wait, what was she saying?

When did I ever do something like that…?

…Oh.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

In the imperial palace, I was always on edge, knowing that someone was out to get me. Dodging Lucas’s sword strikes was easy enough with time manipulation, but the real problem was when Lucas didn’t strike at all. When he was lying in wait.

Unless Lucas jumped out with a smug “I’ve been here all along!”, I had no way of knowing where he was. So, I had to maintain my facade at all times, no matter what. If I didn’t, Lucas could report everything to the Emperor.

While Lucas acted nonchalantly in front of the Emperor, his respect for him was undeniable. Even though Lucas truly wanted to strike me down, his loyalty to the Emperor always came first.

But after coming to the academy… I had let my guard down, if only a little.

In the palace, I had relaxed a little in my own room, but it wasn’t the same as how I’d let my guard down at the academy. Even if someone caught me off guard here, the most that would happen was Alice bursting into my room unexpectedly. Alice had already started reading my expressions, so even if I slipped up a little, it wouldn’t be enough to make her faint from shock.

As long as I kept my face from crumbling like it did when I ate parfait, that would be enough.

But…

Had I let my guard down too much?

Mia Crowfield had been tailing me?

“Since when?”

“Answer me first.”

Mia replied, her face still clouded with confusion as she looked at me. But in her eyes, there was a determination—like she had resolved to get some answers from me, no matter what.

“Was everything you did just an act? Were you trying to deceive me, confuse me on purpose?”

“…”

“Did you really kill my father? Did you come to my room now to silence me? I can’t understand… is there any logic to your actions? Any consistency at all?”

“…”

Hmm. Mia had probably started following me at least a week ago. The only time she could have seen me dozing off was that early morning when I was waiting for the carriage. I must have yawned and sniffled then.

But there was no proof she hadn’t been following me even earlier. Even if I went back and stopped myself from slipping up that moment, there was no guarantee I hadn’t been caught before or after.

If I were to reset the time… it’d be safest to return to the beginning of the semester.

And as I reached that conclusion, I felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. So much had happened in just two weeks. I could turn back time, but I couldn’t speed it up.

I had painstakingly arranged things to fall into place the way I wanted, and now, just for this one mistake, was I supposed to go back and do it all over again?

Well… I suppose. I could handle it more efficiently this time. The time would pass the same, but I’d need fewer resets.

The real issue was whether I could maintain my current relationships with everyone I’d met so far. From their perspective, I’d be meeting them for the first time, but for me, they were people I’d already interacted with multiple times.

Did I have the acting skills to pull off those first meetings again? To rebuild the same image I’d carefully crafted?

And… I didn’t want to lose the feelings I’d developed. That initial thrill of meeting the characters I’d loved in the game. If I erased those experiences, the emotions would fade, too.

No matter how much I criticized the game, my fondness for it had been genuine.

Even Mia Crowfield, who was standing right in front of me now…

“Please answer me.”

Mia’s voice broke the silence. She was practically pleading now.

“Why did you go out of your way to talk to me, the person no one else ever approached? Why did you help me solve that assignment? How could you show no hostility toward me?”

The more I listened, the more I realized how much I had overlooked.

I raised a hand, cutting Mia off mid-sentence.

After sorting through my thoughts, I slowly opened my mouth to speak.

“…I know the truth.”

If I had to start over, it was better to take a step back for now. It would be wiser to escape the situation for the moment and reassess my plan later.

“But there are things I can’t tell you right now.”

I said, meeting Mia’s eyes directly.

Chapter 56 : Discovery

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 56

EP.56 Discovery (5)

No, no, no, no.

What about my “cool beauty” persona?

I didn’t plan to spill the truth right here and now. However, now that I had mentioned I knew something about the truth, I needed to create at least a slight atmosphere that suggested I had no choice but to know about it. That way, Mia Crowfield might find it convincing enough to let it slide.

What kind of expression should I have for this situation?

In that brief moment, I racked my brain intensely.

Would it be better to reset the time after all? Just go back two weeks and start over?

But would I be able to maintain my persona throughout those two weeks?

Was there an alternative? I kept searching my mind for a way to escape this situation without breaking my “cool beauty” image.

And then, I blurted out…

“Also, what you saw… was practice.”

I had spoken words that made no sense. I intended to redirect the conversation, but instead, I had uttered sheer nonsense.

…Seriously? Of all the things to say, “practice”? Not even something like practicing expressions, but yawning or sniffing? It was the kind of story that would sound absurd to anyone listening.

Even if Mia Crowfield had her dim-witted moments—

“…P-practice?”

…Was she really that naive?

After all, she had been meticulous enough to follow me. It wasn’t just a random tailing; she must have put in considerable effort to prepare for it. The fact that she had made those preparations under my bed only reinforced that thought.

But still, she was Mia Crowfield.

She had grown up without friends, instilled with hatred for the Emperor by her mother from a young age.

In some ways, she had a similar upbringing to Claire from the original story. Though the outcomes had been different, the foundation was the same.

She could devise plans and had the magical prowess to oppose the Emperor, yet she struggled to form genuine relationships.

“Yes, it’s practice.”

Recalling the character card of Mia Crowfield from the game, I decided to press forward with this approach. If all else failed, I could just rewind time and start the conversation over from the beginning.

Right, at this moment, the advantage was on my side. At least Mia Crowfield didn’t have a wand in her hand.

“I….”

I slightly furrowed my brow. That alone would significantly alter my expression. I rarely showed any emotion at all, so this change would be noticeable. If anyone had seen this expression before, it would probably be either Jayden or Lucas. Or maybe both.

“I don’t really know how to express my emotions.”

I lied through my teeth without hesitation.

Not being able to express emotions? What a joke. In my room, I rolled around on the bed or made sloppy faces while eating sweets, so I could be considered an extremely emotional person.

Of course, I reset the time to erase those moments.

I tried to maintain a stoic, emotionless facade in front of others, but it seemed I had let my guard down a lot since starting at the academy. After all, I had been caught red-handed like this.

“B-but what I saw…”

“It was practice.”

I hardened my expression like a steel plate.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if she would genuinely buy it. I was merely saying what I believed based on the version of Mia Crowfield I had seen in the game.

“If I suddenly showed emotions on my face, it would confuse those around me.”

In reality, it did cause confusion. Alice could read my expressions, but I never openly smiled. The way others had been startled when I showed any expression while eating parfaits was proof of that.

“Yawning… was… practice?”

Mia Crowfield mumbled, looking dazed.

Crap, I had forgotten about that.

Practicing yawning or sniffing? That sounded ridiculous no matter how I looked at it. If anything, it would make more sense to practice smiling or crying.

The problem was that I had already committed to this line of thinking and reinforced my stance. This meant that, for me, there was no other option but to stick with this story. And I was determined not to reset the time.

“…My practice includes more than just facial expressions.”

“……”

Since Mia Crowfield seemed to be listening to me, I continued to speak slowly.

“Changing just the expression doesn’t make a person appear human. For example, let’s assume I try to smile.”

I lifted the corners of my lips slightly while keeping my eyes as neutral as possible. Mia flinched at my expression, her shoulders twitching.

“How does it look? Natural?”

“…No, not at all.”

Mia Crowfield took two steps back, her shoulders trembling as she bumped into the door.

That was a relief. I had intentionally made my expression as awkward as possible. Not just awkward, but a chilling expression where my mouth was smiling while my eyes were not—that would convey the atmosphere of ‘awkwardness’ more effectively.

…Great, if I ever have the chance, I’ll use this expression on someone else.

“Expressions involve multiple parts of the face moving correctly. A smile isn’t just about the mouth; the eyes are important too. And it’s not just one type of smile; there’s a difference between a grin and a laugh. Especially with laughter, the sound is crucial. I was practicing something; would you like to see?”

“N-no, I think I’m fine without it…”

Mia Crowfield said, looking terrified.

……

Mia Crowfield was, like many female characters in these games, a stunning beauty. In fact, her oddly dazed personality, combined with her melancholic backstory, created a captivating gap that made her a rather popular character.

“…The difficulty of expressions is quite high. So, I decided to learn simpler ‘actions’ first. Actions like sitting in a chair and nodding off or yawning are things I can replicate without altering my expressions.”

“……”

She still seemed skeptical, but as I continued to spout nonsense with each word, her previously furrowed brow gradually relaxed, no longer visible.

“I was practicing to mimic the behavior of an ordinary person at that time. What you saw was part of that practice.”

“……”

Mia Crowfield stared at me for a long time.

And she remained silent for a while.

Would she believe me?

It wouldn’t be strange if she didn’t. From Mia Crowfield’s perspective, I was not someone she could trust. Who would trust the person who killed their father?

However, on the flip side… she found herself in a situation where she had no choice but to believe me.

Mia Crowfield had shown a very confused expression upon seeing my behavior. If she thought that a cold-blooded killer like me had emotions just like any other person… that would be a generous leap of faith. It was akin to an Allied soldier during World War II thinking, “The Nazis are human too.”

…At that time, I had been so consumed by my emotions that I couldn’t even think of Mia Crowfield’s father as human. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mia felt the same way.

Yet, if I were to reveal that “this isn’t my true human self, but a masked facade,” wouldn’t she be more inclined to trust me?

“……”

I looked at Mia Crowfield, who was still frozen, and extended my right hand. Mia jumped back in surprise, her eyes wide as she looked at my hand.

I was handing her the gun I had been holding. Not with the barrel pointing at her, but with the handle facing her.

If she took the gun, she could shoot me right away.

…Not that I expected her to blow my head off in one shot.

Mia Crowfield couldn’t kill Claire in the end because her nature wasn’t suited for killing. She was extremely timid and had grown up without friends, always longing for someone to be close to.

Claire, despite her prickly demeanor and sarcastic remarks, wasn’t inherently a bad person. Her personality had been warped by her circumstances, but at her core, she wasn’t a bad kid.

Because of this, I felt a certain degree of sympathy for Mia Crowfield, who had lost her father because of me, and that emotion sometimes showed in my actions.

By the time Mia Crowfield learned that Claire was her father’s killer, she had already grown very close to Claire. Claire had even said, “Fine, if you feel that way, go ahead and attack me.” It might have sounded sarcastic at the time, but it was sincere.

However, Mia Crowfield couldn’t bring herself to kill Claire in the end. That’s why I handed her the gun, thinking of that situation. Moreover, Mia Crowfield had circumstantial evidence but no concrete proof, and she wasn’t entirely sure about me either.

If she took the gun, she wouldn’t shoot me.

…Well, even if she did, as long as it wasn’t an instant kill, I could reset the time.

Mia Crowfield took the gun with trembling hands and stared at me blankly.

“If you are absolutely certain that you need to kill me right now, then shoot.”

“……”

Mia merely moved her lips, unable to reply.

“One day, you will learn the entire truth about that situation. If, even then, you believe you must kill me, then so be it. If you shoot, I will not dodge that bullet.”

“…Can’t you just… tell me now…?”

“Not right now. You are not ready to accept it.”

“……”

Mia Crowfield bit her lip at my response.

“If, by any chance, you are ready to accept the truth, I will tell you myself. What happened back then.”

“……”

Mia Crowfield lowered her head deeply.

I slowly walked past her, carefully avoiding any sudden movements.

Fortunately, I didn’t get shot in the back as I reached the door. Phew.

“…Oh, and.”

I slightly turned my head to speak.

“Please keep the practice matter a ‘secret’ from others. It’s still not a ‘finished’ performance.”

“…Okay, I will.”

After hearing her weak reply, I turned my head back and opened the door.

My heart was pounding hard.

Honestly, I wanted to cheer—

—but I couldn’t risk being caught again.

I tried to maintain my usual walking pace as I headed back to my room.

Chapter 57 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 57

EP.57 Interlude

“So, is Sylvia doing well?”

At the Emperor’s question, Lucas made a very perplexed expression. It wasn’t that the Emperor’s question was strange, but rather the memories of his unrelated younger sister that surfaced in his mind seemed quite bizarre. To be honest, he even wondered if he had seen things wrong.

“Oh?”

Noticing Lucas’s odd expression, the Emperor leaned forward slightly, looking at him with great interest.

“Has something interesting happened?”

“Rather than something interesting…,” Lucas frowned slightly, organizing his thoughts before slowly beginning his report.

“I suppose you could say I saw a more human side of Sylvia…”

“What do you mean by that? My daughter has always been human. Don’t you agree?”

The Emperor smiled as he spoke, clearly entertained by Lucas’ murmuring.

Sylvia was always expressionless. She gave off the impression that not a single drop of blood would come out even if she were pricked. Of course, on second thought, one would have to wonder if pricking her was even possible. Because of that, there were times when it didn’t seem like Sylvia was quite human.

That perception didn’t change even after seeing Sylvia training at the academy.

The mock battle was a stacked deck against the nobles, designed to break their spirit. Even though there were rarely situations where two trenches face each other across an open field, and despite having machine guns and tanks, it was impossible to completely stop advancing enemies. After all, machine guns could only fire in one direction at a time, and even if they sprayed bullets in all directions, they wouldn’t be able to wipe out tens of thousands of enemies charging all at once.

Thus, barriers were usually placed between the trenches, and mortars and artillery were fired over the heads of the charging enemies, creating craters on the battlefield. These craters served as cover, whether advancing or retreating.

In this particular scenario, the attacking side had fewer troops than the defending side. What’s more, the attacking side mostly relied on long-range weapons. Although the distance was relatively close, it was broad daylight, making the attackers easily visible, and there was no cover to hide behind.

It was, without a doubt, an unfair battlefield.

…However, Sylvia led her side to victory in that battle. She obscured the view of both sides—her own included—yet managed to pick off enemies with precise shots, each one lethal, while completely dismantling the defense line and perfectly supporting her close-combat troops, ensuring that none of them perished.

Of course, not everything was entirely clear. Telling someone to run in a zigzag pattern in the face of gunfire only gave the enemy more opportunities to aim. In such a situation, speed was key—the goal was to sprint at full speed to reach the enemy as quickly as possible.

Was she simply showing off her skills?

“But still, it’s not every day you see Sylvia dozing off.”

Lucas added, his brows furrowed in disbelief.

“Oh?”

The Emperor raised one corner of his mouth in amusement.

“Do you think she was looking serious about it?”

“…….”

Lucas pondered seriously.

“…I don’t think so?”

He wasn’t certain. Sylvia’s performance was too perfect to be just an act. However, thinking back, it wasn’t impossible for Sylvia to pull off such an act.

“Were there any unusual circumstances? Something that would make Sylvia act that way?”

“……”

Lucas thought for a moment.

“There was a tail.”

He answered briefly.

“A tail.”

“It was the daughter of Count Crowfield.”

“Oh.”

The Emperor’s expression showed genuine amusement. He didn’t bother to hide his clear interest as he continued speaking.

“Did Sylvia have any reason to be involved with the Count’s daughter?”

“There was one time. During training…”

“Yes, I recall. You mentioned that she approached Crowfield and managed to get her cooperation during training. And how was Crowfield at that time?”

“She seemed rather reluctant… but she did eventually follow Sylvia’s instructions.”

“I see.”

The Emperor paused for a moment before speaking again.

“Then Sylvia must have known she was being followed, didn’t she?”

“Probably. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for her to go out at such an odd hour. It seemed like she was intentionally exposing that awkward tailing to confirm her suspicions, waiting until there was no one around.”

“I think so too.”

The nights in the capital were never truly dark. Streetlights were always on, and occasionally, city guards would patrol the streets. Especially near the academy, where even carriages passed by, the safety was relatively decent.

However, it wasn’t exactly a place of leisure. Just because it was safe to walk along the main roads at night didn’t mean the alleyways were free from danger. The narrow paths remained dangerous, with few people to help, and police patrols weren’t frequent.

So, if someone suspected they were being followed and wanted to reveal their stalker, venturing out late at night wouldn’t have been the worst idea.

“Then doesn’t that give us the answer?”

“…You mean she was luring an attack?”

“Precisely.”

As the Emperor nodded, Lucas fell into serious thought. Sylvia had appeared quite vulnerable at the time, as if Lucas himself could have easily cut her down in one swift stroke—

“—Ah.”

“Exactly. If you thought you could ‘cut her down,’ imagine what her enemies would think.”

“…That’s true.”

In order to draw out the enemy, Sylvia had to make herself appear weak enough that they believed they could injure or kill her. Only that level of confidence would embolden someone to attempt to assassinate a princess of the Empire.

“……”

However, whether it was due to fear or extreme caution, the young lady of the Crowfield family did not attack Sylvia.

“It’s certain that Sylvia wasn’t attacked. So, what did she do after that?”

“She took the carriage, completed a simple task, and returned. The Marmaros she received as a reward was given to her friends, who were also out early to complete their own tasks.”

“So, it seems she took on that task to shake off any suspicion from those tailing her. There must have been a solid reason for her to be out at that hour.”

“But the stalker hasn’t completely dropped her suspicion.”

“That’s something we don’t need to worry about. Sylvia undoubtedly knew you were following her as well.”

Lucas nodded at the Emperor’s words. While he had been ordered to observe Sylvia without being detected, and had hidden himself in places that few would notice, he never truly believed that Sylvia wouldn’t notice him. Even during the moments when she seemed completely unguarded, Lucas knew that if he had drawn his sword, Sylvia would have dodged it effortlessly.

“In that case, we should look into why Sylvia is trying to draw in Lady Crowfield.”

“…Isn’t it because she’s wary, Your Majesty?”

“Well…”

The Emperor thought for a few seconds before speaking slowly.

“Sylvia is emotional. She may not show it openly, but she has clear likes and dislikes. And she’s already positioned Alice as her favored candidate for the next Emperor. That’s not a bad thing. I had considered Sylvia herself, but if she remains loyal to Alice, it’s a win-win for the Empire either way. Perhaps even better.”

“That’s true.”

It might be more beneficial for the Empire if Sylvia placed someone she favored on the throne, rather than Sylvia herself ruling with an iron fist. Forcing someone into the Emperor’s position against their will would likely only cause problems for the nation.

“Well, then who would be the biggest obstacle when Sylvia puts her sister on the throne?”

“That would be—”

It wouldn’t be the other children of the Emperor. Those too free-spirited individuals would likely run away if offered the throne, including Lucas. And Alice didn’t have any other blood-related siblings.

“Families with potential for rebellion, right?”

“Exactly. That’s why I assassinated Crowfield.”

There were other names on the kill list, but the Emperor hadn’t assassinated members of other families since then. Sylvia had shown displeasure every time he attempted to do so.

Not everything was done in accordance with Sylvia’s wishes, but in such cases, it was often wiser to let Sylvia handle matters herself. There were various methods besides assassination, and the Emperor had decided to take a detour. So far, every decision made with Sylvia’s input had unfolded precisely as she predicted—almost as if she could see the future.

No, it really did feel like that. It was as if Sylvia truly had the ability to see the future and return with the knowledge, given how accurately she predicted events.

They had considered running some experiments to verify this theory, but such a drastic move might cause unnecessary complications, so it was put on hold for the time being. For now, it was better to let Lucas be content with his own sword.

“Don’t you think Sylvia saw some ‘potential’ in that young lady?”

“What kind of potential, Your Majesty?”

“The potential for reformation.”

The Emperor smiled as if he had thought of an amusing joke.

“Not with the current Countess of Crowfield, but the young lady—when she eventually becomes the head of her family, Sylvia might think she could be an asset to the imperial family. If she aligns herself with Alice, the future Empress, wouldn’t that be beneficial?”

“Ah…”

If that were the case, it would explain why Sylvia went through the trouble of luring her out like that. If Lady Crowfield had tried to kill Sylvia, it would have been her downfall, leading her to the same fate as her father.

“That seems likely.”

At Lucas’s words, the Emperor shrugged.

“Well, it’s still just our speculation. Sylvia may be emotional, but she’s also incredibly complex, to the point that we can hardly grasp what’s going on in her mind.”

The Emperor looked at Lucas intently.

“That’s why we’re observing her so carefully, to understand her better.”

“I understand, Your Majesty. But…”

Lucas looked at the Emperor, his expression more serious than usual.

“What about the story of the goddess? Any progress there?”

“We’re still looking into it. The prophecy is full of vague sections. As of now, there’s no solid evidence that Sylvia herself is the goddess.”

“Really?”

The Emperor smiled warmly, almost like a father speaking to his child.

“What do you hope for, Lucas? Would you want Sylvia to be the goddess?”

“No.”

Lucas frowned openly.

“I’d prefer her to just be my sister. Swinging a sword at a goddess whenever I get the chance would be a ticket to hell, wouldn’t it?”

“Indeed. I feel the same.”

The Emperor answered, shrugging his shoulders as if joking.

*

Still, that prophecy… was it all just nonsense?

I opened the notebook where I had scribbled down my knowledge from the game, and pondered for a while.

There was nothing about me mentioned in the prophecy at all.

…If the prophecy was just a copy of the one from the game, didn’t that make it a useless firestarter at this point?

“…”

Well, it didn’t matter. What really matters now was whether Mia Crowfield was going to spill my story to others or keep her mouth shut.

I closed the notebook, feeling a bit anxious.

Chapter 58 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 58

EP.58 Forced Training (1)

Spring had arrived. The once chilly weather had grown considerably warmer, to the point where it was no longer necessary to wear the coat I had draped over my shoulders. Even though I had been wearing it like a cape, the sun’s warm rays made the inside of the coat feel like a sauna.

Perhaps because the game’s world was designed by a Japanese game company from a country known for its distinct four seasons, the weather quickly became hot as soon as winter ended. Well, it was the same in the country I lived in. Just when you think it might cool down, the bitter cold would hit, leaving you no choice but to pull out the long winter coat from the back of the closet without even getting a chance to wear the autumn clothes you’d bought.

Although this time, it was the opposite situation.

In truth, part of the reason I felt a bit hotter was because I had kept the winter fur lining attached to my coat longer than necessary. But… that couldn’t be helped. It looked cool. And it wasn’t just for show; it was made from genuine, high-quality animal fur, which was why I had kept it on.

It had not yet been a full month since I had entered the academy, but I had already managed to adapt quite well. Even though it had been a long time since I’d attended school, I adjusted quickly, likely due to the sense of familiarity I felt toward the people around me. Perhaps it was because I had seen them so often while playing the game, but even though I hadn’t known them for long, it felt as if we had been acquainted for years.

Of course, the characters I had interacted with in the game were low-poly models with poor textures, only spitting out pre-programmed lines. Comparing those characters to the real people around me might be a bit unfair.

Anyway.

Even when I first enrolled, the fields were already sprouting green grass, but now they had grown even lusher, painting the area in a vibrant green. Dotted among the grass were colorful flowers whose names I didn’t know, adding to the beauty of the scene.

And there, standing in the middle of that beautiful field, I…

“Sigh.”

I let out a deep sigh.

I had come outside to test the fire-attribute Marmaros I had received from Jennifer as a reward two weeks ago. I went to the craftsman that Jennifer introduced me, and he was indeed skilled. He was well-skilled, but…

“You want to use such a high-quality Marmaros in a firearm?”

The craftsman had looked at me as if I were some kind of eccentric when he said that.

“Is that not possible?”

I glanced down at the Ergansen rifle I had placed on the table as I asked.

Although I had used the gun for quite some time, its condition wasn’t bad at all—in fact, it was in excellent condition. I had fired tens of thousands of rounds with it during practice, but since I would always reset time after training, it had essentially only been used when absolutely necessary. As a result, the rifle remained in superb shape, enough to make any battlefield soldier scoff in disbelief.

“No… it’s not that.”

The young man, who had a thin, nearly closed-eyed look about him, scratched the back of his head with a gloved hand. If he weren’t wearing a craftsman’s apron, he might have looked like a hidden boss in some demon king’s army.

“Since it’s a firearm, after all. Isn’t this kind of modification unnecessary? Wouldn’t it be better to enhance the barrel and adjust the gunpowder amount in the bullets instead? Typically, Marmaros is far more effective when attached to melee weapons like swords or spears,” the craftsman said.

In the game, it was simply an enhancement that increased attack power by a few percentage points or allowed the use of specific magic, but reality seemed to be slightly different. According to what I’d heard, when used in close combat, the weapon could be followed by flames, or the temperature of the weapon itself could drop so drastically that a victim could suffer frostbite in an instant—quite terrifying.

“How much damage do you think a bullet could do?”

The craftsman asked.

“……”

Hmm…

“Would it be possible for the bullet to cause a small explosion upon impact?” I asked.

“If such bullets existed, the military would already be using them, wouldn’t they?” he replied.

That made sense.

Of course, even in this era, there were large-caliber rifles. Back when tank armor was similar to that of armored cars, soldiers had fought in ‘anti-tank battles’ with absurdly large rifles. There were also high-explosive incendiary rounds used for machine guns. Wait, was that during World War I? Hmm, I wasn’t exactly sure about the history of firearms development. And I wasn’t certain if such rounds would even be used for sniping.

“Can it be removed once attached?”

“Ah, that is possible, but…”

The young craftsman looked at me cautiously.

“There will be an additional charge for removal. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then, I’ll give it a try.”

Though puzzled, the craftsman eventually took my rifle and the Marmaros and headed into the workshop.

And as for the result…

I went out to a mostly deserted street to test it. Thanks to the Marmaros mounted under the muzzle, right where the wooden handguard ended, my bullets were now unmistakably set ablaze.

It wasn’t just a physical fire either—it was magical. The flaming bullets flew straight toward their target and embedded deep within it, leaving a burn.

Sure, it could help cause infections in wounds. For standard infantry, this could be useful. The problem was that Marmaros was an incredibly expensive item for something so mediocre. If a bullet hit, it would usually be life-threatening regardless of where it struck. If it didn’t kill outright, a minor burn wouldn’t be much of an issue since magic could easily heal it. Of course, for ordinary soldiers who couldn’t afford magical treatment, it could be quite terrifying.

But given my abilities, I’d be dealing with high-value targets, and unless a shot killed them instantly, this function seemed pointless. There was no use in further scorching a brain that had already been blown to pieces.

I now understood why the military hadn’t standardized the use of Marmaros in firearms and why neither the Emperor nor my siblings had ever recommended it to me. That ceremonial sword was probably made using a Marmaros, too.

“Again.”

Feeling oddly satisfied, I reset the time.

*

A single round in a rifle might not make much of a difference when set on fire, but with a shotgun, it could be a different story. After all, incendiary shotgun rounds existed in reality, and a firearm that sprayed flames like a single-shot flamethrower seemed highly practical. Especially in a world where trench warfare was the standard.

“Are you headed to the battlefield?” the craftsman seemed to think so, as he widened his thin eyes and asked me.

“I might.”

In the original story, the plot was more focused on preventing the war from escalating behind the scenes rather than fighting in the middle of the battlefield. However, that didn’t mean the characters never ended up on the front lines.

“I see…” the craftsman responded, his voice trailing off.

My reputation for my abilities wasn’t widely known—at least not in terms of absolute numbers. Some nobles were aware of it, but commoners outside the imperial palace didn’t know much. Jennifer had already informed the craftsman that I was a “princess,” but that was the extent of his knowledge about who I really was.

“Are you planning to enlist as an officer?” he asked, picking up the shotgun and Marmaros I’d provided earlier without much hesitation.

“I’m not sure yet.”

I answered vaguely.

*

“It’s done.”

When I returned a few hours later, the craftsman presented the modified shotgun.

Just like with the rifle, the Marmaros had been installed at the front of the tube magazine unique to the shotgun. It didn’t seem like it would interfere with disassembly or maintenance, as the Marmaros-equipped part was detachable. You had to unscrew it, but at least it wasn’t an overly clunky addition. In fact, it looked like it had always been part of the weapon, which I found quite satisfying.

“Um… I don’t mean to overstep,” the craftsman began to speak cautiously as I examined the finished shotgun, turning it over to check its condition. When I looked up at him, he flinched slightly but continued speaking,

“The battlefield is a truly terrible place. If you’re going in search of honor or some romantic notion of it… well, you might want to reconsider.”

I looked at the craftsman for a moment before asking.

“Did you serve in the war?”

“Yes, I did,” he replied.

I already knew this, of course. He had a character card in the original story.

Though he walked normally, one of his legs was a prosthetic. It was an incredibly expensive one, a gift from Jennifer, who had served in the same company. It was said to be a marvel of craftsmanship, with countless gears and springs, moving via a wind-up mechanism that automatically coiled with each step. There was also a side quest related to this item later on.

“……I see.”

I slung the shotgun over my shoulder as I spoke.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I saluted the retired soldier as a sign of respect while speaking to him, which seemed to make the craftsman extremely uncomfortable. Well, he wasn’t a bad person, after all.

The northern battlefield had its justification—protecting civilians and supporting the legitimate government of the Autonomous State of Rickland. They had even asked for assistance. It wasn’t a full-blown war yet, and veterans were still being treated with respect… for now. But the tides of war would change in time.

Most of the soldiers currently on the front lines had probably enlisted with some romantic notion of war, only to be quickly disillusioned by its harsh reality.

Leaving the uncomfortable retired soldier behind, I exited the workshop.

*

Back at the same road from earlier.

When I returned to my previous spot, a few beasts were roaming around again.

Earlier, I had shot them from a distance, but now I was armed with a shotgun. The spread of the pellets had some range, so I could still get a feel for the Marmaros’ power even from a bit farther away. However, it wouldn’t perform at its best unless I was up close, where the raw firepower directly from the muzzle could hit.

“Grrr…”

This beast wasn’t as enormous as the elemental poison creature from before, but it wasn’t something an unarmed person could safely approach either.

If it stood on its hind legs, it would probably reach up to my chest. Maybe even taller than me if you included its long ears. It had a muscular frame, bulky on both sides. If I tried fighting it barehanded, I probably wouldn’t survive.

It was a rabbit… technically. A really vicious, oversized rabbit.

…How was it even possible for such a monster to live so close to a road frequented by regular people? Well, at least it wasn’t brazenly strolling down the middle of the road like in the game. Small mercies, I guess.

“Grrrr…”

…A rabbit shouldn’t be growling like that.

Click.

I aimed the shotgun at the rabbit.

“Raaaah!”

With a snarl that was anything but rabbit-like, it propelled itself toward me with powerful hind legs.

Immediately, I pulled the trigger—

Bang!

“Ughack!?”

—I flinched as a massive burst of flames shot out from the gun.

The fire surged ahead, covering about three or four meters in front of me.

Thud.

The rabbit, charging toward me, fell to the ground after being struck by the twelve burning pellets.

Its fur was charred black.

A burnt meat smell filled the air.

“……”

Uh… well.

Yeah, I think I understand why Marmaros isn’t typically used in shotguns.

Chapter 59 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 59

EP.59 Forced Training (2)

But what choice did I have? I couldn’t think of a better method. I had no intention of learning swordsmanship from scratch at this point. Even if I started now, there was no guarantee how proficient I could become.

…No, the right question was could I even reach a level worthy of being called ‘proficient’?

Aside from specific schools of swordsmanship, the Empire also had military swordsmanship. Although firearms were starting to be more common on the battlefield than swords, there were still plenty of monstrous warriors who wielded swords with deadly precision, even achieving feats that earned them the title of “one-man armies.”

People like Lucas tore through the battlefield, cutting down enemies with ease, so the art of swordsmanship hadn’t completely lost its value.

Even so, I couldn’t help but think it was more practical to take down nearby enemies with a pistol or shotgun… Then again, in close-quarters combat where soldiers were all tangled together, trying to shoot a swordsman might end up putting your own allies at risk.

Though the scene from the game was rendered in 3D CG, the motion was less than ideal, so I couldn’t really tell how the battle played out in detail. The game didn’t even properly depict anti-aircraft fire during large-scale airborne operations, so who knew what it was like ‘for real’? Well, unless I saw it for myself, I’d never really know. That said, I didn’t think the battles from the original work were impossible here either—

“Sylvia!”

—That’s right. Especially because of people like them, I believed Lucas could still perform well on the battlefield.

I thought I had gotten up early, but some others had beaten me to it.

“Claire.”

I answered as I approached Claire, who was waving at me enthusiastically.

“Leo.”

“Hello.”

After three weeks of being around each other, Leo seemed to have learned that I wasn’t going to bite. His expression had softened noticeably, though he still seemed a bit on edge.

Luckily, Mia Crowfield seemed to be keeping my secret. If not, Leo wouldn’t have shown even this small bit of caution around me.

In the original game, Leo was the type to be friendly with people he had no reason to suspect. After all, he was the protagonist of a harem story. His personality kind of had to be like that.

“Out here early on another quest, I see.”

They had probably been out since around three in the morning.

This week’s quest wasn’t something I knew about. Just because the academy was the setting didn’t mean every single day at the academy could be depicted in detail. Sometimes, certain days just passed by without much story.

Still, I could at least check the quest sheet to find out the details and the rewards…

“……”

“I think I’ve got this place pretty much mapped out now. I just took a tour around here for a full sweep!”

Claire’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

As she said, next to Claire and Leo were six neatly stacked beasts. Well, calling them “beasts” didn’t quite capture what they were. On Earth, they would’ve been considered full-on monsters.

There was a huge eagle with feathers still smoldering, a massive vampire bat that looked like it could wrap its wings around a person in a grotesque hug, and a bison with impossibly large horns—creatures that would have been terrifying even in reality. Then there were three more beasts. They were all the perfect targets for extracting Marmaros from.

…Weren’t there any simpler quests in the original story? Like just running errands?

“Oh, while we were at it, we hunted a few dangerous beasts near the road. They said they’d reward us if we brought proof.”

Oh, I see.

In the original, rewards would appear instantly after slaying monsters, but reality wasn’t so simple. In reality, you had to bring at least part of the carcass to get the reward.

“Then, can’t you just bring a part of the beast as proof?”

“Huh? But leaving the bodies behind wouldn’t be nice for people passing by, right?”

“……”

Well, that’s…

Should I call them diligent or naive?

It seemed like the environment someone grew up in really did make a difference. Who would’ve thought this kid, who used to say all sorts of infuriating things in the original story, would grow up to be so virtuous?

Though, if anything, growing up too virtuous might be the issue here.

“……”

When I looked silently at Leo, he shrugged and added, “It’s true. If we don’t clean up quickly, the blood from the beast carcasses will spill everywhere. The people who maintain the road will have a hard time later.”

No one would blame them for a bit of mess, especially when it was done to help people. But it seemed like these two were particularly concerned about it.

“So, Sylvia, why are you out here at this hour?”

I didn’t think the time I was out here was that odd. At least, it was a lot more reasonable than when these two had been out. It was eleven in the morning now.

…They had probably been out for about seven hours already by their standards.

“Have you had breakfast?”

“Yeah. We brought packed lunches and ate here.”

It was not like they were just out for a stroll.

“…Just to clarify, Leo and I aren’t like that.”

“Who brought that up first?”

Claire’s remark made Leo frown deeply, not in the usual “tsundere” way typical of games, anime, or manga, but with a genuinely horrified expression—like one might make when a misunderstanding occurs between actual siblings.

Well, Claire wasn’t exactly a romanceable character in the original… though, I suppose it was more accurate to say that she wasn’t fully romanced because her storyline always led to her death.

“No one said anything like that, so you can relax.”

“I’m glad there was no misunderstanding.”

“Seriously, who brought that up first?”

Leo growled, but Claire brushed it off effortlessly.

…Well.

“I’m glad to see you two get along so well.”

“What?”

“Me?”

Claire and Leo both spoke at almost the same time.

“With him?”

“With her?”

Their synchronized response, something straight out of a comic, made it difficult for me to hold back my laughter.

Still, how could I not be happy to witness this?

Both of them were characters I really liked.

*

Not just Leo and Claire, but most of the main characters in this game were diligent. Even Jake, who seemed to live a lazy life on the surface, was actually the same. He was constantly studying and working hard. Especially since he was in a relationship with someone of a different race, which was still unfamiliar in this world. He needed enough knowledge to defend her against those who belittled Lottie, his love.

In that sense, maybe I was the laziest one.

Whenever I had a moment to rest, I would reset the time multiple times just to relax to the fullest. Of course, resetting time didn’t accumulate the effects of rest. The fatigue from before would return as soon as the time was reset.

Still, it was a great way to sneak in a “five more minutes” situation. If I had an hour to rest, I would make sure to rest for that full hour. Then, I’d reset time by 30 minutes. Since I was always sincere about wanting to rest, it wasn’t that difficult for me. No matter how exhausting the situation was, a solid 30-minute rest was usually enough to recover, as long as I wasn’t gravely injured. So, I would repeatedly reset those 30 minutes, extending my rest. While my body would only recover as if I’d rested for an hour, my mind would have more time to prepare and plan. During that extra time, I could also handle any sudden tasks that came up.

“……”

I was doing that now, too. Motivated by my dread of facing Monday, I reset the time for the fifth time.

As I lazily sprawled on the bed, contemplating the upcoming week, new ideas would often pop into my mind. The thoughts that flitted through my head were mostly brief, but when I combined them, they often led to a more substantial conclusion.

For example, the thoughts that had just come to me were like this: I had already received the academy’s schedule for the first semester. Thanks to that, I knew what events were happening starting from the second week of May. It was a field assignment. The field assignment would last four days, from Thursday to Sunday. The destination: Winterfield. Far from the battlefield, of course.

That was the academy information I had. The rest came from my knowledge of the original game.

Winterfield was located in the far north of the Empire. The place was named Winterfield because there was always snow, no matter the season. Perhaps because of that image, or maybe due to preconceived notions about a fantasy world, in the setting of this world, most of the Empire’s renowned warriors hailed from Winterfield. It wasn’t strictly because of the name Winterfield, though. Among the names that immediately came to mind, there were several key figures in the story. One of the most important ones was a Sword Saint who was also from Winterfield.

“……Huh?”

Suddenly, my mind snapped into focus, and I shot up from my seat. With my hand on my chin, I began to think more seriously.

The Sword Saint hadn’t died yet in the storyline. The Sword Saint, though a bit aged, was still very much alive. Unless my appearance had caused a major shift, making Lucas seek out the Sword Saint earlier than intended.

The reason Lucas sought out the Sword Saint was because, at that point in the story, he was confident in his own abilities. He believed he could definitely win, which is why he went to find him. According to rumors from the game developers, Lucas was already stronger than the Sword Saint at this point in the story, but he wouldn’t be fully confident about it until the second installment of the series.

If I set my mind to it, meeting the Sword Saint next week wouldn’t be impossible. If I managed to meet him before Leo or Claire did, maybe I could learn some training methods just for myself—like a meditation technique that would let me sleep less. After all, I could rewind time while training… although my physical abilities would reset each time.

“……Oh.”

No, it wasn’t impossible.

I knew where the Sword Saint was, but… he lived on a mountainside.

The Sword Saint had secluded himself from the world, so in the game, you couldn’t meet him through normal means. However, there were hidden quests that allowed you to encounter the Sword Saint.

“But I’d have to climb a mountain.”

I pressed my nose bridge with my index finger and thumb.

Just as the roads were different from the game, the mountain’s terrain wouldn’t be exactly the same either. Climbing a mountain wasn’t easy in any case.

Think about it—even climbing Seoraksan (a mountain located in South Korea) takes hours, and the snowy mountain where the Sword Saint resided was far more treacherous.

“…Wait, hold on.”

I thought about the two people I saw this morning, smiling brightly as they stood next to a pile of six beast carcasses.

Even if I didn’t want to climb, wouldn’t those two persistently trek up the mountain to find the Sword Saint? They seemed incredibly passionate about swordsmanship. And by then, Alice and Charlotte would probably be with them. If Alice was there, then I’d be there, too.

“….”

If anyone had seen my face at that moment, they would have been shocked at how pale I had turned.

Chapter 60 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 60

EP.60 Forced Training (3)

Spring? What a joke.

Winterfield was miserably cold, just as its name implied.

Even though it was called “Winterfield,” it wasn’t covered in snow all 365 days of the year. It was still part of the Empire’s territory, and unless you went further north to the Autonomous State of Rickland, there were still spring and summer here. But even in spring, it was just less cold than winter, and summer was merely cool, more comparable to fall in other regions.

Ironically, this made Winterfield a popular retreat for nobles. It was cool during the summer, so they would come to escape the sweltering heat of other regions. In the lower towns where people lived, the snow would melt in the spring, but up in the mountains, it was always snow-covered, making for a stunning view. It was a sight you couldn’t easily find elsewhere in the Empire.

Though there were ongoing conflicts between warlords, the Autonomous State of Rickland, and the imperial soldiers, those battles were far removed from the heart of Winterfield’s territory. Winterfield was vast, and its central area was located in the relatively warmer lower regions.

“So cold… is it still winter here even in May?”

While the snow did melt in spring, that didn’t mean it stopped snowing entirely. And even when it snowed, it didn’t melt right away. After all, even in places like Gangwon Province, it could still snow in May if it was extremely cold.

“It is Winterfield. For the locals, it might not feel like it, but for outsiders, this place might as well be winter all year round,” Leo said, trying to comfort a trembling Claire.

“Well, it’s not like it’s winter all the time,” Leo added, only to be startled by the voice that followed.

“There’s still summer. It’s just cooler than the capital. Honestly, from my perspective, the capital is unbearably hot,” Jennifer added with a shrug.

“It’s just turned into spring,” Claire muttered under her breath.

“Exactly, which means it’s too hot. It doesn’t even snow once in spring over there,” Jennifer replied, her voice firm.

“…”

At that, not only Leo and Claire, but also the noble students who had gathered there, were left speechless.

“Honestly, I worry about how I’ll survive when summer arrives… but I guess it doesn’t matter. We’ll be on summer break, anyway,” Jennifer added nonchalantly.

It did matter, though.

Jennifer always started sweating buckets before summer even hit. Not to mention, she wore rather revealing outfits, making her the kind of character people would say was “perfect for a figurine.” Of course, this game wasn’t exactly known for churning out figurines, which was a bit of a shame.

In the game, despite the cold setting and dialogue reactions, you could choose any outfit for the characters. If I didn’t manually change them, they’d all wear winter uniforms and coats, like the one I had on. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t dress them in the DLC outfits.

It felt absurd to walk around this snowy region with other characters in swimsuits, but with Jennifer, it didn’t seem that odd. After all, she was always complaining about the heat, even as summer approached in the capital.

“Alright, is everyone here?”

No matter what season Winterfield was in, it was still a vast and strategically important territory within the Empire. As such, more than just the noble Class A students were disembarking from the train. Businessmen in formal suits checked their pocket watches as they hurried along, and several officers in military uniforms could be seen walking in the distance. There were also soldiers, likely returning from leave, scattered about. No one paid particular attention to them. Jennifer, not dressed in her usual military uniform but in civilian clothes, didn’t receive any salutes. If they had recognized her face, perhaps they would have, but Jennifer was officially retired. Technically, she wasn’t someone who needed to be saluted anymore. That was likely why she chose to wear civilian clothing and tie up her hair.

“Yes, everyone’s here,” Alice, who had somehow taken up the role of the class president, answered promptly.

Jennifer gave us all a quick glance. Despite being an ex-soldier, she wasn’t the type of instructor who demanded we stand in neat lines or file ranks. She was different from our homeroom teacher, Carolyn Northwood, in a unique way.

“Before coming here, Carolyn asked me to take good care of you.”

Jennifer slowly began to speak as she looked around at us.

“I’m not particularly fond of high-ranking nobles, but Carolyn’s an exception. As you’ve probably already noticed, people like her, noble or not, are rare.”

Around me, several students nodded in agreement. There wasn’t a single one of us who didn’t appreciate Carolyn’s beauty, kindness, or her dedication to her students.

“So, I don’t want to cause any trouble for Carolyn. If any of you act recklessly or dangerously, I won’t hesitate to discipline you harshly. I can’t risk sending her students back injured.”

After another quick scan of the group, Jennifer continued, “There are many places in Winterfield that are far too dangerous for first-timers. I’ll give you a more detailed briefing once we gather at the lodging. For now…” She pulled out her pocket watch and glanced at it.

“You have about an hour. Feel free to explore for now. While this area is a little ways off from the heart of the territory, it’s not completely desolate, and it’s a good chance to get a feel for Winterfield’s atmosphere. There are plenty of soldiers around, so security should be decent.”

With that, she tucked the watch back into her coat and added, “Dismissed!”

Jennifer immediately turned on her heel and headed off in another direction, leaving us standing there.

The students, who had been a bit excited about their first field training, were now murmuring amongst themselves, clearly not expecting such sudden freedom.

“Sylvia.”

Among the murmuring students was Alice. She was fully dressed in a coat this time, unlike her usual attire. While the uniform beneath it still resembled the standard school uniform, her coat looked much more like a military one. If you saw her from a distance, you might easily mistake her for a cadet. After all, this academy did serve dual roles, including military training. Alice, however, had removed the fur trim from the collar, finding it uncomfortable.

“Want to grab something to eat? It’s lunchtime anyway.”

“Indeed, it’s about time we get our meal.”

Charlotte interjected at Alice’s suggestion.

“A meal, you say?”

“Yeah, we haven’t eaten yet, have we?”

“……”

Hmm.

Jennifer might have acted like she was just letting the students roam freely, but there was an underlying intention for us to familiarize ourselves with the area. The problem was that most noble students’ idea of a “meal” wasn’t available here. This wasn’t a place frequented by nobles, after all.

It wasn’t a particularly dangerous area, but it also wasn’t a wealthy one. Most establishments here catered to soldiers, serving basic and plain food. Just like in the northern region, the food was simple, under-seasoned, and quite bland. And, of course, being part of an Empire inspired by the notorious “British cuisine”, especially in the northern areas, meant the food here wasn’t exactly what nobles were accustomed to. Honestly, it was questionable whether they could even stomach the local fare.

“Oh, really? Then let’s eat together!”

“Yeah, it’s more convenient to eat as a group than alone.”

As Alice and Charlotte discussed the plan, Leo and Claire approached them.

“Sounds good.”

Suddenly, another voice cut into our conversation.

“I didn’t have anyone to eat with either. Lottie’s in a different class, after all.”

It was Jake Lindbergh.

Although Lottie had come to the academy as Jake’s maid, she was in a different class. After all, she was technically a commoner, and the academy’s rules dictated that all students were equal—no one was allowed to have servants or maids, especially if they were fellow students. Jake and Lottie were, at least in name, equals here.

“Lindbergh?”

Alice looked at Jake with a slightly surprised expression. Charlotte seemed displeased with his casual demeanor.

“Is it okay, Sylvia?”

“Sylvia?”

Alice’s eyes widened even more.

“We talked the other day and became friends,” Jake explained with a casual shrug.

Alice’s expression was one of pure shock as she looked at me, and it wasn’t just her—everyone around was staring at me in disbelief.

I mean, I could understand why. To them, the quiet girl who usually sat in the corner without a word suddenly hanging out with someone like Jake, the carefree, tanned, blonde troublemaker, must have been a huge surprise.

But that’s not how it was.

“Huh? What?”

When I looked at Jake, he just shrugged his shoulders slightly and said, “Aren’t we friends?”

No, this was literally the first time we’ve talked in two weeks. And that conversation two weeks ago wasn’t even a proper one—it was more like Jake greeted me out of the blue. So, if I had to clarify, it’s more accurate to say we’re just acquaintances rather than actual friends.

“Sylvia.”

Charlotte approached me, noticing my hesitation about how to respond.

She gently grabbed my arm, tugging me slightly as she whispered, “You probably don’t know much about men, which is why you’re brushing this off, but you really shouldn’t get too close to someone like him. Come, this way.”

No, I mean, we were not really close. He was just acting like he knew me.

I glanced behind Jake. There were a few girls looking at us anxiously.

…Ah, I see.

Jake was fleeing from the swarm of girls that usually hovered around him. The ones here, on the other hand, were all daughters of powerful and influential families—beautiful, no less. So, if he stayed with us, those other girls would naturally shy away, unwilling to compare themselves to us.

“……”

Charlotte had clashed with Jake. Well, to be precise, it wasn’t exactly a clash. Charlotte had disliked Jake’s casual and carefree behavior, which was far from what she considered noble. Especially his tanned skin—that seemed to bother her the most.

However, once she learned about the person Jake truly liked, her attitude toward him softened. Though she still found his laid-back manner off-putting, she no longer judged him as harshly. She came to understand why Jake acted the way he did.

“Oh, I see.”

Unlike Charlotte, Alice seemed to quickly pick up on my expression. She probably realized that I wasn’t close to Jake, and that he was the one pushing the conversation on me. Maybe my annoyance had been visible on my face. Even if no one else noticed, Alice surely did.

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to approach Sylvia without any context.”

Alice said, stepping between me and Jake and staring at him firmly.

“Sylvia isn’t the type of person you can just approach casually like that.”

“……”

What exactly was my reputation among these girls?

I mean, I went through all this trouble to turn back time and build a perfect image—

—just as that thought crossed my mind, I accidentally locked eyes with Mia Crowfield, who had been silently standing nearby the whole time.

“……”

“……”

Hmm, okay, maybe not completely perfect.

Let’s say “close to perfect” instead.

At least no one else, except for Mia, had figured it out yet.

Chapter 61 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 61

EP.61 Forced Training (4)

“…So, you’re telling me you approached us just to get rid of the other girls?”

Alice spoke with a confused expression, unsure whether to laugh or get angry.

We were currently sitting in a nearby restaurant. After some back-and-forth arguing while walking, Jake finally ended up sticking with our group. Because of him, we now needed a table big enough for all seven of us, so we found ourselves seated around a large round table. The distance between us was quite far, but honestly, I thought it worked out for the better. It felt a little less uncomfortable this way.

“To be honest, yeah.”

Jake had barely managed to sit down after revealing his true intentions, trying to ease the tension between Charlotte and Alice. He sat between me and Leo since the other girls didn’t want to sit next to him. It seemed like Jake’s delinquent-like persona didn’t quite match with the other girls, who were all naturally diligent. Even though Jake was actually a top student and trained diligently every day, no one would notice unless they paid close attention.

By the way, the thing Lottie hated the most was people belittling Jake. Lottie knew better than anyone how hard Jake trained when no one was watching, so she couldn’t stand people dismissing his efforts. She was always expressionless and calm, but that didn’t mean her emotions were impossible to read.

“The moment we stepped off the train, those girls were all over me.”

Jake sighed.

Although we weren’t in the capital, it wasn’t like our classmates were absent. Then again, we didn’t see any of them inside the restaurant.

“Well, you are the son of a duke. And with the way you carry yourself, you do seem like someone who might be easy to win over.”

Alice remarked.

“That’s a bit harsh.”

Jake responded to Alice’s evaluation, though he didn’t seem particularly upset by it. Jake was a character full of self-confidence—not in an arrogant way, but rather in the sense that he was sure of his actions and plans.

And Jake’s plans always revolved around Lottie. Jake’s ultimate goal was to cut through all the outside noise and live happily with her. That’s what Jake wanted more than anything.

“Hey, don’t be too hard on him.”

Leo said, chiming in after listening to the conversation.

“I’m sure Jake has his own struggles, too.”

“And how would you know about his struggles?”

Claire immediately retorted, leaving Leo momentarily speechless.

Even though Leo had just been called out by Claire, it didn’t mean the group held a bad image of him. Despite being the only guy among the girls (aside from Jake), no one in the group seemed to find Leo’s presence awkward or uncomfortable. In a way, you could almost say this was like the setup of a harem story.

“So, you approached Sylvia?”

Alice asked Jake.

Somehow, Alice had the uncanny ability to read my expressions, despite how hard I tried to hide them. At least she seemed certain that I wasn’t smitten with Jake.

“Yeah. Sylvia doesn’t have other noble girls clinging to her.”

It wasn’t just male nobles that the girls tried to cozy up to. By now, three weeks into the school term, two distinct groups had already formed within our class. Even with only fifteen students, factions had naturally developed. This was inevitable. Nobles gravitated toward dukes, and the dukes, in turn, gathered their own power by forming alliances.

Though the Emperor wielded absolute power for now, it wasn’t enough for anyone to survive on their own if they wanted to either reap the benefits of the Emperor’s power or snatch that power for themselves.

Their options were either to align themselves with the Emperor or to depend on influential dukes. And the best way to do that was by establishing connections from a young age, starting with school.

That’s why the daughters of dukes became popular figure at school. Whether or not the affection was genuine was up to each individual, but politics played a large part in the dynamics.

And by that logic, Sylvia Fangriffon should have been one of the most sought-after students in the academy, standing at the pinnacle of power. But… there were always rumors surrounding her. No girl actively tried to approach me either.

Thinking about this made me a little envious of Jake. Whether I was a guy or a girl, I never seemed to be popular with women.

…Well, let’s set aside those depressing thoughts for now.

“No matter how you look at it, using someone for that kind of purpose…”

Alice trailed off, clearly displeased with the idea of using a friend for political gain.

Honestly, I felt a little touched by her reaction. I hadn’t done much since entering the academy—just tagging along and eating meals with them. Still, it was heartwarming that they considered me part of the group. Especially since these were characters I had admired from the game.

Even Charlotte, who hadn’t been all that fond of me initially, was starting to treat me as part of the team.

“It’s okay.”

I said to Charlotte.

“It didn’t cause any harm, so I don’t mind.”

“See?”

Jake couldn’t resist adding a final remark, earning some glares from the others.

“That’s—”

Alice began to say to Jake.

“Your meals are here.”

But the waiter interrupted.

Hearing the rather stiff voice of the waiter, Alice stopped mid-sentence.

“……”

Clink, clink. Several waiters placed our ordered meals in front of us.

The clinking of plates filled the brief silence as several waiters moved between us, placing the meals we ordered on the table. There wasn’t a menu to choose from; the restaurant seemed to offer set meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It made sense, considering it also functioned as an inn for business travelers.

“……”

Everyone, including Charlotte and Alice, sat silently around the table, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“Enjoy your meal.”

The waiter said politely, unaffected by our expressions, and then walked back toward the counter.

“Uh…”

Even Jake, who had been speaking so nonchalantly moments before, seemed at a loss for words as he stared at the meal in front of him.

“Well, this is…”

I glanced down at my plate, following the others’ lead.

The dish looked like an oversized sausage at first glance, though it was closer to a ball in shape. It wasn’t entirely out of place, as sausages were a local delicacy in the Empire, but this one was… different.

“This is haggis.”

I said, breaking the silence.

Everyone turned to look at me, then back at the food. It was a dish I recognized from my knowledge of British cuisine before I ended up here. Haggis had a reputation as an unusual or even bizarre food to some Europeans, but it was well-known.

While the world we were in wasn’t rooted in any specific geography, the creators of this fantasy setting had clearly taken some inspiration from real-world regional dishes. This country, with its northern region, seemed to have drawn inspiration from Scotland.

As the others silently stared at their food, I picked up my fork and knife.

Though I’d never tried haggis before, I’d heard it described as a bit like blood sausage. Haggis was supposedly one of those dishes that, while not necessarily appealing at first glance, was edible enough for someone with Korean tastes, much like black pudding.

I couldn’t help but think that maybe I’d finally found a taste of home.

*

“So…”

I ended up enjoying my meal. Alice, Claire, and Leo managed to finish theirs, though Jake and Mia left a bit on their plates. Charlotte, on the other hand, barely touched half of hers.

“Are most northern dishes like this?”

Charlotte asked, carefully avoiding any direct criticism of the food, especially since she saw me eating it so enthusiastically.

While she could poke fun at the Empire’s notoriously bad bread, this was an entirely different type of cuisine, with no overlapping dishes. Being royalty, Charlotte knew better than to openly disparage the local fare—it would be impolite and foolish.

“There’s bread in the north too.”

I answered.

“Well, thank goodness for that…”

Charlotte sighed deeply, genuinely relieved.

Normally, she would’ve scrunched up her face at the thought of bad imperial bread, but at least she preferred that to haggis.

Considering the northern kingdom’s inspiration from France and Belgium, it made sense. Though, I had heard that there’s a sausage that smells like poop in France too, but I didn’t think there’s any need to point that out here.

Chapter 62 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 62

EP.62 Forced Training (5)

Field training evaluations varied greatly depending on the student’s personality.

Those who enjoyed being outdoors and didn’t particularly like sitting at a desk to study would naturally love the field training. The academy’s classes were far from easy. In fact, without proper tutoring from a young age or having attended school before, keeping up with the lessons could be overwhelming.

Even the children who had already received formal education wouldn’t take the classes lightly. Academic rankings were tied to the honor of their families, so most noble students worked hard to at least maintain above-average scores.

For those who found the rigid academic environment stifling, field training, which offered a break from the structured curriculum, would feel like a refreshing change. Especially for commoners, who might find traveling burdensome, the opportunity to go outside the academy’s walls could be quite liberating. Then again, if their families were struggling to such an extent, they likely wouldn’t have been able to attend the academy in the first place.

On the other hand, students who were more introverted, uncomfortable with approaching strangers or asking questions, or who simply disliked being outdoors, would find field training evaluation a poor fit. They’d probably prefer to be holed up in their rooms reading books. Those with groups could at least blend in and get by, but those without any support would struggle to even earn the minimum required points.

As for me, I belonged to the latter category.

I was the kind of person who could replay games several times, each with a playtime of 50 to 80 hours, just for the initial playthrough. In my spare time, I consumed spin-off novels, comics, and setting guides, and when I wasn’t absorbed in Chronicles of Aetherna, I was either reading books, watching movies, dramas, or anime.

Occasionally, I went on trips, but even then, I’d book the coziest accommodations I could find and minimize my time spent outside. If there was no set plan, I simply wouldn’t go out—that was my way.

“Sylvia!”

“Huh?”

“…Sylvia, sis?”

So, having my bedroom door burst open at four in the morning by a younger sister I hadn’t seen in over a decade—and one I wasn’t even blood-related to—was not something that matched well with my personality in any way.

Again!

*

Why did I choose the “cool beauty” persona again?

Wouldn’t it have been better to go for a more emotional and optimistic personality? The kind that’s usually laid-back and easygoing, but when the situation calls for it, effortlessly handles tough challenges? That kind of character could have worked too.

At first, I picked the cool beauty concept because it meant I could minimize facial expressions and hide my thoughts easily. But in hindsight, I could have taken on a personality like Lucas or Jake, just with an added layer of “hidden cunning,” and still made it work as a solid character.

If I hadn’t committed to the cool beauty persona, I wouldn’t have needed to wake up 30 minutes earlier than Claire barging into my room, get washed up, and pretend to be cleaning my weapon.

“Sylvia! Oh, you’re already up, as I expected.”

To be honest, that last part—“as I expected”—was totally unnecessary.

Claire had been extremely flustered by my startled reaction when she barged in. There was no reason for her to widen her eyes slightly at seeing me up and cleaning my gun at this hour.

“Well, you did wake up earlier than us last time.”

She said.

……When did I?

……Oh.

Could she be talking about the time I completed my first assignment after enrolling? The time when Leo and Claire mentioned that I had already been outside by four in the morning, hunting down that elemental poison? It seemed that was what Claire was referring to.

After that, I didn’t bother to wake up before them to complete assignments. It was better for my mental health to get up when Alice did and focus on my studies. If I had something extra to do, I’d ask for their understanding and handle it separately.

Just the thought of some of the side quests I knew about, which involved waking up at 3 a.m. and suffering through the task, made me weary. If I tried to complete those assignments ahead of these two, without them even being hinted at in the game, I might end up running around without sleep for real.

“Leo and I are heading out now. What about you, Sylvia? Want to come with us?”

“……”

I paused to think. What quests were available if I went out at this time?

Unless it was an emergency mission, most assignments had been pre-gathered by Jennifer. In the game, these came in the form of “quests.” Unlike the tutorial-like first week, we were now at the point where we’d slowly start delving into the main story during this first field training.

The game’s plot didn’t revolve solely around the protagonist characters. While some quests, like hunting missions, could be done at any time without affecting the storyline, any quest involving people would need to be done at the appropriate time for that particular scenario.

My goal in this world was to experience the game’s story as a character while ensuring that those doomed to die would be saved so I could achieve a happy ending.

……Since I hadn’t done anything particularly wrong, I decided that would be my objective now that I had somehow ended up in this world.

“What about the princess?”

“The princess? Oh, Alice.”

At my question, Claire’s expression darkened slightly.

Claire likely didn’t harbor any ill will toward Alice. It was just that she had bonded with me first as if we were sisters, but now Alice and I shared a similar connection, that probably made her feel a bit bitter.

If it hadn’t been for Lucas, I might have ended up at the Grace household. In that case, I might have formed a sibling-like trio with Leo and Claire, and I wouldn’t have felt the need to adopt the “cool beauty” persona.

But what was done was done, and I liked Alice as a character, so I was enjoying the current situation well enough.

“Alice still seems half-asleep. I stopped by her room before coming here, but all I got was a groggy mumble. I couldn’t really make out what she said.”

“……”

Hmm.

Still, I figured Alice would join us eventually. The reason was simple—she could be added to the party in the game. If the setting had her still asleep, it wouldn’t have been possible to include her in the party for the first quest.

“Understood. I’ll be down shortly.”

“Got it!”

Claire’s face instantly lit up at my response. Was she that happy?

Then again, Claire hadn’t had anyone resembling family in her original story. So maybe, with me playing a family-like role, it made her genuinely happy, even if it diverged from the original plot.

I was wondering what happened to those orphanage kids who were barely mentioned in the original story? Could they still be at the Grace household? Perhaps some of them were employed there as retainers, servants, or maids. Given Claire’s current demeanor, she would treat those from the same orphanage like siblings. It was a comforting thought, imagining such a scene. Since the story takes us to the Grace estate later on, maybe I could check on them then.

“I’ll go downstairs first and order breakfast!”

“Understood. I’ll finish what I’m doing and come down shortly.”

“Okay!”

Claire nodded enthusiastically and carefully closed the door. I heard her footsteps quickly moving away from the door.

Was she excited?

Well, she might be. She had two people who were like family with her, and all her close friends were here too. From Claire’s perspective, it probably felt like a fun outing with everyone. Maybe like a training camp?

“……”

I slowly began reassembling the gun parts I had been cleaning previously.

Well, even someone as introverted as me was looking forward to it, so it would be silly to think someone like Claire wouldn’t be.

“Yaaawn.”

……Still, the tiredness wasn’t something I could ignore.

*

Pretending to be thorough by disassembling and cleaning my gun at dawn wasn’t a bad thing. It gave me a chance to check the condition of the gun before we got into the real tasks. If the gun were to malfunction during a critical moment, it could mean hours of disassembling and reassembling the weapon all over again. Since we weren’t heading out immediately, I left the gun safely in my room and stepped outside.

“Ah… Sylvia…”

I heard a cracked voice calling my name, different from the usual.

“Your Highness.”

“We may be… on a field training, but… I’m still an academy student. Call me by my name…”

Though she could barely keep her eyes open and sounded half like a zombie, Alice still found the energy to correct me.

“Are you alright?”

“Do I… look all right?”

Alice turned her face toward me in response to my question. I say “turned her face” because she couldn’t open her eyes properly.

Her face wasn’t swollen, and aside from her slightly messy hair, she was still as pretty as ever. But even for someone as strict as Alice, it seemed waking up at four in the morning was no easy feat.

“Your hair is sticking out a bit.”

“I know… but I don’t have the strength to fix it right now…”

Despite my words, Alice simply replied and began walking slowly. As she spoke, it seemed like she was gradually waking up, her cracked voice returning to normal.

I followed behind Alice, carefully watching her steps as she descended the stairs with her eyes barely open. Fortunately, she didn’t stumble and managed to maintain her composure.

When we reached the first-floor dining area, we found several round tables similar to those we had seen near the station earlier. However, the surrounding atmosphere was different from that previous place.

Unlike the somewhat dark inn we visited in broad daylight, this place was brightly lit, even though the sun had yet to rise. The floor here was wooden as well, but instead of being old, creaky, and stained, it was made of high-quality timber, expertly maintained. Even the hotel lobby we passed through was a marvel of craftsmanship.

It was clear this place had been built with significantly more money and finer materials, but despite that, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the northern region’s typical architecture. No matter how elegant, it was still the North.

“Good morning.”

Leo, already seated and waiting for us, raised a hand to greet us.

“……”

Next to him, our other classmates sat in a state similar to Alice’s — like zombies.

Mia Crowfield, in particular, looked as if she might as well be dead. Though seated in a chair, her head rested on the table without a single movement.

Jake was furiously rubbing his eyes, and Charlotte was barely maintaining enough composure to not lose her royal dignity, just managing to stay upright in her chair.

……Thank goodness.

It turns out I was the normal one.

Well, Leo was originally the protagonist after all. The protagonist’s party always moves at the pace of their leader. The problem was that this particular protagonist had a habit of starting his mornings far too early.

Chapter 63 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 63

EP.63 Forced Training (6)

“Good morning… though I’m not sure if it’s the right time to call it morning.”

Jake raised his hand slightly toward us in greeting, then yawned loudly without even covering his mouth. Alice frowned slightly at his behavior, but didn’t bother to point it out.

“Good morning.”

Alice replied as she sat next to Charlotte. I took a seat beside Alice. Claire, who was sitting next to Leo, seemed a little disappointed, but I pretended not to notice.

It wasn’t intentional, but it ended up making Jake and Mia Crowfield sit a bit further from us. Not that they were sitting together, though. The table here was a bit larger than the one in the dining hall, so the space between each seat was naturally more spread out.

Alice, Charlotte, Leo, Claire, and I were sitting close together, while Mia and Jake were seated a bit farther away from us. Even between Mia and Jake, there was a noticeable gap.

Luckily, no one seemed to mind the distance. Jake, being the carefree character he was, didn’t seem to care, and Mia was fast asleep with her face planted on the table.

Seeing her gently rising and falling shoulders and hearing her soft breathing made it hard to want to wake her up. It seemed everyone else shared the same sentiment, so Mia would likely be able to enjoy a few more minutes of sleep.

“…I just have one question—are we really going to get breakfast at this hour?”

Alice, who had been sitting with her eyes closed, trying to gather her energy, finally opened her eyes and asked.

It was true. We were the only ones in the dining hall. Given that even Alice and Charlotte, normally the picture of diligence, were struggling to stay alert, it was hard to imagine any other students would be awake and sitting here at this hour.

“You don’t need to worry about that. I spoke with the staff on my way down. Apparently, at Winterfield Castle, meals are available at any time of the day.”

Leo said confidently.

“…Is that so?”

Alice tilted her head in curiosity at Leo’s explanation.

We were currently staying in Winterfield Castle, which meant it was the residence of the Lord of Winterfield.

Of course, the Lord of Winterfield, Sir Abraham Fitzgerald Winterfield, was also the headmaster of the Imperial Runedarium Academy and was currently residing in the capital. His granddaughter, Jennifer Winterfield, had also recently been in the capital.

Lord Winterfield did have other grandchildren, but they were all involved in politics and actively serving in various roles, so the position of the castle’s lord was practically vacant.

Thanks to the loyalty of his retainers, however, the castle remained under Winterfield control. Several other members of the Winterfield family lived near the borders as well, carrying the same noble blood.

“One of Winterfield’s specialties is reindeer leather, which comes from particularly vicious creatures that are nearly impossible to domesticate.”

Of course, the material wasn’t something that could be easily acquired in large quantities.

In the game, it was one of the materials used to craft armor. While it wasn’t a game that required heavy farming of materials unless you were grinding for leveling or money, the item description did mention it was “rare,” so it must be considered quite valuable here as well.

Even on Earth, genuine leather products were relatively expensive, and that was in modern society, where cows were raised on a large scale.

So, reindeer leather, which could only be obtained through hunting, must be even more valuable—especially if you wanted to get it without any damage. The difficulty level would be much higher.

“They said they have to be ready to serve food at any time because they never know when the hunters will come back for a meal.”

“Well, that’s a relief. But we should be careful if we get sent to other regions. They might see us differently there.”

Claire added after Leo’s explanation, and Alice responded.

“Yeah…”

Hearing Alice’s words, Claire blushed slightly, looking embarrassed.

“……”

Charlotte, meanwhile, looked at the two with a somewhat worried expression. It seemed yesterday’s dinner, particularly the haggis, had left a bad impression on her. After all, Charlotte had barely touched her food.

Are animal intestines really that hard to eat? Honestly, I could handle eating raw liver without much issue.

…Of course, that was only because modern society had such advanced meat processing and distribution. I wouldn’t dare eat uncooked organs in this world. That was just a hypothetical statement.

In this era, some people still considered sushi and sashimi to be barbaric, so it made sense that a dish made by stuffing intestines with oats and cooking them might be too much for Charlotte. Plus, it had a bit of a smell too.

“You don’t have to worry too much. After all, we’re at Winterfield Castle.”

“Huh?”

When I spoke to Charlotte, she flinched slightly and asked for clarification.

“I mean, this is a noble’s castle, so the food will be served as it would to nobles. Sure, there might be haggis, but the region is also famous for its ham and sausages.”

Winterfield was known for maintaining cool temperatures year-round, and during the harsh winters, it was almost impossible to go outside. So, they prepared plenty of preserved foods for winter, and ham and sausages were some of the most famous among them.

In fact, even though both haggis and sausages were made by stuffing meat into animal intestines, sausages were considered a delicacy while haggis was treated as a strange dish. Still, sausages had a much better reputation.

Hearing this, Charlotte’s face turned a slight shade of red.

While the concept of national identity was gradually taking root, and people sometimes dissed each other’s food, it was common sense that refusing food offered by a host was embarrassing. Although we paid for the haggis, the food here was provided by Winterfield.

Leaving food uneaten wouldn’t just be rude; it would be a loss of face, especially for a princess from another nation. If you were full and left food, it would be seen as a compliment to the host but taking only one or two bites and leaving the rest could offend them.

And to make things worse, the granddaughter of Winterfield’s lord, Jennifer Winterfield, was currently leading us. It would be disastrous if rumors spread that a princess had refused to eat a meal in the presence of an Academy instructor.

“I-I wasn’t worried about that!”

Charlotte quickly answered when Alice, who was sitting between us, smiled warmly at her.

She didn’t have to be so defensive about it.

…Then again, who am I to talk? I’m constantly worrying about my pride, even if it means turning back time.

As we were having that conversation, the sound of footsteps echoed around us. Turning my gaze toward the source, I saw the dining hall doors swing open, and well-dressed servants entered, each holding a plate in both hands.

Just as I expected, the food they brought in was what one might imagine when thinking of a hearty “European-style breakfast.” It was the kind of meal commonly referred to as an English breakfast. Though here, I suppose we should call it an Aetherna Breakfast instead?

“Let’s eat first, then we can talk. And Mia needs to wake up, too.”

Claire said with a wry smile as she glanced at Mia, who was still sound asleep, oblivious to the food being served onto the table.

I glanced at the faces of the servants setting down the dishes. They all appeared perfectly composed. Not one of them looked the slightest bit tired.

…I silently offered them my respect as I picked up the knife and fork in both hands.

*

After forcing some food into my stomach, I felt much more awake than when I first got up.

Mia Crowfield had also managed to stay upright, though she was still so sleepy that she barely touched her meal. Then again, considering her small frame, she probably wouldn’t have eaten much anyway.

“Ahh.”

Claire let out a quiet breath, clearly satisfied with her meal. Even Charlotte seemed pleased. She had left one piece of black pudding on her plate, but she’d eaten nearly everything else.

The truth was, last night’s welcome feast had been quite grand. We had whole roasted reindeer and well-prepared beef steaks. But those were special occasion dishes. I could understand why they might be concerned about everyday meals possibly including things like haggis.

“Alright, then… Let’s figure out which request we should handle first.”

Claire said, pulling out a piece of paper from her coat.

It looked like she had hastily jotted down the requests we had seen on the bulletin board.

…The fact that she was asking which request we should do “first,” instead of simply which one to do, was a bit alarming.

Chapter 64 : Forced Training

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 64

EP.64 Forced Training (7)

Even though we arrived on Thursday, they didn’t immediately put us to work. We had time yesterday to slowly explore the place we’d be staying. After lunch, we spent a few dozen minutes walking around near the station, then regrouped and followed Jennifer to Winterfield Castle, where we received a tour and introductions to various parts of the area. It made sense to get familiar with the locals early on, as it would make it easier to get help later if needed.

Because we were a group of fifteen noble students led by a teacher, who was also a noble, no locals dared approach us as we wandered. I suppose seeing a whole group of us, all wearing coats, would make anyone hesitate. While our inner uniforms were lighter and more casual, the coats we wore were practically indistinguishable from those worn by military officers. To the residents, who likely had little knowledge of military details, we probably looked like a group of officers on the move.

Alice, Charlotte, and I rested well after the tour, returning to our rooms in the afternoon to recover until the next day. It seemed like some of the others were more active, spending their time walking around and exploring. Even Mia Crowfield had been part of that group.

“Ugh… It’s so cold out this early in the morning.”

Alice muttered as she shivered.

It was already May, yet the northern region remained icy cold. Northern lands lived up to their reputation. I couldn’t help but wonder if this chill was because the game developers had meticulously designed the continent’s climate or if it was simply a matter of fantasy settings dictating that the North should always be cold.

Either way, it didn’t matter.

The cold was unbearable enough that I had to properly wear my coat, which I had been draping like a cape. I had already pulled on thick, black stockings as soon as we got off the train. The moment I felt that harsh chill, fashion became irrelevant; survival came first.

Apparently, my hasty decision to bundle up made quite an impression on my friends, because everyone quietly purchased additional warm clothing alongside me. Thanks to that, we were able to brave the cold and come outside at this early hour.

“At least the request office is open. Look.”

Claire said, pointing to the office near Winterfield Castle.

All the surrounding shops and restaurants were still closed. The gas streetlights were on, but they couldn’t fully dispel the eerie silence hanging over the main road. Fortunately, since we were within the castle walls, the atmosphere was less unsettling. If we had been near the station, the forest at the edge of our sight would have looked especially ominous.

The Empire’s law enforcement system was surprisingly modern, with a clear separation between the military and police. The Imperial Army handled military matters, while the Imperial Police maintained law and order. However, the Imperial Police’s jurisdiction mostly extended to the Emperor’s direct territories. Despite the Empire’s efforts to centralize power and abolish private armies, local lords still retained some degree of autonomy. Those who could afford it ran their own police forces using local taxes.

Though they couldn’t outright form private armies without drawing the Emperor’s attention, these regions often maintained forces capable of at least defending themselves in case of an imperial crackdown. Private armies had been officially abolished, but border counts—those charged with defending against foreign threats—or houses like the Winterfield Duchy, located in unstable areas, were allowed to maintain “imperial auxiliary forces” for security. However, since they were considered part of the military, ultimate command rested with the Emperor.

If the Emperor judged that a military force violated the “exception” rule, he could order its dissolution, and failure to comply would result in the imperial army sweeping in and obliterating it. Whether they could do the same to the Winterfield Duchy was uncertain, though. In this region, even the imperial forces were deeply loyal to the local commander, the Duke of Winterfield.

Because of this imperial “strangling” policy, many of the more prominent local lords pondered how to establish something akin to a private army, and what emerged were “land-managed request offices.” To put it plainly, these were essentially mercenary groups directly employed by the estate.

The request offices had been established several decades ago under the guise of handling problems such as beasts on the roads, maintaining order in undeveloped areas of the estate, or addressing petitions from the people that required some degree of force.

To keep these request offices in check, the Empire dispatched students under the pretense of “assignments,” requiring them to handle a certain amount of tasks registered at these offices. As a result, the offices became linked to the academy, falling under its supervision to some extent.

“We might freeze to death if we stand out here any longer. Let’s head inside.”

Charlotte said, and everyone nodded in agreement. Even Mia Crowfield, who looked sleepy, and Jake, who had seemed drowsy after the meal, suddenly looked wide awake.

…Were we really going to take on requests in this cold and darkness? Did they all have eyesight akin to a bird of prey?

After thinking about it for a moment, I realized they probably did. In a world where terms like “sword aura,” “meditation,” and “swordmaster” were casually tossed around, of course they would.

It seemed like today was going to be a long one, with us resetting time dozens of times.

I silently thanked the existence of steam pipes running beneath the stone roads, keeping snow from piling up where the carriages traveled, as I hurried to follow the group walking ahead of me.

*

“Ah!?”

Bang!

“Eek.”

A muscular woman, who looked like a character straight out of a Japanese manga, slammed her hand on the reception desk, causing Mia Crowfield to let out a frightened squeak.

“You come here at this hour and expect me to give you work!?”

This angry-looking woman seemed to have had quite a career in her younger days, judging by the large scars crisscrossing her arms. She wore a tight-fitting short-sleeve shirt, proudly displaying what looked like wounds from battles with bears. She definitely didn’t seem like a mere receptionist.

Twitch.

One of Alice’s eyebrows moved slightly, clearly displeased with the woman’s attitude. Still, she didn’t say anything, probably because there had been prior communication between this woman and Jennifer.

“Oh, but the office was open… Have you not started your shift yet?”

Oh.

I recognized Leo’s bold line. In the original work, this was what he said if you chose the “don’t be intimidated, answer firmly” option. Bonus point, 1.

Not that points mattered here, though.

In the original work, it seemed like the character only acted stubbornly after the sun came up, but now it felt slightly… more like a justified complaint. Well, if this were truly during working hours, it wouldn’t be normal for her to be angry.

“Hmm?”

The receptionist’s reaction matched what I had seen before. I knew this scene well since I had read it several times while noting down the choices. In the game, there were only a few expression data points, so normally, she would still look angry at this timing, but the expression on the receptionist’s face now was more like a “What do you want?” Her line would have been “……”.

“I’m sorry for coming in so early. But… we were under the impression it was working hours…”

Leo asked a bit cautiously.

“Well, that’s true enough…”

The receptionist replied, still wearing a bothersome expression. After shrugging her shoulders, she pointed to the wall on the right with her index finger.

“There are plenty over there, so pick something suitable. If you fail and give up, I’ll smack you on the head with my knuckles, so be prepared and choose wisely. Only pick what you can handle.”

I glanced down at the receptionist’s hand.

…Her hand was so big that my face could probably fit right in it.

Could that really be described as a “smack on the head”?

Well, I figured I wouldn’t have to worry about failing with these guys around.

The receptionist’s expression relaxed a bit as she scratched her orange hair, which was splayed out in all directions. If I were in her position, I’d probably lose my temper quickly too if I had to be angry from dawn.

With the yawning receptionist behind us, we approached a large corkboard that covered the wall.

“…There are so many.”

“Yeah.”

Claire murmured, and Leo replied.

In the game, there were usually only three to four requests visible at a time, but now the number of requests spread before us was so large that I couldn’t even count them at a glance.

Considering that we had fifteen students and the hired mercenaries needed to handle requests as well, it made sense that there would be this many.

“Hmm…”

“How about this one?”

While Claire was deep in thought, Charlotte pointed to one of the request sheets.

[Request – Eliminate the Elemental Bear “Crimson Claw.”

Capturing alive is not required. The body will be dealt with upon notification.

Request fee: 5 pounds. Additional compensation possible if the corpse is intact. Other details have been communicated to the receptionist.]

Five pounds for one request was quite a decent amount. To convert it into Earth’s currency, it would be just over 500,000 won. The value of the 1900s pound was converted to yen, setting the formula at 1 pound = 10,000 yen for easier calculation for players. So, it was probably around that much. However, if the yen fell, it might drop below 500,000 won.

If the five of us worked together to complete it, that would be just 1 pound per person. It would be enough to make a living for a day. Though if we sold the corpse directly, that would change things, but the requesters weren’t foolish. People handling these kinds of tasks usually had their connections, and unless hunters sold it for a much lower price, it wouldn’t sell.

Moreover, dealing with the magical aspects of Marmaros and other factors required quite a few connections.

Everyone nodded at Charlotte’s words. While it would be impossible to catch a bear alone, with a group like this, it was worth a shot.

Charlotte selected a few more requests alongside the one to capture the Elemental Bear. In total, there were four requests, and fortunately, all of them were side quests that I recognized.

“Hmm? An Elemental Bear?”

The receptionist glanced at us, then her gaze became fixed on Leo’s hair. After noticing Claire’s hair color next to him, she let out an “Ahh,” as if she had just realized something.

“So, you’re the little ones from the Grace family?”

I found it somewhat annoying that she recognized the baron’s children while ignoring the princess beside her, but well, it was the same in the original work.

“Uh, yes, that’s correct.”

“I see. Then I can trust you with this.”

…And judging by the way her gaze flickered back to Alice and me, it seemed she didn’t truly miss us either.

“Alright, I’ll give you the paperwork with the details.”

The request details often contained information that one might want to keep from others, so if the receptionist didn’t consider us trustworthy, she wouldn’t reveal those details.

“Thank you!”

Claire took the not-so-thick stack of papers and smiled happily.

“I’ll handle it right away!”

“Sure, just don’t die.”

Seeing Claire’s cheerful expression, the receptionist seemed to feel uplifted, smiling back at her.

Chapter 65 : Game and Reality Are Different

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 65

EP.65 Game and Reality Are Different (1)

In games, no matter how long a character walks, they never get tired. It’s a given. If a character became fatigued simply from walking, it would be incredibly frustrating for players.

In a genre like long JRPGs, it would be a fatal flaw if a character who had been wandering for an hour couldn’t move unless they took a ten-minute break. Moreover, such games usually impose little restriction on running. Unless it’s an action RPG, stamina limits hardly affect gameplay since battles transition into combat mode anyway. There’s no reason to hamper swift movement and frustrate players.

The problem was, that only applied to games.

“Ha… ha… ha…”

I could hear heavy breathing behind me.

The place where the Elemental Bear was located was deep within the forest. While there were paths, they were not as solid as the well-paved roads of the village, making it quite exhausting to walk on those narrow trails.

Naturally, walking for dozens of minutes without rest would lead to physical strain.

“…”

At least I had done a minimum amount of training. I didn’t have a superhuman body like the other protagonists, but my stamina wasn’t the worst either.

The real issue was Mia Crowfield, who seemed to have no relation to physical exercise in her daily life.

“Are you alright?”

As I clenched my teeth and maintained my expression, Claire, who was behind me, looked worriedly at Mia, who was struggling to keep up.

“Ha, I’m fine, really…”

“No, you look far from fine.”

Alice replied.

“Let’s just take a break here. It’s better for all of us, including Lady Crowfield, to face our prey in optimal condition.”

“True, let’s rest for a moment.”

The sun was slowly rising in the sky.

Even though we had woken up at four in the morning and had breakfast before heading out, everyone seemed to realize how foolish it was to enter a forest in the middle of the night. However, we hadn’t done nothing during that time; we had reviewed the request details again and double-checked our supplies before venturing into the woods.

No matter how much I had played the game, this forest wasn’t going to be an exact replica of the game’s depiction. The shape of the village resembled the game closely, but replicating the vastness of such a forest in the game was simply impossible.

“Haah…”

Mia sat down on the ground and exhaled.

“…”

I pulled out my water flask and handed it to Mia. I had boiled the water in the morning and put it in the flask, which I kept in the leather pouch at my waist, so it still had a bit of warmth left.

“Ah…”

Mia looked up at me with wide eyes, slightly surprised that I handed her the flask.

“T-thank you.”

But perhaps because of the gazes around her, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse the flask.

Mia Crowfield took the flask, opened it, and carefully took a sip of the still warm water, exhaling softly.

“Ahh…”

“It seems we might not be able to complete some of the requests.”

Jake said, his tone quite cold.

However, I found myself agreeing with him to some extent. Putting Mia aside, my stamina also had its limits. While I might look like some kind of ironman to others, the truth was, no matter how hard I trained, I couldn’t match anyone here in strength and endurance, excluding Mia.

“…”

The problem was, what would happen to the game’s story then?

It was fine if a few side quests were left incomplete due to someone’s absence, but the main quests required a fixed party. Even now, it was very different from the game. In the game, only four party members could engage in combat at once. So, having multiple people wandering around together was already a significant deviation from the game.

But then what happens if a key character in the main quest runs out of stamina, gets injured, or collapses?

As I pondered this seriously, Mia looked at me with a slightly terrified expression and handed the flask back, seemingly concerned about how I perceived her struggle.

I silently accepted the flask and took a sip of the water inside. The warm liquid flowed down my throat, warming my insides just a bit.

…Well, considering the story’s progress, we were still in the early stages. It wouldn’t hurt to observe a bit longer before making any judgments.

And besides, it was Charlotte who picked this quest, with Leo and Claire agreeing to it. The three believed they had the skills to take down the Elemental Bear, and the receptionist nodded as if it was obvious upon hearing the Grace family’s name, so it would work out somehow.

Who would get seriously injured on a mere side quest anyway?

*

The Elemental Bear was about the same size as a wolf.

However, its physical abilities weren’t much different from that of a wolf either. Although it contained Marmaros within its body, it wasn’t strong enough to block bullets. But thinking back, that beast was the first monster encountered in the story. Naturally, it couldn’t be that strong here either.

“Groooar!”

Yet, the “Red Claw” roaring in frenzy was different.

…In other words, the beast we were hunting this time was a “bear.” A bear whose skin and bones could occasionally deflect bullets.

But it also possessed a fire-element Marmaros, instinctively using magic as well.

Its size was twice that of the polar bear I had seen at the zoo, requiring me to tilt my head far back just to look up at it.

Normally, a bear sitting quietly with its mouth closed might seem a bit cute, but the Elemental Bear exuded an aura of pure beastliness even while remaining still.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Leo declared, and Claire nodded in agreement.

“Grrrr!”

The Elemental Bear swung its arm, and we narrowly dodged. Leo jumped to the side while Claire ducked her head. The sharp claws sliced through the air, and I felt a shiver run down my spine when I saw the tip of Claire’s hair get severed.

“Let’s go, Princess!”

“…Just call me Charlotte.”

Jake and Charlotte dashed next. They moved around to the back of the Elemental Bear and swung their swords. Of course, with its thick hide, it didn’t seem like it would go down easily.

Claire, using her whip-like sword to keep a safe distance, drew the Elemental Bear’s attention. In the meantime, Leo charged into the bear’s front, swinging his sword. He didn’t inflict any fatal wounds in one blow, but he was definitely wearing it down.

Every time the bear turned its head toward Charlotte and Jake, the two of them would attack again to redirect its focus. The combat was a blend of the Grace family’s heavy-hitting strikes and slashes, complemented by Charlotte’s three-sword technique and Jake’s quick hit-and-run tactics.

“Well then, I’ll join in too.”

Alice said, gripping her sword tightly.

“Cover my back!”

“Okay.”

I nodded, and Alice lunged forward.

The imperial swordsmanship placed significant weight on each attack. It was slower than the Grace family’s style with two-handed swords, but each strike held immense power. Just the sword energy alone could crack the ground.

In the game, Alice was a close-range dealer characterized by her “slow speed but strong single attacks.” As Alice darted through the space between Leo and Claire toward the Elemental Bear, her sword swung down, and the bear’s belly, which had only received minor cuts from Leo and Claire, tore open, spraying blood everywhere.

“Grrrr!”

The painful roar that followed was a deafening contrast to its earlier bravado. The Elemental Bear slammed the ground in fury, sending dry leaves flying as sparks erupted.

“Eek!”

Mia Crowfield let out a thin scream upon witnessing the scene.

“We’ll proceed as planned.”

I calmly reassured Mia.

The sight was far more intense and brutal than anything I had seen in the game. However, I had already witnessed people blown apart and bullets lodged in wolf skulls before. There was no reason for me to be shocked by such a scene now.

“Please prepare water-type magic. I’ll set up to shoot from a little distance.”

I instructed.

Mia nodded several times. Shrinking back slightly, she moved away from the frontline and began casting a spell with her staff. Seeing this, I took action too.

If I had more time, I would have climbed a tree, but that didn’t seem possible now. Instead, I climbed onto a nearby large rock, kneeling to take aim at the Elemental Bear’s head with my gun.

Although its head was large, the bear was wildly thrashing about while roaring, making it hard to aim accurately.

However, I had a few chances left.

I rested my finger on the trigger and pulled. The solid metal pushed back against my finger, but eventually, it buckled under the force I applied, and—

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, possibly even louder than anything I had heard in the military. It was pure luck that I managed to hit the bear’s head in one shot without resetting time.

“Graaah!”

But the prey didn’t go down in one hit. With blood gushing from one eye, the bear straightened its body and rose up, looking frankly a little terrifying.

In the meantime, more wounds had been added to the Elemental Bear’s body, but it seemed completely unfazed, glaring straight at me.

Rage.

If that bear could express an emotion, it would have been rage.

I watched as blood and some transparent fluid streamed from the bear’s right eye through my scope, then I placed my hand on the bolt and pulled it back. Clack! The crisp and satisfying sound of the gun’s mechanism clicked into place, and at the same moment, a spent casing flew out with a ping.

I pushed my hand forward again when—

“…….”

Flames began to erupt from the bear’s back.

Even with my lack of heightened senses, that sight was very unsettling.

“Get back!”

Leo shouted, and everyone near the Elemental Bear quickly jumped back.

Yet the bear didn’t bother to chase after the humans surrounding it.

Whoosh—

A sound reminiscent of a kettle boiling filled the air as the giant bear’s mouth slowly opened.

That gaping maw was aimed directly at me.

“…Ah.”

Right.

In its overly beastly appearance, I had forgotten that even the minor monsters in Aetherna could use magic without any issue. And it was the same magical effects that humans used. I had often wondered how a beast could cast spells without uttering incantations.

Flames flickered deep within the bear’s mouth, visible through my scope. Was it producing the fire itself?

In a panic, I pulled the trigger again.

Bang! The sound rang out, and I felt the recoil travel through my shoulder. As I fired, the scope jerked upwards due to the kickback, so I didn’t see the bullet pierce the bear’s cheek.

At that very moment, Mia Crowfield’s magic, which she had been preparing, was unleashed.

Chapter 66 : Game and Reality Are Different

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 66

EP.66 Game and Reality Are Different (2)

Games are different from reality.

Especially turn-based RPGs—there’s almost nothing similar between them and real life. In reality, when you’re fighting for your life, you don’t take turns hitting each other. You don’t waste several seconds preparing for a powerful attack, and you certainly don’t miss your target when it’s right in front of you.

In other words, when using magic, you don’t just stand still and take every hit from your enemy.

In Chronicles of Aetherna, there are attacks that can cancel an enemy’s large-scale moves before they can land. If a skill has the term “action cancel” attached to it, there’s a certain chance that you can disrupt the enemy’s planned attack.

Unless it’s an instant ultimate skill, every spell displays its name when it’s about to be used, and the turn in which the spell is cast is determined by the agility of the monster or character casting it. If you land an action-canceling skill during that time, the spell is interrupted, and instead of executing their magic, the character resets their action and waits for a new command on their next turn.

The best way to increase the chances of action cancellation is to counter with a faster spell or an instant skill that opposes the element of the incoming magic. Of course, the skill or spell needs to have “action cancel” attached to it.

At first glance, this logic makes sense.

For instance, dousing a fire spell with water sounds plausible, doesn’t it? It’s not easy to continue what you’re doing when a massive amount of water suddenly pours down on you from above.

The problem is… that’s only true in theory.

If someone knows a large amount of water is falling on them, why wouldn’t they try to dodge it?

The Elemental Bear was, after all, a “bear.” And bears, despite appearing sluggish, are terrifying predators composed of mostly muscle. The Elemental Bear in front of us was much bigger than any bear I knew. So of course, its muscle mass would be far greater, too.

“Ah…!”

It seemed the bullet hadn’t been a fatal shot. The moment I pulled the trigger, Mia Crowfield’s spell activated, and water poured down from above. Although the bullet grazed the bear’s cheek, it hadn’t killed it.

In truth, I had asked Mia for that spell because I was worried the Elemental Bear’s fire-element attacks would set the forest ablaze. After all, flames had sparked where its claws touched, and small fires had begun to catch.

But that could’ve been dealt with after we finished the fight.

The bear wasn’t where I last saw it. Though it hadn’t taken long to lower the rifle after the recoil, it was enough time for the bear to shift positions.

By the time I brought the gun back down, the bear had already moved from its dampened spot. Now, it was lying flat on the ground with its front paws dug into the earth, poised to strike.

…Its mouth was still wide open.

The spell hadn’t been canceled.

The bear’s eyes were locked on Mia Crowfield.

“Again!”

I shouted frantically.

*

“Gasp!”

I jolted awake, taking in a sharp breath.

The room was still dark.

…I had returned to the moment I woke up this morning. Right before Claire came to wake me, just as I was about to start cleaning my gun.

“…”

Ah.

I reset time too quickly and ended up going too far back.

…In hindsight, it might have been better to reset only a little, just enough to make sure the bullet lodged right into the bear’s head. Even though the bear had been on the verge of casting magic, I had been aiming at it as well.

I ran my hands over my face.

But…

Yeah, I had misjudged the situation. That was a big part of it.

The name Aetherna Empire and the names of all the characters I had seen in the game. Because of that, I unconsciously began to see this world as if it were just part of the game.

But… it was different. Clearly different.

In the game, even if the bear’s paw struck you, your HP would only drop a little. Magic or potions would restore it in no time. Honestly, it didn’t matter if your HP went down.

For some reason, even though cutscenes showed people being shot and assassinated, or blown up by bombs, in battle, no matter how many times you were shot or hit by bombs, as long as your HP didn’t reach zero and you didn’t get a game over from party annihilation, you were merely described as “knocked out.”

Once the battle ended, you could just restore health with magic, potions, or those handy recovery devices at checkpoints.

But reality wasn’t like that.

There were no convenient recovery devices in the forest. There were no auto-save points either. If I got hit by that bear’s paw, I wouldn’t have time to think about HP recovery—I’d already be lying in pieces, with my bones and organs scattered.

…And if I got hit by that fire laser, even if I survived with healing magic, I’d probably be left with fingers burned off or a face melted beyond recognition… I’d carry scars like that for the rest of my life.

“In the original story…”

That phrase, “in the original story,” only applied to the plot and the layout of the towns.

Thinking back on it, without me there, could Leo and the others have broken through that fake trench? Even if they had asked Mia Crowfield for help, without the pre-loaded shotgun in hand, could they have reached the enemy first and taken them down?

“Is it because of me?”

Was it because I, who didn’t exist in the original story, suddenly became part of their group? Did that cause all of this to happen?

I furrowed my brow, lost in thought, but I couldn’t come to any clear conclusion. Would my presence in that fight really make such a big difference? Fighting against an opponent armed with a gun or a sword meant that even a single hit could be fatal. So, if we wanted to follow the story, we had to keep fighting without allowing ourselves to suffer more than a scratch.

Even if the story unfolded as it was supposed to, was it truly possible for the protagonist’s party to make it to the end without a single injury?

If that were possible, then what reason did I have to be here? Wasn’t there a goddess, or perhaps a god from another religion, or maybe even some system at play that created my existence?

“…”

I didn’t know. No one had yet explained to me why I was here, so all I could do was come up with my own reasons. Becoming a character that fits this game, one who wouldn’t be abandoned by anyone—that’s the choice I made.

“Phew…”

Well, at least knowing what was coming in the future helped me shake off the drowsiness.

I stood up.

Claire would soon burst through the door any minute now.

*

“Is there a blacksmith nearby?”

When I asked this out of the blue, just as the receptionist was about to relax after finishing her explanation, she shot me a sharp look.

“At this hour? Are you planning to wake someone up to forge a weapon for you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Huh?”

The receptionist grunted in disbelief, but when I didn’t avoid her gaze and kept looking at her directly, she blinked in surprise, seemingly taken aback.

“Sylvia?”

Claire, who had been standing nearby, seemed equally surprised by my assertive attitude and called my name.

“I’ve got the money. I understand it’s no easy task to craft a weapon at this hour. I’ll make sure to give the blacksmith a tip if you wake him.”

“…”

At my firm tone, the receptionist stared at me for a while. She probably already knew who I was—she must’ve heard from Jennifer.

The receptionist was a different person from earlier. Of course, one person couldn’t be expected to stay up and work all night. Even if she had switched shifts, there would have been a handover of information.

“…Alright. No need for a tip.”

I couldn’t tell exactly what changed her mind, but the receptionist picked up the phone receiver on the table.

“Requesting the blacksmith.”

Her voice was quite different from the gruff tone she had used earlier, and after that, she fell silent again, giving me a once-over as if trying to size me up.

In the game, upgrading equipment was almost like playing with toy parts—quick and simple. But reality wasn’t so easy. The magic staff had a slot for the Marmaros to fit into, so while it wouldn’t take forever, it would still take at least several minutes or up to an hour to properly fit it and adjust its condition.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to leave immediately on a new quest. We had some time, so if I entrusted the weapon to them now, they should be able to manage.

“Are you sure about that?”

Alice asked me that question, and I nodded in response. Seeing my expression, Alice didn’t press any further.

“Uh, sorry for bothering you this late. It’s Frieda from the request office—”

After holding the receiver for a while, the receptionist finally spoke.

*

“…”

On our way back to the Elemental Bear’s location, Mia Crowfield seemed deep in thought. She was still panting heavily, but her expression suggested she was contemplating something more serious than just her physical exhaustion.

The blue gem at the end of her staff sparkled. It was the Marmaros I had obtained from the underground waterway. …To be honest, it scared me a little. If she cast a spell on me using that, I’d probably die without making a sound. But more than that, I didn’t want the protagonist’s party to get hurt.

There might have been a way to prevent them from taking on this request from the start. But I didn’t like that option either. So, I had no choice but to find another path, even if it meant taking on the risk.

“…Let’s take a short break.”

No one in the group had realized that Mia Crowfield was exhausted because she didn’t openly show it. Only after I suggested taking a break did the others turn around and look at her, surprised.

Mia Crowfield, drenched in sweat, was breathing heavily.

“If you were tired, you should’ve said something.”

Claire remarked, and we all sat down to rest.

Just like before, I handed Mia Crowfield a water bottle without saying a word. She took it silently, drinking carefully as she continued to look at me with a confused expression. Considering that I had just given her a rare Marmaros for free, her reaction was understandable. If I were in her shoes, I’d be highly suspicious too.

But I had no intention of explaining that I had seen the future. I only hoped that this method would work, as I took back the warm flask Mia Crowfield handed over.

*

The more Marmaros of a specific attribute are equipped, the shorter the “casting time” for magic becomes. In practical terms, it means you don’t need to focus too long as the magical power of the Marmaros itself would assist. You can use more spells, and the time to cast them becomes much faster.

…Reality wasn’t a game, but game mechanics often reflected real-world logic to some degree.

“Spitus Glapes!”

Spirit of Ice.

That’s what Mia’s shout sounded like.

A large ice spike pierced into the open mouth of the Elemental Bear, which was lying flat on the ground.

The glowing inside of the Elemental Bear’s mouth turned red in an instant. The thick ice lodged deep within cracked, and through the cracks, red blood began to seep out. But the bear didn’t die.

Bang!

Almost immediately after that, a bullet pierced its head. Another shot to its already wounded right eye caused its skull to cave in. With ice embedded in its neck and its fur slashed open, the bear collapsed in a grotesque heap, its body inflated but posed like a crudely skinned rug.

“…Hmm.”

Looking at the fallen Elemental Bear, Jake spoke up.

“Guess we won’t get full payment for this one.”

No one laughed at the joke.

Chapter 67 : Deal

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 67

EP.67 Deal (1)

After handling tasks all morning, I finally returned to my room. Walking around in the cold had caused me to sweat and then cool down repeatedly, leaving me in a terrible state. I managed to hide it from my expression, but… I couldn’t help but worry that Alice might notice.

Becoming part of the protagonist’s party was a good thing, but the problem was that my stamina couldn’t keep up with those kids. At least Mia Crowfield wasn’t the type to fight with brute force.

As for me… well, I was in a position where I could just shoot from a distance, but there was a vast difference between what they expected from Mia Crowfield and what they expected from me. I had the image of someone who could easily dodge close-range attacks.

“…”

Surely, Claire would come to wake me up again tomorrow morning. Not just tomorrow, but probably every morning from now on. Right now, I was taking a short break, but once this break was over, Claire would come looking for me again.

Of course, if I followed Leo and Claire, I would eventually meet the Sword Saint. But by then, it would be too late. The Sword Saint would be more interested in Leo, Claire, Alice, Charlotte, or maybe even Jake.

Mia Crowfield and I had nothing to do with swordsmanship, and we were unlikely to catch the Sword Saint’s eye.

But I couldn’t let that happen.

Until this morning, I had planned on avoiding the Sword Saint at all costs, even going as far as to try and skip out on mountain training. But after all that happened today, I realized how desperately I needed something beyond just shooting skills.

…Alright.

I shot up from my bed.

After all, I had the power to reset time. Resetting several weeks at once was too much of a burden, so I didn’t want to do that. But I had already used my ability to repeatedly reset a few hours, amounting to over a month of time. I had done this when I was preparing to assassinate Count Crowfield, trying different assassination routes and gathering information.

I was inexperienced in many ways, but time was on my side. Mistakes could be corrected. While I couldn’t build stamina through training, I could ingrain certain habits by repeating the same task over and over.

Luckily, the sun was still high in the sky.

I got up, opened the door, and headed straight for Jennifer’s room.

*

Jennifer’s room, for a noble, was surprisingly simple.

It wasn’t that it lacked luxury, but it was neat, organized, and sparsely decorated. There were no porcelain figures or small marble statues, and the only mirror in the room was the one hanging on the wall.

There wasn’t even lace on the bed.

To be blunt, it felt more like an officer’s quarters than a noblewoman’s room. Not that I had ever been inside an officer’s quarters, but you get the idea.

“You want to meet my master?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

When I made my request, Jennifer looked at me with a curious expression. Sitting in her chair, she appeared as composed and meticulous as the room itself. While she’d seemed more relaxed and free-spirited back at the Academy, here, she carried an air of formality.

“Hmm.”

Jennifer snapped her notebook shut.

“It sounds like you know who my master is.”

It seemed my request to be introduced to her master had piqued her interest. She looked up at me intently.

“Isn’t it the Imperial Sword Saint?”

Of course, it wasn’t just the Sword Saint, Jennifer had several masters. However, in the game, the two who were explicitly mentioned were the Sword Saint and her grandfather, Abraham.

Jennifer, who could wield a variety of weapons, had many people who had influenced her. But if you had to pick the two most significant figures, it would be those two.

“And you already know that I’m aware of where he is, don’t you?”

“Yes. I believe he’s in the Winterfield territory.”

“If that’s the case, why not go and find him yourself?”

Jennifer kept asking questions, clearly entertained. I glanced down at her and replied.

“I don’t know his exact location.”

In the game, the mountain area was simply depicted. But in reality, it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Hmm.”

Jennifer placed her hand on her chin, staring at me thoughtfully. Then she stood up from her seat and began walking toward me.

Though we were roughly the same height, her presence made her seem much larger than she actually was.

When she reached me—

Whack!

“Ouch!”

She flicked my forehead at lightning speed.

“Huh?”

She seemed puzzled even though she was the one who hit me.

…Again!

*

It took me three resets to dodge that lightning-fast flick.

I was proud of myself for managing to avoid it in just three tries. Apparently, the training I’d undergone when Lucas had been swinging his sword at me had paid off. Dodging Jennifer’s strike was much harder, probably because her strikes felt much more serious than Lucas’s ever had.

“…I see.”

I wasn’t sure what she read from my expression, but something must have clicked for her. She studied my eyes and seemed to make up her mind about something.

“Then, how’s your stamina? Frankly speaking, getting to where he is requires quite the trek. You can take a carriage to the base of the mountain, but after that, you’ll have to hike quite a while. By the time you arrive, it’ll probably be midnight.”

…So, it’s that far, huh.

Well, in the game, I did have to spend the night at the Sword Saint’s cabin before coming back down.

Hearing my response, Jennifer smirked.

“Even if you plan on learning properly, a few days wouldn’t be nearly enough… Ah, but I suppose that doesn’t really apply to you, does it?”

For a moment, a chill ran down my spine, wondering if she had somehow figured out that I could turn back time.

“You seem to have some basic talent, though. If you’re just seeking advice, a day or so might suffice.”

Jennifer continued, her tone taunting as if she were daring me.

“Or is it not even at the ‘basic’ level?”

Not even at the basic level? That’s true. In fact, I didn’t even have the basics to begin with. Of course, I couldn’t just admit that outright.

“A night should be more than enough.”

“…”

Jennifer stared at me for a moment before shrugging.

“Well, there are many things I’d like to ask, but I suppose we can save that for when you come back down. It’s not like you’re leaving right this moment.”

But she wouldn’t have time to ask me those things. She wouldn’t even remember that I said this either.

Jennifer was the type of person who, once she decided to do something, would act on it without hesitation. As expected, she immediately brushed past me and walked towards the door after deciding to visit her master.

I turned to follow Jennifer, but just before opening her door, she stopped as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, right.”

She glanced back at me.

“Now that I think about it, the Winterfield family’s pride would take a hit if we just offered help to a daughter of the Imperial Family without getting something in return.”

…She usually didn’t care about such things.

“In exchange for introducing you to my master, there’s something I want you to do.”

“…”

“I know you’re not an ordinary teenage girl. This will be much easier and more honorable than assassinating a count.”

Jennifer’s expression made it clear—she was certain I had killed the count. But it wasn’t as if she planned to blackmail me with that knowledge. There was no leverage to begin with. This was, in every sense, a deal.

“Can I hear the details of this request first?”

I asked cautiously.

“There’s a troublesome warlord at the border causing us a headache. I want you to take him out with a sniper shot. Imperial soldiers have been dying for months.”

“…Is it the battlefield I was originally supposed to go to?”

“Yes.”

Jennifer nodded seriously with a solemn expression.

“I’m pretty sure the reinforcements His Majesty promised to send were supposed to be you.”

“…”

I couldn’t be certain, but that seemed very likely. After all, before the Academy, I was supposed to head to the northern front.

In the original story, it was probably Claire who took on that mission. Though the details weren’t explicitly mentioned, she likely played a major role in dismantling the warlord’s forces at the border.

“I understand. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.”

Jennifer nodded and opened the door.

*

Leo and Claire were in the dining hall, while Alice and Charlotte were in their rooms. Mia Crowfield was also in her room, and as for Jake—who knew where he was, but it didn’t seem like he was planning any major mischief. That’s why we didn’t run into anyone as we made our way outside. There were a few other noble students, but none of them dared to speak to a princess and her instructor.

Then again, it wasn’t just any princess and any instructor. Considering I was suspected of being an Imperial assassin and Jennifer was a former military officer known for her feats on the northern front, it made sense that no one wanted to interrupt us. It probably looked like we were off to have a serious discussion.

“At least there’s a road leading to the base of the mountain. Unlike the capital, there’s no speed limit ordinance here, so no need to worry about that.”

In the capital, fierce opposition from coachmen had resulted in a law that prevented steam cars from going faster than 20 km/h. That’s why I never bothered getting a driver’s license. Hardly anyone used cars in the first place, and learning to ride a horse was far more practical.

“I’ll be driving, is that alright?”

Jennifer said casually as she got into the driver’s seat.

“That’s fine.”

I nodded and got into the passenger seat.

It wasn’t until I was seated in the car that I realized there were no seatbelts.

Ah.

But by the time I noticed, Jennifer was already pressing down hard on the accelerator.

Chapter 68 : Deal

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 68

EP.68 Deal (2)

Fortunately, I didn’t get carsick. Although my heart raced a bit, and the road was far bumpier than the asphalt roads I’d experienced back on Earth. But according to Jennifer, the road also served as a supply route, so it wasn’t too rough.

Come to think of it, I had ridden in much shakier carriages. Unlike cars, many carriages didn’t have suspensions. I also didn’t remember wearing seat belts in them.

Still, it was a different experience sitting in the passenger seat of a car, with nothing obstructing my view ahead. Even though we were only going about 80 km/h, the open view and lack of a seatbelt made me feel a bit anxious.

Given that cars were rare in this world, especially in the sparsely populated countryside, the vehicle sped smoothly along the empty road. After about 40 minutes of driving with a mix of refreshing and slightly terrifying feelings, we arrived at a base in the forest.

“This isn’t a military base. It’s a place where hunters who protect Winterfield’s vast forests stay.”

Jennifer said as she parked the car.

“Though, in terms of armament, they’re no different from our private soldiers.”

She added, casting a glance at me.

“Does it bother you, Your Highness?”

“No, not at all.”

I responded immediately.

This was something the Emperor should be concerned about, not me. Even if we broaden the scope, it would be Alice, the next in line for the throne, who should worry about it.

Winterfield was loyal among the dukes. This private force was meant to protect the estate’s forests from northern warlords, not to raise arms against the Emperor.

“Your Grace!”

As Jennifer stepped out of the car, a bearded hunter rushed over to greet her. He wore a thick fur hat with ear flaps—an ushanka, if I remembered correctly, like the ones Soviet soldiers wore in World War II.

The hunter’s clothes weren’t military uniforms. The red checkered shirt and sturdy jeans visible under his fur coat made him look more like a lumberjack. Then again, there probably wasn’t much of a difference out here. To survive the cold in this forest, they probably spent most of the year chopping wood for firewood.

“Hey, everyone! Lady Winterfield is here!”

At the hunter’s shout, other men dressed similarly to him emerged from various places. From the log cabins scattered around the base, bearded faces appeared.

“How have you all been?”

“Very well, thank you!”

The hunter removed his hat politely, revealing matted hair that looked like it hadn’t been cut in ages.

His face, flushed either from the cold or from having had a drink or two, lit up with a broad smile as he spoke.

“It’s been a long time, Your Grace. But…”

The hunter’s gaze shifted to me as I got out of the car. And then, the other hunters emerging from their cabins also turned their attention to me, their eyes filled with curiosity. It made sense—after all, it wasn’t every day that a teenage girl showed up in a place like this. There didn’t seem to be any women around here at all.

“This is the princess from the capital.”

“Oh.”

At Jennifer’s words, the hunter’s face stiffened slightly. Whether it was due to tension or a less-than-favorable view of the imperial family, I couldn’t tell. The way he glanced around, as if expecting to see soldiers accompanying me, suggested he might have thought I brought a guard escorting me.

“You don’t need to be so nervous. For now, she’s here as a student, not a princess. She’s also here as my disciple, so she’s not expecting any special treatment from you.”

Even if I had come as a princess, I wouldn’t have expected special treatment.

“We’re going to climb the mountain. Can we borrow some climbing gear? I assume the place I stayed as a child is still the same?”

…So she’d lived here before?

Well, it made sense. To meet the Sword Saint living on the mountain, staying here would be more practical than staying in the heart of Winterfield.

“Yes, everything should still be there, including the clothes you used to wear.”

“Thank you.”

…Clothes?

“Come this way. My old climbing clothes should fit you. They might be a bit tight around the chest, though.”

I followed her, feeling slightly puzzled by her playful tone.

*

…Sure enough, hiking up a mountain in a school uniform skirt that left my legs exposed was pure madness. Even though the path was man-made, it was incredibly uneven. The cold mountain air also crept between my legs, biting at the exposed skin mercilessly.

I was wearing thick pants now, but the chill still managed to seep through. Just imagining how cold I would’ve been if I had followed in just stockings made me shudder.

In games, your character’s clothing didn’t change unless something special happened, so it was easy to forget practical details like this.

…If Jennifer hadn’t stayed here during her childhood, I wondered how much worse things would’ve been.

“…Phew.”

I exhaled softly. Jennifer would hear it, but I couldn’t help it. Climbing the mountain was that exhausting.

Honestly, I wanted to collapse on the ground, panting and gasping for air, but I managed to hold back. At least the minimal exercise I did regularly helped prevent me from completely wearing out. Surprisingly, Jennifer seemed to take my condition into account, hiking up the mountain at a slower pace. The trail, though uneven and scattered with rocks, was in better shape than I had expected. It seemed to be a path that the local hunters used.

Every time I stumbled or exerted too much effort inefficiently, I would reset time just a little and try again. This way, I managed to conserve as much energy as possible.

“Well, even people living in the mountains can’t be entirely self-sufficient.”

Watching her, I realized that even in the game, if there was a path, it meant it was possible for people to pass through it.

Still, it had taken us four hours to get this far.

The sun was already setting. My friends might have been searching for me, wondering where I had gone.

…But I’d return as soon as the training was over, so it wasn’t something I needed to worry about too much. Of course, time had already been reset to before I had met Jennifer.

*

“Master—”

Jennifer swung open the door of the Sword Saint’s house, which was perched right on the edge of the cliff, without even waiting for permission. She immediately dodged to the side.

A small clay jar flew at incredible speed, sailing out and disappearing over the cliff’s edge.

“Oh dear.”

Jennifer made a sound, but she didn’t seem particularly surprised.

“You wretched girl!”

And I wasn’t surprised either.

“How dare you show your face here again!?”

“Well, I still have a face, don’t I? That’s why I’m here, Master.”

“Huh…”

A sound of disbelief came from inside the cabin at her shameless response.

“I can handle about half of your sword techniques now. Doesn’t that make me at least a half-decent disciple?”

“…”

It seemed the Sword Saint was at a loss for words at Jennifer’s statement.

“I came to introduce someone to you, Master. May I come in?”

“…Go ahead. As if you’d listen to me if I said no.”

“You’re spot on.”

“You useless girl.”

With those words, which seemed more like a habit than an insult, Jennifer glanced at me and nodded for me to follow as she stepped inside the cabin.

Following Jennifer inside, I found the cabin to be warmer than expected. Though it looked shabby from the outside, the interior revealed it to be a well-built log cabin. The logs were stacked tightly, keeping out any drafts, and the place was decorated with various animal furs. It felt more like a forest hunter’s house than the home of a Sword Saint.

However, above the fireplace, instead of mounted animal heads, there were three swords hanging on the wall, each one distinctly a katana. They were all of different lengths.

“Hmm.”

The Sword Saint, who had been more interested in me than his own disciple, watched me with curiosity. Only then did it dawn on me, Oh, this is the Sword Saint.

He had a long white beard and white hair tied back in a way that resembled a Japanese topknot. However, his features were those of a typical Westerner, with blue eyes. According to the lore, he had traveled to the East in his youth and returned with the title of Sword Saint.

“Is this the child?”

“Yes.”

“You fool.”

At Jennifer’s words, the Sword Saint immediately yelled.

“Bringing someone with no talent here, what are you thinking!”

“…”

Oh.

I’d been completely exposed in an instant.

Well, he was the Sword Saint, after all. It made sense. Even Lucas and the Emperor saw me as something quite peculiar.

“If you’re curious, why not have her swing a sword?”

Jennifer suggested.

“What?”

Wait, what?

Before I could react, I realized I had already revealed too much to too many people.

…Maybe I’d chosen the wrong character after all.

Chapter 69 : Deal

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 69

EP.69 Deal (3)

In the seventy years of Sword Saint Frederick’s life, among all the people he had encountered, the child standing before him was the most peculiar.

For one, he hadn’t felt her presence at all as she entered.

He knew from the sound of footsteps outside the door that there were two people approaching. Although he could usually gauge the nature of a person from their footsteps, identifying the exact individual was far more challenging. Of course, if it were a familiar sound, it would be a different story. There could be people with similar gaits, but no one walked exactly the same.

The first set of footsteps, the ones coming from behind, belonged to one of Frederick’s few disciples. This disciple had once come to learn swordsmanship, stayed long enough to master about half of it, and then declared, “This should be enough to be useful in real combat,” before leaving the mountain on her own whim. She was a foolish disciple, one with immense talent who had she completed her training, might have inherited the title of Sword Saint. But her ambitions didn’t lie solely in the sword.

She would occasionally drop by for a visit, and each time she did, Frederick would throw a bowl, an ashtray, or a jar at her. Not that she had ever been hit—he never intended for her to get hurt in the first place.

But then, who could the owner of the other set of footsteps be?

These steps were less sprightly than his disciple’s. Rather, they were heavy, as though weighed down by fatigue. Yet they also carried a strange sense of determination, a steady confidence, as they never once faltered.

“Hmm.”

Frederick grew even more curious when he sensed the approach of those footsteps near his cabin. There was a distinct moment, almost as if the person had crossed an invisible threshold, where their steps suddenly became clearer, more pronounced.

To be honest, Frederick found it rather intriguing. Judging by the sound, this person would likely arrive at the door before his disciple, and they would probably be the one to open it.

Frederick grabbed a small basket from the table. It was light, empty, and even if it hit its target, it wouldn’t cause any real harm. But given the basket’s size, if the person was standing in front of the door, dodging it wouldn’t be easy.

With the basket in hand, Frederick prepared himself and waited.

“Hmm?”

The footsteps stopped—just one step away from the door.

To be precise, they halted just before reaching the door, as if the person beyond somehow knew that the Sword Saint was holding something, waiting to throw it.

And then the door opened.

There was nothing beyond the door.

“…Don’t just stand there, come in.”

Frederick said after waiting a few moments. Only then did the figure step in—a child, too young to be called a woman yet. Perhaps among the nobility, her age might still provoke questions, but to Frederick, who had lived more than seventy years, she was no more than a little girl.

She wore fur clothing from head to toe, and her forehead was damp with sweat.

Had this child sensed Frederick’s presence inside the cabin and opened the door first?

Judging by her exhausted appearance, that seemed unlikely. Her upper body looked like it was fighting to suppress her heavy breathing. Despite her stoic face, it was clear she had exerted herself greatly on the way up.

More than anything, while the girl’s presence was noticeable, she didn’t exude the distinctive aura of someone trained in the sword. It was as if she had no aptitude for such things at all.

“Master, how have you been?”

His foolish disciple walked in, flashing an irritating grin and speaking with an easy, overly familiar tone. Frederick, whose mood had been soured, simply set down the basket he had been holding.

“What brings you here? And who is this child? Since you didn’t come alone, it seems you didn’t just come to chat as usual.”

“Well, I’ve got a favor to ask, among other things.”

“…”

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the girl.

Oh…

In his 15th year of retreat, having grown weary of the world’s mundanities, Frederick felt, for the first time in a while, that he might have stumbled upon something interesting.

*

The girl’s peculiarity didn’t end there.

“So, you want to learn something from me?”

“Yes. I want to learn how to control energy. I know that through meditation, one can sharpen the mind and correct the body’s state. I’d like to learn that method.”

“Hmm.”

Frederick narrowed his eyes and stared at the girl. He thought that perhaps his gaze might intimidate her, but she didn’t so much as blink under the pressure.

To Frederick, it seemed the girl hadn’t perfectly concealed her aura. Rather, it was as if she was entirely incapable of projecting it outward. In other words, she appeared to have no talent for this sort of thing at all.

“You seem to lack talent.”

Still, he couldn’t definitively say that she had none. There was something about her that set her apart from the average child running around the world.

That careful step when she crossed the threshold—was that simply due to her personality?

“In terms of swordsmanship, that might be true. But I am confident in what I already know.”

“Oh?”

Her confidence felt strange. It wasn’t mere bravado. There was a firmness in her expression, as though she truly believed in something.

“Also, I’m not asking you to teach me for free.”

“A price, huh?”

Frederick looked at the girl in front of him. A princess, was it? Perhaps she was talking about money.

“If I needed money—”

“It’s not money.”

—I’d have been living far more luxuriously than I am now.

That line of thought was abruptly cut off.

This bold princess didn’t seem to be talking about money at all.

“It’s a story about the strong.”

“The strong?”

“Yes. Sword Saint, don’t you long for an opponent who is worthy of risking your life in battle?”

“……”

It wasn’t an incorrect assumption.

He didn’t have much time left, anyway. If he could find someone to cross blades with, there was nothing better he could ask for. But…

“……Are you talking about the Emperor?”

“No.”

Frederick’s guess was completely off the mark.

“One of the Emperor’s children is skilled with the sword. I’m sure even you, Sword Saint, would find satisfaction in facing him.”

The princess maintained direct eye contact with Frederick as she spoke.

“If you wish, I could arrange a meeting.”

“……”

Her eyes weren’t lying.

There was no deceit in her eyes.

Frederick glanced over at Jennifer, but she merely leaned against the wall, shrugged, and flashed a grin, as if thoroughly entertained by the conversation.

“Hmm.”

Frederick made a contemplative sound before finally saying,

“Very well. I was getting bored anyway.”

*

“……”

Does the princess have talent or not?

If asked, Frederick would still say, “She has no talent.”

However, there was also a strange feeling he couldn’t shake.

She certainly lacked talent. Her ability to learn anything new was no better than any ordinary person. Frederick felt there was little chance she would properly learn the art of meditation in just a day’s time.

However, apart from that—

The princess was already complete. To be precise, she came to meet the Sword Saint in an almost complete state.

It was as if she had spent months doing nothing but meditating, neither sleeping nor eating, focusing solely on mastering her mind. Before Frederick even had the chance to teach her anything, the princess quickly entered a state of calm, both physically and mentally.

In an instant, she restored her body from the fatigue of her hike, and her irregular breathing settled into a steady rhythm.

“……”

The serenity and composure she displayed, as if she was merely continuing what she had always done, exuded an almost divine quality.

And Frederick wasn’t the only one left speechless by this sight.

……Had she somehow pulled the future toward her?

It was an absurd thought, but that’s what crossed Frederick’s mind.

“……”

After a brief moment of contemplation…

“Hup!”

—he struck the edge of his hand down swiftly onto the princess’s head.

He didn’t strike with full force. But it wasn’t a playful swing either. If she hadn’t undergone any training, she would have been struck on the head and lost consciousness.

However, the Sword Saint’s knife-hand strike sliced through empty air.

The princess, who had been sitting cross-legged with her hands on her knees and eyes closed, managed to narrowly avoid the blow by slightly leaning back. Even though one should barely be able to sense the surrounding energy while meditating.

“Oh.”

The Sword Saint made a sound of admiration.

She had no talent.

But she was already complete. At this age. In fact, compared to when he was her age, she was far ahead.

So, was she hiding her aura as well? Had she already reached the level of a serene, mirror-like mind that even Jennifer hadn’t achieved?

If that were the case, there would have been no reason for her to come all the way up here to learn meditation.

Slowly, the princess opened her eyes. Her jet-black eyes looked up at the Sword Saint with a calmness that suggested she knew exactly what would happen next.

Her expression resembled that of the statues of Buddha he had seen in the East.

“Are you sure you don’t want to seriously learn swordsmanship?”

“I have no talent for it.”

She replied, standing up as if their business was done.

Chapter 70 : Deal

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 70

EP.70 Deal (4)

“Then how have you trained up until now? Why bother seeking me out? You already knew how to meditate, didn’t you?”

“It’s because I’ve practiced hundreds of times.”

For the first time, there was a hint of emotion in the princess’s voice—tired, as though she were utterly exhausted. Yet, from what the Sword Saint observed, her physical condition now seemed far better than when she first climbed the mountain. She had already refined her inner strength.

“When I first climbed this mountain, I knew nothing. And the first time I learned meditation from you, I began from the moment I stepped through the door and repeated that time over and over again, gradually getting the hang of it.”

“Hmm?”

She had always given off a strange aura, but the words coming from this girl now were even more peculiar than her usual presence.

“Once I grasped the concept, I started again from the base of the mountain. No, I began before I even spoke to you.”

“Oh.”

Though what she said made no logical sense, both Jennifer and the Sword Saint listened calmly to the girl’s explanation.

Outside, the sun was beginning to rise.

“I calmed my mind, brought my body to its peak state, climbed the mountain again, learned meditation, and improved my physical condition further. When I go back, my body returns to its original state, but the memories and sensations I’ve gained remain intact.”

“I see.”

Frederick chuckled as he listened.

“So that’s how it was.”

“Master, do you really believe her story?”

“Do you not? From your expression, it seems like you’re more convinced after hearing it.”

Jennifer, too, was smiling, as if she found the whole situation amusing.

“Are you saying you can turn back time?”

The Sword Saint, now with a playful grin as though he had just unraveled a fascinating puzzle, pulled out a chair and gestured for the princess and his disciple to sit. He then took a seat at the cluttered table.

“Yes.”

“Interesting. But I have one objection.”

Seeing him smile as he spoke, the princess sat down in a corner of the room and asked,

“An objection?”

“Is this the first time we’ve had such a conversation?”

“Yes.”

With a slight furrow in her brow, the princess pondered his words. Frederick nodded in acknowledgment and spoke,

“Then consider this—what if it’s not time manipulation, but foresight?”

“Foresight… yet I can reverse time at will.”

“Or, to put it differently, could it be that you’re only seeing as far into the future as you want to? The future that you could not have known before.”

“……”

The princess tilted her head slightly in thought.

“Well, regardless of what I say, your own experiences are likely much closer to the truth than anything I could theorize.”

There was a scraping sound as Jennifer sat down on a chair.

“It’s a shame I didn’t offer our esteemed guest a cup of tea. Apologies. We’ve just run out.”

“No need.”

“You might even be older than me.”

Frederick mused.

“I don’t think I’ve turned back time that much.”

“A frog never remembers its time as a tadpole.”

“And what if a frog did remember its time as an egg?”

“Everyone has a few memories from their earliest days, but human memory is fragile. It can easily shatter from even the slightest trigger. Why, there are enough spells that manipulate memory to fill all ten fingers.”

“…”

Frederick watched the princess, lost in thought, and then spoke again.

“So, will you reverse this memory as well? You’ve already gained what you wanted.”

“…”

The princess remained silent, but her expression spoke volumes. There was a hint of discomfort, as if seeing someone she had encountered countless times now brought a certain familiarity.

“A new expression—”

Jennifer remarked with amusement.

“—you never showed any emotion before.”

At that moment, Frederick became certain that the princess would turn back time once again.

“In that case, what happens to our deal? If the deal is erased, wouldn’t that mean you owe us nothing?”

Frederick asked playfully.

I will compensate you in my own way for that.”

The princess replied.

“An interesting perspective.”

Jennifer chimed in.

“Receiving compensation for something we didn’t even do, isn’t that too much of a gain for us?”

“I have gained something, after all…”

“There’s no need for excessive formality.”

Frederick said with a laugh.

For someone who had lived over seventy years, witnessing this strange occurrence was far more valuable than the original terms of their deal. After seeing someone who could repeatedly turn back time, trying again and again until they achieved their goal without any innate talent, what use was a mere Sword Saint in comparison?

Seeing such an extraordinary human being—who, despite lacking talent, could bend time and persist until they succeeded—felt like the greatest reward Frederick could receive.

“If you truly want to repay me, then find me once before I die. When that time comes, I’ll try to guess your true identity. Don’t tell me anything; a riddle isn’t fun if the creator gives away too many hints.”

“…”

“You don’t have to avoid turning back time just because you owe us something. Go ahead and do as you wish. After all, isn’t that why you’ve trained under me for hundreds of repetitions?”

t wasn’t that Frederick had never taken on a disciple without talent before. But they always left—either crushed by the despair of their lack of talent or worn out by the arduous training.

This girl, however, was different.

Sure, he could speculate that she had the ability to turn back time, but even with such an ability, how many people would use it just to ‘work harder’?

Anyone could head to a racetrack, buy tickets for a winning horse, and grow rich without effort. There were countless ways to shape the world to your advantage and live in comfort.

Yet, this girl had chosen the difficult path without hesitation. Why?

There must be a purpose—something important enough to her that no other path mattered.

Frederick respected those who pursued a single goal with unwavering focus. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have let Jennifer into his life.

“Is that your final condition?”

The princess asked.

“Yes. I won’t remember it, but if you’ve endured so long under my training, you’re my disciple. Be proud of that wherever you go. The Sword Saint doesn’t accept many students, you know. Then again, not many come seeking me in this remote place.”

He chuckled.

Frederick’s laughter seemed strange to Princess Sylvia Fangriffon. This made Frederick even more pleased. Even if he didn’t remember, this moment of laughter would remain in her memory. And perhaps, if she truly thought of him as her master, she would return someday.

“Understood. I’ll be sure to remember.”

“My thoughts are a bit different.”

Jennifer, who had been quietly watching the warm conversation between the Sword Saint and the princess, finally spoke.

“To be honest, I would prefer you fulfill the terms of our deal. I’m a pragmatist.”

“…”

The princess gazed at her teacher silently for a moment, then nodded.

“…Understood.”

“Well, there’s no way for me to know if you don’t.”

Jennifer added with a shrug.

“Then tell me what I need to do and where I need to go when I leave this time. I will remember.”

“Hmm.”

Jennifer found the princess’ formal tone amusing, raising an eyebrow before responding.

“If that’s what you want, then fine. As long as you don’t rewind time right away, it’ll be a delight for me either way.”

“…”

The princess said nothing. If there had been a cup of tea before her, Frederick thought she would have silently sipped it. And he was sure that quiet image would suit her well.

*

After the two disciples left the mountain to fulfill part of the ‘conditions,’ Frederick sat alone in the silence of his cabin. He murmured to himself.

“If there’s something you need, please come in.”

“……”

The young man with fiery red hair entered without a word.

“You look a bit dazed, young man.”

Clicking his tongue, the young man, who had been staring blankly, walked over to the table where the Sword Saint was sitting and took a seat.

“Sorry, but there’s no tea.”

“I don’t have such noble tastes.”

“Good to hear.”

The Sword Saint said with a broad smile.

“You must be the swordsman the princess mentioned—the one who could be my equal.”

Frederick inspected him closely. This wasn’t just a matter of having talent. The young man standing before him might already be a level above Frederick, even after the Sword Saint’s seventy years of life.

“Impressive. Do you have any interest in crossing swords with me?”

“…What’s the point, when time’s going to be reset soon anyway?”

Frederick laughed at the young man’s response.

“You look like a child who’s just discovered the secret behind a magic trick and feels let down. What’s wrong? Do you miss the days when everything seemed wondrous?”

“……”

Leaving the young man, who looked somewhat sullen, the Sword Saint stood up. He walked over to the fireplace, took down the swords hanging above it, and began to strap them to his waist one by one.

“Hey, I said—”

“Listen, young man.”

The Sword Saint cut off the young man’s grumbling with a firm voice.

“Even if our world ends and is rewritten, we are here, sitting and talking right now. I believe we have a few hours left.”

“……”

“Even if the world ends tomorrow, those who are alive must continue to live. Remembering, thinking, and if this moment of our existence is here, no one can deny that fact. Not even the goddess above.”

The Sword Saint placed his hand on the hilt of his katana.

“Even if time resets, even if we forget, that is only a result. A result cannot erase its cause, can it? Even if time rewinds, for that girl, it still flows in one direction.”

Frederick showed a bold smile. His back was straight, and his feet were firmly planted on the ground.

That confident stance was truly that of the Sword Saint.

The kindly grandfatherly image from earlier was gone.

“So, young man, why don’t we cross swords and make the most of the time we have left?”

The red-haired young man, who had been staring blankly with his mouth slightly open, finally laughed shortly.

“Guess you’ve learned a thing or two in your long life, old man.”

Any trace of the young man’s disheartened look had already disappeared from his face.

“Alright, let’s have some fun while we can.”

His demeanor was that of a future Sword Saint.

Chapter 71 : Deal

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 71

EP.71 Deal (5)

Meditation was literally meditation.

A time to sit, calm the mind, and reflect on oneself.

Of course, it wasn’t always easy. Even with my absurd ability to reset time, there were still plenty of things that stressed me out.

The fact that Leo, Claire, and the rest of the main characters were diligent wasn’t exactly something to cause stress. Sure, my body was exhausted, and no matter what I predicted, their relentless actions often disrupted those expectations, but honestly, that kind of mistake was a pleasant surprise.

Wasn’t it? Leo being more tenacious than I thought, or perhaps one of the protagonists being a regressor, ruining the “original” story I had in mind… Of course, I was an alien entity who had drifted in from the outside, and to someone who loved the original, I might seem like I was ruining it. But there’s a big difference between the perspective of the one causing the disruption and that of an outsider.

It’s like the saying: If I do it, it’s romance; if someone else does it, it’s an affair. Hmm, that might not be the best analogy, but the point is this: the main characters acting like main characters didn’t really harm me. If anything, it was just how things were meant to be.

What truly stressed me out was when the story either adhered too closely to the original or veered so far off course that it no longer resembled the original at all.

First, when the story followed the original too closely. Based on what I had experienced so far, Leo seemed intent on completing every single side quest. I had no doubt he’d meticulously ensure the story progressed as it originally did, even beyond the playable parts of the game. From the perspective of someone who loved the original work, that might seem like a good thing.

But if the story followed the original path, there were characters within the main group who were bound to die. It wasn’t just the heroines—male characters could die too. The girl one of the male characters liked could die as well. No matter how strong the protagonist grew, he couldn’t be everywhere at once, nor could he protect all the characters scattered across the vast Empire. He couldn’t stop every event.

And then there was Claire. Someone was fated to die, and since I had taken her place, it could very well be me. Could resetting the time really prevent that death? Or was there some overwhelming force in this world that would ensure one or both of us would die no matter what? I had reset the time before, but I had never died. What would happen after death? Would I transfer to another world and live as a different character again?

Moreover, this world wasn’t rigidly following its original course. It was annoyingly inconsistent, mixing elements of the game with more realistic parts. In the game, no matter if you were shot, stabbed, hit by a giant’s hand falling from the sky, or blasted by a laser from another dimension, if your HP didn’t drop to zero, you wouldn’t die. Even if your HP hit zero and you collapsed, it didn’t count as death—you’d still appear in cutscenes, perfectly fine. The only penalty was not being able to use that character in battle.

But in reality, there were countless contradictions between what happened in the game and what unfolded in the cutscenes. Characters who had been hit by what should have been fatal attacks were only “knocked down” in the game, yet in cutscenes, they died simply because they were shot in the chest or stabbed in the stomach. In the game, this was merely gameplay logic, something allowed for the sake of the story, but in this world?

Does that mean the main group has to avoid getting shot or stabbed even once throughout the entire story? They would have to dodge every swipe from a beast and avoid stepping into the range of any spells.

…But then there was Mia Crowfield, a key character in the story, who almost got hit by a bear’s magic. Of course, I had reset the time right before that happened, but still.

Was it simply because I was there that the outcome was altered? Or was I some kind of restraining force, meant to save everyone and get them to that point?

For more than 300 consecutive days of meditation, I wrestled with these questions, over and over. The fact that I could meditate endlessly—without eating, sleeping, or even bathing—thanks to turning back time was, in many ways, a great advantage. Especially when it came to organizing my thoughts.

I hadn’t been able to think like this until now.

*

“……”

Before me was a battlefield. The faint smell of gunpowder lingered, a reminder of the battle that had taken place not too long ago. Between the trenches lay a no man’s land, from which the scent of something burning wafted in the cold air.

The ground bore the scars of repeated shelling, with large craters dotting the landscape, each filled with freshly fallen snow.

The battlefield itself was overwhelmingly in favor of the Imperial Army. The enemy had dug trenches and fortified the area, but the Empire had completely encircled those fortifications, including the trenches themselves.

The enemy had no tanks, while the Empire had plenty. There were also fighter planes.

However, deploying such armored equipment beyond the border was a complex issue. The Autonomous State of Rickland had requested support from the Empire, but they were hesitant to allow such “modern equipment” to cross the border.

From what I had gathered, the reason behind allowing even the limited presence of imperial forces was a kind of political pressure. The Empire had essentially said, “If you can’t deal with the warlords along your border, and that leads to harm on our side, what are you going to do about it?” Unable to bear this pressure, they begrudgingly agreed.

“There are a lot of them.”

Jennifer said as she peered through her binoculars at the fortress. A concrete bunker, built to last, came into view, even from this distance. It was far away, barely visible.

“But not enough to break through our defensive line.”

The soldiers would be dying all the way to that point.

“They don’t have machine guns, but they’ve rigged multiple gun barrels together to serve the same purpose. During the initial assault, a lot of our men were killed because of it. Its rate of fire isn’t quite like a machine gun, but it still sends bullets flying at rapid speed.”

They hadn’t developed assault rifles yet. Even the machine gun was one of the newer weapons, and it was still incredibly heavy. At least, it wasn’t the kind of thing you could carry around while firing.

“Well, can you do it?”

“…”

I didn’t answer. Jennifer stared at me for a moment, then asked again.

“Or have you already done it?”

“I’ve succeeded seven times.”

Of course, it had taken countless retries.

This mission was on an entirely different level from sneaking into the Count’s estate. The no man’s land between here and the trenches was extremely long. The moment I was spotted, bullets came flying.

To survive, I had to avoid being seen at all costs.

The fact that night had already fallen was in my favor.

Even in a standoff, a person’s vigilance can’t stay sharp for hours on end. Some soldiers on the long front lines were dozing off, while others were excited about the prospect of finishing their shift and going to sleep.

It had taken an absurd amount of time to find such a place, but I finally managed it. Once I got inside the trench, I had a significant advantage. As long as I had bullets, I could take down one enemy with each shot. Whether it was luck or simply the panic of the disoriented enemy in the dark, not a single bullet had hit me square in the head.

Dodge, hide, shoot.

There was no silencer to muffle my gunfire. Even if I had a modern silencer, it would only reduce the noise slightly; the moment I fired, the enemy would hear it. The only thing I could do was to add to the chaos and confusion.

I tried to move through the trenches as much as possible, tossing grenades into every room I came across.

The shotgun equipped with Marmaros was incredibly effective. The intense flames bursting from the muzzle alone were enough to terrify the enemy. I didn’t need to lug around a massive fuel tank on my back to turn the battlefield into a blazing inferno.

With a submachine gun, a shotgun, and a revolver in hand, I continued advancing, switching to any enemy weapon I could find when I ran out of ammo. Eventually, I stumbled upon the ammunition depot deep inside the base.

By that time, the Imperial Army had also launched their attack.

They must have seen the gunfights and explosions within the enemy camp and decided it was the perfect moment to strike.

In the midst of simultaneous attacks from inside and outside—

Boom!

A massive explosion shook the ground. For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything. When I came to, I was lying on the ground. I had only blacked out for a few seconds, but my back and shoulders were screaming in pain. As I quickly regained my senses and stood up, I saw enemy soldiers standing in a daze.

When I looked in their direction, I saw bright flames. Thick, black smoke billowed into the sky, darker than the night itself. Several more massive explosions followed.

…The ammunition depot had exploded.

One of the grenades I had randomly tossed must have hit the depot, causing it to blow up.

The sound of gunfire from outside the trenches grew louder and closer.

Waaahhh—

The cheers of the Imperial soldiers echoed, almost like a victory shout.

The mercenaries began to drop to their knees one by one, raising their hands above their heads. Their expressions showed that they knew it was all over.

They all stared at me with a mix of fear and awe.

Without a word, I climbed up to the edge of the trench and looked toward the bunker.

The bunker had exploded from the inside, half-collapsed. Even if there were people inside, there was no way they survived.

And if they had, they would soon be captured or killed by the flood of Imperial soldiers closing in.

That was my first success.

Chapter 72 : Deal

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 72

EP.72 Deal (6)

After that, I had succeeded six more times, refining the strategy each time. Of course, I had reset time completely and started from scratch multiple times, and if I included all the minor rewinds, the number would have been even higher.

But in the end, I succeeded. I managed to create a route that worked.

“I see.”

Jennifer murmured in response to my words.

“You’re planning to rewind this time as well, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

I replied quietly, my breath forming a small cloud of white mist in the cold air.

“Honestly, even knowing about your ability, it’s astonishing. It’s hard to believe. That one person could enter and take over such a fortress.”

“I merely caused confusion inside the fortress. If the Imperial forces hadn’t advanced when they did, even with my ability to rewind time, it would’ve been nearly impossible to succeed.”

No matter how many enemies there were, the narrow trenches limited the number of people who could see me at once. Plus, it was nighttime. If the lights became a problem, I could just shoot them out. A single grenade could knock out all the lighting in a section of the trench.

If I failed, I would just keep trying until I succeeded.

“……”

Jennifer remained silent for a while, lost in thought.

“When I first heard they were sending you, I couldn’t believe my ears.”

After maintaining her silence for a long time, she finally spoke. Her tone was hesitant, as though she were slowly unraveling a thought that had been buried deep in her mind, and I was somewhat surprised by her candor.

“Imagine how stunned I was when they told me our reinforcement was ‘one person.’ I may not be the commander here, but these were comrades I once fought alongside. And this was the land where I spent my childhood, right in front of my home. I understand that there are political reasons at play, but when I first received the letter, I was genuinely hopeful. I thought the political issues had finally been resolved, and we’d receive more reinforcements.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But when I opened that fancy envelope, I was dumbfounded.”

“……”

“Do you know what my grandfather said when he heard the news?”

“No, I don’t.”

“He said, ‘The Emperor must have his reasons.'”

“……”

“I really thought we were being abandoned after all the loyalty we’d shown, that our entire territory was being forsaken.”

Jennifer chuckled as if she had heard a funny joke. But there was a hint of emptiness in her voice. Her laugh gradually grew weaker, almost as if the energy had drained out of it.

“Does the Emperor know about your ability?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.”

He probably thinks I’m incredibly talented and capable. But he wouldn’t imagine I have the ability to reset the time. That would be beyond the realm of reasonable belief, practically a fantasy.

Moreover, the prevailing belief in this world was that “time cannot be reversed.” It wasn’t just a simple belief but rather tied to a magical rule of this world. Of course, seeing that I could actually turn back time, it made me wonder if the developers had hidden this feature to use it as a twist later in the story. It would also explain why, toward the end, characters suddenly started dying left and right, and why the player had to personally decide which characters would die. Considering it was a small studio, it didn’t seem feasible for them to create two completely different story routes with alternate endings and release a sequel within just a year.

If the ability to reset the time was part of the setting, then it would make sense that the protagonist, knowing this, could just rewind and save the characters while progressing through the story. And for this twist to work, none of the other characters could even suspect that it was possible.

“I see…”

Jennifer was silent for a while again.

“I could tell you’d already solved the situation when you came back. Once I knew you could turn back time, it became obvious.”

Jennifer glanced at me as she spoke.

“Just a moment ago, you only looked a little tired, but suddenly your expression turned deeply exhausted. If I hadn’t known about your ability, I would’ve assumed you were just realizing how difficult the upcoming mission would be.”

“Really?”

“Yes. To be honest, right now, your expression…”

Jennifer hesitated, which was unlike her, and then spoke again.

“It looks like someone who’s been to hell and back.”

“Is that so.”

I couldn’t think of much else to say in response.

“……”

“……”

We both stared at the distant bunker again.

“As you’ve probably heard, those mercenaries holed up in that place are truly vile. They’ve burned down several villages, raped women, and then hanged them at the village gates after everything was left in ruins. It’s hard to understand what drove them to such cruelty. If you need proof, I can show you.”

I had already heard this story before. I had even seen the evidence.

“But even so, they’re still human. Some might call them beasts, but any hunter would laugh at that notion. Sure, there are animals that toy with their prey, but nothing as deliberately cruel as humans. At least, that’s been my experience.”

Jennifer turned toward me, this time looking at me directly rather than casting occasional glances.

“Honestly, I’m probably not the one who should be saying this after dragging you this far, but…”

She hesitated for just a moment before continuing.

“Why don’t you just run away? If you’ve turned back time, all the lives you’ve taken can be undone. Or you could live a life completely detached from the Emperor. With your ability, you could live a normal life, couldn’t you?”

“……”

I kept staring at the distant bunker for a while before finally speaking.

“I’ve heard that suggestion before.”

“……”

Jennifer seemed at a loss for words after hearing my response.

“I see.”

We stood there in silence again, with Jennifer beside me, until this time, I spoke first.

“Still, thank you for saying it. Truly.”

“……”

Jennifer’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she asked,

“Have I said that before too?”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“This is the first time.”

“I see.”

Jennifer smiled at my words.

*

Did I even have the option to start over from the beginning?

Jennifer didn’t know much about my past. Not many people knew about my true past, the one where I played an incomprehensible “game” in my previous life, nor about the past where I lived as “Sylvia Black.” The few who did were Claire, the Baron and Baroness Grace who likely heard it from her, the Emperor who received reports, and Lucas who had been observing the orphanage.

All of these people would agree that, even if I reset the time for the first time, I would still end up in the same situation.

Lucas had been keeping an eye on the orphanage from the very beginning. No matter how many times I reset the time, I was still a child of less than ten years. Even if I ran fast or hid well, there was no escaping the gaze of someone as skilled as Lucas, and even if I tried to attack, I would never have won.

Where did the existence of “Sylvia Black” come from?

Perhaps, from nowhere at all.

Just an existence created at that moment for some purpose.

And the fact that I, who knew quite a bit about the future of this world in the form of a game, was placed in that body meant that whoever brought me here had a clear goal.

An entity that even anticipated my ability to turn back time.

“So, does that mean I can just do whatever I want?”

I muttered quietly, staring at the ceiling after waking up in the middle of the night.

Of course, there was no response.

Whether the entity above was a god or the goddess spoken of by the Goddess Church, it didn’t matter.

Well, silence is a form of freedom too. And silence can often be interpreted to one’s disadvantage.

“Alright.”

I decided to interpret that silence as I wished and stood up.

I was a bit tired. Of course I would be, considering what had just happened. My mind was fatigued, and my body, waking in the middle of the night, was screaming to return to sleep.

But there was no time. Claire would surely come to visit at 4 a.m.

I took a deep breath in.

I sat cross-legged and recalled my master’s teachings. I calmed my mind and worked to restore my body.

Honestly, by Earth’s standards, this was absurd. Without sleep, the body would normally just remain tired.

Thankfully, I was in a world where such techniques were possible, even with an ordinary body.

I exhaled, releasing my worries and distractions along with my breath. I allowed only what I wanted to do and needed to do to remain in my mind.

Then, I opened my eyes.

Good.

It was time to head out.

I had a debt to repay.

Chapter 73 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 73

EP.73 Interlude

“The mercenary group was annihilated? When did this happen?”

“It happened at dawn yesterday, sir.”

Upon hearing the report, the face of Maximilian Schmidt, the governor of the Autonomous State of Rickland, momentarily brightened. However, the smile on his face didn’t last long.

“Did the Empire deploy additional forces?”

“Well….”

The high-ranking officer in the blue uniform furrowed his brow, looking somewhat troubled. His well-groomed gray mustache twitched slightly at the ends. Clearly, something about the report didn’t sit right with him.

Despite this, Schmidt didn’t think the Empire had crossed the border with a large army. If that had been the case, the officer would have stormed in with a flushed face, not with hesitation. Although the Autonomous State functioned as a “republic,” it hadn’t entirely shed its noble tendencies. It was, in essence, a nation that resembled the Empire, minus the Imperial Family.

Of course, this was only in terms of political structure; the territory was much smaller, and its military power was insignificant compared to the Empire. The fact that the mercenary group, which should have been under the state’s command, had become a warlord during the chaos of the revolution, made any comparison of military power between the two almost meaningless.

Thus, while they had no choice but to ask the Empire for assistance, they feared its military strength and had “requested” that the Empire refrain from deploying more troops than necessary. It wasn’t just Schmidt who shared this sentiment. The nobles of the Autonomous State also agreed, and though the military’s pride was wounded, they couldn’t openly oppose the request but frequently expressed their displeasure.

…Truthfully, even if the Empire had ignored this request, there would have been no way to stop them. However, the Emperor had, for the time being, honored their plea.

“There was just one person.”

“One person…?”

Schmidt pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Has General Winterfield returned?”

“No, sir.”

“Then… perhaps his daughter?”

“I’m afraid not, either. The individual in question was a woman, yes, but much younger than General Winterfield’s daughter. There are rumors that she might be a princess….”

“A princess? Are you telling me the Empire sent a princess to the battlefield, and she was the key to victory?”

Schmidt glanced at the ceiling in a daze for a moment before lowering his gaze back to the commander in front of him.

“Could it be that the Imperial army attacked the enemy, sacrificing themselves to protect the princess? If so, we’ll owe a significant debt of gratitude.”

“Protection” isn’t free. Even if the compensation for the damage wasn’t directly monetary, an equivalent price had to be paid. Otherwise, it was uncertain where the Imperial Army’s swords and spears would turn.

For now, the region was filled with warlords, but once the Empire finished dealing with them one by one…

There was a reason the state kept pleading for the Empire to limit the number of troops it sent.

“No, sir, that’s not the case.”

However, Schmidt’s assumption was quickly refuted by the commander.

“The Imperial Army reportedly suffered minimal casualties. The warlord’s base collapsed entirely, bunker and all. A unit stationed nearby sent someone over this morning. They even took photographs—would you like to see them?”

The commander gently placed a thin but finely crafted wooden clipboard on Schmidt’s desk.

“……”

Schmidt flipped through the report, skimming each page.

It was just as the commander had said. The base that the Autonomous State’s army couldn’t breach was now in ruins. Imperial soldiers were cheering from all sides, and the disheveled mercenaries were all kneeling on the ground with their hands raised above their heads.

Among the many photographs, one captured the image of a young girl. It wasn’t a close-up shot, but from a distance, near the collapsed bunker, the photo showed a girl with short hair, dressed in a coat similar to that of an Imperial officer, though slightly different in style.

Her expression was unreadable, as her face was turned slightly to the side, revealing only her profile. She didn’t appear to be seriously injured.

“That girl is the princess.”

“…So, what exactly are you suggesting this princess did? Even if the Empire sent a princess, it wouldn’t have changed the tide of the battle. Was she deployed simply to gain military experience as an officer?”

“I don’t think that’s the case. The details are unclear due to conflicting reports, but… according to what’s been circulating, it seems the girl was the key to the victory in this battle.”

“……”

Schmidt pressed his lips together, staring down at the photograph again. Though the girl’s expression was stiff, there were no visible signs of injury. The coat didn’t appear stained or damaged, though the grainy, unfocused black-and-white photo made it hard to tell for sure.

“According to the messenger sent by the Empire,”

The commander began to speak in a flat tone, as if trying to keep his voice devoid of emotion to maintain objectivity.

“The princess was directly deployed to the battlefield. Within minutes, gunshots and explosions were heard from the enemy camp, followed by a massive explosion. The Imperial Army then launched a feint attack, and as the defensive lines around the princess’s position crumbled, the Imperial forces were able to penetrate the enemy’s base.”

“Propaganda, no doubt.”

Schmidt scoffed, pushing the report back across the desk.

“…There is the example of Lady Winterfield, isn’t there? If the blood of the Emperor runs in her veins—”

“Even Lady Winterfield couldn’t infiltrate enemy lines alone and detonate their ammunition depot. That’s beyond the capabilities of any human. Are you suggesting this princess can dodge bullets?”

“……”

With Schmidt putting it so bluntly, the commander had nothing left to say. In truth, even as he delivered the report, his own skepticism was clear in his emotionless tone.

“But,”

Schmidt added, running a hand through his hair, slicking it back to expose his forehead.

“if it’s true, even partially… it complicates things.”

His face, framed by neatly combed black hair was the epitome of a “gentleman.” He looked somewhat young, but in reality, he was older than he appeared.

“Even if it’s propaganda, there might be some truth mixed in. Like the case of Lady Winterfield that the commander mentioned, she could have been a significant help in the battle.”

Even if the Empire had exaggerated their success to downplay their own losses, the photos showed that the princess had participated in the battle. Schmidt thought it might be necessary to send someone to discreetly verify the truth from the Imperial soldiers.

“Hmm…”

“What is it?”

When Schmidt narrowed his eyes and looked at the commander, the commander took a step back and asked.

“Didn’t you mention you have a daughter, Commander?”

“…I do, yes.”

Seeing the commander speak with a highly suspicious expression, the governor continued.

“My daughter is still too young to enter the Imperial Academy.”

“……”

“If you have any desire to send your daughter to study in the Empire, the Autonomous State is willing to support her wholeheartedly.”

“……”

The commander remained silent for a moment.

“There’s one condition, but if you don’t want to, that’s fine. There are many young ladies in the Autonomous State who would love to study in the Empire. Or even a young gentleman would be fine.”

“I’ll consider it.”

When the commander spoke, Schmidt nodded and leaned back in his chair.

“Do try to make your decision quickly. I’d like to send any potential students with the cadets returning from their field training on the next train.”

Of course, there would be a complex procedural process, but Schmidt believed the Emperor of the Empire would gladly accept his proposal.

Although he hadn’t fully grasped the Emperor’s character, Schmidt knew at least that the Emperor had a keen interest in “interesting matters.”

“And what do you intend to do with the information about the princess?”

“Well, information is always useful to have on hand. If this princess’s combat skills are truly valuable… we’ll need to think of ways to utilize her to benefit the Autonomous State. We still don’t know her personality.”

Schmidt shrugged casually.

“Oh, by the way, Commander, does your daughter enjoy making friends?”

“Ah, well—”

Seeing the commander’s hesitant glances, Schmidt let out a bitter smile.

“I see.”

Chapter 74 : Back to Normal?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 74

EP.74 Back to Normal? (1)

The dawn operation was something I chose to participate in. Although the promise I made with Jennifer had been erased when I turned back time, I still remembered it. While I might be willing to break promises with others, I didn’t want to break promises with characters I liked.

As a result, by the time I returned, it was already late morning.

“……If you want a reward, I’ll give you anything. Winterfield does not forget its debts.”

Jennifer said on the way back in the car.

“I merely settled an old debt.”

I replied.

Saying that filled me with a slight sense of pride.

Sure, I had smelled blood and gunpowder that dawn. And the memories of that battlefield probably wouldn’t fade so easily. I’d heard stories about PTSD and such, so those memories might end up affecting me greatly.

But still, when I thought about it as something I had to do, I felt much better.

War, after all, was like that. If we didn’t fight, people on our side would die. Those mercenaries had already committed heinous crimes, practically war crimes. Maybe some of the people I fought against had normal mindsets, but… a battlefield is a place where lives are at stake, and I couldn’t afford to let them go.

They had aimed their guns at me. Had I been hit and killed, perhaps the situation would be different. If I’d been shot in the arm or leg and incapacitated without turning back time, I would have been in serious trouble in the hands of that disorganized group of mercenaries.

And it wasn’t the first time I’d killed someone.

The battle itself had been optimized after repeating the same path several times by resetting time. Though there was a day’s difference, the outcome was ultimately the same.

“Debt?”

Jennifer asked back, but I didn’t bother to explain.

“……”

When I didn’t respond, Jennifer didn’t push for answers. Instead, she seemed to sink into deep thought and remained silent throughout the car ride. Thanks to that, I could stare blankly out the window until we returned to Winterfield Castle.

The distant mountain range was beautiful. The Sword Saint was probably still somewhere along those mountain slopes.

*

When we arrived at Winterfield Castle, Alice, who had been waiting in the castle lobby, rushed out and hugged me tightly.

She must have smelled the gunpowder clinging to me, as she immediately shot a glare at Jennifer.

“……”

Jennifer had nothing to say in response.

Jennifer didn’t know that I could reset time. So, seeing me fight like that on the battlefield must have shocked her in a different way. She likely hadn’t had any time to mentally prepare herself.

“Did… Father…?”

Alice spoke up right away.

“Did Father order you to do this?”

Hmm.

I seriously contemplated the situation. The Emperor hadn’t ordered me to do this… to be precise, he had intended to.

So, wouldn’t it be okay to just say it was?

Technically, it was something I wanted to do.

“……”

I decided to go with that. Explaining it would be a hassle. Honestly, trying to explain while hiding my ability would inevitably leave gaps in the story, leading to unnecessary suspicion. If I lied, questions like “What about that time…?” could arise when my ability was eventually revealed.

So, I chose to “plausibly remain silent.”

Alice seemed to take my silence as an affirmation and looked at me with her lips tightly pressed together.

“I told you, you don’t have to follow Father’s orders.”

“……”

Alice, who had lightly hugged me, took a step back and held my hand.

“……Well, I guess you couldn’t easily refuse such an order.”

I hadn’t actually received any orders.

…Hopefully, she wouldn’t run straight to the Emperor and say something.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I decided to change the subject.

“Did you carry out the request well?”

“Request? Oh.”

Alice glanced at the other kids who had been waiting behind her, then looked back at me.

“Yes, thanks to you.”

I shifted my gaze slightly to look for Mia Crowfield. The other kids had been here for only a short while, and their clothes were slightly damp at the hems, stained with mud likely from melted snow.

The staff in Mia Crowfield’s hand was glowing with a blue marmaros. I had left it on the desk in my room before leaving, along with a note instructing them to give it to Mia Crowfield. It seemed the kids had followed my instructions precisely.

“Thanks to the Marmaros, the hunt went much smoother.”

Charlotte, who had been watching us, stepped forward and spoke. Her expression was as complex as Alice’s. She seemed conflicted about whether she should be wary of me after returning from the battlefield or simply express her gratitude for the kindness in this moment.

“Th-thank you.”

Mia Crowfield said, her voice slightly trembling.

“Sister… are you okay?”

Claire, who had been watching me from a distance, approached and asked.

“I’m fine.”

In reality, I felt much better than I had expected. Perhaps seeing similar sights repeatedly had made me accustomed to them, allowing me to prepare mentally. Plus, I had some justification for my actions.

I looked over at Leo and Jake, who were still standing a bit farther away. Surprisingly, Leo didn’t seem pale or terrified at all. For a brief moment, I wondered if he had reached a state of calm from being too frightened. But upon closer inspection, his expression seemed contemplative instead.

Had his opinions of me changed a bit?

Jake’s reaction was similar. His usual carefree, cocky demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was watching me intently with an unusually serious expression. When our eyes met, however, he quickly flashed his usual sly grin and walked over to me.

“Come on, standing around like this isn’t helping. Let’s all go grab something to eat. I’m starving here.”

“You…”

Alice shot Jake a sideways glance, but then, as if remembering something, she turned to look at me. Reading something from my expression, she quickly chuckled and spoke.

“Yeah, well, you’re right. We’ve all been working hard all morning. It’s about time we got hungry.”

…How does she manage to read my face so easily?

*

“Are you sure about this? You can rest this afternoon if you need to.”

That afternoon, as I came out equipped to complete another request, Alice looked at me with concern.

“I’m fine.”

I was glad I had learned the art of meditation. Even though I hadn’t gotten much sleep, just as Claire had mentioned before, meditation helped stabilize my body and mind. It wasn’t the same as being fully rested, but after washing up and meditating in my room for a while, I felt a surge of energy, as if I’d had a caffeine boost. It didn’t erase my tiredness completely, but it helped.

“Are you sure you’re really okay?”

Claire asked from beside me, but I nodded once more.

“There’s work to be done, and it affects my grades—”

“No.”

Before I could finish, Jennifer, who had appeared nearby, cut me off.

“I will give you full marks. You may not have completed the official request, but you accomplished something no soldier could.”

“……”

Jennifer’s face, though, looked conflicted.

When I had told her I would take down the enemy commander, she had worn a similar uncertain expression. It was different from the cool and composed look she had when she first gave me a request at the Sword Saint’s cabin. Perhaps she hadn’t actually believed I could do it.

That seemed likely, given she was the type to teach not to seek honor on the battlefield.

“So, you can rest this afternoon… no, take tomorrow off as well. I’ll take responsibility and explain everything to the Academy.”

Abraham would probably understand.

“If that’s the case, then I’m doing this because I want to.”

When I said that, the already quiet atmosphere around me grew even more still.

“Sylvia?”

Alice’s eyes widened as she looked at me.

“…Sister?”

Claire finally let the word slip out.

“…I see.”

Hearing my response, Jennifer closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and then let it out softly.

“If that’s what you want as a student, there’s nothing I can do. All I can say is… thank you. This is a thank you from the soldiers as well.”

Jennifer bowed her head deeply.

“…I see.”

Not sure how to respond, I decided to leave it at that.

Chapter 75 : Back to Normal?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 75

EP.75 Back to Normal? (2)

Still, the afternoon felt refreshingly calm.

I felt as though half of my worries had been resolved. I had found a way to recover quickly, even when exhausted, through meditation, and the northern issue had been somewhat dealt with. Additionally, I had clearly demonstrated my abilities to those around me.

Even the emotional vulnerability that Mia Crowfield had witnessed might have been mitigated by my recent actions. After all, I had shown that I could single-handedly inflict serious damage on the enemy.

Perhaps, this could serve as a warning to Countess Crowfield, who was likely plotting revenge against the Emperor at this very moment. In the original story, Claire had transferred into the academy midway through the first year, and unlike me, she didn’t make her presence as obvious. That led the Crowfields to underestimate her to some extent.

Of course, back then, Claire hadn’t blown up the Count with a bomb either.

There’s a vast difference between facing off against an assassin and taking on a human weapon capable of annihilating entire squads of enemies.

“……”

I could understand why Mia Crowfield kept glancing at me.

Though it seems becoming friends with her will be even more difficult now.

“Sister!”

……And there was another person whose attitude towards me had changed.

Considering I had returned after performing like a human weapon, I expected more people to find it difficult to approach me. Yet, Claire had become even more casual in her interactions with me.

It seems what I said earlier—“I did it because I wanted to”—had a significant impact on her. I hadn’t even explained my reasons, and my act wasn’t about gaining or claiming anything. It was simply about crushing a mercenary group. But to Claire, the act itself didn’t seem to be a problem.

More than that, it appeared she had gained confidence that I still had genuine emotions left inside me.

“Claire.”

“I know, I know! But we’re outside the Academy right now!”

Before I could even say anything, Claire preempted me, patting my arm as she spoke.

…We might be outside the Academy, but the task we were doing still counted toward our attendance.

Plus, we were still in our uniforms. It wasn’t as if we were far removed from the Academy—it just wasn’t within the Academy’s buildings.

“But Claire has been calling you ‘Sister’ since earlier. Could you tell me why that is?”

Claire was walking on my left, while Alice was on my right. The situation left me feeling oddly uncomfortable. After all, both of them were like sisters to me in their own way.

Well, I didn’t exactly think of them as ‘sisters’ per se, but… you know that feeling, when you’ve spent enough time with someone that a sense of familial affection grows? Claire had followed me in that way, and Alice had been by my side for a long time, so I suppose I felt that way toward both of them.

“Oh, that.”

Claire responded confidently to Alice’s question.

“Sylvia just has this… sisterly vibe, you know? I had a younger brother, but I never had a sister. So I decided to call Sylvia ‘Sister’ instead.”

“……”

I glanced back and almost burst into laughter at the sight of Leo, who was staring at the back of Claire’s head with an expression of disbelief. It wasn’t just the reason Claire had given for calling me ‘Sister’—he also seemed baffled by her casually referring to him as her ‘younger brother.’

“……For that reason?”

Alice leaned forward slightly, peering at Claire beside me before shifting her gaze to my face. It was clear she didn’t believe a word of what Claire had said.

“……”

I silently glanced at Claire, but she merely averted her gaze, pretending not to notice.

I just realized that she hadn’t just started calling me “sister” now; she had been subtly doing it for a while.

Not that I particularly minded it or found it uncomfortable, but in this situation, it was only making things more complicated for me.

“…I’ll explain it to you later.”

I whispered quietly to Alice.

“…Alright.”

Since it was me saying it, Alice didn’t press further. She trusted me enough not to pry. Charlotte, who was close enough to hear my quiet voice, seemed interested but refrained from digging any further. Perhaps she thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for royalty to prod into secrets unnecessarily.

Jake, on the other hand, seemed entirely indifferent. He was glancing around, clearly not paying any attention to us. Still, I couldn’t let my guard down around him.

In the original story, there hadn’t been this much bustling activity. The characters had their set lines, and due to the limitations of the game’s programming, unless a character was central to the event, they would often become background noise. Without lines scripted for them, even if they appeared in cutscenes, they would just stand awkwardly in the back.

Typically, only the character selected as the player’s representative would actively move around the field, and occasionally one or two others would tag along during specific events. But for the most part, even though all the characters were supposedly traveling together, only one would be visible.

So, this current lively scene felt somewhat strange.

But at the same time, it was also somewhat enjoyable. Despite how odd it seemed when compared to the game, having friends around to hear and react to conversations reminded me of my high school days, hanging out with groups of friends.

“Alright, then.”

Claire stretched her arms above her head and spoke cheerfully.

“Let’s do our best this afternoon! We’re heading back tomorrow, after all.”

“…Are we going straight back to classes on Monday?”

Mia Crowfield asked in a worried tone, to which Charlotte responded with a matter-of-fact answer.

“Of course. Isn’t that obvious?”

At Charlotte’s words, Mia slumped her shoulders.

Tomorrow, we’d be heading back to the academy by train after finishing the morning’s practical session. However, given how far away we were from Runedarium, it would take several hours on the train to return. Though the interior was spacious and comfortable, it didn’t have beds, meaning we’d be sitting in seats for the entire journey.

I could understand why it seemed hard to believe we’d have to jump right back into classes without a break to recover from the trip.

…Of course, I planned on taking some time to rest by meditating through a few nights.

Still, it seemed the group task we had completed together that morning had been beneficial. Watching Mia Crowfield engage in conversation with the others so naturally now, it was clear they had all grown closer.

The blue Marmaros gemstone on Mia’s staff continued to shimmer softly as we walked.

*

“Impressive.”

Jennifer spoke, her expression genuinely surprised.

There wasn’t as much work to do that afternoon as expected. Thanks to the protagonist’s party completing most of the requests in the morning, the remaining tasks were few. The kids who woke up later—though not too late by normal standards, but relatively late—rushed into the request office, leaving only a handful of jobs for the afternoon.

In the original story, this sequence of events also served as a trigger to reveal a hidden quest.

If you cleared all the morning’s side quests, an event would pop up after completing the afternoon quests, saying, “You have time to spare.” Interestingly, finishing the morning quests didn’t reduce the number of afternoon side quests, though.

On the other hand, if you hadn’t completed all the morning side quests, you’d be too busy handling additional tasks to experience the conversation scene with Jennifer.

Anyway, after finishing the tasks before the afternoon ended, Jennifer said to the group—

“Looks like we have a lot of time left today. There’s still quite a while until dinner.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Leo nodded, and Jennifer, after a brief moment of thought, said,

“In that case, would you all be up for a rather interesting challenge?”

“A challenge… you say?”

Leo asked, and Jennifer nodded with a mischievous smile.

“Yes. If you succeed, it could be very beneficial for you all. Though, considering the time, it might be a bit tight.”

“……”

The kids exchanged glances, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Jennifer’s suggestion was half-joking, half-serious. Part of her wanted to surprise her master, and the other part genuinely wanted to reward her students, whom she had grown fond of.

She also kept a close eye on Leo, noting how he had inherited the swordsmanship of the Grace family.

She must have seen some potential in him.

“So, are you interested in hearing more?”

When the kids nodded, Jennifer smiled and began to speak.

“In that case—”

Chapter 76 : Back to Normal?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 76

EP.76 Back to Normal? (3)

“Are you really sure you don’t want to go?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

I’ve learned everything I needed to.

Besides, going there right now… it wouldn’t be very dramatic.

I considered Sword Saint my teacher, and he had told me to come visit again, but going the very next day seemed a bit too much. Besides, I had already climbed the mountain too many times. I didn’t want to climb it again.

“……Well, it’s understandable that you’d want to rest.”

Alice nodded at my words, and it seemed like the rest of the group agreed as well.

Yeah, I did want to rest a bit. If it were before I learned meditation, I might have tried to follow them and turn back time to learn more, but now… I had just returned from wreaking havoc on the enemy camp this morning.

“If we go up there, we might not come back down until tomorrow.”

Just imagining all of them staying in that small cabin made me feel suffocated.

“I’ll be waiting here.”

When I said that, the group exchanged glances before turning back to me.

“Alright then.”

It seemed like they were a bit disappointed that they wouldn’t hear the story behind Claire calling me “sister” just yet, but that could wait until they returned.

“See you later, sis!”

Claire waved enthusiastically, while the others looked at her with expressions that still showed some confusion.

The only one who seemed unfazed was Leo, probably because Claire had already told him everything. They had grown pretty close, after all.

“……”

I watched the kids board the large carriage. Only after the carriage disappeared from sight did I turn around.

*

“Hey, you there, miss!”

I wondered if I had made a mistake by not heading straight back to my room and instead wandering around the village.

Because now, I had somehow gotten involved with a strange man.

“Over here, over here! There’s a seat, why don’t you come join us?”

The loud voice of the man drew everyone’s attention.

People in the North were generally reserved, and they didn’t care much for loud or flamboyant people. The man was getting quite a few disapproving looks, but he didn’t seem to mind at all.

The man had striking red hair, the kind that left an impression after just one glance. He had dragged over an extra chair and was resting his feet on it, completely at ease. The café owner was glaring at him with a frown, but no one seemed brave enough to kick him out.

Perhaps it was because he was wearing clothes that looked exceptionally expensive. At a glance, it was clear he was of high rank. No one wanted to get involved with him, probably fearing the hassle it might cause.

If there was a noble in this village, it was either a guest of the Winterfield family or a soldier—one of the two.

But this man was neither a noble nor a guest, and he certainly wasn’t a soldier.

He was a member of the royal family, though not summoned by anyone in particular, and his personality didn’t suit the military, even if his aptitude might.

“……”

I felt a headache coming on as I approached Lucas.

As I neared, Lucas greeted me with a broad smile, lowering his feet from the chair and brushing his hands off before gesturing to the seat he had prepared for me. However, I silently pulled over a different chair and sat down.

Of course, Lucas didn’t seem to mind my attitude much.

“Enjoying your trip, little sister?”

“……I was, until just a moment ago.”

“You make it sound like I’m the reason your fun’s been ruined.”

“……”

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Lucas clearly didn’t expect me to be happy to see him. His face was still smiling, but there was no real warmth behind it.

Why would he reveal himself so openly now? Was it because Jennifer, who had been acting as the head of Winterfield, was away? Or because Alice had temporarily left?

But no, that didn’t make sense. There were still students wandering around. With his fiery red hair, Lucas stood out on his own. I might not think of myself as particularly noticeable, but I didn’t have such a plain face that people wouldn’t recognize me.

A princess of the Empire, sitting face-to-face with a nameless handsome man in a café.

Even if rumors spread, they’d die down quickly. Any high-ranking noble who recognized Lucas would know our true identities. Once that happened, this scene wouldn’t be perceived as charming gossip but rather a chilling spectacle no one would dare look at directly.

“When did you start spying on me?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

No, I really didn’t.

…Though I couldn’t blame him for reacting that way. If he had been following me throughout this entire training exercise, he would have witnessed me fighting in the battlefield.

It wouldn’t make sense for someone like me—who fought inhuman battles—not to know that Lucas had been tailing me.

“It must’ve been the whole time, right?”

“Of course.”

He responded calmly, unfazed by my question. His coffee remained untouched, still steaming, as if he had only just sat down after seeing the kids off.

Lucky for him, it seemed he had timed things just right.

…But had he truly been following me all the time?

“Well, not exactly 24 hours a day. When you went into your room, it was hard to track you, so I didn’t bother. I had to report to His Majesty, and you know, I still need to eat, sleep, and… take care of other things.”

Well, obviously.

That also meant he hadn’t switched off with anyone else to keep an eye on me.

“And if I had placed something in your room, you’d have noticed right away.”

I stared at his face, trying to determine if he was being serious or not. …If it was true, I would need to turn back time and remove whatever he might have planted.

But no matter how long I stared at Lucas, I couldn’t see past the surface of his expression. I didn’t have mind-reading powers, and my eyes were no different from an ordinary person’s.

So, for now, I decided to assume Lucas was telling the truth and move on, but I also made a mental note to be cautious from now on. …I’d definitely need to flip my room upside down later just to be sure nothing suspicious was hidden there.

“Then why reveal yourself to me now?”

If Lucas had overheard my conversation with Jennifer, it honestly would have made more sense for him to follow my friends instead. After all, it would have given him a chance to meet the Sword Saint, whom he had been pursuing.

In the original story, even after Lucas learned of the Sword Saint’s location, he continued training until he was certain he could win. So, even if he were caught now, it wouldn’t derail the main plot much.

“…Who knows.”

Lucas muttered, staring blankly at the sky. The sky was an almost unnervingly cold, clear blue with not a single cloud in sight. In the capital, the sky rarely looked this clear due to the smog and steam engines everywhere, even near the academy. While they had steam engines here too, the sky was far less polluted.

“I just had a few things I wanted to ask.”

“What do you want to ask?”

“……You.”

Lucas remained silent, simply staring at me. His gaze felt heavy and unpleasant, so I asked again.

“…What about me?”

Lucas broke into a grin, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“Fight me sometime. For real. A life-or-death battle.”

“…What?”

“A real fight, with our lives on the line.”

“……”

I tried not to show my surprise. I think I managed quite well—my expression probably didn’t change much at all.

“Hmm.”

Seeing my expression, Lucas smiled.

“I think I understand a bit now how Alice reads your expressions. She’s pretty impressive, huh?”

Before I could even respond, Lucas stood up from his seat. He approached me, patted my shoulder a few times, and then left.

“……”

What just happened?

I sat there for a moment, frozen in place, before finally managing to piece together what he might have meant.

Did he just decide that fighting me would be more entertaining than fighting the Sword Saint?

“…”

Did I just get myself into trouble?

*

He didn’t sense any killing intent.

But the moment Lucas said those words, he felt chills down his spine and cold sweat on his back.

It was an eerie sensation, a fear born from feeling nothing at all.

Even after seeing Sylvia shoot down countless people and single-handedly destroy a bunker on the battlefield, Lucas hadn’t sensed any killing intent from her.

Was this the famed state of mind that people referred to as “a still water without ripples”? or was it simply that the opponent was too weak to evoke any strong emotions?

…No, it wasn’t that. It was something different.

It felt more like…

Like an attitude of ‘what was meant to happen, happened.’

The way Sylvia fought, it was as if she thought, “This is how things should be.”

Because of this, Lucas couldn’t even imagine himself defeating her.

But…

“Is it a challenge I must face?”

He murmured.

If he could truly defeat Sylvia, it would be as if he were cutting through the future itself.

A stronger conviction, a sharper instinct than he had ever felt while crossing swords with her in the past took root within him.

And so, Lucas finally made up his mind.

He would face that future head-on and cut through it.

“With an opportunity like that, how could I say no?”

Muttering to himself, Lucas’s lips curled into a smile full of fierce determination.

Chapter 77 : Who Are You?

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 77

EP.77 Who Are You?

Even if I tried to figure out where things had gone wrong at this point, it wouldn’t really matter. I had done my best, and this was the result. Honestly, if I were told to reset time and solve everything again over a span of several days, I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Even if I knew the process, the thought of going through the same ordeal multiple times wasn’t appealing—mentally, it would be exhausting.

The one thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to return to the battlefield anytime soon. The smells, the dampness, and the constant noise—none of it was something I wished to experience again.

So, after parting ways with Lucas, I just went back to my room and collapsed onto the bed. I immediately fell into a deep sleep. My mind was so overheated that I didn’t want to think about anything for at least the next few hours.

*

When I woke up, I felt incredibly light, as if a huge burden had been lifted. And from that, I could conclude a few things.

Even though learning meditation had helped alleviate fatigue, sleeping was still much better. Meditation allowed me to maintain my body’s condition, but it didn’t eliminate tiredness altogether. To properly sustain mental clarity through meditation, I had to mix in genuine rest, and my body’s stamina had to be above a certain level.

Honestly, I had never been a fan of physical exercise. It wasn’t just a personal dislike—I had never known how much time I’d have to turn back, so investing in physical training felt pointless. No matter how hard I worked on strengthening my body, if an unexpected event made me reverse time, all that effort would vanish in an instant.

I focused on building habits and improving knowledge that could withstand time resets. Even though I had to keep up with the main group of protagonists, I’d only ever trained enough to maintain the bare minimum—there was no point trying to catch up to superhuman beings like them.

Still, after causing such chaos on the battlefield yesterday, and then trailing after the party for a string of quests without collapsing, it seemed that my minimal training and meditation had paid off. If I hadn’t learned meditation, I probably would’ve collapsed into bed the moment I returned and slept through until the next morning.

The fact that I could hold out even a little longer was thanks to my mentor. I wondered if Leo and the others had returned yet. Maybe they were still away. Their training with the Sword Saint wouldn’t have been short. Even if they trained all night, they probably learned just a little.

Well, this event was more about the significance of meeting the Sword Saint than what they could actually learn from him in such a short time.

Growl.

My stomach growled loudly, probably because I hadn’t eaten dinner the night before. Checking the clock, I saw it was already 9 a.m.

I should probably wash up and grab some food.

*

No matter how disciplined someone’s routine has been, most people, unless they’re exceptionally diligent, will tend to throw caution to the wind as soon as the rules are relaxed.

At the academy dormitory, students were expected to wake up by 7:30 a.m., get ready, have breakfast, and be in class by 9 a.m. However, Jennifer, who was in charge of this region, wasn’t the type to enforce strict schedules. If someone wanted to sleep in late, she didn’t care, as long as they could maintain their grades. Whether they slept all day or spent their time having fun, Jennifer paid no mind.

The students knew this, which is probably why they had been running around so much the previous day. If they hadn’t, they wouldn’t even be able to meet the minimum score requirements. That might explain why the dining hall at Winterfield Castle felt so quiet this morning—there were hardly any students around.

In a game, I might’ve thought the limited number of students was due to the developers trying to manage resource allocation. But seeing only three students in academy uniforms made me think otherwise—reality didn’t operate on resource limits like that.

Two of the students were familiar faces. They were from the same noble Class A, and I had seen them in the game and read about them in the lore books. We weren’t close enough to have deep conversations, and they weren’t major characters in the story, just background figures.

The girl and boy sat across from each other, eating. Judging by their different surnames, they weren’t siblings. They didn’t give off a romantic vibe either. Maybe their companions were still lounging around in the dorm.

As for the third person…

……Who is that?

The girl with short, dark brown hair caught my eye. Despite her short haircut, which was a bit longer than most boys’, her beauty was undeniable. Her uniform was clearly the female version, and she had draped her coat neatly over the empty chair beside her, leaving no room for confusion about her gender.

Was she from the noble class?

Like I mentioned before, all the students from the noble class had unique models in the game, even as background characters. After playing the game multiple times and reading through countless guides and lore books, I still had a mental list of all the students.

And she wasn’t on that list.

It didn’t make sense for her to be from the commoner class either. They had all gone off on field training elsewhere. Even if she had come from a nearby place, if there had been crucial information to deliver, it wouldn’t have been left to a student.

Call it a bias if you want, but there was an undeniably air of nobility about her.

“……”

Hmm.

I had a bad feeling about this.

Wouldn’t it be troublesome to get involved with her?

After all the chaos I had gone through yesterday, I wanted at least one peaceful day. So, I deliberately chose a seat far away from her.

This wasn’t the type of place where you could order various dishes from a menu. It wasn’t a restaurant run for profit, after all.

As I sat down and waited, a server soon approached to inform me about the meal options. If I wanted to exclude or add anything, I could simply let them know. If breakfast felt too heavy, I could get by with just a cup of coffee.

As I sat there, staring blankly ahead, waiting for the server to arrive, I heard footsteps approaching. They were remarkably precise and rhythmic. Unlike the clattering steps of the server, these footsteps had a different cadence. The shoes worn by the server were the standard “dress shoes” that office workers might wear. While the students also wore shoes that could be considered dress shoes, they were much more comfortable and made of softer materials, allowing for a quieter step.

The footsteps I heard now belonged to a student.

“……”

I felt uneasy.

I had a bad feeling that something unexpected was about to happen.

“Your Highness.”

And my intuition was spot on.

It was a relief that I didn’t flinch. After everything I had witnessed the day before—the sights I would rather forget, the terrifying sounds of explosions and gunfire—I managed to keep my composure.

I slowly turned my gaze to the person who had called me.

There stood a dignified girl with a charming smile.

From a distance, I hadn’t noticed, but up close, despite her upright posture, her face looked quite young. Younger than the many youthful faces I saw daily at the academy, suggesting she was at least a year younger than me.

She was taller than I expected, and her physique was quite developed, but the youthful aura on her face couldn’t be completely erased.

With a sharp click, the youthful girl saluted me perfectly. It wasn’t just a simple raising of her hand; the sound of her heels clicking together echoed as she executed the salute.

The way she saluted was not in the imperial style.

“……”

“……”

As I continued to look up at her without saying anything, she remained frozen in her saluting posture.

…Oh, is she greeting me right now?

“You can relax.”

I finally said, and only then did she lower her hand in a precise motion. This time, the fabric of her uniform made another clicking sound as it moved. So, that sound could be heard in reality, too.

“May I ask your business?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I almost raised my hand to my forehead at her crisp response, but I held back.

“My name is Lena Meyer!”

So, who is that?

I almost blurted out that question.

“Are you a student at our academy?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lena Meyer answered my question.

“I came to introduce myself as I have recently transferred here.”

“……”

I was at a loss for words.

Chapter 78 : Mirror Therapy

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 78

EP.78 Mirror Therapy (1)

If someone were watching or controlling this world, I wished they would stop playing such pranks.

I mean, I didn’t really care if the girl in front of me was from outside the original story. When you enter a world from a game or a novel, it’s almost a cliché to become friends with characters who have amazing abilities or skills but never appeared before.

I didn’t know what abilities this Lena Meyer possessed. She had just mentioned that she was the daughter of the commander of the Autonomous State of Rickland.

Autonomous State of Rickland was one of the places that was likely to be visited in the sequel, so it wasn’t strange to meet someone like her. Perhaps she wasn’t merely an external character but one who would be added in the upcoming installment.

Even though the story featured battles against the Emperor to thwart conspiracies, some heroines and major characters had died in the process. Despite that, the world had not reached a conclusion, suggesting that there would be other issues to deal with in the sequel besides the Emperor.

I still didn’t know what those issues were, though.

Anyway, the fact that the commander of the Autonomous State of Rickland had sent his daughter all the way here implied that I had been deemed a person of interest in Rickland as well. Considering the chaos I had caused, it made sense for them to view me that way.

…It made sense, but…

“The noble Class A is already full.”

In the sequel, some heroines had died, leading to vacancies in the class, making it understandable for transfer students to join. In the original story, it was mentioned that one of the nobles had to leave the academy due to family matters during Claire’s transfer process.

However, as of now, no one had left the academy yet. So, if Lena Meyer joined, it would exceed the class capacity.

“Thanks to the grace of the Governor and the Emperor’s generosity, I was able to transfer to the Imperial Runedarium Academy.”

“…I see.”

Her precise answers suggested she didn’t harbor any ill feelings towards me. I didn’t know what her father or the Governor was thinking, but at least she didn’t seem to have any negative sentiments towards me.

What was served for our meal was a beef steak. Lena Meyer ate it with remarkable poise. The sound of her knife cutting through the meat hardly made a noise as it met the plate. Judging by her table manners, it wouldn’t be surprising if she were truly a noble, showcasing how strictly she had been raised.

“Do you have any particular complaints about attending the academy?”

“No, I don’t.”

Her hand stopped abruptly at my question.

When she looked up at me, her face didn’t show much emotion, but—

“The Imperial Runedarium Academy is not only the best in the Empire but also the best in the world. No one would dislike the fact that they could attend such a place.”

If it weren’t for the subtle pressure in her tone, I would have thought she was reciting a memorized line. Even if her expression didn’t show emotion, her attitude spoke volumes.

I could sense that the kid’s attitude was full of anticipation.

“……”

Could it be that Alice was able to discern my attitude like this?

…If the pressure Alice felt whenever I told her she could become the next emperor was of this kind, then it wouldn’t be strange if Alice alone could read my expressions. And with time, the others might learn to read them too.

“And…”

And?

Seeing this expressionless girl hesitate slightly, I waited quietly.

“And, I also consider it an honor to meet you, Your Highness. Your heroic deeds in battlefield are legendary. There are very few like you in this world. Especially in our autonomous region, you’re considered a savior to our people.”

“……”

For a moment, my hand almost slipped, and I nearly dropped my utensils.

What was this?

Why did I keep getting a sense of déjà vu while talking to her?

It felt as though I’d spoken in that same manner quite a few times before.

……

That’s right. Alice’s face kept popping into my mind.

“Surely, it’s because the blood of the Fangriffon flows within you that you were able to accomplish such great feats. To study alongside someone like you is the greatest of honors.”

Not even a drop of that blood flows in me. In fact, if it weren’t for Lucas, we’d be complete strangers.

But of course, I couldn’t just come out and say that.

The two noble students who had been sitting with slightly bored expressions were now glancing in our direction.

“I’ll go have a word with them.”

Noticing my gaze, Lena started to rise.

“It’s fine.”

I quickly intervened. Thankfully, it didn’t come off as too abrupt.

Lena, who had been tensing her legs to rise from her seat, paused and stared at me.

Her tone and demeanor clearly conveyed emotion, but her face remained expressionless, making the whole situation feel incredibly awkward. Her youthful expression, mature tone, and ingrained manners made her seem grown-up, but her actual speech was still immature, which was kind of cute.

It was cute, but the problem was that if I got caught up in such cute behavior, it would be incredibly embarrassing for me.

Feeling cold sweat forming on my back, I tried my best to calm Lena Meyer.

“There’s no need to react to every single word or action. The school you’ll be attending is the Imperial Runedarium Academy. It’s a place where many noble students attend, and there are many who pay attention to others’ actions and words. If you react to every situation, your school life will become very exhausting.”

Lena Meyer nodded at my advice.

“Thank you for your advice.”

“……”

Is this some kind of act?

I seriously began to wonder.

No matter how much I thought about it, her expression and demeanor felt completely out of sync.

……

Wait a second, am I giving off the same vibes? Are the others aware of this and just pretending not to notice?

That thought sent a shiver down my spine.

“Then, will you be traveling with us today?”

“Yes.”

Lena Meyer replied with a firm voice.

“My luggage has already been packed and sent to the train station.”

“……”

Uh… okay.

“Just to confirm once more.”

Feeling a little tense, I asked Lena Meyer,

“Which class will you be studying in?”

“The Noble Class A.”

“……”

Ah…

I see.

Hmm.

Yeah.

…I don’t know what to say.

*

“Whoa!”

A young girl, entering the room, raised her arms and let out a cheer.

Then she quickly covered her mouth and looked around. Of course, the room she would be staying in for the next few hours was a private one, and there was no one else around. Given the thickness of the door, it was unlikely anyone outside would have heard her either.

Still, just to be safe, she slightly opened the door and peeked out.

No one was there.

Carefully closing the door again, the girl exclaimed,

“Awesome!”

Lena Meyer had spent her childhood near military bases, following her soldier father.

While there were kids her age nearby, she wasn’t able to play freely. Her father was one of the commanders of the military of the Autonomous State of Rickland and a close confidant of the governor. Because of this, people around her treated Lena with caution, and her father was strict. Lena’s daily routine was almost like a military schedule.

So, she usually wore a mask and pretended to be a rigid soldier. People praised her for it, saying she was a strong, capable heir to the commander’s family. And indeed, she had talent.

But that didn’t mean Lena was a soldier at heart.

Lena jumped onto the bed and flailed around.

Though her father was stern, her mother had always been there to indulge her whims. Up until her mother’s passing three years ago, Lena had been just like any carefree child in her mother’s presence. Since then, she had been letting loose only when she was alone.

That didn’t mean Lena had any resentment towards the military profession. On the contrary, she admired it. Having been influenced by it since her youth, she thought it was a noble profession.

And today, Lena Meyer met a hero.

Her father had told her about Princess Sylvia Fangriffon, a woman of extraordinary abilities.

The testimonies from the few autonomous soldiers who fought alongside the Imperial Army and surviving mercenaries also mentioned the princess numerous times.

Charging through trenches on her own and securing victory by collapsing enemy defenses from within—wasn’t this the epitome of what a soldier should be?

And after meeting her today, even after just a brief conversation, the princess possessed the grace of royalty and seemed like a perfect superhuman.

“……”

To think she would be attending classes with her.

“Kyaaa!”

Lena buried her face in her pillow, letting out muffled sounds as she kicked her legs wildly.

On her desk, a stuffed puppy silently watched her. It was a plushie of a dog from a quite famous comic known for its excellent digging skills.

Chapter 79 : Mirror Therapy

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 79

EP.79 Mirror Therapy (2)

“……”

“……”

After lunch, we were on the train heading back to the capital. An awkward silence hung around me in many ways. No, to be precise, the entire train compartment itself was quiet.

When I traveled to the Kingdom of Velbur as the Emperor’s representative, my escort was equivalent to that of the Emperor himself. This meant that only Princess Alice, Prince Jaden, and Lucas shared the same train compartment as me. If it could be considered a room, we had an entire large compartment just for the four of us.

However, as a student of the academy, I couldn’t expect special treatment compared to other students.

Of course, the academy had rented out the entire compartment. Since the noble Class A had only fifteen students, there were plenty of empty seats in the compartment. Still, it was an ordinary first-class compartment, so while there were many empty seats, it wasn’t spacious enough to move around freely.

After hurriedly finishing my meal with Lena Meyer, as if running away, I retreated to my room. When the time came, I immediately headed to the train station. The first person I encountered there was, unsurprisingly, Lena Meyer.

I thought I’d arrived about 40 minutes early, but Lena had arrived even earlier and was already waiting for me.

No, maybe she wasn’t waiting for me specifically. She could have just been early because of her diligent nature, waiting for the train ahead of time.

Her expression remained as unreadable as ever when our eyes met.

Clack.

Once again, the sound of her crisp salute echoed. The sharp click of her heels meeting together could be heard clearly.

“……You don’t need to salute me every time we meet. Now that you’re in the academy, we’re just classmates.”

“Understood.”

……

That rigid tone.

I couldn’t get used to it.

It wasn’t my first time meeting someone with a stoic personality. In fact, Lottie, the maid who often accompanied Jake, had a similar demeanor.

But… something felt different here. Lottie was awkward when it came to showing emotions. Even in the game, it was the same; even if you became close to her, she wouldn’t suddenly become expressive or burst into laughter. Her personality was more like Charlotte’s—calm and cautious, though Lottie was a bit more safety-conscious and less prone to causing trouble.

That’s why, whenever Jake clung to her, she always responded with an air of annoyance or reluctance, regardless of her personal feelings toward him.

If Lottie smiled, people wouldn’t be shocked. It wouldn’t be a reversal of her character but just a natural expression shown to someone she was close to.

On the other hand, I was playing the role of someone who was “emotionally suppressed”—and somehow, Lena Meyer gave off a similar impression. Like she was wearing a mask, maintaining a constant, blank expression.

“……”

“……”

40 minutes early, the train hadn’t even arrived yet. This was the northernmost train station for civilian use in the Empire, and trains typically arrived 30 minutes prior to departure to wait at the platform. Although Lena Meyer’s homeland, the Autonomous State of Rickland, lay further north, the region near the border was too unstable for civilian trains to travel safely.

“……”

“……”

With two emotionless characters standing face-to-face, the conversation wasn’t going anywhere.

Was she feeling just as awkward as I was?

“Is this your first time visiting the Empire?”

“Yes, it is.”

At least when I spoke, she answered right away. Her response carried a strangely military-like tone—like she was an exemplary recruit, straight out of training camp. There was something about her posture that seemed overly disciplined.

Though she wasn’t technically a soldier.

“The atmosphere will likely be quite different from Rickland. Do you think you’ll be okay?”

“Yes, I am very much looking forward to it.”

She didn’t seem particularly excited. With that unchanging expression, it was impossible to gauge her emotions.

Was this what it was like for others when they looked at me?

Thinking back, there was a time when I woke up early to get ahead of Leo and Claire, who were heading out for a request, and reached the entrance of the road. When they arrived to find me waiting with the target’s corpse, did they feel the same way?

“……”

Well, maybe not exactly. Claire had always been delighted to see me. Even that morning, she’d greeted me with a bright smile.

It was Leo who had seemed uneasy.

Had I gone too far back then?

While I was lost in thought, the train arrived at the station. Leo and his party hadn’t arrived yet. In the game, the quest to meet the Sword Saint included an event where they arrived just before the train’s departure. Which meant I had to wait alone with Lena Meyer on the train until the others arrived.

We weren’t the only students who had arrived early, but no one seemed eager to approach us. With a princess who could kill without hesitation and a cold, expressionless girl sitting together, it was hard to imagine anyone daring to strike up a conversation.

Normally, I would have found comfort in the silence, but today, I was desperately hoping someone—anyone—would speak to us.

I had hoped that once we boarded the train, Lena Meyer would sit somewhere away from me. But, of course, that hope was in vain.

As soon as I took a seat by the window, Lena confidently sat directly across from me.

“……”

“……”

And then, more silence.

I couldn’t just change seats either. No matter how emotionless she seemed, everyone had feelings, and moving away like that would surely hurt hers.

If I had been the type to usually sit alone, perhaps people would think, “Oh, that’s just how she is.” But in truth, I usually roamed around with a group of friends. I wasn’t the one leading the group, but I was always surrounded by people. If I stayed in this seat, naturally, Leo, Claire, Alice, Charlotte, Mia Crowfield, and even Jake would gather around me.

If I left Lena Meyer here and moved to another seat to sit with my friends…

…It would feel like I was excluding her.

“……”

“……”

So, I had no choice but to endure the awkwardness and stay seated. Despite her expressionless face, Lena Meyer seemed to express her emotions through her actions… or so it seemed. I wasn’t sure.

Maybe she felt a sense of closeness because I was the first academy student she had talked to… but again, I wasn’t sure.

We sat in silence for about twenty minutes. As other students started to board the train, the compartment gradually became noisier. Still, there were fewer than ten students.

Thinking about it, the protagonist’s party alone made up more than a third of the class. In the original story, none of the protagonist’s party was ever depicted as being ostracized. In fact, they were the most powerful group in the class, capable of excluding anyone if they wanted.

About five minutes later, some kids rushed into the train, panting. These were the ones who had just come down from the mountain and returned with Jennifer by car.

Considering Jennifer, a teacher, was with them, they could have returned to the academy even if they missed the train. But knowing them, they were probably the type who couldn’t stand the idea of being late for anything and had rushed to catch the train on time.

“Sis! …Huh?”

Claire greeted me cheerfully and approached my seat, only to freeze in surprise when she saw Lena Meyer sitting across from me.

Lena shot up from her seat the moment she saw Claire, as if on reflex. Without waiting for me to introduce her, she executed another flawless military salute, the kind I’d already seen twice before.

“I am Lena Meyer. It’s an honor to meet Your Highness.”

“……Huh?”

Claire, dumbfounded, mumbled in confusion.

I had to fight the urge to run my hand down my face.

…This is embarrassing.

It wasn’t even happening to me, and yet I felt second-hand embarrassment.

Apparently, Lena Meyer had mistaken Claire for a different princess because she called me “sister.”

…Well, I guess that makes sense.

Among the Empire’s nobles, it was well-known that I didn’t have a drop of Fangriffon blood, but in smaller countries with less information, it was understandable. The Empire hadn’t officially announced that I was adopted. The nobles probably kept it quiet when meeting outsiders.

And considering that the Autonomous State probably had its hands full with internal affairs, they likely hadn’t bothered to thoroughly investigate the imperial family’s lineage in a neighboring country.

“……”

As Lena remained in her perfect military salute, the atmosphere in the train compartment froze for a while.

Chapter 80 : Mirror Therapy

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 80

EP.80 Mirror Therapy (3)

“……”

There was no way to tell if she was embarrassed about calling a completely different person “Your Highness.” Her expression didn’t change at all.

At least I could rewind time if I wanted to, but she couldn’t.

“Meyer, Meyer……”

Claire wasn’t the one speaking. Instead, the real princess, Alice, was sitting next to me, frowning slightly as she murmured to herself.

“Oh, right. The name of the Commander-in-Chief of the Autonomous State’s military was Felix Meyer.”

As a princess who was well-versed in the affairs of neighboring countries, Alice immediately recognized whose daughter Lena Meyer was.

And only after hearing Alice’s words did the name buried deep in my memory faintly resurface.

It wasn’t from the original story or the game’s reference materials either. In the game, the only named figure from the Autonomous State was the Governor, Maximilian Schmidt.

In the “Chronicles of Aetherna,” if a new character’s name wasn’t explicitly revealed, they were described as “a woman with black hair” or “a rough-looking man.” This applied even across different installments of the series. Characters from earlier works, when reintroduced, were similarly described with generic terms unless formally introduced or met by the main cast.

Honestly, it was kind of amusing sometimes. Even with well-known characters—whose faces were half-visible in the opening sequence—they’d still be referred to as “the red-haired young man” or something similar. It made sense for new players, but for series veterans, it could be a bit humorous.

Well, Felix Meyer was a name I heard only after coming to this world, so it was a slightly different story. Perhaps it was the name of an extra who stood next to the Governor in the original work but didn’t have a dedicated model.

“Yes, I am the only daughter of the Meyer family, a military family from the Autonomous State of Rickland. I look forward to your guidance.”

Though expressionless, anyone could tell she was proud when she said that.

“A transfer student? But Class A is already full.”

“Thanks to the grace of His Majesty the Emperor, I was able to transfer.”

“My father?”

Alice’s brows furrowed slightly.

Lena Meyer didn’t know the relationship between Alice and the Emperor. She might have imagined a typical father-daughter relationship, like in most families.

The truth, however, was that Alice had once stormed into the Emperor’s chamber and argued with him before I even arrived at the Academy.

I wasn’t exactly sure how that argument had played out since I hadn’t seen it myself but based on Alice’s usual expressions whenever the Emperor was mentioned, it was clear she didn’t have the best opinion of him.

Alice’s gaze alternated between me and Lena Meyer.

“We met and talked at the dining hall this morning.”

Though, it was just a brief introduction. After that, we just sat in silence, wearing our expressionless masks.

Thanks to that, I don’t even remember what I ate for breakfast.

“Oh… really?”

Alice, perhaps realizing she wouldn’t get much more from looking at me, turned her gaze back to Lena Meyer.

“So… how do you feel? You’re attending an academy in another country. I heard your homeland also has a few decent academies. Doesn’t it feel strange coming abroad?”

“It does not.”

Lena Meyer promptly replied to Alice’s question.

“The Imperial Runedarium Academy is well-known even in the Autonomous State. Being specially transferred here is an honor.”

“But if you were already attending an academy, you’d have to leave your friends behind, right?”

“I am still a year too young to enter an academy. However, thanks to the high evaluation of my abilities by the Governor and His Majesty the Emperor, I was able to transfer. I will strive not to hold anyone back.”

“Hmm… is that so?”

Hearing that Lena Meyer was a year younger than us, Alice glanced at me.

Though she didn’t look particularly short, Meyer’s face did appear somewhat youthful. Runedarium Academy typically admitted students at fifteen, meaning Lena was likely only fourteen, assuming her birthday had passed this year.

Alice, who had been leaning slightly forward, leaned back in her chair.

“Well, if Father allowed the transfer, he must have his reasons.”

The fact that the Emperor had a reason made Lena Meyer seem even more suspicious.

Despite Alice’s questioning gaze, Lena Meyer’s expression didn’t change at all.

“……How was your meeting with the Sword Saint?”

I attempted to change the subject. There was still a long way to go before we reached the academy. I didn’t want to sit between these girls in awkward silence for that long.

The only fortunate thing was that there were only four people who could sit in this area.

Charlotte and Mia Crowfield were seated in other chairs, and Jake and Leo were also seated elsewhere. Since there were plenty of empty seats, even if they sat two by two, there wouldn’t be a shortage of seats.

Jake and Leo were seated far from us, but Charlotte and Mia Crowfield were seated in the closest seats across the aisle, close enough to hear our conversation. The fact that both were seated on the aisle side rather than by the window indicated their interest in this conversation.

After all, both of them had come to the academy to find ways to check the Emperor power. If they could execute more drastic measures, they’d eagerly do so.

“The Sword Saint…?”

“Oh, right, Sis, the Sword Saint really lives up to the name!”

Just when I thought I saw a flicker of confusion cross Lena Meyer’s face, Claire’s excitement cut in, taking away my chance to observe further.

“Even after just one night of training, it felt like my eyes were opened. He immediately identified the weaknesses in our swordsmanship and corrected them. We practiced almost all night!”

“……Thanks to that, I’m still exhausted.”

Alice said, rubbing her face with a weary expression.

“Come on, but your swordsmanship improved a lot. It will definitely be helpful in the long run. He even asked us to come back.”

Claire added.

“……It’s quite far from the capital, and you have to drive for a long time and then hike up the mountain for several hours to meet him. How could we see him regularly?”

“We can visit during the holidays, right?”

“…That small cabin didn’t look like it had space for people to stay, though.”

“Huh? Then just hike up the mountain every day. It doesn’t take that long anyway.”

If we woke up at four in the morning every day, there would be plenty of time for training even with the hike.

Of course, Alice looked horrified at the idea.

“……If that’s the plan, I’d rather be left out.”

“Really?”

Claire, who had looked a bit disappointed, quickly brightened up and turned her gaze to me.

“……Still, since he’s the Sword Saint, it might be a good idea to visit him if we have the time later.”

Unable to escape the pressure of Claire’s sparkling eyes, I nodded.

“You’ve made a good decision!”

“The Sword Saint… Are you referring to Sir Frederick?”

As soon as Claire answered with a bright smile, Lena Meyer, who had been quietly listening beside her, interjected. It seemed like she had been waiting for the conversation to end before speaking.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Claire answered without hesitation, and Lena Meyer looked a bit dazed.

“The Sword Saint, living so nearby…?”

Though he had retreated from public life, he wasn’t exactly unknown. In fact, among those who trained with swords, his name was more renowned than most royals or nobles. After all, he was the Sword Saint. Even Lucas, before his goal of defeating the Emperor, had set his sights on defeating the Sword Saint as his primary objective. Now, for some reason, his target seemed to have shifted to me.

“If you want to meet him too, why don’t you come with us next time?”

Claire displayed her incredible sociability even to the expressionless girl she had just met.

“Would that be alright?”

…Ah, if she gets any more excited, she might break character.

Though she maintained her expressionless face, I noticed the slightest twitch at the corners of her lips.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. Whether he teaches you or not is up to the Sword Saint, but he wouldn’t mind us visiting.”

“……”

He did seem like that kind of person. If someone he recognized as a disciple brought someone along, he’d probably accept them. Despite his dislike for hassle, he wouldn’t turn away interesting people.

“Thank you!”

Lena Meyer responded loudly.

“……”

And silence fell around me once more.

……Why?

Why do I feel so uneasy?

I thought I was maintaining my facade better.

A creeping sense of unease rose from deep within me.

The problem was, I had no idea what the source of that unease might be.

Chapter 81 : Suspicion

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 81

EP.81 Suspicion (1)

Whether she was a character planned for a sequel or one who was never intended to appear in the game, it was clear that Lena Meyer posed a significant threat to me.

First of all, the fact that the Governor had specifically requested the Emperor to admit her was very concerning. The Governor was a character who had only been briefly mentioned in the game, and I had never met him, so I had no idea what his personality was like or how he judged me. The Emperor, on the other hand, was a person whose true intentions were impossible to discern, even when meeting him in person.

At least I knew the Emperor’s portrayal in the game. I knew how he viewed the world and its people, how he regarded the Empire’s citizens and nobles, and what his plans were for utilizing them. Because of my presence, he was acting much more docile than in the game, but he was still someone to be wary of.

So, what kind of person was Lena Meyer?

A bit stiff, with a soldier-like manner of speaking. Yet, she had a youthful and attractive appearance.

…She didn’t look like just an extra to anyone.

Oh, of course, even if she had been an extra without a dedicated model, everyone here had different appearances. The village shopkeepers, the market merchants—they all had different faces. But even so, there weren’t many people who stood out as blatantly as she did.

Lena Meyer, with her strikingly strong character design, was the first I’d seen among the supposed “extras.” The fact that she was a year younger than us also made her seem like a character who could reasonably appear in a sequel.

…Yes, there are plenty of characters with a cool demeanor, but not so many with an ice-cold beauty vibe.

I quietly observed Lena Meyer’s room through binoculars. The spot I occupied was the same as when I had observed Mia Crowfield previously.

I hadn’t brought a gun this time. Though Lena was suspicious, she wasn’t someone I felt needed eliminating. Honestly, even if she were a target, I’d find it disturbing to be tasked with killing someone younger than me.

So, I figured it was necessary to investigate her properly before deciding how to handle her. Whether or not to push her away could be a matter to consider afterward.

Although, in reality, it wasn’t likely that peeking into her room through a window would reveal anything significant—

—surprisingly, I did notice something odd.

There, on the bedside table in Lena Meyer’s room, was a stuffed doll. A doll as large as a human torso, which I hadn’t seen among her belongings when she moved into the room. She must have hidden it when she brought it in. If she had stashed it inside a storage trunk, she could have easily brought it in without anyone noticing.

I recognized the doll’s appearance easily. It was the character I had once considered using for my concept, “Digger the Dog.”

…To be honest, it wasn’t exactly a cute character.

Mascot characters from my world were meticulously designed to suit 21st-century tastes. Round, soft, and squishy characters were popular. Or ones that looked a bit odd and made you laugh just by looking at them. The characters I considered “cute” were those kinds of characters.

But here, it was like the early 20th century in terms of the timeline. The character industry was just beginning to emerge, and all the “characters” from this era in the original game were designed with early 20th-century tastes in mind.

Digger the Dog had a long body and very thin limbs. In the cartoons, his limbs moved limply as if he had no joints, probably to make even his movements look comical. His face, based on a brown puppy, was deformed to be somewhat cute, and his round body made him good for hugging. Of course, the limbs of the doll would hang limply.

And Lena Meyer was lying face down with her face buried in that doll’s body. She was probably taking a nap.

I silently put down the binoculars. Then I ran my hands down my face.

…So, she was keeping up a “concept,” too.

Yes, it did feel a bit like that. For a character supposedly devoid of emotions, her emotional changes were too easily noticeable. The anticipation behind her expressionless face, the way she acted as if she immensely respected me over the past week…

That meant, even if the expressionless face was an act, her respect for me was likely genuine.

I silently screamed and rolled around on the rooftop. Thankfully, I had laid out three ponchos on the ground just in case, so my clothes didn’t get dusty.

The problem wasn’t that our characters overlapped. If Lena Meyer was truly a cool beauty, I could gradually change my character over time to create a distinction. Or, if Lena Meyer maintained that character until the end, it wouldn’t have been a big issue if I also stuck to the cool beauty concept.

The problem was if Lena Meyer revealed her true personality. If we assumed Lena Meyer was a character from the original work, it was inevitable for her true personality to be revealed.

Because it’s a classic trope!

She might laugh at a silly joke, or her expression might soften while eating something sweet. Or perhaps, someone would barge into her room and catch her hugging that oversized stuffed animal.

Then, in utter embarrassment, she’d try to keep up the act, offering clumsy excuses that no one would believe, and eventually, her character would crumble, revealing her as the “adorably soft” type. Exactly. That was the scenario I had planned for myself.

So, what if Lena Meyer revealed her concept before me?

…Then, my own act would look redundant and ridiculous.

Realizing this, I stopped rolling on the ground and shivered. Goosebumps prickled down my spine.

The emotional impact of “Oh, she was just a normal girl?” and the disappointment of “You too?” were entirely different. The former was a fate and cliché of subculture characters, but the latter was the downfall of a nerd pretending to be normal.

Moreover, the reaction to a girl you just met and talked to for a few days would be different from someone you’ve known and talked to for ten years. If there was only one of us, people might just accept it, but if both of us were like that—

—There was no question which one would be more embarrassing.

“No way.”

I muttered unconsciously.

Lena Meyer’s concept must not be revealed before mine.

If I had known this would happen, I would have bought the dolls in advance and prepared all the lines! I kept postponing it because I wasn’t ready, and now this. If she’s a character meant for a sequel, she should appear in the sequel! Why is she already here?

Though there’s no proof she’s a sequel character!

I quickly rolled back into position and grabbed the binoculars.

“Huh?”

Lena Meyer, who had been lying on the bed, was now standing. Not just standing, but at the door. She was slightly opening the door, indicating someone had come to visit.

Once again, chills ran down my spine.

If someone outside entered Lena Meyer’s room—

They would see the large dog doll on the bed and the small porcelain dolls on the desk. Lena Meyer would have to explain herself, and that would be the first step in the cliché of a seemingly cold character’s concept collapsing.

I jumped to my feet.

There was no time to retrieve the ponchos on the ground. This was more urgent. I hurried down the stairs as quickly as possible.

*

These days, Sylvia Fangriffon was acting suspicious. Then again, Mia Crowfield had always found Sylvia Fangriffon a bit odd.

After their conversation in her room last time, Mia had stopped following her. There was nothing to gain from it. Following someone who could single-handedly turn the tide of a battlefield wouldn’t provide any solutions. Besides, Sylvia was the kind of person who, even in a closed space with someone clearly hostile, could calmly hand over a handgun.

…In a way, it was unsettling how Sylvia seemed oddly trusting of Mia, even exuding a sense of quiet confidence in her presence.

Moreover, Sylvia had given her a valuable gift: the blue marmaros stone. Without it that day, Mia might have ended up seriously injured or worse. Even Charlotte, who’d been the one to first suggest taking on that particular task, had apologized to Mia directly, acknowledging the extreme danger involved.

So, Mia had started to believe that Sylvia Fangriffon was perhaps someone she could cautiously rely on. Yet recently, she’d noticed that Sylvia’s gaze towards Lena Meyer had grown cold. Her eyes, lacking any visible emotion, studied Lena as though observing her. And no matter how hard Mia tried to shake it, she couldn’t ignore the sense of danger radiating from Sylvia. Which led to Mia impulsively standing in front of Lena Meyer’s door the first weekend after Lena transferred.

After a brief hesitation, Mia decided it would be best to say something. She couldn’t reveal everything, but she could at least offer a warning. After all, Lena Meyer was just a foreign exchange student who had no idea about any of this.

Mia took a deep breath, then knocked on Lena Meyer’s door.

Chapter 82 : Suspicion

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 82

EP.82 Suspicion (2)

“…May I ask what you mean by ‘dangerous’?”

A cautious voice spoke. It was Lena Meyer’s.

On weekends like today, it was rare for students to stay in their rooms. The academy offered various social spaces for nobles, from salons to clubs, minor banquets, or afternoon teas. Nobles, even the younger ones, always spent time networking and consolidating their influence. Only those who were distinctly uninterested in mingling, or simply had no need for it, avoided such gatherings.

Thankfully, the hallway was empty, making it easier to overhear snippets of their conversation even at a lowered volume. I slowed my pace before rounding the corner. Knowing who Lena Meyer was speaking with would allow me to prepare accordingly.

“Sylvia Fangriffon is…”

The person speaking with Lena Meyer seemed hesitant, unsure where to start. They seemed to know about me but were reluctant to share everything.

Hearing that voice gave me a boost of confidence.

Letting my footsteps ring out more confidently, I rounded the corner. My heels echoed sharply in the otherwise quiet corridor.

“…Ah.”

Mia Crowfield’s startled voice reached my ears.

Turning the corner, I saw Mia standing outside Lena Meyer’s door, which was only partially open. Lena hadn’t poked her head out; she simply gazed at Mia through the slightly opened door, her eyes wary.

“Lady Crowfield.”

“Sylvia.”

At my greeting, Mia stepped back and bowed slightly, and I returned the gesture. While I thought Mia and I had grown a little closer, she was still understandably conflicted about fully befriending the person responsible for her father’s death. I could understand. Although I’d hinted at my reasons and told her to seek me out once she learned the truth, enough time hadn’t passed for her to piece everything together.

“Your Highness.”

The moment Lena saw me, she stepped fully out of her room, a stark contrast to her reserved demeanor with Mia. Seeing her close the door right away, it was clear she was mindful of keeping her room’s interior private.

……But wouldn’t such blatant behavior make Mia Crowfield even more suspicious?

Then again, it didn’t seem like Lena cared about that.

“As I mentioned before, there’s no need to address me as ‘Your Highness’ within the academy. Technically, it’s against the school regulations, too.”

The academy rules dictated that all students were to be treated equally and casually with one another—at least on paper. The reality was that neither the instructors nor the students took that rule particularly seriously.

“Lady Crowfield.”

“Y-Yes!?”

Surprised that I’d addressed her so suddenly, Mia Crowfield nearly jumped in place. I asked her calmly,

“Just a moment ago, you called me ‘Sylvia,’ correct?”

“Y-Yes, I did.”

Until recently, she hadn’t even used my name properly. But at some point, Mia Crowfield had started calling me by name. At the very least, it meant she had relaxed her guard toward me a bit.

“Have I ever expressed any objections about that?”

“N-No, you haven’t.”

She replied cautiously, clearly bewildered by my unexpected question.

I nodded in response and turned back to Lena Meyer. Her typically impassive face seemed tinged with a hint of tension. Was she wary of me as well?

“So, calling me by my name will suffice. Considering there’s another person in Class A with the same surname, using our names directly would avoid confusion, wouldn’t it?”

Besides, the title “Your Highness” could technically apply to both Alice and me.

“…Understood.”

Lena replied, seeming to accept my reasoning.

Though she remained in a stiff, at-attention stance, at least she didn’t salute me the moment we met.

Still, I sensed a faint hesitation in her. Despite holding her formal stance, there was a subtle aura suggesting she wanted to say something. It seemed her practiced expressionlessness was not quite as thorough as mine.

……Should I help her refine that expressionless act a bit more? That way, I could prevent her concept from breaking before mine.

“Is there something you want to say?”

I asked, and Lena Meyer paused for about three seconds before speaking.

“In that case, could you also address me by my name?”

Her boldness in making the request was impressive.

“…Very well. If that’s what you prefer.”

For a split second, her eyes seemed to sparkle—but I decided to dismiss it as a trick of my imagination.

Turning, I looked over at Mia Crowfield.

“N-No, there’s no need to go that far for me!”

She said, waving her hands in refusal.

…That response stung a little. Besides, that wasn’t what I wanted to ask her.

It was slightly annoying that, though she called me “Miss Sylvia,” she felt no need for me to use her first name. What I actually wanted to know was why she had come here.

“May I ask what brings you here?”

“That would be—”

Lena started to answer my question, but—

“I-It’s for personal reasons!”

Before she could finish, Mia Crowfield interrupted, shouting in a flustered voice.

“……”

“……”

Momentarily at a loss for words, Lena and I simply stared at Mia Crowfield, who slowly turned bright red. Her flushed face stood out vividly against her pale skin, made all the more striking by her dark hair.

“W-Well then, what brings you here, Miss Sylvia?”

So she wanted to brush it off like that?

I couldn’t help but think her attempt to change the topic was rather clumsy, but since I had already overheard Mia’s reason for being here, I decided to let it slide.

“I came to speak with Lena… on a personal matter.”

I turned my gaze to Lena, whose already stiff expression tightened further. It seemed my direct approach had only added to her tension.

“A… personal matter?”

Mia Crowfield mumbled, glancing back and forth between Lena and me. There was a hint of understanding in her eyes, but I had no clue what conclusions she was drawing. Most likely, she thought I was plotting something dubious again.

“Miss Lena, you mentioned you come from a military family.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Lena responded, instantly assuming a rigid, standing-at-attention posture. It was likely her way of showing pride. This era was like that. The concept of nationality was just beginning to form, and nationalism and militarism were sweeping through most countries. The romanticism of risking one’s life to protect the nation and its people was still prevalent.

In this world, that sentiment would likely last much longer. There were no televisions, and radio was not yet properly developed. Most communication was wired. There was practically no way to show the general public the harsh realities of the battlefield.

So, it was understandable that being born and raised in a military family, one that had produced several commanders, was a source of pride.

“Do you know how to handle firearms?”

“Of course.”

“I see.”

I turned to Mia Crowfield and spoke.

“There are very few in the noble class who can handle firearms. While anyone can pull a trigger, those who use it as their primary weapon and wield it skillfully are rare.”

In the game, the party members who used firearms were typically of commoner origin, like Lottie.

“So, I came to assess Lena’s proficiency with firearms. If we ever have to practice later, it would be advantageous to collaborate with someone who can handle firearms like myself.”

I sensed Lena was taking a small breath.

“……What do you think?”

I turned my gaze back to Lena.

“Would you be interested in joining me on a mission?”

“……”

For a moment, Lena said nothing. Then, with an unwavering voice, she answered,

“I will go.”

Thanks to her response, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now.

Chapter 83 : Suspicion

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 83

EP.83 Suspicion (3)

Sometimes, I wondered if I was truly popular. After all, over a month had passed since enrollment, yet not a single noble had willingly gathered around me. Rumors about me, my unflinching expression, and my seemingly intimidating skillset—all these things kept most at a distance. Even that skill was firearm-based, something far from the swordsmanship or magic the nobility typically admired. While the appearance of “Sylvia Fangriffon” alone might’ve been enough to gain some favor, the rest of my “traits” created barriers few wanted to cross.

Yet, strangely enough, people continued to gather around me, one by one.

Alice? I understood her presence. She’d been by my side since we were young, and I’d made efforts to boost her confidence. Her father, the Emperor, may have loved her, but his ways were anything but conventional, and her mother had long since passed. So, it wasn’t unusual for us to share a close bond.

The same went for Claire. I’d been kind to her in difficult circumstances and later even helped her escape them. Although our time together was short, it made sense that it left a powerful impression on her life.

But the others who gathered around me were a mystery.

Mia Crowfield, in particular, was a former rival. Charlotte had little reason to favor me, given that I’d disregarded her father. Leo had been somewhat afraid of me, and I had barely any interaction with Jake.

So why were they all here?

Ah, maybe it was because of Leo. In the original storyline, Leo was the protagonist, and in the game, wherever Leo went, nearly every character followed suit.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

When I glanced at him, Leo jumped, startled.

“It’s nothing.”

I couldn’t very well tell him he was the reason. After all, it wasn’t as if he’d done it on purpose.

Turning my gaze, I noticed Lena Meyer’s blank face.

Technically, I had brought her along to assess her skills. Not that I particularly cared to verify them. She didn’t seem like a threat right now, and her feelings toward me seemed favorable. If she had intended to spy on me, she wouldn’t have been in her room, face buried in a doll, taking a nap.

My real goal was just to ensure Mia Crowfield got to know Lena’s true personality, preventing any cracks in the façade.

Yet, somehow, rumors spread, and all the students I interacted with at school ended up gathering here. Leo and Claire had even joined us while we were out on an assignment, spotting us by chance and deciding to follow along.

“…I originally intended for this to be a training mission.”

However, thanks to Leo and Claire sweeping through all the assignments since morning, the only remaining tasks were trivial, hardly suitable for skill assessment. With nothing but minor assignments left, there was no point in accepting them.

Besides, even without an assignment, wild beasts occasionally appeared on the road.

“Completing minor tasks wouldn’t serve as a proper skills test anyway.”

Lena Meyer nodded confidently at my words, her face still expressionless.

I could feel the prickling stares from those around us. It seemed they were quite curious about the girl I had personally called out.

“Can I see the weapon you use?”

While I knew the weapons of the protagonist’s party, I was unfamiliar with Lena Meyer’s. Though I could see them now.

Runedarium, the capital city, was modeled after London’s weather, with even summer days rarely exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The chill of May lingered, prompting me to leave my own coat behind. For Lena Meyer, who was used to even colder climates, this might have felt like the peak of summer. Still, she wore her school jacket properly, with her twin pistols visible under each arm. Just by looking at the distinctive grips, I could guess what kind of weapons they were.

“Understood.”

Lena promptly drew her two pistols at my request.

Visually, they resembled the semi-automatic pistols used by Nazi Germany in the Second World War back on Earth. The design was likely inspired by the Luger P08, a famous firearm. Within the setting of this world, it was mainly used by autonomous military forces. While no main characters wielded it, it had made a brief appearance in the storyline.

And frankly, I envied Lena Meyer’s pistols.

The Empire had its own standard-issue semi-automatic pistol. While its reliability was somewhat lower than a revolver, it offered the convenience of rapid fire and, most importantly, quicker reloading. But I had my reasons for sticking with my break-action revolver.

The Empire’s semi-automatic pistol, the Wexler Automatic, was based on the real-world Webley Automatic. It looked like a sawed-off plank with a grip duct-taped on and a metal tube for the barrel. When I’d first seen it, I was baffled, wondering how much the designers had cared, only to find out it was based on an actual historical firearm.

The real reason I refused to use it was simple—it was ugly.

On the other hand, Lena Meyer’s pistols closely resembled the Luger, the model that American GIs famously coveted as war trophies. To be honest, they were beautiful guns. The only downside was that the ammunition wasn’t compatible with the Empire’s standard.

“If you dual-wield those, wouldn’t the accuracy drop?”

She shook her head at my question.

“I train regularly to ensure precise control.”

If Lena were a character meant to be a ‘protagonist,’ it wouldn’t be strange for her to fight in such a unique way. Just as there were swordsmen who could unleash sword energy, there were those who could accurately hit targets while wielding a pistol in each hand.

“……I see.”

I nodded reluctantly.

*

“We’ve got a potential target in one of the pending requests. Think we could use that for the test?”

As I pondered what kind of prey would serve as a suitable test, Claire spoke up.

The fact that she offered her suggestion without me saying anything made me think she’d picked up on my indecision.

“…Is that so?”

I decided not to ignore Claire’s suggestion.

“Yes, this one…”

Claire pulled a piece of paper from her pocket in response to my answer. It looked like it had been torn from a notebook, with the name of a target scrawled across it.

“This is……”

“Yes. It’s an amorphous monster.”

Amorphous monster.

Most creatures roaming the roads are beasts. By the standards of this world, they are considered beasts, but by Earth’s standards, they might as well be monsters. Think of bears that breathe fire or wolves that carry winds.

However, there are also entities that could be called ‘monsters’ even by this world’s standards, distinct from regular beasts.

Amorphous monsters are like slimes. Some have long tentacles that whip as they attack, while others mimic the appearance of other beasts.

What Claire showed me was more akin to the former. However, the difference was that instead of whips, the tentacles were as thick as a golem’s fists, and instead of a melting form half-stuck to the ground, it stood firmly on two legs.

Physical attacks were almost useless. Such creatures could only be hurt by magic attacks from mage characters or by using sword energy-based skills of swordsmen characters—an annoying opponent if you hadn’t trained properly. But if you’d raised your character well, it wasn’t too much of a threat.

I could picture it easily even without a sketch, as it was a familiar enemy from the game.

Hmm… No matter how I thought about it, it seemed far too challenging to face with just two pistols—

“I’ll do it.”

—just as I was about to make that judgment, Lena, who had read the content alongside me, immediately responded that she would try.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ve trained thoroughly for situations with such opponents.”

“…Really?”

After considering her words for a moment, I replied,

“Understood.”

Chapter 84 : Suspicion

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 84

EP.84 Suspicion (4)

If things got really bad, I thought I could always help.

The power emanating from Marmaros had both physical and magical properties. While it could be less effective depending on the type of enemy, it was still a magical attack, which meant it could deal additional damage to enemies weak to magic.

In the original work, there were also magic attacks without any specific attributes.

So, I could handle slimes too. With a shotgun equipped with fire-attributed Marmaros, I could melt a slime into a puddle. The only downside would be the massive fouling it left in the barrel after each use.

“I don’t need any help.”

But Lena spoke with great confidence.

“Have you faced a creature like this before?”

“No.”

…She sure was confident for someone with no experience.

“But I know their characteristics well enough. Based on that, they can’t pose a threat to me.”

At her words, my gaze instinctively fell on the two handguns under her arms. If she had equipped Marmaros onto them, there would be visible signs of it—like my shotgun. But her handguns appeared entirely ordinary.

“In that case, I’ll be going now.”

With that, Lena confidently walked down the hill towards the amorphous monster below.

Its body was an almost transparent shade of blue, reminiscent of a slime, but its shape resembled a golem. The thing stood close to three meters tall, and up close, its presence would probably be overwhelming.

“Will she be okay?”

Alice asked what I’d been wondering myself.

“She says she’s confident.”

Claire replied, watching Lena with a look of fascination. The others were watching her departure with equal interest.

…Well, if things got too dangerous, I could always reset the time.

With that thought, I continued watching Lena as she walked away, until Mia Crowfield suddenly spoke.

“She should be alright.”

At her words, all of us on the hill turned to look at her. Startled by the sudden attention, Mia flinched and trembled slightly. She seemed uncomfortable with all the eyes on her, and she spoke hesitantly.

“When you work with magic long enough, you start to sense magical energy in objects and people, right? I… sensed a considerable amount of power from Miss Meyer.”

Hmm.

Sensing magic was difficult for the average person without serious training. There was a theory that sword energy was a type of magic, but in the game, it was treated as a separate force from magic. Technically, it fell under magical attributes, but it was still different.

Trying to logically explain laws beyond physical laws was foolish. After all, this was a fantasy world. Even the logical physical laws took a long time to be understood from a human perspective, so magic, which operated even more strangely, would be even harder to grasp.

“Magic? Are you saying she has an unusual level of power?”

When Jake spoke, Mia Crowfield’s face turned even redder.

“Oh, um, I don’t think it’s actually Miss Meyer’s magic. I didn’t sense anything distinct back in the hallway earlier…”

So, it was probably due to the influence of Marmaros after all.

“Uuuaaargh!”

Suddenly, a loud cry interrupted our conversation, and we all turned to look in the direction of the sound.

The slime golem-like monster was roaring. Its deep, resonant bellow matched its massive size. I couldn’t tell exactly where the sound was coming from, but watching its squishy surface vibrate with the roar was unsettling.

Honestly, it was a bit disgusting.

But Lena, walking ahead, seemed unfazed as she crossed her arms and drew her pistols.

…And I had to admit, the move looked pretty cool, stirring just a bit of that middle-school hero complex still lingering in some corner of my heart.

Without breaking her stride, Lena drew her pistols, and the slime charged at her with a roar. Despite its bulk making its movements seem slow, it covered the ground quickly with its long strides, closing the distance to Lena in an instant.

But Lena didn’t just stand there. She extended her arms, aiming both pistols forward.

Then—

“Uuuaaargh!”

The slime threw a heavy, blunt fist at her, and Lena calmly pulled the triggers.

Bang—

The gunshot was loud enough to be heard clearly from where we stood. The sound of the gunpowder igniting in the cartridge and the bullet tearing through the air pierced through the slime’s roar.

And then,

Boom!

One of the slime’s hands exploded.

It wasn’t just an explosion. It was like the air itself caught fire, reminiscent of the effect seen in war movies when a flamethrower is hit and bursts into flames.

“……Ah, it’s Marmaros!”

Claire exclaimed softly as she watched.

Yes, it was Marmaros. But there was nothing sticking out or bulky about her guns from what we could see here, and the barrels didn’t look reinforced or modified at all.

Which could only mean…

“Is she using Marmaros as the bullets?”

Charlotte responded with interest.

“Y-Yes, it seems so.”

Mia Crowfield confirmed.

…So, there was no need to modify the gun itself. The bullet itself was Marmaros, so there was no reason to alter the gun’s barrel. Upon firing, it acted like a regular bullet. And the magic triggered upon impact, the moment the Marmaros-infused bullet hit its target and shattered.

“Grrraaah!”

The slime let out an anguished cry and swung its remaining hand, but—

Bang!

Lena quickly twisted her gun in her left hand and blew off the slime’s other hand. With both arms gone in an instant, the slime didn’t lose its aggression; its already damaged right arm was slowly regenerating. At the same time, it tried to step forward with both legs—

Bang!

A cracking sound echoed as the slime wobbled to the side and fell. White steam rose from its right leg, which had frozen instantly, shattered, and then melted just as quickly, resembling the dissolving of dry ice. It seemed Lena’s left gun was loaded with fire-attributed Marmaros, while the right gun was equipped with ice-attributed Marmaros.

“Since the Autonomous Region has a lot of large beasts, and the population density is much lower compared to forested or mountainous areas, it’s probably full of constant hunting opportunities.”

…And there are many mines. Although the autonomous government still controlled most of them, they were chronically short of population and always recruiting soldiers to fight against warlords, so there were not enough miners to extract Marmaros.

However, it was also true that Marmaros was relatively easy to obtain. Just like Winterfield hunters hunting mountain beasts, there would be plenty of Marmaros extracted from beasts hunted to protect settlements.

Bang, bang, bang—

The sound of gunfire continued.

As Lena approached the toppled slime, she fired several shots with the pistol in her right hand. With each bullet that hit its body, the slime rapidly froze.

And once the completely frozen slime could no longer move…

Bang!

Lena raised her left gun and fired one last shot to seal the deal.

Boom!

The ice-hardened body shattered, scattering fragments in all directions. While the frozen shards of the amorphous body began to melt, they didn’t reform or regenerate. It seemed the core, the weakness of the amorphous creature, had been destroyed in the blast.

Lena spun the two smoking guns, letting the smoke dissipate, then smoothly holstered them into the leather pouches under each arm. The move was undeniably impressive.

“That was amazing!”

Claire shouted as Lena approached. That was the cue for everyone to start clapping and welcoming Lena.

Lena’s expression as she walked towards us looked somewhat proud. Judging by the way she looked straight at me, she seemed to be expecting my praise.

“That was remarkable.”

Some might dismiss it as just the advantage of good equipment, but in the battlefield, those distinctions were meaningless; it’s about killing or being killed—nothing else. After all, even swords vary in quality, from fine blades to the ordinary.

However…

I glanced briefly behind Lena, thinking to myself.

…Considering how much Marmaros ammunition she used, was this fight worth the expense? With the slime shattered to bits, it would be difficult to extract any Marmaros from it.

Of course, I didn’t voice such thoughts.

Her expression was simply too satisfied.

…Was this what Alice felt when she looked at me?

Chapter 85 : Solution

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 85

EP.85 Solution (1)

Alright, fine, I’ll admit it—it does look cool.

Seeing Lena holding a pair of vintage 20th-century-style semi-automatic pistols, each loaded with opposing elemental rounds, kindled a twinge of envy. Not to mention the romantic appeal of her weaponry, which ignored all practical considerations—it made me feel an irrational unease, like I’d somehow chosen the wrong concept for myself.

In the 21st century, a bolt-action rifle with a wooden stock and barrel shroud would be considered vintage charm. But in the early 20th century, when plastic wasn’t yet widely used for mass production, it was just another rifle, and mine was no exception—especially since it was an Imperial standard-issue model. I chose it mostly because ammunition was easy to obtain within the Empire.

Technically, even my shotgun conflicts with traditional notions of “chivalry.” I picked it purely for practicality, and it’s just a plain pump-action model—hardly impressive or stylish.

If I’m being honest, the only piece I chose for its flair was my Wexler revolver. However, since the Empire commonly uses it for military purposes, it doesn’t appear particularly sophisticated by most people’s standards.

The two Koch Model 98 pistols Lena used are also standard military issue in the Autonomous Region, though they look foreign and unfamiliar from the Empire’s perspective.

Dual-wielding pistols might not be particularly unusual by 20th-century standards, either; pistols were considered one-handed weapons at the time. There’s a reason they’re called “handguns” in English, or 拳銃 (meaning “fist gun”) in some languages.

So, in this world, dual-wielding pistols might simply be seen as a sign of confidence in one’s shooting skills. And, as it turns out, Lena is a fantastic shot.

That said, no matter how well I’d adapted to this world after over ten years, twin pistols still fell firmly within the realm of fantasy for me. Why do dual-wielding setups show up in FPS games despite being inefficient? Because firing both guns freely in each hand just looks that cool. Sure, people know it’s impractical in reality, but the style is irresistible.

To be honest, I half-suspected that Lena knew my true identity. Maybe she, like me, was someone who had possessed a new body, and she’d decided to mess with me by acting as the character Sylvia Fangriffon, who doesn’t exist in the original story.

However, after observing Lena for a few days after class, I couldn’t find any sign of odd behavior. In her room, she would hug a doll, practice her stances while walking around, and even roll around on her bed, as if diligently crafting her character.

Watching her from outside the window, I wanted to knock and politely ask her to close the window while doing these things. But if I did, she’d immediately know I’d been watching her for a while, so I stayed silent.

…Honestly, who else but me would go to the trouble of equipping high-performance binoculars or a telescope just to observe a teenage girl’s window?

…

And so, on that day, I finally decided to stop observing Lena altogether.

*

“Are you saying you want all of this processed into bullets?”

The workshop craftsman looked a bit dazed as he asked.

“Is that a problem?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that…,”

The craftsman said, eyeing my face cautiously.

“It’s just… you look really tired.”

Well, of course I was.

Leo and Claire were an unstoppable pair. They tirelessly roamed around every weekend, diligently taking on slightly stronger beasts and numerous requests.

Recently, they had even started bringing a few more people along, making it a group of four. The other two people varied each time, but it seemed to reflect the original work’s flexibility in changing party members for quests…

Because of them, I’d had to get up insanely early and race around just to gather even a small amount of Marmaros. I also scouted potential future dungeon locations on my own, though I didn’t fully explore any of them. Based on my memory, I visited every spot where I thought I could pick up some Marmaros near the dungeon entrances.

The amount of Marmaros I had collected was quite substantial for an individual to bring to a workshop. If processed into bullets, it would probably yield at least twenty rounds. I was just estimating based on the size of the bullet heads and the individual pieces of Marmaros.

“Let’s just say… I had my reasons.”

“I see…”

The craftsman seemed to decide it was best not to press further. Looking down at the Marmaros, my rifle, and revolver on the counter, he then asked with a serious expression.

“So, which firearm would you like these bullets made for?”

“Well…”

Hmm.

For reloading purposes, revolver bullets were more convenient. They were easier to load one by one, and if necessary, using a moon clip would allow for faster reloading than a rifle. But my primary weapon was still the Ergensen rifle.

As I mulled it over, the craftsman spoke up.

“If you want to use multiple types of bullets, I can make some modifications to your rifle.”

“To the rifle?”

“Yes.”

The craftsman pointed to the left side of my rifle with his finger.

“I could install a magazine cutoff switch so that the next round won’t load automatically. This way, you can fire the rounds in the magazine as usual, but when needed, you could disable the magazine and load it manually as a single-shot rifle.”

Oh.

That sounded quite plausible.

A clip-fed firearm from World War II had the same opening for both loading and ejecting casings, so single loading was tricky. But my rifle had separate openings for loading rounds and ejecting casings. As long as the switch blocked the magazine feed, I could load it like a single-shot rifle.

“Marmaros bullets are expensive, after all.”

“How long would it take to make those adjustments?”

“It shouldn’t take long. I have some spare military parts available.”

“So, does the military install magazine cutoffs?”

“There was a time when ammunition was harder to produce than it is now. The leaders thought of every bullet fired into the air as wasted money. Instead of issuing single-shot firearms across the board, which would later need replacing, they built repeating rifles with cutoff switches. Nowadays, adding that feature is more of a parts expense than anything else.”

“I see,” I nodded. “In that case, please go ahead with the modification.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Oh, and…”

I began, just as he bent over to gather the materials to start the work. He looked up at me expectantly.

“Do you have any reliable semi-automatic pistols available?”

“A semi-automatic pistol? Don’t you already have the Wexler?”

“Well…”

I hesitated briefly. In truth, reliability differences were marginal, and, if anything, the more complex mechanism of the Model 98 seemed more prone to failure. Still… I wanted something that looked more like an actual weapon.

“If you’re looking for something with the functionality and reliability of a revolver, I’m afraid there’s nothing on the market at present.”

“I see.”

I nodded, not daring to ask if he had anything with a more refined aesthetic. The craftsman fell into thought for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision.

“If Her Highness desires…”

He glanced around, then lowered his voice.

“I’ve heard rumors that a new military standard pistol will be designated.”

This was news to me. If such rumors existed, they must have come from Jennifer. She must think highly of this man’s skills.

“Ahem, so, just in case, I’ve designed a prototype.”

Seeing my interest, the craftsman opened a drawer and placed a pistol on the table.

“This model has a slightly larger caliber than standard, with the simplest mechanism I could design. It holds one round in the chamber and seven in the magazine, totaling eight rounds. It has the same ammo capacity as a modified eight-round revolver but with greater firepower.”

“…”

I picked up the pistol, almost entranced. It was quite heavy, probably over 1kg. But the weight difference from my revolver wasn’t significant enough to be a problem. It was a pistol with a slide, the kind typically associated with automatic pistols.

…To elaborate, it was the kind of pistol that comes to mind when one thinks of a “handgun.” Even someone with a slight interest in firearms would recognize it as a .45 caliber automatic pistol. The hammer protruding from the back of the slide gave it a somewhat old-fashioned appearance, but it added a touch of elegance to the design.

“It has two safety mechanisms as required by the military. The trigger won’t pull unless your hand is on the grip—”

“Sir.”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness?”

Interrupting him mid-sentence, I called out, causing the craftsman to respond in a flustered manner. His voice carried the fear of potential punishment for creating a firearm based on leaked information.

As I examined the pistol, turning it over in my hands, I continued speaking.

“Anyway, I haven’t heard your name, sir. May I ask what is your name?”

When Jennifer introduced me to him, she only mentioned that he was a “skilled craftsman” and provided the workshop’s location.

“Ah, yes.”

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by the sudden question about his name, before slowly opening his mouth.

“My name is James Browning.”

Browning.

…Wait, was that name really just pulled straight from the book?

Chapter 86 : Solution

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 86

EP.86 Solution (2)

“Hmm.”

Jennifer stood contemplating the firearms Lena and I had brought. Although she was known for her unconventional teaching style, she couldn’t completely abandon textbook-based lessons. After completing our field training, she’d been using the textbook for our classes. It was only today that we were back outside for a practical exercise, but the issue was that our firearms were far from ideal for this “mock combat” situation.

Bolt-action rifles and shotguns weren’t an issue since they required reloading after every shot or two, making it easy to monitor if someone was cheating. My revolver was similarly manageable; with its double-action mechanism, the hammer’s movement was visible, so you could tell if someone was firing without reloading.

However, the semi-automatic pistol was another matter. Unless the ammunition inside ignited, the weapon didn’t move on its own. The new model created by the craftsman did have a visible hammer at the back, but it functioned as a single-action firearm, so the hammer didn’t visibly move when the trigger was pulled.

Expecting us to handle these guns as if they were firing airsoft rounds, pausing to reload after every shot, seemed odd in a “real-world” simulation. And then there was the added complexity of reloading, partially empty magazines, and handling partially-used magazines. The number of possible situations was endless.

Moreover, neither Lena nor I relied on just one type of firearm. Lena used two semi-automatics, while I had a semi-automatic, a revolver, a rifle, and a shotgun.

As if that weren’t enough, we even used specialized ammunition crafted from Marmaros. Determining whether a shot counted as a hit or not became nearly impossible.

“…”

After a long silence, Jennifer finally spoke.

“…The two of you will train separately over the weekend.”

Ugh.

*

“So, I’m familiar with what Meyer uses, but your gun’s a new one, isn’t it?”

Jennifer said, examining the weapon I held.

That’s because it’s a prototype. It didn’t even have a name yet, so there was nothing engraved on the slide.

“Did you get it from the craftsman?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, Jennifer nodded as well and said,

“And that’s a new type of ammunition, too. He said he was working hard on it last time we met. So this must be the gun he mentioned.”

“…”

I kept my silence. While Jennifer was an exception, I generally avoided sharing detailed information about my equipment with others, as per the agreement for receiving the gun.

News of my exploits on the battlefield had reached the capital a bit late. Since the most critical factor for military firearms was reliability in all conditions, I could understand why the craftsman had entrusted this weapon to me. He’d likely loaned it out as a sort of field test, knowing I’d be putting it through a lot in varied environments.

Besides, this gun only existed as a limited number of spares kept at Browning’s workshop. If it needed repairs, I’d have to bring it back to him, meaning he’d have a complete account of any issues or jams that occurred.

“…….”

“Well, fine. I know the skills of that craftsman well. Besides, if it’s a gun you chose yourself, there shouldn’t be any major issues.”

As Jennifer handed the gun back to me, I nodded.

“I’m already familiar with the Model 98. Believe it or not, I have some experience in the northern battlefields.”

Jennifer remarked, to which Lena nodded in acknowledgment.

“Alright. I thought about different ways to assess your abilities, but…”

Jennifer shrugged slightly before addressing us again.

“Since you both have weapons that are nearly useless without live ammunition, I figured it would be best to conduct this test with live rounds.”

She pointed toward an area built from stacked logs—it was hard to say whether it was a trench or a bunker, but it resembled both. Unlike a real trench dug into the ground, this structure was built above ground, allowing easy access through its entrance. The log interior gave it the feel of an authentic trench, with side nooks and a chamber-like area reminiscent of a small room. Though not particularly large, it would likely take at least a minute to traverse from one end to the other.

“From above, you can see the whole inside clearly.”

Jennifer added with a strangely pleased expression. And it was worth being proud of—this entire training area had been built in just two days.

While it had the appearance of a classic World War-style trench, its purpose was closer to a modern shooting range.

“This will also be useful for other students.”

She noted.

In the original story, however, there was no such setup. Most likely, because nobles typically didn’t train with firearms, there was no reason to build a shooting range. Essentially, if it weren’t for Lena and me, this place wouldn’t exist.

“It’ll be a live-ammo exercise. Both of you are alright with that, yes? Oh, and don’t use Marmaros rounds. The workers who spent two days on this setup wouldn’t appreciate that.”

“…”

Right. That would make sense.

Even if they were paid, it would feel pretty demoralizing to see their hard work go up in flames after only one use.

*

Lena went in first.

Holding a pistol in each hand, each loaded with eight rounds plus one chambered, she had enough ammunition for the exercise. The targets, after all, were just wooden boards that popped up at random from spring-loaded mechanisms, so they weren’t particularly dangerous.

I had wondered how they managed to create springing targets without electricity, and it turned out each target was meticulously wound up with a spring and set to pop up when released. …Another reason Jennifer had probably requested no Marmaros ammunition; these targets seemed expensive and prone to malfunction, unsuited for frequent use.

Plus, resetting the targets manually took time, so it wasn’t very practical for other students to use.

“I will make sure to learn as much as I can.”

During this time, Lena spoke to me.

“…”

Turning my gaze to the sudden sound of Lena’s voice, I saw her eyes filled with determination.

“Although it is very different from the battlefield where Your Highness excelled, I consider this a valuable opportunity to glimpse even a fragment of that experience.”

She couldn’t be saying this just to mess with me, right?

Looking at her sparkling eyes, it didn’t seem that way at all.

“Oh, really?”

Jennifer said, appearing just in time as she wrapped up her work.

“In that case, feel free to join us up there.”

“Really?”

Lena asked, her eyes lighting up.

I gave Jennifer a silent stare, wondering why she’d make such an unnecessary suggestion, but she only shrugged.

*

Alright, fine.

I decided I’d try my own approach. If Lena was the type to embody “romantic ideals,” then what kind of character should I be? The opposite of romantic, perhaps? “Tactical” might be a better term.

Extreme practicality can be its own kind of appeal, right? Take, for example, John Wick, though he’s unrealistic in other ways. Essentially, the goal was to make it look “impressive.” As the tactics shifted from traditional formations to modern combat, I could draw on my knowledge of modern shooting techniques.

Click.

The spring-loaded mechanism activated, raising targets. This time, two enemies popped up side-by-side. I took aim at one with my shotgun and fired. Since this wasn’t my own customized shotgun fitted with Marmaros rounds, but rather one borrowed from the academy, the rounds were standard.

Still, even a borrowed shotgun is a shotgun, and I could modify a few parts to resemble my usual weapon. After firing at the first target, I let the empty shotgun drop, suspending it from a single sling that hung just below my chest. Unlike the typical rifle sling, which runs from end to end, my strap looped around my neck and shoulder, keeping the shotgun at an easily reachable position instead of letting it dangle.

Swiftly, I dropped my right hand to my waist holster, drawing my pistol. Gripping it with both hands, I fired.

Bang! Bang!

Two shots to the chest.

I advanced forward, dispatching each subsequent target with two shots. After emptying the magazine, I reloaded, slotting in seven fresh rounds, holstered the pistol, and moved toward the spot where the last enemy had appeared.

On my right thigh was a holster carrying six rounds in pairs. I grabbed two rounds and inserted them into the shotgun’s loading port in one quick motion. Repeating the process twice, I reloaded the shotgun and emerged outside.

Two more targets sprang up. I fired a shot at each of them.

…And, that was the end of the range.

“Phew.”

Exhaling softly, I looked up.

Jennifer was watching me with a smile that I couldn’t quite read. But—

—Lena was staring at me, wide-eyed with amazement.

Seems like pestering the craftsman for military-grade equipment over the past two days was worth it. All those late-night drills, tirelessly practicing reloads… and even sneaking into the newly-built range last night for some extra practice…

It all paid off.

Chapter 87 : Information

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 87

EP.87  Information (1)

Anyway, this game is a JRPG. Although I hadn’t played many JRPGs from the ’90s, I imagined the vibe back then must’ve been different. Most JRPGs released in the 2020s were filled with anime-style content that appealed to otaku tastes. No matter how realistic the graphics were or how much the presentation resembled a Hollywood movie, once you delved into the story, you’d find that both male and female leads were almost always ridiculously attractive.

The characters’ personalities didn’t feel like they were inspired by movie characters; they were more like anime characters. Often, they were clearly designed as Caucasians, yet somehow, the Japanese dub suited them better than the English one. Even their movements had a certain exaggerated feel.

This might’ve been my own stereotype from playing these types of games, but… that’s how it seemed to me, at least. So, if someone asked me where Chronicles of Aetherna ranked within the JRPG genre, I’d say without hesitation, “It’s the kind of game that only an otaku could truly enjoy.”

The character designs being based on 2D illustrations was a minor detail. Although the game consistently received “Mostly Positive” reviews on rating sites and digital stores, the characters’ personalities and actions had a distinctly Japanese anime vibe, even incorporating a visual novel-style system where you could “romance” them. While the main storyline followed a single overarching plot, there were plenty of mini-events that were obviously there to cater to specific tastes.

A beach episode featuring the characters in swimsuits was a must for this kind of story. And a school festival episode where you could dress the heroines in maid-like waitress outfits was essential for any school-based story; without it, you could say it lacked purpose.

However, beyond these seamlessly inserted episodes, the game also had scenes that seemed like they were just crammed in to appeal to certain audiences. One example was an episode set in a casino.

…Honestly, the fact that I immediately imagined what kind of outfits the female leads would wear the moment I heard “casino” made me realize just how much of an otaku I was at heart.

*

Although I’d dealt with the urgent issue, there were still several things left to address. Going tactical was fine and all. This kind of atmosphere didn’t exist much in this world, so it should make an impression. My style of combat, which looked futuristic to those around me, should fit well enough.

If I portrayed myself as a battle-hardened veteran who’d refined his techniques through years of experience on the front lines, people would surely acknowledge it. That was the image I was aiming for, anyway.

The problem was that the mysterious persona I’d been building up might falter as a result. It was possible for a character to embody multiple concepts, but if those concepts didn’t blend well, they’d end up as an incoherent mishmash. So, I needed to be more careful in crafting my character.

“Something on your mind?”

Alice, ever perceptive, picked up on my contemplative expression.

“Nothing major.”

“Come on, you can tell me.”

Though I brushed it off as if it were nothing, Alice persisted in her questioning.

“Well, it’s just that, um…”

Even as she spoke, Alice looked like she was struggling to say something difficult. Her eyes darted around, and then she finally managed.

“I’m like an older sister to you, right? So, if you ever have troubles you can’t share with anyone else, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to talk to me.”

“…”

Momentarily stunned, I turned to stare at her, and Alice’s cheeks took on a faint pink hue. She seemed to realize how forced her words sounded. It made sense; Alice was usually the one feeling inferior, and I’d been the one who often tried to boost her confidence.

“Ahem.”

Quickly clearing her throat and regaining composure, Alice straightened up.

Somehow, we’d stopped walking and were standing in place. There wasn’t anyone around; that’s probably why she’d felt comfortable bringing this up.

“Look, your birthday may come before mine, but…”

“…”

“Those birthdays aren’t exactly… reliable records, right…?”

“…”

“I mean, I was with Father longer, you know?”

“…”

“So, it wouldn’t be that strange if you were my little sister… would it?”

If she was so sure about this, why did the end sound like a question?

Hmm, well. I wasn’t about to argue over it. Technically, I wasn’t really someone who could even be considered Alice’s “older sister,” and, if I really thought about it, it was debatable whether I could even call myself a woman.

Sure, my body was female, and I’d been living in it for over ten years now… though if I counted from when I arrived at the orphanage, it was just barely a decade. But adding in the time before all this, I’d easily lived more than ten years in this body.

Still, I’d spent far more time living as a man than as a woman. But could I actually claim to be Alice’s “older brother”? That was doubtful too. Wasn’t I technically more like an uncle?

“If that’s how you’d like to think of it, then feel free to do so.”

“…Your reaction’s so boring, it’s almost disappointing.”

Was Alice half-joking? But she seemed pretty sincere about it. Perhaps she was feeling a bit jealous after watching Claire openly call me her older sister. After all, we’d grown up in something like a sibling relationship.

Maybe it was her pride that kept her from addressing me the same way as Claire?

“Well, fine. Reaction or not, you said it’s fine, so from now on, you’re officially my little sister.”

But no matter how I looked at it, this was absurd.

I didn’t even call Lucas or Jayden “older brother,” so naturally, I had no intention of calling Alice “older sister” either. And she probably knew that just as well.

We started walking again, passing through the empty academy grounds and out the main gate.

The weather was gradually heading toward summer here in Runedarium. It was still far better than the sweltering Korean summer; according to the lore, it was rare for temperatures to exceed 30 degrees here, even in summer.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t hot. Temperature aside, the sun still beat down relentlessly. If summer wasn’t hot, after all, there wouldn’t be any point in seeking out the beach.

“Go on, take a seat and wait for a bit.”

The place we arrived at was a café. It was a place we often visited since the last time we had parfaits. Even though I maintained a neutral expression, Alice seemed to think I really liked this place.

And she was right. I did like it here. It was rare to find a café that served such delicious desserts and yet had so few customers.

“Hmm.”

As I sat down quietly, Alice let out a pleased hum.

“I figured you’d be craving something by now.”

Honestly, it wasn’t just “about time” I craved something sweet; it was more that I almost always wanted something like this. I mean… it’s sweet. And I liked sweet, delicious things. Ever since I ended up in this body, my liking for sweet foods seemed to have only grown.

Apparently pleased with herself for getting me to acknowledge her as an “older sister,” Alice didn’t even wait for the waitress and went straight to the counter.

“…”

Watching her small, excited figure made it challenging to think of her as any sort of “big sister.” But if it made her happy, I was willing to play along.

While I sat there quietly watching her enthusiastic retreat—

“So, is it settled now who’s the youngest?”

A voice spoke up from behind me.

“…”

I turned toward the mature, feminine voice and saw someone already seated at the table. She had long, silver hair tucked behind her ear, revealing a smooth forehead, and an air of decadence that surrounded her. Her skin was a dusky tone, and her hair, soft brows, and long lashes were all the same silver color, giving her an unmistakably unique appearance.

Her gray eyes, which usually seemed indifferent to everything around her, now held a rare spark of interest as they observed me. She’d claimed an empty seat at the table at some point and was now resting her chin on her hands, studying me. Her name was Bella and her last name was Fangriffon.

In the original storyline, she was the previous owner of the Black Sword who had died before the main story began.

“Oh, and Lucas took off on an impromptu holiday, saying he had something he wanted to do. I’ve taken over his duties for now. Father didn’t seem too upset, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Without waiting for me to ask, she began sharing the news in her slow, relaxed tone—a character I found a bit uncomfortable to deal with.

Although, at this point, she wasn’t nearly as unpredictable as Lena had proven to be.

Chapter 88 : Information

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 88

EP.88 Information (2)

Still, Bella was a character who existed, at least as part of the backstory. Though she didn’t appear in the main plot since she’d already died by then, she occasionally appeared in flashbacks. The game developers had only provided a single illustration of her, without any 3D modeling.

She might be speaking in a soft voice now because there were people around, but in reality, she had a much gloomier personality. Her eyes were always half-closed, and she often had a sarcastic smile on her lips.

One thing that never changed was her habit of always exposing her cleavage. Even now, she was dressed like that. She wore a tight tank top and a very short jacket, leaving her cleavage completely exposed. Honestly, if someone wore that on the subway, it would be hard to know where to look out of embarrassment. By my standards, it was slightly embarrassing, but in this world, her outfit was almost unthinkably bold—especially for someone of her status as an imperial princess.

“Ah.”

Alice, returning after placing her order, made a face upon seeing Bella seated at our table. Bella didn’t seem to mind Alice’s reaction in the slightest.

This was the reason why the relationship between Claire and Alice didn’t easily improve in the original work. Alice, who had been the Emperor’s daughter from birth, grew up without any lack, despite the Emperor’s somewhat bizarre expressions of affection. She wore clothes made from the finest materials and ate meals made from high-quality ingredients. Although she worked hard, her background was more than enough to support her efforts.

But Claire wasn’t so fortunate. Sold to a brothel and subjected to all sorts of horrific experiences, Claire couldn’t fully empathize with Alice’s perspective and clashed with her on every issue. The other children of the Emperor were the same. None of them had lived as uniquely bleak a life as Claire. Bella, who had been through many hardships, was the only one who could empathize with Claire and befriend her.

It wasn’t surprising that by the time Claire entered the academy, she had become Bella 2.0. But here, instead of Claire being adopted as the Emperor’s daughter, I had taken that place. Whether it was due to their caution around me, or the fact that my presence rendered it unnecessary to send a false princess or prince into perilous situations, Bella had survived. I was the only major change in the timeline, so it was probably safe to assume she lived because of me.

“…Why are you here?”

Alice asked as she sat down, her tone suggesting she wasn’t particularly thrilled. Bella, still resting her chin on her hands, gave a nonchalant shrug.

“To see my little sisters after a long time?”

“That can’t be the reason. We’re not that close.”

“Oh, how cold.”

Bella sighed, feigning disappointment. Her gesture was exaggerated enough to make it obvious she wasn’t genuinely hurt.

“Even if you and I aren’t particularly close, our adorable youngest here and I get along just fine.”

“You and Sylvia?”

“…”

I remained silent, watching their conversation. It didn’t seem like my intervention would stop their argument, nor did I think their verbal sparring would escalate to a dangerous level.

“Why, isn’t it true? Sylvia hardly interacts with anyone else. I think it’s fair to say that we have a close relationship, don’t you?”

“If that’s how you see it, then I—”

“Isn’t it a bit simplistic to think that just because you’re close to someone, they can’t be close to others as well? Human relationships can overlap in all sorts of ways.”

“That’s not something I’d expect to hear from you, considering how much you despise forming connections with others.”

I turned my gaze toward the waitress, who had been dozing off at her post since we first entered the café. With so few customers, there wasn’t much for her to do, which might explain why Alice didn’t bother waiting for her earlier and went directly to the counter.

“Instead of beating around the bush, why don’t you just tell me your purpose? Going in circles will only take you further from the point.”

I said, turning back to Bella.

“What, trying to act like a protective sister now? If we’re being honest, it seems more like you’re the one who needs protecting, not the one doing the protecting.”

“….”

Alice glared at Bella, but I broke the tension by speaking slowly.

“So, what business brings you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious…?”

“If you’d truly wanted to bond, you could’ve visited me at the Academy or elsewhere. You came because there’s something you need to convey, didn’t you? Lucas doesn’t show up either unless he has something to discuss.”

“…Did Lucas say something to you?”

“He once mentioned he planned to kill me.”

“What?”

Bella asked, stunned, while Alice looked outraged.

Seeing Bella’s reaction, it seemed that Lucas had left the Emperor’s side right after talking with me in Winterfield. After all, if Lucas were still there, there would be no reason for Bella to come looking for me.

“…Lucas said that? Really? He wants to kill you?”

Bella looked genuinely taken aback, a rare expression for her, and I felt I’d made the right call bringing this up.

“And for what reason?”

Alice, equally skeptical, waited for an explanation, but I simply shifted my gaze slightly toward Bella.

“….”

Perhaps understanding the meaning behind my look, Bella and Alice both fell silent for a moment.

“…Hah.”

Bella sighed deeply, the table shaking under the weight of her breath.

“Fine. When I think about it, I can guess why he said that.”

She ran her hand through her hair, looking weary.

“Looks like things are about to get hectic.”

She muttered, as if to show she was serious, and continued speaking without delay.

“You know about the casino near Northwood, right?”

“Yeah, the Empire’s largest casino, built after clearing out a section of the forest.”

Of course, I knew about it.

And hearing talk about that casino just as we entered June triggered a memory as well.

“Did the Holy Kingdom’s forces infiltrate the casino?”

“…The Holy Kingdom’s forces…”

Bella, who had started speaking at almost the same time, paused when our voices overlapped.

“You… knew?”

She asked.

I didn’t respond. Alice, with her mouth slightly agape, simply stared at me.

“Do you also know who infiltrated?”

“Isn’t it a knight from the Knights Templar?”

“If you say a knight from the Knights Templar, it’s not clear who it could be. There aren’t many of them, but that still doesn’t narrow it down.”

Bella said, probing for more.

“If you want someone who won’t be suspected by anyone, it would be best to send in someone who wouldn’t normally be suspected.”

Bella tilted her head, signaling me to continue.

“All the female knights of the Knights Templar are also nuns at the same time. So, if you dress one of them in a very provocative outfit and send her in, ordinary people wouldn’t even notice that she is a knight of the Holy Kingdom.”

After all, that’s what happened in the original. No one would assume that a woman dressed as a bunny girl could be a nun. Besides, her personality didn’t exactly scream “nun,” either.

“…And?”

Bella’s expression turned uncharacteristically serious, urging me on.

“But a devout Knights Templar would have a strong aversion to such irreligious behavior, and the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t want to upset such a valuable knight. So, the one who first thought of such an idea would have to be a knight with a unique character to begin with.”

And there was only one crazy female character among the Knights Templar. Well, most of the Knights Templar were crazy zealots. But there was one who was crazy in a different sense.

“So, who do you think it is?”

Bella asked.

“Eliza, isn’t it?”

Bella’s expression hardened slightly at my answer. Alice, still in shock, hadn’t closed her mouth.

Of course, that would be the reaction. It was fresh information that the Empire had just obtained. In the original, this information had come by sheer coincidence. It was no wonder they would be taken aback, seeing me reveal it as if I’d known it all along.

“…I think I’m starting to understand why Lucas said he would kill you.”

Well, it wasn’t for that reason that he said he would kill me, but it was true that he wanted to because of my abilities.

I said nothing, glancing instead toward the waitress, who had finally awakened and begun moving. As she approached with two parfaits, Bella refrained from asking further questions, though she eyed me with a certain suspicion.

…Good.

I supposed there was no need to completely abandon the allure of my “mystique” just yet.

Chapter 89 : Information

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 89

EP.89 Information (3)

“And so?”

Yet the conversation didn’t end there. Bella’s question prompted Alice to look at her, as if wondering why she even asked.

“What do you mean, ‘and so?’”

“Were you really just going to drop that bit of information and leave? It takes ages to get from here to Northwood, and even knowing a Knight Templar is lurking there won’t help us much unless we’re doing something about it.”

I scooped a spoonful of mango parfait, tasting the creamy, sweet ice cream perfectly blended with a slightly tart mango chunk. The warm weather made it even better, making me think that this combination might really be the inspiration behind the French term parfait, the “perfect dessert.”

I regretted not trying some parfaits when I went to Velbur last time. At the time, I’d been so shocked by the Emperor appointing me as his representative that I hadn’t thought of indulging in any delicacies. But next time I made it to Velbur, I promised myself I’d try the cafe recommendation Charlotte had given me.

“Father only ever shares information with us when he wants us to act on it.”

“When he wants ‘us’ to do something, you mean—not ‘you,’”

Bella corrected Alice’s words.

The ones who moved on direct orders from the Emperor were not the real princess Alice, but the so-called “Children of the Emperor,” who were practically the Emperor’s personal assassination squad. I was included among them.

Although, compared to the original storyline, it seemed the number and risk of these assignments had decreased significantly, yet we still carried out missions when required.

“…So? What’s the reason for coming all the way here and revealing that Sylvia is being watched while giving us this information?”

I took another spoonful of parfait and put it in my mouth. This time, I scooped more fruit than ice cream. Despite being transported from so far away, the fruit retained a fresh burst of flavor. I wondered if it would taste even better in its place of origin.

“That assumption is wrong. Do you think Sylvia wouldn’t know if I kept sticking close to her? She likely figured that out back when Lucas was stationed around her.”

Not really. I hadn’t even noticed Mia Crowfield’s clumsy tracking attempts until much later, let alone Lucas’ moves, who was far more skilled.

“She’d probably know exactly where Lucas is if you asked her right now.”

No, I didn’t know. If I knew Lucas’ location in the near future, I might be able to turn back time and pretend to know, but honestly, I didn’t think I’d know it soon enough to want to turn back time.

Of course, there’s no need to reveal that I don’t know. It would be weird to spill the latest information that I absolutely couldn’t know and then admit I don’t know Lucas’s location.

Let’s just not answer.

“You keep dodging the question, so why tell me all this?”

Obviously, it was a command to infiltrate the casino.

In the original story, it was Claire who appeared to deliver this information. At the beginning, her character was introduced simply as the “decadent-looking girl” in the character description field. At least it was her first appearance, so the atmosphere wasn’t too heavy with everyone pretending not to recognize a familiar character.

Alice appeared in the early stages with a somewhat suspicious role, like a character who “appeared diligent on the surface but harbored secrets within,” meant to mislead players. There was even a scene where she engaged in a mysterious conversation with an unknown figure without the protagonist’s knowledge, which was presented as an event cutscene. Given the atmosphere, it was easy for players to misinterpret her as a hidden villain at first.

Besides, they only shared a few clipped lines of their conversation, cutting out most of it to leave vague exchanges like, “…Alright. I’ll keep that information in mind.” It was so blatantly ominous that no one actually believed it.

“Before the break… there’s that, what was it, field training? You have one more round of it, right? I’ve changed the order a bit. This time, you’ll be heading to Northwood for the field training. That includes going near the casino. Even though it may look secure, it’s surrounded entirely by forest.”

Thanks to the dense woods, the casino’s perimeter was virtually impenetrable. Though the trees had been cleared around the casino itself, beyond its boundaries was a forest so vast that anyone trying to flee wouldn’t make it out alive.

There was a bit of history tying the place to local mafias, but that wasn’t something worth bringing up now.

“They say it’s a ‘natural haven of forests’ unlike any other in the Empire… but that also means wild beasts emerge constantly. Naturally, there are hunting requests for around there as well.”

“And?”

Poor Alice seems not to have thought about her own future.

“If you’re really the Emperor’s daughter, then you should carry out the same missions as us.”

That was Claire’s line in this scene. Of course, the Claire of this world was likely either training or studying diligently.

If a game like this included a casino setting, it was usually for one reason: to dress the heroines in bunny-girl outfits. For a game that’s somewhat niche and doesn’t get many figures, there should at least be some fan service scenes like this.

Claire also participated in the infiltration. Both of them dressed as bunny-girls, with masquerade-style masks, as they poked around deep within the casino, only to be caught by Leo.

At first, Leo brushed it off, thinking, “Nah, there’s no way Her Highness would be doing that here.”

…This line, as it happened, had inspired a few fan artists, though that was of no concern to the original game.

“And, well, I came here to ask a favor.”

How would Alice respond? I was genuinely curious, as the game hadn’t shown Alice’s reaction to this line.

I took another spoonful of parfait, eagerly awaiting Bella’s next line and Alice’s response—

“For Sylvia, of course.”

I froze.

“Umm, originally I wanted to ask our real princess and see her reaction.”

Bella smirked mischievously, rolling her eyes towards me.

“After all, there’s someone here who already knows every piece of information without me having to spell it all out.”

“What did Father say?”

When Alice looked at my face and asked, Bella shrugged and replied casually.

“Well, he told me to pass it along to Sylvia.”

“……”

At that, Alice bit her lip.

“Fine. Tell Father this loud and clear.”

Alice glared at Bella, whose expression turned into a mockingly fearful look as she shrugged her shoulders, clearly unphased.

“I’m going on this mission as well—as the ‘other’ princess.”

Uh.

No, no, no.

If you go there, you’ll end up in a bunny girl outfit, too.

Of course, to me, Alice’s bunny girl costume would simply look like a high-quality cosplay, perfectly faithful to the original heroine’s character design. But the problem was that I’d most likely end up in a bunny girl outfit right beside her.

And if things followed the game’s storyline, Leo, who came along with Jake, would likely catch us in that get-up. I didn’t plan on leaving Alice to roam around solo in a bunny costume, after all.

“Oh?”

Bella let out an amused chuckle as she noticed Alice’s determined expression.

“Is this some kind of ‘big sister’ role-playing?”

She teased.

“Of course it is.”

Alice straightened her back, proudly replying to Bella’s remark.

“As someone with imperial blood, I always keep my word. I declared myself Sylvia’s older sister, so as her big sister, I plan to protect her.”

That’s not the issue here.

Alice knew my skills. She was also aware of my history on the battlefield, so she wouldn’t think the mission would end in disaster or that I’d lose my life by going alone. This was pure competitive spirit.

The grin she shot me seemed to say, “See? You have allies too!”

“Well, alright then.”

Bella shrugged again, looking at Alice.

“I was planning to watch from a distance… but now this story’s getting interesting. It would be a shame if I didn’t join when both sisters are sneaking in together. Count me in as well.”

At Bella’s declaration, Alice once again shot her a sharp look, which Bella met with a confident smile.

…So with Bella joining the team…

Were we all going to infiltrate before I even had a say?

It was nothing short of a miracle that my expression didn’t change in that moment.

Chapter 90 : Information

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 90

EP.90 Information (4)

“Why? Are you worried about something?”

Alice asked after Bella left, noticing the look on my face.

Of course, I was worried—about many things.

I’m not worried about the Knights Templar. Whether or not there is a goddess has been a subject of debate among the fans of the game, but even if there is a goddess, I think the fact that my existence is tolerated indicates that there isn’t a significant problem. If anything, the goddess might be on my side. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left me alone for the past ten years.

If she wasn’t aware of my existence, or lacked the means to stop me, then there was no need to worry. And if she was aware of my blasphemous thoughts but chose to ignore them, well, that was fine too. The nation of Vatican merely used the goddess’s name as a front for seizing power. If the goddess favored them, I wouldn’t consider her a goddess worth worshiping.

No, what I was truly worried about was the outfit I’d have to wear there.

“…Your Highness.”

“…I told you to call me Alice…”

She replied, though the intensity in her voice softened upon realizing my serious expression.

I looked at Alice seriously and spoke.

“Even if it’s a legally operated place, it’s still a gambling den. Neither the people who frequent it nor those who run it can be considered righteous.”

“I know that.”

Alice seemed a bit relieved at my words, as if to say, ‘Is that what you were worried about?’

But I shook my head at her.

“…It may be a much filthier place than you imagine, Your Highness.”

There were, naturally, no “noble-born” bunny girls there. At best, one might encounter the daughter of a fallen noble, but they would hardly be any better off than commoners in such a situation.

But those with the wealth to walk into a casino were often the very rich—mostly nobles, or at least those connected to nobility. Even though concepts like capitalism and nationalism had begun to emerge, this world still adhered firmly to a class hierarchy. It wouldn’t be surprising for a noble to make a move on a pretty bunny girl intended as eye candy in the casino.

After all, not many men can resist women who are barely covered, with more than half of their chest exposed or their back almost completely bare.

In most parts of the Empire, brothels are illegal. But that doesn’t mean they can prevent consensual relationships. If a noble visiting the casino and a woman working there claimed to have had a “fleeting romance,” the Empire typically wouldn’t prosecute. Any tips received would be dismissed as gratuities for service.

Strictly speaking, it’s illegal. But everyone just turns a blind eye as long as things look good.

“……”

I doubted Alice was aware of the full extent of this situation, but she could read my expression and knew how earnestly I was discussing it.

“If it’s truly such a place, then I certainly can’t let you go alone.”

“……”

Well, that thought was admirable, really. Alice’s presence would definitely be helpful. While I could use time reversal to analyze the situation and preemptively strike, making it seem like I fought well, in a head-on battle without preparation, Alice would be far stronger.

“And if I said I won’t go?”

I asked, pressing further.

“If I were to disobey His Majesty’s orders and not go?”

“Is that really your own will?”

Of course, it was my will. The very will not to end up in a bunny costume.

“Or is it because you don’t want me to go?”

Uh…

Well, it was my will, wasn’t it? My strong will to avoid dressing up as a bunny girl.

“…Even if you don’t go, it’s not a place we can just ignore. Father gave you this mission directly, and Bella herself came to provide information.”

Well, that was the Empire’s perspective.

“Who’s supposed to be the next Emperor?”

“…It’s you, Your Highness.”

“As the future Emperor, I have a duty to know as much as possible about the things happening behind the scenes in the Empire. And─”

Alice said, her eyes practically blazing with determination.

“─maybe after I become Emperor, I won’t be able to. The Empire is vast, and an Emperor has many responsibilities, so I won’t have the freedom to roam around and gather information personally. But right now, I’m not yet the Emperor, so I can do things like this without hesitation, can’t I?”

“Your Highness, as the future Emperor—”

“Why call me that now?”

Alice said confidently.

“At the academy, I talk to commoners as equals, I train with them, and I join them in field training. Even during beast hunts, I risk my life just like everyone else. Naturally…”

She pointed at me.

“You─”

Then turned her finger toward herself.

“─and I are equals here. We’re just students wearing the same uniform, so at least while we’re dressed like this, stop calling me ‘Your Highness.’ I’m not even the Crown Princess yet, so there’s no need to talk about me as the next Emperor.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to call me by name, you could always call me ‘sister.'”

“I’ll just stick to Alice.”

“…Even if I ordered you to call me ‘sister,’ you wouldn’t, would you?”

“You were the one who just insisted we’re on equal terms here, Alice.”

My curt response made her look as though she was about to burst into laughter.

*

I had hoped, in my own way.

I mean, in this world, when ‘game logic’ and ‘reality’ clash, reality seemed to have more weight. Even the finest swordsman couldn’t slice through a bullet, and if bitten by a beast, they would be injured. Regardless of whether a beast required dozens of sword strikes or gunshots to kill, a sword imbued with energy could still draw blood, and bullets could still kill.

It was a bizarre steampunk-fantasy world, yet it held a semblance of realism.

So, I’d naively hoped that maybe, in this world, actual casinos wouldn’t feature those types of sexually appealing costumes—since real-world casinos rarely did.

“…….”

But, seeing Leo’s flushed face in front of the casino, it was clear that my vain hope was easily shattered.

“Unnecessarily flashy.”

Alice muttered, frowning.

As Alice said, the casino building had a much more extravagant atmosphere than expected. Of course, it still had a more classic feel compared to the over-the-top style of the 21st century I knew.

If you watch American movies or dramas set in the 1950s or ’60s in places like New York or Las Vegas, you’d see buildings with bright, extravagant signs studded with lightbulbs, a level of flashiness that was eye-catching for that time. This place had that feel.

Since there were no lightbulbs in this world, the building was instead adorned with magic stones that glowed in similar colors, casting a vibrant light.

Even though the buildings in the capital were relatively flashy compared to other regions, there weren’t many places as flashy as this.

“…I think I understand why the teacher didn’t want to come here with us.”

Alice remarked, to which Claire nodded in agreement. Unlike Alice, however, Claire’s gaze was fixed somewhere else.

While Alice was observing the building’s overall vibe, Claire’s attention followed Leo’s line of sight toward the building’s entrance.

Near the entrance stood attractive, well-proportioned women holding up signs, most of which displayed advertisements for the casino. Some wore sashes emblazoned with promotional slogans, while others were advertising the hotel operated by the same organization as the casino.

A few nobles, mostly older and more corpulent ones, were flirting with these women, and some already had their hands on their waists or shoulders, heading somewhere.

It was, quite literally, a city of indulgence. If Las Vegas was a paradise built in the middle of the desert, this place felt more like a hidden pleasure villa nestled deep within the forest. I remember being dumbfounded the first time I saw it, as it was a place completely removed from the image of the diligent and innocent Carolyn.

…It was exactly as I remembered it.

“…It’s vulgar.”

Charlotte muttered in shock.

Her gaze was fixed on a particular bunny girl with a darker complexion, whose generously exposed chest hovered close as she chatted and laughed with a large-framed noble. The bunny girl’s hair was a striking silver, exuding a mystique that, if it weren’t for her behavior, might have painted her as the tragic heroine forced to work in such a place.

…

She was enjoying herself, wasn’t she?

Chapter 91 : A Woman with a Story

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 91

EP.91 A Woman with a Story (1)

Alright. Let’s avoid eye contact.

I tried my best to avert my gaze, hoping it wouldn’t seem too obvious and draw unnecessary attention. But maybe I was a beat too late, or perhaps Alice had already caught her eye, because I could feel Bella glancing in our direction from the corner of my vision.

Not that it mattered, though. Bella was the kind to start teasing regardless of whether she actually made eye contact. While she wasn’t a character from the main storyline, I’d known her long enough to understand her personality. Bella wasn’t shy about making playful jabs, nor did she care much about the outfit she was wearing.

“Oh my, over there, boys!”

But Bella interrupted her conversation with the noble and waved at us. The middle-aged noble she was talking to looked bewildered, but Bella didn’t seem to care at all.

…

I thought the term ‘boys’ was a bit much given the age difference, but that was probably because I knew Bella. In a place like this, using such terms to attract customers was natural.

“Uh… m-me?”

Leo stammered in surprise.

The distance between Bella and us was fairly considerable, enough that he might wonder if she was actually waving to someone behind him. She was within shouting range, though, and her voice was loud enough to make sure we heard her.

Leo looked startled by Bella’s call, and Claire regarded him with an incredulous expression. It wasn’t jealousy, exactly, more like, “There’s no way she’s calling for you.”

After all, we were dressed in school uniforms. If Bella were just an unknowing commoner, she’d hardly have reason to call us over with so many distinguished noblemen milling around. Even if she mistook our uniforms for something else, they’d still resemble military attire more than anything. Whether students or soldiers, we didn’t have as much money as the wealthy nobles.

“Yes, you, handsome!”

Bella called out as she walked directly toward Leo. This time, not only Leo but also Claire looked flustered.

Alice and I, on the other hand, could only exchange looks of sheer disbelief.

I mean, isn’t this supposed to be an infiltration?

Though I’d somewhat expected her to act like this, it was still hard to believe. But on second thought, this might actually be more natural for her. Bella wasn’t one to hide her personality, even when she was working undercover.

As she approached us, Bella wore a masquerade mask—well, more like the kind of mask a girlfriend might wear in a playful “bunny girl” costume for her boyfriend. It was cheap-looking, trimmed with white fluff, and didn’t give off any impression of the refined masks nobles might wear to a ball.

“…”

Lena’s expression was just as stiff as mine.

Ever since we’d arrived in the area, she’d been unusually silent. It seemed she was struggling to adjust to the stark contrast between this place and the military-governed territory she was accustomed to.

“Hehe.”

Bella, who had come right up to Leo, bent down slightly to peer into his face. Bella wasn’t particularly short compared to most men, and in heels that added at least ten centimeters, she stood even taller than Leo. Her long legs were accentuated, her waist was slim, and her chest was… prominently emphasized by her leaning posture.

“What brings you here? Interested in the casino, perhaps?”

“Huh? Uh, I, um…”

As Leo stammered, struggling to respond, Bella ignored both me and Alice standing beside him and took hold of Leo’s hand, lifting it gently.

“Judging by your attire, you must be a young nobleman, right? Want to hang out with me? I could show you around, teach you a few things. I know the casino pretty well, and I’m familiar with the area… Or perhaps the hotel?”

“…”

If I didn’t know any better, I might’ve found something enticing about Bella’s behavior, something alluring. But, well, there’s a saying, isn’t there? Even if someone isn’t a blood relative, once you’ve spent enough time with them, you know them so well that you stop finding them attractive.

That was exactly how I felt now.

Knowing Bella had no particular desire for such things, I didn’t even feel the urge to stop her.

“Wait—”

But it seemed Claire felt differently. Her relationship with Leo was one of constant arguing over who was older and younger, but even beyond that, she clearly still saw him as a boy. If it were my little sister about to be ensnared by a flirtatious stranger on the street, I’d probably step in to chase them off too.

However, before Claire could make a move, a man’s voice shouted from nearby.

“Hey!”

Storming towards us was the middle-aged nobleman who had been talking with Bella moments before. He didn’t exactly fit the stereotype of a decadent noble. His physique looked well-maintained, and though he wasn’t a pretty boy like the male leads in a romance, he was rather handsome.

Still, he came across more like a nouveau riche than an established noble.

…Actually, I might have misjudged him in assuming he was a “noble.” A real nobleman would have recognized our uniforms and either stayed away out of fear or at least noticed Alice’s face. Moreover, Jake, who was observing this spectacle from a step back with an amused look, was a duke, not to mention that Alice was the princess. The fact that he hadn’t identified them suggested he was far removed from court politics.

“You think you can toy with me? We were getting along just fine just a moment ago.”

He grumbled angrily.

…Looked like he’d been on the verge of falling for Bella’s sweet talk.

“Oh dear, but I find myself more drawn to this side. Look.”

Bella gently placed her hands on Leo’s shoulders and pulled him to the side. After positioning Leo to compare faces with the man, Bella nodded.

“Yep, this one is much better looking.”

What are you saying to a minor?

…Well, in games like these, teenagers were often treated as semi-adults.

“…”

The noble’s face turned red with anger. Seeing his face turn red like that, the handsomeness I noticed earlier completely vanished.

“Wait a minute!”

Claire, who had tried to intervene between Bella and Leo, shouted again in surprise.

But this time, it wasn’t because of Leo.

“Ouch!”

Bella let out a sharp scream.

The noble had stepped forward and grabbed Bella’s arm.

“…….”

Hmm…

After seeing the current situation, I was sure of it.

Bella had definitely interrupted her conversation with that man and came over here to put us in this situation. Alice seemed to think the same, watching the scene with a very complex expression.

“Shouldn’t we help her?”

Lena, who had been observing beside me, asked.

Hmm…

If we just stand by and watch, it might leave a bad impression.

As I silently stepped forward, I heard Alice let out a small sigh.

“Hey.”

But there was no need for all of us to get involved. Because another man had already grabbed hold of the arm that had been holding Bella’s.

It was Jake.

“It’s not proper to roughly grab a lady’s arm like that.”

Jake said with a smile.

“A lady, my ass—”

The man ignored Jake’s words and tried to pull his arm away, but—

“Huh?”

He muttered in disbelief, a bewildered look crossing his face. His arm wouldn’t budge. No matter how hard he tugged or twisted, Jake’s hand held his arm in place, not moving an inch.

“Agh, aaargh…!”

Not being able to move also meant that Jake was holding his arm tightly. As Jake applied more pressure, the man let out a sharp scream.

“M-my hand…!”

Desperately struggling and writhing, he eventually released Bella’s arm. Bella quickly pulled her arm away, clasping it with her other hand. The fierce expression she’d had moments earlier had transformed into one of pitiful vulnerability.

…Honestly, I didn’t know what to think.

Seeing that the man had let go, Jake released his grip as well. The man, who had been trying to wriggle away with a grimace, immediately lost his balance and fell backwards awkwardly.

“Do you even know who I am?!”

The man spat out angrily.

“And do you know who I am?”

Jake replied, sounding amused. The man’s face went blank as if he’d been struck speechless. It seemed he had finally realized what kind of place this was.

Above a wealthy person, there is always someone wealthier, and above a status, there is always another status. Though people didn’t openly state their status, this place was full of high-ranking nobles and tycoons.

“…….”

In the end, the man opted to flee without even bothering to dust off his clothes.

“Are you alright?”

Charlotte, who had earlier found this place vulgar, asked with concern, seemingly having changed her mind after seeing the situation.

“Oh, yes, yes… I’m fine.”

Unbelievable.

Watching Bella drop her former bravado and speak in a feeble tone, I couldn’t help but think to myself.

Chapter 92 : A Woman with a Story

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 92

EP.92 A Woman with a Story (2)

A theme park-like area centered around the casino, designed for adults to enjoy, still had spots where one could experience an ordinary lifestyle. Sure, some people came here literally to throw their fortunes away, but many tourists also visited simply to enjoy the casino’s dazzling streets. Especially for those from the upper class who weren’t into gambling but liked traveling, it wasn’t uncommon to stay in luxurious hotels and enjoy the festivals here with their partners.

On the other hand, many who worked here weren’t wealthy by any means—especially in service jobs like waitstaff. So, there were regular eateries and even simpler cafes around to cater to the workers in the area.

The place Bella led us to was one of those spots. It was a shabby restaurant located on a rundown street, slightly away from the main casino area.

“Hey, Bella! I told you not to bring customers here!” A green-haired bunny girl sitting in the restaurant scowled at Bella. Though dressed as a bunny girl, her outfit was wrinkled, her hair was disheveled, and the bunny ear headband lay discarded on the table. Her face and chest had traces of glitter, indicating she’d likely just finished an all-night shift.

“Ah, sorry… But I really wanted to treat the people who helped me.”

Bella murmured apologetically, and I was somewhat surprised by her meekness. Her demeanor suited her more than I’d expected. Sure, I knew her backstory, but if I hadn’t, I might have simply seen her as another character with a hidden past. …Well, maybe not, since there had been clues in her previous conversation with Alice that hinted she had an ulterior motive.

“You’re treating people who can easily pay for their own meals… fine, whatever.”

The green-haired woman scratched her head roughly and then spoke with a resigned expression.

“Well, there are more women than men among the people you brought, so I guess it doesn’t matter to me. Judging by their clothes, they seem to be noble students. They can’t do anything because of school rules anyway, right?”

Having said her piece, the woman promptly lost interest in us. In a place like this, that was just how people coped. This was a place where people who had fallen to rock bottom ended up working. In fact, some parts of the Empire were even rougher than this. In that sense, Northwood was doing a decent job of maintaining order here, though those who lived here might not see it that way.

“Sorry about her. She may talk like that, but she has a kind heart…”

But before Bella could finish her sentence, the green-haired woman raised a hand over her shoulder, flashing a V sign at us—palm facing away. It was a gesture widely recognized as a British insult now famous worldwide.

Lena, who often encountered Imperial soldiers, and Charlotte, from the neighboring country that had its own squabbles with the Empire, both seemed to recognize it as an insult and furrowed their brows.

“Haha…”

Bella let out an awkward laugh before quickly inviting us to sit.

“Please, have a seat.”

Even though we, the protagonist’s party, were known for sticking our noses into things, we knew better than to provoke Bella’s coworker. The last thing we wanted was to make Bella’s life harder by offending her, so we quietly took our seats.

…Not that something like this would really trouble Bella. Among us here, only Alice and I, both imperial princesses, knew her true identity.

I had been with Alice most of the time and didn’t particularly hide my public appearances, so my face was fairly well-known. But Bella’s situation was different. Bella was also an official princess, so the nobles knew of her existence, but she never showed her face at official events.

The Emperor’s children who frequently appeared at official events were Jayden, Lucas, and me, while Bella and the youngest child handled tasks that required keeping their faces hidden. Even within the palace, Bella would disguise herself or wear a mask to avoid recognition, so it was no surprise Charlotte wasn’t aware of her.

This division of roles wasn’t created by the Emperor. It just happened naturally according to each person’s personality. Bella thought that hiding her identity would allow her to have more fun.

“…Does this kind of thing happen to you often?”

Charlotte asked sincerely.

While the situation stemmed from issues within the Empire, it wasn’t unique to it; places like gambling dens or opium houses existed everywhere, including Velbur. Thinking that similar occurrences could happen back home, Charlotte might have felt some personal involvement here.

“Not often, but it does happen.”

Bella replied.

“….”

Charlotte, being a person of principle, likely had the earlier situation on her mind, especially after muttering about how crude it was.

Then the mood grew somber.

“What would you like to eat?”

The owner casually broke the heavy atmosphere by asking.

The owner, who had approached our table, wore very old clothes. A dirty apron stained in various places and clothes with holes. Whether he had money to buy new clothes but chose not to, or he was too frugal, was unclear. Considering the cracked window we saw when we entered, it might be the latter.

“What’s good here?”

Charlotte asked Bella in a gentle tone. Normally, Charlotte would have been horrified by the state of the inn and its owner’s appearance, but given our reason for being here, she set such judgments aside. After all, nobles were expected to show appreciation for genuine acts of goodwill.

“Ah, please bring us chicken stew, one for each of us.”

Bella replied.

“Huh?”

The owner looked at Bella blankly.

“Got the cash for all that?”

“I—I can cover that much!”

Bella stammered, glancing at our group nervously.

Watching her, I felt a hint of admiration. If she’d been born twenty years later, she could have made an unforgettable actress in cinema history. Though, knowing her personality, it was hard to say if she would’ve ever taken up such a career.

The owner shrugged his shoulders, counted our heads, and turned around.

“Are you sure this is alright?”

Claire asked, sounding worried.

“It’s fine. I have enough money for this…”

Bella replied, just as the air seemed ready to fall heavy again.

“But anyway, who was that guy, really?”

“He’s the one who approached me, saying he found me interesting. He told a few jokes, so I laughed along to keep him happy. I guess he thought I was serious…”

“Did you come to us to get away from him?”

Alice, finally deciding to join the act, spoke up.

“Yes… I’m sorry. I didn’t think things would get so tense.”

Though, in truth, Bella had likely aimed to stir things up this way from the start.

“Any reason why you approached us specifically? There were plenty of other people around.”

“Well…”

Bella spoke as if she was very embarrassed.

“When I approach other nobles, they either look at me in disgust and leave, or they try to take me along with them. It’s usually one of the two.”

Charlotte’s shoulders twitched. Her expression didn’t break, but it was clear she was affected.

“You all are students at Runedarium Academy, aren’t you?”

Bella asked, glancing at Leo. Leo, looking slightly taken aback, stammered for a moment before blurting out the obvious.

“H-How did you know?”

“Because the uniforms you’re wearing are from Runedarium Academy. I was there for a short time too. I saw many students wearing the same uniform near the academy.”

She didn’t say the cliché line about admiring the academy as a child, but that made her words feel even more genuine. Of course, those words were probably fabricated too.

“So… when I saw you students, I thought… maybe you’d be willing to help me. I’m really sorry…”

The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy again, but there was one person whose expression was even more complicated.

It was Alice.

She’d declared her intention to “go undercover,” meaning Bella, standing before her, was essentially her role model.

The problem was that Bella’s acting skills were too high for an amateur to imitate.

…And perhaps I’d have to pull off a similar vibe too.

A poker-faced bunny girl might be popular in its own way. But could I really stay expressionless in a bunny outfit?

Not long after, the chicken stew arrived.

Despite the place’s rundown vibe, the chicken stew was genuinely delicious. Perhaps picking this spot had been the one part that wasn’t just an act.

Chapter 93 : A Woman with a Story

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 93

EP.93 A Woman with a Story (3)

Sometimes, the notion of “gaming logic” significantly affects the storyline. For example, a character might enter a cutscene without any weapon in hand, yet when the battle begins, they mysteriously pull a weapon from thin air.

The problem is that there’s no explanation for this. If the characters at least had a scabbard on their waist, we might assume that’s where they drew their weapon from, but no, they just casually pluck a sword right out of their side with nothing to hold it in. It’s not as though they have some kind of fourth-dimensional pocket or any similar justification. In this game, characters are simply expected to have a weapon on hand, regardless of what they’re wearing—be it a school uniform, a dress, a swimsuit…

…or even a bunny girl outfit.

Yes, even Alice, when thrown into a fight, had no trouble pulling out her weapon.

But after living in this world for nearly a decade, one thing I’d observed was that such feats were impossible here. If you wanted to bring a weapon, you had to physically carry it. And if the weapon was large, there was no hiding it—especially not a weapon like the two-handed sword Alice used, which could never be concealed under clothing.

My revolver was no different. For a moment, I’d even considered picking up something smaller, like the Derringer Mia had stashed under her bed, but even with that, there was nowhere to hide it in a bunny outfit.

Though I hadn’t actually acquired the bunny costume yet, I tried making a mock-up out of paper and tucked it between my chest just in case. Aside from being uncomfortable, it was also plainly visible.

To put it bluntly, it’s not like I was lacking in that area, so if it was that obvious on me, it wasn’t going to work for Alice either, who looked about the same size. Hiding a weapon there just wasn’t an option. I even wondered if I could stash something in the bunny tail, but quickly dismissed the idea—if it misfired by accident, my pelvis wouldn’t survive the ordeal. Even if I could reset the time, I’d prefer not to experience that.

…Not to mention, in a bunny outfit, someone would definitely try to grope me, and anything hidden in the tail would surely be discovered. And with the extra weight, it’d be drooping down noticeably.

After mulling it over, I reached only one possible conclusion: wrap things up before I ever needed to wear a bunny girl outfit.

The mission would be a success if I could simply confirm the information on the infiltrating Templar knight.

Besides, I already knew where the Templar knight was.

…The green-haired woman who, after finishing her time with a client, was now casually seated in the dining area, looking like she had just finished her shift.

She was the Templar knight.

*

Bella probably knew, too. In the game, the Papal State might have been formidable, but the Emperor aimed even higher than that.

Despite possessing the Book of Prophecy, the Emperor didn’t solely rely on it; he had a knack for gathering and piecing together information himself. It was that proactive approach that often left the Papal State powerless against him. Not that it mattered much to me—the Papal State wasn’t exactly painted in a sympathetic light in the game, so I didn’t feel strongly about it.

The Emperor likely knew not only that a Templar Knight had infiltrated this place, but precisely who it was. That’s probably why he sent Bella here, too—just as in the original story.

Now, if someone heard about a woman wandering alone near a casino late at night, they might think it sounded dangerous, but that wasn’t actually the case here. Perhaps because this place was inspired by Las Vegas, the security around here was actually far better than in other areas.

Even in the dead of night, the streets were brightly lit, and I spotted guards patrolling here and there. Among those in plain clothes, there were likely soldiers from this domain mixed in, too. Nothing harms a tourist destination more than a tourist getting robbed—the money would end up in the wrong hands, crime would increase, and negative rumors would spread, discouraging future visitors.

Though staff like waiters weren’t particularly protected, the “tourists” were thoroughly safeguarded by the domain’s standards. This ensured they’d want to return. So as I casually strolled through in my tourist attire, there was little chance of anyone trying to harm me.

Leaving the brightly lit hotel, I made my way along the illuminated avenue toward the casino. The streets were packed with tourists, revelers, and couples, drunk and laughing as they embraced the city that never slept. Some people had a bunny girl or waitress at their side, while a few middle-aged women had tall, handsome young men as their companions.

While it didn’t quite cross the line into a Sodom-and-Gomorrah level of debauchery, by the standards of this early-20th-century-inspired world, it was undoubtedly a scene of decadence and indulgence.

Passing through the faint scent of alcohol, I arrived at the entrance of the casino. The men flanking the doorway wore black suits and fedora hats. They gave me a brief glance but didn’t block my path, likely assuming I was a guest—and a female one at that. This place attracted the wealthy, so young women wandering alone weren’t unusual.

Plus, I wasn’t armed, which probably didn’t raise any alarms by their standards.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the casino.

A dazzling golden glow filled my view.

…Impressive.

It was far more extravagant than anything I’d seen in the game. But then, the graphics hadn’t been that advanced. Still, the general layout of the casino seemed consistent with what I remembered.

If that was the case, the Templar Knight would likely be in a similar spot.

I quickly located the stairs and started up. Inside the luxurious, windowless building, crowded with people and devoid of clocks, I was struck by just how many wealthy people there were in the world. Given the casino’s international reputation, it made sense that the rich people from all over the world would flock here.

The duties of a bunny girl in a place like this weren’t complicated—serve drinks to the guests, gather tips.

And tips mostly went between…well, you know.

“…..”

The thought made me a bit dizzy.

Hurrying my pace, I headed up to the second floor.

And there, I quickly spotted her distinctive green hair.

Her expression was completely different from what I’d seen this morning. She wore a bright smile, and her skin seemed to sparkle, as if she’d dusted it with glitter to catch the guests’ attention. Her short bobbed hair swung with each movement, making her seem lively and energetic.

“Oh my, thank you!”

With a playful sway, she pushed her hips back and subtly leaned forward, flaunting her chest for a tip from a delighted customer. Watching her, I nearly lost my composure.

So… I’d almost ended up wandering around here in an outfit like that?

Let’s just get the information and finish this.

I walked straight toward her.

Just as she was straightening up, having accepted a tip wedged into her cleavage by a bleary-eyed, drunken man, our eyes met. For a brief moment, a look of surprise flashed across her face. Then, she flashed me a mischievous grin.

I didn’t like that grin one bit.

Still, I couldn’t just walk away without talking. After all, I hadn’t come this far for nothing.

“Sorry, honey, but I’m a devout follower of the Goddess. I’m not against same-sex relationships, but I don’t serve female customers.”

She said with a bubbly tone as I approached her without breaking eye contact.

She likely already knew who I was. After all, I had been quite disrespectful to the person who came as the Pope’s representative in Velbur. Plus, I had ruined their plans.

The word of my presence must’ve circulated well in advance.

“…..”

Without a word, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a check, carefully unfolding it to reveal the 30-pound sum, then promptly tucked it into her cleavage. I was careful not to let my fingers brush against her chest.

…Not that it would’ve mattered if they did, but still, it just felt… inappropriate.

“…”

Seeing the check suddenly slipped between her breasts, the green-haired woman blinked a few times, then looked up at me with a broad smile. But her eyes, veiled by her mask, held no trace of amusement.

“Well, since you’ve been so generous, I guess I can’t just let you walk away without a word! Shall we go somewhere more private?”

I nodded silently, and with a pleased expression, she turned and began walking.

Without hesitation, I followed close behind.

Chapter 94 : A Woman with a Story

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 94

EP.94 A Woman with a Story (4)

“Hah, seriously.”

There were few people on the terrace. No, to be precise, it seemed deliberately arranged that way. Unlike the casino below, which had no windows, just two floors up, I found a grand ballroom lined with large windows. The building extended several more stories above us—probably leading up to the hotel section. Though the Northwood Castle, where the academy students stayed, held an almost immeasurable value, I suspected that even if they charged guests, it would fetch a lower rate than this extravagant venue.

“You know, as a truly devout follower of the Goddess, I can tolerate a little touching, but going all the way? No way. Should I strip here just to show you?”

She playfully drew the terrace curtain closed and spoke in a teasing tone.

From here, I could see other terraces where men and women were engaging in such acts. Mostly, it was just people sitting on laps and groping each other.

Maybe this terrace was meant as a… staging area, before things got more intense.

Though the area was open, the distance between terraces was quite far, and while there was light coming up from below, it was high enough that identifying faces from a distance would be difficult.

“……”

Without responding, I walked over to the guest sofa and took a seat, crossing my legs. Then, I gave her a steady, unwavering stare as she flirtatiously tucked her hand beside her chest.

“……”

“……”

“W-what? You actually want me to strip?”

She asked, flustered by my silent stare.

“If that service comes included with the 30 pounds I paid.”

When I said that, she hesitated for a moment before flashing a bold smile.

“Didn’t expect Her Highness to have such… tastes.”

“If you can’t do that, then consider it a payment for information.”

“So… you came here knowing where I’m from?”

“Of course. Lady Veratti.”

At my words, her face hardened.

“I came here to find out why Lady Chiara Verratti is here in such a place.”

“And you didn’t already know?”

“To be precise, I’m here to confirm what I already suspect.”

“So, you came here fully informed, then?”

With a resigned expression, Chiara Verratti dropped her hand, which had been inching toward her clothing, letting it fall to her side.

“The Vatican had a reason for telling me to be careful, I guess.”

“Even if you’d exercised caution, it wouldn’t have hidden the truth from me.”

At my words, Chiara Verratti shrugged.

“Well, if you say so.”

She looked around briefly before returning her gaze to me.

“But if you think this pocket change will buy you any real secrets…”

“I know. But you don’t need to worry—the ‘classified information’ your people think they’re guarding is already in my mind. Once again, that payment was just to confirm details.”

“So you’re saying you’re fine with spilling whatever you know?”

Chiara Verratti asked, looking both incredulous and suspicious. I held my gaze steady, unchanging.

Of course.

After all, I planned to confirm what I needed and then reset time.

“If necessary, I could even share some information myself.”

“You’re proposing an exchange of information? You, with me?”

She asked, her surprise evident.

“Does that seem strange?”

“Of course it does. Considering your attitude at last year’s event.”

She replied, raising a brow.

Was she there?

Well, it wouldn’t be surprising if she was. She could have been one of the nuns that accompanied the Cardinal. Back then, I hadn’t even spared a second thought.

“I’m just acting in the Empire’s best interest right now. At that time, I thought forming alliances outside the Empire would harm it. There were no personal feelings involved.”

The truth was, personal feelings had driven that decision, but there was no need to tell that to this Templar Knight.

“And if I do give up my information, what exactly would you give me in return? Just so you know, this check…”

Chiara Verratti withdrew the check from between her fingers, letting it dangle for a moment.

“…are worth less than a handful compared to the entire Papal State—”

“I will tell you the contents of the Book of Prophecy the Empire possesses.”

I replied calmly.

Her words stopped.

The Book of Prophecy was one of the treasures the Papal State coveted. They hadn’t done anything because they had no way to retrieve the book from the deepest part of the Imperial Palace, but if they had a way, they would have forcibly taken it. They believed that all treasures left by the Goddess should be managed by her successors, the fanatics. And the prophecy book’s value lay in its contents, not the book itself. Chiara Verratti, standing before me, knew this well.

“…If you’re lying…”

“Then everything I say from now on will be worthless to the Papal State. It will be less valuable than the 30-pound check in your hand.”

“……”

Despite downplaying the value of the money, she’d led me all the way here for a reason. It would’ve looked strange for a bunny girl to turn down such a large sum. Perhaps she was thinking of her options—whether she might cross a line or simply keep me entertained for now. Either way, she knew I was a princess and had decided it was worth talking.

“Fine.”

After a long, conflicted silence, Chiara Verratti spoke, taking a seat. The terrace seating wasn’t meant for facing each other directly. The chairs curved in a semicircle around the terrace edge, so she sat at the far end, a comfortable distance from me. It was close enough to observe each other’s expressions clearly, though. Though it was a stark scene without a drink, I didn’t feel like getting friendly, so I began to speak.

“First, let’s talk about your identity. Your name is Chiara Verratti. A nun of the Saint Antonio Monastery and one of the four Templar Knights, armed with the sacred spear. You’ve come here to ‘reclaim’ a relic from the ruins of Northwood. Is that correct?”

“The Empire knows about the relic?”

“At least, I know.”

I replied.

If there had been tea on the table, I would have taken a slow sip.

“It’s a fragment of an ancient weapon. Located not far from where this casino now stands. Am I wrong?”

From ages long before this world had taken its current shape, a civilization had existed in the world before everything collapsed. Out of all its structures and artifacts, only a select few had survived the great upheaval intact. The Papal State labeled these places and items as ruins and relics, stirring up interest as “divine treasures” and investigating them in secret wherever they could. To avoid discovery, they often shifted blame for their actions onto others—sometimes bandits, other times a sudden monster attack, an unlucky natural disaster, or occasionally, a so-called “warlord.”

“……”

There was no verbal answer, but I knew beyond a doubt that the events unfolding here were closely aligned with the main story.

“If you won’t answer, then there’s no prophecy.”

“…Fine.”

Chiara Verratti spoke through gritted teeth.

In truth, there was no reason for her to be so angry. The moment I displayed my knowledge of their plans, the Papal State’s entire scheme had already begun to unravel, and any chance of success had all but vanished. Rather than denying the inevitable, accepting it and gaining something in return would be a wiser choice.

In that sense, my offer was indeed a generous one.

“Impressive. Truly fitting for the next Empress of the Empire.”

“I’m not the next Emperor.”

Though her tone wasn’t mocking, I corrected her admiring words.

“So, you left that other princess trailing after us? Because the next Emperor you’ll serve has to know the full story?”

She gave me a knowing look.

…Someone else following us?

“Are you trying to mess with me?”

When I didn’t respond, Chiara Verratti’s irritation was evident. She stood up, strode to the terrace entrance, and pulled back the curtain before I could stop her.

“…Ah.”

I could see them clearly now, the group behind the curtain. Claire, dressed lightly like me, and Leo, seemingly following Claire, and in front of them…

Alice.

Alice in a sky-blue bunny girl outfit.

“……”

Alice and I locked eyes silently.

Alice should have been shocked by the prophecy and other things I mentioned, but… she looked far more embarrassed about being seen by me in such a revealing outfit.

I sighed deeply, realizing what I had to do.

Again.

Chapter 95 : Proof

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 95

EP.95 Proof (1)

Lately, I’d been feeling constantly reminded that the world doesn’t revolve around me. Even if I try to avoid unpleasant situations by bypassing certain stories, the characters continue to act on their own, following the paths they were set upon.

Just as Alice had felt provoked by Claire’s involvement with her in the original storyline and infiltrated the casino dressed as a bunny girl, this time too, Alice had been driven to do the same—motivated by Bella. That conversation with Bella yesterday must have stirred something deep within her. Bella, after all, embodied the perfect image of a “woman with a story”: someone who once had dreams but was now weighed down by harsh realities. If I hadn’t known better, I’d probably have been deceived myself.

Bella’s reason for approaching us then must have partly been to provoke me—and, perhaps, to tease Alice while she was at it. Her plan worked perfectly: I’d charged straight ahead, ignoring the usual steps, and Alice had taken it upon herself to put on a bunny outfit and infiltrate the casino. As for who provided her with the outfit, that didn’t even require a second thought. It had to be Bella.

Bang!

“Huh!”

As I barged into the room, Alice, holding a piece of blue fabric, gasped. She hadn’t even put on the stockings yet.

“Were you planning to leave here dressed like that?”

“What, w-what!?”

My direct question caught Alice off guard; she seemed ready to deny it but then looked down at the outfit in her hands and quickly hid it behind her back. I stepped fully into Alice’s room and closed the door.

“Walking out like that would draw far too much attention.”

“I—I know that!”

She finally admitted, sighing as if she’d given up on hiding the truth.

Her hands drooped, and the fabric and stockings slipped toward the floor. A glance around the room revealed a mask and bunny-ear headband lying on the desk.

“I was just going to wear it under my clothes and remove the outer layer when I got there…”

“……”

But she couldn’t hold up under my silent gaze. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head, looking strangely defeated.

I thought the confidence I had instilled in her since childhood had made Alice much more self-assured than in the original story, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

I held back a sigh, worried that showing any reaction might crush her self-esteem even further.

“Let’s sit down and talk first.”

I said, gesturing to the bed.

“Once we’ve discussed this, you can decide if you still want to go through with it.”

“…Okay.”

Without any resistance, Alice took a seat on the bed. She probably realized, even to herself, that her plan wasn’t exactly fitting for a princess.

Watching her sink onto the bed, I turned toward a nearby chair, but then thought better of it. Instead, I sat down beside her.

Of course, I didn’t sit close enough for our bodies to touch. I left a bit of space, enough to feel near but not too distant.

“First, please explain why you were planning to go out in that outfit.”

I said, looking at Alice’s hands.

She started to turn toward me, attempting some sort of excuse.

“Well, it’s not like I was going to actually go out dressed like—”

But she stopped when she met my eyes, falling silent.

“It’s just… it felt like I wasn’t doing anything.”

She finally admitted, after muttering a bit.

“Not doing anything?”

“When we went on the field training in Winterfield, I was just completing requests with my friends, nice and easy, wasn’t I?”

“You did exactly what was expected of you as a student.”

“But… you, on the other hand, were out there accomplishing incredible feats. Enough that no one would’ve questioned awarding you a medal right then and there.”

“……”

That… was true. While my actions hadn’t directly affected the mission goals and could’ve easily cost me points, the merit of what I’d done had been too significant to ignore. Jennifer had given me full marks, acknowledging the value of my achievements. And receiving a medal wasn’t out of the question, either.

“What I did was simply what I was meant to do—”

“What you were meant to do?”

Alice interrupted, her voice pressing.

“What exactly is that?”

She continued.

“As a princess, the same as me, what’s your duty?”

“……”

Alice was staring straight at me. Although we were sitting side by side, she had turned her body toward me, looking at me with a strange intensity.

I had felt this atmosphere once before. When I was accepted into the Academy, the Emperor had initially planned to send me to the northern battlefront instead. But Alice had been furious, storming into my room, finding the morphine hidden away, and then confronting the Emperor herself to make sure I was sent to the Academy.

That same energy was radiating from her now.

“Father… doesn’t distinguish between you and me, or between Bella and me, or Lucas and Jayden. You know that.”

Alice said, clenching her fist tightly, the fabric crumpling in her grip.

“But when he heard you say that you considered me the next Emperor, he didn’t object. Not because he believes in my abilities, but because he trusts you more. Isn’t that right?”

Was that the kind of conversation I had with the Emperor back then?

…Indeed, seeing how the Emperor treated me, he might have prioritized my judgment over Alice’s will.

“Let me ask you something. Last year, I thought it was just because you acknowledged me, so I didn’t think much about it… but why do you think I should be the next Emperor?”

“……”

“What did you see in me to think I should be the next Emperor? My abilities? My character? Or was it just my bloodline? Or my usefulness? Do you think I will do something beneficial for you in the future?”

What did I see in Alice to think, ‘I will make her the Emperor’?

The answer was simple, almost embarrassingly so. I liked Alice.

It wasn’t just Alice. I felt the same way about Chronicles of Aetherna and every other character who had been part of the original story. I liked them all.

The kindness I showed Alice was no different from the warmth I showed Claire. They were characters I’d adored even before arriving in this world.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say I didn’t feel a thrill the first time we met.

I had been caught up in urgent matters, facing enemies and considering numerous factors, which made it difficult to focus on everything else. However, the first feeling I had when I met Alice was simple: “I was happy.”

When I met Claire, I was scared. I knew if I stayed there, I would eventually face the same fate that Claire had in the original story. When I met Alice, while I felt joy at meeting her, I was also afraid of the Emperor and annoyed by Lucas, who constantly harassed me.

Yet, despite all that, the excitement of being part of the story couldn’t be completely erased. The reason I was so active within that world was because I truly wanted those characters to survive.

“……”

But strangely, I couldn’t just say “because I like it.” Even though I thought there was no harm in saying it—just saying it, and then being able to retract it if I felt embarrassed—it still felt like something I shouldn’t do.

“There you go.”

However, Alice seemed to interpret my silence differently. Instead of looking disappointed or sad, she wore an expression of relief, as if she felt unburdened.

I didn’t understand that expression, and it confused me.

“Then, let me prove it.”

Alice said, looking at me with a determined expression.

“I’ll prove that I have the ability to sit on the throne. I’m not just someone who needs your protection, but someone worthy of protecting you.”

“……”

“I’m not just someone who claims to be your sister, but someone who can truly stand by you as your sister. I want the chance to prove that.”

“……I…”

“Yeah, maybe you already know everything. I get that this might sound forced. That it’s not something a sister should say. But….”

Alice tightened her fist, holding it with determination.

“But… I want to do it.”

She just wanted to do it, because she wanted to.

If I looked deeper into it, I would realize that this was just a selfish request, without much logic behind it, a request for personal satisfaction.

But—

“…Alright.”

In the end, I realized I was moving with the same mindset.

“Instead, I’ll accompany you. Your Highness… no, Alice, you can move as you see fit. I’ll follow and help when necessary.”

“That’s….”

“The Emperor doesn’t act alone. It’s fine to have someone to command.”

If she was going to do something, I hoped it would be within my sight.

It’s an important event, after all.

“……”

Alice just stared at me, her expression blank.

It was understandable. At this moment, unlike usual, I wasn’t carefully controlling my expression.

Chapter 96 : Proof

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 96

EP.96 Proof (2)

“What’s got you so deep in thought?”

Claire’s question made Leo flinch, his shoulders jerking in surprise.

“Oh, it’s you?”

Realizing it was Claire who had spoken, Leo sighed in relief.

“What’s with that relieved expression? It’s so annoying.”

Claire grumbled, catching on to the fact that he wasn’t seeing her as a woman. Not that Claire saw Leo as a man, either, so there was no real reason for either of them to be annoyed by it. Still, it was somehow… annoying.

Leo thought to himself that he wasn’t quite sure what he was even thinking.

It was late at night. The weather outside was finally starting to reach bearable temperatures. Although Northwood lay south of the capital, the climate here was a bit warmer even on nights like this. The name Northwood was a holdover from the time when it was a separate kingdom. Now, though, it had been fully absorbed into the Empire, with no trace of its former status as a kingdom.

“So, why are you here?”

“Why? Can’t I take a stroll too?”

Claire’s response held a hint of something on her mind, though. Before Leo could ask what was bothering her, Claire flashed him a teasing smirk.

“Why, are you still thinking about those breasts?”

“……”

Leo shot her a glare, but Claire only shrugged, completely unfazed.

“It’s not that. I just feel bad for Bella, seeing her in that situation. There are probably a lot of people like her here.”

“That’s…”

However, Claire couldn’t continue teasing Leo after he said that. Leo knew some of Claire’s past. On the night Claire was sold off, Sylvia had helped the children escape from the orphanage, allowing Claire and the children to be safely taken in by the Grace family. Sylvia, meanwhile, had somehow ended up in the imperial palace.

Hearing that story, Leo had wondered if Sylvia had been part of the imperial family from the beginning… But even if Sylvia was older, she couldn’t have been more than two years older than Claire. Even if Sylvia was seven at the time, it seemed unlikely that the imperial family would use a seven-year-old as an agent, no matter how capable she was.

“Hmm.”

Claire folded her arms and closed her eyes, as if in thought. She stayed like that, head bowed as if contemplating something, then suddenly looked up.

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

Leo echoed, unable to follow her line of thought.

“Let’s go to the casino.”

“Huh?”

He could only stare, not quite able to catch up with her logic.

“You’re worried about Bella, aren’t you? Honestly, I’m worried too.”

Claire shrugged again, speaking lightly.

Leo looked at her, mouth slightly agape, as Claire scratched the side of her head.

“Yeah, maybe it’s just meddling. Everyone here probably has their own story. But still…”

She gave Leo a bright smile.

“…we can’t just pass by someone in trouble right in front of us. We’re Grace, after all.”

“Even if you can’t save everyone, don’t ignore those in need right in front of you.”

Leo murmured, repeating the Grace family’s motto.

“It’s thanks to that motto that I’m here today.”

Claire said with a refreshing smile.

*

…I feel incredibly exposed.

I had thought I was making a grand entrance with Alice by my side, spouting cool lines and all, but maybe I should’ve tried different approach.

Parts of my body that usually only saw the light of day when I changed clothes or showered were suddenly on full display. The black fabric covered most of my torso, yet only about half of it. It barely shielded the area just below my chest, leaving the pale skin above in plain view.

At least I hadn’t gone as far as Chiara Verratti, who’d dusted her chest with some kind of glitter.

“…Don’t go too far, alright?”

“Don’t worry. I’m right behind you.”

Alice replied reassuringly.

Despite confidently declaring that she would prove herself as a worthy princess, Alice seemed incredibly embarrassed by her outfit. Alice usually dressed very neatly, given that she was surrounded by nobles. In my memory, Claire wasn’t a character who dressed so neatly. Though to be fair, thinking back to her in the game, Claire was definitely… well-endowed. Larger than she looked, at the very least. And Alice was no different in that respect.

The game developers had gone to meticulous lengths on the character models, even if they skimped on background textures and recycled character motions. Each character’s chest was carefully modeled to distinct sizes, especially in outfits like this bunny-girl. They’d even sculpted the pressed flesh with such dedication that some players jokingly labeled the developers as perverts.

Then again, omitting such attention to detail in a character game would have been almost disrespectful.

Whoever on the dev team decided to dress Alice in a sky-blue bunny outfit certainly knew what they were doing. Alice’s golden hair looked perfect against the pale blue, not too flashy but striking just enough. The faintly visible skin through her stockings paired beautifully with it.

And the bashful expression that peeked out from beneath her white half-mask was practically magnetic, drawing everyone’s gaze.

…I couldn’t understand how I hadn’t noticed her before turning back time.

To put it bluntly—

Well, let’s just say, I hadn’t realized my own, er… my chest—Sylvia Fangriffon’s chest—was no less impressive than Alice’s. I was used to seeing it often enough, but somehow, this outfit, with its upward lift, reshaped the silhouette, making it seem far more prominent than usual.

Whistle—

Someone nearby whistled at us, but we didn’t pay them any mind.

Nothing strange about that, either. Many people here liked acting high and mighty until they were put in their place, and some folks probably took pleasure in knocking them down a peg or two.

“Let me remind you one more time—if anyone tries to touch you—”

“—I know, I know, kick them where it counts. You’ve told me enough times.”

If any guards ran over, all we’d have to do is reveal our identities. No one would dare lay a hand on the princess, after all. Though, honestly, it would be safer to reset the time and give Alice a chance to take a different route.

“Don’t worry, I have the information. I don’t plan on wasting time.”

It seemed Bella had given her some hints.

“Hey, over here—”

As I carefully followed behind Alice, trying not to bump into people, someone called out. A hand raised high in the crowd held a few bills between its fingers.

Of course, we ignored it and kept walking—

“Hey, you’re just going to ignore me?”

Right, in situations like this, there had to be someone like this.

It’s such a cliché.

We could hear the sound of someone getting up behind us, clearly annoyed that we had ignored them.

I wasn’t sure what he expected us to serve when we weren’t even carrying drinks… or maybe he just wanted us to sit on his lap for a bit of fun. He was shorter than both of us, even with us in high heels, but he had a bulky, rough appearance.

“Let’s go.”

Alice had heard him, too, but she simply grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. It was reassuring, but trying to speed up in heels she wasn’t used to wearing didn’t exactly make for a fast escape.

“Hey, you! Didn’t you hear me? I said I like you.”

Suddenly, I felt a rough hand grab mine.

It would have been great if I could just pull away, but with Alice holding my other wrist, I ended up awkwardly spread out between them, unable to move.

…Getting tugged on both sides like this in an outfit like mine was beyond embarrassing.

Caught in the moment, my mind started to go blank—

“Hey, you.”

Unsurprisingly, another cliché scene unfolded.

“Let go of her hand.”

“Huh? And who the hell are you—argh!”

Despite her appearance, Claire had an incredibly strong grip. And she looked a bit angry.

It was a look I’d seen a few times in the game, but seeing it in person was much more intimidating. The man’s hand dropped from my wrist.

“…You don’t need a man to escort you, right?”

Before Alice or I could react, Claire pulled out a bill from her pocket and slipped it between my breasts.

…The fact that she managed to do that without actually touching me was, in a way, quite impressive.

“Princess… Alice, this way.”

Leo, who was almost always at Claire’s side, appeared next to Alice, bringing his hand near her waist—close enough to guide her but not quite touching. He gently pulled Alice toward him.

Oh, so, that explains why Alice, Leo, and Claire all showed up at once.

As I let Claire pull me along, I braced myself to avoid any more embarrassment, piecing things together in my mind.

Chapter 97 : Proof

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 97

EP.97 Proof (3)

Claire was far more intimidating than I had expected, while Leo was considerably more gentlemanly than I’d thought.

Well, I’d seen enough of Leo’s personality in the original story. That infuriating harem-protagonist quality he had—a courteous restraint that perfectly matched the gentlemanly ideals of this era. He’d never touch a lady without permission, and even when he needed to, he did it as gently as possible.

As for Alice, I could only see the back of her head as she walked ahead of me, but the glimpses of her ears poking out, flushed red, made it clear that she was on the verge of dying from embarrassment. Every time she and Leo passed by, envious glances from men trailed after them.

Of course, even if someone ran after a bunny girl out of desire, it was unlikely to be out of any genuine love. They were typically interested because the men here reeked of wealth, and although those men knew this perfectly well, few would refuse such a ‘service’ from a bunny girl.

On the other hand, despite Alice’s face being half-hidden by a mask, her visible embarrassment was almost painfully sincere. It was not the look of an experienced, worldly servant who’d been through the wringer, but rather the unguarded innocence of someone young and sheltered. Leo, with his youthful, attractive looks befitting the game’s protagonist, only made Alice’s reaction seem all the more genuine.

To anyone watching, they probably looked like a scene out of a fantasy novel: a “bashful maiden who’d fallen for a gallant young gentleman.” Yeah, from a guy’s perspective, it might be envy-worthy. Even if, technically, they were both underage. Meanwhile, I seemed to be attracting more attention from the women around. Most likely, it was out of pity.

While most of the men walked around with their faces bare, the women nearly all concealed their faces with fans or half-masks like the bunny girls. Gambling wasn’t strictly forbidden for women, but it wasn’t exactly encouraged either.

And even through those masks, I could feel their sympathetic gazes.

Unlike Leo, who didn’t lay a hand on Alice while guiding her, Claire was firmly gripping my wrist and pulling me along. Moreover, while Alice’s chest was clean and empty, my chest had something wedged in it that anyone could see as ‘payment.’

People vary, but yes, there are homosexuals in this world too. Men who prefer men, and women who prefer women. And just as some wealthy men are willing to pay high sums for the attention of certain female servants, there are also women who pay a lot of money for the company of the bunny girls. Perhaps, most of the women who looked at me with pity were thinking the same thing.

…Should I reset the time?

Should I just go back to the beginning and try to convince Alice again?

As I walked, being pulled along by Claire, I seriously considered it, but eventually gave up on the idea.

Yeah. Well.

I came along because Alice wanted it so much. I knew it would be embarrassing from the start, so who could I blame?

Resigning myself to fate, I decided to follow Claire without a second thought. Thankfully, this sort of empty, Zen-like state of mind was great for keeping a blank expression.

*

“So, you came all the way here like that just to gather information?”

Claire asked in disbelief, making Alice’s face flush an even deeper red.

We were standing in a secluded corner of the building. Claire and Leo had dragged us into a quiet hallway where few other guests wandered, and now the two of them stood before us, arms crossed.

Claire, bold as ever, wasn’t even wearing a mask.

I, however, didn’t dare point that out—not because I was scared of her, but because the sheer embarrassment of the situation was crushing me. If I tried to speak now, I was certain my voice would crack.

Alice and I had removed our masks and now held them in our hands. I was making an immense effort not to fidget with the black half-mask in my grasp, while Alice, unable to meet anyone’s gaze, was already nervously fiddling with her white half-mask.

“…Someone who might have the information we need infiltrated this place as a servant.” Alice finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Claire sighed, dragging a hand down her face.

“Was it really necessary to infiltrate dressed like that? You could have entered as a guest, like us.”

“……”

Now this was interesting.

In the original story, the reason Alice ended up in the bunny girl outfit was mostly because of Claire.

Claire had once said something along the lines of, “I’m out here risking my neck in the field, and all you do is sit around.” That remark had infuriated Alice, pushing her to impulsively infiltrate the casino in the exact same way as Claire.

But here? It wasn’t Claire who provoked her—it was Bella. In a way, it was a sign that Alice was beginning to truly acknowledge Bella as her sister. Seeing Bella, a fellow imperial princess, actively working on-site must have made Alice feel that she, as another princess, couldn’t just stay behind the scenes. It was eerily reminiscent of the feelings Alice harbored toward Claire in the original story. In a sense, Alice was still remarkably consistent.

“Say something, will you?”

Claire said suddenly, turning to Leo.

“Uh, me?”

Leo, who had been avoiding looking at us by counting the lights on the ceiling, flinched at being addressed. He glanced toward Claire, then hesitated, briefly turning his eyes in our direction before swiftly returning his gaze to its original spot.

“……”

Claire sighed again, dragging a hand over her face once more.

In the original story, Leo hadn’t recognized Alice immediately during their “first meeting” in this setting. It had taken him until the second night to grow suspicious after noticing her absence from evening briefings, at which point he’d gone searching for her. So, really, his awkward reaction wasn’t all that strange.

“And you.”

“…Yes?”

I reluctantly turned my eyes to meet Claire’s fiery gaze, which seemed to burn with barely contained frustration.

“Why are you dressed like that?”

Hmm.

Something about the atmosphere suggested that responding with, “Why shouldn’t I?” would be an incredibly bad idea.

As I’d been dragged along by Claire earlier, I’d already spent some time pondering why she was so furious.

The orphanage where Claire and I had grown up had been that sort of place. She might not have known back then, but through investigating while looking for me, she must have found out later on. So, to be blunt, seeing me in attire suggestive of a profession that “sold one’s body” would not have sat well with her.

“It’s my fault.”

Before I could make any excuses, Alice spoke up first.

“I was the one who insisted on infiltrating this place. So… she only dressed like this to protect me.”

“Well, be that as it may.”

Fortunately, Claire seemed to understand. Alice was one of the few people who knew me well enough to read my expression, and Claire, having observed us closely, must have seen the truth in Alice’s words.

“Then where did you even get those outfits?”

“Well, that’s…”

This time, Alice fell silent, unable to answer.

The one who had meticulously prepared these bunny girl outfit for us was none other than Bella. She’d nudged us into wearing them, only to disappear without a trace—no doubt hoping to enjoy watching the spectacle from afar.

Now that I thought about it, even before I’d turned back time, I hadn’t seen much of her. Judging by how close she had gotten to Chiara Verratti, Bella had likely been lurking nearby… quietly observing us.

…Could she be leisurely watching us from afar?

“So, what brings you here all of a sudden?”

Alice asked Claire, her tone a bit more direct now that the question was directed elsewhere.

“And, Claire, why aren’t you wearing a mask?”

“What?”

Claire, who had been so confident moments ago, suddenly looked caught off guard.

“Before that, answer my—”

“Outfits like these are easy enough to find. Honestly, do you think anyone here working in this kind of attire would openly disclose their past with pride?”

“……”

“If I wanted to work here, all I’d need to do is put on an outfit like this. Nobody handing out these costumes cares who I am, and they’d never guess I was a princess. They’d just think I resemble one.”

Though her explanation was a bit forced, it wasn’t entirely implausible. Who would ever think that someone claiming to work here as a servant could actually be a princess? They’d dismiss it as a coincidence, finding the resemblance interesting at most.

“Alright then, satisfied? So now explain yourself. Leo might not need to, but—”

At Alice’s words, Leo looked a bit hurt, but she ignored his reaction and pressed on, addressing Claire.

“—but why are you, a woman, wandering around here without even covering your face? And what was that earlier, shoving money down Sylvia’s chest like it was nothing?”

“……”

At that, I glanced down, realizing there were still a few pound notes wedged between my breasts. I quickly moved to pull the bills out, intending to return them to Claire, but stopped. Considering how damp and warm these bills were, handing them back now would be rather awkward, wouldn’t it?

And then Claire, too, wore a complicated expression.

Chapter 98 : Proof

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 98

EP.98 Proof (4)

“…It was because of Bella.”

At Claire’s words, Alice and I exchanged a quick glance.

Could it be that Leo and Claire were starting to suspect Bella’s true identity? I had thought Bella’s performance was flawless.

“Well, this might seem intrusive, but when we met Bella yesterday, we felt… something. We wanted to help her.”

It seemed Bella’s act had worked a little too well.

I could feel the tension ease slightly from Alice’s shoulders, which had been rigid moments ago.

“But we couldn’t find Bella, and somehow, our attention landed on you two instead.”

“Impressive that you recognized us.”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t?”

Claire smirked as she glanced my way. It seemed she was confident she could identify me without fail—Alice might have been trickier, but I apparently wasn’t.

No, thinking back to before I turned back time, when Alice, Claire, and Leo had all burst into the scene together, Claire must have recognized Alice right away. While Leo had hesitated and dismissed the thought with an “it couldn’t be,” Claire had likely been more direct.

“……”

The conversation paused briefly. There wasn’t any particular reason—it was just that a passing bunny girl had walked down the corridor. She glanced at Alice and me, our faces now exposed without masks, but didn’t seem too concerned and continued on her way. She’d probably noticed the pound notes still in my hand.

Wearing a mask wasn’t mandatory, but people in such outfits usually didn’t want to show their faces. If someone was paying them, though, revealing one’s face wasn’t out of the question.

“So, what’s your plan now?”

Claire spoke again, waiting until the woman had moved far enough away that her voice wouldn’t carry.

“…Even if I asked you to leave, you wouldn’t, right?”

“That’s right.”

Claire nodded at Alice’s words. Then shifted her gaze to Leo. He caught her look and returned a serious nod of his own.

“Sigh.”

Though Alice let out a deep sigh, she didn’t seem particularly annoyed.

“In that case, will you cooperate with me?”

At Alice’s proposal, Claire and Leo briefly exchanged glances before turning back to us and nodding.

“Fine.”

“With pleasure.”

Hearing their responses, Alice nodded in satisfaction.

“Good. The two of you aren’t just skilled—you’re Graces, after all.”

Then, she continued, her tone more resolute.

“According to the information I’ve gathered, there’s a spy hiding here.”

“A spy?”

At the word spy, Claire’s expression immediately grew more serious. The same went for Leo. Just moments ago, he had been too flustered to look at us directly, but now his gaze was fixed firmly on us.

Indeed, the Grace family. One of the Emperor’s most loyal houses.

“Yeah. But I’m not entirely sure what this spy is trying to accomplish. Considering their nationality, though, it’s probably related to the relics.”

Alice had arrived at a conclusion strikingly close to the truth, even though Bella hadn’t provided such detailed information. Then again, if one understood how the Papal State operated, the deduction wasn’t too difficult. The Empire’s intelligence agency wasn’t entirely clueless, after all.

“Relics?”

Claire and Leo, who didn’t have access to such sensitive information, looked understandably puzzled.

“…I’ll explain in detail later. For now, our priority is capturing the informant.”

“Do you know who they are?”

“Yes.”

Alice nodded confidently, her eyes burning with determination.

“I saw them just a moment ago. If we hurry, they might still be here. Leo, there’s something I need you to do.”

Leo blinked at Alice’s sudden call. Before he could respond, Alice snatched the pound notes still in my hand and pressed the now-cool bills into Leo’s palm.

“…I’ll be borrowing this.”

She glanced at Claire as she spoke. Claire seemed to understand what Alice meant and nodded silently.

…Hmm.

I understood the implication, but the thought that the money had been tucked into my chest earlier made me feel uneasy.

*

After that, the situation unfolded similarly to when I first arrived here.

In the original story, it was never clearly mentioned what Alice had been doing when Leo encountered her for the first time. Judging from how the subsequent narrative played out, she probably hadn’t achieved much.

But this time, there were more people to help. Particularly Leo, whose conspicuous maleness stood out in this setting.

“How about a drink?”

“…Shut up.”

Claire asked Leo, who was visibly tense, in a low voice. Unlike earlier, Claire was now wearing a mask. Not one she had acquired legitimately—apparently, she had swiped it after spotting someone drop it while stumbling around drunk.

Wearing the mask and unbuttoning a few buttons of her uniform to appear slightly more disheveled, Claire somehow managed to evoke a slight resemblance to her original counterpart in the story. Of course, her inherent sincerity couldn’t be completely hidden, so it was only a slight resemblance. Unless she let her hair down, that vibe would never fully manifest.

“There she is.”

“Oh, that person…”

Bunny girl Alice, now calm and composed with her mask back on, pointed to Chiara Verratti, and Claire muttered in surprise.

It was understandable. For someone with such a rough-looking first impression to turn out to be a member of the Knights Templar would be shocking to anyone unaware of the truth. Especially since the women in the Knights Templar were also nuns.

No one would expect someone like that to be dressed in a bunny girl outfit, glitter dusting her chest for added effect.

In that sense, the Papal State had picked the perfect person for the role. No other zealot would agree to such a position, but someone merely pretending to be devout would gladly take it. If it meant risking their life for the cause, they’d probably take on the job even more enthusiastically.

“……”

Believing this was Alice’s operation to lead, I stayed silent. After all, the only reason I’d agreed to endure being dressed like a bunny girl was to support Alice and follow her lead.

Well, at least we managed to identify the right person.

It’s reassuring that the Empire’s intelligence agency isn’t entirely incompetent. Or maybe Bella is just that skilled.

“What do you think? Can you do it?”

At Alice’s question, Leo—though his face was stiff with tension—nodded.

“Alright, then…”

Alice moved a little farther from Leo. I positioned myself a bit away from Alice, though close enough to rush to her side if necessary. Meanwhile, Claire stuck close to me.

…

Hmm.

It was an odd feeling.

Claire seemed intent on protecting me, and that left me feeling strangely unsettled. No matter how I looked at it, this kid—who felt significantly younger than me—trying to protect me was… well, strange.

Focus.

There’s a task at hand. I can deal with the unease later, all at once.

If things fail, I can always reset the time.

But why?

For some reason, I didn’t feel like resetting this moment. Even if Leo or one of us were to make a mistake.

With that lingering thought, I watched nervously as Leo awkwardly advanced, his right arm and leg moving forward simultaneously.

*

In the end, the operation was a success. However, Leo’s psyche seemed to have taken irreparable damage.

Imagine this: handing money to a bunny girl for her services, but your hands are trembling so much that you drop the money instead of sliding it between her chest. Then, she has to pick it up off the floor, her expression stiff as a board.

It must’ve been utterly humiliating.

I debated whether I should show him mercy by resetting time and giving him another chance. But I quickly dismissed the idea. Knowing Leo, he’d probably make the exact same mistake all over again. So I decided to let it slide.

Besides, it wasn’t entirely Leo’s fault.

The bills, having absorbed all the moisture from being tucked into my chest, were too damp to hold their shape. That was one of the reasons they couldn’t slide in smoothly. I suspect the dampness of the money also contributed to Chiara Verratti’s sour expression when she picked it up.

Still, perhaps she had already noticed our group trailing her, as she cooperated without much fuss and followed us quietly.

And so, after much maneuvering, we arrived back at the location I had visited before resetting the time.

The outfits and the one leading the conversation had changed, but the place remained the same.

“So, Your Highness, what brings you here in such an outfit?”

Chiara Verratti’s gaze briefly shifted toward me before she corrected herself.

“Or should I say, Your Highnesses?”

Chapter 99 : Proof

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 99

EP.99 Proof (5)

“Well, should I say Your Highnesses instead?”

As expected, Chiara Verratti knew our identities. Someone capable of infiltrating deep into the Empire would undoubtedly have access to such information.

Before we even had the chance to sit, she casually chose one of the terrace seats, crossed her legs, and settled in.

Her demeanor toward me was starkly different compared to when I had approached her alone.

Well, it made sense. Back then, I wasn’t wearing this kind of outfit. Instead, I’d confidently walked up to her, without hesitation, and slipped a bill between her chest.

There was nothing subtle about my actions, and I acted as if I already knew her identity. Such boldness likely left little room for her to look down on me. Even now, despite her seemingly relaxed posture, her gaze kept drifting in my direction.

If she had received a report on how I handled myself during the tripartite meeting, it would make sense why she couldn’t underestimate me.

Alice, however, seemed slightly irritated by Verratti’s frequent glances my way.

Alice took her seat—on the far end of the crescent-shaped bench directly opposite Chiara Verratti. She crossed her legs and folded her arms confidently. While this posture made her look… let’s say, a bit too bold to comfortably watch, it seemed her pride was currently outweighing her embarrassment.

I sat next to Alice, leaving a small gap between us. Claire sat on my other side, and beside her, Leo—his face visibly tense—awkwardly took his seat.

“How about you, big guy? Why don’t you come sit over here?”

Chiara Verratti said, patting the seat next to her as if to take control of the atmosphere.

“You may look a bit naive, but I don’t dislike men like you.”

“Can a knight and nun like you desire men?”

Alice retorted coldly.

“Well, the Goddess did encourage us to diligently bear children. I doubt She’d be pleased if all Her creations holed up in some corner, refusing to procreate and dying alone.”

Verratti replied with a casual shrug.

“I guess you’re not entirely wrong. But are you really keeping your vows of chastity right now? If not, wouldn’t the knight order kick you out?”

“Hah! Even if I didn’t keep my vows, do you think they’d kick me out? They’d prefer to let me eliminate the men I slept with to secure my position.”

“Killing the future head of the loyal Grace family would surely please His Majesty.”

“Who knows? Even the Empire wouldn’t rashly wage war against the Papal State, would it? The death of one noble might just get swept under the rug.”

Of course, it’s just a bluff.

The alliance between the Papal State and the Kingdom itself was born out of their shared inability to face the Empire alone. On top of that, both were wary of the Empire’s recent surge in military power and its subtle troop movements near their borders.

I glanced over at Alice.

Her expression remained utterly unchanged—not just because she was maintaining her composure, but because she understood the geopolitical situation. I had provided her with a detailed report after the meeting that day.

“Don’t spout nonsense. My father would use that as a pretext to invade the Papal State without hesitation.”

“……”

Exactly.

In war, the most important thing is justification. No matter how powerful you are, without justification, the people under you won’t follow. Whether it’s something intangible like inflated patriotism or pride in one’s nation, or something tangible like the fear that if they don’t act now to crush the enemy, they might meet the same fate—the soldiers need a “reason” to fight. An Emperor, if nothing else, would be the type to stir up the entire nation over the death of a single noble. The autonomous states, even when requesting assistance, made sure to pay a price to limit the number of Imperial troops allowed within their borders, precisely because they understood what kind of man the Emperor was.

“So? From what I’ve heard, the Emperor has both sons and daughters. If you’re thinking of using his authority to threaten me, I suggest you reconsider. A mere princess of the Empire, especially one without a designated crown prince, holds no leverage that would benefit us. Unless, of course…” Verratti smiled slyly. “Would you like me to help you become the next Emperor? If we can be on friendly terms, sharing information wouldn’t be the worst idea. After all, having a genuine friend ascend the throne could be quite advantageous.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Alice reacted immediately.

“Do I look that naive to you? The matter of imperial succession is strictly a concern of the Imperial family. Neither foreign nations nor even the parliament can meddle with that right.”

“Then this conversation is over. You’re not the next Emperor, and—”

Verratti’s gaze swept over me.

“—you don’t possess any extraordinary talents like some of the other princes or princesses. All you have is your esteemed bloodline. We have no reason to align ourselves with a mere princess. If anything, we’d be better off simply using the information we’ve gathered to take what we want and leave.”

“…So there is something you want here.”

Alice said, making me stifle a laugh. She really did seem like she’d been studying hard.

“It means there’s something you wish to take from here, doesn’t it? And judging by your actions, you haven’t managed to secure it yet. If you had, you’d have disappeared long before we caught on. I’m relieved—it means it’s not too late.”

“So what?”

Verratti shrugged nonchalantly, her expression unchanging. The back-and-forth between the two was so intense that the heads of those sitting between them turned side to side as though watching a tennis match.

“As long as I keep my mouth shut, you won’t have any clue what it is we want to take.”

Alice straightened her back. Though her legs were still crossed, she clasped her hands over her stomach in a pose strikingly reminiscent of the Emperor.

“It seems you’re under some kind of delusion”

Alice said calmly.

Her demeanor revealed nothing—no hostility, no intimidating aura.

Well, not that I would’ve sensed such things even if she had them. I wondered about the others. Did Claire or Leo feel anything from Alice? Judging by their slack-jawed expressions, at the very least, they noticed something different about her. Both of them were staring at Alice with wide eyes.

“I am a princess of the Empire, destined to become the next Emperor. I don’t care how you perceive my abilities. The fact remains that I alone carry the bloodline of the Imperial family, and I alone will inherit its legitimacy.”

Alice’s expression remained unwavering as she continued.

“And this is the Empire, not the Papal State. No matter how many forces you’ve brought with you, the best you can manage here is to operate in the shadows. There’s no way you smuggled an entire battalion of knights into our territory.”

“……”

Verratti seemed to sense something from Alice’s relaxed demeanor. As if judging Alice, Verratti stared at her, and Alice declared.

“You knew I was a princess and still dared to follow me. Or was it because you looked down on me so much that you followed me all the way here? Either way, it doesn’t matter. Thanks to you, I can cut you down without worrying about harming any civilians. And most importantly, I managed to lure you out into such an open space.”

“If you’re trying to threaten me—”

“Threaten you? Do I look that stupid?”

Alice tilted her chin slightly upward, her blue eyes glimmering brightly under the moonlight. She directed her words at Verratti, who had previously spoken of Alice as though she were a mere princess.

“This isn’t a threat; it’s a plan. A plan I devised two weeks ago when I first heard that you were here.”

Two weeks ago—that was when we were sitting in the café, gathering intel from Bella.

“From the moment you decided to follow us, you walked right into the trap. Now you have only two choices: survive and cling to your faith or attempt an escape that would be no different from suicide.”

Ah. So that’s how it all came together.

No wonder I hadn’t seen Bella earlier.

Verratti, finally grasping the situation, jumped up from her seat. But before she could fully rise, there was a sharp sound, schraaak, as the curtain tore. Something resembling a toy—a contraption with a glove at the end that would spring forward when triggered—came smashing onto the table.

Of course, it wasn’t really a toy. Each segment of the unfolding mechanism was lined with deadly blades, and its movements were far too fluid to be mistaken for anything playful.

With another schraaak, the weapon retracted to its original form, transforming with a click into a single sword. Its previous appearance—like a two-sided steel saw—had now shifted into a long, slender sword.

Standing behind it was—

“Hello~”

Bella waved cheerfully at Leo and Claire. Leo stared at her in stunned silence, his mouth agape.

But there was no way they would recognize Bella.

Her face was concealed behind a fox mask, the kind you’d see at a Japanese festival. Her hair, which was naturally a different color, was now dyed black.

She wore a tight, body-hugging black outfit that revealed her silhouette while leaving no skin exposed. Her voice was high-pitched and youthful, far from her usual tone, likely altered deliberately.

Considering Bella’s anonymity was one of her greatest assets, this disguise made perfect sense.

The fox mask was undoubtedly a touch added by the creator’s preference. Here, it would be considered a souvenir from the East.

“Chiara Verratti. Baptismal name, Eliza.”

At those words, Verratti shot a glare at Alice.

“Congratulations. Meeting all the princesses of the Empire at once is an honor no one else in the Empire has ever experienced.”

Chapter 100 : Proof

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 100

EP.100 Proof (6)

“……”

“……”

After Bella took Verratti away, we sat there for a while, frozen in place. Alice, who had been tense, let out a deep sigh as if relieved, and Claire and Leo, who had been swept into an unexpected situation, still wore blank expressions.

Unable to stand the silence that had lasted for some time, Alice finally spoke up.

“Ugh, seriously!”

She shouted, spinning toward me.

“Say something!”

“What would you like me to say?”

I asked sincerely, and Alice, looking frustrated, replied.

“You know, how it was too dangerous for the princess to be there, or why we chose that strategy when it could’ve been resolved without me being there.”

“Do you want me to scold you, princess?”

“No, not like that…”

Alice looked around, blushing slightly, then added.

“Of course.”

I couldn’t help but pour cold water on Alice’s thoughts.

“Well, even if it wasn’t the princess, someone else could have done it. But with the unexpected variables, the princess could have been gravely injured, and that’s a given.”

“……”

Hearing my words, Alice’s shoulders slumped.

It was probably just me, but her white rabbit ears, still perched atop her head, seemed to droop slightly.

“However, that doesn’t change the fact that what happened today was something only the princess could have done.”

With my added words, Alice lifted her head, and her ears perked up just a little.

In reality, for a situation like this, there was no one other than Alice and me who could have made it happen.

Lucas was on the run. Well, I don’t know if he’s truly fled or if he’s just been absent for a long time, but regardless, asking someone who isn’t present to do anything is impossible. Even if he were available, Lucas’s face was well known, so Verratti would have run at the first sight of him.

Jaden was the same, unable to help for the same reason.

Bella might be able to extract information, but her face couldn’t be revealed. So, if anyone was to make the arrest, it had to be someone else. To catch Verratti in an area crowded with civilians, we’d need to lure her to a location with fewer risks to civilians.

But if Bella took care of that task herself, Verratti would recognize her. While killing her could solve the problem, that would only lead to more boundaries being drawn by the Papal State.

The last remaining sibling was in a similar situation as Bella and had already been gathering intelligence in another country.

That left just me and Alice.

I was a figure the Papal State would be extremely cautious about, so they couldn’t afford to ignore me. On the other hand, Alice was seen as insignificant, someone they’d easily try to lure.

The Papal State had directly witnessed my appointment as the Emperor’s full representative, surpassing Alice in rank. And they probably made a critical misjudgment in the process. They likely thought Alice would never ascend to the throne…

…Which, I suppose, wasn’t entirely wrong.

The current Emperor was clearly an odd individual. Although there was no blood relation, by law, the status between the princess and the prince was the same. One of them was even the commander of a knightly order, and the other was a child entrusted with full imperial power at such a young age.

Anyone who hadn’t heard the ‘personal stories’ shared by the Emperor and his children might be confused by such an arrangement.

At the very least, Alice was the perfect bait to draw attention.

Even without Alice, Verratti would have been captured, but what the Imperial family truly wanted was to sneak the information out without Northwood’s knowledge.

To extract Verratti without the Duke of Northwood finding out, things had to go smoothly. If Alice hadn’t acted as bait, it would have complicated the plan further. The Imperial family probably didn’t fully understand what the Papal State truly wanted yet.

“Good job. Bringing about results is also a skill.” I said to Alice.

“Really…?”

“Yeah. Although I’m a little bothered that you were dressed as a bunny girl the entire time you were threatening her.”

“……”

At the sound of our conversation, Claire, who had just snapped out of her daze, commented, perhaps out of jealousy, causing Alice to realize how embarrassing her outfit was. She quickly uncrossed her legs.

“Well, the other side was also dressed as a bunny girl, so it’s not a big deal!”

Still, Alice hurriedly stood up as she spoke.

*

“Yeah, there weren’t any other soldiers.”

Back in our lodgings, I discussed a few more details I couldn’t share in front of Leo and Claire.

“So, it was just a bluff, then.”

Alice said confidently, and I nodded in agreement.

Even if the Emperor’s power was immense, stationing soldiers inside Northwood was an entirely different issue. Requesting Northwood’s forces to mobilize would be an even bigger problem.

It wasn’t that there weren’t any soldiers following the orders, but having them actively moving around inside Northwood was a different matter entirely.

It was a good thing that Verratti never fully revealed the reason for her visit.

Though Leo and Claire had heard it, I doubted they’d go blabbing to others, but it was still safest if no one else heard it.

“…You actually know a lot, don’t you?”

When I didn’t respond, Alice cautiously asked me.

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Alice just made a hum of acknowledgment but didn’t push for more questions.

“You don’t seem to want to tell me how you know all this.”

Alice remarked, pointing to the small round table at the center of the large room. Four chairs surrounded it.

Even if this room was just for guests, it seemed to be well-prepared to receive them.

Well, if it were a luxury hotel, this level of readiness would be expected.

I pulled out a chair and sat down. Alice took the seat opposite me.

“If I ask you how you knew, you probably won’t tell me.”

“……”

I paused, thinking about how to respond.

“The way I find out things is my greatest talent. I can’t just go around telling people.”

“Right, I get it. We all have one or two secrets we’d rather not share.”

Although I was curious about her secrets, I decided not to ask. If it were something Alice needed to reveal, she’d tell me when the time came.

“Still, I’d like to know, even just a little.”

Alice stared at me intently. Her expression was calm, and her clear eyes gleamed brightly. It wasn’t the kind of look someone would give when they’re trying to threaten you.

She simply—

“I want to ask you not as a princess, but as your sister.”

Alice paused for a moment.

“Is the ability you have ‘prophecy’?”

“Are you referring to something like the prophecies written by those who record the royal family’s predictions?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

I could give a definite answer to that.

“Then, is it a precise calculation to predict the future?”

“No.”

Again, I could answer with certainty.

I had heard that no matter how much someone may want to, it was impossible to perfectly understand and predict the future with something like Laplace’s Demon, or through “perception” alone. In this world, at least the laws of physics would still apply the same way.

“Not calculation, not prophecy… but does that mean you can still know the future?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

Could Alice figure out my ability from this exchange?

She might, or she might not.

If it’s neither prediction nor calculation, it could only mean that I’ve experienced that future directly. And if I deny even that, it would imply that ‘things just happen as I want them to,’ which would be as if I were a god.

I didn’t think Alice would mistake me for a god, so it was likely she could still make an educated guess about my ability, even if I hadn’t directly confirmed it.

Therefore, if I had wanted to hide the truth about my abilities, it would have been better to avoid responding in this way altogether.

But for some reason, I wanted to answer like this.

It wasn’t a conclusion reached through logical thought.

I just felt like doing it.

“……Alright. I won’t ask for more details.”

Seemingly having come to a conclusion in her mind, Alice responded. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and then said,

“You’re tired, right? You’ve been with me until late tonight. You’ve worked hard.”

“No, it’s fine. I only followed because I wanted to.”

I answered with a slight bow of my head, addressing Alice’s words.

Well, even if I hadn’t followed, I had planned to go on my own.

So, Alice didn’t need to apologize to me.

If anything, it was I who nearly ruined Alice’s plan.

“If you need me again, call me.”

“……Okay.”

At my words, Alice nodded without hesitation.

Chapter 101 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 101

EP.101 Interlude

After sending Sylvia back to her room, Alice stood up and changed her clothes again. She still had the bunny girl outfit on beneath her uniform.

Once she removed her school uniform and found herself back in the rather embarrassing costume, Alice glanced at her reflection in the mirror and blushed. It was still an awkward outfit no matter how many times she saw it. She could hardly believe she had willingly decided to wear something like this.

But…

At the same time, she felt oddly relieved. It was as if she had finally vented something she’d been suppressing deep inside her for a long time. Perhaps this feeling came because she hadn’t gone to that place alone—Sylvia and some others who had unintentionally gotten involved were with her.

“…….”

It was almost as though Sylvia had known Alice would show up in this outfit. Sylvia had visited Alice’s room without batting an eye. Even though Alice had purposely avoided telling Sylvia about her plans. Yet somehow, Alice had expected Sylvia to appear. She had long believed Sylvia had some way of understanding the future.

That belief had only solidified when Sylvia returned victorious from the battlefield. How many soldiers could infiltrate enemy territory alone and return unscathed?

Just slipping through enemy lines was already a tremendous feat. The area between the frontlines—the so-called “no man’s land”—was named as such because anyone who ventured into it was killed. Even those lucky enough to survive were quickly discovered and shot dead. And yet, Sylvia had crossed that desolate, death-ridden wasteland alone and reduced the enemy’s camp to rubble. She hadn’t even sustained a scratch in the process.

To accomplish such a feat, she would have needed to grasp every detail: the enemy base’s layout, their troop placements, their weaponry, and even the trajectories of bullets. It was a level of precision beyond human comprehension. Not even Jennifer Winterfield could have achieved such a battle, and if she could have, she likely would have done so long ago.

It wasn’t hard to believe that someone like Sylvia could easily discern what Alice intended to do.

In fact, when Sylvia appeared, Alice had felt reassured.

As always, when Alice acted on impulse, Sylvia supported her. This time, Sylvia had gone a step further—she hadn’t interfered at all, as if silently giving Alice the green light to proceed. Sylvia had simply stayed by Alice’s side, creating an atmosphere where Alice could take control until the very end. Of course, if Verratti had posed any real threat, Sylvia would have stepped in immediately.

“This makes me an unqualified older sister.”

Alice muttered with a heavy sigh.

Anyone could see that Sylvia acted more like the older sibling between them.

“Still…”

A smile soon spread across Alice’s face.

She had seen Sylvia smile.

It had only been for a fleeting moment, and it had disappeared almost instantly, but Alice was certain of it—Sylvia had smiled ever so faintly.

As someone attuned to Sylvia’s subtle emotions, Alice had always known that Sylvia wasn’t some emotionless monster. But this was the first time Sylvia had smiled so openly. It was a completely natural smile, so much so that Alice had almost overlooked it entirely.

That smile made Alice think. Perhaps Sylvia’s belief in her as the next Emperor wasn’t rooted in practical reasoning. Perhaps it wasn’t because Sylvia had glimpsed some vision of the future. Maybe it was simply because Sylvia was her supporter—her fan. Or maybe, it was because Sylvia genuinely believed in her.

“‘Not precognition, nor calculation.'”

Alice murmured, recalling Sylvia’s words.

If that were the case, had Sylvia experienced the future herself?

But that seemed impossible.

Reversing time was scientifically unfeasible. Even devout followers of the Goddess Church or mystical theorists would scoff at such an idea.

If that were possible, one could erase their sins, which would mean that God’s proper judgment on human sins would be meaningless. Such a notion would be nothing short of heresy to the Goddess Church’s followers, who would undoubtedly rise in outrage at even a suggestion of it.

“No, wait.”

Alice thought, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

Perhaps, rather than accusing Sylvia of heresy, they might twist their logic to avoid deeming her a goddess—just to maintain their beliefs.

She wondered how Verratti might react to hearing such a claim. The thought amused her, and Alice couldn’t help but chuckle softly to herself as she continued changing.

*

“What do you think of my younger sisters?”

The dimly lit room could have been a safe house—or a prison. Verratti, blindfolded, had been brought to this windowless basement. While riding in the carriage, she had tried to memorize the route, but the path they took was anything but ordinary. Even if it had been a regular route, the winding and erratic movements seemed designed to throw off her sense of direction.

Still, if this place was within Northwood’s territory, Verratti believed she could find her way back.

The past several months hadn’t been wasted. She had subtly made her presence known, scoured the nearby woods, and even infiltrated the Northwood Duke’s residence multiple times without getting caught.

However, she hadn’t yet pinpointed the location of the relic she was searching for. The equipment she had brought from the Papal State had provided a general idea, but she hadn’t been able to search every potential location. The mere thought of that “equipment” sent a shiver down her spine.

The most effective way to locate the relic was by using another relic crafted in the same manner. Being fragments of the same whole, paired relics could react to each other, allowing their locations to be identified. Could her collaborators retrieve the matching relic in time?

“You seem to be deep in thought.”

A high-pitched, annoying voice asked. It sounded mocking, and Verratti glared at the speaker.

The figure’s face was entirely hidden behind a mask. Even the hair seemed to be a wig, with the ears obscured and the neck concealed by clothing. They were covered head to toe, an appearance that somehow seemed fitting for the region.

“…Yes, that’s right.”

She had already realized the operation was a failure as soon as she saw the imperial princess. If both princesses had been informed, it meant the Empire’s upper echelons were already aware.

What she hadn’t anticipated was that the seemingly insignificant princess would be the one coordinating all the others.

Even the Emperor couldn’t entirely ignore familial ties, it seemed.

“I’m not sure what delusion you’re entertaining.”

The strange woman, introduced as another imperial princess, cut into Verratti’s thoughts.

“But the Emperor’s successor hasn’t been decided yet. Sylvia could become Empress, or I could take the throne. Or, perhaps, one of the traditional imperial princes might claim it instead.”

“…….”

“Today, I only helped because I wanted to. A cute younger sister asked me for a favor. As her older sister, how could I refuse?”

“How noble of you, Your Highness.”

Verratti spat, grinding her teeth.

“Well, setting that aside, there’s only one person truly vying for the throne. But whether our father will choose to place them there? That, even we don’t know.”

“If someone unwilling to rule takes the throne, do you think the Empire would function properly?”

“The Empire has its council, doesn’t it?”

“Ridiculous.”

Verratti scoffed.

“The council is full of puppets who would never defy the Emperor’s will.”

“That’s only because the imperial authority is strong right now. If that power weakens in future generations, perhaps the council might finally find its backbone.”

“The Emperor? Well, you claim to be his daughter, so you might know the emperor’s thoughts better, but… I doubt it.”

Verratti shrugged nonchalantly, her tone dripping with mockery.

“At least from what we see in the Papal State, the Emperor is definitely not that kind of person.”

“Do you trust the Papal State’s information?”

“More than yours, certainly.”

“Impressive. I thought you became a Knights Templar just because you enjoyed killing people. Turns out you’re actually quite devout?”

“……”

Verratti fell silent, glaring at the fox mask in front of her.

“Well, you don’t have to answer. You’ll feel like talking soon enough.”

“Hah.”

For the first time since arriving here, Verratti relaxed her tense posture.

“Torture, is it?”

If it came to that, she wasn’t concerned. Pain was something she could endure, even find some twisted satisfaction in. As long as she wasn’t killed, the Papal State could always restore her body. They had the relic, after all.

So long as there was no evidence of her betrayal.

“No, no. We’re quite civilized. Or, should I say, I’m quite ‘ladylike.’”

The fox mask shrugged theatrically, adding an insipid joke.

“You seem to have a lot of theories about the Imperial Family. If you’re that curious, why not ask the person at the very top directly?”

“What—”

Before Verratti could respond, the basement door creaked open, flooding the room with blinding light.

She squinted, raising her gaze to see a figure standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the glow.

The face wasn’t clear, but Verratti recognized the imposing build immediately. She had seen that figure a few times before.

“I told you, you’d feel like talking.”

In the dim room, the fox mask seemed to hover eerily in the dark, its wearer’s black clothing blending seamlessly into the shadows.

Chapter 102 : Strategy

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 102

EP.102 Strategy (1)

“Hmm… I guess I can’t have fun in a casino after all.”

The fake Golden Sun muttered to himself.

Although there were many requests near the forest, perhaps because Leo and his party had taken all the morning requests last time, the classmates were diligently completing requests from the morning.

That didn’t mean the nearby request office couldn’t handle the workload. They simply reserved a portion of incoming assignments for the students to take on. Unlike the north, which genuinely suffered from a lack of manpower, Northwood wasn’t near any battlefields, had plenty of wealth, and, most importantly, demanded stable public order.

Unlike the period when they were taking on side quests beyond what was listed, there weren’t as many assignments available this time. As a result, they had more time to rest after completing a few reasonable tasks.

Which meant they could spend a leisurely evening like this one, sitting in a casino.

“……”

Of course, Charlotte, who had followed along, looked very displeased. Considering she didn’t come out last night either, she probably had no interest in the casino. That was fortunate—Charlotte staying in her room, just as she had in the original story, gave them some peace of mind while they were at the casino.

Jake, who had already lost money twice at card games, returned to the railing where they were leaning. As he approached, Charlotte finally broke her silence.

“The very idea of winning money at a place like this is foolish. The people running the casino aren’t idiots. They wouldn’t operate this place if it didn’t guarantee profit.”

This wasn’t a shady place that used tricks to cheat customers. In a venue frequented by high-ranking nobles, any obvious deception would lead to disaster. Even with the support of a duke, scamming visitors—especially other ducal families—would be reckless.

“And the instructor told us to behave,” she added.

To be precise, Carolyn’s expression had conveyed deep embarrassment at exposing her students to such a place. It seemed the Duke of Northwood had raised her far too upright.

Ironically, among the cast of characters, she might be the one most suited for a bunny girl costume. But that was irrelevant—there was no reason for a member of a ducal family to wear such an outfit, so the matter was best left untouched.

“I honestly don’t understand what’s enjoyable about gambling.”

“That’s okay. Don’t bother learning it.”

Charlotte quickly responded to Lena’s words.

Lena, the youngest among them, seemed to draw Charlotte’s attention. Perhaps Charlotte found her endearing, or maybe she sympathized with Lena as a fellow foreigner. Either way, Charlotte often looked after her.

Coming from a region with infrastructure far inferior to the Empire’s, Lena seemed fascinated by the casino itself, though she regarded the bunny girls and the card players with a less favorable eye.

A few roulette machines were also in operation, though they weren’t many. Impressively, they ran on clockwork mechanisms. While they appeared to rest on the floor, they were actually powered by steam engines connected to gas pipes beneath the building. It was a cutting-edge innovation, even by the Empire’s standards.

“Are you all done?”

I asked, and Jake shrugged.

“I thought about buying a diamond ring for Lottie, but I lost all my money. I don’t even have enough to spin the roulette once, so I guess I’m done.”

“……Did you lose all your money for the café too?”

“Well, yeah. So, uh… can I borrow some cash?”

At that, Alice let out an exasperated sigh.

“The duke’s eldest son borrowing money from a princess… What a sight.”

“It’s not like it’s a huge amount to buy an estate. Come on? Or should I win and bring it back?”

“…Fine, I’ll lend you some, but let’s just leave already.”

Alice said, shooting Jake a glare.

There was probably more to her frustration. Alice had been glancing around nervously since earlier, clearly preoccupied with what had happened last night. Even with a mask on, those who knew her recognized her.

The glances they received might have been noticeable, but it wasn’t because someone recognized Alice as a bunny girl. More likely, it was due to the odd sight of a group of academy students in uniform clustered together in a casino.

“Sigh.”

Following Alice, Claire also let out a small sigh.

…Jake’s behavior, in truth, had its reasons. To some extent, it was his way of rebelling against his family.

For the record, Leo was sticking close to Claire—though not physically attached, his expression made it abundantly clear that he was proclaiming to anyone watching, ‘I’m with this group.’

The moment Leo had entered the casino, the bunny girls had swarmed him. While his looks certainly played a part, it was more likely the “pushover aura” he radiated that drew them in. After all, no one had latched onto Jake, and that said something.

Claire, on the other hand, seemed to regard Leo with a slightly pitiful expression.

“What about you, Sylvia? Care to try your hand at winning some money? If you lend me what you win, I could turn it into an even bigger fortune. You might just hit a jackpot no one could predict!”

I stared at Jake, who spouted such nonsense without an ounce of shame, and replied evenly.

“Before that, we have work to do. I won’t say anything if you stay here until late, but lingering here penniless might result in debts so large that not even the duke’s estate could cover them by tomorrow morning.”

“Fine, fine. I’d rather not get scolded by Lottie anyway.”

Not that he wouldn’t be. Just borrowing money from the princess was enough to ensure one hundred percent that Lottie would scold him. The image of a duke’s son borrowing from an imperial princess might prompt his personal maid to faint, and even the duke himself could issue a direct scolding.

But Jake was likely counting on that.

“Well then, let’s go see what this is all about.”

Jake spoke, taking the lead as if the decision were his to make. We trailed behind him a beat slower, exchanging glances at his audacity.

*

Before bringing the matter to the group, we had spent a fair amount of time discussing it among ourselves.

The situation involved a relic hidden within Northwood territory—something we couldn’t afford to let the duke discover. To complicate matters, two of us were foreigners.

Disappearing on our own wasn’t an option either. Vanishing without explanation would only raise suspicions.

In the original story, Verratti had gone in first, followed by Alice and Leo. Claire had kept her distance, observing from afar. It was also the point where Claire joined as a guest character for the first time.

Upon returning, Alice and Leo’s disappearance together caused a comedic misunderstanding of romantic entanglements.

But now, there were four of us. It would be impossible to avoid notice if a group of this size disappeared two days in a row.

Thus, we decided on a different approach—just telling them.

Not directly, of course, but in a more “noble” manner.

“Take a look at this.”

At a nearby café after leaving the casino, we gathered with the others, who were still unaware of what had happened the previous night. I pulled out an invitation and placed it on the table for them to see.

“This is…”

Charlotte accepted the envelope, studying it carefully.

It was a luxurious piece, the sort of envelope that seemed to promise an invitation from someone important.

She glanced at us briefly. When Alice gave her a slight nod, Charlotte cautiously opened the envelope and pulled out the paper within. The material was equally opulent.

Inside was a request form.

“Please explore the hidden areas of the Northwood Forest…”

Charlotte read the brief text aloud, then raised an eyebrow, looking rather incredulous.

“If such a request existed, why wasn’t it submitted to the request office?”

“Because this is the Duke of Northwood’s land,” I replied.

“Ah,” Charlotte murmured, slipping the paper back into the envelope. “So you’re saying someone other than the duke made this request.”

“Exactly.”

“Still, why would they specifically make this request to us?”

“That’s…”

Alice closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and then, as if exhaling her thoughts, spoke slowly.

“…There are reasons I can’t explain.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, silently observing Alice for a moment before speaking again.

“I see. That’s how it is, then.”

Charlotte continued, waving the envelope between her fingers.

“The people who made this request must be bold enough to think about robbing a duke’s estate but cautious enough not to want to get caught. It’s a tricky situation. And to make things even more suspicious, it’s not just one dungeon, but multiple dungeons. It’s almost too easy to figure out what they’re up to.”

Alice maintained her best poker face, but it seemed Charlotte could see right through her.

Still, Charlotte didn’t press further.

“Fine. Everyone has their secrets, things they’d rather not share. I’ll let it slide this time.”

Charlotte glanced at Jake and Lena, sitting on either side of her. Jake’s expression suggested he was finding the situation amusing, while Lena tilted her head slightly, looking confused.

“You both seem to agree,” Charlotte said with a wry smile, “but I have one condition for playing along.”

“…Just say it.”

“If there ever comes a time when I ask you to play along with one of my deceptions, you have to agree. Fair is fair, don’t you think?”

“……”

Charlotte’s tone was light, as though joking, but Alice nodded in agreement nonetheless. Then, mirroring Charlotte from moments before, Alice glanced at the two sitting beside her.

“Me? I’m a duke’s son,” Jake said with a shrug, feigning nonchalance. “The last thing I want is to clash with the imperial family, so I’ll go along.”

“And me… if there’s a request, shouldn’t we just resolve it?”

Lena replied earnestly, still appearing a bit puzzled.

Both of their responses were filled with their unique personalities.

Chapter 103 : Strategy

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 103

EP.103 Strategy (2)

The place where we met Bella wasn’t far from the casino.

It was a forest I remembered from the game. While the game didn’t allow deep exploration outside the casino building, and the forest wasn’t fully rendered, the spot we were in matched the direction I recalled from the casino.

“So close…”

Alice said, looking back.

Even by the standards of the world I came from, the building loomed high like a needle piercing the sky. The casino and the hotel stacked above it weren’t among the tallest skyscrapers in the world, but standing close, you had to crane your neck to see their peak.

The building was illuminated by dazzling lights that shone even into this forest.

The stark contrast between the vibrant casino and the dense jungle surrounding it was almost surreal. It felt like the perfect setting for a hidden, corrupted city straight out of a novel.

“You’re here on time.”

Bella stood slightly off the path leading from the forest entrance.

Hardly anyone roamed the forest at this hour, so she didn’t seem concerned about the light she carried drawing attention. She wore the same fox mask as before, paired with a tight leather suit. Her attitude was relaxed, but her outfit betrayed her caution, as if she feared revealing her identity.

It made sense. Both Lucas and Bella often seemed insolent in front of the Emperor, yet their loyalty to him was unwavering. They would never act outside the Emperor’s plans.

Bella held a small bag in her left hand. It wasn’t particularly large—more like a handbag—and looked rather worn despite its leather material.

That bag… it was likely Verratti’s.

In the game, Verratti used a similar bag to search ruins. Inside it was probably one of the Papal State’s relics.

“Hmm.”

Bella made a soft sound, scanning us.

Her abilities were exceptional—within her field of expertise, she had likely reached the pinnacle. However, even she couldn’t clear an ancient dungeon alone.

“Impressive.”

Bella smiled behind her mask. Claire and Leo had already seen her unmasked before, but her voice was altered now.

To me and Alice, who knew the truth, Bella’s disguise was obvious. But to others?

Leo probably wouldn’t notice, but Claire, with her sharp eye for detail, might.

However, when I glanced at Claire’s face, she didn’t seem particularly surprised.

“Two daughters of the Emperor and two from loyalist families. I hear all of you are highly skilled.”

Bella remarked.

“That’s right. Both of them are incredibly capable. As a fellow imperial princess, I can vouch for them.”

Alice spoke, stepping forward confidently.

Bella shrugged, exuding a strangely overbearing demeanor.

She was a difficult character to grasp. In the main storyline, Bella was barely more than a side mention, with a few illustrations and a handful of voiced flashbacks. While her personality was described as “similar to Claire’s,” it wasn’t identical to the Claire from the main game.

Besides, the Claire I’d come to know over the past two months had already diluted my impression of her original counterpart.

From what I’d observed of Bella’s personality over the past ten years, this demeanor was an act.

When she wasn’t wearing her mask, Bella was playful around us. She often teased or joked, sometimes even in ways that were slightly irritating.

“Well, if the next Emperor of the Empire says so, I guess I have no choice but to follow.”

“……”

Alice glared sharply at her, while Leo nervously swallowed. In the original story, Leo’s attitude toward Alice softened significantly after this point. However, with Bella’s “next Emperor” comment, that day seemed far off now.

“The location—did you find it?”

Alice asked.

“With three imperial princesses on the case, failing to find it would be a disgrace to the Empire.”

Bella replied, though her words were less optimistic than they seemed.

“That said, not finding it immediately might not be such a blow to the Empire’s prestige.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Alice frowned.

“It turns out we acted a bit too quickly. Verratti didn’t know the exact location of the ruins. She only infiltrated based on an estimation drawn from the Papal State’s records.”

“…Then, how many more people like her are infiltrating the Empire?”

“Probably more than a few,” Bella replied nonchalantly. “Honestly, the size of this land can be a curse sometimes.”

As she spoke, Bella pulled a sheet of paper from her bag and handed it to Alice. Alice hesitated briefly before accepting it.

The paper wasn’t a mere note—it was a map.

“A rough guide of the area.”

Alice commented.

It wasn’t a military-grade map but a simplified guide. The surrounding area was vast and intricate, and Northwood likely didn’t want tourists getting lost, so they distributed maps akin to theme park brochures.

Unlike the colorful, mascot-filled theme park maps I remembered, this one was plain and practical. It outlined the commercial district centered around the casino and the surrounding forest.

Marked at regular intervals in the forest were several X’s.

“Poor Verratti,” Bella said mockingly. “The Knights Templar must’ve been truly unlucky. How else could she have worked so hard only to pinpoint the location at the very end?”

We couldn’t disagree with Bella’s words.

*

Relics resonate with each other. They aren’t just separate devices with unique abilities but parts of a larger mechanism.

In the original story, the precise function of the relics was never revealed. From what I understood of the series’ broader lore, they were artifacts imbued with divine power, capable of granting impossible wishes. It seemed plausible to assume the same for this setting, though fans had grown tired of the relic storyline by the time I played the game. After all, it had persisted through multiple shifts in the series’ overarching world-building.

Still, most players speculated the relic would eventually be used to resurrect a deceased heroine.

That didn’t mean I intended to give up on saving her. In the game, I could only watch events unfold, but this wasn’t a game—it was my reality.

“To be honest, I think I get why Verratti couldn’t find it.”

Bella spoke, her expression one of mild irritation.

It took us nearly three hours of wandering through the forest to finally locate the dungeon entrance.

From the start, we’d never actually seen what a relic looked like up close. The idea that it would glow brighter when near others wasn’t all that helpful since none of us knew what “brighter” actually meant.

It wasn’t until we got close to the dungeon entrance that the light became faintly stronger.

In truth, relics didn’t glow by default. They began emitting light the moment we entered this area, identifying the presence of other relics nearby.

“…Do you think Charlotte’s group hasn’t finished their mission yet?”

Alice muttered with concern.

“……”

She had a point. If it was taking us this long to find the entrance, how would we handle the challenges inside when we were already so exhausted?

I sighed softly.

Again.

*

Without hesitation, I grabbed the relic halfway from Bella’s hand and walked straight toward the dungeon entrance. The others were left stunned.

There wasn’t an obvious path to follow; I simply forged ahead, weaving through the densely packed trees.

It probably took me less than 30 minutes to get there.

…Though, from my perspective, it felt closer to eight hours.

Rewinding time and retracing my steps through endless detours was an exhausting process. Even with a general sense of the building’s orientation, it wasn’t much of an advantage. I had to rewind repeatedly to pinpoint the entrance in a way that seemed plausible to the others.

As I pressed forward, the group’s expressions shifted from calm confidence—like this result was expected—to growing astonishment. By now, they were practically speechless.

“……”

Alice’s gaze became increasingly meaningful as she stared at me, but I didn’t bother explaining myself further.

Chapter 104 : Strategy

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 104

EP.104 Strategy (3)

“How could there be a place like this, and people didn’t know about it?”

Claire mused as she stared at the dungeon entrance.

She wasn’t wrong. The entrance was enormous—a ruin in its own right. What was once an ancient temple lay almost completely destroyed, with its original form barely discernible. Dense grass had grown over what must have once been flat ground, making walking difficult. The temple, reminiscent of a smaller Parthenon, was completely overtaken by ivy.

Still, it wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. It created a clearing in the middle of the forest, and from up close, it was obvious that this place had been artificially constructed. Even in a forest teeming with wildlife, it was hard to believe that Northwood’s hunters wouldn’t have stumbled across it at some point.

“It must be the power of the relic.”

Alice said seriously.

The light from the relic had grown brighter than before, though there weren’t any other notable effects—no magic circles or hidden runes appearing around it. Truthfully, even a simple magic stone could emit such a mysterious glow, given the right craftsmanship.

The relic itself resembled a shattered stone tablet. While there were engraved patterns on its surface, they only hinted at being part of a larger design. What that design represented was impossible to discern. It looked like something straight out of a horror game—one of those fragmented tablets you needed to open a locked door.

This particular piece seemed to come from the center of a larger object. Its broken edges left it unclear whether the original shape was rectangular, triangular, or even circular.

I had seen this before. In the original game, it was an item obtained after defeating Verratti. The relic became the spoils of victory, while Verratti ended up as a prisoner of the Empire, serving as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Papal State.

…She wasn’t a heroine. The Papal State’s heroine appeared later in the story. But that’s beside the point.

“There’s probably some kind of perception-blocking magic here,” I said. “Even if this place has been forgotten by the Empire, it must have been significant to previous civilizations.”

“Perception-blocking magic? Is that a real thing?”

Claire asked, her expression one of genuine surprise.

“In an era where everything was solved with magic? It’s not impossible.”

I replied.

Claire looked startled, while Alice nodded in thoughtful agreement.

“That’s probably why the Papal State brought this relic here. It proves they knew locations like this existed around the world.”

Alice said.

“Doesn’t the Empire have relics too?”

“Sure, but the Empire never bothered figuring out how to use them. We didn’t even know their locations—just kept them locked up as treasures. Nothing more.”

As Alice and Claire continued their discussion, I slowly made my way closer to the ruins. With every step, the blue glow from the relic intensified.

Hearing my unprompted advance, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind.

“Do you actually know something about this place?”

Bella asked, catching up to walk beside me.

“……”

I didn’t respond.

Sure, there was plenty I knew.

For instance, I remembered the general layout of this dungeon. While I couldn’t say I knew it perfectly, entering the structure would gradually jog my memory, much like when I entered the capital’s sewer system.

And this dungeon wasn’t particularly difficult. Of the six main chapters, this was the dungeon introduced in Chapter 2—the first full-fledged dungeon in the story.

While the game’s graphics back then had their limitations—the sparse grass and unnaturally stiff ivy didn’t compare to this lifelike setting—the faint glow of the relic and the overall layout of the ruins matched what I remembered almost exactly.

“I’ll lead from here.”

“But it’s dangerous—”

“The only dangers will be the monsters inside.”

I answered Alice’s concern briefly and handed the relic back to Bella.

“Won’t we need the relic inside?”

“We’ll need it at the end.”

I reached for the shotgun I’d brought along. The fire-elemental rounds would undoubtedly prove invaluable, given the abundance of slimes lurking within.

This was the first dungeon that truly resembled one. Previously, even if the forest paths twisted and turned like a dungeon, it wasn’t explicitly an underground ruin like this. While there might be blocked paths or mechanisms, there were no traps threatening your life—just an abundance of enemies to deal with.

As I pumped the shotgun, chambering a round, the group exchanged glances. Even Bella met Alice’s eyes for a moment.

Alice had seen me navigate the Imperial sewer system with ease before, but that was a far cry from a dungeon built in ancient times. At least the sewers had maps.

Seeing their doubtful expressions, I turned away with a faint smile tugging at my lips—a smile of satisfaction. At least I still had a distinct trait setting me apart from the others.

*

The dungeon’s interior was dim and composed of monotonous stone pathways.

In the game, the developers had brightened the interior for player convenience, but the reality was oppressively dark. Even with a full moon outside, no light seemed to penetrate the depths. Was that another magical effect?

By contrast, the relic in Bella’s hands emitted an even stronger glow, illuminating the area around us. It was eerily similar to its in-game depiction.

I considered telling the others to stick close but dismissed the idea. Their combat abilities far surpassed mine; there was no reason they couldn’t keep up.

Following the relic’s glow, we advanced deeper into the dungeon.

It didn’t take long before—

“Enemy—”

Bang!

Before Claire could finish reacting to the slime that appeared, I had already pulled the trigger.

Even without perfect aim, the shotgun’s fiery blast completely disintegrated the creature.

“……”

The others stared at me, mouths slightly agape, as I casually retrieved another shell from my side and reloaded with a deliberate click.

I had come prepared, after all. At least I knew the types of creatures that would appear here and their elemental weaknesses.

Feeling a flicker of pride deep within, I resumed moving forward at a measured pace.

*

“You’re amazing, big sis…”

…Hmm.

Maybe I overdid it a bit?

With almost no traps and monsters easily dispatched by my overpowered gear, the dungeon felt less like a challenge and more like a stroll. I’d only brought a pistol and shotgun, but given the slimes’ vulnerability to heat and magic, that was more than enough.

Mia Crowfield could have been a significant help here too, but convincing her to come would’ve been impossible. She’d made it clear she didn’t want to leave the casino, and dragging her out wouldn’t have sat right with me. Even if she’d come, showing her the depths of this dungeon would’ve been… awkward. I’d have probably left her with Charlotte instead.

“Hmph.”

As we reached what seemed to be the dungeon’s deepest chamber, Bella let out a curious hum. Her mask, with its blackened eye covers, hid her gaze, but I could tell her expression as she looked at me had subtly shifted.

“…This device.”

At the deepest part of the dungeon, just before the room containing the boss monster at the end of each section, there was an automatic recovery device.

In the game, this feature was more of a convenience than a logical element. The developers had likely realized how absurd it was for a merchant to be calmly standing right outside a boss room, so they opted instead for mysterious ancient devices powered by magic to serve the same function. These devices weren’t exclusive to this dungeon—they appeared in various places throughout the game. However, this was my first time encountering one since arriving in this world.

“It’s still operational.”

Alice said as she approached.

The device was a strange, spiral-shaped pillar, radiating a myriad of vivid, glowing colors.

As expected, it didn’t include the in-game shop functionality. It simply stood there, humming faintly with energy.

“…What is this device, really?”

Leo furrowed his brow as he examined it closely.

Only then did it hit me: No one in our party had been injured.

In a world where people die when shot, it applied fairly to other beasts and monsters as well. If a bullet could penetrate leather, it could kill a bear.

…And slimes, of course.

Thanks to my meticulous preparation, there had been almost no injuries along the way. That meant no one needed healing here, and none of them could fully appreciate the purpose of the device.

…Did I really overdo it?

For a moment, I thought so.

Chapter 105 : Encounter

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 105

EP.105 Encounter (1)

Various thoughts crossed my mind. Would this device only heal wounds? What if someone with an incurable disease stood near it—could it heal that, too?

…Set those pointless thoughts aside, there was something more concerning.

It made sense that this device didn’t include shop or forge functions. If it sold items, who would collect the money? And even if it had the ability to upgrade weapons, it would take hours, if not days, to complete. No one would have the patience to wait for that while standing around here.

What truly bothered me was something else entirely.

In the game, recovery devices placed throughout dungeons served as navigational markers, ensuring players didn’t lose their way. While the game’s earlier stages typically had straightforward paths to follow, later dungeons became more labyrinthine, leading even experienced players to wander aimlessly at times.

To address this, the developers introduced this waypoint system in later installments.

Initially, recovery devices remained inactive until the player approached, at which point they powered up. Once activated, they stayed illuminated until the dungeon was cleared, signaling, “This path has already been taken.”

Frankly, in a game that thoughtfully provided a minimap, it was hard to imagine anyone actually getting lost.

But in this reality, had things changed? Could it be that this recovery device had been operating for thousands of years already?

If not…

It might mean someone had already passed through here.

I turned my gaze toward the boss room’s door.

It was a massive stone door, designed to open outward. In the original game, it was never locked—approaching it within a certain range would trigger it to open automatically, presumably through some form of magic.

“Are you ready?”

I turned around and asked.

Claire, who had been curiously examining the dungeon interior, Alice, who had been inspecting the recovery device, and Leo, who had been quietly watching all this unfold, turned their attention to me. Even Bella, leaning casually against the ancient wall as though disinterested, glanced over. At some point, she had stowed the relic back into her bag, though its light still seeped faintly through the fabric. Yet, with the recovery device’s brilliant glow dominating the room, the relic’s radiance hardly stood out.

“This seems to be the deepest part of the ruins. If the ancients who built this place wanted to protect it—”

“…Then there must be a powerful security mechanism or a guardian within.”

Alice interjected, glancing once more at the recovery device.

I nodded.

Whether it had reactivated because someone passed by, or whether it had been functioning uninterrupted for centuries, one thing was clear: its durability was extraordinary, capable of remaining fully operational after such an immense passage of time.

It wasn’t just the device. The remarkably preserved state of the ruins and the fact that the perception-distorting magic over this site still worked spoke volumes about the immense strength of the civilization that existed long before the Empire.

As I double-checked my weapon, the others also examined their gear. Though all three wielded swords, their fighting styles differed. Alice carried a broad two-handed sword with a wide blade that could double as a shield. Leo and Claire’s swords, in contrast, were slimmer and lighter, seemingly designed for one-handed use.

Even within the Grace school of swordsmanship, Leo’s technique was more straightforward and linear, whereas Claire’s movements were trickier and more unpredictable.

Still, the fact remained—they were all sword wielders.

Should I be the last to enter? That thought crossed my mind, but then I reconsidered, thinking about the shotgun I was holding. Since it wasn’t a weapon that allowed for precise control, firing from the rear could risk hitting the others.

Bella’s swordsmanship was entirely different from the others’. While she used a sword, her effective range was closer to mid-range combat. Entrusting the rear to Bella wouldn’t be a problem.

Well, if anything went wrong, I could always turn back time.

“Are you ready?”

I asked, and they all nodded. Watching the three of them grip their swords firmly with both hands, I stepped forward toward the door.

The moment I placed my hand on it—

“Ah.”

A voice of astonishment came from behind.

From the point where my hand touched the door, light began to spread outward, drawing intricate, circuit-like geometric patterns that radiated momentarily before fading.

Despite the brief display, it was clear that the light had triggered something.

Moments later, the door began to grind open with a low rumble, the sound of stone scraping against stone.

I felt a faint vibration underfoot as grains of sand trickled down from the ceiling. For a brief moment, I worried the structure might collapse, but then the door fully opened with a heavy thud.

Beyond it lay a brightly lit interior.

Given all the slimes we’d encountered throughout the dungeon, I had assumed the boss inside would also be a slime.

In part, I was right. The slick, slimy residue covering the floor was similar to the dissolved remains of the slime Lena had fought before.

That’s right—it was a corpse.

“…A person?”

Standing in the middle of the room, amidst the wet and sticky ground, was a person.

No, more accurately, there were people.

“Hah, unbelievable.”

Bella muttered under her breath.

“…Father?”

The voice that followed, trembling with disbelief, was Alice’s.

“…Father? Alice’s?”

Claire’s astonished voice came next—

“Then…”

Leo, too, murmured in shock.

Before us stood a man, towering at least a head taller than me, his broad shoulders commanding attention even in this surreal setting.

His golden hair, impeccably groomed and parted neatly, gleamed even here, in the depths of the dungeon. Though he hadn’t shaved his beard entirely, the neatly trimmed facial hair along his jawline added to his immaculate appearance.

Despite his youthful impression, he exuded neither lightheartedness nor frivolity. Instead, his sharp blue eyes, cool and composed, radiated an air of gravity and inscrutability.

“I went to some lengths to prepare a surprise for my daughters,” he said, his tone light and conversational even in the presence of an ominous foe. “But alas, it seems an uninvited guest has ruined my chance to deliver a proper welcome.”

Even as the atmosphere tensed, the Emperor remained startlingly composed, almost jovial.

“Y-your M-m-m…”

Leo, who stammered like a scratched record stuck on repeat, finally blurted out.

“Your Majesty!?”

It was a reaction that would surely have been scolded as disrespectful if it had happened in the imperial palace.

However, our Emperor seemed entirely unbothered by such matters.

“Are you one of the children of the Grace family? This is the first time I’ve seen your faces in person.”

The Emperor’s demeanor appeared somewhat nonchalant as he asked.

The red cloak he wore gleamed faintly, light seeping out from within. It seemed he had also brought along an imperial relic of his own.

“…Did you leave the enemies behind on purpose?”

I asked.

“If I had left a clear sign that I passed through, you wouldn’t be so surprised right now.”

The Emperor smiled as if he had recognized my surprised expression.

“……”

“We’ll catch up later.”

At this, Leo exhaled sharply, almost gasping. Indeed, being born into nobility wasn’t always a simple or comforting matter. Then again, compared to being caught in some diluted lineage, being born into a properly noble household seemed far preferable.

Even as these idle thoughts crossed my mind, I raised the shotgun—already loaded in the chamber—and pointed it at the opponent standing before the Emperor.

The figure facing the Emperor… It was hard to gauge their age. Judging by their slender frame, it didn’t seem to be a man. Unless they were deliberately disguising themselves, the figure was unmistakably female.

A plain white mask covered their face, with only two hollow black eyeholes. Beneath the mask, a black hood extended downward.

The hood connected seamlessly to a long robe, giving them an appearance not unlike those wielders of glowing sabers from a famous space opera franchise. The hem of the robe was tattered, adding a weathered look to their otherwise stark silhouette.

The line from their shoulders to their hips was slim, and their chest—though concealed beneath the robe—protruded noticeably. Even at a glance, it was clear this individual was female.

She stood there silently, not even a breath escaping, her stillness as unnerving as it was absolute.

In her hand, she held a sword. Like the one the Emperor wielded, or the greatsword Alice carried, it was a long, double-edged blade. However, this one was heavily worn, with numerous chips and cracks along its edge.

“……”

As I observed the figure standing unmoved before the Emperor, utterly unshaken, one thought crossed my mind:

Who is she?

Chapter 106 : Encounter

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 106

EP.106 Encounter (2)

The reason I kept encountering people I hadn’t seen in the original story—was it because I had distorted the plot that much?

Honestly, it felt a bit unfair. Sure, I had meddled in some events behind the scenes, but it wasn’t as if I had turned the entire narrative upside down like the protagonists of some other transmigration novels. I hadn’t even made any attempts to romantically pursue the heroines.

Fine, I could understand why the Emperor was here. If he thought I was competent enough and wanted to personally assist his capable daughter, it wasn’t completely incomprehensible.

And as for Lena? Well, considering the chaos I had caused on the northern front, sending her to keep an eye on me made sense.

But that one?

No matter how sharp the Papal State’s intelligence was, they couldn’t have immediately figured out that Verratti had been captured and was spilling everything she knew. Northwood was deep within the Empire, far from the Papal State, and it wasn’t as if they could get there in a single night.

Even with a car, the roads leading to the Papal State weren’t perfectly maintained, nor were there trains running at this hour. And even if they’d realized the situation, it would take considerable time for reinforcements to arrive. Besides, entering this place required a relic.

Yet, the person’s attire showed no sign of the bright glow characteristic of relics.

“I’ve been trying to have a conversation since earlier,” the Emperor remarked casually, “but it seems she’s not the talkative type.”

I shot him a sideways glance. Did he have no information about this person, or was he just withholding it from me? The Emperor merely shrugged in response.

“However, one thing is clear,” he continued, his gaze fixed on the mysterious woman. “The relic that should have been inside this ruin has already fallen into her hands. Unless we defeat her and take it, it won’t be ours.”

Was that why he had waited here, blocking the entrance?

If her goal was simply to acquire the ruin’s relic, she could have fled without confronting the Emperor.

…But that didn’t explain why she had stood there, motionless, until we arrived.

“…..”

I took a step forward.

The figure remained still, watching me. For a moment, I wondered if she was even alive. Perhaps the Emperor had simply placed a statue there to mess with us.

As I moved, the others stepped forward as well. We spread out slightly, forming a loose semi-circle as we advanced, aiming to encircle her. There were still significant gaps between us, but it was the best we could do.

The first to act was Bella.

Her elongated whip-like blade transformed into a true whip, slicing through the air like a punishment descending on a criminal. It wasn’t just a weapon of torment—it was far deadlier than any ordinary whip. A strike from that blade wouldn’t just cut; it would tear through flesh and expose bone.

And just as Bella’s attack lashed out, the still figure moved.

Directly forward.

Toward me.

“Sylvia…!”

Alice shouted instinctively. From where Claire stood, I heard the sound of rapid footsteps.

But I wasn’t standing still either—

—Or at least I didn’t intend to be—

No.

The moment I aimed the shotgun at her and prepared to fire, a sensation gripped me.

It wasn’t a sound, per se. Rather, it was as if my instincts themselves froze my actions. A visceral, primal refusal to move.

You must not fire.

If I shoot that person, I will surely—

—regret it.

“…!”

A chill ran down my spine. My finger, which was resting on the trigger, convulsed as if it had been pulled back by an unseen force. It felt as though someone was gripping just my finger, preventing it from moving forward.

It wasn’t just hesitation—it was as if my very body was rejecting the action.

“No, don’t!” Claire’s voice cried out, urgent and sharp.

As the figure charged toward me, Claire swung her sword. A sword energy, trailing behind like a whip, sliced through the air. It followed just a half-beat behind her sword, aiming for—

For the black-robed figure—

It should have reached them. It had to.

*

What happened?

Claire had definitely swung her sword, and her signature sword energy slash had clearly aimed for the figure’s arm.

It should have hit. There was no room to dodge. It was clear even to my eyes.

But the sword energy didn’t hit.

“W-what…?”

Claire’s voice sounded confused.

I felt the stock of my shotgun being pushed back. The muzzle was pressed against the figure’s abdomen—not just touching, but actually sinking slightly into the flesh as the person continued advancing toward me with relentless force.

Her strength exceeded mine. My arms were pushed back, and the shotgun was forced downward.

And yet, even as this happened, my fingers refused to move.

No, it wasn’t just refusal; it felt as though my body was actively warning me of danger. One by one, my fingers—index, middle, ring, and pinky—released their grip on the weapon.

I lost hold of the shotgun entirely.

The figure, undeterred, leaned closer, almost as if to embrace me—though the gesture was far from comforting. Her approach was uncanny, almost mechanical.

A white mask loomed near my face.

Through the black voids of the mask’s eye sockets, I could faintly see her eyes.

A sharp whoosh cut through the air. Was it Alice’s blade? Or Bella’s whip-like sword? I couldn’t tell; my head wouldn’t turn to check.

The color of her eyes was obscured by shadows, but one thing was clear—they were human eyes, glowing faintly with life.

“Syl…via.”

The voice was distorted, as though the words were being stretched unnaturally, like a low-end computer struggling to render sound in a lagging video game.

It felt as if we were in different flows of time, mismatched in the same space.

And then—before she could finish speaking—

Claire charged forward.

With her shoulder, she tackled the figure—

*

The scene shifted abruptly, as if frames had been cut from a film.

I was now facing a different direction.

The figure’s voice, previously muffled by the mask, had been so close I could hear it clearly.

Claire’s charge missed entirely. She stumbled forward into empty air, failing to maintain her balance. Though she didn’t fall, the harsh scraping sound of her boots against the ground betrayed her unease.

“—never—”

Never what…?

But before I could hear the rest—

“——!”

Alice barreled into the figure’s side, sending her flying.

“Are you okay!?”

Before I could even register what had just happened, Alice’s face filled my vision. It seemed I had almost been dragged to the side along with the figure.

Alice was already holding me up as I fell.

“I’m fine—”

But the figure reappeared behind Alice, almost as if she had emerged from thin air. The dual swords she had been wielding earlier had vanished without a trace.

In her hands now was a revolver.

The same model I used.

It bore scratches and scuffs, old and new, likely from being battered and scraped in past battles.

But…

I hadn’t brought that today.

Before I could react, a massive slash extended from the ceiling, so long it could have cleaved through the entire height of the room, descending as if to execute the condemned.

With a jarring screech, the blade scored the ceiling, walls, and floor. Where the slash passed, the hand holding the revolver should have fallen away—

Should have.

But as if the event itself had been undone, the revolver remained in the figure’s hand, unshaken.

I gritted my teeth.

Again!

*

A sharp crack. The space shattered.

My head rang.

It was as though I had slammed into a wall at blinding speed. A high-pitched whine filled my ears, and a searing pain radiated through my skull as if my brain had been jarred loose.

My vision blurred. Perhaps it was from the tears welling up in my eyes.

Something gripped my collar, clutching it tightly as though trying to prevent me from falling further.

The hand pulling me from beyond the fractured space was white.

The edges of the broken space were razor-sharp, like shattered glass.

Even as blood dripped from her arm, the figure ignored the cuts and dragged me relentlessly. But—

It seemed I was too heavy for the hand holding onto me.

With a loud rip, the fabric of my collar tore apart.

I fell straight down.

*

“—via!”

I gasped, air rushing into my lungs like a flood after being deprived of it for too long. My chest burned, but the rush of oxygen cleared my head.

I realized I was lying on someone’s lap.

I blinked a few times, clearing my vision. The tears pooled in my eyes spilled to the sides, making way for clarity.

Above me, two concerned faces hovered—Alice’s and Claire’s.

Instinctively, I reached up and touched my collar.

The rough, uneven tear where the fabric had been forcibly ripped away was unmistakable under my fingertips.

…It really happened.

It wasn’t a nightmare.

I tried to sit up, but Claire pressed down firmly on my shoulders, keeping me against Alice’s lap.

“What about that person?”

“Gone.”

It was the Emperor’s voice.

“Vanished the moment you fell.”

“What about the battle?”

“A battle, it was.”

The Emperor’s voice held a hint of amusement as he spoke.

“Did we fight her?”

“……”

I couldn’t answer the Emperor’s question.

Chapter 107 : Encounter

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 107

EP.107 Encounter (3)

There wasn’t a single thing I could comprehend.

Up until now, I had rarely doubted my ability.

When I was younger—back when I had first arrived in this world—I had my uncertainties. I wondered if my power might have limits. Was there an unknown restriction on the number of uses? Could it be that every time I used it, some part of me was being consumed without my knowledge?

But over the past ten years, I never felt like I was being worn down by using my ability.

Humans grow tired when they move. They feel drowsy if they don’t sleep, thirsty if they don’t drink, and hungry if they don’t eat.

But my power seemed to exist on a completely different plane.

When I turned back time, no matter how exhausted I was, I would return to a state of rest. The thirst and hunger I had felt moments before would vanish, replaced by the state I had been in earlier. The same applied in reverse.

Only my memory persisted uninterrupted…

Then, how was that memory sustained?

I didn’t even remember how we exited the dungeon.

Claire and Alice spoke to me several times along the way. The Emperor, however, remained silent, simply leading the group from the front. Leo was still frozen, seemingly unable to process what had happened.

Bella wasn’t within my sight. She was likely walking at the very back.

Was it Alice who supported me? Or Claire?

What I remembered most clearly was my hand repeatedly touching the torn fabric of my collar.

Yes, until now, I had never once considered the possibility of truly “moving through time.” I couldn’t. Within the reverted time, I was simply myself, always in the place I was supposed to be as if time had rewound like the hands of a clock.

…Was I truly myself?

My memories remained continuous, carrying the passage of time.

Realizing this only after ten years, the feeling was far from pleasant. It was unsettling, to say the least.

The power I had once trusted implicitly, used without question, now filled me with doubt.

Far ahead, I caught sight of moonlight. Strangely, no light reached into the dungeon itself. The glow from the relics embedded in the walls was the only thing illuminating the corridors. The moon at what appeared to be the dungeon’s entrance or exit looked like a painting—its glow starkly contrasting the surrounding darkness, edged with a black frame.

I stared at the sight in a daze for a while.

Then, I turned back time again.

*

It was an impulsive act.

Restlessness, perhaps, would describe it better.

Turning back time was my instinct.

The Emperor had looked as if he was beginning to grasp the nature of my ability. We hadn’t identified the figure’s true identity. If I wasn’t careful, not only the Emperor but others around me might come to suspect the nature of my power.

So, as always, I reset the time to erase my mistakes.

I would uncover the figure’s face, be cautious with my words in front of the Emperor, and firmly remove the hand that grabbed me—

But I couldn’t.

“—via!”

I took a sharp breath again.

The sensation of falling beyond the fractured space was as unpleasant as before. The feeling of crashing to the ground, the strange weightlessness, the emptiness in my lungs as if I had been yanked from a vacuum back into the world.

No, calling it merely unpleasant was an understatement.

It was the worst.

Perhaps it felt even worse because I had experienced it once before. My mind, now more aware of the situation, processed it with chilling clarity.

But that didn’t help me stay calm.

I couldn’t go back.

It was as if a wall separated me from the moment I had faced that figure.

This time, the wall didn’t shatter.

My body trembled from the impact, and I gasped repeatedly, trying to force air back into my empty lungs.

Desperately, I checked my collar.

The torn fabric of my collar still felt vividly beneath my touch.

Clenching my mouth tightly, I barely managed to lift my head and look at the spot where the figure had been standing. There was no one there.

“Where did the person who was standing there go?”

“…She suddenly disappeared at some point.”

“The relic… I think that person took it too.”

Alice answered, and Claire added in a quiet tone.

“……”

I had no response to their words. Just moments ago, I had asked about the battle, only to have the Emperor figure out the nature of my ability.

“Hmm.”

But the Emperor, as described in the game, wasn’t the type to be so easily fooled. After all, simply staying silent wouldn’t keep him from extracting information from me. He had only been holding back, cautiously observing me, and had let me speak freely so far.

“Father!”

When the Emperor raised his sword and aimed it at my neck, Alice gasped loudly, visibly startled. Claire, too, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword but quickly pulled it back in surprise.

However, it seemed the Emperor had no intention of cutting my neck. Given how effortlessly he severed the arm that threatened Alice with a gun just now, I knew the Emperor could have easily decapitated me without hesitation, even without my ability to turn back time.

The thick sword blade, despite its imposing appearance, moved with surprising precision, grazing my collar. It traced the irregular tear in the fabric, where fibers had frayed and torn.

“This isn’t the kind of tear that could happen from just collapsing. Did someone tear it off?”

The Emperor remarked, as if noticing something new.

Alice, noticing it as well, took a sharp breath. Claire did the same. Leo, still not fully processing the situation, looked dazed. I couldn’t read Bella’s expression from her position, far off and wearing her mask.

“Not just the collar. You have injuries all over. Bruises?”

The Emperor’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk, like he had just heard an unethical joke.

That look frightened me.

“They’re bruises.”

The Emperor withdrew his sword from my neck, his tone casual.

“On Sylvia Fangriffon?”

“……”

The Emperor leaned slightly toward me, his voice dropping low.

“Have we had this conversation ‘before’?”

When the Emperor said “before,” I knew it referred to something from my perspective.

I was certain now.

In this future, there was no way I could escape.

*

Eventually, things continued as they had before.

The Emperor seemed to have grasped something about my ability. I wasn’t sure how deeply he understood the principle, whether he had more insight than I did about using this ability, but I could feel that it wasn’t a good sign.

Alice, Claire, and Leo said nothing. They merely glanced at me, watching my reactions as if waiting for something.

Bella… was humming. She was doing that high-pitched hum, as she always did.

“Well then, everyone, go ahead and rest.”

Despite having lost a relic, the Emperor showed no signs of regret. In fact, he smiled pleasantly.

“It was an enjoyable walk, but it seems you are all quite tired. I hope the rest of the journey is pleasant for you.”

With that, the Emperor turned and walked away, leaving us behind. But even as he turned, his gaze lingered on my face until the very end.

I said nothing.

“I won’t ask anything right now.”

Alice said with a serious expression.

When I came to my senses, I found myself in my room. The one in Northwood, the room I had decided to stay in. It was as large as Alice’s room, and the interior was similar as well. However, we weren’t in the guest table area of the room.

Alice and Claire were standing around me, as if to protect me, while I sat on the bed. Leo wasn’t there. Had he been kept out because it was a women’s room? If it were Leo, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had chosen not to enter himself. But that wasn’t important.

“We don’t know what happened…”

Alice began, looking at Claire for a brief moment before both of them turned their gaze to me.

It was Alice who spoke first.

“You look really tired right now… So, um…”

This must be the first time they’ve seen me like this.

I might have appeared tired before. Walking through a dark dungeon is tiring, and trudging through snow-covered forests or wandering in sewers is exhausting enough.

Neither Alice nor Claire would believe that I had limitless stamina.

But collapsing out of nowhere, especially with bruises all over my body… that was strange.

It was as if I had gone through something by myself in the meantime.

“For now, get some rest.”

Alice spoke up, and Claire finished her sentence.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Their faces were full of concern.

They didn’t pressure me to reveal my abilities or interrogate me about what had happened.

I appreciated their consideration.

“Understood.”

For now, I decided to gratefully accept their kindness.

Chapter 108 : Dice Game

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 108

EP.108 Dice Game

“Have you ever played dice games?”

The first words the Emperor spoke to Verratti, when she sat face-to-face with him, prepared to die, were nothing short of nonsensical.

“…Dice games?”

“Any game involving dice. Board games, street dice hustles, whatever. Or perhaps you’ve seen gambling games in a casino?”

“……”

Verratti clamped her mouth shut and stared intently at the Emperor. Even after the eccentric woman in the fox mask left, the Emperor’s expression remained completely unmoved.

Even with the Knights Templar, each possessing formidable strength, standing before him, the Emperor wore a relaxed smile as if he were dealing with children.

The gas lamp on the table flickered, casting shallow shadows on the Emperor’s face.

If anyone intended to assassinate the Emperor, this would have been the perfect opportunity.

Verratti, after all, wasn’t restrained in any way.

But the fact that the Emperor was holding this one-on-one conversation with Verratti indicated his confidence in overpowering her alone if necessary.

Fangriffon.

There was no evidence that the myth was real. But as if to prove it true, all the Emperors throughout history possessed immense power. No one believed it was possible solely due to bloodline. Some Emperors were even suspected of swapping children or appointing others within the royal family as crown princes.

That’s why the Papal States thought Sylvia Fangriffon might become the next Emperor—

“Don’t know it? It’s a game where you roll dice and compare numbers. You can compete by rolling for the highest number, matching specific combinations, or ordering sequences—”

“I know that much.”

Verratti answered curtly, glaring at the Emperor who continued speaking at his own pace, regardless of her wariness. It wasn’t a reaction one would show to an Emperor. But the Emperor didn’t seem to care in the slightest. Verratti found that attitude even more irritating.

“Of course, you would. Not everyone wagers money, but who hasn’t handled dice at least once in their life?”

The Emperor nodded slightly as he spoke, then shifted his posture, crossing his legs as though entertaining an old acquaintance. Despite the underground room’s grim setting, his demeanor remained annoyingly relaxed.

“If your opponent couldn’t possibly detect your trick—no, wait.”

He paused, reconsidering his analogy, and resumed.

“Even if your opponent knew you were cheating but still couldn’t do anything about it, what would you do to win?”

“…Obviously, I’d keep cheating.”

“Even if they’re aware of it?”

“They can’t stop it anyway, can they?”

“True enough.”

The Emperor smiled as if pleased with her answer.

“What if you were the one being cheated?”

“…I’d find a way to utterly ruin them. You said I’d know they’re cheating, right?”

“I also said you’d be powerless to stop it.”

“Knowing the trick doesn’t mean you can’t target the cheater.”

Verratti’s response made the Emperor chuckle, his shoulders shaking slightly in amusement. The sound of his laughter—soft yet deep—was unnerving. It resembled both the sinister laugh of a villain and the lighthearted chuckle of a middle-aged man hearing a funny joke from a friend.

“What if your opponent were a goddess?”

“…What?”

“You’re playing a dice game with a goddess. Both you and the goddess use the same dice. Your dice are made of glass, so thin and fragile that they crack and become unusable after just one throw. But the goddess’s dice are made of ivory, high-quality dice that don’t wear out or break no matter how many times they’re thrown.”

The Emperor lightly tapped his fingers on his knee as he continued speaking.

“The rules of the game are simple. Roll the dice, and the higher value wins. You can roll as many times as you like, whenever you feel like it.”

“The rules are nonsense.”

Verratti scoffed.

“If the dice shatter after a single roll, what’s the point of being able to roll them multiple times?”

“Still, you could roll a 12 in a single throw, couldn’t you?”

“Even so, we’re overwhelmingly disadvantaged. And if we have to play by such rules, it means we have no choice but to accept them. Do we have any veto power if the opponent decides to add one or two more dice?”

“No, of course not. She’s a goddess.”

“…Exactly.”

Verratti sighed deeply at the Emperor’s answer.

“If the opponent really is a goddess, we’re bound to bow down. The idea of challenging the ruler of the world to a game is absurd in itself.”

“Is that so?”

“…I don’t know about you, but I’m a member of the Papal State. A knight, a nun. No matter how unruly my personality might be, that fact doesn’t change.”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor smiled, as if her answer pleased him.

“So, why are you asking me this?”

“Well.”

The Emperor spoke slowly, as if to build suspense.

“It seems we’ve found someone who might be that goddess.”

“……”

For a moment, Verratti was silent. Then, after a long pause, she finally spoke.

“…What?”

“You probably wouldn’t believe me. But that’s fine.”

“Huh.”

Verratti sighed in disbelief.

“So, what are you saying now? That you’ve found this goddess?”

“It hasn’t been proven yet.”

“So, you intend to prove it?”

“Exactly. And for that, I’ll need the cooperation of the Papal State.”

“What. Do you want us to send a Saintess? Someone who can sit across from her and declare, ‘Ah, yes, this is truly our goddess’? Do you think the Papal State would agree to that?”

“There’s no need for that. All I need is the relic you possess.”

“……”

Verratti kept her lips sealed, but the Emperor continued.

“How do you prove the ability of someone who can turn back time?”

“Why are you suddenly jumping from dice to that?”

“I’m talking about finding a way to prove the trick.”

“……”

“I’ve considered the possibility of prophecy, calculation, or even the idea that they’ve already experienced the future. And I’ve realized that all three lead to similar conclusions. Which leaves us with proof.”

“And what is that proof?”

“I plan to do something the opponent wouldn’t like.”

The Emperor explained with amusement.

“If there’s someone rolling dice until they get the result they want, the way to prove it is to create a situation where the dice results are fixed.”

“But wouldn’t they just roll the dice again?”

“Then the timing of the roll changes.”

The Emperor dismissed Verratti’s objection with a calm certainty.

“If you ensure the dice always roll a 2 on the tenth throw, the opponent would either suddenly bring three dice into play or try to manipulate the result on the ninth or eighth throw. If we can catch that, we might verify whether they truly know our future.”

The Emperor shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

“Just planning isn’t enough. To get what I want, I must act greedily. If there’s something the opponent desires, I should step in and take it first.”

“But what if the opponent turns back time again?”

“If the opponent has the item without me knowing, that would prove they’re using a trick. And if I confirm that, I would be very pleased.”

The Emperor smiled as he spoke.

“At the very least, it would provide evidence that my actions can provoke the opponent to act.”

“……”

Verratti stared at the Emperor with a dumbfounded expression for a while.

At least, if I make it back alive, there’ll be something to report to the Papal State.

That fleeting thought crossed Verratti’s mind amidst the absurdity of it all.

*

“…You seem to be enjoying yourself?”

Bella, who was closely following behind the Emperor, asked.

“Of course.”

“But the relic we wanted was taken by that person and escaped.”

“The relic is meaningless unless all of them are gathered together. More importantly, I gained something far more valuable than I hoped to prove.”

The Emperor spoke, striding confidently through the dense forest.

“Even ivory dice can break sometimes.”

“…We still don’t know who the opponent is.”

Bella said cautiously.

“Really? I think I have a good idea.”

the Emperor replied.

Bella tilted her head in curiosity but remained silent.

Chapter 109 : Question

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 109

EP.109 Question

My ability had reached a limit. It wasn’t that the power itself had vanished, nor did it feel like some new penalty had been added. Afterward, I tested it a few times in my room, and the ability seemed to function properly.

But I suspected that I could no longer return to a point in time before meeting that nameless figure yesterday.

Since then, I hadn’t attempted to go back to that moment again. Even if I did it out of curiosity, I would still have to face the Emperor’s expression again. That man always jumped to conclusions on his own, even when I said nothing. What was the point of rewinding time if it wouldn’t change anything?

More importantly, I didn’t want to experience that pain again.

Lying on my bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

I had treated my bruises, and after a long sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed—physically, at least. Mentally, my mind was a tangled mess.

I was trying to make sense of the nameless figure I had encountered in the dungeon.

“…Is it me?”

Muttering those words out loud did little to make the thought feel real.

If this were a story about someone possessing another’s body, the idea that it was my future self would certainly fit the cliché.

That figure had vanished with the relic. Was it trying to prevent some catastrophe the Emperor might cause with it in the future?

But even with that reasoning, something felt off.

Let’s entertain the possibility that it was me.

She had clearly been using an ability tied to time—just like I was. In that moment, her movements felt chaotic, as if the sequences of past, present, and future were entangled.

Even her voice was strange. It sounded distorted, layered with static, as if she was speaking through interference. It wasn’t the kind of sound someone would make intentionally, nor was it simply the result of injury.

When I tried to reset the situation using my ability, it seemed the other person did the same simultaneously. She shattered the space around us and held me firmly. I managed to rewind time, but the process was unstable. That’s likely why my physical state—normally reverted with time—remained unchanged.

If our abilities clashed, perhaps that was what caused the anomaly. The figure could have been left stranded in an impossible future, creating an error that prevented me from going back to that point in time.

But even with this theory, something didn’t add up.

She had my gun, but she aimed it at Alice—not the Emperor.

Perhaps she was targeting me, and Alice just happened to be in the way?

…No. Even though I wasn’t physically extraordinary, I had spent countless hours mastering that gun. At such close range, I wouldn’t miss my intended target. And if she was my future self, she definitely wouldn’t.

That figure had tried to say something to me.

“Sylvia, never—”

But I hadn’t heard the rest.

And when I pointed my weapon at her, I felt an intense sense of revulsion.

…

Ugh, I can’t figure this out.

I scratched my head furiously and forced myself upright.

No matter how much I dwelled on it, I wasn’t going to make sense of the situation right now. For now—

As I climbed out of bed and slipped into my slippers, there was a hesitant knock at the door.

“Yes, come in.”

I spoke, relieved my voice wasn’t hoarse.

The door creaked open cautiously, revealing Claire.

“Sister.”

Normally, when she called me that, her voice was light and cheerful, full of energy.

But now, her eyes were filled with worry, and her voice was soft, almost trembling.

“Are you feeling better?”

Once again, she didn’t ask about anything else.

“I’m fine.”

After all, I’d been healed with magic. There was no lingering pain, and I hadn’t been seriously injured in the first place.

There were only a few drops of blood on my clothes—and they weren’t mine. It was from the arm that had grabbed me, scraped and bleeding from being torn against the fractured space.

Of course, Claire’s concern wasn’t just for the reasons I assumed.

“Well…”

Claire shifted her gaze nervously before looking back at me. She resembled a younger sister trying to approach an older sibling who seemed angry.

“Everyone else is gathered in the dining hall right now. I thought maybe it’s time for all of us to have a meal together.”

“Understood—”

But as I answered, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t even washed up yet. It seemed that was part of the reason Claire had approached me so cautiously.

“I’ll wash up quickly and come down.”

When I said that, Claire nodded.

“Alright. I’ll wait for you.”

*

Claire’s “I’ll wait for you” didn’t mean she’d wait in the dining hall. Instead, she sat patiently in one of the chairs in my room.

In a world without gadgets like smartphones, simply sitting and waiting must have been terribly boring for her.

I pressed a towel against my damp hair, trying to squeeze out as much moisture as I could. I even used a small, wind-up fan to dry it further, but there was still a lingering dampness.

“You’re going like that?”

When I finally gave up on drying my hair and started putting on my uniform, Claire was startled and blurted out the question.

Normally, she’d never see me looking so disheveled.

What would the usual me have done?

The usual me… I probably would’ve turned back time to before Claire arrived. Then, I would’ve washed up in a hurry and waited for her, with my hair perfectly dry, of course.

After all, I had spent the entire morning thinking. Rewinding time wouldn’t erase those thoughts from my mind.

“……”

For a brief moment, I debated whether I should do just that. But instead, I asked Claire.

“Do I look strange?”

Claire quickly shook her head from side to side, an innocent gesture reminiscent of a child denying guilt to their mother. Her reaction almost made me laugh.

It was oddly peaceful, as if the bizarre events of yesterday had never happened.

I could have asked her a question—just one—but I decided against it.

Not that I could answer her if she asked.

“Well, I’ll head down like this,” I said.

“Alright.”

This time, Claire nodded enthusiastically.

*

“What happened last night?”

That was the first thing Charlotte said when she saw me.

Honestly, the mere fact that I had delayed coming down and appeared unprepared was likely shocking to her.

Until now, my reputation had been one of meticulous precision—someone who anticipated and resolved problems almost as if by prophecy.

For me to oversleep, come downstairs after everyone had already started breakfast, and arrive with wet hair…

…This wasn’t just a break from my character. It might’ve fallen short of even the standards of nobility or royalty.

But before I could dwell on it further, the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted toward me.

Though some time had passed since breakfast began, my portion had been kept under a silver cover, likely to preserve its warmth.

Without hurrying too much, I walked over to the empty seat and sat down.

Alice glanced at me with a worried expression. Had she sensed something from my demeanor this time too?

It wasn’t Alice who came to fetch me but Claire. This likely meant Alice had to explain the events of last night at the table. After all, it was Alice who had asked Charlotte to take a different dungeon route.

“Alice?”

Perhaps because she hadn’t received an answer from me, Charlotte turned back to Alice and asked. Fortunately, Charlotte didn’t seem angry. Instead, it appeared she understood that I had been ravenously hungry.

“Well, about yesterday…”

I could almost hear Alice’s brain working from here.

“…Sorry. It’s just that it’s hard to explain.”

“I see.”

Charlotte didn’t press Alice further. In fact, her gaze wasn’t on Alice—it was on me.

I could feel Charlotte watching me curiously as I chewed on a plain piece of morning bread. When our eyes met, she asked.

“You must’ve been really hungry?”

“……”

I glanced at the bread in my hand. Instead of tearing it into small, refined pieces, I had been holding and biting straight into it.

Did I appear uncultured?

Charlotte didn’t seem to be judging me, at least not overtly. Thankfully, her expression wasn’t one of shock, like the time she had seen me eating a parfait.

“Yes, a lot happened yesterday.”

At my words, Alice’s shoulders flinched.

Charlotte’s gaze shifted between Alice and me. Her deep eyes held a trace of curiosity, but perhaps because she was someone accustomed to seeing and hearing things she couldn’t always talk about, she refrained from asking further questions.

“What about the others?”

I asked, steering the conversation away.

“Leo was dragged off by Jake. They’re probably at a casino or something.”

Charlotte answered my question with a sigh.

“Mia still hasn’t woken up, and Lena went straight to her room to work on her weapons after finishing her meal.”

Alice added.

“Do you want more food?”

Claire asked, noticing how quickly my plate was emptying.

“……”

Normally, I would have declined…

But honestly, I was starving.

Chapter 110 : Conclusion

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 110

EP.110 Conclusion

In the end, nothing restores energy like a good meal.

With my stomach full and a slight drowsiness settling in, my mind finally felt at ease. After mulling over various thoughts, the conclusion I arrived at was simple: “So what?”

Yeah. So what?

It wasn’t the first time a stranger had suddenly popped up in my life. I’d already gone through it with Lena.

The Emperor thinking I was some kind of extraordinary being wasn’t news either. He’d already tasked me with several things, including outright ordering me to assassinate a count and nearly sending me to the battlefield instead of the academy.

And the reason I avoided that wasn’t due to my abilities but because of Alice. She had stormed straight to the Emperor after seeing morphine in my room, furious beyond belief, and negotiated on my behalf.

Limits to my powers? Those were bound to surface eventually. Honestly, my ability was absurdly overpowered. Other regression ability users in novels, comics, or animations had it far worse—some could only rewind time by dying, or they had to pay steep prices. Looking back, I’d had it way too easy.

Besides… considering how things had played out so far, I hadn’t made any catastrophic mistakes that warranted resetting everything.

So, I decided to stop worrying about it.

If that figure showed up again later, I’d deal with it then.

A psychologist I once visited out of curiosity had said something similar: “Don’t dwell on things you can’t solve right now. At the very least, try not to worry about them.”

True enough. Racking my brain over an uncontrollable future was pointless.

“……”

I felt Alice’s gaze fixated on me.

We were seated across from each other. Outside the window, an endless forest stretched to the horizon, trees marching in line. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the trees moving—it was us.

“Honestly, your resilience never ceases to amaze me.”

“Is there something on my face?”

“Yep.”

At my question, Alice nodded decisively.

“Last time you came back from the battlefield, you were the same. You’d sit there brooding by yourself, and then a few hours later, you’d return like nothing had happened. Same this time. Right after meeting Father, you looked completely shaken, but now you’re fine again.”

“Yeah, you looked dazed when I went up to your room this morning too.”

Claire chimed in from her seat beside me.

By the way, Leo sat next to Alice, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Though we were all student council members and had gradually been breaking down walls through shared tea sessions, yesterday’s meeting with the Emperor seemed to have driven home the reality that Alice and I were truly “royalty.”

Noticing my glance at Leo, Claire shot him a subtle glare, as if to say, “Why are you making things awkward?”

…Well, I felt a little bad about it.

“There was a lot to think about.”

I explained.

“Is that so?”

“……”

When I didn’t elaborate further, Alice didn’t press me.

“…Don’t you want to ask me anything?”

“Hmm.”

At my question, Alice thought for a moment before responding decisively.

“Nope.”

Her straightforward answer caught me off guard, and I found myself staring at her in silence.

Noticing my reaction, Alice chuckled softly.

“Wondering why?”

“I am.”

Of course, I was curious.

If it had been me in her position, I would’ve rewound time in various ways to dig for answers. Granted, if I couldn’t uncover anything even after all that, I would’ve given up.

I’d already scoured the Empire’s forbidden archives and confirmed there was no prophecy explicitly mentioning my existence.

Though, to be fair, that had been more about finding clues to navigate the story than uncovering personal secrets.

“There’s no particular reason.”

Alice spoke, leaning back in her chair. Then she shifted her gaze from me to the window.

The forest never seemed to grow boring, always showing off its endless expanse. Along the way, I had seen several villages and towns, but they all seemed buried in the depths of the forest. If this world had other races, I’d think this would be the perfect place for elves to live.

“You need a logical reason to ask questions, or to not ask them, right? Well, I just don’t feel like asking right now. No, in fact, I probably won’t be the one to ask any questions in the future.”

Alice’s head remained turned toward the window, but she shifted her gaze toward me and smiled faintly.

“Not until you decide to tell me.”

“……”

I couldn’t find an answer to that.

Alice had already shared her thoughts with me—before we infiltrated the casino in bunny girl outfits. At the time, it had just seemed like she was dealing with some inferiority complex toward Claire, and I thought it was just an event scene meant to serve the game’s plot. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned between this world and the game, it’s that characters in games move according to the story, whereas the people here move on their own and create the story.

“Got it.”

“You look like you’ve figured something out.”

“……”

Alice’s comment made me feel like she had read my thoughts again. I turned my face toward Claire.

“Claire.”

“Huh, what!?”

Claire, who had been staring absentmindedly at Alice and me talking, snapped out of her trance, clearly startled that I was addressing her suddenly.

“Does my face show my emotions that easily?”

“Uh… uh?”

Claire, seemingly not catching on to the intent of my question right away, hesitated for a moment and stammered.

“Uh, no? Well, maybe sometimes? But not usually, I’d say…”

As I listened to Claire’s stuttered words, it was clear she was flustered.

“Hm.”

Alice snorted through her nose.

At that, Claire furrowed her brow.

“What was that reaction for?”

Her voice wasn’t particularly menacing or cold, but it definitely carried a hint of irritation.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s not wrong. It’s just… when you see someone unable to do something you can do, it makes you feel a bit superior, doesn’t it?”

“What!?”

Oh…

Claire, please, even if this train is a 20th-century model with poor soundproofing, yelling like that will make everyone around us stare.

And if you stand up like that, they’ll stare even more.

Most people probably have horrified expressions on their faces after hearing Claire shout like that, especially since they know who she hangs around with. Yelling at someone in the presence of someone like Alice—whether it’s justified or not—is an extremely disrespectful act.

If the daughter of a baron yelled at a princess, then—

The nobility’s reaction was already visible in Leo’s shocked expression next to Alice.

“C-Claire…!”

Leo’s face turned pale as he tried desperately to calm Claire down, but it wasn’t that easy since he wasn’t sitting right next to her. There was a small table between them.

And on top of that, Alice had her hand on Leo, preventing him from getting up.

Leo froze, looking at me with a silent plea for help, but—

…Sorry, I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on myself.

“You’ve been with your sister for so long! If I had the time, I’m sure I’d be able to read her emotions better than you could!”

Hmm…

If they’re planning on fighting over something like this, shouldn’t they just do it at the academy? If they’re going to argue, at least lower their voices a bit.

No, wait. I’d rather they just wait until we get to the academy. Having them fight next to me is incredibly embarrassing.

I’m barely managing to keep my expression together as it is.

Of course, Alice was smiling as she watched me.

She definitely saw through my expression.

“Well, I don’t know. You’ve never done it before, so how can you be so sure?”

“Ugh…!”

Claire’s face flashed with anger in response to Alice’s words, but then—

“……”

She exhaled a long breath.

Then, with a calm and dignified posture, she sat back down in her chair, as if the earlier outburst had never happened.

But that demeanor was just an act. Claire’s fighting spirit hadn’t disappeared at all.

“Sis.”

As proof of that, Claire looked at me as soon as she sat down and said,

“…Yes?”

“Look me in the eye.”

She slightly shifted her body toward me and said those words.

I silently did as she asked.

Claire’s deep blue eyes locked onto mine. While both Alice and Claire had blue eyes, Alice’s were like a clear lake, whereas Claire’s seemed like a vast blue hole, and when staring directly into them, it felt a little intimidating.

“From now until we get to school, we’re going to practice matching your expression.”

“…..”

I looked at Alice for support, but she just wore a look of amusement.

…Well, this is a disaster.

Chapter 111 : Invitation

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 111

EP.111 Invitation (1)

July was a time when students could relax in many ways.

And it felt like this world had an even more relaxed atmosphere compared to the place I came from.

The academy was modeled after the Japanese high school system, so the end-of-term exams took place at the end of July. However, the excitement about the upcoming break didn’t completely overshadow everything else.

This mood, however, spread more widely among the commoners than the nobles.

Nobles were creatures who lived on their pride.

Even if they thought that building good connections and forming relationships was more important than getting good grades, there were still many who considered dropping below a certain grade level to be an embarrassment. Many noble parents were sensitive to academic performance.

On the other hand, commoners felt that simply being admitted to this academy meant they were already set for life. Although there were twice as many commoners as nobles at the academy, it reflected the fact that there were far more commoners than nobles in the Empire. When looking at the number of applicants, commoners had a harder time securing a spot than the nobles.

Simply graduating from the academy opened up numerous opportunities for finding a way to make a living. Since it also served as a military academy, students could apply to become imperial officers. Of course, as long as they maintained a minimum level of grades to avoid being held back.

As for me… Although I had lost the way back to mid-June, it hadn’t been as devastating as I expected.

That was mainly because I had always been diligent in reviewing and previewing the material.

To be precise, I had used my ability to rewind time repeatedly after each class to ensure I fully understood the material before moving on. Even while studying on my own, I would rewind time and go over each problem to grasp the solution.

Even so, using time to solve exam problems and then rewinding to fix mistakes seemed a bit extreme by my standards. Rewinding months just to study before an exam was insane, so I focused on studying hard throughout the term.

After all, even an average person could become exceptional if they took the time to study carefully. The only thing I had in abundance was time, and I made sure to use it wisely, taking advantage of every opportunity that came my way.

Still, I wasn’t particularly excited about the summer break.

Going back to the “home” that was the imperial palace meant I’d inevitably face the Emperor.

Since the incident in June, the Emperor hadn’t said much, but I was certain that when I went back, I’d be dragged into a conversation I didn’t want to have.

*

But bad things didn’t always happen to people.

Even if it was just a matter of delaying something unpleasant, sometimes a pleasant surprise would come along.

“An invitation?”

About a week before the final exams began, Claire came to my room and handed me an elegant envelope containing a letter.

It was similar to the one Alice had handed to Charlotte, but at least the contents of this one weren’t meant to divert my attention elsewhere.

“Yes. It’s an invitation to our estate.”

The Grace estate, located within the Empire, wasn’t too far from here. It was a special kind of estate, different from the typical large noble estates.

The actual size of the estate was more akin to a large mansion than a true estate. If I were to compare it to something from the modern world, it would be like a slightly large school. There was one huge building and several average-sized buildings scattered around, with a bit of land between them, and a grassy area that could be considered a sports field…

Of course, owning land and buildings of that size in one’s personal name was impressive, but when compared to the estates of counts or dukes, it was still a reasonable size in terms of reality.

“My father and mother have heard about you, and they want to meet you in person.”

When I stared blankly at Claire after hearing that, she quickly shook her head.

“It’s fine. I only mentioned that you were the sister I was looking for. I didn’t say anything else…”

It seemed that only then did Claire realize that this was a fact that hadn’t been widely shared with others.

She looked at me with a slightly uneasy expression, and despite being almost the same height as me, she somehow appeared younger.

“Did I say something unnecessary?”

“No.”

I replied while opening the letter from the envelope.

“The Grace family is a loyal house. And… since you are there, this is something that was bound to come to light eventually.”

Claire blinked a couple of times at my words.

“More than that, I’m the one who brought you there. So there’s no reason to be upset about what you did.”

“Re-really…?”

As Claire spoke with what seemed like a little joy, I pulled the letter out of the envelope. The letter was written on luxurious paper, the kind only nobles would use. Even though they were barons, nobles were still nobles, I thought, as I unfolded the letter. The writing inside was so neat that it almost looked like it had been printed, raising doubts in my mind.

[To the glorious Princess Sylvia Fangriffon of the Empire,

The hot sun is scorching the land, and the breeze from the sea carries moisture in the air. While some may find the weather unpleasant, it is also a season that provides an excellent excuse to go out.

Although we cannot offer the refreshing breeze or pleasant air that may be found far from here, I believe our estate’s green lawns, which are highly regarded among the nobility, would be a wonderful sight. It is one of the few places where the eyes can rest amidst the dull city.

If you would grant us the honor of enjoying a cup of tea in the cool shade while appreciating this greenery, it would be a tremendous joy for the Grace family.

We pray that through our daughter, the princess’s positive response will arrive.

Tuesday. July 11th, 1901.

Baron Edward Grace.]

While the content of the letter was one thing, the handwriting exuded a strong “I’m being completely honest here” vibe. Well, among villains, there were many with fine handwriting, but perhaps I was just influenced by my preconceived notions about Baron Grace.

After reading the letter, I raised my eyes and looked at Claire. She didn’t seem entirely sure that I would give a positive response. She stood with her hands behind her back, fidgeting slightly, looking at me. Her head was slightly lowered as she glanced up at me, a pose I faintly remembered.

It was the same expression Claire used every time I gave her my portion of food at the orphanage. She must have lived a life where there was no need to watch her back, yet even after ten years, that habit hadn’t disappeared. It made me realize just how much those five years, when she had nothing, had shaped her life.

Perhaps that’s why I still remember it so clearly—because I was the first person to show her kindness in her life.

“I understand.”

I carefully folded the letter again and placed it back into the envelope.

“I will accept the invitation. Is there any date that would be preferable?”

“Ah, yes!”

Claire beamed with a bright smile in response to my answer.

I couldn’t help but wonder—what would it take for someone like her to become as twisted as in the original story?

Maybe the fact that she hadn’t broken was the real miracle. It meant that Claire was a strong person, after all.

Her personality was such that she would have sacrificed herself for her younger sibling, even if they hadn’t gotten along well in the past.

Still, thanks to this, I had a little more time before I had to face the Emperor, which lightened my mood.

And I genuinely wanted to visit the Grace family at least once. In the original story, I was supposed to go there, but just sitting idly until then seemed a little frustrating.

“Then after the exams, right after the summer break, I’ll visit. Will that be alright?”

“That works for me! I’ll tell my parents in advance!”

Parents, huh.

Now that I thought about it, I had always just been with Claire, but I had never actually heard much about how she had grown up. Her environment must have been far better than in the original story, and perhaps that’s why it hadn’t been necessary to mention it.

And besides, it was the protagonist’s family.

It might not be a bad idea to hear from the Grace family themselves how Leo and Claire had been raised.

Chapter 112 : Invitation

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 112

EP.112 Invitation (2)

I didn’t have many memorable moments from my school days.

It wasn’t that I had particularly bad memories, either. I just attended school like anyone else, had a normal graduation, and my grades weren’t spectacular but weren’t terrible either. I did manage to make some friends.

I never had a girlfriend, though.

I was an otaku, and so were my friends. We didn’t go on trips together, but we’d gather for events related to our hobbies, pool our money to buy manga, or head to an internet café after exams.

Yes, these were trivial memories compared to my experiences at the academy now. They weren’t vivid enough to remember the exact dates, and to be honest, most of the friends I hung out with back then had become faces and names I barely recalled.

Even so, for some reason, whenever I was at the academy, those days would come to mind, perhaps because it was a school for teenagers, just like mine was back then.

“We’ll be parting ways for a while.”

The first to speak was Charlotte.

It was the same at this academy; school ended early during the exam period. With time to spare, we decided to walk around and explore.

We wandered the streets, with nothing in particular to do, then sat in a café to have a cup of tea and enjoy some parfaits. We talked about trivial things, so much so that I couldn’t even remember the details, laughing and chatting away.

It didn’t feel like much time had passed, yet before long, the sun had set, and the sky was painted with hues of red.

“Are you going back to Lutetia?”

“Of course. I’m the princess of Velbur, after all.”

Alice asked with a slightly regretful tone, and Charlotte gave her a faint smile.

“But we’ll see each other again soon. The vacation isn’t that long.”

The break was a little over a month, so unless something special happened, we’d reunite when the second semester started.

But thinking about it more, that also meant that after graduation, we might not see each other as easily.

If Charlotte were just a noble from Velbur instead of a princess, she might visit Runedarium for a few days during the year. We could have tea, chat about what’s been happening, and say our goodbyes when it was time for her to leave.

The same could be said if Alice were in Charlotte’s position.

But both Alice and Charlotte were crucial figures in their respective royal families. Although it hadn’t been officially announced yet, Alice was the most likely candidate for the next Empress, and Charlotte didn’t have any siblings.

“……”

Perhaps because of these thoughts, Alice’s expression darkened.

…If the story follows its original course, the two would end up as enemies. Of course, Alice would eventually reconcile with the Emperor after opposing him to end the war, but their joy wouldn’t last long.

Charlotte silently stared at Alice before suddenly extending her hand.

“Well then, let’s meet again after the break. If you happen to visit Lutetia again… I’ll be sure to show you that Velbur’s food is far tastier and more diverse than the Empire’s.”

At Charlotte’s provocative remark, Alice smiled.

She took Charlotte’s hand and replied.

“The Empire’s food is improving, you know. Come back in about ten years, and I’ll serve you a meal so exquisite, even a Velburian would find it hard to criticize.”

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“I heard you’re returning to your autonomous region, too, Lena.”

“That’s right. I’ve already packed.”

Lena answered in a firm tone to my question. Despite the warm weather, Lena wasn’t in short sleeves. She seemed to think that wearing lighter clothing would make her lose her soldier’s spirit.

Of course, it wasn’t that Lena didn’t feel the heat.

Lena had lived in a cooler region even during the summer, so this weather wasn’t easy for her to endure. In fact, her neck was slightly damp with sweat.

“I’ll make sure to improve my skills and, by the second semester, I’ll be strong enough not to hold you back, Your Highness.”

Lena seemed to still be affected by the fact that we had gone to another dungeon without her last June. She didn’t openly show that she was upset, but she seemed to think it was because of her perceived lack of skill.

Despite that, Lena certainly wasn’t someone with poor skills.

“Um…”

Lena, who had been speaking, suddenly hesitated, and I was a bit surprised. It wasn’t common for her to act this way, especially not in front of others.

She seemed to fumble for a moment, then cautiously looked at me and spoke.

“May I… send you a letter?”

I almost burst out laughing.

Honestly, I hadn’t done much to earn Lena’s respect. If I were to think of something, it was only the time I ran around the training ground in front of her, which apparently left a strong impression on her.

Even though I hadn’t done anything else to earn her respect, she must have been moved by that one instance. Of course, she had also heard the stories of what happened on the battlefield, which probably contributed to her admiration. Seeing me fight firsthand must have sealed the deal.

“Of course.”

When I answered, Lena’s lips curled slightly into a small smile.

*

We didn’t see them off all the way to the train station. The station was bound to be packed due to the academy’s vacation, and with two princesses leaving, it would be almost paralyzing.

Charlotte boarded a first-class seat, while Lena took the less crowded northern train, but they would eventually end up at the same station. In a place where something major wasn’t likely to happen, like near the academy, it would have been fine, but if the princesses went into a place packed with unknown civilians, they would need a large escort.

Airships weren’t in use for civilian purposes yet, and although passenger planes were being developed, they hadn’t been commercialized. So, regrettably, we said our goodbyes at the academy.

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

Mia Crowfield spoke in her usual somewhat timid voice.

“Thanks for everything. I’ve received a lot of help from you.”

“A, ah… no…”

Mia flushed and lowered her head at Alice’s words.

Then—

“……”

She glanced at me, her face showing a somewhat complicated expression.

“Thank you for everything.”

She said, bowing her head.

She wasn’t holding a staff in her hand. It wasn’t allowed for students to carry weapons around the academy grounds, especially on the last day.

However, the blue gem at the end of the staff, which would be shining, was still the one I had given her.

Now that I thought about it, it was still a gem she hadn’t obtained at this point.

Considering that, it wasn’t that strange for her to show that kind of expression.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

I also bowed to Mia Crowfield. She looked momentarily flustered but quickly turned around and hurried off.

“Oh, you don’t have to say goodbye to me.”

As I watched her retreating figure with a mix of bittersweet emotions, I heard a light male voice.

I turned around to find Jake, with his ever-loyal maid beside him.

“We’ll be staying for about another day before leaving.”

Even though two princesses were present, Jake’s casual demeanor was met with a disdainful glance from Lottie. However, Jake’s attitude didn’t change at all.

“Even so, you should at least say goodbye.”

Alice spoke up.

“We’re planning to leave today as well.”

“Oh, really?”

Jake gave a look, as if to say there was no need to hurry since they were in the same capital anyway. Alice shrugged and replied.

“It’s more convenient to finish things quickly since we’re in the same capital anyway. And even if we leave first, it doesn’t matter if the luggage stays for a while, right?”

After all, we wouldn’t be the ones moving it ourselves.

“Is that so?”

Jake was probably staying behind because he wanted to spend even just one more day here with Lottie.

“Then I guess we should say our goodbyes. Thanks for everything. See you next semester.”

“Come back in the second semester when you’ve become a more serious man.”

Jake just laughed cheerfully at Alice’s words.

*

“Well, then…”

Leo said with an expression full of tension.

“As the future head of the Grace family, I’d like to invite both of the princesses to our estate.”

“……”

Alice stared at Leo with a somewhat baffled expression and replied,

“There’s no need to be so formal. Even among nobles, if there’s a relationship, we usually just speak casually.”

“R-really…?”

“No, I mean, the formalities aren’t necessary…”

Alice sighed deeply, and Claire rubbed her face.

“Well, still, you did invite us so formally.”

Alice’s expression turned playful as she stood facing Leo, lightly placing her hands on the hem of her skirt, and spoke.

“I’ll gladly accept your invitation.”

She then slightly pulled one leg back, bowed her knees without lowering her head, and gave a graceful gesture of acknowledgment.

It wasn’t surprising that Leo’s face turned even redder.

Chapter 113 : Invitation

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 113

EP.113 Invitation (3)

Even within the same city, traveling from one end to the other could take quite a bit of time, whether by car or subway, and the capital was no different.

Of course, the capital hadn’t grown to the extent of a “megapolis” like the advanced country capitals on modern Earth. Both the level of technology and welfare remained at early 20th-century standards. While the population had exploded compared to the Middle Ages, not all of humanity had achieved an average lifespan of 70 years.

According to official census data, the Empire’s population was just over 110 million. If you consider the many illegitimate children and orphans who are born and die in industrial zones, the actual population would likely be a bit higher.

The capital’s population had just begun to densify, reaching a little over 7 million. By the standards of this world, it was an overwhelmingly large city, but compared to real megapolises like Seoul, New York, or Tokyo, it inevitably seemed a bit lacking to me.

Nonetheless, a city with a population of 7 million was by no means small. It might be smaller than Seoul, but in Korea, no city other than Seoul matched the capital’s population.

Due to a law known as the “Anti-vehicle Law,” steam cars were virtually impossible to operate within the capital, so the only available means of transportation was horse-drawn carriages. Given that the speed of these carriages was just over 10 km/h, the city, with a population of 7 million, felt much larger than any modern city.

Fortunately, the Grace family estate wasn’t too far from the academy.

It had been only once during my childhood that I’d come this far, but even now, it was an impressive sight.

The smoke billowing into the sky was widely accepted as a symbol of industrialization, and the steam released by the locomotives at the train station was seen as a symbol of modernization. However, it was rare to find a place in the center of the capital that still maintained a lush green lawn.

I wasn’t saying it looked rural or anything like that; I just thought that with that much land, it would usually be put to other uses. Nobles wouldn’t build factories in their front yards, but more often than not, they’d create large gardens rather than grassy fields like this.

Furthermore, for an “estate,” there weren’t many guards around. Places like Winterfield, Northwood, and Crowfield had heavy security around the lord’s castle, with guards glaring at every passerby, heavily armed with swords and guns, causing people to avoid them from a distance.

But this estate was guarded by only two people standing at the entrance.

Their armaments weren’t much different from those of regular police officers in the capital. The only difference was that they were both wearing swords on their hips. On the left, a sword; on the right, a pistol. Their uniforms weren’t too different from those worn by the police either. They wore long coats with large buttons, a thin leather belt, and formal trousers and shoes, reminiscent of early 20th-century British police. The only difference was that the color of their uniforms was black instead of the police’s blue, likely to make them more distinguishable. They also lacked the characteristic hats.

In terms of appearance, their attire and weaponry were enough to intimidate anyone who passed by. But the relaxed and comfortable expressions of the two guards made their weaponry feel less threatening. Honestly, if there was no one else to ask for directions, I would have felt comfortable asking them instead.

“Welcome, Young Master. And Miss.”

“Long time no see!”

After a brief formality check—just a casual question of whether we had any weapons—one of the guards greeted us. Claire smiled brightly and waved her hand as if she were seeing an old friend. The guard responded with a smile, his face lighting up as Claire’s own joyful smile bloomed.

Even now, his appearance resembled that of an uncle happily laughing while holding his niece or daughter, rather than someone who would wield a sword.

When Claire said it had been a long time, it seemed that these guards weren’t just hired hands but rather more like retainers of the Grace family. After all, retainers were technically hired with money, too.

“Have you been well?”

Following Claire, Leo, who was sitting across from her and could see the same window, also asked the guards.

“Of course, Young Master.”

“How about you, Young Master?”

Even in front of Leo, the heir to the family, the guards spoke casually without any real tension.

“Yes, of course.”

“I see.”

The older-looking guard smiled as he spoke.

“The lord has been worried that perhaps Young Master is doing too well.”

“…Excuse me?”

“For example, that you’ve lost muscle and gained some weight…”

The younger guard examined Leo from head to toe, and Leo gasped, shouting in surprise.

“No! I’ve been working hard on my training!”

“Well, I’m sure the lord will judge that himself.”

The atmosphere seemed a little different from when they had been speaking with Claire.

Maybe it was because Claire was a woman and Leo was a man. In this world’s view on gender, it would probably be considered impolite for a man to fight or argue with a woman.

Moreover, Leo was the heir to the family. He would be responsible for the family as its head until his death.

On the other hand, Claire… well, she would eventually marry into another noble family. While she would still be connected to the Grace family through her bloodline, once she took her husband’s surname, she would no longer be a member of the Grace family.

Therefore, it made sense that it would be less of an issue to treat Claire more freely. As long as she maintained the minimum manners expected of a noble, that would suffice.

After a brief exchange of playful banter, a bell rang from somewhere near the main gate, sounding like a speaker.

The younger guard walked over to the speaker and listened for a moment before returning to us with a smile.

“The two princesses have arrived, and Baron and Baroness Grace have sent their regards.”

The two guards then drew their swords and performed a sharp salute. The pose—holding the sword upright in front of their faces and placing one hand behind their backs—was so dignified it could have been the cover art for a video game package.

“On behalf of the royal family, I express my gratitude.”

Alice said this as formally as she could from inside the carriage, and the two guards relaxed their salute.

“We hope you will have a pleasant and fruitful time at the Grace estate.”

*

Simplicity doesn’t always imply poverty.

Typically, noble estates were decorated in a lavish manner: gardens full of colorful flowers, grand fountains, and sometimes even elaborate mazes.

However, as I mentioned earlier, the Grace estate wasn’t one of those extravagantly adorned places.

Maintaining the lawn in such a pristine condition wasn’t an easy task either. Not a single blade of grass was out of place, nor were there any holes or yellowed, withered patches.

The buildings, too, reflected the same care. The structures on the Grace estate, seemingly built with the latest methods, lacked the ornate decorations that characterized the buildings of other estates. Instead of resembling the castles of Europe, they more closely resembled the architecture of early 20th-century New York.

The restrained, almost minimalist design of the buildings made the estate feel less like a traditional “manor” and more like some sort of “facility.” If anything, it resembled the atmosphere of a historic university.

“It’s an honor to have the princesses visit.”

Baron Edward Grace, the head of the family, was already waiting at the main entrance of the mansion.

I couldn’t tell how much his face had changed since I saw it ten years ago. Admittedly, I hadn’t had a clear view of him back then, so it was hard to recall.

Nevertheless, there were parts of his face that resembled Leo’s. The blue hair, the eyes. The reason Claire, despite not sharing their bloodline, blended so naturally into this family was likely due to this man’s hair color and blue eyes. If someone didn’t know better, they might even assume she had some familial connection.

Maybe they were distant relatives. We hadn’t learned anything about Claire’s parents up to the part I played.

The baron bowed in the noble manner, and the baroness, who stood slightly behind him, also bent at the waist and knee. She, too, had blue hair, though it wasn’t as vivid as her husband’s. Depending on the light, it appeared to have a hint of emerald mixed in.

“Since we are here as friends of Claire and Leo, there is no need for such formalities.”

Alice said calmly, and I nodded in agreement.

Though we didn’t bow our heads or bodies, of course.

Social status really does complicate relationships, doesn’t it?

Chapter 114 : Invitation

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 114

EP.114 Invitation (4)

When we arrived, the sun was already beginning to set, so we quickly made our way into the main mansion. Since we planned to stay for several days, there was no rush to explore the estate just yet; we could do that tomorrow.

Leo and Baron Grace seemed to have some matters to discuss separately. When Leo glanced back at us while following the Baron, his expression suggested that their conversation wouldn’t be a simple one. Given the Grace family’s traditions, it was likely that he would be sparring with his father. In fact, the Baron’s strength was known to be among the highest in the game world. And he wasn’t the type to go easy on his son either.

I could understand Leo’s expression. If I were him and returned home for vacation only to find an even more intense training regimen waiting for me, I’d probably make that same face.

At the same time, a sense of dread crept in. If I went back to the palace, I’d likely have an audience with the Emperor as well, wouldn’t I?

The situation would be complicated even if Leo wasn’t undergoing specific training. Being around me would pose another issue. At the academy, men and women interacted freely, but in noble society… it was difficult to gain a good impression if a man was constantly surrounded by women.

If women were flocking around a man with a macho, dominant presence, that could be seen as a point of pride, but if a pretty boy like Leo was chatting and laughing with women… well, that could raise some eyebrows.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Leo. While Alice and I were here, he would inevitably have to endure those kinds of looks from others more than once.

“When I heard that the ‘sister’ Claire always mentioned was the princess, I must admit, I somewhat doubted Claire’s memory.”

The Baroness said, elegantly sipping her tea as she spoke.

Noticing she didn’t put any sugar in her tea, I briefly considered following suit, but I quickly decided that it would only make me leave my tea unfinished, so I added just one lump of sugar. It was a relief that the atmosphere didn’t seem to be one where such small details were under scrutiny.

“……”

Not knowing how to respond to the Baroness’s comment, I bought some time by taking a sip of tea.

“I think it’s understandable.”

“Sister.”

Claire replied softly, sounding a little sad, but quickly closed her mouth and subtly glanced at the Baroness.

Since the Baroness and her husband would never treat Claire differently because she wasn’t blood-related, it seemed likely that Claire was more concerned with me being called ‘older sister.’ The Grace couple was relatively progressive, but they were still nobles, and for nobles, calling someone “older sister” who wasn’t one by blood was an improper expression, especially when the person being addressed was a princess.

Ironically, because the Grace family didn’t discriminate against those who weren’t blood-related, they viewed me as a definite member of the imperial family.

“It’s fine.”

I spoke before the Baroness could say anything.

“We lived so closely in our younger years, relying on each other like that.”

At my words, Claire’s face flushed a little. Alice looked back and forth between the two of us, a curious glint in her eyes.

Alice had never asked me about my past, and while we never made an explicit promise not to, there was an unspoken rule between us. Not just for me, but for other imperial children as well.

The fact that Alice didn’t know about Claire’s past was likely due to that same reason. But with someone in front of us who knew about my past, I couldn’t blame Alice for feeling a curiosity that was now evident in her eyes.

Still, she didn’t ask.

“Is that so…”

The Baroness scrutinized me carefully as she spoke.

She was probably being cautious since Claire’s memory had been confirmed by the princess herself.

“Claire and I came from the same orphanage. I’m the one who brought Claire here.”

“And you brought the other children as well, correct?”

“…Yes.”

Although there was no reproach in her voice, I couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed when speaking about it openly like this. In a way, I had essentially taken on the responsibility of those children. I knew full well what the Grace family was like.

Moreover, at the time, I had planned to stay with them as well.

I often wondered what my life would have been like if I had been placed here. Would I have grown up with Claire and Leo, playing and arguing over who would be the older sibling? Or would I have taken on the role of the eldest, like I had originally intended?

Then again, without any swordsmanship skills, I might not have been adopted by the Grace family at all. In fact, Claire was the only one among the children who was adopted.

Still, I would have taken the academy entrance exams. I might have ended up in a different class.

If that had happened, Alice and I wouldn’t have been in this equal relationship. Instead, I might have looked up to Alice.

One choice could have completely altered my future.

“There’s no need to worry too much.”

The Baroness, perhaps interpreting my expression and reaction, gave me a gentle smile.

“All the children have grown up wonderfully. Some have already started working as retainers for our family.”

“Really?”

Hmm…

To be honest, I didn’t know how the other children remembered me. For Claire, it seemed like a vivid memory, but for the others…

Honestly, I couldn’t even remember their faces or names clearly.

I had studied the game content thoroughly, writing notes on paper repeatedly to retain details, and I had even visited places related to the game’s background when I could.

But I hadn’t put much effort into remembering other things. Just living through it all had been a bit overwhelming for me.

Still, I was glad that the children hadn’t gone astray.

“In fact,” the Baroness said, setting her teacup down with a slightly heavier tone. “We didn’t tell the other children who you truly are. It’s a sensitive matter, after all.”

“I appreciate that.”

I responded honestly.

It didn’t matter if the fact that I wasn’t blood-related got out, but it was better if my true identity remained hidden. The less known, the better.

In that regard, Claire calling me “sister” was a bit risky, but… well, Claire had always been something of an oddball among the nobility.

Plus, the other noble students all assumed I had something behind me, so no one was too eager to get involved with me. So, I didn’t mind if Claire used an unusual title for me.

“However, if you wish, we can arrange for you to meet the other children.”

“……”

I looked over at Alice and Claire.

Alice seemed a little curious. Since Claire was one of the children I had saved, she probably wanted to see what the others were like as well.

As for Claire, it seemed like she was eagerly anticipating the idea.

Though she had been adopted by the Grace family, she had likely been close to the other children before. I had only spent a brief time with them, but Claire had surely spent her childhood with those kids. In other words, they were probably childhood friends.

That thought piqued my interest a little too.

The children likely wouldn’t recognize me, but I was curious about the relationship Claire had built with them. The Grace family had a more open and comfortable atmosphere with their retainers, so perhaps Claire was living with them in a casual way, addressing them informally.

And, more than anything, I was curious about how meaningful the actions I took back then had been.

However.

“But it’s already getting late.”

Although we hadn’t had dinner yet, it was getting close to that time. While commoners might sleep just a few hours a day, the nobility lived differently. And the Grace family wouldn’t treat their retainers like factory workers, making them work late into the night.

Wouldn’t it be a bit much to tour the estate at this hour? Especially since, with a princess visiting, everyone would have to come out and greet us.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

The Baroness spoke confidently.

“There are children in this house learning various trades. Since today’s lesson was in the afternoon, there should be no problem if we go and see them.”

At her words, both Alice and Claire looked at me at the same time.

“…I understand. In that case, I’ll gladly take you up on your kind offer.”

In the end, that’s how I responded.

Chapter 115 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 115

EP.115 Memory (1)

The position of a butler is a professional one.

This is especially true when the butler manages a bourgeois family with a multitude of businesses or a noble family with a long history. While not on the same level as the duties of a royal treasurer, the amount of money circulating in such households is far from what can be easily managed by simply writing down expenses in a household ledger.

Though this world has devices like calculators, mechanical machines, and even computer-like tools, the pace and complexity of these machines are still far slower and more bothersome than the ones used in my own world, which relied on semiconductors. Because of this, the people operating these machines, as well as those who manage them, were highly important.

The most crucial factor was, of course, trustworthiness.

A person who could be trusted not to pocket any of the considerable funds passing through their hands. Someone who had the skill to calculate taxes properly and ensure the royal family wouldn’t find any flaws. Finding someone with all these qualities to hire from outside was not an easy task. Such a person was likely already employed elsewhere.

That’s why nobles of a certain level made an effort to cultivate such individuals within their own families. Ideally, they would want someone from their own bloodline. If they ever made a mistake or misappropriated funds, the loss would ultimately fall on their own family, and their tax calculations were precise. While they might try to pay less, they didn’t think their intellect was superior to that of the royal palace’s audit offices.

How good of a worker they were mattered greatly.

But not all members of a noble family were blessed with such sharp judgment or intelligence.

Thus, from the very beginning, they tried to cultivate such individuals, ideally instilling loyalty as well.

The butler of the Grace family was no different.

“It’s the greatest honor of my life.”

Though the words were somewhat exaggerated, his tone made it seem like he was speaking from the heart—so much so that it made one wonder if it was truly sincere.

The butler’s short hair was neatly parted in a 2:8 ratio, and he had applied pomade to keep it perfectly in place. Judging by his face, one would expect his hair to be white with age, but perhaps due to dyeing, it was black. His mustache was trimmed meticulously, with no stray hairs visible. He wore a black three-piece suit, with a thin gold chain slipping out from the front pocket of his vest—likely from a pocket watch tucked inside.

“We’re also delighted to visit such a magnificent place. Surely, the estate’s beauty is the result of your hard work.”

“Your praise is too much.”

The butler replied modestly, though he couldn’t entirely hide the pride in his expression. Of course, the level of pride wasn’t inappropriate—it was akin to a faint hint of flavor added to a drink.

“We were showing the princesses around the mansion. They’ll be staying for a few days, and there’s a chance they may visit again in the future.”

The butler’s gaze briefly shifted toward Claire, who was standing near us. In that instant, it seemed as though he quickly understood the situation.

Or perhaps he often spoke with Claire. Considering the guards we met at the estate’s entrance, this seemed like the more plausible explanation.

“If that’s the case, I’d be happy to assist in any way I can.”

The butler spoke to the Baroness, but she gently shook her head. From the way she moved, one might assume she was a noble who had been raised in luxury, knowing nothing of hardship. However, when I briefly glanced at her hand earlier, I noticed calluses on her fingertips.

These weren’t just the result of occasional sword practice; they indicated that she still wielded a sword whenever she had the chance. The Baroness likely noticed my brief glance at her fingers, though she didn’t show it.

“I should be the one to guide the princesses, since I’m the lady of this household.”

“I understand.”

The butler bowed deeply without showing any signs of questioning, despite the Baroness appearing to be younger than him.

“I’ve come to see one of the children currently being trained here to work in the household.”

The butler’s gaze rose again, and I briefly saw a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. However, by the time I met his gaze directly, it was gone.

“The child has finished their tasks for the day and is resting.”

“Would it be inappropriate to visit now?”

“No, not at all. They’ve benefited from the Grace family’s kindness. I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to come out once they hear of your visit.”

In truth, visiting after work hours was somewhat inconsiderate. It was akin to a boss bringing the chairman to meet an employee who had just finished their shift.

But this was a noble family, and most of the children working here were orphans taken in when they were young, saved from certain death. Not only had they survived, but they were also living far better than they would have in a commoner’s household. Their loyalty and gratitude were likely sincere—at the very least, they would have genuine feelings of wanting to stay here.

Come to think of it, the child I was about to meet was technically a character who didn’t appear in the original story.

The butler was familiar to me. While not a particularly significant character, he had been present in the game whenever I visited the Grace family estate, later becoming an NPC who would give out side quests.

But the orphans I had forcibly left here were not.

It was somewhat less uncomfortable compared to when I first met Lena or encountered that strange person in the dungeon.

At least now, I could imagine why these children had ended up in such circumstances. If I had continued living here, those children would probably have called me “big sister.”

Thinking about it made me feel a little strange.

“……”

Ah.

I realized Alice was staring at my face, and I quickly shifted my gaze away.

What had happened had already happened. Time—well, I couldn’t go back to that time now.

Maybe, if I had tried hard enough, searching for a way to escape Lucas, it could have been possible. If I had searched for that one-in-a-million chance, maybe there was a solution.

But I hadn’t. Even if I could go back to that moment, I probably wouldn’t.

Well… I suppose it was alright.

Lucas was a bit scary, Jayden was annoying, and Bella was somewhat irritating, but still, Alice was nice.

Dealing with Alice, who was whining like a child—no, acting like a child—wasn’t as bad as I expected. In the original story, she was always a serious character, except for when she occasionally acted out of the ordinary. I had never seen her whine like this before.

So, that memory was too precious to just discard as if it didn’t happen.

If I had been in her shoes, I probably would’ve felt the same way. If forced to choose between two things, I’d probably struggle with the decision until the end of my life. Sometimes, it was better to not experience one of them at all. It made it easier to let go.

“Please, follow me.”

The butler led us to the part of the mansion where they resided, without hesitation. The Baroness casually followed behind him.

This meant that, in normal circumstances, they must keep their rooms impeccably clean, as if they were always prepared for their masters to visit without any embarrassment.

……

Before we arrived here, both Alice and Claire had warm smiles on their faces. However, after seeing my expression, their faces became slightly stiff. Alice was the first to change her expression, and Claire followed suit, alternating her gaze between Alice and me before her own face gradually hardened.

What kind of expression must I have been making?

……It was probably a neutral one.

A blank expression, one that even I couldn’t read when looking in the mirror. That was the kind of character I had settled into.

*

On Earth, older people who had lived through more years than I had often liked to reminisce about their elementary school days, saying things like “those were the golden years” or “those were the best memories.” But I didn’t really agree with that sentiment.

I’m not sure if it’s because my memory doesn’t compare to others, or for some other reason, but I didn’t really have any clear memories of my elementary school years. I vaguely remembered a few kids, but usually, I couldn’t recall either their faces or names.

So, I didn’t have much to reminisce about. The only memory I really had from those years was that the tteokbokki place by my school was delicious, and that was one of the few memories I had from elementary school.

Because of that, when a boy who looked a few years younger than me stood in front of me, I had to think for a while to remember his face.

But it seemed like the boy, who hadn’t fully left his childhood behind, was a bit different.

Chapter 116 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 116

EP.116 Memory (2)

It was an obvious statement, but in games like this, young girls and boys were typically depicted as exceptionally attractive.

Yes, boys as well. Frankly, there weren’t many ways to draw boys that would make them look “cool.” No matter how stylishly they were illustrated, to an adult’s eyes, they were still just kids. Even if an elementary schooler exclaimed, “I’ll protect you!” it would only come off as adorable.

…Right, an elementary schooler.

Come to think of it, my current age was 15. If you excluded the age of the soul inside this body and added the “in-universe” age of this body to the time I’d lived in this world, that’s where I landed.

In Korea, that would correspond to a third-year middle schooler. Though outwardly, I didn’t look much different from a high schooler. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the game’s character modeling carrying over here, but that seemed to be the case.

When I thought about it, putting bunny-girl outfits on kids this age was a completely insane idea. While the characters’ physical development was different from Earth’s, which often made me forget their ages, in the first installment of the game, most of the cast were just fledglings.

If we hadn’t been wearing masks, people in the casino would have probably guessed immediately that we were far too young to be there.

Well, maybe someone would have recognized Alice as a princess before they noticed anything else.

In front of me now, however, was a child who was clearly younger than me by several years, looking like an upper-grade elementary schooler or, at most, an early middle schooler. Of course, the concept of middle school wasn’t fully established in this world yet.

The child had green hair, wore an outfit resembling a butler’s uniform designed for kids, and had such a charmingly cute face that he wouldn’t have seemed out of place as a regular character in the original game. But this was a face I had never seen before.

Naturally so. If I hadn’t saved him, he likely would have been sold off somewhere. For that matter, if his face hadn’t been so strikingly pretty, he probably wouldn’t have been at that orphanage to begin with.

The boy looked up at me with emerald-like eyes, his expression showing a slight hint of surprise.

I wasn’t as skilled as Alice at discerning facial expressions, so I couldn’t tell whether he was surprised by my appearance or by realizing that I was “Sylvia Black.”

“They are precious guests who will be staying here for a few days.”

the butler said, addressing the child.

“Ah, yes.”

The boy replied almost immediately, his voice sharp and clear. The butler’s brow furrowed slightly, seemingly displeased by the brief moment of hesitation earlier.

However, he didn’t scold the boy in front of us. In fact, he didn’t seem like the type to raise his voice at anyone. The boy didn’t show any signs of intimidation around the butler either. If he had been mistreated, he wouldn’t be standing so confidently.

The boy lightly placed one hand over his chest and clasped his other hand behind his back as he offered a slight bow toward us. The motion was so smooth and natural that it was evident just how well-trained he was.

“My name is Daniel, a trainee butler. I look forward to serving you over the next few days.”

Of course, he probably wouldn’t be directly guiding us around much… Oh.

Daniel.

Hearing the name, a memory buried deep within my mind began to surface. There had been a child with vivid green hair—quiet and reserved. Perhaps his demeanor had been similar to Claire’s, though he was even younger than she had been.

We had all been so young. Claire and I had been only five years old, and some were even younger. All of us were children that the old woman at the orphanage had “acquired” from somewhere.

She kept us for a while and then sold us off later at a high price, treating us like “merchandise.”

Had Daniel been particularly attached to me?

I couldn’t really say. Back then, nearly all my attention had been focused on Claire. Sure, I’d been kind to the other kids too—I’d shared my food, told awkwardly made-up stories to entertain them—but that was about it. There had been too many of them for me to care for each one individually. It wasn’t like I could manage that alone.

Still, thinking back, none of the kids had caused any major trouble. That likely meant Daniel had been one of the children who followed my words obediently.

“Daniel!”

Claire, as if she were meeting an old friend after ages, instinctively moved to rush forward but froze in her tracks. She glanced at her mother.

The baroness was watching Claire with a stern expression.

I looked at Claire too.

She had lifted both hands slightly, likely intending to run to Daniel and hug him tightly.

But that sort of behavior wasn’t appropriate for a fifteen-year-old girl in this world.

Although teenage marriages weren’t unheard of here, they weren’t especially common either. However, children who joined the academy weren’t treated as kids forever, either.

In this world, the line between “adult” and “child” was extremely blurred. Tales of seventeen-year-olds lying about their age to join the military were celebrated as heroic anecdotes, yet the moment teenagers attempted to take on certain responsibilities, adults over twenty would intervene, declaring such matters unfit for children.

This world didn’t yet have things like human rights charters or the equivalent. Whether those would be established in the future, I couldn’t say.

“Uh, long time no see?”

Claire quickly spread her raised hands, then waved them enthusiastically as though that had been her intention all along.

“Haha…”

Daniel, watching Claire’s antics, gave a faint, troubled laugh before bowing his head slightly.

“It’s been a while, Miss Claire.”

“……”

Claire immediately pouted in dissatisfaction at the formal address.

There didn’t seem to be any romantic undertones between the two of them. Honestly, such an atmosphere would have been strange given their respective demeanors. One of them seemed both young and mature at the same time, while the other still leaned much closer to being a child.

More than that—

I slowly lifted my gaze and surveyed the room.

It was clean and well-organized. Not barren, but arranged in such a way that the various items within it fit perfectly into their designated spaces, creating a cozy atmosphere.

The room had two bunk beds, suggesting it was originally meant to house multiple occupants.

“The other children have all left to pursue different opportunities. For now, Daniel is the only one staying here,” the butler explained.

The butler, noticing my gaze, answered before I could ask, and the baroness nodded softly in agreement.

Perhaps Claire had once stayed in a place like this with Daniel. Of course, the boys and girls would have been housed in separate rooms, but before she was adopted by the House of Grace, they might have shared a bond like that of siblings.

Would she have hugged him without hesitation back then? Knowing Claire’s personality, it seemed likely.

My wandering gaze slowly drifted downward and settled on Daniel’s face.

I studied it carefully.

Was there any sign of injury? Did he look unhappy or sorrowful? I wasn’t entirely sure why I was searching for such things, but for some reason, it felt necessary.

In the end, I found nothing.

Realizing this, I felt a quiet sense of satisfaction before speaking.

“Are you doing well?”

It might not have been proper to ask such a question without introducing myself first.

But Daniel replied as if he already knew who I was.

“Yes, I’ve been doing well, without any lack or trouble.”

“That’s good.”

I searched for the next thing to say. How should I continue?

“I heard that there are others from the same orphanage…”

“They are all under the protection of the House of Grace. Now, each of them is looking for ways to repay that kindness through various endeavors.”

“I see.”

I took that to mean that they were all doing well.

“……”

I almost asked if he remembered my face but stopped myself at the last moment.

I felt like I already knew the answer.

At first, I thought he was merely surprised to see an unexpected guest. After all, news of two princesses visiting the manor would have already spread to every servant in the territory.

But there was something in his expression—an understanding—that felt different.

“It’s late today,” I began slowly, carefully considering how to proceed. “If you have no pressing engagements tomorrow…”

I hesitated mid-sentence, questioning whether this was the right way to phrase it.

“Could you introduce me to your friends?”

In the end, I asked just that.

For a brief moment, silence filled the room. It wasn’t a tense silence, merely a pause.

“I would be glad to do so.”

Daniel bowed his head slightly as he answered.

Chapter 117 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 117

EP.117 Memory (3)

Alice lay on the bed, staring intently at the ceiling above her.

She couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t because the bed in the baron’s house was particularly uncomfortable compared to the academy’s. In fact, the most expensive bed brands were widely recognized, and any reasonably affluent noble family or bourgeois commoner would likely use one of those brands. There was rarely any reason to worry about the comfort of a bed when staying as a guest in a reputable household.

The reason Alice couldn’t sleep wasn’t the bed—it was Sylvia.

Or maybe it wasn’t just Sylvia but also Claire, and the children from the orphanage who had been with Claire.

More precisely—because of those children who had been with Sylvia.

Alice prided herself on having known Sylvia for a long time. Five years old was an age one could consider quite young in a person’s life, and having known each other for ten years since then, she could confidently claim a bond akin to sisterhood. Few people in the world could recall memories before the age of five with any accuracy anyway.

But today… Sylvia’s expression made it seem as though she remembered something from when she was five years old.

Whenever Alice read Sylvia’s expressions, people around them would be surprised, and Sylvia would look at her with a gaze that seemed to question how such a thing was possible. But in truth, this skill was nothing extraordinary.

If you wanted to read Sylvia’s expressions, all you had to do was quietly watch her eyes.

Those eyes, directed at someone or something, were never devoid of emotion, not even for a moment. Sylvia was always thinking, always calculating something.

And today, as Sylvia looked at that boy named Daniel, her expression was filled with something that closely resembled longing.

Seeing Sylvia wear such an expression of longing felt strangely unsettling.

Discovering an unfamiliar side to someone you’d thought you knew all your life wasn’t as pleasant as one might expect.

Alice wanted to know. But the emotions she was feeling now weren’t so simple as to be summed up in a single word.

Even in a pitch-dark room, if you kept your eyes open and stared upward, faint traces of light would inevitably seep through the shadows. Of course, that light was so dim that it wouldn’t even allow you to discern the expression of the person next to you.

When Alice turned her head, Sylvia’s face, lying on the other bed in the guest room, was barely visible.

Only her outline, blurred beyond the veil of darkness, could be made out.

Come to think of it, Alice had rarely ever seen Sylvia asleep. They’d used separate rooms since childhood, after all.

Sylvia never dozed off, not during hours-long train rides, not during class, and not even during personal breaks.

Alice knew that Sylvia led a very regimented life, going to bed unfailingly at 11 p.m. every night—

“Ah.”

It suddenly occurred to her: Sylvia always woke up feeling completely refreshed. She went to bed around 11 p.m. and slept soundly until morning. Unless she had a task to attend to or a mission to complete, Sylvia maintained her routine without fail.

Could it be that Sylvia was someone who simply needed a lot of sleep?

It was surprising that such a thought had only occurred to her now.

Sylvia, who was always meticulous, methodical, and accomplished everything she set out to do—

—not just during their last encounter at the ruins.

“……”

Alice could vividly recall the sensation of having a gun pressed against the back of her head. She hadn’t seen it directly or heard it, but the killing intent was unmistakable.

The intent to kill, no matter the cost.

Sylvia, who had never once shown anything like killing intent—not even in life-threatening moments—had been right in front of her. That incongruous, alien kind of malice felt even more pronounced to Alice because of it.

It was foreign. Unlike anything she had ever experienced from anyone.

And yet, strangely enough, it felt oddly familiar.

When Alice turned to face the person behind her, she saw the gun in their hand.

It was the same gun Sylvia always carried. Though it looked slightly older, a bit more worn than the one Sylvia owned.

At that point, Alice stopped thinking about it.

For some reason, it felt wrong to continue dwelling on that peculiar individual. There was an overwhelming sense of rejection, a feeling that she shouldn’t think about them anymore.

“……”

Was she overthinking things?

Even though a month had passed since that incident, the memory of that moment still clung to Alice’s mind like a stubborn stain, refusing to fade away.

She would meet that person again someday.

At least, she hoped the person sleeping beside her now wasn’t that same individual.

If Sylvia ever grew to hate Alice enough to want to kill her, Alice wasn’t sure she could bear it.

At the very least, she hoped that, to Sylvia, Alice would remain as important as the other orphanage companions who were now in this estate.

Alice knew she shouldn’t think this way, but…

A part of her felt slightly regretful that she wasn’t also from that orphanage.

*

Last night, Sylvia had slept deeply, without a single worry.

She’d woken up at the crack of dawn, before the sun had fully risen, and realized that she felt far more refreshed and invigorated than usual. She had spent a moment quietly pondering why.

It was probably because there was no one here she needed to keep her guard up against.

Leo was important—he was the protagonist, after all. Claire was the same, and the Baron and Baroness Grace weren’t minor characters in the story either.

But none of those people had any reason to harm her.

Alice, even less so. Just last year, Alice might have still seen Sylvia as a rival, but in the past year, she had suddenly grown more mature and now insisted on acting as her older sister.

Though at the moment, Alice was far more engrossed in her sleep than Sylvia was.

As Sylvia sorted through her thoughts, she understood.

There was no need to worry about Lucas plotting anything, nor about Leo and Claire sneaking out at dawn to handle random requests. She didn’t have to deal with unexpected encounters with other nobles along the way that would drain her energy. Everyone here was someone she could trust, people she could interact with freely and without suspicion.

“Heh.”

Even so, an inexplicable sense of emptiness welled up inside her, causing Sylvia to let out a faint chuckle.

She glanced over at Alice, who seemed to be in such a deep sleep that she hadn’t heard the sound.

I sat up in bed. Most of my belongings from the academy had already been moved to the Imperial Palace, but I had brought a few essentials for staying elsewhere, packed neatly into a large trunk.

Reaching under the bed, I dragged out the trunk and opened it to grab some underwear and clothes.

“……”

I looked down at the clothes in my hands.

It was my uniform.

An endlessly militaristic uniform.

In fact, most of the other clothes in the trunk weren’t much different. Even if they weren’t official uniforms, the majority of my wardrobe had a formal, military-inspired style. The same kind Lucas and Jayden wore daily.

Still, it wasn’t as if I didn’t own dresses or more feminine outfits.

I thought of Claire. Yesterday, she had stayed in her uniform since she’d just returned, but would she do the same today? She liked wielding a sword, but that didn’t mean every aspect of her preferences leaned masculine.

I stared at the uniform for a moment longer before putting it back in the trunk. Then, I picked out another set of clothes.

*

Although it was summer, I disliked showering with cold water.

The shower room was clean but, by my standards, appeared—ancient.

Well, even if it were a newer facility, it wouldn’t be much different. After all, this world was still in the early 1900s. Sure, it was a different world, where magic and steam engines replaced electricity for most purposes, but it wasn’t a place with smartphones or anything close to that.

A steampunk smartphone. That would be fascinating to see. If someone could design digital clocks powered entirely by wind-up mechanisms, surely they could make something like that, too.

Such idle thoughts crossed my mind as I stood under the pleasantly warm water, which flowed without issue.

I stared blankly at the shower curtain, which was still dripping with water, and thought about how they might have made the shower work with a steam engine. But I gave up. I didn’t even know how modern boilers worked. I just knew that they used coal or something to heat the water.

I laughed to myself, feeling a bit silly for not knowing how the world worked. It was strange, but that realization made me feel a bit better.

If I’d lived just fine not knowing anything before, then there was no reason to stress about being ignorant in this world either, was there?

*

“…Sylvia?”

By the time I had finished my shower, dried my hair, and dressed, Alice finally woke up. For her, it was late enough to call it sleeping in.

When Alice saw me, she froze, her expression was one of pure shock. No, calling it mere surprise wouldn’t do her reaction justice. Her expression as she looked at me was closer to utter astonishment.

Chapter 118 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 118

EP.118 Memory (4)

Right, it’s true that I almost never wore dresses.

I considered Alice’s expression for a moment as the thought crossed my mind.

“Does it not suit me?”

So, I asked her directly.

I didn’t have much confidence in my fashion sense. I wasn’t someone who dressed particularly well in my previous life, either.

Back then, I didn’t trust my instincts, so I’d usually just buy whatever was displayed on mannequins at stores and wear those combinations as-is. Whether those outfits suited me or not was another matter entirely.

Still… isn’t there a saying that the ultimate accessory to fashion is one’s face? Or, not just the face, but the figure too.

The appearance of Sylvia Fangriffon was undeniably stunning, even from an objective standpoint. Rather than merely being adequate, it was more fitting to call it beautiful.

So, unless the outfit was outrageously strange, I figured it should suit me reasonably well.

The dress I wore was light blue.

It wasn’t overly decorated, nor did it expose much skin.

I thought the design had just the right level of elegance… though I wasn’t sure how it would appear to Alice, who had grown up in the royal court.

“Uh, no, it suits you well. Really.”

I couldn’t tell if that statement was genuine, or if she was simply trying to compliment me because the outfit was unbearable to look at and she couldn’t bring herself to say so outright.

Alice always managed to read my expressions, no matter how hard I tried to conceal them.

It was unfair.

Still, I had no intention of being upset with her. Instead, I asked again, this time with measured composure.

“Would wearing this to meet Baron Grace and his wife be considered inappropriate?”

Personally, I didn’t think so. Wearing dresses was a standard practice among nobles, and this one wasn’t exactly cheap. I’d bought it before entering the academy, just in case, though I’d never had a chance to wear it until now. Considering its price, it shouldn’t violate any notions of propriety.

“Ah, well—”

Alice seemed like she was about to say something but then abruptly shut her mouth.

For a moment, her expression hardened.

I resisted the urge to tilt my head in confusion.

If this outfit was truly so hideous that it alone breached proper decorum—

Well, I supposed that could be possible.

You know, like attending a fashion show as a spectator but showing up in something so glaringly bad that it felt intentional. That might be considered improper. Or going to a funeral dressed extravagantly or trying to outshine the bride at a wedding. Maybe there were similar unspoken rules among nobles—where a guest shouldn’t dress more lavishly than the host.

“—No.”

But Alice’s stiff expression soon softened.

Then she spoke quickly, almost too hastily from my perspective.

“No, it’s not inappropriate.”

Her demeanor struck me as suspicious, so I asked again. Alice nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, it suits you perfectly. And it’s not against any etiquette. If someone criticizes you, it’ll only be because they dislike the outfit for personal reasons.”

“……”

For a brief moment, I wondered if her words were just a roundabout way of saying, ‘It really doesn’t suit you.’

But I decided to take her words at face value.

Alice wasn’t the type to lie about things like this. That much, I’d learned for certain over the past ten years.

If she ever had a grievance with me, Alice would challenge me openly and honorably—just as she had when we were children.

“I understand.”

Seeing me nod without further protest, Alice seemed to relax, looking visibly reassured.

*

Alice realized she had almost blurted out, “Maybe so,” and her face stiffened visibly.

Her poker face was nowhere near as refined as Sylvia’s practiced ability to mask her expressions. Naturally, Sylvia could easily observe the raw awkwardness of Alice’s reaction.

Yet Sylvia’s own expression remained calm, with only a faint flicker of curiosity crossing her features.

Even so, Alice couldn’t bring herself to ask, “Why are you suddenly dressed like that?”

For nobles, royalty, and aristocracy, words often carried layers of implied meaning. Sylvia, having spent ten years in the imperial palace, would undoubtedly understand this.

If Alice had asked such a question, Sylvia would have picked up on the undertones hidden in her words. “Suddenly” would imply “Why here, of all places?”; “dressed like that” would carry the unspoken “Why not something simpler?”; and “Why are you wearing it?” would inevitably hint at “Are you trying to impress someone?”

When strung together, these underlying meanings boiled down to a single, unmistakable sentiment: jealousy.

And that, well… wasn’t that just a bit childish?

Alice, who had never claimed to be Sylvia’s sister before, had only recently started insisting on that title. It had begun when Claire started calling Sylvia “sister.”

Sylvia didn’t seem to have given it much serious thought yet, but if Alice pushed the boundaries just a little further, Sylvia might begin to connect the dots. She’d realize Alice was jealous of Claire.

Not in a dark, obsessive way—nothing like that. Alice’s jealousy wasn’t malicious; it wasn’t clinging or suffocating. It was just… Alice’s way of wrestling with thoughts and feelings she couldn’t bring herself to voice aloud.

It was something like this:

‘Does Sylvia resent being brought to the imperial palace after being kidnapped by Lucas?’

Was there, beneath Sylvia’s carefully controlled expression, some faint trace of lingering resentment toward Alice?

Perhaps Sylvia had never truly thought of Alice as her sister. Maybe Sylvia saw Alice merely as a tool—someone to help her ascend to the throne, shape her desired future, or avoid an unwanted one.

Such thoughts gnawed at Alice. She couldn’t tell if they were rooted in paranoia or reality, but they refused to leave her mind.

The fleetingly visible emotions—could they have been fabricated solely to deceive Alice?

“Time is running late.”

Sylvia’s voice cut through Alice’s spiraling thoughts, snapping her back to the present.

Alice blinked at Sylvia’s words. Beyond her blinking gaze, Sylvia appeared as calm as ever. Perhaps it was the oddly incongruous sky-blue dress that made her seem even more serene.

Of course, Sylvia was beautiful. She could probably make almost any outfit look good.

But something felt… off.

Sylvia’s shoulders were stiff—unnaturally so. Thinking back, her shoulders had always been rigid like that whenever she wore her uniform.

Now that Alice noticed, it wasn’t the uniform’s fault. It was just Sylvia.

She had been so accustomed to moving like a soldier that it had become second nature, even in her posture.

As Alice realized this, the tension drained from her own shoulders, leaving them slack. She barely managed to stifle a wry laugh.

Sylvia was… Sylvia.

If Sylvia looked different in Alice’s eyes, it was only because Alice herself was choosing to see her differently.

“It’s probably time to get ready.”

Sylvia suggested again.

“Before that, Sylvia.”

Alice stood from her seat, taking deliberate steps toward Sylvia. She didn’t walk casually like she would at the academy but instead carried herself with the poise of a princess.

The sight might have seemed strange to an outsider—someone walking with such regal grace while still in their pajamas—but in this room, it was just the two of them. Just like old times.

“You’re holding too much tension in your shoulders.”

“……”

Sylvia didn’t reply, but her dark eyes focused on Alice. In their depths, a fleeting flicker of curiosity passed, which oddly reassured Alice.

“It might be fine when you’re wearing a uniform or formal attire.”

Alice continued, lifting her hands to tap Sylvia’s stiff shoulders lightly, almost playfully, like their etiquette tutor had done to Alice when she was younger.

“But when you’re wearing a dress, walking around with such rigid shoulders will make you look far too tense.”

“Is that so?”

Sylvia’s question was pure and sincere.

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

Alice sighed unconsciously. That sigh carried the remnants of her earlier doubts and hesitation, melting away as she exhaled.

Once those thoughts were out, she felt unexpectedly lighter.

“Alright then. Wait here until I’m done freshening up. I’ll teach you the basics of moving gracefully in a dress.”

“…Are there specific movements for wearing a dress?”

Sylvia’s thought of changing back into something else was almost tangible, lingering unspoken in the air.

It was a near miracle that Alice didn’t burst into laughter right then and there.

How could they have learned from the same tutor and yet end up with such differing knowledge?

“Got it? Stay right here. You’re representing the imperial family; we can’t afford any embarrassing moments.”

Alice gave Sylvia a firm reminder before turning toward the bathroom. Halfway there, she realized with a jolt of horror that she wasn’t carrying any undergarments or a change of clothes.

Feeling flustered, she hurried back to her bed, her expression tinged with embarrassment as she crouched to rummage through the trunk beneath. She retrieved her clothes and, without another word, dashed back toward the bathroom.

…Really, it was a relief that she was sharing the room with only Sylvia.

Chapter 119 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 119

EP.119 Memory (5)

Amazingly, the embarrassment came a beat too late.

At first, I hadn’t thought much of wearing a dress.

I had already donned a bunny girl outfit once—a costume that left almost my entire chest exposed. If you were to judge by sheer modesty, it was an outfit most people wouldn’t even consider wearing. So I thought wearing a dress—something people commonly wore—wouldn’t be particularly shameful.

It wasn’t like it revealed my chest, nor did it expose much of my shoulders. It was simply… a normal outfit one might expect from a noble lady.

Even the skirt was far longer than the one on my usual uniform. Naturally so. Frankly, given that the game had “beautiful girls” as one of its main selling points, the skirts on our uniforms were shorter than those in real life. Objectively speaking, there was no logical reason for me to feel embarrassed wearing this.

Even Alice, who saw me earlier in the morning, had only been slightly surprised and didn’t make a big deal out of it.

But I didn’t realize until after I left for breakfast.

Embarrassment, I discovered, wasn’t dictated by the “objective level of exposure” but rather by how people around me reacted to my outfit.

When I had worn the bunny girl outfit, Alice had been beside me, and though I had felt deeply self-conscious, Claire’s reaction had been one of sheer astonishment rather than judgment. Plus, there had been plenty of excuses I could use to justify it.

But this dress? I had chosen it myself, willingly.

And that fact seemed to be the focal point of everyone’s reactions.

“Wow!”

Claire, who had stared at me blankly for about three seconds, suddenly lit up. Her face brightened as she clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she approached me.

“Big sister, it looks amazing on you!”

At the word “big sister,” I noticed the baroness standing nearby arch one eyebrow ever so slightly. However, she maintained her composure and approached with graceful poise.

“Your attire from yesterday suited you well, but this outfit is truly splendid.”

“Is that so?”

And those reactions felt… far more embarrassing than when Leo had blushed at the sight of me in the bunny girl costume.

Even Leo’s reaction wasn’t much different.

Normally, he would have gawked at me with his mouth hanging open, but whether it was because he was at his family home or because he felt closer to me after spending a semester together, he walked over with his trademark “protagonist’s smile” and said,

“It suits you really well.”

It was then that I realized something.

There was no “Sylvia Fangriffon” in the original game, but if this scene had existed in the source material, it would have undoubtedly been one of her affection events.

I could practically see an empty heart gauge below the name “Sylvia Fangriffon,” and imagined one of the hearts slowly filling halfway with a pink hue. The thought sent shivers down my spine.

“Really?”

But what else could I do? If I were to deny it outright, that would have been just as much of a cliché.

It was reassuring to know that my character seemed to resonate well with everyone, but that didn’t mean I wanted to feel like I was being “wooed.” No matter how long I had been living as a woman in this world—ten years, to be precise—my soul was still that of a man.

“I’m sure the kids will feel much more at ease around you now, big sister.”

Claire said, completely unaware of the thoughts running through my mind. Well, to be fair, nobody around here seemed to notice. The idea that this world was just the setting of a game probably never even crossed their minds… not that they’d even know what video games were in the first place.

Even if they did exist, it was unlikely they’d imagine such a thing.

“Is that so?”

Once again, all I could respond with was a simple “Is that so?” Alice, standing beside me, was staring intently at me. This was the same Alice who had given me an impassioned lecture earlier about achieving the “graceful shoulder line of a true lady.”

Alice’s expression didn’t reveal much, as usual, but for some reason, I felt as though there was a hint of satisfaction behind her gaze.

*

Daniel, however, still blushed slightly when facing me.

For a moment, I considered the possibility that Daniel might recognize me.

In my previous life, I had never entertained the thought of being anyone’s first love. The truth was, I wasn’t exactly good-looking enough to be anyone’s first crush.

But “Sylvia Black” was different.

While every child from that orphanage had grown up to look relatively decent, there weren’t many who had developed into someone you could definitively call a “beautiful girl,” like Claire or me. Most of them were simply too young at the time for such distinctions.

On top of that, I had been one of the few people at that orphanage—if you could even call it that—who had treated the children with kindness.

If anyone harbored feelings of admiration for me, it wouldn’t surprise me. After all, Claire had felt the same way.

“This way, please…”

After breakfast, the baroness had excused herself early. She had mentioned being busy, but I suspected it was partly to give me space to reconnect with the children.

“Everyone seems to be gathered here.”

Daniel said as I followed him.

“Ah, I see.”

I replied.

He nodded.

“Not all in the same room, of course, but those with similar duties tend to stay in similar areas.”

That made sense.

It wasn’t practical to house butlers and maids in the same quarters, let alone guards. Even though the barony wasn’t particularly vast, it wasn’t small enough to be managed by just two or three people. Given the need for round-the-clock surveillance, it made sense to employ a significant number of people. If all the children from the orphanage had been hired, most of them would have likely become guards.

Even considering that over half of the orphanage’s children were girls.

“This is the place.”

Daniel stopped in front of a building located a bit away from the main residence—a separate annex that I had noticed when we first arrived at the estate.

For a mere “lodging,” the building was remarkably well-constructed. If this was where the staff lived, it was clear that the Grace Barony provided excellent welfare for its employees.

Daniel opened the door and stepped inside, holding it open until we had all entered.

It felt somewhat awkward and uncomfortable to have a boy shorter than me perform such a gesture, but that was just how things were in this world. Even Claire, Leo, and Alice acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Once inside, the heat seemed to dissipate slightly. There appeared to be some kind of cooling system in place, whether powered by steam or magic.

The interior was surprisingly reminiscent of a hotel—not an overly luxurious one, but something akin to a quaint, old-fashioned inn you might find in the European countryside. However, the lobby counter was unstaffed.

“Each room houses two people,” Daniel explained. “The ones Her Highness wishes to meet are…”

He hesitated, his gaze shifting to Claire.

Claire beamed and nodded.

“The kids who used to stay with you and me.”

“Understood.”

Daniel glanced at me for confirmation.

“Then… I’ll bring them here,” he said.

I nodded in response.

*

After sitting on the lobby chairs for a few minutes, one or two children began to cautiously emerge.

Including me, Claire, and Daniel, there had been twelve of us who had escaped together back then.

The children who slowly made their way into the lobby didn’t seem much younger or older than Daniel. However, most of them were taller than him, regardless of whether they were boys or girls.

“Hi!”

“Sis!”

A girl with short, dark brown hair and an energetic demeanor waved at Claire. Her cheerful exclamation was cut short when she noticed the rest of us standing behind Claire. She quickly clammed up.

I see.

It seemed the children who had escaped together had lived as though they were siblings, depending on one another for survival.

When her gaze fell on Alice and me, she must have recognized us as nobles. The girl, who had been on the verge of running over, adjusted her steps into a more reserved pace as she approached us.

She curtsied politely, lightly holding the hem of her skirt.

“Greetings.”

“……”

I was too preoccupied trying to recall her name to respond to her greeting.

Before the girl could introduce herself, more children began emerging from the hallway.

Red hair, blonde hair, gray, blue… Now that I noticed, their hair colors were remarkably varied. Could it be that the old woman who had bought the children had considered hair color as one of her criteria?

Lost in thought, I hadn’t realized the children had all gathered.

There were nine of them.

Not a single one was missing.

Chapter 120 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 120

EP.120 Memory (6)

The embarrassment of wearing a dress had long since faded.

Instead, I felt relieved seeing that the children before me showed no wariness toward me. It seemed fortunate that I had chosen this attire after all. If they had been frightened, meaningful conversation would have been impossible.

The problem was… now that I had gathered these curious children, all eyes sparkling with interest, I had no idea what to say.

I couldn’t just come out and say, “I’m from the same orphanage as you. Do you recognize me?” There were simply too many of them. While I trusted Daniel wouldn’t reveal my identity even if he figured it out, I couldn’t be sure about the other nine children.

“……”

As my thoughts wandered, a sobering realization struck me—I didn’t truly know any of these kids.

Of course, it was only natural. Even after ten years of friendship, you can still discover new sides to someone. Remembering the faces of children I had lived with for only a few months ten years ago would have been a miraculous feat, one worthy of boasting about.

…Not that it felt worth boasting about now.

“Sis, look.”

Claire had sidled up beside me while I stood frozen. Without hesitation, she looped her arm through mine, pulling me closer to the children.

“Lady Sylvia,” she added softly.

The words were directed at me, but I knew they were really meant for the children. Claire likely understood that she couldn’t divulge the full truth, but dropping a hint? That, she couldn’t resist.

A hint was just a hint, after all. Even if the children came back one day with certainty, demanding answers, I could always deny it outright.

A few of the children blinked, staring blankly at me after hearing Claire’s words. Their eyes widened as realization began to dawn, their expressions gradually shifting to shock.

The understanding spread among them like a ripple. They glanced at one another, then back at me, examining my face closely. Each time they did, another child seemed to arrive at the same conclusion, their mouths falling open in surprise.

It took less than a minute.

In under a minute, they all remembered me. They recognized me so quickly that it almost felt unfair.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t even recall all of their names.

“This is…”

Claire began, still clutching my arm tightly, as though afraid I might vanish at any moment.

Perhaps she was haunted by the memory of that last time we were all together—when Lucas had abducted me and I’d been swept away into the imperial family. Claire might not have fully understood what had happened back then, but it seemed she feared something similar could happen again even now.

“This is Her Highness, Princess Sylvia Fangriffon of the Imperial Fangriffon Family.”

A few of the children flinched in shock. Some hesitated, unsure whether to bow, awkwardly lowering their heads. Others looked around, taking cues from their peers who remained still, and ended up fumbling uncertainly.

They were all still so young. Even after ten years.

Which meant… in the eyes of others, I probably appeared young too.

My thoughts swirled in confusion, making logical reasoning impossible.

“I got close to her at the Academy and invited her over. When she heard that we’ve been protecting you, she wanted to meet you personally. That’s why I brought her here,” Claire explained softly, her tone gentle as if she were soothing the children.

Gone was the mischievous Claire who teased Leo. Instead, she spoke with a deliberate calmness, like it was something she had to do.

I thought of Claire after I disappeared.

It wasn’t a thought I hadn’t entertained before. I’d imagined it countless times after we were separated—wondering if she was doing well, trusting that she would be okay under the care of the Grace family. I’d clung to those thoughts until the day we reunited at the Academy.

And after our reunion, there was no need to imagine.

The Claire I knew now was diligent, cheerful, sociable, and always eager to make friends. A bright, personable young woman who exuded warmth.

But could I say that was Claire’s true self?

In the original story, Claire had endured hardships that twisted her character. She grew up within the Imperial Palace, constantly at odds with Alice. Perhaps her current personality was a result of circumstances she couldn’t control—just as the fictional Claire had become the way she did.

What kind of words had Claire offered to comfort the children in the immediate aftermath of my disappearance? What had she told them?

“Isn’t she pretty?”

Hasn’t she grown beautiful?

That was how Claire’s words sounded to me.

Now, with both arms wrapped around mine, Claire smiled proudly, as if she were presenting me as a treasure she was incredibly pleased with.

“Her Highness is curious about our stories. How about you?”

“……”

The children’s eyes lingered on Claire before collectively shifting toward me.

“Should we tell her our story?”

In ordinary circumstances, such a suggestion might have seemed absurd.

Many nobles funded charitable projects—whether out of genuine sympathy, religious obligations, or a desire to showcase their benevolence. They donated to relief efforts in the slums, sponsored orphanages, and sometimes even visited those places.

But for commoners to engage a noble benefactor in lengthy, unnecessary tales? That was considered impolite, a breach of decorum. Nobles and commoners lived in separate worlds, and most nobles had no interest in hearing about the lives of commoners, even those they helped.

But Claire spoke as if this were exactly what I wanted.

And—

Yes, truthfully, I did want that.

*

Emma had a knack for cleaning. But it wasn’t just that she cleaned well. She had an innate ability to gauge the size of objects and figure out precisely where they would fit. She could instinctively stack boxes in a way that maximized storage space, fitting more into a single storeroom than anyone else could.

Currently, she was undergoing training as a maid. It was expected that, once she got a little older, she’d work at the main house for a few years, then meet a decent man and settle down in marriage.

Oliver excelled in swordsmanship. Though not on the same level as Claire, it was clear he would grow enough to be of help when his master fought. That was why he was currently undergoing training. One day, when he came of age, Oliver would likely become one of the people guarding the entrance to this territory.

Chloe had a talent for taking care of plants—

One by one, as if they were presenting themselves to me, they shared their stories.

Each child was unique. While some of them would end up working in similar fields, none of them had identical talents.

And all of them were the children I had saved that day—the ones I had tied the curtain around to lower them to safety.

“……”

I listened closely to their stories without saying a word.

The truth was, I remembered that day vividly.

Back then, I had simply planned to leave with Claire. It was Claire who had brought the children to my attention.

‘The kids… the kids are still inside.’

It was only after hearing those words from Claire that I went back up and tried to save them.

If Claire hadn’t said that—

But here were these children, smiling as if they were determined to confirm who I was. With pride in their voices, they introduced themselves, as though to prove that my efforts to save them had not been in vain.

And beside me, Claire listened with a bright, radiant smile on her face.

I felt ashamed.

Humiliated.

I wanted to find somewhere to hide and disappear.

It was a feeling not unlike wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

I… I wasn’t as good a person as these children thought me to be.

“…Sylvia.”

As I listened to their stories, someone gently tapped my shoulder and called my name.

It was Alice.

Speaking to me from the opposite side of Claire, Alice wore a slightly concerned expression.

“……”

She didn’t ask if I was okay. She didn’t need to. Alice knew who these children were, just as Claire did.

And Alice likely thought the same as everyone else—that I had saved all these children. Or at the very least, that I had done something worthy of the gratitude they were showing me now.

“Do you want to take a break?”

Claire’s question broke the silence. I gave a small nod in response.

I moved to one of the chairs in the lobby and sat down.

When I remained silent, everyone else followed suit, saying nothing.

This isn’t what I wanted to happen.

But even as that thought crossed my mind, I couldn’t figure out what to say.

So I simply sat there for a while, quietly catching my breath.

Chapter 121 : Memory

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 121

EP.121 Memory (7)

Memories aren’t necessarily defined by how long they last or how old they are. Instead, it seems they’re more about the intensity—whether positive or negative—and how much they’ve shaped one’s life. The stronger their impact, the harder they are to forget.

To these children, I must occupy such a position in their lives.

As the conversation dragged on, staying in the lobby felt a bit awkward, so we all moved to the building’s dining hall. There, other children and adults were scattered around, eating their meals. The space was large enough that even as we occupied a corner, there was no need to displace anyone else.

A few curious glances were cast in our direction, but no one seemed inclined to interfere. Judging by their restraint, they must have been well-raised and properly educated.

When a few people looked like they were about to leave, Claire subtly gestured for them to stay put. After exchanging polite nods, we settled into a corner of the dining hall.

The children continued sharing their stories for a while. It was as if they had been waiting for an opportunity to speak with me, recounting how their lives had been since coming here.

They started from the beginning—how they had been educated at the orphanage, selected as they grew older to work for House Grace… Of course, not one of them, according to their account, ever considered leaving. Having spent their childhood in such a place, where they wouldn’t freeze to death, starve, or be beaten, it was likely not an option they could easily give up.

As their stories flowed, their eyes gradually filled with a mix of hope and expectation as they looked at me. Perhaps they wanted to hear my story in return.

But…

Well.

I couldn’t bring myself to share anything just yet. So instead, I kept my mouth shut and quietly listened to their stories.

Was it because my silence seemed heavy to them? Or had their pool of stories run dry after so much sharing?

As time passed, their voices gradually quieted. By the time the dining hall was empty of other diners, we had nothing left to say to one another.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence settled between us.

Alice, for some reason, appeared to be gauging my reaction, while Claire seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

But even then, I didn’t know what to say.

Could I truly be honest with the children who had shared their life stories with such sincerity?

Could I tell them that, during my escape, I hadn’t been trying to save them?

Could I admit that when I shared my food with them, it had been out of cheap pity for those who likely wouldn’t survive much longer?

Could I bring myself to reveal such truths to these children who now saw me as their savior?

……

Of course, I couldn’t say that. I wasn’t that honest or brave of a person.

After the brief silence, someone finally spoke up.

“Um…”

It was Daniel.

The only noises in the dining hall were the occasional rustling sounds from the children shifting in their seats, soft breathing, and the faint clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. Even though Daniel had only muttered a single word, his voice seemed loud in the stillness—louder than it would have seemed under normal circumstances.

As all eyes suddenly turned toward him, Daniel looked flustered, his face quickly turning red.

It appeared he was still lacking in his training as a butler. A professional in his position shouldn’t allow their expression to be so easily read.

But then again, Daniel was still young. The current head butler didn’t seem likely to retire anytime soon, so Daniel would have plenty of time to learn—assuming, of course, that war didn’t break out and he wasn’t conscripted as cannon fodder.

“May I ask you something?”

Daniel soon regained his courage and asked his question. Though his face was still slightly red and his gaze trembled, his curiosity seemed to outweigh his nervousness.

The other children shifted their attention from Daniel to me, their faces filled with anticipation. Even though they hadn’t heard the question yet, their expressions clearly showed they were eager to hear my response.

“Yes, go ahead,” I said.

If the question was too sensitive, I might not be able to answer, but leaving without saying anything would make meeting these children again feel meaningless. If I could answer, I wanted to.

“Um… about your hair,” Daniel began. He swallowed hard before continuing. “Has it always been this short?”

I felt the children’s gazes fix on me.

In their memories, I must have had long hair. At the orphanage, there hadn’t been any tools to cut hair, and perhaps the old woman in charge had thought longer hair looked better. After all, once the children were sold, their new owners could style their hair however they wished.

“It was long when I was younger,” I replied.

Not long after moving to the palace, I had cut it short.

“May I ask why you cut it?”

“It was inconvenient.”

Running around with long hair was a hassle. I’d considered tying it into a ponytail but found the routine of washing and styling it every morning unbearably tedious. Plus, long hair took forever to dry.

“I’m very active, so short hair is more practical,” I added.

“Oh…”

Daniel’s face grew even redder, perhaps because he had been expecting a more dramatic or sentimental reason. My straightforward answer seemed to catch him off guard.

Feeling self-conscious, I raised a hand to touch my hair. It felt smooth and soft—so much so that it almost didn’t feel like it was mine.

“Do you think longer hair would suit me better?” I asked Daniel.

At my question, Daniel’s already-red face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. He lowered his head so abruptly that it was almost a bow.

“You… you look great now too…”

He muttered, his voice trailing off into an unintelligible mumble.

Well, I’d take that as a compliment. It wasn’t as if there were many people who’d dare tell a princess, “That hairstyle doesn’t suit you—change it.”

*

As written in the letter, the Grace Estate was a peaceful and wonderful place. It was almost miraculous that such a tranquil area could exist so close to the bustling heart of the city. Though faint noises from afar occasionally reached the estate, it felt as if an invisible barrier muted them, making the clamor of the humid midsummer air seem like it belonged to another world.

Perhaps I had simply allowed myself to relax upon learning that the children I remembered were still here, living as they always had.

“Hair.”

While I sat in the shaded area overlooking the green lawn, staring blankly at the verdant hue, Alice spoke suddenly.

I turned my gaze toward her, but Alice continued to look straight ahead as she quietly said, “Have you thought about growing it out?”

“…I’m not sure,” I replied.

“I think long hair would suit you, too.”

Claire chimed in from my other side.

“Someday, it might not be a bad idea to grow it out,” I said, redirecting my gaze forward.

In the distance, several red brick buildings stood at the edge of the expansive view. Beyond the Grace Estate, the city still churned like a well-oiled machine, a continuous rhythm of industry.

“But not right now.”

Yes, not now. There was still too much I needed to do before I could consider growing my hair out. At the very least, I needed to ensure the safety of the children sitting beside me—along with every character I had grown to care for. I needed to confirm that all the people I cherished would survive past the conclusion of the main story.

And I also had to verify that the children I had impulsively saved here would live safely and peacefully. Only once I was certain that I wouldn’t need to turn back time again could I consider growing my hair. After all, I didn’t want to go through the hassle of growing it out, only to reset everything and start over.

“When you do grow your hair, I’ll teach you how to tie it up beautifully.”

Claire offered. She had practically become an expert at hairstyling, having tied her hair into a ponytail every day.

“What are you talking about? Sylvia looks better with her hair down,” Alice countered. “She has such beautiful hair—there’s no need to damage it by tying it up.”

“But Sylvia moves around a lot—”

“All the more reason for her to have a hairstyle befitting a princess—”

And so the two began arguing, with me caught in the middle.

…They really did seem like sisters, arguing over the smallest things.

I wondered if a day would come when we’d look back on this moment and think, ‘Those were the days.’

…Well, I’d just have to try to make sure that day comes.

Chapter 122 : Interlude

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 122

EP.122 Interlude

Alice and Sylvia returned to the imperial palace the following evening.

Although it had only been three short days, Sylvia’s face seemed more relaxed than ever in Alice’s eyes. It was as if all her worries had melted away, leaving her with a calm, carefree expression.

That tranquility disappeared entirely, however, as Sylvia changed back into her academy uniform before entering the palace.

Alice found herself pondering a strange, unfamiliar thought: the imperial palace, which she considered her home, might not feel like home to Sylvia.

It was an alien concept for Alice, something she had never questioned or even considered before. The palace had been her home since the day she was born, so naturally, she assumed Sylvia felt the same way. But she was wrong.

Sylvia seemed to regard the Grace Estate, which she had visited for the first time, as a more comfortable place. And oddly enough, Alice thought she might understand why.

“Did you have fun at the Academy?”

Though both Alice and Sylvia had entered to meet the Emperor, now it was only Alice and the Emperor speaking.

Was it because Alice shared the Emperor’s blood? Perhaps.

Alice was aware that Sylvia possessed superior abilities and that the Emperor considered her a potential successor to the throne. If the Emperor was favoring Alice as the next ruler, it wasn’t because she surpassed Sylvia in capability, but because Sylvia had no desire for the throne.

It likely stemmed from Alice’s conduct before their departure for the academy—her actions and words in front of the Emperor. If there were a direct reason, that would be it.

Even so, the Emperor treated Alice and Sylvia differently in subtle ways.

The Emperor spoke of them as “equal princesses” and acted as though that were the truth. But if one had to choose which of them the Emperor treated more like a true daughter, it would undoubtedly be Alice.

“Yes, I had fun,” Alice replied, recalling the Grace Estate.

The baroness treated Leo and Claire equally. Perhaps it was because Claire, as a woman, had no prospect of inheriting the barony. Despite being adopted for her abilities, in the end, she was still female.

Even if Claire were to carry on the Grace family name, her brightest future would likely involve marrying into a respectable household. Considering Leo and Claire as siblings wouldn’t harm the Grace family, regardless of the circumstances.

Yet, despite all these considerations, the baroness treated Claire as though she were her biological daughter. Unless discussing the orphans Claire had lived with, the baroness never emphasized the fact that Claire was adopted.

…Could the same be said for the Emperor?

Would a parent who truly thought of Sylvia as their own child send her on assassination missions at a young age? Would they almost deploy her to the battlefield before she even entered the academy?

Was it trust that led the Emperor to assign such tasks? Or was it something else entirely?

And did Sylvia know this? Did she feel it?

“You seem to have had a good time with your sister,” the Emperor remarked.

It had been enjoyable—truly. Especially since Alice hadn’t needed to dwell on the obsessive thoughts about the throne that had plagued her as a child.

“What about Sylvia? Did she seem to be enjoying the academy?”

“…I believe so,” Alice answered after a brief hesitation.

“I see.”

The Emperor nodded, scrutinizing Alice carefully.

“Sylvia even dressed as she did for the sake of your plan, so she must have enjoyed her time at the academy with you in her own way.”

Alice quietly looked up at the Emperor.

For some reason, she felt she already knew what the next words would be.

“That individual we encountered that day.”

The Emperor began to speak slowly, as if to draw out the significance of the words. It wasn’t hesitation—it felt more like a deliberate emphasis.

“Did Sylvia say anything about the one in the robe?”

“She did not.”

If Sylvia had spoken about that individual’s identity—whoever they might have been—Alice would have been thrown into turmoil. Contemplating such matters alone was one thing; confirming their reality was an entirely different matter.

“Since then, do you think Sylvia has… used her special abilities?”

“…I don’t know.”

Even if she had used them, Sylvia hadn’t said anything, and Alice hadn’t pressed her about it.

The Emperor’s lips held the same composed smile as always. Alice stared intently at the Emperor, trying to mask her own expression. She doubted she was successful. If Alice could read Sylvia’s expressions, surely the Emperor—with far greater insight—could read hers even better. And Alice didn’t believe she was better at hiding her emotions than Sylvia.

“Hmm.”

The Emperor gazed down at Alice silently.

“That day, at the scene.”

The Emperor continued speaking, taking a measured tone.

“The individual we presumed to be carrying the relic disappeared in an instant. There were no signs of magic being cast, nor did it appear they used any other kind of device. A thorough search afterward uncovered no alternate escape routes.”

The Emperor leaned slightly forward, towering over Alice as though scrutinizing her from above. Maintaining that posture, the Emperor spoke with a subtle intensity.

“At that moment, Sylvia collapsed. Or rather, to be precise, she was already collapsed. None of us witnessed the act of her falling. But based on the bruises on her body and the torn collar of her uniform, we can infer that something happened during that brief interval.”

The Emperor laid out each fact deliberately, as if constructing a case, presenting them one by one in front of Alice. These were details everyone present that day already knew, but the Emperor spoke them aloud intentionally.

“Are you saying Sylvia truly told you nothing about what happened that day?”

She had not. Alice hadn’t asked, either.

But—

“No, she didn’t.”

Alice remembered.

For reasons unknown, inexplicable even to herself, Alice recalled the battle that none of the others present seemed to remember.

It wasn’t clear.

She vividly remembered the events leading up to facing the robed figure. Even the moments when the battle began were sharp in her mind.

But the actual fight was fragmented.

She thought she had struck the figure with her sword, but it hadn’t happened. She believed they had been hit by a bullet, yet again, they hadn’t. It was as if the future and the past overlapped, as though the figure’s survival was somehow predetermined.

Still, Alice distinctly remembered a sequence of events that should have been impossible in that reality—events that could never have occurred but remained etched in her memory.

Until the moment that figure grabbed Sylvia’s collar.

The space around them fractured and warped, and finally, the figure began to bleed—

And then, the memory abruptly stopped. When Alice regained her senses, she found herself at the moment the Emperor had been speaking of.

So, what had happened?

She didn’t know.

In the end, the figure had vanished, and the relic that should have been there was gone as well.

Why was Alice the only one who remembered that figure?

She didn’t know that either.

“Sylvia still hasn’t said anything.”

And neither had Alice.

“……”

She could feel the Emperor’s gaze fixed on her through her bowed head. But Alice stayed silent, simply waiting.

“I see.”

The Emperor finally spoke, the tension that had seemed to press down on Alice dissipating in an instant.

“But there’s one thing I can say with certainty.”

A faint smile appeared on the Emperor’s lips, as if finding the situation amusing.

“At the very least, Sylvia can’t go back to the way things were before that moment. If she could, she would have erased that event entirely. Whoever that robed figure was, they’ve inadvertently done us a favor.”

“Even if they took the relic?”

Alice asked cautiously.

“And what exactly can they do with it?”

“……”

Having a few scattered pieces of a fragmented relic didn’t mean much. Wild speculations and legends existed all over the world, but they were just that—legends. No one had ever succeeded in gathering all the relics.

“But if that figure appears again to steal more relics—”

“They won’t show themselves so easily,” the Emperor said with a confident smile.

“If they could appear that easily, they’d have gathered all the relics long ago. And if the future where they collect all the relics is already set in stone… well.”

The Emperor shrugged.

“Then I suppose we’d have to accept that as our fate.”

But Alice, as the Emperor’s daughter, knew better than anyone that her father would never leave it at that.

“Regardless, you’ve done well.”

Even after discussing such weighty matters, the Emperor spoke as if they had been chatting about ordinary, mundane affairs.

“I imagine you’d like to spend some time talking with your sister, but I’ve taken up too much of your time. You may go now.”

“……”

Alice gave a slight bow to the Emperor, then turned and left the audience chamber, unable to quell the unease simmering deep in her chest.

Chapter 123 : Time

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 123

EP.123 Time (1)

The path to a specific moment in the past might have been blocked, but that didn’t pose an insurmountable problem for me.

Losing the relic and failing to identify the figure in the black robe were painful setbacks. Yet, no one had died, and I didn’t feel a strong urge to turn back time to undo it.

Instead, I needed to prepare for the next encounter—before the way back was blocked again. A thorough approach was required, like meticulously examining the contents of that book in the Imperial Restricted Archives.

Years ago, when I first gained access to the archives, it was already difficult to enter. Even now, as a princess, it remained nearly impossible to step inside.

But I had been there before.

I knew the weaknesses of its security, having infiltrated it several times in the game. Moreover, I had scouted its layout during a few real-life visits. Though I had to admit, it was far harder to access now than it had been in the past.

As I crawled forward, the deafening sound of cylinders echoed around me, forcing me to concentrate on every move. The act of crawling like this was exhausting in itself. It wasn’t impossible, but—

The complaints often uttered by large-breasted characters in subculture media about shoulder pain or not being able to see their feet while descending stairs had always annoyed me. Yet, I found myself reluctantly empathizing with them now.

Even wearing a uniform required extra effort to secure my chest firmly. Otherwise, running around was a struggle.

“…Hah.”

I paused my crawl to sigh deeply.

Above me, massive gears spun, and hydraulic cylinders moved steadily, producing the rhythmic clatter of well-lubricated machinery. Thankfully, there were no steam-releasing devices here.

The “Restricted Archives” were hidden deep within the palace, or more precisely, far underground. There was no ordinary path leading down to them. Access required an elevator, whose entrance was concealed behind a thick steel door in a guarded chamber. Security personnel surrounded both the chamber and the elevator itself.

Even when Alice and Leo had infiltrated the palace, they had deliberately avoided that area.

It was odd for characters who could typically take on four to six heavily armed soldiers at once to shy away just because a few guards were stationed there. But given the mechanics of this world—where bullets could pierce flesh, yet healing potions or recovery magic could patch you up even after multiple hits—it wasn’t entirely out of place.

In any case, the duo had chosen this maintenance passage as their route instead.

The palace housed analytical engines and difference engines. Unlike semiconductor-based CPUs, these “computing” devices required massive steam-powered mechanisms. Large and small gears, levers, and hydraulic cylinders worked in tandem, tirelessly processing and displaying information on screens—or at least, something similar to screens.

Naturally, the abundance of components meant a higher likelihood of malfunctions. Some parts were as large as a person, while others were as tiny as watch gears. When they reached the end of their lifespan, they required periodic replacement.

And, of course, there were entry points for maintenance.

Though those entrances were typically guarded—

To say there was “no way” into the Restricted Archives was an overstatement. It simply required finding a space like this, one that seemed impossible for anyone to traverse, and using it to sneak inside.

Alice and Leo, having studied the imperial palace’s blueprints in advance, had barely managed to gain access.

I already knew the path by heart.

…If I could turn back time, I might have been able to simply walk through the entrance. But over the years, I had spent considerable time conversing with palace staff about various matters, and—well, it just felt wrong to abuse that trust.

At least this method existed as a fallback.

*

At first, I thought it was simply designed as a dungeon in the game. But the fact that it looked exactly as I remembered when I entered it in real life—that had been quite fascinating. It was such a convoluted place that I had gotten lost several times and had to rewind time repeatedly to make it through.

Yes, a dungeon.

That was why I had brought a gun with me.

Mulling over various thoughts, I alternated between pushing the gun forward and crawling after it. Thankfully, my time in this world had helped me build a bit of muscle, so by taking it slow and steady, the journey felt manageable.

“Ugh.”

Letting out a groan, I finally crawled out of the passage.

Creak, creak.

The sound of poorly oiled machinery filled the air.

It wasn’t the sound of an animal’s footsteps but rather an uncanny mechanical grinding, like gears turning.

Rising to my feet, I gripped the loaded gun tightly and scanned the area ahead.

Though dimly lit, the room wasn’t completely dark. The faint glow of magic stones provided weak illumination, casting pale light over the space.

A figure in armor moved about the room.

Where a hand should have been, one arm ended in a blade, while the other was fitted with a short firearm.

However, it had no legs. The lower half of its torso was severed, seemingly affixed to a metal pole.

Of course, the entire thing was mechanical, so it didn’t feel particularly gruesome.

Like the moving targets at a shooting range, the metal pole at its base was secured in a groove running across the floor. The grinding noise of gears emanated from within that mechanism.

It moved along erratic lines etched into the floor, seemingly designed to follow anyone who entered.

…These were security devices, stationed here because it was impractical to have human guards present at all times.

Naturally, they were far less intelligent than humans.

I raised my gun, aiming at one of the moving constructs.

I knew their weak spots. In the game, you had to whittle down their HP before triggering a scripted scene to exploit their vulnerability. But this wasn’t a game.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out, and one of the constructs slumped forward as the bullet pierced cleanly through the back of its metal plating. Even as its body collapsed, the metal pole beneath it continued moving along the groove, dragging the now-defunct machine with it.

Fortunately, the security setup hadn’t changed.

However, as soon as the first construct was disabled, the other two snapped their torsos toward me.

The one on the right moved first, followed swiftly by the one on the left.

Perfect.

Again!

*

Before the construct on the right could fully turn, I quickly twisted my arm and fired a shot.

The frontal armor of these machines wasn’t something an ordinary rifle could penetrate. It was best to eliminate two of them first before dealing with the remaining one.

As the last construct swiveled toward me, I rolled across the floor without hesitation.

The machine fired immediately, releasing a burst of shells with a dull thud-thud sound. Sparks erupted as the floor where I had been seconds earlier bore the brunt of the blast.

Seriously, it was a relief that these machines ran on gears.

In a world devoid of real-time video cameras or laser motion sensors, these constructs relied solely on physical impact to assess their surroundings.

The floor of this room was lined with densely packed micro-switches. Except for a few areas designated for maintenance personnel, the rest of the floor was a danger zone. Stepping on the wrong spot would trigger the machines to unload their bullets at you.

The gears within the machines had to analyze the impacts and determine the direction of the disturbance—a process that wasn’t instantaneous. They could only react after the gears finished turning and conveyed the information.

Thud-thud-thud!

The machine repeatedly fired at the spot where I had just been as I dashed and circled around it.

The construct advancing toward me along the closest rail was genuinely unnerving, but it wasn’t my first encounter with these things.

Thud!

I fired a shot, then shifted my position, narrowly avoiding its retaliatory aim. If I’d been just a fraction slower, the machine would have fired at me.

Bang! Bang!

Fortunately, I’d anticipated its movements and was just barely faster.

Circling around its flank, I fired two shots into its side. The construct let out a grinding screech, its internal components damaged enough to prevent its torso from rotating.

I quickly moved behind it and delivered a final shot.

Only after the critical mechanism on its back was destroyed did the machine slump forward. Though the metal pole beneath it continued moving, dragging its lifeless body along the track, the construct itself was neutralized.

Even as the three machines remained in pursuit, propelled by the automated poles, I wasted no time and headed straight for the next passage.

The floor switches not only activated the machines but also served as alarms to signal the presence of intruders.

In normal circumstances, even if you managed to gather intel, escape would be nearly impossible.

But I wasn’t “normal circumstances.”

Chapter 124 : Time

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 124

EP.124 Time (2)

There was generally no way to escape.

Alice and Leo had only managed to infiltrate the imperial palace by taking advantage of moments of internal and external chaos. Ultimately, though, they failed to escape properly and were captured.

But that didn’t apply to me.

If I reset time, I could return to before I ever set foot in this place.

Thanks to that, I didn’t have to bother transcribing anything or sneaking information out. After all, the one thing I had in abundance was time.

The room was silent.

Perhaps it was because this place was officially “nonexistent.” By now, it would have been reported that someone had infiltrated the palace, and alarms would be sounding, but no one seemed aware I had made it this far.

As soon as I exited the ventilation shaft, I went straight to the door and locked it from the inside.

Originally, this mechanism had been designed to buy time in case of an emergency threatening the palace. But since I had no intention of leaving, it served my purposes just fine.

I turned around.

Dust covered every surface in thick layers, enough to make me wonder if just standing here would harm my lungs.

The faint light from the magic stones illuminated the circular room, casting a dim glow over a peculiar object at the center of the space—a box-like structure densely embedded with nails.

However, the nail heads weren’t jagged. The ends were flattened, seemingly arranged to form a panel-like surface. To anyone unfamiliar with its function, it would have appeared as an odd and unique contraption.

I approached it and pressed down randomly on the “screen.”

The pressure from my fingertip caused some of the nails to sink inward. When I lifted my finger, the surface returned to its flat state, and then, as if responding to the input, specific nail heads rose from the blank surface.

The once-flat screen now displayed a textured surface of letters:

[Please enter the name of the desired volume.]

The golden nail heads had shifted to form this text, creating a mechanical display.

With a click, I pulled open a drawer located beneath the screen.

Inside was a typewriter-like device, but there was no slot for inserting paper. Each key, connected to thin metal plates, led directly toward the screen above.

I pulled the drawer fully open until it clicked into place, then began typing slowly.

Click, clack.

Each keystroke echoed loudly in the dimly lit room.

[04-08]

The registration number for the book of prophecies.

It wasn’t a number that could be found in the thick catalog of books hanging next to the screen.

Not that there was any need for additional security like passwords. Accessing this room alone was restricted to a select few.

Creak, clunk.

The sound of rusted machinery echoed as a brass pillar behind the screen opened, and a slender metal arm emerged.

Whirr, clank.

The arm moved, aligning itself to a specific slot with precise mechanical movements.

As the arm extended upward, the brass column rotated. The arm reached a high shelf and retrieved a book nestled near the ceiling.

The arm then descended, carrying the book back down to me. It extended forward, presenting the book so its cover was clearly visible.

[04-08]

The only marking on the cover was that number.

I reached out and drew the book closer. The mechanical arm didn’t release it; instead, it remained securely attached to a metal component embedded in the book’s spine.

However, it didn’t prevent me from opening the book.

As I flipped it open, the arm brought a magic stone closer to the book’s surface, softly illuminating the pages.

“……”

I flipped through the book without hesitation.

[What I have recorded of the future is not to prepare for that future but to prepare you.]

The message was clear: the future is predetermined, so don’t try to avoid it—just ready your heart for what is to come.

“Bullshit.”

I muttered under my breath.

Thud.

The sound came from the door. It seemed they had finally realized I had made it this far.

That was fast.

By my estimate, I would only have about five minutes to actually read this book before they broke in.

If I had to read every prophecy in this place from start to finish, five minutes was far too short.

But, well, the only thing I had in abundance was time.

I set the book down and murmured.

“Again.”

*

“Your Highness.”

“Sir Ford.”

It was a day as peaceful as any other.

I wasn’t crawling through ventilation shafts. I wasn’t fighting grotesque enemies. And I certainly wasn’t asking some bizarre, dust-covered mechanical librarian for a book in a dingy, foul-smelling room.

At least, that’s how it seemed to others.

I crossed paths with someone as I walked through the palace corridor.

A knight with a friendly face and a neatly styled Kaiser mustache bowed to me. He wore an imposing set of plate armor that looked far too heavy for modern combat. At his waist hung both a sword and a revolver.

The revolver was much larger and longer than the one I used.

I found myself wondering if it could pierce even the armor he was wearing.

“I’ve heard of the great achievements Your Highness has accomplished recently,” the knight said.

“Is that so?”

I nodded at the man’s polite words. It wasn’t as though I had anything to hide.

The events at Northwood were still a secret, but the battle at Winterfield had been widely publicized by the imperial family. It served both to boost the morale of the soldiers and to bolster the image of the imperial family.

What would have sounded like ludicrous rumors under normal circumstances had gained credibility. Every soldier present on the battlefield had been rewarded with extended leave and generous bonuses. They had returned to their hometowns, no doubt spreading tales of what they had witnessed.

With so many eyewitnesses and Winterfield itself as proof, there was no one who doubted the stories now.

“It pains us knights that we were unable to accompany Your Highness and ensure your safety ourselves,” Lord Ford said. Rather than starting with praise for my achievements, he began with an apology.

“……”

This man had no idea that earlier this morning, I had debated whether I should shoot my way through the palace guards or sneak in without being noticed. All of that had been erased when I reset time.

“There was no reason for imperial knights to be there, and it wouldn’t have made sense for an entire order of knights to accompany a single soldier to the battlefield.”

“……”

For a moment, his expression suggested he had much to say, but he remained silent. It was likely due to his knightly decorum; he would not act rashly in front of the one he served.

“…Still,” I began.

I couldn’t leave him like this.

After all, this was someone I had known since I was very young—a familiar presence within the imperial palace.

To speak directly with the princess, proximity alone wasn’t enough. One needed a valid reason as well—status, rank, age, and countless other factors had to be considered.

In that sense, Sir Ford was certainly in a position to do so.

“I appreciate your concern…” I said.

Sir Ford lifted his head at my words. For a brief moment, he looked at me as though he were seeing something peculiar.

Well, fair enough. It wasn’t the sort of thing I’d usually say.

Then, his expression softened into a gentle smile once more.

“Not at all. We’re simply doing what is expected of us.”

Hadn’t he mentioned recently that he’d had a child?

I gazed up at his amiable smile, lost in thought.

If his firstborn had survived, they would have been around my age.

Had I been an ordinary princess, there might have been talks of a marriage alliance between us. Even if not a formal proposal, his family’s noble lineage would have been enough to put them on the list of potential candidates.

But not long after I entered the imperial palace, he lost his child. It had been an accident, or so they said. I never learned the full story, but his face disappeared from the palace for some time. Likely, he had been grieving and preparing for the funeral.

I remembered hearing whispers—how it was hard to believe that even someone so earnest and kind could face such tragedy.

I considered saying a few more words to him but decided against it. Instead, I simply nodded again and continued on my way.

Behind me, I heard the sound of his footsteps, steady but slightly delayed.

If he were to die, his wife and child back in his territory would be left behind. Many would mourn his passing.

Wouldn’t it be better to turn back time and erase such a fate before it could happen?

…That was how I thought half a year ago.

But the longer I stayed here, the harder it became to shoot someone I knew—even if I could undo it by resetting time.

Perhaps it was because I had come to realize, once again, that my ability to turn back time might one day disappear.

The consequences of actions I had taken so casually had changed countless lives. Some incidents had made that fact painfully clear.

“……”

Suddenly, I thought of Mia Crowfield, who had looked at me with those same bewildered eyes at the end of the first semester.

Chapter 125 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 125

EP.125 Revenge (1)

If I were a real student, the concept of vacation would’ve been delightful. School was much like a workplace—a place you had to go even when you didn’t want to, a reason to force breakfast down your throat despite the lack of appetite, and the cause of trudging along unwillingly every morning. Once you entered, you had no choice but to endure until the day’s lessons were over.

Of course, school was still better than a workplace. It ended earlier in the day, and there were two long vacations every year.

But I wasn’t an ordinary student. Neither was Alice. We were princesses, and our vacations were filled with responsibilities.

Whether it was fortunate or not, I hadn’t yet caught onto the foreshadowing of an impending event. For now, the Emperor hadn’t assigned me any tasks or proposed any deals. Most importantly, he didn’t seem to know that I’d accessed the Forbidden Library.

This fact gave me some peace of mind. The Emperor had deduced the nature of my abilities through his reasoning, not through some supernatural power that could see through me.

At least that was fortunate.

*

“You don’t need to follow me around like this,” Alice said from across the rattling carriage. Her expression was genuinely apologetic, almost enough to make me smile.

“There’s nothing for me to do if I stay in the palace,” I replied.

“You were cooped up in your room at the start of the vacation.”

That much was true, at least outwardly.

In reality, I had been roaming around the palace, infiltrating the battleship Dreadnought, which was docked for regular maintenance, mapping its interior, and sabotaging various palace facilities with improvised explosives. I recorded the results of these experiments—reaction times, structural damage, and troop mobilization speeds—repeating them dozens of times to average the data.

Every detail went into my notebook, written entirely in Korean. Even the numbers were written in artillery notation rather than Arabic numerals. After the Emperor became aware of my abilities, I always carried the notebook on me to ensure no one else could read it.

All of this was done when Alice wasn’t around. I avoided directly harming anyone, but by Imperial standards, my actions were outright treason. Above all, I didn’t want Alice to look at me with betrayal in her eyes.

The Emperor’s reactions, however, were unnervingly composed. It was as if he were saying, “You’ll just reset everything anyway, won’t you?” Of course, being the Emperor, he would’ve phrased it far more eloquently.

“Where we’re heading now is far more dangerous than anywhere you’ve been during the vacation,” I said.

“They won’t kill a princess outright. Even an ‘accident’ would cost them their entire territory,” Alice replied.

“But we’re dealing with the Crowfields.”

“Then isn’t it you who should be more cautious?”

While I had spent the vacation crafting excuses and watching for opportunities from the shadows, Alice had been drawing attention to herself with official appearances, as if to announce her candidacy for the throne.

Previously, her face hadn’t been well-known among commoners, but now her name and image were everywhere. She’d moved so publicly and persistently that even the press found it unusual.

“I’ve dealt with the Crowfields before,” she said.

“That was years ago. Their defenses and systems have become far more formidable since then.”

Hearing the certainty in her voice, I turned my gaze from the window to her.

“Did you think I wouldn’t investigate after you told me about them? When I call myself your older sister, I mean it.”

Alice spoke in a slightly firmer voice.

“And it’s my responsibility as your sister to protect you.”

“In that case, protecting the Crown Princess, the next Empress, is also—”

“No.”

Alice cut me off abruptly, her tone brooking no argument.

“The Emperor is someone who protects his loyal subjects under his own name. If you choose to follow me, then it’s my duty to protect you fully. I….”

She paused for a moment, fixing her gaze squarely on me.

“I won’t use you the way Father does. I’m not like him.”

“……”

I didn’t know how to respond.

It was heartening that she cared for me, especially since she was one of the characters I admired in the original story. But at the same time, it worried me.

In the original, Alice wasn’t this resolute at this point in the narrative. There were cracks in her character—a twisted sense of pride, a streak of inferiority that caused clashes with the protagonist, and a certain fragility that she couldn’t entirely hide.

The Alice before me now was entirely different.

Because of that, I couldn’t predict how she would act going forward. If I were trying to control events to shape the future into what I desired, I could already call my efforts a failure.

“…Even so, there’s no need for you to visit Crowfield personally,” I said, attempting to raise some form of protest.

Alice merely scoffed softly and turned her gaze to the window.

The scene outside contrasted starkly with the name Crowfield—an endless stretch of vibrant green pastures that extended to the horizon. It was hard to imagine that factories belching black smoke sat at the heart of the estate or that the place had once been infamous for selling drug-addicted children.

“You don’t know everything, do you?” Alice murmured.

“Pardon?”

“Or perhaps you just don’t know… yet.”

“……”

Alice glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, her expression unreadable.

Her gaze—

Well, I wasn’t sure how Alice would take this comparison, but there was something in her eyes that reminded me a little of the Emperor.

*

“Your Highness.”

The greeting came from the Countess of Crowfield, who approached Alice with a graceful bow. If I remembered correctly, she had grown up in another noble house before marrying into the Crowfield family. She was also distantly related to the Count of Crowfield, though such details no longer mattered now.

Pale skin, dark hair—features that gave her an air of refinement. The Count shared a similar look, making it difficult to say who Mia Crowfield resembled more. Perhaps I thought they looked alike simply because I knew they were mother and daughter.

Alice responded to the Countess’s greeting with impeccable poise, and then the Countess turned to face me.

Her gaze held no trace of hostility or negativity.

At the very least, she was far better at managing her emotions than her daughter.

It was like that in the original story too.

“……”

The Countess’s gaze lingered on my face for a moment before lowering slightly. She bowed gracefully, and I returned the gesture with equal decorum.

It was the first time the Countess had seen me, but I had seen her multiple times before—albeit years ago.

It was during the one instance I successfully infiltrated the household as a maid.

The Count of Crowfield, who so casually preyed on children far younger than himself, never displayed such behavior openly within the estate. Instead, he acted like a typical, caring head of the family. I don’t think it was an act. The Count likely… genuinely loved his wife and was a devoted father to his daughter.

He simply didn’t see the orphans as people.

And that perspective bled into his daily life in subtle ways.

Among the servants in the Count’s household were children from lower-ranking noble families and commoners. The Count was always kind to the noble-born children, speaking to them with a gentle tone as if addressing favored nieces and nephews. He even excused them from uncomfortable tasks, like when a young girl began showing the first signs of womanhood.

For the most part, he extended similar treatment to the commoner servants.

…For the most part.

But I often felt his leering gaze. That was why I, who had just become a maid, was able to get close to the Count in an instant.

Ironically, it was also why I succeeded only once in my mission. In other words, it was incredibly hard for me to find a way to protect my innocence while also trying to poison the count’s food.

Thinking back, it made sense in the original story that the Count had been dead for a few years by the time the main plot began. Claire, with her background, likely had far less tolerance for his behavior than I did.

I turned my attention away from the Countess and scanned the area until I spotted Mia Crowfield.

As expected of someone who had shown me such a complicated expression before the semester break, Mia still wore a bewildered look on her face. She barely managed to maintain the proper decorum expected between a noble and a princess.

The Countess shot Mia a brief, almost dismissive glance.

…Wasn’t that a bit too harsh for her own daughter?

Chapter 126 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 126

EP.126 Revenge (2)

Even after living in this world for ten years, I still didn’t fully understand the nobles’ way of thinking.

How could the Countess of Crowfield have tolerated the Count’s actions? Even if she didn’t consider commoners as people, the fact remained that her husband… spent nights with others.

Could she have been unaware? Did she believe that the reason I killed her husband was solely due to the Emperor’s political decision?

It would be stranger to think so.

Perhaps her thinking was so deeply rooted in noble ideology that she simply couldn’t conceive of a way to regard commoners as humans.

“We are honored by your visit to our estate,” the Countess said in a soft voice as we sat across from each other in the drawing room.

“It is my honor to be invited,” Alice replied.

For a moment, I almost turned to look at Alice.

Invited?

I wasn’t—oh, right. There would’ve been no reason to send me an invitation in the first place.

I shifted my gaze toward Mia Crowfield.

Her eyes darted around nervously, unable to meet mine.

Perhaps Mia Crowfield had told her mother that the next emperor wouldn’t be me, but Alice. If so, how much had she shared?

My personal guess was not much. While the relationship between Mia Crowfield and her mother didn’t seem to be completely estranged, I also didn’t believe Mia and I had such a broken relationship that she’d fully betray us.

Alice and the Countess exchanged various pleasantries, the kind typical of nobles. After a few more exchanges, the Countess said,

“Mia often tells me stories about the princesses. She says she’s been enjoying her time with both of you. Since Mia isn’t particularly proactive in communicating with others, I’m deeply relieved to know she has friends who look out for her.”

“I also have a shy younger sibling,” Alice replied.

“Oh my,” the Countess said, her gaze turning meaningfully toward me.

“If I didn’t start conversations first, she’d sit in silence, sulking. So, I had no choice but to learn how to initiate conversations myself.”

…Honestly, that sounded more like how Alice used to be. I, on the other hand, had no problem speaking up when necessary. If I made a mistake, I could always turn back time.

That said, it wasn’t like Alice could admit, ‘I was shy and disliked talking to new people when I was younger.’ Given how much she cherished calling me her younger sibling, the memories of our childhood might be something precious to her—something she wouldn’t easily share with others.

If Alice trusted me, she wouldn’t believe a word of whatever the Countess might say about me.

“How reassuring to hear that,” the Countess said.

“Knowing Mia has such kind friends must be why she adjusted so well to life at the academy.”

Alice took a sip from her tea—or pretended to. The level in her cup hadn’t decreased at all since earlier. The Countess didn’t comment on it, but she must have noticed.

Surely, the Countess wouldn’t have poisoned the tea. We were accompanied by a knight order tasked with our protection, and the Countess was well aware that the Emperor was responsible for the Count’s death. She knew exactly what would happen if she harmed Alice.

If I were in the Countess’s position, I’d have chosen a different method. There were countless substances that could be added to tea.

“Oh dear, where is my head today?” the Countess exclaimed, clapping her hands suddenly.

Mia flinched, her shoulders jerking up as if she’d been extremely tense.

“How thoughtless of me to occupy your time like this. It’s been a while since you’ve seen your friend, and I should’ve given you more time to catch up. I’ll excuse myself now.”

The Countess rose from her seat, prompting all of us to do the same out of courtesy. Alice, the Countess, and I exchanged polite farewells before the Countess left, as promised.

As the door shut, Mia Crowfield stared at it with a faintly uneasy expression before turning to us, her voice urgent.

“That tea—”

“I figured as much, so don’t worry about it.”

Alice spoke, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her lips.

She had only made the sound of sipping tea; not a single drop from the teacup had touched her lips. Alice was well aware of how dangerous substances like narcotics could be. She’d been horrified just by the sight of the morphine soldiers used, which had been discovered in my room.

“Ah…”

Mia Crowfield let out a deflated sigh as she sank back into her seat. Then, realizing what it meant for Alice to have already known the truth, she began to tremble slightly.

“…Don’t worry. I don’t plan to hold you accountable right now,” Alice reassured her, casually pacing the room. She moved slowly, her gaze sweeping across the walls and ceiling of the drawing room. Her demeanor was one of someone who had anticipated everything from the beginning.

“……”

Mia Crowfield’s eyes shifted to me.

“Sylvia has nothing to do with this. She only came along because she was worried about me,” Alice added.

Not to kill you or your mother.

I imagined the unspoken part of her sentence.

…If this had been last year, I might not have spared Mia Crowfield, let alone her mother. I’d have looked for ways to make it seem like an accident—an untraceable death.

“Is there a place in this room where someone could hide?” Alice asked, her tone deceptively casual.

“Ah, that’s…” Mia Crowfield began but quickly shut her mouth again, looking uncertain about how to respond. Her face remained clouded with a mixture of emotions.

“What brings you here today?” Mia finally asked, attempting to change the subject.

“Because you sent me an invitation,” Alice replied.

“……”

Did she not expect Alice to respond to that invitation?

Well, to be fair, it was suspicious no matter how one looked at it. Even people closer to Alice than Mia Crowfield—like Charlotte—wouldn’t “invite” her. Sending a letter to exchange pleasantries, perhaps, but not a direct invitation.

There was a massive difference between nobles visiting each other and a princess paying a visit. For one, the number of attendants alone posed logistical headaches. Housing and feeding all those people could be a burden, even if the imperial family covered the expenses. Depending on the size of the estate, simply accommodating them could be overwhelming. Especially when dealing with other countries, we need to show them how well we’re doing.

In that sense, the Grace family was an exceptional case. Even if we visited without any escort, no one would raise suspicions. It was a testament to the emperor’s profound trust in them, and that trust itself became a source of strength for the baronial family.

“I also understand that your invitation was, in its own way, a warning,” Alice spoke before Mia Crowfield could.

“……”

Mia’s lips pressed together into a tight line, nearly forming a straight slash.

“But… there was something I needed to confirm,” Alice continued.

“…About me and my mother?” Mia asked hesitantly.

“No. As far as you and your mother are concerned, I already know everything I need to. Nobles are, in fact, some of the easiest people to investigate. I apologize for conducting that investigation without informing you beforehand.”

Alice offered a slight bow of her head, but Mia’s expression remained stiff and unyielding.

As though sensing Mia was waiting for her to elaborate, Alice spoke again.

“Of course, it is related to your estate. Perhaps… it might even tie into that incident.”

Mia Crowfield’s eyes sharpened with determination. Alice observed the change in her expression with a curious glint in her own eyes.

“That’s an expression I haven’t seen at school,” Alice remarked.

“You people… haven’t changed at all,” Mia spat, her voice laced with bitterness.

Alice didn’t respond, waiting instead for Mia to continue.

“Just like when you took my father’s life back then—”

“No,” Alice interrupted her firmly.

“I’m not going to kill you. I have no reason to.”

“……”

Mia’s eyes widened in shock. Alice watched her intently, her voice steady as she added,

“I swear on the name of Fangriffon. I will not kill my ‘friend.’”

Mia Crowfield’s mouth fell open in stunned disbelief.

The only reason my own jaw didn’t drop was due to years of training and experience keeping my reactions in check.

Chapter 127 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 127

EP.127 Revenge (3)

“Yes, I called you my ‘friend’ a moment ago.”

Alice’s tone turned sharp as she addressed Mia Crowfield, who remained frozen, her mouth slightly agape, unable to form a proper response.

“Or… do you not consider me your friend?”

“Uh, no, I mean, that’s not what I—”

Watching Mia stumble over her words, Alice lifted the teacup still in her hand and gave it a slight shake.

“At the very least, your hesitation in pointing out something about this teacup suggests that, unlike your mother, you don’t see me as purely a target for revenge. Or perhaps your sense of friendship just slightly outweighs your desire for vengeance.”

Mia clamped her mouth shut at those words. However, she failed to maintain a convincing poker face—her lips quivered, her eyes darted about nervously, and her entire face flushed a vivid, carrot-like red.

“Let’s talk. While the main reason I came here today was, of course, because of Sylvia… this matter also concerns you—or rather, your family.”

I couldn’t help but stare at Alice.

A matter related to me?

Had Alice uncovered the truth about my past?

…Thinking about it again, it wasn’t impossible for her to have done so. If Alice decided to dig into my background, there was little she couldn’t unearth. Though few people could access that information directly, she had connections to the emperor’s children, Bella and Jayden, who could easily tell her where I came from.

But still…

“If you’re implying there’s some connection between where I came from and this place, then I think you’re mistaken,” I said.

Mia Crowfield turned her cautious gaze toward me, as if seriously debating whether to interject. Her expression seemed to say she’d decided not to, though.

“Is that so?”

Even after hearing my words, Alice didn’t appear shaken. Instead, she calmly placed the teacup back on the table with an elegant motion.

“When I last investigated, there was no such connection,” I added.

Before I killed the count, I had scoured every document I could find. None of them provided any evidence linking that orphanage to this estate.

After all, the orphanage I came from wasn’t the only one selling children. The empire was vast. Transporting children from the capital to here would be far more bothersome than simply purchasing orphans from nearby regions. Crowfield’s territory surely had its own share of orphans, and being near the border, they could have even brought in children from overseas.

Claire had done her own investigation but couldn’t find anyone tied to that orphanage either. That’s why I concluded that it was likely a small, independently run operation. One that was eradicated when I burned it to the ground.

I never did manage to track down the man and woman who had visited the orphanage back then.

“If that’s what you believe, then there must be something you overlooked,” Alice said, fidgeting with her fingers as though she missed holding the teacup. It was as if she thought discussing this topic would be more fitting over tea.

“No matter how fragmented or covert an organization is, there’s always some link that ties it together.”

I remained silent, watching her as if urging her to elaborate. She shrugged slightly before continuing.

“It’s like this: no one shops exclusively at a single store. If one shop doesn’t have what they need, they’ll scour nearby stores until they find what they’re looking for. Especially if the item is custom-made.”

“Um, excuse me…”

Mia Crowfield, who had been determined not to interject earlier, finally gave in. The incomprehensible conversation unfolding before her must have been too much to bear.

“What exactly are you talking about? Are you saying… this ‘item’ is somehow related to my family’s estate?”

Alice and I both turned our gazes to Mia Crowfield. The time I spent staring at her was shorter than Alice’s. I briefly glanced at Mia’s flustered expression before turning my eyes back to Alice, staring at her intently.

Was Alice trying to make it clear that I had killed Count Crowfield?

“Yes, there’s a connection. It’s related to the business the Count was involved in before his death.”

But Alice didn’t say outright that I had killed him. The situation was still precarious, but… upon reflection, Mia Crowfield already knew that I had killed her father. She might not have known all the details, but she had likely concluded it on her own.

So, the more I was kind to her, the more flustered she became. It must have been confusing for her to realize that I didn’t intend to kill her, and the anger she had toward me was fading. If the person she had considered a lifelong target of vengeance suddenly didn’t seem like an enemy, it must have felt like a void.

“……”

No matter what Alice said, I had no intention of stopping her.

There were two reasons for that. First, it was difficult to stop Alice when she was being stubborn. And second—though I wasn’t sure if it was right to admit it—I found the situation somewhat intriguing.

I was witnessing a shift in the dynamics between characters, not through my own actions, but through their own evolving relationships.

“What kind of business was it?”

Was Mia Crowfield genuinely asking because she had no idea?

She might not have known when she was a child, but after her father died and her mother prepared for revenge, dragging Mia into it, didn’t she start to pick up on some clues? Maybe she’d tried to look the other way.

“I’ll finish explaining.”

But Alice didn’t answer Mia directly. She simply continued her explanation.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Mia wasn’t reckless enough to argue with the princess, who had practically stated that she wouldn’t answer.

“So, it’s pointless to search the lowest-level shop that’s already burned down. It was reduced to ashes ten years ago. Instead, we should be looking at the level above, where things are still active.”

Alice exhaled softly, as if in a brief sigh of frustration.

“From the top, we search for the nobles addicted to opium, pick out the debauched ones, sift through the opium dens, and so on. We’ll find it out more easily than you think.”

“Did you go there yourself?”

I asked, a bit teasingly, and Alice furrowed her brow.

“Of course, I didn’t go in person. Regardless of my abilities, I don’t exactly give off a threatening vibe. It’s much more intimidating to send a knight with an imperial decree under the Emperor’s authority.”

“Did His Majesty give you permission for that?”

“I didn’t exactly get permission. I just borrowed the format for the decree. I already knew how my father’s signature looked. I’m his daughter, after all. It’s not unusual that my handwriting resembles his quite a bit.”

“……”

I did my best to hold back the “ugh” that was threatening to escape. In fact, Alice’s face looked so pleased as she said those words that I couldn’t even think of anything to say for a while.

“Are you saying you forged the Emperor’s decree?”

“Well, the great Emperor must have known about it, so I consider it essentially authorized.”

No, even so, the Emperor doesn’t know everything.

This time, I had to tighten my arm to avoid slapping my forehead.

“Anyway, there are a few things I’m certain of now.”

Alice leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“You see, members of the nobility are often trapped in their own world. They’re so used to being in power that they can’t imagine a life outside of it. And even when they do try to escape, they’re often too proud to admit it.”

“……”

“And sometimes, they’re so used to being coddled and protected that they think it’s normal to be treated like that.”

Mia Crowfield’s jaw dropped, and she seemed to seriously consider the statement.

“Mm.”

After saying that, Alice, with a slightly regretful expression, picked up her teacup again. She looked at her reflection on the surface of the tea.

“…But, do you think there’s really something in here?”

Alice asked with a rather serious expression.

“……”

Well, being cautious probably wouldn’t hurt. There might be a trace of drugs in there, though it was hard to imagine that Countess Crowfield was that crazy. It might have just been Mia Crowfield freaking out on her own.

But really, does that matter right now?

Chapter 128 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 128

EP.128 Revenge (4)

“Sylvia, calm down,” Alice said, her voice firm but gentle.

“I am perfectly calm,” I replied, trying to sound convincing.

But Alice’s eyes betrayed me. She had seen the faint tremble of my hand, the slight movement of my fingers as I tried to still them.

I was not calm. I was far from it.

“You don’t look calm to me,” Alice said, her eyes narrowing.

I knew I had failed to deceive her. Alice’s eyes were always sharp, always perceptive.

It was only natural that I was not calm. After all, I had been trying to gather information and manipulate the situation to my advantage, all while the Emperor’s guards were searching for us.

” Don’t worry too much,” Alice said, her voice dripping with amusement. “I’ve taken care of it. I’ve arranged for the guards to be dealt with before they even report back to the Emperor.”

“……”

I felt a surge of unease, wondering if Alice had somehow managed to reset the time itself. But that was impossible.

Or was it?

“I’m going to be the Emperor, right?”

Alice spoke to me.

“Then I should be able to do something like this. Don’t you think?”

“……”

Mia’s face was pale, her eyes wide with fear. She was starting to realize the implications of what was happening.

“…So,”

After about 30 seconds, I was finally able to speak.

“So, you’ve found something, then?”

“Yes.”

Alice nodded.

“There wasn’t a direct connection between the smaller networks, but there were some thin, web-like lines leading up. Obviously, I don’t know how the drugs are transported, but they must come from somewhere to reach the Empire. There aren’t many places in the Empire that could grow poppies on a large scale.”

Mia Crowfield flinched at her words.

“Well, I know why it’s hard to get rid of the source of poppies. No matter how advanced magic is, we can’t stop producing painkillers. There are plenty of situations where people have no choice but to use them, even if they’re not good for the body.”

Especially for the commoners who don’t have access to magic. Or, in the worst-case scenario where all the mages are wiped out, emergency supplies for soldiers to survive.

“Are you saying that it’s coming from our estate?”

Mia Crowfield finally mustered the courage to speak.

Her expression was stiff, and she seemed unnerved.

“……You seem to trust your parents, huh? Just a moment ago, you thought there might be something in my teacup.”

“……”

Alice’s words left Mia Crowfield speechless.

“Well, fine.”

Alice exhaled quietly and stood up.

“You probably don’t know everything that happens in your estate. Until recently, I didn’t know everything either—”

Alice bit her lip slightly.

“—There were things I never could have imagined. I’m not blaming you for it.”

“……”

Though Mia Crowfield was now pale with fear, she still maintained her rigid expression and stood up with Alice.

“If you want, I’ll show you. I’ll let you see what’s been happening here.”

“……If it’s to disgrace the honor of the Crowfield family…”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Alice said with a bitter smile.

“To be honest, the imperial family isn’t exactly spotless either.”

I couldn’t help but silently agree with her words.

*

“Are you going for a walk?”

As we stepped out of the parlor, the Countess, who had been sitting by the window in the living room, stood up. Her expression naturally drew admiration. The soft smile on her face was so convincingly fake that it was almost impressive. Is this what it means to be a noble?

Although, it’s not that her face always radiated positivity, but perhaps that was because I knew her true feelings to some extent.

“Yes. Would it be alright if Mia joins me for a walk around the estate?”

“Of course.”

At Alice’s words, the Countess glanced toward Mia. Mia’s face, following us out of the parlor, was still pale. Seeing her expression, the Countess turned her face toward Alice, as if unsure. Yet, her face was still the picture of a gracious noblewoman.

“Our estate—”

The words the Countess was saying as she followed Alice were cut off abruptly.

The door of the mansion we were headed for was suddenly flung open, and a knight stepped inside.

He wasn’t one of the knights accompanying us. He wore armor with the distinctive crow emblem of the Crowfield family.

A knight from the Crowfield estate.

“My lord…”

However, the moment the knight burst in through the door, he froze stiff as he saw Alice and me standing next to the Countess.

My gaze immediately shifted back to Alice.

But Alice, still with a smile on her face, remained unmoved. She didn’t even flinch.

Her expression suggested that she knew exactly why the knight had come.

“What is it?”

The knight’s behavior was rude enough to warrant a rebuke in front of a princess, but considering how well-trained knights usually behave, his actions must have been a sign that something urgent had happened. Perhaps that’s why the Countess furrowed her brow, but didn’t place the blame on him.

The knight removed his helmet. The middle-aged man had a well-groomed face, though his forehead was sweaty and his hair clung to it.

Having regained his composure, he cautiously walked over to the Countess and raised one hand to his mouth.

Seeing the Countess turn her ear toward him, Alice turned to me and said,

“Well then, let’s go take care of what we need to do.”

It wasn’t until we were about to leave the mansion that the Countess finally lost her composure.

“Your Highness!”

At that shout, Alice, me, and Mia Crowfield, who had been hesitantly following us, stopped walking.

“What is this…?”

Despite the grimace she had shown to the knight earlier, the Countess rushed toward us, her behavior noticeably improper.

“Your Highness.”

Before I could even react, our knight approached us.

There were already several of our knights waiting at the entrance of the mansion, which wasn’t unusual. It’s normal for the guards to be waiting at the entrance when their master steps out.

However, the atmosphere felt off.

Although the swords weren’t drawn, the imperial knights and the Count’s knights were glaring at each other as if they were about to unsheathe their swords. If I were able to sense the danger, my back would’ve been drenched in sweat the moment I stepped out.

“As per the orders, everything has been arranged.”

“Good.”

Alice nodded at the knight’s words.

Then she turned around and glanced at me, who was standing just behind her, and Mia Crowfield, who was lingering further behind. Without paying any attention to the Countess, she spoke to me.

“Do you want to come along? If you don’t want to, that’s fine too. After all, I just want to know the truth.”

“…”

I didn’t say anything. There was no point in saying something like, ‘What would happen if His Majesty finds out about this?’ It would only cause the knights to get agitated.

Moreover, when I thought about it again…

Wouldn’t it be stranger if the Emperor didn’t know about this?

At first, I thought I could kill the Emperor. Not even half a year ago, I had believed that, if needed, I could reverse time countless times and assassinate the Emperor, making the story unfold the way I wanted it to. But strangely, the more time passed, the more it felt like every potential way to kill the Emperor was disappearing from my mind.

No matter what I did, it felt like he would know about it… and even if I were to prepare a foolproof way to kill him, I had this unsettling feeling that he wouldn’t even be there when it happened.

I began to fear that I might be caught up in the Emperor’s schemes as well.

Alice was watching me in silence.

“…Alright.”

I answered her like that. A faint smile appeared on Alice’s lips.

“I, I…”

Mia Crowfield looked uncertainly toward her mother. The Countess was trembling, her shoulders shaking, as if she were ready to kill the two princesses standing here at any moment.

However, the knight who had spoken to the Countess was likely under the impression that it was the Emperor’s orders. The command must have come in the Emperor’s name.

Refusing such a command in front of the Imperial Army, now fully centralized with enormous military power, was effectively asking for death.

Of course, from a long-term perspective, solving matters in such a crude manner would cause complications for the Imperial family as well.

What would happen to the next Emperor after the one with such immense power dies?

I looked at Alice once more.

Seeing Alice’s confident smile…

Well, I briefly thought that maybe it wouldn’t be a problem after all, and it annoyed me.

Chapter 129 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 129

EP.129 Revenge (5)

It’s not like I was completely unprepared for this.

I could make an educated guess about the kind of information Alice had discovered. The memories from those times still lingered in the back of my mind.

Especially, it wasn’t easy to forget the face of the man who used to smash my face with his fist. If it wasn’t my face beneath that fist, it was definitely Claire’s, and that additional thought made it even harder to forget.

I did try to find that man in my own way. However, I didn’t rely on anyone else. Unlike Alice, who used imperial authority to twist things around, I moved quietly so no one would notice.

But I couldn’t find him. I didn’t actually search for long. After all, in the altered timeline, this man had never been involved with me, so what was the point of finding him?

However… it seemed that Alice had a different idea.

“Do you recognize this place?”

Alice asked me as she gazed at the scenery outside the carriage.

The view outside the window was that of a peaceful, beautiful territory. It wasn’t a poppy field, nor were there beggars on the road. The people walking around looked ordinary, neatly dressed.

A small, not-so-wide river flowed gently, with a stone bridge crossing over it. Beyond the bridge, rows of uniform brick houses stood, as if from a piece set in the Industrial Revolution era.

The carriage was heading toward the far edge of this residential area. The river seemed like a natural boundary—on one side, there were brick houses, and on the other, vast undeveloped plains.

And I remembered that place.

A bit farther away, there was a hill. On that hill, there used to be a tall tree. The tree might have been chopped down by now, but the hill would still be there.

And from atop that tree, I had once watched through a telescope as the Count’s carriage exploded. I saw the people inside the carriage turn to flesh and bone, and the innocent horses caught in the blast as well.

Of course, there was no trace of that now. Naturally, it had long since been erased.

The overall layout had not changed drastically, but the number of houses on the far side of the river had significantly increased. Some of the buildings were different from what I remembered. I could say this with certainty because I had walked through those streets many times. I even remembered the interiors of some of those buildings.

In particular, there was one building in the center, which appeared to be particularly well-maintained compared to the others.

I frowned slightly.

I wondered if that building was still being used… for that purpose.

“…..”

I wasn’t the only one with a stiff expression. Mia Crowfield, who sat next to Alice, also had a rigid look on her face.

Despite her rather youthful appearance, Mia Crowfield was about the same age as us.

She must have known what this place was, considering she was old enough to clearly remember the day her father died.

But she didn’t say a word.

She could have asked why she was brought to such a place.

Just as I had recalled, the carriage stopped in front of the pristine building.

There were already knights stationed at the entrance. The inside of the building was probably the same. There were also police officers standing around, though they looked completely confused. Beyond them, the imperial knights and the local knights stood in a tense standoff, as if prepared for conflict.

While the imperial knights were fewer in number, they were not lacking in presence. I had no evidence to support it, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that if a fight broke out, the imperial knights would win.

It was likely that the sheer resolve of their presence was why the carriage had made it here safely.

“Your father is quite impressive.”

Alice, who had alighted from the carriage, said in a somewhat indifferent tone. Her gaze was directed at the knights from the local territory, who were in opposition to the imperial knights.

“Can you believe he let a place that hates him this much have their own private army?”

“…The Crowfield Territory shares a border with the Kingdom of Velbur,” Mia Crowfield muttered in response.

But Alice shrugged and replied,

“That doesn’t justify this.”

“……”

Mia Crowfield’s eyes widened in shock, but she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t argue with Alice’s words.

However, Alice didn’t glare at Mia or wear a hostile expression. Rather… her expression was the same as it had always been at school. Instead, she looked at her with a neutral expression, almost like she was looking at a friend from school.

In fact, Alice’s expression was so calm that it was almost as if she was worried about Mia.

Alice turned her head to look up at the building again, then lowered her gaze back to Mia Crowfield as she spoke.

“There’s information inside that you won’t want to hear.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Mia Crowfield shot back, her voice laced with bitterness—or at least an attempt at it—as she glared at Alice.

“From what I’ve heard, your father was a much better father than mine ever was,” Alice replied, her tone flat and emotionless.

“My father… Are you saying that Count Crowfield was involved in something that contradicts his image?”

Mia’s expression grew sharper, her bitterness turning into something closer to outright hostility.

I couldn’t blame her. If I were in her position—if my father had done something terrible that I was completely unaware of, and if my memories of him were of nothing but a kind, proud father who had been unjustly murdered—I would react the same way.

And if the daughter of the person who had ordered his assassination came to me saying, “Your father wasn’t as good as you thought he was,” how could anyone not take offense?

…Thinking about it this way, Mia Crowfield looked as though she were exerting every ounce of self-control she had. Perhaps the presence of the imperial knights surrounding us and the princess standing before her was helping her hold it together.

“Yes.”

Alice answered without any attempt to soften her words.

“……”

Mia’s expression froze, the hostility on her face resetting to something neutral. For a brief moment, she seemed deeply unsettled by how Alice could say such things without a hint of guilt.

Mia had spent the past few months seeing Alice regularly, talking with her. And a few months was plenty of time to get a general sense of someone’s character.

Mia knew that Alice wasn’t the kind of person to joke about something like this.

“Will you still go inside with us? It might hurt you deeply.”

“……”

Mia’s head slowly dropped, but then suddenly snapped up. Her eyes trembled, her lips slightly downturned, and her face was paler than usual.

Despite this, the expression on her face carried the noble dignity befitting her status.

“Fine,” Mia said, her voice trembling slightly.

“If that’s what you’re implying, I won’t avoid it. I’ll face it head-on. My father was absolutely not that kind of person.”

“……”

Alice let out a faint sigh.

“Alright, then.”

She turned and began walking, and I, along with Mia Crowfield, followed behind her.

The knight standing by the door opened it for us.

The interior of the building, despite being equipped with proper windows, felt oppressively dim.

*

As we walked, the only sounds that accompanied us were the unsettling creaks of the aged wooden stairs beneath our feet and the faint echoes of our footsteps.

If someone inside had been subdued by the knights, we should have heard complaints or resistance, but the silence was absolute, adding an uneasy weight to the atmosphere.

Every so often, we passed imperial knights standing motionless in the narrow hallway. Despite their armor, which should have clanked with their movements, they stood perfectly still, their discipline evident. It was a testament to how well-trained they were.

The stench I remembered from my last visit here was absent. Fortunately, it seemed the place was no longer being used for that purpose.

“This way, Your Highness.”

A knight stood in front of a door at the far corner of the second floor, marking the smallest room in the building.

As Alice, Mia, and I approached silently, the knight opened the door for us with the same formal precision as when we had entered the building.

Inside the room—

“Well?”

As she stepped in, Alice turned her head slightly toward me. Her face was only partially visible, obscured by her hair, so I couldn’t discern her exact expression.

But the disdain in her voice was unmistakable.

On the floor of the room, a middle-aged man lay prone, pinned under the knee of a knight. His arms were bound behind his back, immobilized under the knight’s weight. Though he appeared strong and stocky even for his age, he didn’t seem capable of overpowering the armored knight pressing down on him.

…In my childhood, he had seemed utterly terrifying.

Scattered across the floor were several books, works of classic literature hailed as masterpieces in this land.

And next to those books lay a single cracked lens from a pair of glasses.

Chapter 130 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 130

EP.130 Revenge (6)

“Who… is this?”

Mia Crowfield broke the silence in the room with a somewhat uneasy voice. Judging by her tone, she didn’t seem to grasp the current situation.

Neither Alice nor I answered her question.

Instead, I walked forward slowly and looked down at the man’s face.

He was staring fixedly at the floor.

What should I do?

It was a strangely ambiguous moment.

This man had beaten me—that much was true. He probably hadn’t intended to kill me. I had lost consciousness, yes, but I regained it shortly afterward. Claire had managed to escape alive in the original story, so the way he had brutalized me back then was likely just a part of the “processing.” If they were planning to sell me to a necrophiliac, it would have made more sense to kill me right there and deliver the body fresh.

Should I grab his hair and force him to look up?

I seriously considered it, but I decided against it. In this crouched position, doing something like that would give him a clear view up my skirt. Not to mention Alice and Mia Crowfield, who were standing nearby… Though, since they weren’t in school uniforms, it probably wouldn’t matter for them.

…Sigh.

Was my grudge so shallow that I could entertain such trivial thoughts in the presence of a man I had once given up on ever finding?

“……”

One thing, at least, was certain.

If it hadn’t been me that night, another girl would have suffered in my place. There were orphanages besides the one I was in, after all.

“About ten years ago,” I began after carefully sorting through my thoughts.

“There was an orphanage that burned down. Do you remember it?”

“……”

For a moment, the man didn’t respond.

Just as I was beginning to think he wouldn’t answer at all, he spoke in a rough voice.

“I remember it.”

His tone was polite.

He might not have known who we were or why we were questioning him, but he couldn’t possibly have failed to recognize the royal crest emblazoned on the knights’ armor. The griffin symbol was unmistakable—even commoners from neighboring countries would recognize it.

It wasn’t a symbol often seen up close, but its significance was undeniable.

“Were you near that area back then?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

Did he know why I was asking this? Perhaps he simply understood that not answering truthfully would make things worse for him in this situation.

“At that time… there was a woman with you. Do you know where she is now?”

The woman I referred to had looked, at first glance, like a noble. But upon closer inspection, her attire had been excessively extravagant, almost gaudy. This man had been responsible for the “processing” of the children, but the woman had played a significant role, too. She must have been close by.

“The last I saw her, she was in the capital,” he said.

“……”

I closed my mouth and stared at the back of his head.

He had thick hair. It looked like the kind of hair that belonged to someone who had never truly experienced hardship. Then again, given his line of work, perhaps he had endured hardships of a different kind. At the very least, he’d earned dirty money and lived comfortably off it without shame.

I straightened up slowly and looked around the room.

From the moment I entered the room, my gaze had been fixed on the man, leaving me no time to notice my surroundings. Now, they came into focus.

The place was unrecognizable.

The atmosphere had changed significantly since the last time I’d been here. It made sense—renovations like fresh wallpaper would have been necessary to make the place look this luxurious. After all, it had been ten years, and back then, the walls of this house had been stained—soaked in opium smoke and fluids from human bodies.

“Is this house yours?”

I asked as I slowly circled the room. Everyone held their breath. It was expected of Mia Crowfield, but even Alice, who had carried herself confidently when leading me here, and the knight pinning the man down with his knee, were now silent.

“…Yes.”

“You must have worked very hard.”

Owning even a single unit in a house like this would be almost impossible on an ordinary salary. It wasn’t simply about high property values—it was the absurdly low wages given to workers.

Ah, those good times, the Belle Époque.

A time when capitalism had reached its peak. A time when anyone could earn money through hard work and live an honest life with it.

And a time when those who paid the wages could adjust the amount however they pleased.

There were no laws to protect tenants. To pay their rent, workers had to labor fourteen hours a day. When they worked late into the night, exhaustion set in. Fatigue led to mistakes, and mistakes meant hands lost to factory presses. With no hands, there was no job.

Then the workers would spend the last of their money at an opium den or on alcohol to cut themselves off from reality. They would wander alleys, begging for enough to afford another hit or drink. When their stomachs and livers finally gave out, even the thin thread of their existence would snap—on the streets of the Great Empire, the Aetherna Empire.

And this man had worked diligently to sever those threads of life. Using children—children so young that even in this world, they would have been considered far too young—to do it.

“……”

The man couldn’t respond.

“You sold illusions to laborers ground down by life,” I said.

Through opium.

“……”

“And to children who would have otherwise died cold and meaningless deaths on the streets, you gave value. You provided them with opportunities to secure contracts with suitable employers.”

Opportunities to sell their bodies.

Whether they wanted to or not.

Even children far too young to understand what was happening to them.

“……”

The man remained silent. Was it because he couldn’t answer? Because he understood the weight of my words?

“Isn’t it something to be proud of? People like you are the ones who shine light on the darkest corners of this glorious empire, after all.”

Before I knew it, I had made a full circle around the room and was now standing in front of the man again.

The man’s head was still lowered, showing only the back of his head.

The wallpaper in the room wasn’t cheap, not by a long shot. Neither was the solid wood used for the bookshelves and desk, nor the magic-stone lamp sitting atop it. The silk curtains, the mattress, the leather-bound books neatly lined up on the shelves, the luxurious fabric of the curtains, the fine shirts hanging on the coat rack, and even the wristwatches and pocket watches carefully arranged on the desk—all bespoke and costly.

At first glance, the room gave off a cozy and humble impression, but upon closer inspection, it became clear how extravagantly this man had lived.

Now that I thought about it, even back then, he’d been the same. The fur on his coat. The cane he carried.

Nothing about him had ever looked inexpensive.

And I could easily guess how he had made his fortune.

“How did you come to own this mansion?” I asked.

“……”

“Who introduced you to it?”

I heard Mia Crowfield inhale sharply, but I didn’t turn to look. My head remained fixed, my gaze unwavering on the back of the man’s head.

“Did you have any connections with someone of importance in this land?”

“Your Hi—”

Mia Crowfield’s voice broke through loudly as she took a step forward, but Alice must have stopped her; her words were cut short. It seemed that whatever clarity had momentarily deserted Mia returned when Alice gripped her shoulder.

“……”

The man stayed silent.

Bang!

A loud noise reverberated through the room, followed by a small scream from behind me. Even the knight, who had been quietly pressing the man’s arms into the floor, looked up at me. Through the slit of his helmet, his wide, startled eyes were visible.

The man’s head had slammed into the wooden floor with a loud thud, bouncing slightly before settling. His neatly combed hair was now disheveled.

Luckily, his skull hadn’t cracked.

Or was it lucky? After all, even if it broke, it could be fixed.

I wondered how his face had fared. Had his nose broken when it struck the floor?

A low groan escaped him. Judging by how his head didn’t sag, he hadn’t lost consciousness.

Lowering my foot back onto the ground, I asked slowly, “Answer me.”

“……”

I counted to five in my head.

Five, four, three—

“You go too far.”

The man spoke with two seconds to spare.

His voice, once steady, now sounded rough, as if it had been dragged through gravel. He spoke through clenched teeth, his words leaking out like air through a crack.

“Too far?”

When I repeated his words, he continued, “The Imperial family… already knew about all of this, didn’t they?”

“……”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

I shifted my gaze toward the knight.

His eyes, still wide, met mine, just as they had been when I’d swung my foot earlier.

“Bind him and step out of the room for a moment,” I said in a calm tone.

The knight nodded.

“We will continue this conversation once you’ve left.”

“……”

The man offered no response.

Chapter 131 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 131

EP.131 Revenge (7)

The man was now sitting upright.

Of course, he wasn’t in a comfortable position. He was tightly bound to the chair. His arms were tied behind his back, his legs fastened to the chair legs, and a rope across his chest secured him to the backrest. If he wanted, he could probably wriggle in an attempt to free himself, but at best, all he’d achieve would be tipping over the chair.

Even the chair he was bound to was luxurious, like everything else in the room. It wouldn’t break from just a fall.

“The Imperial family knew,” I said, echoing the man’s last words.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Blood trickled down the man’s face. Seeing him up close, memories flooded back vividly. The man with the monocle, the distinctive mustache, and the meticulously groomed hair. His attire was different now—just a rolled-up shirt and trousers—but his face was unmistakable.

His nose was crooked, likely broken from when his face slammed into the floor earlier.

The way he obediently answered my questions suggested he believed I was interrogating him solely because I was affiliated with the Imperial family.

It was a reasonable assumption. He wouldn’t recognize me, not after I had turned back time.

“The Imperial family must have known. How could they not? There were places selling drugs and… people in the capital and other cities.”

A faint groan came from behind me, prompting me to glance back. Mia Crowfield was pale, leaning against the wall for support. She seemed unable to stand comfortably on her own.

Still, Alice hadn’t sent her out of the room. It seemed Alice believed she needed to hear this.

After all, she had been brought here for that purpose.

And despite her condition, Mia Crowfield showed no signs of wanting to leave. She clung to the wall for support, her eyes fixed squarely on the man.

“The nobles all turned a blind eye. As long as their authority wasn’t challenged and their territories remained unaffected, they didn’t bother to crack down on us. It’s easier to control when the operations are visible rather than hidden away in places they can’t monitor.”

The symbiosis between the nobles and such activities deepened over time.

“However, His Majesty the Emperor never explicitly sanctioned it. Unlike some of the nobles.”

“……”

The man offered no further defense to my response.

It was a hollow excuse. The orphanage where I once lived had been under Lucas’s surveillance. If he’d wanted to, he could have killed the director and taken all the children at any time. Yet he hadn’t bothered to take such direct action. And the Emperor had never ordered Lucas to save the children either…

…Wait.

“What was your position in the capital?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

The man stared back at me, as if to say, “You mean to tell me you came here without knowing that?”

The thought of striking his cheekbone crossed my mind, but I held back, waiting patiently for his answer.

“I was just a middleman,” he finally said. “For those too busy to visit orphanages themselves, I procured the merchandise they requested and resold it.”

“……”

I turned to Alice, who nodded stiffly, her face grim.

‘We’ve dismantled everything from the top down to reach this point,’ she had said earlier.

This man was nothing more than a small cog in the machine.

Though he maintained a façade of gentlemanly composure and an air of nonchalance, the true culprits were the nobles who placed the orders. He merely took their commissions, procured the raw materials, and distributed the finished products.

Those “products” could have been children at times—or drugs at others.

But if that were the case…

If that were the case, then the orphanage he frequented was likely just one of many.

So why had Lucas specifically kept that orphanage under surveillance? If the Emperor had no intention of eradicating the organization altogether, there was no reason for Lucas to personally oversee an orphanage.

“Sylvia.”

Alice’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Her words expressed concern, but her expression betrayed the fact that she already knew I wasn’t fine.

I wasn’t. But it wasn’t because of the man. Sure, I found him repulsive, and I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep if I killed him on the spot. But what was gnawing at me was something far bigger—a realization that had just struck me.

If Lucas had been deliberately keeping an eye on that orphanage—well, it was obvious there had to have been something in the orphanage he wanted. But what if his reason for being there was Claire?

If Lucas had chosen me over Claire, he must have had a reason.

And the Emperor, upon seeing me brought to him by Lucas, had decided what I was.

The something the Emperor had been searching for.

What about the original story?

In the original story, Claire, barely surviving in a nightmarish environment, awakened her abilities under extreme stress and ended up causing a massive fire in the heart of the capital. While the fire itself had been sparked by a lamp, Claire’s innate talent had enabled her to escape unscathed.

In the original story, Lucas found Claire because of that talent.

In the original story, after Claire sacrificed herself for Alice, the Emperor’s plans began to unravel rapidly.

In the original story, there were repeated hints that there was a secret behind Claire’s birth.

So then, what about here?

Here, Lucas had chosen me for my talent.

But if that’s the case, it’s all a mistake. There’s no secret behind my birth. Nothing like that even exists.

What had the Emperor mistaken me for when he accepted me?

“Sylvia?” Alice called my name again, this time more cautiously.

I looked at Alice’s face. It was a face I had seen for the past ten years. Ever since she was very young.

Maybe that was why, in the original story, Claire had sacrificed herself for Alice. For someone who was like a sister to her, someone she had bickered and fought with every day.

Then, if that’s the case…

If I were to sacrifice myself for Alice in this world…

If Claire was still alive and the story continued to flow similarly to the original…

Why hadn’t I realized this sooner? I knew Lucas had specifically taken Claire, that there were countless other orphanages. I had even pondered similar questions before. So why now?

*

“So, what exactly happened here?”

After the man was dragged out, Mia Crowfield clung to me with her questions, her voice trembling.

“Who is that man? And what connection does he have to my father…?”

Right, this is another matter we need to address.

“Mia, sit down for now.”

There was still no knight in here. We were the only ones in the room.

Alice gestured toward the bed—not the chair the man had been tied to earlier. The chair wasn’t bloodstained, but it seemed she found the idea of sitting where a criminal had been restrained unpleasant.

Though, to be fair, the bed had been used by the same criminal.

“That man… he sold goods to your father—the Count of Crowfield.”

“Goods?”

Even Mia Crowfield, after overhearing our earlier conversation, must have had an inkling of what we meant.

Was it because she didn’t want to believe it? She asked as though she had no idea what we were talking about.

“…Children. And on the flip side, opium was likely what your side was selling,” Alice replied hesitantly.

Mia’s expression became blank, her face devoid of any emotion.

“…No.”

After sitting in silence for a long moment, she muttered softly.

“No!”

Her voice grew louder.

“No, my father, my dad, would never do something like that!”

The blank look in her eyes sharpened suddenly, fiercer than I had ever seen—not just since turning back time, but in all the years I’d known her.

“You dare… to tarnish my deceased father’s honor—”

“…His eyes.”

I interrupted her just as she was about to rise to her feet.

“Do you remember your father’s eyes?”

Her gaze snapped to me, her expression still tangled with confusion.

“Have you ever seen his pupils shrunken down to tiny pinpoints?”

Her lips parted slightly.

I had. Every time I looked at the Count, his pupils were like dots. I’d never seen them change size.

The pale complexion, the emaciated frame, the dark circles under his eyes. The bloodshot whites and those unnaturally constricted pupils—always like pinpricks, even in dimly lit rooms like this one.

“It’s a characteristic of drug users. Their pupils remain contracted, even in the dark.”

“F-Father… he was just working tirelessly for the estate….”

“Do you truly believe that?”

At my question, Mia Crowfield looked up at me, unable to say a word.

Chapter 132 : Revenge

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 132

EP.132 Revenge (8)

“Father…”

Mia Crowfield murmured weakly.

“Your mother… the Countess… may have instilled a desire for revenge in you. Perhaps she told you to seek vengeance against me, Alice, or even the Imperial Family.”

“……”

I continued speaking to her bowed figure.

“But you know, don’t you? Your mother knew as well. If she were to pursue revenge, it would be the end of Crowfield.”

“That’s…”

“And if that were the case, your mother should have acted immediately—right after the Count’s death, when the timing was still favorable. If she had any evidence, that would have been the perfect moment to expose it. The surrounding nobles would have supported her. Even if she couldn’t kill the Emperor, it would have dealt a significant political blow. Yet, Crowfield didn’t make a move. Why do you think that is?”

“……”

“It’s because there was an agreement—something exchanged between the Imperial Family and Crowfield.”

Mia Crowfield remained silent, her head still hanging low.

“It means that at that moment, the Emperor also held a card he could play. Something unspeakable, something terrible, that everyone may have suspected but could not openly address. Your mother must have spent her time erasing every trace of that evidence in preparation for her revenge.”

“And that man.”

Alice, who had been listening quietly, took over the conversation.

“He must have exploited it. He took advantage of the fact that Crowfield was trying to bury its past and likely bought a house like this one with the leverage. Anyone who knew even a fragment of the truth opening their mouth would be detrimental to their cause.”

A flicker of pain crossed Alice’s expression as she spoke. After all, they had spent an entire semester together, fighting side by side, even risking their lives at one point.

Killing the man outright might have seemed like a viable solution.

But a man like him wouldn’t have dared to blackmail the Countess without some sort of contingency plan. At the very least, he would have pretended to have one.

And he had value as a tool. He probably wasn’t selling drugs to Crowfield alone. If he were distributing them to other territories, that information could be used as leverage later, forcing those territories to align with Crowfield’s cause. It would be an exceptionally dishonorable tactic, but effective.

Now that he had been captured, the man would likely spill everything anyway.

“……”

Mia Crowfield slowly raised her hands and clutched her head.

“You killed my father, didn’t you?”

“……”

For a brief moment, I hesitated.

It was strange. At the beginning of the semester, I had said it openly to her during our very first conversation:

I killed your father. And that father was a drug-addicted pedophile.

But now, saying those exact same words felt unbearably difficult.

The weight of time must have changed things. Though I couldn’t say Mia Crowfield and I had become true friends, the time we had spent together made it hard to utter those words. It felt as though they were stuck in my throat, like a physical object blocking my voice.

“Yes.”

In the end, I could only manage that single word.

What happened next was over in an instant.

“Mia!”

Alice screamed.

I couldn’t breathe.

Mia Crowfield, smaller than me, had wrapped her hands tightly around my neck, squeezing with all her strength. Her hands were small, but they had more than enough force to strangle someone.

But it lasted only a moment.

Before Alice could rush forward and pull Mia off me, her grip slackened.

Her hands fell from my neck, dropping down, lower and lower.

Mia Crowfield collapsed to her knees on the floor. No, she crumpled entirely, lying prone on the ground.

She clutched her head with both hands, pulling at her hair.

“Mia…”

Alice knelt beside Mia Crowfield, but she couldn’t bring herself to touch her.

“You… you knew, didn’t you?”

Mia’s voice trembled faintly as she asked.

“Yes, I knew,” Alice replied softly.

She had known even before coming to this place.

“Was it here?” Mia asked again.

“Yes, it was here.”

“The children who were here, the ones who stayed until the end… where did they all go?”

“I don’t know.”

Whether the Imperial Family took them, or the Count’s household disposed of them, I had no way of knowing. I had never returned here to find out.

“How many were there…?”

“I don’t know.”

The evidence had likely all been burned, and the children who had been here were probably erased entirely, their names lost to anyone who could remember them.

“Ah…”

Mia Crowfield let out a groan that quickly morphed into a scream, raw and filled with despair, a sound beyond words.

The knights stationed outside the door reflexively burst into the room but froze in place at the sight before them.

*

When Mia Crowfield returned to the Count’s mansion, she staggered past the Countess without a word. No greeting, no embrace.

The Countess, watching her daughter pass without so much as a glance, turned to glare at us with eyes full of hatred before storming off to follow her.

Leaving the mansion behind, Alice and I boarded the steam car that had been prepared in advance.

We sat side by side in the back seat. Even after the car began to move, silence filled the space between us. Perhaps it was because the driver was present, requiring us to choose our words carefully, or perhaps it was because neither of us felt like making light conversation.

“…Did we do the right thing?”

After a long silence, Alice finally spoke. Her voice was hesitant, weighed down by doubt.

And yet, I had already prepared my answer.

“You did the right thing.”

My words carried no hidden meaning, only sincerity. At first, I had been at a loss for words when I learned she had forged the Emperor’s orders, but in the end… this was inevitable.

At least it had happened now and not during the school term. Mia Crowfield would have time to process and recover.

“But…”

Alice bit her lip, her voice trembling slightly.

“If the actions of the Imperial Family are no better than the terrible deeds of other nobles…”

The confident Alice I had seen before we entered that building was gone. Now, she sat beside me, speaking in a voice filled with anguish.

“Do I really have the right to punish such acts?”

“……”

I stared quietly out the window for a while.

I didn’t have the authority to grant such rights either. I had once been one of the orphans, but now I had become a servant of the Emperor.

That wasn’t Alice’s fault, though. Just as it wasn’t Mia Crowfield’s fault for the Count’s actions.

“At least,”

I spoke cautiously, breaking the silence.

“At least the fact that Her Highness even considered such actions means that she is someone different from His Majesty the Emperor.”

Alice didn’t respond for a while.

“…Thank you.”

Her reply came after a long pause, soft but sincere.

*

“Your identity.”

After I had taken Alice back to her room, I immediately went to meet the Emperor. It was a relief that Alice had a lot to think about; otherwise, I would be standing beside her right now and unable to ask the questions that were on my mind.

“Why ask me about that?”

The Emperor looked at me with amusement, as if finding the question entertaining, and my insides simmered with frustration. But I held my patience and asked again.

“If you brought me here, there must be a reason. Why did you place Lucas in that orphanage?”

“It’s curious you’re asking me this now.”

The Emperor placed his hand on his neatly groomed golden beard and looked down at me silently.

“I won’t make you guess. It might be fun for you to figure it out on your own.”

“I didn’t come here to play a guessing game.”

I glared at him, but he still looked at me with an expression of amusement.

“Don’t you already know your own identity?”

In that instant, my heart dropped.

Could the Emperor already have figured it out? Had he sensed that I came from another world, knowing some truth that I hadn’t read in books?

“You are my daughter.”

But my unease disappeared almost instantly. I almost sighed in relief, though I was still frustrated. I was thankful for that fact.

“So, no more of those answers—”

“Hm? I’m telling you the truth. Isn’t this the answer you wanted?”

The Emperor smiled as he spoke.

“You are my daughter. You definitely inherited my talent. Perhaps you even inherited your mother’s talent as well. Although, I don’t remember much about your mother.”

He said it so casually. As if, when his biological daughter asked, “Am I an adopted child from under a bridge?” he would have answered just as nonchalantly.

“…Excuse me?”

“You are.”

The Emperor leaned slightly toward me, still smiling, and repeated,

“You are my daughter.”

…And that…

It was probably a story about Claire.

And about “the Emperor’s children.”

The reason the Emperor could think of his “children” as just “children.”

For the first time since coming to this world, I couldn’t hide my shock in front of the Emperor.

Chapter 133 : Secret

The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 133

EP.133 Secret (1)

How did the Emperor manage to find and gather such capable children from all those orphans?

The Emperor’s children weren’t in the hundreds or thousands, and it wasn’t as though knights were dispatched to search for them.

There had been speculations from the players that the Emperor must have gathered these talented children using some ‘method,’ and that ‘method’ was likely related to Claire or the bloodlines of the Emperor’s other children. I had entered this world before I could uncover the truth behind it though. But I hadn’t expected that the ‘method’ would be to mix his own blood.

If that were the case, the Emperor would be incredibly confident—no, more than that, he’d be outright arrogant. He probably assumed that his children would inevitably inherit his ‘extraordinary abilities.’ He believed that they would take after him, as if it were a given.

Spreading his blood as far as possible… Without mixing with nobility, which could be politically troublesome, he’d scatter his blood in places where it would go unnoticed and then take only the ‘capable’ children to use.

Hah.

By the time I reached that conclusion, I let out a bitter laugh.

The idea of ‘Emperor’s children’ was not something the current Emperor came up with out of nowhere. There were previous emperors who had such children, and even emperors who were known not to have had such children had elite personal guards.

The Emperor’s arrogance about blood wasn’t just his—it was an arrogance shared by the entire imperial family.

But if that were the case…

Then I, who wasn’t originally part of the story, couldn’t possibly have been the ‘child’ the Emperor was aiming for. The person who should have been in my place was Claire.

If the Emperor was just intending to spread his seed, he probably wouldn’t have cared much about the other party. He would have sent someone he trusted to keep an eye on where the children from that woman ended up, regardless of whether their hair was blue or black. To the Emperor, that wouldn’t matter.

“Wow…”

Sitting in the chair, I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought, and marveled at the conclusion I’d reached.

If someone had planted me in this world, they certainly chose the right place. Of all things, to entangle me with a birth secret.

And then the ability I was given. Rather than some uncertain talent like swordsmanship that could take a lifetime to master, I was given the gift of infinite opportunities to correct mistakes intuitively.

Moreover… the Emperor knew that my fighting style relied on that ability, and yet he still thought of me as his daughter.

Yes. The Emperor confused me with Claire.

And the reason was simply because Lucas brought me, not Claire.

…I need to find Lucas.

*

Lucas probably doesn’t even know he could be the Emperor’s true son. In fact, there wasn’t much about him that resembled the Emperor. Furthermore, given the circumstances, Lucas’s time as an orphan was likely just as miserable as Claire’s.

He wouldn’t have thought, ‘Of course, the Emperor’s blood runs through me,’ right? Who in the world would think that, even if they were a bastard child, they’d be left to wallow in such conditions?

So, I needed to go to Lucas and find out why he chose me, what his past had been like. Only then would I be able to have some certainty about the situation.

Damn Emperor—he threw that bomb at me and then just laughed, leaving me to ‘figure it out.’

The problem was, I had no idea where Lucas was.

Bella and another person had already been assigned their missions. In fact, those two were among the Emperor’s children whose faces weren’t widely known, making them particularly useful and always busy. If Bella hadn’t been given a separate task, she wouldn’t have had time to see us.

So, I went looking for the only ‘sibling’ I could meet immediately.

And that person was—

“Lucas?”

As soon as Jayden heard the name Lucas, his brows furrowed sharply.

“How would I know where Lucas is?”

Fortunately, Jayden didn’t seem angry with me, though. His frustration was directed at Lucas. From Jayden’s perspective, it was a betrayal for Lucas to leave without informing the Emperor, especially considering Jayden’s status as the Empire’s strongest knight.

I quietly looked up at Jayden’s golden hair, which was split into an 80-20 ratio.

Seeing it this way, the color of his hair was quite similar to the Emperor’s and Alice’s. Of course, it would be hard to use that as evidence. It wasn’t uncommon to find blondes in the Empire.

But after hearing that story, seeing this golden hair made me reconsider, and it was hard to ignore those thoughts.

Though Jayden had thoroughly learned and mastered the Imperial swordsmanship, just like Claire and Bella, he must have had a dark past as well.

Perhaps his obsessive fixation on elegance stemmed from that.

“Is that so?”

“Why, is something wrong? Did he do something to you?”

“No.”

At my response, Jayden shrugged and continued packing. The large trunk was packed with such precision, the items fitting together like a puzzle. I couldn’t help but marvel at how neatly everything fit.

With admiration, I asked, “Are you being dispatched somewhere?”

“That’s right.”

Jayden nodded, still packing his things.

“I’ve been sent north. Thanks to your efforts—”

As he spoke, Jayden glanced at me with a look of open pride. For a moment, I felt a chill run down my spine, but I held back.

“—We managed to wipe out a warlord, but there are still plenty of similar-sized warlords out there. We can’t afford to send troops to fight a war with the autonomous states, but just having one reliable irregular would be a huge asset in battle.”

With that, Jayden shut the trunk with a sharp snap.

“North…”

For a moment, the thought that I might be the only Emperor’s child left in the palace made me feel despondent, but suddenly a thought flashed across my mind.

“Do you happen to know how you’ll be traveling?”

“They’ve asked for me to get there as quickly as possible, so I’ll probably be traveling with the supply ship.”

A supply ship wasn’t a regular ship. If there were nearby seas or a giant lake, that might be what he meant, but on land, a supply ship referred to an airship.

The speed of the transport ship couldn’t compare to that of a flying battleship like the Dreadnought. It would be lucky to reach 100 km/h.

However, since it was an airship, it would fly straight to its destination without any stops. The time it took to arrive would actually be faster than a train.

“Is it possible for me to board that transport ship with you?”

With only about two weeks left until the end of the vacation, every day was crucial for me.

“Hmm? Even so, it’s a military supply ship… I’m not saying I doubt you, but there are procedural issues with boarding something like that. I already secured my spot about a week ago, but for you…”

Jayden’s refusal to allow me on the transport ship despite his status clearly showed his commitment to his upright, disciplined nature. The Emperor probably relied on him precisely because of this—because he was the kind of person who would act decisively and correctly.

“I… have an urgent matter.”

“An urgent matter.”

Jayden’s expression grew slightly more serious as he asked, “Is it related to His Majesty’s orders?”

Well…

It wasn’t, but…

I could make up another excuse, but Jayden, as an Imperial knight, was particularly meticulous in these matters. If I lied and claimed it was related to the Emperor’s orders, he would definitely check with the Emperor. Not out of suspicion, but simply to verify things and make sure the orders were properly understood and executed.

“……”

“Sylvia?”

Jayden tilted his head, noticing my sudden silence.

…Alright.

In that case, it was better to take advantage of Jayden’s blind spot.

I took a deep breath, then steadied my mind and clasped my hands in front of my chest.

I then looked up at Jayden. This wasn’t too difficult since he was taller than me.

But the real challenge came next.

“Oh…”

“Oh?”

I paused halfway through my sentence, and Jayden looked at me, slightly confused.

“Oh… Brother.”

With Jayden frozen stiff in front of me, I took another deep breath and said, “Brother… please?”

“……”

Jayden stood there, staring at me with his mouth slightly open, for what felt like a long while. Then, finally, he raised one hand to his forehead.

Just as I thought it might be a failure, Jayden wiped his face with that same hand, then rubbed his forehead again.

A smile tugged at his lips.

His eyes, however, held the expression of someone thinking, “What kind of troublemaker is this?”

“Oh my.”

I immediately regretted what I had said and seriously considered resetting the time.

“If my little sister says something like that… I suppose I have no choice. Don’t worry, Sylvia. This ‘brother’ will figure something out for you.”

…I really did consider it for a moment.

Chapter 134 : Secret

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 134

EP.134 Secret (2)

Summer vacation, strictly speaking, was like a break for working people. Of course, compared to a worker’s holiday, it was significantly longer, and children who had the social status to attend the academy often spent their vacation relaxing without any particular worries.

Claire and Leo were no exception to this privilege. However, both of them had an extraordinary drive for improvement. Neither Leo nor Claire hesitated to dedicate their entire vacation to rigorous training to hone their swordsmanship skills.

Moreover, during the semester, they had met none other than the Sword Saint. Though the time they spent learning from him was brief, it was enough for both of them to be acknowledged as his "disciples." He even told them they were welcome to come and learn from him whenever they had the time.

The vacation period was naturally a perfect opportunity for this. With that in mind, Leo and Claire planned to head to the North immediately after the visit from the two princesses concluded.

Of course, life would be far simpler if everything always went according to plan.

“Claire, you’ll stay behind.”

As expected, things didn’t always turn out the way they wanted.

“Mother?”

No matter how much they hoped, things didn’t always go the way they imagined.

“Inheriting the Grace family’s swordsmanship is a good thing. If you have an excellent mentor like the Sword Saint, it’s only right to be grateful and dedicate yourself to mastering your skills. Opportunities like this aren’t granted to just anyone.”

“Then, Mother—”

“But.”

Baroness Grace exhaled lightly and looked at Claire.

“Claire, it’s about time you started preparing for marriage, isn’t it?”

“...Pardon?”

Claire’s expression froze. She stared at her mother with her mouth slightly open, her face clearly showing, ‘What are you talking about?’

“I’m not saying you need to get married immediately. It’s something you can think about slowly after you’ve come of age. But even so, you should have the basic knowledge in advance.”

Hearing this, Claire’s face began to flush a deep red.

“At the very least… you need to refine your behavior and learn to carry yourself properly as a lady. This vacation, we’ll focus on that aspect of your education.”

“But, Mother—”

Claire protested with a look that suggested she was on the verge of throwing a tantrum, but Baroness Grace’s thoughts seemed firm.

“Claire, you’re a daughter of the Grace family. When you marry someday, you must be properly prepared to avoid any disgrace. I believe it’s essential that you receive the right education.”

Her words were laced with an undeniable affection.

Claire was left speechless.

Seeing her daughter’s bewildered expression, the Baroness smiled faintly.

“Still, if you can improve your manners enough to represent our family during this vacation, I’ll allow you to go to the North for swordsmanship training this winter.”

“Really?”

Claire’s eyes widened as she heard those words.

“Do you mean it, Mother? Really?”

Watching Claire bounce in excitement, the Baroness let out a small sigh.

“...Yes, but first, let's do something about that reckless behavior of yours."

*

“Haha…”

After hearing Leo’s story, Sword Saint Frederick let out a hollow laugh.

“No matter how much time passes, it seems people’s perspectives don’t change easily.”

He shook his head slowly and added,

"It's surprising that even a family as progressive as yours could think like that."

Frederick, murmuring to himself, said,

“Well, even if she doesn’t care about such things, society expects nobles to behave a certain way."

He nodded to himself, as if coming to terms with why one of his disciples hadn’t come.

"Alright, then. I'm sure that kid will rise to the challenge. Let’s look forward to winter when I can teach both of you properly.”

Frederick unfolded his arms and added, “For now, let’s begin by calming the mind through meditation.”

“Understood.”

Leo nodded earnestly and sat down.

That was how the events of late July unfolded.

*

A month under the Sword Saint’s guidance was an incredibly short time. The Sword Saint had spent his entire life—decades—perfecting his swordsmanship, and to learn his entire repertoire would require an equivalent amount of time.

Still, the month wasn’t without progress. Leo had become more composed and focused in his approach to swordsmanship, and his sword strikes had grown significantly sharper and more precise. While his skill level had been nearly identical to Claire’s before, he now felt he might have a slight edge over her.

Living in a cabin perched on what was nearly a cliffside had also been beneficial. Surviving in a structure that barely shielded him from the wind, located in a treacherous area, was a form of training in itself. Despite the physical discomfort, Leo felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he could clearly sense his own growth.

“Hmm.”

As he was meditating as usual to calm his mind, he heard the Sword Saint let out a thoughtful hum.

Opening his eyes slightly, Leo glanced up at Frederick. The Sword Saint was stroking his chin, his gaze fixed on the thin wall of the cabin. Of course, he wasn’t looking at the wall itself but at something beyond it.

“It seems we’ve got an uninvited guest,” Frederick said, reaching for the basket of herbs sitting on the table.

“Could it be Miss Jennifer?” Leo asked.

“No, that’s not her footstep. If it were, she’d brazenly make her presence known without bothering to hide her movements. And she certainly wouldn’t feel this... unstable.”

Frederick’s eyes narrowed. The sound of the footsteps was unfamiliar, yet it didn’t seem to belong to anyone skilled enough to pose a threat to him.

At the same time, he felt almost no killing intent. Usually, those who are unskilled fail to hide their murderous intent, inadvertently scattering their presence everywhere and failing in surprise attacks. If the intruder were truly skilled, they would conceal their killing intent, approach, and swiftly end their target with a single stab."

So, is it really just a visitor? Perhaps someone who had climbed the mountain for fun and gotten lost?

Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.

Frederick thought as he gripped the basket tightly in his hand.

“…...”

The unexpected visitor strode confidently to Frederick’s cabin door and flung it open without hesitation.

Frederick, having timed the door’s opening perfectly, hurled the basket in his hand. The basket, scattering herbs everywhere, flew through the air and struck—squarely—the forehead of the young girl entering the cabin.

“Eek!”

The high-pitched, startled cry caught Frederick off guard, and he blinked. Leo, too, turned his upper body toward the door, still seated cross-legged, his expression equally dumbfounded.

The girl, who now sat on the floor rubbing her forehead where she’d fallen, appeared delicate at first glance. That didn’t mean she lacked any feminine charm, but her frail appearance stood out.

With tears welling up at the corners of her eyes, the girl rubbed her forehead when—

“Sylvia?”

Leo asked in a slightly dazed voice.

The girl, called Sylvia, blinked as if only now realizing she was sitting on the floor. For a moment, she even seemed to forget the pain in her forehead.

As she sat there, momentarily blank, a look of surprise suddenly flashed across her face.

“Again!”

She shouted.

*

No matter how many times I’d been hit in the forehead by that damned basket, I always forgot about it. Of course, it had been months since I’d last visited, so it wasn’t surprising. But still, it was embarrassing. Not just because of the Sword Saint but because Leo had seen me like that too.

“Phew.”

I rewound time a few seconds, steeling myself, and opened the door again.

With a creak, the poorly fitted door—clearly not the work of a professional—opened, its hinges squealing in protest. And, just as before, the first thing I saw was a basket flying straight for my face. This time, I raised my free hand, the one not gripping the door handle, and caught the basket mid-air.

Thunk.

Fortunately, it seemed Frederick hadn’t thrown it with the intent to harm me, as I managed to catch it rather smoothly.

“Oh?”

Frederick let out a sound of genuine surprise, one I’d heard him make a handful of times before.

“Sylvia?”

This time, Leo’s voice held no confusion or hesitation—just surprise.

Feigning calmness, I carefully placed the basket on the nearby table.

“Sylvia, is it?”

Frederick mused for a moment, then curved his lips into a faintly menacing smile.

“So, you’re the one they say performed admirably on the battlefield last time.”

…What was this?

Why did it feel like his reaction was different from when we’d first met?

For a moment, I worried Frederick remembered me, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Instead—

“If you’re a friend of my disciple, it wouldn’t hurt to test your skills.”

He reached for his sword.

Wait. Hold on.

Chapter 135 : Secret

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 135

EP.135 Secret (3)

At the very least, the Sword Saint wasn’t trying to actually cut me down with a real sword. The problem, however, was that this small mercy didn’t make much of a difference to me.

After all, even if I were cut by a real sword, I could always rewind time to before the injury occurred. To me, getting cut was no different than experiencing pain, nothing more. Still, since Lucas’s sword—befitting that of a prince—was a finely crafted, razor-sharp blade, the pain didn’t hit immediately after being cut. Partly because of the sword’s sharpness and partly because my brain would release endorphins to dull the pain.

In that sense, whether it was a real sword or not, the “pain” I experienced didn’t change much. In fact, this blunt wooden weapon, which didn’t even allow for an endorphin rush, arguably hurt more. And regardless, every time I got hit, I had to rewind time anyway.

Unlike Lucas’s swordsmanship, which involved a single slash that ended once I dodged, the Sword Saint’s attacks came in relentless succession. That made things all the more tedious.

“Hmm.”

The Sword Saint executed a flawless five-hit combo so quickly that I was forced to rewind time over a dozen times. Now, resting his sword casually on his shoulder, he raised an eyebrow.

“How strange.”

He murmured something I’d heard him say a few times before.

“There’s no talent at all.”

“Talent…?”

Leo, who had been watching from the side, murmured in shock.

Smack!

“Guh!?”

Frederick promptly knocked Leo on the forehead with the hilt of his sword.

“You call yourself my disciple, and yet you can’t even tell if someone has talent? This kid has none whatsoever. To be frank, the way you’re dodging my attacks looks like pure luck to me.”

His assessment was spot-on. I was dodging as best as I could.

While I tried to make my movements appear as graceful and precise as possible, the truth was they lacked any structure or method. My movements didn’t follow any specific school of swordsmanship; they were entirely improvised.

In that sense, Frederick was far superior to Lucas when it came to teaching. While Lucas might surpass Frederick in raw skill and talent as a swordsman, he would have likely mistaken my erratic movements for sheer physical ability.

...Which was probably why Lucas had declared he’d cut me down.

“This guy… What are you—”

“Uh, Master?”

Leo interjected hastily when Frederick referred to me as “guy” in a tone that was anything but polite.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well, um…”

Leo approached Frederick and raised a hand to his mouth, whispering something. Likely, he was explaining my true identity—specifically, that I was the imperial princess.

Smack!

“Guh!?”

But Frederick, upon hearing Leo’s explanation, immediately struck him on the forehead again.

“What does being some imperial princess matter? Have you ever wondered why I live in this cliffside cabin in the first place? It’s because I’ve had enough of titles and politics. At least here, a person’s position is determined solely by their swordsmanship. So─”

Frederick pointed his sword directly at me and said,

“─In this cabin, this guy hold the lowest position of all.”

Although my appearance was unmistakably feminine, Frederick still referred to me as “guy,” a term usually reserved for addressing men.

...Well, I suppose “guy” is better than something more abrasive. He already comes across as a bit of an old-fashioned curmudgeon, and I wouldn’t want him to seem entirely unlikable.

Meanwhile, Leo’s face had turned past pale and was verging on blue as he listened to his master declare me “low-ranking.” Honestly, though, I was technically his disciple too. Even if my master didn’t remember me, that still made me one of his students. In a sense, that made Leo and me peers.

“Understood,” I said.

The Sword Saint raised one corner of his lips, amused.

“Hmm, very well. Since you came all the way here without using that gun, it seems you’re not my enemy. I’ll hear what you have to say.”

With that, he gestured to an empty chair, indicating I should take a seat.

*

Sitting down, I straightforwardly explained the reason for seeking him out, omitting any mention of my abilities or lineage. Those weren’t details to share at the moment. I figured they would come up eventually, but for now, resolving the immediate issue took precedence.

“So, you’re saying your stepbrother wants to cut off your head, and you want to find him?”

“Yes.”

“And you have something you wish to discuss with him?”

“Yes.”

“You suspect your stepbrother is stronger than me?”

“That’s correct.”

“…Do you have a death wish?”

The Sword Saint looked at me with an incredulous expression.

Well, he wasn’t exactly one to talk.

The man had shown clear interest when I mentioned someone stronger than him and had immediately taken me as his disciple when I suggested introducing him to Lucas during our first meeting. If we’re talking about reckless behavior, he probably outranked me.

Not that I laughed out loud at his remark—I could at least read the room.

…

Meanwhile, as the two of us talked, Leo stood to the side, pouring tea into cups. His expression was frozen, as though he were holding his breath.

When I didn’t respond, the room fell into silence for a moment.

I lifted my teacup, took a sip—and reflexively furrowed my brows at the taste. It had been a while since I reacted so strongly to flavor alone. My gaze drifted to Leo, who was now staring back at me with an expression of utter betrayal, as if I had wronged him deeply.

Whatever he had served me was definitely not the tea I was used to. Upon closer inspection, its pitch-black hue made it look less like brewed tea leaves and more like a concoction of medicinal herbs. Perhaps it had been brewed from the plants in the basket Frederick had thrown earlier.

“Is there no sugar?” I asked, boldly.

Frederick let out a disbelieving scoff, shaking his head.

“Are you serious? You want to add sugar to a medicinal brew?”

“…...”

Upon reflection, it didn’t seem like such a good idea after all. I silently set the teacup down and addressed the Sword Saint.

“I don’t wish to die. However, there’s something I desperately need to ask.”

I needed to understand more about why Lucas had chosen me. If he’d been watching that facility from the beginning, he might know how I ended up there—or at the very least, whether I’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. And then there was Claire.

I might not uncover everything, but Lucas was the only one I could question right now. If things went wrong, I could simply rewind time and undo the entire encounter. That way, I wouldn’t end up dying at Lucas’ hands. While I was at it, I could erase the black mark on my history where I’d called Jayden “big brother.” The memory of him proudly introducing me as “his little sister” to his commanders, his face practically glowing, was... something I’d rather forget.

“Hm.”

The Sword Saint shifted his gaze to Leo, who stood stiff with tension.

“So, I’m curious why, in searching for this Lucas, you felt the need to come to me specifically,” the Sword Saint asked, turning back to me and leaning slightly over the table. His expression betrayed a keen interest—more so than when he’d learned about my background.

“…Lucas,” I began, carefully choosing my words in the hopes of persuading him, “will inevitably consider you a stepping stone to his final target. He’ll seek you out as an intermediate goal.”

In the original story, the Sword Saint didn’t die until much later.

I wasn’t sure if Lucas was currently tracking me or not, so expecting him to appear before me in the next few days was unrealistic. However, I could ensure that Lucas showed up eventually.

If word reached Lucas that the Sword Saint had reappeared, I could simply rewind time to just before the encounter and bring the Sword Saint out of hiding. The best course of action was for Frederick to leave his secluded life in the mountains. By making himself more visible, Lucas would find him more easily. Ideally, I could bring him close to the capital.

“Ho,” Frederick said, his grin far more menacing than when I had first entered the cabin.

“So, Lucas considers you an even greater ‘threat’ than me.”

“That’s correct.”

“How presumptuous of you.”

“……”

I tensed as I saw Frederick grip the hilt of his sword again, my body stiffening in anticipation.

Chapter 136 : Secret

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 136

EP.136 Secret (4)

“Come to the capital.”

I spoke with a tense expression, my voice steady despite the weight of the request.

“There, you can be with all your disciples.”

“Hmm.”

Hearing my suggestion, the Sword Saint seemed to pause in thought, loosening his grip on the sword he had been holding.

Seeing that, I let my guard down for just a moment—

Thwack!

“Eek!”

His sword struck my head again. Reflexively, I clasped my head with both hands and looked at him in disbelief.

The Sword Saint returned my gaze with an exasperated expression.

“Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? I came here because I detest the chaos of the world. And now you’re suggesting I live in the very heart of the busiest place in the capital, surrounded by all kinds of people?”

He snorted dismissively.

“And as bait for your scheme, no less? Do you think I’m so easily swayed by such cheap tricks?”

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

I silently agreed with his words.

If someone who had lived in seclusion in the mountains for decades could be convinced to leave so easily, I would’ve tried much earlier.

“Then, I’ll stay here.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll remain here until I’ve convinced you to come with me.”

Of course, I hadn’t come without some preparation.

There were only about two weeks left of my vacation, but I planned to use that time to persuade him. I’d try various approaches, and if I found any promising lines of reasoning, I could rewind time and—

Thwack!

“Ow!”

“Does that sound effect come preloaded in your vocabulary?”

It was infuriating to hear such a remark while being hit without warning.

Of course, I didn’t think I could actually win against him in any capacity.

“A grown woman, no less a princess, coming to spend the night in a man’s home? Such behavior would tarnish your honor. More importantly, how can you speak so casually about staying at a man’s house? Especially you, a princess.”

“……”

He didn’t seem to mind when I stayed overnight with Jennifer, though. Alice had also stayed here before, as had Claire. Granted, Jennifer had been with them on those occasions, but even in the original story, the Sword Saint wasn’t the type to care about such things. He was likely just trying to use this as an excuse to send me away.

Regardless of my glare, the Sword Saint ignored me and turned his gaze toward Leo.

“And why are you standing there frozen like that?”

“Ah, well….”

Leo’s forehead was already drenched in sweat, and a few strands of hair clung to his skin.

“What’s wrong? Do you disapprove of me using ‘Her Highness’s’ head as a striking target?”

“……”

“I’ve met another princess before, you know. And if I cared about status or acted accordingly, I wouldn’t have considered taking Jennifer as my disciple in the first place.”

“That… that is true, but….”

“Oh, now that you mention it….”

The Sword Saint’s gaze returned to me.

“Is Alice your sister or your cousin?”

"Big sister—"

Leo started to respond from the side but immediately shut his mouth when he caught my gaze.

"…We're 'sisters,'" I answered.

"Oh," the Sword Saint muttered, the corners of his mouth curling up in amusement.

"I see. Sisters, indeed…"

He folded his arms and seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"Well, fine. It’s already late at night. Sending you down the mountain at this hour wouldn’t be proper conduct for a man dealing with a woman."

With that, the Sword Saint stood up from his seat.

"I’ll allow you to stay for the night. But leave by tomorrow. I’m not someone with the time to indulge your whims."

Well, he is free enough. Of course, there’s no particular reason why he should accommodate me, but still. At least I managed to secure permission to stay for one night, which was a relief. This meant I had an opening, however small.

*

"Did Alice teach you that?"

The following dawn, I woke up around the same time as Leo. While I sat cross-legged, meditating, the Sword Saint broke the silence with a question.

It was the first thing he’d said to me since our conversation the previous day. Ever since that exchange, he had acted as if I didn’t exist. Looking back, I suppose I deserved it for being so audacious, practically ordering him around. Still, if words weren’t enough, I’d just have to persuade him through action.

Last night, he had remarked that I lacked talent. So, I had to show him a glimpse of what could pass as ability—getting up at the same time as Leo and engaging in meditation. Peeking ever so slightly with one eye, I noticed Leo looking at me with a mildly surprised expression. But his face conveyed more than just surprise; he appeared to be deep in thought. Although I hadn’t explained it to him directly, Leo had been present when we fought the black-robed figure at the ruins of the Northwood estate.

He might even be considering the possibility that I’d been here before.

The truth was, I had no talent for this sort of thing. I’d never practiced it before, and it had taken me 300 days just to learn the most basic form of meditation under none other than the Sword Saint himself. Any more complex techniques would likely take far longer. But for now, I had to pretend this ability was my innate talent. Only then would the Sword Saint begin to take me seriously.

I heard the sound of his footsteps approaching.

I closed the eye I had opened and delved deeper into meditation as the sound moved in front of me, as though he were observing my posture closely.

Before he could say anything—

Bang!

The door burst open with a loud crash.

"…Alice. If you keep opening the door like that, it might break down entirely."

The Sword Saint spoke leisurely, as if he already knew Alice would arrive in such a manner, a stark contrast to how he had greeted me.

"If the door breaks, I will personally purchase the finest replacement and install it for you," Alice replied, her voice calm to the point where it sounded more like she was furious.

"Even if you install such a door, it would hardly suit this place," the Sword Saint retorted in a tone of disbelief.

However, Alice didn’t seem to hear him.

Honestly, their exchange was quite fascinating.

I had met the Sword Saint and seen his character in the game, but this was my first time witnessing a direct conversation between Alice and him.

In the game, aside from main storyline dialogue, other party members often faded into the background during side quests if Leo wasn’t involved. Despite the effort that had gone into crafting the game, the sheer volume of main story text made it difficult to give the same attention to side quests.

As more characters became available to set as party members later in the game, each with unique personalities, the developers had to create dialogue tailored to the situation for every combination. To cut costs, they often resorted to simply having no dialogue for party members during side quests.

But reality wasn’t a game.

I couldn’t rely on a single narrative line like, "They all discussed opinions together" or "They all trained together."

"What brings you here? You don’t seem to have come for training like Leo," the Sword Saint said.

"…I’m here to find my ‘sister,’" Alice replied.

Though I couldn’t sense others’ energy, I could feel the Sword Saint’s gaze shifting to me.

"Is something happening in the imperial family?"

I shut my eyes tightly, trying to maintain the appearance of being fully immersed in meditation, as if completely unaware of Alice’s presence.

Not that it seemed to be working.

After all, acting oblivious didn’t make me invisible.

"I’d like to speak with Sylvia for a moment," Alice said.

Following her words, I heard the rustle of clothes. The Sword Saint had gestured toward the table.

"If you wish, feel free to use that table. There’s no separate room for private conversations here, so I can’t guarantee secrecy."

"That’s fine," Alice replied, her voice tinged with amusement.

It didn’t sound like a warm laugh, though.

*

"I heard the story," Alice began.

"…What story are you referring to?" I asked.

We sat across from each other at the worn table, with Leo and the Sword Saint standing about three paces away, both wearing expressions of curiosity about our conversation.

I considered the possibilities. Could it be something about Lucas? Or had Alice somehow discovered the truth—that we might actually be sisters?

"I heard you called Jayden ‘big brother.’"

…Apparently, she hadn’t.

Even so, I instantly understood the significance of what Alice had just said.

I glanced toward Leo.

He stood there, staring at me with his mouth slightly open, as if the notion of such words ever leaving my lips was entirely unimaginable.

Unfortunately, I had no idea how to suppress the rapid pounding of my heart from embarrassment. At the very least, before leaving this place in two weeks, I was determined to master that skill.

And as for Jayden, who failed to keep the fact that I had called him "big brother" a secret—he was absolutely going to pay. Sure, I’d forgotten to ask him to keep it confidential, but still.

Chapter 137 : Secret

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 137

EP.137 Secret (5)

I attempted to redirect the conversation.

“How did you manage to get here?”

“By car, last night.”

“…Did someone drive you all the way here?”

“There are plenty of people in the imperial palace, you know. I couldn’t exactly ask them to run the trains at an ungodly hour—it’s not cheap, after all.”

Driving a steam car all the way here wouldn’t have been cheap either, though. Actually, the journey from the capital to here by “car” wasn’t something anyone could call easy. Sure, the roads were somewhat established, but a lot of them were dirt paths. Even if they were reasonably maintained, it wasn’t ideal.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t come alone. There were knights accompanying me for protection.”

Alice leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Watching her, I once again felt the urge to slap my forehead. If it had been just the two of us, I might have given in to that urge.

“Is this all because I called Jayden ‘big brother’?”

“‘All because’? You don’t seriously think that’s something insignificant, do you?”

One of Alice’s eyebrows arched upward.

“……”

If it wasn’t insignificant, then what was it?

Still, I wasn’t foolish enough to voice that thought aloud. Alice was clearly being very serious right now.

“You don’t usually use such… familiar terms for others. Doesn’t that mean there was something important enough to compel you to come all the way here?”

Well… sharp as always.

But I couldn’t exactly drop the bombshell that the issue involved the possibility of Alice and Claire being actual siblings. That truth, if revealed, was a massive powder keg. If I mentioned the Emperor, Alice would only assume the matter revolved around me, not Claire.

As for the time-rewinding aspect—well, in a world where goddesses might exist, such fantastical concepts wouldn’t entirely blow people’s minds. Sure, it wouldn’t be taken lightly, but it’d be manageable. However, explaining that I was from another world and that this world’s story was merely a game in mine? That was a different matter altogether. Revealing that her existence and choices might not have been her own, that everything could have been preordained—it felt… wrong.

“……”

As I hesitated to respond, Alice let out a deep sigh.

“Fine, whatever.”

Alice, still with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes at me.

“You’re planning to stay here for a while anyway, aren’t you? Then I’ll stay here with you.”

Smack.

The sound made me turn my head. The Sword Saint, Frederick, was covering his forehead with his hand, his eyes tightly shut. The wrinkles on his face seemed twice as deep as usual.

“So, now I’ve got two kids who aren’t even adults yet planning to stay in my cabin?”

“Don’t worry too much, Master,” Alice replied with a serene smile as she turned to her teacher.

“If Sylvia decides to leave, I’ll head back the same day.”

Then she turned her face back to me, studying my expression.

“Though it doesn’t seem like she’s planning to leave.”

She muttered the words as if talking to herself.

“……”

I stared at Alice in silence for a while before slowly opening my mouth.

Then, just as slowly, I closed it again.

Hmm.

When I had called Jayden "big brother," it was, of course, embarrassing at the time and something I now regretted. But honestly, it hadn’t been that difficult. After all, my plan from the start had been to rewind time once I uncovered the truth.

Of course, there was no guarantee I would find Lucas within these two weeks before the end of the vacation. He could be in another country, or perhaps he had retreated deep into the mountains to train, preparing to strike me down in one blow next time. But if I couldn’t find him, that was fine too. I could simply rewind time, try a different method, or spend the remainder of my vacation relaxing and figure things out later.

However, calling Alice “sister” even if I could rewind time, for some reason, the thought of doing so filled me with immense reluctance.

It was just a feeling, but it seemed like such an act would leave a massive… blemish on my life, something I could never forget.

“……”

Alice continued to look at me, her expression saying, ‘If you have something to say, just say it.’

“Um…”

“Hmm?”

“Uh…”

I inhaled deeply and spoke.

“Sis—”

“Hmm?” Alice tilted her head and cupped her ear toward me, as if she hadn’t heard me properly.

“What are you trying to say? I can’t understand a word when you’re splitting it up like that.”

“……”

I closed my eyes, clenched my teeth, and took a big breath.

Then, as quickly as I could, I blurted, “Sisterpleasejustgohomeandwaitformeinstead!”

“That was way too fast. I didn’t catch that.”

“……”

I steadied myself once more and tried again.

“…Sister.”

Only then did Alice fully turn her head toward me, her face lighting up with a victorious smile. Her eyes sparkled so brightly that they seemed to outshine the stars lingering in the early dawn sky.

“Yes? What is it, Sylvia?”

The deliberate kindness in her voice was like a ribbon wrapped tightly around her words. Watching her, I seriously considered rewinding time to erase the incident with Jayden entirely. But then I realized that even if I did, the shame in my heart wouldn’t fully disappear.

Faced with an Alice who had entered full ‘Just tell your big sister everything’ mode, I reluctantly opened my mouth.

“Can I… ask you a favor?”

“……”

Alice’s smile grew even wider as she listened to my words.

“I understand my little sister’s concern for me,” she said sweetly.

And just like that, I was overcome with an overwhelming sense of dread.

“But that doesn’t mean I could just leave my little sister in a place like this, now does it?”

“A place like this…”

The Sword Saint mumbled in a slightly wounded tone, quite different from the casual demeanor he'd shown earlier.

“I’ll stay by Sylvia’s side,” Alice declared.

“……”

This sparked a different kind of frustration in me, distinct from the irritation I felt when Jayden rubbed his forehead in exasperation earlier.

It was then that I finally understood the unease I’d felt before calling Alice “sister.”

…That’s right. Deep down, I had already known that the approach that worked on Jayden wouldn’t work on Alice.

“Would that be all right, Master?” Alice asked, turning to the Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint stayed silent for a moment before responding in a very serious tone.

“And if I refuse?”

“I’ll let every swordsman in the nation know your whereabouts,” Alice said with a serene smile. “Even if I have to use every resource of the imperial family.”

That would undoubtedly bring a flood of all sorts of people.

Aspirants hoping to learn swordsmanship, challengers seeking a duel, or perhaps even someone with a grudge, still burning with vengeance after being defeated by his sword in his younger days.

It would become an unimaginable headache. Sure, he could always flee, but doing so would mean severing the bonds he had formed late in life. Though he was a reclusive old man who had hidden away in the mountains, declaring he was done with the world, the Sword Saint wasn’t a heartless person.

“……”

He stared at Alice in silence for a moment before letting out a deep sigh that seemed to weigh down the very air.

“Fine, then. Do as you like.”

His gaze shifted to me.

Even without any particular emotion behind it, his eyes felt piercing, as if they could see right through me.

Though he had been adamant about not letting me stay here until yesterday, perhaps seeing me meditate earlier had changed his mind.

“But don’t be a burden,” he said firmly. “I already have one disciple I’m teaching here.”

His eyes turned to Leo, who stood stiffly at attention in front of the three of us.

I had thought his attitude toward us had softened a bit after our interactions at the academy, but out here, it was entirely different.

It wasn’t surprising. Many commoner students felt uncomfortable around noble students, avoiding unnecessary interaction because even if they grew close and dropped formalities during their school years, they’d inevitably have to revert to a respectful demeanor after graduation. Rather than deal with the discomfort of a fleeting sense of equality, they found it easier to maintain a distance from the beginning.

“From now on, the three of you are equals here,” the Sword Saint said, looking at Leo with a hint of disdain. “No one is higher or lower than anyone else.”

“And,” he added after seeing us nod, “there is no difference between men and women here. Training will not be adjusted based on gender.”

Alice nodded easily.

“I’ve already experienced that.”

As for me…

“……”

That’s when I realized how dire my situation was.

It was fortunate that I hadn’t been kicked out, but…

The way the Sword Saint looked at me was deeply unsettling, just as it had been when he watched me meditating earlier.

Chapter 138 : Secret

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 138

EP.138 Secret (6)

Thanks to the training I had been doing regularly, my stamina had improved significantly. However, the problem was that the increased stamina still wasn’t enough to keep up with Leo, the “protagonist,” or Alice, the “heroine with a sword.”

“That’s because you’ve poured all your skills into using firearms,” the Sword Saint said, looking at me with a dissatisfied expression.

“When comparing the skill required to wield a firearm versus a sword, it’s obvious that swordsmanship requires far superior physical ability. Firearms, after all, are tools you can learn to use competently with just a few weeks of training, aren’t they?”

Hearing that, I seriously debated whether to argue back but ultimately decided to keep my mouth shut.

The Winterfield region in the north wasn’t unbearably hot even in the height of summer. But it was still summer. With temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s (Celsius), training under the blazing sun without any shade was anything but easy.

After running around tirelessly under the scorching sun, I collapsed during the break, lying down completely drained. The Sword Saint stood over me, looking down as he made his remark. I wanted to retort, but the thought of wasting energy on pointless arguments held me back. After all, I had sought out the Sword Saint, not the other way around.

Besides, one of his former disciples, Jennifer, had left the mountain as soon as she’d learned enough swordsmanship to be practical in real combat. She had then gone straight to learning how to mix firearms with her techniques. From the Sword Saint’s perspective, firearms must seem like despicable tools.

“Hmm, but still,” he muttered, gazing at me intently. “Your perseverance isn’t too bad.”

Training had been a repetitive process, supported by the ability to turn back time. If my stamina fell short compared to the other two, the only thing I could do was figure out the most efficient way forward. I wasn’t about to slack off or cheat—such actions would certainly land me in the Sword Saint’s bad graces.

As I climbed the hill, I rewound time repeatedly to find the best places to step. I identified spots where my feet wouldn’t slip, where my hands could grab hold easily, where stones wouldn’t dislodge, and where I could minimize the strain on my thighs.

I carefully plotted my route step by step, conserving as much energy as possible while moving forward. Rewinding time didn’t require any physical exertion, after all.

“Hmm, no. Have you been here before or something?” the Sword Saint asked, his tone filled with genuine curiosity.

It was an understandable question. From his perspective, I seemed to move like someone who had already scouted the terrain in advance. Even to someone as disciplined as the Sword Saint, who had lived alone while constantly training, my movements must have seemed peculiar.

“You’re a strange one, that’s for sure,” he remarked. “At first, I thought you were just a talentless kid who happened to be lucky.”

The Sword Saint squatted a short distance from where I lay sprawled on the ground, staring down at my face with a thoughtful expression.

“How did you find your way to where I live?” he asked.

“……”

“At first, I thought one of my former disciples must have told you, but now I wonder if you found another way entirely. Well, I suppose I haven’t exactly taken extraordinary measures to hide myself.”

True to his nature, the Sword Saint seemed to see through me to some extent, just as he had during our earlier training sessions. Judging by the faint smirk tugging at his lips, I had undoubtedly succeeded in piquing his interest. To him, I must have appeared as an enigmatic figure suddenly emerging to disrupt his monotonous life.

“So, what are you, really?” he asked, his piercing gaze fixed on me.

“……”

I seriously pondered.

The image of the Sword Saint from before—who had told me to "come back again"—overlapped with his current expression. Well, the Sword Saint then and the Sword Saint now were not different people. The only difference was that he had met me at a slightly later point in time.

So, should I tell him this time?

The Sword Saint might believe me. He was an extraordinarily quick judge of situations. However…

"If you really want to repay me, seek me out at least once before you die. And when that time comes, I’ll try to figure out who you truly are. I’d rather you not tell me anything. A riddle isn’t fun when the one who sets it gives away too many hints."

That was what the Sword Saint had once told me.

For some people, discovering something like this might make them feel as if their entire life had been invalidated, as if everything they had done had been meaningless. And yet, the Sword Saint had spoken those words with amusement.

A riddle loses its fun when the one who sets it gives away too many hints.

And I was the Sword Saint’s disciple—one he had personally acknowledged. As his disciple, it wouldn’t be right to take away his enjoyment.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position, then looked straight at my "master."

"Are you curious about how I knew this place existed and how I was able to use such a training method?"

"Well, wouldn’t any person naturally be curious?"

However, despite his words, the Sword Saint wore a faintly knowing smile, as if he already expected that I wouldn’t tell him.

"It’s a secret."

I couldn’t just reveal the answer here.

The Sword Saint’s eyes widened briefly at my response.

And then—

"Kuhah…!"

He let out a short laugh, like someone savoring an exceptionally strong yet rare and exquisite drink.

"So that’s how it is?"

With a broad grin, he looked at me.

"You’re saying that if I want to know your secret, I should go with you to the capital? That I’ll understand once I watch from up close?"

"That’s not an incorrect guess."

I met his gaze steadily.

"There are many secrets in the capital—secrets that will be quite enjoyable to discover."

"And, of course, you have no intention of revealing all of them outright."

"Of course not."

The Sword Saint stared at me for a long moment, his lips still curved into that slightly menacing smile.

"Cheeky brat."

But at least this time, he didn’t smack my forehead.

*

"Pack your things."

The next morning, the Sword Saint made that declaration.

We were seated around a worn, small dining table, eating a meal made from rabbit-like game. And just like that, he announced it outright.

"Master?"

Leo, who had been diligently eating his meat, suddenly wore a blank expression. However, the Sword Saint didn’t seem inclined to change his decision even after seeing Leo’s reaction.

"Everyone, we’ll descend the mountain after today’s meal."

…Had I provoked him too much?

Did I come off as too arrogant and end up annoying the Sword Saint?

In the original story, he had a bold and carefree personality, so I thought an intriguing proposal would work better than a purely pragmatic deal. But perhaps that wasn’t the case.

I debated whether I should rewind time to before our conversation, but before I could make up my mind, the Sword Saint continued speaking.

"By the way, Sylvia."

"Yes?"

Without much interest, Frederick, the Sword Saint, shifted his gaze back to his plate and placed a piece of meat into his mouth before speaking again.

"In the capital, is there a house where I can stay?"

"……."

For a brief moment, I was at a loss for words, but I quickly snapped back to my senses. The pause was so short that unless it was Alice or the Sword Saint himself, no one would have noticed it.

…Unfortunately, two out of the three people sitting with me were exactly those two.

"Of course."

Just in case, I had set aside a guest room in the imperial palace. It wasn’t specifically reserved for the Sword Saint, but rather a precautionary measure in case I needed to bring someone to the palace.

Finding him a separate residence was something I could take my time with. For now, letting him stay in that room would be the best option. There likely wouldn’t be much opposition within the palace. In fact, the knights would probably be overjoyed. The Sword Saint himself wouldn’t be too pleased about it, but I decided not to bring that up for now.

"Then I’ll trust you on that."

With that, the Sword Saint resumed his meal.

Alice and Leo both turned to me, clearly expecting an explanation. But, like the Sword Saint, I simply focused on my food.

*

"…S-Sword Saint, sir?"

After completing its supply run, the supply ship followed standard procedure to assess its status before preparing to return to the capital. Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have had the chance to board it. If we had been even a day late, the ship would have already been en route to the capital. However, since the Sword Saint had made up his mind far more quickly than I had anticipated, we were able to secure passage on the returning vessel.

Leo was the eldest son of one of the Empire’s closest noble families, and the Sword Saint… well, he was the Sword Saint. So, it was no surprise that Jayden was utterly shocked upon seeing him.

Having rushed from the front lines upon hearing that his younger sister was returning to the capital, Jayden instantly recognized the elderly man in tattered clothing.

"So, you’re Jayden? I’ve heard about you from Sylvia a few times."

The Sword Saint stroked his chin as he spoke, but Jayden could only open and close his mouth wordlessly, unable to respond.

Realizing that he had to stay on the front lines and couldn’t afford to have a long conversation with the Sword Saint, Jayden’s expression soon turned to disappointment.

"Hmm… Since you’re my disciple’s older brother, I’d like to see your skills sometime."

Upon hearing that, Jayden whipped his head toward Alice and me.

"……."

For the record, I had already decided not to engage in conversation with Jayden. So, I simply averted my gaze.

Jayden slumped his shoulders again, looking even more dejected.

But honestly, that wasn’t my problem.

Chapter 139 : Rival

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 139

EP.139 Rival (1)

"The world has advanced quite a lot."

As we waited for departure, the Sword Saint looked at the airship and shared his thoughts.

"Back in my youth, I never would have imagined that humans would be flying through the sky like this."

Hadn’t people relied more on swords than guns during the Sword Saint’s younger days?

A few decades ago, swordsmen who could wield aura had been much more dominant. Firearms and cannons had existed back then, and guns had already used cartridge casings. However, since mass production was only beginning to take shape, bullets had been far more expensive. As a result, most armies had preferred single-shot firearms. That was also why they had insisted on including cumbersome mechanisms like 'magazine cutoffs' in their weapons.

Things had changed in modern warfare, where fighter jets soared through the skies, steam-powered tanks rolled across battlefields, and machine guns laid down suppressive fire. Thankfully, the northern warlords had yet to gain access to such cutting-edge weaponry.

"Even so, Sword Saint, your magnificent swordsmanship will never lose its brilliance."

"……."

The voice dripping with flattery came from beside us. It was Jayden. He had been eyeing me and Alice for a while now, clearly hoping for an introduction to the Sword Saint. But I had no intention of talking to Jayden, and Alice… Alice was still furious. She was likely fuming because I had called Jayden " big brother" before I ever called her "big sister."

I wanted to say it out loud, but I had no idea how Alice might explode if I did, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Instead, she had found Jayden as a convenient target to vent her frustration.

"I am Jayden Fangriffon, commander of the Griffon Knights."

"So, you're a prince as well."

The Sword Saint glanced briefly in my direction before speaking.

"Unintentionally, I ended up taking both of your younger sisters as my disciples."

At those words, Jayden’s mouth fell slightly open. His gaze toward me became unbearably intense, so I averted my eyes.

"I-Is that so?"

A flicker of expectation crossed Jayden’s face.

Since the Sword Saint had already accepted two of the Emperor’s children as disciples, he must have been wondering if he, too, might have a chance.

"Seeing how well you've grown, it must run in the family."

Then, the Sword Saint glanced at Alice and me once more. The way he looked at Alice and the way he looked at me were noticeably different. He had likely discerned something from my movements during training earlier. While he hadn’t seen Jayden’s skills firsthand yet… If he had already seen through my tricks, then he would naturally be curious about Jayden’s abilities as well.

For the Sword Saint, this was another clue to solving a puzzle.

It was just like him to approach things this way.

"Hmm."

The Sword Saint let out a thoughtful hum before speaking again.

"A knight order’s commander, huh?"

A sly smile crept onto his lips.

"I’d like to see for myself whether the Empire’s knightly swordsmanship has been maintained."

If this were a game, a massive exclamation mark would have popped up above Jayden’s head at that moment.

"It would be my utmost honor to welcome you anytime!"

…Hmm.

As I watched the two of them interact, one thought crossed my mind. Once I gathered all the information I needed, I was definitely resetting time to the beginning. If those two ended up getting along, it would be a much bigger headache than simply calling Jayden "big brother."

*

The airship, now emptied of its supplies, moved faster than when it had been laden with cargo. Though the difference in speed wasn’t dramatic, the fact that it didn’t have to stop along the way and wasn’t affected by road conditions—unlike steam automobiles or trains—meant that it reached the capital far more quickly. Well, considering that an average steam locomotive ran at about 100 km/h, an unburdened airship was naturally much faster in absolute terms.

There wasn’t any grand welcoming ceremony when I departed or when I arrived. Though I was a princess, arranging a formal reception every time I traveled would have been excessive, given how often I moved around. The same went for Alice, the so-called “only true-blooded” imperial princess.

However—

"…What is all that commotion?"

The Sword Saint asked as he peered out the window of the descending transport ship.

Outside, knights in crisp white uniforms stood in formation. There were about twenty of them, a mix of younger and older individuals. Though some appeared to be more seasoned, all were clearly younger than the Sword Saint. Beyond the knights, rows of soldiers in standard military uniforms were standing at attention.

"Is this because there are two princesses on board?"

"No."

Alice and I both shook our heads at the same time. Judging from Alice’s expression, she seemed to have an idea about what was going on—likely the same suspicion I had.

"…Jayden must have orchestrated this."

Even though the northern front and the capital were quite far apart, they were still connected by telephone lines.

With just a single message saying the Sword Saint was on his way, this kind of welcome would have been easy to arrange.

"Heh."

The Sword Saint let out an incredulous chuckle and turned to look at me.

"You see? This is exactly why I lived in seclusion in the mountains."

This didn’t seem like an official ceremony. More likely, it was something put together by the personnel stationed at the airbase and knights from the capital who had taken the liberty of gathering.

I suspected that many others had wanted to come but couldn’t.

As the airship drew closer to the ground, I could make out the faces of the gathered knights and soldiers more clearly. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just common soldiers standing there. Among them were quite a few officers in dark-colored uniforms that contrasted with the enlisted soldiers’ attire. And among those officers, I spotted a familiar face.

Jennifer.

She was wearing a military uniform that closely resembled my school uniform, standing tall as she looked up at us.

The expression on her face was easy to read—she was trying very hard to suppress her laughter. Seeing his excited disciple waiting to tease him, deep wrinkles formed on the Sword Saint’s forehead.

*

"The capital is as chaotic as ever."

"It has been about ten years since your last visit, hasn’t it?"

"It feels even more chaotic this time… thanks to you, Jennifer."

Jennifer, who had been in the capital for academy-related matters, rushed to join the welcoming ceremony as soon as she heard her master was arriving.

Even as she escorted the Sword Saint to his quarters, she continued to tease him.

"Who would have thought I’d see you in a place like this, Master?"

"……."

Whether he had no response to that remark or simply realized arguing would only make things worse, the Sword Saint remained silent.

"Where am I staying?"

Instead, he turned to me and asked.

"…The Imperial Palace."

At my answer, the Sword Saint’s expression became even more pronounced, so I quickly added,

"Only temporarily. We will arrange separate lodgings for you outside the palace soon."

"Oh, come now, Master. Where could be better than the Imperial Palace? After all, your achievements in the last war were—"

The Sword Saint’s hand shot out, but Jennifer effortlessly dodged to the side.

"So much for staying quiet and keeping a low profile."

The Sword Saint stared at his hand, now cutting through empty air, and let out a deep sigh.

…Should I apologize?

Then again, if we were to be honest, the biggest reason things had escalated like this was Jayden.

Sure, I had played a part, but ultimately, Jayden’s excitement in reporting to the capital had turned this into such a spectacle. If he had just kept his mouth shut, at least the Sword Saint wouldn’t be this irritated!

"Fine, then."

The Sword Saint suddenly spoke in an eerily calm voice.

"Since I’ll be staying near my disciples anyway, I’ll do my best to train you all to the fullest."

"……."

His voice and expression were far more composed than before—

—Yet, somehow, this was the angriest I had ever seen him. Was it just my imagination?

Beside me, Jennifer let out a small whistle.

"You guys are in trouble."

"……."

"When Master gets like this, he’s being completely serious. Sylvia, you should be grateful. This could be your chance to see your swordsmanship improve explosively."

…And my body would be left in tatters, as if caught in an explosion.

"Ah, well, I actually have some urgent business back in my territory—"

"What nonsense is that?"

Even I, who wasn’t particularly sensitive to these things, could sense something ominous. So, naturally, Leo—who had trained in swordsmanship for years—must have felt it even more intensely, as if his very life was in danger.

But, of course, the Sword Saint had no intention of letting him escape.

"How does it make sense for one disciple to skip training while the others undergo instruction? Wasn’t it your plan to spend the rest of the break honing your skills in seclusion? What happened to that?"

Then, with a gentle smile, the Sword Saint turned to Alice and me.

"There must be at least one more spare room in the Imperial Palace, right? It is the palace, after all."

"……."

…Yeah.

He was definitely serious about this.

Chapter 140 : Rival

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 140

EP.140 Rival (2)

Everyone has a plan—

Until they’re rolling on the ground, battered and bruised like a rag.

Throughout the training, I turned back time multiple times. The training ground was inside the Imperial Palace, a place I had used several times before and was quite familiar with. Unlike the mountainous terrain, the ground here was much more level, making it theoretically easier to move around. Theoretically. That theory didn’t account for the Sword Saint wielding a wooden sword.

Dodging each individual strike was manageable. Once I got hit, I could at least recognize the sword’s trajectory—similar to how Lucas used to swing his blade. Of course, the Sword Saint wasn’t swinging at full strength, just as Lucas hadn’t either.

But avoiding a few strikes was one thing—dodging endlessly, beyond the limits of my stamina, was impossible. No matter how well I distributed my energy or how efficiently I evaded, endlessly escaping the relentless swings of that wooden sword was simply out of reach for someone without Sword Saint-level skills.

I even tried blocking with my mock firearm, but that was a joke. The moment I attempted to defend, the Sword Saint would simply strike harder, making it painfully clear just how weak I was.

Still, not everything about this training was bad.

It had been a long time since Lucas had randomly swung a sword at me. I had begun to forget the sensation, but now, it was slowly returning. If Lucas were to seriously attack me now…

…Hmm, honestly, I still wasn’t confident. If he truly came at me intending to behead me in a single stroke, I wasn’t sure I could dodge in time.

But—

"You have no talent, no matter how I look at it."

The Sword Saint said, looking down at me. However, there was no dissatisfaction in his voice.

"But it seems you have no intention of giving up either."

I hadn’t stuck around out of some admirable determination—I had just considered how pathetic it would look to run away at this point.

Still, the Sword Saint seemed somewhat impressed by my persistence.

"I don’t dislike that kind of grit."

It sounded like a line straight out of a shounen manga. Considering the original game was made by a Japanese company, I supposed it wasn’t that strange.

"Alright! That’s enough for today!"

At those words, Alice and Leo let out long exhales. But at least they were still standing by the end. As for me… Well, lying on the ground seemed a bit much, so I was sitting in a chair instead.

Sitting up straight felt impossible, so I rested my elbows on my knees and leaned forward. Perhaps worried about my state, Alice and Leo quickly rushed over to me.

"Sylvia, are you okay?"

Not really.

The thought of enduring this for at least two more weeks filled me with regret.

Did I really need to find Lucas right now?

Couldn’t I just rewind time and erase this whole ordeal? Spend the next two weeks resting instead?

The thought tempted me—

But then, I accidentally lifted my head and met the Sword Saint’s gaze.

He was standing a little distance away, between Alice and Leo.

He was smiling.

I had no idea what he found so amusing. Was it a satisfied smile?

But seeing that expression somehow made me feel like rewinding time would be conceding defeat.

…Fine.

I’d hold off on using my power until these two weeks were over.

At the very least, I should properly take responsibility for what I committed to before deciding to undo it.

After all, with my ability to rewind time, the concept of "too late" didn’t really exist for me.

"I’m fine."

I answered.

But my eyes weren’t on Alice or Leo.

They were locked on the Sword Saint.

I saw his lips move—Hooh.

It was an expression I had seen a few times before, back when I had spent 300 days in meditation training.

If anything, the fact that I was seeing that look more frequently now meant my training hadn’t been entirely in vain.

*

…So, I had been thinking rather leisurely. Even if I used "older brother" or "older sister" in my speech, rewinding time would erase it. Hmm. Still, calling Alice “big sister” … I should probably pay her back for that someday. Maybe at the very end—when my entire persona has completely crumbled. That would be fitting.

I wasn’t thinking about searching for relic this time. Though it was somewhere in the capital, it wasn’t something I needed to clear a dungeon to find.

So… that meant—

There was no way that masked woman in the black robe, who was probably me, would suddenly appear.

—Or so I had thought.

"……"

"……You."

I spoke to the masked figure standing in the middle of the training ground in the Imperial Palace.

There was no reason to keep lights on in this area, especially not in the center of the training grounds. It wasn’t a space that needed illumination.

Unless someone scaled the outer walls and slipped in through the roof, there shouldn’t be any way to enter this place undetected. Even if someone did manage to descend through the open ceiling, the guards stationed in the corridors would inevitably catch them.

…Well, there should have been guards inside as well, but I had dismissed them myself. I wanted to familiarize myself with the training ground more thoroughly.

And in that brief window—

That masked woman had entered.

"How did you get in here?"

This wasn’t a coincidence.

If that person was me, she would remember what I had done and when I had done it. Even if she didn’t recall every single day, she would certainly remember the key moments—

The day I first arrived in the capital and met the Sword Saint.

…Or this very moment.

Maybe asking how she got in was the wrong question to begin with.

After all, this was someone who had been standing in the deepest part of that ruin as if it were her rightful place. Ordinary methods and procedures simply didn’t apply to her.

Besides, she had been able to block my power.

Whether it was because she existed in the same timeline as me, causing some sort of temporal interference, or because she was actively choosing to resist my ability—

A shiver ran down my spine as the realization sank in.

"……Why now?"

Yes. Why now, of all times?

If she could appear at any moment, there were plenty of other, more opportune moments. Unless…

Unless she was here to kill me.

But if she really was me, then wouldn’t it be wrong of her to act so mercilessly toward herself?

Even as I spoke, my voice filled with shock, the masked woman gave no reply.

Or rather, there was a response—just not a verbal one.

At the sound of my voice, she flinched.

But it wasn’t out of fear or tension. If she had been afraid of me, she wouldn’t have appeared in a situation where we were alone together.

No, that movement was more like—

It was the movement of someone holding back laughter.

Even though her shoulders were wrapped in that long robe, I could tell she was slightly hunched forward, trembling as if she were suppressing her amusement.

"……."

I tensed for a moment—then lunged forward.

And all too easily, I grabbed hold of the hem of her robe.

Even up close, she was still laughing. Now that I was near, I could hear the telltale sound of someone trying to stifle their laughter.

"You… just who the hell—!"

But before I could finish my sentence, she abruptly leaned in.

As if she was about to tell me something important, she spoke from behind her mask.

"Sylvia."

"……."

She didn’t seem like she was trying to attack or flee. Her voice, though tinged with amusement, lacked any trace of hostility.

But—

"■■, ■■■ ■■■ ■."

Her words didn’t come through properly.

It was like trying to hear someone speaking from deep underwater—muffled, distorted, blocked by something unseen.

"……What did you say?"

I instinctively asked, unable to comprehend what she had just said.

At that, her shoulders slumped.

For a brief moment, she looked… disappointed.

"……."

"……."

We simply stared at each other in silence.

Through the mask’s eye holes, her eyes glimmered. But I still couldn’t make out their color. The only light between us was the faint glow of the moon.

Slowly, I let go with one hand.

Then, I reached for her mask.

Even as I moved to remove it, she offered no resistance.

But—

"……Ah."

At that precise moment, she vanished.

As if she had never been there in the first place.

…Had someone taken her away?

"……No, more importantly."

The momentary trance I had been under faded, and my mind snapped back to reality.

Another shiver ran down my spine.

No way. No way. No way…

"Ah, no, that can’t be it."

I muttered to myself—trying to reassure myself.

There was no way that just encountering her had blocked my ability, right?

It wasn’t like we had even fought or anything.

I took a deep breath.

"Alright."

I steeled my resolve.

"Again!"

I shouted with determination—

—And immediately slammed into something hard, knocking myself unconscious.

When I woke up, I was back in the training ground.

It must have been the same time I had first arrived here—at least, the moon was still in the same position.

The masked woman was gone.

Lying sprawled out in the middle of the training ground, I blankly stared up at the sky and muttered—

"…I’m screwed."

Was that why she had been laughing?

…Whether she was my future self or not, I was definitely going to kill her.

Chapter 141 : Rival

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 141

EP.141 Rival (3)

Alice hadn’t really expected much.

Even when Sylvia called him “big brother”, she probably hadn’t meant it sincerely—she had just needed Jayden’s power. Alice didn’t know exactly how Sylvia acted before using her ability, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t imagine it.

Sylvia had never directly explained her ability. Alice had never asked her to, either. But remembering what her father had said back then, it wasn’t impossible to infer.

‘What if she could erase her mistakes as if they had never happened?’

Whenever she thought about it, Alice always arrived at the same conclusion—'Do whatever I want first, then take whatever I can from the results.’

But still, it felt unfair.

Didn’t it?

Alice wasn’t the person who had been by Sylvia’s side the longest… but she had been with her for quite a long time. It had taken time, but Alice had come to genuinely see Sylvia as a sister. Calling herself Sylvia’s “big sister” had been, in part, a matter of pride. And besides, hadn’t Sylvia been close only to Alice since childhood?

She had always maintained a cold demeanor toward her other siblings but never hesitated to help Alice.

“Big brother”, she says.

Yes. Honestly, it was a little unfair.

Even if that moment had been erased, Alice still remembered it.

So, Sylvia’s reaction that morning was quite a surprise to her.

“Sylvia?”

It was rare for Alice to have to wake Sylvia up in the morning. Normally, Sylvia woke up before Alice. She didn’t sleep less than others, but she seemed to prefer maintaining a strict routine.

When they were on deployment, Claire, who woke up even earlier, would usually be the one to wake Sylvia.

Alice envied Claire.

The difference in difficulty between saying the word “big sister” and hearing it was like the difference between the heavens and the earth. Calling someone “big sister” was something you could do on your own. But hearing it meant the other person had to accept it and use it on their own.

If Sylvia didn’t want to say it, then that was the end of it.

“……”

Anyway.

The fact that Sylvia had woken up later than Alice meant that something had happened to her.

Even if it wasn’t anything dangerous, it meant that, for some reason, she hadn’t been able to sleep early the night before. And it had to be something she couldn’t just erase with her ability. Or—perhaps she was preparing to go back to a point before she had said “big brother”, so minor inconveniences like oversleeping didn’t matter to her.

Whatever the reason, it was about time to get up. Their master was waiting, and from experience, Alice knew he didn’t particularly like lazy students. She wouldn’t be expelled or anything, but that day’s training could easily become several times more grueling.

Alice raised her hand and knocked on the door again.

“Sylvia?”

No response from inside.

“I’m coming in, okay?”

Even after giving her a warning, she still received no answer. So Alice decided to just open the door and step inside.

And there, inside the room—

She found Sylvia, already fully prepared to leave.

She was dressed in her academy uniform, the one she had been wearing almost every day since starting school. But she was sitting in a chair, staring blankly ahead.

That’s right—blankly.

To Alice, who could read Sylvia’s expressions better than most, it wasn’t exactly expressionless.

“Sylvia?”

Alice only got a response when she stepped closer and called Sylvia again.

Sylvia blinked slowly, as if coming back to reality.

"…Your Highness."

It wasn’t “sister”, nor her name, but Your Highness.

Alice could feel her temper flaring up again, creeping in like an itch under her skin. But she held it back. If Sylvia couldn’t even hide her emotions properly, then the situation had to be serious.

"Did something happen?"

"……."

Alice asked in a grave tone, but Sylvia only stared at her blankly for a moment before suddenly raising a hand and rubbing her face.

"Is it serious?"

"Well…."

Sylvia hesitated.

Seeing that hesitation, Alice’s heart sank once more.

*

‘I can’t go back to before I called you “big sister”.’

How could she possibly say that?

Especially to someone who was looking at her so seriously.

Given the image she usually tried to maintain, she shouldn’t be reacting like this at all. She was supposed to be cool and composed, effortlessly elegant.

Well… she had always known that facade would eventually crack.

But she hadn’t expected it to be in a situation completely outside of her control.

"…It’s nothing."

Sylvia let out a long breath and schooled her expression back into something more neutral. It was already morning. She had slept, but not well.

She had lost count of how many times she had woken up in a panic, haunted by dreams of Jayden grinning and saying, "Go on, say it again—call me “big brother”!" After the third time, it didn’t matter how exhausted she was. Sleep simply wasn’t an option anymore.

"Really?"

Alice still looked serious, but she didn’t press further.

She never did.

She had always given Sylvia space, never forcing her to speak when she didn’t want to.

…Except when it came to calling her “big sister”.

And now, Sylvia couldn’t even undo it anymore.

She barely resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands and roll around on the floor in frustration.

"Yes, really."

Sylvia straightened up and got to her feet.

"Let’s go to Master."

"Ah… yeah."

With as much dignity as she could muster, she strode confidently toward the door.

"Uh, Sylvia?"

Alice’s voice stopped her just as she stepped outside.

She turned her head.

And saw Alice pointing in the opposite direction.

"It’s this way."

"……."

With stiff, mechanical movements, Sylvia turned on her heel and walked past Alice in the correct direction.

Alice still looked serious, but—

‘Over my dead body will I ever admit it’s because I called you “big sister”.’

And she definitely wasn’t about to tell Alice that no matter how many times she had tried since last night, the checkpoint kept updating in real time—

Meaning that masked woman was still nearby.

Because if Alice knew, she would never let that opportunity go to waste.

*

"Big sis!"

As soon as they entered the training grounds, that word rang out loudly—almost as if it would become a trauma.

For some reason, Claire was waiting for them in the training ground.

...Maybe it was time to come up with a nickname for Claire?

If she gave her a flashy name, something like "the Flash" from a light novel filled with middle schooler clichés, maybe Claire would be embarrassed and stop calling her “big sis”?

But at this point, the risks were too high.

Knowing Claire’s cheerful personality... she might just end up giving her a nickname in return.

The thought of it sent chills down her spine again—chills that had already crept up yesterday.

"Claire."

Claire dashed up to them, smiling brightly.

"I got permission from my mother to train here after I found out Master was nearby."

"Though, the condition is that she still have to return home for her bride training in the evenings."

Leo, who had followed Claire, chimed in.

"Bride training?"

When Alice asked in confusion, Leo shrugged.

"Well, we’re from a baron’s family. If we were from a higher noble family, there’d be a line of suitors willing to marry Claire even if she wasn’t particularly feminine, but since we’re from a baron family, unless the other family is of equal status, they’re going to weigh our conditions."

Claire shot Leo a sidelong glance, clearly not agreeing with his formal tone, but she didn’t deny what he said.

"Well, we’ll all be adults someday."

"Tsk tsk."

At Claire’s words, Master Frederick, the Sword Saint, clicked his tongue.

"At that age, you don’t even have the self-awareness to know you’re an adult? When I was your age—"

At the Sword Saint’s words, the expressions of the three who were talking shifted subtly. If Alice hadn’t been managing her expression due to what happened yesterday, she probably would have had the same reaction.

Even though the Sword Saint said that, he stopped Leo from going to the front lines when war broke out.

"Ahem."

He had been about to launch into a lengthy speech but, seeing the expressions on their faces, he cleared his throat and said instead,

"Well, what can we do? Times have changed, so even an old man like me has to follow along."

After that, the Sword Saint looked around at them before saying,

"Now, let’s begin the morning training. We’ll have breakfast afterward. Understood?"

"Yes!"

Their energetic voices rang through the training ground.

Alice glanced toward the soldiers standing by the door.

They were all looking at them with a sense of envy.

...Well, guess just refraining from participating in the training, without saying a word, was praiseworthy on its own.

Chapter 142 : Rival

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 142

EP.142 Rival (4)

The masked woman had disappeared in front of me that day, but she was definitely still somewhere in this world. Even after that, whenever I tried to turn back time, I couldn't return to that moment.

And it was still the same now.

I could have tried again, but the risks were too high.

If I suddenly collapsed during training—especially without anyone seeing me fall and just being "suddenly" on the ground—wouldn’t that look suspicious?

Whether I could turn back time or not, it would probably be better to wait until after the training. I had been thinking that, but...

"Today seems especially tough for you."

It had only been a few days since the Sword Saint last saw me, yet he could already tell that something was different about my condition compared to yesterday. Well, given that he was a Sword Saint, it would be strange if he didn't notice.

And I hadn't been able to sleep well the night before, plagued by worries and nightmares. Though I woke up alert in the morning, my body didn’t lie. I was definitely more tired than I had been yesterday.

At least I was somewhat accustomed to the training grounds after repeatedly going back in time, so I was managing.

"Mm."

But that didn’t mean I hadn’t been trying my best.

I did my best in my own way.

It seemed that the Sword Saint appreciated my effort, as he wore a satisfied expression.

But that expression didn’t last long.

After the morning training, we all gathered in the training ground to eat.

That was when the training ground door suddenly swung open. If it hadn’t been the training ground door and had instead been someone’s personal door, it would have been appropriate to curse the person entering for their lack of manners.

And standing in the doorway was Jayden.

...Jayden?

As usual, his hair was neatly parted into a perfect 2:8 style, or it would have been, if not for the few strands of hair that had fallen out of place, as if he had rushed here. His shoulders were heaving with his rapid breathing, and his face was a little flushed from exertion.

When Jayden met our eyes, he quickly swept the stray hair back into place, readjusted his clothes, and straightened his posture. As his breath slowed to a more even rhythm while he walked toward us, I couldn’t help but think that indeed, the captain of the Knights was a man of discipline.

"What is it?"

The Sword Saint remained as dignified as ever, even in front of a prince. Honestly, I could easily imagine him acting the same way in front of the Emperor.

"I am Jayden, the captain of the Imperial Griffon Knights."

"I believe I heard that yesterday already?"

"Yes, but considering what I have to say now, I thought it would be better to formally introduce myself again."

The Sword Saint sighed heavily and then shot me a glance.

Well.

It was my fault for calling him over, but it was his fault for getting caught up in it. In any case, it wasn’t my fault.

...Wait a minute.

I can’t turn back time right now.

So how should I act when Lucas shows up? Wouldn’t I just die if I get hit by his sword?

Could it be that the masked woman had been laughing at me yesterday, imagining that I would die from a sword wound from Lucas?

This time, it wasn’t just a chill; it was a cold shiver that ran through me. It was a fleeting moment, but the bone-deep coldness swept over my body.

Fortunately, I didn’t let my expression give it away. Alice seemed to have noticed, though.

"I thought you had some matters to resolve there?"

That’s right. Jayden was the captain of the knights, and he was the type to be very straightforward and stubborn. That was why he often fought with Lucas.

So, it wasn’t impossible to imagine that Jayden had returned after disregarding the Emperor’s orders...

"I borrowed the air force to handle it."

"…..."

At those words, we all lost our ability to speak.

"Jayden."

I called out to Jayden.

But Jayden flinched, his shoulders trembling slightly, then glanced at me before quickly turning his gaze away.

It was as if he was refusing to answer me.

What’s with you now?

I resisted the urge to rub my face with my hand and instead looked over at Alice. She, in turn, turned her gaze away from me, as if sulking.

"Why don't you just do as you please?"

That was the look on her face.

...I had a feeling I knew what was going on.

It seemed Alice was furious because I had called Jayden "big brother,” and she had driven all night to find the Sword Saint’s hut. Even though I hadn't mentioned to Jayden that I was going to the Sword Saint, Alice had relentlessly tracked me down. Judging from her current attitude, it was obvious that this "big brother" thing was the root cause. It was probably Jayden's refusal to meet my gaze that indicated he wouldn't answer unless I called him "big brother."

I wanted to cradle my head in my hands... but I didn’t. I clenched my fists as hard as I could, trying to hold myself back.

Once I meet that masked woman, I won’t let her off easy.

If it’s in the future, I won’t kill her, but I’ll definitely slap her. For real.

"…I believe your forces are prohibited from sending any non-infantry support to the Autonomous State, is that not the case?"

"……"

But Jayden, childish as ever, refused to answer me.

I looked at Alice again.

It seemed like she wasn’t going to help me out.

At the sight of me, Alice, and Jayden, Leo had stiffened up again, while Claire, who hadn’t been privy to the situation, was looking flustered. And the Sword Saint...

—Was grinning.

No, if you start the conversation, at least take charge and finish it!

"……"

In the end, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and took a deep breath.

Well, whatever.

There was no place to retreat anymore.

The truth was, everything had been exposed to Leo because of Alice’s visit, and I had even called Alice "big sister" right in front of him.

Ah.

Thinking about it made me feel oddly at peace.

Once I got past the boiling point of frustration, I actually felt calm.

Maybe I had finally accepted that everything was my fault.

Was this what enlightenment felt like?

...Or maybe it was more like a "wise man’s time," but anyway.

"...big sis."

I said, looking at Alice.

I could hear Claire’s sharp intake of breath.

"Could you ask him for me instead? How exactly did he resolve the situation?"

"Ah..."

Alice, rather than looking satisfied, looked flustered.

And Jayden, too, had the same expression.

"Ah, uh, uh... Alright."

Alice nodded and turned to look at Jayden.

"How exactly did you manage to handle the situation? You couldn’t have brought in armored or air force equipment from across the border, could you?"

Alice's blunt question made Jayden furrow his brow.

"Isn’t it just a matter of us not crossing the line?"

And with that, Jayden dropped another bombshell.

"I don’t think the range of a fighter plane's machine guns would be enough to cross the border, would it?"

"Did I ever say I used a fighter plane?"

It was impressive, in a way, how they were arguing over such serious matters like siblings in a bitter quarrel. If it was a talent, it certainly was one.

"It's a monitor ship."

Ah.

Only after hearing that did I think I understood what they were talking about.

I knew that air force power had been stationed at Winterfield. That was part of the war preparations in the original work.

But rather than building expensive air battleships, the plan was to attach a single naval cannon to a cheap supply ship. No regard for defense whatsoever.

Supply ships didn’t have the advanced tech of battleships. They were much smaller in size compared to a battleship. Just attaching a single main gun from a two-barreled dreadnought would be burdensome enough.

But it was cheap. And the range was long.

...Right, the reason they were using supply ships instead of trains was because they needed to rush artillery shells. They were planning to decimate the enemy's forces across the border overnight.

"And then, in the morning, I rode behind a fighter and flew here. The monitor ship was just too slow."

"......"

Alice, placing her hand on her forehead, did what I wanted to do but couldn’t.

"What is Father thinking...?"

"He probably wants to show the whole world that the Empire is the greatest."

"......"

We were left speechless at Jayden's matter-of-fact declaration.

"....After seeing all that, do you still want to learn swordsmanship from me?"

"Of course!"

Jayden stood up straighter in response to the Sword Saint's question.

"No matter how advanced weapons become, in the end, it’s the infantry who occupy and defend the land! It’s the duty of the knights! Naturally, we should work to improve our personal skills as much as possible, right?"

"Huh..."

Seeing that admiration, I barely managed to hold back a sigh.

Chapter 143 : Rival

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 143

EP.143 Rival (5)

Even so, when I could properly use my abilities, I had confidence that I could resolve situations on my own.

No matter the circumstances, I had the power to reverse the situation, canceling everything and returning things to the most advantageous state for me. It was an incredible privilege. Honestly, I don’t think there are many characters in other games or comics who possess a power as valuable as mine.

The problem, however, was that I couldn’t use that ability right now.

The image I had carefully maintained with that power was now precariously hanging on by a thread, and more importantly, without my ability, I was utterly helpless in the face of the current situation.

Was the masked woman watching me from somewhere, still mocking me?

Thinking about it made my insides boil with frustration, but at least for now, she didn’t seem to have any intention of killing me. If her true identity was one of the people I suspected, it was unlikely that she would act... at least for now.

I still had to be cautious about the fact that she had tried to shoot Alice, though.

If I thought about it that way, the current situation could be seen as quite favorable for me. I couldn’t predict what would happen if the masked woman attacked, but at least if Lucas charged in, there were plenty of people who would step in to stop him. Each individual might not match his strength exactly, but if they attacked all at once, I didn’t think even Lucas would be able to win.

But that didn’t mean that this situation had no problems at all.

"…So."

Jayden was wearing a rare expression—one that was downright "angry."

"Are you saying that you spent the night with my sister?"

"Wh-what? No, that’s not..."

"How does that even make sense?"

Unable to stand it any longer, I stepped between Jayden and Leo, speaking up. Otherwise, it seemed like Jayden was about to swing a sword.

"You and that bastard in the same place—"

"Well, the Sword Saint was there too."

"Yeah. Even I wouldn’t interpret the situation like that."

Even the Sword Saint, who had been spouting off cheesy lines just moments ago, now had an expression that screamed disbelief as he turned to Jayden.

"But he definitely—"

"—Please stop emphasizing the word 'spent the night.' Are you deliberately bringing it up over and over again?"

I swallowed the word "brother" that was about to slip from my mouth.

"...Do you want to tarnish my honor like that?"

"You really didn’t need to cut the word short like that."

Seeing Jayden speak in such a disappointed tone, I couldn’t hold back and pressed my hand to my forehead.

"…I will clarify this."

I tried to speak as calmly as I could.

"Leo and I study at the same academy, in the same class, and we are both from the same student council. And I have a close relationship with his sister Claire, so naturally, Leo and I are friendly as well. Even after this year ends, we will still be seeing each other for three more years, so our relationship may grow even deeper."

"Exactly!"

No, please, don’t get angry over that. It’s not like he’s an elementary school student who’s teasing a girl for holding hands during a school trip's folk dance.

"Just because a man and a woman are together doesn’t mean they have to be in a romantic relationship. Do you want to be the subject of rumors just because you talked to another noblewoman at the ball?"

"……"

Jayden didn’t answer.

Ah, wait.

Was he unpopular with women?

While Lucas was a character who was popular with women but didn’t show much interest in them, Jayden seemed to be the type who was interested in women, but for some reason, he wasn’t as popular with them. He was definitely described as handsome, but for some strange reason, women didn’t seem to like him much...

No, it wasn’t that strange. There was a character setting where, every time he spoke, Jayden would boast about the sword he had received from a military arsenal or how he performed on some battlefield. In other words, he was the type of person who talked about military stories in front of women.

…Wasn’t it also part of his character that he had never danced properly with a woman at a ball?

"Unless it's a strict, abstinent girls' school, it's natural for a woman to have casual conversations with a man. There's no need to interfere with every little thing."

I turned my head to look at Leo. He seemed a bit moved by what I said. After all, if the son of a baron was scolded by a prince, he would probably be terrified. It was only natural that he would be grateful for the princess stopping it.

"Has our conversation ever progressed beyond the ordinary and into mutual romantic feelings?"

"No, of course not!"

"Even at the Sword Saint’s cabin?"

"That’s correct!"

Leo’s response was emphatic, and Claire nodded vigorously in agreement. Jayden looked at the two of them for a moment, then turned his gaze back to me.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, that's how it is."

I nearly muttered, ‘You fool,’ but managed to hold it in.

If I had been in a situation where I could use my time-rewind ability, I might have said it without hesitation. But since I didn’t have that ability right now, this mess was, in part, my fault.

Jayden slowly lowered the hand that had been resting on the hilt of his sword. He let it hang dejectedly.

Hmm, I didn’t feel sorry for him at all.

"And most importantly..."

To drive the point home, Alice, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.

"It’s none of your business who Sylvia marries. Would you react the same way if she brought a man she liked?"

"Of course—"

Jayden began to speak but then stopped when his gaze met mine.

I was confident that my expression was entirely neutral. Though, of course, "neutral" could be interpreted differently depending on the observer and the situation.

…At least it was fortunate that Jayden still didn’t fully understand my true intentions.

*

And then, as if the situation wasn’t already chaotic enough, the final blow came. Why were all these important people gathering here? It felt like some kind of convention event.

"Well, well."

Leo and Claire were naturally horrified at the voice they heard. Even if they didn’t recognize that thick and deep voice, there weren’t many people in the Empire who wouldn’t know the face of the Emperor.

"I apologize for not coming to greet you immediately when such an esteemed guest has arrived."

The Emperor, addressing the Sword Saint, who looked nearly twenty years older than him, spoke in a way that only someone like him could.

As the Emperor’s gaze briefly shifted toward me while entering the training grounds, I could tell by the amused smile on his lips that he was certain I was up to something.

And, well, he was right.

"Oh."

The Sword Saint also smiled at the Emperor. The fact that he didn’t bow his head even once showed that he wasn’t easily intimidated. His personality, one that didn’t bend to authority, was something that had been mentioned in the original story, so it wasn’t surprising.

And then—

Bang!

The Emperor immediately drew his sword from his waist and charged at the Sword Saint. When the swords collided, there was a sound like an explosion.

Even though neither sword released any sword energy, the sheer force of their swings created a gust of wind around them. It wasn’t the kind of violence that could blow things away, but it was enough to send their hair and clothing fluttering.

"......"

Silence.

Both the Emperor and the Sword Saint were smiling at each other. The way they smiled was enough to make one question whether it could even be called a smile, but more importantly, it didn’t seem like they hated each other that much.

“You’re still in good health, old man.”

“And you, haven’t you always just sat in a chair?”

...Hmm?

Before I could even question their conversation, both of them sheathed their swords and returned them to their scabbards.

Then, they both extended their hands and shook hands firmly.

What?

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one wondering that. Alice, Leo, Claire, and even Jayden were all staring at the two of them, wide-eyed, clearly surprised.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d see this again.”

The Emperor spoke in a friendly tone, one I’d never heard from him before.

“I didn’t expect to come down to such a bustling place either.”

The Sword Saint answered casually, as if it were nothing.

...Wait, do they know each other?

Well, I kind of expected that they might know each other. But I never thought they’d have a friendly relationship. I figured it would be more like the relationship between famous figures and a president—just knowing each other’s existence. But this? This seemed different.

“In that case, you should thank your daughter. After all, I was lured down here by that girl.”

Eh.

When the Sword Saint said that, everyone in the training ground turned to look at me all at once.

Oh… um...

Well, that’s kind of what happened...

I only intended to bring the Sword Saint with me. I just wanted to pull some aggro from Lucas and have a conversation or something.

But how did things end up like this?

I never intended to have some rival reunion or anything.

And now everyone who was looking at me had expressions like, ‘Oh, she’s up to something big.’

......

Even if the Masked Woman was the future version of me or someone close to me, it wouldn’t matter.

The next time I meet her, I’ll make sure to hit her and make her cry.

Chapter 144 : Ambush (1)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 144

EP.144 Ambush (1)

The game’s setting book contained a lot of information, but that didn’t mean it had entire history books or character biographies written in full detail. In particular, some crucial background details were deliberately left out. That was only natural—it was to avoid spoilers.

Still, wouldn’t it have been better to include at least some of the past between the Emperor and the Sword Saint? In the original story, the Sword Saint died in his secluded hut, never meeting the Emperor again, so there was no reason for them to have any dialogue about each other.

Neither of them were characters who appeared throughout the entire game, either. The Sword Saint was a mentor figure who guided the protagonist before making his exit, while the Emperor was the final boss.

Especially the Sword Saint—if the player didn’t complete a hidden quest, they wouldn’t even meet him in the first installment of the game.

“Good. I wasn’t in the mood for more training today anyway.”

The Sword Saint said that to the Emperor before throwing a sharp glance at Jayden. Jayden flinched.

Then, the Sword Saint shifted his gaze again—this time, toward me.

“......”

I slightly lowered my head.

It was understandable. He had followed me here after witnessing my unusual talent, yet upon arriving at the imperial palace, all he saw was a ‘completely ordinary, untalented human.’ It would be disappointing.

Though his expression didn’t reveal much, the Sword Saint was perfectly capable of hiding his thoughts.

“It’s been a while. Let’s catch up over drinks.”

“Can an old man handle day drinking?”

“And you? Haven’t you spent all your time in the palace playing politics? You probably haven’t even been able to get drunk in public—at least your liver must be in pristine condition.”

The Sword Saint didn’t back down in the verbal exchange, responding with a smirk before turning to face us.

“We’ll continue training tomorrow. Don’t slack off just because I’m not here. It’s always obvious when you do.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jayden responded energetically, as if he was eager to make up for his earlier disgrace.

“Oh, right. Jayden.”

The Emperor suddenly spoke, as if he had just remembered something.

“I want to hear your report. Come to the audience chamber as soon as you’re ready. We’ll both be there.”

After saying that, the Emperor glanced at me once before turning away.

“Understood!”

Jayden answered firmly, then turned to me.

“Well then, Sylvia, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I, of course, did not reply.

*

Both Alice and Claire seemed to notice that something was off with me today. Alice had sensed it the moment she visited my room in the morning, and Claire had picked up on it during our training. Leo, too, had noticed.

All three of them asked, in their own ways, if I was okay.

“I’m fine. I just… want to rest a little.”

Since I couldn’t explain the situation in detail, I simply answered like that before heading to my room.

I was exhausted.

I knew this was all my doing. And, as I had thought earlier, I needed to stay close to the Sword Saint or the Emperor no matter what if I wanted to ensure my safety.

But at this point, everything just felt tedious.

I just… wanted to sleep.

I had barely slept due to constant anxiety, plagued by nightmares, unable to properly meditate—my mind was a tangled mess.

Ignoring everyone’s concern, I fled to my room, collapsed onto the bed without even changing my clothes.

Lucas… Ah, right. It’s dangerous to be alone…

That was probably the last thought I had.

But it wasn't my body that I needed to worry about.

*

"Sylvia!"

The sound of the door bursting open was immediately followed by two overlapping voices.

When I barely managed to open my eyes, I saw Claire and Alice staring at me with worried expressions.

"Are you hurt anywhere!?"

Claire asked urgently.

"No, there's no sign that anyone's been here. Everything is just as it was the last time I saw it."

Alice looked around my room before speaking, and only then did Claire let out a breath of relief.

I blinked several times, and my vision slowly cleared. At the doorway, Leo stood with his back to us, gripping his sword tightly. Judging by his stance, he had been standing guard while Alice and Claire rushed in.

"What…?"

"An attack."

Alice answered before I could even finish my question.

"An attack?"

"Lucas, right?"

Claire asked, and Alice nodded.

"Yes. Lucas. The one who had disappeared for a while."

The moment I heard that name, my mind snapped into focus.

I quickly sat up.

"Who was the target?"

The Sword Saint? The Emperor? At the very least, I hadn't been attacked, considering that I was still unharmed when Alice and Claire arrived.

“The interrogation facility."

But Alice’s answer was completely different from what I had expected.

Not the Sword Saint. Not the Emperor.

The interrogation facility.

Who was there that—

Ah.

"That's right."

Seeing the realization dawn on my face, Alice nodded.

"Chiara Verratti is still imprisoned there."

The Templar Knight we captured at the Northwood estate.

"But why would Lucas…?"

"I don’t know either."

Alice bit her lip slightly.

"…I have to go."

I immediately moved toward the corner of the room where I had left my gun, but Alice grabbed my arm.

"Wait, Sylvia."

Our eyes met as I turned toward her. She hesitated briefly before speaking.

"Your condition…"

At her words, Claire also glanced at me uncertainly. Including Leo, all three of them had seen how awful my state had been today.

But…

If Lucas had deliberately gone after the 'Papal State's prisoner,' then I had to know why. There could be something much bigger at play than what I had anticipated.

Not to mention, the masked woman who was still lurking somewhere around me.

I was still missing several pieces of the puzzle, but those missing pieces were slowly falling into place, forming a clearer picture in my mind.

"I have to go."

I put more strength into my voice this time. Alice stared at me for a moment before finally nodding.

"Then we're going with you."

To be honest, I wanted to go alone. But even if I said that, these three would never let me go on my own.

And since I didn’t have the ability to turn back time, I wouldn't be able to get past them.

"……."

More importantly, without such an ability, I wouldn't be able to protect all three of them.

But—

"……Fine. But under no circumstances should you push yourselves too hard."

"Look who's talking."

Alice replied, exasperation clear in her voice.

Everything had gone off course because of me.

I had to see the situation with my own eyes.

And… I had some faith in something, too.

There were two people in this imperial palace who would never turn a blind eye to Lucas’s presence.

*

"…Why the hell are you doing this?"

"There are plenty of reasons."

Faced with the red-haired man standing before her, Verratti retreated as far back as possible. Her back pressed against the wall.

As an esteemed knight of the Papal State, she knew that acting like this was disgraceful. But she had a mission that far outweighed her pride.

At the very least, she couldn't afford to die.

"I don't even know where to start."

Lucas swung his sword with a flick of his wrist. The blood clinging to the blade splattered onto the ground, leaving the blade pristine once more. As if he couldn't tolerate it being tainted in the slightest.

Verratti, staring at the now-spotless blade, let her mouth fall open in shock.

"…Jericho’s sword."

"Oh? So you recognize it? As expected of a Knights Templar."

Lucas held the sword upright, as if proudly displaying it.

It was an exquisitely sharp blade, capable of cutting through anything, yet its edge never seemed to dull. It wasn’t quite a "relic," but it was still a treasured artifact, crafted using ancient, lost magic.

"…Antonio?"

"What do you think happened to him?"

Lucas countered Verratti’s question the moment she spoke the sword’s original owner’s name.

"He wasn’t exactly skilled enough to deserve owning this sword."

Verratti clenched her teeth with a grinding noise.

"Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations when I headed to the Papal State. I was just curious about my little sister, the one who can read the future. Thought maybe I’d find a hint about her if I went there, so I went on a whim."

Lucas shrugged nonchalantly.

"Turned out there were a lot more clues than I expected. Though, it seems like you lot never even considered them."

"What… do you mean?"

Verratti asked cautiously, and Lucas simply stared at her.

Under that gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine.

She was going to die.

The man standing before her had no intention of letting her live.

"You're the one who should be answering my questions."

Lucas’s voice was slow, deliberate. As if he wanted her to hear every word clearly.

"I asked a few cardinals about you. Turns out, your capture here was at least partially intentional."

"……."

"If you could recover a relic from the ruins, that’s good. But if you ended up captured, you'd use the opportunity to search for a relic within the palace instead. You even had multiple magic circles inscribed on your body, didn’t you?"

"How… do you know that?"

"Told you. I asked around."

Lucas kept his smile intact as he spoke.

"It's a good thing the Papal State is such a secretive place, don't you think? Otherwise, the reputation of the Knights Templar would’ve taken quite the hit. And not just locally—globally."

He stepped closer to Verratti.

With her back already against the wall, she had nowhere left to retreat.

"I was planning to ask you the same thing. How about it?"

"I…"

Verratti started to speak but shut her mouth.

If even those cardinals had talked under interrogation, then whatever means had been used… it had to be far from the 'gentle' methods the Empire had shown her so far.

Which meant…

"Well, if you're not in the mood to talk—"

Lucas took another step forward—

"—Oh?"

He quickly ducked.

A blade sliced through the air where his head had been just moments ago. The sharp energy of the swing carried forward, gouging a long, deep cut into the ceiling just above Verratti’s head.

Small fragments of stone crumbled and rained down.

Lucas leaped backward, widening the distance between himself and the newcomer.

Then, turning to face them—

"Oh?"

A small, intrigued exclamation escaped his lips.

Standing there was a woman clad in a black robe, her face obscured by a plain white mask with only two hollow holes for eyes.

Chapter 145 : Ambush (2)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 145

EP.145 Ambush (2)

The interrogation facility was quite a distance from where we were staying. That was only natural. No matter how ‘courteously’ an important prisoner needed to be treated, an enemy was still an enemy. There was always the possibility of an escape attempt—perhaps even an assassination of a key imperial figure within the palace. The facility itself was no different from a standard room, but its purpose was effectively that of a prison.

At the very top of a towering structure within the Imperial Fortress stood the interrogation chamber.

Naturally, the area was heavily guarded—

"This is…"

Even before reaching the tower, Claire and Alice came to a halt, visibly shaken. The scene before us was utterly disastrous.

Knights, who were supposed to be among the best the Imperial Fortress had to offer, lay scattered about, some seemingly lifeless. The barren ground was marred with crimson blood and scorched black marks.

It wasn’t just knights who had fought back. The soldiers had resisted, too. The ground was littered with debris—shattered weapons, severed firearms, and even unused grenades rolling about.

The wailing sirens pierced through my ears.

Beyond the fallen soldiers, reinforcements were pouring in. The sound of hurried footsteps overlapped with shouted orders from all directions.

Cannons surrounded the tower, but none had dared to fire.

"Your Highness…!"

A knight ran towards us.

"What is happening inside?"

Having rushed here without proper information, I immediately questioned him.

"Sir Lucas has initiated a rebellion."

The knight stood at attention and delivered his report in a rigid tone.

"Inside the tower?"

"Yes. It appears he is after the Papal State's prisoner. And…"

The knight hesitated for a moment, glancing at Alice and me before continuing.

"His Majesty the Emperor and the Sword Saint are inside as well."

"…Father went in himself…?"

"Forgive us!"

Alice murmured, her expression complicated, and the knight raised his voice in desperation.

"We should have stopped him…!"

"No."

I responded immediately. There wouldn’t have been time to stop him anyway. Lucas must have slipped past them like a gust of wind before anyone could react.

And the reason the Emperor was inside that tower…

It wasn’t simply to stop Lucas.

He was enjoying this.

I gritted my teeth and loaded my gun.

"Your Highness, wait—!"

The knight called out, trying to stop me, but I was already running.

Inside the tower, an impressive number of knights were stationed.

The Griffon Knights, the direct knights of the Imperial Family—reputed as the strongest in the Empire—filled the spiraling staircase leading upward.

Even knowing that Lucas was supposed to be capable of cutting through all of them, I couldn’t help but question if that was physically possible.

And then—

"Wait, Sylvia."

Just as I placed my foot on the first step, Alice grabbed my arm.

She wasn’t just trying to dissuade me—she was holding on tight, as if she had no intention of letting me go.

"It’s too dangerous."

I was grateful that her first instinct was to warn me, rather than to question what I knew. But—

"You, of all people, know exactly what Lucas is like."

"And Your Highness knows better than anyone that I am the one who has suffered the most from that sword."

For a brief moment, a wounded expression flashed across Alice’s face at my words. But she didn’t loosen her grip on my arm.

"…There’s something I need to hear from Lucas."

"Is it really that important? More than your life?"

Of course, it wasn’t more important than my life.

But I had something I believed in.

No matter how skilled Lucas was, there was no way he could come out unscathed while fighting both the Emperor and the Sword Saint at the same time. In the original story, it was said that by this point, he had already surpassed the Sword Saint’s abilities. But that didn’t mean he had an overwhelming advantage.

During his duel with the Sword Saint, Lucas was cut across the chest. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but it was deep enough to leave a scar.

And now, with the Emperor—whose prime had not yet passed—also present, Lucas had no chance of winning.

Besides, the Emperor would never let Lucas survive this fight.

If I wanted to hear what he had to say, this could be my last opportunity.

"I have to hear it, no matter what."

I fixed my gaze on Alice, strengthening my resolve.

I needed to know what I truly was. How I ended up here.

Lucas was the only person who could provide even the bare minimum of an answer. At least, the only one I could think of right now.

"So, will you let me go?"

"……"

Alice remained silent for a moment. Then, she let go of my arm.

Watching her hand fall limply to her side made me feel a twinge of guilt. But I met her gaze firmly and spoke.

"I won’t get seriously hurt. Please wait here, Your Highness. Claire, Leo, you too."

All three of them looked at me with disbelief, clearly unconvinced. But I turned to the knight standing beside me and said,

"Make sure they don’t follow me up."

"B-But Her Highness—"

"Do I look like I’m going up there to die?"

"……"

At my words, the knight fell silent.

After all, I was the one who had single-handedly wiped out an entire army on the battlefield. He couldn’t dismiss my claim so easily.

"Sylvia!"

I heard someone call out behind me.

But without looking back, I turned and ascended the stairs.

However, things didn’t go as I expected.

The Emperor and the Sword Saint—undoubtedly the strongest swordsmen in this world—had not fallen to Lucas. That much wasn’t surprising.

But—

"Oh? My little sister finally decided to show up."

The moment I stepped through the doors, the scent of blood hit me.

I was almost impressed with myself for not flinching.

"Kugh…!"

"I was just starting to miss you, you know. Turns out, you’re the only one who can perfectly evade my swordsmanship."

There was a sickening crack.

"Ugh…!"

A gritted-teeth groan of pain.

Verratti let out a pained cry as Lucas's sword pierced her. The wound seemed to be across her abdomen, though it didn’t appear fatal—at least, her insides weren’t spilling out.

When the blade lodged in her thigh was pulled out, a few drops of blood splattered onto the floor.

The interrogation chamber was already a disaster. The furniture that should have been present was shattered beyond recognition, and blood was splattered across the walls.

And it wasn’t just Verratti’s blood.

"I must say, I’m quite proud to see my son has grown this much."

The Emperor addressed Lucas with those words, but Lucas simply let out a scoffing laugh. A thin trail of blood dripped down his forehead—evidence that even the Emperor had been wounded by him.

...The Emperor, injured by Lucas.

"Well, to be honest, it’s mostly thanks to the equipment."

Lucas spoke nonchalantly.

"…You’ve been to the Papal State."

"That’s right. You figured it out immediately, huh?"

In Lucas’s hand was a sword once wielded by a Papal State knight—an ancient relic from an era when humans relied more on magic than physical laws.

His outfit was also different. He was wearing a priest’s robe, and slung over his shoulder was a small travel bag, secured tightly against his body so it wouldn’t interfere with his movements. The setup resembled the streamlined gear of a modern soldier.

Lucas hadn’t converted to their faith. It was far more likely that he had simply taken what he found useful.

Holy robes tended to look similar, so it was hard to determine their exact abilities. Stamina enhancement? Healing? Defense? …Regardless, just wearing one would offer a significant advantage.

"Sylvia, he’s not someone you can handle."

The Sword Saint, who appeared to be in even worse shape than the Emperor, warned me.

"……"

Of course, I didn’t listen. Even if I tried to run, Lucas would just chase me down.

I had miscalculated.

If Lucas had come this far, then I should have assumed he was fully prepared.

"Normally, I wouldn’t rely on gear like this to overwhelm my opponent."

Lucas flicked his sword, sending a spray of blood flying off with just a single motion. The blade, once stained red, was now perfectly clean.

"But since I’m dealing with ‘you,’ I figured I’d need some extra preparations. And besides—"

Lucas suddenly turned his gaze to the corner of the room, grinning.

"—there’s an intruder here as well."

Following his gaze, I turned my head—and froze.

There, leaning against the wall, was the masked woman, her body slashed deeply by a sword. She hadn’t collapsed yet, but her breaths were shallow and ragged.

How…?

"Curious?"

Lucas's voice snapped me back.

"Too bad. I’m not telling you."

And in the next instant, his face was right in front of me.

"Tch…!"

The only reason I managed to raise my gun in time was because my body reacted instinctively, trained through endless repetition.

But luck only lasts once.

Lucas’s sword swung—and in one clean motion, my gun was sliced in half.

"Ah—"

"……"

Staring at my weapon, now reduced to a useless, broken piece of metal, I faltered.

Lucas, who had been smirking just moments ago, let his expression fall into complete blankness.

And that face—was utterly terrifying.

"That’s what I mean. People who rely on tricks."

Lucas let out a sigh, his voice heavy with condescension.

"Once their little gimmicks fail, they can’t do a thing."

It was as if he were delivering a death sentence.

Chapter 146 : Ambush (3)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 146

EP.146 Ambush (3)

However, Lucas did not immediately strike at my neck.

A sword energy sliced through the air from both sides, colliding exactly where Lucas had been standing a moment ago.

Had someone been caught in between, they would have been torn to shreds—this was a sword energy filled with true intent to kill.

It was completely different from the controlled strikes I had seen in Claire’s duels.

“Tch...!”

Lucas retreated with a sharp click of his tongue, his posture dipping slightly.

That—

“That’s right.”

Noticing my gaze, the Emperor spoke.

“There was a reason he needed to bring such equipment.”

Lucas had been wounded.

It meant he couldn’t exert his full strength.

Had he been injured while acquiring that priest’s robe and sword?

If he had taken on an entire order of knights by himself, it made sense. He could have defeated them all, but it would have been impossible to avoid every single attack. And among those, there must have been wounds that couldn’t be healed by simple healing magic.

“Heh. You really think that’s all there is to it?”

Lucas smirked, and the masked woman flinched.

“Believe it or not, I know more than His Majesty over there. Word is already spreading about your true identity in the Papal State."

“…...”

He could be right about that. I mean, with the Verratti case, they probably would have figured it out eventually.

I slowly pushed myself up, adjusting my stance.

No matter what, I couldn’t just stay sitting on the floor like this.

“Shall we begin?”

Lucas grinned at me.

“Aren’t you curious? Why you’re like this right now? Normally, you would have dodged my sword with ease.”

“…...”

“Well, at the very least, one of the Papal State’s burning questions has been answered.”

Lucas had seemingly arrived at some truth—something far more significant than the fact that the Emperor’s blood ran through his veins.

“What are you talking abou—”

Before I could finish…

Bang!

The door burst open as if it had exploded.

At the same time, Alice, Claire, and Leo rushed in. Behind them, knights flooded into the room, filling the space.

“I believe I ordered this room to be sealed off.”

The Emperor’s voice carried a sharp edge, making the knights flinch.

“I insisted on entering.”

Alice stepped forward to my left as she spoke.

“And you truly think you will be of help? Do you really?”

The Emperor reprimanded her sternly, but Alice merely glanced at me.

“Alice.”

“Lucas.”

Lucas greeted her by name, and Alice responded in kind. At a glance, it seemed like a casual exchange, but her eyes were anything but friendly.

“And you must be the brats from the Baron Grace family. No matter how many of you there are, it won’t make a difference. If anything, you’ll just be in the way. You won’t even be able to use your sword energy freely.”

At Lucas’s words, Leo and Claire visibly paled, but the Sword Saint responded instead.

"No matter how madly a person swings their sword, they will eventually succumb to the power of the masses."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Lucas smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth.

"Then let's do it. I’ve already confirmed what I wanted to know anyway."

The moment he spoke, Lucas charged straight toward us.

At the same time, every knight in the room lunged at him—

Whoosh!

For an instant, my vision turned red.

Several knights who had rushed ahead of me collapsed.

There was no time to check if their injuries were fatal.

My body was already moving.

As if replaying the motions I had practiced over and over, my hand reached under my arm, drawing my automatic pistol.

Bang! Bang!

Two shots in quick succession.

I was sure my aim was dead-on.

But then, I saw it—

Lucas’s eyes shifting toward my gun before I even pulled the trigger.

He had already begun moving before I fired.

A monster.

That was the first thought that flashed through my mind.

His usual laid-back demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

The expression he wore now was filled with pure killing intent, as if he genuinely intended to end my life.

Yet, at the same time, his grin—like he was enjoying this—felt disturbingly out of place.

Lucas twisted his body mid-dodge and sent out a slash of sword energy.

Two more knights fell.

"Tsk…!"

The masked woman let out a sharp breath, her body forced backward.

She had blocked most of the attack, but a thin cut had opened on both of her arms.

Clang!

Before I could even process that, another clash of swords rang out.

The Emperor’s blade had met Lucas’s.

Lucas’s sword had partially sunk into the edge of the Emperor’s weapon.

"Sword energy? As expected, you really are impressive, Father…!"

Did that mean the Emperor had coated his blade in sword energy to prevent it from being cleaved in half?

"Oh dear…!"

Lucas dodged a slash from the side with effortless ease.

"Old man, if you keep worrying about those around you, you’re going to die."

His mouth never stopped moving.

With a sharp twist of his wrist, Lucas wrenched his sword free.

Clang!

A clear ringing sound echoed as the tip of the Emperor’s blade cracked, Lucas’s sword slipping through the widened gap.

"Hmm…!"

The Emperor immediately countered, swinging his blade down to slice through the approaching sword energy.

"Kugh…!"

But the sheer force of the attack was enough to cut down those around him as well.

Bang! Bang!

Two more shots.

But I had turned my gun too hastily—

The bullets only grazed Lucas's shoulder.

His robe tore slightly, the fabric darkening with blood.

Yet, Lucas didn't even flinch. His gaze remained locked onto me.

I clenched my teeth and pulled the trigger again—

Ting!

A crisp, metallic sound rang out.

For a moment, I couldn't understand what had just happened.

Had I seen sparks fly from Lucas’s sword at the same time?

Beside me, Alice inhaled sharply.

"What do you think? Looks like magic, doesn't it?"

Did… did he just deflect the bullets with his sword?

"Amazing. Just seeing that expression on your face made coming here worth it!"

Lucas, still grinning, swung his sword.

A wave of sword energy came rushing toward me.

I couldn't dodge it.

That was my only thought in that split second.

"No!"

…Golden hair, belonging to the sister I could never defeat without cheating, filled my vision.

Slash!

Blood splattered.

Huh…?

The person who had shielded me collapsed.

My ordinary eyesight, which was barely better than a regular person’s, made it feel like everything was happening in slow motion.

"Alice!"

A scream tore through the air.

The masked woman lunged at Lucas.

Lucas swung his sword again—

Two careless, almost lazy slashes.

More screams. More blood.

Heat flared in my abdomen.

When I looked down, I saw red.

My vision began tilting, shifting sideways and downward…

But my mind wasn’t focused on my own condition.

Alice.

Alice, lying on the floor, bleeding, writhing in pain.

Her eyes met mine, filled with despair.

Even though she was far more gravely wounded than I was, she was looking at me with a pained expression.

Claire’s furious shout. Leo’s battle cry.

In my fading vision, I saw them rushing forward—

Lucas’s sword cutting through the air toward them.

No.

I couldn’t let them die.

Not because of me.

"Again!"

That word erupted from my lips like a scream.

*

Thud.

The familiar sensation, one I had experienced countless times before.

My head throbbed as if I had collided with something hard, and my breath escaped me.

The ringing in my ears slowly faded, and the dazzling stars in my vision began to return to focus. What I saw now was the back of a girl with blue hair running ahead.

"Again!"

*

Thud.

It felt like I was smashing my body against a rock. Strangely, my mind felt a little clearer after that. I've never been able to use my ability properly whenever I encountered that masked woman.

But was that really the case?

Was my ability just blocked?

Think. Think it through.

Ahead of me, the girl was still running. Two princesses were bleeding.

"Again!"

*

Thud.

Crack.

In that instant, I felt space itself.

It was like I had fallen into the center of a kaleidoscope. Light passed through a prism, breaking into a rainbow of colors, making the world seem completely incomprehensible.

Yet, amidst such a surreal world, there was one thing I understood.

I had seen this world before.

By forcefully colliding with it.

Breaking through space, I had definitely turned back time in that moment.

I had turned it back to just before my fight with the masked woman.

If it weren’t for that hand grabbing my collar and dragging me…

"Again!"

*

Thud!

My whole body trembled.

But it wasn’t enough.

I think I understand now. Why I couldn’t go back.

There was definitely something blocking the path I should have been able to take. But it wasn’t a barricade strong enough to stop me from breaking through.

In fact, it was something unstable enough that I could break it with my body.

It would hurt, but if I gave it my all, yes…

If I wasn’t afraid, I could shatter that barrier for sure.

Ha, how ridiculous.

No one had deliberately tricked me; I had just been fooling myself all this time.

The only reason I had been able to break through that ruin back then was because I didn’t know.

I didn’t know how painful it would be to collide with it.

Like someone charging at an invisible glass window, I simply broke through without thinking.

After that first collision, I had become scared.

Well, I wouldn’t be completely unscathed. After all, it was a brutal hit.

But back then, I wasn’t dead, just bruised.

So that was it.

Looking at the blue ponytail fluttering in my vision, I thought to myself:

If that’s the case, there’s only one thing left to do.

Harder.

Farther.

With all my might.

If I return, it will be over.

"Again!"

Chapter 147 : Ambush (4)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 147

EP.147 Ambush (4)

Between space and time, light flickered.

Amid the chaotic scattering of rainbow-colored light, a clear blue light stood out.

Before I could properly examine the pale blue light seeping out from a crack in an invisible wall, I had already collided with it.

With a squelching sound, like a shattered mirror, each fragment reflected the situation I was in. The moments I had seen with my own eyes.

Alice, collapsing and bleeding.

My body, bouncing back from the collision, felt as if it were propelled upward by some kind of recoil.

It was the same sensation I’d felt when I had repeatedly collided with obstacles, as though something was pushing me away.

Pain surged through my entire body, and my head rang, making it impossible to think clearly. Yet, I tried to focus on the scene unfolding before me.

No.

It was all my fault. I had become too complacent, relying too much on my abilities.

Ever since I started getting involved in the story, I couldn’t tell how much I had helped. In fact, maybe things would have gone fine without me. Everyone would have faced their trials, overcome them, grown, and understood each other... Just like in a game, maybe everything would have gone just fine without me.

But instead, ever since I appeared, things had only gotten tangled, and the situation had worsened.

No, that wasn’t it.

The moment I appeared in this world, the story had already changed. The very reason I ended up here was something I didn’t know. If the goddess truly existed and brought me here, she surely had no conscience. At the very least, she could have explained why I was brought here, what my purpose was.

But since she didn’t, I just lived as I pleased.

Again!

I screamed to keep from losing consciousness. My body, propelled backward, surged forward once again.

Honestly, there was no need to shout like that. I could turn back time just by thinking about it.

Thud.

My body collided.

But honestly, I wasn’t that mentally strong, nor was I particularly tenacious. After turning back time and trying my hardest, I’d end up turning it back again, lying around and taking breaks to get back into it.

If I hadn’t done this, I probably would have given up long ago.

Crunch.

A cracking sound rang out, and pain shook my whole body.

But well, it was fine. No matter how bad it was, it couldn’t be worse than getting slashed by a sword or shot by a bullet.

I had been through it all before.

So, I needed to focus.

I rubbed my blurred eyes and screamed once more.

Again!

This time, I definitely heard it.

The sound of something breaking.

*

I was lucky.

I had barely managed to return to the moment before Alice was struck by the sword, but perhaps because I had forcefully broken through something, I fell forward. Naturally, as I fell, I collided with Alice from behind, and we both toppled over together, avoiding the sword strike.

I felt something slicing through the back of my hair. If I had been even a little late, if I had hesitated to charge forward, I would have had to rewind time again.

As I fell, I stretched my hand forward.

Bang!

One shot, a bullet was fired. The recoil from the gun I gripped hastily with one hand hit me hard, but once again, Lucas didn’t get hit. It seemed like Lucas had been watching the barrel of my gun, because he slid to the side and dodged my shot. I saw the bullet embed itself in the wall beyond where Lucas had been standing.

I see.

I gritted my teeth and pushed Alice’s back down as I rose to my feet.

“Sylvia!?”

Startled by the sudden attack from behind, Alice couldn’t immediately get back on her feet. Well, that was part of the plan.

“Sister?”

Claire was looking at me, bewildered.

Ah, for some reason, one side of my vision was red.

I had brushed my forehead against something, and blood was flowing from that spot.

I fired my gun again with one hand. This time, because it took a bit longer than before, Lucas was able to dodge my shot with even more ease than the last time.

The slide of the automatic pistol locked back, signaling the last round had been spent.

Lucas looked at me, his face slightly surprised, but he didn’t stop moving.

Once again, his hand moved toward the hilt of his sword—

I see.

Again.

*

“Gah!?”

Once again, from the spot where I had knocked Alice down.

My body had more injuries. But at least it didn’t hurt as much as before. Of course, that was to be expected. Getting hit in the head with a blunt object and being scratched by something sharp were completely different kinds of pain.

It’s fine. It’s not a serious injury. At least I could still get back up.

I rose and immediately charged toward Lucas.

“Princess!”

I heard Leo shouting from behind. When the masked woman started to move toward me instead of Lucas, I fired a shot toward her.

It was a warning shot, but at least it worked in that regard, as the masked woman flinched and stopped in her tracks.

What, you can’t back out of the attack either, can you? Guess you’re scared.

If you’re annoyed, you can do what I do and take it with your body.

I might actually get her to cry with that threat, I thought, but—

Screech.

Ah.

But had I been too focused on the masked woman? I didn’t see Lucas swinging his sword.

“Sylvia!”

I heard Alice’s voice, filled with despair.

It’s fine. I’m not dead yet. My vision was strangely focused downward, but my thoughts hadn’t stopped.

So, there’s still a chance.

Again.

*

Bang!

I fired the gun at the masked woman.

Having already seen her reaction, she no longer caught my attention. I immediately swung the barrel back toward Lucas. The gun fired, and a .45 caliber bullet was launched toward him. Of course, Lucas dodged again.

It was too close. He’d definitely swing his sword before I could reload.

It’s fine. I was just testing.

I needed to see how you move so I’ll know where to aim next time.

Again.

*

Seven times, nine times, fourteen times, twenty-eight times.

Back to the old style. Like I was practicing hundreds of shots with a single bullet. I fired repeatedly at Lucas, who was moving.

In the process, I had figured out a few things.

Any injury I sustained in the "real" world disappeared when I rewound time. I was steadily running toward the past.

However, injuries from the process of rewinding didn’t heal immediately. The state of my body returned to what it was the moment I entered that unknown space. The scratches I got when coming out stayed.

Well, that was fine.

It was a relief, at least. The injuries didn’t accumulate with every rewind, even if I rewound time multiple times.

One more thing.

The more frequently I rewound time, the slower the space healed. The space didn’t recover as I passed through it. Even though the injuries didn’t show in the real world, every time I entered that space, the widened gap gradually closed little by little.

So, there was only one thing I had to do.

Make it as brief as possible, on a second-by-second basis.

Break it hundreds of times, thousands of times. As long as I kept the situation in this loop, I could keep using my ability.

Well, using my body the same way was still an option.

*

Lucas habitually dodged to the left from his perspective, which was to my right.

Even so, because of the difference in our physical builds, hitting him wasn’t easy—

Bang!

“Ugh!?”

Right.

In the end, I only needed one successful hit.

A bullet embedded itself in Lucas’s right shoulder. The bullet hit the strap of the small bag he was carrying. It wasn’t completely severed, but—

I rushed straight toward Lucas.

Lucas widened his eyes slightly as he swung his sword toward me—

Thud.

The sword sank into my stomach.

For a moment, the room went quiet.

Blood rose up from my throat, and I coughed it up violently.

But still, I was close enough to Lucas.

I grabbed his collar and said,

“Are you not satisfied yet?”

Seeing me laughing while blood dripped from my mouth, Lucas's expression stiffened.

“How—”

“How did I do that?”

I whispered to Lucas.

“I won’t tell you.”

Then, with the gun still in my hand, I struck Lucas’s head. The sharp smack of it made his head whip around.

Well, I knew he wouldn’t faint or die from something like this.

I just... wanted to hit him.

Again.

*

I rewound to the moment Lucas was shot, then immediately hurled my body sideways, rolling on the floor. A sword wave flew from behind me almost instantly. He had probably been preparing for it. Was it the Sword Saint, or Claire? Judging by the shape, it didn’t seem like the Emperor’s sword.

“Ugh!?”

Lucas didn’t understand the situation and got hit directly by the sword strike.

In the brief moment, I loaded the next magazine. Fortunately, while lying on the ground, I finished loading without any follow-up attacks from Lucas.

Lucas gritted his teeth and glared at me.

Why did it upset him so much that I was using "dirty tactics"?

Well... yeah, I get it. It would upset me too if I were in his shoes.

But the situation isn’t the same, is it?

Having expended all the rounds in the chamber, I swapped out the magazine. There were six shots left in the gun.

That was more than enough for me. At least enough to subdue one enemy.

I slowly stood up while keeping the gun trained on Lucas.

Even after being hit by a full-force sword wave, Lucas was still standing. Any normal person would have collapsed to the ground, even if their body wasn’t severed. That’s how I knew that the robe Lucas was wearing was a protective robe.

"Right, I see..."

Lucas exhaled deeply and said,

“Fine, I admit it. There’s no way I can win here.”

Before anyone in the room could respond, Lucas was already preparing his stance.

Then, in an instant, he shot forward. He plowed through all the knights in front of him, knocking them down, and headed straight for the door.

*

"Damn it."

Now that I thought about it, I realized that even the spot where the bullet had hit hadn’t bled. It seemed that the protective magic had pushed the bullet out, despite the hit.

I shot several times at Lucas, who had begun running, but catching him—who had given up on fighting and focused entirely on fleeing—wasn’t going to be easy.

However, even though it wasn’t easy for me, there were people in this room who were capable of stopping him.

The Sword Saint and the Emperor.

And Claire, Leo, and Alice.

Countless knights.

Countless sword energies flew towards Lucas. Each one wasn’t all that powerful since I had to carefully control the strength to avoid hitting the surrounding people all at once.

But it was enough to beat Lucas down.

Thud.

Lucas’s bag fell to the ground. As he bent down to pick it up, he—

“Tch.”

He quickly gave up on it after seeing the incoming sword energy.

After briefly glaring at me, Lucas dodged several bullets aimed at him and immediately ran for the door.

How many knights would be waiting in the hallway?

It was a tower with no windows, not easily destroyed by ordinary artillery. Unless Lucas plowed through all the knights with his body, there was no way he would escape.

“Hah…”

I knelt on one knee as I heard shouting and the sound of swords outside the door. My body was trembling.

I had broken through something that was blocking me with all my strength so many times.

It was mentally exhausting to keep recovering and getting injured over and over again.

“Sylvia!”

I heard a voice filled with tears—probably Alice.

But I couldn’t respond.

My eyelids were too heavy.

Ah, the battle wasn’t over yet. I still had to check on the Masked Woman.

Someone running toward me caught me, preventing me from collapsing to the floor.

Through my blurry and darkening vision, I saw the Emperor walking toward the bag Lucas had dropped.

That was the last thing I remembered.

Chapter 148 : Ambush (5)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 148

EP.148 Ambush (5)

When I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling of my room. Of course, the place I was lying in was my own bed. I could tell without even getting up. It was a bed I had used steadily for almost eleven years, and the blanket I had been sleeping under every day for that time. Well, the blanket had been changed at least once, but it was clear that I had used this one for quite a while.

Is... it all over?

Has Lucas been caught? Did the Emperor find out what Lucas was carrying? These were the first thoughts that came to my mind.

I didn’t feel like I had slept at all. It was as if I just closed my eyes and opened them to find myself lying in bed.

“Sylvia?”

A voice came from beside me.

When I slightly turned my head, I saw Alice's face, wide-eyed with surprise.

“Sylvia!”

Alice grabbed my arm tightly, and I heard Claire’s shoulders trembling as she looked over from the table.

“Sis?”

Claire’s face, too, looked nearly identical to Alice’s in her shock. I couldn’t see Leo or anyone else. Were they all busy with something?

Well, if they caught Lucas, they must be busy with that... I’m not sure what Leo was doing, but I didn’t see him around.

“What about Lucas...?”

“That’s not important right now.”

Actually, it was important.

I hadn’t had the chance to ask Lucas anything yet—since we had jumped straight into fighting when we saw each other.

...

Now that I thought about it, I was a bit foolish. The fact that Lucas had disappeared and then returned meant he was coming back to fight. I should have realized that.

As I tried to sit up, Alice, looking worried, stood up as if to help me but then sat back down.

I felt refreshed.

When I raised my arm to check, there were no visible injuries. Without needing to check further, I knew I had obviously received the highest-grade treatment since I was the princess. Most of the wounds on my body were just scratches, so the treatment must not have been difficult. I had probably fainted due to exhaustion.

Having rested on a soft bed for several hours, I felt much better. Before, I hadn’t been able to sleep properly due to nightmares.

And I felt much better mentally as well.

“What happened to that masked woman?”

The last time I saw her, she was still swinging her sword while getting tangled up with others. She had kept her injuries, though.

“She disappeared during the process of handling the situation.”

Again.

I had already known that she couldn’t use her abilities in that situation. But the fact that she disappeared in that manner was another matter. Was her disappearance something she willed, or was she somehow stuck in a specific timeline, making her appear like that?

Either way, it wasn’t something I welcomed.

“Sis, water.”

While I was talking to Alice, Claire suddenly handed me a cup.

It was only when I saw the cup of water that I realized how dry my lips were.

I gratefully took the cup from Claire and drank, then asked again.

“What happened to Lucas?”

At my question, Alice and Claire briefly exchanged glances before responding.

“...He escaped.”

“With his condition like that—”

I stopped myself from finishing the sentence.

Now that I thought about it, it seemed possible, especially considering it was Lucas. Given the clothes he was wearing, he could probably withstand the Emperor's and the Sword Saint's sword energies, and even bullets. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to get hit by the knights' swords and still manage to escape.

He surely wouldn’t be unharmed, though.

“What about the people who had collapsed...?”

“…...”

Both Alice and Claire avoided eye contact at my question.

I see...

“How much time has passed?”

It wouldn’t have been strange if I had been asleep for a day, so that would explain why my throat was so dry.

But the answer I received came in a hesitant voice.

“Almost two weeks have passed.”

“...Pardon?”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard and that it had only been two days.

“Two weeks, sis. While you were unconscious, August is almost over. Tomorrow is the first day of school.”

“…...”

I couldn’t hide the dazed expression that crossed my face.

“You mean... the first day of school is tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

Alice nodded seriously in response to my question.

“Then... what about the Sword Saint?”

“He's still at the Imperial Palace. I don't know... he seems strangely happy, though. It's a little scary, to be honest.”

Claire spoke with a hesitant look on her face.

“...And Leo?”

“He’s currently training. It seemed like it would be awkward to leave your care to a man.”

Considering the comfortable clothes I was wearing, someone must have helped me change.

“If I’ve been lying down for two weeks, how did I manage to eat or drink?”

“Basically, we helped, and the maids assisted as well.”

“They would chop up the food into small pieces and feed it to you little by little, and they did the same with the water.”

Alice and Claire explained one after the other, as if they were afraid I might panic, speaking calmly.

“…...”

I silently laid back down on the bed.

Sigh.

Two weeks... I’ve been lying here like this?

And receiving care from others?

Although the explanation was brief, so many things must have happened in that time. If Lucas managed to escape, then a manhunt would have been issued, and with gunshots ringing out from the tower, rumors must have spread near the Imperial Palace at the very least. The capital has a lot of diplomats and embassies. With spies planted here and there, it would be impossible to completely keep the news from spreading.

Even if they hid the fact that Lucas was involved, the mere occurrence of the incident couldn’t be concealed. And if Lucas had already caused chaos in the Empire, then perhaps even the Papal State had an idea of what was happening.

It felt like the Empire's once impenetrable reputation was beginning to crack.

I wondered how the Emperor would respond. From my perspective, it would be hard for him to show a positive reaction.

“Still, the situation has been mostly stabilized. At least the Imperial Palace is still functioning properly...”

Alice said, almost as if she were defending herself, but with so many knights fallen, things couldn’t possibly be the same.

“...That.”

As I sank into silence, Alice cautiously spoke up.

“...Sorry. I was the one who asked to go inside.”

“No.”

Claire quickly jumped in, trying to take the blame.

“It was me who insisted we couldn’t just wait downstairs.”

I looked at both of them, observing how they seemed to want to hide.

“So...”

“No.”

I cut off Alice as she continued to speak.

“It’s because I didn’t say what I was planning to do or why the situation turned out that way.”

Both Alice and Claire fell silent.

They wore expressions full of things they wanted to say, mostly apologies.

But I didn’t want to accept their apology. It didn’t mean I couldn’t forgive them; they hadn’t done anything wrong to begin with.

The situation had just gotten tangled up, mostly because of me.

I had said I would save all the heroines, but it was I who put them in danger.

“…...”

I lay back down, staring at the ceiling. The ornate, Victorian-style decorations felt so far removed from the word "minimal." As I stared at them, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

Ah, all of my remaining vacation is gone.

*

I briefly considered rewinding the entire vacation, but quickly dismissed the thought.

Even turning back just a short time made me feel like I might faint from the pain. If I tried to go back further, what would happen?

I might end up in the same situation as an egg dropped on a rock, cracked beyond repair.

In the first place, everything I had done was ridiculously foolish. What if I had actually died?

...So what would I have done then?

Better than Alice dying, at least. After all, I was more like a bonus character in this world, or rather, a character whose true identity no one really understood.

...Well, nobody died, so I guess it’s fine.

“Mm.”

I heard a small grunt and looked up to see Charlotte. She didn’t seem much changed, probably because nothing significant had happened during the break.

"I'm glad to see you're healthy."

"I'm glad to see you are too, Your Highness."

"The title is back to square one, it seems."

Charlotte gave a bitter smile as she sat in her usual spot.

After briefly staring at me, she shrugged her shoulders.

She must have heard about the events at the palace from the newspapers or the information network of the Velbur Imperial Family, but she didn’t press any further. What happened in the Imperial Palace was a matter of the imperial family. On the other hand, it would be a breach of etiquette if we asked about it.

"Hello, Charlotte."

"Hello, Alice. But we already greeted each other in the hallway."

When Alice, who had come in a bit late because she was greeting other nobles, spoke to Charlotte, Charlotte responded with a smile.

"Well, greetings in the classroom are a bit different. The hallway had other people around, too."

Saying that, Alice sat behind me.

"The break was really long."

Alice spoke with a sigh, and Charlotte replied, "Yeah, it really was."

Yeah. It truly felt long.

It felt like it had been a long time since I experienced this peaceful atmosphere.

Chapter 149 : Interlude

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 149

EP.149 Interlude

It seemed the ceremonial robe didn’t quite fit.

The Emperor stood still, lost in thought, while holding his bag.

Lucas had been able to escape thanks to wearing the ceremonial robe. Considering that it had withstood both his own sword energy and the Sword Saint’s strikes, its performance was undeniably exceptional.

However, even the ceremonial robe had its limits. Someone wearing that robe would be vulnerable if they could feel pain and couldn't easily escape. Since Lucas was so affected by just one of Sylvia's shots, the Empire probably doesn't have much to fear.

Not everyone who wore that robe could be like Lucas.

“Seems your skills don’t quite measure up to his.”

“…I apologize.”

Jayden bowed his head deeply.

“It’s fine. What could you have done? It was impossible from the start.”

“……”

Though the Emperor had spoken with good intentions, it didn’t seem that way to Jayden. The strongest knight in the Empire—he must have taken great pride in that title.

Come to think of it, they've never really fought each other to the death. He thought they had some sort of bond, at least among his other children.

“Verratti isn’t dead?”

“That is correct. She is currently recovering. Her life is not in danger, but we do not know when she will wake up…”

“And Sylvia as well.”

Jayden’s expression twisted slightly. He likely blamed Lucas for her condition.

That was only half true.

But the other half…

“I see. For now, return to your duties.”

“Understood.”

Jayden had been injured, but it seemed his wounds weren’t too severe. After all, Lucas had poured all his strength into escaping. If it had been a real duel, Jayden wouldn’t have walked away unscathed.

Jayden snapped to attention before turning on his heel and exiting the audience chamber.

Meanwhile, Alice had remained in Sylvia’s room ever since. Even after hearing that Sylvia’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, she couldn’t rest easy. Though the room was already attended by caregivers, Alice insisted on tending to Sylvia herself.

When had they grown so close?

…It must have been because of Sylvia. From the moment she arrived, Sylvia had been considerate of Alice.

“Hm.”

The Emperor opened the bag in his hands.

Inside was a Relic. It wasn’t entirely unexpected. Considering the commotion Lucas had caused in the Papal State, there was no way he had left empty-handed. However, he hadn’t expected the Relic to hold such a power.

“I’ve never met anyone of that kind before.”

Muttering to himself, the Emperor answered his own thoughts.

Or rather—could they even be called human?

Every nation in the world, especially those with myths tied to the Goddess Church, knew that Relics were important. Even based solely on their vast magical energy, it was clear they served as a crucial key to something. Yet, very few understood their exact purpose.

That’s right. Few knew.

And the Emperor was one of those rare few.

There's a legend passed down only to those who inherit the throne, a tale of a Fangriffon and a Goddess. However, according to that legend, a Relic could not be utilized unless all the pieces were gathered to form a complete whole.

It would be ideal to collect them all someday, but there was no reason the Empire had to be the one to do it. Ultimately, the Relics had to be used in the Holy Land, meaning war with the Papal State was inevitable.

Even if the Empire possessed just a single piece, they could simply overpower their enemies in the end and take the rest by force.

The gears that turned the world’s mechanisms.

The unfinished machine Fangriffon had built in an attempt to usurp the Goddess’s power.

These Relics were the broken cogs of that machine.

“I never imagined a single piece would hold such power.”

A mere component of an essential mechanism. Logically speaking, a single piece should hold no real value. Even if it did, it shouldn’t be able to activate the full mechanism on its own.

And yet—

Even in its fragmented state, was it still imbued with the Goddess’s power?

The masked woman wasn’t the issue. The Relic she possessed was what had suppressed Sylvia’s abilities. If this Relic counteracted the masked woman’s power, then it all made sense.

Of course, some questions remained. If Sylvia was the Goddess or her vessel, then why was she aiding Fangriffon—her supposed nemesis? Why was she trying to make Alice the Emperor instead of herself?

Perhaps she was thinking the same thing as him.

If she was waiting for the Emperor to gather the Relics, only to steal them at the final moment…

Even so, the Relics were still necessary.

Sylvia had been able to use her powers despite the presence of a Relic, though the backlash had been immense.

And if that masked woman’s Relic wasn’t nearby, then once Sylvia awakened, there would be no restrictions on her abilities.

To prepare for any similar beings that might exist, the Relics had to be gathered.

“This will be useful.”

The Emperor smirked as he looked down at the bag once more.

*

Another failure.

Dragging her creaking body forward, she contemplated.

Click. Click.

The sound of gears turning echoed with every movement of her fingers. In truth, it wasn’t just her fingers. She heard it when she walked, when she moved her eyes to see, even when she thought. She wanted to silence the sound. But she couldn’t. That sound was the only proof she existed.

Her body still had blood, flesh, and bones—

Yet, no matter where she looked, everything appeared the same. A sensation as if her body were floating in the center of a kaleidoscope. As if she had become something infinitely small.

Whenever she saw Sylvia, a clicking sound resonated deep within her chest. What she felt was joy. Longing. Happiness and sorrow. And yet, with this body, she couldn’t even speak properly. She couldn’t even laugh.

Alice—was she Alice?

She had memories. That was why, every time she saw Sylvia, she felt these emotions.

Sylvia had a sorrowful expression on her face. She was shooting at 'Alice,' herself. But the bullet missed— and then Alice's wings...

Regret, endless and relentless, consumed her.

No—was regret even the right word? Had she truly regretted anything? That had to be incorrect. Alice hadn’t existed then. More precisely, that event hadn’t even happened yet.

Click. Click.

The more tangled her thoughts became, the louder the sounds of movement grew. Her head trembled from the vibrations.

Perhaps this body—this blood and flesh—was nothing more than decoration.

If the machinery in her head was the only thing proving her existence— who had created this body? Who had implanted these memories? Why had she been dropped into that place without any guidance? What had they been thinking when they created this puppet—when they created her—

—Still, at the very least, there was one thing she could do.

If nothing else, she could share what she did know.

*

Returning to the student council room after a long time, I encountered someone I wasn’t entirely comfortable with.

No—was uncomfortable even the right word? In a way, we were practically enemies.

Especially from her perspective.

“Lady Crowfield.”

At my greeting, Crowfield lifted her head to look at me. Shadows hung heavy beneath her eyes.

“…What happened over the break?”

Even before Charlotte, who had come in with me, could greet her, she asked that question. That was how bad Mia Crowfield’s condition seemed. Her dried-out eyes suggested she had cried extensively.

And understandably so. She had been forced to face the truth—that the family she had loved so dearly… were those kinds of people.

She had collapsed to the ground and screamed back then.

She probably didn’t even know who to resent. Directing hatred at a single target was easy, but when the reasons were layered and tangled…

Even so, I believed there was still hope.

She hadn’t left the academy. She hadn’t locked herself away in the dorms. She hadn’t attended the opening ceremony, but she was here, in the student council room.

That meant she wanted to talk.

“..….”

I felt I needed to say something, but when I tried, I didn’t know what.

A greeting like “Hello” didn’t seem appropriate—Mia Crowfield was far from fine. The same went for “I hope you’re well.”

Alice stole a glance at me, while Charlotte, Claire, and Leo seemed to grasp that this conversation had something to do with me. The four of them stood slightly apart, giving us space.

“…Going forward—”

I slowly began speaking, organizing my thoughts as I went.

“Going forward… let’s try to get along.”

Not the most eloquent words.

I wasn’t sure how Mia Crowfield would react, so I waited nervously.

Then, barely, she gave a small nod.

That was enough for me to breathe just a little easier.

Chapter 150 : Rolling Stone (1)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 150

EP.150 Rolling Stone (1)

A week had passed since the start of the second semester. Fortunately, nothing unusual had happened. The masked woman had vanished once again, my abilities had returned to normal, and as a result, I had no major issues attending classes.

I was back to rewinding time as usual to study, understand, and absorb the material… The lessons contained a lot of practical knowledge necessary for navigating this world, so there was no harm in making sure I fully grasped them.

"In other words, not even a goddess can turn back time. This world is governed by strict physical laws. Sure, things like magic exist, but in the end, their effects can't escape the boundaries of physics."

That was the explanation given by Ada, our physics and mechanics instructor.

I listened absentmindedly.

Well, that was a reasonable perspective. Even if the physics of this world weren’t as advanced as the 21st century I had come from, and even if theories about time branching into parallel worlds were non-existent here, it was only natural for people to assume that time couldn’t be reversed.

After all, in both this world and the one I came from, no one had ever successfully turned back time. Not a single person. And just as heliocentrism replaced geocentrism with the progress of science, if I couldn’t scientifically prove my ability, there would be no way to explain it to others.

So, I had no intention of arguing with her statement.

However, someone else did.

"Uh, Professor?"

Johannes.

He wasn’t an important character in the original story. Even in this world, he wasn’t particularly noteworthy. We had never really interacted. I only remembered him because he was in my class and because I had memorized the names of the more prominent NPCs from the original work.

That said, I did recall one key detail about him. He was a devout follower of the Goddess.

"It doesn’t make sense that a divine being would have something they can’t do."

"Oh?"

Ada, however, didn’t seem particularly interested in his challenge.

She had mentioned once that she had been teaching here for ten years. Having started in her early twenties, gotten married to become "Baroness Strange," and continued working as a teacher even after, she had likely fielded this kind of question countless times before.

"Yes, exactly. For example, in the scriptures of the Goddess Church—"

"—There’s an example of time being rewound? Like winding back a clockwork spring?"

Ada interjected nonchalantly, shutting down Johannes before he could continue, then shrugged.

"Let me ask you something. Do you think winding back a clock’s spring is the same as reversing time?"

"Uh… no, not exactly, but…"

"Neither do I. Even if the world functioned like a clockwork mechanism, and even if the Goddess wound it backward, time itself would still flow. The hands of the clock might move in reverse, but the passage of time wouldn’t actually change. To the Goddess, time would still be moving forward. The events may have been reversed, but that doesn’t mean the timeline itself has shifted backward."

"Uh…."

Johannes glanced around, searching for an argument before hesitantly speaking.

"But in that case… wouldn’t it be the same as turning back time?"

"From our perspective, sure. But not from the Goddess’s. The positions of the stars, the grains of sand that had fallen, the flowing water—those might all return to their original state. But absolute time would still be moving forward. The Goddess, who rewound the clock, would still feel time passing outside of it."

Johannes tilted his head in confusion.

Honestly, I kind of agreed with his sentiment.

*

I was slowly building a conversation with Mia Crowfield.

We had never been particularly talkative with each other to begin with, but I couldn't just leave things as they were.

Besides, I had liked almost all of the original heroines. Of course, that included Mia Crowfield as well. While I could never approve of her parents, who were the worst kind of people, Mia herself was a character who never forgot what her family had done and worked hard to overcome it.

I liked Claire, Alice, Charlotte, and Lottie—all of them. Even the commoner heroine I had yet to properly meet.

There was only one heroine I truly didn’t like.

"My name is Sophia Bianchi. Starting this month, I'll be studying with all of you. I look forward to it."

A girl with long, violet hair and matching violet eyes bowed slightly toward the class as she introduced herself.

There was a natural elegance about her, though it was different from the dignity exuded by Alice or Charlotte. Hers carried less pride and more humility.

If I had to put it simply, rather than the refined air of royalty or nobility… it was closer to the grace of a clergyperson.

Yes.

The girl standing before us was none other than the heroine from the Papal State. One who was supposed to appear next year, according to the original story.

I had to exert every ounce of control to keep my shock from showing. If Alice had seen my expression, she would have reacted in one of two ways—either with an incredibly serious look or by bursting into laughter. Maybe even both at the same time.

"Sophia is from the Kingdom of Velbur. With the Empire’s approval, she’ll be studying here alongside you all," our homeroom teacher, Carolyn, explained as she stood beside Sophia.

That was a lie.

Sophia Bianchi was from the Papal State. But officially, only clergy were considered citizens of that nation. Most of them were orphans taken in from other countries.

Among those orphans, the ones with exceptional abilities or deep faith typically became clergy, while the rest lived as monks or nuns in name, though they were practically just citizens who spent their days in prayer.

Sophia Bianchi had demonstrated remarkable talent from a young age, which allowed her to become a priestess.

And she enjoyed her position.

She was someone who found cutting people down to be fun.

That meant…

Sophia’s violet eyes turned toward me. The moment our gazes met, her eyes curved into crescents, forming a warm, seemingly innocent smile. A gaze designed to lower the defenses of those who saw it.

…Yes, that was exactly the kind of character she was.

A character tailor-made to appeal to middle school edgelords. The type who would emerge from a battle covered in blood, laughing maniacally.

A concept that reminded me of the cringeworthy personas my friends and I played around with back in middle school.

…God, I really didn’t like her.

*

Sure, if those middle school syndrome powers were real, it wouldn't be just a phase. But for me, it's just a game, so I can't really relate with it. After all, she wasn’t a real person.

Besides, this character was one of those who got heavily pushed by the story early on, hyped up as ridiculously strong.

There was even an event where every major character introduced in the first game had to lose to her at least once in a one-sided battle. And the way she won was especially infuriating. It wasn’t a hard-fought victory or anything. No, it was always something along the lines of, "Oh my, did I go too hard on you?"

Sure, the series didn’t carry over stats between the first and second games, but still—wasn’t that a bit much?

She did later regret some of her actions and eventually joined the party, but that awful first impression never really went away for me. If anything, I leaned more toward disliking her rather than just being indifferent.

And yet…

"Sylvia."

She kept approaching me so familiarly, as if we were close, which made me extremely uncomfortable.

If only she had shown up as an enemy at first, like in the game, I could have openly expressed my dislike. But—

"Shall we eat together?"

"Do you have any plans after class?"

"Oh my, are you going to a café? May I join you?"

She was so bold about it that I had no way to refuse. At least with Mia Crowfield, it had been obvious that she felt uncomfortable around me at first, so I could act cold in return. But Sophia wasn’t like that.

"Sophia."

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who found her presence unsettling.

Alice, who had somehow ended up sitting at the café with us, called out to her.

"You said you were from Velbur, right?"

"Yes, from Lutetia," Sophia answered with a smile.

"Oh, really?"

Hearing that, Charlotte studied Sophia Bianchi carefully.

A foreign student transferring in with the Empire’s approval—into the noble class, no less—meant she had to have some level of status. That should have made her someone Charlotte would have at least heard of.

"But I've never seen you before."

A reasonable doubt.

"I'm not very skilled in social gatherings," Sophia replied effortlessly. "And my family only holds a knightly title, so I never had the opportunity to meet a princess like yourself."

That was a perfect response. It left no room for suspicion.

"…I see?"

Though still a bit doubtful, Charlotte let it go for now.

"Lady Bianchi."

"Please, call me Sophia."

She responded immediately to my call.

"…Lady Bianchi, have we met before?"

Ignoring her request, I got straight to the point.

Sophia Bianchi’s violet eyes curved into crescents once again as she smiled.

"Not at all. Never."

…She answered with complete confidence.

Chapter 151 : Rolling Stone (2)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 151

EP.151 Rolling Stone (2)

"But why exactly should we be on a first-name basis?"

As soon as I asked that, the already awkward atmosphere froze completely.

"Ah, um..."

Sophia Bianchi's violet eyes darted around before settling back on me.

"Do you dislike it?"

Of course, that was an act. It had been the same in the game. Hardly anyone had seen through her true nature until she fully revealed it, which meant her acting skills were exceptionally good.

Maybe there was a bit of sincerity mixed in. The way she followed me around suggested she wanted something from me, and it would be inconvenient for her if she didn’t get it.

"Lady Crowfield."

Instead of answering her, I turned to Mia Crowfield, who was sitting at the café table with us.

She flinched slightly before looking at me cautiously.

"Have I ever addressed you by your first name?"

"Ah, no?"

Mia Crowfield shook her head vigorously from side to side.

I shifted my gaze back to Sophia.

"I’ve known Lady Crowfield for an entire semester. And yet, I have never called her by her first name. This isn’t a matter of liking or disliking someone; it’s about how familiar we are with each other."

In truth, everyone else at this table called Mia by her first name. Even Alice, despite what had happened during the last break, stubbornly continued to address her the same way.

After finishing my explanation, I picked up my spoon and resumed eating my parfait.

Honestly, it was getting quite chilly outside—not exactly the best weather for a parfait. Given that everyone else at the table had ordered hot coffee, I was probably the odd one out.

But what could I do? It was delicious.

"I see...?"

Sophia Bianchi looked somewhat bewildered at my firm response. Rather than appearing deeply disappointed or hurt, her expression was closer to… blank confusion.

That part might have been genuine.

*

"Sylvia."

Despite the uncomfortable encounter earlier, I didn't stop eating my parfait. I made sure to scrape up every last bit from the bottom of the cup before parting ways with my friends and returning to my room.

Before I even had a chance to organize my thoughts, Alice showed up.

"Do you know something about Sophia?"

Alice asked, her expression serious.

"Sophia Bianchi is a spy sent by the Papal State."

"A spy?"

“To be more precise, she’s a member of the Knights Templar.”

For a moment, Alice's expression went blank.

Standing there with her lips slightly parted, she eventually ran a hand down her face and let out a deep sigh.

"Alright. I won’t ask how you know that."

That was a relief.

Even if I rewound time, this wasn’t the kind of information I could easily obtain. If she pressed for an explanation, the only possible answer I could give would be that I had knowledge from another world—which obviously wasn’t an option.

It was much easier when the other person simply chose not to ask.

Alice took a seat at the guest table in my room, directly across from where I was sitting.

"There are a lot of things I want to ask. Can you answer them?"

"If it’s about Sophia Bianchi, I can answer quite a lot."

"Good."

Alice nodded and spoke.

"Sophia claims she’s from Velbur, the daughter of a knightly family from Lutetia. How does that make her a citizen of the Papal State? Falsifying one's identity is already a serious crime, but impersonating a noble title? That could lead to a diplomatic incident. And yet, she even managed to enroll in the academy with imperial approval—that doesn’t add up."

"The Papal State and Velbur are in a cooperative relationship. While the Papal State did gain independence from Velbur, there hasn’t been any major conflict between them. The territory under the Papal State’s rule is relatively small, just about the size of a single province, and there’s free movement between the two. Plus, there are many followers of the Goddess within Velbur itself, so tensions between the two nations aren’t particularly high."

"So you're saying Velbur helped forge her false identity?"

Alice asked, her expression growing more severe.

"Rather than a fake identity, it’s likely another legitimate one."

The claim that she was the daughter of a knightly family was technically false. However, the family itself did exist. Since that was the case in the original game, it should be the same here. That meant the title was real, and the legal status of being a "daughter" was also valid, at least on paper. Not that it necessarily meant she was their biological child.

If both parties had a mutual interest, it wouldn't be difficult to legally establish someone as a noble daughter.

"So, does that mean the two nations are allied?"

"Not in an official capacity."

I had caused quite a stir last year. The Papal State had made an effort to appear at odds with Velbur, even though they intended to cooperate behind the scenes.

They had always maintained a front of conflict while secretly working together, so my actions wouldn’t have completely severed their ties. However, they must have become more discreet—enough to ensure that, on the surface, there was truly nothing connecting them.

"But… doesn’t that make it all the more strange?"

Alice tilted her head, puzzled.

"Even if they didn’t anticipate that you would know Sophia’s true identity, why would these two nations, which are supposed to be operating in secret, suddenly act so openly?"

"Because they’re desperate."

My answer was simple.

Yes, they must have been getting impatient. There had been several major incidents in the Papal State.

Starting with Verratti, who still hadn’t fully regained consciousness, to the Emperor’s child suddenly appearing in the Papal State, causing chaos, and then fleeing with an important relic in hand.

The Papal State might even be suspecting the Empire itself by now, possibly believing that everything Lucas had done was an orchestrated plot by the Empire.

Even if that wasn’t the case, the situation was pressing enough that they couldn’t afford to stay idle. From the perspective of Velbur and the Papal State, time was running out.

War requires years—decades even—of careful preparation. And right now, no nation in this world was ready to go to war with the Empire. For countries that had only just begun industrialization, it must have felt like they needed to take some kind of action.

"So they thought they could win us over? That by getting close to the imperial princesses, they could prevent a war?"

"…..."

Hmm, honestly, I wasn’t sure about that.

In the original game, Sophia had only appeared in the second installment, when the war had already escalated. She wasn’t even a character that the protagonist encountered at the academy.

"I don’t have any concrete theories about their goal yet. Perhaps… they simply want to have a conversation with me."

"With you? About what—oh."

Huh?

Before I could say anything else, Alice suddenly seemed to grasp something on her own. Her expression darkened.

"Did something come to mind?"

I asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, yeah… kind of."

But Alice didn’t elaborate.

"If you have any thoughts on the matter, I’d appreciate it if you could share them—"

"Ah, no."

Alice hastily shook her head.

As she stood up, Alice spoke.

"Thanks to you, a lot of my questions have been answered. I appreciate it. I’ll also be more cautious around Sophia."

"Alright…."

As I stared blankly up at her, Alice simply added, “See you tomorrow!” before quickly leaving the room.

…Wait, what was that?

*

Sylvia had a special ability. Perhaps the ability to turn back time.

The professor had once said that even the Goddess couldn’t reverse time.

But if, as the explanation went, she was merely shifting the world's state as if moving objects around, then that alone would be akin to divine power, wouldn’t it?

Did Sylvia realize this? Or was she unaware? At the very least, judging by her expression, she didn’t seem to believe that her power was truly the Goddess’s gift.

The first time Sylvia’s ability malfunctioned was when she visited the place where the Relic had been.

That was when she encountered that mysterious entity, the one wielding an inexplicable power. After it vanished—taking the Relic with it—Sylvia’s ability seemed to return to normal. From then on, she never appeared troubled by it.

And then, in the Imperial Palace…

Ability. Goddess. Relic. The Papal State.

‘If I connected these four keywords—'

"No way."

Alice’s face turned pale.

Could it be that the Papal State…

…

No. No, that couldn’t be it.

She shook her head vigorously to dispel her thoughts. Though the unease still lingered in the back of her mind, she managed to steady herself.

Sylvia’s power was too limited to be truly divine. More importantly, she didn’t possess the kind of abilities the Papal State’s priestess had—she couldn’t heal or bless others.

But even so, Alice now had a good idea of why the Papal State had come.

"I see."

Lying in bed, she stared at the ceiling and muttered to herself.

…She needed to clarify things.

Whether by speaking to Sophia herself or by confronting those pulling the strings behind her.

Chapter 152 : Rolling Stone (3)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 152

EP.152 Rolling Stone (3)

For the first time in a while, I was able to train at the academy's training grounds.

Most of the knights of the imperial family use swords. While they don't completely avoid firearms, they are generally seen as secondary tools.

After all, the Imperial Palace had its own armed military police equipped with firearms. To them, swords were the secondary weapons, while guns were the primary ones. There were training grounds designated for such individuals, but…

Well, to be honest, I wasn’t too keen on training there alone.

It wasn’t that there were no women at all, but the profession was still dominated by men. Furthermore, every knight and military police officer in the palace was directly under the Imperial Family. If I were to show up there, the entire training session would come to a halt. That would be an inconvenience of the highest order.

That was why, during my childhood firearms training, I had to make do with shooting at passing birds or firing randomly in an empty room. Even back then, I was too young for anyone to take my training seriously.

So, having access to a private training ground where I could fire my gun freely was something I truly appreciated.

"Phew…"

As I reached the far end of the training ground and checked my gun, I let out a breath.

Then, from behind me—clap, clap, clap.

Applause.

For a moment, I thought it was Sophia Bianchi. But when I turned around, I saw that it was Lena.

And once I realized who it was, I felt a little embarrassed.

During my training session earlier, I hadn’t rewound time even once.

Meeting the masked woman twice had made something very clear—I couldn’t afford to rely solely on my ability. If I did, then the moment I lost it, I’d become completely useless.

As the Sword Saint had once said, I had no real talent in this field. Given how much I had practiced with firearms, I could at least hit a target, but that was the extent of it.

That didn’t mean I was going to permanently seal away my power or refuse to rely on it when necessary. But at the very least, I needed to be somewhat useful even without it.

I had always scoffed at useless characters in comics and games, criticizing how worthless they were. I didn’t want to become one of them.

To prevent that, I had to train—over and over—so that if the time ever came, I wouldn’t be completely helpless.

"Impressive," Lena remarked.

"Ha."

I had to make a considerable effort not to let my embarrassment show.

If I had rewound time throughout my training, I probably wouldn’t have felt anything about her praise. After all, in that case, the results would have been something I had fine-tuned myself.

But this time, I hadn’t used my ability even once. That meant that, at least in Lena’s eyes, my skills weren’t entirely lacking.

…Though that could also be because I had run through this training ground hundreds of times.

"I apologize for not being able to go with you yesterday," Lena said.

"It’s fine. I know you had a lot of equipment to go through."

Standing here, just the two of us speaking so formally, felt somewhat odd. Was it because we both used such respectful language with each other?

Lena’s equipment had only arrived yesterday.

Because Jayden had bombarded the enemy camp with artillery fire, the Autonomous State had grown tense. In response, the Empire had moved its forces closer to the warlord-controlled regions, further escalating the situation. As a result, the atmosphere near the border had turned ice-cold.

To make matters worse, Lena’s weapons weren’t just being transported to anywhere—they were being sent to the capital, to the very academy where the Empire’s noble heirs gathered.

With all the increased scrutiny, the shipment had been held up at the border for quite some time. And because she had spent all of yesterday inspecting her newly arrived weapons, she hadn’t been able to join us at the café.

She didn’t seem too bothered by it, but… Honestly, given how the Empire had bulldozed through the border like that, it was no surprise that the Autonomous State had been alarmed—regardless of who made the initial request.

It wasn’t just any kind of firepower. It had been naval artillery. Even if there had only been one per ship, the caliber of those cannons was on par with the Dreadnought stationed over Runedarium. Considering the number of ships involved, the effect was practically the same as if a Dreadnought had come and unleashed a full bombardment.

And then, after initiating such an attack, the Empire had the audacity to react as if the Autonomous State was the one escalating by moving its troops?

It was absurd.

"Are you here to train?" I asked.

"Yes. Since I finally received my weapons, I thought I’d take the opportunity to test them."

I nodded and stepped aside to give her space.

Lena's skill hadn't faded in the slightest.

Given her personality, there was no way she would have slacked off during the vacation. In fact, her movements had become even more refined compared to before.

Hmm, in some ways, her movements almost resembled mine.

In the past, she would have been holding pistols in both hands for target practice, but now, she had a short submachine gun slung across her back.

"Impressive," I said, clapping as I watched Lena complete another lap around the training ground. Lena's face flushed slightly. It wasn't just from having run around.

"I modeled my movements after Lady Sylvia’s," she explained.

Her words almost made my face turn red.

Thank goodness it was dark, or else my embarrassment would have been obvious.

I had only mimicked the movements, after all. I'd never actually been part of a special forces unit. I had simply used a bit of knowledge I'd picked up from being a half-hearted military enthusiast, trying to move in a way that seemed right.

Still, it looked fairly practical from the outside, so I guess I got lucky.

"Is that so...?" I murmured.

"Yes!"

I was about to respond when a voice from behind interrupted me.

"Your Highness was absolutely amazing!"

I turned around, and this time, it was truly Sophia Bianchi.

"I’ve never seen movements like that before!"

That made sense. After all, she was a swordswoman.

Come to think of it, Aetherna seemed to have an excess of swordsmen. Wasn’t this setting supposed to be from the industrial revolution period? Wait, was this a time where people wielded swords in a world where trenches were dug and machine guns tore through everything? Well, I suppose the only people who used swords here were monsters who could survive a gunshot by wielding them.

Though, even they would still die if they were shot.

"There are plenty of people in Velbur who work with firearms, but I’ve never seen anyone move like you two."

"…..."

Lena's face looked a bit stunned after hearing that.

She knew Sophia Bianchi, of course. They were in the same class, and Sophia had been around me often, so it made sense that Lena had had the chance to interact with her as well.

It seemed that Sophia Bianchi was intent on winning over those around me if she couldn’t win me over herself.

"Is this training ground just for you two?"

Sophia asked, and Lena shook her head.

"No, other students can use it too, but..."

...I guess no one else would dare come here with me around.

Most of the students who handled firearms were commoners.

"I see," Sophia said.

Sophia Bianchi tilted her head, then shrugged her shoulders.

"How did you get all the way out here at this hour?"

"Oh, I was just taking a walk, and I heard some noise, so I came to see what it was. If there's such a nice place, I'd like to try using it too. Hmm..."

Sophia Bianchi quietly stared at the training ground for a moment before speaking again.

"Would it be alright if I tried using it?"

Lena also turned to look at me.

"I don't have the authority to stop you."

"Ah, then could you tell me how to use it? How do I make the wooden target over there rise again?"

“…..."

To be honest, I really wanted to say, "Why don't you go wind it up yourself?" But...

Sophia Bianchi was terrible with machines. In fact, she would often break things like clocks once a month or so.

She'd wind the gears too tightly and break parts, or press the wrong button and completely break the mechanism. It had been a humorous scene when included in a game, but in real life, it would be nothing short of a disaster.

"I’ll help you."

I said, holding back a sigh.

*

The result was disastrous.

It was my complacency that caused the problem.

To be honest, I thought winding the gears would be all it took.

Who could have known that hitting the target too hard would cause the recoil to break the parts in half?

When I saw Sophia Bianchi coming out of the training ground with a satisfied expression, I looked back at the target only to find it bent at an odd angle. I checked it again and, sure enough, it was in a broken state.

"I'm sorry."

Sophia Bianchi immediately apologized.

It seemed she was somewhat used to situations like this.

“…..."

I had to make an extraordinary effort not to rub my face in frustration.

Chapter 153 : Rolling Stone (4)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 153

EP.153 Rolling Stone (4)

The fact that we didn’t have the ability to repair the broken equipment, combined with the fact that it was getting late, meant that we all decided to head back to our rooms.

The next day, I informed Jennifer about the damage to the training ground.

"It was designed to be shot at, so of course it'll break if you hit it that hard."

Jennifer nodded as she spoke.

"Bullets pass through and don’t usually affect the mechanism, so there’s no issue of the parts bending back. But, if you hit it with a sword and apply a lot of force, it’s not impossible for the parts to break."

While examining the wrecked mechanism, Jennifer stood up.

"I can get some spare parts, and if we let the academy know, we can have it fixed. You don’t need to worry too much about it."

Honestly, I wasn’t worried. Even if the repairs were expensive, I could easily cover the cost if I wanted to.

"By the way..."

Jennifer turned her gaze to the three of us.

Sophia Bianchi, who had repeatedly apologized the previous night, had insisted she didn’t need to come today, but here she was, still appearing quite remorseful. If she hadn’t really been sorry, she wouldn’t have pushed herself to come. Or perhaps, she had to make it look like she was genuinely sorry.

"I’ve never seen a swordswoman train here before. In fact, there’s not much a swordswoman can really do in this kind of training ground."

"Is that so...?"

In response to Sophia Bianchi’s words, Jennifer shrugged.

"Fighting with firearms is all about reaction speed. The key is to hit targets that appear suddenly and take them down immediately. But with a sword, it’s all about the skill of clashing blades, isn’t it? Sure, training for reaction speed is important, but the most important thing is training with someone who actually wields a sword."

"But... that’s..."

“Hmm.”

Seeing Sophia Bianchi hesitate, Jennifer tilted her head.

"If you really need training, I think it would be best if the two of them helped you."

"…..."

I had a feeling that this was coming.

Since the event on the battlefield, Jennifer had greatly overestimated my abilities. It was understandable. Anyone would do so if they saw someone who could change the course of a battlefield on their own.

Lena had likely been sent by the Autonomous State to keep an eye on me. Although, Lena seemed completely unaware of this.

In modern times, no matter how skilled someone was, even if they had countless achievements on the battlefield, no one would think of them as a "secret weapon." They would simply gather capable people to form a team for difficult missions, increasing the chances of success in challenging operations.

But this world, with its distinct Japanese subculture, was different. The mere rumor of a war hero joining the battlefield would send the enemy trembling in fear. Even though such a person could still die from a bullet, their presence could change the tide of battle.

"Huh?"

Sophia Bianchi blinked, surprised by the statement.

"The two of them are the best at handling firearms here at the academy, aside from the instructors."

Jennifer gave a very simple explanation to her.

"And, the ‘Princess’ here has already proven herself on the battlefield. She saved the Imperial Army from a deadlock and the risk of a meaningless war of attrition—all on her own."

"Ah, is that...?"

Sophia Bianchi glanced at me with a slight hesitation.

"Is that really true?"

"Of course."

Sophia Bianchi’s words were interrupted by Lena.

"The person who played the biggest role in taking down the warlord group was none other than Sylvia. Soldiers from the Autonomous State who were with the Empire also testified to this."

"And I was there too. Sylvia was definitely alone when she headed to the battlefield. Not just me, but almost every soldier on the front line was looking at Sylvia like she was a madwoman, so there were plenty of witnesses."

It was no wonder people viewed me like that.

One hero could change the course of a battlefield, and in truth, it’s rare to send just one hero into battle. You can’t afford to waste a person who is essentially a tactical weapon.

"If you think that story is Imperial propaganda, how about a duel to settle it?"

"Oh, that's not...," Sophia Bianchi stammered, clearly flustered.

"Here?"

"If we’re dueling, we don’t need to worry about the surroundings."

The only person who would seriously disregard the surroundings during a duel would probably be Jennifer.

"No, but..."

Sophia Bianchi’s gaze shifted toward the gun I was carrying.

"For someone who uses firearms, cover is really important, isn’t it?"

"If it’s a fight with multiple people, maybe. But if it’s just one-on-one, it shouldn’t be a problem. Plus, the opponents here are Sylvia and Lena—two people. There’s no need for cover or any other advantages, right?"

Before I could even answer, Lena was already preparing for combat.

"...Can we duel with just the automatic pistols?"

"Ah, about that..."

Jennifer pulled out a pistol from the holster on her waist.

It looked almost identical to the automatic pistol I used, but the muzzle was blocked. It wasn’t just covered; it had a unique design with a hole on the side, similar to a compensator.

“Your gun is Browning’s, right? I went and asked for a training version of it. If we load blanks, it’ll feel almost the same as using real ammunition."

Jennifer handed the pistol to me, and I took it with some hesitation.

"This way, I won’t get confused while watching you shoot and counting the rounds."

Normally, it would be impossible for anyone to keep track of that, but I kept quiet, aware of the unspoken implication.

I accepted the training pistol from Jennifer, and Lena didn’t need the same modification. The gun wasn’t one with a slide covering the barrel, so Jennifer probably asked Browning to make an adapter for blank rounds that would fit. It would be a bit awkward for aiming, but since Lena fought with two pistols in hand, it wasn’t a major issue.

After loading the blanks into the magazine, we faced each other. Jennifer glanced between us and Sophia Bianchi before speaking.

"Alright, then..."

She paused for a moment, a wide grin spreading across her face.

She really seemed to enjoy this sort of thing.

"Start!"

*

I realized that there were a few things I hadn't seen since arriving in this world. For instance, shouting the name of a technique while swinging a sword. Each character had their own unique skills, and every one of those skills had a name. And the characters would always shout the name of the skill when they used it.

Of course, for some characters, the skill name wasn't really a technical term, but more like a short phrase. In that case, they would shout the phrase instead of the technique name.

Looking back, it made sense that shouting out a technique’s name during a fight would be absurd. It would be like telling your enemy exactly how you were going to fight them. Not to mention, in a real battle, there wouldn't be time for posing and shouting technique names as if it were turn-based combat. Ah, though, I suppose mages can’t avoid it. They need to chant their spells. So, even though I knew all of this, I never really found it strange.

But—

“Goddess, grant me light...”

I never imagined there would actually be someone shouting such lines.

...Ah, right. Of course.

She's from the Papal State, so it might not be so odd for her to chant prayers while fighting.

The problem was that I was the one who found hearing it excruciating.

“By the power of light...”

Hearing that sounded like watching a Japanese anime English dub, and it made me feel a sense of awkwardness I couldn't quite describe.

It would have been better if it had been in Korean, at least.

And because of my abilities, I had to rewind and listen to that line multiple times during the entire fight.

Dammit.

*

It was a relief that I was able to finish the fight before I ran out of bullets. If the training had gone on longer, I might not have been able to endure the awkwardness and might have delayed the whole thing to avoid continuing the fight at all.

"Really... impressive."

It seemed like Sophia Bianchi was a bit shocked that I had finished the training by shooting before shouting "By the power of light."

...Well, she was a knight of the cathedral, so she probably had holy armor that could withstand bullets.

"Of course."

Lena said with a proud look.

"After all, she’s the Empire’s princess."

Normally, a princess shouldn’t be doing something like this.

...Now that I think about it, though, every princess or prince from the Empire who bore that title was always someone capable.

Chapter 154 : Rolling Stone (5)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 154

EP.154 Rolling Stone (5)

Enduring the secondhand embarrassment and going through the sparring session had its benefits.

Sophia Bianchi was originally very arrogant. When she first appeared in the story, she seemed to enjoy fighting on the battlefield. She had even defeated the protagonists once and nonchalantly said things like, "I couldn't control my strength." But this time, she started off by losing to me. Even Lena, who had fought alongside me, hadn’t been deemed out during the match.

Of course, I had rewound time multiple times to fight her, but that wasn’t the only reason I had won. I had recently faced off against Lucas. And not just Lucas going easy on me—Lucas, who was inexplicably furious with me. Lucas, wearing a protective holy robe and wielding a relic weapon. And Sophia Bianchi wasn’t at Lucas’s level.

I remembered a baseball player once saying something similar—how, after facing a pitcher who threw monstrous fastballs, the next pitcher’s throws suddenly seemed much easier to hit. That was exactly how I felt.

She wasn’t someone I could fight one-on-one without any abilities and expect to win, but if I could rewind time, I could at least handle a knight of her caliber. That gave me a small boost of confidence. That was the positive effect I gained from the sparring session. But there was also a downside.

And that was—

"Sylvia!"

Sophia Bianchi was clinging to me more than ever. Before, I hadn't noticed it as much, but back then, she had probably still been evaluating me. She was a skilled swordswoman, and from her perspective, I must have looked like someone with no talent at all. It would’ve been strange for her to consider me important.

But after yesterday's training, it seemed like her perception of me had changed. Well, at least she wasn’t physically clinging to me, so that was a relief...

"Ah, Sophia. How are you?"

"I’m great!"

Her attitude was completely different from how it was in the original story. Claire had changed too, but Sophia’s change felt even stranger. Claire at least had an excuse—she had grown up in an entirely different environment. But Sophia… hmm. Her environment had changed, sure, but not to the point where it would alter her identity, right?

…It was probably an act.

"You seem to be in a good mood today."

Charlotte appeared to feel a sense of familiarity with Sophia Bianchi. Probably because they were from the same homeland, even if their social status was vastly different.

"Yes, something amazing happened yesterday."

"Something amazing?"

Charlotte tilted her head, puzzled. At that moment, Sophia Bianchi’s gaze shifted toward me, her face breaking into a bright smile. Something about it made me uneasy.

"Yesterday, Lady Sylvia and Lady Bianchi had a sparring match."

Before Sophia Bianchi could speak, Lena interjected.

"That’s right."

For just a fraction of a second—so brief that most people wouldn’t have noticed—I caught a glimpse of annoyance flashing across Sophia Bianchi’s face. And strangely, that sight reassured me. So she hadn’t completely changed as a character after all.

"I sparred with Sylvia yesterday."

"I see."

Charlotte let out a wry smile. She had a look that said she could already imagine how it had gone.

"A swordsman who has faced Sylvia in combat would never underestimate her again."

...

Hmm, being praised this much felt a little excessive.

"......"

Alice, who had been silently listening to the conversation, turned to look at me with a knowing smile. Considering that Alice was probably the only person here who could fully read my expressions, she must have accurately interpreted whatever was showing on my face.

I held back a sigh.

*

"Lady Bianchi."

As everyone packed their bags to return to the dormitories, I called out to Sophia Bianchi.

"Yes!"

She immediately turned toward me with a bright smile, stopping in the middle of packing her bag. As a result, the entire classroom's attention shifted in my direction—not just those sitting nearby, but practically everyone.

...Maybe I should have called her somewhere else instead. Still, it wasn’t bad to see the reactions of those around her.

Sophia Bianchi wasn’t a character originally encountered in a school setting, so seeing how others perceived her was a fresh experience. Knowing how people viewed her and how her image was forming could be useful information.

This might sound strange, but I had lost confidence in judging appearances based on looks alone. The people around me were all so ridiculously attractive that I wasn’t sure I could objectively assess someone’s appearance anymore.

If I were to gauge Sophia Bianchi’s looks based on how many guys were now staring at her with dazed expressions, then it seemed fair to say that she was objectively very beautiful.

"Could we talk in private for a moment?"

At my request, I heard several people around us quietly gasp.

It was probably because I had almost never asked anyone to speak with me alone before.

Now that I thought about it, I wondered how people perceived me. My close acquaintances had a certain image of me, but it was probably entirely different from how the rest of the student body viewed me.

Well, I could think about that later.

"Of course!"

Sophia Bianchi answered as if she had been waiting for me to ask.

I could feel Alice’s gaze intensify.

I briefly met Alice’s eyes before turning back to Sophia Bianchi.

"Then, please visit my room later this afternoon. I’d like to discuss... yesterday’s sparring match."

"Understood!"

Sophia Bianchi maintained her bright smile as she gave her answer.

*

The most comfortable place to have a private conversation at the academy was, of course, my dormitory room. As expected of a noble’s quarters, the walls and doors were thick, preventing sound from leaking out. Unlike the chilly air outside, the room was warm, making it an ideal place for long discussions without the need to change locations midway.

As Sophia Bianchi entered my room, she glanced around, seemingly comparing it to her own. I let her continue looking around as I quietly prepared tea.

"Well then... let’s talk. Please, have a seat."

"Yes."

Sophia Bianchi sat down without the slightest hint of nervousness.

She then looked directly at me.

Her amethyst-colored eyes locked onto mine, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. Even after living in the West for ten years, I still hadn’t fully adjusted to this... intense eye contact.

I steeled my resolve.

There was no reason for me to be the one feeling uncomfortable in this situation. In truth, the one who should be feeling uneasy was Sophia Bianchi, who had infiltrated as a spy. In that sense, she was certainly carrying out her mission diligently.

"Sophia Bianchi."

"Yes."

"Are you from the Papal State?"

I didn’t bother sugarcoating it and asked outright. For a brief moment, she stared at me, stunned.

"Pardon?"

"I asked if you’re from the Papal State."

As she sat there in shock, I calmly poured the tea into a cup and slid it toward her.

Honestly, wasn’t it strange for her to think she wouldn’t get caught after using that kind of swordsmanship? Not to mention, she had openly spoken about the goddess. Well, perhaps there were people in the Empire who habitually mentioned the goddess as well. While it wasn’t a religion that everyone followed, it was certainly influential worldwide. That meant there were bound to be many believers.

I had only noticed because I knew the truth—someone else might have dismissed the idea, thinking, "There’s no way an actual knight of the Papal State would be here so openly."

"Will you not answer?"

As I pressed her for a response, Sophia Bianchi blinked once before speaking.

"Are you suggesting... that I lied about my nationality?"

"You may not have lied. If your identity is genuine, then it wouldn’t be considered deception. It could simply be a real identity created as needed."

At the very least, it wasn’t something hastily made up for this occasion. In the original work, her name was Sophia Bianchi, and that name had remained unchanged even in the latest installments.

"In that case, let me rephrase my question."

I looked directly at Sophia Bianchi—just as she had done to me. Though she seemed flustered, she didn’t avoid my gaze. Thanks to that, I could read her expression even more clearly.

Was she doing this on purpose? Perhaps she thought that displaying her flustered expression more vividly would make me believe her? Well, I’d find out soon enough.

"Are you, by any chance, a Knight’s Templar from the Papal State?"

"......"

At last, Sophia Bianchi’s expression gradually hardened.

"If I asked how you knew, would you answer?"

"Who knows."

I looked at her and replied.

"If the cards you show me are useful, then I see no reason to keep mine hidden either."

Chapter 155 : Rolling Stone (6)

The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent – 155

EP.155 Rolling Stone (6)

"Hmm..."

Sophia Bianchi deliberated for a few seconds before letting out a deep sigh.

"So it wasn’t that I got caught—you knew from the start."

That was true, but her words carried an undertone of confidence, as if she firmly believed she was incapable of being discovered.

I didn’t bother correcting her. There was no point in disrupting the conversation and wasting time over trivial details.

"In that case, there’s no need to hide anything. Let’s just exchange the information we need."

As Sophia Bianchi continued speaking, I felt a slight sense of surprise. No, on second thought, perhaps it wasn’t surprising at all. In the original work, whenever the protagonist questioned her, she never responded with an overbearing attitude. She only spoke about what she deemed necessary. That attitude had always been rooted in her unwavering confidence in her own skills. Since I had already defeated her in a duel once, she likely realized that maintaining such an attitude in front of me would be pointless.

"Yes, I am indeed from the Papal State, as Your Highness suspected."

The way she addressed me changed from Lady Sylvia to Your Highness.

"As for why I am here... it is by order of the Papal State, to gather information about you, Your Highness."

"And what exactly do they mean by ‘information’?"

"They want to understand more about your ability—the power to change the course of an entire battlefield single-handedly. But to be honest, I don’t know much either. The Cardinals are infamous for issuing orders without providing detailed explanations."

"Is that so they have a contingency in case you're caught and detained?"

"Well... yes, I suppose."

At my question, Sophia Bianchi’s expression briefly darkened with displeasure. Given her confidence in her own abilities, she must have believed she would never be caught or detained in the first place.

"It’s also because of Eliza."

The fact that she used Verratti’s baptismal name suggested that the Papal State had heightened their caution ever since Verratti was captured by the Empire. This was something that had been briefly mentioned in the original work as well.

"Is there any other reason?"

Sophia Bianchi simply shrugged.

"The rest is information that I wouldn’t be able to access unless I stood face-to-face with His Majesty the Emperor himself. My primary mission is to gather intelligence on Your Highness. Anything beyond that is just a bonus—if I can find out more, great; if not, it’s no big deal."

Her demeanor wasn’t entirely the same as before. Compared to the way she acted in front of others, she seemed slightly more casual now—especially in her body language.

"Why go to such lengths to monitor me? I’m not the only princess in the Empire."

"Because you are the only one with such unusual traits, Your Highness."

Sophia Bianchi answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Guns are typically used by those who lack the talent for swordsmanship, so they can engage in battle as quickly as possible. If someone has true talent, they can simply predict the trajectory of a gun and avoid stepping into its line of fire altogether. Besides, wielding a gun doesn’t really feel like honing one’s natural abilities, does it? Oh—of course, I don’t mean that as an insult to Your Highness."

Realizing her words might have sounded offensive, Sophia hastily added that clarification before quickly continuing her explanation.

"But after seeing Your Highness’s record, opinions changed. While not every soldier can reach Your Highness’s level, if we could at least train soldiers to attain even ten percent of your skills… well, you see the potential. No matter how strong a soldier is, they can't be in two places at once. Even if they hold one battlefield, the war is lost if every other front falls. And it's not as if the Empire lacks skilled swordsmen."

"So, are you saying you intended to recruit me?"

"Rather than recruitment, I was simply ordered to learn whatever I could from Your Highness’s movements."

Sophia Bianchi’s voice carried a hint of resignation, as if the order itself had been a letdown.

In other words… she had been instructed to copy my combat style—something that wasn’t even codified into a formal doctrine yet.

Hearing that, I felt like I was starting to understand.

My combat techniques were essentially a fusion of my rudimentary military knowledge and real battle experience. Normally, developing a fighting style in such a short period would be difficult, but I had experienced more battles than most could even imagine. I had been shot, hit by shrapnel, and survived actual combat. Since I had fought purely for survival, my battle tactics carried their own intrinsic value.

I hadn't expected this kind of answer. It was strange to think that I had a value that made others seek me out.

"Well, and…"

Sophia Bianchi shrugged once more.

"Given that His Majesty the Emperor is a meritocrat, there’s a chance Your Highness could rise as the next heir. Maybe they thought it would be good to have a friend of a similar age in place ahead of time. But that’s just my guess."

Ah, so that’s how it is.

Verratti was still imprisoned in the Empire. Worse, she was in a coma, unable to communicate. Even with magic, long-distance communication was impossible. This world hadn't developed wireless technology yet.

I recalled something the original developers had mentioned. Originally, at the start of the game’s timeline, radio technology was supposed to be emerging. However, because electricity-based technologies were underdeveloped, radio communication hadn’t progressed either. There were fighter planes, but instead of radios, co-pilots used hand signals or embedded magic stones that emitted light to communicate.

The intelligence Verratti had gathered never made it back to the Papal State. So, naturally, they would try to deploy a new agent in a safer, more subtle way.

This felt strange.

"So, Your Highness, why don’t we be friends? If necessary, you could even negotiate with the Papal State. It’s not like we could win in a war against the Empire even if we trained our soldiers this way."

I stared silently at Sophia Bianchi, who was subtly trying to coax me, before finally speaking.

"Are you aware of the recent incident at the Imperial Palace?"

"…I am?"

Sophia Bianchi’s eyes widened slightly at my words.

"It was the incident where Lucas attacked. Many knights and soldiers were killed or injured."

"Uh…"

"Lucas was wearing priestly robes and wielded Jericho’s sword. That suggests he had committed some act in the Papal State beforehand. What do you know? Did something happen in the Papal State?"

At my question, Sophia Bianchi’s mouth fell open slightly as she stared at me in stunned silence.

"Uh… If Your Highness suddenly gives me such high-level information, I don’t really know how to respond…."

As I silently stared at Sophia Bianchi, her expression grew slightly flustered.

"The leadership of the Papal State is extremely secretive. If they decide a subordinate doesn’t need to know something, they never share any details. I did hear that something happened, but that’s all I know. I only just learned that the infiltrator was a prince."

Huh.

"I may be from the Papal State, but I’ve lived in Lutetia since childhood to establish this identity. I have confidence in my abilities, and the Papal State trusts me, but… beyond the knowledge required for my mission, I haven’t received anything else. I’m sorry."

I quietly observed Sophia Bianchi. When my gaze locked onto her, she fidgeted uncomfortably. Just moments ago, she had been the one meeting my eyes directly, making me uncomfortable. Now, the dynamic had completely reversed. I considered the possibility that she might be hiding the truth from me. But… well.

In the original work, she was always composed, trusting in her own skills. However, after experiencing a real defeat, she had been so genuinely shocked that she had been at a loss for words. She wasn’t the type to completely conceal her emotions. She had been keeping up an act, but as the conversation progressed, she had started to reveal her true self. Other than appearing a bit more relaxed, her demeanor hadn’t changed significantly.

Right.

No matter how competent she was, she was still only fifteen. Even by next year—when the second part of the main story began—she would only be sixteen. An age where the ego was inflated, where one still thought of themselves as special. Maybe the confidence she had in the main story had come from validating her skills in real combat.

…Ah.

I let out a long sigh.

Thinking about it that way, I felt a sudden sense of reality crashing down on me.

All this talk about an "intruding force"—in the end, she was just a kid who had transferred schools not too long ago. Even the Papal State, which had assigned her this mission, seemed to acknowledge that.

Had I been taking this too seriously?

Feeling an odd wave of secondhand embarrassment, I gathered my thoughts again.

Again!

Chapter 156

By the end of September, I had just been living an ordinary life.

The hatred I once felt toward Sophia from the original story had mostly faded by then.

What I disliked was just a character in a book, and the person in front of me... she was a different Sophia than the one from my memories.

It was similar to Claire’s case. Of course, even when she was just a character, I had liked Claire, but if anyone had asked me whether the Claire next to me now was the same as the one from the story, I would have said no.

I had even tried asking a few things while rewinding time right after—

“Pardon? Me? I’ve never really killed anyone yet…”

“When I was asked to become a knight by the Law Country, I was happy, but it was to repay the kindness I’ve received. How many people would want to become a knight just to kill others?”

—Sophia answered with a flustered tone.

In the original story, the character's backstory wasn’t really revealed, and she just said something like, “I became a knight of the church because I like killing people,” but... perhaps there was some backstory here too. Was becoming a knight of the church something that happened later in the original story? Did she become one hurriedly because of me?

At least, I remembered that the justification was something like, “I didn’t go around just killing anyone.”

Since I couldn’t confirm it with her directly, I decided to stop asking. Maybe it would be more helpful to wait for Veratti to wake up instead.

Or perhaps I could personally invade the Law Country and grab the Pope by the collar to ask him.

Maybe it was something that would be revealed in the sequel. Since I had come over to this side before the original work came out, I might have missed out on intended details.

...Come to think of it, it’s a bit absurd.

If you’re going to send someone to such a place, shouldn’t you at least make sure they see the entire backstory? That way, they can properly prepare for what comes next.

Sending someone like this without any context just leaves me clueless about what my goal is. All I’ve managed to come up with is some vague, half-baked plan like “saving the characters I like.”

Maybe creating such a situation itself was the goal of that entity, but well, that’s something I can’t confirm right now, so I decided to focus on the task at hand.

The RPG series from Millennium Company, especially the Azerna Chronicles series, tends to focus on introducing the world, characters, and society whenever the setting changes. The first game usually builds the foundation, and then in the sequels, it picks up with the characters coming together and solving the events that occur.

The first game covers the period until the second semester of the first year. The second game starts right after the first and continues until the end of the year. The third game picks up from the second game and covers six months, with the stories becoming denser while the time span becomes shorter, increasing the playtime as the series progresses.

In the third game, the heroine who dies is already determined.

Of course, in a game, it’s difficult to link save files individually, so all the events are packed into the third game. But since this is reality, it’s better to start thinking about everything from here on out.

That’s why I didn’t make a battle manual.

If I made one, the Emperor would probably use it. Jennifer had never suggested I make such a thing, either.

It’s more likely that Rena would go to the Autonomous Nation and create it herself… but that’s fine. If the Autonomous Nation gets the power to counter the Imperial Army or handle the borderlands’ warlords on their own, the Emperor will likely change his mind.

The Emperor is already ruling the Empire much more easily than in the original. And the reason for that is entirely because of my existence.

The existence of the monitor ship that fired on the borderlands is a variable, but that was something that appeared in the original too.

So far, things seem to be progressing positively, right?

So far, at least.

*

The person bowing their head without saying a word was wearing the same uniform as me.

Now that the weather was getting colder, I began to drape my coat over my shoulders again. It was a bit strange that Rena, who often followed me around, also started wearing her coat over her shoulders, but well, at least it didn’t look completely out of place. Jennifer also wore her coat like that.

But this person was different. Every button of the shirt and coat was fastened properly, and the clothes were impeccably smooth without a single wrinkle.

That pristine appearance, which could be described as perfectly neat, made me think of a soldier at first glance, but it still felt different from Rena’s neatness.

Following this strange sense of discomfort, the figure that came to my mind was none other than a maid from the royal household.

Ah, right, of course. Roti was Jake’s maid after all.

“Roti, was it?” I asked.

If she had just been a regular maid, I would have nodded and moved on, but she was a regular character from the original. She wasn’t a heroine to be courted, but she was still quite popular due to her relationship with the righteous male lead, Jake.

“I am honored that Your Highness remembers my humble name.”

If I were in the modern world, I would have thought this sounded a little sarcastic.

But here, it wasn’t. The idea that Roti came from a humble background was common sense here. I didn’t personally think that way, but I wasn’t sure how to respond to her.

“You were a close friend of Jake’s, right?”

“I am his maid,” she responded, as if putting up a solid defense.

“Hmm.” 

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit challenged.

As a sign of her mixed heritage and colonized background, her skin was dark. The Empire’s main motif was the once mighty British Empire, so the inspiration for Roti’s homeland was colonial India.

Whether Roti had spent her childhood in the Azerna Empire or in a colony, it wasn’t surprising that the caste system was deeply rooted in her mind.

“Jake doesn’t think so,” I said.

“Sir Jake simply treats me comfortably because we’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Then it’s only natural to think of each other as close friends, isn’t it?”

“...Your Highness.”

I quietly stared at Roti.

Since she had her eyes down, I couldn’t make out her expression, but it seemed she thought I was belittling Jake.

Hmm.

I couldn’t exactly say, “I’m not even a drop of imperial blood, but I have the title of princess.” 

If the Emperor, who was at the top of the caste system, chose to do so, that was his decision. Bringing it up would only be a pointless aggravation.

“Oh, Sylvia,” Jake appeared just as I was thinking of what to say next. Had he been doing something for a while?

“It’s nice to see you two getting along so well,” he said cheerfully.

“...Sir Jake.”

Roti, looking at us, who didn’t seem friendly at all, warned Jake with a playful tone.

As expected, Jake shrugged off her sharp words, letting them slide.

“Did you two run into each other by accident?” he asked.

“Yes, we just happened to cross paths,” I replied.

Jake smiled at us, seeming entertained.

“Did you speak because our territory is next for the field exercise? Trying to gather some information?” 

I hadn’t thought of that, but...

I had a rough idea of how the Lindbergh estate’s castle was structured. It wasn’t fully implemented, but at least I could picture where the books I needed to read or the items I needed to check were located.

“Yes.”

But I was too lazy to think of another reason, so I just went with that.

It wouldn’t make sense for me, who’s notorious for not striking up conversations with others, to speak for no reason.

Especially since Roti had been staring at me quietly.

Because I was “that” royal child from “that” family. She might have thought I would do something at the Lindbergh estate.

And probably, the biggest reason she was wary of me was Jake Lindbergh.

How quaint.

Watching Jake casually place his hand on Roti’s shoulder and seeing her swat it away before he lowered his hand with an equally nonchalant look, I briefly considered making things more awkward, but then decided against it.

“If you really need information, I can share it with you,” I offered.

“Really?”

I glanced at Roti as I spoke.

Jake, too, briefly looked at Roti, and for a moment, it seemed like our thoughts aligned. Jake or Roti probably didn’t suspect I was teasing Roti.

“Then, would you like to have a chat for a moment?” 

“Sure, if we’re alone—”

“Master.” 

Roti cut off Jake’s words, and Jake shrugged again.

“Oops, seems like my childhood friend doesn’t like it. Well, it can’t be helped.”

If I hadn’t been here, I bet Roti wouldn’t have rolled her eyes.

It’s a bit disappointing that I won’t get to see that. 

Chapter 157

I also liked the character Roti. She wasn’t a character I could romance, but whenever Jake and Roti appeared in the game, they would usually have little exchanges like this. It wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but it was heartwarming.

"So, what kind of information can you provide?" 

The fact that Jake wanted to talk to me alone was probably not sincere. He was likely just trying to make a joke because Roti was standing next to him.

When he first spoke to me, it was probably just a remark he made out of frustration, reflecting Roti’s words.

He was a character who generally kept a neutral expression, hiding his emotions. But that didn’t mean he was emotionless—he had simply grown accustomed to hiding his feelings since childhood.

Jake felt pity for Roti because of that.

"What information can you give me?"

"Hmm."

Jake fell into a moment of thought before speaking.

"Well, it's still warm down there, even at this time of year."

Since it bordered a desert.

The Empire controlled most of the western part of the continent, and the northern region of the southern continent was one of its colonies.

The Lindbergh family had been at the forefront when the Empire first invaded the southern continent. They had recruited pirates before the Empire even had a proper parliament and had conquered and occupied a region, slowly absorbing it into their territory over about a century.

As a result, the Lindbergh estate was split into two, with the sea separating the northern and southern parts.

The northern estate, across from the sea, was peaceful and unremarkable. It was large, but there were no notable special products.

Most of the Lindbergh family’s wealth came from their holdings in the southern continent. They controlled the fertile areas of the northern part of the southern continent, and their trade with colonies beyond the desert made up the majority of their income.

Before the standing army was disbanded, they had set up naval bases and rented them out to the Imperial Army for a tidy sum.

Additionally, like the Winterfield family, they maintained some private soldiers because they were situated near the borderlands.

"Maybe it wouldn’t be a problem to play by the seaside? The swimwear trend has been popular in the estates recently."

"……."

Upon hearing Jake’s words, Roti made a face that seemed like she was trying to suppress something.

If we followed historical accuracy, swimwear in the early 20th century was just baggy clothing, especially for women.

However... considering the world we were in, what kind of world was it? A world created by a Japanese game company at the forefront of otaku subculture.

Naturally, the swimwear looked quite similar to the ones from my world.

It was a bit absurd to even bother pointing this out, especially considering that casinos in this world had bunny girls.

"And, well... I could tell you about local specialties and such, but honestly, it’s not really related to what we’re doing there, is it?"

"That’s true."

Even if Jake knew important secrets about the estate, he wasn’t the type to blurt them out carelessly.

"Well, at least it’s good news—means we can stay warm for a few more days. I had a hard time adjusting after spending the vacation in a warm place and coming here to the cold."

"You might catch a cold if the temperature suddenly changes. You should be worried about your health, sir. You’re traveling back and forth twice this month."

"Don’t worry, Roti. I’m tougher than I look. And speaking of which, shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself, being a woman?"

"I..."

Roti seemed about to say something, but then shut her mouth, probably feeling like, ‘What’s the point?’ I had to hold back a bitter smile.

*

Most other territories didn’t need to cross a vast ocean, so even if each group went separately, it wasn’t a big deal, but the Lindbergh estate was different.

Going to the northern Lindbergh estate wasn’t particularly educational, so naturally, the practical field exercises were in the southern part.

The southern continent colonies were incredibly important to the Empire. The reason the Empire could call itself an Empire was because of its numerous colonies.

Many people believed that the Empire was truly completed when the Emperor declared, “I am the emperor of two continents,” after conquering them all.

Though, even during the era of the first Emperor, Fangriphon, the term "Empire" had been used confidently, but calling a nation an Empire rather than just a country made it easier for other nations to accept the Empire’s imperialistic claims.

The reason the Empire could be called a true Empire.

That was also why the academy sent students here at least once.

Moreover, since the academy often had foreign students, it was a good opportunity to flaunt the Empire’s prestige.

Sending students by airship, not just by boat, had practical and imperialist reasons for showing off the Empire’s status.

"The Empire claims that this vast sea is all within its territorial waters," Rena said.

"Since the Empire’s territory spans both the top and bottom," Alice added.

Strictly speaking, under international law, no sea could be entirely considered territorial waters.

However, the Empire had applied its laws to all the islands and reefs it had occupied, effectively claiming half of the Mediterranean as its own territorial waters.

With the Empire’s powerful navy, no nation had the means to contest it. After all, they were a country that could float battleships in the air—who could say they couldn’t control the sea?

"Velbourne hardly uses this sea anyway, since it's located in the northern continent."

"...There’s a saying that the prices of goods coming across this sea are inflated."

"It’s not because the Empire treats it like its own sea. It’s more because the Lindbergh family takes a lot of cuts. In fact, that’s why goods from the Empire aren’t much cheaper than those from foreign countries. And if you really want to buy something, you could just trade with the Ivelia Kingdom."

Alice responded somewhat harshly, possibly because of the comment about the country she might inherit.

Despite Alice’s reaction, Charlotte didn’t seem fazed. After all, they had been friends even before they were princesses.

"The Ivelia Kingdom has almost no colonies in the southern continent. It’s only been unified for 20 years. In that time, the Empire has taken all the prime land in the southern continent."

"That’s because they’ve been fighting amongst themselves for centuries."

...

Hmm.

In the original work, I don’t remember hearing about this. I mean, I knew about the settings, but I had never heard the characters discuss such political topics. When political discussions came up, they were usually about direct conflicts between the Empire and the Kingdom.

Then again, these two characters were from an era when 20th-century imperialism and nationalism were spreading. Their pride in their countries was growing, and that pride was, of course, based on the power they had over their colonies and nations.

Well, that would probably break down soon enough.

I turned my gaze towards Roti.

All first-year students from Rondarium Academy were on the airship, but those in the scenic observation deck were mostly noble students.

Noble students typically claimed the best spots, and commoners rarely moved when they saw the nobles settled in.

However, among them, one student stood out.

No, rather than the student standing out, it was the way people around the student were looking at them.

It was Roti.

Roti, standing next to Jake.

Jake probably hadn’t dragged her here against her will. Even Jake, no matter how mischievous, wouldn’t want others to look down on Roti. After all, she was the girl he liked.

Roti was probably here by her own choice, pretending to be standing there to "assist the young master" as a maid.

In truth, she probably just wanted to be with him.

When I turned my gaze towards Roti, our eyes met for a brief moment. Roti quickly turned her gaze back to the window, but she was clearly paying attention to our conversation.

It made sense. Roti was from a colony.

Though she had grown up in the Lindbergh estate, she was discriminated against openly because of her appearance. The conversation between the two, talking so casually about the discrimination she faced, must have caught her attention.

But there was no anger or frustration visible on her face.

It seemed more like resignation.

She was a character caught between two worlds—an Empire-born with mixed blood, unable to fully belong to either side.

Even before she got together with Jake, and even after, she had been the subject of gossip among the nobles.

"..."

At first, I hadn’t paid much attention to it, but now, with the reality of it sinking in, it felt far more pitiful than when I saw it in the game.

Chapter 158

That being said, I wasn’t particularly worried about Alice and Charlotte’s way of thinking. Nor about Leo and Claire.

After all, they were the protagonist and heroine characters, weren’t they?

It wasn’t a picaresque story, so the protagonist and heroines were mostly righteous by nature. After learning the truth about imperialism, they would be shocked and change their perspective. Well, in the original, it wasn’t so much that they “changed their perspective,” but more like “they were always righteous,” and that was how it was portrayed—but that’s because the story I heard on the airship never made it into the main plot.

"Wow, it’s really hot... no, it’s more like the seasons have completely switched."

Alice, who had gotten off the airship, exclaimed in shock.

Given that the daytime temperature was almost hitting 30 degrees Celsius, it was understandable. Rondarium never reached temperatures like this, even in the middle of summer.

"You don’t need to worry too much. When night comes, the temperature will drop so much that it’ll be hard to bear without outerwear," Jake reassured.

"The weather is so extreme..."

"Still, a lot more people live here than on the Empire’s mainland, so the climate might actually be more livable than where we come from."

"...It’s almost a whole country’s worth of desert."

Jake shrugged at Alice’s rebuttal.

Half of it was probably a joke, but half was likely sincere. Jake had lived here since childhood.

He had a fondness for the place as his hometown, but also felt guilty since the cities were built by forcing the local people to work. I could understand why he would try to frame things in a more positive light.

"Alright, everyone, listen up! All students from the same class, please gather and line up!" 

Jennifer, who had the loudest voice among the teachers, clapped her hands to grab the students' attention.

The students, both commoners who rarely got to leave and noble children, were all excitedly chatting and gathering around. The airport built with Lindbergh’s money, as if to elevate the family’s prestige, had glass walls all around. It reminded me of the Crystal Palace that once existed in London.

Given the glass building built under the intense sun, the inside was naturally sweltering, but there were air-conditioning-like devices forcing the hot air out, making it bearable. Though the roof was also entirely made of glass, there were shade covers installed here and there.

To my eyes, the building seemed quite old-fashioned, but for a building from 1901, it was perfectly modern. Even though it had been built a few years ago, it still felt cutting-edge.

And outside the building, the well-maintained streets were filled with exotic elements rarely seen in the Empire. Palm trees lined the roads, and steam-powered cars and complicated machinery were clearly visible.

The city, which had been built in a place that had nothing before, could truly be called an experimental ground for advanced technology.

By the way, the airship airport here was the largest in the world.

"Alright, alright."

When the students finally gathered in line after hearing Jennifer’s instructions, she nodded and said:

"Our accommodation will be the Lindbergh Hotel. As it’s named after the family that rules this territory, it’s the largest and most modern place here."

At this, several students’ gazes turned toward Jake. He only smiled slightly and didn’t show any particular reaction.

"The way we’ll get there is by ‘bus.’ You’ll need to follow the instructions carefully. There’s little chance of something going terribly wrong, but there will be a lot of unfamiliar things, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, accidents can happen."

Though there were crossing points in the Empire, carriages generally didn’t move at high speeds, and even some steam cars moved very slowly to avoid startling horses. While collisions still led to major accidents, they weren’t as fast as the cars in this place, which raced around at full speed.

...Still, listening to this made me think, ‘Ah, this is what a car is,’ and it made me laugh a little.

"Since this place will be unfamiliar to most of you, no personal actions are allowed. If you want to go somewhere, you must travel in groups of at least three. If you don’t have companions, ask one of the teachers, including myself."

Jennifer glanced around at us and asked, "Any questions?"

I thought no one would raise their hand, but surprisingly, someone did.

It was Jake.

"You."

When Jennifer pointed at Jake, he opened his mouth.

"This is my hometown, but do I still need to go with someone when I go somewhere?"

A small laugh spread among the students.

Jennifer smiled in response and said, "Yes, no exceptions. If I make an exception for you, someone will surely get hurt, thinking ‘I’m used to it now, so I should go by myself.’ And you’re not exactly ‘alone’ anywhere, are you? The girls will probably follow you around."

A slightly louder laugh rang out from the group.

"Alright, then. Any other questions? No? Good, let’s head to the hotel. Don’t worry too much about the luggage; it will be taken to your rooms."

*

The hotel and surrounding buildings reminded me of the dramas or movies set in early 20th-century New York. No, actually, with the palm trees lining the streets, it was closer to Miami. Though I’d never been to either place, they resembled each other.

Still, the hotel itself looked very similar to the Empire State Building, so let's say it was a mix of both.

"..."

Charlotte’s expression looked somewhat troubled as she watched the bus drive away.

It made sense. Velbourne had not undergone full industrialization or modernization yet. There were still more carriages than cars, and soldiers were only just starting to be supplied with modern firearms.

The Empire didn’t "not" modernize; it simply "didn’t" modernize. Whether it was the vested interests or guilds, people who pulled carriages or made saddles had to be supported, so modern devices were restricted by archaic laws.

Therefore, it was clear that this city, with its complete "modernization," was something entirely different.

Though there weren’t cars filling the streets, there were no carriages either. Wealthy commoners and nobles drove their own cars, and workers took city buses. Occasionally, motorcycles could also be seen.

It was a modern urban atmosphere, unlike anything you could find outside the Empire.

This was exactly why it was so easy to use this place to showcase the power of the Empire.

"Impressive..."

Sophia’s honest reaction was probably because there was no need for her to develop the Law Country any further.

Charlotte, who would inherit the throne, must have felt much more complicated about it.

"This city is special. In fact, the Empire still has a long way to go in terms of development," Alice said, trying to comfort Charlotte.

"Lutetia is far from being that developed," Charlotte replied, silencing Alice.

I thought about speaking on Alice’s behalf. Lutetia was a very beautiful city. Even without modernization, it could still be proudly shown to others.

"If such transport were applied to the military, how much faster could we move a large number of troops?"

"……."

Well, saying something like that left me without a response.

After all, even if a city is beautiful, if it can’t stop the enemy, it will just be taken.

"Don’t worry too much."

Jake suddenly interrupted our conversation.

"It’s only just recently that they started bringing in that technology. Even though it looks like that, they rushed it, so there are a lot of issues. It’s still not good enough to be used for the military."

Of course, it wouldn’t be a huge problem for the Imperial Army, which already used things like tanks.

"Is that so?"

Charlotte didn’t particularly argue with Jake’s words. There was no point in continuing such a conversation.

"Anyway, let’s head into the hotel. We’re all sweating here, right?"

...Hmm.

I knew Jake didn’t always think highly of his own family, but...

Somehow, I had the feeling that he didn’t really enjoy praising his family.

Could it be that there was something I hadn’t seen in the original?

Thinking that, I followed Jake into the very well-decorated lobby of the hotel, which, by their standards, looked modern but also had a historical feel.

Chapter 159

As expected of a hotel that looked so impressive on the outside, the interior was just as remarkable. It wasn’t excessively extravagant, nor was it overly simplistic—it had just the right touch of luxury. In fact, it looked far more expensive than a place decked out in jewels and glitter.

If a noble family operated a hotel this perfect, they’d probably be proud to show it off. The Grace family took pride in cultivating the only patch of green grass in the middle of a dreary city, the Winterfield family in their strong-hearted citizens, and the Northwood family in their magnificent streets.

But no, this place did show off its elegance. However, the person who was supposed to take ownership of it—Jake—was merely smiling faintly, without a trace of a boastful attitude.

Jake was, in fact, much more composed here than he was at the academy.

"You probably already know the room assignments. We’ve put you with people you can comfortably stay with, so there’s no need to worry," he said.

I shared a room with Alice. It was a spacious two-person room, though they could have packed us into a four-person room. The decision to keep us in a larger room was likely more influenced by the Lindbergh family than by the academy’s plans.

The willingness to offer such generosity, along with the intention to make sure that when the time came for business visits, they would ensure we stayed here, was clear.

Providing the same for the commoner class meant Lindbergh was "progressive," in a sense. Of all noble families, they were the most sensitive to money. It was also a family that always lacked manpower. Whether commoner students would end up becoming bourgeois or professionals, it wouldn’t hurt to become familiar with them early on.

Of course, the term "progressive" probably only applied to pure-blooded Empire citizens, particularly those of white descent.

"We’ve been traveling for days, so I’m sure you’re all exhausted. Rest well today. However, as I mentioned earlier, before going outside the hotel, report to me or one of the teachers waiting in the lobby. Also, make sure to travel in groups of three or more. A little additional advice—don’t fall for any persuasion that might lead you astray," Jennifer said.

Her last words caused some laughter among the students, but Jennifer’s expression remained quite serious.

"The security around here is better than in some places, but it’s still not as good as in the Empire. Stay alert and act responsibly. That’s all."

In truth, most of the students here weren’t from the Empire, so they were probably more familiar with places that had far worse security. Still, there might be some who had never experienced places with poor security firsthand.

"Sylvia."

Once Jennifer finished speaking, and the students began gathering in their groups, Alice tapped me lightly on the shoulder.

"Shall we go check out our room? It’s on a pretty high floor."

Alice’s expression was excited, so I nodded silently in agreement.

*

It would be a lie to say I hadn’t felt excited since coming to this world.

The moment I realized I was in the world of the game series I loved. The moment I found myself beside Alice as a princess.

When I entered the academy that the main characters attended or got involved in the main story…

There were many moments when I had to think hard and ponder, but at the same time, I felt a flutter in my chest. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anyone who wouldn’t feel excited when they find themselves in the world of a game they love.

In most body-swap stories, people usually start by saying how everything’s ruined and this world is doomed, but eventually, they end up living well after meeting the heroine.

...I guess it’s a little different for me, but still.

"This is amazing, now I get why they insisted on having us stay in this hotel."

Alice said, gazing out the window.

The 72nd floor, the very top.

No matter how big the hotel was, there was no way they could have squeezed so many students into such a scenic location. The reason our rooms were placed here wasn’t a coincidence; the room allocation wasn’t random.

The road outside, visible through the clean glass windows, was perfectly straight. It seemed as though it had been measured with a ruler, as the road stretched all the way to the edge of the city, which could be faintly seen in the distance. A road that cut diagonally across the city was also visible.

It proudly showed that the city had been planned from the start.

At the far edge of my sight, the industrial area began. Outside the city limits, I could see black smoke and white steam rising. Beyond that, there were likely plantation farms.

"If we had stayed at Lindbergh Estate like the other places, we wouldn’t have felt like this."

"Lindbergh Castle is actually much more modest compared to the estates on the Empire’s mainland."

Unlike other estates, which literally resembled castles, Lindbergh’s family residence was just a mansion in the middle of the city. It wasn’t small enough to be called ‘just’ a mansion, but calling it a castle would have been a stretch.

It was built during an era when families didn’t need to prepare for medieval-style sieges.

"A new kind of business for a new era…" Alice muttered, gazing down at the scene.

"Well, fine. Let’s check the room and luggage first, then we can go out and explore the area. Charlotte’s probably itching to go outside, so we can gather the others and head out—"

Before Alice could finish speaking, there was a knock at our door.

"I’ll go answer it."

I had a pretty good idea of what was happening since this was part of the story from the original.

As I walked across the large room toward the door, the knock didn’t come again. Whoever had knocked wasn’t in a hurry and was waiting quietly.

When I opened the thick door, I met Roti’s eyes.

"Your Highness."

Roti bowed slightly. She had always greeted people with grace, even when she was just another student at the academy, but this time, her greeting was different.

She held the edge of her skirt and bowed with a refined gesture.

It felt more like a formal bow than a simple greeting.

"What is it?" I asked.

I already knew what was happening, but I felt awkward not asking about it.

"Tonight, Duke Lindbergh would like to invite the two princesses to a banquet at Lindbergh Mansion," Roti said, bowing again and handing us two invitations.

I took them, and on the elegant, flowing handwriting was written: "To Her Highness Princess Alice Fangriphon" on one side, and "To Her Highness Princess Sylvia Fangriphon" on the other. Both invitations were sealed with a dark purple wax seal, embossed with an image of a rearing horse.

"It would be an honor if the two princesses would grace the banquet with your presence," Roti said, her voice full of respectful courtesy.

"…Roti?" 

Alice’s voice came from behind, surprised to see Roti standing at the door and greeting me so politely.

Though Roti was still in her uniform, her posture was as dignified as if she were wearing a maid’s uniform.

I silently passed Alice her invitation.

"We’ve been invited to a banquet tonight at Lindbergh Estate."

"...Really?"

Alice squinted slightly at the envelope, then looked back at Roti.

"Roti, there’s no need to be so formal. We’re both in the same uniform right now."

"However, the invitation was sent in the name of Duke Lindbergh," Roti responded, her words carrying more meaning.

Roti was Jake’s personal maid, so when delivering something like this, it was natural for her to do so as a maid.

Whether she was wearing a uniform or not, when dealing with nobility, Roti would always act in her professional capacity.

"...I see." Alice nodded, as if understanding the implication.

Roti gave another deep bow and then stepped back, retreating a step.

She remained standing in the same spot until I closed the door.

"So, Roti is Lindbergh’s..."

"His maid, I suppose. Jake insists she’s his childhood friend, though."

"Actually, that would be the more natural assumption. I’ve been at the academy so long that I keep forgetting things like that."

Alice’s expression was complex.

I didn’t think it was a bad thing, so I didn’t feel the need to say anything about it.

Chapter 160

When Alice and I went back down to the lobby, we found Claire and Leo there. It seemed that Claire was staying in the same room as Charlotte, while Leo was in a room with Jake.

Mia Crowfield was with Sophia, but… I honestly didn’t understand why they were paired up. "So they wouldn’t be uncomfortable together?" But wouldn’t they just be uncomfortable with each other? 

However, upon thinking about it again, I realized that no matter who Mia was paired with, she probably would have been uncomfortable. Mia didn’t like getting close to anyone, and Sophia had only recently transferred, plus, as a foreigner, she didn’t have any ties to the Empire’s social circles.

Perhaps that’s why they assumed there would be no clashes. It would have been awkward to pair Mia with someone from the royal family or a powerful noble family like Claire. 

"Oh, that." 

When Alice took out the invitation she had brought downstairs, Claire reacted immediately.

"You got one too?"

"No, I didn’t get one."

Claire responded with a look of disappointment.

"But I saw Charlotte get one. From Roti."

"What’s this about?"

Leo, intrigued by the conversation, asked.

"It’s an invitation to some dull banquet tonight at our estate," Jake answered. Unlike his usual casual tone, his words had a strangely subdued atmosphere. Given Jake’s typically lighthearted demeanor, even the smallest shift made him seem much more serious.

"I’ll say it now, but there’s no need to go. My father didn’t send the invitations expecting everyone to show up," Jake continued.

"But we can’t turn down an invitation from the lord of the estate where we’re staying, can we?" Charlotte frowned slightly.

"The place isn’t being provided because we were invited. It’s part of the academy’s cooperation, and strictly speaking, we’re still in class, so it’s not the same as a regular invitation," Jake explained, glancing around at the others.

"Anyone else get one?"

The room fell quiet for a moment, and a girl cautiously raised her hand.

"I-I got one..."

It was Mia Crowfield.

After seeing her, it seemed everyone realized how the invitations had been distributed.

"How blunt… Does this mean no one from the commoner class got one?" Alice said in disbelief.

"Yeah. They were only sent to families around the count level," Jake said with a bitter smile, noticing the attention on him.

"Even a duke’s family being so obvious about it?"

"Well, I wouldn’t call it that bad. Even at banquets held by other dukes, barons don’t usually get invited unless they’re family. Certainly not commoners."

Alice opened the envelope and unfolded the invitation.

‘It would be an honor to have you grace our banquet tonight with your esteemed presence.’

The Duke’s signature, the venue, and time were listed. Other than the signature, nothing too significant—someone would come to fetch us anyway if we forgot.

"Are they trying to make connections before we even graduate?" Alice muttered, glancing out the window.

Once Alice becomes Empress, both she and I may never have the chance to come back here. As Empress, she would be occupied with ruling, and I would be busy supporting her.

So now was the best time to make connections. Not just with royalty like Alice, but also with the children of other high-ranking noble families.

"Well... I guess so?" Jake gave a vague response.

"I’m curious about this banquet," Sophia said, her eyes sparkling. Of course, Sophia, officially from a ‘heritage knight family,’ was barely considered a noble by rank. Technically, she wasn’t even a baron, so she didn’t receive an invitation.

"Well, to outsiders, it would probably look that way," Jake responded, but neither Alice, Charlotte, nor Mia, who had received the invitation, looked particularly excited. Neither did I.

...And I knew the Duke’s ulterior motives. I might not be involved in them directly, but for the sake of the other girls who would be caught up in it, it would be better if I went along.

"Hmm."

After hearing Sophia’s remark, Jake stroked his chin thoughtfully, then smiled mischievously.

"Hey, buddy."

"Wh-what?!"

Leo jumped in surprise as Jake suddenly threw an arm around him.

"Why don’t you want to come to the banquet? There’ll be plenty of pretty noble girls there."

At that, the girls around us glared at Jake with cold, disapproving looks. Even Sophia… Ah, now that I think about it, she had some lines about chastity, didn’t she?

"Uh? No, I—"

Leo, clearly uncomfortable, looked away, giving the expected reaction from an oblivious male character. But honestly, Leo’s reaction wasn’t that important.

The protagonist couldn’t possibly miss out on an important event like this.

In the original, after Jake figured out the Duke’s real intentions, he dragged Leo into the situation, causing everything to fall apart. I wasn’t sure if the same thing would play out here, but it couldn’t hurt to have the protagonist around.

"And, Leo’s sister."

"My name is Claire. And I’m not his little sister; I’m the older one."

"Right? Then Claire."

Jake smiled at Claire.

"How about you? Want to come to the banquet too?"

"Huh? Is that okay?"

"Of course. If I’m going, my sister can’t miss it. You too, Sophia."

...Hmm.

Well, this atmosphere was similar to the original, but now I understood why some fanfic writers adored Jake so much.

With his attitude, he was clearly the "heroine-charming" golden boy.

It almost seemed like he was deliberately setting the stage for that role.

Thankfully, Roti was still passing out invitations. Otherwise, I might have given Jake a smack on the back of his head.

"…What’s the deal here?"

"The deal? I just want to have fun with my friends," Jake replied casually.

Alice’s reaction was slightly different from the original.

Back then, Alice, who had been awkward about socializing because she focused on studying to beat Claire, almost refused the invitation. But after hearing Leo would go, she decided to go for sure.

The other girls had similar reasons.

In this version, Alice didn’t seem to have any romantic feelings for Leo, though.

"I’ll go."

I suddenly spoke up, and all eyes turned toward me.

"Really?"

"Seeing the Duke in person will be a lot different than just hearing about him," I said.

Honestly, I was more interested in joining Jake’s plan.

Well, of course.

In a setting like this, if there were a couple caught in forbidden love, it would be common sense to bring them together.

"Hmm."

Jake stared at me for a moment before shrugging.

"Alright, you’ve already got an invitation, so it’s fine."

"Is that alright?"

Alice, still a bit skeptical, asked quietly while glancing at Jake.

"I don’t think anything big will happen. And..."

I glanced at Claire and Sophia, who both seemed excited.

"If we don’t go, there’ll be at least two people who’ll be really disappointed."

"You’re too soft."

Alice chuckled bitterly at my words.

*

The southern part of Lindbergh territory was almost always under the blazing sun, but by September, the temperature swings became quite dramatic.

Of course, the car that picked us up in front of the hotel was warm. There was no need to worry about the cold.

"So the invitation..."

"It’s fine."

At the entrance to the mansion, before we could even hand over the invitation, Jake spoke to the doorman.

"I’ll vouch for everyone here. They’re my friends."

"Understood."

The doorman stepped aside without asking any further questions.

"Have a pleasant time."

"Hey, hey..."

As we walked confidently behind Jake, Claire tugged lightly at my sleeve, asking.

"Sis, do we not need to wear dresses or anything?"

It was such an adorable worry.

Wasn’t it a little late to be asking?

"We’re students, so our uniforms are enough," I replied.

It wasn’t really a full-fledged social event. The Duke had invited us because he wanted to see the "students."

Especially the girls who didn’t have fiancés.

He likely wanted to see which students would be suitable for marrying his son.

The Duke knew that Jake spent a lot of time with Roti.

A classic forbidden love, I suppose.

Well, in a game with this kind of background, forbidden love was basically designed to happen.

Chapter 161

The banquet hall was indeed small.

That said, the absolute size wasn’t what made it feel cramped. Compared to other lord’s estates, it was simply smaller. After all, it wasn’t a castle, but a mansion.

Unlike typical lord’s estates with a separate banquet hall, here they were using the mansion itself for the event. As long as guests stayed out of the rooms they weren’t meant to enter, they were free to roam the two-story mansion.

There weren’t many guests, though. There weren’t many other noble domains nearby, so the invited guests were mostly the vassals of the duke who governed the territory, along with a few of the highest-ranking officials from the colonial governor’s office. The rest were all academy students.

Aside from the fact that the students were all dressed in their uniforms, no one seemed out of place. The children of barons and knights weren’t invited, after all. Those from count families were likely familiar with such gatherings, though.

In that sense, our group stood out in many ways.

There were only three people who were truly familiar with high society.

Charlotte, being a princess, was quite famous in her country’s social circles. Jake, as a duke’s son, was well-known in many of these circles too. Though he was seen as lighthearted among his friends, he was known to be reserved and taciturn in the territory… or so I heard. At least, that’s how he was portrayed in the game.

The last of the three, Roti, was familiar with high society in a slightly different sense. She was always by Jake’s side.

And the rest of us—

“Hey, can we drink something like alcohol here?”

Claire asked cautiously as she approached me.

Her gaze was fixed on some students from the B-class nobility, who were chatting while holding glasses of champagne. Judging by their slightly flushed faces, they had probably already had at least one drink. They didn’t appear to be drunk, though.

“Just thirty years ago, at our age, we would have been treated as adults. As far as banquets go, a small amount of drinking isn’t seen as a big issue.”

“Really…?” Claire’s eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn’t like she had never attended a banquet before. But usually, she would have accompanied her parents, the Grays, when she was younger. Back then, alcohol probably wasn’t even something she could dream of.

“Claire.”

I stopped Claire from reaching for the row of champagne glasses on the table with a curious expression.

“If you wish to drink, please do so in moderation.”

I said seriously.

“Ah… uh… right…”

She answered somewhat absentmindedly when I gave her a serious look.

In the original story, Claire was a heavy drinker.

However, just because she could drink a lot didn’t mean she wasn’t affected by alcohol. Claire’s character was one who drank heavily but didn’t collapse, instead becoming obnoxious when intoxicated.

While I couldn’t imagine her like that now, in the original story… she was a character who had experienced things she shouldn’t have at a very young age.

“Leo.”

Just to be safe, I called Leo over.

“If Claire tries to drink more than one glass, please stop her.”

“I got it.”

Leo, a model of proper behavior, would never drink even if it were allowed, so I was relieved. He nodded seriously at my request and followed Claire.

“Don’t you plan on drinking?”

Alice asked with a smile on her face as she looked at me.

“Alice, aren’t you drinking?”

“Well... not yet.”

That was true. Even though Alice was a princess, she wasn’t particularly used to these kinds of places. She probably thought she had to study more to defeat me, and attending events like this wasn’t as important.

She probably didn’t drink because she didn’t know how much she could handle. Knowing Alice’s personality, she’d likely get some alcohol later, test her tolerance in her room, and then only drink that amount in front of others.

“Good thinking.”

Charlotte said after hearing Alice.

“Honestly, even if you do drink, it’s not exactly an enjoyable drink.”

“That’s unexpected,” Alice retorted provocatively to Charlotte’s words.

“Isn’t Belvoir one of the regions where wine is famous? This champagne is even named after a place in Belvoir. So, do you mean someone from Belvoir can’t drink?”

“…Then can you eat eel jelly?”

“Eel… what?”

Alice asked, taken aback by Charlotte’s rather random rebuttal.

“There’s a jelly made from eel fat and meat, solidified together.”

“Why would anyone eat that?”

Alice responded, looking incredulously at me. Well, if you have eel, you’d think about grilling it, not turning it into jelly.

“It’s a proud traditional dish from the Azerna Empire.”

Well, it wasn’t exactly a traditional dish, but it was true that it was from the Empire.

“….”

Alice didn’t have a rebuttal to Charlotte’s words.

---

The banquet continued, and the situation didn’t change much. However, not all of the Empire’s food was unpalatable.

Even things like eel jelly or bread toast were designed for human consumption. The problem was they didn’t taste good.

Such food was typically made from odd ingredients by the lower class, desperate to make something edible from what they had. You couldn’t really say they were inedible—though they might not be the most pleasant. The noble guests at this banquet were eating foods entirely different from that.

“Mia Crowfield.”

Though she hadn’t come in because of Jake’s connections, Mia Crowfield, the Count’s daughter, wasn’t mingling with the others. In fact, she didn’t have many friends at the academy either. She wasn’t the type to approach others unless they spoke to her first.

Though she had the title of a Count’s daughter, not many people approached her after her father’s murder.

If she had been someone with a duke title, they might have approached her without hesitation, but people who had a title like hers were usually treated the same way as other young noblewomen.

“The banquet—”

I was about to ask if she was enjoying the event when I noticed the biscuits in Mia Crowfield’s hands. I closed my mouth.

It seemed that Mia was enjoying the banquet in her own way.

Noticing my gaze, Mia looked a little restless, still unable to put the biscuit down or stuff it all into her mouth at once.

I silently walked over and took one of the biscuits from her plate, popping it into my mouth.

“It’s soft and delicious.”

I commented honestly. It really was delicious.

“That, uh, yes… it is,” Mia Crowfield managed to say, finally swallowing the biscuit she had been chewing. Unfortunately, she still had one in each hand.

“You’re not used to coming to places like this, are you?”

“No, that’s right?”

Why was her answer in the form of a question?

Did I still intimidate her?

Hmm… considering things from her perspective, it wasn’t easy to just brush away the emotions. No matter what bad things her father had done behind the scenes, he had been a good father to her. He must have been kind to her in front of others.

So, if the man who had killed her father was standing right in front of her...

Mia Crowfield was fifteen years old now.

I didn’t want to push the conversation further, fearing it would only make her more wary, so I shrugged my shoulders and started to step back. I knew from personal experience that people who are naturally introverted don’t like it when others try too hard to make them feel comfortable. It’s better to let them be and allow them to spend time at their own pace.

“Uh, excuse me…”

Just as I was about to pull away, Mia Crowfield stopped me.

She was still holding the biscuits, though.

When I turned back, Mia was wearing a surprised expression. It seemed she was just as surprised as I was that she had stopped me.

“Um…”

Mia Crowfield hesitated, her eyes darting around, then asked,

“Are you enjoying the party, Your Highness?”

“…”

I turned my gaze. Claire and Leo were arguing a little distance away. Charlotte and Alice were bickering with each other, while Sophia had somehow inserted herself between them. As always, Jake was chatting with Roti.

Though we were all wearing the same uniform, the students stood out to me like they were in color while everything else was in black and white.

“Yes, I’m enjoying it.”

“Is that so?”

And then the conversation stopped.

Mia Crowfield seemed like she wanted to say something, but didn’t know how to continue. She opened and closed her mouth several times, looking confused.

“I’m just glad you two are enjoying yourselves.”

Just then, someone cut into our conversation.

He was tall, with sun-kissed skin and a gold mustache that curled up at the ends like a painting. The atmosphere around him was similar to Jake’s, but his maturity gave him a more dignified presence.

“Princess Fangryphon.”

He bowed deeply in front of me.

“And Count Crowfield’s daughter.”

Then he turned and bowed to Mia Crowfield.

“Duke Lindberrow.”

Chapter 162

“The food is quite delicious, isn’t it?”

The Duke’s towering height and very masculine appearance initially gave him a somewhat intimidating presence, but the voice he used to address us was gentle and polished, very much like the gentleman of the early 20th century you might imagine.

As he noticed his gaze drifting toward the biscuit in his hand, Mia Crowfield’s face flushed bright red. The Duke, seeing her embarrassment, wore a warm smile. Even his mustache, which curled upward at the ends, seemed to lift in response to his upper lip’s movement.

“There’s no need to worry too much. All the food here is made by top-tier chefs who’ve crossed over from the mainland. We can’t possibly serve dishes made by colonial cooks to our guests.”

“Is that so…?”

Mia Crowfield answered absentmindedly. The Duke smiled softly at her, then looked between the two of us before continuing.

“It’s certainly a very different environment from the mainland, but I do hope your health is doing well?”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh, I’m glad… Thank you for your concern.”

Mia still seemed unsure of why the Duke had approached us in the first place. If I were in her shoes, I’d be confused too. If someone invited me to a party, only to reveal that the purpose was to see if their son might find a suitable match, I’d be just as bewildered. It might not be an odd thing in this world, though.

Even now, I could see a few girls on the edge of my vision, approaching Jake. They were all daughters of prominent families. Roti, who was always by Jake’s side, seemed to be ignored.

“I’ve heard that you two are in the same class as Jake.”

“That’s correct.”

I answered politely, while carefully observing the Duke’s expression. To the casual observer, it might seem like he was simply curious about the people his son associated with, but I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more to it.

The Duke’s gaze shifted from Mia Crowfield to me, locking onto me for a moment.

“I’m curious… how close are you with my son? Is Jake behaving properly?”

“At least, he hasn’t been unpleasant.”

“Is that so?”

The Duke smiled, clearly pleased by my response.

Then, he turned his attention to Jake, who was subtly distancing himself from the girls who had approached him. It wasn’t that he was blatantly escaping; he was just skillfully steering the conversation away, gradually extricating himself from the situation.

The Duke seemed to have low expectations for Jake, judging by the look on his face as he turned back toward us.

“I’ve met Count Crowfield’s wife a few times already. It was when Miss Crowfield was very young, so I’m not sure if you remember.”

Mia shook her head. The Duke didn’t seem too disappointed by that.

“Well, since we’ve met here today, we can start anew and get to know each other. If you ever find yourselves in any trouble within my territory, please come to me. I’ll make sure to handle whatever issues arise with all my strength.”

Was he seeing Mia Crowfield’s shyness as a sign of modesty? It seemed like he was quite taken with her.

From an aristocratic standpoint, Mia probably seemed like a much better choice compared to Roti. Especially considering that Mia Crowfield had no other siblings or father. It was possible that Jake might inherit the Count’s domain one day.

“Of course, Your Highness. Given the vast sea in between, the Empire’s reach can be limited. But my Duke’s family will do everything in its power to remain loyal servants to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

…It seemed the Duke had taken a liking to me as well. After all, I was of royal blood. Even though rumors said that the bloodline was no longer directly connected, people still recognized me as part of the imperial family.

I couldn’t help but wonder how the Duke would react when he learned that Claire also carried the Emperor’s blood. Would he be happy to see her here without an invitation?

Perhaps, though, he might not need to know that to be pleased. After all, it would be impressive enough that Jake had brought “a woman who wasn’t even invited.” Though she was from a baron family, they still had a noble estate and access to useful information, making her a much more suitable option than Roti, in the Duke’s eyes.

“My apologies. I hope I haven’t interrupted your conversation.”

The Duke bowed his head slightly to us, and Mia and I each curtsied in response.

“What did he want to say…?”

Mia asked, watching the Duke retreat. It was a relief to finally have a conversation to ease the awkwardness that had been hanging in the air.

The Duke, moving leisurely, made his way toward Alice, Charlotte, and Sophia, who were gathered nearby.

“Jake is of an age where he should be thinking about a fiancée soon.”

“Excuse me?”

Mia blinked in surprise at my words, nearly dropping the biscuit she was holding.

“But… Jake already has… Roti, doesn’t he?”

Hmm.

“Roti, huh…”

That was a very typical way for Mia Crowfield to refer to her. I realized I’d never seen the two of them talk directly. Neither of them was the type to initiate a conversation.

“That’s—”

Before I could explain, a loud shout interrupted me.

It seemed a maid had made a mistake. A maid with dark skin, likely from the local area, was bowing repeatedly, apologizing profusely.

The man who had shouted was wearing a garment with purple stains on it. Did he spill wine?

Judging by the broken glass on the floor, it looked like they had bumped into each other.

…In the original story, it was the man who had bumped into her.

“Do you know how much this outfit costs?”

“I’m really sorry…”

The man spoke with the same old phrases, while the maid continued to apologize. She was quite beautiful, though she was clearly older than us, but not to the point where she seemed old.

“I’ll—”

“You think you can compensate for this? Huh? Do you have that kind of ability?”

She probably didn’t, of course. Even if she were sold into servitude, the outfit would cost more than her life.

The man with black hair was a minor official from the Governor’s Office. I didn’t think his name had been mentioned.

As for the maid—

“I’m really sorry.”

Just as the man was about to shout again, someone stepped in.

“Ah, Your Highness.”

“This maid works for our family. If she made a mistake, it is my responsibility. If you wish to be compensated for the clothing, I’ll take care of it.”

At Jake’s words, the man’s expression immediately became respectful.

“Oh, no, there’s no need for that. It was the maid’s fault, Your Highness. You don’t need to say such things.”

“But, as I said, this maid works for our family.”

“Young Master…”

The maid seemed flustered and tried to stop Jake, but he simply waved her off, gesturing for her to step back.

Then, someone else stepped forward.

The girl, who had approached silently, knelt down and started picking up the scattered glass shards without a word.

“….”

The maid, who had been standing nervously, quickly knelt down beside her to help clean up the mess.

The commotion grew louder.

The girl picking up the glass was also in uniform.

“Roti?”

I heard someone mutter quietly beside me.

“Roti.”

Jake said, but Roti didn’t lift her head. She remained quietly focused on her task.

While most of the students simply whispered among themselves, those who had known Jake for a semester—Alice, Charlotte, Claire, Leo, and Mia—were all wearing confused expressions.

Mia Crowfield looked back and forth between the maid and Roti, then said,

“…Huh?”

It seemed like she had realized something.

It wasn’t just Mia. The others looked equally confused.

The maid’s face was very similar to Roti’s.

And considering their age difference…

It wasn’t unreasonable to think they could be mother and daughter. Roti looked young for her age, and the maid, while more mature, wasn’t old.

But at the same time, it wasn’t hard to believe they might be “sisters with a significant age gap.”

In fact, their age difference wasn’t even twenty years.

It was exactly seventeen.

The true nature of their relationship was the former, not the latter.

“Could it be…?”

Mia muttered to herself. I didn’t feel the need to answer her.

Even without saying anything, she could probably figure out exactly why Jake and Roti couldn’t marry.

Blue blood and common blood.

In the public eye, that was the kind of relationship they had.

Chapter 163

So, what should I do?

The reason I came all the way here was to see Jake and Roti as a couple. This was actually one of the more significant episodes in the original story.

If we’re being honest, the story between Alice and Leo was also an important episode, but that relationship has changed in many ways compared to the original.

In the original, Alice stops Leo from going to help Roti. This causes a brief distance between them, but… hmm.

I turned my gaze toward Leo. Not just Leo, but even Claire seemed like she was about to rush over to help.

Alice didn’t look like she was trying to stop them, though. She had a lot more composure than the Alice from the original, so she probably didn’t feel the need to worry about losing her standing because of something like this.

But still, I couldn’t let Leo and Claire help Roti.

Both of them were from a baron family. They weren’t even formally invited. The reason Alice stopped Leo in the original was because, if Leo—who had no invitation—helped Roti, it would negatively affect his reputation.

In this situation, we had all come at Jake’s invitation, but in the original story, it was Alice who had asked Leo to accompany her, which was the deciding factor. Alice, who wasn’t used to these kinds of events, had asked Leo to come with her because he was someone she knew. She likely asked him to come because she secretly liked him.

For Alice, it was about worrying about her reputation because of the man she was with. But to Leo, it just seemed like she was discriminating against a schoolmate. Anyway, that was the story.

So, luckily, I was closer to Roti than Leo and Claire were.

Even if I just walked normally, I would reach her first.

Without saying a word, I went straight to Roti and sat next to her.

There was no time for anyone to stop me.

Ironically, because everyone’s attention was already on this side, no one could even get a word in before I entered their field of vision.

“...”

Roti’s usually expressionless eyes widened in surprise. Not just hers, but also her mother’s. Both of them were staring at me in shock.

It wasn’t just their gaze. The nobles’ eyes were all on me too.

The murmuring stopped. What followed was a suffocating silence.

While the spilled wine on the floor was beyond saving, at least the large glass shards could be picked up right away. After all, it was just a wine glass that had broken, and if no one yelled at the person who got the wine on their clothes, it wouldn’t take long to clean up.

I carefully placed the glass shards onto the cloth her mother had been holding and covered them with the edge of it. Her hand trembled slightly as she did.

The maids and servants here had probably heard who the guests for today were.

And among those guests, I was one of the people they needed to be particularly careful about.

“Th-thank you, Your Highness…”

“It’s nothing.”

I said that and stood up from my seat.

The confused nobleman looked at me with a bewildered expression.

I glanced at him once, then turned my gaze toward Jake. His expression was also complicated. Confused, perhaps?

“You said earlier that the Duke of Lindberrow would compensate for the clothing damage, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Then, let’s just settle it that way. There’s no need to ruin the atmosphere of the banquet with anger on such a nice day, is there?”

When I looked back at the nobleman, his face had turned pale.

In the original story, Leo had said something more polite, providing more reasonable justification. He had the opportunity to gain bonus points with the right choices, and the official plot proceeded with those bonus points.

But I didn’t see any need for that.

If they didn’t like it, they could always visit the Imperial Palace.

“No, no, I’m sorry. I didn’t gauge the atmosphere properly.”

This approach was far more effective.

It wasn’t that I helped them out of kindness. Rather, I could frame it as stepping in to handle the situation because I couldn’t stand the ruined mood.

The nobleman quickly adjusted his expression and retreated. It was clear he wanted to get as far away from me as possible.

“Silvia.”

When the nobleman’s back disappeared, and the murmur of voices slowly began again, Alice approached me.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say, before a smile appeared on her face.

“You did great.”

I shrugged without giving much of an answer.

“...Thank you.”

I heard Roti’s voice. When I turned around, Roti and her mother were standing near me. Roti still had some wine on her knee, and her mother’s maid uniform was soaked with it.

At least, no one seemed to have cut their hands on the glass. The cloth had been thick enough to prevent that.

“It’s not that I liked the situation. There’s no need for thanks.”

“...”

Despite her words, both of them bowed slightly and slowly stepped back.

“Impressive.”

Only then did Jake speak to me.

“In a situation like that, reacting that way… it’s not something a noble or royal would normally do. I’m not criticizing, though. I just wanted to thank you.”

Then he fell silent, watching me carefully.

As the Duke’s son, he must have heard a lot of stories. It wasn’t like the Duke of Lindberrow was directly wary of me, so I didn’t think he was treating me like an assassin.

“Like I said to Roti, there’s really no need for thanks. I just didn’t like the atmosphere.”

I said that and turned my back without hesitation.

I then walked over to where Mia Crowfield was still standing, looking dazed.

Hmm.

Did I seem a bit cool?

---

It was fortunate, or unfortunate, that the atmosphere didn’t completely fall apart due to the incident.

The Duke of Lindberrow resumed his rounds, talking to the invited students one by one as if nothing had happened.

He even seemed quite interested in Leo and Claire, who had entered without an invitation.

Watching them answer nervously, it seemed the Duke hadn’t said anything too bad. I wondered if he knew Claire was adopted.

But it didn’t really matter to the Duke. After all, even if she was adopted, her status as a noble was clear. When I, who was also adopted, had been seen as a suitable match for his son, the Duke probably had a rather open mindset.

That mindset didn’t apply to everyone, though.

I didn’t drink alcohol. It wasn’t that I hated alcohol in my past life, but my tastes were quite cheap. I preferred beer or diluted soju, which you could buy cheaply at a convenience store, over expensive wines with good aromas.

...Honestly, there was also the issue of side dishes. If there had been a spicy soup or something, maybe I would have had some boardkara.

“...Your Highness.”

I hadn’t been drinking, but the smell of alcohol was still in the air. After being around it for a while, I started to feel a little uneasy, so I stepped out to the terrace for some fresh air.

From behind me, I heard Roti’s voice.

“Roti.”

I turned around slightly to speak, and Roti bowed politely.

“There’s no need for that. We’re still just students of the same school until graduation.”

“...”

Roti didn’t respond to that.

I tapped the railing I was leaning on. Roti seemed to hesitate for a moment before walking toward me.

But, as I had expected, she didn’t stand next to me. She stood diagonally behind me, about a step away. So, I had no choice but to turn around.

The bright light from the window cast a shadow over Roti’s face. Her expression was mostly neutral, but the shadows made it hard to detect even the slightest change in her features.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“...”

Roti seemed to hesitate again before slowly opening her mouth.

“Earlier, did you know about the maid... and what kind of relationship she and I have?”

Well, there was no need to hide it.

I stepped away from the railing and walked forward. Roti quickly shifted her position, thinking I was about to leave without a word.

But I only drew the curtains on the terrace window.

If someone wanted to eavesdrop, there was nothing I could do about it, but at least for now, this was a private conversation.

Chapter 164

“Honestly, if anyone with sharp eyes was there, they probably would have figured it out.”

I spoke calmly.

In reality, Mia Crowfield had alternated between looking at Roti and her mother’s faces before being taken aback. They looked so alike.

If they’d simply looked alike, Mia might not have noticed. Unless you were a lecher, there wouldn’t be any reason to study a maid’s face closely. Moreover, in this world—particularly a world set in the early 20th century—women over the age of 30 weren’t considered particularly attractive.

Sure, there were women who had remarried or swapped husbands, but they were typically women from noble families, not maids with nothing behind them.

“What truly gave it away was that you directly helped them,” I continued.

Even if I hadn’t known the background, I would have picked up on it. Besides their resemblance, Roti was someone Jake had ties with.

“I see…”

Roti’s voice lacked strength. She was very different from the usual feisty self she had when walking around with Jake.

Her usual stoic expression was now more than just a bit altered. It seemed like she wasn’t exactly comfortable in this place.

This moment was a clear indication that Roti had been able to relax at the Academy, much more than she usually did.

“Do you think this is going to be a big problem?” I asked.

Roti lowered her head and fell into thought.

“…It could be a problem. That action I took, I think… maybe it was my mistake.”

Hmm.

Listening to her, I couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.

Though I’d seen Roti’s face many times, I’d hardly ever had a one-on-one conversation with her. We weren’t classmates, and whenever I saw Roti, she was usually with Jake. It was always Jake who would talk and chatter. Roti wouldn’t approach anyone unless they spoke to her first.

“You can’t really call helping your parents a mistake.”

I said this as emotionlessly as possible. Any emotional undertone would probably sound unpleasant to Roti.

At my words, Roti lifted her head and looked at me.

Having regained some composure, Roti’s face returned to its usual neutral expression.

“Your Highness, why did you help us back then?”

“….”

I quietly studied Roti.

“I already gave you the reason.”

“...You mean it was just because of the atmosphere?”

Hmm.

Did I accidentally raise her guard?

Come to think of it, Roti in the original story hadn’t been able to easily accept Leo’s help either. She couldn’t understand why a noble who had nothing to do with her would help her.

In the end, she did accept Jake’s help, but that was likely just a matter of familiarity.

Honestly, if Jake hadn’t been there, I think I could have made some progress. The story feels a lot like a visual novel.

“It could be because of the atmosphere.”

I turned back and leaned against the railing.

Even though this world has no electricity, the city here was incredibly bright. The gas lamps along the streets and the lights coming from the windows of the houses far in the distance were more than enough to light up the city.

Although, thanks to the smog emitted during the day, the stars in the sky were barely visible. Well, even at night, there were places still pumping out smoke. In an era like this, worker’s rights were hardly something to consider at night.

“The atmosphere of the banquet, and the mood about the situation, could have played a part.”

I paused for a moment before adding,

“I don’t have parents.”

At those words, I could tell Roti stiffened, even though I couldn’t see her expression or hear her voice.

“I can’t tell you anything more specific, but if you’ve heard anything about the imperial family, you probably know that only Alice truly carries the Emperor’s blood.”

To be more precise, everyone except for me carries the Emperor’s blood, but there was no need to bring that up.

“I won’t say I envy you or anything. Everyone has painful memories, and we shouldn’t easily empathize with that kind of pain. Even if we think we empathize, we can’t truly understand it until we go through the exact same experience ourselves.”

I spoke toward the silent Roti.

“But if someone has both parents, or at least one of them, and is in a position to help their parents in trouble, I would be more than willing to help that person.”

“...”

Roti remained silent for a while, and then quietly said, “...Thank you.”

---

“Roti.”

After finishing her conversation with me, Roti was called out by someone as she stepped out from behind the curtain.

There was no need to confirm who it was. She had been living with her master for her entire life.

Had she seen me talking to Silvia? Jake was standing by the entrance to the terrace, leaning against the doorframe.

“Did you hear that?”

“No, those curtains are thicker than I thought. With the curtains drawn like that, the banquet noise completely drowned out the conversation, so I couldn’t hear what was said.”

Roti recalled the image of the Princess. Even if she had overheard that conversation, with her usual composed demeanor, I didn’t think she would have reacted.

And besides, it wasn’t that important. If Roti had heard it directly, she would have already known that the majority of the Emperor’s children were orphans.

That rumor had reached Roti as well.

“So, what about Silvia?”

“...”

Roti opened her mouth briefly in response but then closed it again.

Earlier, when she’d helped her mother, she had been startled when a hand suddenly reached out beside her. Her expression had faltered for a moment.

And then she’d doubted.

Jake seemed to have no particular thoughts on the matter, but Silvia... Princess Silvia Fangryphon was someone to be wary of.

She had said something similar when Jake had placed Roti beside him at the Duke’s estate.

But the more she spoke with Silvia, the less Roti believed she was someone devoid of emotions. When they had encountered each other at the Academy, Roti had initially seen Silvia as someone to be extremely cautious around. But after watching her interact with Jake, Roti started to wonder if Silvia was just a caring person, after all.

“Did Silvia… say something bad to you?”

Jake asked, not really believing it himself, but Roti asked just to make sure.

“Do you think so?”

“Hmm, I don’t think so.”

Jake furrowed his brow for a moment.

“Well… At the Academy, there were a lot of people who liked to threaten you, right? I thought that’s why they called you over.”

“Those pathetic people aren’t like her.”

Even among commoners, Roti was treated in two ways. Some discriminated against her because of her colonial roots, while others were too afraid of the Duke’s name to even speak to her.

Among those who discriminated, there were a few who acted far beyond their station.

...There were commoners trying to seduce or threaten Roti to marry Jake and elevate their own status.

Most people didn’t know that Roti had been assigned to Jake’s side for precisely this reason, to stop such people from approaching him.

“And I was the one who went to help her. The Princess didn’t say anything.”

“Is that so? Well, Silvia did seem like that.”

Jake’s reaction caused Roti to widen her eyes just slightly.

Though Jake generally acted lighthearted, he wasn’t the type to easily trust others. Even if they were from the Imperial family, or perhaps because they were, Jake had to maintain a consistent demeanor and act in a way that made her believe he was being genuine.

If not… he would have had to be someone like that.

For a brief moment, Roti’s heart raced.

Though it was a presumptuous thought, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie and... a bizarre intimacy with Silvia during their conversation.

But seeing how Jake spoke about Silvia like that—

“...”

And just as quickly as the thought appeared, it vanished.

For a moment, she almost scoffed at herself.

Jealousy.

That wasn’t an emotion Roti was supposed to feel. Jealousy. There was no need for it.

Jake would eventually marry someone else.

And Roti…

Hmm.

“Did you almost smile just now?”

Jake caught the subtle change in Roti’s expression.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Are you sure? I saw it.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Roti firmly replied, walking ahead as Jake followed, teasing her. But that was just Jake being Jake.

At least, his behavior at that moment was enough for Roti to understand.

After all, Roti would never be the first choice.

In that case, perhaps it was enough to simply stay by his side.

Up until now, she hadn’t been attracted to anyone else, but... if she were to make a personal judgment, she didn’t think Silvia Fangryphon, as the future mistress, would be someone Roti would have any serious complaints about.

Chapter 165

"Rena, where were you yesterday?"

Charlotte asked Rena while we were having breakfast.

Come to think of it, Rena wasn’t around when Claire and Leo were personally invited by Jake yesterday. I didn’t even know whether she had received an invitation or not... but judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like she didn’t even know there was an invitation.

After arriving at the hotel by bus, she disappeared the moment free time started and didn’t reappear until this morning. 

By the way, who was Rena sharing a room with?

"I went to a weapons shop yesterday."

"A weapons shop? Were you there all day?"

Charlotte asked, surprised by Rena’s response, and Rena nodded.

"I heard there were some unusual weapons at the shop, specialized for climates completely opposite to the North. So, during my research, I got some information about weapons I hadn’t seen before. Yesterday, I was checking their effectiveness."

I remembered that on the airship, Rena hadn’t said a word to anyone and had been absorbed in some catalog—probably a firearms catalog.

"Did you find any good weapons?"

Alice asked, giving her usual exasperated look.

Rena hesitated, unsure whether to nod or tilt her head.

"Actually, I’m not sure."

After a brief pause, Rena continued.

"There were some interesting weapons specialized for this climate or for hunting beasts, but I’m not sure they’d be suitable for military use."

She said it in a slightly hesitant voice.

Specialized firearms for certain climates?

Well, I’d heard of places like the former Soviet Union, where extreme cold caused frequent weapon malfunctions, and to solve that, they simplified the components to reduce the chance of failure and made the trigger guard larger so it could be used even while wearing thick gloves.

But in a place with such high temperatures, would they really bother making such adaptations?

I’m no expert, but I was intrigued. In my past life, I had a bit of interest in firearms. Of course, I never had the chance to buy any, as gun ownership was nearly forbidden in my country.

In the original game, no matter which shop you went to, they only sold the types of weapons available for the characters. The weapons each character could use were predetermined, and changing weapons didn’t alter their character models.

I was curious, but I hesitated to suggest going to check them out myself. Thankfully, someone else spoke up for me.

"Really?"

Charlotte said nonchalantly, but her eyes were gleaming. It wasn’t just because she was interested in firearms; it was probably because they were "Imperial weapons." Even civilian firearms were often modified military weapons.

"Then should we go check it out after breakfast?"

"Do you have an interest in this sort of thing?"

At Rena’s question, Charlotte shrugged and replied.

"Well, Silvia seems a bit interested in it."

"……"

Looking at Charlotte, who was smiling slightly while glancing at me, the gratitude I had felt earlier quickly disappeared.

I wasn’t sure if it was just a casual comment or if Charlotte was starting to read my expressions and gestures.

When Alice widened her eyes in surprise, I felt the need to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"By the way, Rena. Who are you sharing a room with?"

It wasn’t just a change of subject; it had actually crossed my mind. The others were staying with their classmates, after all.

Since I was somewhat close to Rena, I ended up sharing a room with Alice, but who was Rena with—?

"I’m sharing with Jennifer, the teacher."

"Eh?"

Charlotte, Alice, and I froze for a moment, but Rena didn’t seem to notice.

"She’s an excellent person. Last night, I was able to hear about her various field experiences—"

Rena said this with a proud expression, and it didn’t seem like she was forcing the conversation or making things up.

Well, I knew Jennifer was a decent person, but...

Isn’t it a bit strange to be sharing a room with a teacher at a place like this?

---

It wasn’t until we finished breakfast that Claire, Leo, and Sophia returned.

Apparently, Claire and Leo had gotten along well during the banquet yesterday and had become friends, which is why they ended up tagging along for the request early this morning.

Seeing them walk in, looking a little bedraggled, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

The way they looked was far from their usual selves, so I guessed their mission must have been something out of the ordinary.

For the record, I had already given up on following those two around. Even though I’d learned some meditation, I could never get used to the feeling of waking up early and working all day.

"Have you had breakfast?"

I asked, and Leo and Claire nodded immediately.

"Yeah, we ate before we left."

I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the kitchen staff at the hotel, but I had the tact not to mention it.

"Mia?"

"She’s still asleep in her room," I answered Claire’s question.

"Were you going out somewhere?"

"To a nearby weapon shop. I heard they sell some unique weapons here."

This time, it was Sophia who asked, and Alice answered.

"Oh, really? Do you think we can go check it out too?"

"I don’t mind if you follow... but—"

When Claire asked excitedly, I glanced at Sophia. Her face clearly showed that she just wanted to rest. Anyone would feel that way. With the kind of job they’d done early this morning, they probably had enough work to last the next few days.

"I… I think I remember something I need to do!"

"Really?"

At Sophia’s outburst, Claire looked a bit disappointed. Seeing that, Sophia seemed to get a chill down her spine, apologized repeatedly, waved her hands, and hurriedly ran toward the elevator.

"…Did we make them work too hard?"

When Leo asked, no one answered. Only Claire tilted her head.

---

To my surprise, this world uses both the Imperial measurement system and the metric system, like yard-pounds and centimeters.

Fortunately, the more commonly used system is the metric system, like meters and grams. Although the currency still uses both duodecimal and vigesimal systems.

Players guessed that the creators tried to match the measurement system to that of the British Empire during the industrial revolution, only to give up due to the irregularities of the yard-pound system.

So, even though the metric system is used in everyday life, the military uses the yard-pound system. That’s why gun calibers are measured in inches.

For example, the .600 Nitro Express I’m looking at.

I could roughly guess why it’s called "Nitro Express," but why is the front part specifically ".600"? I mean, it’s 0.6 inches, right? Why would they need to write it as .600 inches?

…Honestly, I thought it was just an odd choice, and the bullet itself was ridiculously large.

"This is the strongest bullet. With a 0.6-inch diameter bullet packed with nitrocellulose inside this massive cartridge, it delivers a quick and deadly shot to the enemy’s head. Naturally, the firearms used for this are extremely durable and reliable."

It didn’t look like something you’d use to shoot a person’s head.

"It’s a bullet capable of taking down elephants or rhinos. What do you think? It’d be perfect for your current missions, wouldn’t it? And if you’re concerned about purchasing it, we also offer a rental service for firearms during your practice period."

I couldn’t help but think of the elephants and rhinos from the original game. In this world, elephants could shoot lightning from their trunks, and rhinos had their whole faces covered in tough armor.

…Yeah, this bullet would actually be fitting.

But maybe a anti-tank rifle would work better.

By the way, the rifle the shopkeeper pulled out was a revolver that looked like it would be better off made into a rifle.

"Do you have a rifle-type gun?"

"Of course!"

At my question, the shopkeeper’s face brightened, and he quickly pulled out a cardboard box from below the counter.

He dusted it off with his hand, opened the box, and inside was a very simple bolt-action rifle.

"It’s a single-shot bolt-action rifle. You can take down prey with just one shot! No need for extra ammunition!"

Ignoring the sales pitch, I examined the rifle and asked,

"Can I use Marmaros rounds with this?"

"Excuse me?"

At my question, the shopkeeper looked dumbfounded.

Chapter 166

“Did you order large-caliber Marmaros rounds? Is there really a need for something like that?”

Alice’s expression looked quite serious.

“I just made them in case I might need them someday.”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if the day would come when I’d actually use them. But, I thought it might be a good idea to prepare them just in case. If the day comes when I’m back on the battlefield, I might need such special ammunition.

However, Alice seemed most concerned about the fact that *I* was the one who ordered them.

Given how I’ve been acting lately—almost as though I can foresee the future—it's understandable for her to think that I was preparing for something that was *definitely* going to happen.

“I don’t anticipate every future event. I just prepare for any situation because I never know what will happen in the future,” I explained.

At least, the special rounds would come in handy when fighting the massive summoned beasts in the later parts of the story. They might even be useful against creatures like Gryphons.

“...”

Alice didn’t seem to have a response to that but it didn’t seem like she had completely dismissed her doubts.

By the time we returned to the hotel, it was almost lunchtime.

The shopkeeper, not wanting to lose a customer like me, had contacted the company that makes the rounds and confirmed whether they could make custom rounds. They even promised to deliver them if they couldn’t finish them during my stay, so I had signed the necessary papers and checks.

The premium Marmaros rounds were as expensive as precious gems or even more, so I had to take out a one-time insurance for them.

Money was no problem since the royal family was covering it.

“But don’t you think you could just hunt something like a rhino with a sword?”

“...”

Hearing Leo mutter this, I began to understand why Sophia had looked so bedraggled.

Even if it's the same swordsmanship, fighting a person and a beast are different. Even though Leo had lost to Sophia in part two of the story, it was unlikely that the fight would have been anything like hunting a rhino.

Moreover, the main characters, including Leo, hadn’t been in the best mental state at that time either.

“You’re using a gun, not a sword.”

Claire patted Leo on the back as she spoke.

Well, that’s true.

No matter how much I swung a sword, I’d never match those two in skill.

I could only hope that my abilities wouldn’t end up dragging these kids down later.

“Hmm.”

Charlotte, who had been walking silently and listening to our conversation, suddenly spoke up.

“What is it?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just that Jake and Roti are over there.”

Charlotte’s expression wasn’t exactly bright when she said that.

It wasn’t just Charlotte. Alice, Leo, and Claire were all the same. Everyone remembered what had happened yesterday.

“What happened yesterday?”

Noticing the tension, Rena asked.

“Well, that’s…”

Alice opened her mouth to answer Rena but closed it again almost immediately. It was understandable.

Though stories about commoners and illegitimate children were often whispered around, it wasn’t exactly proper to speak that way about a friend.

Moreover, Roti’s mother wasn’t just a commoner. She was a native of a colony, so even just mentioning that fact could be seen as an ‘insult’ in some way.

“...”

Seeing Alice’s expression, Rena didn’t ask any further questions.

“Well, we can’t just ignore it.”

Claire was the first to speak up.

“...That’s true. We go to the same school, and Jake’s her friend.”

As soon as Leo said that, all eyes, including mine and Rena’s, were on him.

“What? What? Did I say something weird...?”

“Ugh.”

Claire let out a loud sigh, clearly directed at Leo.

It seemed that, in this group, Leo was the only one who didn’t realize that Jake had romantic feelings for Roti.

In the original story, Jake didn’t notice the attention directed at him either, so it wasn’t that surprising.

While I was wondering whether it would go against my character to pat Leo on the shoulder, 

“Hey!”

From the other side, Jake spotted us first.

We couldn’t ignore Jake, who was waving at us with a big grin, so we all gathered and walked toward him and Roti.

“Where have you all been?”

“We stopped by a weapon shop to see what kinds of weapons are available for use here.”

“Ah…”

Jake’s expression grew a little subtle.

“Aren’t most of them for hunting? If you’re as skilled as you are, you could probably hunt without those, right?”

Oh.

It seemed like Jake wasn’t too comfortable with the idea of hunting elephants or rhinos.

Was that the case in the original story as well?

Now that I thought about it, Jake wasn’t even part of the party in this episode in the original.

He didn’t seem like an environmentalist or someone who would avoid meat, though... I decided to keep this thought at the back of my mind.

“The rounds are big, so I came up with several ways to use them. I’ve ordered a few custom rounds.”

“Really...?”

Jake shrugged his shoulders.

“If you’ve decided that, they must be useful. Oh, and why don’t you sit down instead of standing there? We’d need a couple of tables to fit everyone, but still.”

“I’m not sure if I’m interrupting your time.”

Roti’s face didn’t show any signs of annoyance, but then again, it was no surprise since Roti was skilled at hiding her expressions.

“You’re welcome to stay.”

I wondered if the fact that Rena was with us made it easier to leave out the part about ‘what happened yesterday.’

We exchanged glances before we carefully took our seats… I ended up sitting at the same table as Jake and Roti, along with Rena.

...What is this? It wasn’t like anyone assigned us to sit there, but I could tell Rena had been following me a bit more lately. I didn’t expect her to sit so boldly at the same table.

But then again, since the others had gone to another table, it probably felt more natural this way.

“Do you do this often?” Rena asked.

“Of course,” Jake replied with a smile. “We’ve been like this since we were kids.”

“...”

Roti didn’t say a word.

“Are you childhood friends?” Rena asked.

“Oh?”

Jake looked surprised by Rena’s question.

I didn’t recall Rena having spoken directly to Jake before, but perhaps it was because I was sitting next to her, or maybe it was part of her trying to imitate me.

At least, unlike Mia Crowfield, Rena didn’t seem shy about starting conversations. She asked her questions without hesitation, and she didn’t stutter.

...Maybe she just didn’t feel the need to talk to others?

“Does it look that way?”

“If not, how else could a man and woman always be together?”

At those words, Roti’s shoulders flinched. Jake let out an “Oh” sound again.

Rena tilted her head as if she found the reaction strange.

“Rena Meyer, right?”

“That’s right. Please call me Meyer.”

...She really knows how to set boundaries.

“Then, Meyer,” Jake grinned and asked, “What do you think of love between commoners and nobles?”

“Why would there be any reason to think about that?”

“Isn’t it?”

I admired Rena’s boldness.

Well, maybe it wasn’t boldness, just a clean mindset. Somehow, if I asked Rena how to make babies, I felt like she’d seriously think about it and then tell me she learned it somewhere.

“Then, what about those two getting married?”

“Would it be a problem legally?”

“Hmm, not really.”

Jake thought for a moment before replying.

“Marriage itself isn’t the issue, but there might be problems about the position of the first wife.”

“...”

While listening to the conversation, Roti remained silent.

“If you marry someone from the start, is there any need to worry about a first wife?” Rena asked, tilting her head as if she didn’t quite understand.

“What’s it like in the Autonomous Country?”

“If you did that in the Autonomous Country, your wife might just kill you.”

“...”

“Pfft.”

I was at a loss for words at Rena’s comment, and Jake burst into laughter. Rena looked at him as though she found his reaction strange.

“Well, I guess I don’t want to die, so I better be careful.”

I suppose the women in the north are much stronger than I expected.

Wait, thinking about it now, that does seem like it could be true. Just look at the guide at the info desk or Jennifer.

“Then, one more question.”

Jake finally stopped laughing and, now with a more serious expression, asked, “What do you think about not being able to marry because of skin color?”

Roti’s shoulders flinched again.

“There are many people with dark skin in the north as well. Especially those in the snowy mountain bases—they get tan like fishermen from the sunlight reflected off the white snow.”

“But some people might have been born with a different skin color.”

“Skin color is different for everyone when they’re born, isn’t it?”

Rena said, sounding like she didn’t quite understand the point of the ongoing conversation.

“As you can see, Alice and Sylvia have slightly different skin colors, just as Claire and Charlotte do. Doesn’t everyone have a different skin color?”

“That’s an

 interesting argument,” Jake said, but Rena frowned slightly.

“And I’ve never seen Lindbergh—”

“You can just call me Jake.”

“—Jake with ‘white’ skin.”

Roti’s mouth slightly opened in surprise.

Rena stayed silent for a moment, as though deep in thought, and then said, “Skin color might be part of someone’s preferences... but if someone falls in love with someone else and their skin color isn’t a factor, then there’s no reason to prevent the marriage.”

The more I heard about it, the more I became incredibly curious about the Autonomous Country. Was it due to their education, or had the circumstances there shaped Rena’s way of thinking? Or maybe it was just Rena’s personality?

“Skin color is something that changes easily depending on the situation, so judging someone solely by it might lead to incorrect conclusions later on.”

“Hey, I really like you.”

“...”

Upon hearing Jake’s words, Rena subtly moved her chair closer to mine.

...That last remark seemed to obviously include Jake’s skin color. 

But of course, I wasn’t clueless enough to bring that up and ruin the atmosphere.

Chapter 167

“Is it okay if we team up with kids from other classes?”

“It should be fine. The whole point of gathering us all together like this was probably for that. Besides, we’re not sticking together because the teachers put us in teams. We just ended up gravitating toward people we’re comfortable with. So, do you think anything serious would happen if we expanded that to other classes?”

Inside the academy, the nobility class only ever meets other students from other nobility classes. It’s not like they even consider meeting commoner students.

This was true for the commoner class as well. Unless you were someone like Jake, who specifically sought out certain friends, the commoner students didn’t try to mix with the nobility class kids.

Moreover, this year’s nobility class, especially Class A, is so strong that no one would dare approach them.

We even have two people who could potentially be the future emperor and one who could be the future king... not to mention the count families, and even dukes.

With these kinds of people all hanging out together, even the commoners, let alone other nobles, wouldn’t even think to start a conversation. Come to think of it, I don’t think I saw any other noble kids talk to me for the entire first semester.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

When I stared at her, Claire tilted her head in confusion.

How much courage does she have?

Even Leo, who had adapted relatively well recently, used to turn pale every time he came near us.

Once I had decided that she was “sister material,” she immediately came up to talk to me without hesitation. It’s clear that, even though she’s from the Grace family, her courage isn’t what you’d expect.

Come to think of it, wasn’t she the one who boldly used informal speech with Alice in the original?

“...It’s nothing.”

“Really?”

Claire tilted her head again, but didn’t say anything else.

“Anyway.”

Claire continued the conversation with Alice.

“The academy’s motto is that ‘we’re all students here.’ I know that it’s not always followed, but that’s the general idea. Thinking about how I’m able to speak to you like this, it seems to be part of that idea.”

“Well... I guess that’s true.”

“So, the reason we’re all gathered here is because of that. The reason they don’t separate us into four groups and send us off is probably because it would cost too much time and resources. But maybe they hope that we’ll cooperate with each other here at the academy.”

“You’re being a lot more thoughtful than usual— *cough!*”

Leo made a random comment and was immediately grabbed by the collar by Claire.

Claire just looked at us as though this happened all the time.

“Anyway, I’m in favor. Having Roti with us won’t make us any more dangerous, and Jake guarantees her abilities.”

“Hmm.”

Alice turned her head toward Charlotte.

“I agree... too. The beasts from the southern continent are known for being vicious. I’ve only seen them in the zoo, but wild ones would probably be much worse, right? Even adding one more person to our group can’t hurt.”

After hearing Charlotte’s opinion, Alice turned her gaze back to Roti.

Roti looked like a doll.

Not that her appearance was the issue—though, her looks did make her resemble a doll—it was more that she barely reacted to what we were saying.

She didn’t say anything, simply lowering her eyes and waiting quietly while we talked about whether or not we’d take her with us.

“Roti, are you uncomfortable?”

Alice, knowing that Roti wasn’t saying anything, was likely worried, not just because of her status or background. Having spent time with her, Alice was sharp enough to notice.

Jake wouldn’t just take her with him because he said “let’s go,” but Alice wasn’t expecting that kind of response either.

“I will follow your decision.”

Roti spoke in a calm, composed voice.

“No, that’s not... what I mean.”

Of course, I didn’t want to hear her outright refuse, but Alice stifled a sigh and decided to ask directly.

“You must have friends in your class, right? Wouldn’t it be strange if we suddenly took you away, and your friends didn’t like it?”

If we took a friend away, it might upset those left behind, so it made sense to ask.

But—

“...”

Roti didn’t respond.

Alice seemed troubled by this lack of a response. It was hard for her to tell if it was because Roti didn’t want to come with us or if it was just because she didn’t have anyone else to stay with.

I knew.

Roti didn’t have friends.

It was because she was from a colony.

If Roti were an empire citizen, even as Jake’s maid, there probably wouldn’t have been any issues. In fact, her background might have even made her popular among the other students.

However, discrimination against colonists existed even within the empire.

In this world, there were no minimum wages or worker protections, so workers were dying from overwork. And most of the workers dying within the empire were the white empire citizens.

Normally, in such a situation, you’d expect labor movements or even revolutions to break out, but in this world, things weren’t progressing like that. The historical period of the communist revolution was a bit different in this world.

The emperor had been advising to replace rebellious workers with colonists whenever labor issues arose.

Colonists weren’t slaves.

But the money they were paid was almost equivalent to slavery, and they couldn’t say anything about it.

Colonists were a small minority within the empire, and they were in an environment where lynchings were a real threat.

A few colonists wouldn’t change the market dynamics. They were too few to organize resistance, and the empire deliberately mixed them with different regions and bad-class locals to keep them from uniting. Originally, people from completely different countries and tribes were forcibly gathered, making it even harder to unite.

But, without knowing these facts, the workers of the empire only saw colonists as people who “took their jobs for ridiculously cheap wages.”

This setting doesn’t appear in the main story, but it was included in the side stories explaining why there hadn’t been a nationwide independence movement in the colonies or why workers didn’t unite for revolution.

Although there were some flaws in applying this to real history, the game’s world had been designed with this setup in mind, and it worked as expected, so there was no need to question it.

“Ugh...”

As Roti’s mood grew even more somber, Alice’s expression reflected her uncertainty.

Alice glanced at me. Her eyes were silently asking for help.

Sister, huh?

I almost wanted to tease her with that thought, but the atmosphere didn’t seem right for that, so I held back.

“Can we trust Roti’s abilities?”

I turned to Jake and asked.

“Of course. Honestly, she might be more helpful than me.”

Everyone seemed to accept this explanation with little resistance.

Despite Jake’s casual appearance and somewhat flippant behavior, he had earned a lot of trust through the missions they had completed together.

The only one looking confused was Sophia.

“Well, she’s using firearms, so…”

Alice glanced at me and Rena as she said this.

“Alright, then.”

Alice nodded.

“She’ll join us. And if you want to bring any friends along, just let me know. It’s fine with me.”

“...Understood.”

But seeing Roti like this...

Well, thinking back to the original, it wasn’t completely unexpected. The commoner class wasn’t one I interacted with much, so there wasn’t much room for change there.

I remembered that not long after we started moving with Roti, a girl would approach us. We could just bring her along.

As I was thinking this, Alice gave me a suspicious glance.

...What is this? Can she read my thoughts now?

*

“Today, since Leo and Claire already completed their mission, let’s just relax.”

Alice said, looking at Jake.

“You said you had a lot of work to do, right?”

“That’s right.”

Jake replied in a deadpan manner.

“This place is huge, but there are almost no people like us... to ‘manage’ it. You guys said you hunted beasts, right?”

When Leo and Claire nodded, Jake continued.

“There’s plenty more to do aside from that. This trip is a week-long, so we can take it easy. I’m telling you, there’s no way we won’t have enough to do to fill the time.”

Hmm.

I wonder if our diligent protagonists will really take it easy.

Chapter 168

Roti is a hybrid-type character.

She primarily uses firearms. True to her quiet, reserved image, she wields a rifle, providing support from behind the party while staying safe. She's the kind of character who handles firepower support from the backline.

However, she’s not limited to firearms. Since she has a talent for magic, her magic skills are quite impressive. While she’s not quite as dedicated to magic as Mia Crowfield, who focuses solely on it, Roti is versatile enough to contribute with physical attacks as well as magic-based support. Because of this, Roti was often a useful character in the party.

And the other commoner character who follows Roti into the party is someone who exclusively uses firearms.

Still, after dealing with Rena, I wasn’t really concerned about my character overlapping with hers.

Roti and I have completely different images. At first, I was a little worried, but in the end, a cool and collected character in love isn’t the same as a cool beauty character.

The next commoner character who enters is very energetic by nature, so it’s not like she’d be an issue either.

“E-excuse me...!”

Even though she’s an energetic character, I didn’t expect her to come charging forward like that.

*

Alice thought of me as a sister, and Claire felt the same, but that didn’t mean we were always together.

I liked to have some alone time, and both of them had enough sense to notice when I wanted to be by myself.

Especially after the whirlwind of vacation, when I’d lost the remaining days of break entirely, I often found myself lying on the bed in my room after school started again, doing nothing but staring into space.

Neither Alice nor Claire would have expected me to be lying around in bed, but they’d surely noticed that I enjoyed being in my room with the door closed.

So, even now, I was alone. Alice was having a chat with Charlotte, and Mia Crowfield was still in her room.

Rena had gone upstairs to do another round of firearm checks. Maybe buying new bullets had sparked her interest.

Sophia had tried to speak to me but was quickly grabbed by Claire and dragged away. I really appreciated that she respected my desire for alone time.

“Well, I’ll go back to my room for a bit.”

“Oh, okay.”

When I got up to leave, Alice nodded.

“If anything comes up, just call me.”

There was a guest phone near the lounge. It wasn’t connected across the sea, but it was enough to connect to rooms within the hotel.

...Though, I kind of wish they had wireless communication technology. 

Well, it’s not like smartphones would exist, but still.

As I walked away from those random thoughts, I passed someone on the way to the elevator.

“Ah...”

It was a familiar face.

This character appeared as a party member in the original story. However, their role wasn’t particularly large. It seemed like a character added to match the setting of "an academy that includes both nobles and commoners."

Still, she was a character you could pursue in the game. While she didn’t have a major role in the main quest, she did have her own side quests and relationship events.

But at this point in the story, this was our first time meeting, so there was no need for us to be overly familiar with each other.

At least, that’s what I thought.

“E-excuse me...!”

As I walked past her, she called out to me.

Ah, I see.

I was a bit surprised.

No, I wasn’t thinking that she was rude. It’s just that, with how the world’s social class system worked, the way people interact with each other, I was more surprised that she could recognize me and call out like this.

“Is something wrong?”

When I turned to face her, she immediately seemed flustered.

Her dark brown hair was neatly tied up at the back of her head. True to the heroine type, she had a well-developed figure. Her skin was pale.

She wore round glasses, which were a ‘beauty seal’ for her character—though, some people later regretted when she took them off in the later parts of the story.

Her eyes under the glasses were slightly droopy, and her pupils were a deep brown, matching her hair color.

She definitely had the atmosphere of a ‘class president.’

Of course, in the academy, there was no official class president. That would only apply to the student council president, maybe.

In the nobility class, trying to appoint a class president would probably lead to political struggles.

Separately, there were ‘class president-like’ figures whom the homeroachers trusted.

This girl was one of them.

“Ah, um...”

She tried to continue speaking but took a step back, startled.

Was there a tiger behind me? I almost turned around, but it seemed like that wasn’t the case.

I didn’t hear any other footsteps in the hallway.

“P-please, Your Highness!”

She awkwardly grabbed the hem of her skirt and bowed her head deeply, looking uncomfortable with the formality.

You know the type of character I’m talking about.

She’d be a perfect ‘commoner character’ in a romance novel. She thought of herself as ordinary and insignificant, and in fact, her family had nothing notable about them, but she’d made it this far solely through her academic ability. The ‘commoner character’ drawn in a picture like that.

Unlike some other classmates who came from commoner families but had some connections with the nobility, it seemed that she had had no interactions with them.

She didn’t even seem to know how to avoid appearing clueless by speaking to me out of the blue.

Well, it didn’t matter much. I was already somewhat fond of her.

She was a character I liked in the original story.

“Is something wrong?”

The polite speech seemed to make her more flustered as she was caught off guard.

“I-I’m... Lily Baker...”

When I spoke a second time, she stubbornly introduced herself, probably having heard somewhere that she should introduce herself to a noble before speaking.

She probably hadn’t heard about things like “you should approach slowly from the other side of the room, so the other person has time to respond” or “if the other person cuts to the point, introductions are unnecessary,” but that wasn’t too surprising since even among nobles, following all the formalities wasn’t common.

“Miss Baker.”

I nodded, and Lily finally got to the point.

“Is... Roti... doing okay?”

Hmm.

If my gender were male, this would be the perfect moment to head straight into a romance route.

I wasn’t disappointed, though. I’ve always believed that the heroine should end up with the protagonist. If she got closer to me, I’d end up feeling like I was the NTR (Netorare) character, and I wouldn’t have been comfortable with that.

“She’s doing fine.”

In fact, compared to when she was in the commoner class, the hostility she used to feel has greatly diminished. At least, within our group, no one would discriminate against Roti because of her skin color.

“Ah...”

She seemed worried about Roti but hadn’t really thought about how to continue the conversation afterward.

“No, I mean... um…”

I stared at her for a moment before slowly speaking.

“Is Roti not getting along well in her class?”

I brought up a topic Jake would be interested in.

“Uh...”

Lily hesitated and couldn’t give a proper answer, but just that hesitation told me that Roti wasn’t doing well in her class.

I decided not to pry further.

“What kind of weapon do you use?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, what kind of weapon do you use during practical training?”

“...I use a Winterfield rifle.”

It was a rifle made by the Winterfield arsenal, which was based on an Austrian design. Unlike other bolt-action rifles, it had a feature where you could just pull the bolt handle straight back to reload, which made it memorable.

“I see.”

I nodded.

If this were Earth, the ammunition probably wouldn’t be compatible, but since it was the same empire-made firearm, it would likely work together. Even if we were in the same party, I didn’t think there would be any big issues.

“Then, how about you come and see it in person?”

“...Huh?”

“I think it’s better for you to see the situation firsthand rather than just have me explain it.”

“...Y-yes!?”

Her reaction was as surprised as you’d expect from a scene in a Japanese manga.

It was nice to see that again after a long time.

Chapter 169

"Am I being bullied right now?"

Lily Baker pondered this seriously.

Though she was technically a commoner, she had grown up in a rather well-off family and prided herself on her early-morning starts—earlier than most nobles, or so she believed.

Her parents ran a well-known bakery in the capital. If Lily hadn’t gone to the academy, she would have likely inherited the bakery herself, or perhaps her future husband would, whoever he might be. But as things stood, it was uncertain if she would take over the bakery. Her parents wished for her to aim higher, and Lily shared that ambition. With outstanding grades, a successful four years at the academy could make that possible.

Of course, the reckless decision she’d made to speak to the Princess—when she looked back, she wasn’t sure what she had been thinking—wasn’t motivated by ambition.

Lily’s teacher, Ada, had entrusted her with nearly all the tasks typically handled by a class representative. Informing classmates about schedules, collecting assignments, passing along unexpected announcements… though she wasn’t officially assigned the role, she had essentially become the de facto leader of Class C. Over time, her teacher, as well as her classmates, had come to accept her in that position.

Thus, though no one had asked her to, Lily had taken it upon herself to feel responsible.

Roti was somewhat isolated within their class.

After school, while the other classmates gathered in groups, she often spent time with Jake.

There were various rumors about their relationship, but few truly believed them. It seemed unthinkable that the heir of a ducal family would regard a colonist as a romantic interest. Generally, such rumors were used more as a pretext to disparage her than for anyone to take seriously.

Lily, for her part, wondered "what if," though she was certain that Roti’s position at Jake’s side was as a maid. Whether they had feelings for each other or not was something Lily could only speculate about, and she had no intention of asking them directly.

It was a personal matter, after all.

When Lily had approached the Princess, it hadn’t been due to any personal curiosity but rather an impulsive sense of duty.

There was a bit of guilt involved, too.

And the response she received—

“What… what should I do?”

Lily had managed to make a fair number of friends. Six months had proven to be enough time to get to know her peers. She couldn’t claim they were as close as her friends from home, but that would come with time.

Growing up in Lindborough, a land known for its resorts, she’d already made plans with a few friends for a visit there—

She imagined her parents’ faces, urging her to “Seize the opportunity!”

Not that it was any help.

“…Sigh.”

Pushing her slipping glasses back up, Lily muttered to herself.

Alright.

Even though she hadn’t trained with the noble class, she doubted her absence would cause them any major setbacks. All of them were skilled. She still remembered the mock battle led by Professor Jennifer.

The experience of watching one ally fall after another under well-aimed, unseen gunfire, even though it was just a simulation, had left a lasting impression.

While some murmured that Jennifer, a noble and teacher of the noble class, might be showing favoritism, seeing Princess Sylvia Fangryphon’s movements in action gradually silenced those voices.

Yes, that’s right.

Perhaps this was Princess Sylvia’s generosity.

By asking about Roti’s well-being, Lily had been granted a chance to check in on her.

So, if she decided to decline tomorrow morning, there wouldn’t be any issue—

—at least, that’s what she optimistically assumed.

Then, when someone knocked on her door at four in the morning, she reconsidered.

Wait… is this bullying?

*

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Clare, bright-eyed even at dawn, reassured her.

Since I had informed everyone the previous evening, they were quick to accept Lily Baker’s presence among us.

Considering that our group already included people like Sophia, who, although difficult to define as a commoner, was not entirely noble, as well as Roti, a commoner and colonist, there was no valid reason to reject Lily now.

Besides, her excuse of “having plans with friends”—

“So, you said you’re meeting them at ten in the morning, right? Then we can finish up early and let you meet them without a hitch!” Clare’s merciless logic shattered any resistance.

Alice and Charlotte, standing behind her, had expressions that plainly said, “Is she serious?” followed by “But knowing her, she probably is.”

Initially, Lily looked as though she couldn’t believe her ears, but seeing the faces of Alice and Charlotte, she began to doubt the entire situation.

She glanced in my direction, so I stared back at her with a neutral expression.

What? What is it?

You approached me first.

“Your name is Lily, right?”

When Leo, who was standing next to Clare, spoke, Lily’s face turned bright red.

Despite failing to live up to his harem protagonist reputation in our group because of me, Leo still had the looks—handsome, tall, with broad shoulders.

In short, the type of guy girls would find attractive.

“Nice to meet you.”

Leo extended his hand with a smile, and Lily hesitated, unsure whether to hold her skirt or take Leo’s hand.

It was rather amusing to watch.

In the original story, she had been swept up into the party by tagging along with Roti, after all.

…

Hmm.

Am I bullying her?

Well, it’s not like she’ll ever know.

I smiled inwardly, watching the two of them.

*

Anyway.

Returning to the issue of Roti and Jake, I had a plan in mind.

Of course, I wasn’t planning on putting it into action right away.

More accurately, there were a few things I wanted to confirm before moving forward with it.

“It’s certainly too large and heavy for practical use in combat,” I muttered, holding a rifle that was nearly as big as an anti-materiel sniper rifle.

It was definitely too large to shoot while standing. The anti-tank rifles I had seen were about the same size, but I had never fired one myself.

“But we’ve prepared the Marmaros rounds specifically for this,” Alice reminded me.

“That’s true.”

…Though I doubted I’d need to use it unless absolutely necessary. Still, it could probably set a carriage—and its occupants—ablaze in one shot.

“I’ll try it out for hunting first, then decide if it’s worth using in battle,” I said.

“Fair enough, it’s up to you to choose your weapon,” Alice shrugged.

But Jake, watching me sling the rifle over my shoulder, seemed less than enthusiastic about it.

Despite the lack of animal protection laws in this world, Jake seemed to have a soft spot for animals.

The reason soon became clear.

Bang!

The rifle’s blast was as powerful as its size suggested.

Even though I was lying down, the recoil pushed hard against my shoulder.

The weapon’s power lived up to its “express” name.

The problem, however, was that the power was excessive.

The elephant, which hadn’t even noticed us yet, collapsed with its skull shattered.

The bullet pierced right through its forehead, and it fell back before collapsing on its haunches, legs stretched out and quivering towards the sky.

…

Leo and Clare, who had bragged about hunting a rhino the day before, stood with their mouths agape.

All the nearby elephants fled, leaving only a few calves behind.

Even as we approached, the calves lingered around their fallen mother, only fleeing when we came within arm’s reach.

“Yesterday was about hunting a beast threatening civilians…” Leo muttered, and I began to understand why they seemed so unsettled.

“All we need are the tusks. The rest… the vultures will take care of it later, I guess.”

Ah.

Now I understood why Jake hadn’t been too thrilled about the “mission.”

Oh well.

At least I got to test the firepower.

Though, to make things go the way I want, I may need to reset time…

Chapter 170

Thanks to my strong insistence, the hunting mission was changed from an elephant hunt to a lion hunt.

The target was an old lion that had been wandering near a residential area, and unlike the elephant, this one was a genuine threat. It was massive, almost monstrous, with thick, frozen fangs—a unique trait for a lion—and it had been attacking livestock near the village.

Moreover, it had reportedly attacked people on several occasions. Though those people had managed to hide in a car before the lion broke through the windows, they narrowly escaped when a group of hunters arrived and scared it off.

"According to reports, this one is a tricky prey," I explained.

Because the lion recognized guns, we couldn’t take heavy firearms. The elephant hunt had been chosen for my firepower test, but we had to be more cautious here.

It seemed to distinguish between men and women as well. While it hadn’t eaten anyone, the lion had attacked while a man was away, targeting a woman and two children returning from the market. Though an elderly driver was present, he wasn’t exactly a match for a lion.

The lion had waited, hidden, until they opened the car door to step out, then pounced. Fortunately, they managed to retreat back inside the vehicle in time.

"So, you’re planning to stand alone?" Alice asked, skeptical.

"Yes."

I answered firmly.

"Wouldn’t it be better if someone stayed with you—?"

"The others here can’t completely conceal their presence, so it won’t work," I interrupted.

I had a point. While I lacked the talent for intimidation, my sword-wielding companions had an aura that could overwhelm enemies with sheer presence. Against someone of equal or greater skill, it might not work, but it was certainly effective against humans.

However, dealing with an animal was a different story.

Especially an experienced, old lion—it wouldn’t likely attack someone like Leo.

Of course, I couldn’t send Roti or Lily Baker out there either.

It wasn’t a matter of doubting their skills. It was for my own plan.

"Alright," Alice nodded.

"But if things get even slightly dangerous, we’ll abort the mission and all rush out."

"Understood."

I had no intention of risking my life, after all. If things went south, I could always rewind time and pretend this never happened.

*

...Wow, it’s huge.

The lion was enormous, its eyes nearly level with mine even as it stood on all fours.

To the lion, did I look like a tasty meal?

It probably thought so. One swipe of its claws, and I’d be sliced in half. To the lion, I must’ve looked like a soft pudding.

Of course, I had no intention of going down that easily.

As the lion moved three steps closer, I discreetly pulled out the revolver hidden behind my back.

The lion seemed to recognize the gun.

It tensed momentarily, then charged at me.

Did it think it could withstand a handgun? Or did it decide it was better to attack than to run?

How unfortunate.

The gun in my hand wasn’t just any revolver; it was my old revolver, slightly larger in caliber than the automatic pistol I typically used.

It was loaded with .455 Marmaros rounds.

These incendiary rounds worked particularly well against creatures with cold auras.

Besides, no matter how fast that lion was…

I’d once hit someone as fast as Lucas, after all.

Bang.

One shot.

One shot was all it took.

The bullet hit the lion square in the face, exploding on impact and engulfing it in flames, slamming the beast to the ground.

It skidded across the ground, flailing, and I fired a few more shots.

Bang, bang, bang.

Honestly, I was running at a loss here. Even if I sold the lion’s pelt and refined the Marmaros, it wouldn’t cover the cost of the ammunition I’d used.

Still, better that than dying.

The lion skidded to a stop right in front of my feet.

Alright. At least now I knew I could handle this alone if needed.

Again.

*

The process repeated itself.

But this time, there was a different condition.

Bang!

This time, the bullet wasn’t as powerful as before, and didn’t knock the lion back.

It was no surprise; this time, I’d loaded regular rounds.

Only the first two rounds.

To be precise, the cylinder was loaded in the same order as before: four incendiary Marmaros rounds and two regular bullets.

All I’d done was rotate the cylinder to change the sequence.

But the result was entirely different.

The lion flinched as it was hit, blood splattering slightly, but it didn’t drop mid-charge like before.

Bang!

I fired another regular round.

The lion still seemed keen on making a meal out of me.

I pretended to panic, stepping two paces to the right before collapsing to the ground. From a distance, it would look like I’d tripped.

Bang!

A loud gunshot echoed—not from my gun, but from the distance to my right.

On the open plain, a lone tree stood tall.

Glancing over, I saw a flash—the glint of Roti’s rifle scope reflecting the light.

I’d positioned Roti and Lily far enough away that they’d barely be able to sense any presence. However, Lily’s view was a bit precarious. If I moved to the right, I’d end up nearly overlapping with the lion in her line of sight.

Rena was here as well, but equipped only with a pistol and submachine gun, neither suited for this range.

I hoped Roti didn’t see the satisfied grin on my face as the lion fell—

"Wait—"

But in the next moment, I was forced to react. While I’d intended for the lion to fall at a certain angle…

Its front paw, far larger than I’d anticipated, was coming down right over me.

"Ugh."

Fortunately, we were far enough away that no one heard me make that noise.

*

"Sylvia!"

I heard Alice’s voice, almost a scream, a little later.

Watching my group rushing towards me, I pushed the lion’s paw off me, as if it were a blanket.

I hadn’t suffered any major injuries. The paw hadn’t struck me hard; it had merely fallen on top of me.

I might bruise a little, though.

I was lucky the claws hadn’t scratched me.

"I-I’m so sorry!" Lily ran up and bowed deeply.

"When you ended up in line with the lion—" She clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing that might sound like she was blaming me.

"Don’t worry too much. It was my fault for falling," I reassured her.

As I spoke, a cool sensation spread through my side. I looked over to see Mia Crowfield pointing her staff at me, a faint blue light shimmering around it. A healing spell, perhaps.

When I nodded toward Mia, she averted her gaze slightly.

Past Clare and Alice, who were fussing over me with concern, I spotted Roti approaching quietly.

"Roti."

I called out to her. She stood nearby, hands folded respectfully.

"Thanks to you, I wasn’t seriously injured… In fact, I’d say you saved my life. Thank you."

"No… I was merely doing what was expected."

Jake, observing our conversation in silence, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"No," I replied to Roti firmly.

"Let’s not forget, I am a princess of the Empire. I can’t just overlook the fact that you saved my life."

Roti’s face was impassive, but she looked slightly flustered, her gaze lifting to meet mine.

Alice, who had been fretting over me, also had a curious expression.

A look of understanding crossed her face, and she brought her hand to her forehead.

Exactly.

The best way for a commoner to ascend was by earning merit. The higher the status of the person they aided, the greater the reward.

As Jake’s expression shifted into a faint smile, I simply shrugged.

Chapter 171

"We… we actually made it before ten o'clock…."

Impressive, right?

Lily mumbled in amazement, and I held back the urge to say something snarky.

Leo, true to his protagonist-like, honest, and diligent nature, kept his promises well. This wasn’t just about showing up on time—he’d go to great lengths to keep his word, even in life-threatening situations or nearly impossible challenges. Finishing a task on schedule was second nature to him.

Of course, for those caught up in his pace, it wasn’t always a laughable experience.

In the game, for the player’s convenience, characters never seemed to tire from walking, running, or fighting since stamina was never an issue. Here, though, everyone around me looked exhausted.

Even Lily, who had gasped in awe earlier, was now worn out.

Mia Crowfield, who had the weakest stamina, looked practically half-dead.

We had set out in the early morning cold and returned when the sun was high and hot, experiencing the drastic temperature shift throughout. It would be strange not to feel tired.

"Do you always move this early?" Lily asked.

"Not ‘always,’" Alice replied firmly, giving Lily a look that said she’d barely believe it.

"It’s usually only these two who keep this kind of schedule," Charlotte chimed in, pointing to Leo and Claire, who both looked mildly puzzled.

With Leo, it made sense. But as for Claire—how had she gone from being like this to her much calmer, more serious personality in the main storyline?

I knew my arrival in this world had altered the original course of events, but even so, it was still ironic.

"Are you okay with this? Didn’t you have plans with your friends?" Leo asked Lily.

For a moment, Lily seemed dazed that this handsome noble boy was speaking to her, but she quickly came back to reality, looking crestfallen.

She’d woken up at dawn, worked hard all morning, and now had to join her friends for more activities, barely getting a moment’s rest. And unlike this group of near-superhuman allies, her friends were commoners who would have to handle everything themselves, without magic or enhanced physical abilities.

Their work would likely stretch until around five in the evening, and if they took breaks to avoid the midday sun, it could go even later.

…

I suppose I couldn’t blame the commoner students for spreading unfavorable rumors about our class.

Still, Lily’s dismay didn’t last long.

Suddenly, she looked as if she remembered something and glanced at me, then at Roti.

Following her gaze, the others did the same—looking at me, then back at Roti.

"Oh…"

With a look of understanding, Lily glanced back at me, and the others turned their attention to me once again.

Well, she was supposed to be quite smart in the original story. Although Alice held the top spot academically, and the other high-ranking positions were mostly taken by Charlotte and other noble students, Lily’s name was always somewhere on that list.

Considering her commoner background and lack of foundational knowledge compared to the nobles, it was impressive. Even in the original story, this was acknowledged, though Lily herself didn’t particularly like being reminded of it.

"I see," Lily murmured, as if she’d grasped something.

I couldn’t fully follow her thoughts since her perspective differed from mine. But at the very least, she probably understood that we didn’t look down on Roti because she was a commoner.

"Thank you all very much. This has been a valuable experience," Lily said, bowing to us.

"Huh? We just invited you along since we had some extra time. You don’t need to think too much about it," Leo said, causing Lily to smile wryly.

"Were you satisfied?" I asked.

"Yes, much more than I initially expected," Lily replied with a broad smile.

"Then let’s meet again. Don’t pretend not to know me if we run into each other in the halls."

"I doubt there’s a commoner in the academy who’d ignore a noble if they saw one," Lily replied with a laugh at Claire’s comment.

Well, that’s that.

Not only had I left a good impression on Lily, one of the main characters, but I’d also laid the groundwork to nudge the story in the direction I had in mind.

A win-win, so to speak.

*

After going to my room to freshen up, I finished lunch and took a seat at a lounge table, spacing out a little, when Jake plopped down across from me without asking.

"Sylvia."

His voice sounded unusually cheerful, brighter than usual.

Or rather, it was a different *type* of brightness. Normally, his tone had an exaggerated, performative quality, but now it sounded as natural as if he were greeting a friend.

I supposed there was no longer any need for him to keep up the act around me.

Perhaps I’d gained his trust, or maybe the events of today had improved his impression of me.

"Have you thought about why I’m sitting here alone?" I asked.

"And why’s that?"

Jake replied with a mischievous grin. Honestly, it was hard to believe that someone who looked like him could be such a straight-laced guy. If you looked solely at his appearance and behavior, he seemed like the delinquent character who’d flirt with a heroine who already liked someone else.

It was no wonder that kind of fan fiction was popular.

In any case, the way Jake’s character was portrayed in the original wasn’t entirely his fault. The developers designed him that way.

"Most of the people around me know that if I’m sitting alone, it’s because I’m ‘sorting through my thoughts.’ Alice, Claire, and even Rena rarely interrupt me when I’m like this."

"They’re all people you call by name, huh?"

"…I address most people around me by their names."

"But not Mia."

That’s because I’m not close with her.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be friends, but our pasts made it difficult to get close. If I suddenly acted friendly, it’d come off as suspicious, maybe even psychopathic.

"Even though you try to hide your expressions and tone, anyone watching you closely can tell you distinguish between close friends and others. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. You’re probably just being considerate," Jake observed.

"And what exactly led you to this conclusion?"

"Are you really asking that after today’s stunt?"

"…."

"You never waste a single bullet, yet today you ‘misfired’? I saw you checking your gun before the battle. You’re not careless enough to mix up the rounds or mistake the Marmaros bullets."

Too bad he hadn’t heard the noise I made when the lion’s paw landed on me.

Not that I wouldn’t have rewound time if he had.

"So, why don’t we just lay everything out on the table?"

Jake leaned back in his chair, stretching his spine, and continued.

"You’re trying to elevate Roti, aren’t you?"

"…."

He wasn’t wrong.

"I just can’t figure out why. Even if you’re trying to help me and Roti get married, it’s hard to believe you’d suddenly go out of your way for us without some hidden motive."

But that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.

Why?

Honestly, while Roti’s mixed tsundere/cool demeanor was amusing to watch, the obstacles in the way of their relationship were frustrating. It felt like eating a dry potato without water.

"So," I replied, keeping a neutral expression as I spoke.

"Are you accusing me of trying to use her?"

"Well… I can’t say for sure what role Roti plays in your plans, but—"

Jake shrugged.

"It’s better to have someone who values her skills rather than treats her as mere decoration."

But he wasn’t done.

"Still, if Roti’s life ends up at risk, I won’t just sit by."

Of course, I wouldn’t let that happen.

Both Roti and you—

You’re all part of the people I’m determined to protect.

At least until this grand story reaches its end.

"I’ll keep that in mind," I replied sincerely, letting him see that my words were genuine.

Chapter 172

The rumors spread in an instant.

It was because I acted so openly. I borrowed Roti from Jake and walked around with her by my side — not that I truly *walked* around with her, of course. It's just the way it sounds — or I kept her with me as part of our "noble group." Either way, in a hotel where nearly all the first-year academy students were gathered, there was no way the rumors wouldn't spread.

Moreover, I didn’t just engage in such visible actions.

“Knight’s title… are you serious?”

“I’m talking about the person who saved the princess’s life. It’s not impossible to bestow such a reward, even if it’s a temporary title that won’t carry down to future generations.”

“But doesn’t it require the Emperor’s approval to grant such a title?”

“Do you think His Majesty, who dearly loves his daughter, would say nothing and let it slide?”

At my words, Roti fell silent.

Alice, who had been watching us from a nearby table, looked as though she was about to snort, but I ignored her and continued speaking.

Well, anyway, I knew the Emperor would find such a proposal amusing and would likely accept it.

It would provide a good reason, after all, for claiming that she had done a favor for the future Duke of Lindbergh.

Normally, I would choose a seat by the window or against a wall when picking a spot in a restaurant. I wouldn’t want to sit in a place where I’d attract attention. But now, that wasn’t the case. The more attention I drew, the better.

So, I bit my lip and deliberately chose a seat in the center of the room, enduring the discomfort.

“But Your Highness, that incident...”

“Baker.”

I interrupted Roti and called out to Lily, who happened to be passing by our table.

“Yes... yes, Your Highness!?“

Lily, suddenly being called out by me, turned pale.

She had probably been doing it on purpose. Ever since I started sitting alone with Roti, she seemed to want to get a sense of whether I was bothering her. She even jumped into the crowd of nobles to figure it out.

However, the conversation we were having now was slightly different. This was likely purely out of curiosity.

She must have deliberately put less food on her plate and casually walked by us, trying to eavesdrop.

“Baker, you were nearby at the time, weren’t you?”

“Eh? Ah, yes…”

Feeling the eyes that had been on Roti and me shifting to her, Lily squirmed uncomfortably, twisting her body this way and that.

“Didn’t you see Roti save me back then?”

“Y-Yes, I did.”

“Exactly.”

I repeated my words to emphasize my point and looked at Roti.

“With a witness like this, I don’t think anyone will be able to refute it.”

Alice made a face as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she didn’t try to refute my words.

Claire, sitting across from Alice, and Leo, sitting between them, were staring at me with their mouths agape. It wasn’t until Claire slapped Leo’s arm that he snapped out of it and quickly began cutting his steak. But in his haste, some sauce spilled onto his clothes.

Why? Are you jealous?

Should I make an opportunity to tease Leo a bit? Watching Leo turn pale after hearing all this would be amusing.

Besides, since Leo is a guy, maybe rumors of an affair will start circulating.

“Anyway, my mind is made up.”

“But, then... what about the young master?”

“I’ve already told Jake.”

“...”

At that, Roti’s expression grew cloudy for the first time since I had started speaking.

“Did the young master agree?”

“Yes, he did.”

Looking at Roti’s dimmed expression, I felt slightly flustered.

Why? Isn’t she supposed to be happy about this? Jake wouldn’t spare a glance for any woman other than Roti.

I thought for a moment and realized that I might have misunderstood something at a deeper level.

Wait, so... is that it?

Could it be that Roti wasn’t fully confident that Jake liked her? That’s why she feels comfortable being by Jake’s side as a maid, thinking she’s safer that way?

Hmm.

But if that’s the case, I couldn’t really do anything about it. Jake would keep Roti by his side even if she became more than just a maid, but if Roti herself couldn’t gain that confidence…

“You don’t need to worry too much.”

I figured I should add a few reassuring words, just to be safe.

“You don’t need to worry about losing your job. It’s quite common for a daughter of a baron family to become a maid in a duke’s household. Roti will only be receiving a knight’s title, so unless she intentionally quits, she should be able to continue working just fine.”

“...I understand.”

After hearing my words, Roti’s expression relaxed a bit.

So, it looks like I was right.

This couple is more troublesome than I thought.

...Well, I’ve done my part, so the rest is up to Jake. That’s the common sense of this age, right?

I guess I’ll be satisfied with just lowering the difficulty a bit.

*

After finishing our meal, a maid was waiting outside.

Though she wasn’t wearing a maid’s outfit, she introduced herself as “a servant of the Lindbergh family,” so I suppose it wouldn’t be wrong to call her a maid.

Dressed in a luxurious suit, she handed me a similarly elegant envelope and said:

“Lord Lindbergh would like to have tea with Your Highness. He said that, while you are staying here, if you give him a time and place, he’ll come right away.”

I wouldn’t leave until I checked the letter, so I opened it immediately and read its contents. Apart from some decorative phrases, the message was basically the same as what the maid had just said.

“I see.”

When I responded, the maid bowed slightly.

“Would it be possible now?”

She froze as soon as I said that.

“The location—”

“I’ll go to him. Couldn’t you accompany me on your way back?”

They say, strike while the iron is hot. It’s more convenient for both of us if we talk now.

But at my words, the maid immediately wore an apologetic expression.

“However, Lord Lindbergh is not at the estate right now.”

“May I ask where he is?”

“…He’s at the farm. There is a mansion there, but…”

“I’m fine with that. Wouldn’t it be better for us to take care of this while the opportunity presents itself?”

“Understood.”

It seemed that the maid had made up her mind after hearing my words.

‘Anytime, anywhere,’ I had said.

“So, you’re going to meet the Duke now?” Alice, who had been eavesdropping, asked.

“Would you like to come with me?”

When I asked, Alice furrowed her brow for a moment before replying.

“Yeah, I’ll go with you.”

“But if you do—”

“I’ll be the one to do the talking.”

“...Understood.”

The maid, slightly startled by Alice’s words, clearly couldn’t argue with what the princess had said.

“Oh, may I come along and have a look?” Charlotte immediately butted in.

“I’ve never seen the farm since I got here. It might be interesting to visit the grand farm that the Empire is so proud of.”

“….”

The maid hesitated for a moment, then looked at me.

“In that case, I suppose it’s best to check with the Duke first.”

“…Understood.”

The maid lowered her head respectfully again and turned to leave. As she made her way back, I suddenly realized: she’s a foreigner.

*

People often think that the military-industrial complex rules the world just because they sell weapons.

After all, weapons are tools that kill people, and manufacturing them requires advanced technology. Even in a place without semiconductor development like this, it’s still the military sector that leads technological innovation.

It’s often said that new technologies are first tested on the battlefield, so it isn’t too strange to think this way.

But in reality, those who make guns and cannons are always at the mercy of those who buy their products. When those buyers switch suppliers, the makers of weapons go bankrupt.

It’s the military contractors who always cater to the needs of their clients.

So, to say that these people rule the world? That doesn’t make sense. They’d be dragged around by the collar if it came to that.

The real world rulers are those who sell fruit.

Everyone can easily buy and eat fruit, and nobody’s upset if they don’t buy it. Leftover and overripe fruits are turned into juice and sold, while nearly spoiled fruit is dumped on colonized natives, but it’s not free, of course. The price includes shipping across two oceans.

Thanks to this, the fruit business is always profitable. The same goes for anything else. The trade between the homeland and the colonies always favors the homeland.

Despite the Duke’s intentions, the number of guests increased, and we ended up taking the bus.

And as we entered the vast farm, no one in the bus could speak.

The size of the farm was enormous, no doubt about it.

“...It’s amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the oranges in the Empire came from here,” Charlotte muttered.

No one really responded, but they all seemed to agree with her.

Even though the sun was nearly set, many people were still working on the farm.

Of course, almost all of them were native workers.

Chapter 173

The interior decoration of this era was incredibly extravagant, no matter where you went.

Even the newly built houses were like that. This was likely a faithful reflection of the original setting. When thinking of the Belle Époque era, one immediately associates the distinctive Victorian-style interior decorations, and that's exactly what was being used here. In the game, even though the decor was like this, it didn’t seem all that extravagant because the graphics weren’t advanced enough to fully showcase it.

But my experience in this world, actually seeing such things in person... was refreshing.

It was because, in the world I came from, the Victorian-era artifacts I encountered were mostly "old." No matter how grand and vintage something looked, when the object itself was aged, the feeling of newness was largely gone. This was something I noticed even in the historic palaces of long-standing systems.

However, here, it was different. Even though this place had been a colony for a long time, new houses and farms were being built everywhere, and the mansion on this farm didn’t seem to have been built that long ago.

It was a curious feeling to be surrounded by interior decor that was a little too flashy. At the same time, though, it didn’t give off the feeling of being newly wealthy or tasteless, which made me realize how skilled the interior designers of this era must be.

“Your Highness,”

The Duke bowed his head slightly, putting extra emphasis on his manners considering the age gap between us.

“I hear you have something you wish to discuss.”

“Indeed.”

Perhaps he had heard of my personality somewhere. Or maybe he had gathered a rough idea during the last banquet. The Duke didn’t seem bothered by my direct approach to the conversation, cutting to the chase without much pleasantry.

He gently gestured toward a chair, and I took a seat. As we sat across from each other, a maid quickly served us both a cup of tea. After placing the teapot on the table, she hurriedly left the room.

The maid was also white.

“What is it that you wish to discuss?”

“I heard that Your Highness is fond of Roti.”

Hmm.

It wasn’t exactly wrong to say I was “fond” of her. While we weren’t exactly soulmates, I did want to protect Roti, just as she was one of the people I wanted to save.

In fact, Roti herself was unlikely to die. Depending on the choices made, Jake might be the one to save her and die in the process.

Jake might not be the heroine, but I didn’t want to see a pure love couple ruined by death.

“I owe her a great debt.”

“Then, is it really possible to bestow that knight’s title?”

The Duke asked bluntly again. Well, it’s better than beating around the bush.

Still, even though his words were direct, they carried an implication. Inside that question was a subtext of, “Is it really possible to give a title to someone from the colonies?”

“It’s not impossible.”

I answered decisively.

“First of all, His Majesty trusts me. He is not the type of person who would ignore someone who has helped me.”

The Duke nodded seriously at my words.

“Also, my older brother, Prince Jaden Fangryphon, is the commander of the Imperial Knights. He cares for me deeply, so he isn’t the kind of person who would refuse my request.”

I observed the Duke’s expression carefully after hearing this.

If the Duke was simply a character who was trying to suppress the colonists, he would likely have shown displeasure at my words. However, if he leaned more toward opportunism, he might take the bait.

In the game, the protagonist’s "parents’ generation" didn’t play a central role in the story. Sometimes they were portrayed as supporters of the regime, sometimes as obstacles to love, and sometimes as reliable allies. They appeared occasionally, but the focus was always on the protagonist’s group.

I had read the text of the original setting and remembered it.

The Duke was a racist and an imperialist, but at the same time—

“I see.”

The Duke smiled.

—Yes, the Duke was also an opportunist driven by power.

He stood up from his chair, walking toward the large window, and gazed out quietly.

The farm was now dimly lit. There were scattered lights, but it was unclear if they were meant to ward off intruders or if they were simply from workers still toiling away.

“Your Highness, do you know how long this system will last?”

“It can’t last forever.”

“That’s right.”

I widened my eyes slightly at his unexpected words, but fortunately, I don’t think he noticed, as he was still looking out the window.

“Some people say that because there are so many people in the colonies, it’s easy to buy raw materials cheaply and sell them for a high price. But the reality is different. There is a limit to the wealth any group can amass. If you keep draining it, even a gold mine that seemed endless will eventually dry up.”

The Duke turned around.

“And I’ve started feeling that recently.”

“Are you saying there might be a rebellion?”

“Not exactly.”

At my question, the Duke smiled bitterly.

“Do you know? People in the homeland seem to think of the colonists as something akin to slaves, but legally, they are not.”

I didn’t respond.

“The Empire abolished slavery a long time ago. The slaves' skin might have been the same color as ours, or different, but legally, there are no slaves anymore.”

“Are you claiming that colonists are free people?”

“That’s not it either. Legally, they are legitimate subjects of the Empire, but that’s all. They can’t move freely, and they don’t have the right to vote. What I’m trying to say is that we’ve missed our chance to truly enslave them.”

The Duke looked back out the window.

“Before we came here, they were divided into multiple nations. There were different classes, and because of that, they couldn’t form a single identity. Even now, that atmosphere hasn’t completely disappeared. But it doesn’t mean there’s no sense of shared understanding.”

The oppressors and the oppressed.

People of different skin colors.

“There was once a great empire here, though. It split hundreds of years ago, but at one point, there was an empire that ruled the entire continent, an empire that flourished in culture. And now, they are slowly starting to collect that history again. Though it’s only a small portion, the idea of ‘same culture, same race’ is beginning to take root.”

This world was just beginning to form the concept of ‘ethnicity.’

“They are legally free, can refuse to work if they choose, and within the scope of judicial authority, they are starting to form groups with shared understanding. When that happens…”

“…”

“I am trying to control it, though. If I pay them enough to get by, they won’t have the luxury to think of anything else. After all, they need to survive, right? If I instill the idea that striking will mean starving to death, it might delay things a little.”

“Eventually, they will rise up.”

At my words, the Duke nodded.

“Then, Your Highness, what you’re doing is truly remarkable. ‘Even someone from the colonies can rise if they do something remarkable,’ wouldn’t you say?”

…

Well…

No, I didn’t think it would go that far.

“If everything goes according to Your Highness’s calculations, Roti might become an iconic figure. Her name might even be in textbooks one day.”

Would that happen...?

I was just trying to set up some minimum conditions for her to marry into the Duke’s family.

“Do you wish for my son to marry Roti?”

Well... yes?

I nodded, and the Duke smiled knowingly.

“I think I have a rough idea of what you’re thinking.”

What exactly does he think I’m thinking?

No, I just wanted the awkward couple to finally get together and flaunt it around already.

“But honestly, the idea of my son marrying someone of a different race… I must admit, it does make me uneasy.”

The Duke said this with a warm smile on his face.

“However, my son does care deeply for Roti. If the conditions are right, as a father who loves his son, I won’t refuse.”

“And those conditions would be something more than just a title, wouldn’t they?”

“It’s been quite some time since we moved here, but that doesn’t mean we have no affection for our homeland. Still, I can’t demand too much as a vassal of the throne.”

The Duke bent slightly at the waist.

“We seek a ‘true’ friendship with the royal family. I hope Roti can be the witness to that.”

Chapter 174

It seems like I’ve caused some huge misunderstanding, but I decided to just let it go.

At this point, it’s too late to correct it—well, I could correct it, but I’d invested too much effort to let it go to waste. It wouldn’t result in major losses if I did, but after all the trouble of persuading the Duke, I really didn’t want to start over with a different method. It would be too much of a hassle.

Besides, in the latter half of the story, the colonies will eventually start their independence movements anyway.

By that point, the Empire will have declared war on nearly the entire world, and as a result, the Emperor will die, leading to a truce among those who no longer want the war. The situation will be chaotic, with constant bloodshed in the colonies, and the Law Country will be acting very suspiciously... that was the storyline I played up until.

Moreover, some of the protagonist’s group members die, making the whole situation pretty depressing.

...Well, I don’t need to worry about that here.

“True friendship, you say?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Well, I could offer friendship.

It felt like he was intentionally being vague with his words, but if we’re being vague too, then it’s fine.

There may be political rhetoric and all that, but if we end up sweeping it all away later, who’s going to care? I’m not planning to start a rebellion against the royal family. If it came to that, we'd probably be in a much worse position.

“If in the future, my dear friend marries the son of this family, then perhaps that might happen.”

“I understand.”

The Duke responded with a slight smile after hearing my words.

“Then, we will think positively about it.”

*

Somehow, I wrapped up the situation.

Looking back, it ended much more smoothly than I expected.

I had thought there might be shouting, or even an ashtray flying at me. Of course, I didn’t think they’d throw the ashtray at me.

“What kind of conversation did you have?”

Jake asked as I exited the room. It seemed strange to him that his father hadn’t come out with me.

“A lot of positive discussions were had.”

Alice narrowed her eyes as she stared at me, but I made a point to ignore her gaze.

After all, we would be in the same room when we got back, so I’d have to tell her eventually.

I could already imagine Alice rubbing her forehead after hearing about the conversation I had today.

“Is that so?”

Jake dragged out his words, asking again, but thankfully, he didn’t press further.

“…”

Otherwise, no one had really said anything all that remarkable.

Leo seemed to be in a heavy mood.

“Is something wrong?”

When I asked, Leo shrugged his shoulders, retracting his gaze from the outside.

“No, it’s nothing major.”

“You’ve been staring outside for a while, though,” Jake said, joining me.

“Is it really that rare to see so many people working on such a large farm?”

“…”

Jake didn’t seem to mean anything by his words, but there was a tone to his voice that suggested he didn’t exactly appreciate the situation.

Outwardly, he seemed like the kind of guy who’d be fooling around with multiple women, but deep down, he was probably a straightforward guy who only had eyes for one woman and cared for animals, while also feeling pity for the colonists... Why isn’t he the heroine? Wouldn’t it be more interesting if Roti were the male character instead?

I quietly wondered to myself, but Alice interrupted my thoughts.

“There are people like that in the Empire too. The ones who work in factories. There are farms there as well.”

When attention shifted to her, Alice made a slightly embarrassed expression before responding.

“I’m not saying it’s a good thing. I just meant that the nobles are surprisingly unaware of such occurrences happening everywhere.”

“In Belvur, fruits with the Lindbergh name are quite famous.”

Finally, Charlotte, who had been silent like Leo, spoke up.

“They’re cheap and delicious... Even if they tried to grow such fruits in Belvur, they could never replicate this method.”

They’d have to use Belvur’s own people, of course.

Of course, even though Belvur hasn’t industrialized, that doesn’t mean life is wonderful there. The majority of the country’s industry is agricultural, and that agriculture is based on the exploitation of tenant farmers by landowners. Naturally, most of these landowners are nobles.

It’s a complicated matter.

Even if the Empire’s colonization has boosted its national power by squeezing people, the speed of development will always be slower compared to that of a colonizing empire. 

And if they wanted to make colonies now, they’d have to go to war. Once those colonies were made, the same cycle of exploitation would repeat.

Well, who do you think created the “good times” of the past?

“…”

Meanwhile, Claire, who would have been at the bottom of the exploited class, said nothing.

A brief silence fell over the guest room.

“We’re done here.”

When I spoke up, everyone turned to look at me.

“Shall we head back? The Duke did say we could stay, but…”

If we stayed the night, we'd see something even more depressing the next morning.

“...No, let’s just go back. There’s nothing left to see here.”

Alice seemed to have realized what kind of scene we’d witness the next morning.

Everyone nodded in agreement after Alice.

*

“Your Highness.”

Roti called out to me before Jake, which likely meant she had a lot she wanted to say.

She had clearly come with us, but Roti wasn’t in the guest room... It seemed like she hadn’t been treated unfairly after all.

Roti was talking in the hallway.

Her conversation partner was her mother, dressed in a maid’s outfit.

I had assumed all the maids here were white.

Well, maybe only one person was getting special treatment. From the Earl’s perspective, Roti might be a connection point with me.

As for what happened in the banquet hall... I’d ask her about that later.

When Roti’s mother saw me, she quickly bowed.

“Did everything go well?”

“Yes…”

Roti seemed like she had a lot of questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask them outright.

Even through her neutral expression, I could feel her emotions... Perhaps Alice had figured out how to read my expressions this way as well.

Roti’s mother didn’t lift her head.

I wondered, if Roti received a knight’s title, what would happen to the relationship between Roti and her mother?

I’d have to think about that.

Glancing aside, I noticed Alice also had a complicated expression. It was natural since she was looking at the “mother of a friend.”

“Well, let’s head back.”

I said, and Roti’s mother raised her head slightly to look at us.

When I nodded in her direction, she quickly hid her face.

*

After returning to our room, Alice stayed silent for a while before speaking up.

“Is Roti the daughter of Lindbergh?”

“If you mean the ‘Lindbergh’ family, yes. But she is not the daughter of the Duke of Lindbergh.”

“…”

Alice narrowed her eyes and stared at me for a while before sighing and sitting down.

“Well, fine. I’ll let it go for now. How did you find out?”

She spoke with a hint of a sigh, then slumped down in front of me.

“Tell me. If Roti is the daughter of Lindbergh, whose daughter is she?”

“Roti is the cousin of Jake.”

In Korea, such a relationship would be considered too close for marriage, but in this world, aristocrats aren’t restricted in the same way.

Moreover, internationally, cousin marriages are allowed in many countries… though the law might allow it, society’s perception is different. Still, in this world, where people deliberately look for families with intertwined bloodlines to marry, this situation was different.

Roti was the daughter of the Duke of Lindbergh’s cousin, born from an affair with a young colonial girl. Naturally, she could not bear the Lindbergh name or be recognized for her status. The official story would be that the Lindbergh family had graciously employed her as a maid after her mother’s affair.

“…”

After hearing this, Alice rubbed her forehead.

“Well, fine.”

Alice spoke with an expression that wasn’t quite happy.

“You do realize, don’t you? Even though the royal family is powerful, getting involved in the affairs of a Duke’s family can get very messy.”

“…”

I realized that she was right.

Alice’s gaze narrowed even further as she looked at me.

“What did they ask of you?”

“True friendship.”

Finally, Alice rubbed her forehead again.

“You do know what that means, right?”

“…”

“You’re talking about the kind of friendship where the imperial family steps in to help you solve problems, right?”

“…”

Oh, is that what it means?

“Don’t look so relaxed… honestly.”

It seemed Alice had caught on to my expression of thinking the Emperor would handle things for me.

Chapter 175

The word *"diligent"* carries varied connotations depending on the context. 

While it’s typically viewed positively, its interpretation changes based on where the emphasis lies. For instance, someone described as diligent in studying might be seen as a bookworm. Diligence in sports conjures an image of a healthy, active individual, while adherence to rules might evoke a rather stiff personality. And, of course, there are people who are diligent in social activities—a description that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re party animals. Even in modern society, where explicit hierarchies are less prominent, socializing can be crucial. Skipping all gatherings in college might leave one at a disadvantage in class, and avoiding every work dinner could hinder career advancements. 

But in this world, where explicit social hierarchies still exist, what about the aristocracy? 

Alice, for example, was an exception. Her childhood devotion to academics had left her ignoring most social obligations. Normally, noble children would start attending countless social gatherings in their early teens. Granted, some of these gatherings strayed far from what one might call *diligent* behavior.

---

“Is this for real?” 

Alice narrowed her eyes, glaring at Jake.

“Yes, it’s not that unusual here in the south. You’d know if you spoke more with your classmates. Ever since this site was chosen for field practice, everyone’s been excited about it.”

“…”

Fads exist in every era, and this world is no different. And often, the latest trends seem a bit indecent or vulgar by old standards, even if they aren’t outright illegal.

“So, according to you,” Alice began slowly, “on a beach—not some private estate but a normal beach open to everyone—”

“Well, not everyone. The one we’re going to is Lindborough-owned. I assure you, no outsiders, except for Academy students and faculty, will be there.”

“—regardless, in a place full of strangers, people are planning to… wear barely-there clothes to swim and play around? Together? Men and women?”

Her expression was difficult to describe—not disgust, exactly. It was more akin to the look elderly folks give upon hearing about the peculiar ways kids these days entertain themselves.

“You’ve never seen it? Many noble estates have indoor or backyard pools for the same purpose.”

How modern. Though I, who once lived in the modern world, never actually attended such a party. I’ve only seen them in movies or TV shows.

---

“So,” Alice continued, ignoring Jake’s explanation, “these swimsuits—are they the ones I’ve seen in popular magazines lately? The ones that are practically underwear?”

“They’re not the same,” Jake replied seriously.

“How are they different?”

“They’re waterproof.”

“….”

Alice was momentarily lost for words.

“They’re made by layering natural rubber with fabric, creating a compressed material. They’re much thicker than underwear.”

“But still—”

“I object!” 

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the teachers’ table, startling everyone. Even more surprising, the topic wasn’t all that different from what Alice and Jake had been discussing.

“How can men and women reveal so much skin, soaked in water, in the same place!?” 

“You’re a daughter of the Northwood family, aren’t you?” Jennifer replied nonchalantly, sipping her coffee. “You must’ve grown up seeing such settings. It’s odd for you to be this resistant to something so ordinary.”

“Ugh…”

The debate was between Carolyn, who had shot to her feet, and Jennifer, who remained seated and composed. Meanwhile, Ada, indifferent to their conversation, quietly read a small book.

“Th-that’s different! Those people—”

“Those people?”

Carolyn flushed, unable to admit her thoughts aloud.

“At least they covered their stomachs!”

“….”

Even Jennifer seemed at a loss for words, while Ada finally looked up, gazing blankly at Carolyn. 

Realizing the awkward silence she had caused, Carolyn blushed deeper and sat down.

---

“Regardless of one teacher’s objections, it’s already decided. The students are thrilled about it, and if we, as adults, suddenly cancel their fun, do you think they’ll respect us moving forward?” 

“Mostly Jennifer’s idea, though,” Ada commented without much interest before returning to her book.

“See? It’s set in stone,” Jake said to Alice.

As Jennifer shrugged at me with a smirk, I thought to myself, *I already knew this was coming*. 

While it was winter back in the homeland, this region was warm—a perfect getaway. Not enjoying the sea here would certainly disappoint the students. Of course, I had known about this event in advance. The original game—a JRPG catering to otaku—practically guaranteed a swimsuit event. What kind of animation-inspired game would it be without it?

---

“You’re awfully quiet,” Alice remarked, narrowing her eyes at me.

Well, I had already been prepared for this.

“Are you not bothered by the idea of your younger sisters baring so much skin in the presence of strangers?”

Sorry, Alice. I may not have been a social butterfly, but I did come from a society far more *liberal*. 

“Do you not find it odd for someone who insists on being called ‘big sister’ to say such things to her ‘younger sibling’?” 

“Ugh.”

Alice flinched as if struck. 

“Shouldn’t an older sister be the one protecting her younger sibling?”

“….”

Alice turned away, guilt etched across her face. Technically, I was older, but since she insisted on being the elder sibling, I played along.

I was already thinking of excuses to skip the event, but—

---

“Sis.”

Someone suddenly interrupted my train of thought.

“Are you saying that to me?” Claire asked, her eyes sparkling. I was momentarily at a loss. Her tone carried genuine curiosity rather than malice.

Well, Claire could probably protect herself better than I could. I doubted some delinquent would suddenly appear to snatch away one of the heroines. Even if that did happen, we already had the ultimate delinquent—Jake—among us, though he was loyal to one person alone.

---

Jake’s real motive for organizing this? Roti. 

Roti rarely wore anything revealing, and this event was his chance to see her in a modern bikini. This was also one of the few events in which Jake became visibly flustered. I glanced at Roti, standing behind Jake. Her gaze was lowered, avoiding mine.

“Hmm? Hmm? Sis?” Claire’s persistence was harmless enough, though Alice’s smirking face in the background annoyed me. 

“Fine. Let’s go buy swimsuits today. We’ll need them for tomorrow.” 

Alice’s anticipation visibly shattered.

Well, it’s not like I can’t wear a swimsuit. If I managed a bunny costume, a swimsuit should be easy enough.

Chapter 176

Even though I had seen it in the original game, the swimsuits in this world were far bolder than I anticipated.

Thinking about it, the classic bikinis often seen in anime are surprisingly rare in design. While they’re common at beaches, swimsuits themselves vary greatly in style. Some people don’t even bother with swimsuits and just enter the water in regular clothes before changing. Many swimsuits, particularly those covering most of the upper body, exist as well.

But of course, in this anime-style game world, every character around me seemed to be wearing swimsuits that revealed skin to some extent. There were some one-piece designs, but even those couldn’t be called modest.

---

We chose swimsuits for each other—though the two male characters, Jake and Leo, were naturally excluded. 

That left me, Alice, Claire, Charlotte, Mia Crowfield, Sophia, Rena, and Roti. Since none of us had any say in the matter, our swimsuits inevitably ended up as daring designs.

“This… isn’t much different from the bunny costume incident!” Alice protested.

“At least no men will dare touch us,” I replied.

Letting go of my pride helped keep me from panicking like Alice. While the attention was annoying and embarrassing, most of the stares were closer to reverence than anything predatory. Unlike the bunny costume incident, there wasn’t that sticky, predatory gaze directed at me. 

Was that a win? Who knows.

---

Alice and I picked classic bikinis for each other. Mine was black, while hers was sky blue. The color schemes were oddly similar to our bunny outfits, but we silently decided to let it slide.

Swept up in the mood, Charlotte and Claire ended up in bikinis as well. Claire’s swimsuit matched her hair, a deep blue, with far more fabric than mine. Unlike my tiny triangles held together by strings, her design looked like thick fabric tied into place. It gave the impression it might unravel, but it was securely fastened with strong internal ties. A swimsuit for nobles, after all, couldn’t be anything less than durable.

Charlotte’s swimsuit was white. While its coverage wasn’t much different from ours, she wore a translucent top over it, offering a bit of modesty. Of course, being translucent, it might seem even more suggestive to some. 

Charlotte likely didn’t realize it, but that kind of fabric wasn’t waterproof in this era. Water-resistant fabrics relied on natural rubber pressed between cloth, so they couldn’t be transparent. Once she got in the water, the fabric would cling to her body like a second skin, making it seem as though she were wearing nothing at all.

In the original game, that’s exactly what happened.

---

“Are you, a princess, so insecure about your body?” Charlotte teased.

“What? You’re the one wearing a cover-up. Insecure much?” Alice shot back.

“This skin is sensitive to sunlight! I might get sunburned!”

“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”

Caught between our bickering, Charlotte had been teased into wearing her swimsuit. Half-reluctantly, she was now part of the group.

As for the others…

Sophia’s swimsuit was similar to Claire’s in design, a simple yet elegant purple that matched her hair. However, her trembling pupils betrayed her feelings. She was clearly comparing her figure to the others, particularly certain parts.

Don’t worry, Sophia. It’s us who are outliers. Yours is perfectly normal. Judging by the attention the others are getting, that much is obvious.

Standing near her, Rena, Roti, and Mia Crowfield added to the contrast.

---

Rena ended up wearing a swimsuit strikingly similar to mine. Though her face was slightly flushed, her confident demeanor made it feel less suggestive. Maybe it was because I unconsciously viewed her as younger than me.

Mia Crowfield chose a black one-piece. While her proportions couldn’t quite rival mine or Alice’s, her smaller frame made her stand out. The eyes drawn to her seemed to agree.

And then there was Roti.

Roti also wore a one-piece, but her swimsuit gave off a completely different vibe. Her tall, athletic frame made her look like a professional swimmer, especially with the white stripes running along the sides of her black swimsuit. Jake, of course, couldn’t take his eyes off her.

---

I glanced at Jake and Roti. Though I had orchestrated all this to see their interactions, the sight somehow made me feel… annoyed.

Damn it. I should’ve been a male character. Not that I’d had any choice in the matter.

Leo, meanwhile, looked utterly overwhelmed, unable to decide where to focus his eyes. I sighed, recalling what was about to happen.

---

Then came the ruckus.

Carolyn, deceived by Jennifer, had ended up in an outrageously daring bikini. The normally innocent and utterly clueless Carolyn now wore a swimsuit even skimpier than mine. Her face was bright red as she fidgeted, alternating between covering herself with her hands and letting them fall to her sides. Covering herself made it seem like she was completely naked, while leaving her hands down exposed the swimsuit for all to see.

In the original game, this was one of the most infamous scenes, contributing heavily to its 15+ rating. 

I couldn’t help but think how lucky it was that the game’s graphics weren’t more realistic. Otherwise, things might have crossed the line.

---

Carolyn’s unintended spectacle served one purpose: diverting everyone’s attention away from us. Taking advantage of the moment, we quickly found a quiet corner of the beach and settled down.

“Phew.”

Alice let out a sigh of relief.

“At least no one’s crowding around us…” she muttered.

“Well, this area is part of the Lindborough estate,” Jake replied with a shrug.

---

“Alright!”

Claire exclaimed, brimming with excitement. 

“Since we’re here, let’s enjoy the ocean! It’s my first time at the beach!”

Ah, that’s right. For nobles, getting to freely visit a beach wasn’t easy. Even without school, their schedules were packed with lessons.

“What about you, sis? Let’s go play in the water!” Claire tugged on my arm.

I almost stood up before a thought struck me: I can’t swim.

Wait—can Claire swim? Leo could in the original game, so it’s likely she can too.

“Hold on.”

Claire stopped, confused by my sudden tone.

“Shouldn’t we bring drinks first? It’s better to stay hydrated.”

Nice save. Besides, Alice can’t swim either. If I can stall, she’ll have to go in first. That’ll buy me some time.

“Oh, good point!” Claire agreed cheerfully.

---

“Then I’ll come with you,” Alice chimed in, standing up immediately.

Did she see through my plan? Or was she just as desperate to delay getting in the water? Either way, it looked like making Alice go first wouldn’t be so easy after all.

Chapter 177

My attempts to delay entering the water worked well enough.

After all, visiting the beach isn’t just about playing in the water. We ate snacks, ran around, and soaked up the sun for a while before finally cooling off in the waves. 

I don’t remember who entered the water first. By the time I realized it, I was already in the sea myself. 

How long had it been since I last visited the ocean? Not just a few years—probably in a previous life. During my time in the palace, the thought of visiting such a place never even occurred to me.

Despite always teasing Alice for being overly tense, it seemed I had been just as nervous. I wasn’t even sure if I managed to maintain my usual neutral expression during the fun. Claire and Alice, on the other hand, looked like they were having the time of their lives.

We didn’t venture too far into the water, sparing us the need to actually swim. Perhaps Claire had been considerate of that.

---

“Mia Crowfield.”

Of course, some people firmly refused to go into the water, sitting on the sidelines with a resolute expression—or so I thought.

“Mmgh?!”

Mia Crowfield wasn’t as composed as she appeared. With her cheeks puffed out, full of fruit, she looked like she might choke when I addressed her. I felt a little guilty for startling her.

“May I sit here?” 

The beach’s sand was surprisingly fine, almost as if someone had gathered only the softest grains. There were no sharp rocks or debris in sight. Near Mia, several pairs of slippers lay scattered, discarded by others when they’d decided to go barefoot into the water.

“A-ah, yes, of course,” she replied after hurriedly swallowing her fruit.

I pushed my damp hair behind my ears and sat down beside her, making sure to lay out a mat. There was also a parasol providing shade, though the fine sand had started creeping onto the mat, carried by the breeze. 

Mia held a plate, likely to keep the fruit safe from the sand. Though I hadn’t intended to notice, her legs were also covered in a thin layer of sand.

“Do you not plan to go into the water?” 

It seemed like a waste, considering she was already dressed in a swimsuit. 

Water from my hair trickled onto the mat, forming a small puddle. A few grains of sand floated momentarily before settling at the bottom.

“Well…” Mia hesitated. “I’ve never been in the water before. It’s a bit… intimidating.”

Fair enough. Plenty of people come to the ocean but never set foot in the waves, content to simply stare at the water.

“I see,” I replied simply.

---

Silence fell between us. 

Why did I sit here, of all places?

I inwardly cursed my decision. The mat was large—there were plenty of spots to sit. Why did I choose to sit right next to Mia Crowfield? True, this spot offered the best shade, but sitting too far away would have been equally awkward.

In hindsight, I’d only spoken to her during the banquet because the atmosphere made it easy. Here, I didn’t have much of a reason.

Was she thinking I was trying too hard to act friendly?

---

“Um…”

Fortunately, Mia didn’t seem entirely against the idea of conversation.

“Why do you go out of your way to… look after me?” she asked quietly.

Look after—? 

I wasn’t sure if that was accurate. But… maybe it was? I kept finding myself gravitating toward her.

Mia didn’t seem to have anyone else to talk to. Despite her pretty face, her family’s poor reputation and various rumors made others keep their distance. 

Her estate, Crowfield, bordered the Belbur territory, and its proximity to the neighboring country brought its own complications. Though the Crowfield family wasn’t of Belbur descent, there were enough ties to stir mistrust. Likely, the only person who could casually invite Mia to events was the student council president, with their duke-level authority.

Adding to the difficulty was Mia’s own demeanor. Her habit of hiding behind her bangs and lowering her head didn’t help her case. At the start of the semester, she had openly antagonized me.

With a mother like hers, it wasn’t surprising her personality wasn’t the brightest. After all, she had been raised with revenge drilled into her as a core value.

---

“Is this because of what happened before?” Mia asked, her voice subdued.

Her father’s misdeeds weren’t something she liked to discuss. The man hadn’t just been a flawed individual—he had done unspeakable things, actions no human should commit.

“…”

I didn’t respond immediately. I didn’t regret killing the count. If I hadn’t, many more children would have suffered. Worse, I could have ended up as one of his victims. 

But that didn’t change the fact that Mia was pitiful. If I hadn’t seen her in the original story and understood her struggles, I might have dismissed her as an enemy based on our first meeting alone. 

I remembered, though—her efforts to acknowledge her father’s crimes and her determination to change the situation. That’s why I couldn’t leave her alone.

---

“Sometimes, I wonder what my life would’ve been like if my father were still alive,” Mia began, her voice soft. “Would my mother have been less sharp? Would I have grown up receiving a father’s love, like other children?”

“…”

“But at the same time… if he hadn’t died, those children would have kept dying too.”

“Do you wish there had been another way?” I asked.

“I… I’m not sure,” Mia admitted, staring into the distance with unfocused eyes.

“I spent the entire break locked in my room, thinking about it. Maybe I could’ve had a normal life with loving parents… but then I realized that life probably wouldn’t have lasted.”

Her voice turned hollow.

“My father… he used drugs, and those children… How did my mother see him? Did she view him as just a tool? Or did she truly love him? Could anyone truly love a man like that? Maybe her love became blind devotion after he died, because that gave her a single purpose—revenge.”

“You’ve felt that atmosphere?” I asked.

“Yes. Every time I spoke with her, she’d talk about revenge. I used to think it was normal, but… why wouldn’t she talk about anything else? Why did she avoid ever speaking about my father?”

Mia’s grip on her tray slackened. I quickly caught it before it could fall. She murmured a quiet “thank you” and continued.

“So, I tried. I brought him up during a conversation with her.”

She paused, her voice trembling.

“She screamed, covering her ears.”

“…”

“That’s when I realized—my life hasn’t been okay. Not even close.”

---

What could I say to that? Her honesty was appreciated, but I hadn’t expected such a heavy conversation. 

“Do you resent me for killing your father?” I asked after a moment.

Mia didn’t answer right away. Instead, she posed her own question.

“Did you ever consider sparing him?”

“…No,” I admitted. If he’d been even remotely redeemable, I would’ve refused the mission and fled. But every piece of evidence painted him as irredeemable.

“This discussion is going in circles,” I concluded.

“It is,” Mia agreed. “But at least… we understand each other now.”

“Yeah.”

“And… I’ve found something new to do. Something other than revenge.”

“I hope it goes well for you.”

“It has to.”

I handed the tray of fruit back to Mia. Only then did she seem to realize what she’d shared, her face turning red.

For some reason, it felt like calling her by her first name from now on would be just right.

Chapter 178

Sitting idly by Mia’s side had its limits. Before long, Claire noticed my absence in the water and dragged me back into the surf.

The sea in this world, much like the one in my previous life, was salty and slightly bitter. Claire’s exclamation of, *“Wow, it’s really salty!”* upon entering the water had a comedic undertone that lingered in the air. Even Alice, who had likely never visited the ocean before, timidly dipped her finger into the water for a taste. I made a mental note that, for the sake of preserving royal dignity, she would never utter those words aloud to anyone else.

Mia, who had stubbornly refused to join in, was eventually coaxed into the water as well. I did catch a glimpse of her forlornly setting down her tray of fruit, only for the sand to begin encroaching on it—a symbolic surrender. As is often the case, even the most steadfast claims of not entering the water eventually gave way, and soon enough, Mia was splashing and playing like the rest of us.

Leo, on the other hand, seemed increasingly aware of the attention drawn to him. He tried, unsuccessfully, to slip away from the group.

In a world where appearances often mirrored idealized game designs, everyone was naturally attractive. Yet, within this group were the "heroines," a collection of high-ranking and impossibly beautiful women. If the character Sylvia Fangryphon had existed in the original game, she would undoubtedly have been one of them as well.

Royalty, noble daughters, and heiresses—each woman here was almost untouchable, not just for their beauty but also for their social standing. Leo, a mere baron’s son, being among them invited envious and judgmental stares. He was, after all, the only male among a group of women clad in swimsuits.

The only one.

Jake, notably absent, was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Roti.

While it was easy to imagine Jake enjoying himself in the water, Roti was another story. In my mind, I could only picture her standing stiffly behind Jake, still wearing her maid’s headband, even in a black swimsuit.

---

My musings were cut short when I spotted them. Roti’s hair, unmistakable, disappeared behind a distant rock formation.

For any other pair, the imagination might conjure inappropriate scenarios. But this was Jake and Roti. Nothing of that sort would happen. They were two people, both deeply fond of each other, who somehow still kept a reserved distance.

I glanced back at the lively group before quietly slipping away.

What were those two talking about? Hopefully nothing too serious.

---

“...But ultimately, even that position is one granted by the logic of those who rule,” Roti’s voice drifted from behind the rocks.

“Accepting credit for something you haven’t earned is no different from the other noble heirs, is it?” she continued.

“That’s why you accept it first, use it to rise, and then build on your own accomplishments,” Jake replied, his tone measured.

Roti fell silent for a moment.

“This swimsuit… do you know how much it costs?” she eventually asked.

“Not really.”

“Honestly, neither do I. I simply picked it because I was told to. But I imagine it involves a significant amount of natural rubber and fabric, pressed and layered together. It’s not something meant for someone like me to wear—or even touch. Even this ‘break’ was arranged by you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, I made it happen,” Jake admitted.

“And that’s precisely the point. All of this is possible because of you, young master. I…”

Roti trailed off, seemingly unable to finish her thought.

---

“You two seem busy,” I interjected, stepping out from behind the rocks.

“Ah!” Roti flinched, startled by my sudden appearance.

“Apologies,” I said smoothly. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”

I turned to face Roti directly. 

“Do you see the title I wish to bestow upon you as nothing more than charity?”

She averted her eyes, unable to respond.

“Let me ask you this. Do you believe that every gift, every opportunity Jake has given you—your position, your training, and yes, even this break—is undeserved?”

Roti remained silent.

I sighed, suppressing my frustration.

“Everything you’ve received has been because of who you are,” I told her firmly. “Had you been someone else—someone with a lesser character, someone who only wallowed in bitterness—you wouldn’t have been given these chances. You want something, don’t you?”

“...”

“When you achieve it, will you still dismiss it as a product of someone else’s kindness?” 

---

The issues of social disparity, colonial exploitation, and the dehumanization inherent in systems like plantation labor weren’t something that could be resolved overnight. The noble class wouldn’t disappear in ten or even twenty years. These structures would remain, enabling exploitation simply by existing.

But in this imperfect system, would she remain a maid bound to a single household? Would she resign herself to unrequited feelings, watching Jake marry someone else?

Granted, Jake likely wouldn’t marry anyone else—but that wasn’t the point.

---

“Don’t overthink it,” I said, taking a step closer. “If an opportunity comes your way, seize it. A knight’s title offers far more freedom than servitude ever will.”

Roti’s lips parted slightly, surprise evident in her expression. Her eyes darted toward Jake, and I could almost hear her thoughts: *How does she know?*

How could I not? Even without knowledge of the original story, anyone watching these two would suspect as much. Their closeness was both obvious and, to some, alienating. It was one reason why Roti often found herself ostracized.

---

“Don’t settle for being second best or for mere proximity,” I said softly, ensuring only she could hear. “I dislike seeing those around me justify their unhappiness.”

Roti looked up at me, the shadow I cast covering her completely.

...Okay, perhaps I came off as a bit intimidating. That wasn’t the intent.

“Wanting something is enough of a reason,” I said. “You don’t need any other excuse.”

“...”

Still, Roti said nothing.

---

“Apologies for interrupting,” I said, stepping back. “I’ll leave you two to your conversation.”

I bowed slightly and turned to leave.

---

From a vantage point outside their view, another figure leaned casually against the rocks. Alice.

Though her earlier exclamation of “Eek!” had been erased, the complex expression on her face spoke volumes. She clearly had questions.

I raised a finger to my lips, signaling for her silence. Alice nodded, suppressing her curiosity for now.

Two princesses eavesdropping on a duke’s son. It was a scenario ripe for tarnishing royal dignity.

I gestured toward the beach, and Alice obediently followed.

---

“How are they?” Alice asked after we’d walked a good distance away, far enough that our voices wouldn’t carry.

“To be honest, I’m not sure,” I admitted.

I could only hope my words had resonated with Roti. 

Would she interpret them politically, like Duke Lindborough might? Had I overstepped?

In hindsight, maybe I shouldn’t have interfered.

For the first time since returning to this world, I felt a pang of regret.

Chapter 179

Roti and Jake never fully integrated with us, but neither did they try to force themselves into our group.

Being a noble is a position where one inevitably becomes keenly aware of social cues. What to ask, what not to ask, what to know, and what it’s better not to know… and, of course, what things to bring up that might make the person uncomfortable. This was something that Leo, the baron, Charlotte, the royalty, and even Alice, a princess like me, all knew well.

They must have something to say, right? Given the situation, it seemed everyone thought so.

Of course, I awkwardly inserted myself between the two of them.

“It’s been a long time since we had fun like this. It really felt like returning to my childhood.”

“Childhood?” 

Charlotte, sitting on the mat, asked when she heard me.

“Yes, exactly. The times when I didn’t know anything… When I wasn’t worried about politics or international affairs and just played around.”

…But, you’re only fifteen, aren’t you?

When I was fifteen, I spent my time watching anime and saving my allowance to buy figures.

No, actually, when I think about it, that kind of lifestyle didn’t change as I grew older. I guess I never really graduated from that stage.

“The time when you didn’t know anything…” 

But it’s nonsense to think that the mindset of an ordinary person from my world would be the same as someone who is destined to become a ruler here.

Even Alice, sitting between me and Charlotte, proves that. Alice… well, she never had a time when she didn’t know anything, like Charlotte did.

I couldn’t even imagine the Emperor playing with children.

No, I couldn’t imagine the Emperor sitting leisurely, enjoying a hobby for that matter.

But then again, it makes sense. Even in matters of statecraft, the Emperor is someone who would think of maintaining power and climbing higher as a hobby in itself.

“Alice, didn’t you have a time like that?”

“Me? I…” 

Alice couldn’t quite answer Charlotte’s question.

A sharp personality, one who never had the luxury of playing around, having never even learned how to have fun.

That was Alice’s original character.

When Alice couldn’t answer, Charlotte’s gaze turned to me. Her eyes, slightly lowered as she looked at me, were filled with curiosity.

My relationship with Alice was good. In fact, it would be an understatement to say that we were close. I could easily imagine Alice throwing herself into danger to protect me if needed.

Whether I wanted that or not, that was another story.

“…Sylvia always followed her father’s orders before she grew up. She probably lived a harsher life than I did, and she probably never had the luxury of just relaxing.”

“…”

Charlotte’s mouth opened slightly when she heard this.

“Ah, so…” 

So what?

I wasn’t sure what Charlotte was thinking, but it was clear that whatever she was recalling must have made her feel pity for me.

Did she notice how I finish every parfait, leaving no whipped cream behind?

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.

“This winter,” 

After a while, Charlotte finally spoke up.

“This winter, I’ll make sure to invite you to Belvur. Forget all the worries that fill your head, and let’s just have fun, alright?”

“…Should we?”

Alice’s expression softened a little at Charlotte’s words.

…but, I knew that this invitation was ultimately one that would never happen.

In the original story, war broke out that very winter.

* * *

Before the sun fully set, we quickly changed clothes. Though the sun was blazing hot during the day, the temperature dropped significantly in the evening, making it easy to catch a cold if we stayed in our swimsuits after the sun went down.

Even if the original characters were meticulously designed with all kinds of hidden details, there are parts that can’t be shown.

You can set things like favorite and least favorite foods. You can set character measurements or even underwear sizes.

But you can’t make every little habit of a character, because, in the end, those things aren’t something you would necessarily reveal.

After all, given that the studio is known for its reused modeling and motions, it would be hard to add such subtle motions for each character, and if you were to add them, they would be more likely to become pivotal story clues rather than mere “quirks.”

That was something I noticed most after coming to this world.

Watching someone blow on hot meat to cool it, or the way they hold a fork and knife, the movement of their hands while talking, or their gait.

Those small differences, which felt different from the original, made every character here feel alive.

No, they are alive.

They breathe, they laugh when they’re happy, they cry when they’re sad, and they shout when they’re angry. They don’t just recite preset lines; they speak their minds or show their feelings through actions depending on the situation.

That’s why I want to preserve all of this.

But at the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was capable of doing it right.

“Sylvia.”

I turned my head when Alice called my name, and the sausage I was eating accidentally fell into my mouth.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

If she wanted an answer, maybe it would have been better if I didn’t shove a sausage into my mouth.

I chewed and swallowed the juicy, smoked sausage before answering.

“I was thinking about the things to come.”

“…”

Alice stared at me silently for a moment.

“Do you know what’s going to happen?”

I didn’t answer right away.

When I didn’t respond, Alice sat next to me and asked.

“Is what’s going to happen that terrible?”

Well...

I used to think I knew, but now, I’m not sure.

In the original, battles were just about swords and bullets and people falling over. But here, it’s different.

Bombs tear people apart, swords slice through flesh, and intestines spill out...

Of course, in the original, these were just things that were skipped over for various reasons.

But I’ve seen the battlefield. I’ve seen people fall from the shots I took, and I’ve seen people torn apart by grenades I threw.

If one of my friends were to die like that, would I be able to bear it?

“I’ll have to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“…”

When I said this, Alice continued to stare at me quietly.

She kept gazing at me with her blue eyes, before speaking.

“Don’t try to shoulder everything alone.”

Alice said softly.

“You have so many people around you.”

That’s true. There are many.

So many, in fact, that I don’t know how to protect all of them.

“…I understand.”

But I couldn’t say that to Alice, so I simply responded like this.

Alice’s gaze lingered on me for a while after that.

* * *

Things went smoothly after that.

We completed a few more requests to meet our quotas.

Even though all the first-year students were gathered, the atmosphere was still relatively relaxed. Most of the requests were for hunting wild animals, so there was no need to rush into them. Jake wasn’t thrilled about hunting, which is probably why we didn’t take on wild animal hunting ourselves.

More importantly, there was nothing particularly hidden about this. There were a few covert quests, but most of them were just to secure Marmaros, and there was only one quest that had a significant impact on the main story.

“Still, I’m glad we got to relax before leaving. Sometimes… spending a vacation like this isn’t so bad.”

“You made a good decision.”

I answered.

“If you don’t take breaks and only work, people will break down.”

“…Are you the one to say that?”

I was the one relaxing, after all.

Of course, when I reverse time, my physical fatigue returns, but I feel comforted by the fact that I can sleep more.

“Since today is the last day, we can just relax and leave tomorrow.”

“I was already planning on doing that, you know.”

Alice responded with a small retort.

Well, I still had one more thing to do.

* * *

One difference between this world and the game is that I need permission to enter certain places.

In the game, I could just walk into any house and talk to the people inside. It was “game allowance,” but strangely enough, quests sometimes proceeded like that.

That means, in this world, to enter the Duke’s mansion again, I would need an invitation from the Duke. Even though I’m a princess, it’s impolite to invade someone’s personal space without an invitation.

But fortunately, I had the ability to sneak into that mansion.

“….”

Alright.

I’ve gotten better at this, sneaking in after getting caught five times by the guards.

Now, let’s go do the important covert quest.

Chapter 180

The method for completing a covert quest is simple.

You enter the room, approach the NPC who holds the quest, and start a conversation. Then, the dialogue proceeds, and once the conversation ends, the quest is automatically added to your quest log.

The tricky part is that no notification pops up when you receive the quest, so sometimes you won’t even realize you’ve accepted it, and if you continue with the story without noticing, the quest will end up failing.

In reality, there’s no system window like that, so I had to rely on my memory to keep track of everything.

The interior of the Duke’s mansion was less guarded than the outside. Despite its vast size, it was still a personal residence. It would be strange to let anyone wander freely inside.

That was a relief. The thick, luxurious carpets in the hallway were a blessing.

You couldn’t hear footsteps at all.

The problem was running into a maid or servant while wandering around, but that was something I could deal with later. It was late at night, so there wouldn’t be many people wandering around.

So, I just had to meet Roti’s mother, who was giving the covert quest, and have a chat—simple enough.

“Sylvia.”

Did I not scream because I’ve grown? When Alice called me on the beach, I screamed once. So, I guess it could be said that I’ve grown quite a bit in just a few days.

“...Your Highness?”

“Just Alice—ah, never mind.”

I almost screamed when I saw Alice following me behind.

In the original, Alice was a physical attacker wielding a massive sword. Had she secretly changed classes to a thief?

“After the conversation yesterday, don’t you think it’s strange that you thought I wouldn’t notice your movements, even though we share a room?”

“…Then why did you only speak to me after you came inside?”

“…”

Alice avoided my gaze and fell silent.

Yeah, it must have been out of curiosity. Alice and I had known each other for years—not just known, but lived together in the same place... It was a bit awkward, but we’d been like sisters, in our own way.

“You’ve really gotten good at sneaking up on me.”

“Oh, really?”

Her voice was a quiet whisper, but she had a pouty expression when she said that.

“You always go off without telling me, so I had no choice but to get better at this.”

Wait, hold on.

Does that mean Alice saw me get caught by the guards five times?

...

How embarrassing. Alice probably won’t remember it, but I sure will.

I tried my best not to show how flustered I was.

“So, what brings you here?”

It was an interesting experience to crouch in the corner of the hallway and talk to each other, but I didn’t have time to enjoy the novelty of it.

After all, it wouldn’t be right to deliberately wake someone up just to talk to them.

“...I’m here to meet someone.”

“You’re sneaking around to meet someone? If you told the Duke, he’d gladly invite you.”

That’s true.

But, at the same time, there would be surveillance. If it were Alice, she could get away with it, but I’m someone other nobles would watch closely.

Who knows, someone might even think I’m planting a bomb in the mansion.

“Who is it?”

Hmm.

I paused for a moment, then stopped myself from overthinking.

There was no point in scheming here. There was no way to get Alice to leave me alone.

Actually, to separate her, I might have to rewind an entire day. Based on the situation, Alice probably started following me from the hotel.

“It’s Roti’s mother.”

So, I said it.

Alice blinked in surprise for a moment, then closed her mouth again.

“At this time?”

“At this time.”

When I answered, Alice gave me that complicated look she’s been giving me lately and sighed deeply.

“Alright, then. If you say so, I’ll go with you. Just so you know, don’t even think about trying to separate me.”

“I knew you’d follow me here, so I didn’t think you’d try to leave.”

When I said that, Alice shot me a brief, irritated glance.

* * *

One of the causes of the civil rights movement in the United States started when a woman sat in the white section of a bus.

Of course, there’s no such incident in this world. For something like that to happen, it would probably take decades—far beyond the main story of the game. It would be more of a “future” story, something from a far-off time.

But, at the same time, there were similarities.

Colonial natives weren’t allowed to ride the buses. Specifically, they had separate vehicles for them.

Colonial natives were usually transported in the back of trucks. It might sound charming to ride in the back of a truck on a cool day along scenic country roads, but if you had to endure the scorching sun, the story would be different.

“They are different from us.”

The Empire was eager to make sure everyone knew that.

And naturally, the same went for the maid’s room. The rooms for white maids and servants and the ones for colonial natives were usually separate. Ironically, in this mansion, the only maid of colonial native descent was Roti’s mother, so she ended up alone in a room.

But that didn’t mean she was treated better than other colonial natives.

Naturally, the maids who shared rooms would envy and resent her. They’d never volunteer to share a room, yet they thought Roti’s mother was receiving special treatment just because she “gave birth to the child of Lindbergh.”

…

It’s odd that I don’t hear any sobbing from the thin walls.

Alice’s expression hardened as soon as she stood in front of the door.

Before coming here, Alice had somewhat imperialistic views, but it seemed like those had shifted a bit after the incident at the banquet.

When I quietly opened the door and stepped inside, I saw Roti’s mother, her face buried in her palms, sobbing.

Only Roti’s mother was in the room.

When the door creaked open, Roti’s mother flinched, looked up, and when her eyes met mine, she jumped to her feet.

“W-w-Your Highness!?”

Her almost-screaming voice made me quickly extend my finger to my lips, signaling her to be quiet. Perhaps thinking I was giving an imperial order, Roti’s mother immediately clamped her mouth shut.

“I just need a moment to talk. Would that be alright?”

Roti’s mother looked between Alice and me with trembling eyes, then nodded.

I closed the door behind me.

Hmm.

Now that the door was closed, I was at a loss for what to say.

In the original, there wasn’t a description of sneaking in, and the conversation had been led by Leo.

Leo had discovered Roti’s mother crying and sat down to listen to her in silence.

Could I do the same?

“First, would you mind sitting down?”

When I said that, Roti’s mother sat down, still looking frightened.

Hmm, I guess sitting next to her would be hard in this situation.

I moved towards an old table in the middle of the room, pulled out a chair, and sat, keeping some distance from Roti’s mother.

Alright.

Let’s start the conversation... and if she’s too scared to talk, I could always rewind time.

* * *

“Just as I thought…”

There had been several attempts.

When I acted stiffly as usual, Roti’s mother’s face turned pale, and she couldn’t speak properly. Well, that was to be expected. Who could talk poorly about the Duke’s family in front of a princess?

And not just any princess, but one who was likely to be the next Empress.

I tried to smile, but I could see Roti’s mother’s face turn even whiter.

I decided to rewind time and ask Alice for help.

In the original, things were different, but now Alice used a soft tone that wouldn’t make anyone feel uncomfortable.

We had just finished hearing about the day Roti was born.

At first, Roti’s mother had vehemently refused to speak, but after Alice sat next to her and gently spoke a few times, Roti’s mother eventually gave in and continued her story, looking as though she had let go of all her pent-up emotions.

It must have been painful for her. It was something she couldn’t say to anyone else.

She didn’t have any coworkers to talk to. And even if she did, talking to another colonial native would only earn her the label of a traitor.

The reason she eventually opened up in front of us was likely because she wanted to share the things she could never say to anyone else.

“…”

Alice’s jaw twitched as she watched, clearly angry after hearing the story.

“Please, don’t tell the master. If you do, I’ll—”

“I understand. You don’t have to worry.”

After Roti’s mother had finished speaking, Alice comforted her with a calming expression, but I clearly saw the flames of anger in her eyes.

Maybe, coming here with Alice was a good thing after all.

Chapter 181

In the original, the issue with Roti’s mother was resolved by granting her the status of a free person.

You might ask, “How can there be such a thing as a free person in a world without slaves?” But as I’ve mentioned before, slavery may not be officially recognized by law, but with a little manipulation of the system, it’s not impossible to create something resembling slavery.

It’s an era where a few percent of the population controls almost all of the world’s wealth. No matter how expensive human life is, there’s no reason it couldn’t be bought. Moreover, in this world, human life isn’t really as valuable as one might think.

One of the most common ways the Empire treats colonial natives like slaves is through **debt**.

It works like this: a person takes out a loan they can’t possibly repay, and then they’re forced to keep working to pay it back. And if they can’t repay the loan, they’re made to work even harder, supposedly as a way to pay off the debt. If they refuse to work and just lie down, the financial authorities are alerted.

It might seem better to just go to prison, but even in prison, labor continues. Outside the prison, it’s labor to pay off the debt, and inside the prison, it’s labor to pay off their crimes.

And in this era, corporal punishment still exists. Of course, it doesn’t apply to Empire citizens. The law was supposedly implemented out of respect for the original practices of the colonial natives who used corporal punishment.

“Is there no way to live without getting into debt?”

After hearing my explanation, Alice asked with a look of disgust.

Though the night was chilly, it wasn’t cold enough to be called winter. At least as long as we kept our coats tightly fastened, the cold was bearable. We could sit at a café late into the night, far away from the Duke’s mansion.

Lindbergh was a bright city even at night. In some ways, it was more developed than the surrounding areas. The city center didn’t get dark even at night, and there were plenty of places like cafés and bars that didn’t close even at midnight.

Though, it wasn’t always easy to distinguish between the two. Some places sold coffee in the morning and alcohol at night. We didn’t sit at a table outside sipping non-alcoholic cocktails just because. The inside of the café wasn’t quiet enough for a proper conversation.

“Debts in the colonies aren’t limited to just money borrowed by individuals.”

Of course, there were individual debts. Many of the original landowners were forcibly displaced, turning the natives into something close to serfs, and no matter how hard they worked, they couldn’t get enough rations to survive. They had no choice but to borrow money from landowners.

They borrowed out of necessity, to avoid starving themselves, or to feed their families.

Some might ask, “Isn’t it just a matter of them starving to death if they don’t get the food?” This kind of question usually comes from people who have never experienced true hunger, those who think the hunger they feel right before lunch is the same as what someone else might feel in a different situation.

Well, okay, let’s leave it at that.

But then, how would they respond to the discussion about infrastructure?

It’s obvious, but infrastructure can’t be built for free. Digging for steam engines, pouring mana stones for electrical lines, constructing modern buildings, laying roads, building airports, and seaport facilities.

All of this is being done for the Empire, for the Empire, but the ones who are billed for it are the colonial natives who will have to “enjoy modern life.” After their old homes were destroyed, the price of their homes was severely undervalued, and they were charged for the modernization.

Even when roads were built over land where houses used to be, the same thing happened.

“…”

After listening to my explanation, Alice was silent for a while.

“You told me that the purpose of all this was to modernize the world and abolish the class system.”

“The class system was never truly abolished, even in the Empire.”

“But… wasn’t it different? I’ve heard that the original class system here was different from the one in the Empire.”

Indeed, a class system based on the Indian caste system was part of the setting.

At the top were the priests, and at the bottom were the untouchables—people who would be considered tainted by simply making contact with them.

“That’s right. So, after Lindbergh took over this land, the first thing they abolished was surnames. If you didn’t know the family name, you couldn’t tell what class someone was from. But that doesn’t mean class could be ‘completely’ hidden.”

“How can you deduce someone’s class?”

“Usually, if a colonial native is in a high position, they’re likely someone who belonged to a lower class before. The untouchables were employed to suppress those who had been higher up. It must have felt like the world had been turned upside down, and they gladly took on the role.”

At first glance, it seemed like the class system had been abolished, but in reality, it was the Empire’s way of manipulating society to suit its own desires.

And by doing so, they could present their actions as something “noble.”

“If the Empire really cared about the natives, none of the modernized facilities would have been built to face the Empire. Everything has been built for the Empire, to facilitate the export of all crops and raw materials from this land to the Empire.”

“…”

Alice raised her hand and wiped her face.

“Why didn’t I know this?”

“You couldn’t have known. After all, very few people would have cared enough to pay attention.”

After I spoke, Alice fell silent and thought for a while, before her eyes suddenly lit up.

But the look in her eyes wasn’t one of joy.

If anything, it was a look of determination.

“I can’t save everyone in this land.”

“True.”

At least, not with our current strength.

Even if the Empire comes to its senses and withdraws from the southern continent in a few decades, the society that’s been thrown into chaos won’t easily return to its original state. Furthermore, the twisted class system has created a justification for the untouchables to truly become untouchables.

“It might just be a petty act of self-satisfaction, but still... I want to help that person.”

“Then you can help them.”

I answered simply.

“And that might serve as a warning. After all, you’re the one doing the helping, Your Highness.”

“…”

At my words, Alice kept her mouth shut.

* * *

How much money does the Imperial family really have?

This was a question that even the distant collateral relatives, far removed from the line of succession, were curious about. 

And honestly, I was curious, too.

Even though I had wandered freely through the Imperial Palace, seeing all the hidden treasures, I still couldn’t quite grasp just how much wealth the Imperial family held.

Of course, the wealth wasn’t enough to buy an entire country, but—no, wait. Thinking back to how the United States bought Alaska, I’m sure that with the money from the Imperial family alone, they could easily buy a small principality.

There were six secret vaults inside the Imperial Palace. Even though they weren’t mentioned in the game, these vaults held gold and priceless art, carefully organized and securely kept.

This was why the Imperial family didn’t give allowances to princesses.

Rather than setting aside a budget for allowances, they could just borrow money directly from the bank and repay it with interest later. Money was abundant, and even if it ran out, the family could live comfortably for three generations.

And with the wealth of the Imperial family, that’s why the bank manager was summoned and came running, out of breath, long after business hours.

“Yes, so…”

The bank manager scratched his head as he spoke.

“Honestly, it’s a bit tricky to convert that into money.”

Though he seemed to be racking his brain to try to lend Alice as much money as possible, his words were sincere.

“Because the natives’ surnames were completely erased, it’s difficult to tell who’s who. …It’s a bit awkward to say, but for Lindbergh, it doesn’t really matter. The debts of the natives are theoretically infinite.”

They’d find any reason to turn them into debt slaves.

But Alice, sitting with her legs crossed, spoke confidently.

“If that’s the case, how much are you willing to spend to free a single native maid?”

The bank manager’s face brightened immediately upon hearing Alice’s words.

He was likely going to ask for an exorbitant amount.

Well, it was only possible for us, after all.

They say that borrowing money is a skill in itself.

Chapter 182

News that the princess had visited twice brought one more person rushing out.

Naturally, it wasn’t the Duke of Lindbergh. A man of his stature would require a prior appointment before meeting with anyone, even if they were a princess.

Protocol would have the princess be of higher rank, but politically speaking, the title of Duke is not something easily dismissed.

But this was only true when referring to the Duke himself.

Even though a royal family member like the emperor has immense power, the same cannot be said for those who are far removed from the direct line of succession. Most of them live leisurely, enjoying their family’s wealth, and when they meet a person with a distant lineage, it’s laughable to even bring up the royal family’s name.

If this is the case for the royal family, what about the Duke’s family?

The Duke already has a legitimate heir, and unless something truly monumental happens, such as the heir being disabled or dying, it is nearly impossible for anyone else in the Duke’s family to take the heir’s place. I mean, it’s not just “unlikely”; it’s absolutely impossible. The royal family would never acknowledge it.

So, the Duke of Lindbergh, George Lindbergh, unlike his cousin, is in a position where he has no choice but to come out to greet us whenever we arrive, regardless of how or when.

“It is an honor to have you visit.”

Normally, when royalty or nobility visits late at night, it’s not considered a pleasant thing. When members of the royal family or nobility come at night, it usually means there is something urgent to address.

However, for someone who senses themselves slowly drifting away from the political scene, especially someone concerned that their children might no longer fit into it, the situation is different.

“This is a humble place, but I hope you can feel at ease and stay as long as you need.”

Compared to the Duke’s mansion, it was a smaller residence, but honestly, it wasn’t what I would call humble.

Well, it was probably just a polite remark.

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

Alice’s tone was formal, though she didn’t exactly convey genuine gratitude for the welcome.

However, the person before us didn’t seem to notice that we weren’t particularly impressed with the reception.

We were escorted into the splendidly decorated parlor.

Unlike the maids at the Duke’s mansion, these maids weren’t white. Most were of colonial native descent, with some occasionally appearing to be mixed race.

Alice’s gaze briefly lingered on the maids. She seemed to wonder if they might be in a similar situation to Roti, but I doubted it.

In the original, this was a rather striking detail, and it’s likely the same here. This man likely didn’t meddle with anyone else besides Roti’s mother.

“Would you mind leaving us for a moment?”

As soon as we sat around the round table, Alice spoke.

George Lindbergh immediately gestured to the servants in the room.

Once the servants left, Alice took out a white piece of paper from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

It was a check.

A check guaranteed by a local bank.

“This is…”

The amount written on the check was enough to make even someone from the Lindbergh family falter for a moment.

Originally, this would have been a quest that Leo would have handled—interrogating, digging for weaknesses, and possibly making a scandal. But now it had come to this, where a princess could handle it with money instead.

“Through this, I would like to pay off someone’s debt. Is that possible?”

“Debt?” 

Naturally, after hearing the story, George Lindbergh had no idea why we were here.

“Roti’s mother, Lydia’s debt.”

When he heard this, George Lindbergh’s face first went blank, then pale.

“Where did you hear this from?”

“To be precise, I’ve known since the very beginning.”

I answered in Alice’s place, and George Lindbergh’s face turned from pale to almost blue.

In truth, it was common for a white person to have relations with a native and have children. Of course, this was usually limited to white men and native women. In a world without women’s suffrage, children would follow the mother’s lineage, but the wife followed the husband’s. That doesn’t mean the native women became nobility… it’s just one of those common stories.

So, technically, this could be considered a scandalous story, but it wasn’t necessarily a huge stain on anyone’s character. From the noble’s point of view, it was just a matter of indulging in some entertainment.

However, there was one person in the Lindbergh family who hated this kind of story more than anyone.

He was even the type of person who employed only Empire citizens in his household, rejecting anyone of mixed blood, and viewing the mixing of blood as something disgusting. He had a somewhat positive view of colonial natives but believed that they should never mix with the Empire’s blood.

—To be precise, this was the outward “persona” that George Lindbergh, the Duke, put on.

George Lindbergh jumped to his feet and began pacing the room.

Of course, it wasn’t that the Duke didn’t know about Roti’s existence or her true nature. If he didn’t know, there would have been no reason for him to keep Roti’s mother in his mansion.

The reason he kept her there was precisely because he feared that if he let her stay any longer, she might give birth to another mixed-race illegitimate child.

“…That’s not possible.”

George Lindbergh, pacing, said.

“Why not?”

“...Now that you know everything, there’s no point in hiding it anymore.”

With a solemn look on his face, as though he were a nobleman in an impossible love story, George Lindbergh said:

“I love Lydia.”

It was an impossible love.

But it wasn’t because of class.

“Ex—”

Even I, who had already met with Lydia and heard her story, was shocked by this man’s nonsense.

“Love, you say?”

“Yes. How could I mix with someone I don’t love?”

“…Then, what about the time at the banquet when you were angrily yelling at Lydia?”

“That couldn’t be helped. Our love was forbidden by the Duke of Lindbergh. We had to have some pretense to even speak to each other.”

Alice looked at me, mouth agape.

I silently dropped another sugar cube into my tea.

Noticing that I wasn’t planning to speak, Alice wiped her face with her hand. George Lindbergh, however, was too lost in his delusions to notice her expression.

“I can tell. Every time I see her, I see the sorrow in her eyes. The longing in her movements! One day, when we overcome all these walls, we’ll be together under the name Lindbergh. And that day, Roti will be called Roti Lindbergh!”

“So, is that why you gave her the name Roti? The name ‘Freeborn’?”

I couldn’t hold back anymore and finally asked.

“…If it weren’t for the Duke of Lindbergh, yes, that child could have been freeborn… if it weren’t for that Duke…”

George Lindbergh answered, his eyes burning with passion.

“Do you know Lydia’s real name?”

Alice then asked.

“…”

A brief silence.

“No matter how you call someone you love, it doesn’t change the love, does it?”

This was a terrible excuse.

“Then, let’s make one thing clear.”

Alice spoke, her face twisted in frustration.

At this point, it was easy to see that George Lindbergh was a madman, but I guess Alice, as a princess, felt the need to hear his story before passing judgment.

“You and Lydia… no.”

Alice closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and stood up. After taking a few large breaths, she spoke.

“On the day Roti was conceived, did Lydia really sleep with you? What did Lydia say that day?”

“Of course, our relationship was blocked by class barriers, so Lydia rejected me at first. But in the end—”

“What the hell are you saying, you insane man!”

Unable to take it any longer, Alice threw her chair at George Lindbergh.

“Ex.”

I never expected Alice to act like that, and I let out a sound of shock.

But as I stood up to stop her, Alice had already jumped up and kicked George Lindbergh.

Chapter 183

At first, I thought I should stop her.

I actually started to rise a little from my seat and for a brief moment, I even considered shouting "Again!" in my mind, but—

Well, would Alice have stayed seated and calmly listened to the conversation if I rewound time and stopped her from throwing the chair?

Even knowing the situation, and even as a man who's lived quite a long time—if I, with my own experiences, felt disgusted by the story, could I really expect a teenage girl with illusions about love to not be outraged after hearing it?

If I stopped her from throwing the chair, she’d probably end up throwing herself at him.

In the original, Leo, the son of a baron, couldn’t do much to George Lindbergh, who was closely related to the Duke, even though Leo was very familiar with how to leverage weaknesses. Instead, he gathered evidence and pressured George subtly, eventually leading to Roti’s mother being freed.

Hmm.

I thought this over as I looked down at George Lindbergh, groaning from the kick Alice had just given him.

At first, I wondered if it was really okay to beat up someone from the Duke's family, but thinking about it again, maybe this could be seen as groundwork for granting Roti a knighthood, right?

“Your Highness.”

I called Alice’s name, but she didn’t seem to hear me.

“Alice.”

When I called her name again as she raised her foot, she finally stopped moving.

“It would be better to stop here.”

Fortunately, the parlor was well soundproofed, and it seemed the servants hadn’t noticed what had happened inside. 

Though, they’d probably figure it out soon enough.

I leaned slightly forward to check George Lindbergh’s condition.

Unfortunately, it looked like the sharp edge of the chair had hit his head, which was now slightly torn and bleeding, and his right eye was swollen. His lips were also cracked, but it seemed like his teeth hadn’t been damaged.

He was clutching his stomach and lying on his side—he’d probably been kicked there too.

“Even so, if someone were to die, it would cause serious trouble. In the future, when the royal family and the Duke’s family exchange words, this might be used to settle a debt,” I said, thinking carefully.

From the way the Duke treated George Lindbergh, it didn’t seem like he was particularly fond of him, but as the head of a family, he wouldn’t just let something like this slide. It wasn’t about the injuries George Lindbergh had suffered; it was about the Duke’s family name being tarnished.

“Lydia... or rather, ‘Asha,’ is a case where you don’t have the authority to make decisions,” I added.

‘Asha’ was Lydia’s real name. When the Empire colonized the southern continent, they erased the native surnames and unified the names in the Empire’s language. That’s how the name ‘Lydia’ came about.

Well, I’m sure George didn’t care much about that.

When I spoke, George Lindbergh briefly raised his head to look at me, his expression as if asking what I meant by that.

“Actually, Asha has always been a free person, hasn’t she? This country, or rather the Empire’s laws, don’t allow slavery in any of its external territories or colonies. All the servants working here are in the same situation. They’re not enslaved; they’re just working off debts because they can’t repay them in money.”

I stared quietly at his wide eyes.

“Actually, the money here didn’t even have to be given to you. We just came to deliver it because we weren’t sure what might happen if we gave it directly to Asha.”

I didn’t know how Asha would manage such a large sum of money, and I wasn’t sure how the other white maids and servants at the mansion would react. 

Human nature, after all, isn’t bound by skin color. If someone has more than they do, there are always people willing to take it by force. Once one person does it, others will inevitably follow.

“I came to you because I knew that Asha’s debt was tied to you, but honestly, we didn’t have to come here. We could have gone straight to the Duke and made a deal,” I continued.

Perhaps the Duke’s cousin, after moving Asha to his mansion for whatever reason, had affected George Lindbergh’s thinking in a profound way.

…Though, if that hadn’t happened, perhaps Roti would have been the only child.

“…”

George Lindbergh didn’t speak.

“Moreover, considering Asha’s legal status as a free person, it would be entirely possible for her to file a lawsuit for the wrongs done to her,” I said.

After all, there are no slaves in this country.

If slavery had existed, there would be no need for complicated excuses to justify discrimination. This was meant to show that the country was far more civilized than the other nations that still had slavery.

The colonial police, made up of Empire citizens and the oppressed natives, didn’t readily resolve incidents when a colonial native was wronged. If something happened between an Empire citizen and a colonial native, the police would always side with the Empire citizen.

But what if the royal family stepped in and directly handled the legal process?

Nobles might protest, calling it internal interference, but—

...

So what?

“If you just take this money and quietly step aside, everything will be fine. Otherwise, the Duke’s family will face a massive scandal. The Duke is already preparing for the upcoming scandals, but if you make one yourself before that, you’d be doing him a favor, wouldn’t you?”

Jake, the Duke’s second son, and Roti, whose bloodline contains colonial native ancestry—just their engagement or marriage would be a huge scandal. But the reason the Duke could allow it was because Roti wasn’t a full-blooded native. It’s because she has the Lindbergh blood in her.

When speaking with me, he showed some leeway, but that was because of who I was. If someone like Leo, a lower-ranking noble, had spoken, it wouldn’t have worked at all.

Still, even so, the mere news of this would cause a slight crack in the Duke’s name. The Duke’s eldest son, who was to inherit the title, marrying someone with a different skin color—how could that not create a stir?

Thus, in order to minimize the damage, the Duke would already be making preparations. Most likely, he would try to frame it as a sign of how close he had become to the royal family by granting his approval for the marriage.

But if this scandal about his cousin raping a native woman and fathering a child came to light before his preparations were complete…

“…”

“If you continue to remain silent, I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, turning to leave.

However, even as I made my way to the door, I heard a voice from behind.

“Even if you try to stop my love…”

I stopped in my tracks at those words.

“If you say anything more, I can’t guarantee what will happen,” I said, turning back.

I approached George Lindbergh, who had barely managed to sit up from the floor.

“I didn’t step in earlier because Alice already moved first. If I had gotten involved and killed you by accident, things would have become far more complicated,” I said, staring at him.

Perhaps noticing something in my expression, George Lindbergh closed his mouth.

“If you, in any way, get any closer to Asha, my ‘friend,’ who happens to be Roti’s mother…” I paused for a moment, locking eyes with him.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes were trembling slightly. It was a look I hadn’t seen before, not even when Alice kicked him earlier.

Was he only now realizing that he could actually die? Did he really not understand the consequences of his actions?

“You will die, one way or another. So, you will stay here in the south for the rest of your life. If you ever return to the mainland, I’ll personally come for your throat.”

After a brief pause, I thought for a moment.

“On second thought, that might not be such a bad idea. Please do visit the mainland at least once. When you do, I’ll personally greet you. I’ll even prepare someone for you to share your love with. Just like how you treated Asha, I’ll make sure you experience it properly. I’ll let you feel what it’s like to be beneath someone else, from the bottom up.”

I said that with a slight smile.

I didn’t wait for an answer.

Chapter 184

"The princess is... a little unpredictable."

"Which princess are you talking about? Alice? Sylvia?"

"…Of course, Her Highness Sylvia Fangryphon. While Her Highness Alice Fangryphon is also different from most nobles, her way of thinking isn’t hard to follow. She’s a good person, someone who sets her principles and acts accordingly."

"High praise. Have you been observing her closely?"

"…"

When Roti shot Jake a sidelong glare, Jake exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.

"Naturally, it's because of you, Young Master. Since these are people you associate with, I need to understand their nature properly—"

"Oh, so did you analyze Charlotte too?"

"…Young Master, wouldn’t it be better to let someone finish their sentence before interrupting?"

"No, I was just curious."

Jake chuckled softly and turned his gaze out the window.

The airship had already risen high, offering a view of the entire city below. From a distance, it seemed rich and prosperous, but Jake, being from there, knew how much of it had started to rot beneath the surface.

…Being from there.

Now it was called Lindburrow, but it once went by an entirely different name. Could Jake really claim to be “from there”? The locals might grab their necks in shock if they heard him say that.

"You were the one who suggested I talk to Sylvia in the first place."

Hearing Jake's comment, Roti, unusually, rubbed her temples with her fingers as if to calm herself, as though thinking, *Yes, no need to frown over this anymore.*

"I’ve already told you several times that was a joke."

"You don’t usually joke. So that statement back then could only mean one of two things: either you genuinely thought Sylvia was worth talking to, or it just slipped out of your mouth and you called it a joke afterward to cover it up."

"…"

"Which is it? The former? Or the latter? Or maybe you were jealous of me hanging around with other girls?"

"…The latter."

"Huh?"

Caught completely off guard, Jake made a strange noise.

"What do you mean, the latter?"

Jake had teased Roti with the same words several times before, but this was the first time she’d responded like this. Until now, Roti would just keep her mouth shut and not dignify his teasing with a response.

"I meant that none of the women around you at the time were worthy of your company."

This time, it was Jake's turn to react unusually.

To put it simply, his face turned slightly red.

"If I had to leave you to those women, it would be far better for me to stay by your side and support you."

"…What’s wrong with you? Did you eat something bad today?"

Hearing Roti speak so bluntly, Jake looked at her with an almost panicked expression.

His face was now completely flushed. It was fortunate no one else was around; if they were in a crowded lounge full of students, this alone would have caused a campus-wide uproar.

"I was told by Her Highness to ensure you got what you needed, no matter what."

Roti’s tone sounded slightly satisfied as she noticed Jake’s flustered expression.

"You're saying you’re doing this just because it’s an order from Her Highness?"

"…That’s not entirely it."

Roti stared at the shrinking city in the distance before speaking again.

"Let me repeat myself: Her Highness is unpredictable. She seems to operate solely on logic, but sometimes… just sometimes…"

"She acts emotionally?"

"Exactly."

Roti’s answer made Jake hum thoughtfully for a moment.

"Well, if you think of both sides as part of who Sylvia is, doesn’t it make her easier to understand? Everyone’s like that, after all."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah. Look at yourself. You used to be so wary of Sylvia, but now you bring her up like it’s nothing."

"…"

"Or am I wrong? If you were that cautious, you wouldn’t have told me to approach her in the first place—"

"—I believe it’s time to drop that subject, don’t you think?"

At Roti's pointed remark, Jake fell silent.

"I just… I simply don’t understand why she’s helping me this much."

"Ah, that."

Jake smiled faintly at her words.

"That’s just because she’s inherently kind."

"…Is that so?"

"It is. But because of her position and circumstances, she has to maintain that poker face. Think about it. Alice is a princess too, but there’s a vast difference between her role and Sylvia’s, isn’t there? You’ve heard the stories, right?"

There were the “true” royal heirs meant to carry on the bloodline, like Alice, and then there were the “Emperor’s children,” selected to handle the empire’s dirty work. Alice belonged to the former, while Sylvia was part of the latter.

"She’s just a kind, ordinary person at heart. It’s her situation that’s made her seem so different. If it weren’t for that, there’d be no other explanation for her actions, right?"

"…"

Roti found Jake’s reasoning plausible.

But if that were true—

How tragic her circumstances must be.

Noticing Roti’s thoughtful silence, Jake suddenly changed the subject.

"Oh, by the way, isn’t your mother on the airship too? Shouldn’t you be with her?"

"…Well…"

"What? Is there a problem?"

"It’s not that, but… I’ve hardly spent time alone with her before. I’m not sure what to talk about if it’s just the two of us."

"…"

Hearing that, Jake found himself momentarily speechless.

"Just stay by her side. That’s probably enough."

Jake managed to piece together a response after some thought.

"Do you think so?"

"Yeah."

Truthfully, Jake wasn’t entirely sure himself.

But for now, offering encouragement felt like the best option.

"You’ve finally got a chance to be alone with her. Go… spend time with her. Conversations will naturally come up, and before you know it, you’ll be talking without realizing how much time has passed."

"Understood."

After a moment of contemplation, Roti nodded slowly in agreement.

And then, with a faint smile on her lips, she stood up.

"Well then, I’ll be off."

Before Jake could fully grasp what had just happened, Roti bowed slightly and left.

"…Huh?"

Jake let out a dumbfounded sound, a few beats too late.

---

I had thought I wanted to see those two grow closer.

But honestly, I hadn’t expected it to happen this fast.

Roti seemed to take my words to heart, casually sticking by Jake’s side. Before, she used to trail a little behind him, but now, it was as if they were practically a couple.

Well, to be fair, they *were* something like that.

So my goal was achieved, and I should’ve just watched them with satisfaction. But—

Watching the two of them walk into a small meeting room together left me with a strange feeling.

That feeling was, let’s see…

It was like stepping out for a convenience store run on Christmas, only to be surrounded by an overwhelming number of couples, leaving me feeling oddly annoyed.

I’d wanted to see them get along, not rub it in my face.

Thinking back, there was a stark difference between seeing game characters act lovey-dovey and witnessing it in real life. In games, it’s just dialogue and preprogrammed animations, but real life has much more detail.

"You could get someone for yourself if you wanted."

And of course, the one person who could read my expression like an open book was standing right next to me: Alice.

When I turned to look at her, she was smiling mischievously.

"You’re the one who set those two up, after all. Wasn’t this the whole point of your scheming?"

"…That’s true, but still."

I mean, that’s a completely different thing.

Not that I could explain why it felt so different, even to myself.

"If you’re that jealous, you could always find a boyfriend for yourself."

"…Are you joking?"

"No, I’m serious."

Well, fine. Maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal if I had a boyfriend. In this world, having a significant other wasn’t seen as a major flaw. If anything, it was like holding an unofficial yet somewhat acknowledged position.

But I had no intention of dating a man.

At least not right now.

I didn’t feel like dating women either.

The people around me were all just kids anyway.

"Have you ever considered it, Alice?"

"…No, I haven’t."

No need to look so serious about it, though.

Wasn’t this the part in the original story where she’d start acting tsundere toward Leo?

Looking across the room, I saw Leo sitting awkwardly among a group of girls, clearly out of place. For some reason, I sighed.

Should I envy him or not?

Chapter 185

October was busy from the start.  

It wasn’t the Academy schedule that kept me occupied. The reason I was so busy was mostly due to my personal goals.  

My goal to prevent the war.  

Whether it’s fortunate or not, the Academy is located near the Imperial Palace, which lies at the heart of the Empire. The distance was inconvenient for walking, but not impossible. Especially for someone like me, who has what feels like infinite time, that distance was hardly an issue.  

In other words, I could sneak around the palace at night collecting information without much difficulty.  

I didn’t even need to secure an escape route. Once I saw what I wanted, I could simply rewind time. I could even rewind to the moment I entered a location, minimizing my travel and securing more time for exploration.  

Wars don’t erupt overnight.  

Even though there were no major changes at the borders for now, the planning for a strike to catch the opponent off guard must have started long ago.  

The problem was, no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find any evidence of such preparations.  

The defense budget was not significantly different from previous years. While it had increased, most of the additional funds went toward the mass production of new weapons—hardly a direct sign of deploying them to the battlefield.  

Several monitoring ships had been constructed, but after the northern border skirmish that wiped out the warlord factions, they had been relocated to satellite cities near the capital. Some ships, plagued by recoil issues due to their oversized frames, were undergoing repairs and inspections, leaving similar models on indefinite standby.  

There were no plans for constructing additional warships. Even for the Empire, building new warships would take time. The absence of such plans, even in the palace, suggested…  

…Could they be hiding the plans elsewhere? Had the Emperor caught on to my abilities and dispersed information to locations I couldn’t physically reach?  

It seemed like a plausible explanation.  

“Interesting.”  

After failing to find concrete evidence despite my extensive investigations, I decided to take a direct approach: meeting the Emperor himself.  

“So, you mean to tell me you’ve come to *me* to ask about the ‘hidden information’ that *I* might be concealing?”  

The Emperor rephrased my words with a bemused expression, his voice tinged with amusement.  

“That is correct.”  

“Hmm.”  

The Emperor gazed at me for a moment before a sly smile crept onto his lips.  

“Then let me ask you something. What would you do if someone capable of killing you was watching you closely?”  

“…”  

“Wouldn’t you naturally avoid doing anything to provoke such a being? Of course, this might require you to alter your lifelong ambitions. But that doesn’t mean life becomes meaningless, does it? After all, losing one goal simply means finding another.”  

“…Are you saying, Your Majesty, that you abandoned the idea of war because you knew I didn’t want it to happen?”  

“So, you think I was planning to wage war against the entire world?”  

The Emperor’s face lit up with intrigue, as if he found my assumptions fascinating.  

“If you believed that from the start, your hypothesis would’ve crumbled right after you assassinated the count. If you still think that way… well. Doesn’t that mean I’ve already accomplished something far beyond what you imagined?”  

“…”  

“It would be wonderful if the ‘me’ you meet after rewinding could also know this.”  

The Emperor spoke as if he were a father humorously playing chess with his daughter. His expression rendered me speechless.  

Once more.  

---

I don’t trust him.  

This is the Emperor we’re talking about. There’s a high chance he deliberately withheld accurate information from me. Although I hadn’t uncovered definitive evidence yet, I still needed to prepare for the worst.  

Still, my efforts weren’t entirely fruitless. By roaming the palace corridors dozens, even hundreds of times, I memorized every pathway—even those not featured in the original game.  

The same applied to the sewers beneath the capital. I now knew every potential connection to the palace and could estimate which sections would collapse if certain points were destroyed. If the worst happened, I was prepared to set explosives to bring down the whole system.  

Of course, casualties would be inevitable in such a scenario—  

…but that was a concern for the worst-case scenario only.  

On a brighter note, my stealth abilities were improving day by day.  

Sylvia Black’s body might be no different from an ordinary person in this world, but it was more than capable of performing tasks expected of regular soldiers. It couldn’t wield sword energy or swing a blade larger than my height, but standard maneuvers were well within reach. Although rewinding time reset my stamina, my body retained the memory of those movements, leaving me better equipped for future actions.  

If I focused, I could even tail someone without being noticed.  

And soon, an opportunity presented itself.  

---

If there’s anyone I regarded with as much suspicion as the Emperor, it was the Holy Kingdom.  

The "Goddess" subplot remained unresolved in the original work. The Holy Kingdom’s divine power wasn’t explored in detail, and whether the Goddess actually existed—and if so, whether she was truly benevolent—was a topic of rampant fan speculation. Some fans treated their theories as gospel, posting them everywhere until they got caught. But that’s ancient history.  

In any case, it wasn’t surprising that I found Sophia, the "Cathedral Knight," lurking suspiciously near Leo, the male lead of the original work.  

Claire and Leo, being siblings, often stayed together. However, as time passed and they made new friends, they occasionally spent time apart. Claire got along well with Alice and Charlotte and even trailed after me sometimes.  

As her time with other girls increased, Leo began spending more time on his own.  

Frankly, I didn’t know what Leo did during those times. I was often with the "girls’ group," so his activities outside that circle were a mystery.  

“…”  

That’s why I was startled to find him sitting alone on a park bench surrounded by bare trees, looking utterly lost.  

Come to think of it, having few male friends despite being surrounded by friendly girls could be a bigger issue than it seemed. Leo’s position as a "pretty boy" among beautiful girls had made him a target of envy for his male classmates, and I hadn’t realized that envy had turned into isolation.  

In typical harem manga, scenes of the male lead being ostracized by his peers are played for laughs. But depicting it seriously as outright bullying… that’s too heavy.  

Seeing it in real life, though—  

“...Huh?”  

And then, I noticed something else.  

Far off in the distance, at the corner of my vision, I saw purple hair fluttering in the breeze.  

If it weren’t for the sudden gust of wind, I might not have noticed.  

“…Sophia?”  

My brow furrowed deeply.  

Her appearance was quite different from how she was portrayed in the original, but it was unmistakably her. Perhaps the image she presented to me was a façade, or maybe she hadn’t yet fully developed into her original character. Still, as a Cathedral Knight, she seemed fully committed to her mission.  

She probably thought there was something to gain from watching Leo. Maybe she believed he was connected to the Holy Kingdom in some way.  

“…”  

I had initially intended to approach Leo and strike up a conversation, but I quickly changed course and returned to my room.  

I gathered my equipment and prepared to leave again.  

Not to approach Leo directly, but to circle around the Academy grounds far enough that neither he nor Sophia would notice me.  

From my new vantage point, I had a clear view of Sophia’s hiding spot.  

As I suspected, she was watching Leo intently. Through my telescope, I confirmed that she hadn’t noticed me.  

Adjusting the angle, I turned my focus back to Leo—  

“...Sylvia?”  

A soft, clear voice called out from behind me.  

The fact that I didn’t scream is a testament to my restraint.  

Instead, my shoulders jerked violently.  

Cautiously turning my head, I saw none other than Charlotte.  

Her face was pale as she stared at me.  

She looked at me as though I were a stalker.  

...  

No, it’s not like that!

Chapter 186

Still, Charlotte maintained her composure and allowed me to finish my explanation, no matter how absurd it might have sounded.  

"So," she began, her tone calm as she carefully unraveled my series of excuses, "you were just out for a walk to get some fresh air on your day off when you happened to notice Leo sitting alone over there?"  

"That’s correct," I nodded. Charlotte mirrored my seriousness, nodding as she continued.  

"And then, by sheer coincidence, a gust of wind allowed you to spot Sophia observing Leo from afar?"  

"Exactly," I confirmed, and once again, we both nodded in agreement.  

"And instead of trying to figure out the situation, you immediately went back to your room, grabbed an urban-camouflage cloak, a sniper scope, a field mat, a canteen, and emergency rations, then climbed onto the rooftop to start watching them?"  

"..."  

When she put it like that…  

No matter how I explained it, there was no way it wouldn’t sound suspicious.  

I only brought the cloak because the weather had genuinely gotten colder. Yes, it was an urban-camouflage cloak, but that was simply because it was practical for retaining body heat and functionality. It wasn’t a military operation, but staying unnoticed was better, wasn’t it?  

The mat? Same logic—it’s freezing to lie on concrete in this weather. For basic comfort and warmth, it was a necessity. And, of course, the sturdiest option happened to be a field mat.  

As for the canteen and emergency rations… well, what if I got hungry and left my spot, only for them to disappear while I was gone?  

"Sylvia," Charlotte said, pressing her fingers to her temple, looking as if she were holding back a headache. "I know you’re not the best at expressing emotions, but…"  

No.  

"No matter how bad you are at it, it’s still not okay to spy on someone you like this way. People have their privacy, you know."  

"It’s not like that," I replied, my expression serious—as usual, my face was always serious—but Charlotte didn’t seem convinced in the slightest.  

"And if you’re so worried, why not just approach him and ask him out on a date? Times have changed, you know. The idea that men have to ask women out is outdated. Sure, being a princess complicates things, but going to a ball with a partner isn’t going to ruin your reputation."  

I’m telling you, that’s not it!  

…Should I rewind time?  

If I rewound and moved somewhere else, Charlotte wouldn’t have caught me here. Alice might have noticed, but I didn’t think Charlotte would have been tailing me.  

But as I considered this, another question arose in my mind.  

It was something that had occurred to me the moment I encountered Charlotte, but her earlier remarks had derailed my train of thought.  

"…By the way, why are *you* here, Princess Charlotte?"  

"Pardon?"  

Interrupting her, I asked quickly. For a brief moment, her eyes widened in surprise. Sensing an opportunity, I pressed further.  

"Were you on the rooftop? Were you here to see Leo, perhaps?"  

I tried to mirror her own tactics, hoping to fluster her, but—  

When I saw Charlotte visibly relax, her shoulders sagging as she let out a long sigh, I found myself taken aback.  

"I was just…"  

With another deep sigh, Charlotte stepped closer and asked, "May I sit on the mat with you?"  

I didn’t answer verbally, but I shifted my position to allow her a portion of the mat.  

"Thank you," she said softly, gathering her skirt and carefully sitting down on the edge of the mat.  

"I just needed a little break."  

When I said nothing and continued to observe her in silence, Charlotte let out a faint chuckle, as if mocking herself.  

"You know as well as I do, don’t you? I’m something of a ‘celebrity’ and a ‘popular figure’ at this Academy."  

She wasn’t particularly active in any clubs, but her status had earned her a spot on the student council. She was one of the few foreign students at the Academy, and among them, she had the most noble lineage. Unlike people like Rena or Sophia, who had gained admission purely through merit, Charlotte exuded an innate aura of nobility.  

She might even be more popular than Alice or me.  

To the imperial aristocracy, Alice and I were enigmatic figures who avoided social events entirely. And, of course, we had the Emperor looming behind us. Together, we appeared as an incomprehensible, menacing trio.  

Although Alice had managed to shed some of that intimidating image through conversation, few dared to casually approach their own country’s princess. Thinking about their futures, most people preferred to tread carefully.  

But Charlotte, the Princess of Belbour…  

Imperial citizens often viewed other nations as slightly inferior, leading them to treat foreign nobles of the same rank more casually. While outright disrespect was rare, they interacted with them with a far more relaxed attitude.  

Of course, such treatment might leave the foreigner thinking, *Do they think I’m easy to manipulate?*  

"I’ve lost count of how many invitations I’ve received from ducal houses. And seriously, how does this country have so many dukes? There are *three* whose territories are adjacent to the capital alone! And twelve in total! Isn’t that excessive, no matter how large the Empire is?"  

I agreed—it was excessive.  

And none of the twelve dukes were mere figureheads. Each one wielded considerable influence, regardless of their proximity to the capital.  

"I attended a few gatherings out of politeness at first. After all, it’s customary in my kingdom to accept such invitations. But these dukes…"  

Charlotte sighed deeply, as if even recalling it drained her energy.  

"They might be thinking of me as a potential daughter-in-law. Perhaps they’re imagining a future where I become queen and marry one of their sons, allowing them to claim the name ‘Belbour’ for their family. Or worse, they might even want to rename the entire kingdom."  

"So, you came here to avoid them?"  

"That’s right. Is that a problem?"  

Charlotte pouted slightly, her expression tinged with a bit of sulkiness, and I almost laughed.  

For her, it was clearly frustrating, but I could understand. If men constantly flocked to me, I’d find it unbearable too… Or wait, is this different?  

If women started flocking to me instead…  

…  

Yeah, let’s not go there. Men and women don’t think the same way, after all.  

As silence settled between us, I wondered if I should explain my reasons for being here. Should I warn Charlotte about the impending war? Should I tell her that Sophia wasn’t actually from Belbour but from the Holy Kingdom?  

Hmm.  

No, not yet. If the Emperor truly didn’t intend to start a war, mentioning this now might inadvertently provide Belbour with a justification for conflict.  

"I consider Claire to be like a little sister," I began, deciding to use a safer excuse.  

"And Leo is Claire’s sibling…"  

Whether he was her older or younger brother remained unclear, so I left it ambiguous.  

"So, you’re saying you want to personally evaluate the kind of woman your little sister’s family is associating with?"  

Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow.  

"If I am Claire’s older sister, and Leo, as Claire claims, is her younger brother, then Leo would also be my younger brother, in a sense."  

"Hmm~"  

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, her lips twitching with amusement as if she were barely holding back laughter.  

…She didn’t believe me at all.  

Still, it was better than offering no excuse at all.  

"Very well, then," she said at last.  

At least Charlotte understood—or so I thought.  

"In that case, I’ll help. I happen to have plenty of free time right now."  

"…"  

Of course, in a way I didn’t want.  

"Why are you looking at me like that?"  

"Would you consider dropping this, like you did during the Northwood incident—"  

"Oh, that time."  

Ah.  

I shouldn’t have brought that up.  

Charlotte’s face lit up with a mischievous smile as she stood abruptly.  

Then, leaning toward me playfully, she said, "You still owe me for that. Let’s consider this a chance to pay back that debt. And honestly, as a woman, don’t you think my judgment would be better than yours? I’d be much more suited to assess whether Sophia is a good match for Leo or not."  

But even as she spoke, her eyes seemed to say: *You’re just using this as an excuse to spy on Leo because you like him, aren’t you?*  

I’m telling you, that’s not it!  

Chapter 187

Charlotte seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.  

Well, I supposed she wasn’t all that different from Alice, come to think of it. While Alice had been largely neglected, Charlotte hadn’t exactly grown up in a completely free and loving environment either.  

The King of Belbour, as depicted in the original work, was a loving father and a ruler who cared deeply for his country. Yet, as a king, he had no choice but to impose strict expectations on Charlotte. Without that discipline, she likely wouldn’t have grown up knowing the proper decorum expected of her station.  

Though legally still a minor, the laws defining adulthood were relatively recent on a global scale. In many people’s minds, if a child could walk, carry things, and follow instructions, they were practically an adult.  

At fifteen, commoners of the same age would already be working full-time in factories, regardless of gender.  

To nobles, royals, and even the imperial family, children of that age were ready to be groomed into their roles.  

They were taught politics, strict etiquette, and how to suppress their desires.  

Charlotte’s enrollment in the Academy wasn’t necessarily because she had wanted to attend. Belbour likely had its own renowned schools, and she probably had friends there. But with two imperial princesses and countless children from the Empire’s most influential families attending this Academy, the King of Belbour must have ordered her to come here to observe the political climate.  

Charlotte seemed to be enjoying her school life for the most part, but moments like the one on the rooftop earlier hinted at the frustrations she dealt with.  

Perhaps she found some guilty pleasure in moments like these, engaging in acts that were slightly subversive.  

"By the way, Sylvia," Charlotte said.  

"Yes, Princess?"  

"Don’t call me ‘Princess.’ Just call me Charlotte. We’re in ‘stealth mode’ now."  

Her pronunciation of “Charlotte” leaned so heavily into the Belbour accent that it barely sounded like an imperial name.  

But that hardly mattered.  

For this “mission,” Charlotte—no, "Charlotte"—had swapped her usual uniform for a modest dress likely purchased nearby. It was the kind of plain brown dress you’d expect to see in a Victorian-era romance, the sort worn by a heroine at the story’s beginning.  

Of course, as the saying goes, fashion is all about the person wearing it. On Charlotte, the dress looked anything but plain.  

She had even styled her hair into a loose side ponytail and wore a wide-brimmed hat, perhaps trying to blend in as a commoner. But the noble air radiating from her made her attempt at disguise laughable. If she wanted to pass as a commoner, her posture and gait would have to change first.  

"In that case, is there any reason for me to keep my name as Sylvia?" I asked.  

"My point exactly!"  

Charlotte—"Charlotte"—puffed out her cheeks slightly in mock indignation.  

"You haven’t even bothered to disguise yourself. You’re still wearing your uniform. What’s the point of me calling you by a different name?"  

"…"  

I looked around.  

It was a sunny Sunday, albeit chilly. A coat was enough to fend off the cold.  

Groups of male students, female students, and even some mixed-gender couples were wandering around. Some seemed to be shopping, while others simply strolled down the streets, enjoying themselves.  

Turning back to Charlotte, I didn’t need to change my expression for her to understand my point. Her face flushed slightly as she stammered.  

"Well, still! The target might leave the area at any moment, and this is the only place with so many Academy students around."  

"In that case, wouldn’t disguising ourselves be unnecessary?"  

Having explored countless times while rewinding time, I knew that what you wore—uniform or otherwise—didn’t matter much for stealth. Unless someone was particularly vigilant, people rarely paid attention to specific individuals unless they stood out significantly.  

Even the Academy uniform, with its oddly modern design, could be toned down with a coat to blend in somewhat.  

While I was technically a princess, most commoners wouldn’t recognize my face. Though, given my increasing interactions with commoners, it was only a matter of time before my face became more widely known.  

"But disguising ourselves would take time!"  

"…It wouldn’t take that long unless we were doing full makeup."  

"Ugh! Just do as I say! No more arguing—let’s get you some different clothes!"  

Before I could protest, Charlotte grabbed my arm and dragged me into a clothing store.  

Well…  

Might as well let her enjoy herself.  

Honestly, it was kind of fun to tease her while playing along.  

---

Thankfully, we didn’t lose track of Leo and Sophia.  

Sophia’s striking purple hair made her easy to spot.  

Since she maintained a discreet distance from Leo, all we had to do was keep a slightly greater distance from her.  

It seemed Sophia hadn’t noticed us.  

"…"  

Initially, I thought Sophia following Leo had some political motive.  

But the more I watched, the less that seemed to be the case.  

Leo’s actions were entirely mundane.  

He stopped by a bakery and bought an armful of bread, then went to a thrift shop to purchase clothes, packing everything neatly into the large bag slung over his shoulder.  

Despite the heavy load, Leo walked with steady confidence, his training as a swordsman evident in his posture.  

And I had a pretty good idea of what he was doing.  

Charlotte, however, seemed perplexed. Tilting her head in confusion, she murmured, "Why is he doing all that?"  

I wasn’t entirely certain myself, so I just shrugged.  

Eventually, Leo, laden with supplies, headed into a secluded alleyway.  

"Uh…"  

Charlotte hesitated at the alley’s entrance, clearly uneasy.  

Understandable.  

Leo likely felt comfortable entering because he was confident in his swordsmanship—and because he’d clearly been here before.  

Sophia followed without hesitation, which suggested she was similarly familiar with the area.  

While Charlotte and I could probably handle ourselves if trouble arose, her hesitation was understandable. She was a princess, after all. Entering a place like this without any guards must have felt deeply unsettling.  

I had a pistol tucked into my waistband, so dealing with a few thugs wouldn’t be a problem even without rewinding time. The sound of gunfire would bring Leo running, too.  

Still, if Charlotte decided to back out, I’d leave with her.  

But it seemed she was determined to go in.  

"…"  

Leaving the indecisive Charlotte where she stood, I approached the burly man stationed at the alley’s entrance.  

Though he had a rough demeanor, his attire was unusually refined for a common thug—a proper suit, albeit one that didn’t quite suit him.  

"Is there something I can assist you with, miss?" he asked, straightening up the moment I approached. He seemed experienced in dealing with people like me.  

"Entering this alley with just the two of us seems a bit dangerous, doesn’t it?"  

"Indeed, miss. Of course, I have no authority to stop you, but you don’t strike me as someone unfamiliar with the ways of the world."  

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him entirely. But his confident stance at the entrance and his polished attire suggested he was a professional.  

Some nobles or upper-class commoners were curious about life in the slums, not out of altruism but out of a voyeuristic fascination, akin to visiting a zoo.  

This so-called "backstreet tourism" likely kept his business running, and maintaining a reputation for safety was essential for attracting more patrons.  

I nodded at him and pulled out my wallet, handing him a handful of pound notes.  

"Ah, such generosity! Rest assured, miss, I’ll treat you like royalty!"  

The man’s enthusiastic bow confirmed that, as always, money spoke louder than rank in this Empire.  

Chapter 188

Charlotte looked utterly uncomfortable.  

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the man guiding us. Rather, it was the way he conducted himself that seemed to make her uneasy—something about it felt... off.  

For example:  

“Ladies, behold! This man here lost his left hand in a tragic factory accident not too long ago. Isn’t it pitiful? Doesn’t it break your heart? Without help, he’ll surely struggle to put food on the table. Hey, John, show them your arm.”  

At his prompting, the man named John displayed his left wrist, which ended in a smooth stump with a few stitched scars.  

“See for yourselves.”  

Charlotte would stare at the man with a deeply conflicted expression, while I silently placed a few silver shillings into the tin can in front of him. John’s face lit up immediately, his gratitude beaming through his smile.  

As we walked further, it felt like we were moving through a twisted amusement park. At every corner, we encountered new “attractions.” Children with soot-smeared faces rushed toward us with outstretched hands, an old woman with a crooked back stood clutching an empty basket, and so on.  

Each time, our guide would introduce these people as though they were exhibits, telling their stories of misfortune. And each time, I would quietly drop a few shillings into their hands or cans.  

This strange cycle repeated itself multiple times.  

“Um, Sylvia?”  

Charlotte finally spoke, her voice laced with discomfort.  

“Doesn’t this feel like… watching animals in a zoo?”  

“But this is how they survive,” I replied matter-of-factly.  

“...Like this?”  

“They’re selling happiness.”  

“Happiness?”  

Everyone feels that their life is lacking in some way. No matter how wealthy someone is, there’s always someone richer, a noble above them, or a duke and royalty higher still.  

Even royalty, like myself, often find themselves envious of others within their own circles. This world wasn’t much different from the one I came from.  

For these people, their "business" is selling a fleeting sense of relief. For a small price, they allow the wealthy to feel gratitude for their own lives by providing a moment to think, *At least I’m better off than they are.*  

Of course, that “small price” is a significant sum to those in the slums, enough to eat well for an entire day.  

“…”  

Charlotte didn’t seem entirely convinced, judging by her expression.  

“Ah, ladies! You’re in luck today!”  

Our guide, perhaps invigorated by the coins I’d handed out so far, suddenly pointed ahead with great enthusiasm.  

“The Saint of the Backstreets is right over there!”  

“…”  

Charlotte immediately pulled her hat low over her face. It seemed she hadn’t expected the guide to lead us straight to Leo.  

*The Saint of the Backstreets*, huh?  

That nickname wasn’t one Leo had in the original work.  

Of course, it made sense. In the game, while you could interact with street NPCs, those interactions were limited to preset dialogue. Beggars might exist, but unless the developers added a donation option, you couldn’t do much beyond hearing their pre-written lines.  

But this world wasn’t bound by game mechanics. People reacted to any stimulus, given the chance.  

“Thank you,” I said, pulling my wallet out again.  

I took out the rest of the cash I had on hand and handed it to the man.  

“This will do. We’ll find our way out from here.”  

“Are you sure? This is a dangerous area, with no police patrols…”  

The man hesitated, looking surprised by the wad of pound notes I’d handed over.  

“We’ll be fine,” I assured him.  

At my insistence, he nodded, bowing deeply before accepting the money.  

“In that case, I’ll make sure everyone in this alley knows not to bother you. We can’t afford to lose customers like you. Please, do visit again.”  

I nodded in acknowledgment, and he quickly left.  

“...Really?”  

Charlotte muttered, clearly holding back a multitude of thoughts. Ultimately, she sighed deeply instead of voicing them.  

She understood well enough that orphans, the disabled, and the elderly in this area needed money to survive.  

From what I knew, our guide wasn’t a completely irredeemable man by the standards of this era. As the de facto leader of this alley, he ensured his people’s survival—a sort of “noble thug” archetype commonly seen in Japanese games and manga. He didn’t appear in the main story, nor in any related side quests, but his background was clear from his interactions.  

With the amount of money I’d given him, I was certain he’d share it with the people we’d seen.  

“Well then, Charlotte. Shall we?”  

At my words, Charlotte nodded, and we continued down the alley.  

Leo was still some distance away. Sophia, however, had drawn much closer to him.  

We walked as quietly as possible, positioning ourselves where we could observe without being seen.  

---

“That's amazing…”  

Sophia’s voice carried a note of awe, her eyes sparkling with admiration. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, unmistakably the expression of a girl in love.  

Sophia wasn’t exactly the most subtle character in the original work either. Her psychopathic tendencies stemmed from her unfiltered impulses. I had no idea what had happened to her in the one year gap before her behavior became so extreme.  

Or perhaps meeting Leo earlier had prevented her from developing those traits.  

In any case, with his objectively handsome features, it wasn’t hard to see why she was drawn to him. In the original story, Sophia’s change of heart had also been triggered by Leo.  

“It’s not that amazing. These are just old clothes, and the bread is from the cheapest bakery I could find,” Leo replied modestly, scratching his head.  

Sophia shook her head fervently.  

“No, it is amazing. How many people would spend all their allowance helping others? Even the wealthiest nobles don’t do that…”  

No argument there.  

What truly stood out was that Leo didn’t brag about his actions. It made sense that Sophia had fallen for him so quickly.  

Despite her claims of loving violence and being a devoted knight of the Goddess, she would become enraged if anyone spoke ill of her faith. Seeing Leo embody the compassion the Goddess preached must have made him seem extraordinary to her.  

And, of course, he was handsome.  

He likely had a great physique too—if his gratuitous bath scenes in the game were any indication. Female characters were always modestly covered, but Leo? He only wore a towel around his waist, showing off his lean, toned muscles.  

It was a game with a sizable female fanbase, after all.  

“Can I help you with this?”  

Sophia leaned closer to Leo, her earnestness evident. If she had followed him initially out of interest, she now seemed genuinely motivated to assist in his efforts. While I couldn’t read minds, her intentions appeared sincere.  

“…”  

Watching the scene from the corner of the alley, Charlotte had an indescribable look on her face.  

“This is… pathetic.”  

“…”  

“Ah, not you, Leo, or Sophia. I mean me.”  

With a sigh, Charlotte crouched down, her long skirt pooling on the dusty ground. She didn’t seem to care about the dirt clinging to the fabric.  

“I’m just aimlessly following them for fun, thinking about teasing them... while they’re doing such noble work.”  

It seemed that her recent reflections on her royal responsibilities were taking a toll on her.  

Understandable. She hadn’t accomplished anything significant at her age yet—nor should she have to.  

“You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault,” I said.  

“A princess can’t use ignorance as an excuse,” Charlotte muttered bitterly.  

“A single overlooked detail can lead to the fall of a kingdom.”  

“That depends on the context,” I said firmly.  

“Not knowing what was for breakfast and not knowing the results of a battle are vastly different. No one can know everything.”  

If they could, I wouldn’t have to keep rewinding time and suffering through this mess.  

“…”  

Though my words were logical, they didn’t seem to console Charlotte.  

After a moment’s thought, I reached out and grabbed her arm.  

“Sylvia?”  

“If it bothers you so much, let’s help them.”  

“W-Wait, if we do that, won’t Leo find out we were following him?”  

Sophia was tailing him too, wasn’t she?  

But instead of saying that, I couldn’t resist teasing Charlotte.  

“Then I’ll call you Charlotte instead of Charlotte.”  

“Like that’s going to fix anything!”  

Chapter 189

“This lady here is Charlotte, a person who merely bears a slight resemblance to the Charlotte we know. She is a completely different person.”  

“…Sylvia.”  

“Though the only difference appears to be that she’s not wearing her usual school uniform and has a wide-brimmed hat—”  

“Sylvia, enough.”  

Sensing that Charlotte might seriously get upset if I kept teasing her, I decided to stop there.  

“Uh…”  

As I dragged Charlotte out by the arm, Leo looked at the two of us with a slightly dumbfounded expression, as if silently asking, *Why are you here all of a sudden?*  

“You didn’t notice us following you?”  

“Huh? Not at all. How far back were you?”  

“There was Sophia in between us, so we weren’t exactly close. Plus, there were so many people before you entered this place that it’s no wonder you didn’t notice.”  

It’s not like Leo is particularly adept at sensing others. Sometimes, he doesn’t even realize Alice is tailing him.  

…Though that’s because Alice has an unnervingly good knack for erasing her presence.  

She didn’t follow us here, right?  

Feeling slightly paranoid, I glanced back over my shoulder. A few people were visible, mostly peeking out of their windows after hearing that the “Saint of the Backstreets” had arrived. Thankfully, I didn’t see any golden hair gleaming in the sunlight.  

Since Claire had said she’d be studying with Alice, it made sense that neither of them was here. When those two started studying, they’d stick to it for hours.  

Claire had tried to drag me into studying with her, but I wasn’t particularly fond of academics and had quickly escaped. Alice, knowing my tendencies all too well, hadn’t bothered to stop me.  

Studying during class time by rewinding and redoing lessons was more than enough for me. I wasn’t about to spend after-school hours doing more of what I avoided in the first place.  

If Alice had been alone, I might’ve stayed, but…  

…Thanks to that, Leo ended up alone.  

Turning back to face the others, I noticed Leo, Charlotte, and even Sophia looking at me quizzically.  

I decided against explaining myself.  

“So,” I said, shifting my attention to Leo.  

“When did you start doing this kind of activity?”  

Having stopped shadowing Leo and Claire long ago, I wasn’t aware of Leo’s volunteer work.  

It seemed unlikely that Claire was involved; if she had been, her personality would’ve made her tag along for sure.  

“Ah, well…”  

Leo scratched his head, giving a wry smile.  

It was a self-deprecating smile. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but perhaps it was because most students spent their free time happily socializing, while he wandered alone.  

Even if he wanted solitude, taking a carriage arranged by the academy wasn’t exclusive to him. No matter how much he wanted to explore alone, there would always be other students on the same route.  

And that would only fuel the whispers.  

In noble society, social connections are everything. Without “friends,” your influence dwindles. Even if you have female acquaintances, once they’re married off, meeting them freely becomes impossible, and even correspondence risks scandal.  

His only male acquaintance, Jake, was undoubtedly spending time with Lottie.  

“…”  

Thinking about it made me feel bad for him.  

Was this… my fault?  

“Well, I guess… I just needed something to pass the time. And since I don’t really have much use for my allowance anymore, I figured, why not use it for this? I’ve already prepared all my equipment and materials for the semester, so I don’t have much else to spend money on. After stumbling into this alley one day, I thought it’d be a good way to use the leftovers.”  

“That’s admirable,” Sophia said, nodding enthusiastically.  

Her amethyst-like eyes sparkled, reflecting her obvious admiration for Leo.  

From beside me, I heard Charlotte shifting uncomfortably. Glancing her way, I saw her darting glances between Sophia and me.  

…Seriously, it’s not like that.  

While I still saw Sophia as someone to keep an eye on, I had no intention of interfering if she and Leo genuinely liked each other. The Sophia standing before me wasn’t yet the twisted version I had grown to despise.  

“Alright,” I said, turning to Leo.  

“Would you mind if I joined you in this volunteer work?”  

“Huh?”  

Leo blinked up at me, wide-eyed.  

Why?  

Did I really look like the type who wouldn’t lift a finger to help?  

…Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I did. Even in my previous life, I’d only done volunteer work because it was a school requirement.  

“We’ve got plenty of time today anyway. Following you all the way here just to observe what you’re doing and then leaving would feel strange, wouldn’t it?”  

I glanced at Charlotte as I spoke, noticing her wince slightly, as if my words hit a nerve.  

“Consider it my apology for tailing you.”  

“Oh, uh… sure, I guess?”  

Leo seemed unable to fully process what I was saying.  

Understandable.  

If I were in his position and two classmates suddenly showed up, offering to help while claiming it was an apology for stalking me, I wouldn’t know how to react either.  

But in situations like this, being shameless was sometimes the best way to move forward.  

“…”  

“…”  

Feeling the gazes of Sophia and Charlotte on me, I couldn’t help but marvel at how thick-skinned I’d become.  

---

There aren’t many people who dislike receiving free things. Sure, someone extremely principled, moral, or self-reliant might refuse charity outright. But generally, those people don’t need charity to survive.  

It’s easy to turn down help when you’re capable of supporting yourself.  

Such people are often artisans inheriting a family trade or nobles with ample resources.  

“It’s quieter here than I expected,” Charlotte observed.  

“Most of the residents are out working,” Leo explained.  

“Even on a Sunday?”  

Charlotte’s surprise was evident, to which Leo responded with a wry smile.  

“Charlotte, are you part of the Goddess Church?”  

“No, but…”  

Charlotte glanced briefly at Sophia.  

While the Goddess Church is unique to this world, its practices bear many similarities to Christianity. Just as the Goddess rested on the seventh day after creating the world, her followers consider that day sacred and take it as a day of rest.  

Over time, this practice became an unspoken rule, extending even to non-believers.  

Charlotte, familiar with this convention, had been startled by the exception.  

Leo, of course, understood her reaction.  

“The Empire has no official religion, which is why there aren’t designated holidays. Factory schedules vary. Some places give workers one day off a month, others two. And it’s not always Sunday.”  

“I see…”  

Compared to the Empire, Velbur was a more faith-oriented nation and hadn’t yet transitioned to an industry-centric economy.  

That didn’t mean its people weren’t impoverished—poverty there simply looked different.  

Village-based farming families led lives starkly different from those in urban slums, where individuals of all backgrounds crowded together. At least rural farmers might take a day off on weekends.  

“Most people here still have families to care for, though. And this area has its own systems. The government doesn’t intervene, so the locals have created their own rules.”  

Leo didn’t seem entirely comfortable as he said this.  

Systems built on verbal agreements were inherently fragile and prone to corruption.  

“…”  

Despite the relative quiet, there were still children and elderly residents around.  

We distributed bread and secondhand clothes to the children who approached us. Leo, having visited this area multiple times—evident from his nickname—seemed familiar with their family situations.  

The supplies Leo brought were gone in less than an hour.  

“Hey, big brother! Show us that thing again!”  

Just as we were preparing to leave, a child ran up to Leo, shouting excitedly.  

Both Charlotte and I were startled. Then again, thinking about it, Leo probably hadn’t revealed that he was a baron’s son.  

“Alright, sure. I’ll show you.”  

“Yay!”  

Hearing this, more children began gathering around him.  

Chapter 190

What Leo demonstrated was his sword aura.

For the kids living in the backstreets, with little in the way of entertainment, witnessing a sword aura was nothing short of a spectacle. Mastering swordsmanship to the point of wielding an aura was no easy feat, after all.  

Even at the academy, while many main characters in the storyline were sword users, in reality, far more students opted to train with firearms. Guns were easier to use, simpler to master, and had practical applications in everyday life.  

Surrounded by children sitting in a semicircle, Leo displayed the unique swordsmanship of the Grace family. The children stared at him with their mouths agape.  

“When I grow up, I want to be like him…”  

“Don’t be dumb. He goes to the academy. We could never even dream of that.”  

“Haha…”  

Hearing their exchange, Leo could neither agree nor deny it.  

Telling them they could go to the academy would plant false hope.  
Conversely, saying they couldn’t would crush even the faintest glimmer of aspiration.  

Watching the children’s interaction, Charlotte clasped her hands tightly against her chest.  

Meanwhile, off to the side, a young girl was speaking to Sophia.  

“Big sister, what do you do? Do you also go to the academy like him? Can you do that too?”  

“Hey, she’s a girl. Girls don’t do that stuff. Academy girls just cover their mouths and go ‘Oh ho ho ho’ when they laugh.”  

Ah, what a bold declaration of sexism.  

The truth was that most girls at the academy were perfectly capable of defending themselves.  

Although, to be fair, as students progressed to higher grades, the number of girls focused on finding and courting potential husbands increased. It wasn’t uncommon to see such couples strolling around, laughing just like that.  

“Hmph.”  

Sophia, however, smiled and casually swept her hair back.  

“It seems you’re underestimating me because you don’t know my capabilities.”  

That confident tone of hers… I’d heard it in the original story before.  

Although the context was entirely different, Sophia’s habit of flaunting herself in front of children seemed to fit her character.  

Perhaps it was her connection to the church. She seemed softer and more indulgent when dealing with kids.  

Drawing her sword with an air of theatricality, Sophia whispered a prayer. Her blade shimmered as a holy aura enveloped it. As expected of a knight of the church, her aura had a distinctly different feel from Leo’s.  

“Wow!”  

The kids, who had turned back toward her after watching Leo’s demonstration, couldn’t help but gasp.  

“Hyaah!”  

Sophia swung her sword with a flourish, leaving behind a trail of glittering light like a stream of stars.  

That’s just for show.  

Her use of sword aura was clearly designed to impress rather than for practical combat. The more specific and elaborate the effect, the harder it was to control. Creating intricate forms with aura required immense mastery, which was why techniques like Claire’s or Bella’s saber-like aura manipulation were so rare.  

Still, for entertaining the kids, nothing could beat such a dazzling display.  

Encouraged by their cheers, Sophia performed a few more tricks, even leaping into the air at one point. She concluded her performance with an elegant salute, earning enthusiastic applause from the children.  

Sophia beamed with pride, her expression strangely fitting for the occasion.  

Once Leo and Sophia finished their impromptu show, the children’s eyes naturally turned to Charlotte and me.  

Their expectant gazes were almost palpable.  

Neither of us was wearing our academy uniforms, yet the children seemed to have figured out we were students too.  

“…Haa.”  

Unable to withstand the pressure, Charlotte eventually borrowed Leo’s sword.  

Though it wasn’t her usual thin blade, Charlotte was confident in her swordsmanship. Even if she couldn’t display her full skillset with the unfamiliar weapon, it was enough to earn applause from the children.  

The real problem arose when their attention shifted to me.  

…Hmm.  

I did have a pistol.  

It wasn’t impossible to put on a show with it, after all.  

Stepping forward, I pulled a coin from my pocket.  

With a flick of my fingers, I tossed the coin into the air.  

Then, in one swift motion, I drew my pistol and fired.  

Bang!  

The coin landed on the ground, completely untouched. Not even a scratch along its edge.  

The kids stared at the coin, then back at me, their eyes wide with wonder.  

Heh.  

It wasn’t like I’d planned to hit it on the first try anyway.  

Let’s try that again.  

---

“I had a lot of fun today,” Charlotte said as we exited the alley.  

Taking the advice of our earlier guide, we decided to leave before the sun completely set.  

In hindsight, the most problematic part of the day was probably when I fired my gun.  

While it had been satisfying to hit the coin mid-air multiple times, the noise of gunfire had naturally caused a commotion. The guide had come running back, pale as a sheet, convinced someone had been killed.  

Considering the nature of the backstreets, hearing a gunshot would understandably lead one to assume the worst.  

Even though the police rarely patrolled these alleys, a reported gunshot would prompt at least a cursory investigation. That would spell trouble.  

To reassure him, I handed the guide a card from my pocket.  

The card bore no name, but it was made of high-quality paper and stamped with the intricate emblem of the Fangryphon Imperial family.  

The crest was embossed with anti-forgery details that were nearly impossible to replicate without the original seal.  

I told the guide to present the card to the police if they came. Upon seeing it, his face turned from pale to outright blue.  

With a shrug, I rejoined my companions and left the alley.  

Leo and Sophia seemed a little bewildered by the exchange, but Charlotte, in contrast, appeared oddly pleased.  

Perhaps she found the experience exhilarating, a refreshing break from her strictly “royal” lifestyle.  

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” I remarked.  

“….”  

Charlotte’s smile faltered slightly at my words.  

Looking at me with an apologetic expression, she hesitated before speaking.  

“I’m sorry. I got carried away… I completely forgot that you might have wanted to spend time with Leo.”  

“….”  

Ah, right.  

The only reason I’d been dragged into this was because Charlotte had insisted on helping me.  

“That’s not it,” I replied seriously, though Charlotte seemed lost in her own assumptions.  

“I’ll arrange a time for you and Leo to spend together soon. Of course, I’ll keep it a secret from Alice.”  

If I genuinely had feelings for Leo, I wouldn’t just keep it a secret from Alice—I’d ensure no one knew.  

“After all, there’s such a wide gap between a baron’s son and a princess…”  

No, that wasn’t the issue here.  

If anything, the Emperor would likely approve of me marrying someone I liked. He’d never been the type to meddle in such affairs.  

He was the kind of man who sowed seeds in courtesans with the sole intent of producing competent offspring. If I told him I had a child, he’d probably celebrate rather than disapprove.  

Fangryphon’s Imperial family didn’t lack for wealth or political clout. Even a baron’s son would be considered a decent match.  

But explaining that to Charlotte would only fan the flames of her misunderstanding, so I chose to stay silent.  

“What are you two talking about?” Leo suddenly asked, breaking into our conversation.  

“Did I hear my name?”  

“Oh, it’s nothing!” Charlotte answered hastily.  

“We were just discussing what happened in the alley earlier. Right, Sylvia?”  

Well, that wasn’t a lie.  

But telling Leo the full truth would turn this from a simple misunderstanding into an uncontrollable wildfire.  

…Meanwhile, Sophia’s gaze felt particularly piercing.  

She wasn’t glaring, but it was clear she had her own misconceptions about the situation.  

Not that I could blame her.  

After all, I *had* been keeping an eye on Leo.  

But it wasn’t out of affection.  

It was because of *her.*  

Yet explaining that would only lead to further complications.  

As October began, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this month was going to be anything but smooth.  

Chapter 191

“Hmm.”

The reason Alice squinted at me like that was usually one of two things.

One reason was when I did something completely ridiculous and nonsensical, only to pin it all on the Emperor.

Most of my friends have seen parts of my personality, but the one person who could almost perfectly read my essence was Alice. Claire had recently started to get dangerously close to understanding me, and Charlotte had been slowly picking up on my expressions too, but for now, that was still the case.

The problem was, I hadn’t done anything like that recently.

When I returned from Lindbergh, I didn’t take more than a day before causing some trouble. The airship had flown nonstop, so it didn’t take days to return, but almost immediately after, I began poking around the most crucial places of the system. Of course, after making a mess, I always made sure to rewind time and erase all evidence.

So, Alice’s stare wasn’t because of that.

That left only one other reason.

She had found something to tease me about.

I wasn’t exactly sure when Alice opened up to me completely, but at some point, she started teasing me without caring about my usual blank face. Even after she had more or less figured out my abilities, she didn’t stop.

Or perhaps, it was because she figured out my abilities that she felt comfortable teasing me.

Well, anyway.

Alice used to be the one who had a rivalry with me when we were younger, but now it seemed like I had developed a sort of rivalry with her.

I could tell just by how her gaze made me irritated.

“What’s going on?”

Unable to stand her stare any longer, I finally asked.

We had gathered in the classroom for the first time in a while. After all the time we’d spent going off on various field assignments, you might think the classes would be running smoothly, but there’s no mandatory curriculum set by law in this world.

Despite the world’s best faculty, the teaching here wasn’t based on centuries-old educational theories. Instead, it was more about teachers passing on the knowledge they had gathered through years of personal research, giving students general life knowledge. It felt more like a university than a high school.

So, it wasn’t a big deal if a class was interrupted. The teachers themselves knew about the field assignments, so they just adjusted their schedules accordingly.

Because of that, the mood in the classroom was a mix of joy and regret. Out of all the field assignments, the one to Lindbergh had been the closest thing to an actual “trip.” While Winterfield and Northwood had their charms, Lindbergh was the most exotic.

With the buzz of students discussing the last field assignment even after the weekend, my voice didn’t spread too far.

“Well, it’s just…” Alice casually looked away with a little pout as if she was playing hard to get. But her eyes quickly returned to me.

Yeah, that was definitely a move to annoy me. The proof was in the muscles around the corners of her mouth, slightly lifted as if she was hiding a grin. Alice was grinning at me.

“…”

And then, I started to get an inkling of why.

I turned my body a bit more to look at Charlotte. When our eyes met, the foreign princess quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere.

I thought so.

I suppressed a deep sigh. Even though my concept had been getting a bit shaky lately, I didn’t want it to break completely—

*

...

Well, sure.

It could be a bit of a cliché for a cool beauty to fall in love and become a cool dere (cool and tsundere) only to break down and turn into a mega dere (over-the-top affectionate).

But still.

I had no intention of getting involved with any male character.

Actually, I didn’t really want to get involved with any female character either. If I had been possessed by Leo, or even if I had just come to this world as a male character, I might have flirted with a few heroines. With so many female characters, I could’ve easily slipped in, as long as I wasn’t engaging in NTR (netorare) with the protagonist.

But I ended up as a female character. Moreover, I was a character who may or may not even appear in the original work.

In this era, with homosexuality, well, considering the game was designed as a subculture targeting otaku, maybe it would be more accepting of it, but I didn’t want to make unnecessary trouble.

Still, if I were to date someone, it would be another woman.

Right.

At least in the future, I would never date a “man.”

“Umm… about that.”

Charlotte, who was facing me and Alice, spoke with a somewhat awkward expression.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really planning on talking about it. Keeping ‘such things’ a secret is the duty of a noble, after all.”

I didn’t really want to know what “such things” referred to, so I just stayed silent.

“But, no matter what, when his little sister asks me like that, I can’t just keep my mouth shut.”

“So, are you saying you told Claire that I like Leo?” I asked, unable to hold back.

The following statement was so absurd that I quickly asked in a bid to stop any more of my sanity from escaping my mind.

“Ah, no, I didn’t say it exactly like that.”

Seeing my expression, which must have been downright fierce, Charlotte stammered, “Well, no, I didn’t say it exactly like that.”

“Yes, Charlotte didn’t say it exactly like that.”

I turned to Alice, who chimed in.

“I heard it from Claire.”

“…”

“My little sister said she wasn’t sure if anyone liked Leo, but I couldn’t just ignore it. And don’t be too harsh on Claire. She also didn’t want to say anything at first.”

“How did you convince Claire to say it?”

“I agreed to support Claire’s plan. At that time, I didn’t even know what the plan was.”

I forced myself not to facepalm.

“You said that without even knowing what the plan was?”

“You said you’d go along with the Duke of Lindbergh’s plan without knowing what it was. Isn’t that a much lighter mistake than mine?”

“…”

Well… I didn’t have much to say to that.

“And by the way…”

Alice leaned against the wall and crossed her arms.

“If you really don’t like Leo, then Claire’s plan might actually work out quite well for you.”

She was grinning, but I didn’t think that plan would actually be that great. Still, I decided to listen.

“What’s the plan?”

“Claire doesn’t want Leo to marry you.”

“...No way!”

Charlotte covered her mouth in surprise.

As both of our gazes turned to her, Charlotte, still in shock, turned to Alice and asked, “Why? Claire calls Sylvia ‘big sister’ and follows her, doesn’t she? Isn’t this an important matter where she could actually become a ‘real big sister’?”

“That’s the problem,” Alice said.

“Claire wants Sylvia to stay as her ‘big sister,’ but she doesn’t want to become her ‘little sister.’”

...

...

...Ah.

I see.

It took me a while to process, but it slowly started to make sense.

Claire was insisting that Leo was her “little brother.” Of course, both of them had been calling each other “older brother” and “younger sister,” so it was unclear who was actually older. 

But it seems that the rivalry between them was real.

Claire truly viewed Leo as her little brother, so she was worried that if I married him, I’d start calling her my “sister.”

I clenched my fist again. I had to hold back from slamming it into my forehead, so I tensed my entire arm.

“No way!”

Charlotte looked like she was genuinely getting into the situation.

“Because of that…!”

“And also, Claire isn’t just calling Sylvia her big sister. She’s already considering her part of her family. Think about it. How would Claire feel if her little brother and big sister were to get married? Even if they’re not blood-related.”

“…”

That was truly a disturbing way of thinking.

“So, if you really don’t like Leo, just keep those feelings. It’ll be a lot easier for you and your little sister’s worries will be eased.”

Charlotte’s gaze at me now felt like she was seeing an older sister sacrificing herself for her younger sibling.

...

Alright, then.

In that case, there must be another way.

I was already quite the expert at setting up couples… too successfully, in fact. Every time I saw one of those couples, it made me feel queasy.

Making Leo a girlfriend was easy, right?

He already had someone he liked, so it shouldn’t be that hard.

Chapter 192

It wasn’t easy at all.

“Huh? Really? Then shall we eat together?”

First, Leo was far from being easy.

Before he made any same-sex friends, Leo already had plenty of opposite-sex friends, so there weren’t many people who’d casually ask him to eat together.

Normally, I would have had meals with Alice or maybe the whole group of friends, including Leo. 

So, I should’ve just kept quiet.

When I first spoke to Leo, he looked at me with a bright smile. I even felt like a physical light was shining on me, and I instinctively squinted my eyes a little.

Leo considered me his friend. So, as a “friend,” I was probably making him happy by asking to eat together.

The problem was, it seemed like others didn’t see it that way.

Yeah, I realized that only after I spoke up.

Even if Alice or Charlotte spoke first, there was hardly anyone who would mistake them for liking Leo. The difference in their social statuses was just too big. There was no need to look for a logical reason why jealous people would interpret things that way—it was simply because they wanted to gossip.

The problem was, *I* was the one who spoke first.

Normally, I wouldn’t ask anyone to eat together.

And Leo responded with a smile.

Ah, this might look like something special to others—was the thought that came to me only after I spoke.

At least I was fortunate not to look around. If I had done that, I would have quickly realized how awkward it would be, turning me into the quintessential cool-dere heroine who, after realizing her mistake, awkwardly tried to hide it.

“…”

I could feel the intense gaze on me from the side.

Claire was squinting at me. *That* Claire Grace.

Usually, she would have been looking up at me with sparkling eyes, like a golden retriever.

No, wait, that’s not it. Forget what you were thinking.

Saying that would be pointless. At this point, suspicion had already deeply taken root, so anything I said would only sound like something suspicious.

“Claire.”

Before I could bring myself to speak, someone else had already moved.

It was Charlotte.

“Huh?”

Claire, who had been startled, turned around to see Charlotte holding her own shoulder.

“I found a nice restaurant nearby. Would you like to join? It's a place that serves Belvoir food, and even I thought the taste was quite good.”

“Oh, then I’ll go with my sister and Leo—”

“Ah, but it’s a shame. The place is almost full. I barely managed to get a reservation yesterday. I could probably fit two more, but wouldn’t it look like I’m going on a date with Leo? It’d be better if it were just two women, right?”

She was doing something completely unnecessary.

It was already going to be a problem asking Claire to come with us. People already suspected that I liked Leo, and on top of that, Claire had been against me marrying Leo.

It was clear the situation would get extremely awkward.

And I also had my own reasons for talking to Leo.

“Well then, can I join the remaining seat? I’d like to check out what kind of place a Belvoir local would recommend.”

Saying that, Alice stood up and casually moved to stand next to Claire.

Then Claire was practically dragged out of the classroom by the two of them.

“Hey, wait, sis, sis—!”

Claire screamed as she was pulled out, and the whole classroom watched with stunned expressions.

Then, their gaze shifted back to us.

...

Well, fine.

So that’s the way it’s going to be.

I had my own plans.

Leo had already become a bit closer to Sophia yesterday. There’s no better way to build closeness than to work together on something. And if that "something" was volunteer work, even better. It allowed Leo to subtly show how good of a person he was and to emphasize common interests.

Most importantly, it allowed them to spend time together.

So, calling Sophia over for a meal with the three of us wasn’t such a bad idea. Leo wouldn’t reject it.

If Leo had “one definite girlfriend,” it might ease some of the jealousy that others felt toward him.

Even though they were both from foreign countries, their family backgrounds were that of a baron and a knight, so the difference wasn’t so great. With Sophia’s personality, the Grace couple wouldn’t mind.

There was the issue with the Kingdom Spy, but that... well, I could deal with that later.

With those thoughts in mind, I turned my gaze toward Sophia’s seat—

—and met her eyes.

There were tears welling up in Sophia’s eyes.

Ah.

Wait, hold on. That’s not it.

Before I could even make an excuse, Sophia suddenly jumped up and dashed out of the classroom.

“…”

The entire class watched this unfold before their eyes and then turned their gaze back to me.

“Huh? Why is that? Is there something bothering Sophia?”

It’s you. 

It’s *you*, you!

Okay, sure, I created this situation, but still!

“…Sylvia.”

Someone called my name, and I turned to see Mia, who had quietly approached me, gazing up at me.

Maybe she wanted to ask to eat with me—

Before I could finish that thought, Mia gently took my hand and said,

“You’ve finally learned what emotions are.”

She said something completely nonsensical.

I stood frozen for about 2.5 seconds before recalling what she meant.

It was something I had said when I found the Marmaros and the gun in Mia’s room—the excuse I gave her at that time.

Mia smiled slightly, as though sincerely congratulating me, let go of my hand, and quickly left the classroom.

“…”

I stared blankly at her flowing black hair, when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Princess, I wish you luck.”

With a solemn expression and voice, Lena spoke to me.

Then, as if she understood everything without needing words, she gave a slight nod and left the classroom.

By the way, Jake and Lottie had been missing for quite a while. They probably went out as soon as lunchtime started to cause some trouble.

In the end, the only person left in the classroom with me, sitting in front of me with a puzzled smile, was Leo.

“…”

What is happening?

*

I didn’t shout “again!”

I carefully held onto the last thread of reason and thought it through. This was actually a pretty good opportunity.

Though it was incredibly embarrassing, this was a chance to sit down with Leo and have a one-on-one conversation, to understand the situation he was in and his true feelings.

Even if someone had a close younger sibling, there are things you can’t say because they’re a sibling.

Especially when it comes to the struggles of school life.

With Claire’s personality, even though she often bickers with Leo, if she heard Leo’s words, she’d immediately act to help him. But... things like friendship can’t be solved that way.

This kind of issue needed to be approached properly, step by step.

“Well, it seems we ended up eating together today.”

Since it was a bit awkward to eat in the classroom with everyone watching, we ended up going outside.

Of course, it wasn’t the academy garden. It was way too cold to eat outside.

So, we chose a small bakery not far from the academy.

It was lunchtime, so students sometimes came in, but this bakery only had one table. With the two of us sitting there, no one could really interrupt.

There were a few students who subtly hovered, trying to eavesdrop, but when they made eye contact with me, they quickly left.

“Now that I think about it, this is the first time.”

“Yeah.”

I spoke up immediately.

“I’ve hardly ever eaten alone with anyone else.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

I continued, thinking hard and chewing on the cream cheese-covered baguette slowly.

“Because of that, it seems like we’ve caused quite an absurd misunderstanding in the classroom.”

“Haha…”

Leo gave a weak laugh at my words.

“Well, people always misunderstand things anyway.”

Then, in a slightly weaker voice, he said.

“…”

I silently stared at Leo and then asked,

“Has anyone ever bullied you?”

“...Huh?”

Leo widened his eyes and looked at me.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because your behavior seemed a bit off lately.”

“Aah, that…”

Leo awkwardly laughed and sighed deeply.

“I guess… how should I say it?”

With an apologetic expression, he added,

“Maybe my relationships with friends have gotten a bit skewed, and I don’t have many people to talk to lately?”

“I see.”

So that was it.

I barely managed to suppress a sigh.

Chapter 193

But before continuing the conversation…

“Sophia.”

I pointed to one of the women who had been hovering around since earlier.

“Y-yes…!?”

The blonde woman, who had been wearing a long coat with a thick scarf around her neck, let out a high-pitched sound in surprise when I spoke.

“Sophia, please come here and sit down.”

“Wh-what? Who are you talking about, Sophia? My name is Jeon.”

“Using the most common name in the system won’t help. It’ll just make it more suspicious. If you want to hear the story, stop eavesdropping and come sit quietly here.”

I gestured to the remaining chair at the table.

Sophia’s disguise was actually pretty good. If I hadn’t seen her disguised in the original story, I definitely wouldn’t have recognized her.

Moreover, while other students would quickly run away from me whenever our eyes met, it would have been impossible for me to not notice her lingering around.

…Well, I guess I half-jumped the gun. After all, I could just rewind time if it went wrong.

“…”

Thankfully, it seemed that the woman was indeed Sophia.

Realizing she couldn’t keep up the charade any longer, Sophia pulled off her wig and removed the scarf.

Her face was still filled with embarrassment.

“Sophia? Is it really you?”

Leo stared wide-eyed.

It made sense. He was a swordsman, trained to detect people by their presence. Leo, who was currently undergoing serious training with a sword master, had developed a much keener sense than before.

“…”

Sophia, her face flushed, came over and sat down, trying to put on a dignified expression, though it was somewhat ruined by the redness of her face.

Moreover, her eyes were swollen. I didn’t know when she had been following us, but she’d probably been crying somewhere earlier.

Sophia, as a heroine, was a beautiful girl. I should have felt guilty, seeing her cry because of me—especially since I didn’t have a good impression of her from the original. But right now, I just wanted to rip my hair out.

No, what the hell did I do wrong?

“What happened?”

It’s your fault, *you*.

Even Leo, who was usually oblivious, seemed to immediately recognize Sophia’s face.

So now what?

At first, I had planned to hear Leo out and then rewind time. I thought I would give them a chance to talk more naturally at a later time… though it didn’t go exactly as planned, there was still a chance for that to happen.

But I couldn’t just tell Leo, “Sophia likes you.” That would have been the absolute worst move. Even though I had lived a life far removed from romance in my past life, if someone told me that someone I liked liked me without me confessing, I would want to kill that person.

…The problem, though, was that Leo was far worse at picking up on these things than I was.

Alright then.

If I could be blunt about it, I’d go ahead and say it.

“Leo, do you know that people have been misunderstanding the relationship between you and me lately?”

“Huh?”

In the awkward atmosphere, worsened by Sophia’s downcast expression, I made the statement, and Leo reacted by making a more clueless remark than usual.

I heard someone inhale sharply. I glared in their direction. It seemed like two girls from the B-Class of the nobility had entered the bakery and, upon seeing us, had been trying to eavesdrop while acting casual. As soon as they made eye contact with me, they turned pale and quickly left the shop.

Even the bakery owner’s face turned pale.

…I didn’t mean to interfere with the business.

Maybe I should buy a ton of bread as an apology when I leave. I can’t eat all of it, but I can share it with the residents I visited last time. After all, I did make some of them shake in fear after firing my gun.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means exactly what I said. People think I like you. And while I don’t think you like me, it’s clear that’s what they think.”

“…”

Leo, who had been staring blankly with his mouth open for a while, turned pale.

“I… I, me?”

He was so flustered that his speech turned awkward.

“Y-yes.”

“W-what about with the princess?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Leo looked like a fish gasping for air, and after a while, he wiped his face with his hands.

I glanced over at Sophia. Her face was still swollen, but at least there was no sadness or despair on her face. Instead, she looked surprised.

“Let’s make one thing clear.”

I spoke in the tone I often used when negotiating with Leo.

“Do you think I like you?”

“Eh? No, of course not.”

Leo immediately hardened his face and replied.

“I never thought such an outrageous thing.”

“I don’t think it’s an outrageous thought, though…”

I couldn’t stop myself from giving a wry smile.

“I’m glad to know you’re not misunderstanding, at least.”

I gave Sophia one last glance and stood up.

Sophia was about to get up as well, but I placed my hand firmly on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into her seat.

Actually, if it came to physical strength, Sophia was stronger than me, so if she really wanted to, she could have stood up regardless of whether I had my hand on her shoulder or not. But, as a princess, maybe she didn’t want to stand up, so she stayed seated without a word.

“You stay and finish your meal here. I believe you know that getting up first in the middle of a meal is quite rude to the person you’re sitting with.”

When Leo heard my words, his face immediately turned to one of frustration.

It was only natural. I was the one getting up without finishing my meal.

But so what?

I’m a princess, and you’re just a baron (well, technically not even a real one yet).

And Leo knew that very well, so he didn’t get up to follow me.

Turning around without a second thought, I headed for the door of the bakery—but when I saw the bakery owner looking at me with a face as if I’d overheard something I shouldn’t, I bought every loaf of bread except for a few that would be good for Leo and Sophia.

The bakery owner’s face brightened, and as I was leaving, he even shouted, “Please visit again next time!”

Money really is the best.

*

“…”

“…”

After a brief but intense time, Leo and Sophia sat there, staring at each other, both with blank expressions. They clearly had no idea how the situation had escalated.

“...You don’t really believe what I said, do you?”

Sophia squinted at Leo as she asked.

It was only then that Leo realized Sophia’s eyes were still red and swollen. He hadn’t noticed this in the morning… or maybe he did, but wasn’t sure. To be honest, he couldn’t be sure. Claire had always treated Leo like an oblivious little brother whenever he looked at her.

Of course, that wasn’t true. He couldn’t deny that he was bad at picking up on things, but Leo was definitely not her little brother.

“Believe it? What do you mean by that?”

Sophia rolled her eyes, looking utterly confused. Her expression seemed both incredulous and, in some ways, pitiable. Leo could tell that, at least, she wasn’t pitying him.

“It’s obvious it’s a lie. Just look at how the princess has been acting.”

Sophia folded her arms and glared at Leo, and once again, Leo was left speechless.

“No, just earlier, didn’t the princess herself say that? She said it wasn’t like that.”

“So, is the person who likes an unavailable man supposed to say ‘actually, I love you’?”

“…”

That… well, yes, but…

Hearing this, Leo’s heart felt heavy.

At least…

At least, he thought, the princess wouldn’t be like that.

The reason was simple. Even though they had spent a night together in the same place during summer vacation, the princess hadn’t once shown the slightest sign of embarrassment or shyness.

At least, after seeing that reaction, Leo felt confident that he could tell she had no special feelings for him.

“Have you ever seen the princess talking to another man?”

“Jake, right?”

At Leo’s quick response, Sophia slapped her forehead.

Why is she doing this to me?

After seeing Sophia’s reaction, Leo began to understand why Princess Sylvia had insisted on sitting Sophia next to her and saying those words.

She was trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

If it were a man, it wouldn’t matter as much, but if it were a woman, just having such rumors circulating could tarnish her reputation.

“No, what I mean is…”

Leo calmly began explaining to Sophia, step by step, why he was sure the princess didn’t like him.

Chapter 194

“…”

Alice and Charlotte were trying their best to calm Claire, who was sitting with a scowling expression.

“Sylvia doesn’t seem to be interested in men, so even if she’s just eating together with Leo, nothing major will happen.”

“You think that’s the case, huh? Of course, nothing major will happen with just a meal! One’s a baron and the other’s a princess!”

Claire finally exploded at Alice’s words.

“No, that’s not it! You said you’d help me keep Leo from getting together with Sylvia! So why on earth did you drag me out of there!? Charlotte, maybe I could understand, but you!”

“That’s not a good thought, Claire,” Charlotte countered, responding to Claire’s outburst.

“No matter how much you like your sister, you can’t control who she has feelings for,” Charlotte added softly, her hand resting gently on Claire’s shoulder.

Charlotte didn’t yet fully understand the relationship between Claire and Sylvia, but it was clear from the way Claire treated Sylvia that she genuinely saw her as an older sister. Even someone who didn’t know the details could see that Claire sincerely followed Sylvia as if she were family.

The relationship between nobles or royalty was often far more complicated than it appeared, and sometimes even the most distant families, like that of the Emperor and a baron, hid incredibly close bloodlines. Charlotte interpreted Claire and Sylvia’s relationship through this lens, thinking that it might have some similar complexity.

“No, I understand if Sylvia likes someone else. Of course, it would be better if he’s handsome, capable, and comes from a prestigious family that fully understands Sylvia, but if she likes him, what can I do? As long as he’s not some obnoxious guy, I’d have to accept it.”

“Well, at least it seems you’ve learned some basic etiquette as a noble…”

Charlotte sighed in relief, placing a hand on her chest. Claire immediately shot her a glare.

“No, I’ve been trying my best to learn!”

“But, Claire…”

Charlotte tried to calm her again, placing her hand gently on Claire’s shoulder.

“Nobility often requires you to make unwanted marriages, especially if you’re from a higher family, like a royal or imperial family. Sylvia, being royalty, might have to marry someone older than her, like a duke.”

Alice’s face took on a slightly confused expression at Charlotte’s words. Fortunately, Charlotte was standing behind Alice, so she didn’t see the look.

In reality, Sylvia didn’t care much about marriage or not marrying. She was far freer in matters of romance than a typical duke’s daughter.

Of course, if Sylvia decided to engage in a political marriage, there were plenty of families that would take her, but the Emperor wasn’t stupid enough to squander Sylvia’s position in such a manner.

“So, something like this, a light romance, should be forgivable, don’t you think? Besides, someone like Sylvia could easily find someone she loves even after marriage. There are concubines, after all.”

“…”

Claire narrowed her eyes and spoke in a cold voice to Charlotte.

“Charlotte, do you want to spend your wedding night with a man you don’t like, and then keep your real lover as a concubine for the rest of your life?”

“…”

Charlotte avoided Claire’s gaze in response to her harsh words.

“No, that’s not the point! If Leo really wants to marry Sylvia, I’m sure our father would be thrilled and rush out to support it! And our mother seems to like Sylvia too!”

Claire said, venting her frustration.

“But the class difference between Leo and Sylvia…”

“That doesn’t matter,” Alice interjected, cutting off Charlotte’s words.

“The only person who cares about marriage among the royals is me. I’m the one who will be the next Emperor, and Sylvia is someone who’ll support me. Who Sylvia marries doesn’t matter. Sylvia’s children won’t carry the royal name. In fact, I think Father would welcome Sylvia marrying a baron. At least he won’t try to manipulate her.”

Charlotte and Claire stared at Alice as she spoke.

“But you still left Sylvia and Leo alone together!” Claire suddenly exploded again, her frustration mounting.

“But Sylvia—”

“What’s the matter?”

Before Alice could explain, she froze at the voice coming from behind.

“…When did you hear all this?”

“I just arrived a moment ago. You were discussing it so loudly that I could hear it from outside the classroom. And, of course, the topic was about my love life.”

Sophia’s voice came from the doorway as she leaned against the wall. She looked like she was biting her tongue.

“Leo and Sylvia’s conversation?”

Charlotte, who would normally have no trouble responding, stumbled over her words.

“…”

Sophia stood silently by the door for a while, glaring at the three of them, before pushing herself off the wall.

*

Ah, seriously, I’m not like that!

Are nobles in this world supposed to not understand simple conversations? Or is it that ‘a woman’s rejection means strong consent’ here?

…

Come to think of it, maybe it’s true.

The women in front of me right now are incredibly open-minded by the standards of this world, but they’re still women who just passed the 19th century.

It’s still a time before women’s suffrage. In some ways, the women here are a collection of the worst traits for attracting men, aside from their appearances.

“I’ll make it clear right now. I don’t have romantic feelings for Leo.”

Since beating around the bush would only fuel misunderstandings, I decided to say it outright.

“The reason I invited him to dinner earlier was to make that clear. I’ve already told Leo, so there’s no way he’ll misunderstand.”

Charlotte wiped her face with a sigh.

“…What’s going on?”

“Well, of course, Leo won’t misunderstand.”

Charlotte spoke in a voice laced with frustration.

“Leo doesn’t even think you like him, so that’s why he won’t misunderstand.”

“…That’s exactly what I’ve been saying.”

“…”

When I heard Charlotte’s words, I nearly grabbed the back of my neck in frustration.

What? Is she asking for a duel?

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a woman.

It wasn’t the first time, but it’s been a while. And the first time was with Sophia from the original story. It made me angry, but I had no choice but to lose to her in the story.

Alice looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

“Are you serious, sis?”

Claire, who had been dragged out of the classroom earlier, peeked out from between Alice and Charlotte and asked.

“Of course. I have no intention of becoming your sister-in-law.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

What is so exciting about this?

I know Claire isn’t trying to attack me. But it’s hard not to interpret her words like that.

Claire already thinks of me as family. Not someone who shares the same parents or grew up in the same household, but a family bound by fate. That’s why, even though we didn’t spend much time together when we were young, she could confidently call me ‘sister’ the moment we met.

So, there’s no need for the process of “making me the wife of her little brother” to become part of the family. Thinking about it, it’s actually quite a refreshing mindset.

“Well… does this mean everything’s settled?”

After making a pinky promise with Claire, I looked at Charlotte and Alice.

Alice just shrugged, her expression still amused. I was a bit nervous because of her expression, but at least I’d made myself clear, so she wouldn’t keep teasing me about it.

The problem was Charlotte.

I wasn’t sure how my behavior looked to her, but it seemed that Claire’s attitude was what bothered Charlotte the most.

From the perspective of this world’s nobility, where marriage involves changing surnames and becoming family, asking me not to marry Leo would seem like an outright rejection of becoming part of their family.

For Claire, it was just the shock of possibly having her little brother marry her ‘sister,’ but…

“…”

It felt like no matter how many mountains I climbed, there would always be more ahead.

I thought to myself as I watched Charlotte quietly staring at me.

Chapter 195

There are moments when, even with the ability to rewind time, I hesitate to use it.

If I made a serious mistake, of course, it would make sense to use my ability. If I could prevent someone from getting hurt or save someone who should have died, it would be a win for everyone.

I could also use it to make myself perfect. Rewinding time to study for exams and get excellent scores, or to ensure that I never miss a shot when firing a gun—these things could be done easily.

And I’ve done that. On the battlefield, I took down entire fronts without getting hit, and I already knew the most important military secrets of the empire. While it would be impossible to sketch out naval blueprints or maps perfectly, I had enough knowledge to explain which areas were critical and why.

But when it came to clearing up misunderstandings that had been placed on me, it was incredibly difficult.

Yes, there were no limits to my ability, so I could rewind time again and again and try to explain things. If I thought about the countless time-manipulators I’d seen in my past life, my hesitation would probably seem like an indulgence to them.

But… still.

“…”

Somehow, despite having the ability to rewind time, I found myself in yet another confrontation today.

Alice had at least said that she wouldn’t interfere with my love life anymore. She probably read that I was genuinely annoyed. And, true to her word, Alice didn’t bother me during lunch today either, nor did she offer any advice.

Claire trusts me. If I really were to start dating Leo after saying all this, it would deeply wound her, but there’s no need to worry. I have no intention of dating a man.

Moreover, the general common sense I had from my previous life made things more uncomfortable. To others, I appeared to be a slightly mature girl in her mid-teens, but in truth, I was just an old man inside. Even though I didn’t have romantic feelings, the thought of engaging in such things at my age was... highly unpleasant.

Charlotte had agreed not to interfere further, but as we three walked out of the classroom, she caught my gaze and clenched her fist.

It reminded me of something I’d once thought when I used to watch internet broadcasts: why do people dislike obsessive couples so much? Now, I understood why. I wasn’t involved in internet broadcasting, but still.

*

We ended up in the same bakery as yesterday. The bakery owner’s face lit up when he saw me.

I probably had to buy even more bread today. After all, if we were going to have a conversation, we’d have to clear everyone else out of here.

“…”

As soon as we sat down, I opened my mouth.

“So, you asked me to eat with you today. Can I hear why?”

“Ah— well…”

Before Leo could answer, Sophia raised her hand like a child eager to answer in class.

“Sophia,” I said, seeing Leo nod in agreement. I looked at Sophia.

“I’m not sure why the Princess gave up on Leo yesterday.”

“…”

I glanced at Leo. He was already covering his face with both hands. Thankfully, his face and ears weren’t flushed red from embarrassment.

“I don’t think you need to do that.”

“Well, the premise is a bit strange,” I said, since I already knew she wouldn’t listen to me anyway.

“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t give up on Leo?”

“Of course, because love is something you fight for.”

Sophia said with determination, her face hardening with resolve.

…

What’s going on?

Did she sneakily read some romance novels when she was young in a convent? That wouldn’t surprise me.

“If there’s a fight for love, there must also be a way to let go,” I replied.

“I can’t accept that!” Sophia immediately responded to me.

“Fighting for love like that—”

“Fighting?” I asked, confused.

How does someone like her, who’s usually completely oblivious, pick up on such words when it matters?

“Leo.”

I said, turning to Leo with a serious expression.

“Would you mind stepping outside and waiting for us for a bit while we talk? It’ll only take a moment.”

And then I realized how cold it was outside, so I quickly added.

“It won’t take long.”

“…”

Leo gave me a somewhat surprised look but nodded and stood up.

Thank goodness. He was a gentleman, unlike Jake. If Leo had Jake’s personality, he’d probably have smiled smugly and insisted on staying in the conversation.

As Leo left, I pulled my chair next to Sophia.

There was a distinct scent of flowers around her.

From what she had said about “fighting,” it seemed like she had applied perfume for Leo. Honestly, I didn’t know whether it was acceptable for someone in her position—especially someone from the church—to be so proactive in relationships.

“Uh, uh?”

When I sat so close to her, Sophia was taken aback.

“It may be uncomfortable, but let’s talk for a bit like this. This is something that can’t be overheard.”

Sophia nodded, looking slightly apprehensive.

“Sophia, you like Leo, don’t you?”

“…”

She looked like she was about to immediately deny it, but after a brief moment of hesitation, Sophia finally nodded.

“…Yes.”

“I don’t care why you like Leo or what attracts you to him. I’m not involved in your romantic affairs. I have no interest in other people’s relationships.”

While Jake and Lottie tried to help set people up—

—The results were a bit too much, I thought. Those two became a bit too close. If they went any further, the whole genre of the story might change. Mainly in the sense of being rated 19+.

I wasn’t concerned about whether Leo would get a girlfriend. If it ended up being Sophia… I would’ve interfered if it were the original Sophia, but this Sophia didn’t seem to show any signs of that.

It was probably just her attraction to Leo’s appearance.

“But once again, I’ve never had romantic feelings for Leo. I think of him as a friend. If he’s ever in danger, I’ll help him. If there’s a political need, I’ll gladly use my position as a princess to assist. But that’s because he’s a ‘friend,’ not because he’s my type.”

I looked directly into Sophia’s eyes as I spoke.

“Ah. Ugh.”

Sophia’s expression showed that she didn’t know how to react, especially since we were so close.

Well, that’s exactly why I did it—to make her uncomfortable.

But, it wasn’t like our bodies were touching.

“If I were to help Alice, Claire, Mia, or Lena in similar ways, it wouldn’t be because I think of them as my lovers either.”

“R-really?”

“Really.”

I said, moving my chair back a little.

“Of course, I think the same about Charlotte. But she’s a princess of a country. In fact, she will be the future queen. Even though I’m a princess, when she becomes queen, I won’t be in a position to ‘help’ her anymore.”

“…”

Sophia seemed lost in thought for a moment.

“And you. Sophia Bianchi.”

When I called her name, she blinked in surprise.

“Perhaps, I could help your ‘family’ as well. I could assist a small noble family, at least.”

“…”

Sophia’s expression subtly shifted.

I already knew Sophia’s true identity, and she knew I knew it too.

But the help I spoke of would be limited to the ‘small noble family’—I wasn’t offering to help the Law Empire, but I would help her personally.

Even though Sophia’s thinking was a bit simple, I’m sure she understood exactly what I was saying.

“But if you keep spreading false rumors that make me upset, you might be removed from my list of friends.”

“Ah.”

At my words, Sophia’s face turned pale.

Yes, I knew she was enjoying her school life, but there were things she had to do.

As an agent sent by the Law Empire, she had a mission to fulfill.

And the priority of that mission was to become friends with me, Sylvia Fangryphon.

Looking at the pale Sophia, I felt satisfied that my message had gotten through.

Chapter 196

**Satisfied.**  

Since that conversation that day, Sophia no longer says strange things to me.  

Leo had never misunderstood anything in the first place, and Alice, who had only been teasing me for her own amusement, stopped bringing it up altogether once the fun was over.  

Charlotte would occasionally look at me with sad eyes, but that was all. She no longer tried to tie me to Leo in any way.  

Solving a major incident without resorting to rewinding time felt immensely gratifying and satisfying.  

Back in the day, I thought of my cheat-like ability as something I could use recklessly whenever I wanted… but now, things were different. My relationships had changed.  

The friends around me were, quite literally, my “friends.” And every conversation I had with them was a memory to cherish.  

Rewinding time didn’t just mean erasing my mistakes; it also meant erasing all those memories.  

At the start of the semester, I had used my ability multiple times to maintain my perfect image. Of course, even now, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it if my image was in serious jeopardy. However, I no longer wanted to use it for every minor mistake—especially after conversations that could shape relationships.  

That’s why the fact that I didn’t rely on my ability while forming bonds with others brought me such satisfaction.  

Not that it meant there would never be a reason to use my ability again.  

---

"Seriously, you're as elusive as a ghost."  

The voice, weak and strained, belonged to Chiara Verati.  

Her body was wrapped in countless bandages as she lay on the bed, looking at me with a feeble smile.  

"Especially while wearing such uncomfortable clothes."  

"This might not look it, but these uniforms are made with advanced materials. They’re perfectly functional."  

I replied, taking a seat on the chair next to her bed.  

**Thud.**  

A sound came from the direction of the door. There was the noise of repeated, loud impacts, followed by muffled shouts from someone outside.  

It was natural. Even injured, a knight of the church was no ordinary person. Even without weapons, they could take down an average soldier with ease. So, it was only logical for her to be confined deep within the imperial palace in the heart of the capital, despite her injuries.  

...Though, honestly, did they really need to imprison someone this badly hurt?  

"So, how exactly do you plan to escape... Not that you'd tell me even if I asked, right?"  

"Who knows."  

I shrugged at Chiara Verati's question and said,  

"Depending on how this conversation goes, I might just let you in on it."  

"Hah. Still, I doubt you'll tell me anything beyond what you want me to know."  

"I promise you this: I’ll make sure to reveal a real secret."  

As long as that masked woman doesn’t suddenly appear, there’d be no need to rewind time.  

And at this point, I didn’t expect her to show up. The masked woman only appeared when matters related to the artifacts were involved.  

Artifacts like the one that had first appeared before me. I’d already checked the bag the emperor mentioned finding—it was hidden so well that uncovering it had required doing things I’d rather forget. Still, those who had been hurt back then were now fully recovered, so perhaps it was all worth it.  

It seemed the masked woman couldn’t use her abilities because of that artifact. Just as my abilities were sealed whenever she appeared.  

Objects tied to the goddess's power could suppress both my and the masked woman's abilities.  

"And what, you're planning to kill me?"  

"..."

If the moment ever came when my abilities were blocked, I might have to.  

At my silence, Chiara Verati frowned.  

After thinking for a long while, she let out a deep sigh.  

"...Fine. Speak. Is there something specific you want to know?"  

"Will you tell me?"  

"Do I even have a choice?"  

**Thud!** Another loud sound came from the door. It was possible they were preparing magic or even cannons on the other side.  

No, cannons seemed unlikely. The emperor might not allow that.  

"What did Lucas ask you about last time?"  

"The artifact."  

Chiara Verati answered straightforwardly.  

"He asked about what it was and why we were searching for it."  

"Didn’t you say you weren’t high-ranking enough to know the details?"  

"And you believed that?"  

"Not entirely."  

I hadn’t thought pressing her further back then would get any more answers. Besides, I couldn’t exactly interrogate her with Alice watching.  

"..."

After a brief silence, Chiara Verati spoke again.  

"I was sent to the Empire to search for the artifact. While Northwood wasn’t the only potential location, there aren’t many places worth searching—like here, the imperial palace."  

"Are you saying you intentionally got captured?"  

"No. It wasn’t intentional. But since I was caught, I decided to turn the crisis into an opportunity."  

"Did you succeed?"  

"No."  

Chiara Verati let out a scoff.  

"For such an important location, one they’d even bring their most vital prisoners to, the artifact wasn’t here. It was hidden elsewhere."  

"And how do you search for the artifact?"  

"The Holy Nation hasn’t been idle for centuries. To return the goddess's power to her… to bring her back into the world, we’ve been perfecting a system. Of course, we don’t rely solely on ancient records. There's a sacred spell known only to the highest ranks of the Holy Nation. It’s cast on individuals and works without leaving any evidence. Those affected can sense an anomaly when near an artifact."  

"Have you ever felt it?"  

"In the Holy Nation, we train using an artifact in our possession to familiarize ourselves with the sensation."  

"And one of those artifacts ended up in the Empire."  

"...Exactly."  

Chiara Verati exhaled deeply.  

"Can you tell me more about that spell?"  

"No. The Holy Nation's leaders wouldn’t allow such knowledge to spread. The spell is performed while the subject is unconscious, and when they wake, there’s no trace of it. Even if you suspect there might be a mark, you'd need the Holy Nation’s unique magic to confirm it."  

"I see."  

**Crash!**  

The door bent inward, almost breaking under the repeated impacts.  

"Why are you telling me all this?"  

Feeling pressed for time, I asked.  

Not long ago—just after Lucas’s attack left her badly injured and unconscious—this same person had been completely uncooperative.  

"Ha… who knows."  

Chiara Verati stared blankly at the ceiling as she spoke.  

"I used to think dying for the goddess was enough. Suicide’s forbidden by doctrine, but… I figured as long as I served her, I could die doing so."  

But now…  

"After coming here, being left to rot by the Holy Nation, hearing that some monstrous creature killed my old comrades, and losing the artifact… I’m just so disillusioned. Everything I believed in feels shattered. Honestly, I wish I hadn’t woken up after Lucas's attack."  

"That’s your reason?"  

"Yes. And you promised to tell me about your ability—how you found me and plan to escape. I’m incredibly curious."  

The hinges on the door seemed ready to give way.  

"Fine," I said, nodding. "I’ll tell you. I already knew what would happen. I saw it from beyond the bounds of this world."  

"...You knew the future?"  

Chiara let out a breathless sound.  

"And second, I have the power to rewind time."  

"..."

"So there’s no need to plan an escape route. Once I’ve achieved my goal, I’ll simply go back."  

"Ha."  

Chiara Verati let out a disbelieving laugh.  

"You don’t believe me?"  

"No, it’s not that. It’s absurd, but if you really have ‘that kind of power,’ everything suddenly makes sense. It’s just…"  

Chiara Verati fell silent, staring at the ceiling for a long time.  

**Crash!** The door finally broke, armor clanging as soldiers rushed in.  

Through the commotion, Chiara Verati’s voice rang clearly.  

"It’s all so meaningless. I worked so hard for the goddess’s power, but in the end…"  

Her words trailed off, but I’d already heard enough.  

Once again.  

Chapter 197

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself while living in this world, it’s that I don’t particularly care about how others perceive me.

Well… aside from the character image I’ve carefully cultivated. I put effort into maintaining that because it defines my persona. But outside of that, especially when it comes to people beyond my immediate circle, I don’t think about their opinions as much as I might have imagined.

For instance, it wasn’t until recently that I found out a rumor labeling me a “murderer” had been circulating for months.

And even after hearing about it, I didn’t react much. Honestly, isn’t it true? Setting aside the assassination of Count Crowfield—still a secret for now—I’ve been on the battlefield and fired upon people before.

Not just one or two, either. I couldn’t even recall the exact number of people I’d killed. Not that it was in the dozens, but when bullets are flying from all directions, bombs are exploding, and the cacophony of machine gun fire and charging soldiers fills the air, there’s no time to keep count of the lives you take while rewinding time hundreds of times in a battle.

Frankly, I understand why this reputation arose.

Even if this academy doubles as a military academy and some graduates are destined for the army, most students here have never killed anyone. If they had, that would be the unusual case.

War, even in this world, is generally regarded as an adult matter.

The distinction between who is considered an adult and who is considered a child might be blurred, but the line is drawn nonetheless. And while the arbitrary nature of that line disgusted me at times, it was precisely because of it that I, a person who had crossed that line without hesitation, was being labeled a “murderer” by the students.

Looking at it objectively, they weren’t wrong. The only problem was that if you applied that label strictly, countless soldiers hailed as “heroes” in this nation would fit the description just as well.

I happened to overhear the rumor by sheer coincidence.

If I’d been alone when I heard it, I would have easily ignored it and moved on—but—

"What did you just say?"

The problem was, someone else had been standing beside me when I opened the door to the student council room.

And that person, physically superior to me in every way, was Alice.

I had clearly heard the words “murderer Sylvia” from just outside the door, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if Alice had caught the entire context.

"Repeat what you just said, right now."

Before I could even open the door fully, Alice slipped inside with swift, decisive movements, heading straight toward the source of the voice.

It seemed she had already identified the person behind the comment. Unlike me, who didn’t particularly care about the idle chatter of nobles, Alice had been actively engaging in social interactions since coming to the academy. Recognizing someone by their voice wouldn’t have been difficult for her.

The student council room had several tables. Instead of the massive, intimidating conference tables one might expect in a corporate boardroom, these tables were smaller, more suited to informal gatherings, with seating for four or five people each.

By regulation, anyone could make proposals or announcements in this space, typically by tapping a champagne glass with a spoon or raising their voice to gather attention. In essence, the student council operated in the style of a traditional noble social gathering.

Unsurprisingly, the room was often a social hub for council members rather than a formal meeting place, even during scheduled meetings.

"Ah, um, I didn’t mean…"

Even with the most charitable interpretation, the term “murderer” is never positive.

The girl who had attached that word to my name turned pale, her face almost as blue as her strikingly light sky-colored hair—an uncommon feature that wouldn’t be out of place on one of the protagonists in a story.

I stepped into the room, my loafers clicking sharply against the floor.

The eyes of the seven students in the room all turned to me at once.

Did they think I was about to explode in anger? Honestly, such words didn’t bother me enough to provoke that kind of reaction.

I knew the names and backgrounds of all the noble students here, but I had no intention of getting involved with those who weren’t part of the main storyline.

"Oh…"

Still, just because I didn’t intend to form close relationships with them didn’t mean I avoided them altogether.

We were, after all, part of the same student council.

I hadn’t planned to approach the girl in question, but since Alice had gone straight to her, I couldn’t ignore the situation entirely.

Conversations among nobles often followed a kind of mathematical formula, with official feelings and personal emotions kept separate.

Even if I personally didn’t feel offended, “showing anger” might be necessary to gain favor among the nobles. On the other hand, even if something enraged me, “not showing anger” might be expected depending on the situation.

Usually, the former applied to matters of personal or familial honor, while the latter applied to issues involving close family or spouses. The ability to navigate that fine line was what made a noble truly skilled.

"I-I’m sorry!"

The girl’s face turned even paler when our eyes met. She stood abruptly, bowing deeply in my direction.

So… she’s from an earl’s family, I think. Not someone insignificant, given her position in the student council, but certainly not a match for the Fangryphon imperial family.

Suppressing a sigh, I abandoned my plan to head for an empty seat and approached their table instead.

"Calling someone who fights and sacrifices their life for the Empire a ‘murderer’ casts doubt on your family’s loyalty to the Empire," Alice said sharply.

The already silent room grew even quieter, as though the pressure alone could crush someone.

"N-no, that’s not what I meant… I just…"

The girl frantically searched for an excuse, but nothing seemed to come to mind.

"If Sylvia is a ‘murderer,’ then doesn’t that make the Duke of Winterfield, headmaster of this academy, a murderer too?" Alice pressed, smiling faintly.

Her opponent remained silent, unable to respond.

A quick glance showed the student council president frozen mid-sip, his teacup suspended in midair.

"And how many others in this room agree with that sentiment?" Alice continued. "Before I arrived, the atmosphere here seemed cheerful enough. Do you all regularly hold such discussions in our absence? I would never have guessed that families I considered pillars of the Empire were actually parasitic freeloaders clinging to its name."

"Um, no, that’s not…"

The president, who had remained frozen until now, finally moved, his jaw trembling slightly.

"Those words were Lady Rassel’s personal remarks," he said slowly.

Lady Rassel turned her pleading gaze to the president, silently begging him not to abandon her.

For a moment, I thought I could see the calculations running through the president’s mind.

"The word ‘murderer’ and the name ‘Sylvia’ must have been joined accidentally during an unrelated conversation," he declared after what seemed like careful deliberation.

It seemed he had decided that being in debt to the Rassel family was the more advantageous choice.

"Continue," Alice said, fixing her gaze on Lady Rassel.

"The Imperial Princess Sylvia Fangryphon was on the battlefield at the time," the president explained slowly. "The enemy was a group of despicable warlords—murderers and rapists. The princess played a significant role in eliminating them."

He pieced together an explanation, neither fully convincing nor entirely weak. As the duke’s heir, his words carried weight, even if they weren’t definitive.

Lady Rassel nodded vigorously in agreement.

"I see."

Finally, I spoke, breaking my silence.

"I appreciate the praise. As much as you support me personally, I trust the Rassel family will also contribute to the royal family’s future endeavors."

"For the esteemed Fangryphon imperial family, there is nothing we wouldn’t do. I will follow your words without fail."

Lady Rassel bowed her head deeply.

Chapter 198

At first, I thought Alice was using the situation to intimidate Lady Rassel for the imperial family's benefit.

While she was still somewhat emotional, Alice had displayed more calculated and "princess-like" behavior since we returned from Belvur last year. It had become a regular part of her demeanor.

But even after the matter seemed resolved—with an apology from Lady Rassel and a pledge of loyalty to the imperial family—Alice continued glaring at her, sitting silently in the student council room.

Ordinarily, once an apology was given and accepted, the issue would be considered settled. Yet, it seemed that wasn’t enough to quench Alice's anger.

"I don’t think there’s any need to stay so upset after receiving an apology," I remarked.

"Doesn’t this bother you at all?"

Her question made me furrow my brow slightly, lost in thought.

Hmm…

If the person in question had been an adult, it might’ve been different. Knowing a grown person was badmouthing me behind my back would’ve left me annoyed, if not outright angry.

But Lady Rassel was just a fifteen-year-old girl.

I hadn’t been all that angry when Mia showed hostility toward me, either, because she was still young and unaware of the truth.

From a teenager’s perspective, the idea of someone having killed people might seem unnerving.

As I remained deep in thought, Alice ran a hand down her face, sighing, and then took a seat at one of the room’s guest tables.

"What if it had been me instead? If they’d been calling me a murderer instead of you?"

"..."

That would’ve made me angry, no doubt.

Not just for Alice. I would’ve felt the same if they’d been gossiping about Leo, Claire, Jake, or even Lottie. Mia and Lena too… though Sophia is still a little more complicated.

Alice seemed to understand what I was thinking from the look on my face, even though I hadn’t said anything.

"...Well, I guess you’re the type to think that’s just normal, so no matter what I say, it won’t bother you much."

"..."

She rolled her eyes briefly before speaking again.

"I think this situation needs to be handled carefully."

"I agree."

"Then why let nobles badmouth the imperial princess and just leave it at that?"

"Because in this situation, avoiding unnecessary enemies is the wiser move."

I could handle more enemies. If things got too difficult, I could always rewind time to undo the situation. Besides, I’d already used my original-world knowledge and time-rewinding ability to gather dirt on the most influential families, in case I couldn’t use my powers anymore after encountering the masked woman.

I hadn’t visited every single noble estate, so the information was limited, but it was enough to make me confident.

One reason I wasn’t particularly affected by this gossip was that Lady Rassel had already broken down in tears before me a few times, spilling plenty of her family’s secrets.

"..."

Perhaps picking up on something from my expression, Alice chose not to press the matter further.

"In any case," she continued, "it’ll be a problem if more nobles start disregarding the imperial family. Things have been kept in check so far, but you know what happened recently in the northern bombardment."

She must’ve been referring to Jayden’s monitor fleet sweeping the border clean.

"Since then, nearby nations and local lords have been wary of the imperial military. After all, they didn’t even notice the monitor ships flying over their territories until they reached the border."

"And local forces have no way of stopping those ships," I added.

If a monitor ship decided to bombard a lord’s castle, that would be the end of it. While civil wars might follow, the imperial military was strong enough to crush any rebellious factions decisively.

Ironically, that capability only made more lords want to rebel.

No matter how large or productive the capital was, the Empire couldn’t function on its own. Producing vast amounts of munitions required enormous quantities of gunpowder and lead. To make gunpowder, saltpeter was essential—and there were no saltpeter mines in the capital.

Even in the original game’s story, certain nobles were already openly boasting about "keeping the capital running" before the main events unfolded. It wasn’t until later that those nobles started acting collectively.

Even if the Emperor wasn’t aiming for world domination, the nobles wouldn’t change their mindset. After all, they didn’t know about my "abilities."

"But there won’t be an uprising," I said confidently.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because His Majesty has no intention of deploying military forces abroad."

In the original story, the rebellion had been opportunistic.

Even with the Empire’s overwhelming military advantage, waging war against the entire world required committing forces on a massive scale.

Warships guarding the capital were moved to the borders, and monitor ships were sent to the frontlines. Air forces shifted to support the ground army, leaving only minimal defenses. Loyalist forces like Winterfield were tied up in the north, while Lindbergh, another ally, was distracted by a colonial uprising.

With the Empire’s mightiest forces deployed elsewhere, it created the perfect chance for ambitious lords to act.

But the Emperor wasn’t a fool.

He’d anticipated this and had crushed several rebellious families with brutal efficiency to assert dominance. Dukes were assassinated, their heirs publicly burned alive in their territories. The message was clear.

Additionally, most of the borderlands were under the control of counts or dukes, not directly managed by the Empire.

During the war, if the imperial forces withdrew, enemy troops would invade, trampling those lands in retaliation. Those enemy soldiers wouldn’t care if the lords were "imperial loyalists" or not—they’d simply destroy everything.

Because of this, border lords had no choice but to align with the Emperor, even if it was against their will. This dynamic ultimately led to the downfall of the aristocratic faction.

But all of that hinged on the military’s deployment to the borders.

"Local lords fear the imperial military. A rebellion would leave them with nothing but burnt estates and dead heirs. If they’re lucky, they might keep their own heads."

"But the air among the lords is undeniably uneasy," Alice pointed out.

I nodded.

"That won’t last forever, though."

In the end, neither the aristocracy nor the absolute monarchy is eternal.

Eventually, it all crumbles.

A century from now, there will likely be a time when citizens govern themselves. That’s an inevitable progression. The aristocracy might persist in some form, but the shift toward republicanism cannot be stopped. The Empire already has a nominal parliament, after all.

Trying to stop that tide would only get heads chopped off.

"...Do you know something I don’t?"

"Honestly? Not really. Too much has already diverged from what I knew."

While I could make educated guesses based on the world I came from, this world—despite drawing from real history—wasn’t entirely predictable. Even the game developers hinted at such outcomes during interviews.

But those were long-term changes. When it came to the short term, I couldn’t be certain about anything.

My presence had already shifted the original story too much.

The Emperor was far more focused on internal affairs than in the original. The nobles’ unrest hadn’t fully surfaced yet. The Holy Nation was moving far more cautiously, and Bella was still alive.

And then there were people like Lucas and the masked woman.

Sometimes, I wondered if things might’ve been better if I’d done nothing at all.

"Well, fine," Alice said, shrugging it off. She didn’t seem particularly troubled, but I knew her well enough to guess her thoughts were far from settled.

"In that case, let’s set aside the uncertain future and focus on the one just ahead."

She crossed her arms.

"What do you think of Charlotte’s idea?"

"You mean her proposal to use Lutetia as the training site?"

In the original story, going to Belvur wasn’t just for training.

It was to persuade Charlotte to join the fight against the Emperor, who sought to place the entire world beneath him.

Sneaking into the ruined Lutetia to find Charlotte had been part of the story’s core plot.

Well, at least this change was for the better.

Even so, I felt an overwhelming urge to pull at my hair.

Chapter 199

No matter how good or bad someone's first impression is, spending enough time with that person usually changes it.

Even the worst first impressions soften over a year or so as you begin to notice the good sides of that person. Conversely, no matter how great someone seems at first, spending a long time with them reveals their flaws. That’s often why relationships fall apart. As people become more familiar with each other, their partner’s flaws become more apparent, and once those flaws pile up past a certain threshold, they can no longer tolerate one another.

…Not that I’d know for sure, having never been in a romantic relationship myself.

In any case, such changes in perception often result from learning something new about the other person, but sometimes it’s because the person themselves changes.

In Charlotte’s case, I believe her image shift had more to do with her subtly changing personality rather than me uncovering unknown aspects of her.

In the original story, Charlotte had a somewhat cold impression. Though her relationship with the protagonist, Leo, softened her image over time, the outbreak of war between the Empire and the kingdom shattered that progress.

The issue here, however, is that the Emperor shows no sign of instigating a war in this world, perhaps due to the butterfly effect.

It’s a good thing—definitely a good thing—but…

“Fufufu.”

I stared at Charlotte, whose suspicious giggling filled the room, with a baffled expression.

Yes, the absence of a reason for Charlotte to guard herself against us had resulted in her displaying these strange behaviors over time.

“I’ve prepared a course that will surely amaze everyone. While Belvur may lag behind the Empire in industrialization, I’ll show you that its traditions and culinary culture are leagues ahead!”

In the original story, Alice and Charlotte’s battles of wit revolved around political matters. In this world, however, Charlotte seemed to have developed an entirely different kind of logic.

“…Did you spend your entire vacation planning this? Inviting academy students to promote Belvur’s history and culture?”

“I thought about it quite seriously,” Charlotte replied, unfazed by Alice’s remark.

“Belvur, which is only just beginning to industrialize, cannot surpass the Empire in military or economic power. That’s not something that can change with time alone. While we can strengthen our military enough to defend ourselves during a war, we could never expand it to the point of conquering the entire Empire.”

“So you’re planning to project cultural influence instead?”

“Isn’t it a possibility? After all, the place you frequent most is a café serving Belvur-style desserts.”

Charlotte’s gaze shifted toward me.

“Even the café owner boasts about learning their skills in Belvur to attract customers, doesn’t he?”

In short, Charlotte was aiming for cultural victory.

Well, it wasn’t entirely nonsensical.

Culture plays a significant role in relations between nations. It’s hard to justify suppressing cultural exchanges, and attempts to do so often provoke backlash from those who already enjoy that culture. The best way to counter such influence is to develop one’s own cultural industry and encourage people to embrace it instead.

Belvur and the Empire were long-standing neighbors with culturally similar roots. Belvur retained many cultural elements the Empire had lost during its industrialization—such as its cuisine—which had become popular among the Empire’s upper class.

Charlotte had clearly picked up on this while attending the academy.

However, there was one aspect of her enthusiasm that I found a little… unsettling.

“I guarantee that once you taste authentic Belvur cuisine made by real Belvur chefs, your opinions will change. And it’s not just the food; there’s plenty to see as well. Belvur didn’t recklessly demolish its old buildings in the name of industrialization.”

As Charlotte puffed out her chest and proudly made her pitch, she reminded me of a junior officer from my military days, boasting about giving me the "full Busan tour" if I ever visited their hometown.

…There was no need to remind her that I’d already tried Belvur’s cuisine during our visit last year.

Seeing Alice glance at me uneasily, I stifled a sigh.

Alice and I might’ve had reservations, but the academy seemed to think Charlotte’s proposal was worth considering.

While there were legal and cultural differences between the Empire and Belvur, communication wasn’t a significant issue. Although ordinary Belvur commoners didn’t speak Imperial, the high-ranking individuals hosting the academy students would be fluent.

From the academy’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse an opportunity to broaden students’ horizons.

Naturally, most of the students were excited about the idea. Officially, Sophia and Charlotte were the only academy students from Belvur, after all.

In the world I came from, budget airlines and saving money made overseas vacations a possibility for most people every few years. Here, however, international travel was far more complicated. Most border crossings required extensive paperwork, and very few places offered easy access based solely on visas.

While nobles, backed by their governments, might have more opportunities, commoners found traveling abroad extremely challenging unless involved in commerce.

“…Mia.”

I quietly called her name.

“Y-Yes?”

Mia, startled, looked up before glancing at where my gaze had fallen. Her face turned red as she hastily closed her notebook.

I had been looking at the notebook in front of her.

As the weather turned colder, most students had retreated into the academy buildings. The once-green lawns had begun to yellow, and the bare branches of the street trees offered little to admire. Most students were spending their time in the academy lobby or their dorm rooms, enjoying tea and snacks.

Meanwhile, we were in the student council room.

Mia’s presence in the room was a rare sight, enough that I sometimes forgot she’d joined the council at the start of the semester. Well, “joined” might be putting it lightly—“chased me into” was probably more accurate.

Back when our relationship was rocky, she’d barely shown up. Lately, however, she had been coming around more often, just like now, where she was seated at a small table in the room, diligently jotting something in her notebook.

“Is that a list of foods you want to try?” I asked.

Mia’s face flushed a deeper red.

“I… I don’t think I’m obligated to answer that!”

Look at her, being all defiant to hide her embarrassment.

Amused, I pulled out a chair at her table and sat down.

“You seem pretty excited about going to Belvur. Making a list of foods to try once you get there?”

“I-It's not like that! Not at all!”

Yeah, sure it isn’t.

Even at a glance, it was obviously a list of Belvur cuisine.

Looking at her now, Mia’s image had definitely changed. When we first met, she’d been like a prickly hedgehog. Now, she resembled a hamster or squirrel—though one you’d still want to handle with care to avoid getting bitten.

I briefly recalled Mia from the original story. Was she always this food-driven?

Hmm… Not really. There weren’t many characters in the original who openly displayed such traits.

Of course, eating a lot was another matter. It just wasn’t common to show characters happily munching on sweets or favoring specific cuisines. In the original story, Mia spent much of her arc grappling with her circumstances, which left little room for such moments.

Here, though, it seemed she’d adapted and overcome her struggles much faster—possibly because of me. While she was still a bit timid, she wasn’t the gloomy character from the original story.

“Belvur is right next to your territory, isn’t it? You could visit anytime to try their food.”

“…Are you serious?”

Mia’s eyes widened as she stared at me.

“I’m from Crowfield, you know.”

…Oh.

Right.

Crowfield had originally been Belvur territory.

Not just a neighbor—a descendant of invaders.

"..."

"..."

For a moment, an awkward silence hung between us. I could’ve sworn I caught a fleeting hint of a "How can you be an imperial princess and not know that?" look in her eyes. Maybe it was just my imagination.

Um.

Well.

Let’s try that again.

Chapter 200

"Indeed, even if the Crowfield territory is right next to the border, considering its history, it’s not exactly the kind of place one can freely travel to," I said.

"Yes…"

Mia nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly.

I wasn’t sure whether she had a genuine affection for Belvur itself or if she just wanted to indulge in their cuisine.

I suspected the latter, but I had enough tact not to say it out loud.

"You don’t need to worry so much," Charlotte said as she entered the student council room and took a seat in an empty chair.

"At the border, plenty of people might recognize the name Crowfield, but where we’re going—the capital, Lutetia—nobles there won’t pay much attention to it."

Or perhaps they’ll simply pretend not to.

It was only natural. Unless someone was the Countess of Crowfield herself, there was little to gain from criticizing a daughter who essentially knew nothing. If anything, doing so would risk being labeled as ungentlemanly. After all, nobles often preferred to handle sensitive matters through wives or daughters. Alice and I were the exceptions, not the rule.

"Really?"

Mia perked up slightly at Charlotte’s reassurance.

While nationalism was beginning to sprout, it hadn’t yet fully bloomed. It was still limited to intellectuals and some nobles, and even among the latter, it hadn’t completely taken root outside royal and imperial circles.

Many countries still clung to remnants of medieval feudalism. Even if people claimed to be "fellow Belvurians," those who had deployed armies against each other mere decades ago weren’t about to suddenly embrace each other as kin.

This meant Mia would likely be safe.

"Of course. The customs of hospitality are universal, no matter the country. I’ll do everything I can to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable stay in my country—not just you, but all the Imperial students," Charlotte said with a warm smile.

If she said so, there was no reason to argue.

Of course, I had my own preparations to make as well.

The weapons I had been secretly preparing would all be loaded onto the train with us.

While I didn’t plan to raid Belvur itself, there was a mountain of information to gather from the church knights stationed there.

Still, seeing Charlotte’s cheerful face might make me feel guilty. Maybe I’d rewind time before seeing her.

Watching Charlotte laugh and chat with Mia, I entertained these treasonous thoughts.

During my last visit, I’d noticed how close the Azernian Empire and the Kingdom of Belvur were. There was no sea or lake dividing them—it was as simple as boarding a train.

The fact that two countries with such strained relations shared fully compatible railways was remarkable.

It was a clear sign that even Belvur, despite its deep mistrust of the Empire, had no viable alternatives to Imperial weaponry and steel technology.

Still, as Charlotte had pointed out, cultural dominance was another story entirely.

For example, Belvur’s music.

"Wow…"

A soft murmur of awe escaped someone’s lips.

As soon as we disembarked from the train, we were greeted by a grand welcome.

Though it wasn’t a full orchestra, a line of musicians played various instruments, all proudly representing Belvur’s culture.

The melody was familiar. It was the Belvurian national anthem.

Composed by a celebrated musician, it was far more refined than the anthems of my own world, which often felt outdated and rigid. While Belvur drew inspiration from France, it wasn’t modeled after post-revolutionary France, so its lyrics weren’t as bloodthirsty as one might expect.

Above us, small pieces of confetti rained down. Though the buildings weren’t as tall as those in Lindbergh, citizens standing atop four-story structures cheered and scattered vibrant paper over us.

It was a festival atmosphere, quite literally.

Even knowing this spectacle was Charlotte’s doing, I couldn’t help but feel a little elated.

The sky here was a clearer blue than in the Imperial capital, and the air was refreshingly clean.

I could see why Charlotte loved her country so much.

"Welcome."

Standing before us was an elderly gentleman in an impeccably tailored suit.

"It is an honor to welcome the students of Azernian Imperial Ronderium Academy to Lutetia."

Though I couldn’t discern his exact title, his demeanor exuded so much elegance and dignity that it almost felt oppressive.

Unsurprisingly, the students following his lead seemed even more excited.

"Haaa…"

Alice let out a long sigh as she entered our shared room.

Being invited here was an honor, but it also meant Alice had to take on the role of student representative.

Given her noble status and consistent top-ranking academic performance, she was always the one chosen for such roles.

If students from other grades had joined, the student council president would’ve taken on the responsibility instead.

"Tired?" I asked as Alice kicked off her shoes and threw herself onto the bed.

"And what if I am? Are you offering to take over for me?"

She mumbled her response into the mattress.

"No, I just thought I’d remind you that the next event involves meeting the King of Belvur."

"…Can’t you go instead? You’ve already met him, haven’t you?"

Hmm…

Our last meeting hadn’t exactly ended on a positive note.

Alice referred to him as "His Majesty," out of respect for her friend Charlotte’s father. But when I met him, I’d deliberately addressed him as "Your Highness."

In the Empire, my title was "Her Highness," so by calling him that, I’d effectively dragged him down to my level.

He probably wouldn’t be thrilled to see me again.

Honestly, it was a miracle Charlotte hadn’t shown open hostility toward me after our first meeting.

And it wasn’t like I could rewind time to fix things now. With the masked woman involved, attempting to rewind time would result in massive complications. I’d probably end up unconscious for months afterward.

"…"

I didn’t respond right away, lost in thought. Alice lifted her head slightly, resting her chin on the mattress, and squinted at me.

"You look like you’re hiding something," she said.

Hmm…

Should I tell her?

After a moment of deliberation, I decided to come clean. Alice was going to meet the King soon anyway.

And as a result, I succeeded in getting Alice up.

Not that it was intentional.

She glanced at me, opening and closing her mouth as if trying to find the right words. Eventually, she gave up and began pacing the room in frustration.

Then she looked back at me, pressed her palm to her forehead, raked her fingers through her hair, sighed heavily, and finally blurted out,

"What were you thinking when you said that!?"

Uh…

Should I tell her the truth? That it was a mix of rebellion against being sent into that situation without any support from the Emperor and a petty desire to mess with the Holy Nation?

"I thought it was the best course of action at the time," I replied instead.

Of course, I couldn’t admit the real reasons. No matter how open I was with Alice, there were limits.

"The best—"

She started to say something but then shut her mouth. Her expression could best be described as ‘Forget it, let’s not even go there.’

"If I apologize, that’ll probably just make things worse, won’t it?" she asked after a pause.

"If you apologize now, it would likely be perceived as a provocation," I confirmed.

"…"

Alice groaned, clutching her head, before throwing herself back onto the bed.

Now that I thought about it, she’d been pacing barefoot this whole time after kicking off her shoes.

"Ugh, whatever. You deal with it. You made the mess, so you fix it."

"I’m sorry, but the Empire’s rightful heir is none other than you, Your Highness," I said curtly.

"…"

Alice didn’t respond, but the menacing aura radiating from her as she lay on the bed was impossible to ignore.

So… this is what killing intent feels like?

Chapter 201

Lutetia Castle wasn’t entirely unfamiliar—it wasn’t my first visit.

The Imperial Palace, at a glance, resembled a medieval castle in its external design. Of course, the interior had been extensively renovated, befitting the residence of the Emperor. Yet, its outward appearance retained a certain rustic charm.

Lutetia Castle, however, felt more like a "palace" than the traditional image evoked by the word "castle."

Perhaps it was because Belvur drew inspiration from France. The opulence of Lutetia brought to mind the splendor of the Palace of Versailles.

This likely stemmed from a fundamental difference in how the two nations approached the concept of fortresses.

The Empire had endured countless wars at the heart of the continent’s chaos, while Belvur had conserved its strength from a safer, more distant position.

While the Fangryphon family waged wars and drew attention across the land, Belvur invested in encircling Lutetia with walls. These walls, though limiting urban expansion, were deemed sufficient to safeguard the entire capital.

In the modern age, such walls no longer posed significant challenges. In a world where aerial warships could bombard from the skies, the meaning of "walls" had faded. Nevertheless, they still held strategic value in deterring ground forces.

"..."

“Are you nervous?”

I asked Alice, who was walking silently beside me. She glanced at me without a word, still upset about the earlier conversation we’d had in the guest room.

The last time, it had been Charlotte who personally went to fetch Alice. Since we were staying at a hotel, this was Alice’s first time entering the palace itself.

"...Hah."

When I kept staring at her, Alice finally sighed in exasperation.

“To be honest, yeah, a little.”

Accompanying us were a handful of Imperial and Belvurian knights, along with a few attendants in butler uniforms.

Though we were visiting as students, it was hard for either government to treat Alice and me as equals to the others. Even if we were fine with it, both the Imperial and Belvur governments were decidedly not.

Our reception as student representatives aside, our status as Imperial princesses was the reason for this formal audience with the King.

“It’s an impressive palace. I admired it from afar last time, but seeing the interior is truly dazzling. For a nation without any real colonies, Belvur’s wealth is evident.”

Alice commented bluntly, gazing up at the palace’s golden ceiling. Perhaps it was my imagination, but the Belvurian knights’ shoulders seemed to rise a little in pride.

“In terms of decor, it certainly surpasses the Empire.”

“Well, Belvur is known as the land of the arts.”

According to the lore, Belvur had many renowned artists—painters, musicians, sculptors. In the streets, one could see street painters sketching portraits for a fee or musicians playing violins and guitars for passersby.

"..."

Alice didn’t respond, possibly out of envy.

It was understandable. No matter how glorious the Empire’s steam, soot, and brass pipes might be as symbols of humanity’s progress, they lacked the artistic refinement of something created purely for beauty.

Realizing that anything I said might not improve Alice’s mood, I simply followed her quietly.

“Alice!”

Charlotte was already in the audience chamber when we arrived. She had said she would go ahead, and I had assumed she would change into a dress and wait, but she was still in her school uniform.

...It seemed our decision to remain in uniform was the correct one.

“Princess Alice.”

“Your Majesty, King of Belvur.”

Although Alice didn’t smile as brightly as Charlotte, the King of Belvur greeted us with a warm smile.

Unlike me, Alice addressed him as “Your Majesty,” though she didn’t kneel. She merely lifted the edges of her skirt slightly with both hands.

Neither the King nor Charlotte seemed to mind this lack of formality.

Had my last visit lowered their expectations too much?

“I’ve been meaning to invite you, and now I finally have the chance. I apologize for inviting you as students rather than as royalty.”

“No need to apologize. This lighter purpose makes it more comfortable for us as well.”

“Hmm.”

The King nodded slightly, his gaze briefly shifting to me.

For a moment, the smile on his face faded. Understandable, given that it would be hard for him to harbor positive feelings toward me.

Or perhaps he suspected I was scheming something?

If so, it felt unfair. This visit wasn’t my doing; it was Charlotte’s proposal, entirely unexpected on my part.

“Since this meeting is not politically motivated, let’s keep the formalities light. You’ll be staying in Lutetia for a while, so there’ll be more opportunities to strengthen our acquaintance.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“If you encounter any inconvenience during your stay, let the nearest knight know. I’ll do my best to assist you.”

“While in Belvur, it’s only natural to respect its laws. We’ll adhere to what has been prepared for us.”

“Your words are appreciated.”

The King smiled faintly at Alice’s response.

Hmm.

Maybe my arrogance during my last visit had been the right move after all.

It had given Alice the opportunity to make a strong impression today.

Of course, if I mentioned this to Alice, I’d likely earn a smack.

“Alice, what do you think?”

Charlotte walked out with us after the audience.

“What do I think about what?”

When Alice responded coolly, Charlotte beamed.

“The Lutetia Palace! Isn’t it beautiful?”

Charlotte gestured grandly with an open palm, and Alice let out a dismissive “Hmph.”

“The Imperial Palace is splendid enough.”

“Oh, of course, the Imperial Palace is magnificent. Its towering presence is visible from anywhere in the capital. But isn’t there a difference between being magnificent and being beautiful?”

It seemed Alice had no intention of conceding, as she continued deflecting Charlotte’s attempts to coax a compliment.

A faint clink echoed from the armor of one of the knights walking beside us. Though their expression was hidden behind a narrow visor, it was easy to guess they had briefly smiled.

It was one of the Belvurian knights.

Alice glared at the knight, who immediately straightened and resumed walking silently.

“It’s a beautiful place.”

When Alice still refused to answer, I finally spoke up. She shot me a glare this time.

“But it’s true,” I said calmly. “This place is beautiful.”

Beauty, however, doesn’t equate to strength. Even a technologically advanced nation supporting a vast population could crumble if its military was weak.

Of course, this wasn’t something I needed to point out to Charlotte.

At least, not yet.

“Yes, isn’t it?”

Charlotte’s smile widened at my answer.

“There’s so much more to show you! During your week here, I’ll do my best to introduce you to all the wonders of Belvur!”

Watching her puff up proudly, I silently hoped my existence had prevented whatever great tragedy might have been destined to occur.

Chapter 202

No matter how close two people are, their relationship isn't composed solely of positive emotions.

Of course, the majority of emotions between friends are positive; otherwise, they wouldn’t remain friends.

Negative emotions between friends are usually subtle and insignificant, small enough to seem petty if voiced aloud.

Take, for instance, two friends from different countries watching a soccer match.

Even if neither of them typically cares about soccer, the moment their respective national teams compete, they automatically become their country's loudest cheerleaders.

Winning or losing the match doesn’t result in any substantial gain or loss, but emotions run high nonetheless.

That was the kind of frustration Alice felt toward me at the moment.

"Ugh, this is so unfair! It's infuriating!"

Hmm.

Still, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her flailing her arms and legs like a child throwing a tantrum.

Noticing my gaze, Alice abruptly sat up and glared at me.

“What? Why are you staring? Haven’t you ever seen me like this before?”

“To be honest, no, I haven’t,” I replied, nodding seriously.

It wasn’t that Alice had never thrown tantrums. She’d harbored feelings of jealousy and inferiority toward me since childhood. Whenever I received orders from the Emperor or went to make reports, Alice would often insist on entering the audience chamber as well.

Each time, I tried to accommodate her as much as possible, usually by wrapping up my tasks quickly so she could have her turn.

Even then, Alice never resorted to lying on the ground and flailing her limbs. She always maintained a level of dignity as a princess, stopping just short of crossing the line.

Her tantrums were also reserved for times when no other nobles were around. Even on the train to Lutetia, although there were other nobles in the carriages, they were seated elsewhere.

“...”

As I answered her seriously, Alice’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“W-was I really like that?”

“At the very least, I’ve never seen you flail your arms and legs. Do you do that in your room when no one’s watching?”

At my remark, Alice immediately flopped back onto the bed, burying her face in the mattress.

After a few seconds of punching and kicking the bed in frustration, she sat back up and glared at me again.

“If you ever tell anyone about this, I’ll tell everyone your true self!”

“My true self isn’t much different from what you see now.”

At my response, Alice let out a dramatic "Hah" before flopping back onto the bed. This time, she turned her head to face me rather than burying it in the mattress. Didn’t her neck hurt lying like that?

“When I was younger, I think I threw tantrums in front of you a lot.”

“And I always handled them well. Honestly, if we were to argue about who was more mature, I’d say I acted more like the older sibling.”

I laid out the situation objectively, but Alice responded with a dismissive “Hmph.”

“Really? Then should I start calling you ‘Big Sis’ like Claire does?”

“...”

I paused to imagine Alice calling me ‘Big Sis.’

And quickly concluded that the current arrangement was better.

When I shook my head, Alice’s brow furrowed.

“I wasn’t planning to call you that even if you begged me to, but now that you’ve reacted like this, it’s annoying. Why not?”

“Claire’s ‘Big Sis’ and yours would feel very different.”

“...”

Alice’s eyes narrowed at my words.

I wasn’t wrong, though.

Claire had a naturally youthful and cheerful demeanor, fitting her age. If she called me ‘Big Sis,’ it felt natural.

But Alice...

Sure, she had some childish traits. At the same time, she had a calculating mind and a touch of arrogance befitting her status as a princess. If Alice called me ‘Big Sis,’ it would seem forced and out of character.

Alice didn’t even call Belahan, who was much older than her, ‘Big Sis.’ For her to use that term with me, someone effectively the same age...

“—Ack!”

Lost in thought, I was startled as a pillow smacked me squarely in the face.

Looking toward Alice, I saw her lying on her side, looking at me with a scowl.

“For some reason, you’re just irritating me right now.”

Alice turned over, facing away from me.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t been this open with each other for very long.”

I considered picking up the pillow and throwing it back at her but stopped at her unexpected comment.

“Is that so?”

Reflecting on it, she was right.

It had only been last year that we traveled to Lutetia together. Before then, we hardly ever spoke like this.

Alice had always been the one throwing tantrums, while I was the one accommodating her. Even our journey to Lutetia had only happened because Alice insisted on joining me on the train.

Perhaps the conversations we had during that trip were what brought us closer.

“Yeah. It’s only been since then that we’ve had talks like this...”

Thinking back, it was around that time Alice started visiting my room, asking about exams or studies, and even getting mad at me for the morphine she found there.

“I’m not exactly an open person, even now.”

Alice lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.

“But I noticed.”

“Noticed what?”

“All the times you looked out for me.”

“...”

I had thought she was completely unaware, given her constant complaints and tantrums.

“How could you do that?”

“Do what?”

I helped Alice simply because I liked her character in the original story. I hadn’t been trying to change her future or make her life better in any profound way.

It was more like offering a little extra kindness to someone I liked, just because.

And...

“You were young.”

“You were the same age as me.”

Alice chuckled softly before letting out a long sigh.

“Claire told me you were like that even as a child. Back at the orphanage—”

Alice’s voice faltered mid-sentence.

She had mentioned the orphanage. In this world, that word carried even more negative weight than in mine.

“It’s fine. It’s true that I was there.”

“...Claire said you used to share what little you had with the other kids.”

“...I already knew.”

“Knew what?”

It seemed safe to explain this to Alice, who had already guessed my ability.

“I knew what would happen to the children in that orphanage.”

“...”

Knowing they were doomed, I tried to be a kind presence for them, even if just for their final moments.

Not that I had much to give—maybe a piece of bread or a bowl of cold porridge.

“Yet you saved everyone.”

“Not everyone.”

“Huh?”

“There were some I couldn’t save.”

Alice’s silence deepened as I recounted the story.

We both knew there wasn’t more to say.

Chapter 203

If a depressing thought crosses your mind and you know it can’t change anything, it’s better to simply not dwell on it.

Not that I’ve been plagued by guilt over the past few years. I’ve merely accepted it as something inevitable.

This applies not only to the children I couldn’t save but also to Count Crowfield, whom I killed, and the countless nameless individuals I’ve faced on the battlefield. This is the kind of world we live in. It would have been naive to think I could avoid killing in a world based on a game where death is a common theme.

“Sylvia?”

I blinked at the sudden voice calling my name.

Charlotte was looking at me with a concerned expression.

“Is something wrong? Do you not like the food?”

“No, it’s not that.”

I quickly answered.

I had just briefly recalled my conversation with Alice from the night before. It wasn’t that the food was bad or that I’d forgotten how to speak because of it.

In fact, the food was delicious.

The meals served at the Academy or the Imperial Palace were already quite good. Despite the internet memes about "British cuisine," even the Empire’s aristocrats wouldn’t tolerate eating unappetizing food.

Well-cooked steak, hearty English breakfasts, a variety of desserts for tea time—they all tasted wonderful.

Besides, the Empire didn’t strictly stick to traditional Imperial cuisine. Just as people in Korea eat a variety of global foods instead of Korean dishes every day, the Empire embraced culinary diversity. Complaining about food was rare when you attended the Academy.

In that context, I had always been curious why Charlotte often expressed dissatisfaction with Academy meals. How much better could Belvurian cuisine possibly be?

...It turned out, it was genuinely excellent.

Not to the point of being so mind-blowing that I’d never eat anything else again, but there was something subtly different about it. The texture of the meat, the delicate aroma infused into it, the sweetness and consistency of the sauce—everything came together in harmony.

Eating the same dish felt like an entirely new experience.

“It’s excellent.”

“Is it?”

Charlotte replied in a tone that was polite but devoid of emotion, much like a noblewoman responding out of courtesy. Still, her gaze briefly flickered toward Alice.

Alice wore a slightly frustrated expression.

...Why was she reacting like this to my opinion? It wasn’t as though I were some renowned food critic.

Perhaps it was my notoriously neutral expression at work. Maybe they thought, “If even she breaks her composure, this food must be exceptional!”

The easiest way to break my expression would’ve been to put a plate of jellied eels in front of me, but I wasn’t about to tell them that.

It wasn’t just me, Alice, and Charlotte at the table. Claire, Leo, Mia, Rena, and Sophia were seated with us. Jake and Lottie had chosen to dine separately. Leo’s face briefly fell at the idea of being the only man surrounded by women, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

Claire was eating with sparkling eyes, Rena was her usual composed self, carefully wielding her knife and fork. Sophia seemed the same as always, though she occasionally cast fleeting glances at Leo. Meanwhile, Mia was happily munching away, her cheeks puffed out with food.

...For a moment, I wondered if I should eat like Mia. After all, I could just rewind time afterward.

But I quickly gave up on the idea.

Steak was something I ate regularly anyway. If I started rewinding time for every meal Charlotte introduced, it could become a slippery slope.

Charlotte had a determined look on her face, as if she’d prepared extensively. If I were to rewind, it should be for something truly extraordinary.

Watching Charlotte’s confident smile directed at Alice, and Alice’s begrudging glare in return, I turned my focus back to the plate in front of me.

“Sis, look at this!”

After finishing our meal, Claire tapped my shoulder as we walked along the road.

“Tada!”

She proudly presented a camera.

It was a far cry from the digital cameras of my old world—a bulky, antique-looking device at first glance.

Of course, "antique-looking" was my perspective. For this era, it was cutting-edge technology. A portable camera like this was a marvel. According to the game developers, its design was inspired by a legendary modern camera brand.

“I brought it since we’re traveling abroad! What do you think?”

“I heard it’s quite expensive.”

I wasn’t particularly interested in cameras. I only knew about this one because I’d considered whether it could be useful for espionage.

Unlike digital cameras, film cameras didn’t allow for quick editing or easy storage on memory cards. They lacked stealth and immediate photo previews, making them inconvenient for covert use.

Developing film required a darkroom and chemicals. It was a hassle for something classified, especially since anything gained would disappear if I rewound time.

Still, it seemed useful for preserving memories.

“Hehe.”

Claire laughed mischievously, her demeanor reminiscent of Charlotte, and puffed out her chest proudly.

“I worked hard hunting to afford this. I sold everything I didn’t absolutely need, except for a few essential marbles.”

This was a notable difference from the game.

In the game, even if you earned a lot of money, you couldn’t buy anything outside event-specific items, healing recipes, or equipment. But in this world, money could buy practically anything.

Charlotte’s gaze briefly fell on the camera, clearly made in the Empire, before turning back to Alice.

Alice was smiling smugly.

For a moment, Charlotte’s expression turned frustrated.

...Why were they getting competitive over something that wasn’t even theirs? I had thought they’d matured somewhat, but they were still kids in many ways.

“So, can we take a picture together? Since we’re here, I want to capture the memory properly.”

Claire’s suggestion seemed to break the tension between Alice and Charlotte.

After all, despite their bickering, everyone here was a friend.

“An excellent idea.”

My words sealed the deal, and even Charlotte and Alice nodded in agreement.

The camera, of course, had no selfie function. Everything, from the rangefinder to the focus, had to be adjusted manually. No one passing by seemed skilled with a camera.

Fortunately, Claire had anticipated this and pulled a tripod out of the large bag she’d been carrying since morning.

Setting up for the photo, we stood in a line with Lutetia Palace visible in the background.

“Okay, ready!”

Claire shouted as she pulled a lever on the camera and quickly dashed back to us with the agility of a swordswoman.

Sliding between me and Alice, she hooked her arm through mine.

“Ah—”

Before Alice could complain, the shutter clicked.

That evening, when the photos were developed, the result showed Claire beaming brightly at the camera while everyone else looked slightly startled, glancing in her direction.

Still, it was a good picture—everyone’s faces were clear, and the mood was cheerful.

...If not for the shadowy figure that had accidentally crept into the corner of the frame.

Chapter 204

Of course, saying that the entirety of Lutetia’s streets belonged to us would be an overstatement.

Lutetia itself was Belvur’s territory, and naturally, no Imperial citizen could claim it as their own.

Nor did the streets belong to Charlotte, despite her accompanying us. While the royal capital was directly under the King’s domain, even Belvur couldn’t fully escape the winds of capitalism.

Some individuals had bought parcels of this royal domain, built homes, and settled there. The streets, however, remained public spaces—open to all, including other people who weren’t part of our photo session.

In modern South Korea, people are familiar with cameras and might intentionally avoid the frame or wait until the photo is taken. But in Belvur, cameras were still novel. It wasn’t uncommon for a passerby to unknowingly appear in a corner of the photo without a second thought.

What was strange, though, was that the face captured in the corner of our photo was one I recognized.

"…"

And I wasn’t the only one. Alice, my roommate, knew the face as well.

“Isn’t this Damien?”

Alice immediately voiced the name I was thinking of.

“The last time we saw him was two years ago, but… this really does look like Damien, doesn’t it? What do you think?”

Alice waved the photo Claire had given us, her tone curious.

“I believe you’re correct.”

Damien Fangryphon.

A character the Emperor would dispatch only to the most covert and dangerous missions. In the original story, he didn’t even appear until much later.

Even then, his role wasn’t particularly significant. He served as a gatekeeper, opposing the protagonist’s party on their way to confront the Emperor.

However, his androgynous design, unlike the conventionally masculine characters dominating the story, made him a fan favorite—especially among female players.

Given the early 20th-century aesthetic, most male characters were broad-shouldered and exuded a traditional masculine vibe. Leo and Jake, for instance, didn’t have long hair like female characters. Damien, on the other hand, sported long hair that reached his back.

During battles, he wore skintight black shirts and pants. In scenes where he was in disguise, he tied his hair back, leading many to joke that the character was explicitly designed to appeal to female players.

“But why is Damien here?”

Good question.

In the original story, Damien was stationed in the Holy Nation.

Alice didn’t know where he had been dispatched, but I had that knowledge from the source material.

The Holy Nation wasn’t extremely far from Lutetia, but it wasn’t particularly close either. In fact, the distance between Lutetia and the Holy Nation was greater than the distance between Lutetia and the Imperial capital.

So, did he cross the border from the Holy Nation to come to Lutetia? Or had he been here all along?

“Was he waiting for us?”

Alice asked, and I nodded.

It wasn’t impossible. Charlotte had been planning this visit to Lutetia since summer vacation. If someone had leaked that information, Damien might have known when we’d arrive.

But if that were the case, why reveal himself in the corner of a photograph? Even if his face was partially obscured by his coat collar, his hat, and the shadow of the camera lens, it was still distinctly Damien. Alice and I recognized him instantly.

“If he wanted to meet us, wouldn’t he just approach us directly? It’s not like we’re enemies. If needed, we could easily have a conversation.”

Alice and Damien didn’t have the best relationship, but it wasn’t hostile either. They rarely interacted to begin with.

“Maybe it was a mistake? He might’ve been watching us and accidentally wandered into the camera’s frame…”

“That’s unlikely,” I said firmly.

I didn’t have much interaction with Damien myself, but I knew his personality. Someone like Damien would easily recognize a camera’s presence, understand the lens’s range, and avoid being captured unless he intended to be.

In other words…

“Perhaps he wanted to send us a message.”

“Through a photograph? That’s awfully roundabout.”

Indeed.

“...The only way to get an answer is to find him ourselves,” I said, standing up with the photo in hand.

How could we track Damien down based solely on a photograph?

Alice and I returned to the spot where we had taken the photo. Holding the picture, we adjusted our position until we matched the angle at which it was taken.

Looking at the photo again, illuminated by the streetlights, we noticed something.

The direction Damien had been facing.

In the photo, Damien appeared to walk casually, as if uninterested in us. Naturally, none of our friends suspected anything—they hadn’t met him before.

His body’s orientation in the picture was the only clue.

We turned in the direction he seemed to be heading, and soon our eyes landed on a shop.

It was a shabby, run-down storefront. The windows were boarded up with planks, suggesting it hadn’t been in use for some time. While it didn’t look abandoned, the neglected atmosphere was eerie. The broken streetlight nearby only added to its shadowy presence.

Despite all this, Alice and I instinctively knew someone was waiting for us inside.

Exchanging nods, we moved cautiously.

No one had followed us. Charlotte had dismissed the knights earlier in the day, and we’d snuck out discreetly. I had taken the lead, guiding Alice along.

After checking our surroundings multiple times, we reached the shop and turned the doorknob.

Despite its outward appearance, the door opened effortlessly.

“Lock the door,” a low voice came from the shop’s darkest corner as soon as we stepped inside.

“Huh?” Alice uttered in surprise.

Without hesitation, I locked the door.

A faint light flickered on, illuminating a lamp in the corner.

In its glow, we could see a large man seated in a chair, his presence exuding quiet authority.

“...Father?”

Alice’s voice was laced with disbelief.

“It’s a strange feeling, meeting my daughters so far from home. But it’s a welcome one,” the Emperor said calmly, as though this meeting were entirely natural.

“Why are you here?”

Alice, forgetting her usual decorum in the Emperor’s presence, raised her voice in shock.

“Lowering your voice would be wise. These thin windows and planks don’t do much to keep sound from escaping.”

At his warning, Alice snapped her mouth shut, visibly struggling to process the situation.

“You seem less surprised,” the Emperor said, shifting his gaze to me.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” I admitted.

If Alice hadn’t reacted first, I might’ve blurted out, “What are you doing here?”

Behind the Emperor, standing in the shadows, was a pale man with long hair and a strikingly androgynous face—Damien. His presence was quiet yet eerie, his fair complexion and reserved demeanor amplifying the unsettling atmosphere.

“So, why go through the trouble of coming all the way here?” I asked calmly, my voice steady. Alice, now regaining her composure, turned to look at her father for an explanation.

“I have my own preparations to make,” the Emperor replied. “Just as you have your own plans that you haven’t informed me about.”

...Well, that was a petty response.

Chapter 205

"…Are you implying that, since I haven’t shared my thoughts with Your Majesty, you won’t share yours either?"

“Well, I wouldn’t phrase it quite like that.”

The Emperor chuckled, his tone almost playful.

"Perhaps you did tell me a few things, but I simply chose not to remember them."

"…"

I had no response to that.

No, wait—I did have something to say.

Seriously? You’re the Emperor. The man at the pinnacle of this vast empire. In the original story, you were the ambitious figure who declared you’d bring the entire world to heel and create a perfectly equal society under your rule.

And yet, you’re sulking because your daughter didn’t share every little thought with you? Even if you truly believe we’re your real children, as you claim, you’re an Emperor first and foremost. It’s not like anyone else knows about your supposed paternal sentiments.

"Hmm."

Though I tried my best to maintain a neutral expression, the Emperor seemed to catch a flicker of dissatisfaction.

Well, considering how long he’s known me—longer than Alice, even—it wasn’t surprising that he could read my face.

"If we both start speaking freely, there will be much to discuss. Let’s exchange information one piece at a time. May I ask the first question?"

He was going to ask regardless of my permission, so I nodded stiffly. The Emperor smirked mischievously before speaking.

"Why did you bring so much luggage on the train?"

"What luggage are you referring to?"

"I’m talking about the items you personally hid. You leveraged your status as a princess to enlist the help of Imperial knights and smuggled in an arsenal. Some of those items are far too excessive for use against people."

The Emperor stroked his well-groomed golden beard, his voice laced with intrigue.

"What? You brought weapons?"

Alice, who had been silently listening to our conversation, gasped in shock.

"…"

When I glanced away, avoiding her gaze, Alice’s expression grew even more incredulous.

"Wait. Are you telling me you smuggled unauthorized weapons into another country? Weapons beyond what the knights and we might use in combat? And you did this while attending as Charlotte’s guest?"

Um…
Well, when she put it like that…

"I had no intention of using them against the Kingdom of Belvur."

"Yet you brought them into Belvurian territory," the Emperor interjected smoothly.

"…How many weapons are we talking about?"

Alice asked the Emperor before I could stop him from answering.

"Quite a few. A massive rifle with a custom-forged barrel designed to handle rounds that could shatter an elephant’s skull. Ammunition made of marmaros that could likely blow a hole through a building’s wall."

Alice’s jaw dropped.

"And some peculiar armor. It resembled jack chains at a glance but was equipped with mechanical enhancements. Springs, hydraulic systems, even slots for mana stones and marmaros. It seemed far too complex for simple defensive use."

Even with marmaros ammunition providing most of the destructive power, the sheer force required to propel it was no joke.

Naturally, wielding such a weapon was physically demanding. And if I intended to use it effectively, I’d have to move and fight while carrying it.

That’s why, in my spare time, I approached Browning with an idea. I asked if it was possible to create a device that could augment strength by distributing force using springs and gears.

…Browning, with an excited glint in his eyes, dove into his workshop and returned with what he called an "exoskeleton."

I didn’t fully understand its mechanics, but it supposedly used steam generated from heated water powered by mana stones to enhance physical strength. The device had hydraulic mechanisms and springs, and the boiler sat on the back, designed to avoid burns. During testing, I hadn’t felt any heat, and the water reservoir was compact enough not to be cumbersome.

The equipment looked like it had countless potential points of failure, but, as is typical in worlds like this, such devices tend to function remarkably well. So I brought it along.

"Even if I don’t know exactly what that armor is for, judging by the ammunition alone, it’s clear that you’re prepared for a large-scale conflict. With all those bombs and enhanced bullets, it wouldn’t be surprising if you started a war singlehandedly."

Alice whipped her head toward me.

If I knew how to whistle nonchalantly, I would’ve done so while looking elsewhere.

"And yet, you claim you have no intention of using them in Belvur? Should I assume you’ve arranged for a means to transport this arsenal elsewhere?"

"…"

That wasn’t the plan, but…

The Emperor, Alice, and even Damien—all three of them were staring at me now, their gazes heavy with curiosity.

"Isn’t this a little intrusive, Your Majesty? Taking such an interest in your daughter’s private affairs?"

"Are you saying you possess the sensitivity of a typical teenage girl? Because the teenage girls I know don’t bring enough firepower on vacation to start a war."

The Emperor’s remark left me momentarily speechless.

Even Alice, usually at odds with her father, nodded in agreement.

Unable to withstand their combined scrutiny, I sighed deeply and relented.

"Even within Belvur’s territory, there are places that aren’t technically under Belvur’s jurisdiction."

"Are you referring to an embassy?"

"Something like that. I intended to investigate the Saint Latina Cathedral in Lutetia."

"…"

Silence fell over the room.

Alice inhaled sharply, her breath trembling as she exhaled. Then, marching up to me, she grabbed my collar.

"What were you thinking—!"

"I simply intended to… gather… information…"

Alice shook me so hard that my words came out fragmented.

"Gather information?! Gather infoooormaaation?!"

"Alice, calm down," the Emperor interjected.

Alice reluctantly released my collar and took a step back, though her breathing remained heavy.

…Maybe I should’ve told her beforehand?

Then again, she probably would’ve insisted on coming with me—or tried to stop me. Judging by her current reaction, the latter seemed more likely.

"I’ve answered your question, Your Majesty. It’s your turn now," I said, steadying myself.

The Emperor shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ask away. If it’s something I can answer, I will."

I wanted to ask if there was anything the Emperor couldn’t answer but held back. After all, I hadn’t disclosed everything either, and he knew it.

So I decided to address the most pressing matter.

"Is Your Majesty’s presence here preparation for war?"

Alice’s jaw dropped further, as if it might unhinge.

Her fingers twitched slightly, as if she was debating whether to lunge at her father next. Then again, he was her father.

"No," the Emperor said firmly.

"Are you certain? You’re not planning to start a world war?"

"How could I, when you’re here watching my every move? Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d already uncovered all of the Empire’s military secrets. Even if I tried to keep plans from you, you would’ve found out. And if that happened, do you think I’d still be sitting here talking to you?"

"…"

He had a point.

"Of course, I once thought about it. Ten years ago, I considered the possibility that unifying the world under my rule might bring peace. Whether it was feasible or not, I believed there was a chance."

Something felt off.

This didn’t align with what I remembered from before.

The words were similar, but the tone was different.

Chapter 206

"…Let me be honest. Even after learning about your 'brilliance'—"

The Emperor’s gaze briefly flickered toward Damien. It seemed he hadn’t revealed my abilities to others. If he had, there’d be no need for such indirect language.

"—I spent a long time preparing for war. At times, I even considered deceiving your keen eyes or hoping you’d come to understand my ambitions. But no matter how much time passed, I realized a global war wasn’t to your liking."

The Emperor smiled as he spoke. It wasn’t a bitter smile—far from it.

"So, I began seriously contemplating why you are so opposed to war. Was it because you lacked patriotism for the Empire? Were you worried things would grow too complicated if you succeeded me as Emperor? Or perhaps you feared your beloved sisters might get caught up in the chaos?"

The Emperor shook his head.

"No, it wasn’t a lack of patriotism. I’ve seen how deeply you care for the Empire’s future. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have offered me advice whenever I asked about the Empire’s prospects or shown such anger at the corruption of the nobility."

Ah…

No, he had it wrong. I cooperated because staying silent would have seemed even more suspicious. And I was angry at the corrupt nobles not out of any grand ideals but because their actions were utterly insane. If they’d been quietly indulging in bribes and self-serving deals, I wouldn’t have cared much.

"And you never showed any desire to become Emperor. Instead, you seemed more interested in seeing your sisters ascend to the throne. To my eyes, it wasn’t simply a matter of playing kingmaker. It felt like you genuinely wanted them to become Emperor. Whether that stemmed from trust in their abilities or a desire not to take anything away from them, the outcome was the same."

Alice’s gaze shifted toward me again.

But this time, her expression wasn’t one of irritation or anger. It was far more complex.

And that made it even harder to meet her eyes.

Instead, I forced myself to look directly at the Emperor.

"You have no hesitation when it comes to pulling the trigger—provided your target deserves it. That’s why you recoil at the thought of dragging ordinary Imperial citizens into a war. Outwardly, you project the image of a cold, unfeeling war machine, but to me, you’re deeply human. And yet, your foresight is unmatched."

The Emperor smiled again.

It was a peculiar smile, one that didn’t seem fitting for someone like him.

Not because it was dangerous—no, it was the kind of smile I wouldn’t have expected him to wear.

It was the smile of a father proud of his child.

"And so, over the years, I began envisioning the Empire you wanted. In a way, it became a challenge to myself. To build the greatest empire in the world, one so unassailable that even you couldn’t deny its merits. That’s been my goal for the past several years."

…

The fact that I didn’t immediately blurt out "What the hell?" was a testament to how much my patience had grown.

Well done, me. Such remarkable self-restraint.

…No, wait. This wasn’t growth at all!

I’d been so focused on the original story that I’d completely misjudged everything!

I’d always assumed the Emperor was preparing for war, that the Empire was destined to become a villainous superpower. I thought several of the heroines would inevitably face mortal danger—or even die—and that my mission was to prevent it.

But what if that premise was entirely wrong?

What if the Empire wasn’t becoming a force of evil? What if the Emperor had turned into an oddly righteous figure? What if a world war never broke out at all?

At its core, this should have been a good thing. The protagonist’s party would achieve their goals without anyone getting hurt.

The problem was that it meant the future had been derailed completely—far more severely than I’d anticipated.

And not just recently—this derailment had started much earlier than I’d realized.

"Did you… find an answer?" I asked cautiously.

"Almost," the Emperor replied, still smiling.

"It’s not perfect. Compared to my original plans for world domination, it’s far less flawless. But in terms of risk, this approach is much safer. It’s almost impossible to reach an ideal conclusion, but even in failure, this path guarantees a positive outcome. And that’s all thanks to you. For that, I’m grateful."

"…"

I stayed silent for a moment before asking, "Can you share this answer with me?"

"Of course."

The Emperor nodded, his smile unwavering, and began explaining his plan.

"First, the colonies will gradually gain independence. Borders will be restored to what they were before Imperial conquest. The modern infrastructure we’ve built on their land will remain theirs."

"…The Empire will lose all the benefits it’s gained from them," I pointed out.

"Do you think they’ll ever catch up to the Empire, even after independence?"

No, they wouldn’t—just as South Korea would never catch up to the United States.

"Exploitation has its limits. It’s better to foster their growth and establish fair trade relationships. In the long run, this approach is more profitable. They’ll gain independence, but they’ll remain part of our union. Over the coming centuries, we’ll help them solve their problems, fostering a dependency that ensures an unbreakable alliance."

The Emperor’s smile grew as he spoke.

"And if others wish to join our union, we’ll welcome them. Our currency will unify under the Imperial standard, and our weaponry will become the global standard. While their lands won’t belong to us, they’ll be unable to survive without the Empire."

"…But for that to work, Your Majesty would need to live for several centuries."

"Then we’ll ensure it can be done."

"Are you saying you’ll create successors who share your vision?"

"Precisely."

I glanced at Alice.

"Oh, Alice will be one of those successors. And so will you."

"You’re proposing a dual Emperor system?"

"There will only be one person on the throne, as you wish. That person will be Alice."

Seeing my startled expression, the Emperor grinned like a child who had landed a perfect punch in a boxing match.

"My absolute authority will be divided and entrusted to those who will never betray it—those who despise the nobility yet remain essential for keeping them in check."

Ah.

I was starting to understand.

"Who exactly will…?" Alice asked, her voice trailing off.

The Emperor smirked.

"The people, my dear daughter."

He spoke playfully.

"I will entrust my absolute power to the people before I die."

Strengthening parliamentary powers. Universal suffrage.

If the nobility held even slightly more power than the Emperor, they might have resisted fiercely. But in the Empire, no one could oppose the Emperor’s will.

No one could kill all the people.

At first glance, transferring the Emperor’s power to the populace might seem like weakening it. But in reality, it was the opposite.

Until the entire population was eradicated, that immense power would remain intact.

Even if 10% of the population were massacred, the remaining 90% would still hold that power.

"The institutions are already in place," the Emperor continued. "All I need to do is instill my vision in the people. I won’t live forever, but I have enough time. Thirty years is enough to educate a generation."

"…"

"What do you think, my daughter?"

The Emperor leaned toward me, his eyes gleaming.

"This is the answer I’ve come up with. A way to make the Empire the center of the world, one you cannot reject. What do you think?"

I had no response.

It wasn’t a perfect plan. There’s no such thing as a perfect plan, system, or politics.

I wasn’t an expert on these matters either.

But…

But I was someone who had grown up consuming media where empires were almost always the villains.

I had been raised in a republic, educated to believe in equality and universal rights.

In that sense, the Emperor had read me perfectly.

His words sounded utterly righteous to me.

So much so that I couldn’t find a single point to refute.

Chapter 207

No, no, no. That can’t be right.

No matter what, people don’t change that easily.

No matter how convincing the Emperor's words sound, I can’t trust them one hundred percent. After all, this is the same Emperor who, in the original story, turned the world into a sea of flames.

Can a villain who once dreamed of world domination so easily relinquish their power?

The same man who claimed, “As long as everyone is equal under me, that’s enough,” is now supposedly dividing his power among commoners? Commoners whose numbers haven’t even been properly accounted for yet, let alone seen the effects of real welfare policies? Does that sound realistic?

Though, to be honest, the way the Emperor spoke about it made it feel like he could actually pull it off.

And yes, I’ve seen some documents where welfare policies were given serious consideration.

But I absolutely refuse to believe it.

“…So, are you really planning to attack the cathedral?”

“That’s correct.”

I replied firmly.

“I can’t blindly trust the Emperor’s words.”

“Well, yeah, I get that. But… are you saying Verati’s testimony alone isn’t enough for you?”

“Verati didn’t know nearly as much as we had hoped.”

The cathedral in question was the largest one in Belvur, located right next to the Holy Nation. That made it an entirely different story. It was an incredibly significant site, even by the Holy Nation’s standards. Not only was it a major holy site, but it also served as a kind of forward base.

In the original story, it was where Sophia had been stationed.

“Well, I guess you’re saying this because you think you can undo the worst-case scenario anyway…” Alice muttered as she plopped onto the bed.

“So, basically, you’re ignoring your father’s plea to stay quiet, huh?”

I thought back to what the Emperor had said just before I left the building. He had specifically asked me not to cause trouble, if only for the sake of maintaining Belvur’s goodwill.

…He must be scheming something to say such a thing. The fact that the Emperor was even in Belvur was suspicious in itself. If it wasn’t for a truly critical reason, there was no way he’d come here personally.

I’d been so preoccupied with the plan he mentioned that I didn’t even think to ask why he was here now. But I could at least guess that he deflected my questions to conceal his true intentions.

“It wasn’t an order,” I said.

“Even if it were, you wouldn’t have followed it.” Alice buried her face in her hands and groaned.

“…”

After a brief silence, she spoke again.

“No matter how many incidents you manage to erase from existence,” she began, her voice muffled as she held her head, “can you really say it won’t bother you to see how Charlotte reacts to the fallout? Even if no one else remembers, you will.”

“…”

This time, it was my turn to be at a loss for words.

Charlotte… she’d definitely be furious. It might even be similar to the way she reacted to Alice in the original story, after the capital was bombarded.

And it wasn’t just Charlotte. Sophia, who I’d grown close to, would be just as affected. While the others might write it off as me acting with some grand plan in mind, for those two, it would be the destruction of a part of their homeland.

“…Fine,” Alice sighed, her voice tinged with resignation. “No matter how hard I try to stop you, you’re going to find a way to slip past me and cause an incident. So, I’d rather be by your side when it happens.”

“Your Highness—”

“Call me Alice.” She frowned slightly at my words. “You only call me ‘Your Highness’ when you’re trying to convince me of something. Be honest: isn’t it a bit weird for one princess to treat the other like they’re more important?”

As a child, she would’ve puffed up with pride every time I addressed her that way. But now, she had grown too much for such flattery to work.

“I’ve made up my mind,” she said firmly. “No matter what you try, I’m going to stick with you. So don’t bother trying to talk me out of it.”

“When I’ve finished—”

“When you’ve finished? And then what? Everything goes back to the way it was, and I don’t even remember what happened? So I shouldn’t worry?”

Alice shot up from the bed, visibly irritated. She strode toward me, leaning down until her eyes met mine.

It was a gaze I couldn’t avoid, no matter how much I wanted to.

“Don’t give me that nonsense. What about me? Am I just supposed to sit here, worrying while you go around blowing things up? Or are you planning to erase even this moment, rewind time to before we left Father, and solve everything before I even get a chance to react? Isn’t that it?”

“…”

When I didn’t respond, Alice smirked.

“You don’t actually want to turn things back, do you? Sure, you’d rewind for something major—some mistake you have to fix. But you’re afraid. Afraid of being erased from everyone’s memories. Isn’t that it?”

I couldn’t deny her accusation.

“You don’t want the memories we’ve shared to become something only you can remember. That’s why you’re trying to persuade me with words instead of just rewinding.”

“…”

“Let me make one thing clear.” Alice straightened her back, crossing one arm over her chest while placing the other on her hip. Her expression radiated confidence.

She looked just like the young Alice who used to make such baseless claims with a smug grin.

But—

“I’m a princess and your sister. So, whether you like it or not, I’ll help you in whatever way I can. Don’t underestimate me—I’m stronger than I look.”

—she wasn’t the same child she once was. Now, her words carried weight.

“Will this be all right?”

After Sylvia and Alice left the building, Damien and the Emperor remained silent for a while, listening intently to their surroundings. Only when their presence completely faded did Damien finally ask.

“Oh, you mean about my power?”

The Emperor’s reply came as a question. Damien didn’t respond further, but the Emperor understood perfectly well that his silence carried an implicit affirmation.

“Well, to be honest, it’s not entirely impossible.”

But that admission implied that it was at least partially unlikely as well.

“Overturning the world… That’s far more difficult than taking control of it through power,” the Emperor mused aloud.

“But, Damien, let me ask you this. What would you do if someone who had the power to decisively strike you down despised your life’s work? Could you still carry out your plans?”

“…”

Damien remained silent, as if deep in thought. However, the Emperor didn’t wait for an answer.

“My goal remains unchanged. I want to seize this world in its entirety. So, what I told Sylvia was merely a compromise. If Sylvia keeps scrutinizing me, it’s the best choice I can make under the circumstances.”

A faint smile played on the Emperor’s lips.

“But compromises are just that—compromises. And there can be many kinds. The kind you show your opponent and the kind you reveal only to yourself.”

“Then, does that mean everything you told Sylvia was a lie?”

“It wasn’t a complete lie. I made plans for it, after all. If I want my brilliant daughter to believe the plan is real, it has to be real, to an extent. And, as I said earlier, it’s a compromise. If my main plan fails, it’s a secondary option to block her potential choices.”

“But… do you really think Sylvia will just listen to you and stay quiet?”

“It would be troublesome if she did.”

The Emperor rose from his seat and began to walk slowly, extinguishing the only lamp illuminating the room.

The windows were boarded up, but faint light from a streetlamp filtered through the cracks.

“She’s far too skeptical to take my words at face value. At least I’ve managed to discern her plan to attack the cathedral. That’s a relief.”

The Emperor climbed the creaking stairs, the faint light casting eerie shadows on the walls. Damien followed a few steps behind him, his movements measured and deliberate.

“Fortunately, the target is a building belonging to the Holy Nation,” the Emperor remarked as he opened the door to the second floor.

The room should have been pitch-black, but several faintly glowing mana stones provided just enough light to make out its contents.

Maps lined the walls, covered in red markings and pinned photographs. The table was a chaotic array of scattered maps and multicolored pins.

This was the trove of information Damien had painstakingly collected on the Holy Nation over the years.

“If Sylvia had fully understood my intentions, she would have undoubtedly tried to stop this.”

The Emperor chuckled, his voice carrying a note of amusement.

“My daughter is brilliant, but her brilliance stems from experience. And right now, it seems she hasn’t gained enough of it.”

He leaned over the table, placing his hands firmly on its surface as he studied the maps.

“I still have opportunities left. And, it seems, an ally from the future as well. The path to victory remains open. The order of the plan may have shifted, but this might be more effective in the end. I should thank Sylvia for pointing out the gaps.”

Bathed in the dim light, the Emperor—Arthur Fangryphon—smiled, a grin far too youthful for a man of his age.

Chapter 208

"On one condition," Alice said.

In exchange for agreeing to my plan to attack the cathedral, Alice imposed a condition.

"You can’t go today. We all came here together, after all. Since we’re already here, let’s relax and enjoy ourselves for a bit before carrying it out."

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and added, "No matter how your powers work, there’s always a chance you might not be able to rewind things. If that happens, we might as well make some good memories first."

Alice had a point. If it weren’t for the presence of the Masked Woman, I could proceed without hesitation. But if she interfered while we were in the middle of causing an incident, the situation could spiral out of control.

Would there be a relic hidden inside the cathedral? The chances were slim. In the original story, no relics were ever found in a cathedral.

The cathedral held something else entirely—a hidden underground base that served as a dungeon in the game, housing troops in hiding and a repository of various reports buried deep within.

They could have sent the reports directly to the Holy Nation, but they needed a secure space to compile and analyze the data first. Besides, in the original story, the Holy Nation was working hand-in-hand with Belvur.

Until now, the Masked Woman had only appeared in locations where relics were present or were about to appear. That meant we were unlikely to encounter her at the cathedral. Still, I couldn’t discount the possibility.

"Understood," I replied.

There was no need to act immediately.

I also needed preparation time. I had to gather the weapons I had smuggled in on the train, assemble the over-tech exosuit Browning had crafted, organize the ammunition, select the appropriate weapons... It was better to take our time and prepare thoroughly than to rush in recklessly.

When I gave my straightforward response, Alice exhaled a long sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted.

"Good. In that case, I’ll help you with the preparations. But for now, let’s keep things quiet, especially when we’re with the others."

I nodded at Alice’s suggestion.

*

Spending time with my friends turned out to be quite beneficial for me as well.

Charlotte diligently guided us around the city, ensuring we got a good grasp of Lutetia’s layout. Thanks to her, I now knew the locations of key landmarks, including the distance from our hotel to Saint Latina Cathedral and even the positions of nearby police stations… things like that.

"If industrial facilities are introduced, parts of Lutetia will inevitably be torn down. It’s a beautiful city, but modernization comes at a cost," Charlotte said occasionally, her expression tinged with bitterness.

“Rondarium isn’t much different,” Alice chimed in. “Factories are popping up everywhere, gas pipes are being laid… Honestly, I envy Lutetia’s air a little. The capital’s central district barely has any clean air left to breathe.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise at Alice’s agreement.

“Did you just say you’re envious of Lutetia?”

Alice’s expression changed instantly. Just moments ago, she’d been gazing off into the distance with a wistful look in her eyes. But Charlotte’s remark seemed to snap her back to reality.

Alice’s new expression could be summed up in a single word: Hmph!

“Still, Rondarium’s the more convenient place to live. Let’s be honest, it’s a lot easier to get by there,” Alice retorted with a touch of pride.

“But if we’re talking about a place that’s genuinely good to live in, that’s a different story,” Charlotte countered smoothly.

Alice decided not to push the point further.

In the end, Lutetia, too, would inevitably be swept up in the wave of industrialization. Breathing in air as clean as this would become a rare luxury.

When that time came, Lutetia might fall behind Rondarium in terms of modernization, ending up as a second-rate city. An ironic fate, really.

Yet, neither Alice nor Charlotte chose to voice that thought aloud.

Perhaps it was because no one could truly predict what the city would look like in the future.

*

Saint Latina Cathedral wasn’t just a target I intended to attack—it was also a historically significant monument.

While it didn’t hold the same stature as Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, it was the largest cathedral outside the Holy Nation and boasted the highest number of visiting worshippers. Naturally, it also collected more donations than any other cathedral in the Holy Nation.

Both as a sacred site and as a practical resource, it was immensely valuable to the Holy Nation.

Granted, it was located in Belvur, and Belvur had been the one to build it in the first place.

“It’s breathtaking…”

Even Alice, who always had a sharp quip ready for Charlotte’s every comment, couldn’t help but murmur in awe after stepping inside the cathedral.

The towering walls, intricately carved from white stone, the vibrant, multi-colored stained glass windows, and the magnificent murals painted across the ceiling—it was a masterpiece of devotion and artistry.

While the Goddess Faith drew heavy inspiration from Christianity, the two religions weren’t identical. The scriptures available in the game often felt like a reinterpretation of Greek and Roman mythology into monotheistic beliefs.

Beyond the stories of a great war between the Goddess’s followers and opposing forces, there were myths explaining why certain flowers are red or why some trees have broad leaves, echoing the themes found in Greek and Roman legends.

Interestingly, most people in this world didn’t take these stories literally. Just as many in modern society interpret religious texts as allegories rather than absolute truths, so too did the believers here.

Of course, just like in the modern world, there were still those who adhered to the literal interpretation of the scriptures and believed unwaveringly.

“Hmm.”

Charlotte’s proud expression was understandable, but for some reason, even Sophia wore a similarly pleased look.

Wasn’t that a bit problematic? She was supposed to be undercover, after all.

“But Charlotte, you’re not part of the Goddess Faith, are you?”

Claire’s question made Charlotte flinch, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly.

It was true—Charlotte didn’t adhere to any religion. The Belvur royal family intentionally remained unaffiliated with any specific faith. This neutrality served as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Holy Nation and ensured that Belvur as a whole wasn’t overly influenced by them.

The lore even hinted that some Belvur kings secretly followed the Goddess Faith, though they always officially claimed to be non-religious.

“Well, this cathedral’s architectural style is distinctly Belvurian!” Charlotte replied quickly.

Claire, apparently not too curious about the matter, simply nodded in agreement.

“This was built in an era without modern machinery, wasn’t it?” Leo remarked, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. “Every single carving was made by hand.”

“It wasn’t just carved by hand,” Sophia interjected, answering in Charlotte’s stead.

“Both the architects and the laborers were devout believers. Every strike of the chisel, every stroke of the brush, and every word of scripture etched into the walls was accompanied by prayer to the Goddess,” Sophia explained.

All eyes turned to her as she spoke, including Charlotte’s—even though she had been the one to guide us here.

Sophia, however, seemed entirely unaware of the attention. She was too absorbed in her enthusiasm to notice.

“Because of this devotion, the building itself is said to hold divine power comparable to structures constructed directly under the supervision of clergy in the Holy Nation. While no single worker could match the holy power of a cleric, their collective faith imbued the cathedral with an aura as strong as a deliberate blessing. It’s a true miracle.”

The reason such devout workers could gather was due to Belvur having just ceased its persecution of the Goddess Faith at the time.

Although the cathedral was built by the people of Belvur, the royal family provided no support for its construction. The Holy Nation itself hadn’t been formally established yet, so it couldn’t offer aid either. The Saint Latina for whom the cathedral was named had been executed by burning at the stake ten years before construction began.

It took decades to complete the cathedral. Every penny used came from donations made by believers, and every laborer who contributed did so voluntarily.

The Holy Nation’s reverence for this place stemmed not only from the number of worshippers or the money it brought in but also because of its profound historical and spiritual significance to the Goddess Faith.

While Sophia didn’t explain all this here and now, Charlotte’s expression subtly shifted, as if she were reflecting on the deeper context.

Still, the others simply gazed up at the cathedral with a mix of admiration and awe, so the mood didn’t take a strange turn.

“…”

However, there was one person who cast a distinctly critical glance my way—the rightful Imperial heir, Alice Fangryphon.

“Are you seriously planning to destroy a place with such a rich history?”

Her gaze seemed to say it all, and I instinctively averted my eyes.

Yes, I plan to destroy it—but I’ll put it back afterward!

Chapter 209

Even after learning just how much the people of Belvur and the Holy Nation cherished Saint Latina Cathedral, my resolve remained unchanged.

I had known all of this from the beginning. Hearing it confirmed by others didn’t sway my opinion in the slightest.

The real issue lay elsewhere.

Hadn’t there been a similar incident in my own world? When the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, it drew global attention. France was already a famous country, and Notre Dame held immense historical significance—not to mention the cultural treasures housed within.

Here, in a world without the internet or a global news network, the news of Saint Latina Cathedral’s collapse in Lutetia would spread more slowly. But eventually, it would reach every corner of the world, especially in countries where the influence of the Goddess Faith was strong.

And once it became known that I was the one responsible for destroying the cathedral, both Belvur and the Holy Nation would turn against me.

So would Charlotte.

Before arriving in Lutetia, I hadn’t been too concerned. I could simply rewind time if necessary. Even in the worst-case scenario where I couldn’t, I figured I’d shoulder the consequences alone.

After all, my very existence in this world hinted at some divine purpose. Surely, my actions would ultimately align with the intentions of whatever higher power had brought me here. In the end, I believed I could be understood.

But watching Charlotte’s genuine smile as she guided us around with such enthusiasm stirred a flicker of hesitation deep within me.

“Lutetia isn’t exactly unsafe,” came a voice from behind me.

“But even so, I wouldn’t say it’s safe for a woman to walk alone at night.”

It was Charlotte.

“I could say the same for you,” I replied.

“I have guards,” she said with a small shrug. “It’s not like I’ve ditched my entire security detail to wander the streets alone without any friends.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced around her. There was no one immediately nearby, but I spotted figures at the building corners and on the terraces of second-floor structures, quietly keeping watch.

Fair enough. Interrupting their princess’s stroll would certainly be out of the question.

I was sharing a hotel room with Alice, but no matter how close we were as sisters, I wasn’t about to join her in the shower. Rondarium had public bathhouses, but I’d never been to one myself. Being perceived as “male” made the idea of entering the women’s baths… uncomfortable, to say the least.

The best time for me to slip out unnoticed was when Alice went to bathe. I had been as quiet as possible when leaving, so I didn’t think she’d noticed.

“Alice was looking for you,” Charlotte said. “She was wandering the hotel, her hair still damp.”

“….”

Ah. I hadn’t accounted for that.

Was she really that worried?

“Did she seem very anxious?” I asked.

“Well…” Charlotte tilted her head thoughtfully, crossing her arms. “Her demeanor was confident, as usual. She didn’t let her anxiety show outwardly while looking for you.”

She shrugged lightly and continued, “But feelings of unease don’t only show in someone’s expression or tone. Royals and nobles, especially those trained from a young age to mask their emotions, often reveal their true feelings in subtler ways. In Alice’s case, her lack of attention to her appearance gave her away. If she were truly calm, she would’ve at least taken the time to dry her hair.”

“Is that why you’ve come to find me?” I asked.

“Partially.”

“Partially?”

“The truth is, I wanted a private conversation with you to understand your thoughts.”

“…”

I stayed silent, studying Charlotte as she spoke.

“To be honest, you’re one of the best I’ve ever seen at hiding your emotions. The feelings you do show are always the kind that don’t matter much. But when it comes to moments of real importance, you wipe all emotion from your face and act.”

Charlotte stepped closer, her shadow stretching long in the lamplight.

“But in high society, simply feigning a lack of emotion isn’t enough. Sometimes, you must smile when you don’t want to, cry when you’d rather not, and even express genuine anger over trivial matters. That’s what it means to truly embody nobility or royalty. In that sense…” She hesitated briefly, then gave a faint chuckle.

“…your approach is a bit too deliberate. Always being emotionless leaves you open to suspicion. It’s what they call a ‘poker face,’ isn’t it? If someone always looks like they’re playing poker, others will naturally assume they’re constantly betting on something.”

She took another step toward me.

She wasn’t close enough to be intrusive, but her proximity was undeniable. If I reached out, I could tap her on the shoulder.

Charlotte paused briefly, then let out a soft chuckle.

“…It’s a bit… intriguing, you know. Always keeping a blank face makes you more likely to draw suspicion. It’s what they call a ‘poker face,’ isn’t it? If you always look like you’re playing poker, people will assume you’re constantly betting on something.”

She took another step closer.

Not close enough to be intrusive, but not far enough that I couldn’t make a break for it if I had to. Could I outrun her from here?

Then again, there was no real reason to run right now.

“Are you saying I look suspicious?” I asked, deciding to keep the conversation going.

Charlotte smiled.

It wasn’t forced, nor did it seem to carry any ulterior motives. Perhaps it was genuine. Though considering she’d just lectured me about nobles and royalty needing to act out their emotions, it was hard to take it at face value.

But… had I ever seen her laugh like this before?

“Didn’t I just say as much?” she replied. “To be honest, it would be strange not to feel wary or suspicious of someone like you. Someone your age, with your track record, who manages to stay expressionless through everything? No one could reasonably expect others not to keep their guard up.”

“…”

“…”

I said nothing, meeting her gaze in silence. Eventually, she broke eye contact, glancing away.

So… she’d been suspicious of me from the very beginning.

Not that it was surprising.

Most of the others, no matter how strong they were, still weren’t as powerful as adults. A group of knights could neutralize them if needed.

But me… My perception of my abilities and the way others saw them were completely different. I had made countless mistakes, correcting each one to produce the best possible outcome. But to outsiders, it looked as though I always achieved perfection on the first try.

Fighting hundreds without taking a single hit, singlehandedly collapsing enemy lines, navigating a maze-like path and immediately finding the critical point—it all seemed impossibly flawless.

If there were someone like me wandering around my country without restraint, I’d be suspicious too.

But Charlotte’s behavior in front of me was something else entirely.

She subtly gestured to the guards encircling us. They hesitated for a moment, their bodies tensing, but when she calmly looked up at them, they eventually backed away.

They’d still remain nearby, of course, but at least our quiet conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

With the guards gone, Charlotte stepped even closer. Not close enough to feel suffocating, but within reach if I wanted to tap her shoulder.

Her expression was clearer now, and it carried… hesitation.

After a moment of deliberation, she finally spoke.

“But… truthfully, I didn’t want things to go this way. Not like this.”

I weighed my response carefully. What could I even say to that?

“…I see,” I replied at last, my words amounting to little more than a noncommittal observation.

“When I first entered the Academy, I was wary of you. That’s why I approached you so quickly, and why I later requested a private meeting with Alice after she came to Lutetia.”

She paused before continuing.

“But…” Charlotte hesitated, then added, “…you treated me as just a friend. That was… a new experience for me. Talking to someone without any hidden motives, just having normal conversations… It’s something I’d never known before. I’m the King’s only daughter, without siblings. Every noble who spoke to me treated me as royalty first and foremost. So yes, it might sound strange to say this, but… you were the first person to address me so confidently, as an equal.”

Charlotte’s eyes softened as she held my gaze.

“It wasn’t just you and Alice. Everyone I’ve met at the Academy… Only now do I understand how much of a blessing it is to feel at ease, to simply live naturally without pretense.”

Ah…

Wait, hold on.

“I want to stay friends with you, no matter what happens. Can I ask that of you?”

Ah.

That’s not fair.

Chapter 210

When Charlotte first approached me, my plan had been simple: engage in light conversation and then rewind time.

By doing so, my little midnight outing would be erased, and Alice and Charlotte would both remain in the hotel, blissfully unaware of my absence.

While it meant I wouldn’t be able to sneak into the cathedral to investigate, I could at least gauge how much the Kingdom of Belvur suspected me and how wary they were.

Then I could rewind time again, take a different route to avoid Charlotte entirely, and carry on with my plans.

But…

The sound of footsteps heading back to the hotel was not mine alone.

Charlotte was walking beside me, and a squad of guards followed closely behind, keeping a protective watch over us.

We didn’t exchange many words on the way back.

Still, Charlotte’s face looked far more at ease than when she had confronted me in that alley.

Meanwhile, my own thoughts were far from calm.

Maybe Charlotte was right. At least I had mastered my poker face well enough to conceal the storm inside. Then again, even criminals can develop new skills when they spend enough time practicing them.

The walk back to the hotel took a while. I had been wandering long enough to cover a fair distance while Alice was showering.

At least I had been intercepted before reaching the cathedral.

“Sylvia.”

Alice was waiting for me in the hotel lobby.

Just as Charlotte had said, her hair was still damp.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me walk in with Charlotte, but her expression quickly turned more complicated.

Of course, it did.

“You must be tired from wandering outside,” Charlotte said gently. “Why don’t you get some rest? Tomorrow we’ll have more practical lessons to go through, and then we’ll head out to enjoy Lutetia’s cultural festival.”

I had no choice but to nod at her suggestion.

*

When we returned to the room, Alice didn’t sit down immediately. Instead, she paced around the space, her movements restless. Then, she spun on her heel to face me.

"Why didn’t you use your ability?" she demanded.

"If you truly thought I would use it, why did you go looking for me?" I countered.

“…So you weren’t planning to use it?” she pressed further.

“I was,” I admitted.

“….”

Alice’s expression grew complicated as she walked over to sit across from me, dropping heavily into the chair with a thud.

“I mean… even if you have the ability to make everything that happened disappear, I can’t just ignore the fact that you vanished without a word. I can’t leave everything to you and sit around doing nothing.”

Her words left me momentarily speechless.

Of course, she would worry. It wasn’t just a matter of whether I could rewind time or not. Alice had seen me fail to rewind it before. She had also witnessed the toll it took on me—the moments where I pushed myself too far and ended up in a coma.

Not being there to see for herself must have been terrifying.

“So, why didn’t you use your ability and instead chose to walk back?” Alice asked again.

Hmm.

There wouldn’t be any harm in telling Alice the truth. She thought of Charlotte as a close friend, so she wouldn’t take issue with me forming a deeper bond with her. But admitting that my conversation with Charlotte made me hesitate to rewind time… that felt a little too personal.

And honestly, a little embarrassing.

“….”

I remained silent, and Alice narrowed her eyes at me. Then, with a sigh, she said, “Fine. I’ll just ask Charlotte tomorrow.”

She wouldn’t bring up my ability to rewind time, but she would certainly ask about the conversation we’d had.

That much, I decided, was acceptable.

If Charlotte didn’t feel embarrassed about it, she might tell Alice herself.

Of course, she had dismissed all her guards before speaking to me, so whether she’d share it or not was anyone’s guess.

*

The next day, for some reason, I found myself surrounded by people.

It occurred to me that I had a surprisingly large circle of friends in this world. Whether Claire counted as a friend or a little sister was debatable, but if I considered her a sister-like friend, it was possible I had more people to keep in touch with here than I ever did in my original world.

The issue was that all of these so-called friends were clustered around me.

Normally, even if I was alone or just with Alice, my friends wouldn’t hover too much. But now, they were all here, subtly watching me. Even I could tell the situation had taken a strange turn.

When I looked at Alice silently, she avoided my gaze.

Of course.

Charlotte had mentioned yesterday that Alice had been wandering the hotel with wet hair, asking where I was.

It wasn’t likely she’d asked only Charlotte. In fact, I was probably one of the least likely people to be alone with Charlotte.

She must have approached Claire, Leo, Mia, Lena, Jake, Roti, and even Sophia.

And all of these people knew me well enough to recognize that I wasn’t like an ordinary person.

Naturally, if I disappeared, they would assume I had vanished to get myself into trouble.

Which explained why I was now surrounded by my friends, who were all keeping a close watch on me.

Or, from their perspective, maybe it wasn’t surveillance. Maybe it was concern.

I slid over to Alice and jabbed her in the side with my finger, making sure no one else was watching. This was something I could rewind later if needed.

“Eek!” Alice squeaked, then quickly checked to see if anyone had noticed before glaring at me.

“What?” she hissed in a low voice.

Keeping my voice equally quiet, I asked, “How much did you tell them yesterday?”

“I… I just… thought you were… you know…” she stammered, looking around nervously before changing the subject.

I almost facepalmed.

Of course.

Alice had assumed I’d rewind time.

She must have thought asking around about me wouldn’t cause any problems. Even though she’d seen me fail to rewind time due to the Masked Woman, that hadn’t happened here yet… Her anxiety and her trust in me had mixed together to create this illogical behavior.

“….”

I stared at Alice silently. She avoided my gaze for a moment before muttering, “You… you do the same thing. You leave stuff to Father all the time.”

That… was fair.

While I couldn’t offload the cathedral incident onto the Emperor without sparking a war, I had shamelessly dumped countless minor problems on him without a second thought.

I considered jabbing her in the side again but decided against it.

Why?

Because her earlier squeak had already drawn a few glances our way.

Charlotte, walking ahead, didn’t turn around, but Claire, further back, was glancing over. Leo, with his keen senses as a swordsman, and Sophia both seemed to have noticed too.

Mia had been sneaking glances at me the entire time, and while Jake and Roti were walking side by side, they occasionally glanced in my direction as well.

For a brief moment, I seriously considered rewinding to yesterday.

But then…

Honestly, I didn’t entirely mind.

If the people watching me were doing so because it was their duty, I would have done everything in my power to escape their surveillance.

But the eyes on me now weren’t those of guards or spies. They were filled with concern.

And that feeling… it was strange.

It was a little ticklish, oddly embarrassing, and overall just… strange.

But despite the strangeness, I couldn’t help but think that thanks to those eyes, I’d managed to live reasonably well in this world.

Sure, it might seem ridiculous for someone who constantly caused trouble to feel this way.

But hey, that’s just who I am.

*

We couldn’t spend all our time here as if we were on a sightseeing tour.

Even if Charlotte had played her trump card, I still needed to find my own way.

“Are you sure about this?”

Ah… Well, maybe I wasn’t entirely alone in this.

“I’m not planning to tell her everything,” I replied to Alice, who had been following me.

She fell silent for a moment, her expression serious as she considered my words. Then, with a firm nod, she agreed.

I nodded back at her, turned, and knocked on the door in front of us.

[“Yes, come in.”]

Charlotte’s voice came from beyond the thick door.

I glanced at Alice once more.

Both of us nodded to each other before I opened the door and stepped inside.

Chapter 211

"......"

"......"

The silence was understandable. After all, what Alice and I had just said was utterly absurd.

Charlotte, who had been staring intently at my face for some time, finally placed a hand on her forehead.

“So, let me get this straight. You’re asking me, a princess of Belvur, to help you destroy one of the nation’s proud cultural heritages?”

“To be more precise, we’re asking you to help us sneak inside, not destroy it,” I corrected.

“......”

Alice, standing beside me, buried her face in her hands.

What? Why?

Seriously, what?

If I don’t explain things clearly from the start, how would I respond later if someone accused me of lying? Better to lay it all out now.

“So, let me summarize what you just said, Sylvia...” Charlotte began, carefully reiterating my words.

“You suspect the Holy Nation is up to something suspicious.”

“Yes.”

“So, you want to meet with one of their higher-ups to have a discussion.”

“That’s correct.”

“And to gain access to St. Latina Cathedral, where you believe this person might be, you’ve prepared an arsenal of weapons.”

“Exactly.”

“But then you thought it might not be the best idea to act on this plan, so you came to me for help?”

“Precisely.”

“Sylvia, do you want me to hit you?”

Charlotte’s final remark made me stare at her blankly. Realizing she might have gone too far, she cleared her throat and covered her mouth with a fist, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“While the cathedral may have been built during a time when relations between Belvur and the Holy Nation were strained, it’s now one of Lutetia’s most iconic landmarks. Moreover, most of those ‘higher-ups’ you’re talking about aren’t just citizens of Belvur but also hold dual citizenship with the Holy Nation.”

Charlotte’s serious gaze bore into me as she spoke.

“And yet, you’re asking me, the only princess of Belvur, to assist in something that could spark a conflict between our nations?”

Hmm...

“So, would it be better if I just acted alone?”

Charlotte’s argument was valid. That’s why I had initially planned to handle everything on my own. Asking Charlotte for help hadn’t been my first choice. After all, she was in a similar position to Alice—though Charlotte had always paid more attention to her relations with the nobles, whereas Alice had only me as a true friend before joining the academy.

Naturally, if Charlotte acted alone, it would bring severe political consequences for her.

“Do you even hear yourself?”

Then again, knowing Charlotte’s personality, she wasn’t the type to let me act alone after hearing all this.

Next to me, Alice clutched her head with both hands, clearly distressed, but I resisted the urge to look in her direction.

"......"

Charlotte fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if she got up and started pacing the room, but instead, she remained seated with her legs crossed, arms folded, and eyes closed—a picture of royal composure.

“First of all… let’s not resort to violence,” she said after a long pause. When she opened her eyes, they were fixed on me with the same intensity as before.

“If an incident like this actually occurred, it could be interpreted as an act of war. Even if the royal family doesn’t want war, if the nobles and the people demand it, we won’t be able to stop it.”

“So, wouldn’t it be better if I—”

“Sylvia.”

Alice’s voice cut through my words. She still had her head in her hands, so I couldn’t see her expression, but the tone of her voice made it clear that continuing in this direction would be dangerous.

Even if I could rewind time and navigate through any situation, the process sounded exhausting, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

“Is there a way to resolve this?” Alice finally raised her head, looking slightly less distressed.

“I’d rather tell you to abandon the plan altogether…” Charlotte sighed, glancing at me before letting out a deep breath.

“But even if I say that, Sylvia would go ahead and execute it anyway.”

That’s not entirely true.

If that were the case, I wouldn’t have come this far, having been convinced by Charlotte to discuss the matter. Sure, I hadn’t told her everything, and I had brought weapons without her knowledge, but here I was, seeking her cooperation after hearing her out. I could be considered quite considerate, all things considered.

Of course, I’d still go through with it if she refused.

“...Honestly, we’ve been contemplating the Holy Nation’s actions ourselves,” Charlotte muttered, rubbing her chin.

“Last year, we seriously deliberated over several ‘treaties,’ but when the Empire intervened and the negotiations fell apart, we discovered several suspicious details during the review process.”

Though Charlotte didn’t describe it explicitly, those treaties were about a full military alliance between the two nations. In the original story, Sophia had fought alongside Belvur’s soldiers, so this made sense.

“What kind of suspicious details?” I asked.

“…I can’t go into specifics. It’s classified.”

Charlotte’s cautious tone made her reluctance clear, and truthfully, she might not even know all the details herself. After all, she still believed Sophia was a native of Belvur.

The Holy Nation had already infiltrated Belvur long before this. They hadn’t just planted people under the guise of “Holy Nation citizens”—they had fully embedded operatives by rewriting their identities to appear as Belvur citizens.

My antics during last year’s conference might have been just to provoke the Holy Nation, but it seemed my actions had inadvertently tipped off Belvur about the infiltration.

“So, if we can leverage these suspicions well enough, it might not be impossible to persuade my father—the king.”

Charlotte glanced at me as she spoke, her expression suggesting she expected some kind of additional information.

"......"

Well.

I could sell Sophia out if necessary. Her cover was definitely a false identity.

But...

Sophia, while not as close to me as Charlotte, was still a friend. Besides, seeing her interactions with Leo was genuinely entertaining. In the original story, she was one of the romanceable heroines, but her current personality differed significantly from what I remembered.

So, while I could throw her under the bus, I didn’t want to.

And frankly, there was an even bigger card to play.

“Beneath St. Latina Cathedral lies a massive base,” I said.

"..."

Charlotte’s expression froze, her mouth slightly open as she stared at me in disbelief.

“The cathedral serves as a foothold for the Holy Nation’s expansion westward. Back when it was being built, Belvur hadn’t fully accepted the Goddess’ faith, and the church had been in active opposition to the kingdom. The underground beneath Lutetia hides an extensive and intricate network of Goddess-worship catacombs. The cathedral was constructed over it to conceal the entrance.”

The underground catacombs were also a pivotal dungeon in the original story, hosting numerous significant events.

Lutetia, modeled after Paris, naturally included this elaborate underground labyrinth. The developers clearly couldn’t resist drawing inspiration from the real-life Paris Catacombs.

Given the dungeon’s complexity and history, it was a treasure trove of secrets and key characters.

Charlotte blinked, her gaze darting as she processed the information.

“So, you’re saying that the Goddess’ church has been plotting something in Lutetia for hundreds of years?”

“More like their grudge from back then has yet to end. The Holy Nation’s mission is to bring the entire world under the Goddess’ will. Their persistent influence over Belvur aims to ultimately make the Goddess’ faith our state religion.”

It also explained why they couldn’t entirely dismiss my remarks about the Empire’s state religion, even if they thought I was bluffing.

“Is this enough to persuade His Majesty the King?” I asked.

Charlotte rubbed her face with her hand, clearly overwhelmed. Though she didn’t say it out loud, I was sure she wouldn’t be able to ignore this.

Chapter 212

"There’s a tunnel under Gyeongbokgung Palace with hundreds of North Korean tanks waiting to attack!"

That’s the kind of statement no one would believe. Honestly, even the people making such claims probably don’t believe them. Most of the time, those spreading such rumors are just after money.

So, what would Charlotte think if I hit her with a claim that absurd?

The idea of North Korean forces digging tunnels to invade South Korea—typically, these theories are accompanied by hastily drawn maps and baseless claims about tank dimensions. If, by some chance, a politician or expert seriously believed it and brought in professional equipment to investigate, they’d likely find nothing. After all, investigating what isn’t there can only lead to the conclusion that nothing exists.

But, on the off chance—one in a billion—that the experts found something and said, “Actually, it’s real,” the narrative would shift entirely. If they really uncovered tunnels filled with North Korean tanks and explosives, what could anyone say against such evidence?

In that sense, I was definitely not an expert.

I lacked even a sliver of expertise. My knowledge of Belvur’s history was limited to what I’d gleaned from lore books and general education classes in this world. Naturally, these “external-use” histories didn’t delve into how their nation oppressed others.

In fact, modern historical research was still in its infancy here. Most historical accounts were grand tales of monumental events, filtered heavily through a nationalistic lens.

Given that, it was perfectly reasonable to ignore me when I claimed there were tunnels.

But—

"Can you take responsibility for your claims?"

—That night, I went straight to the Lutetia palace and convinced the King of Belvur to grant me an audience based on my wild assertions.

Yes, I wasn’t an expert. But I was skilled enough at sounding credible to qualify as a "pseudo-expert."

The hallmark of a pseudo-expert is being just knowledgeable enough to sound convincing, yet too far from true expertise to be trusted. They often wield their limited knowledge as authority, confidently challenging genuine experts.

In that sense, I was the perfect pseudo-expert.

"I swear on the name of Fangryphon."

A perfect pseudo-expert with the ultimate authority in this hierarchy.

"......"

When I puffed out my chest and declared my stance, the King of Belvur rubbed his forehead.

Of course.

Even if Belvur was seriously considering a military alliance with the Holy Nation, discovering that their supposed ally had been digging tunnels under their lands—without their knowledge, no less—would be infuriating.

"What is your reason for sharing such critical ‘information’ with us? Do you seek something in return?"

I hadn’t planned to share this information initially.

I glanced at Charlotte, who stood beside me. Her eyes trembled slightly—not out of fear or shock, but because she was trying to subtly convey her thoughts to me without her father noticing.

After all, she couldn’t just shake her head in front of the King, her father. If someone delivering sensitive information saw Charlotte shaking her head, it would only mean “Don’t reveal this.”

Given that this was the same person who had treated her as an adversary until last year, such a display would have caused a massive issue.

"Sharing this information alone brings substantial benefit to the Empire," I replied.

Not that I hadn’t thought of an excuse. This one, though hastily concocted, would hold up.

"Does the Empire still believe there’s a possibility of us forming an alliance with the Holy Nation?"

If the chance of a Belvur-Holy Nation military alliance was completely off the table, it would be a huge win for the Empire. Maneuvering military forces begins long before a war breaks out, after all.

But outright agreeing to his assumption would be too transparent.

"Does the Kingdom believe the Empire is planning a war?"

At my counter-question, the King paused.

At the very least, it seemed the current Emperor wasn’t actively planning a war—or at least wasn’t showing any signs of it publicly. Still, from the Kingdom’s perspective, they couldn’t simply trust the Empire’s restraint.

If it hadn’t been for the suspicious circumstances Charlotte had mentioned, the Kingdom might have already formed an informal alliance with the Holy Nation.

"In that case, let me rephrase," the King said, adjusting his posture. From his earlier slouched position with his hand on his forehead, he now sat straight, radiating the authority of a monarch.

"Does the Empire wish for relations between the Kingdom and the Holy Nation to become irreparable?"

"......"

From the Empire’s perspective? Probably.

From my perspective? Ideally, the Kingdom could keep the Holy Nation in check independently, without relying on an alliance. After all, the Holy Nation was rife with suspicious elements.

I didn’t want to see Charlotte become a puppet of the Holy Nation in the next decade.

But I couldn’t share all of this openly.

As for the tunnels—those could be excavated. Evidence would speak for itself.

However, other information about the Holy Nation... wasn’t something I should know at this point in time.

Thankfully, the King seemed to interpret my silence on his own.

"Regardless of the reasoning," he said, looking down at me.

"You swore on the name of Fangryphon. That’s not something one does lightly. It means you’re confident in your claims. While we’ll need to figure out how an Imperial princess came to possess information even our Kingdom doesn’t know, that’s a matter for later."

He continued to look down at me, trying to assert his authority. But judging by the slight twitch of his lips, he seemed on the verge of covering his face with his hands again.

Frankly, if our positions were reversed, I’d feel the same.

"The first priority is verifying the urgent matter. Do you know how this underground facility is hidden?"

I hesitated for a moment.

The tunnels lay beneath Lutetia’s sewer system. The quickest way in would be through St. Latina Cathedral, but there was no guarantee the Holy Nation hadn’t hidden the entrance.

Of course, the entrance was hidden. My concern was whether the Holy Nation had altered the original entrance after becoming aware of my existence.

Sure, I could blow the cathedral sky-high to find the entrance, but I was standing here precisely because I’d been told not to.

Still, there were alternatives.

"It’s not the only way into the underground," I said.

As expected of an RPG-like world, Azerna Chronicles had plenty of hidden areas. Many fields—like cities and towns—had inaccessible spots containing treasure chests. Those locations were often connected through dungeons, which were typically beneath urban areas, like sewers or ruins.

Of course, in a game, you don’t get punished for looting someone’s belongings.

The underground facility beneath Lutetia was similar. St. Latina Cathedral wasn’t the only entrance; there had to be other paths for people to sneak in or out.

The most important sections were near the cathedral, but that wasn’t an argument I could make now.

"I have a lead on a potential location," I said.

"...Do you now?"

The King’s eyes narrowed further.

I could almost feel his suspicion hitting its peak—and then some. It was like a game where a stat value went so high it broke the UI and overflowed the screen.

"In that case, you’ll need to reveal all these locations. Once the search is complete, we’ll have a thorough discussion about how you came to know them."

I’d need to run as soon as the search concluded.

"We can’t do anything drastic to an Imperial princess, but the Emperor will undoubtedly take an interest in this matter."

...I really needed to run. At least until this whole ordeal blew over.

Chapter 213

I felt it once again.

I had grown.

In the past, I would have definitely shouted, “Again!” by now and started over, methodically reworking my plan from the beginning.

Granted, it’s not like the kind of grand-scale “plans” the Emperor could conjure would come flowing from my mind effortlessly.

To be honest, compared to a year ago, I had been acting without much thought.

But now...

“...”

Charlotte’s gaze was a little uncomfortable. It was understandable. It hadn’t been long since she told me I was a true friend, only for that same “friend” to propose causing a mess in her country.

Still, the fact that I felt uneasy about her expression meant I believed we’d grown close.

After all, if she didn’t think we were close, she wouldn’t be looking at me like this. Back at the start of the semester, she would have hidden her true feelings behind a practiced smile.

Now, however—

‘Can I really trust her? Does she actually have a plan? Was everything I thought I understood about Sylvia completely wrong?’

The doubt in her expression was plain as day, something she never would have shown back then.

...It’s fine. Even if her gaze toward me has grown a little colder, doesn’t the fact that she’s comfortable enough to show it mean we’re friends? Right?

As I consoled myself with that thought, I looked around.

Charlotte wasn’t the only one whose demeanor toward me had changed.

If this were earlier, I couldn’t have stood in front of Mia and boldly declared, “I killed your father, and he deserved to die.” Back then, I wouldn’t have been able to bear the thought of how Mia might look at me after hearing that.

Rewinding time to repair relationships is also a way of destroying what’s been built. It’s not just about fighting and drifting apart or finding something unlikable in someone. Even the negative aspects of a relationship are part of it—things that can be overcome with effort, by apologizing, understanding why someone acts the way they do, and growing together.

To rewind time is to disregard the weight of those shared memories.

Mia may have been the first to realize this and say something wise to me about it, but I’ll let that slide for now.

“...So.”

Leo, who had been sitting with his head in his hands for a while, was the first to break the silence.

“You’re saying we’re going to attack the cathedral near the heart of Lutetia, and the people who go in have to be the most ‘trustworthy’?”

“That’s correct,” I replied.

“So you can’t trust Lutetia’s soldiers?”

“I can’t.”

Charlotte’s gaze grew even colder at my words, but I ignored it for now.

“Then the people sent by the Empire—”

“—are not an option for me,” Charlotte interjected.

Leo closed his mouth momentarily, then glanced up at me.

“...”

“...”

An awkward silence hung in the air.

“Excuse me.”

Finally, Mia broke the silence, her voice cautious.

“Everyone here... except for Charlotte, are all from the Empire.”

True enough.

But even so, everyone here was trustworthy. We’d worked together multiple times, and I knew each of them was more than capable.

Sophia was excluded, likely asleep in her room—or praying.

Rena was also left out. Though she was a dear friend who followed me devotedly, she was still a foreigner.

As for Jake and Rottie... I couldn’t find them. Wherever they were, I could only hope they weren’t overstepping as students.

Even with those four absent, I believed we could manage. With Leo and Claire as the vanguard, both trained by the Sword Saint, and my own sufficient firepower, we had what we needed.

The masked woman and Lucas were wild cards, but if they both appeared, it might actually be a stroke of luck. Even if my abilities were restricted, they wouldn’t be completely sealed, and those two would never team up.

Having accounted for those variables, I was confident.

And yet—

“...”

Something felt off.

Even Claire, who normally responded to my plans with an enthusiastic “Yes!”, was looking at me with a deeply uncomfortable expression.

Arms crossed, she glared at me like she had a serious grievance.

“Sis, what about the people you left out?” Claire asked.

“...The ones I left out?”

“Sophia, Rena, Jake, and Rottie.”

“Jake and Rottie are probably off enjoying some quality time together. If I were to interrupt, I’d be ruining their precious memories.”

“Fine, let’s set them aside. What about Rena and Sophia?”

Claire’s voice was strangely cold as she tapped her crossed arms with her fingers.

“Those two are foreigners—”

“Excuse me!”

Mia, who had been nervously watching the situation, raised her hand abruptly.

“We’re foreigners too! At least, by Belvur’s standards...”

Her sharp awareness of the situation likely stemmed from having grown up near the border. If she realized she was part of this group, it would be a real problem for her.

“That’s true. From my perspective, you’re all ‘foreign friends.’ Friends I personally invited here. Besides, Sophia’s even from the same homeland as me.”

Ah, right.

Charlotte didn’t know that Sophia was originally from the Holy Nation.

If she found out, things would get incredibly awkward—not in terms of national politics but on a personal level.

How many people could continue treating a friend as such after learning they were a spy from another country?

“Besides, you know Sophia, don’t you? If you deliberately left her out, she’d be devastated when she found out later. And Rena? She adores you. Do you even know how she talks about you?”

“...”

For the record, Alice hadn’t spoken a single word since we met with the king earlier. She’d just been glaring at me with a face full of discontent, as if saying, “Let’s see how far you’ll go with this.”

...

Relationships are best handled head-on. That’s how they leave a lasting impact, how you figure out how to move forward together and build shared memories—

...Screw it.

“Again!”

When things go completely awry, nothing beats rewinding time.

If I’d had this ability in my past life, I’d have used it all the time.

Timing is crucial for apologies. Even a slight delay can make forgiveness nearly impossible.

In my past life, I’d made countless blunders by acting thoughtlessly.

Well, at least now, with this ability, I can truly build friendships—even if it took rewinding time to realize that.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

Shortly after our meeting with the king, but before gathering the others, the three of us—Charlotte, Alice, and I—were in Charlotte’s room. Bowing my head deeply, I spoke.

“...”

Charlotte froze momentarily, then, in an incredulous tone, said, “Do you even understand what you’re doing? A princess of the Empire bowing to a princess of a kingdom—”

“If that’s how you want to see it, so be it.”

“...”

At my words, Charlotte fell silent.

“But my apology is not just about politics or strategy. It’s as Sylvia, not as Fangryphon, that I’m apologizing.”

Depending on how she interpreted that, it could sound insulting. By shedding the name Fangryphon, I was no longer a figure of great importance.

“I’m sorry for keeping this plan a secret until now. It’s not just a military or political matter. I’m apologizing because, as your friend, I kept you in the dark about a plan that could harm your homeland.”

It took rewinding time for me to realize this. How foolish.

I could claim personal growth all I wanted, but unless others recognized it, what was the point?

The room was silent for a long moment.

“In that case, I’ll speak as Charlotte, your friend, not as a princess. Raise your head.”

Her words brightened my mood considerably.

I barely managed to keep my expression neutral as I lifted my head.

Charlotte met my eyes with a radiant smile.

However, for some reason, she was raising a tightly clenched fist beside her face.

If this were a game, her fist would probably have exaggerated, cartoonish veins popping out.

And I could guarantee, even without those veins, her punch would hurt.

Charlotte, still smiling brightly, said, “I’ll forgive you—but only if you let me hit you once.”

Uh-oh.

Chapter 214

It hurt.

When Charlotte asked, “Can I hit you?” I briefly considered rewinding time again, but Charlotte didn’t give me a chance to finish that thought.

In an instant, my vision flashed, and pain spread across my forehead.

With a sharp thud, it seemed Charlotte had given me a playful tap on the head.

Though it wasn’t exactly a sweet moment, that's for sure.

If I rewound time, I could have avoided it, but—

“Huff.”

The look on Charlotte’s face as she saw the pain in my eyes was so satisfying that I decided against rewinding.

Thankfully, there were no tears, but the pain wasn’t exactly negligible either. I did feel the urge to rub my forehead.

Suppressing the desire to touch it, I watched Charlotte sit down.

“Alright, then.”

Charlotte plopped down onto a chair and continued.

“You must have delivered the information to His Majesty the King because you had something planned for this, right? You didn’t just come here out of the blue and bring this up without thinking.”

Hmm...

It wasn’t exactly without thinking.

The biggest change was that my solo plan was suddenly turned into a group effort.

But well, what can I do?

It’s already decided. If I hadn’t gone along with this, I would have already used my power to rewind time and erased this whole event.

I took a deep breath, mentally organizing my thoughts.

In the end, my argument hadn’t changed much from the last time.

But the number of people involved had definitely increased.

Before rewinding time, I’d kept a small circle in mind, but now, I’d brought everyone else in.

Well, Jake and Rottie were both from the Empire. I didn’t think Jake would spill the details of the operation to his father, and Rottie would probably keep quiet as well. As long as Jake didn’t say anything, Rottie wouldn’t either. I figured they wouldn’t cause too much trouble.

Next, Rena.

Rena... was a little concerning. Based on the circumstances, it was clear that the autonomous region had sent her to keep an eye on me.

But given her pure personality and the timing, when we weren’t even supposed to be heading north yet, there hadn’t been any real issues.

“Do you understand? Being part of this operation means you cannot tell anyone, especially your family or superiors.”

I made sure to remind her of this multiple times, but strangely, Rena kept nodding with sparkling eyes.

“As a member of the Academy, I’m also an Imperial cadet. It’s natural for soldiers to keep operations conducted under certain affiliations confidential.”

“...”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even an Imperial operation.

But why was she looking at me so eagerly? Could it be that she trusted me that much?

Or perhaps her inner Chuunibyou was excited by the idea of a “secret operation.”

Not knowing what else to say, I just nodded.

Surprisingly, despite the ongoing war setting, the protagonist and his group didn’t actually kill anyone. No matter how many times they made people fall into pits, pierced with ice spears, shot with guns, or sliced with swords, when the battle ended, the enemies didn’t die but were simply incapacitated, kneeling on one knee.

Yes, the righteous protagonists were portrayed as worrying about even the nameless extra enemies' lives.

...Of course, I’m the one saying this after having shot people a few times, and in reality, that just wouldn’t happen.

No matter how much of a Chuunibyou someone is, they wouldn’t stay completely sane after killing someone.

Not just Rena, but everyone traveling with me.

If we really had to shoot someone, it would be ideal if I did it.

“Leo, how about you?”

I asked Claire, who had finished checking her weapon and was walking toward me. She looked a little uncertain.

“He’s still talking with Sophia.”

They still hadn’t figured out who was older. But I guess it would feel really strange if suddenly a girlfriend appeared, no matter if the guy was an older brother or younger brother.

Of course, it wasn’t really a girlfriend, just a girl who had unilaterally fallen for Leo.

From Claire’s perspective, I could imagine her thinking, “What does she see in him?”

I wonder how Claire would have reacted if Leo had actually created a harem like in the original story.

But of course, for that to happen, I’d have to not exist in this world, and if I didn’t exist, things would have gone just like in the original.

There’s no such thing as “if” in history, right?

Even though I can rewind time, there comes a moment when I don’t want to anymore, or I simply can’t. Once you pass a certain point, time “fixes” itself, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that.

“Then let’s wait a bit longer.”

After my answer, Claire nodded, and the room fell silent again.

It was a decision made abruptly, without a word until now. To be honest, it felt odd that everyone had gathered without protest.

“...”

As I glanced around the room, everyone’s eyes met mine—those who, in this moment, could truly be called “friends.”

For some reason, I felt a strange, ungrounded trust that I could leave my back to them.

I had to suppress the urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

I had always liked these characters, but honestly, it had only been a little over half a year since they started seeing me like this.

Why would they trust me so much?

...Well.

At least I have to become someone worthy of that trust.

“Sylvia.”

After talking with Sophia for a while, Leo came out and called me.

“Sophia wants to talk to you as well.”

Leo’s expression was serious, as always.

As the traditional “righteous protagonist” of a JRPG, Leo was the type of guy who would express sorrow over even the unnamed extra enemies’ deaths. He was a kind-hearted fool.

Of course, after hearing about the operation, he must have felt uneasy about Sophia.

I nodded to Leo, then walked toward the door he had just come through.

Charlotte’s room had a walk-in closet attached.

Unlike me, who mostly wore dark, plain clothes and Alice, who didn’t enjoy attending banquets, Charlotte frequently mingled with nobles and often went to balls.

So, the “walk-in closet” was surprisingly spacious. It might even be larger than some university dorm rooms that cost 500,000 KRW a month.

In the center of the closet, two chairs were placed facing each other, and Sophia was sitting in one.

Sophia glared at me.

It was understandable.

I slowly walked over and sat down in front of her.

“...Did you think I would betray my country just because of Leo?”

“Historically, there have been plenty of people who betrayed their countries for love. But I don’t think you would do that.”

Sophia gave me a look that seemed like she was about to retort, so I quickly added,

“The reason I brought you here...”

In fact, it was mostly because of Claire and Charlotte’s reactions. If they hadn’t been so opposed, I probably wouldn’t have brought Sophia here. Honestly, it would have been easier for Sophia to just think we betrayed her and be at peace with that.

But now that I had brought her here, there was only one reason.

“...It’s because you’re our friend.”

“...”

Sophia’s eyes widened at my words.

All the members of the protagonist’s party shared one thing in common.

Aside from Leo, the protagonist, they all had a severely lacking childhood.

Given that they grew up in the noble society, it was understandable. Raised among adults who valued behaving inhumanely and hiding their emotions, they never learned how to open their hearts to others.

In the game’s lore, the story unfolds around these characters who, through Leo’s genuine nature, eventually become true friends.

The goddess, the war, religion—those were just decorations. The real heart of the story was the friendship among the protagonists.

That’s why I was able to enjoy the game so much.

And the reason I resented Sophia’s position in the original game was because she was a character who suddenly inserted herself into the already-formed, tight-knit group of friends and caused disruption.

But that’s not the case now.

She appeared much earlier than in the original.

And, strictly speaking, the character who shouldn’t be here is me, not Sophia.

Chapter 215

“I understand. But even if you told me to attack the Holy Land of your beloved Kingdom just because we’re friends, I’m sure it would be hard to understand.”

“......”

Fortunately, Sophia didn’t snap back at me or shout that we weren’t friends. I was able to carefully continue the conversation.

“Then, how about this? Your role is to observe us.”

“Observe, you say?”

Sophia seemed a little taken aback by my words.

“I don’t intend to turn any historical landmarks into ashes,” I continued.

Though I had been thinking of barging in and extracting information, in the end, I planned to rewind time, so I wasn’t exactly lying.

“I just want to know a little more.”

“Can’t you ask me directly?”

“Yes.”

I answered firmly.

Sophia, in the original story, had been quite high-ranking, but there was much she didn’t know. Naturally, considering she was at the lowest rank among the cathedral knights now, it was safe to assume she knew next to nothing about the most important matters of the Holy Kingdom.

“...Then you know that it’s my duty to ensure that this information doesn’t leak out.”

“......”

I paused for a moment to think, then said,

“If I gain any useful information, I’ll be sure to share it with you.”

“And, I’ll tell you about ‘me,’ the things you’ve been so curious about.”

Sophia’s eyes widened slightly at my words.

“You were told to learn about my fighting style, and if that’s really your assignment, I’m sure you were also told that there were other instructions, right? Something like, ‘Report any unusual circumstances immediately.’”

I could practically see an exclamation mark popping up above her head.

“I suspect the Holy Kingdom believes my power is related to ‘the goddess’s power.’ If you join us and cooperate, I’ll tell you more about me. I’m sure it’ll benefit you.”

If, by some chance, I couldn’t rewind time, I’d have no choice but to keep my promise.

But honestly, I didn’t think sharing this information would be such a disadvantage for me.

So...

“How am I supposed to trust you?”

Sophia asked, her voice filled with hesitation.

“The only proof I can offer is friendship. I don’t know how much you feel that, but I believe we’ve become close enough.”

Yeah, even if Sophia and Leo ended up together, I could genuinely congratulate them.

It would ease the guilt I felt toward Leo.

“...Can you still use the name Fangryphon?”

“This conversation isn’t about that name.”

I looked at Sophia directly and spoke.

“I’m not asking as the princess of the Empire, but as your friend, Sylvia.”

“......”

Yes, Sophia too.

She had grown up in the Holy Kingdom, constantly drilled into the idea of competition. Everyone around her, even those her age, was a rival, someone to be stepped on in order to rise higher.

Once she reached the top, she might have tasted friendship. In fact, there seemed to be something like friendship among the knights of the Holy Kingdom.

“I’ll leave whether you believe me or not to you.”

I stood up after saying that.

It was a little while later when Sophia, having made up her mind, finally left the room.

The rest of our party had finished preparing their weapons, and the tension was starting to ease when the door to Charlotte’s dressing room suddenly swung open, and Sophia emerged.

“......”

When our eyes met, Sophia nodded at me with the same stiff expression.

“So, it’s decided, then?”

Charlotte spoke, her voice cutting through the tension.

“One thing’s for sure. What we’re after is the secret facility rumored to be beneath Lutetia. We cannot destroy the St. Latina Cathedral, it’s a sacred landmark, and as a princess, I can’t allow that. And as for the underground—destroying that is out of the question. After all, there are homes for the people of Lutetia above.”

At Charlotte’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.

Looking at me, Charlotte took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, her expression determined.

“Alright, then. Let’s go.”

The underground secret tombs in Lutetia were inspired by the catacombs beneath Paris.

The real catacombs are extremely narrow. There are spaces where a few people can walk side by side, but often, a person can only enter by squeezing through tight gaps. They’re so vast and deep that people can actually go missing down there.

And, of course, our Millennium-era technology wasn’t quite advanced enough to replicate all that perfectly in-game.

Unlike the winding and sprawling catacombs in reality—

“This place, what the heck...?”

The underground tomb we arrived at wasn’t like the chaotic, scattered piles of skulls and occasional odd skull towers you’d find in a real catacomb. This one looked more like a clean, organized underground tomb you’d find in a subculture anime.

Of course, it had the setting that the entire facility stretched across Lutetia, so it was hard to know the full scale—just like the real catacombs.

“Is it true that such a place existed beneath Lutetia, and no one knew about it until now?”

Right?

Even in the original game, and now in this world, monsters—beasts that are practically like monsters—wandered the streets, and inexplicably, crates filled with Marmaros were casually placed in the sewers, yet no one knew... it was a bit ridiculous.

If this were a game, I’d chalk it up to “game mechanics,” but now that it’s reality, it’s a different story.

Everything in the dungeon in the game was intentionally placed by someone. The fact that this place is so vast is due to more than just technical limitations—after all, if it were too small, it would be difficult to play.

So who, in this “reality,” thought it was a good idea to blatantly allow such “game mechanics” to exist here?

Furthermore, these “game mechanics” were limited to the resemblance of this place, and didn’t extend to other mundane aspects. There’s no HP, no MP, no inventory system—if we want to carry anything, we have to either hold it in our hands or put it in a bag.

It’s pointless to ponder why such a hybrid “reality” exists.

At the end of the day, this place is real, and it’s in front of us.

“Even if we use some explosives, the ceiling won’t collapse. But let’s be cautious, as Charlotte said.”

When I said that, the group, who had been gazing absentmindedly at the ruins, nodded.

...Well, we did blow up part of the sewer on the way in, but it wasn’t a huge issue.

I moved my arm again, the enchanted suit still functioning well with its several powerstones embedded in it.

“I’d love to meet the artisan who made this equipment.”

Rena had mentioned that before.

Maybe after this job is over, I’ll introduce her.

I strapped my specially-made elephant-hunting revolver on my back and held the rifle I always used in my hands.

My holster had both a pistol and a revolver, with magazines full of regular ammo and one Marmaros round each, in sequence.

This was probably the most heavily armed I’d been for any mission so far.

“If there are any people down here, we’ll avoid them as much as possible. Even though it’s such a large area, since it stretches across all of Lutetia, it’s easy to get lost. Make sure to follow me closely.”

“...I really want to ask how you know all this, but now that I’ve seen this place, I’ll put that question aside for now.”

“Once everything is over, I’ll explain it all.”

I looked at Sophia. She looked a little pale, probably because the torches in the underground ruins emitted a faint blue light.

“......”

Alice still hadn’t said a word.

For some reason, I could almost feel her thinking, “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

...No.

Well, if she thought I’d been here before in the game, she wouldn’t be wrong.

...Wait a minute.

Did I just read Alice’s expression?

Chapter 216

No matter how different the events of this world were from the common sense I knew from the world I came from, honestly, I couldn’t quite grasp the situation at hand.

“Claire, cover the rear!”

“Got it!”

With Leo’s shout, Claire immediately rushed to the back. It seemed like, with Rottie using firearms and Mia using magic, the rear could get a little unstable in close-quarters combat.

And the ones charging at us were—

“Keheh!”

With a swift swing of her sword, Claire’s strike left deep gouges in the floor and walls of the ruins. At that moment, several of the approaching dogs let out their signature howls—like animals in pain—before being sent flying into the air.

“Glas Esta!”

I heard Mia’s shout just as the sound of a gunshot rang out.

Of the two dogs that had been lifted into the air, one was impaled by an ice spear, while the other took a bullet to the head, blood spraying as it fell to the ground. If an animal rights organization from the world I came from saw this, they’d probably be horrified.

But we didn’t have time to be horrified by such scenes.

Click.

From beside me, I heard the sound of a magazine being inserted into a pistol.

Rena calmly swapped out the empty magazine, then fired two shots straight ahead. In front of her, a massive wolf with blue fur, bigger than the combined weight of Rena and me, received the two shots from her gun.

In an instant, smoke billowed from the wolf’s face, followed by a furious, guttural howl—one that made it clear just how angry the beast was.

The wolf leapt forward—

Bang!

It crashed to the ground, struck by my rifle shot.

It wasn’t a Marmaros round. I had modified the ammunition to increase the charge to match the barrel’s durability, but it was enough to penetrate the wolf’s skull.

“This is never going to end!”

Alice shouted.

If the path had been a little narrower, we might have placed those who could wield swords at the front and back, with fire support and support groups in the middle. But this ruin was too large.

Even with ten people positioned in a circle, there was still space left, and with beasts attacking from all directions, the six swordsmen couldn’t protect everyone—me, Rena, Mia, and Rottie—effectively.

I had no problem, though, since I could still rewind time and I had two pistols. Rena, armed with a pistol and submachine gun, wouldn’t have trouble in close combat either.

But Rottie’s rifle was a bolt-action, and Mia needed time to cast. While the two of them had been able to shoot and drop the incoming beasts before they got too close, it wasn’t enough to let our guard down.

“How the heck are there so many beasts in the underground of Lutetia!?”

“Sorry, Princess, but I don’t think they’re living here.”

Charlotte, swinging her rapier, spoke with a hint of sarcasm, and Jake, nearby, also chimed in.

As Jake pointed out, the beasts had collars on them, resembling dog collars. They even had identification tags attached.

In the original game, similar beasts appeared later in the dungeon, making it easier to acquire Marmaros—but back then, they were part of the Emperor’s plan to use them as weapons.

But now, if this situation were really like that...

I shot a few more of the approaching dogs, quickly loading my rifle with the speedloader, then glanced over at Sophia.

Even while wielding a glowing sword, Sophia wore a complicated expression.

She probably couldn’t understand why so many beasts were swarming in a place her own country had set up.

“Let’s take a break for a moment.”

I spoke up.

“If we go further, we should reach a room that’s empty. Even if there are other soldiers inside, we should be able to deal with them and close the door to rest for a while.”

In the original game, there weren’t even autosave features, so players had to manually save whenever they felt uneasy. But with the new world, autosave sections appeared, usually in areas with key dialogue events or recovery stations.

The recovery stations we saw in the Northwood ruins...

...Now that I think about it, I’ve only been to one ruin in this world. Surely there are more relics than what I’ve seen.

It felt like I was experiencing the entire series in one go, and some parts of the story seemed to be missing in the process... Well, not every ruin appeared in the original, and the relics weren’t all gathered into one, but...

That’s not something to think about right now.

What I needed to focus on was the current situation.

As we got closer to the cathedral, stronger beasts would definitely start showing up.

I wasn’t sure if it would be worth rethinking the plan, but at least we needed some time to rest. The swordsmen were already getting soaked in sweat.

A few of the people I locked eyes with nodded.

The ones who didn’t nod would catch up as we moved.

“This way!”

I shouted, turning and running ahead.

“Huff...”

Claire let out a long breath as she stood in front of the recovery station. She watched as the small cuts on her body healed instantly.

Not just Claire, but everyone who had entered the room was healing.

“What is this...?”

Charlotte muttered as she watched the wounds on her hands disappear.

“......”

Sophia didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure whether she knew about these devices and was silent because of it, or if she was truly unaware since she was still a low-ranking member of the kingdom.

“Rottie, are you okay?”

“Yes, there are no injuries. But I’m concerned about how many bullets we have left.”

“I have extra ammo.”

I shrugged off my coat, revealing the exosuit beneath. It looked like something from an SF novel, though it was made with a lot of brass rather than steel, and the gears were constantly whirring. Some of the glass covering the gears had small cracks.

It was a prototype, but quite functional.

Maybe in a sequel, this suit would be more widely used, though it still wasn’t mass-produced.

I set down the metal box I had strapped to my back.

“Rottie, Rena, if you need anything, take it.”

“Thank you.”

Rena responded immediately. Rottie hesitated for a moment before saying,

“Well then, I won’t turn it down.”

She walked over to me.

Luckily, I had prepared various types of ammunition, just in case. Though I had only debated whether to use the submachine gun, I never expected it to come in handy.

In truth, I hadn’t bothered to dig out every single item. I’d just loaded up the train with all the supplies.

I was already heavily armed, with an elephant-hunting rifle strapped to my back and ammunition hanging from every part of my body, including my waist, stomach, and thighs, so I was a bit weighed down, even with these special gear.

“...The beasts we’ve faced so far.”

As Rottie and Rena chose their ammunition, Alice, who had taken a breath, spoke up.

“Those things... they were all bred by someone, right?”

“Yes.”

They might have even been created, I thought.

There’s magic for that. More specifically, artifacts that make it possible to open gates to entirely different worlds, corrupt “beasts,” turning them into monstrous forms, and even summon creatures from beyond to command them.

In the original game, this magic was used by the Emperor in the later stages. That’s when beasts and monsters infused with Marmaros would flood the dungeon, and players would complete the final setups by looping through certain areas.

But here, Marmaros wouldn’t just drop to the floor when we captured a beast or monster, and right now, it was of no use.

The ancient artifact that allowed this magic had been secured and hidden by the Holy Kingdom. The Emperor would eventually steal it for his own purposes, but... the Holy Kingdom would likely treat this magic as a curse.

Because it goes against the perfect world the goddess created.

If that’s the case, then the Emperor...?

No.

That can’t be. If the Emperor had taken control of this underground place, the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t be so quiet about it.

And there would be no reason for him to use this magic here. If he wanted to use it, he could have done so in the Holy Kingdom, where it could deal a significant blow to his enemies without starting a world war.

So, it seems this magic was used by the Holy Kingdom.

“...Have you figured something out?”

I looked up at Alice’s voice.

Looking around, all of my friends were staring at me with anxious expressions.

“......”

Yeah, at this point, hiding what I was thinking might cause problems for us later. Emotional confusion could seriously disrupt our battle plans.

“I think the Holy Kingdom was preparing for war.”

I decided to speak plainly, saying what had been on my mind.

Chapter 217

“......”

My words hung in the air, and for a moment, the room was engulfed in silence.

“War...?”

Charlotte, who had grown up in this very kingdom, mumbled in disbelief, her voice almost a whisper.

“No, that can’t be!”

Sophia flinched at Charlotte's mumbling and immediately stepped forward, defending her kingdom.

“There’s no reason for the Holy Kingdom to go to war with Belvur! Yes, there have been issues in the past, but those were resolved a long time ago through diplomatic agreements!”

“I didn’t say the Holy Kingdom was preparing for war with Belvur.”

“Then who?”

Alice, who had been lost in thought with her arms crossed, spoke up.

“Perhaps... they were preparing for a war with the Emperor.”

At my words, Alice let out a soft groan, clearly taken aback.

“...What are you talking about? A war between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom? Why would they be preparing such a war here, beneath Lutetia?”

Unable to hold back, Charlotte interrupted as she overheard my conversation with Alice.

“It’s not a war between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, it’s a war between the Emperor and the Holy Kingdom.”

At my words, the room fell silent again.

In the original story, the Emperor had prepared for war—and eventually carried it out. In two months’ time, this world would be a battlefield.

The practice in Lutetia was a consequence of my arrival in this world. In the original story, Alice had failed to grow fully until the very brink of war, and during the several months leading up to it, tensions between the Empire and Belvur escalated. Charlotte’s temperament became more sensitive as well.

No, the truth was that Charlotte and Alice had never been friends from the start. They met at the academy, gradually grew closer, and then, because of the war, their relationship fractured. They would only become friends again when they united to stop the Emperor.

“They were preparing to stop the Emperor.”

“Stop the Emperor? Why would you need to stop him? Is the Emperor preparing for war?”

No.

Well, more accurately, he had been. But because of me, that war was stopped, and his plans shifted. I didn’t know exactly what those plans were, though.

“The Emperor—”

I opened my mouth but then glanced at Alice and Sophia.

Alice nodded, while Sophia, her face pale, appeared as though her emotions were entirely mixed. It was honestly harder to read her emotions than Alice’s, who was trying to hide hers.

...Well, to be honest, I wasn’t exactly perceptive, whether in my previous life or this one.

Mia was holding her staff tightly, looking at me. The Marmaros embedded in her staff had multiplied since I first gave it to her, but the ice-element Marmaros I gave her was still embedded there. I wondered why she continued to keep it when she must have obtained better ones by now...

Rottie and Jake were looking at me, standing together.

They hadn’t asked any questions; they simply followed us. It felt like they were doing so because they believed it was only natural to help after I had helped them.

I hadn’t thought things would get to this point, so I hadn’t said anything about possibly risking my life, but it felt like Rottie and Jake would have come along anyway, even if I had.

Rena... was just the same as usual. She’d been completely fooled by me, thinking I was just putting on a brave front, and had followed me this far. I couldn’t help but wonder, how would she have reacted if I had shown her my true self? Would she have been disappointed? Thinking back, I realized I had been so caught up in other things that I had forgotten the competition I once had with her over our "concepts."

And then, finally, Claire and Leo.

Claire was the first major character I met after arriving here.

...And she had a secret about her birth that I never could have imagined. Now that I thought about it, I understood why I had ended up meeting her first. Maybe it was because of her birth secret that the Emperor’s plan had unraveled so suddenly after Claire’s death.

Back when I first met Claire, she had boldly called me "sister." And even now, she acted as though I was the most important person in her life.

As for Leo... I felt truly sorry for him.

He had been so kind, always coming to my aid whenever I asked, and I found it strange how easily he followed me. Maybe, after some time passed, the two of us could share a drink and talk things through. He didn’t look as pale when he had to speak to me alone lately, so it might be possible.

...Hmm.

I had been lost in thought for so long that the expressions of those around me had started to turn increasingly anxious. I decided it was time to stop my musings and speak up.

“The Emperor, in the past, had a plan to conquer this world. But now, he has ‘retracted’ it, mostly because of me.”

“......”

The eyes of everyone in the room turned to Alice. Alice nodded and added to the explanation.

“But Sylvia refused to become the Emperor. She insisted that she was the rightful heir to the Empire. Her father completely trusts Sylvia’s judgment. So, when Sylvia said she didn’t want that path, the Emperor didn’t seem to care, thinking it was of no consequence.”

“Huh?”

Mia let out an exclamation, a question that escaped her lips as all eyes turned toward her. She quickly covered her mouth, unnecessary as that was.

“Yes, that’s right. I have no royal blood. I’m from an orphanage.”

This wasn’t news to nearly everyone in the room.

...In truth, it wasn’t completely accurate, but by coincidence, it was still somewhat true. If this had been "Claire Fangryphon" saying this, it would either be a lie or the person themselves wouldn’t know the truth.

“Even so, the Emperor saw you as the next Empress?”

Charlotte asked.

“My father... believes that ability is more important than bloodline when it comes to succeeding the throne,” Alice replied.

In truth, he was far more concerned with bloodline than he let on, sowing his seeds far and wide and selecting capable heirs. He didn’t care much about things like ‘purity’ or ‘honor.’ Just look at Claire in the original.

“But I don’t think the Emperor truly gave up on his plans. The last time we met, he made it sound like he had abandoned them entirely, but I suspect it’s a smokescreen. And I believe the Holy Kingdom thinks the same. I only realized this after coming here and seeing things for myself.”

“......”

When I finished speaking, silence once again fell over the room.

“So...?”

Sophia spoke up, her voice calm but filled with confusion.

“Are you saying that, whether back then or now, you’ve been working to extinguish the spark of war?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

This much was clear.

Of course, I hadn’t done it for some noble reason. It wasn’t about stopping the war to save lives or prevent sorrow. I had no right to think that way.

I had only acted to save the characters I liked.

If, on the other hand, war had been necessary for that, I wouldn’t have hesitated to start one. But that path would lead to a much harder road to a happy ending.

“So, I need to know more about this situation. Where are these beasts coming from? Is the Holy Kingdom really behind this? And if so, how exactly are they doing it?”

I had a general idea of what was happening. After all, I had already navigated through many dungeons. There was no way we’d take an unexpected turn—especially not to a place that hadn’t appeared in the original story.

But even though the world was clearly influenced by the game, it was far more real than any virtual world.

So, if there were any unexpected variables, I needed to understand their origin. That way, I could figure out how to deal with them—whether now or in the future.

I had barely finished speaking when everyone in the room continued to stare at me in silence.

There were no loud responses, no one nodding eagerly.

Click.

The silence was broken by a small metallic sound.

“We’re ready.”

Rena stood up, holding her pistol.

I nodded at her.

“Then, shall we go?”

Not a single person objected.

Chapter 218

“How... how is this...?”

How many times have I heard this question?

Probably about nine times. Out of ten people, I was the only one who didn’t mutter something like that.

As we descended further below the cathedral, the creatures we encountered grew larger and more grotesque. At first, they looked like bears, tigers, or lions—at least, they resembled these animals in some way. Of course, they weren’t normal animals.

If a Japanese company had designed these monsters, they might have appeared cute. There are famous examples of such designs, and Japan’s culture has a penchant for small, adorable things. Honestly, when I first played this series, I couldn’t get used to it.

The monsters were just... too ugly.

In the original game, the monsters were designed with a mediocre graphic style, where they took on the texture of realistic beasts but added grotesque details that didn’t quite reach the level of ‘horribly grotesque.’ It was a typical game design, but now, in this ‘real world’ version, we were experiencing those strange designs in all their disturbing glory.

At least I knew what they looked like, so I wasn’t as shocked as I might have been. But—no, even so, seeing the bodies melt and become limp made me instinctively step back.

“Haah...”

Charlotte, who muttered the usual “What is this...” again, exhaled deeply as she shook off the slimy substance stuck to her sword. Whether the blue or black was blood, I wasn’t sure, but the monster’s bodily fluids clung to her blade. The sound of it hitting the floor was unpleasant—more of a wet thud than a solid drop. Upon closer inspection, it seemed more like slippery slime than liquid.

“...Well, at least we managed to block it properly this time,” she said.

Leo, swinging his sword, added, “Yeah, that was well done.”

Most of the swordsmen in our party had small injuries. Every time it seemed like someone would take a serious hit, I rewound time and provided support. Still, it was hard to erase every little scratch and bruise.

“Are you okay, sis?”

As I caught my breath, Claire asked.

“I’m fine,” I replied, lifting my left hand.

Hadn’t I mentioned before? A jack chain—or whatever it was—connecting my shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers had slightly bent. On the surface, it appeared to be brass, but there was a strong steel core inside, so the minor deformation wasn’t a big issue.

But blood was flowing under the brass plates, from my fingers upward. It looked like rusty water.

“Seems like I got hurt a little while swinging my fist earlier,” I said.

When I moved my fingers, there was a bit of a sting, but nothing seemed broken.

As I moved the brass plate around my hand with a creaky sound,

“Spirits Lucis.”

A soothing, warm light enveloped my hand, and the pain in my fingers disappeared.

Looking to my side, Mia was nearby.

“I’ve healed everyone else,” she said, her face a bit pale.

“Are you okay?”

After we had been running for a while, we were nearing the center of the ruins. In the original game, there was always a healing device near boss rooms. It was likely the same here, but if we ran out of mana before reaching it, we would be exhausted.

Mia nodded and pulled out a small vial from her waist, drinking from it. After a few minutes, her complexion slightly improved.

“I wasn’t actually carrying this for places like this,” she added, avoiding my gaze.

I wondered if she had prepared it for dealing with me. After all, if Mia had prepared any weapons to protect herself or harm others, they were probably meant to be used against me. Now, those purposes had disappeared, leaving only the weapons and equipment.

“I’m sorry,”

Rottie suddenly approached me and bowed.

“If I had practiced close combat a bit more, I wouldn’t have needed all of you to help me...”

“But Rottie, you can still use magic. So can Sophia. If you two hadn’t been there, Mia would have collapsed long ago,” Claire said, trying to comfort her.

That was true. In both the original and this world, Mia used mostly offensive magic. If Mia hadn’t been there, I would have used all my large-caliber Marmaros rounds by now. Having a mage at the back, casting giant ice spears or fireballs, allowed me to draw attention or retreat when necessary.

Healing magic, like offensive spells, consumed mana. If Mia had to take care of both healing and attacking magic, she would have passed out from mana exhaustion.

“My magic is based on tools that record spells,” Rottie humbly explained.

While the tools in the original game allowed anyone to use magic, it wasn’t something just anyone could use effectively. It was more of a ‘last resort’ for non-magic characters, and even then, it was more useful to attack directly rather than using magic.

When you’re in a place where you have limited space and gear, prioritizing and focusing is key.

“But I’m surprised. I didn’t think Sophia could use healing magic. Most swordsmen don’t have time to learn magic,” Rottie said, genuinely impressed.

Sophia, who had been listening from a distance, flinched when she heard this.

“Ah, that’s...”

Many magic spells can be used without casting a verbal incantation. To be precise, all magic can be used without it; however, speaking the incantation makes it much easier and more effective.

Sophia had been quiet during the healing magic, likely because she was aware that her method was fundamentally different from the magic Mia used. Mia seemed to realize that too, but she chose not to speak about it, sensing it wouldn’t help.

However, even without voicing their thoughts, two people had been watching Sophia with somewhat knowing eyes: Alice and Charlotte.

Alice had already heard about Sophia’s true identity from me, so she might have suspected that it was holy magic.

Charlotte, though not from the Holy Kingdom, had grown up in a city where the St. Latina Cathedral was located. She had likely seen people who used holy magic multiple times, even if she wasn’t directly familiar with it.

Though Sophia had used holy magic at the academy, using it to heal people was a different matter entirely.

“...We’re almost there. The healing device we saw earlier should be coming up soon. Rena, do you have enough ammo?”

I shifted the conversation.

“Yes. I’ve used up quite a bit of regular ammo, but there’s still plenty for the combat. The Marmaros rounds are almost all intact,” she replied.

“Good,” I nodded.

“Can I ask what kind of monster we’ll face ahead?”

Jake, standing near Rottie, turned to me and asked.

By now, they must have all figured out that I knew something. They might not have guessed exactly what I could do—whether it was seeing the future or rewinding time—but they knew I had some knowledge. I hadn’t gotten lost at any point during our journey.

In fact, I had ignored all the treasure chest rooms along the way. Entering those rooms would mean more battles, and since fighting too much would wear us down in this world, I hadn’t bothered with them. If we had spent time opening all those chests, we would have been exhausted even before we reached here.

In the original, only four people participated in battles, and the rest were substitutes.

Originally, we couldn’t have brought all ten people along. Many weren’t even our ‘companions’ yet.

“......”

I paused to think for a moment.

In the original story, what were the ‘monsters’ the Emperor unleashed?

As I fell silent, the others watched me intently.

“Probably...”

I couldn’t be certain, but it seemed likely that the creatures we were about to face were griffins—twisted and grotesque versions of them.

“......”

Griffins existed in this world too, but they were usually found in high mountains where humans rarely ventured. They were kings of beasts—untamable, unlike normal creatures.

“...Ha.”

At that point, Alice, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

“I’m losing my mind.”

Chapter 219

It was a funny story. For people with the name "Fangryphon" to feel tense over the name "Gryphon" itself—it was ironic.

Well, to be fair, we didn’t choose the name Fangryphon ourselves. Technically speaking, Fangryphon was the name of the one who ruled as the king of Gryphons during the chaotic era when the world was conquered.

And honestly, that was a figure from the mythological age. If such a story existed in the modern times I lived in, I’d dismiss it as a mere "founding myth" without much thought. Even in this world, there are people who despise the Empire and think of it that way.

However, this world runs "as the original plot dictates." If that’s the case, dismissing the myth as "just a myth" would be foolish.

“Honestly, isn’t it kind of ridiculous?”

Alice, trying to lighten the lingering tension, spoke up after hearing my story.

“To place a recovery device like this right ‘in front of the base.’ Logically, shouldn’t it be deeper inside? It’s practically inviting intruders to rest and recover.”

“Perhaps it’s for the guards stationed near the entrance?”

Charlotte offered her opinion, seemingly joining Alice’s efforts to ease the tension.

“No, even considering that, it would still make more sense to place it further in. It would be more effective to ‘reinforce’ the troops as needed.”

Charlotte’s faux-serious remark prompted everyone to glance at the recovery device.

Regardless of placement, the recovery device was undeniably effective.

Just moments ago, we had barely managed to fend off a swarm of monsters at the gate, yet now we were conversing as if nothing had happened.

Our clothes were torn to shreds, leaving us looking like beggars, and moments ago, Leo had been bleeding profusely. Mia had been staggering on the brink of collapse… but the recovery device had solved all of it.

“Maybe,” Lena, who had been quietly observing, rested her chin on her hand and shared her thoughts.

“Maybe they excluded it from deeper inside because it also heals enemies. If placed further in, it might keep the attacking intruders alive longer. Placing it outside for the defense force might have been a deliberate choice, relying on stronger forces within to handle things more decisively.”

Granted, the recovery device didn’t seem to work on the monsters.

“…Talking about this among ourselves isn’t going to give us any answers.”

Alice placed her hand on the massive door before us, brushing it as she spoke.

The door was enormous, adorned with intricate carvings reminiscent of Rodin’s Gates of Hell. The difference was that this door was bronze rather than cast iron and looked far larger than Gates of Hell.

And undoubtedly, the carvings were different. I couldn’t picture the Gates of Hell clearly in my mind, so I could only compare this to my vague impression.

“Do you think we can open this?”

“I don’t believe it’s locked.”

“…Why?”

Good question.

Alice’s gaze was different from usual when it turned toward me.

Typically, the information I provided to Alice came from my experiences of the future. Even when it wasn’t, Alice, knowing my ability, would usually assume as much.

But in this case…

Claiming I had “already been here” would be far too strange.

If I had failed previously and come back for help, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Knowing the exact way was also impossible. After all, we barely made it here as a group of ten. It would be absurd to think I came here alone, scouted the inside, rewound time, and then led everyone here.

Alice had occasionally cast questioning looks at me on our way here, but this time, her expression was markedly different.

Even with my improved ability to read her expressions, I couldn’t discern what Alice was feeling right now.

“…”

When I remained silent, Alice didn’t press further. She simply exhaled a long breath.

“Well, fine.”

Alice muttered to herself and glanced at Charlotte.

“So… ready?”

“Yes, I’ve been ready for a while now. What about everyone else?”

Charlotte turned to look at the others, and they all nodded. Even Sophia, albeit with a slightly dark expression, nodded last.

“Good. Let’s act as planned. Of course, don’t feel obligated to stick strictly to the plan. Situations can change at any moment.”

“Well, even if it’s a dragon instead of a gryphon, there won’t be time to change tactics.”

Charlotte shrugged at Alice’s quip.

“Both have wings, so we’ll manage somehow.”

Someone chuckled dryly.

“…”

And then, silence fell.

Alice turned her gaze toward me.

I nodded.

All right.

No one will die. I’ll make sure of it.

That’s the only reason I’m here.

“…”

Should I call this surprising or predictable?

Our opponent really was a gryphon.

But it wasn’t just any gryphon. It appeared to have been "modified for easier control."

The head, reminiscent of a bald eagle, was stained with an ink-like black substance. Its eyes, which should have been yellow, were crimson.

Its body showed patches where feathers had fallen out, revealing grotesque growths resembling tumors. Honestly, calling it a “rescued pet abandoned on the streets” wouldn’t have been an exaggeration—it looked pitiful, like it had endured untold hardships.

Yet, despite this appearance, it still carried itself with the dignity of a king of beasts.

Even in silence, it held its head high, its red eyes gazing down at us. Its presence alone inspired a strange sense of awe within me.

But the real problem was…

“Of course, it’s not alone.”

Exactly.

Several heavily armed knights flanked the gryphon.

We hadn’t encountered a single human on our way here, yet here they were.

Were these knights their entire force? If so, why?

Although their faces were hidden beneath their helmets, I clearly saw them glance at Alice, Charlotte, and me.

For a brief moment, their heads turned slightly as if gauging the situation. Were they nervous?

Even if I wasn’t a concern, letting Charlotte die here wouldn’t be something the Holy Nation wanted.

Not to mention, we’d already wiped out a significant portion of the forces the Holy Nation had prepared on our way here. As long as "this place" wasn’t breached, they could always replenish their forces elsewhere. There were likely still hordes waiting in the areas we hadn’t explored yet.

“...Surely you know that this land belongs to the Kingdom of Belvur.”

Charlotte finally broke the silence.

“Even if priests from the Holy Nation reside in this cathedral, the land itself is recognized as part of Belvur. That was agreed upon long ago. So why are you conducting such activities beneath this place?”

“…”

The gryphon continued to observe us in silence.

The knights also remained silent—until a voice called down from above.

“Your Highness.”

The voice was that of an elderly man, calm and kind.

“…Cardinal.”

The Cardinal of Belvur. I’d already encountered him once before.

“Your Highness, it has been a while. I did not expect to meet you in such a place.”

“I’m glad to see you’re in good health.”

I replied, and the Cardinal regarded me briefly before turning his attention back to Charlotte. His expression betrayed no interest in Alice.

“You asked why we are doing this, even beneath Belvur’s territory?”

“Yes. Why are you doing this?”

“For one reason alone—peace.”

“…Peace.”

“Yes. Under the goddess’s blessing, we seek a perfect world. We merely strive to fulfill the goddess’s will, restoring the ‘perfect world’ that the Fangryphon dynasty trampled upon.”

“The world of that era must have been utter chaos.”

Alice interjected, drawing the Cardinal’s gaze to her for the first time.

“We were merely reconstructing the world. Perfection requires removing imperfections.”

Ha.

That’s quite the interpretation.

But then again, fanatics are always full of nonsense.

“In that sense, you’ve disappointed me, Sophia.”

At his words, everyone turned to look at Sophia.

Her face had gone pale.

“We sent you to watch over Princess Sylvia, yet here you are, cooperating with her all the way to this point.”

“Was your attempt to monitor me…”

I cut him off.

“…merely because of my ability?”

“Ah.”

The Cardinal responded as if he’d been waiting for this question.

“Well, we still haven’t fully grasped who you are. At first, you seemed to be just a human with an impossible ability. Then we wondered if you might be a messenger of the goddess. But we still can’t decide.”

“If I were a messenger of the goddess, I wouldn’t be standing here before you now.”

“We cannot claim to fully understand the goddess’s will. In the end, the world will unfold according to her design. We merely strive to understand her intent and act accordingly.”

“…”

Hm.

Maybe the Holy Nation is falling apart, too.

Just as my existence has made the Emperor a more enigmatic and incomprehensible figure, perhaps the Holy Nation has been thrown into disarray because of me.

Well, no matter.

Whether their contradictory responses were to conceal their intent or reflected genuine confusion, I’d get the answers directly.

“Mia!”

“Huh? Oh, yes!”

At my shout, Mia flinched momentarily before quickly raising her staff.

Chapter 220

The spell Mia originally prepared wasn’t intended to be used like this.

The plan was simple: since the gryphon had wings, Mia would conjure an ice staircase, allowing Alice and Charlotte to dash up simultaneously and slash the wings off.

If the gryphon had been alone, that would have worked. But with humans controlling it, the situation became more complicated.

“Spitas Glacia!”

As Mia chanted and swung her staff toward the ground, it looked as though water was spilling out and freezing instantly.

It didn’t create a beautiful ice staircase like something from a Disney animation. Instead, jagged, hastily formed steps shot upward with sharp icicles protruding at the front, looking dangerous enough to pierce anyone who dared to approach.

I wasn’t sure if Mia had intended this, but it was certainly effective. From our side, it was just a staircase. From the enemy’s perspective, it likely resembled a charging ice tank.

The knights positioned in its path were forced to retreat.

A piercing eagle’s cry rang out, something you’d expect at the start of a Western film. The gryphon raised its massive body, wings flapping as it reared onto its hind legs.

It had already been intimidating enough on all fours. Standing upright, it was a true monster.

“Mia!”

By the time I shouted, I was already dashing up the staircase at full speed.

“I know!”

Mia yelled back as I called out again.

Another chant echoed, and the ice staircase continued spiraling upward, growing taller and steeper.

Once more, the gryphon let out its unnervingly clear, almost unnatural cry. As it twisted its body toward me, I fired.

Boom!

The sound was far louder than that of a standard bullet, more akin to cannon fire.

Clang!

The rifle’s butt struck the brass plating protecting my shoulder with a sharp sound. A creak near my elbow followed—a reminder to ask Browning for improvements later.

I hadn’t expected a single shot to incapacitate the gryphon. It was a gryphon, after all—a creature of legends, residing where humans couldn’t reach. Few who ventured into its habitat returned alive, and even with the invention of cameras, photos of gryphons were scarce.

Its crimson eyes locked onto mine.

A chill ran down my spine.

It wasn’t like the fear I’d felt on a battlefield with bullets flying. At least in war, the enemy was human. Even if they were trying to kill me, they were still the same species. There was no reason to feel the primal intimidation of facing a predator.

But the being before me was a gryphon, the apex of life. In this world, apart from dragons, nothing could rival it.

Still—

“Not so fast!”

A sharp voice rang out below as a whip-like slash of a sword grazed the gryphon’s face.

It was Claire’s strike, leaving a thin wound near its cheek.

There was no time to check if it bled.

The gryphon remained unshaken, merely flapping its wings and ascending into the air.

“Damn.”

Clicking my tongue, I raised my rifle again—

Tat-tat-tat!

Before I could pull the trigger, another volley of bullets flew toward the gryphon. Unlike my previous shots, these caused smaller explosions of red flames and icy shards.

I didn’t need to look down to know it was Lena. She must have loaded all her pistol rounds into a submachine gun.

The gryphon, still majestic as ever, was at least distracted, its gaze shifting from me back toward the ground.

The crushing weight of its stare lifted, replaced by the sounds of clashing swords and gunfire below.

“This is as high as I can go!”

Mia’s strained voice called out, hoarse from repeated shouts.

Sure enough, the staircase I was running up was nearing its end.

Beyond the last step, I caught sight of the Cardinal.

The faint glow emanating from his chest illuminated his sneering face as he looked in my direction. That light—it was likely the source controlling the gryphon.

If he could fully command the gryphon, he’d have used it to shield himself. But judging by his twisted expression, he hadn’t achieved complete control.

So, even with such a powerful tool, he couldn’t make it his own.

Not much of a Fangryphon, are you?

I bent my knees and launched myself forward with all my strength.

Crack!

The sound of the frozen staircase breaking underfoot echoed as I shot upward, tumbling through the air.

Whether it was the adrenaline or the repetition of combat, time seemed to slow. I saw everything clearly—the knights rushing toward the Cardinal, the Cardinal turning in a panic, and the chaos unfolding below.

Precision wasn’t necessary. The bullet I was about to fire wasn’t ordinary; it was practically a grenade.

I aimed loosely toward the cluster of enemies and pulled the trigger.

Boom!

A section of the second floor exploded, screams echoing in its wake. Flames engulfed some, and others scrambled in panic.

“Argh!”

But I wasn’t unscathed. The Cathedral knights were no amateurs; their swordsmanship was proof enough.

Slash!

A blade tore into my right arm, leaving it mangled.

I had jumped with flair, but I fell short of the second-floor railing—

—Or did I?

Not yet!

I twisted mid-air, barely avoiding a follow-up slash. The blade grazed my shoulder, but it was manageable—an injury I could heal later.

However, my plan for a graceful landing failed.

I landed near the spot where the Maramaros rounds had detonated, avoiding falling into enemy hands, but I still tumbled across the floor.

The brass exosuit’s steel core wasn’t forgiving; each roll felt like a blow to my bones. The fresh wound on my shoulder didn’t help either.

This is definitely going on Browning’s to-fix list.

Springing to my feet, I immediately dropped back down as another knight lunged.

Of course, they wouldn’t just let me stand there and shoot them.

Not yet!

Unloading a revolver into a packed group of enemies isn’t the best idea. Unlike rifles with thirty-round magazines, a six-shooter leaves you defenseless once emptied.

But…

If the enemies are tightly packed,

If the bullets are anything but ordinary,

And if I have infinite chances to fire them the way I want—then the rules change.

Still prone, I rolled away from an incoming slash, dust and debris flying in its wake.

From the ground, I drew my revolver and began firing without hesitation.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The nearest enemies were thrown back by the explosions. While the Cathedral knights’ armor wasn’t for show, enchanted to withstand such impacts, a few in the front collapsed.

That bought me precious time.

I snatched up a nearby rifle, gritting my teeth as a sword struck the brass plating on my right arm again.

The reinforced metal held, but the impact reverberated through the inner steel, jarring my arm painfully.

No time for second-guessing. Before resetting time, I had one more shot to take.

I braced the elephant rifle under my arm and aimed directly at the Cardinal.

And I pulled the trigger.

Chapter 221

A sharp gasp echoed in the air.

It wasn’t just because one of their comrades had collapsed forward, their abdomen cleanly pierced through. The sight that followed made the shock ripple through their ranks.

The soldier behind them, and the one behind that, all fell to the side, their armored bodies crumpling like dominoes.

Each suit of plate armor bore bullet holes.

Bang! Bang!

The mechanical click of the revolver’s hammer was followed by the deafening roar of gunfire.

I fired relentlessly in the direction of the Cardinal, unloading every last round from the revolver’s cylinder.

Accuracy didn’t matter. Even if I missed, it would be fine. The Maramaros rounds were more than enough. Each shot enveloped the enemy in flames, froze the surface of their armor, or sent them flying backward on a gust of wind.

The responses around me were a mix of panic and disbelief.

It made sense. Maramaros was an incredibly valuable resource, and I was wasting it like it was nothing, one bullet at a time.

Aside from the single round I’d fired at the gryphon earlier, the revolver had held five bullets.

I counted them off, firing carefully while using the chaos to gauge my surroundings and steady my breathing.

With the last shot, I watched as an earth-aspect Maramaros round pierced three enemies in a line. Satisfied, I tossed the now-empty rifle down to the ground below.

Without hesitation, I grabbed the automatic pistol from under my arm, holding it firmly with both hands, and darted into a nearby corridor.

A fraction of a second later, the place where I had been standing was slashed by several sword strikes. Even the ornate decorations near my new position were chipped and shattered as shards of stone scattered around me.

I extended only my hand from cover and fired a few shots blindly.

“Ah…!”

And then my hand was severed.

Missed.

Reset.

The reason I could instill fear on the battlefield was simple: I never missed a target. I knew where attacks would come from before they happened.

Granted, my actual battlefield experience wasn’t as extensive as it might seem. I had truly fought only once—if you’re counting “success” on the first attempt.

Before resetting time, I’d fought once. After resetting, I fought again. Before that, I had already replayed the battlefield numerous times to ensure I perfected the outcome.

Technically, this made me a "veteran" despite my age.

The skill level of the Cathedral knights, or how rigorous their training was, didn’t concern me. What mattered was their lack of real combat experience.

If the Empire and the Holy Nation clashed in war, the Holy Nation would lose. The Empire would send seasoned veterans who had survived the Northern Front, while the Holy Nation’s Cathedral knights would falter from sheer inexperience.

It wasn’t just a matter of skill or weaponry.

If the protagonists hadn’t killed the Emperor, the war would have ended with the Empire annihilating the Holy Nation.

Though I couldn’t see their faces behind their helmets, I knew the humans inside those armors were terrified.

The air on the second floor was thick with acrid gunpowder, metallic blood, and the faint smell of scorched earth.

“H-Help…!”

As I stepped toward the Cardinal, he scrambled backward, dragging himself with one arm. His other arm was missing, and his leg was broken, the bone protruding grotesquely.

I almost pitied him. Almost.

I wiped the blood dripping down my forehead. It had been obscuring my vision for too long.

The sound of clashing swords and the gryphon’s cries continued from below.

Were the others safe?

I wanted to check, but stopping the object glowing in the Cardinal’s chest took priority. In games, an enemy could be defeated just by reducing their HP to zero—or, in our case, surviving as long as your HP didn’t hit zero. But here, things were different. Permanent injuries couldn’t be undone without resetting time, and death was irreversible. There was no option for someone to simply "fall unconscious."

Bang. Bang.

I fired twice more, taking down two knights who were struggling to rise and reach their swords.

“Gah… cough…”

When I reached the Cardinal, I planted my foot on his back. Blood gushed from his mouth with a gurgling noise.

“Why…”

The Cardinal’s voice trembled.

Good question.

That’s something I wanted to ask him, too.

But he wasn’t dead. I could heal him later and get the answers I needed.

“It’s too late…! I’ve already unleashed the beasts and monsters beyond that door!”

“If this is gone, they won’t remain under control, will they?”

I bent down and ripped the necklace from around his neck.

“Why…?”

The Cardinal’s voice cracked as he tried to twist his head to look at me, struggling to understand how I seemed to know everything already.

“If there really is a goddess watching over this place,” I said calmly, “then clearly, she didn’t choose you.”

I tossed the necklace to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

Crack.

The delicate artifact shattered pathetically.

“Ah!”

A startled cry came from below.

Something must have happened to the gryphon.

Judging by the abrupt silence in the sound of clashing swords, it wasn’t entirely bad news for us.

I pulled out a bandage I had tucked away as an emergency measure. Unfortunately, it had been stashed in the unarmored side of my torso—where a sword strike had hit. The bandage was tattered and soaked with blood, barely functional.

Still, for what I needed it to do, it would suffice.

I shoved the bandage into the Cardinal’s mouth. If he bit his tongue… well, he wouldn’t die, but interrogating him later would be far more difficult.

“Try not to die. I have many questions for you after this.”

The Cardinal’s wide eyes stared up at me as I turned away.

The second floor wasn’t much of a “floor.” It was more of a corridor overlooking a massive hall. From here, I had a clear view of the battle below.

The gryphon, once proud and towering, had collapsed. It knelt with its head bowed, breathing heavily.

Its tumors bulged grotesquely, blood vessels in its crimson eyes ruptured, and its body was riddled with wounds. Even standing must have been agony.

The Cardinal’s inability to escape must have stemmed from this. A regular beast might have been able to function under the tumors’ influence, but a gryphon required immense power just to remain upright.

I knew what the artifact was—it had been detailed in the lorebook. Destroying it didn’t feel like much of a loss.

Now, the real concern was…

“Hold your swords until the end—!”

One of the remaining Cathedral knights shouted, trying to rally his comrades, but collapsed forward mid-sentence.

Bang.

My shot rang out, followed by the metallic clatter of his sword hitting the ground.

The massive rifle in my hands felt impossibly heavy. Only the power assist of my brass exosuit kept me in position.

I still had five Maramaros rounds left.

Though there were more than five knights below, I paused as my gaze met Alice’s.

Not just Alice—Claire, Leo, Charlotte, Mia, Lena, Jake, and Lottie.

…And even Sophia, who looked up at me with a mix of awe and fear.

They were all still standing.

Though everyone bore wounds, no one had fallen.

Despite my repeated resets, despite all the interruptions, they had endured and fought valiantly against the gryphon.

Knowing this, I almost laughed.

“Indeed, it’s not over yet.”

I muttered under my breath.

“If you want this to end, come at us until the very end. But for now… I suggest accepting defeat.”

One of the knights, staring up at me, dropped his sword.

The clang of metal hitting the floor echoed in the silence.

It was followed by another. And another.

Were they afraid of me?

How foolish.

The real Fangryphons were the ones who stood against that gryphon below.

Chapter 222

To be honest, I wasn’t in good shape.

The space was narrow, with few places to hide, unlike the battlefield. The sheer number of enemies crammed into the tight corridors made it feel overwhelming. Even in war, where thousands of enemies might gather, I wasn’t fighting the entire battlefield. There were trenches wide enough for small squads to maneuver. Here, the second-floor hallway offered no such leeway.

Naturally, I was far more exposed to enemy attacks.

The opponents weren’t ordinary soldiers either—they were trained knights. While they might have lacked real experience in killing humans, they were still formidable enough to make fighting them alone an arduous task.

If I hadn’t been able to reset time, I wouldn’t have been standing here now. I wouldn’t have won, either.

...Games are games. No matter how many enemies you face, it’s only possible for a four-person party to emerge victorious because that’s how games work.

After all, the enemies we faced in the game included gryphons, the Empire’s strongest swordsman, and even the Emperor himself.

While magic-made ice stairs had helped us ascend earlier, I used the ordinary staircase to descend. There was no point in forcing Mia to drain her mana further after such a fierce battle.

That ice staircase, too, was only possible because this wasn’t a game. In the original game, spells could only be used as battle commands, not as tools to manipulate the environment.

“Sylvia!”

Alice’s shout jolted me.

Stumbling down the stairs with an injured leg, blood continued to drip down my forehead, obscuring my vision. One hand was occupied dragging the Cardinal, while the other held a pistol aimed at our surrendered enemies. I had no way to wipe the blood away.

Thud. Thud.

With every step I took, the Cardinal’s body bumped against the stairs. I didn’t have the strength to carry him with care.

…Hmm.

By the time I reached the bottom, I realized that I was probably in the worst condition among the ten of us.

Thud.

I dropped the Cardinal onto the floor, eliciting a groan of pain. His limbs were a mangled mess, but he didn’t appear to be bleeding out, likely thanks to the heat from the Maramaros rounds cauterizing the wounds.

As I wiped the blood from my face with my now-free hand, Alice hurried over and grabbed my empty arm, draping it over her shoulder to support me.

“You’re okay—”

Alice began to ask instinctively but stopped mid-sentence. Judging by appearances alone, I was far from okay. Even without a mirror, I could imagine how I looked.

During the battle, adrenaline had dulled my senses, but as the tension eased, the pain and exhaustion hit all at once.

I had been able to calmly reset time even after losing an arm mid-battle, likely because I’d experienced worse under Lucas. One thing I’d learned from being repeatedly cut by his sword was that “a deep wound hurts less at first.” And that the pain grows unbearable with time.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, though I couldn’t relax entirely now that the fighting was over.

“We need to restrain the surrendered knights—”

“Got it.”

Charlotte, standing a short distance away, responded promptly.

“As Princess of Belvur, I order you all to kneel and place your hands behind your heads,” she declared, stepping confidently toward the knights.

Charlotte’s body bore numerous wounds, the most notable being a deep gash on her shoulder. It looked more like a gryphon’s claw mark than a typical beast’s wound. The spacing between the gashes was far too wide for it to have been caused by anything smaller.

“You’ve conducted unauthorized military activity beneath Belvur’s territory, violating the treaty between the Kingdom and the Holy Nation. We will address these violations thoroughly.”

Charlotte’s commanding tone prompted the rest of the group to act.

We hadn’t brought restraints with us, not expecting to subdue enemies without killing them. Yet the knights had cuffs strapped to their waists.

They hadn’t planned to kill us outright. Even if they wanted leverage, killing the Princess of Belvur would have been disastrous for the Holy Nation. It seemed they had prepared for negotiations or hoped to use us as bargaining chips.

Now, those same restraints were being used to bind them.

As the knights were forced to the ground, their gazes shifted toward me.

Some had removed their helmets, and their eyes revealed unmistakable fear.

Even while leaning heavily on Alice and struggling to stand, I must have looked like a harbinger of destruction to them. After all, I had taken down so many of their comrades singlehandedly.

“Sis.”

Claire approached, gently placing a hand on my right arm—the one holding the pistol.

“It’s over now. You can let go.”

It wasn’t over.

We still had information to extract. The story had deviated too far from the original, and the future was uncertain—

But I didn’t get to finish my thought.

Claire’s soft hand eased mine away from the pistol grip. She calmly holstered the weapon for me and lowered my arm with gentle care.

“Let’s go. Sit down for a while, at least.”

Her voice was soothing, almost like a lullaby.

“….”

I didn’t respond.

But at that moment, the tension drained from my body.

My knees buckled, and I almost collapsed, but Alice caught me just in time. Claire, on my other side, tightened her grip to help support me.

“Take a break. We’ll handle the rest,” Alice reassured me.

I decided to follow her advice.

Sigh.

I felt like I could breathe again.

The device controlling the gryphon had been destroyed, but it wasn’t the only thing released from control. Beyond the massive doors lay countless other beasts we hadn’t dealt with, now freed from the device’s influence.

I doubted they’d be in great condition, given the gryphon’s state, but caution was still necessary.

Leo and Claire stood beside the slightly ajar doors, ready to keep them open. They had positioned themselves carefully inside the room to prevent the doors from slamming shut, as they had when we first entered.

Even through the small gap, the recovery device worked flawlessly. I didn’t know the exact mechanics—it hadn’t been detailed in the lorebook—but as long as it considered the space "the same location," it seemed to function.

“At least there won’t be any scars,” Charlotte commented, inspecting her now-unblemished shoulder. The skin beneath her torn clothing was flawless, showing no trace of the gryphon’s earlier attack.

“…”

Sophia remained silent. Though she had tried to heal me earlier with divine magic, the bleeding on my forehead had barely stopped. Her powers seemed limited, likely capped at a certain level.

In the original game, divine magic used a separate resource from mana. But considering the discrepancies between the original and this world, I wasn’t sure if MP was an exact analog for mana here. After all, the concept of a "gauge" for a person’s condition was something unique to games.

Alice, meanwhile, stood fearlessly before the gryphon.

The creature, its head bowed and eyes closed, looked utterly defeated. Alice’s expression as she stared at it was complex, layered with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.

Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the broken artifact I’d taken before descending to the first floor.

Its center was shattered, and the glow it once emitted was gone.

But the gryphon recognized it.

Its eyes snapped open, gleaming sharply as they fixed on me.

…Oh.

Was this the wrong timing?

Chapter 223

To be honest, I’ve always been skeptical about the idea of talking to animals.

Not the beasts of this world—I’m talking about the pets people kept back in my world.

When a dog barks, humans can only guess at their general emotions. Deciphering a dog’s language with any accuracy is impossible. The idea that animals possess complex linguistic structures akin to human languages has always struck me as nonsense. Given their intelligence, barking is likely less a language and more a form of body language enhanced with sound for clarity.

Still, pet owners often claimed they could “talk” to their animals. I never believed it. Sure, animals can be cute and comforting to be around, but that’s it. I never felt the need to talk to a dog at my friend’s house. I’d just silently pat its head or scratch its back.

But...

Well, perhaps things might be different with a gryphon.

In this world, gryphons are considered the “kings of beasts.” However, calling a gryphon a “beast” feels inadequate—it’s more like a mystical creature.

According to lore, gryphons live in organized societies. Whether these are wolf-pack-level hierarchies or true civilizations is unclear. Even the game’s lorebook and monster descriptions didn’t go into detail. Gryphons were simply treated as boss monsters, little more than a challenge to overcome.

Frankly, such treatment seemed unworthy of a creature associated with the name "Fangryphon."

“Big Sis?”

Still, if this gryphon could recognize the artifact, perhaps trying to “talk” wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Big Sis, wait!”

Claire, standing near the door, called out to stop me, but I was already moving.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward me as I rose and walked forward.

In my hand, I still held the shattered artifact, deliberately raising it high so the gryphon could see. Though it knelt with its head bowed, the gryphon was still far taller than me.

As I approached, the gryphon’s wary gaze intensified. Given that I was holding the very object that had restrained it, its reaction was understandable. Even dogs growl at humans who once mistreated them.

“It’s alright,” I said gently, attempting what I could only describe as “conversation.”

“This object is destroyed. It will no longer bind you.”

The gryphon lifted its head at my words, its sharp eyes locking onto mine.

How should I interpret that gaze?

An order to explain myself?

Even as I stared at this magnificent creature, the thought amused me. My condition was pitiful—I looked like I might collapse at any moment. Yet I still entertained the idea that the gryphon wanted answers.

Without another word, I raised the artifact higher, allowing the gryphon to examine it more closely.

The creature tilted its head slightly, focusing its gaze on the broken relic. It didn’t emit any sound, but I saw its crimson eyes flicker with recognition as it confirmed the artifact’s lack of power.

No response. I hadn’t expected one. Even if we made sounds at each other, mutual understanding of language was improbable.

But for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw relief in the gryphon’s eyes.

It was dying, after all.

I tucked the artifact into my pocket and looked up at the gryphon.

Silence enveloped us.

Not even Alice, who had been checking on the gryphon moments earlier, made a sound. She stood nearby, watching us in silence.

I stepped closer and placed a hand on the gryphon’s side.

Its body was warm—much warmer than a human’s. Its feathers, though battered and torn, were surprisingly soft.

Then my hand brushed against a rough patch—a tumor.

A low, guttural growl rumbled from the gryphon’s throat, more like the sound of a feline predator than a bird. Was it a sign of pain?

“Come with me,” I said.

The gryphon didn’t seem inclined to attack me, and even if it did, I could always reset time.

From what I’d observed, it didn’t see me as prey. Gryphons, like lions or tigers raised by humans from birth, might recognize individuals who care for them.

Whether it understood my words or simply wanted to follow me, the gryphon slowly rose.

The sense of majesty that radiated from its movement was palpable. This was the true presence of a king of beasts, unlike the eerie, manufactured intimidation it had exuded earlier under control.

I felt a twinge of embarrassment recalling how I had called it a “king” during the battle. Still, since I hadn’t said it aloud, no one else would know.

I took a few steps back, keeping my eyes on the gryphon. Slowly, with visible effort, it moved its legs and began to follow.

As I approached the door, I noticed the others had cleared a path for me. Even the Cardinal, slumped near the doorframe, stared wide-eyed at the sight.

The gryphon let out a quiet, piercing cry, like a bird of prey.

The sound startled the Cardinal, who flinched and scrambled further to the side. Though his legs had mostly healed, his panicked reaction suggested he was still reeling from the ordeal.

I reached the bronze door and glanced at Claire and Leo, who stood on either side.

Without a word, I nodded, and they stepped aside to open the door for me.

As the door creaked open, a flood of healing light washed over us.

I turned back to face the gryphon.

For the first time, I saw the gryphon fully restored.

Its golden eyes were the first thing I noticed—vivid, luminous, and piercing.

Though its feathers hadn’t entirely recovered from the earlier corruption, the tumors and wounds had vanished. Its powerful muscles were whole again, and its once-broken wings now folded neatly against its sides. Even its shattered beak and claws had regenerated.

The speed of its recovery was astonishing, far beyond anything human.

Now fully healed, the gryphon stood tall, its regal bearing unshaken.

For a moment, I wondered if I had made a mistake. Had I been wrong to heal it?

But as I hesitated, the gryphon didn’t attack.

I raised a hand and gestured toward the corridor.

“Go,” I said.

The gryphon stared at me, its golden eyes inscrutable. Did it understand?

“You’re free now,” I added.

After a moment’s pause, the gryphon finally began to move. Its steps were steady and deliberate, exuding a confidence that was no longer artificial.

Then, unexpectedly, it turned toward me, spreading its massive wings in a grand display.

The movement was so sudden that I almost flinched—but my shock was so overwhelming that I froze entirely, my soul momentarily leaving my body.

The gryphon tilted its head slightly, as if puzzled by my lack of reaction. Its sharp eyes narrowed, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed amused.

With a slow, deliberate motion, the gryphon folded its wings and lowered its head toward me.

Regaining my senses, I grabbed the edges of my skirt and offered the most elegant imperial bow I could muster, one I’d practiced many times since arriving in this world.

The gryphon raised its head, turned without hesitation, and began to stride away.

Its massive body moved with an agility that seemed impossible for its size, each step light and graceful.

From a distance, its cry echoed once more—a high, piercing call.

I had no way of knowing what that sound meant.

But for my own peace of mind, I decided to think of it as a farewell.

Chapter 224

In the epic poems about the lives of heroes, the battles of heroes are often described as "beautiful."

The swing of their sword is beautiful, their forward stride is beautiful, their resolve is beautiful, and their expressions, unflinching even in the face of pain, are beautiful.

But Sylvia's fighting could not be so simply described in such poetic terms.

Her battles were brutal.

There was little time to pay attention to the second floor from the first, but the gunshots, screams, and the sound of flesh being torn that echoed down from the second floor often drew unwilling glances upward.

Even when struck by a flying sword slash multiple times, she didn’t so much as stagger. As though she'd known it would happen, she twisted the brass plates of her armor to minimize the damage and continued to fight. Every step seemed calculated; she would stop just before a slash reached her, draw another gun, reload, and roll sideways.

At the Academy, such debates often came up.

If the heroes from ancient epics, armed only with swords, faced a modern battalion equipped with firearms, could they survive? No matter how strong they were, the students would joke that they couldn’t possibly avoid the machine gun fire raining down from a squadron of fighter planes or a steam-powered tank's shells.

In some ways, Sylvia’s fight seemed to embody the results of that debate perfectly.

But to Alice, watching the battle from afar, the situation didn’t look as simple as a mere "technological gap."

The armor Sylvia wore was cutting-edge, a piece of technology so advanced even the Empire's military hadn’t adopted it—perhaps they didn’t even know it existed. The firearms she wielded were masterpieces of modern industrial precision. Yet even with such weapons, fighting knights swarming from all directions was an entirely different matter.

Especially when it wasn’t a battle fought at hundreds of meters away but right in the middle of the melee.

In such a situation, what weapon you held in your hands wouldn’t matter much.

Sylvia dispatched her enemies without a single change in expression or even a blink.

Alice, too, had her own opponents to deal with, so she couldn’t keep watching for long. But every time she glanced upward, the number of enemies dwindled.

Even while bleeding from numerous wounds, Sylvia stood firm and unyielding.

—Alice had a vague sense of Sylvia’s abilities.

How many times had Sylvia been struck by blades in this loop? How many times had she fallen, and how many times—

"..."

At some point, the battle abruptly stopped.

The gryphon suddenly collapsed to its knees. The knights who had been rushing toward Alice and the others hesitated, caught off guard, and stopped swinging their swords.

“It’s not over yet! Raise your swords to the end—”

Whatever had happened above, even with the gryphon neutralized, the knights still had the upper hand.

No matter how skilled Alice and the others were, they were still students. They couldn’t hope to defeat a group of knights who lived and breathed combat in a fair fight.

But.

A burning hole opened in the chest of a knight shouting orders, and he fell forward, dead before he could even cough up blood.

Alice looked up toward the upper floor.

There stood Sylvia, her figure noble and unwavering despite the countless wounds covering her body.

In a steady crouched shooting position, she pointed a rifle almost as tall as she was downward and spoke.

“It’s true. This isn’t over yet.”

Her voice was calm, as though she truly agreed with that sentiment.

“If you want to end this, fight to the very last. But I recommend you simply accept your defeat… for now.”

Her tone, however, carried a clear declaration:

If you do not surrender here, all of you will meet the same fate as that knight.

Despite the cuts and bruises all over her body and the blood streaming from her forehead that partially blinded one eye, Sylvia’s conviction was so powerful that Alice couldn’t bring herself to doubt her words.

It seemed everyone else present felt the same.

The clang of a sword dropping to the ground broke the silence.

Then another. And another.

Until, at last, every knight of the Holy Nation present had dropped their weapons.

Sylvia stood tall, her gaze steady and unyielding as she looked down at them.

For a fleeting moment, Alice had a strange thought—that Sylvia wouldn’t look out of place with a pair of eagle wings sprouting from her back.

Good.

Realistically, the situation wasn’t one to be called “good” at all, but for now, Alice decided to think of it that way.

No one in their group had died, and no one had sustained permanent injuries either.

Their tight, pre-planned formation and focus on strict defense had paid off.

Of course, the strategy had somewhat fallen apart when Sylvia impulsively charged ahead. The gryphon’s wings hadn’t been cut, and Alice and Charlotte had been left behind below instead of leaping upward.

But there hadn’t been any need to sever the wings. Perhaps anticipating the possibility of losing control over the gryphon, the Holy Nation had already crippled its wings. Given the sorry state of the rest of its body, it wasn’t surprising.

Heh.

The thought made Alice let out a dry laugh. The king of beasts, an indomitable force, had still been enslaved by the Holy Nation, even if only one.

Was it a juvenile gryphon? Or perhaps it had been captured by sheer chance during its youth and raised to adulthood under their control? There was no way to know—

—No, there was a way to find out.

“Khrr…”

As Alice yanked out the blood-soaked bandage she had stuffed into the Cardinal’s mouth earlier, the man gasped for air.

With a flick of her fingers, she tossed the unpleasantly sticky, blood-and-saliva-stained cloth to the side and crouched down to look the Cardinal in the eye.

He didn’t spew curses or vow revenge, nor did he declare his refusal to speak. It didn’t matter to Alice if he did; she had all the time in the world.

“There are a few things I’d like to know. Would you care to cooperate?”

Her voice was calm, but the Cardinal only trembled, staring at her in fear.

Hmm.

Alice glanced at his leg. It looked like he could walk again—mostly. It wouldn’t hurt anymore, at least.

Of course, his severed arm wouldn’t grow back, but that was the cost of battle. Alice had lost a hand earlier in the fight, so the Cardinal could deal with something similar.

Deciding to interpret the Cardinal’s silence as agreement, Alice continued,

“Why were you stationed down here? If you intended to prepare for war with the Emperor, you could have chosen the border instead of Lutetia.”

To be honest, it would have been possible to align with Countess Crowfield. She was the kind of person who wouldn’t hesitate to betray the Emperor. Of course, silencing her during the cleanup process later would have been necessary.

"…That’s…"

The Cardinal started to respond but quickly shut his mouth.

He shouldn’t speak.

But he was just as afraid of staying silent.

His eyes reflected both emotions simultaneously.

"I…"

So, I decided to help the Cardinal come to a decision.

"I happen to know a few ways to convince someone. But if you’re asking whether I’m confident in my methods… that’s a harder question to answer. If I’m not careful… I might lose control. And if you were to pass out during the process, it would take some time before you’d regain consciousness."

The Cardinal’s eyes flicked toward Sophia, as though pleading for help. But Sophia only lowered her gaze, remaining silent.

"What will it be? A long conversation or a short one? You can choose. Now that the fight is over, I have no particular grudge against you."

Honestly, I found the idea of wrestling with him any further to be tiresome.

"…"

The Cardinal, still meeting my gaze, turned to glance at the knights. But they weren’t in any position to intervene. Their hands and feet were tightly bound, and their mouths gagged.

Eventually, resignation flickered in the Cardinal’s eyes.

"…The reason we were here is—"

But nothing in this world ever goes smoothly, does it?

Just as the Cardinal began to speak, blood suddenly gushed from his mouth, choking off his words.

Well, of course. The Holy Nation, which had a way to control the gryphon, would naturally know how to silence someone as well.

I let out a heavy sigh.

Again.

Chapter 225

Honestly, the Holy Nation's idea was clever—disturbingly so.

It was clear they thought of human lives the same way one might think of machine parts, but wasn’t that the nature of this world? Besides, in settings like this, religious zealots often turn out to be the most inhuman of all.

Of course, the religion of this world wasn’t so dominant as to rule the entire world, nor were they in any position to hold inquisitions in foreign countries when they were barely avoiding being judged themselves. Still, the signature fanaticism of “only the Goddess matters” subculture characters was too good a trope not to use.

But, as I must emphasize again, I had infinite opportunities.

As long as the Cardinal remained conscious and capable of speech, I had all the time I needed to get answers. Even if their magic involved an instant-death spell that the healing device couldn’t counter, it didn’t matter.

Cough!

I lost track of how many times I heard that sound.

I dragged the Cardinal around the room countless times, rewinding time again and again. I asked him questions to get verbal answers and had him point things out with his remaining hand. Fortunately, a few seconds before he died each time were enough to piece together his intentions.

"…"

By about the twelfth attempt, I stopped asking questions altogether.

The place the Cardinal pointed to before dying was the corner of the first-floor hall—a bookshelf tucked away in the shadows.

A bookshelf filled with various versions of their sacred texts.

Classic.

Was it one of those mechanisms where pulling or pushing a particular book would trigger a hidden door?

But it seemed the Holy Nation wasn’t entirely careless. No matter how many of the sacred texts I pulled off the shelf, no switch or secret door was revealed. The bookshelf didn’t swing open, nor did the floor beneath it give way to reveal a hidden passage.

I turned back to the Cardinal.

He was still alive—this time, I hadn’t asked him anything.

Since he consistently pointed to the bookshelf, there had to be a method hidden there. Perhaps it wasn’t a simple mechanism but something more complex, something too elaborate for him to explain while coughing up blood.

Hmm.

I glanced at the sacred text I had just removed, lost in thought.

Without asking anyone anything—at least that’s how it must have appeared to those watching—I examined the books on the shelf. The Cardinal and the knights seemed visibly flustered, unsure whether my actions constituted a "leak of information." At least no one started coughing up blood yet.

I had enough time to read through every sacred text on the shelf. Maybe the solution involved reading a specific passage aloud or rearranging the books in a particular order.

Or perhaps—

Suddenly, I thought of the Cardinal’s severed arm left on the second floor.

Ah.

While I had learned the basics of magic in this world, it was as intricate as the laws of physics.

At first glance, physics seems simple, with its absolute equations and laws. But delve into the microscopic world, and you’re met with quantum mechanics and other bizarre, incomprehensible phenomena. Magic was just as convoluted, far beyond simply chanting spells.

So, I had no idea why the "Cardinal’s severed right hand" was the key to activating the mechanism.

Did the Cardinal need to be alive to touch the sacred texts? Or was it simply a matter of his fingerprint or some other biometric being registered?

Whatever the case, it wasn’t my concern.

The people who created such mechanisms could worry about the details. As long as it worked for me, that was all that mattered.

“You overreached, and that was your downfall.”

I tossed the Cardinal his discarded right hand as I spoke. Whether he could reattach the thing was his problem now.

The Cardinal reflexively caught the severed hand but immediately dropped it in horror. It was a surprisingly squeamish reaction for someone who had been trying to kill children with a gryphon mere moments ago.

“You tried to control a gryphon, a powerful, majestic creature. To maintain that control, your presence here was necessary. If you’d simply fled and left the knights behind, this might have ended differently.”

Perhaps they had another plan in mind.

Maybe they feared me, thinking I had such overwhelming abilities that no trick could escape my notice.

To someone who hadn’t seen me directly, it might very well seem that way.

Among my companions, the only ones giving me odd looks were Alice, Claire, and Leo. But those three had seen enough of my fighting to have some idea of my abilities. Alice, in particular, seemed to fully grasp what I was capable of.

The others, though? Their expressions were pure shock.

Yeah, I’d probably react the same way.

After all, I’d led them into a hidden base, navigating the shortest possible route as if I’d memorized the map, identified the enemy’s critical weaknesses at a glance, neutralized them efficiently, and found a secret area as though I’d known it was there all along.

If I were them, I’d be yelling, "This makes no sense!" right about now.

But what could I do?

It had already happened.

"…"

I glanced at the children, their mouths agape as they stared at me. Then I turned my gaze back to the newly opened floor.

The central hall where the gryphon had been standing.

The door beneath it was now open.

This was a place I’d never seen in the original story.

So, there had been a reason the gryphon had stood there.

Was this space something the Holy Nation had hastily created with magic?

“Shall we go?”

I turned to my companions and asked. They exchanged uncertain glances before looking back at me.

Their earlier confusion was gone.

They nodded silently.

I nodded back, if only for the sake of it.

The space was surprisingly expansive, considering it was hastily built. It wasn’t as meticulously arranged as the upper floors but seemed designed to conceal something.

It made sense they’d choose this "deepest" area as the safest place to hide it.

Perhaps it was something they intended to safeguard from the Emperor in case of an attack. Or maybe they hid it here to keep it out of reach, even if the Holy Nation itself fell.

Whatever the reason, their logic was sound.

“This is…”

At the end of the pitch-black expanse, something faintly glowed.

It was fractured, its surface marred with cracks, yet parts of it were "clearly" complete.

“This… could it be?”

Alice murmured from over my shoulder, staring at the object.

“Wait a moment.”

I held out a hand, stopping the group about ten steps away.

That was… a Relic.

Not just any piece, but one that was partially complete. I didn’t know whether they’d gathered every artifact in the Holy Nation or if they’d been working tirelessly while I was distracted.

Even incomplete, the finished portion was enough to identify what it was.

A jagged corner of a shattered gear rested quietly atop a pedestal in the center of the hastily dug chamber.

Which meant—

Time flowed properly.

My powers weren’t sealed.

The masked woman wasn’t here, at least not yet.

The Relic didn’t interfere with my abilities.

Why?

If they’d gone to such lengths to hide it from the Emperor, I understood.

But wherever the Relic was, the masked woman always appeared.

“Sister? What’s wrong?”

Claire peeked over my shoulder, her voice light.

“…We need to be cautious,” I replied.

Slowly, I began approaching the Relic.

The closer we got, the brighter it shone.

As if it were welcoming us, as if it had been waiting for someone to arrive—

…No.

That wasn’t it.

The Relic wasn’t welcoming me.

It wasn’t intuition or some supernatural revelation.

The light emanating from the Relic wasn’t directed at me.

The glow split into beams, flowing toward Claire and Alice, who stood behind me.

And, unmistakably, the light directed at Claire was far stronger.

“…Ah.”

In that moment, I began to understand why, after Claire’s death in the game, the Emperor’s plans had crumbled.

Unbelievable.

Chapter 226

There are always decisive reasons why battles end in failure.

If we think about it simply, numbers are a crucial factor. Generally, the side with the greater numbers holds the advantage in battle. As long as the individuals on the "larger side" possess at least a certain level of skill, they can unite their strength to take on opponents stronger than any of them individually.

However, the leaders of the Holy Nation miscalculated that “certain level of strength.”

As the Emperor swung his sword, the blood staining the golden blade dripped off in scattered droplets. Gold is said to be a soft metal, yet the aura enveloping the Emperor's sword made such differences trivial, slicing through the Holy Nation's knights as if they were nothing.

If it had been just the Emperor alone, they might have had a chance. No matter how skilled in swordsmanship or how powerful, he was still human. Every human ability has its limits.

But—

“Anto, Neo…”

A knight gasped out the names as he struggled to speak.

Of course, his words were cut short as "Jericho's Blade" pierced him, killing him instantly.

“It was from the very beginning… From the very start, you say.”

An aged voice, frail yet steady, sounded.

The Emperor turned his head to see a small old man, who appeared to be at least ninety years old, seated in the distance. The man’s robes were pristine, snow-white fabric embroidered with intricate golden thread, radiating elegance. Yet, the frail figure within the robes seemed pitiful to the Emperor.

“Ah, Your Holiness, the Pope,” the Emperor greeted, his smile soft as he turned toward the man.

“Indeed. Plans must be laid properly from the beginning, wouldn’t you agree? You, however, were careless. To be honest, I had no intention of sending my son so deeply into your territory. If my daughter hadn’t drawn so much attention, merely observing your internal structure would have sufficed.”

The figure called “Antonio” raised his head as he withdrew the sword from the knight’s corpse.

It was Damien.

“Then… the incident when your other son attacked this place…”

“Ah, that was truly an accident. Allow me to apologize for my son’s impudence,” the Emperor said, placing a hand over his chest and offering a shallow bow of regret.

“Honestly, at the time, I thought I might need to revise my plans. Luckily, the brotherly bond between them proved to be strong.”

“To be precise,” Damien interrupted as he approached silently, “I was lucky to escape with my life. Since all the knights around me died, they didn’t suspect a thing. Otherwise, my presence here would have been uncovered.”

“Well, at least you had the decency not to reveal everything, didn’t you?” the Emperor remarked, chuckling.

“…It was more due to the lack of witnesses,” Damien replied seriously, his tone cutting through the Emperor’s amusement.

After a moment’s pause, Damien bowed his head.

“…But in the end, I failed to retrieve the relic. For this, no number of apologies—”

“It’s fine,” the Emperor interrupted, placing a reassuring hand on Damien’s shoulder.

“In the end, that relic is now in my possession. Looking at the results, both of my sons ultimately delivered to me the very object I sought.”

With those words, the Emperor reached into his robe and pulled out a cogwheel.

It gleamed with an iridescent blue glow, its surface inscribed with intricate patterns that shimmered mesmerizingly—a flawless cogwheel.

“And the rest,” the Emperor continued, “was brought to me by my daughter.”

A ragged, gasping sound came from nearby, as if someone wanted to say something but couldn’t.

The Emperor looked down to see a girl wearing a white mask, collapsed and bleeding.

Her body was riddled with wounds, severe and gaping. Left untreated, she would succumb to blood loss within moments.

In fact, it was a miracle she was still alive.

A massive gash ran across her abdomen, exposing her insides. Among the spilled entrails were bolts and small cogwheels, as if her very body concealed some kind of machinery.

The Emperor gazed down at the figure he had called “daughter” and slowly began to speak.

“In that future, I failed. Isn’t that right?”

His words were incomprehensible to anyone listening.

“The ancient machinery created by Fangryphon could only function with Fangryphon’s power. It was designed by the first Fangryphon, who rebelled against the goddess’s plan to strip humans of their freedom and will, and impose her ‘perfect order.’ To replicate even a fraction of its capabilities, the body of a Fangryphon was required.”

The Emperor knelt gently beside the masked girl, cradling her upper body in his arms.

Even as he removed her mask, the girl made no effort to resist.

“Isn’t that right, Alice?”

The wet, choking sound she made could not convey any meaning.

The Emperor, ignoring the blood splattered on his face, brushed back Alice’s hair with a tender hand.

“I nearly succeeded in that future, but I failed. As a result, even in this repeated world, no one realized time had been rewound. The me of the future must have wondered how to seize the next opportunity, how to ensure victory. Isn’t that so, my daughter? If it were me, I would have thought exactly that.”

The light in Alice’s blue eyes was fading.

“I understand why you tried to kill yourself and why you resisted me so fiercely. I can understand it… in spirit.”

The Emperor smiled down at his daughter, who was gasping for breath.

“But that doesn’t mean I want to lose. I’ve always lived with the desire to win, and nothing else.”

“Why?”

The question didn’t come from Alice.

“Why… go to such lengths? Is the name Fangryphon truly that important to you?”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor gently laid Alice down and rose to his feet, looking toward the source of the question—his son, Lucas.

“Do you want to know why I wish to win?”

“That’s correct,” Lucas replied.

The sound of swift footsteps followed his words.

The first to move was Damien, who stood closest to the Emperor. He stepped forward as if to shield the Emperor.

“Enough. Step back,” the Emperor said, lightly tapping Damien’s shoulder. Damien flinched slightly at the gesture before reluctantly retreating.

Behind him, Bella and Jayden rushed in. Although they didn’t block the Emperor’s path directly—having been ordered to step aside—they stood ready to draw their swords at a moment’s notice.

Lucas, however, paid no attention to the three of them, fixing his gaze solely on the Emperor.

“It’s the same reason you wield your sword,” the Emperor said.

“…To become the strongest?”

“That depends on where you place the foundation of that strength.”

The Emperor took a step forward, a smile on his face as he approached Lucas.

“Lucas, you see… I enjoy being Emperor.”

“….”

“When I give a single command, tens of thousands of soldiers march, their boots shaking the ground. Tens of thousands of human lives, each as valuable as my own, march into the inferno of war, trusting only in my orders. They lay down their lives. It’s a tragic thing, really. That’s why I’m always compelled to deliver results worthy of the price they pay.”

The Emperor continued his approach, taking measured steps toward Lucas without a hint of hesitation or caution.

“Isn’t it thrilling? That my every move, my every word, shapes the flow of an era. Can’t you understand that feeling?”

“….”

“At first, I may have sought to live up to the illustrious name of Fangryphon. But not anymore. The first Fangryphon loved chaos. A world where the weak and the strong intertwined, where strength wasn’t determined solely by the clash of swords or purity of spirit, but by words, alliances, scheming, and betrayal—a world where the weak could overcome the strong through such means.”

Long, long ago, during an age of chaos when the concept of order was yet to be established, the first Fangryphon, despite his malformed body, rose to become the ruler of the world as the leader of the Griffons.

And thus, he earned the name Fangryphon.

“He wished for that beautiful chaos to never end.”

“Then… Father, do you intend to revive that great chaos? To restore the legacy of the first Fangryphon?”

“No,” the Emperor replied.

“I care nothing for chaos or order. To me, it’s all irrelevant. I simply… enjoy my current position too much. The joy of playing a game of wits against one who, despite sharing the blood of Fangryphon, somehow gained the goddess’s favor, is indescribable. Planning new schemes and executing them is exhilarating. Digging traps and waiting for prey to fall into them is delightful. Yes, it’s enough to make me think this is my reason for living.”

The Emperor laughed—a pure, childlike smile, free of any blemish.

“Aren’t you curious? If I could perfectly control the goddess’s power, just how much greater the pleasure I could enjoy would be. In the end, Lucas, what I pursue is no different from what you pursue, my son.”

The Emperor spread his arms wide.

“To bring this world under my feet and methodically, thoroughly correct everything I believe to be wrong. Imagine it—a day when even the flaws of your incomplete past could be restored to fullness. Isn’t that something worth anticipating?”

“….”

“Hmm.”

Before Lucas could respond to the Emperor’s grandiose claims, the sound of clashing metal echoed from outside. The knights of the Holy Nation, fully armored, were closing in.

“It seems the diversionary tactic involving my daughter has run its course. They must have decided to abandon their position on the other front.”

“…Did Sylvia agree to this being a mere diversion?”

The Emperor responded to Lucas’s pointed question with nothing more than a sly smile.

“Well then, Your Holiness,” the Emperor said, turning toward the Pope. Despite the considerable distance between them, the Pope simply stared up at the Emperor in silent awe, as if utterly overwhelmed.

“Where is the incomplete machine you’ve been hiding? I’d like to proceed to the final stage soon. Oh, and of course, we welcome the knights outside. Surely you didn’t think I would come here with just this many troops?”

“….”

And so, the Holy Nation had miscalculated the Empire’s “strength.”

Not in terms of sheer force or strategy, but something more fundamental, the Pope realized in that moment.

Something far more fundamental.

Yes, something like—

The unwavering conviction they thought only they possessed.

The kind of conviction that, while incomprehensible, could not be broken—a conviction the Emperor clearly shared.

Through her dimming vision, Alice, lying on the cold floor, overheard the Emperor and his children talking.

Click, click, click.

The sound of spinning cogwheels echoed in her mind, perfectly interlocking, turning in harmony.

This very moment—

This moment of lying on the cold floor, being just another cog in the machinery that made up the world—

It felt as though she had glimpsed a faint blue light through the cracks above, where she had once been.

Chapter 227

It’s not something I can’t understand.

If this “Relic” reacts to Fangryphon’s bloodline, it makes sense that it would react simultaneously to both Alice and Claire.

However, I don’t recall the relic showing such a strong reaction when I saw it previously.

I tried to remember the relic that the Emperor had taken from Lucas. At the time, I hadn’t been in the best condition to observe it properly, but I was certain it hadn’t behaved like this—glowing intensely, as if screaming, “Use me! I belong to you!”

Back then, it seemed to possess the ability to suppress the Masked Woman’s powers, or something similar, but it hadn’t displayed such a blatant, active presence.

So, why is this artifact now reacting in this way before us?

The most logical explanation is that the relic has been partially assembled. According to its lore, “it holds no great significance until fully gathered,” but it’s plausible that as it nears completion, its functionality begins to manifest more prominently.

Considering that the sequel’s main storyline revolved around collecting these relics, it’s not surprising that gathering them one by one would trigger story-driven events.

However, there’s a problem.

“Sylvia, what is this…?”

“Unni?”

It’s difficult to explain this situation to the two standing behind me.

I’ve never had even a drop of Fangryphon’s blood. Whether someone intentionally placed me here or it was sheer coincidence, the relic’s reaction makes it clear—I am not biologically the Emperor’s daughter.

I’ve suspected this for some time. Back at the orphanage, the one who inherited the Emperor’s blood was Claire. The Emperor had only assumed I was his daughter because of my abilities.

If the Emperor’s real goal in starting a war wasn’t world conquest but gathering the relics—and if he planned to select the child best suited to wielding the relics—then it makes sense why his plans fell apart after Claire’s death.

In this world, Marmaros could even be extracted from humans. Stories often include villains who exploit such concepts, and the idea of using one’s child as a tool fits the Emperor’s character perfectly.

The question remains—why Claire?

Logically, based on bloodline concentration, it should have been Alice. In societies where nobles and royals value maintaining a pure lineage, intermarriages among close relatives are common. The deceased Empress, too, was undoubtedly of the imperial bloodline.

Genetically, Alice should be the one inheriting Fangryphon’s blood.

Naturally, Claire’s mother—

——.

“Unni?”

Ah.

For a moment, my mind froze. It was Claire’s voice, close and calling to me, that pulled me back to reality.

In the dim underground space, Claire’s face appeared pale under the relic’s glow.

Rather than being concerned about the relic pointing toward her, Claire seemed more worried about my reaction.

As she stepped closer, the relic’s light grew even brighter, almost as if it was begging to be used.

…Claire’s biological parents.

In the original story, their identities were left as unresolved threads. Why Claire possessed such talent in swordsmanship or how she managed to escape at such a young age—none of these mysteries were ever properly explained.

Even if the main story didn’t delve into it, the subplots involving Claire strongly hinted at something deeper.

If one parent was the Emperor, then who was the other?

Did the orphanage director know? Perhaps. It’s possible, though Claire wasn’t under their care from the start. Even in the original, it was mentioned that she was “bought” from somewhere.

The problem is, there’s no way to know what happened during the transfer.

Because the director is dead.

I killed them.

If the orphanage still existed, there might be clues to trace Claire’s past. Surely, there would have been ledgers or documents. Knowing which neighborhood she came from could lead to answers by questioning everyone in the area.

But that evidence is gone—burned to ash.

…I set it on fire.

I wanted to roll on the floor, clutching my head in frustration.

And I did.

“Sylvia!?”

“Unni!?”

Despite the alarmed cries of the two behind me, I spent a good while writhing on the dirt floor before suddenly springing to my feet—

And rewound time.

“I have something important to tell you both.”

Before Claire and Alice could call out to me again, I turned to face them.

To anyone else, it would have seemed like I quickly assessed the situation and addressed them decisively. While the three of us were aware of my ability, there was no visible trace left when I rewound time.

“….”

The people trailing behind us hesitated at my words.

“It’s about the Fangryphon imperial family. I apologize, but could the rest of you wait outside for a moment?”

It was a somewhat presumptuous request, but I made an effort to sound as polite as possible. After all, everyone here was someone I considered a friend.

“Hmm.”

Of course, I hadn’t expected a completely agreeable response.

“In the heart of Belvur’s territory, practically beneath the Lutetia Royal Palace, you’re asking us to leave so you can discuss the Fangryphon family?” Charlotte, clearly agitated from the long journey, spoke up.

I understood. Anyone would find it upsetting. Though I had little attachment to the Azernian Empire, if a high-ranking official from another country came to my homeland, demanded privacy, and brought up foreign matters, I’d be irritated too.

Especially if it turned out to be a secret base built by someone from another nation without anyone’s knowledge.

“This relic is deeply connected to the Fangryphon bloodline,” I explained. “And, frankly, I’m the only one here with any real knowledge about it.”

Sophia might know a little, but not as much as I did.

“Even Alice isn’t fully informed. I promise to share as much as I can with everyone after speaking privately with those directly involved.”

“….”

“Does this ‘involvement’ include Claire?”

While Charlotte was silent, staring at the relic, Leo cut in with a question.

Of course, it sounded absurd.

Even I found it ridiculous. Hearing it directly from the Emperor himself had been shocking enough—Leo, who had lived his entire life as Claire’s brother, would find it downright incomprehensible.

Would I finally see Leo’s face turn pale after revealing the truth about Claire?

…

I marveled at my ability to think like this, even in such a situation.

Was it something to be proud of?

Neither Leo nor Charlotte looked entirely convinced.

Still, the trust I’d painstakingly built up until now seemed to work in my favor. It wasn’t just about camaraderie or professional competence. Without their belief that I wouldn’t betray them, they wouldn’t have stepped aside.

Nor would they have followed me this far.

“So?”

Alice asked impatiently. Though her arms were crossed, she tapped her fingers against them, betraying her unease.

“What do you mean I’m involved, Unni?”

Claire, on the other hand, seemed far less tense. She probably hadn’t even guessed the reason for her presence here.

“….”

I stayed silent for a while before finally speaking in a strained voice.

“Claire.”

“Yes?”

“You carry the blood of Fangryphon.”

“…Huh?”

Claire blinked at me, her expression blank.

Silence.

Uncomfortably long silence hung in the dim space. For some reason, the room seemed even darker, despite the relic’s glow.

“…What?”

“…Excuse me?”

Finally, both Alice and Claire broke the silence simultaneously.

TL Note: Unni = Sister

Chapter 228

"…So," Alice began, pressing her fingers against her temple as if to suppress a headache after listening to my explanation.

"Father has… been spreading the royal bloodline far and wide, taking in anyone who showed potential, then raising them as his own sons and daughters?"

"If the Emperor's words are entirely true, yes," I replied.

"And you're saying he mistook you for Claire and ended up bringing you in when it should’ve been her?"

"That’s correct."

"That doesn’t make any sense."

Alice shut her eyes tightly and spoke with frustration.

"If these ‘bloodlines’ were so carefully managed, shouldn’t he at least have remembered their physical appearances? Honestly speaking, you have black hair—"

Alice pointed a finger toward Claire, who flinched slightly but remained silent.

"—and she has blue hair. And Father’s hair is golden! If he knows the hair color of his own children, it’s common sense that he should’ve realized his child wouldn’t have black hair!"

Claire, who was suddenly on the receiving end of Alice’s sharp gesture, looked completely bewildered, unable to react.

Her face alternated between seriousness, shock, and confusion. She opened her mouth as if to say something, only to close it again, seemingly unable to find the right words. Even knowing the original story, I had been stunned when I first discovered this twist—how much more shocking must it be for Claire, who had never suspected such a thing her entire life?

"Perhaps it’s atavism," I said, trying to sound serious.

Of course, discussing genetics in a world where hair colors could range from blue to purple seemed somewhat ridiculous. Back in the real world, without dye, unique hair colors were limited to shades like platinum or fiery red. How something like "blue hair" could be genetically inherited was beyond me.

"Or perhaps he didn’t care much about appearances and focused solely on finding viable candidates to bear his offspring."

This theory seemed far more plausible to me. The Emperor, though he claimed to love his children in his own way, also viewed them as tools. It wasn’t hard to imagine him mechanically spreading his bloodline without any emotional attachment.

If the Emperor had countless illegitimate children but only selected a few to be part of his "family," and if he was confident enough in his judgment to believe any child with talent was undeniably his own…

"…."

Alice bit her lip, looking as though she might vomit.

Even Alice seemed to think, If it’s Father, he might actually do something like that.

"And it was Lucas who brought me to the palace," I continued. "Of all the children, I ended up in the Emperor’s favor not because of his judgment but Lucas’s."

Of course, that didn’t mean the Emperor didn’t trust Lucas.

But trust didn’t mean full disclosure. I doubted he had ever told his children outright that they shared his blood.

All of this had snowballed into the convoluted situation we were in now.

"I don’t know how he chose the women who bore his children, but tracing the imperial bloodline through history, it’s not unimaginable. There have been countless noble families who fell from grace, becoming less than minor nobles."

Though I had destroyed the evidence that could shed light on Claire’s mother, I could still imagine.

Not everyone with imperial blood was treated as royalty. Just as there were nobles without lands or titles—nobles in name only—there were imperial descendants who had fallen so far that they were no longer recognized.

Of course, their bloodlines likely weren’t as pure as those in the main family.

"…Mother was assassinated by a political rival," Alice muttered suddenly, breaking her silence.

"It happened when I was too young to remember. At the time, there were even rumors that the assassination attempt was meant for me, not her. Fangryphon’s name may hold the highest status in history now, but back then, it wasn’t as unshakable as it seems today. Even though people speak of absolute power and an unyielding empire, most of the Empire was still controlled by nobles."

Alice raised a hand to her chin, her gaze dropping as she pondered.

"The first to be purged during that time were the other members of the imperial family. Many who had succession rights, besides me, were executed or fell from grace."

And with that, the Emperor’s power solidified further.

"At first, I wondered if… Father had been the one to assassinate Mother. That he had used her death as an excuse to eliminate political rivals and consolidate power for the imperial family."

But if that wasn’t the case…

If the Emperor had no intention of killing the Empress and they were merely a normal couple, but he lost her during a power struggle—leaving him with only one heir…

Having only a single daughter as an heir would make anyone anxious. Children can die for countless reasons, not just from weapons or poison. Even with magic, there are diseases that medicine of this era cannot cure.

It wouldn’t be surprising if there were those who suggested the Emperor take a concubine to secure more heirs, whether from a noble family with diluted imperial blood or a distant branch of the family.

If that heir were a son, it would provide the legitimacy needed to pass down the throne.

If that’s why the Empress died…

Then the first to be purged under the pretense of "legitimacy" were the distant imperial relatives.

And among the nobility, the faction opposing the Emperor.

Even during my childhood, those power struggles continued. I had received orders from the Emperor to assassinate a count. That count had been Count Crowfield.

"…If Father, who trusted no one, sought to create a Fangryphon who trusted only him and whom only he could trust…"

"…."

It was all conjecture.

The truth could very well be that the Emperor was simply a hedonist who indulged freely and abandoned his lovers, selecting only the most talented children later by sheer coincidence.

Or perhaps he had orchestrated the Empress’s death, using it as a pretext to justify purging the opposition. That would also be entirely in character for him.

To uncover the real story, I would need to confront the Emperor directly.

"So, this relic…"

Alice trailed off, turning her gaze back to the relic, as if her thoughts had reached the same conclusion as mine.

"Yes. For reasons unknown, this relic is undeniably reacting to Fangryphon’s bloodline. Since it’s responding to Claire and not me, there’s no doubt about it."

It was strange for something called a "relic of the goddess" to react more strongly to Fangryphon’s bloodline than to anyone from the Holy Nation.

While my conclusion was based on the relic’s behavior as well as the original story’s lore, explaining this in terms of "fictional settings" and my ability to rewind time would be impossibly convoluted. I’d have to start with an explanation of video games.

"Then I…"

Claire, who had been listening to our conversation with a conflicted expression, finally spoke.

"…"

I looked at her silently before responding.

"Claire."

"Y-yes?"

"What kind of person do you want to be?"

"What kind of person…?"

"Whether you choose to embrace being Fangryphon or remain Claire of the Grace family, the choice is yours."

The original Claire had never been given such a choice.

She had been swept along, sold off, and subjected to a horrific past, with no say in her fate. Her only act of agency had been sacrificing herself in the end for someone she considered a sister.

But the Claire before me was different.

Would she be Claire Fangryphon or Claire Grace?

She had the freedom to choose.

Now, Claire had no master.

"I…"

Claire placed a hand over her heart, clenching it tightly.

"I want to stay as I am."

Then that was enough.

There was no need for Claire to sacrifice herself for anyone.

That’s why I was here—to stop that from happening.

"Understood."

I replied and reached out toward the relic.

Chapter 229

After finishing my conversation with Alice and Claire, I stepped outside, but the situation was far from resolved.

There were many loose ends: Charlotte, visibly upset; the children who couldn’t comprehend the unfolding events; the Knights of the Holy Nation, bound tightly despite their healed wounds; and even the Cardinal, who was missing an arm. The pile of issues waiting to be addressed felt insurmountable.

I understood why Charlotte was so displeased. Not only had the situation spiraled into chaos, but I’d acted as though I’d known everything from the beginning. She must be overwhelmed, unable to even imagine how to handle the international upheaval this incident would cause.

Of course, Charlotte wasn’t officially the Queen of Belvur yet. However, she was undeniably closer to the throne than Alice. While the Emperor hadn’t solidified his succession plans, Belvur’s King had firmly designated Charlotte as his successor.

Still, I couldn’t blame Charlotte entirely—I, too, felt unsettled.

Where should I start, and how much should I reveal?

If I told Claire that she bore the Emperor’s blood, I’d have to share all the theories and speculations behind it. The implications alone could lead to hours of debate.

Furthermore, Claire had already made her decision. She’d chosen not to embrace the Fangryphon bloodline and remain part of the Grace family instead. It wasn’t a decision she’d made impulsively—it was one I’d offered her, and she’d chosen. I was obligated to respect her choice. Otherwise, I’d only be betraying her trust.

In time, I’d have to quietly explain things to Leo.

"So," Charlotte interrupted my thoughts.

From her perspective, my silence must have seemed infuriating, especially given that I clearly knew far more than I was letting on.

"Can you explain what that object is?" Charlotte asked, her gaze fixed on the fragment of the relic in my hand.

"This is…"

Honestly, what even is this thing?

I didn’t truly know its "real purpose." In the game, it had simply been referred to as an object tied to the goddess’s power. There were characters who traveled the world gathering its pieces, and the Emperor seemed to be seeking it as well. Yet, even after collecting all the fragments, its exact effects remained unclear.

If I’d played through the sequels, I might have understood what it truly did. Unfortunately, I’d been dragged into this world before I had the chance.

It’s disappointing. I would’ve preferred lounging in my chair at home, casually gripping a game controller, instead of dealing with this mess.

Meeting and befriending the characters I once admired had been a joy, but that joy came with a heavy burden. Unlike watching characters on a screen, where I could vent my frustrations or mock them freely, my actions here directly affected these people.

"My best guess is that it’s an object tied to the goddess’s power," I finally said.

Based on what I knew, that was the most plausible explanation.

"It’s likely a component of some larger device. Once the fragments are assembled into a complete unit and used in the right location, it should grant access to the goddess’s power."

The Cardinal, sitting at a distance, flinched visibly at my words.

It made sense. The Holy Nation’s actions had been driven by this knowledge.

"If it’s so important, why isn’t it in the Holy Nation but here in Belvur?" Charlotte asked skeptically.

"It’s not just in Belvur," Alice interjected, her expression grim as she observed Charlotte’s pale face.

"There were fragments in the Empire too. We don’t know the full history of this device, but it seems the pieces have been scattered across the continent."

"So this is one of those fragments," Charlotte murmured, glancing at me for confirmation.

I nodded.

"Technically, it’s more accurate to call this a collection of fragments. This piece alone already seems to have been partially assembled."

Compared to the relics I’d seen before, this one was larger, its glow more vibrant. Its luminous, broken cogwheel edges suggested that the Holy Nation had indeed poured considerable effort into assembling it.

"The reason it was hidden here was likely to prevent the Emperor from seizing it. While Belvur’s military isn’t as powerful as the Empire’s, it’s still a credible threat."

Of course, in an all-out war, the Empire would win decisively. The damage the war inflicted on the Empire might not even last as long as one might expect.

By comparison, the Holy Nation’s forces were a mere fraction of Belvur’s.

Perhaps the Holy Nation had chosen Belvur as a potential ally in a war, planning to use its strength to hold off the Empire while they escaped. Lutetia, Belvur’s capital, was an ancient city with a maze of winding alleys and extensive underground ruins spreading beneath its surface. It was the perfect place to hide something or plan an escape.

If they’d packed the ruins with their own forces, it would have been an ideal last-ditch stronghold.

"…"

Charlotte pressed a hand to her forehead, as if nursing a headache. After standing silently for a moment, she lifted her gaze, her sharp eyes landing squarely on me.

"Then my next question…" she began, her voice tense.

"Sylvia, how do you know all of this?"

"…"

It was a direct question about my "identity."

Alice, Claire, and Leo might assume my knowledge was tied to my "ability," but this was something else entirely.

I had vague knowledge of how the events of this world would unfold, including the key locations and storylines. I had explored this ruin in the game—perhaps not its entirety, but certainly the critical areas tied to the plot.

If I had been here before, I had been here many times.

"I’ve simply known from the beginning," I replied.

"From the beginning?" Charlotte’s expression grew incredulous.

"I don’t know who my biological parents are. I spent my childhood in an orphanage and was later adopted by the Emperor, who raised me as his daughter. I believe the reason for my adoption was my ability."

I quickly recounted my past, hoping to dispel Charlotte’s doubts. Sharing a pitiful backstory was an effective way to diffuse hostility or suspicion. Generally, such tales weren’t things people were eager to share, making them appear sincere when revealed.

"I don’t truly know who I am. I was once called ‘Sylvia Black,’ but my true origins remain a mystery. The now-deceased orphanage director once told me I had ‘appeared there’ out of nowhere."

"…"

No one interrupted as I continued. Even Alice and Claire, who knew the rough outline of my past, remained silent.

This was the first time I had ever spoken so openly about my history.

"Yes, I possess extraordinary abilities. I’ve been able to act with knowledge that no one else could have. As for the source of this ability, even I don’t know."

I withheld the most critical detail—that my knowledge came from playing a game. Even without explaining how I ended up in this world, I wasn’t lying. Not even Alice, with her keen ability to detect falsehoods, would think I was being dishonest.

"Of course, I don’t know everything. While I knew the location and general layout of these ruins, I had no idea what was truly hidden within them."

"So you wanted to find out for yourself," Charlotte surmised, her gaze softening slightly, though it still held a hint of skepticism.

"You don’t know your own identity either."

"I’m simply trying to uncover the truth," I said.

Charlotte fell silent, her expression one of resignation. It seemed she had decided that pressing me further wouldn’t yield any meaningful answers.

"Then…" she continued hesitantly.

"Should we assume that everything you’re doing is related to the goddess’s power?"

"…"

I nodded silently.

In truth, what other explanation could there be?

I glanced around the room, taking in everyone’s expressions. The Cardinal looked as though he had just had a revelation, trembling slightly. The knights were visibly shaken, their bodies trembling.

As for my friends, their faces were stiff with tension, their thoughts unreadable.

No—there was one exception.

Sophia.

Chapter 230

"…This ruin," Sophia began, breaking the silence with a resolute expression.

"This ruin wasn’t built by those who originally constructed the cathedral."

"Bianki!"

The Cardinal immediately shouted her name, but when his eyes met mine, he shrank back, silenced by the lingering fear etched into his psyche. Despite the significant healing of his wounds, the sheer terror instilled in him prevented any thoughts of retaliation.

After all, with the knights neutralized and bound, any attempt to fight back would only shorten their lifespans further.

"Please, continue," I prompted.

Sophia, her voice trembling slightly, obliged.

"I was born long after this facility was built, so I don’t know the full details. But… I’ve heard that this place was completed using a pre-existing site."

It was clear she hadn’t been privy to the intricate details, likely because her powers hadn’t fully awakened yet. In the hierarchy of the Holy Nation, she had been little more than a subordinate.

"Sophia, you—"

Charlotte began to speak but quickly shut her mouth, her expression one of resignation.

What would be the point of reproaching her now? It was a face that screamed, I’ve hit my limit.

"…I’m sorry," Sophia muttered, bowing her head deeply.

Come to think of it, I’d promised to explain everything to her once this was all over. Yet, given the situation, there likely wouldn’t be a chance for the two of us to sit down and talk one-on-one.

I wasn’t sure whether I should feel relieved or regretful about that.

"So, what do we do now? What can we even do with that fragment?" Charlotte asked, her gaze fixed on the piece of the relic in my hand.

"For now, we’d like to keep it in our custody," I replied.

Charlotte looked at me intently.

This was Belvur’s territory. The suspicious artifact found hidden by a secret organization beneath the cathedral was, by all rights, something the Kingdom of Belvur should secure.

However—

"…You won’t betray me, will you?" she asked quietly.

Her question reminded me of a conversation we’d had not long ago.

"I would stake my life to ensure I never betray you," I had told her then.

I had maintained my usual blank expression as I said it, but it seemed Charlotte had felt something different in that moment.

She didn’t smile, nor did her demeanor soften. Yet now, she didn’t argue further, simply letting the matter drop.

I took that as a sign she trusted me. At least, I hoped so.

What followed wasn’t particularly difficult to deal with.

The Kingdom of Belvur had discreetly stationed troops around the cathedral from the moment we’d entered the underground facility. The king had apparently decided to take my claims seriously.

While we had gone inside, Belvur hadn’t been idle. They were prepared to send in reinforcements the moment we failed to return or failed to send word within a few hours.

We emerged just in time—mere moments before the Belvurian forces were about to storm the cathedral.

Getting out was easier than getting in.

We exited through the cathedral itself.

It seemed the Holy Nation’s forces hadn’t anticipated us defeating the gryphon and the knights and returning. The knights stationed within the cathedral were visibly panicked at the sight of us.

They had already been disoriented, though.

"…Ugh," Mia groaned, looking like she might vomit as we exited.

While not everyone inside the cathedral had been killed, the path to the exit was littered with bodies.

Even the sight of beast corpses on our way down had been disturbing, but human remains were far more gut-wrenching. That was why I’d tried to keep the children away from the second floor.

Still, the carnage in the cathedral was even worse than what I’d left behind on the second floor.

The gryphon had apparently broken through the walls near the entrance, forcing its way out.

…Had it gotten lost underground and resorted to smashing its way out through brute force?

The soldiers and knights stationed at the entrance were unrecognizable, their corpses mangled beyond recognition.

Judging by the state of the place, the gryphon, already furious from its earlier ordeal, had lost all sense of reason and rampaged through the area in a fit of blind rage.

Even the surviving soldiers looked utterly horrified as they watched us approach.

We had placed the disheveled Cardinal, still clad in his torn robes, at the forefront, but in hindsight, that had probably been unnecessary.

"Charlotte!"

The king of Belvur rushed forward, his face pale as he approached us.

"A-are you alright?! I saw the gryphon emerge from inside! The gryphon…! What in the world happened down there?!"

His concern for Charlotte was evident as he checked her condition. He looked more like a worried father than a dignified king in that moment.

A sight, I imagined, Alice had never witnessed before.

"I’m fine. That gryphon…"

Charlotte paused, then asked cautiously, "Did it attack the Kingdom’s forces?"

"No. I saw it burst out of the cathedral’s entrance and take flight. But aside from the personnel inside the cathedral, it harmed no one. It soared into the sky without hesitation. I never thought I’d see a gryphon, let alone in Belvur’s territory," the king said.

Only after confirming Charlotte’s condition did he seem to relax slightly.

However, his gaze soon shifted to us—much sharper this time.

His eyes locked on me with particular intensity.

The king hadn’t witnessed the events in the underground ruin, yet he seemed certain I was somehow connected to the gryphon’s actions.

Well, I had encountered it by chance.

I’d simply attempted a "strategy" that couldn’t be executed in the game but seemed plausible based on the lore.

"I’d like to summon you to the palace immediately for a detailed testimony, but… the situation is urgent," the king said.

And he wasn’t wrong.

Whether they publicly disclosed what had happened in Lutetia—that a gryphon had emerged and chaos had unfolded—or tried to cover it up, the entire ordeal promised to be a political nightmare.

We would be stuck dealing with the fallout for a long time. Whatever the Emperor had planned, I had essentially interfered in his designs.

…Should I just rewind time and start over?

The thought crossed my mind for a brief moment.

But the king’s next words obliterated that notion.

"Something unusual is happening in the Holy Nation," he said gravely.

"…What?"

"Not long after you entered the ruins, a strange light was observed emanating from the Holy Nation."

A strange light?

"It looks as if a barrier has formed, enveloping the entire Holy Nation. In fact, it’s visible even from Lutetia."

…

Judging by my expression, the king must have decided it would be faster to show us the scene directly.

Turning on his heel, he began walking toward the cathedral’s exit. After exchanging uncertain glances, we followed him outside.

And there, we saw exactly what he had described.

The Holy Nation, built on land once ceded by Belvur, was visibly engulfed in a massive, glowing barrier.

The barrier wasn’t just a column of light rising into the sky—it wrapped around the entire nation, its shimmering form visible even from this distance.

"What… is that?" Sophia murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"…"

I had no answer.

I had no idea what that was.

Even the Emperor, with all his knowledge and control over the Holy Nation’s plans, had never displayed magic on this scale.

Though the game’s lore was vast and its stakes high, nothing in my experience compared to this.

Was this… the goddess’s power?

I didn’t know how it was being used, but in a world like this, where the goddess’s power was leagues beyond conventional magic, it made sense.

…

Why couldn’t things just end after I finished dealing with one crisis?

Why did something even bigger always have to happen right after?

Seriously. Give me a break.

Chapter 231

The situation had grown ridiculously complicated.

The mere fact that I knew about the Holy Nation’s secret base carried enough weight to spark a diplomatic incident. While Lutetia was a direct territory under the Belvur royal family, limiting the intervention of other nobles, the problem lay in the location of the base—beneath St. Latina Cathedral.

Belvur’s monarchy was relatively strong, but it wasn’t invincible like the Empire, where nobles could be crushed outright under imperial authority. Moreover, although the royal family maintained a neutral stance on religion, many nobles were devout followers of the Goddess’ faith.

Naturally, if the royal forces attacked one of the faith’s holy sites like St. Latina Cathedral, massive backlash would ensue. Some nobles might even evoke memories of the long-past persecution of the Goddess’ Church on this land.

Ironically, this was the exact reason only Charlotte and Sophia from the kingdom were directly involved in this operation. The situation needed to be contained, with as little information spreading as possible. The forces encircling the cathedral in secrecy comprised only royal troops and loyalist knights, ensuring no undue attention.

But then…

A gryphon had emerged from beneath the cathedral.

As a result, the Holy Nation's forces stationed in the cathedral suffered catastrophic losses.

Although the gryphon was an imperial symbol, the Empire had never done anything significant with it. Gryphons were untamable, making their use in warfare impossible. Even if Lutetia’s citizens associated the gryphon’s emergence with the Empire, the latter could easily dismiss it with a “We have no knowledge of this” excuse.

The real problem was the chain of events that followed.

While it was clear something catastrophic had occurred at the cathedral, strange incidents also erupted within the Holy Nation.

Coincidentally, two imperial princesses happened to be visiting the royal capital during this time.

And yet again, the imperial throne was unoccupied, and none of the "Emperor’s Children" were anywhere to be seen.

No directives had come from the Emperor. Usually, when the Emperor was absent, the entire imperial military would be placed on high alert. But now? Silence.

Imperial nobles were in a stir, and the kingdom’s followers of the Goddess’ faith were simmering with unrest.

“...Let’s all just get some sleep first.”

After hearing all this at once, that was the conclusion I reached.

We needed to rest.

We’d been fighting through the night. While the recovery device had alleviated much of our physical fatigue, it couldn’t do anything for our mental exhaustion. Besides, physical fatigue and drowsiness were separate issues altogether.

It wasn’t quite morning yet, but staying awake in this state wouldn’t lead to any sound conclusions.

Thankfully, everyone in the group agreed.

“If anything happens, I will ensure you are awakened,” the king promised.

No, please don’t do that.

If something happens, I’d rather be left to sleep through it. It’d be wonderful to wake up and find everything resolved.

But, of course, that wouldn’t happen. If anyone were to be woken first, it’d be me.

And my pessimistic prediction proved right.

“To think you’d still be asleep at this hour. I’m beginning to regret teaching you meditation techniques.”

The person who woke me was none other than the Swordmaster, Frederick.

I blinked several times, still lying down. Sunlight seeped through the curtains, indicating morning had arrived. Yet it wasn’t late—not with this man ensuring I didn’t oversleep.

Truthfully, from my perspective, I’d spent enough time with him to feel a strange sense of familiarity. However, from his point of view, I was probably nothing more than an untalented kid he had briefly tutored during a vacation.

“Then again, it might be more accurate to say you discovered the technique on your own rather than me teaching you.”

I slowly sat up.

I considered rubbing my eyes but decided against it. I wasn’t quite comfortable enough around him to act so casual. If it had been Claire or Alice waking me, my reaction might’ve been different.

“How did you get here?” I asked.

“I took the train.”

He must’ve known I wasn’t asking about the mode of transport, but he grinned as he gave his answer.

“...”

“Ah, were you asking why I’m here?”

The Swordmaster chuckled, his confidence unshaken even before the imperial princess.

“Word traveled fast last night—a gryphon emerged in the city where you were.”

“You came all this way over a single rumor?”

What, was he planning to hunt the gryphon?

More importantly, how had the rumor spread so quickly?

“Well, it wasn’t just any rumor. To be honest, I overheard a communication.”

“...”

“And I slipped in with the knights being dispatched here.”

“Knights were deployed?”

“Not summoned by the kingdom, apparently. The pretext was to protect the two imperial princesses in light of the Emperor’s uncertain situation. The kingdom was extremely reluctant but ultimately accepted. Things are chaotic outside as a result.”

I paused to think before collapsing back onto the bed.

“Why are you lying down again?”

“If I go outside, I’ll have to face the enraged crowd in the capital.”

“The royal forces are holding them back. The Belvur royal family is respected enough that the crowd won’t storm the gates.”

“What about the nobles residing in Lutetia?”

“From what I hear, they started gathering at the royal palace last night. By the way, just as you slept here instead of a hotel, all the academy students have been moved to the palace as well. I only learned this after arriving this morning.”

“In that case, I’ll just go back to sleep. Please wake me once the situation is fully resolved.”

“That could take months.”

“Then wake me in a few months.”

“You have no filter when speaking to your master.”

Was he even treating me as his student? Knowing the Swordmaster, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was.

“If you don’t wake up, your companions will have to resolve everything themselves.”

“...”

Of course, I already knew that.

It wasn’t like I truly intended to sleep for months. Biologically, that wasn’t even possible.

More importantly, without my intervention, who knew how things would spiral out of control? At the very least, I needed to be there to determine whether I could save someone or if time needed to be rewound altogether.

Still...

I stared at the ceiling.

Even so, I wanted just a little more rest.

Yes, maybe...

While confirming my abilities, I could buy a bit more time.

Despite the chaos erupting within the Holy Nation, my powers were still functional.

It was unclear whether the barrier was purely a physical one or if its effects differed at a distance. After all, when dealing with the Masked Woman, my abilities had been nullified even with some separation.

But for now, I decided not to dwell on it. I’d use whatever powers I had to resolve the situation as safely as possible.

“Sylvia.”

The sight of those gathered at the Swordmaster’s destination momentarily left me dazed.

Not only was the Cardinal present—whom I’d barely managed to save last time—but so were the Belvur King, academy instructors who’d escorted the students, and Belvur’s prominent nobles. Alongside them were Alice, attending in her capacity as a princess, and imperial knights dispatched from the Empire overnight.

Almost all of them looked varying degrees of displeased.

As their collective glares focused on me, I seriously considered undoing this entire situation.

But that wouldn’t do.

Even if I rewound time, I needed to understand what was happening first.

I’d already made up my mind.

Before anyone could address me, I stepped into the meeting hall and spoke.

“We need to assemble a reconnaissance squad to infiltrate the Holy Nation.”

The weight of the silence that followed was immense.

Then, moments later, voices erupted from all directions.

Chapter 232

“Silence! Silence, I say!”

At the head of the meeting table, seated a few steps above the rest in the royal chair, the King of Belvur raised his voice. The commotion died down somewhat.

But unlike the heavy silence from earlier, this one felt precarious, as if dissent might erupt at any moment. The clinking of armor, the rustling of clothing, the sound of heavy breathing, and quiet whispers filled the room. The silence was uneasy and chaotic.

“Princess Sylvia, you are permitted to speak. If you’ve made such a suggestion, I presume you have your reasons. Please explain so that everyone present can understand your point.”

I wasn’t entirely confident I could explain it that well.

Then again, I doubted the King had high expectations either. As with most noble assemblies, there were always those who objected purely for the sake of opposition. A meeting where no one voiced dissent usually only happened when opposing the motion was tantamount to death.

“The Holy Nation—”

I deliberately paused, letting my words hang in the air. If I was going to speak, I might as well project the kind of arrogance that would make these people resent me.

“It’s highly likely His Imperial Majesty is currently in the Holy Nation. We must immediately form a reconnaissance team to determine what is happening there.”

“But isn’t that an imperial matter?”

One of the kingdom’s nobles jumped in, almost as if he had been waiting for his moment.

“While I cannot say what His Majesty is doing there, should anything happen to him, it is an issue the Empire must handle directly. We have no obligation to intervene. Princess, you should recall the events you caused here last year.”

The meaning was clear: You interfered with our alliance, so why should we help you militarily?

“My apologies, but I never sought the assistance of the kingdom’s military. The reconnaissance team will be composed of the same personnel who executed last night’s operation in Lutetia, with a few additions.”

“And among those involved last night was Charlotte.”

Charlotte wasn’t here. The fact that Alice was present while Charlotte was absent meant she had likely been excluded deliberately.

This was merely my speculation, but I was certain Charlotte would participate in the reconnaissance team without hesitation.

She might wear the same conflicted expression as last night or display her discomfort openly, but Charlotte’s upright nature would lead her to conclude that it was the right thing to do. After all, she trusted me.

And in that sense, the person I owed the greatest apology to right now was Charlotte.

Still, no matter what Charlotte thought, from the King’s perspective as her father, it was an unacceptable risk.

He had entrusted his daughter to me last night, only for a gryphon to emerge from the cathedral's underground lair. Though the King hadn’t witnessed it personally, Charlotte had even been injured by the gryphon’s claws. The wounds were fully healed now, with no trace left behind, but her torn clothing from the night before still bore testimony to the battle.

“If there are individuals who absolutely must withdraw from the operation, I have no objections,” I said, glancing at the Swordmaster as he stepped forward.

His eagerness to participate was written all over his face.

The Swordmaster had come down from the mountains after learning there was something he could fight.

Naturally, the prospect of a battlefield where he might have to risk his life excited him. And with the Holy Nation’s knights already renowned for their combat prowess, he must have been eager to test himself against them.

Aside from the Swordmaster, there were others ready to replace the students who couldn’t participate. Jennifer and Carolyn, for example, were both incredibly skilled. While they were often guest characters in the game, they could be recruited for the final battle.

“However, I would request permission to approach the border shared with the Holy Nation.”

“You’re asking us to open the kingdom’s border to the Empire?”

This time, it was another noble who spoke.

How tiresome.

“The kingdom and the Holy Nation have historically maintained strong relations. If the Empire intervenes against the Holy Nation, who knows how they’ll react?”

Instead of responding to him, I turned my gaze to the one-armed Cardinal seated nearby.

His face had turned deathly pale.

“I would suggest asking the Cardinal for details,” I said, turning back to the noble, “but given the magical constraints on him, doing so would result in his death. Therefore, I will explain on his behalf.”

I met the noble’s gaze directly.

“The Holy Nation was plotting a conspiracy beneath Lutetia, right under the kingdom’s nose. If the kingdom doesn’t hold them accountable for this, who will? No matter how strong the ties between the kingdom and the Holy Nation are, there are boundaries that should never be crossed. I don’t know your name, nor do I care to, but this will likely be the last time I speak with you.”

When the noble opened his mouth to respond, I raised my hand to stop him.

“In any case, are you suggesting you’d tolerate a friendly neighbor digging a pit under your house and filling it with live snakes?”

“Well, that is—”

“That’s why we’re offering to handle it. Without involving the kingdom’s military, a reconnaissance team devoid of kingdom personnel will investigate, resolve the issue if possible, and report back. If you reject this plan, how exactly do you propose to resolve the situation?”

“...”

The noble was left speechless, not because my argument was flawless but because my reaction had been far more intense than expected.

Even Alice was looking at me with concern.

“And one more thing.”

I straightened my posture, standing tall.

“His Majesty the Emperor, despite his fearsome reputation, has pursued relatively conciliatory policies toward neighboring nations. While he has strengthened his military, that enhanced power hasn’t been stationed along the kingdom’s border.”

“But didn’t he bombard the autonomous state’s borders?”

Another noble interjected.

“That was at the autonomous state’s request,” Jennifer Winterfield replied.

“The autonomous state had been struggling for years with rampant illegal warlords. While it’s true they were wary of excessive imperial involvement, the Empire’s solution was artillery support. By striking the enemy from afar without deploying troops, they managed to address the issue without violating the autonomous state’s sovereignty.”

It was an audaciously bold move, but effective nonetheless.

“And after the bombardment, the fleet withdrew. Currently, it’s stationed near the imperial capital, so there’s no reason to fear artillery fire reaching Lutetia tomorrow.”

“...”

While I was just a princess, Jennifer Winterfield was a soldier—a member of a military family renowned across nations.

Her statement carried a weight that couldn’t be easily dismissed.

“Surely the kingdom has spies in the Empire,” I said bluntly.

“In that case, has any information surfaced indicating that the Empire is preparing for war?”

The Emperor had told me directly.

He planned to dominate the world through means other than war.

...Not that I fully trusted him, but knowing his meticulous nature, he’d have ensured that his intentions appeared completely genuine to outsiders.

And indeed, I had found no evidence of impending war.

If even I, with access to the Empire’s most classified information, couldn’t uncover such evidence, it was unlikely the kingdom’s spies could.

“His Majesty’s authority is immense. While I can’t say why he has left his post or if he’s truly in the Holy Nation, his absence will undoubtedly plunge the Empire into chaos.”

I remained, Alice was here, and as a last resort, Claire—who bore the Emperor’s blood—was available.

But politically, the three of us lacked the stature to fully substitute for the Emperor’s presence. Until we demonstrated tangible power, the Empire’s regional lords wouldn’t take us seriously.

And if that’s the case—

“If part of the imperial military fragments into warlords amidst the chaos, could the kingdom fend them off?”

“...”

Exactly.

This was why the situation was so urgent.

If even a portion of the imperial forces turned rogue or were absorbed by local lords with ulterior motives, they wouldn’t just be a band of ragtag terrorists.

They’d be warlords armed with the Empire’s advanced weaponry.

In modern terms, it would be akin to a terrorist group possessing ballistic missiles and specialists trained to operate them.

The Empire wouldn’t collapse instantly. It had established systems, and its parliament could keep the nation running in the Emperor’s absence.

But was the possibility of collapse truly zero?

Neither I nor anyone else here could provide a definitive answer.

...Of course, the Emperor wouldn’t have gone to the Holy Nation without considering this.

Still, I had to dangle this much bait to reel these people in.

Chapter 233

Meeting Charlotte outside the meeting hall turned out to be more difficult than expected.

Unlike the Emperor and Alice, whose relationship was strained and one-sided—where Alice clung to the Emperor almost desperately—Charlotte and the King shared a much healthier father-daughter bond. While it wasn’t as warm as an average family’s relationship, familial affection undeniably existed.

And because of that, the King had likely predicted that Charlotte would try to help me.

To prevent this, he must’ve thought the best course of action was to keep us from meeting altogether.

Of course, such “methods” didn’t work on me. Unless my abilities were nullified, I could rewind time as many times as I needed to.

Additionally, I could now pull off things I never would’ve imagined in my old world. Back when I was a company worker with a growing belly, the thought of sneaking onto rooftops or rappelling down windows wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. But in this world, I’d undergone all kinds of training.

So climbing up onto the roof near Charlotte’s room, securing a rope, and descending down to her window was perfectly doable.

“...”

Charlotte didn’t seem like she was confined to her room. More likely, she’d simply been told, “Don’t meet with those people.”

Seated in a chair, her expression was dark, though she didn’t appear thin or pale. Then again, it had been less than a day since I’d last seen her.

“You might be the only princess in the world who scales rooftops just to see a friend’s face.”

Charlotte opened the window for me, her tone sardonic.

I didn’t bother responding and quietly slipped inside.

Charlotte’s room was… pristine. Of course, my room back in the Imperial Palace had been equally spotless. There was no reason for a royal’s room to be messy when servants cleaned it hourly.

However, the atmosphere of Charlotte’s room was warmer, more feminine compared to mine or Alice’s. It wasn’t necessarily “girly” but carried a certain elegance.

The predominant aesthetic of this world was Victorian-inspired, albeit refined with a more modern sense of design. Still, there was no avoiding that slightly antiquated charm.

For instance, the chairs prepared for guests were embroidered with floral patterns, and the table had several ornate decorations. It was tasteful—luxurious without being excessive.

“Did you come here because of what’s happening outside?”

Charlotte’s question broke the silence as I surveyed her room.

“Not exactly. I came to check if you’re alright.”

“...I’m in my room, in my home. Why wouldn’t I be alright?”

Judging by her expression, though, she didn’t look alright.

With everything happening, I was sure her mind was overflowing with worries. Still, telling her that outright wouldn’t do much good.

“Considering there’s someone climbing rooftops and sneaking into a princess’ room in broad daylight, I’d say things aren’t quite alright.”

I couldn’t exactly tell her, “You don’t look okay,” so I opted for a joke instead.

“...”

And, of course, the joke backfired magnificently.

“I heard an explosion outside a moment ago.”

“...”

Uh.

Well, that had happened.

There had been snipers positioned on the roof, so I’d set off a small explosion to distract them.

“It was outside the palace and in an empty area. It’ll just blow over as a minor incident.”

I answered calmly, and Charlotte shot me a glare—

—only for that glare to melt into a sudden laugh.

“Pfft.”

Her laughter, starting as a soft snort, quickly turned into genuine mirth. It wasn’t a sarcastic laugh, either. Judging by how it grew louder, Charlotte truly found the situation hilarious.

“...Haah.”

After laughing for some time, Charlotte looked at me—now frozen in place—and spoke with an incredulous tone.

“Unbelievable. Isn’t the person sneaking into a princess’ room in situations like this usually a prince who’s fallen in love with her?”

“If setting off explosives and climbing through windows are crimes, then I’ll accept responsibility for those. But that part? Not my fault.”

If I’d ever been given a choice between becoming a devastatingly handsome man or an extraordinarily beautiful woman, I would’ve proudly chosen to stay a man.

*

The commotion in the meeting hall had subsided, but in truth, the kingdom didn’t have many options.

After all, someone had to investigate the Holy Nation.

Of course, that didn’t mean we’d be marching in today or tomorrow. There were mountains of issues to sort out first: the kingdom’s stance, the divide between the royal family and the nobles, the chaos slowly spreading in the Empire, and the confusion within the imperial military, whose supreme commander had vanished. Those problems wouldn’t disappear just because we’d decided to “go to the Holy Nation.”

Moreover, while the nobles had held their tongues in front of me, I’d heard they’d erupted into arguments as soon as I left the room.

But still, there was no alternative.

If the light rising from the Holy Nation vanished and the Emperor emerged unscathed, this would all blow over as a harmless misunderstanding.

Yet few among the kingdom’s leadership seemed optimistic. Despite the rhetoric about maintaining ties with the Holy Nation, at the end of the day, it was still another country. And while many nobles were devout followers of the Goddess’ faith, plenty of others were not.

Ignoring the situation entirely would be a blow to the kingdom’s pride.

“Besides, Iberia has started to move as well.”

Charlotte slid a sheet of paper across the table toward me. It featured a photo capturing the Holy Nation’s distant situation and a brief report on the Iberian Kingdom.

The Holy Nation was a small city-state nestled between Belvur and the Iberian Kingdom. Like Belvur, Iberia was heavily influenced by the Goddess’ faith. However, perhaps because of that, Iberia was pushing to “verify” the situation in the Holy Nation.

Given the Holy Nation’s history, Belvur had a stronger justification to investigate, as the territory had originally been ceded to the Holy Nation through negotiations with Belvur.

Still, delaying would only work against us. The longer we waited, the more nations would begin to take an interest in the Holy Nation’s affairs.

“This doesn’t look like a newspaper.”

“Belvur has already adopted some advanced technologies where it matters. Believe it or not, we have a few aircraft of our own. During the hours you were sleeping, there was ample time to gather information. There’s even an embassy in Iberia. It’s not quite on the Empire’s level, but still.”

“No, it’s not that.”

I pushed the paper back toward Charlotte.

“The Empire relies too heavily on the Emperor. It’s not that we lack intelligence divisions or that the military and nobles are incapable of gathering information, but…”

Ultimately, the Emperor was the one holding the most critical pieces of information, and he rarely shared it. Those tasked with gathering intelligence were often individuals dispatched directly by the Emperor himself, not imperial agents.

“Is that so?”

Charlotte smiled faintly at my explanation—an expression that was surprisingly pleased.

“Are you sure it’s alright to show me this kind of information?”

“Didn’t you come here because you wanted to hear it?”

Her words made me pause.

Well… not exactly. I’d come to see if she was alright.

As the King had predicted, Charlotte wouldn’t be able to follow us. In the original storyline, Belvur had been in complete chaos, so the kingdom couldn’t keep track of Charlotte’s whereabouts, which allowed her to travel with the party. But now? Belvur was less chaotic than the Empire.

Even if she couldn’t come with us, I just wanted to see her face and talk to her.

Not just Charlotte—everyone else in the group, too.

“...”

Seeing me lost in thought, Charlotte furrowed her brows again.

“For the record, even if you tell me to ‘stay here,’ I’m not going to.”

While not on Alice’s level, Charlotte was still perceptive when it came to reading the mood. Perhaps that was her royal blood at work.

“The kingdom will go to great lengths to keep you here.”

I pointed out the obvious, and Charlotte’s gaze flickered toward the window.

The window where my rope still dangled.

...Uh-oh.

Chapter 234

“If you plan to leave without me, I’ll scream at the top of my lungs right here and now.”

“…How exactly would that help?”

I asked earnestly.

If I were a man, it would’ve had a significant impact. In this world, which is extraordinarily conservative—especially in terms of gender relations—just the fact that a man and a woman were alone in a room could cause a scandal. If the woman screamed, that scream alone would serve as evidence.

However, we were both women.

“You used explosives to get into my room, didn’t you? If I claim you came here to assassinate me, wouldn’t everyone believe it?”

Charlotte spoke nonchalantly, saying something utterly terrifying. I stared at her for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.

“May I ask why you’re so determined to come along?”

“And may I ask why you’re so determined to stop me?”

Charlotte responded to my question with another question.

“Ah, and please don’t bother with the ‘it’s dangerous’ argument. I’ve already faced ‘danger’ when I was clawed by a griffon, so I believe I’ve seen enough of it for a lifetime.”

“…”

Well, she wasn’t exactly wrong about that.

“Or perhaps you think my skills are unnecessary? That it’s enough to just take some well-trained knights?”

Logically, that would be correct.

Think about it. No matter how mature we might seem, we’re still only fifteen years old. Not even adults. It wouldn’t be strange for others to dismiss us as mere children.

In this world, while teenagers might be treated as adults in certain societal aspects, sending them to the heart of a political conspiracy or a life-or-death mission would still be unprecedented.

The reason the protagonist’s party in the game could risk everything in the final battle and save the world was simply that—it was a game.

In real life, they’d have sent in a highly trained special forces unit.

Even now, as I consider this, I don’t think it’s such a bad idea.

And yet, the fact that I believe I must go myself shows just how much my mindset has shifted to align with this world’s norms.

“It’s not that I don’t trust your skills. It’s just that the political situation—”

“Again, let me ask you the same question: ‘And now, at this point?’”

“….”

“If there had been a proper plan in the first place, you wouldn’t have stormed into the royal palace and made such demands of my father—the King. Nor would you have assembled your friends and infiltrated the underground base. Do you know why my father agreed to your plan? It wasn’t because there was no alternative. It was because you were the one suggesting it, and he resigned himself to that.”

What?

“It’s because it’s you. Sylvia Fangryphon.”

Charlotte repeated herself, emphasizing my name.

“You’re the one who, at just fourteen years old, met with representatives of two nations, preemptively dismantled a military alliance, and left their relationship ambiguous. The one whom the Emperor trusts completely. The one who casually knew secrets of Belvur that even its own royal family didn’t. When you suggest something, people feel compelled to follow through because they have no idea what might happen if they don’t.”

“Do you really think my father agreed with your plan because he thought it was flawless?”

Well… no.

I thought he’d concluded it was the only viable option.

But now that I think about it, the reason it was the only option might have been me.

“So at this point, debating what’s better or more likely to succeed doesn’t matter. That’s why I need to see the end of this with my own eyes. I’d rather witness it myself than hear about it secondhand through rumors.”

The risk to her life or political repercussions didn’t matter anymore. She’d been drawn into this and wanted to see it through to the end.

In essence, that was Charlotte’s stance.

“And besides, as I said before…”

Charlotte’s expression shifted slightly, becoming more reserved.

“We’re friends. I was born into a political position. Enemies will arise no matter what I do, and I’ll have acquaintances who meet me for political reasons. Among them, there might be people who approach me, claiming to be my friends. I might even believe some of them. After all, there isn’t a strict definition for what a friend is.”

Charlotte looked down at her tea before raising her gaze to meet mine directly.

“But I’ve never encountered anyone with whom I couldn’t imagine not being friends, no matter how much our political interests might clash or how we might compete for the same gains. Even if one of us declared, ‘You’re not my friend,’ I couldn’t picture us as anything but.”

Charlotte gave a small shrug, smiling faintly.

“And you all—everyone from the Academy—you’re those kinds of friends for me. You’re the kind I’ll never find outside the Academy.”

So rather than lose them, she’d rather stay together until the end.

“…Do you realize we’ve known each other for less than a year?”

“Oh my, are you saying that because it’s only been a few months, we aren’t truly friends?”

…No, that’s not what I meant.

It’s just… I was taken aback.

She didn’t know what awaited her if she came along, yet she was willing to risk everything for friends she’d known for only a short time.

“Fine. If that’s what you’ve decided, I won’t try to stop you anymore.”

“Not that it would’ve mattered. I would’ve followed anyway.”

Once again, I found myself persuaded by Charlotte’s words.

*

“You look like you’ve been through hell.”

Alice’s voice greeted me as I entered her room. She squinted at me, clearly unimpressed.

Well, I had been through hell.

I’d spent so long talking with Charlotte that the snipers on the roof had returned to their posts. After the chaos caused by the underground base being discovered, security in the royal capital had been heightened to the max. Add to that the explosion I’d caused while entering Charlotte’s room, and it was no wonder the guards were on edge.

Climbing back up the rope, retrieving it, dodging the sharp gazes of the snipers by sticking to the roof like a lizard… I’d lost track of how many times I’d rewound time.

Naturally, I’d rolled around plenty as well.

“So about that explosion outside earlier…”

“I was just visiting Princess Charlotte’s room.”

“…”

Alice looked like she had a hundred things to say but refrained from asking further. It wasn’t hard to imagine what had happened, given my track record. She’d seen me cause enough chaos before to guess the rest.

“Leo and Claire haven’t arrived yet. You might want to fix your appearance before they see you. They’ll worry themselves sick if they see you like this.”

“Understood.”

Following Alice’s advice, I headed straight for her bathroom to freshen up.

*

The relics on the table still glowed faintly.

As expected, their light was directed at Alice and Claire.

“So… Claire is…”

“She’s my sister.”

Leo turned pale at Alice’s confirmation. As I’d expected.

“But I’m not a Fangryphon; I’m a Grace. So you don’t need to worry about losing your sister.”

Claire’s words were spoken lightly, almost as a joke, but Leo remained frozen, his lips moving soundlessly.

“Is there a reason you’re telling me this?”

“…He’s back to formal speech again.”

Alice sighed deeply. Lately, Leo had been growing more comfortable and informal with them, but now it felt like their relationship had reset to the beginning.

Alice shrugged, as if to say, “What can you do?”

“You’re Claire’s brother. At the very least, I thought you should know.”

“Claire has chosen to remain a Grace. Regardless of her lineage, she’s still your sister, just as she’s always been.”

As Alice and I reassured him, Leo stared blankly at Claire.

Claire, avoiding his gaze at first, eventually took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes.

“But I’m still your sister.”

“…Actually, if we’re both Graces, wouldn’t that make me the older sibling?”

Leo’s instinctive response to Claire’s words made me smile inwardly.

At least their bond wouldn’t break. That much was clear.

Chapter 235

“You both don’t seem particularly worried about what’s to come.”

Had it been a different noble instead of Leo who heard this, the outcome would likely have been far more severe than a moment of pale shock before moving on.

Even in a world where human rights are at rock bottom and the monarchy is all-powerful, there are limits. While the original game was for all ages and didn’t venture into horrifying concepts like a “human farm,” the fact that the Emperor may have abandoned children he sired with a fallen royal family member would be a massive political scandal.

It was likely for that reason the Emperor hadn’t told his other children about the situation. He had revealed the truth to me as though it were self-evident, confident I wouldn’t disclose it to the others.

As for the Emperor’s moral failings, those were secondary. The bigger concern was if the “children,” once aware of their imperial blood, became rallying points for nobles seeking to form factions.

Or… perhaps not.

Thinking it over, it seemed unlikely.

Bella, Damian, Lucas, and Jayden all had distinct personalities, but none seemed particularly eager to become Emperor. They were likely enjoying their current, relatively free lives.

Jayden was the most ambitious of the group, but even he had lived a more comfortable life than the rest of us—especially compared to Bella and me. Though his life wasn’t without its hardships, it was nothing compared to ours.

Thanks to his easier upbringing, Jayden was also the most socially adept, often taking the lead among the Emperor’s children.

If rumors began circulating about nobles allying with the Emperor’s children, it would likely be a ploy by the Emperor himself to gather those nobles in one place and eliminate them.

While I was lost in thought, Leo seemed to have regained some of his composure. His face was no longer as pale as it had been earlier, though he still looked as though a cold sweat might break out at any moment.

“Um, well…”

After a brief pause, Leo spoke.

“I think Claire’s right.”

“…You don’t have to use formal speech in informal settings,” I reminded him.

“Oh, uh, okay?”

Even so, he still seemed unsure of how to handle his position. This wasn’t uncommon among the Academy students. Leo wasn’t the type to consistently use formal speech, so the shift back and forth wasn’t surprising.

“So, what do you mean by ‘Claire’s right’?”

Alice, looking exasperated, interjected.

“I mean that no matter what bloodline Claire might come from, she’s still my sister,” Leo said, seemingly resolved to speak informally.

Claire glanced at him with a sideways glare but didn’t object further.

“Our parents never treated Claire differently while raising her. Of course, they recognized the difference between a son and a daughter, but Claire’s bloodline wasn’t part of that distinction.”

The Grace baron and baroness would undoubtedly have acted that way. While the original game didn’t include a character for Leo’s younger sister, even without that background, their upright personalities made it clear they’d treat her no differently.

“Even if Claire had commoner blood instead of imperial blood, she’d still be Claire. So, no matter who her ‘real father’ might be, it doesn’t change anything. Especially since Claire herself doesn’t think it matters.”

“Leo…”

Claire, uncharacteristically, looked deeply moved by Leo’s words.

Her expression was remarkably similar to the one she’d shown Leo only once in the original game.

However, the expression here felt far more vivid. While the game had individual models for major characters, the preset expressions often felt reused. Here, Claire’s emotions were unmistakably alive.

Of course, this wasn’t a game. Every individual here truly existed, fully alive.

“That said, I’m still the older sibling.”

“No, now that we can determine birth order, isn’t it about time we clarified things?”

“I already told you—I’m a Grace, not a Fangryphon.”

“In that case, since you joined the Grace family later, doesn’t that make you the younger sibling?”

Watching the two of them bicker immediately after such a touching moment made it clear: they were siblings through and through.

I’d never had a younger sister or older sibling myself, but I imagined this was what it would feel like.

Creating this kind of atmosphere was Leo’s unique talent—something neither he nor others could easily replicate.

In the original game, Leo didn’t have many deep entanglements with other characters. The story focused on the classic “boy meets girl” harem narrative, with Leo, a mere son of a lower-ranking noble family, gradually forming connections with the Academy’s many characters and being drawn into their various situations.

Meeting Alice, then becoming entangled with her rival, Claire. Building ties with Charlotte and Mia. Even getting involved with the teachers and becoming the center of countless events.

While Leo lacked any significant political skills, his ability to make those around him feel comfortable and secure turned him into the story’s “core.”

I admired that.

And I envied it.

If Claire… even if she’d escaped her bleak past thanks to me, would she have grown so bright and cheerful if she’d ended up with a different family instead of the Graces?

“…”

“Um, Sylvia?”

Noticing my silence, Claire and Leo stopped their bickering and looked at me uncertainly.

I must’ve looked strange to them, sitting there quietly, lost in thought.

They probably felt a bit awkward about having argued over something so trivial after such a serious discussion.

Not that they needed to.

It was still early in the day, and we weren’t departing immediately. There was plenty of time left, and it wouldn’t hurt to relax a little.

Soon enough, we wouldn’t even have that luxury.

But once a lively mood is broken, it’s hard to regain.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I pushed the relic on the table toward Claire.

Even in broad daylight, its blue light shone brightly.

The light directed at Claire was unmistakably stronger.

At this point, even without knowing exactly what the relic was, its meaning was clear.

Claire’s bloodline was closer to the imperial family’s.

I noticed Alice biting her lip slightly but chose to pretend I hadn’t seen it.

“This is the reason I called you here.”

As I began to speak, the three of them fell silent.

“The Emperor gathered the most capable among the children he scattered across the land, creating the group known as the ‘Emperor’s Children.’ Though the name itself was coined by others to describe individuals like Alice and me.”

“…But didn’t the previous generation have a similar group? Were their bloodlines mixed the same way?”

“That, I don’t know.”

Most of the previous generation had died decades ago.

“But at least among this generation, it’s clear that the bloodlines are intertwined. Among the Emperor’s children, all but me share his blood.”

I could practically see the exclamation mark pop over Leo’s head. His eyes widened as he alternated between looking at me and the relic.

The relic’s light was completely absent on my side.

“W-Wait, so that means…”

“Yes,” I confirmed, turning to Leo, whose face had paled again.

“The Emperor mistook me for Claire. Due to a series of coincidences during an incident in our childhood, Claire and I ended up switching places.”

“….”

Alice closed her eyes, as though she’d already pieced everything together.

Claire covered her mouth with her hand, while Leo stared at me with a slack-jawed expression, as if worried his jaw might fall off.

Yeah, it’s a mess, isn’t it?

Chapter 236

“The success or failure of this operation will hinge on this fact.”

“You mean… the fact that you don’t carry imperial blood?”

“Yes,” I replied, gazing again at the relic on the table.

The incomplete gear.

Its form likely held more significance than just symbolizing a “component.” In games like this, an object shaped like a gear would undoubtedly serve as a part of something larger.

And whatever that “completed object” was, it would likely wield the power of the goddess—or something comparable. That was what the Emperor was after.

In the original story, the Emperor claimed he wanted to place the entire world under his feet and rule it equally.

But was that truly feasible?

Even in my original world, World War I had been dubbed “the war to end all wars,” yet not long after came World War II, shocking the world. This world hadn’t yet experienced anything like a world war, so it wasn’t strange for someone to believe in such an ideal.

What was strange, however, was that the one harboring such thoughts was the Emperor.

A man who had spent the story preparing meticulously for war, wielding advanced weaponry and executing strategies to ensure victory. Could such a figure truly believe that a single war could bring eternal peace?

In fiction, characters heralded as geniuses often couldn’t surpass the intelligence of their creators. However, for someone repeatedly described as a “brilliant tactician,” failing to foresee such outcomes seemed off.

Even the game’s wiki had a section dedicated to critiquing this character, citing real-world examples to point out inconsistencies.

Still, players who followed Azerna Chronicles closely speculated that there must have been more to the Emperor’s motives.

What if the world war wasn’t an end, but a means? What if the Emperor sought something through it?

Consider the events:

The overwhelming bombardment of the autonomous state’s borderlands, highlighted in the sequel’s setting.

Damian, a frequent presence in the original, spending years overseas with minimal explanation.

The appearance of the masked figure, who didn’t exist in the original story.

And then… me.

The pieces were too sparse to form a complete picture.

But with even just a few edge pieces, outlining the puzzle wasn’t impossible.

“When that masked figure was near me, I couldn’t use my powers effectively. At least some of you must have noticed something about my abilities,” I began.

“….”

Alice, Claire, and Leo all turned serious at my words.

“In the ‘future’ I know of…” I hesitated for a moment, weighing how much to reveal.

The decision was easy.

“I can reverse time, but I can’t foresee the future. I only know what I’ve already experienced.”

“…”

“And this situation we’re in now? It’s something I’ve never encountered before.”

“Then… how do you know about this ‘future’ you mentioned earlier?”

Alice’s question was cautious, uncharacteristically so. It was refreshing to see her like this.

“Let’s just say I’ve read the script from outside the stage.”

Silence.

What I’d just revealed carried far more weight than simply explaining my powers.

“…Are you saying our actions… are predetermined?”

“Not necessarily.”

That, even I couldn’t say for certain.

This world bore a striking resemblance to the game, but there were undeniable differences.

For instance, Marmaros could be used to enhance weapons, but unlike the game, equipment couldn’t simply be swapped out at will. Weapon traits could even change based on how enhancements were applied.

Recovery devices existed, but here, no one questioned their origin or purpose. In the game, these devices often doubled as shops, but in this reality, they didn’t. It made sense; why would a centuries-old relic operate on “pound sterling”?

In the game, taking damage reduced HP. Until HP hit zero, you wouldn’t die—whether stabbed, bitten, or shot. Yet in cutscenes, even a single fatal wound could kill a character.

Here, wounds from key battles left scars.

So while this world resembled the game, I couldn’t believe its events were unfolding exactly as scripted.

After all, without me, Mia would’ve died to a bear in Winterfield.

“I can’t be sure. But the ancients seemed to think so. The deepest chambers of the imperial palace are filled with prophecy books.”

These prophecies, which were part of the original game’s lore and readable in fragments, matched much of what I knew. But their language was far more metaphorical.

A grand schemer emerges, formulating a plan with a chance to succeed, but ultimately fails.

The Emperor would’ve known this, but his personality suggested he’d simply see it as a challenge to overcome. A man with unshakable confidence in himself, he’d relish the attempt, even in failure.

“But within those prophecies… there’s no mention of me. Or the masked figure.”

That meant someone—something—was working against the prophecies, trying to defy their outcomes.

“If there’s someone like me, who can manipulate time, then perhaps there’s another entity capable of intervening from outside time itself.”

“…The goddess?”

Alice asked cautiously.

I neither confirmed nor denied it. Nothing was certain yet.

“Whatever brought me here, it’s safe to say I oppose whoever sent that masked figure. When that figure is near, my abilities are nullified.”

But not completely.

If my power came from the goddess, the opposing force wasn’t stronger—it merely disrupted it.

It wasn’t perfect.

Which meant it wasn’t fully realized either.

“The completed relics likely aren’t singular,” I concluded.

If the Emperor sought to harness the goddess’s power, using Fangryphon bloodlines as a medium, then perhaps there was another force, equally powerful, seeking to counteract him.

“He plans to gather the relic fragments through war and use Claire—someone with the strongest bloodline—as a medium to seize the goddess’s power. Then he’ll place the world beneath him, ruling as a god.”

But if the Empire’s relics were designed to wield or suppress divine power, then surely an opposing relic existed—one meant to resist or protect that same power.

Perhaps the goddess herself had prepared such a countermeasure.

Or perhaps the autonomous state had worked on it over centuries.

“…Then, this relic…”

Claire’s voice trembled as she stared down at the glowing artifact. Its light shone brightly on her face, as if calling out to be used.

If Fangryphon sought to suppress the goddess through its bloodline, then perhaps the goddess found a similar way to safeguard her power.

That was the conclusion I’d come to after countless time loops, pondering this while walking to Alice’s room.

Chapter 237

The concept of an “NPC marathon” isn’t exclusive to Azerna Chronicles.

Regardless of culture, most RPGs emphasize the “role-playing” aspect—essentially, the joy of immersing yourself in a character and becoming one of the cast members within the world created by the developers. In some ways, interacting with the various characters can be more crucial than the strength of your own character.

In well-crafted Western RPGs, it’s often possible to finish a storyline without combat, relying entirely on persuasion stats. When it comes to the importance of “conversation” as content, Western RPGs arguably surpass linear stories like Azerna Chronicles. Yet, strangely, I’ve never been compelled to run marathons in those games.

Maybe it’s because I’m more drawn to JRPGs with their abundance of beautiful girls and boys. Or maybe it’s that open-world Western RPGs, with their vast fields, feel overwhelming to explore thoroughly.

But there’s no point dwelling on it now. In this world, “video games” as I know them won’t exist for at least another fifty years. A century, if we’re being realistic, considering the current state of “computers” here. Perhaps they’ll never exist.

And as much as I’d love to design a board game or TRPG system and pitch it to my friends, well… that feels like an uphill battle.

Lately, I’ve been entertaining such thoughts, probably because I’ve encountered a few game-like devices in this world. Additionally, in the original work, it was customary to have conversations with all the major characters before the final battle. This tradition carried over to every sequel in the series.

What I was doing now was essentially the same thing.

Walking down a long hallway, I stopped before a large door and knocked twice.

“Mia, are you there?”

The door was thick, but it seemed my voice carried through. She was likely alone inside.

After a brief pause, the door opened, revealing Mia’s face.

As always, her bangs slightly obscured her eyes. Initially, I found her hairstyle rather gloomy—both in the original work and in this world—but now I noticed it had a certain charm. Perhaps it made her look younger.

Hairstyles like this can appear different depending on the reactions they elicit. In real life, this look takes immense courage to pull off. While the original work’s 3D model based on 2D illustrations could pass it off as “unmanaged hair,” in reality, her neatly trimmed bangs and glossy straight hair hinted at deliberate maintenance. No one could claim it was accidental.

Should I suggest she try a different style someday?

That thought crossed my mind because I no longer associated Mia with her “gloomy image.”

“Ah, hello…”

Her voice was tense.

Considering she might think I was here to discuss upcoming events, her nervousness was understandable.

The Crowfield name wasn’t exactly well-regarded in the kingdom. And with Mia having ventured into Lutetia’s underground and poised to get involved in politically sensitive matters, her anxiety was only natural.

That’s precisely why I was here. Without a conversation, our fragile relationship could shatter at any moment.

“Could we talk for a bit?”

“O-Of course, please.”

Mia hesitated briefly but stepped aside, allowing me into the room.

Though Mia was staying here, the room wasn’t hers. It was a guest room the kingdom had provided for our temporary stay.

The Lutetia Palace wasn’t a hotel. While it had rooms for visiting dignitaries, they weren’t clustered like a hotel’s. Most students were housed in a separate annex, but those who had ventured into Lutetia’s underground were scattered across various areas of the palace, presumably due to their perceived risk.

Even so, no one stopped me from entering her room—unlike Charlotte’s, perhaps.

However, the “maid” silently stationed by the door didn’t strike me as an ordinary one.

Like Alice’s quarters, there was no overt surveillance in Mia’s room. Not that I cared if anyone listened in.

Mia and I each took a seat by the small table in the room.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

I looked directly at Mia.

“If we head to the Holy Nation, will you come with us?”

“…”

Mia hesitated for a moment, then glanced up at me and nodded.

“Yes, I’ll come.”

“Following me won’t grant you any political advantage. In fact, it might worsen the kingdom’s and the Emperor’s impression of you.”

To be honest, it wasn’t just a possibility—it was practically a given. The Crowfield name would become even more entangled in irritating political disputes. While the kingdom wouldn’t outright attack the Empire to reclaim Crowfield’s territory, the old wounds and trade routes connecting Crowfield to the kingdom would remain contentious.

“B-But I still want to go.”

Mia’s response was firm.

“You want to go?”

“Yes.”

So, it was a decision based on emotion rather than practicality.

“May I ask why?”

Was it because of me?

In the original work, Mia was a romanceable heroine. She harbored a deep resentment toward Alice, knowing the Emperor had killed her father. Leo, caught between Alice and Mia, often found himself in trouble.

Ultimately, Leo was the reason Alice and Mia reconciled.

It was only natural both characters fell for him.

But in this world… that event was entirely derailed by my presence. By the time the original story began, Alice had already matured significantly, and for Mia, I—not Alice—was the tangible target of her vengeance.

Naturally, the resolution of that issue had to come from me.

Though it wasn’t something I actively intended to solve—it just turned out that way.

If, through that process, Mia came to see me as a “true friend,” I’d be thrilled.

After all, most of the original game’s characters were ones I liked. I’d even played multiple runs pairing Mia and Leo together, so it was impossible not to feel attached.

“Well…”

Mia hesitated before speaking again.

“I want to see how this story ends.”

Her answer was far more profound than I had expected.

“The story’s end?”

I couldn’t help but ask.

“Um…”

Mia glanced around, as if searching for the right words.

“It’s awkward to bring up now, but I… once tried to kill you, Sylvia.”

“That’s true.”

I wasn’t sure when her hostility had faded, but at some point, Mia stopped openly showing animosity toward me.

I thought it might have been after I barged into her room uninvited. She realized I could kill her anytime, so she became wary. Over time, those murderous thoughts must have completely disappeared.

“Well… even after learning the truth, I considered it a few times.”

What?

Mia’s words were more shocking than I had anticipated.

“Ah, no! Of course, I didn’t seriously plan on killing you! I just… wondered how I could defeat you in a fight!”

Wait, isn’t there a big difference between wanting to “defeat” someone and planning to kill them?

Granted, I’ve considered whether I’d need to kill the Emperor if necessary.

But there’s a stark difference between targeting someone and being targeted.

“To be honest, I could never understand how someone who barely uses magic could fight like that.”

Mia quickly explained, as if eager to move past the subject.

Chapter 238

“Are you saying you assumed there was some other method at play?”

“It felt like… you already knew how to fight,” Mia replied.

Her observational skills were sharper than I’d given her credit for.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t all that surprising. Mia might not possess extraordinary physical abilities or be particularly active, preferring instead to stay holed up in her room. But from a young age, she’d been subjected to near-brainwashing education by her mother. Even up until the moment we first met, her sole life goal had been to kill me.

“But isn’t it strange? The idea of foresight or precognition existing in reality? Shooting accurately at enemies even when your line of sight is blocked, giving me expensive Maramaros rounds as if you knew they’d be needed, and achieving those kinds of results even against multiple skilled opponents…”

Mia began recounting each instance of my actions near her in vivid detail.

“And… I’ve never been on a battlefield myself, but if the training I received from Jennifer is weaker than actual warfare, then… is it even possible to go into a place like that alone and come out alive? Surely it’s the kind of situation where even multiple lives wouldn’t be enough to survive?”

“…”

“To know everything about the underground labyrinth, including what would be waiting at its core… To adjust strategies on the spot as if you had already planned for it. To take out trained knights single-handedly. That kind of thing isn’t achievable with just physical ability. Anyone present in those moments would have realized something was unusual.”

Mia’s voice, which had sounded nervous earlier, grew calmer as she spoke.

It seemed that articulating her thoughts out loud was helping her relax.

“And so I came to a conclusion. Do you remember that time Sylvia entered my room and retrieved the gun?”

“I remember.”

“Until recently, I thought that was the only moment I could’ve killed you. The gun was loaded in my hands, you were close enough for me to hit you, and the caliber was large enough to do the job. But thinking back… if there was a future where I shot you, Sylvia, then you wouldn’t have given me the gun in the first place.”

“…”

I couldn’t deny that.

Even with my ability to turn back time, I had never actually died. Not even when I’d let loose on the battlefield without thinking. So I had no idea whether time would rewind if I were killed.

Mia’s reasoning was half correct and half wrong. If she hadn’t been able to kill me with one shot, I would’ve rewound time and avoided giving her the gun altogether.

But if she had killed me in one blow… even I couldn’t say what would happen after that.

“And since then, there’s been nothing to speak of. No matter how I think about it, I can’t see a way to defeat you, Sylvia. Even though I use magic.”

“So… does that mean you want to see what happens to me in the future?”

“Hmm, maybe,” Mia replied vaguely.

“When I completely gave up on killing you, I started to see so many things I hadn’t noticed before.”

Mia paused, as if organizing her thoughts, and then began speaking slowly, one sentence at a time.

“When all I thought about was killing you, I couldn’t figure out what I liked or what I’d do after achieving that goal.”

Well, she had even gone so far as to secretly spy on me.

I’d once made some ridiculous excuse to her about “learning emotions” just to deflect suspicion.

She had definitely remembered that during the recent commotion involving Sophia.

…Would she still remember it now?

“But when I let go of that obsession… It’s strange. I gave up what I thought was the most important thing in my life, but instead, other things filled the void.”

“And these other things…?”

“Where the task of killing you used to be, there are now things I want to do.”

Mia lowered her gaze. Her expression was bittersweet.

“I’m not very physically capable. That’s an innate trait I can’t do anything about. So I chose magic as my ‘weapon.’ I thought it would be easier to cover up evidence after succeeding and more versatile to use. But I never really considered whether I liked it.”

Mia’s gaze, which had been cast downward, suddenly sparkled as it returned to me.

“But… isn’t it strange? The ability I thought of only as a means to kill you, Sylvia, is something you helped me use for entirely different purposes. To protect allies on the battlefield. To protect myself.”

Hmm.

The truth was, I hadn’t done that for Mia’s sake. It had been for my own benefit.

But even I wasn’t dense enough to mention that now. It would ruin the mood.

I decided to keep quiet and let her continue.

“If I can call the Maramaros rounds you gave me a gift, then they’re the first present I’ve ever received from someone besides my parents. While attaching them to my staff and figuring out how to use them, I realized something.”

Mia paused for a moment before finishing her thought.

“I realized I enjoyed thinking about those things.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“You know how I mentioned trying to figure out how to defeat you, Sylvia? That came from wondering what I could do with magic. How I could use it, adapt it, and what new spells I could create by applying Maramaros in different ways. At first, I only chose magic because it fit my talents. But now, I enjoy thinking about how it works.”

“…”

“And then there’s the food I’ve tried while traveling with you. It’s delicious. I’ve been discovering things I like, one by one. So I want to come with you this time, too.”

“I can’t say for sure what will be at the end of this journey.”

“But when we reach it, we’ll find out, won’t we?”

Mia’s words felt… quintessentially like something a mage would say.

“And I’m curious. Whether Sylvia’s abilities are magical or something else entirely. You’re not planning to tell me now, but to figure it out, I have to follow you to the very end.”

Her voice, unlike when I first saw her today, was no longer tinged with nervousness.

“There might be someone stronger than me waiting further ahead.”

“Well, that does sound a bit scary.”

My teasing remark made Mia falter slightly, her tone flustered, but it didn’t change her resolve.

“But this time, I won’t be preparing and acting alone.”

“…That’s true.”

If I had to plan everything myself and act alone, I wouldn’t have decided so readily to head there either.

I would’ve spent much more time deliberating, buying time, and strategizing.

“With how strongly you’ve made your case, I can’t think of a reason to stop you.”

“…Were you planning to stop me from coming?”

I’d meant to persuade her to join me, actually.

But since she’d already made up her mind before I said anything, there was nothing left for me to do. I’d given her all the warnings I could.

Instead of answering, I stood up.

“In that case, I’ll let you know as soon as we finalize the schedule.”

“All right.”

Mia rose to her feet as well.

“I’ll be waiting.”

As soon as I left Mia’s room, I exhaled deeply—then held my breath when I noticed the maid still standing nearby. Thankfully, she only gave a slight nod, so she probably hadn’t caught my actions. It wasn’t like I’d been especially conspicuous.

Now, then…

Who should I meet next?

The sun hadn’t set yet, but there might not be enough time to visit everyone in one day.

The Lutetia Palace was vast, and some of the people I needed to see might be in the annex.

Could I get to everyone today?

I couldn’t rewind time to save my progress in conversations, so that option was off the table.

For the first time, I felt a deep respect for Leo, who went out of his way to talk to every single NPC in the game.

Then again, in the game, time didn’t pass when you talked to a few characters.

Chapter 239

Jake and Lottie were… difficult to describe.

Was it hard to find them, or was it actually easy?

We had been running around Lutetia’s underground just last night. Even with the healing devices restoring our bodies, everyone shared the same desire to rest.

After staying awake past midnight and fighting until the bitter end, it was no surprise that Charlotte, Alice, Claire, and Leo were all in their respective rooms. Once I pinpointed their locations, it was easy to find them.

But… Jake and Lottie weren’t in their rooms.

The locations of their rooms weren’t exactly a secret. If I grabbed any servant and asked, they could easily tell me. However, knowing where their rooms were didn’t help if the people I was looking for weren’t inside.

Jake and Lottie weren’t officially in a relationship. If we were to call their dynamic “dating,” then they had essentially been “dating” for a long time—always together, acting quite familiar with one another. Even if Lottie maintained some distance from him in front of others.

Whether they were romantically involved or not, it didn’t really matter.

After all, in this world, there were people who weren’t dating but slept together, and conversely, there were those who maintained their chastity before marriage despite being in a relationship. It wasn’t unusual to see such extremes coexist in these times.

Regardless of whether they were dating or not—

“Sylvia.”

—As someone who had never been in a romantic relationship in either my previous life or this one, the two of them honestly annoyed me.

Seriously. Was it necessary to flaunt their bond like that?

Well, at least they weren’t as bad as Leo in the original story. That guy didn’t even need to date anyone—female characters would just kiss him out of nowhere. If you viewed all the connection events, you’d witness several kissing scenes during the story.

If Leo in this world had been like that Leo, I might have genuinely smacked him on the back of the head at least once.

Still, Jake and Lottie adhered to their own boundaries, and above all, they were a pure, dedicated couple who only had eyes for each other.

They didn’t hold hands or link arms openly. But they stood close enough to feel each other’s warmth, a distance that made their mutual feelings unmistakable.

Fine, I’ll admit it.

I had encouraged this.

I’d always been a sucker for pure, romantic storylines. Watching slow-moving couples frustrate me, so I’d worked hard to bring the two of them closer.

But seeing it “live” was entirely different from watching it unfold in a game.

It reminded me of when a friend back in my previous life would subtly brag about having a girlfriend. At least back then, I could curse them out. With these two, I had no one to blame but myself for their closeness.

“Jake, Lottie.”

Jake turned toward me with a cheerful expression, his face practically glowing. It reminded me of the way a friend looked right after getting a girlfriend.

“You came all the way here? If you’d told a servant and waited, we would’ve come to your room instead.”

…That’s a fair point.

Even if I hadn’t found them immediately, the servants were well-informed. As important guests, Jake and Lottie’s whereabouts within the palace were likely shared among the staff. If I told someone I was looking for them, that message could’ve been relayed directly to the two.

There really wasn’t a need to wander around and ask multiple people until I ended up here on the terrace.

“…I’ve been wandering around inside since I woke up. I thought it wouldn’t be so bad to chat while getting some fresh air.”

Of course, I couldn’t admit that I simply hadn’t thought of that. So, I said that instead.

It wasn’t entirely untrue—just omit the part about thinking it wasn’t a bad idea. After all, I had been sneaking around on the rooftops earlier to reach Charlotte’s room, but that wasn’t something I could openly mention in front of the servants.

Anyway, it was lucky to find both of them here together. In that sense, it had been “easy”… though, if they weren’t so close, they probably wouldn’t have been here to begin with.

“Really? Then it must not be that serious.”

Jake leaned back against the terrace railing as he spoke. Lottie, who had been slightly turned toward him, also shifted her stance. However, unlike Jake, she didn’t lean back confidently, likely still mindful of their difference in status.

I wondered how Lottie would react if she found out my true identity.

Then again, her attitude probably wouldn’t change much. Lottie was the type to speak formally even to fellow commoners.

“It’s a serious matter, but it’s also something that can’t be helped, even if the kingdom learns about it.”

Our journey to the Holy Nation was already set in stone. Even if we tried to hide it, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out. Anyone with half a brain could guess that “the group that ventured into Lutetia’s underground” was heading to the Holy Nation. Charlotte might plan to stay behind, but she was determined to tag along, so worrying about it further was pointless.

“First, I have something I’d like to apologize for.”

“Apologize?”

Jake tilted his head curiously, and Lottie looked straight at me, her gaze steady. Neither of them seemed to have any idea what I was about to apologize for.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to arrange Lottie’s knighthood for the time being.”

“Oh, that.”

Jake nodded as if understanding now.

Officially granting Lottie the title of knight wasn’t a major issue in itself. Both princesses acknowledged her merit, and if I pushed for it, the Emperor likely wouldn’t object. Even if the Emperor’s schedule delayed things, under normal circumstances, Lottie would’ve received her knighthood within a few months.

But things had gone horribly wrong.

The Emperor was currently missing.

While I had a rough idea of where he might be, without confirmation, it was technically a “disappearance.” As a result, all official duties requiring his approval were at a standstill.

In a typical constitutional monarchy, the parliament would keep the country running in the King’s absence. But in the Empire, the parliament was effectively a puppet of the Emperor. To gain a seat, you had to publicly declare your loyalty to him.

While the members were undoubtedly competent—otherwise, the Emperor would’ve dismissed them—the ability to follow orders and the ability to handle unforeseen crises were two very different skills.

Asking another noble to bestow the title was out of the question. It would indebten me to them, and, more importantly, Lottie’s knighthood needed to come from the royal authority to hold its full meaning. That authority was also what allowed Lottie, a commoner, to consider marriage with Jake, the son of a duke.

“You don’t need to worry too much about that.”

Jake shrugged nonchalantly.

“Sure, it’d be better politically if Lottie had the title, but we’ve already talked it through.”

“You mean… you’re planning to marry even without her becoming a knight?”

“It’s not illegal, is it?”

At his words, I glanced at Lottie.

Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and for once, she avoided meeting my gaze.

Hadn’t she been hesitating because of her status just a few months ago? That was why I’d planned to gift her the knighthood, believing it had shifted her mindset.

“Well, congratulations are in order…”

Though their relationship made me a little envious and annoyed, I didn’t wish for them to break up. On the contrary, I hoped they’d marry, have children, and live happily ever after.

Still, I was curious. What had caused such a sudden change of heart?

Sensing my unspoken question, Jake spoke up in Lottie’s stead, as she remained silent with her lips pressed tightly together.

“It seems she gained a bit of confidence after that incident.”

Lottie turned to Jake, startled, but he paid her reaction no mind and continued.

“Probably after hearing what you said to her by the seaside.”

He must’ve been referring to the time I’d overheard their conversation and intervened.

Chapter 240

"Whatever the situation was, it seems that Lottie realized her skills had a lot to do with the outcome."

Lottie was now lightly clutching Jake's sleeve, a clear expression on her face that seemed to say, Please stop talking. But Jake showed no signs of stopping.

In fact, he looked like he was enjoying this.

Jake glanced down at Lottie with a small smile before turning his gaze back to me.

"Honestly, anyone could tell that situation was something you engineered. It wasn’t like there weren’t tools available, or that you lacked the skills. I didn’t quite realize it at the time, but after watching you fight last night, it became clear. You deliberately positioned yourself in that exact spot, calculating the distance perfectly."

His words were both right and wrong.

I didn’t possess the kind of talent needed to calculate a beast’s charging distance and place myself precisely there.

What I did have, however, were the abilities to verify such things and the power to rewind time if I failed. That’s why I could take those risks without hesitation.

I didn’t affirm or deny Jake’s words; I simply listened.

"So Lottie started wondering, 'Why is this person helping me so much?'"

"Jake."

Lottie muttered his name as if trying to stop him, but then she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Oh-ho.

I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly at Lottie. She must have noticed, as she immediately turned her head away. Still, she kept one hand firmly gripping Jake’s sleeve.

'Jake,' huh.

Up until now, even when they were alone, Lottie had rarely addressed him by name directly. And if she did, it was always accompanied by a title. For her to slip and call him just by his name in a moment of surprise… it spoke volumes about how close they had become.

"At first, she thought it was all for political gain."

To be fair, I had used that angle to persuade Duke Lindbergh. It was far more effective than just saying, Because I want to.

"So she couldn’t just accept your goodwill freely. She must have wondered if you were planning to use her as a tool to manipulate me."

"Does that mean Lottie already knew you liked her, even back then?"

I kept my voice neutral and softened my gaze, but teasing her was just too tempting.

"Hmm, who knows? I’ve never tried to hide it, though."

Of course, Jake had never openly declared his feelings either. But there are plenty of ways to show affection without saying it outright, so I didn’t bother pointing that out.

"Anyway, at the time, she was being cautious about you. Then you suddenly showed up and said that, right? That she should use whatever was in her hands to its fullest. Only then did she start thinking you were just being kind and giving her something useful."

There were other reasons too, of course. The fact that I had gone out of my way to extract Lottie’s mother from that house was one example. That act, in particular, had no tangible benefit for me.

Thinking back to Lottie in the original story, she likely just wanted to stand beside Jake on her own terms. Whether or not she was officially recognized as his wife wouldn’t have mattered much to her. As long as she could stay by his side, she would have been satisfied.

But what I had said to her back then was this: Whatever ends up in your hands is your power.

Even if someone else handed her that power, it became hers the moment she used it. And since those words came from the one who had given her the power, Lottie must have decided to accept them after some deliberation.

"That’s why now… while having the knighthood would be nice, it doesn’t really matter anymore. The fact that I fell for Lottie is proof of her strength, isn’t it? She already has the power, so the rest is just extra."

All I could do in response to Jake’s words was nod.

Basically, the two of them had decided to ignore all obstacles and be a happy couple. The supposedly insurmountable barrier of class differences? They’d cast it aside like it was nothing.

"Besides, both Lottie and I made it through that battle with you. 'Anyone can see' that we’re now close to the princess’s inner circle. There are positions in this world where titles aren’t necessary to hold power."

"Is that so."

If a royal welcomed someone with open arms, their social status became irrelevant. No noble could treat them poorly, regardless of their standing. The rarity of royalty only amplified this effect—meeting and conversing with one required appointments and waiting lists.

Jake and Lottie, however, could meet the princess whenever they pleased. That alone was a tremendous privilege.

"Exactly. So, we’ve decided to accompany you on your next battle."

"…"

Jake’s sudden pivot caught me off guard, and I fell silent for a moment.

"Does that have anything to do with the political angle you just mentioned?"

"I told you, we fought alongside you. It solidifies our standing. Besides…" Jake shrugged. "I don’t know the full details of what’s happening, but standing beside you in a battle that could decide the fate of the world? That’ll only strengthen our position in the future."

He wasn’t wrong.

Even common soldiers who fought alongside noble officers in battle sometimes forged bonds that transcended class. And no one dared to treat those soldiers poorly afterward.

If that noble officer were a princess, the weight of that bond would be even greater.

"You just said, 'I don’t know the full details' a moment ago."

"Well, you haven’t told us yet."

Fair enough. I couldn’t argue with that.

"Wasn’t that why you came to see us?"

"Not exactly. I came to ask if you wanted to join."

"Then it’s settled. You’ve heard our answer."

Well, that was straightforward.

Jake’s reasoning wasn’t as emotionally driven as Charlotte’s. It had a clear political element to it.

But with Jake’s confident demeanor, it somehow made the political reasoning feel irrelevant.

"I really want to be of help this time," Lottie finally said.

Her voice was soft, but there was determination in it.

Lottie turned to face me fully for the first time. Her face was still a little flushed, but she seemed more composed than she had been when Jake was teasing her earlier.

"I don’t want it to be a chance handed to me. This time, I want to truly contribute."

"I see."

I nodded at her earnest words.

"And no matter how strong you are, you can’t finish this battle alone, right? That’s why you came to us," Jake added.

I nodded again.

Could I manage it alone?

Maybe. If there was a relic inside that could help me control my power, I might be able to pull it off. But pushing through it would take a toll on my body, and enduring the pain would make it harder to think clearly.

If there was someone who could reliably assist me in those moments—

…Was it strange that I kept thinking of my friends first?

From a practical standpoint, a veteran soldier or knight would have been the safer choice. But somehow, my thoughts turned to them instead.

Still, I couldn’t back out now. That would mean betraying everyone’s expectations.

I had resolved to protect everyone. If I just gave it my all, it would work out.

Jake and Lottie waited silently, watching me as if anticipating my answer.

"Understood. In that case, I’ll gladly accept your help."

"Don’t mention it. We owe you plenty already."

Jake said this with a grin, brushing off Lottie’s hand from his sleeve. He immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

Lottie, startled, slapped his arm in protest.

…And just like that, the warm, heartfelt atmosphere evaporated.

Was he trying to show off?

This was straight-up betrayal. How was I supposed to live like this without a partner of my own?

Chapter 241

No matter how much I considered everyone around me as "my friends," the thoughts of these "friends" were naturally different from one another. Even if they seemed close on the surface, sharing jokes and conversations when I was around, they would often fall silent the moment I left the scene.

It wasn’t because they had bad relationships with one another, but because their connections had been forged through me. What they knew about each other came solely from what they had learned through me. In such cases, people instinctively become cautious about their words, avoiding unnecessary conflicts that could strain their relationships with me.

This kind of awkwardness wouldn’t disappear until they genuinely considered themselves friends without my mediation.

Of course, not every situation was like this.

"Why were you following the princess?"

"I told you, I wasn’t following her."

Sometimes, people could dislike each other for no apparent reason, or misunderstandings could sour a relationship from the start.

And in such cases, the most inconvenienced person was me. If one of them made an irredeemable mistake, I could simply cut ties. But when their falling out stemmed from something trivial, I found myself uncomfortably stuck in the middle.

Luckily, Jake and Lottie weren’t part of such a pre-existing conflict before I got to know them.

After finishing my conversation with Jake and Lottie, I hadn’t gone far from the terrace when I found Sophia and Lena bickering.

Sophia, at least "officially," was a noble from Belvur, with an established status. Lena, on the other hand, hailed from a far-off land compared to Belvur’s position in the empire. While not directly across the empire, Belvur was in the east, and Lena’s homeland, the Ricland Autonomous State, was in the north. The distance was far from insignificant.

The autonomous state wasn’t a country with a grand monarchy or a long history. As the name "autonomous state" implied, it didn’t have much of a voice on the international stage, likely serving as a puppet for the empire’s interests.

Lena had come to the academy to observe me and the empire’s movements. However, since Lena herself seemed friendly toward me, Belvur regarded her as a suspicious outsider, no different from any other imperial citizen.

There was even a servant standing in the corridor, probably to keep an eye on her. Though the servant didn’t interfere in their argument, their presence spoke volumes.

"I hear my name being mentioned. What’s going on here?"

Since I had planned to talk to both of them anyway, I approached them directly and asked. Sophia’s expression briefly flashed with unease at my voice, while Lena continued glaring at her.

"This one here has been following the princess."

"I told you it wasn’t following…."

Sophia repeated her defense, but the sharpness in her voice had diminished slightly, likely due to my presence.

So, she was following me.

That was the conclusion I reached in my mind, though I didn’t let it show on my face.

Honestly, Sophia wasn’t the only one I suspected of following me. Lena wouldn’t have run into Sophia like this if she hadn’t been trailing me too.

Keeping my expression neutral, I said, "Well, this works out nicely. I was planning to meet both of you anyway."

At that, both of their gazes turned to me. Sophia’s unease flickered again, while Lena’s expressionless face betrayed a faint sparkle in her eyes.

Lena’s admiration for me hadn’t waned. If anything, it seemed to deepen as time went on. And why wouldn’t it? Every time she saw me in action, enemies would fall like dominoes.

Sophia likely felt the same. While she could undoubtedly defeat me in a straightforward duel, she had witnessed me take down an entire squad of knights the previous night. Even if my victory relied on time manipulation, the outcome was undeniable. Her wariness was understandable.

"Both of you, follow me."

I spoke before either could voice any objections, eager to avoid the hassle of arranging separate meetings with them.

There was no need to go to either of their rooms. Those weren’t their usual quarters, so visiting them wouldn’t reveal anything noteworthy.

I started walking without waiting for a response, and after a brief pause, I heard footsteps following me. Judging by the timing, Sophia’s steps were likely the later ones.

The walk to my room was long enough to sort my thoughts.

*

"Neither of you are citizens of the empire."

There was no response to my opening statement.

I had gone through the trouble of brewing tea and setting a cup before each of them, but neither seemed in the mood to drink.

Sophia sat stiffly, visibly tense since the moment she entered the room. Lena, on the other hand, exuded a sharp energy, as if she were keeping a close watch on Sophia.

I considered addressing their attitudes but decided against it. Better to let the conversation smooth things over naturally—or so I hoped.

…It turned out that hope was overly optimistic.

"So, there’s no need for either of you to do me any favors. While you may hold the status of academy students and have been treated as cadets of the empire until now, I can’t ask you to abandon your identities or beliefs."

Neither of them responded, but their eyes were fixed on me.

"Lena, you came here as an exchange student from the autonomous state. It might have been a mistake to involve you so deeply in imperial matters. As a mere student, you’ve been dragged into things far beyond your scope."

Lena’s expression suggested she wanted to say something, but I quickly continued to preempt her.

"Given your position as a student and your parents’ standing, it’s clear that your nation has certain expectations of you. However, I must ask you to keep what happens next confidential. Doing so may even go against your nation’s interests."

"…"

Hearing this, Lena seemed hesitant to give the immediate agreement I was looking for.

Whether her parents had explicitly told her to monitor me or not was unclear. But the very fact that she had been sent to study in the empire suggested their intent. Maybe they subtly probed her during school breaks, or perhaps they outright instructed her to report on me.

Lena was earnest and loyal, but I couldn’t be sure she’d defy her parents’ orders. Unlike the main characters of the original game, I didn’t have the luxury of seeing what Lena did when I wasn’t looking. She was an original character who never appeared in the game.

Still, my intention wasn’t to say, I can’t bring you because secrecy is too important.

"I need strength, and the people who provide that strength must be those I can trust. Lena, you are someone I trust. This is an unreasonable request, but will you help me?"

Lena’s abilities were unquestionably reliable. She wasn’t just playing a role—she had observed my combat style up close and adapted it into her own.

Having her support in battle would be invaluable.

If possible, I wanted her by my side in the final moments.

Besides, even if she shared the emperor’s plans with others, would it really matter?

The nobles of Belvur already had a general understanding of the situation. And even if the autonomous state learned about it, they wouldn’t be able to act militarily against the empire—not after witnessing the bombardments along the border.

Could the emperor have planned all this with that in mind?

I couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

Chapter 242

"…Then, I will gladly accompany you in this battle," Lena said, bowing her head slightly.

Her demeanor seemed as if she were trying to hide her expression. There was no need for me to force her to reveal it.

"Thank you," I replied courteously to Lena, then turned my attention to Sophia.

The moment our eyes met, Sophia's pupils trembled.

"Sophia, I need you—"

"Your Highness," Lena interrupted before I could finish.

"May I state my opinion first?"

"...Go ahead."

I nodded, somewhat anticipating what she might say. If both Lena and Sophia were to accompany me, it was crucial to address any misunderstandings—or more accurately, the tension—between them. Resolving potential conflicts early would be essential. Trust among allies was non-negotiable, especially when my life might depend on them in critical moments.

What I sought was not a tragic tale of a party unraveling due to mistrust but a path where we all survived and saw the story's conclusion together.

If anyone thought, Wouldn't it be better to go alone than risk party discord? they might not understand the situation. In the original game, heroines who were separated from the protagonist sometimes met untimely deaths. The game allowed a maximum of four party members, with two additional support characters rotating in combat.

Characters outside the party were relegated to "offscreen triggers." A heroine might be absent during critical moments, only to return as a bloodied corpse later. The protagonist could only witness their final breaths, unable to prevent their deaths.

While the deaths were partially determined by fixed triggers, conditions could change based on who was excluded. For instance, leaving Lottie and Jake out of the final party would result in Jake's death as he tried to protect Lottie. Similarly, mentors like Jennifer or Carolyn would sacrifice themselves for their students under certain circumstances.

If this world mirrored the game in any way, the safest option would be to gather all major characters near the protagonist, "Leo."

In the game, such tactics were impossible due to system limitations, but here, those restrictions didn't exist.

"Sophia Bianchi may very well be connected to the church we faced last night," Lena declared.

A reasonable conclusion. Anyone who remembered the cardinal's words to Sophia would think the same.

"Which means, if we are to face the Theocracy, she cannot be fully trusted," Lena said firmly.

It was essentially a declaration of distrust. Lena and Sophia's earlier squabble seemed to stem from this very suspicion, as Sophia had been tailing me.

If Lena wasn't also following me, what was she doing? Searching for me, perhaps? On the other hand, Sophia's actions might have been more overtly suspicious.

"..."

Sophia had no rebuttal to Lena's claim; even she must have found her behavior questionable.

So, I decided to speak up in Sophia's favor.

"I'm already aware of that."

Lena turned her gaze toward me, her expression a mixture of surprise and expectation.

Before I could elaborate, Sophia spoke first.

"Yes, that's correct. Her Highness has been aware of my true nature for some time. In fact, my orders to monitor her became meaningless as soon as she realized."

Whether Sophia had been observing me or not, I'd carried on as usual. Even if she reported my actions, how could anyone make sense of them? My movements, my uncanny foresight of the underground facility, and my preemptive countermeasures to the Theocracy's schemes would have left any observer at a loss.

"In that case—"

"But," Sophia cut Lena off before she could continue, her tone sharpening.

"I do have my own thoughts, you know?"

Whether out of irritation or a desire to assert herself, Sophia's voice took on a defiant edge. It was reminiscent of the Sophia from the original game, though hearing it now felt oddly refreshing.

In the original game, her voice might have been grating, but here, it was endearing to see Sophia finally stand her ground.

"From where I stand, it's clear that the emperor must be stopped—whether it's the Theocracy, the Empire, or anything else at stake. Her Highness has declared her intent to confront him. Even if I were aligned with the Theocracy, siding with Her Highness is the most rational choice right now."

She wasn't wrong. At this point, I was indeed the only one openly opposing the emperor.

"Even so—"

"Fine, then."

Before Lena could voice another objection, Sophia reached for her pendant with a sharp tug.

The teardrop-shaped silver ornament bore the profile of a woman. Though stylized and uncolored like a stained glass design, the etched lines suggested flowing hair and a serene beauty.

It was the symbol of the Goddess—a sacred emblem of the faith.

"I swear by the Goddess," Sophia declared. "Until this mission is complete, I will not act against Her Highness or those who follow her. I will not betray anyone. You understand the gravity of a vow sworn before the Goddess, don't you?"

"But what happens right after the mission ends—"

"Ugh, seriously!" Sophia groaned, exasperated.

She clutched the pendant tightly, raising it for all to see.

"I'll extend my vow! Even for several days after the mission, I swear not to act against Her Highness or her allies, whether for personal, religious, or any other reason. And!" she added, glaring at Lena, "I'll extend that to anyone deemed equal to Her Highness. I will not betray those I fight alongside. I swear this before the Goddess!"

As Sophia finished her outburst, a faint blue glow emanated from her clenched fist. For a moment, an intricate, translucent pattern appeared on the back of her hand.

It was the mark of the cathedral knights' vow.

False oaths were not uncommon, even among devout followers. But for the Theocracy's cathedral knights, sacred vows were binding, enforced by divine magic. Sophia's glowing mark was a testament to the authenticity of her promise.

"...Understood," Lena finally conceded.

Sophia smirked slightly, then sat back and grabbed her now-cold cup of tea, downing it in one go.

I had intended to bring her along regardless, but her solemn vow settled the matter.

Just as I was about to speak—

Knock, knock.

A knock echoed from the door.

"Come in," I called out.

The door opened hesitantly, revealing a maid I didn't recognize. Judging by her attire, she was part of the Lutetia Palace staff.

"Your Highness, His Majesty the King requests an audience with you."

The words were light, but their implications were heavy.

Had news finally come regarding the Theocracy's movements?

Chapter 243

The meeting with the king was not a private audience.

That said, it wasn’t as crowded with nobles as it had been earlier.

Despite feeling like a lot of time had passed due to the long conversations I had with friends along the way, it had actually been less than a day since we returned from the underground of Lutetia. I had barely managed a short sleep, and since then, I’d been moving around the royal castle nonstop, meeting people without rest.

Sneaking into Charlotte’s room earlier certainly added to my exhaustion. But I couldn’t turn back time to recover my condition. If I did, all the progress I made in our conversations would vanish, rendering it pointless.

Given that only a few hours had passed, I assumed the kingdom’s nobles would have followed along and gathered again to debate intensely. However, when I entered the meeting hall to see the king, I was surprised to find fewer than half the people present compared to the morning session.

The noble who had argued with me earlier in the day was still there, but now he remained silent, lips tightly shut. Was this because the situation had become that urgent? Or was it because they now faced a problem only I could resolve?

Fortunately, the academy instructors were all present as well, though they stayed quiet. Still, having familiar faces in the room made things feel slightly less awkward.

The king sat on his throne as before—

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

His greeting was accompanied by a face that seemed to have aged five years in just a few hours.

Come to think of it, he probably hadn’t slept much either. Unlike me, who had at least managed a few hours of sleep, he must have spent the entire night locked in verbal battles with the nobles who had flocked to the palace.

“You mentioned an important matter,” I said.

“Indeed, it’s a critical one,” the king replied, dragging a hand across his face.

“Last night, after the disturbance on the Holy Nation’s lands, I sent people to investigate. Not only us, but the Iberian Kingdom, which shares a border with the Holy Nation, also sent people.”

“And the results? Were you able to observe anything?”

“That’s the issue.”

The king’s brow furrowed deeply in response to my question.

“We failed to gather any information on the Holy Nation’s movements.”

“...Was it because of the pillar of light?”

“Yes.”

The king let out a heavy sigh and leaned back into his throne.

“Whatever that pillar of light may be, everyone who came into contact with the surrounding barrier suffered severe burns. It doesn’t seem to behave like ordinary fire; it doesn’t cause pain when you get close. But the moment you touch it, it’s as though you plunged your hand directly into a flame.”

“Are the soldiers unharmed?”

“...At least none of them died. Since healers accompanied the group, they shouldn’t have to live with permanent disabilities.”

The king narrowed his eyes slightly as he answered.

“You suggested assembling a strike force to infiltrate that area. Does that mean you know how to get through?”

“...”

No, I don’t.

To be honest, I wasn’t certain.

I only assumed that, since the pillar of light was created by the Emperor, he would permit my entry, given that he needed me as a resource.

“At the very least, I believe I can get inside.”

“And what about others?”

I couldn’t answer the king’s question.

“...Charlotte has been insisting all night that she will accompany you.”

The king spoke heavily.

“If she follows you, can you guarantee that she won’t be harmed by the pillar of light? Charlotte is my only blood relative in this kingdom. She is also the heir to the throne.”

The king paused for a moment.

“If it were merely about finding someone to inherit the throne, I might consider alternatives. After all, I have other relatives. But Charlotte is my only daughter. If there’s even a slight chance that she might suffer serious harm, I cannot allow her to follow you.”

His voice was firm and unyielding as he declared this.

It was only natural. I don’t have children, but if I did, I would likely react the same way.

Even without children, I’d feel the same. If my friends were at risk of being hurt by those flames, I’d abandon the strike force entirely and walk into that inferno alone.

“...I’ll make sure to confirm the situation before making any decisions,” I said to the king, my voice just as resolute as his.

“If it seems dangerous, I’ll ensure that Charlotte does not follow me under any circumstances. She understands her importance to this kingdom.”

And if she doesn’t, I’ll leave her behind by force if necessary.

“If you end up going alone, is there a chance you can resolve the situation?”

“...”

That’s something I truly don’t know. While the world might be following the original plot, the story’s pacing has accelerated beyond recognition, bringing me to scenarios I know nothing about. Even if my abilities work as expected, I can’t guarantee victory. The Emperor won’t face me alone.

“There’s a chance,” I said finally, as if making a vow.

Yes, there is a chance. It’s not zero.

And as long as there’s even a sliver of possibility, I have the ability to seize it.

I will resolve this situation. For a proper happy ending.

...Not that the story ends there. Even after this, nothing will truly be over.

We’re still not even twenty years old. Alice will ascend to the throne, Leo will inherit the Grace family’s legacy, Mia will become the lord of Crowfield Manor... Years and decades will pass, and life will continue. And amidst it all, countless annoying and headache-inducing challenges will crop up.

Our relationships might drift apart over time or remain strong for life.

But to face all those potential futures, we must bring this chapter to a definitive conclusion.

“Don’t worry too much, Your Majesty.”

As if reading my thoughts, Jennifer finally spoke.

Unlike at the academy, she addressed me with formal language.

“The Winterfield family will spare no effort in supporting you. We will do everything we can to find a way to aid you past that pillar of light.”

“Y-Yes, I’ll also do my best as your teacher. I’ll use every bit of magical knowledge I have,” Carolyn added.

“...If it truly behaves like fire, though it doesn’t seem that simple based on what I’ve heard... We might still find a way to protect you physically. The time is short, but I have no intention of letting you go in alone,” said Ada.

Several other staff members nodded in agreement.

“Then let me confirm one final thing,” the king said, turning his gaze from me to the gathered nobles.

Of the nobles who had spoken so passionately earlier in the day, none addressed me now. The king clearly took note of this.

“Among the nobles present, is there anyone willing to provide soldiers to support this effort? As you argued earlier, resolving the situation with our own Belvurian resources would strengthen our position with the Holy Nation. If your private forces can resolve this, it would be preferable.”

“...”

But no one answered the king.

Unlike the empire, where private forces had been abolished and imperial troops patrolled fiefdoms, the kingdom still retained remnants of feudalism. While not as independent as the medieval era of my previous life, private forces remained valuable resources for local lords.

And those forces weren’t abundant. Each soldier required direct financial support from their lord.

There were few lords willing to risk such precious resources in a situation where survival wasn’t guaranteed—especially when volunteers were already prepared to enter.

“...Then I’ll take that as a no,” the king said with a weary expression, turning back to me.

“Princess Sylvia Fangryphon, I entrust this matter to you. Whatever you need, you will have it.”

“Thank you.”

And so, the team heading into that battlefield was decided.

Chapter 244

"The sooner we depart, the better," I said to the group assembled as the 'strike team.'

"That said, rushing in without any preparation isn’t an option."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

After my discussion with the king the previous day, I relayed the decisions to those I had spoken with earlier. Thankfully, I didn’t have to scale rooftops to reach Charlotte again. As the saying goes, no parent can win against their child, and it seemed the King of Belvur was no exception. Charlotte’s determination remained unshaken, and that night, she visited my room to hear the finalized plans alongside the others.

Afterward, I finally managed to get a proper night’s sleep—actual rest, not the kind gained through meditation. Exhausted from lack of sleep and the physical exertion of the night before, I fell asleep almost immediately upon lying down. It wasn’t even fully dark outside, yet when I opened my eyes, morning had already arrived.

Feeling far more refreshed than the day before, I gathered the candidates for the strike team.

Alice and Charlotte.

Leo and Claire.

Mia.

Jake and Lottie.

And Lena and Sophia.

Including myself, these were the ten who had ventured into Lutetia’s underground before.

These were the individuals I had handpicked. People I trusted implicitly, those I could entrust with my back. They were also the ones I felt a responsibility to protect until the end.

In addition to this core group, there were volunteers.

First was Jennifer Winterfield and Carolyn Northwood.

Jennifer was a seasoned veteran who had proven her skills on the battlefield multiple times. Though younger than what one might imagine for a veteran, no one could deny her capabilities.

Frankly, to an outsider, Jennifer might seem more reliable than the combined strength of the nine core members accompanying me.

Carolyn, on the other hand, lacked real combat experience. She had never used magic against people, being the sheltered daughter of a noble household.

But that didn’t diminish her abilities. In the context of the original storyline, Carolyn was as versatile a character as Mia. While more specialized in healing magic, she wasn’t incapable of an offensive setup either.

It wasn’t surprising to me that these two decided to join. They were already viable party members in the original story, so it would have been more surprising if they hadn’t volunteered.

Ada, meanwhile, chose to stay behind to coordinate support from the rear. Additionally, most of the commoner-class students would remain in Lutetia. If every staff member left, there would be no adults to manage or protect those students.

"Uh, c-could I join too?"

One unexpected volunteer stepped forward—Lily Baker.

She was in the same class as Lottie, a commoner-class student.

In the original story, there were several commoner party members beyond Lily Baker. Each had their own backstory and were intriguing in their own ways. Some created tension in the story by clashing with the noble characters.

Originally, I had planned to take more time to get to know everyone and build rapport gradually. However, the story's rapid progression left me with little opportunity to even speak to some of them.

The sheer number of potential party members meant that, in the original story, many became "background characters" outside of their personal arcs. Given that Leo, the protagonist, was from the noble class, it was naturally harder for commoner-class characters to take center stage in the main storyline.

Moreover, the story’s focus had been on the Fangryphon family during my playthrough, reinforcing this dynamic.

"...I’ll make a decision based on the situation," I told Lily Baker.

There were a few others gathered around Lily, likely her friends from the commoner class. Some of them seemed like characters I remembered being recruitable in the original game.

Saving all the key characters and achieving a proper happy ending had become my goal since realizing my abilities in this world.

If possible, I would have liked to recruit these party members as well. However—

—Even managing the current ten members, myself included, was already overwhelming.

Adding Jennifer and Carolyn to the mix expanded the group I needed to support.

At least the current state of affairs wasn’t a full-scale war between the kingdom and the empire, so I didn’t have to worry about bombardments targeting them. While I couldn’t guarantee absolute safety, those "out of sight" would likely remain relatively secure.

"If we need additional help, I’ll be sure to ask. But with our current numbers, adding too many could make things more dangerous."

I offered words of reassurance to Lily Baker, whose expression had dimmed at my response.

In a larger force, blending into the crowd might provide some safety. But in this scenario, a small, cohesive group was more critical.

Besides, I was relatively certain of one thing.

In the original story, the deaths of party members were used to emphasize the protagonist’s inability to prevent tragedy and add dramatic weight to the narrative.

If this world followed the original, then the commoner-class students, who had little connection to us, had no reason to face such fates.

And every character marked with a "death flag" was from the noble class. While the original game made it impossible to save all flagged characters, this world was different.

Those students would be safer staying behind.

"I understand. In that case, I’ll stay back and prepare to support you from behind," Lily said, her expression slightly more at ease.

Her gaze briefly shifted toward Lottie.

Were they particularly close?

...Though I hadn’t grown close to them this time around, there were still three years left after this battle. Perhaps we could form closer bonds in that time—assuming no one decided to quit along the way.

"I’ll count on you."

I nodded seriously, and the commoner-class students, including Lily, stepped back, some showing disappointment, others relief.

"Ahem."

Someone else had been waiting quietly until I finished my other conversations.

His hair was streaked white, his face lined with wrinkles characteristic of age, and his beard—ah, at least it was trimmed this time. Though still a bit unkempt, he looked far tidier than when he lived in the mountains.

Despite his aged face, his back stood perfectly straight, without the stoop or turtle-like posture typical of the elderly. His figure brought to mind an indomitable fortress, unyielding and firm.

Broad shoulders and a robust frame beneath his clothing hinted at his physical strength.

Frederick, the Sword Saint.

In this situation—or perhaps precisely because of it—he wore a grim smile on his face.

"...Are you looking forward to this?"

I didn’t bother asking if he really planned to go. After all, the Sword Saint wasn’t someone who could be persuaded with words like "don’t go."

Even back when I had convinced him to leave the mountains, it was only after mentioning the existence of someone stronger than him that he had taken any interest. Despite the grand title of "Sword Saint," he was, at heart, a man driven purely by curiosity and excitement.

Calling him immature might be unfair, but it wasn’t entirely inaccurate either.

"Lucas is likely in there, isn’t he?"

"While I can’t confirm it for sure, I believe the odds are high. Along with him, the Emperor’s other children are probably there as well."

Since the Emperor vanished, none of his children had contacted me or shown any signs of activity.

The Emperor wouldn’t have entered alone. He must have brought an elite force with him.

And at the core of that force would be the Emperor’s children.

"I see."

The Sword Saint nodded, seemingly satisfied.

...Somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that even if the light pillar posed a danger to him, he’d simply charge through it unbothered. While severe burns would incapacitate anyone, I couldn’t picture this man ever collapsing.

That’s what it meant to be the Sword Saint.

Even knowing there were characters in the original story who could defeat him, every time I faced him, I felt the same way.

"I’ve lived long enough already. If there’s something worth staking my life on at the end, it’s not a bad deal. After all, I’ve got little to lose besides the time I have left," he said, flashing a sharp grin.

That expression—bold, resolute—was simply... quintessentially the Sword Saint.

Chapter 245

The preparation took three days.

First, we needed to replenish the ammunition used during the underground expedition. Most of the bullets Lena and I had fired were standard lead rounds, but we had also used a significant amount of Marmaros rounds we had prepared in advance.

Thankfully, processing the material didn’t take too long.

“The underground was littered with beast corpses, after all. We needed to clear them out anyway,” Charlotte explained.

It seemed that when I destroyed the device, most of the controlled beasts had died on the spot. Even those that survived weren’t in any condition to attack anyone.

Soldiers spent entire days clearing out the carcasses.

“Normally, we’d need to refine Marmaros from the remains…”

But that wasn’t necessary. Just like in the original story, the mutated beasts’ bodies already contained lumps of Marmaros in their raw state—chunks big enough to be shaped and embedded at the tip of bullets.

“It’s truly remarkable. If we could only understand how this works, we’d love to try replicating the magic ourselves.”

Charlotte shared this information with me, her curiosity evident.

Of course, even if we tried to uncover the method, those who attempted it likely wouldn’t survive. Understanding it perfectly was an impossibility.

“We also brought in the specialist you mentioned. It’s because of that device you were wearing, right?”

“Correct.”

The reinforced suit I’d worn was now in tatters. While its core structure and mechanisms were relatively intact, the external layers designed to withstand enemy attacks were bent and twisted beyond recognition. The creaking sounds from the joints suggested that some internal gears had been damaged as well.

Considering how complex the suit was—still far from being mass-produced—I didn’t expect it to be fully repaired. All I could hope for was some spare parts to patch it up.

“I heard they were quite excited to come after reading your report.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

I didn’t know much about the real-world Browning, aside from the fact that he was a historically significant figure in firearms development. His name was well-known enough to have his stories spread across various media, but all I knew was that he was “a legendary gunmaker.”

However, in this world, James Browning was undeniably a weapon enthusiast.

To be more precise, he was the stereotypical “weapons otaku” often seen in stories with settings like this one.

While he generally behaved sensibly and rationally, he would unhesitatingly produce suspiciously advanced gadgets whenever asked for something peculiar.

“The fact that he prioritized repairing the equipment over meeting me confirms it,” I said to Charlotte, shrugging.

“Well, that’s fine. Fixing that equipment will give us a significant advantage in battle.”

Charlotte didn’t press for more details. She already had plenty of other matters to handle.

“Is this the finalized team, then?” she asked.

“If you have any recommendations for additional members, I’ll consider them.”

“...It’s hard to say if anyone we bring along will even be allowed to enter.”

Even without Charlotte’s suggestions, I couldn’t be sure if all the team members would qualify to pass through.

...Even I wasn’t entirely certain about myself.

Considering the circumstances of my arrival in this world, which seemed tied to the goddess’s power, it would be strange if I couldn’t enter. But there was always the possibility.

“Phew.”

Charlotte closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

Dark circles were faintly visible under her eyes. Normally, she managed them meticulously, ensuring they were nearly invisible. But over the past three days, she had been incredibly busy, primarily persuading her father to allow this operation.

“We’re set to depart tomorrow, so you should get some rest,” I suggested.

“...The same goes for you, Sylvia,” Charlotte replied, looking fatigued.

“...”

To her remark, I could only offer silence.

“Well, fine. Entering a battle while exhausted would be dangerous. Since it seems like everything is confirmed, let’s call it a day,” Charlotte said, stretching her arms above her head with a soft groan.

“...When I ascend to the throne, I’ll make sure we never conduct military operations in another nation again.”

Alice, who had been going over the final confirmations with us, sighed deeply as she spoke. I couldn’t agree more.

“In reality, tasks like these aren’t supposed to be handled by emperors or kings. It’s work meant for the soldiers who are actually sent into battle. It’s just that, this time, the soldiers being deployed happen to be us,” I said.

...Hmm.

Hearing this from someone who got dragged into this mess because of me made it hard to argue.

We reached our destination the next day.

As planned, I got plenty of sleep before departure. Even on the train ride there, I tried to stay relaxed and doze off whenever possible.

About an hour before arrival, I woke up and began meditating to clear my mind.

By the time we arrived, I felt refreshed.

Though tension lingered, I also felt strangely light.

If the story had unfolded strictly according to the original, things wouldn’t have been resolved here. Sophia, for instance, would have only joined us next year. And the Sophia we would’ve met then would have been almost unrecognizable compared to the one we knew now.

...I had no idea what had happened to her during that single year, but I wasn’t sure I’d have been able to accept her without losing my mind.

No, this was better.

Claire already knew her true identity, Alice had a clear understanding of the situation, and no one had died yet. I hadn’t even seen any signs of impending death.

So, I reminded myself: Don’t worry.

“...Impressive.”

From the capital, what we’d seen as a “pillar of light” now appeared up close as an impossibly vast and towering “wall of light.”

We spoke with soldiers who had tried and failed to enter, hearing their accounts of attempts to avoid the flames with steel plates or thick protective gear. In every case, they suffered burns as though the laws of physics had been ignored.

“Even for magic, this is over the top,” Ada muttered.

The light was said to burn people, but standing in front of it, there was no heat at all. If anything, the light felt colder than the beam of an LED lantern.

“In that case, I’ll check it first,” I said, turning back toward the group.

Alice nodded stiffly, her face tense with worry. Claire looked like she was about to burst forward and go in my stead, but Leo held her firmly in place. Charlotte watched me intently, her expression cautious.

“If anything happens, come back immediately,” Charlotte urged.

“I’m well aware of the value of my own life,” I replied.

“Hmph.”

Jennifer made a nasal sound as if she had plenty to say but chose to remain silent. I decided to ignore her.

Turning back to the wall of light that stretched endlessly into the sky, I extended my left hand and cautiously pushed my fingertips into it.

I felt nothing.

It wasn’t as if my nerves had burned away—if they had, I would have experienced a moment of pain.

My body simply accepted the light.

It wasn’t like ordinary light that would stop at the surface of my hand. This light continued as though passing through transparent glass, seamlessly flowing above and beyond me.

I took another step forward.

Still, I remained unharmed.

My entire left arm entered the light, followed by my leg, my chest, and my head. Nothing stopped me, and nothing caused me harm.

The light didn’t dazzle me or blind me. It simply existed, announcing its presence with an otherworldly glow.

Inside the luminous field, I glanced back.

My companions stood on edge, watching me anxiously. Soldiers who had witnessed others burn alive stared at me with wide eyes.

I turned my gaze forward and stepped further into the light.

Finally, I passed through the thick wall and entered the Holy Nation’s territory.

At the end of the radiant boundary that resembled a divine blessing, what came into view was—

“...”

—just an ordinary city.

Or perhaps "ordinary" wasn’t the right word. It felt eerily out of place.

For a city, there was no sign of life.

Not a single person walked the streets. No sentries stood guard. No patrols moved about. Even though the situation was clearly abnormal, no one emerged to investigate.

It was as if the entire city had ceased to function, sealed away behind the wall of light.

Chapter 246

"Sylvia."

A voice called out from behind me.

Turning around, I saw the others following one by one, crossing into the Holy Nation.

The first to enter after me was Alice, who had been right behind me. As soon as she stepped out of the light, she inspected her hands and legs, hopping a few times in place before hurrying over to stand near me.

She gripped her swords tightly, her face tense with nerves. But upon seeing the eerie state of the Holy Nation, her expression quickly shifted to one of confusion and disbelief.

"..."

She must have realized, just as I did, that something was seriously wrong.

Neither Alice nor I had ever been to the Holy Nation before. We had no way of knowing how quiet it was under normal circumstances. But even if it had been a particularly tranquil city, it would not have been a dead one.

A city run by clergy would still be populated by people. Clergy members eat, defecate, and create waste like anyone else. Even if this were a small self-sustaining monastery, it would require people to maintain its operations. And for a nation powerful enough to send a cardinal as an ambassador to another country, it would need an infrastructure to support its society.

Yet the Holy Nation before us appeared utterly devoid of functionality. It wasn’t a solemn, religious silence—it was a chilling, lifeless void.

The absence of any signs of battle made it all the more unsettling.

As I continued surveying the area, the others began joining us, their footsteps growing louder behind me.

Not a single person suffered burns or injuries while crossing the barrier. Everyone emerged unscathed.

At the very least, we confirmed that passing through the wall didn’t require "imperial blood."

"…It’s quiet," Jennifer remarked.

Though no one replied, everyone silently agreed.

The silence itself felt dangerous, prompting everyone to tighten their grips on their weapons.

In most countries, crossing a border wouldn’t immediately place you in a massive city. While trade hubs might see two cities develop near a shared border, the Holy Nation was different.

The Holy Nation was small, having been established from a portion of Belvur’s territory. While it didn’t have the same population as a major capital, its concentrated development around a single central city gave it a unique character.

Its architecture was old and weathered, but the city still bore the hallmarks of careful maintenance. Under different circumstances, I might have enjoyed visiting a place like this.

Finding a city immediately after crossing the border wasn’t unusual for the Holy Nation.

The open border reflected the close relationship between Belvur and the Holy Nation.

But that proximity also made this place dangerous.

Any one of those densely packed buildings could hide enemies.

"Sophia."

That was why the first person I called was Sophia.

She stepped forward at my beckoning, and I wasted no time asking her directly.

"Do you know the way to the Holy Nation’s center from here?"

"…Yes, I do."

"Can you lead us?"

My question implicitly included a request to avoid areas where enemy forces might be hiding.

Sophia was perceptive enough to understand the unspoken part of my request. Without a word, she nodded and began moving forward.

"…Let’s go," I said, watching her take the lead before turning to the rest of the group.

No one asked any questions. They all understood there was no time for questions or answers.

I had never explored an abandoned house before. The closest I’d come was during a courage test on a school trip.

Even knowing ghosts didn’t exist and the only thing waiting to jump out was someone in costume, the atmosphere still made me uneasy.

But that experience paled in comparison to what I felt here. Even if I’d visited a real abandoned house, it wouldn’t have compared.

An abandoned house is just an empty building. An empty city is something else entirely.

The streets were impeccably clean, as if they’d been maintained until only recently. The white walls of the buildings gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting its brightness.

Yet there wasn’t a single person in sight. And if there were, they showed no signs of life.

We didn’t check every building. Opening a door recklessly could disturb a hornet’s nest of soldiers lying in wait.

But if there were a large force hiding here, there should have been some sign.

The city was eerily quiet, even though the sun was still high in the sky.

"This is strange," Sophia said suddenly, her voice tinged with unease as she moved cautiously ahead.

"This place didn’t have a huge population, but it was never this quiet..."

Her comment sparked a thought in my mind.

In this world, all living beings contain magic within them. Just as we can extract Marmaros from beasts rich in magical energy, humans can theoretically be used as materials, too.

While this practice is considered inefficient and unethical, it’s not unheard of in stories to see villains justify such actions or claim it’s necessary to achieve their goals.

"…"

But I wasn’t so tactless as to voice such a grim thought aloud.

This was Sophia’s homeland. Whether or not she had family, mentors, or friends here, most people form an attachment to the place they were born and raised.

There was no way I could say, "The city you knew might have been destroyed for some sinister reason."

I could only follow her and hope my suspicions were wrong.

After traversing a considerable distance, we reached the cathedral at the heart of the Holy Nation.

To summarize: the Holy Nation wasn’t entirely devoid of life.

I didn’t know what had happened to the citizens, but the cathedral knights were still present—most of them dead.

"…Ah!"

Sophia, recognizing the crimson light from afar, dashed forward before I could stop her. Thankfully, there was no immediate danger. Whoever had left this scene seemed unconcerned about who might arrive—or perhaps they wanted us to see this.

The plaza, made of white marble, was littered with the bodies of cathedral knights. Their blood, dark and dried, stood out starkly against the pale stone.

"…There’s no smell," Jennifer was the first to speak after Sophia.

"No smell?" Carolyn, pale and keeping her distance from the corpses, asked hesitantly.

"It’s been several days since this happened. Judging by the dried blood, the bodies have been here for quite a while. Even with the cooling weather, a body left out in above-freezing temperatures should start to emit a stench after a few days."

Jennifer followed Sophia, both guns in hand, as she carefully advanced. She knelt beside Sophia, who had dropped to her knees in front of one of the corpses, her face filled with despair.

"…What happened here?"

"Mm."

Alice muttered under her breath, and the Sword Saint stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Knife wounds. Clean, precise strikes from a very sharp blade. Whoever did this had exceptional skill. The bloodstains on the ground were all splattered from the bodies. I’ve seen this kind of swordsmanship before."

"…"

Hearing his observation, I immediately thought of one person.

It seemed the Sword Saint shared my conclusion.

Standing among the bodies, he turned to me with a serious expression.

"It looks like that rascal Lucas is here. This time, he’s working with the Emperor."

Alice inhaled sharply.

"Stay vigilant," the Sword Saint warned. "Since they didn’t confront us here, they’re likely preparing a ‘welcome’ for us inside."

With those words, his hand moved to the hilt of his sword, his fingers brushing against it with deliberate care.

Chapter 247

In a typical “game” story like this, what awaited us would be the final dungeon at the end of the narrative. Inside, enemies would lie in wait.

As we cleared each level of the dungeon, powerful adversaries—lieutenants of the opposing forces—would appear one by one. The protagonist’s party would defeat them and steadily move forward.

Of course, if the enemy was exceptionally powerful, the system might allow a mechanical victory while narratively, they would remain undefeated. Such moments usually featured an ally intervening with the cliché, “Leave this to me and go ahead.”

That was how it should have been.

“Standing so boldly, are they?”

It was the Sword Saint who commented, his voice laced with disbelief.

And he was right.

There wasn’t an imposing dungeon in front of us. No massive beast barred our way.

“Why shouldn’t I stand boldly?”

The one who replied was the Emperor.

It was my first time seeing the Holy Nation’s cathedral in person. Having never been religious, I had no experience with such places, nor any idea of what a cathedral should look like.

But even to my untrained eyes, this cathedral felt deeply alien.

There were no rows of pews for worshippers. Instead, the vast hall was empty save for a few ornate chairs with tall backs arranged at the far end, each upholstered in lavish red.

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t a cathedral—it was more like a royal palace.

I supposed it made sense. Despite its small size, the Holy Nation wielded enough power to influence the entire world. And a pope had to deal with kings and rulers from other nations. They couldn’t afford to look weak. Unlike modern-day popes, their authority was far more absolute.

The throne-like seat at the far end must have been the pope’s chair.

But now, it was occupied by the Emperor.

He sat there with an air of majesty, his elbow resting on the armrest and his chin propped on his hand. It was such a textbook display of power that it bordered on cliché.

“Have you been sitting there, waiting all this time? My apologies for making you wait so long,” the Sword Saint said mockingly.

“Not at all. I’ve had plenty to occupy my time. There was much to adjust and prepare,” the Emperor replied with a smile, undeterred by the provocation.

“And besides, the ones I was truly waiting for were my daughters.”

“Oh? So, we’re uninvited guests?”

“Perhaps. But I wouldn’t turn away those who’ve come so far. I’ll forgive your intrusion.”

The Emperor’s expression was one of amusement, as though he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“…Does that mean others entering this place was not by your design?”

I stepped forward, posing the question. The Emperor turned his gaze toward me, his expression unchanged.

It was the same look he always gave me, as if this entire situation was nothing out of the ordinary for him.

Or perhaps, for the Emperor, this was simply an extension of his usual machinations.

“Who knows? That’s something I’d like to ask you,” the Emperor said, gripping the armrests with both hands as he rose slowly from his throne.

The Emperor wasn’t young, but his body was far too robust to be dismissed as merely middle-aged. His shoulders were broad, and he stood much taller than me. Even without being directly in front of him, his commanding presence loomed large.

Most of all, his unyielding confidence was palpable, as though it were a tangible force.

“The device is complete,” the Emperor declared, stepping down from the throne.

“And with it, the power of the goddess that once governed this world should have been shattered. But that hasn’t happened. The rules left behind by the goddess still persist in this world.”

He spread his arms wide, his voice resonating through the hall.

“…”

I considered asking a question but decided against it. Somehow, it felt like the Emperor would explain everything without prompting.

“You must have read through all the records of the imperial palace. You had plenty of time to do so.”

The Emperor’s gaze drifted upward to the ceiling as if lost in thought. Then, suddenly, he spoke again.

“There’s a story passed down exclusively within the Fangryphon royal family. It’s a tale so profane, so incomprehensible to outsiders, that it’s only shared verbally during a private meeting between the reigning monarch and their successor. It is never written down, nor spoken where others might hear.”

The Emperor lowered his gaze to meet mine.

“So, listen carefully. One day, you’ll have to pass this story on to your own successor.”

His eyes shifted, moving past me to Alice.

Once upon a time, there was a world.

A world shattered and blended together, where chaos reigned, and even the most basic laws of nature were absent.

In this disordered world, people suffered. Without a structured flow of time, they aged differently, decayed unevenly, and withered in confusion.

Then, one day, a revelation came.

A beam of blue light descended through a crack in the broken sky.

From within that light, the world began to take shape for the first time.

Limbs that grew haphazardly were now two arms and two legs.

Eyes that sprouted from random parts of the head now aligned on the face.

Bent fingers, twisted toes, and spiraling spines returned to their proper forms.

Humans, who had long forgotten their original shapes, followed the blue light and began to remember who they truly were.

But the light didn’t reach everywhere.

The fractures in the sky were finite, and those untouched by the light remained trapped in their twisted bodies, living in torment.

From one of those untouched spaces, a hero was born.

With his distorted form, he subdued other twisted creatures and led a monstrous army of griffons—beasts blending eagles and lions—against the goddess.

His sole desire was freedom.

Those whose forms had been stabilized by the goddess never ventured beyond the light’s boundaries. They feared the unknown and sought only comfort in the goddess’s embrace.

To protect themselves, they created their own “order.”

They built a tower of humanity, layer upon layer, separating people into rigid roles.

This structured city, a monument to order, was detested by the griffon king.

He yearned for a world where anyone could ascend, without being bound by strength or weakness, solely by their will.

And so, the griffon king—the king of the twisted—decided to oppose the goddess.

“But no matter his resolve, the griffon king’s strength wasn’t enough to challenge the goddess,” the Emperor continued, his tone calm.

“It was inevitable. The twisted couldn’t implement systematic weaponry. They lacked the means to craft armor tailored to their needs or wield conventional weapons effectively. They couldn’t defeat an enemy that moved with unity and discipline, as though it were a single organism.”

“But then, how—”

“The griffon king surrendered,” the Emperor interrupted, his voice steady.

“He accepted the goddess’s terms and entered her ordered world. Within it, he rose to greatness once more.”

“…”

The story, up to this point, sounded almost laughable in its anticlimax. But the Emperor’s smile remained, hinting that the tale wasn’t over.

And as if responding to my unspoken thoughts, the Emperor spoke again.

“Do you know the goddess’s flaw?”

No one answered. In the distance, I saw Sophia trembling uncontrollably.

“The goddess was obsessed with order,” the Emperor declared. “The griffon king conformed to her order, but in his mind, he never abandoned chaos.”

The Emperor raised his right hand, palm facing upward. Slowly, he lifted it.

“As much as the goddess clung to order, the griffon king clung to chaos.”

The ground began to quake.

A harsh, grating sound echoed as rough stone scraped against itself, and the pope’s seat began to split apart.

“And so, he thought: if order is the goddess’s blind spot, why not use it to summon chaos?”

Chapter 248

What is order?

Order is forming a line to purchase goods, obeying the law, paying taxes on earnings, and not coveting others’ possessions.

But the "order" we think of is merely a human perception.

If you dig deep enough into the concept of order, all that remains are the laws of physics. Ideals and emotions are meaningless—they, too, ultimately conform to physical laws.

So Fangryphon thought:

If the order the goddess cherishes is humans living orderly lives, wouldn’t disrupting something far more microscopic render it all meaningless?

By creating his order to prove the goddess’s order flawed, wouldn’t that be the greatest chaos of all?

And yet, Fangryphon lacked the power to execute this near-delusional plan.

So, he decided to "use" the existing order of the world to turn the goddess’s power against her.

“If order is truly so magnificent, then what better way to exploit it than to steal the goddess’s power from within her own order? He intended to use that power to reshape the world into what he believed to be a beautiful era,” the Emperor explained, his tone light, as though he genuinely found joy in the idea.

The Pope’s chair was gone now. Overturned by a rising "machine," its ornate decoration now seemed trivial and insignificant.

The machine itself was devoid of any embellishment, but the colorful components, glinting in the light, shone brilliantly.

It was a complex network of gears, both large and small, intertwined like the mechanisms of an oversized luxury watch. It reminded me of the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek artifact I’d seen online once.

The intricate movements of the machine, so meticulously precise, made it hard to believe it had been constructed for something so profoundly blasphemous.

“Ah… ah…”

Sophia's voice trembled as she stared at the machine.

According to the Emperor, this device, created by Fangryphon, served no purpose other than to oppose the goddess.

No grander ideal. No higher cause. Pure, unadulterated vandalism.

And the result of that vandalism—

“Do you also seek to plunge this world into chaos?” I asked.

“No.”

The Emperor stepped back with a faint smile.

“A world mired in chaos cannot sustain an empire. An empire, by its very nature, is built on the delicate foundation of human order. However,” he continued, “I do desire the goddess’s power. With it, I can bring the world under the order I desire.”

Indeed, the Emperor's ultimate goal was to create a world thoroughly equal under his rule.

An absurd ambition by any standard—

Clang!

The sound of clashing steel interrupted my thoughts.

“Ugh!”

The one sent staggering backward was Sophia.

The squeal of boots scraping against polished stone echoed as she struggled to regain her footing, though she managed not to fall entirely.

“Well, well, it’s rude to interrupt His Majesty while he’s speaking, isn’t it?”

The slithering blade of Bella’s weapon, which had been extended like a whip, coiled back into its standard rapier form with a sharp click.

“Bella.”

“Our little sisters are all here now,” Bella said, waving at us with a smirk.

But Bella wasn’t the only one.

Despite the city being nearly empty when we entered—as if the Emperor had truly sacrificed all its inhabitants—there were now others filling the room.

Their eyes were unfocused, and though their faces were unfamiliar, it was clear they were originally citizens of the Holy Nation.

They weren’t dead—there was color in their cheeks.

But they weren’t truly alive, either.

“…Why?” Sophia’s voice was hollow.

“Hmm, why indeed?” Bella shrugged, feigning indifference.

“I don’t fully understand it myself, but given what Father has said, isn’t this just another form of ‘order’?”

“…Does that mean it’s already succeeded?”

“Not perfectly, but close. It seems the final piece is still required,” the Emperor said, pulling something from within his robe.

In his hand was a completed component—a gear slightly larger than an adult man’s palm.

“I received help from my future self,” he said, smiling at the look on my face.

“If I could use a part sent from the future, there’d be no need to scavenge for components here, would there?”

The future?

Ah.

Instinctively, I turned to look at Alice. She seemed startled by my sudden glance.

No, no, no.

Sure, the masked woman was suspicious. I understood that. Her presence had rendered my abilities useless. It wouldn’t have been strange for her to possess a piece of the relic.

But if that piece was a completed component sent from the "future"—

Has causality been completely thrown out the window?

Even in a world without established quantum mechanics or multiverse theories, wasn’t assembling something like this too reckless? Or was his confidence in himself just that unshakable?

But that wasn’t the real issue here.

I turned back to the Emperor, who held the completed component.

…There was no time to wonder if the relic was secretly two separate entities.

“When this part was completed, the goddess had no choice but to contradict her own words. The promise of freedom under order was broken, and she had to shatter this relic. It’s a natural reaction. No matter how great or broad-minded a ruler is, they won’t tolerate a challenge to their sovereignty. And so Fangryphon was satisfied.”

He had broken the goddess’s "order" with his own power.

“The most crucial aspect of order is preserving it. Without that, it becomes chaos. At that moment, the goddess’s power became an impurity within order itself.”

The Emperor stepped toward the machine.

“For all the years since, no one has seen the blue light again. Divine energy lingers, proving that the goddess still watches us from somewhere. But nothing more. Whether due to shame for breaking her own rules or because this machine’s single activation dealt a fatal blow, we don’t know. That story wasn’t passed down. But I suspect the latter.”

He stood before the intricate device.

Among its many components, one space remained—exactly the size of the gear in his hand.

“And one thing is certain.”

The Emperor inserted the gear into the machine.

“The goddess will never abandon this world. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

The Emperor turned, meeting my gaze.

“If the goddess retains any influence over this world, she would send her most vital presence at the most critical moment.”

…The Emperor had fathered countless children with many women.

In the original story, there was no child born of the Emperor and the goddess. This was still speculation, but perhaps Claire, with her strongly inherited imperial bloodline, had been born by chance, and the Emperor sought to use her for this device. Given that the machine was created by Fangryphon, it made sense.

I deliberately avoided glancing at Claire. The Emperor mistook me for a being born of the goddess and himself.

That misconception needed to persist until the end.

Only then would the Emperor fail, regardless of whether I won or lost.

“But I won’t simply wait to be defeated. The goddess’s power isn’t perfect, after all. Even she couldn’t completely destroy this machine,” the Emperor said, his gaze fixed on me.

“Tell me, would you consider joining forces with me? Unlike Fangryphon, I plan to establish a new order and strive to create a great world.”

Of course.

That was the Emperor’s plan, his personal ideology.

And devising and executing strategies was his greatest passion.

“…What if I refuse?”

“Then I will take your power by force. Do you know? This machine has space for that. Normally, Fangryphon’s bloodline would suffice, but a being who possesses the blood of both sides would be even better. Don’t you think it’s worth testing?”

So, he intended to use me as a component.

…If the Emperor had known Claire was such a being, he would have already tried to use her for this.

Silently, I raised my gun.

“Is that your answer? Very well.”

The Emperor nodded.

“In that case, it seems we have no choice but to speak through strength.”

Chapter 249

The craftsman who had originally created the exosuit traveled all the way to Belvur to assist me, but in the end, he couldn’t completely repair my equipment.

Browning had the skills, and Belvur had the resources. But what we lacked was time.

If a firearm had been damaged, he could have replaced it with a similar model, or if we were lucky, sourced compatible parts from another firearm. Browning arrived with a plethora of components and equipment he had brought on the train, including spare parts for the exosuit he had designed.

However, the outer plating of the suit was too damaged to be salvaged.

Browning managed to repair most of what he had considered "expendable" in the original design. He replaced the mana stones fitted to the slots and the tiny gears prone to breaking.

But there simply wasn’t enough time to replace all the brass plates that made up the outer shell. Even the sections that had been designed to detach for easy replacement were so warped that they couldn’t be forced into place. The suit’s core frame, not intended to be an expendable part, was beyond repair with the time and resources available.

Even with spare parts, replacing the frame would require a complete disassembly and reassembly of the suit.

“It’s the outer armor,” Browning explained. “Patching it up haphazardly would be futile. If we rushed the job, the armor would likely fall apart in the heat of battle.”

The suggestion of patching it just enough to withstand one hit was dismissed immediately. If the plating fell off mid-combat—before even enduring an enemy's attack—it would not only be useless but also potentially hazardous. A heavy piece of armor falling and smashing my foot was not a risk I was willing to take.

“Is there no alternative?” I asked.

“Hmm…”

Browning stroked his chin thoughtfully before proposing an unconventional solution:

“If that’s the case, why don’t we just remove all the outer armor altogether?”

Hissss.

When I slammed the button on my chest panel, it emitted a sound akin to a steam locomotive venting pressure.

Actually, it wasn’t "like" that sound—it was venting steam.

Browning’s emergency redesign involved filling the steam engine on my back to maximum capacity, replacing the usual mana stones with highly condensed marmaros in the fuel chamber, and running the engine at its absolute limits.

To ensure the system wouldn’t explode, it was modified to release the excess steam through vents.

When I asked if this contingency was part of his original design plan, Browning nodded.

When I asked if it was safe, he didn’t answer.

With no better options, I authorized the modifications.

Now I was experiencing the effects of those changes firsthand.

“Grrr...!”

The exosuit didn’t have any sort of "AI" assistance, of course. This was to be expected—computers in this world were the size of buildings. Integrating such technology into a portable exosuit was out of the question.

Instead, the suit functioned as an intricate network of steam-powered hydraulics and gears that enhanced my physical strength.

The problem was that this overheated version of the suit didn’t just "assist" my movements—it amplified them beyond their normal limits.

Every slight motion triggered a burst of energy from the steam engine. Where once the suit creaked under strain, now my own joints groaned ominously.

Nothing was broken—yet.

Still, I reminded myself: this was better than having no suit at all.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Each step propelled me forward like a runner gaining momentum, and for brief moments, my vision soared as though I were airborne. Perhaps the steam venting from the suit’s ankles was aiding my leaps. It was a fleeting thought as I found myself bounding forward with unnatural ease.

By the time I was five steps away from the Emperor—

“Haah!”

I launched myself into the air, twisting my body mid-jump. My inverted vision flashed back to the fight in Lutetia’s underground when I’d vaulted to a second-floor balcony. But this time, I ascended faster and soared higher than before.

Amid my inverted view, I caught sight of white steam lingering where I had leapt. A sharp shiiick followed by a loud krrrk sounded as a blade left a long scar across the floor where I’d stood a moment ago.

“Oops.”

The nonchalant voice came from Lucas.

Without hesitation, I aimed my gun toward the source of his voice and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The sound of the gunshot was deafening, but the roar of the exploding bullet was even louder. A plume of steam marked the bullet’s trajectory, creating a tunnel of vapor that ended in a burst of red flame.

Swoosh!

But my shot didn’t connect. A streak of light followed the bullet’s path, as though Lucas had split the vapor column in two.

Once again, I twisted my body mid-air, steam hissing from my ankles as it vented from the boiling marmaros inside.

The blast of cold steam felt odd, given the heat coursing through the system.

I hit the ground in a roll and immediately cycled the bolt of my gun, ejecting the spent casing—

And loaded another round.

“Hmm.”

The sound came from beyond the steam cloud.

“You’ve improved since last time. Doesn’t look like you’re rewinding time this time, either.”

The figure emerging from the mist was unmistakable.

Only Lucas—or the Emperor—could sound so amused in a situation like this.

The flaming red hair ruled out the Emperor.

“Still, you’re not quite there yet. I’d say you’re about ten years too early to fight me without any ‘cheating.’”

“...”

I didn’t dignify his taunt with a reply. Instead, I pulled the trigger again.

Lucas swung his blade as if to deflect the bullet—

“Ah.”

But his smug expression faltered.

While my rifle had an internal magazine, it also featured a mechanism separating the magazine and chamber.

In short, I could load and fire single rounds manually, like a bolt-action rifle.

It wasn’t a feature most people would find useful, but for someone like me, who carried various types of marmaros ammunition, it was invaluable.

As Lucas’s blade froze mid-swing, I chambered another round, my eyes fixed on him.

Ten years too early, huh?

He might be right. No matter how much time I had, my talents alone could never rival Lucas’s innate combat genius.

But that’s why humanity invented technology.

Knights who dominated battlefields could still be felled by a single bullet, fired blindly. A rain of artillery could shred even the mightiest warriors.

Even in a world where someone could deflect bullets, a bullet piercing their body would still kill them.

And one thing was certain:

I had spent my life training with firearms. I’d fired them until I was sick of it, in both training and combat. I’d killed more people than I could count on two hands.

So maybe Lucas shouldn’t underestimate me.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I fired three quick shots, cycling the bolt as fast as I could.

For a swordsman, even a minor change in the weight of their blade could spell disaster. Swords were "wielded," after all. While weight imbalance also affected firearms, the impact wasn’t nearly as severe as it was for blades.

Lucas was a skilled swordsman—one of the best. A chunk of ice clinging to his blade wouldn’t cripple him.

But deflecting bullets was another story entirely.

Deflecting bullets was beyond human capability, even in this world where such feats were "possible" due to narrative conceits. It was an action that pushed the limits of human skill.

And when someone already at their limit was given an additional handicap, even they would struggle.

Clang!

The ice chunk on Lucas’s blade shattered into fragments. Whether his vision was obscured by the scattering shards or he failed to fully deflect the bullets’ energy, I wasn’t sure—but he staggered briefly.

The next two bullets missed their mark, but Lucas had no chance to counterattack.

And that gave me the time I needed to assess him calmly.

Chapter 250

Bang, bang.

I emptied the entire magazine without hesitation, striking while the momentum was on my side. Missing this opportunity was not an option.

Of course, Lucas didn’t just stand idly by. He rolled swiftly to the side, evading my bullets, and quickly regained his stance.

I dropped the rifle immediately. The strap kept it from hitting the ground, leaving it to hang against my chest. As quickly as possible, I pulled out my automatic pistol and unleashed another barrage toward Lucas.

While less powerful than rifle rounds, I had loaded the pistol with Maramaros rounds imbued with fire attributes. Despite their lighter charge compared to rifle cartridges, the .45 caliber bullets were far from trivial. They were potent enough to cause explosive damage if they struck a target.

Boom, boom. Small explosions erupted near Lucas’s feet.

However, Lucas had long surpassed the level of a swordmaster in the original work. A monster capable of deflecting bullets with his blade, he had no trouble repositioning himself and countering my attacks. With a leap to the side, he escaped my shooting angle and swung his sword at me.

Gritting my teeth, I braced myself and moved to dodge—

—or rather, I tried to.

But before I could even move, the sword slash was intercepted and split in two.

The clash of the two differently colored sword auras scattering in mid-air was so mesmerizing that it stole my attention, even in this tense moment.

“Hmm?”

For a brief moment, Lucas wore a bewildered expression.

“Do you always have the habit of running off without informing your allies? You should work on that. Even I, who enjoyed solitude for a time, recognize the importance of communication in a team.”

The swordmaster, strolling toward us with a cheerful laugh, said this casually.

As he spoke, the sounds of battle echoed all around us. The ground shook, submachine guns rattled in rapid bursts, and explosions erupted, shattering and breaking everything in their wake.

“And if someone wields a sword, wouldn’t it be better to leave them to someone who also wields a sword? I didn’t follow you here just to spectate, you know.”

The swordmaster smiled brightly at me before turning his gaze toward Lucas.

“It’s been a while since we last met, hasn’t it?”

And, as if greeting an old friend, the swordmaster spoke to Lucas.

“Ha.”

At his words, Lucas let out a hollow laugh, the tension momentarily slipping from his posture.

“What’s wrong? Do I seem too insignificant for you to bother cutting down?”

The swordmaster asked Lucas in a relaxed tone, seemingly unconcerned by the ongoing chaos around them.

“…I wouldn’t have thought that in the past.”

Lucas’s expression turned bitter as he spoke. The swordmaster merely shrugged in response.

“Though I failed to catch you last time, I don’t think I showed any disgraceful skills. In fact, wasn’t it you who was being toyed with by a mere girl just now?”

The swordmaster tilted his head slightly toward me, his eyes narrowing with amusement.

“She’s the least talented among my disciples, you know.”

“…”

Was that really necessary, Master?

“Go. You have something to do, don’t you? The fact that you didn’t come here alone suggests you need our help.”

The swordmaster’s voice was calm and steady.

…In the original work, the swordmaster dies at Lucas’s hands.

Not now, though. That happens later—somewhat after this point in the timeline.

Even in the original story, Lucas had already surpassed the swordmaster. In this world… I wasn’t sure. But I couldn’t assume he was any weaker than his counterpart from the original.

Despite knowing this, the swordmaster’s confident voice made me want to believe otherwise.

“Go,” he said again.

“…Understood.”

There was no point in saying things like “Stay safe” or “Retreat if it’s dangerous.” Those words would hold no meaning.

I was the one who brought Swordmaster Frederick here, after all.

Yes, this world is different from the original. Just as the swordmaster is here, so too are his disciples.

The situation was no longer the same as when I faced Lucas alone.

I turned my head.

In the distance, the Emperor still stood.

He remained there, gazing silently at the massive machine operating before him.

With a burst of energy, I propelled myself forward, racing toward him.

*

“Are you really willing to risk your life for that talentless disciple of yours?”

“How would you know whether I’m risking my life or simply enjoying a bit of amusement?”

Lucas’s taunting words were met with a laugh from the swordmaster.

Unlike Lucas, who gripped his sword tightly with both hands in a ready stance, the swordmaster stood relaxed, his sword loosely held at his side.

Lucas was confident. He had unwavering faith in his own abilities—this was the man who had invaded the Holy Nation, fought his own siblings, and stolen the relic they had secured.

He had been sure of himself then.

Yet now, the swordmaster standing before him exuded a presence that went beyond that confidence.

“If you think you see some kind of potential in that so-called talentless disciple, then you’ve been deceived.”

“Oh?”

The swordmaster chuckled, intrigued.

“Even though I bear the title of ‘Swordmaster,’ I’d like to know how someone talentless managed to deceive my eyes.”

“What if they could turn back time?”

“…”

“If they could rewind time, make a few attempts, and always produce the perfect outcome—then it would be possible to deceive anyone.”

“Hmm.”

The swordmaster let out a short hum.

“I see.”

His voice was calm and even.

“It does make me wonder how someone with no apparent talent could move so skillfully. They did sometimes act as if they already knew what was going to happen.”

“Exactly, so—”

“But let me ask you this.” The swordmaster fixed his gaze on Lucas.

“If that ‘talentless’ person rewound time to face several swordsmen—no, swordsmen far beyond the ordinary—how many attempts do you think it would take?”

“…What?”

“For someone who can barely wield a sword, who struggles to walk, swing, or even breathe like a proper swordsman—how many years would they have to waste just to grasp the most basic techniques? And how much longer to master them well enough to fight on our level? Can you even imagine the amount of time they must have rewound to compensate for their lack of talent?”

“…”

“You can’t, can you? Neither can I. Because I’ve been a genius from the moment I was born. From the first time I held a sword, I knew this path was mine. I’ve lived my entire life swinging a sword. With time, I’ve come to see things beyond talent. Long ago, I understood that not everyone in this world is like me.”

The swordmaster lightly shook the arm holding his sword.

The sound of an explosion erupted behind them, sending a cloud of dust into the air, but the swordmaster’s calm voice reached Lucas without difficulty.

“And you call it ‘cheating’ to watch someone pour infinite time into growing where they fall short? From their perspective, don’t you think it’s us—the naturally gifted—who seem like the real cheaters?”

Step by step, the swordmaster approached Lucas.

“…If turning back time isn’t cheating, then what is it?”

“Well, there’s a nice word for it: effort.”

The swordmaster smiled.

“That so-called talentless disciple has merely invested the time they had to achieve the best results they could.”

“And if that ‘effort’ renders all my actions meaningless—”

“Yet here we are, facing each other like this.”

The swordmaster’s voice remained steady.

“It doesn’t matter whether time rewinds or not. After all, we wouldn’t even notice it happening, would we? So, why not focus on what’s in front of us instead?”

He gripped his sword tightly with both hands.

“Just facing the opponent before you, feeling the thrill of being alive—that’s enough. Even if time rewinds endlessly, the time before my eyes will always flow forward.”

“…”

“I made a promise to that talentless disciple.”

Frederick spoke with a smile that never wavered.

“My disciple promised to show me someone stronger than myself. That promise has been kept. And thanks to that, I get to experience something truly thrilling in my twilight years. So this time, I suppose I should grant my disciple’s request.”

Bang! Bang! Gunshots rang out from Sylvia’s direction as she continued her fight.

“I swear upon the name of the Swordmaster,” Frederick declared. “I will do everything in my power to prevent your sword from cutting down my overly diligent disciple. And to be frank, I’m curious. If, as you say, they’ve rewound time countless times to get here, doesn’t that make you wonder what’s about to happen? Surely, it won’t be anything ordinary.”

As he spoke, Frederick’s blade glowed with a brilliant blue light.

Chapter 251

“Sister!”

Sylvia, advancing toward the Emperor, was clearly visible to everyone present.

Though the battlefield was full of enemies too formidable to cut down recklessly, and the steam billowing from the equipment she wore obscured the view, there was no doubt she was the centerpiece of the confrontation. Not only was Sylvia the Emperor’s target, but she was also the only one with a complete grasp of the situation. After all, the entire group had come this far with the singular purpose of supporting her.

Even the Emperor had tacitly acknowledged it. Though he hadn’t said it outright, it was evident that Sylvia possessed some power connected to the “goddess.”

Claire, too, had intended to rush to Sylvia’s aid—

“—Ugh!”

—but she was forced to retreat abruptly, swinging her sword in a sharp arc.

A whoosh cut through the air—a sound more akin to a whip crack than the swing of a sword. In truth, the motion of the blade was so unnatural that it didn’t resemble a sword at all.

“I saw it last time, but I still can’t figure out how you move that sword like that.”

“Oh?”

The tip of Claire’s blade, as she retreated, was laced with a blue energy that writhed unnaturally. Unlike the straight lines of conventional sword auras, hers bent and curled like a whip or a snake. This wasn’t the sword acting on its own—it was Claire exercising precise control over her sword energy.

“Strange to hear that from you,” Claire said, her tone tinged with irony.

Bella, her opponent, smirked in surprise. With a flick of her wrist, her curved saber snapped back into a more traditional sword form, like a coiled snake relaxing.

“Your way of wielding sword energy is similar to mine. Who taught you that?”

“Grace.”

Claire’s grip tightened on her sword as she answered.

“The Grace family? They don’t seem like the type to teach such unorthodox swordsmanship. Weren’t you scolded when you first showed those moves?”

Bella spoke casually, but her focus never wavered as she slowly circled Claire.

Tsk. Claire clicked her tongue quietly, noting that Bella wasn’t taking her lightly. On the surface, Bella seemed relaxed, but in reality, she was deliberately blocking Claire’s path to Sylvia. Bella clearly judged that letting Claire join Sylvia would tip the balance in their favor.

“What about you?” Claire countered. “How did you get that blade of yours?”

“The palace has all kinds of weapons. I just picked the one that suited me best.”

“Same here. I simply chose the best way to utilize my skills.”

“Hmm~”

Bella’s eyes narrowed slightly at Claire’s response.

“Maybe we think alike. Perhaps it’s because we both grew up in orphanages?”

“…”

“I heard you call Sylvia your sister. Did she rescue you from one of those places?”

“…Yeah.”

“I see.”

Bella nodded calmly. For a moment, her expression softened—a flicker of something like bitterness crossed her face. It was a rare departure from the artificial smile she usually wore.

“Lucky you. I never had someone like a sister.”

Claire couldn’t bring herself to respond.

“Is that why you’re helping the Emperor?”

“Hmm?”

“Because he saved you? Took you in?”

“Well, maybe,” Bella said with a shrug. “He did take me in. But that’s not why I follow him. It’s more that, if not here, I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do.”

Bella spun her blade effortlessly, then looked directly at Claire.

“And, well, if Father gains the power of the goddess…”

Her gaze was piercing.

“Don’t you think he’d grant at least one wish?”

For example, granting her a past that wasn’t so dark.

Being reborn—not as a counterfeit child the Emperor picked up, but as a true, legitimate heir.

“…”

If Claire told Bella the truth here—that she was the Emperor’s real daughter—how would Bella react?

But before she could speak—

“Claire, watch out!”

—she was interrupted by a sharp warning.

A thwack followed, the sound of something solid being struck hard.

Turning, Claire saw Leo had intercepted someone rushing toward her, using the hilt of his sword to knock the attacker unconscious.

The cathedral was now teeming with civilians who had fled inside, and it seemed someone had managed to approach while Claire was distracted by her conversation with Bella.

“Claire!” Leo shouted again.

Claire ducked instinctively. A split second later, Bella’s blade sliced through the space where her head had been, cutting a few strands of her blue hair that fell to the ground.

Pivoting quickly, Claire retaliated with a wave of sword energy aimed at Bella.

“What a shame,” Bella said, gracefully leaping backward.

“It’s always the same. Whenever people hear about my past, they all react like you just did. But it’s all in the past now. It’s over.”

Bella’s swirling laughter was enough to help Claire refocus.

She steadied herself. If this could have been resolved with words, they wouldn’t have come this far. Sylvia would have solved it without a fight.

“Claire.”

Leo spoke quietly.

“I’ll hold her here as long as I can. The moment you see an opening, go to Sylvia. …You still have what Sylvia gave you, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Claire nodded firmly.

“Good. Let’s do as she instructed before we came here.”

At his words, Claire nodded again, determination gleaming in her eyes.

“Antonio!”

Sophia’s voice rang out, hoarse and jagged, unlike her usual high-pitched tone.

Sophia wasn’t an emotionless person. On the contrary, she was deeply emotional.

It was precisely because of this that she was struggling to process everything now.

She was acutely aware of her identity as a follower of the goddess, a member of the cathedral knights, and a citizen of the Holy Nation.

But—

Sophia had trusted Antonio.

He was a man who had suddenly appeared in the Holy Nation years ago and risen to knighthood through sheer skill. Among the knights, he was admired for his diligence and prowess.

He had even refused to swear by the goddess’s name, saying it was not something to invoke lightly.

“I’m sorry,” Antonio said, easily parrying her strike with his sword. “But ‘Antonio’ was just a temporary name.”

His voice was calm, even as he continued, “My real name is Damien. Damien Fangryphon.”

“…!”

Sophia let out an inarticulate cry and swung her sword again.

Sophia, too, was highly regarded within the knightly order. Though still growing, she had been praised for her rapid progress and was expected to become an exceptional knight with more experience.

But she wasn’t yet a match for Damien.

“Ugh…!”

Sophia staggered backward as Damien’s casual swing forced her off balance. Her boots squeaked against the smooth marble floor, the sound grating.

There was no room for conversation now—nor any need for it.

Before news of his "death," Antonio—no, Damien—had been considered the strongest knight in the cathedral. The sword he wielded now, Jericho’s Blade, was a sacred relic known for its unmatched sharpness.

The irony was infuriating.

If someone so entrenched within the cathedral had been a traitor, what was the cathedral even fighting for?

Tat-tat-tat!

The sound of gunfire snapped Sophia out of her spiraling thoughts.

“Focus,” a voice said calmly.

As Damien took a step back, reloading clicks echoed behind her.

“Distracted thoughts are dangerous on the battlefield. I’ll cover you from the rear; just keep his attention on you.”

Sophia turned to see Lena, methodically readying her firearm.

“You—”

“This isn’t the time for questions,” Lena interrupted. “Don’t worry, I won’t shoot you in the back. As long as Her Highness trusts you, so will I.”

“….”

For a moment, Sophia was at a loss for words.

Chapter 252

“It’s a relief we have this many people here,” Jennifer said. “If it were just four or five of us, we’d already be surrounded.”

“R-Really?” Carolyn’s voice trembled as though frightened, but her hands moved with calm precision.

With one hand gripping her staff and the other drawing a magic circle midair, she began a silent incantation. Such control—casting without verbalizing and maintaining focus despite the surrounding chaos—was a skill only someone at the peak of their craft could perform.

Jennifer, though slightly impressed by Carolyn’s display, kept her surprise hidden. This was, after all, a teacher from the Empire’s finest academy. Anyone less skilled wouldn’t have earned that position in the first place.

The students were the ones primarily engaged on the front lines. The enemies weren’t just formidable—they were individually dangerous enough to pose serious threats.

But Jennifer wasn’t overly worried.

Not because she trusted the students’ abilities, but because she had spent countless hours in battlefields, learning to assess combat situations at a glance. The most critical role of a commander was to observe the battlefield, coordinate support from the rear, and minimize the losses of those at the front.

More importantly, there were far too many civilians flooding in behind them.

If it had only been a dozen or so, they might have dealt with them quickly, but these weren’t just numbers—they were non-combatants, people they couldn’t simply kill. What’s worse, it wasn’t just this entrance; people were pouring in from other directions too, impacting the students fighting ahead.

“Jake, Lottie,” Jennifer called out, “go support the students at the front.”

Jennifer had her reasons for this instruction.

Lottie was carrying a rifle loaded with live ammunition—not crowd-control rounds but proper, lethal bullets. While effective against enemies, such bullets would cause instant death, no matter where they struck.

It was only prudent to save such deadly force for enemies who could and should be killed.

Jake, naturally, was the best person to watch Lottie’s back. While having lovers together on the battlefield could be risky—one’s death or injury often drove the other into recklessness—it could also amplify their synergy if both survived.

Jake quickly followed Lottie, giving Jennifer a brief glance before moving on. She nodded reassuringly in return.

“Haah!”

Carolyn’s casting completed at that moment.

The green light from her staff flashed, and a powerful gust of wind swept through the area like a sudden storm. The advancing civilians were all pushed backward, rolling across the floor or stumbling but miraculously avoiding serious injury.

Jennifer guessed Carolyn had adjusted the spell’s power to minimize harm—had the targets been conscious knights instead of civilians, it wouldn’t have been nearly as effective. Whether the Emperor’s choice not to deploy knights was due to arrogance or inability, Jennifer silently thanked the circumstances.

Mia immediately sprang into action.

Gripping her staff—almost as tall as she was—she swept it across the floor like a painter’s brush, carving a large semicircle.

With a sharp crack, an ice wall rose along the arc.

“They won’t be able to break through this with bare hands for a while…” Mia said softly, her tone tinged with hesitation.

Jennifer offered a reassuring smile.

“That’s good. Even a momentary barrier gives us a chance to redirect our efforts elsewhere. Let’s move forward, but don’t neglect the rear. Support with magic and firearms wherever possible.”

Both Carolyn and Mia nodded, determination written on their faces.

As they moved toward the fray, the three women used wind and ice to reposition furniture and create barricades, fortifying their path.

Bang—

A sharp gunshot echoed, prompting Jayden to raise his shield hastily.

With a ping, a bullet glanced off the shield’s angled surface, throwing up sparks as it ricocheted.

“This is why I hate guns,” Jayden grumbled, lowering his shield slightly.

The rapid follow-up shots forced him to leap sideways, the bullets striking the spot where he had just stood, scattering debris.

It was Lottie’s rifle, Alice determined. She didn’t have the luxury to turn and confirm but knew from the trajectory.

“Apologies, but Father wants to meet Sylvia alone,” Jayden said, his voice calm. “There’s still a machine yet to be completed.”

“…The machine only works with someone carrying Fangryphon blood, doesn’t it?”

“There’s no reason to hide it now, so yes. But it won’t be you.”

“Why not?”

“We’ve already tested you. We know the results.”

“…”

Alice couldn’t respond to that.

She had suspected as much when the masked woman wielding Sylvia’s gun had shown no intention of killing her.

Even if that woman had Sylvia’s weapon, her swordsmanship had been far from Sylvia’s style.

So perhaps… the masked woman…

“This situation,” Alice said finally, “is the result of those tests, isn’t it?”

Jayden didn’t answer.

With a shield in one hand and an oversized sword in the other, Jayden charged at Alice.

“Ugh!”

Alice had no time to evade. All she could do was brace herself and block his strike.

“Honestly,” Jayden said, his blade pressing down on hers, “your talent doesn’t quite measure up to Father’s. Have you been neglecting your training?”

“…!”

Gritting her teeth, Alice pushed back with all her strength, forcing Jayden’s sword away.

She had trained—diligently, tirelessly. She prided herself on her dedication, her studies, her practice.

But talent was another matter entirely. No amount of effort could close the gap between her and someone at Jayden’s level.

What Jayden didn’t realize, however, was that—had he been a “true imperial child”—things might have been different.

“You have quite the nerve talking like that to a lady.”

Clang!

Another sword clashed against Jayden’s, forcing him to step back and recover his stance.

“Whew.”

Jake stood there, brushing his hair back casually.

“Your name’s Jayden, right? I remembered because it’s similar to mine. Hard to forget.”

His voice was light, almost teasing, as if they were back at the academy.

“All this talk about talent,” Jake continued, “but honestly, are you just jealous of Alice? I mean, she is the Emperor’s real daughter. You’ve been working so hard, climbing the ranks, becoming a knight commander, but…”

“…”

Jayden scowled, clearly displeased.

Alice had seen Jayden dote on Sylvia genuinely. From her perspective, his affection seemed sincere—untainted by ulterior motives.

Still, she’d never considered the possibility that Jayden’s efforts stemmed from some inferiority complex toward Alice.

Not that she was free of jealousy herself.

“I know the feeling,” Jake said, shrugging. “I’ve spent my life disappointing Father’s expectations. You’re the opposite—you’ve worked your ass off to meet them, but still don’t get what you want. And here you are, still fighting to please him.”

“What do you know about me?” Jayden snapped.

Jake only shrugged again.

“…You want to get to Sylvia, don’t you?” Jake asked Alice softly.

“…Yeah.”

“Then go,” Jake said, gripping his sword. “I’ll hold him here.”

“Got it.”

As Jake braced for another clash, Alice tightened her grip on her weapon and prepared to move.

Jayden glanced briefly toward the cathedral’s rear.

From the area behind the Pope’s seat, knights were entering—clearly clad in imperial armor, not the cathedral’s.

There weren’t too many of them, but advancing further would be a struggle.

“Well,” Jake muttered with a wry grin, “a knight’s just as dead as anyone else when shot.”

Alice couldn’t help but let out a short, dry laugh at his nonchalant tone.

Chapter 253

In all my time, I had never directly opposed the Emperor.

I had considered it. Perhaps an assassination attempt would be worth a shot—test it out, and if it worked, great; if not, rewind time and try again. But the Emperor was the mid-series final boss. He wasn’t someone you could defeat easily.

Even if I managed to confront him alone, the moment the situation was discovered, everyone in the palace would descend upon me.

…I had already tested the palace’s response times. I’d detonated bombs openly and infiltrated an airship docked briefly for maintenance. While I managed to escape, it was far riskier than being on the battlefield.

On the battlefield, I had allies holding the line, forcing the enemy to divide their attention. In the capital, it was different. If I were the sole traitor, every soldier in the capital would pursue only me.

Even if I succeeded in killing the Emperor, the chances of me escaping alive were slim. Sure, rewinding time countless times might eventually yield success, but the circumstances would inevitably change during each attempt.

Ultimately, I never directly fought the Emperor.

Was the Emperor’s swordsmanship superior to Lucas’s? This question was often debated among players. If the Emperor’s skill matched that of the Swordmaster, then Lucas, who had defeated the Swordmaster, was arguably stronger than the Emperor.

Of course, as the “final boss,” the Emperor’s stats were inflated in the game. Even when the fight concluded, cutscenes often portrayed the victory as the Emperor holding back rather than being defeated outright. Balancing mechanics aside, it was hard to reconcile such stats with the in-game lore.

And then—

“Guh…!”

I twisted my body abruptly as I ran toward the Emperor.

It was obvious—of course, the Emperor wasn’t going to hand me an easy victory. Even after altering his plans because of my interference, he hadn’t abandoned his goal of seizing the world.

Were the things he said to me lies? Perhaps. If I had foreseen his future and acted accordingly, maybe he would have kept his word. But even then, he would have waited for an opportunity.

Just like Fangryphon had done in the past.

I dodged two consecutive strikes aimed at me, throwing myself to the side. My shoulder hit the ground with a loud thud. The reinforced suit I wore absorbed the impact, amplifying the strength in my legs as I pushed off the ground.

When my joints moved sharply, the suit emitted a faint popping sound. Lying on my back, I rolled to the side, unintentionally resembling someone deliberately evading attacks.

I raised my rifle to fire—but then remembered I had emptied the magazine during my fight with Lucas. Quickly, I pulled the bolt back to check the chamber, but instead of reloading, I rolled again to avoid the Emperor’s next movement.

Perhaps it was because I had just fought Lucas?

The Emperor’s movements bore a surprising resemblance to his. Then again, it was probably Lucas who had mimicked the Emperor. Before setting his sights on me, Lucas’s ultimate goal had been to surpass the Emperor.

The difference was subtle. Lucas’s movements were smoother, more fluid. The Emperor’s, however, felt rigid—almost as if he forced together motions that shouldn’t connect naturally. Yet there was nothing awkward about them. It was as if he had stripped away all aesthetic flourishes from his swordsmanship, leaving only the essentials.

Rather than his body following the sword, it seemed the sword bent to his will.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The floor bore fresh scars from his strikes. I barely managed to dodge, the enhanced suit saving me from what would otherwise have been grievous injuries. Sacrificing defense for power had proven a good decision.

I finally slid a bullet from my belt into the chamber and pushed the bolt forward. The mechanical click sounded unnaturally cheerful given the situation.

I took aim and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The recoil slammed the stock against the reinforced padding on my shoulder.

“Hmph.”

There was an undeniable gap between my physical abilities and the Emperor’s. Even the Swordmaster had once told me—I lacked talent.

Naturally, the Emperor was prepared to evade the shot the moment I raised my rifle.

The bullet sailed past him, striking the “device” behind him instead.

Boom!

A small explosion followed, but it wasn’t enough to destroy the device. Of course, it wouldn’t be. That machine had been built to seal the goddess’s power.

Unless I wielded the goddess’s power, destroying it was likely impossible.

The Emperor must have known this—his confidence explained why he didn’t bother to stop me.

If destruction wasn’t an option—

I reached for the small valve near my knee.

Loosening the tightly sealed valve, I let steam hiss out of the suit. The strain on my joints from moving had been growing unbearable. Running like this could seriously injure me.

But what choice did I have?

Even if I faced the Emperor, I was still a princess. Returning to receive healing wasn’t out of the question.

Should I have brought morphine? Or maybe something stronger, like methamphetamine—no, Alice would have been furious.

I recalled the first time Alice found morphine in my quarters and angrily berated me. That wasn’t so long ago—not even a year.

Amidst the clash of swords and gunfire around me, I could hear familiar voices shouting with determination. Everyone was still holding their ground.

In less than a year, I had somehow earned the trust of so many people. Yet I hadn’t told them anything substantial.

I released the valve and crouched low to the ground.

Like a sprinter at the starting line, I pushed off with all my strength, charging forward.

My target wasn’t the Emperor.

My eyes were locked on the machine ahead.

I didn’t know if I could destroy it. Everyone who understood the truth claimed I held the goddess’s power, but I had never felt it myself. Time manipulation couldn’t move me forward. Attempting the impossible without the means to succeed would be meaningless.

But if destruction was impossible—

Then I’d disassemble it.

Before the battle, I had seen the Emperor handling the relic—a critical component.

The Emperor wasn’t a fool. He quickly realized my intentions and turned toward me, preparing his next strike.

I drew my revolver and fired wildly at him.

The .455 caliber revolver had been my trusted companion since I was young.

Though its trigger pull was heavy, it was a double-action revolver, allowing me to empty the cylinder in seconds.

Inside the cylinder were custom rounds—Maramaros bullets with elongated tips and reduced powder charges.

The bullets were slow and had a short range.

But at this distance, none of that mattered.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The small explosions from each round seemed uncharacteristic of a handgun. The Emperor deflected a few bullets with his sword, but he couldn’t stop the resulting bursts.

If I had intended to kill him, this plan would have failed.

At best, I had momentarily obscured his vision.

In a game, this would have been a frustrating situation—missing every shot despite powerful equipment. If this were a game, I’d have thrown the controller, cursed a few times, and reloaded from the beginning.

But this wasn’t a game.

The Emperor’s movements were briefly halted.

But I didn’t stop running.

The Emperor sliced through the smoke with ease. Through the dissipating haze, his eyes locked on mine.

It was terrifying.

The Emperor smiled, as though genuinely enjoying the situation. His gaze seemed to say that no matter what I did, it was futile.

“Sister!”

“Sylvia!”

But those fears vanished when I heard the voices of Claire and Alice.

Somehow, they had broken through the encroaching enemies.

The Emperor turned to me, ready to charge and end the threat.

Alice’s sword strike aimed precisely for the Emperor’s back.

The timing was perfect.

Shkk!

Blood splattered.

The Emperor took the hit directly.

But he didn’t even turn his head.

His unflinching gaze remained fixed on me.

Chapter 254

One step forward.

It was only one step.

“Guh...!”

My body was pulled backward.

“Sister!”

I heard Claire scream in terror.

A horrible, slashing sound, like something being sliced, filled the air, and a few drops of blood splattered toward me. No, was it really just a few drops? The blood that hit my face seemed to be only that much, but surely far more had splattered in reality.

It wasn’t my blood.

It was the Emperor’s blood, the one who had grabbed me.

He yanked me by the back of my neck, pulling me backward. Even with the enhanced suit providing strength, it couldn’t perfectly counter the Emperor’s force.

Perhaps it was because I had rushed too quickly. The moment the Emperor grabbed me, my posture collapsed.

I flew backward and skidded on the ground, slamming into the earth—

Thud!

Had I not spread my legs to dodge, my legs would have been chopped into pieces, or pulverized. The Emperor’s sword struck where my legs had been moments before.

...Was he not trying to kill me?

The Emperor was bleeding from various parts of his body. Though he had worn sturdy inner armor, it didn’t matter much when he was struck repeatedly by my sword strikes.

“Hmph.”

But the blood flowing from the Emperor’s body was still insufficient to bring him down.

“Are you not using your abilities because you think they will be blocked?”

Well, of course.

Even with just pieces of relics, I had used my abilities and suffered enough shock to lose consciousness for days. So, would I risk using them in front of a completed relic?

I decided it was better to trust those who had come with me.

Click.

I emptied the revolver’s cylinder. The gun bent forward, and the spent casings flew out.

Seeing that I didn’t respond, the Emperor likely decided that speaking was unnecessary and charged at me.

The sound of swords clashing.

“Ugh!”

Before I knew it, Alice had come charging in front of me and blocked the Emperor’s sword with her own. Her sword trembled, visibly straining under the Emperor’s strike.

“Hmph.”

The Emperor made a sound, then withdrew his sword—not as if retreating, but simply lifting it.

Before Alice could follow up with another move, the Emperor swung his sword again, and though he didn’t strike with full force, Alice’s body wobbled from the impact.

“I’m not doubting your abilities, but still, you’re falling short.”

“...”

I could see Alice flinch slightly from the blow.

Falling short?

Alice was far superior to me. In both swordsmanship and study. What I took countless attempts to understand, Alice grasped effortlessly from the start. I had nearly given up on swordsmanship.

The Emperor had a habit of setting expectations and discarding anyone who failed to meet them. But it wasn’t surprising—he was a man who only cared for his own ambitions, willing to sacrifice those around him for his goals.

Bang!

I fired at Alice’s side, and the Emperor retreated.

It didn’t matter how skilled you were—if you were hit by a bullet, you bled.

Clang!

A sword energy, twisting like a snake, flew toward the spot where the Emperor had retreated. He lazily swept his sword to deflect it, but the movement wasn’t as easy as he had hoped. Even with all his talk of swordsmanship, he still struggled against Claire’s technique.

In the original work, the Emperor’s children were depicted as formidable, though not invincible. Lucas, for instance, was stronger, but the Emperor was still a dangerous foe.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Another sharp, rapid strike followed.

Charlotte.

Having joined Claire’s side, Charlotte glared fiercely at the Emperor. It was only natural—though, thankfully, her gaze was not directed at me.

Blood stained Charlotte’s blade. She must have taken down several enemies to get here.

“We’ll buy time.”

Alice said quietly.

Ahead of us, knights were creeping closer.

“Lottie’s watching the back. Mia and the professor are coming this way too... As soon as there’s an opening, go for the machine.”

“Understood.”

I nodded at Alice’s words.

What exactly the goddess’s power was, how it worked—I still didn’t know.

But I couldn’t give up just because I didn’t know. At the very least, I would attempt to resolve whatever was directly in front of me.

“Alright, then.”

Alice and Charlotte exchanged a brief look.

“Let’s go!”

With those words, Alice bolted forward.

Charlotte and Claire, already confronting the Emperor, did the same.

The knights rushing toward us seemed irrelevant, as the three of them only had eyes on the Emperor.

There was no way I would let their efforts be in vain.

I ran once more.

And—

Ah.

I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder with a loud bang.

“Sylvia!?”

A scream rang out, but I couldn’t tell whose voice it was.

My left shoulder burned. The arm I had swung forward for speed didn’t move properly anymore. I didn’t have time to check the wound, but I did glance toward the sound of the gunshot.

The Emperor was holding a gun.

…A gun identical to the one I carried. But this one looked older.

Now that I noticed, my revolver, after rolling and being battered, had acquired new scratches. Though not entirely visible, there were deep gashes in several places.

Ah, yes.

Even in a world close to the “original,” reality was still reality.

Whether someone swings a sword or pulls a trigger depends on the choices of the wielder.

The Emperor, picking up the gun once used by his fallen daughter, had made his own choice.

Without aiming at the Emperor, I fired into the air. A few shots rang out from his side, but neither of us seemed to hit our target.

Should I rewind time?

For a brief moment, I considered it—

But then, I saw the three people and the Emperor.

Alice, who had been staring at me with wide eyes, was now attacking the Emperor. He had attempted to dodge her strike, but in a rush to draw his own gun, he couldn’t avoid Alice’s blade. Blood spurted from his arm. Was it fatal? I couldn’t tell, but he grimaced in pain.

The Emperor, having failed to dodge Alice’s strike, tried to counter, but was forced to retreat as two more sword strikes flew toward him. Claire’s and Charlotte’s blades whirled, fast and sharp, their movements unpredictable and synchronized.

The Emperor staggered back a few steps.

The knights guarding him had to prioritize protecting him, and Alice, Claire, and Charlotte didn’t have the chance to strike.

Rewinding time—could I make it to the machine if I did?

There was little time to think.

Even as I continued forward, the machine grew closer, and I could hear the sound of gunfire behind me.

Bang, bang.

Several knights collapsed in a spray of blood, likely from Lottie’s shots.

...Could I have made it this far by rewinding time?

As I thought that, I realized I had only one choice left.

I didn’t need both hands to operate the machine.

With all the strength I could muster, I ran.

And then—

I dropped the gun I had been holding. It was useless without any bullets. There was no point in carrying it anymore—it would only be used for swinging.

Reaching out with my right hand, I grabbed the spinning gears before me.

I pulled with all my strength. Kicking the machine with my foot, I yanked as hard as I could, but it didn’t budge easily. The gears spun as my fingers almost got caught between them, but with a final screech, the gears shifted outward.

Screech, the suit let out an ominous sound. Some of the internal tubes in my shoulder ruptured, and steam began to leak, soaking through the clothes beneath.

My left arm, still bleeding, had no sensation left in it.

“Ugh...”

Grimacing, I shifted my weight backward with all my force.

“Ah...”

The gears came loose.

And inside, I saw what was hidden.

“...Alice?”

The familiar face I had long known was there.

Alice, lying as though peacefully asleep, her eyes closed.

—Had the need for Fangryphon’s blood to complete the device been literal all along?

“No, Sylvia...!”

Someone screamed from behind me.

I heard something heavy approaching. The sound of clanking echoed as it drew nearer, but the sound never ceased.

However, before that sound could reach me, Alice inside the machine opened her eyes.

She looked at me with eyes glowing a fierce blue.

The light from her eyes was the same light emanating from the relic that Claire had entrusted to me.

For a brief moment, the world between us froze.

Without realizing it, I reached out my hand toward Alice.

It felt like all the reasons I had come this far, all the times I had rewound, had led me to this moment.

It was just the feeling that overcame me.

Chapter 255

Well, it was strange from the very beginning.

Whether it's a game, a novel, a comic, or a movie, stories in those mediums are usually complete in themselves. External interference is impossible. It’s simply a finished work that ends with that story. If something from the outside interrupts, then, at that point, the original work loses its meaning. What exists now is just a different piece altogether, no longer the original.

But still, I felt that this world was ‘inside a story.’

To be more precise, I felt both ‘inside a story’ and ‘in reality’ at the same time. In terms of common sense, this world was undoubtedly ‘reality.’

In the game, there are no time limits. Although divided into morning and afternoon, within the ‘event’ itself, no matter how many times I go to certain areas or how far I travel, as long as I don’t intentionally trigger specific events to let time pass, I can do everything I want within the morning.

I could stop by shops to adjust my character’s equipment, sell unnecessary items, talk to other characters, search for hidden events, or complete side quests.

But reality is different from a game. To do all of those things within ‘the morning’ obviously requires more time. Leona Claire solved it by getting up early and handling everything from dawn… but if something else had happened to those two, those events probably wouldn’t have occurred at all.

This was the reason I couldn’t think of this world as a ‘simple game world.’

In a game, you can sell items at a shop. It’s a game mechanic that prevents players from being too strapped for money, as too little currency would make the game unnecessarily difficult. Of course, in this world, I can’t just walk into any shop and sell the things I carry. Unless the shopkeeper happens to be an eccentric person who would accept them.

Things like embedding Maramaros into equipment or ordering out-of-stock items and waiting for them were all far too troublesome for a game.

Yet, even in such situations, there were plenty of aspects that made me feel this world was ‘within a game.’

The terrain and landmarks resembled the game world too closely. Places that could be called ‘dungeons’ looked exactly like the ones I remembered. The types of magic were the same. Even the names of basic purchasable items were identical.

There were even parts that felt oddly out of place for a ‘real world.’ Healing devices placed boldly right in front of rooms where enemies were surely waiting. Precious items left untouched for an extraordinarily long time, their origin a mystery.

In the game, those things were simply there for the players’ convenience and enjoyment, but in this world, they existed with full confidence.

…Who created all of these ‘illogical’ things? With what purpose? Was there a reason for them to be so similar to what I remember from the game?

No, why did a character like ‘Sylvia Black’ have to be here in the first place?

I heard a click in my mind.

Alice’s blue eyes were still staring at me.

Her expression was chillingly emotionless. It wasn’t the kind of expression Alice would show me.

As if it was natural that I was there, waiting for me.

‘As if it was natural for me to come here.’

…If the character ‘Sylvia Black’ was inserted into this world to change it by someone’s will…

Then this ‘Alice’ is—

The future Emperor, sending a messenger for his victory.

—So why did I think that?

Why did it have to be the Emperor who created such a being? Was it because the Emperor thought so?

Or maybe because I saw my abilities being sealed because of this ‘Alice’? The Emperor might have created the relics to suppress or take control of the goddess’s power…

—And if that’s the case, then maybe the goddess destroyed the relic to prevent that.

The future of chaos is uncertain. Although I’ve heard about it in passing before, knowing the future by understanding every movement of every particle is impossible. There was something about quantum mechanics mixed in, but I didn’t really understand it and just passed it off.

Fangryphon succeeded in breaking the goddess’s order. But it was a half-success. If Fangryphon had entered that position directly and completed the device, what would have happened? We don’t know, but before that, the goddess destroyed the relic.

The complete collapse of the order and the world plunging back into perfect chaos did not happen.

And if the goddess was the one who governed that order…

…When did that prophecy in the deepest part of the palace ever exist?

Who, for what reason, wrote so many prophecies and kept them carefully stored?

Fangryphon surely longed for chaos. But I never thought that he would write prophecies and store them. …That was something I hadn’t considered.

I suspected there were two relics. One was created by Fangryphon to seize the goddess’s power, and the other—how it was made, I couldn’t tell, but it contained the goddess’s power.

In the end, it was true that there were two relics.

I realized that now.

But those relics were not ‘original.’

This ‘Alice’ must have brought them here in some way.

The Emperor believed it was the piece of the relic he had been searching for, so he combined it with the other pieces he had already found.

If the goddess could push the existence of ‘Sylvia Black’ into this already completed world—

And if that could ‘deceive someone’—

…Isn’t it strange to assume that they couldn’t do such a thing ‘once more’?

I reached out towards ‘Alice.’

Into the mechanical device. The device that was emitting light.

Inside the device, ‘Alice’ reached out.

Our hands touched for the first time.

Her hand was cold, like a corpse.

“…So you weren’t Alice.”

I was deceived.

There was no need to worry about time paradoxes or anything like that. After all, if I was a being from ‘beyond,’ I wouldn’t have been from the future.

The gap between space and time, the pale blue light that leaked through that space.

The moment I touched ‘Alice,’ I finally understood the ‘intention’ of the being who had been waiting for me.

Long ago, at the moment when order was about to collapse once again,

The goddess thought.

In that case, it’s simply a matter of thinking it over for a little longer.

Starting from the very beginning, step by step, preparing one thing after another, and getting ready for some event that would happen in the distant future.

Though the gap where light had been entering closed, the faith of those who still believed in the goddess remained steadfast.

Through that faint connection, the goddess slowly and leisurely began to reestablish order.

She scattered faith across the world, grew her followers, and expanded her influence. She reestablished order under her own power and created opportunities to intervene in the world.

Based on that order, she planted the truth about the future, making people believe in the phenomena they witnessed, and completed each stage one by one.

It was as if she were playing chess alone.

Like a child enjoying piecing together a puzzle.

And finally, when the stage was ready, the goddess placed her chess piece on the board.

—Even a goddess cannot reverse time.

But that was not a problem.

If she couldn’t reverse time, she could simply beat the odds.

According to the natural flow of order under her will, she would change the positions of the stars that had already moved, reverse the axis of rotation, turn the crawling insects back, and return the cells of aging beasts to their original state.

The one thing she didn’t change:

She left the memories of the beloved chess pieces she had placed on the board intact, so they wouldn’t lose their way.

Over and over, and over again.

Until she reached the conclusion she desired.

So, my dear, come quickly.

The ending you wanted is here.

Everyone can be happy. No one has to suffer. I will make it so with my power.

The poor souls groaning under the colonial empire.

The people drowning in opium, unable to see reality, suffering.

The children who are forced into prostitution and abused, with no choice.

In the world I will create, they will not exist. Everyone will live happily.

Under perfect balance and order.

So, this story ends here.

This is the predetermined ending.

By whose decree?

I guess because I kept talking about “happy endings,” they must have interpreted it differently, but the “happy ending” I’m thinking of isn’t like that.

The people suffering under the colonial empire? They have nothing to do with me. I feel sorry for them. I wish they could be liberated and happy.

So what?

The children who are sold with no choices? I want to save those who are being abused by the adults who should be protecting them, those who are dying one after another.

So what? What’s the point?

Drenched in opium, having their property stolen by landowners, exploited for labor, and mistreated—

Does that concern me?

That was just how things were in the world I originally lived in.

In the end, people can only see themselves and those around them. The “happy ending” people think of isn’t a perfect world where everyone is happy without any scars. It’s about the protagonist and the heroine coming together, or the demon king being defeated, or the war ending, or the hidden villain being found—

No one wants to hear about “how the economy collapsed after the demon king was defeated” or “what happened to taxes” after the story ends.

People—

—So.

What I want to hear is:

A story where everyone I care about survives this war and we win.

And, naturally, a story where I stand proudly alongside them.

That’s the happy ending I imagined.

Anything else? I don’t care. Don’t try to decide and end the story on your own.

Well, I guess it’s a bit hypocritical, saying democracy is just and all that, but what of it?

I’ll judge things based on my own standards.

And, by the way.

Why, if someone exists who can return the world to its original state countless times, did they not take the initiative and instead create a fake Alice to insert?

And they even deliberately disturbed my abilities, telling lies in the process.

…They still haven’t fully intervened in the world, have they?

Could it be that the ‘real relic’ actually works?

What they told the church to gather in advance, was that just so the Emperor would find an easier path? If the church gathers it eagerly and resists violently, the Emperor would have to be a bit more crafty. Plus, they could safely secure the scattered relic pieces the Emperor might have found.

Sending the ‘fake relic’ hidden inside fake Alice’s body, and getting the Emperor to fall for his own tricks.

Weren’t they afraid of the relic being completed?

“Why do villains always blab about their plans at the end? They always give you the chance to strike back.”

I pushed away Alice— no,

The fake Alice’s hand.

No matter how much she looked like Alice, or whatever thoughts she had, this was not Alice.

She was only made to act that way.

“Big sister!”

I heard Claire’s scream.

Someone roughly grabbed my shoulder,

And at the same time, I heard a dull thud.

Chapter 256

"Claire!?"

Claire's scream was heard, but Alice couldn’t even make a sound.

When recalling what Sylvia had said before coming here, it was obvious that Sylvia was the center of this situation.

Though Sylvia had used some kind of power to get here, it seemed that even Sylvia didn’t know whether it was truly the power of a goddess.

The force she wielded was distinctly different from the divine powers of the priests that were often seen. If Sylvia’s power truly came from a goddess, it was impossible to understand why it was so different from the divine power the priests used.

So, unless it was Sylvia herself, no one would truly understand the situation, which was why they had all gathered to help her carry out her plan.

Sylvia, who had been stabbed in the back, didn’t make a sound.

No, her expression didn’t change either.

Her eyes were unfocused, as though looking into the distance—was it because she had been stabbed?

Claire shouted as she charged forward. A few knights tried to stop her, but one by one, they fell to the incoming gunfire.

Alice also ran.

Blood—blood was flowing. The wound visible on the Emperor’s body was not the source of the blood. It was clearly Sylvia’s blood.

Having ripped off the ruined gauntlet, there was nothing left to protect Sylvia’s back—

Bang!

But the next moment, a sound rang out.

"...Ah!"

The light returned to Sylvia’s previously unfocused eyes.

Coughing up blood, Sylvia was still alive.

Immediately after, more gunshots rang out—Bang, bang, bang. It wasn’t the revolver she had been holding when she lunged at the Emperor. It was an automatic pistol she must have drawn.

The Emperor turned his body, but even he couldn’t avoid the bullets fired from Sylvia’s gun as she aimed at his side.

But the Emperor’s hand still held Sylvia’s shoulder.

Slick—The knife was pulled from Sylvia’s body.

Cough. Sylvia coughed again, and blood stained her lips and chin.

For just one moment, everyone’s eyes turned to Sylvia and the Emperor. Those who were fighting beside them and those opposing them, even the Emperor’s knights.

In that fleeting instant, the entire space fell into silence before it was broken.

The goal had changed.

Sylvia’s companions were now solely focused on helping her. Regardless of the circumstances of the person in front of them, or their own feelings or goals, those things no longer mattered.

The reason everyone had gathered here in the first place was Sylvia.

Had it not been for Sylvia, the Emperor wouldn’t have acted this way.

On the other hand, those standing in opposition had the same goal.

Their ultimate goal was to ensure the Emperor’s plan was completed and to seize the power of the goddess.

The direction of their steps, the direction of their swords, the barrels of their guns, and the tips of their staffs all shifted.

Countless sword strikes, magic, and gunfire all converged toward the same target.

It was likely that neither Sylvia nor the Emperor would be able to avoid it all.

Sylvia turned her head.

She was still drenched in blood, grimacing in pain. This was a sight that would almost never be seen from the usual Sylvia.

Sylvia’s black eyes scanned the surroundings. It looked as though she was searching for someone, and those eyes met Alice’s for a brief moment.

For an instant, time seemed to slow.

Sylvia’s furrowed brow slightly relaxed. Though she still had a pained expression, for a moment, Alice thought she saw a smile.

No, it really was a smile.

Sylvia’s lips moved slightly.

"It's okay."

It seemed like she was saying that.

For the first time, Sylvia, who always spoke politely, was offering those words.

Sylvia’s gaze shifted again, this time to Claire.

Claire, who had dashed forward first, scattering sword energy around her, was now much closer to Sylvia than Alice.

Countless sword strikes and magic were swirling around, many of them clashing and neutralizing each other, shattering into fragments. The sparkling scene of debris and powder, had there been no bloodied bodies beneath it, might have looked like a celebration.

The lights reflected off the red, blue, green, and icy colors, illuminating Sylvia’s face. For a brief moment, the Emperor, who had been holding Sylvia’s shoulder, finally let go.

But Sylvia didn’t move toward the mechanical devices or the ‘Zibo’ lying below. Instead, her body moved in a different direction.

*

Claire, who had been running at full speed, quickly reduced her pace.

It was because Sylvia, who had broken free from the Emperor, was running toward Claire.

Sylvia was already losing a lot of blood. If they had collided as they were, it might have been impossible for her to escape unscathed.

The sound of the rubber-soled shoes rubbing against the floor echoed—

"Claire!"

Sylvia ran straight into Claire.

Claire didn’t fall. Though Sylvia collapsed forward as if her legs gave way, it was Claire who caught her.

"Are you okay, sis?"

Claire immediately closed her mouth after asking. Sylvia didn’t look okay at all. Blood was pouring from her mouth, and the hand supporting Sylvia, nearly cradling her, was covered in blood. The blood still warm, freshly dripping from her body.

"Claire."

"Uh...?"

It was the usual way Sylvia called her name, but something was different. Was it because Sylvia was calling her urgently? For some reason, her voice didn’t sound like Sylvia’s calm tone from earlier.

It reminded Claire more of something from their childhood—

"Zibo, do you have it?"

"Ah, yes."

"Good."

At Sylvia’s words, Claire blinked in surprise. Despite bleeding so much and suffering such injuries, Sylvia spoke with a strong voice.

Suddenly, Sylvia’s hand reached into the inner pocket of her uniform, and Claire was startled.

Without changing her expression, Sylvia pulled out the Zibo from the pocket.

A partially completed gear, small enough to fit inside the pocket.

"What are you going to do with that...?"

"You’ll see soon enough."

"Uh?"

Sylvia’s mysterious words made Claire blink again.

*

Honestly, there wasn’t much time to think, so I can’t say this was a perfect plan.

In reality, I brought another Zibo to counter this one. If I faced the Emperor and lost it, it would be bad, so I left it with Claire, who’s much stronger than me...

Moreover, the Zibo itself responded, and it reacted more clearly to Claire.

Thinking back to the truth I saw earlier—

The reason I couldn’t use my full powers in front of the fake Alice was because "the goddess controlled it." To deceive the Emperor.

Of course, it might be part of a trap within traps. She might have already predicted every move I would make.

But still, it felt wrong.

I’m the type of person who hates seeing others complete strategies, so I would get the Japanese version, translate it, and write guides myself. And I would criticize the translations, especially when people misinterpreted story details. Even when the officially licensed versions weren’t available, I would still dissect everything, even when it was finally translated into Korean.

I know my nature isn’t ideal. I’m aware that people in this world think I have a personality that deserves respect, but I know myself.

If the story I’m reading isn’t what I want, I’ll keep trying to change it into something I want.

If this were a story written by a company, I might accept it. But this world is different.

If the goddess picked me because I’m "someone who loves this world too much and can’t distinguish between reality and the virtual world," then she made the right choice.

But if that’s the case, then she should have considered the mindset of someone like me beforehand.

The Zibo Claire pulled from her pocket was glowing brightly. Naturally, it was aimed at Claire, not me.

I told myself I "returned the world to its original state," but I don’t believe it. How can I trust the words of someone who’s been lying to me from the start?

There’s definitely some power transferred to me. There are things I need to change "from within."

Even if the transferred goddess power isn’t perfect like the original, it doesn’t matter.

Because, after all, the Zibo I’m holding isn’t perfect either.

This was the goddess’s plan, up to this point.

"Claire, could you help me here for a second?"

"Ah, sure..."

With an expression that showed she didn’t fully understand the situation, Claire obediently followed my words.

She was still a good younger sister, now as she was then.

So now, what should I do?

The storyline changed because of me.

The imperfect, temporarily transferred goddess’s power.

And, still imperfect, the object created to prevent and seize the goddess’s power.

A being who can properly use that object.

"Claire, listen carefully. We don’t have much time."

"There are still people rushing at us." Some were desperately trying to block us, but time was definitely running out.

"I’ll count to three, and then—"

I decided not to dwell on whether it would work or not.

"I understand."

After hearing my explanation, Claire nodded.

I nodded slightly and said.

"One."

The goddess, who wanted to make the world as she imagined.

"Two."

The Emperor, who opposed that goddess but still wanted to become a new god by seizing her power.

Both had one thing in common.

To them, I was just a tool. Whether they had affection for me or not, I didn’t know, and I didn’t know how far they could use me.

No matter the outcome, I wouldn’t be happy in the end. I might even cease to exist altogether.

That’s not a happy ending.

In the fleeting moment I glanced back, my companions entered. They were all still alive. They were relying on each other, coming together to protect me and Claire.

Finally, I met Alice’s gaze again.

It’s okay.

It will be okay.

I gave Alice a faint, reassuring look and then turned my gaze back to Claire.

The two determined eyes filled my vision.

"Three."

At my final words, Claire opened her mouth. And I spoke simultaneously—

"Again!"

—Again.

For the first time.

Chapter 257

Wait, hold on a second.

I said ‘from the very beginning,’ not ‘from the next after the beginning.’

Even from my perspective, after coming to this world, memories that were quite old were unfolding before my eyes.

When I shout ‘again!’ my ability activates, and it’s not time travel as someone else. It’s me rewinding time, not traveling as another person.

Since I briefly saw the goddess’s thoughts, ‘that kind’ of time travel is impossible.

So, the situation unfolding before my eyes right now can be described as ‘the situation I am really in right now.’

A gentleman with monocles, a mustache, and broad shoulders.

Though he was wearing a silk hat and a fine coat, I honestly don’t think he could be called a ‘gentleman,’ either by his appearance or by his actions.

His clenched fist rises up.

The pain I first experienced after coming to this world strikes again—

Thunk.

“Hmm?”

But just before that fist could hit my face, I heard a sound coming from the carriage window.

The man’s face turned toward the window. Though his other hand was still pressing down on me tightly, making it hard to move, at least this time, my face wouldn’t be smashed by a single punch like before.

Thunk!

A louder sound of impact came, and the carriage window shook. I could hear someone shouting from outside. It was a voice that was now faint in my memory, one I didn’t really want to recall.

“Bitch!”

I’m pretty sure that’s what they shouted.

Then, I heard the sound of something shattering.

It was a familiar sound. Of course, I’ve broken countless windows in my life, but there’s a big difference between the sound of breaking a normal window and breaking a lamp. A lamp is made of both glass and metal.

The dull sound of the lamp’s metal part hitting the ground, the sound of glass breaking, and at the same time, a sound of something sloshing on the floor, followed by the sound of fire crackling.

And screams.

Yeah, Claire was outside at this time.

The blue flames reflected in the man’s monocle, looking out the window.

The man immediately stood up and began pounding on the wall near the coachman’s seat with his fist.

It seemed like the coachman understood without needing any words. The sound of the whip cracking followed, and the horse let out a whinny.

The carriage began moving forward.

“Big sister!”

A voice called from outside. Could it have been Claire shouting?

But despite that voice, the carriage sped up even faster.

No matter how skilled Claire was, she was still a child right now.

She didn’t have the ability to catch up with the carriage—

Well, whether she did or not didn’t really matter.

“Again!”

*

My ability worked.

I didn’t have time to think about how messed up this world had become.

Because the part where I rewound time had brought me back to just before I was about to get hit.

I saw the man raising his fist—

I gritted my teeth and moved my legs.

He seemed momentarily taken aback, as if he didn’t expect me to react so fiercely.

But he quickly raised his hand. He was just a child, after all. When a grown man presses down on a child’s body with his leg, the child can’t resist.

He gripped my neck tightly with one hand, making it hard to breathe.

But it was okay. I knew that if I had a chance, I could make it work.

If I have one chance, I essentially have countless chances.

Again.

*

Thud!

The foot that could move just once accurately hit the man’s groin.

The man’s face turned pale instantly.

Yeah, I knew. I used to be a man in my past life, so I know how fucking painful it is when you get hit there.

That was exactly why I kicked him there.

I felt the pressure release from the hand that was pinning me down, and I moved my foot again. The man’s hand completely left me, and I barely managed to sit up.

Then, I lunged at him, throwing a punch with all my strength.

Crack! The monocle in his eye shattered. Some shards of glass got embedded in my own fist, but the man’s face was in far worse condition.

It was inevitable when the glass was just wedged onto his face without any support.

“You bitch!”

At that exact moment, I heard a voice from outside the carriage, followed by a clang, the sound of a lamp breaking.

After a scream tore through the air, the carriage door rattled.

While the man was holding his eyes, I quickly grabbed the door handle and opened the carriage door.

“Big sister!”

And finally, I saw Claire’s face—

“Ah.”

At the same time, my neck was grabbed from behind. The man must have had a terrifying expression on his face.

But before I could even respond, someone else reacted.

“Again!”

Claire shouted.

Thud.

*

Thud!

“Ugh!”

A rock flew into the man’s face. The moment the door opened, Claire’s stone hit his hand, which was covering his eyes, with perfect accuracy.

“Big sister, hurry!”

Claire extended her hand to me.

Claire didn’t look so good. Although there were no major wounds, her clothes were covered in dust, as if she had rolled on the ground.

At least, she hadn’t been burned while breaking the lamp, so that was a relief.

I quickly grabbed Claire’s hand and stepped outside.

Then, Claire pulled me along, running.

“These trash…”

Really, these trash people sure talk a lot.

I thought, hearing the angry shouts of the man behind us.

The man, who had tried to maintain his polite demeanor while getting beaten, seemed frustrated by being hit by a child.

“The children?”

“Of course, we’re taking them all with us. Just like you did, big sister.”

Claire said, tugging my arm.

… I didn’t fully understand the situation, but it seemed to be unfolding in a way similar to what I had aimed for.

The goddess’s power remained, but it had also transferred to Claire. It might be because of the relic’s power. Claire had the potential for that.

But even then—

I heard the sound of hooves from behind.

It seemed like they had given up on chasing us after seeing the body of the orphanage director burning ahead. Maybe they thought it would be troublesome if they got any further involved?

At least, the orphanage itself wasn’t burning.

“This time, I’ll lead.”

Claire, smiling brightly, spoke. She was the Claire I remembered from her younger days, but strangely, she also resembled the brave Claire from just a moment ago.

*

“……”

“Princess?”

The voice of the guard addressing Alice was filled with tension.

The young princess, still too young to be called a ‘girl,’ had come here after throwing a tantrum.

How she knew about this ‘dangerous area,’ and more specifically, how she knew about the ‘orphanage’ in this area, was something even the guard didn’t understand.

There were several carriages surrounding the one the princess was riding in, along with mounted knights.

A child not yet ten years old, casually giving orders to those below her, had never happened before. Of course, a report had been sent to the Emperor. He seemed quite intrigued and approved the situation.

What exactly did this young princess know, and why was she here?

“It seems there was a fire last night. The orphanage director mishandled a lamp…”

“Is the orphanage safe?”

“Yes, the building is intact, but it seems that the children inside have disappeared overnight.”

The guard reported matter-of-factly, without speculation.

“I see.”

Princess Alice Fangryphon briefly closed her mouth, lost in thought.

“Alright. The investigation is complete. Let’s return to the palace. Thank you for your help.”

“It was my duty, Your Highness.”

The guard bowed, still a bit stunned by the young princess’s command.

*

I saw a bright light coming from between Sylvia and Claire.

And when I finally regained my senses, the first thing I realized was the position of my gaze.

It was much lower than the view Alice remembered.

I looked at my hands. They were soft and small. My arms, my legs, were much shorter than Alice had remembered.

And then, after seeing myself in the mirror, I realized.

Time had been rewound.

*

“……”

Then, why could Alice still remember that moment?

The eyes of Alice in the mirror narrowed. Staring at herself in the mirror, she suddenly realized.

Inside that mechanical device.

Alice herself was inside.

Whether that was the real or fake Alice, and how that situation came to be, Alice wasn’t sure, but she could at least be certain that the being inside the device was the ‘masked woman.’

And when that masked woman was present, even after time had reversed, Alice had not lost her memories.

Her heart raced wildly.

How many people truly live without regrets? Alice had committed many regrettable acts in her youth.

Especially, she had treated Sylvia, who had been kind to her without any conditions, so coldly for too long.

She had shown that attitude for years, so it was no wonder Sylvia had grown distant, but Sylvia had continued to show her the same attitude, never changing.

It was thanks to Sylvia that Alice was able to regain her composure.

So, if she met Sylvia again now…

Would she be able to make up for the mistakes of her younger self?

Chapter 258

It was already several years ago that I thought that.

“……”

“……”

Inside the rattling train, the person sitting across from Alice was not the one Alice remembered.

Her blue hair, reaching down to her shoulders, had a dreamlike quality. Unlike Alice’s memory, the ends of her untied hair curled into waves, so if she hadn’t looked like she usually did, she could have easily been mistaken for someone from a noble family.

No, she was from a noble family, after all.

When she was very young, she grew up on the streets, and later, she spent some time in an orphanage that sold people like objects. She escaped after killing the director, but her bloodline ran through the royal family.

In fact, even more than Alice, the rightful heir.

“Did you always do this kind of thing?”

“What kind of thing?”

Suddenly, Claire spoke, and Alice fixed her eyes on Claire, who had been glancing around, and responded.

Claire looked at her with an expression of annoyance.

“Interfering with everything the Emperor himself commanded and forcing your way in to do the same.”

“……”

It was something she had done before.

When she had been feeling jealous and inferior to Sylvia, she had tried to follow everything Sylvia did. Every time, Sylvia completed tasks more perfectly than Alice could ever manage, which only made Alice feel more inferior.

Ironically, the first real conversation Alice had had with Sylvia in a long while was on this train. Alice had always felt awkward being around Sylvia. But this time, there were two even more awkward figures on the train, so Alice had no choice but to choose to sit in front of Sylvia.

And the conversation they had in that train made a huge impact on Alice.

“I guess you did.”

Claire snorted and looked out the window.

“You seemed so close, I thought you must’ve been best friends since you were little.”

Alice had no reply to that comment.

“But this time, there was no choice. I met Charlotte for the first time here.”

“……Well, I guess that can’t be helped.”

With a sigh, Claire wiped her face.

“I really thought we’d be able to stay together.”

“……”

“Ah, I know. You’re telling me to be extra careful, right? Not to bring this up unless I absolutely have to.”

Luckily, Lucas and Jayden were immersed in their own competition, so they didn’t react to this side of the conversation.

Until now, neither Claire nor Alice had said anything about Claire’s bloodline.

Moreover, the person Lucas had chosen this time was not Sylvia, who had no Fangryphon blood, but Claire, who truly had the Emperor’s bloodline, which made it even more dangerous. If things went wrong, the world might move exactly as the Emperor had planned.

“But you said it yourself. ‘It won’t go like that.’”

Since coming to this world, Alice had met Sylvia only twice.

Sylvia, who had become ‘Sylvia Grace’ instead of ‘Sylvia Fangryphon,’ was working very hard at the balls held at the palace.

While Claire had become a ‘Grace’ because of her swordsmanship, it seemed Sylvia had caught the Emperor’s eye with her particular knowledge. As a result, she was living a life very different from the one Claire had lived when she focused solely on swordsmanship as a child. While Claire was one of the inheritors of the Grace-style swordsmanship, ‘Sylvia Grace’ looked every bit the young lady from a noble family.

Unlike the Alice, Claire, and Sylvia who remembered the past, Sylvia’s partner at the ball, Leo, seemed not to remember either of them.

This meant that those who were not involved with the relics or the goddess’s plan could not properly remember the world.

“That might not be the case.”

At the Grace estate, Sylvia, having changed her manner of speaking, said that. It made sense since they were at a ball. No matter how close she was to the princess, the daughter of a baron couldn’t speak informally.

But Claire looked uncomfortable seeing Sylvia like that.

“The introduction to the story was different. The past where I was beaten in the carriage, that was actually an impossible past. I had already escaped before that, by rewinding time, so technically, I should never have even met that man.”

Her tone seemed a little softer. Unlike her previous military-like tone, Sylvia’s earnest explanation now made her sound every bit the baron’s daughter. In some ways, even more than Claire.

Seeing Sylvia with her long black hair down, wearing a dark blue dress and acting so naturally, Alice couldn’t help but wonder if she was still the same person.

...But even during such an important conversation, Alice wasn’t oblivious enough to point that out.

She tried hard to suppress a smile.

“So, the past we’re experiencing now might not actually be the ‘past.’ After all, the goddess wouldn’t have liked what I was doing, and the relic we were holding at that time wasn’t the completed version. Also, part of my power ended up transferring to Claire, and I’m not sure what changes that caused yet.”

“Are you saying we’re in some kind of illusion?”

“It’s probably not a simple illusion. But at the same time, the goddess must have some intention. If time wasn’t reversed but instead the situation was shifted and then replayed, creating that situation might also be the goddess’s power.”

“…So, does that mean you could become more dangerous in the future?”

Claire asked seriously. Alice, who had briefly lost focus, snapped back to attention at those words.

“That’s what I’m saying. So we need to be prepared too.”

“How?”

Alice asked.

“Well...”

Sylvia thought for a moment and then spoke.

“It’s best if we find the relics in advance.”

“But you just said this might be an illusion?”

At Claire’s words, Sylvia narrowed her brow slightly and, as if organizing her thoughts, spoke slowly.

“Even if it is an illusion, if the space feels just like reality, it’s not a place we can just dismiss as ‘just an illusion.’ It’s likely that this world isn’t very different from the one we lived in. Since the goddess couldn’t have recreated everything from start to finish, it’s more likely that she either created this space based on the world we lived in or temporarily altered it.”

Sylvia lightly moved the glass in her hand. The drink inside shimmered. That didn’t seem like something that could be imagined and created out of nothing.

“Anyway, the goddess always intended to fix everything from the start. The world might be broken for a while as she removes the impurities, but it’s not a problem.”

“……”

“Besides, honestly…”

Sylvia briefly furrowed her brow before shaking her head.

“No, I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know once I’m certain.”

That was the end of what happened during Alice’s second meeting with Sylvia.

Since it had been recreated according to the goddess’s will, Sylvia’s opinion was that it wouldn’t follow the Emperor’s plan.

“That doesn’t mean we can ignore everything.”

“…True. You’ve been working hard yourself.”

In response to Alice’s words, Claire answered with a sigh.

After I came back, time passed quickly.

No, it passed really quickly.

This isn’t a metaphor. It felt like, at times, memories were disappearing, like the frames of the scenes were unnaturally cutting off. I felt like the story was progressing uncontrollably, regardless of my will.

My will was still being reflected. After making some plans, I could at least tell whether they succeeded or failed.

But when I wasn’t paying attention, when I thought something was unimportant, when I was spacing out, time passed so quickly that it was incomprehensible.

Someone was rushing like crazy.

And I felt like I knew who that rushing person was.

After seeing those two for the last time, so much time had passed that it was already time to enter the academy. At least, I didn’t feel like “years” had passed.

Had Claire and Alice realized this too?

“Sister—”

In a corridor full of people, a familiar voice called out from a distance.

Unlike before, Claire was already sure that I was her ‘sister.’

But before Claire could greet me happily and approach, there was someone else, equally eager to rush toward me.

“Sister!”

“Ugh.”

Claire couldn’t even hide her surprise at Leo’s voice.

“Leo.”

I quietly responded to Leo, and Claire froze in place.

Hmm, she looked like she had seen something creepy.

Chapter 259

“Leo, greet them. These are the esteemed princesses of the Azerna Empire.”

“Greetings. I am Leo Grace, the eldest son of the Grace family. It is an honor to meet the two noble princesses of such distinguished bloodlines.”

At my words, Leo politely greeted the two princesses. His demeanor was the very epitome of a ‘gentleman.’

This was a complete contrast to how he had acted when he first met Alice and me.

Of course, when I say ‘the first time we met,’ I’m not referring to after time was rewound. I mean before time was rewound, back when this ‘current situation’ was happening. Leo, who had clearly recognized both Alice and me as princesses, had turned pale every time he saw us.

Especially when Claire openly called me ‘sister’ and acted informally with me, Leo had been quite distressed. It was a miracle that his hair didn’t fall out from all the stress.

Even in the original story, early on, Leo turned pale whenever he had to deal with Alice, and that had become a bit of a comedic element, so it was understandable.

However, there was no trace of that on Leo’s face now. His expression when greeting Claire and Alice was calm and composed.

In this timeline, Leo wasn’t meeting the two of them for the first time, either.

Unlike Claire, who had solely dedicated herself to swordsmanship, I had directed my talents in slightly different ways. Despite my current appearance, I had worked diligently, studying as I rewound time. Rather than cramming everything for the exam, I believed it was more useful to repeat lessons until I truly understood the material. And I had continued with that approach up until now.

As a result, most of the material I was taught in my younger years was already known to me. If I had only crammed for exams, I wouldn’t have remembered and would have had to rewind time to study again, but since I had properly learned and moved on from many things, there was no need to rewind time multiple times.

…Although, I had rewound time once or twice to revisit some forgotten details, but still.

Instead of excelling in swordsmanship, I gained the attention of the Grace family through ‘studies and etiquette,’ and thanks to that, I grew up as the daughter of a baron. While I couldn’t practice archery like I did in the palace, I used my spare time to practice proper noble etiquette.

Even though the Grace family’s title had been directly granted by the previous emperor, it was impossible for a baron’s daughter to simply visit a princess without any reason. To meet royalty, there needed to be a justification. To build the ‘relationship,’ one at least had to have met the person face to face.

So, the option I chose was the ball.

The reason nobles attend balls is to build such relationships and justifications. Though it’s called a ‘social gathering,’ in reality, it’s more of a battlefield of looks and words. Even the smallest promises are calculated and executed.

I thought that if I became well-known by frequently attending these events, even Claire and Alice, who previously had no interest in this kind of thing, would eventually understand what I wanted.

The problem was that being a baron’s daughter and making a name for myself wasn’t as easy as it seemed. No matter how pretty I was or how good my figure was compared to my peers, that wasn’t enough. The Grace family was close to the royal family, but they weren’t exceptionally outstanding in any particular way. Originally, the family was more famous for their swordsmanship than anything else.

It took years before I gained the strange nickname of ‘The Black and White Lily of Grace,’ a title that would make anyone’s hair stand on end.

As a result, it took Claire and Alice a long time to understand my intentions, and we had only met face-to-face twice before.

At least, one of those times had been used under the pretext of ‘getting to know each other for the first time.’

Since I didn’t have any fiancé—though I did have a certain standing with a few people, I deliberately ignored them—whenever I went to the ball, my partner was always my ‘younger brother’ Leo.

Thus, Leo had seen these two before.

But even then, they had only met face-to-face twice. It was considered impolite for a man to listen in on a conversation between women, so Leo always stepped back when we spoke, and naturally, he rarely had the chance to converse with these two.

Even so, the fact that Leo wasn’t even the slightest bit flustered now, and hadn’t been flustered during the two previous meetings, was undoubtedly a different side of ‘Leo’ than the one I knew.

This was the decisive reason I had started to believe that not everything that had truly happened had been completely undone by time rewinding.

“Did you just say ‘sister’?”

Typically, when a man says, “Greetings,” the other party would naturally reply with a respectful tone as etiquette dictates.

But the word “sister” Leo had said when I called out to him earlier seemed to have triggered something in Claire’s temperament.

“Huh?”

Leo raised his head, looking startled as he responded. I studied his expression carefully. As expected, he wasn’t frightened or pale.

He just looked confused.

“Sylvia called you her ‘sister.’”

“Claire.”

As Claire continued with her words, her irritation visible, Alice quickly stepped in to stop her.

“Well… Sylvia is truly my sister, you know?”

Leo, still not fully understanding the situation, asked again.

“Why?”

Claire suddenly asked, and Leo scratched his head before speaking.

“Well… my sister always acts so mature, and whenever there’s something I don’t understand, she kindly explains it to me. Sometimes, even when I make mistakes or do something wrong, she’s there to cover for me.”

“……”

At Leo’s words, both Alice and Claire turned their gaze toward me. Well…

In fact, it wasn’t intentional that Leo began calling me ‘sister.’ Back then, when I was playing the role of the ‘emotionless cool beauty,’ I was now playing the role of a perfect baron’s daughter. And I could firmly say that this was much harder. I had to be cautious in everything I did in my daily life, so Leo must have seen me as a dependable older sister.

But even after hearing such an explanation, Claire still wore a somewhat dissatisfied expression. Leo, finally realizing something, asked.

“Oh, maybe you call me ‘sister’ because I’m in the same class as you?”

“No, no, it’s not that. You know…”

“Claire.”

Alice quickly stepped in front of Claire.

“……My sister was rude. I’ll apologize on her behalf.”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that…”

Seeing Leo roll his eyes, I took a step forward and responded.

“It’s something you might be curious about. However, it’s an internal matter of the Grace family. I’m sorry, but it’s not something I can just talk about here.”

“No, no, I was the one who was wrong. Claire.”

Alice glanced slightly at Claire before speaking.

“Since you’ve made an apology, do it properly.”

“Ugh, really!”

Claire, though clearly wanting to say a lot, eventually sighed and stood still for a moment before muttering an almost inaudible apology.

After seeing Claire’s reaction, Alice nodded before speaking.

“Also, there’s no need to use such formal language. We’re all students here. According to the academy’s rules, we’re all equals, right? I’d like for us to be comfortable with each other at least until we graduate. What do you think?”

She then extended her hand toward Leo for a handshake.

“Uh…”

Leo, looking a bit confused, glanced at me. I nodded at him.

Then, with a slight smile, Leo grabbed Alice’s hand gently and said.

“Alright, then. Until we graduate.”

Yes, that would be the case.

Leo doesn’t fully remember everything.

But he definitely knows something. He just hasn’t realized it yet.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to accept Alice’s words so calmly.

And if Leo is like this, the other children must be similar.

“Then I’ll keep it casual too.”

Claire, who had been speaking informally since the very first moment, said this. Leo, seeing her like that, just awkwardly smiled.

“I’m not exactly familiar with the Empire’s social circles, but…”

On our way to the student council room, Charlotte spoke.

“It’s a bit unusual for a baron’s daughter to have her name spread across the entire social scene. Especially since her name reached even Belvur beyond the border. I’ve heard that the Grace family is much more famous for its martial prowess.”

“I’ve just worked hard to refine my manners.”

“Impressive. I can see why people would have a good impression of you. It’s not surprising that the student council nominated you directly. ‘The Black and White Lily of Grace.’”

One day, I’ll find the person who gave me that nickname and tear out their insides.

I vowed to make them feel pain far worse than the twisted gut pain I felt.

Leo, walking proudly beside me, wasn’t the issue. The two princesses beside him were barely managing to hold back their laughter.

…Could it be that I already had that nickname in the past?

Chapter 260

In the past, the reason I was called to the student council was because I was a princess, but now it seems it's because I'm a 'notable person.'

In the empire’s social hierarchy, where titles are simply divided into Duke, Count, Baron, and other untitled nobles, the number of people who could truly be called 'notable' is extremely small—aside from the royal family, almost all of them are concentrated in the dukes and counts. There are as many as twelve dukes. Naturally, the counts are more numerous, and barons are so abundant that they’re everywhere.

So, when a baron becomes a 'notable person,' in a way, it can be more contentious than the children of a middling count family.

Well, someone might try to say, “That baron’s daughter is making a fuss,” but what’s the worry when two princesses will be right next to me?

“Ah, Lady Grace!”

The student council president greeted me in an unusual manner.

“You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. I sent a few letters, but I assume you didn’t read them?”

“……”

Oh.

Had we met before?

Whenever I went to a ball, men kept bothering me, so I usually just exchanged brief greetings and stayed with Leo, so I didn’t quite remember.

The people I typically spoke to were older women or high-ranking nobles with sharp airs. As a granddaughter, I listened to their stories and provided polite responses, and they’d laugh happily, talking about various topics, praising me in front of other nobles.

It seemed that some male nobles looked at me with those kinds of eyes, but I always stood proudly because I knew that, as the daughter of a baron and not a commoner, they couldn’t just treat me recklessly. Plus, the fact that I had already conversed with two princesses had spread everywhere.

Honestly speaking, Alice and Claire weren’t particularly social people, right? Just the fact that they spoke to me at the ball became quite the topic of conversation.

Maybe that’s the decisive reason I came this far.

Or maybe it was just the student council president’s personal agenda.

One thing was clear though: unlike before, I didn’t have the kind of harmful image I once had.

“It’s an honor to have you, Your Highnesses. And Princess Belvur as well.”

With a small cough, the student council president said, as if embarrassed.

Right, it was a bit rude. Even though there were several people with higher status than me, he had reacted first to me.

In fact, Alice, Claire, and Charlotte’s appearances weren’t any worse than mine. However, since all three were meeting the president for the first time, it’s possible he didn’t immediately express excitement.

For someone who was supposed to come from a refined family, his reaction was somewhat clumsy.

*

“You want to invite all of us to the student council?”

Charlotte asked calmly.

“Yes. In Rondarium Academy, there’s no distinction between foreign and local students. Our goal is to learn the same things and aim for greater heights, so nationality or class doesn’t matter much.”

That was a lie.

There were so few foreign students that it was almost laughable to talk about nationality. And most of those few foreign students were from distinguished families.

I, as a baron’s daughter, was an exception, but that was in a very specific context. I was called not because I was just the daughter of a baron, but because of the title "Sylvia Grace"—or rather, "the Grace family’s—" whatever that entailed.

In fact, some of the female students in the student council weren’t exactly fond of me. There were probably bad rumors circulating, and since most of the nobles I interacted with were much older, they might have thought I was just trying to attract attention.

On the other hand, the male students showed a clear affection. It was a far cry from the times when they would shake with fear just from making eye contact with me.

I reaffirmed my belief. The only people who likely still held onto my "previous image" were probably the people around us. Certainly, the only ones affected by the relics and mechanisms were those in the Holy Nation.

“And… someone else was supposed to join us—ah.”

The student council president muttered as he took out a pocket watch from his chest, then exclaimed when the door to the student council room opened.

“Lady Crowfield!”

At the president’s words, Alice, Claire, and I immediately turned our heads toward the door.

There, standing, was Mia, who looked far more gloomy than when I first met her. No, not gloomy, more like shy or reserved. In any case, she had a certain somber vibe.

And the only person who welcomed her was the president himself. The moment Mia stepped in, the student council room became eerily silent. Even the few girls who had been gossiping when I entered shut their mouths.

There was a reason for that.

Unlike when I had been the emperor’s child, this time Lucas had carefully selected the people around him.

It seemed Claire, with her time-rewinding abilities and proactive personality, had led the effort to rescue the other children, which likely caught Lucas's attention.

I had heard a little about recent developments. The emperor of this timeline seemed just as cautious as when I had been his daughter.

…Whether it was because he remembered, or perhaps because, like Leo, he sensed something, I wasn’t sure. Claire becoming the emperor’s daughter was just like in the ‘original,’ but everything else seemed to be unfolding in a direction I didn’t fully understand.

Perhaps it had to do with the differences in the relationship between Claire and Alice compared to mine.

“……”

And, thanks to that, Mia’s father... survived. He was probably still living that same life.

And that life likely influenced Mia as well.

It was said that he was a kind father in front of Mia. I believed that was true. He probably didn’t show any dark emotions, acting as a capable and competent count.

But even if Mia respected her father, could his wife do the same?

No matter how much of an arrogant nobleman, able to treat commoners as insects, some people might be, isn’t it impossible for them to treat a commoner as a 'tool for self-gratification' without hesitation?

No, I mean it in a way that a woman sees her husband, who performs sexual acts with commoners.

How many women would like a husband who goes out every day, embraces other women, and returns home?

Moreover, there wasn’t no affection between the husband and wife. In fact, after her husband died, Countess Crowfield immediately planned for revenge.

Love and hatred can coexist. And children raised in such a mixed emotional environment are typically affected by the negative emotions.

In aristocratic families, those negative rumors spread incredibly fast, especially when a person’s personality begins to deteriorate, like someone addicted to drugs.

“Ah, hello…”

Seeing Mia, who seemed even more at a loss for words than when I first met her, I didn’t feel particularly good.

The last image I remembered of Mia was that of someone who had overcome everything.

“Lady Crowfield.”

Seeing the atmosphere of the student council room drop to a cold silence, even the student council president looked a little taken aback, so I immediately called out to Mia.

Mia slowly raised her head and looked at me.

I saw her eyes gleam from under her bangs.

Though her overall vibe was somewhat gloomy, and her voice lacked strength, making her seem a bit at a loss for words, I was certain that this was the Mia I knew—the Mia who had overcome everything before.

...Whether this world was an illusion created by the goddess or a real world where time had truly turned back, I couldn’t be certain. But whatever world this was, I believed that Mia would overcome it again.

“There’s a seat available here, why don’t you come and sit?”

I smiled gently at Mia as I spoke. Leo and Claire were seated beside me, but there was an empty spot next to Alice.

And Alice, of course, didn’t reject Mia. Charlotte, sitting across from us, didn’t either.

Claire had a visibly pleased expression.

Seeing us, Mia’s expression suddenly changed. If I had to put it into words, I would say she was ‘bewildered.’

If two princesses and the famous baron’s daughter suddenly acted friendly toward me, I guess I would have reacted the same way.

Charlotte, seeing our reactions, looked intrigued. Perhaps she had become a little interested in Mia because of ‘our reactions.’

...Wait a minute.

I think I’ve read a manga before where an unpopular heroine suddenly had an ‘in-crowd’ group approach her and become friends with her.

Is this that situation?

Chapter 261

Why did I go through all this trouble of turning back time to get here?

The answer is simple: to change the premise of the story itself. To obtain the future I want, not the one the goddess or the emperor wants, I had to completely destroy the plans they had made from the very beginning.

The problem, though, is that I couldn’t just pick a side—either the goddess’s or the emperor’s. If I went along with the emperor’s desires, he would eventually rise to the position of a new god. On the other hand, if I sided with the goddess, the world would turn into a monotonous place devoid of any fun or excitement.

Moreover, the worst part about the goddess's world is that I wouldn’t even be in it. The goddess plans to take all the power I possess and use it for herself. In other words, my very existence would be erased from this world.

I wouldn’t disappear completely—at least, my soul or memories wouldn’t vanish, as it seems my past remains intact—but what I really want right now is a happy ending in this world, with everyone around me.

Time is of the essence in this world. I can already feel it rushing by. Of course, if time truly rewound as much as I made it, that would break my mental state.

Even so, I don’t like the idea of time moving on without my control. Especially when I lose focus—when I “wake up,” and there’s this weird sensation where my memories are forcibly pieced together, like they don’t quite fit. That feeling is the worst.

The issue is that I’m the only one who feels this way.

Claire, who has inherited some of my abilities, and Alice, who retains her memories because of the fake Alice, feel time moving naturally.

Even when I reverse time, I can only go back to the parts of it that I’m sure are “my memories.” I can’t access the parts where memories are fuzzy or feel artificially inserted.

On the other hand, Claire, who remembers things “properly,” can reverse time in areas that I can't.

“I think that’s what happened.”

The issue is, even in those moments, my memory didn’t stay intact.

“So, where were you?”

After that, Claire asked me a chillingly simple question.

“Does that mean you couldn’t find me?”

“Yes. After reversing time, no matter how much I searched, it seemed like you were nowhere to be found. I checked your room, searched the whole academy.”

Alice responded to my question.

With a serious look on her face, Alice asked me.

“Where were you, then?”

“….”

I thought hard and, after a long moment, was finally able to answer.

“I don’t know.”

Of course, I didn’t have the real answer to give.

“I don’t remember that part of time.”

Yes, unlike the fake memories that were inserted while skipping over chunks of time, when Claire reversed time, there was simply no memory of that period at all. It wasn’t like the screen went black or there was noise; it was as if that event never happened in the first place—just like when a movie cuts between scenes abruptly, without showing what happened in the middle.

“But… even when we left the orphanage, I reversed time several times.”

“...Maybe it’s because I was ‘remembering’ it then.”

I spoke slowly.

“I told you before, time felt fragmented for me. The memories of the orphanage weren’t like those fragmented memories. They weren’t made-up ones; they were real, personal experiences.”

“And if we’re being honest, those memories were ‘memories you shouldn’t have experienced,’ weren’t they? They were memories that should have been erased, and even if time had been ‘reset,’ you should have gone back to before that point.”

Alice’s words made me nod in agreement.

That could only mean one thing.

“It’s not that you all were wrong, but I must be under the goddess’s influence.”

If that weren’t the case, then Claire, who took the goddess’s power, would be the one with control. But I didn’t add that last part.

“From the goddess’s perspective, I’m supposed to be erased. It would be better for her if she abandoned her previous plans and started over. After all, I’m a being who possesses some of her power but defies her will.”

“But then, what about the time we experienced…”

“If this world is one that the goddess forcibly created, time must be flowing in accordance with me as the reference point. My existence or non-existence is the most important thing for the world. But that doesn’t mean the world is an ‘illusion.’ You all exist too, and you feel time passing with me.”

So, when Claire “reverses time,” parts of it that never existed are artificially created. Naturally, in those areas, I cease to exist.

Logically, it doesn’t make sense, but if the “order” of how this world was created was disrupted, then everything changes. In a way, this world might be very similar to the world that Fangryphon wanted.

The goddess can’t fully use her power.

That doesn’t mean that the being created by the goddess—me—has her power in full.

But Fangryphon hasn’t fully usurped the goddess’s power either.

“…So, you’re saying Claire ‘created’ parts of the world by reversing time? Parts that didn’t exist?”

“I think so.”

I’m not certain. This part wasn’t in the original setting.

If the goddess was truly such a being, she would never have been portrayed as a good one in the original work. This game company has always been against trying to forcefully define human thoughts in such a manner.

Maybe she would have appeared as the final boss in a sequel. Perhaps the emperor would be revived as an ally, or it could have been a three-way battle. Or maybe the Holy Nation would try to use the power the emperor had accumulated.

Then, we could understand why the goddess “had to” bring me into this world.

If the goddess were truly a benevolent being, thinking justly in a way that all humans could understand, she could have easily brought someone like me into her world. There would be parallel worlds where I would exist, after all.

But to get the world to move exactly as the goddess desired, I couldn’t be allowed to know her true intentions.

And, of course, in the end, I messed it all up by blabbing.

That was such a JRPG villain mistake, it makes me want to laugh.

“So… what should I do? Should I avoid using my powers?”

“You should use them if needed.”

For example, Lucas, who had been thinking about killing me since I was young.

“Hm? But Lucas never tried to do anything like that to me.”

“……”

But after hearing my words, Claire tilted her head and spoke.

“We’ve clashed swords a few times, and Lucas definitely had the upper hand. I wasn’t being completely overpowered, though.”

“…What did Lucas say?”

“He said, ‘Come back when you’re bigger, rookie.’ It was playful, but it still irritated me.”

So, Claire has been training hard. Apparently, she’s also become pretty close to Bella.

And Lucas didn’t try to kill her at that time, so there was no reason to reverse time in the palace. Her grades were fine, and just reviewing what she had already learned was enough.

…

What’s going on here?

This feels kind of unfair.

“So, you came to find me?”

“Yes.”

I spoke to the Sword Saint.

Even in the previous world, I had once confided in the Sword Saint about my abilities. Of course, I reversed time after that.

But this time, I didn’t plan to do that. The help I needed from the Sword Saint was much more significant than that.

“You need a way to stay awake for as long as possible to prevent the goddess from imposing her memories on you?”

“Yes.”

I could meditate.

But that wouldn’t be a fundamental solution. I could extend my wakefulness by focusing and calming my mind, but I couldn’t avoid sleeping altogether.

So, it would be better to learn something far more fundamental and stay awake throughout the goddess’s confrontations—

“You little brat.”

Wham!

“Ugh!?”

But before I could say anything else to the Sword Saint, his hand struck my head sharply.

Why!?

Chapter 262

“Who does a child like you think you’ll fight by refusing to sleep?”

It seemed that the Sword Saint’s irritation stemmed from that point in particular.

I rubbed my aching head and glanced at the others who had followed me.

Since we already knew the route here, there was no further need for Jennifer’s assistance.

As soon as we arrived at Winterfield, we immediately completed the quotas required to maintain our grades and then headed straight to the Sword Saint. Both Claire and I could turn back time, and as of now, we both clearly remembered each other. There was no risk of me disappearing into thin air if Claire used her powers.

We had plenty of time, but we decided to move with a buffer just in case we needed to adjust schedules with the others.

And honestly, isn’t it always better to resolve things as quickly as possible?

When I looked back, hoping someone would help persuade the Sword Saint, Claire and Alice were both standing with their arms crossed, staring down at me.

“The idea of fighting someone should not equate to destroying yourself in the process.”

The Sword Saint’s voice drew my attention back to him. I turned my head to face him again.

Frederick, the Sword Saint, stood with his arms crossed, his expression stern.

“You might think you can swing a sword longer or study through the night, sacrificing your rest. But if the result is breaking yourself, then it’s something you should never do.”

There was a profound conviction in his words, so much so that I couldn’t help but wonder if he had personally experienced this before.

“…But the one I must face is a goddess.”

I replied while still rubbing my throbbing head, to which the Sword Saint let out a derisive snort.

“All the more reason to stop. To confront anyone, your physical state must be superior to theirs. Isn’t that common sense?”

But she’s a goddess.

Why would a divine being care about something like physical condition?

In that case, wouldn’t my health be irrelevant?

“From what you’ve said, it sounds like one of your sisters possesses a portion of the goddess’s power.”

Frederick sat down, the creaking of the old wooden chair resonating as if it might collapse.

“Do you not trust your sister’s abilities?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then why won’t you rely on their help when it’s needed? Did the goddess challenge you to a one-on-one duel?”

“…”

I couldn’t fully grasp what he was trying to convey, so I just stared at him silently for a while before finally responding.

“If my sister uses the goddess’s power, my existence will temporarily vanish from this world.”

To be precise, gaps would form in the false memories that had concealed certain truths, creating a logical void. But to those caught within that void, the difference didn’t matter.

“In that case, wouldn’t it make sense to leave matters in your sister’s hands during that time?”

“…”

Frederick stared at me with an expression that seemed genuinely perplexed, as if he couldn’t comprehend my reasoning.

“Is your sister less capable than you?”

“No.”

Both Claire and Alice were far more talented than I could ever hope to be. Alice could maintain top grades without recklessly rewinding time, and while Claire might not always be at the top, her results were far from poor. Neither of them lacked dedication.

They not only possessed talent but also knew how to make the most of it. They understood their weaknesses and constantly worked to improve.

Compared to me, who had coasted by relying solely on my ability to rewind time, they were leagues ahead.

“Then what’s the issue?”

“…”

“Are you worried that the two of them might get hurt or even die?”

“…”

I couldn’t bring myself to answer, but Frederick nodded as if he understood.

“Yes, I suppose that’s possible. I’ve felt that way too.”

“The battlefield taught me one thing,” the Sword Saint began, fixing me with a steady gaze. “There were times I watched comrades with less skill but far greater character than me die before my eyes. And I’d think to myself, wouldn’t it all be easier if I were strong enough to protect everyone on my own?”

Frederick shrugged, his expression somewhere between wistful and resigned.

“But it doesn’t work that way. No matter how strong I became, others never stopped striving to stand alongside me. Saying, ‘I’ll protect everyone, even if it means sacrificing myself,’ sounds noble at first, but it resolves nothing. The more you carry that weight, the heavier it becomes. Eventually, it crushes you.”

There was a raw, undeniable truth in his words, perhaps born of countless experiences. His voice carried the conviction of someone who had lived through it all.

“People die in battle. It’s inevitable. But death doesn’t just happen on the battlefield. People die of illness, unexpected accidents, or even sheer bad luck, like getting struck by lightning on a clear day. Are you planning to shoulder all of that alone?”

I nodded.

This was the one thing I couldn’t deny.

If I didn’t have my ability, I might have accepted such losses as inevitable.

But I do have the power to turn back time.

I can save someone standing at the edge of a sword.

Even if lightning were to strike from a cloudless sky, I could still save them. All I’d have to do is rewind time.

I’m not trying to save the entire world.

I just want to protect my friends. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.

“Hmm,” the Sword Saint murmured, studying my face carefully.

“That’s genuine,” he said, almost to himself, before laughing softly, shaking his head as though he couldn’t believe it.

“Well, fine.”

With a sharp slap of his hand on his knee, he rose to his feet.

“Does that mean you’ll help?” I asked cautiously.

“I’m afraid not,” he replied, his voice blunt but firm.

“There’s no such method. A person’s body always has its limits. Overtraining becomes poison, and too much sleep deprivation will make you lose consciousness—or worse, kill you. The only thing you can do is maintain a balanced routine: eat well, sleep well, and prepare yourself properly.”

I stood there in silence, caught off guard by how straightforward his answer was.

It made sense, though. If there were some ability to go without sleep indefinitely, the Sword Saint himself would surely be using it.

“But,” he continued, “I can offer you some help. That’s why you came here, isn’t it?”

He wasn’t wrong.

I’d come to ask for his assistance.

Before, I’d only reached out to him long after encountering the Masked Woman. But now, with the situation escalating, we couldn’t afford to delay. Every additional hand mattered—especially here, in this northern border region.

There was almost certainly a relic hidden within the Autonomous Nation. The Empire hadn’t dispatched Jayden to burn the border for charity. They had to be after something.

The Emperor already had one piece of the relic, obtained from the false Alice’s body. While it had been ultimately flawed, he had managed to assemble it into a whole.

Searching every corner of the border would have been ideal, but the area was too vast.

Even with my ability to rewind time, Alice, Claire, and I alone wouldn’t be enough.

That’s why we’d come to one of the continent’s most skilled warriors.

“Before I make this absurdly burdensome request,” I began, “there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

The Sword Saint raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Why are you willing to help us?”

This was the part I couldn’t wrap my head around.

In both the original story and my previous encounters, the Sword Saint had always lived by his own whims. I’d assumed he’d flat-out reject such a troublesome plea.

At my question, he studied me in silence for a moment, then glanced at my sisters behind me.

“For one, bringing not one but two imperial princesses makes me think you’re probably telling the truth.”

Then his gaze returned to me.

“And second, you don’t have any talent.”

I blinked in shock, but before I could respond, he continued.

“Your inability to dodge my earlier strike confirms it. But somehow, your movements remind me of my disciples. For someone without talent to move like that, they’d need an unimaginable amount of practice. That’s why I believe you might actually be one of my disciples.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“And lastly,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “at the end of this dull life of mine, I’ve been handed a chance to face a goddess. Who wouldn’t want to take a shot at that?”

…

It was such a quintessentially Sword Saint answer that I could only nod in reluctant agreement.

Chapter 263

After rewinding time, the plan I came up with was simple: preserve myself.

The first time I rewound time, I’d been thrust into life-threatening chaos right away. That made it clear—goddesses could meddle in the world to some extent. I already knew that time would rewind on its own if I lost consciousness.

And when does time "normalize" again?

“This is rather fascinating.”

—Apparently, at the precise moment it’s most convenient for me to die.

Of course, it wasn’t always like that. If it had been, I wouldn’t have ended up saddled with ridiculous nicknames like Grace’s Black and White Lily.

But it was easy enough to tell when the “normal” flow of time aligned with the goddess’s prepared moments.

So I focused on staying alive. I avoided acting alone whenever possible. If I needed to go somewhere, I made sure Leo was with me. Whenever I could, I’d drag Claire and Alice along as well. Charging headfirst into battlefields like I used to was out of the question. Because of that, the northern border zone remained in a deadlock.

… And I hadn’t encountered Lena again.

Lena had only come to the academy because of me.

It wasn’t that I wanted to leave her hanging, but there was no way to approach her for now. It wasn’t as if I, someone far removed from royalty, could demand an audience with the governor of the Riclant Autonomous Nation. And neither Claire nor Alice could simply declare their intent to meet Lena without causing a stir.

There were rumors that the Sword Saint had started moving near the border, stirring the battlefield into unrest. But leaving that aside for the moment—

My current plan was to stay alive while quickly assembling the relics. Then I could tear apart this world that blurred the line between illusion and reality, escape, and crush the goddess’s plans.

“It’s quite the coincidence to encounter my two daughters in a place like this.”

… So why, pray tell, was the Emperor standing in front of us?

The idea was to move as quickly as possible—before the Emperor could gather all the relics. That way, we’d have an easier time collecting them.

That’s why we skipped the academy and went straight to Northwood.

Sure, Chiara Verati, disguised as a bunny girl, was lurking in Northwood at the time, but we didn’t care. As long as we avoided running into her, we could loot the ruins and be done with it.

But why was the Emperor here ahead of us?

“I see you’re wondering why.”

Standing just one step ahead of us, the Emperor held a fragment of the relic and looked us over.

“In truth, I should be the one asking how you managed to find this place.”

“…”

The three of us were at a loss for words.

Even Claire, his own daughter, and Alice, her supposed sister, didn’t have an answer. As for me, I’d had no prior connection to the Emperor. At best, I’d glimpsed him at the tail end of some banquets, always keeping my distance to avoid interaction.

“You must be Sylvia Grace of the Grace family,” he said.

It wasn’t as if we hadn’t exchanged any words before. As someone relatively well-known in high society, and given the Grace family’s reputation as staunch loyalists, I wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to him.

“I could ask why you’re here,” he continued, “but I suppose the answer depends on the situation.”

“Is that a command from Your Majesty?” I asked cautiously.

“It could be interpreted as such.”

Claire and Alice’s gazes shifted to me.

… So much for my plan of keeping a low profile. The moment we ran into the Emperor, that went straight out the window.

I didn’t think the goddess was capable of outright controlling free will. Ultimately, she aimed to create “that kind of world,” but at least for now, she couldn’t manipulate people directly. If she could, she wouldn’t have needed to scheme against me or the Emperor in the first place.

What the goddess could do was foresee the future to some extent, planting traps to steer her opponents.

And I had walked right into one of those traps.

The question now was how she’d managed to manipulate the Emperor.

… Actually, there wasn’t much need to overthink it.

Leo had feelings for both Claire and Alice, even if he didn’t fully understand them yet. His composed behavior in front of the princess was proof enough.

Mia, too, was a perfect example. At first, she had been shadowed by a gloomy demeanor, but after I took her under my wing at the academy, her mood brightened almost instantly. She quickly overcame her stuttering, and after we reconciled to some extent, she could hold proper conversations.

Of course, she still avoided any mention of her father like the plague, but that was understandable.

Charlotte had also grown closer to Alice, just as they had in the original timeline. She had shown considerable interest in me from the start. Unlike the perfectly stoic "cool beauty" persona I’d cultivated before, my expressions now were far more varied—though most still fell under the "calm" category. As a result, I felt like I had bonded with Charlotte even faster this time around.

If that were the case, it was impossible for the Emperor not to sense something.

Even if he didn’t retain clear memories of his past failures, the residual instinct alone might have been enough to compel him to accelerate his plans.

He might even be feeling anxious about it.

Not that he would show it outwardly.

I glanced at the Emperor’s flanks, where Bella and Lucas stood. Both of them were looking at me with curious expressions.

…Right, they had their share of strong feelings about me as well.

This was why the goddess didn’t need to outright control people.

I, too, had been feeling a sense of urgency, which meant she could have easily predicted that I would make my next move as quickly as possible.

All the goddess had to do was align the Emperor’s path to intersect with mine at just the right moment.

That alone was enough to turn me into something suspicious—an enigmatic, unidentified figure gathering relics behind the Emperor’s back.

“…”

In that fleeting moment, my mind raced to its limit.

And I came to a single conclusion.

I dropped to my knees and bowed deeply on the spot.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Claire and Alice startle in unison. Claire looked like she was about to blurt out, “Sister!” but managed to stop herself.

…This wasn’t something the old me would have ever done. Back then, no matter what, I wouldn’t have compromised my cool beauty image by kneeling in front of someone else.

But that didn’t matter now.

My life was more important.

“…I greet my father.”

“…”

For a moment, the world fell into a heavy silence.

Well.

It wasn’t as if I wasn’t treated as his daughter in the original timeline anyway.

*

I had no intention of pushing Claire aside.

All I needed to do was say that I had been at the same orphanage as Claire. After all, the Emperor had been involved with so many women that it seemed he couldn’t even keep track of the hair colors of all his children.

“So, you claim to be my daughter,” the Emperor said, looking down at me with a piercing gaze.

“Yes,” I replied calmly. “I was at the same orphanage as Claire.”

“And how does that prove you are my daughter?”

“…”

Thankfully, this world didn’t have genetic testing. While certain drugs and remedies existed that seemed comparable to early 20th-century technology, complex medical procedures lagged far behind. This was a world with healing magic, so invasive surgeries or sophisticated diagnostics were largely unnecessary. Even in extreme cases, such measures were more of a last resort when a healer wasn’t available.

I remembered reading somewhere that even in the early 20th century, it was possible to test for shared bloodlines by analyzing specific proteins. But that wasn’t relevant here.

So, I decided to gamble.

“…My mother told me that my father was His Majesty the Emperor,” I said, inventing a mother out of thin air.

The Emperor tilted his head slightly, gesturing for me to continue.

I racked my brain for anything I could use.

My old name had been Sylvia Black.

In this world, surnames that referenced colors or objects were often associated with commoners. Many people didn’t even have surnames at all.

When I first learned that the Emperor’s children were likely illegitimate, I didn’t sit idly by—I did some research.

While the records had been meticulously erased, I discovered that some fallen royals had been demoted to “commoner” status.

It wasn’t as though these women had been hidden away and forcibly violated. More likely, the Emperor had struck deals with them, coerced them, or made promises to win their cooperation.

The plan had likely been in motion even before Alice was born, and after Alice’s mother’s death, the Emperor seemed to accelerate it. For all I knew, there could be other “siblings” of Alice or Claire somewhere out there, simply never chosen by the Emperor.

So, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to claim that one of the women who had been involved with the Emperor had harbored fleeting dreams—dreams of restoring her royal status or seeing her child inherit the empire.

“I don’t even remember my mother’s name now,” I continued, my voice deliberately tinged with melancholy. “But I vaguely recall what she told me while holding me in her arms: to survive no matter what, and to be of use to Your Majesty.”

Whether the Emperor had seduced, tempted, or coerced them, there was only one reason why those women would have been with a man who was otherwise their enemy.

Hope.

The hope of returning to royalty.

Or the ambition that their child might one day inherit the empire.

“That kind of ‘help’ doesn’t come without its price,” the Emperor said, his tone laced with understanding.

“…”

I didn’t reply.

But for the Emperor, my silence seemed to be enough.

Chapter 264

“...Do you truly believe her words?” Lucas asked skeptically.

The Emperor shrugged casually. “Not entirely.”

The Emperor wasn’t entirely unaware of Sylvia’s existence. She had made a name for herself in high society, after all. Whether he fully recognized her significance was unclear, but she had demonstrated enough skill to extract information from people who showed her favor.

He had heard about her adoption. Lucas had already mentioned that she might be “that girl” from back then, so the Emperor had been keeping an eye on her to some degree. The Grace family wasn’t one to be discarded lightly.

On top of that, he was well aware that his two daughters had grown close to Sylvia Grace at social gatherings.

But the claim that Sylvia Grace—the so-called “Black and White Lily of Grace”—was the Emperor’s daughter?

“It’s possible she’s trying to use me,” the Emperor mused.

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to eliminate her outright?” Lucas pressed.

“That would be problematic. From what I know, the Grace family has raised her with great care. While everyone is aware she wasn’t born into the family, no one questions her identity as a Grace. The Grace family is one that considers any child carrying their name, blood-related or not, to be their own.”

In other words, if the Emperor acted against Sylvia, the Grace family would turn their backs on him.

Yes, they were merely barons with a small territory within the capital. If the Emperor wished, he could crush them with sheer force.

But doing so would cost him politically.

The Grace family had pledged unwavering loyalty to the Emperor. If he destroyed such a steadfast ally over a mere suspicion—especially for reasons he couldn’t publicly explain—other loyalist families would see him as a tyrant who eliminates even his most faithful supporters without cause.

The Emperor’s power was strong, but much of it rested on the support of these loyalist families. If he turned on one of the few genuinely loyal houses, it was only a matter of time before other families, feeling cornered, began to rebel. Even rats will bite a cat when they feel there’s no escape.

And in this case, there were many “rats.”

“Besides,” the Emperor added with a faint smirk, “the girl clearly knows something.”

“…Could it be you really have children born outside the palace?” Lucas pressed further, his voice tinged with curiosity.

“Hmm.”

The Emperor fell silent for a moment, contemplating.

That was the problem.

He had separated the mothers from their children at an early age to prevent them from recognizing their imperial lineage. Yet somehow, Sylvia remembered.

After hearing her call him “Father,” he had investigated, but he couldn’t find any trace of her mother. Whether the woman was dead or simply too insignificant for him to remember was unclear.

There had been many women who whispered false declarations of love and promised loyalty in exchange for power. Few received any real rewards for their efforts. Even those who did never rose to become nobles or royals themselves.

The Emperor hadn’t paid attention to children who didn’t show promise. There had been others before Lucas and Bella—children who had died while serving in menial roles. Their deaths didn’t bother him much, nor did he keep track of the total number of offspring.

Even if some noble families discovered a former royal consort or an imperial child, it didn’t matter. The Emperor could always deny their claims. Without his acknowledgment, there was no proof.

But Sylvia was an anomaly.

If she were one of those abandoned for a lack of talent, then discovering her potential now made her an interesting case.

She was a child with vivid memories from an age so young that most people couldn’t recall anything.

How had she known about the relic? Perhaps she didn’t know the relic’s true nature, but she had likely been tracking his movements and deducing his goals.

If she possessed such intelligence, it wasn’t impossible that she could infer someone’s intentions just by observing their actions.

“Well, I’m still a man,” the Emperor replied vaguely, deflecting Lucas’s question.

It was too early for his “children” to realize the truth of their heritage.

“So, you’re saying this Sylvia girl might actually—”

“We’ll see,” the Emperor interrupted.

Lucas let out a low whistle.

The Emperor’s gaze fell to the small relic fragment in his hand.

With just this piece, it was impossible to discern its full purpose.

But if Sylvia had known about the relic from the beginning…

Then she might be more than just the Emperor’s child.

Considering his plans and the goddess’s potential involvement, it wasn’t far-fetched.

“Let’s keep watching for now,” the Emperor decided. “We’ll see whether Sylvia stands by her ‘father’ or chooses to betray him in the end.”

In any case, there was only one way to find out:

Completing the relic.

Still—

“It’s strange,” the Emperor murmured. “That Sylvia girl’s face feels familiar.”

Whether it was because she resembled one of the women he had been with, a memory from a past banquet, or even a subtle instinct born of shared blood, the Emperor couldn’t say.

But he was deeply curious.

*

“Crowfield estate?”

Claire tilted her head in curiosity, while Alice’s expression turned slightly complicated.

In the original timeline, I had been invited to the Grace family estate during the holidays, but now I was already considered a daughter of the Grace family.

Moreover, my relationship with the kids from the orphanage was excellent. Even after joining the Grace family, I had made a point of looking after them with great care. Perhaps that was one reason why I was accepted as a daughter of the Grace family—they’d seen that side of me without reservation.

Now, however, there was no need for such efforts.

Claire had already shared her childhood with the kids in a previous life, and in this timeline, they’d spent plenty of time with me. So much so that when we were alone, or when it was just me and the kids, we spoke informally.

Granted, I still used polite speech with them—it suited my role as a "noble lady."

As for Alice, she had no connection to the orphanage in either life, so there was no need for her to get involved.

Instead of letting another holiday slip by aimlessly, it was better to deal with unresolved matters before I lost focus again.

…Like the Earl of Crowfield, who hadn’t died in this timeline.

And Mia, whose life had been ruined in an entirely different way because of that Earl.

I wasn’t sure if that monocle-wearing thug was still at the Crowfield estate, but at the very least, I could disrupt the Earl’s operations.

Whether the Emperor truly believed my claims was unclear.

However, if I used this opportunity to "dirty my hands" under the pretense of helping the Emperor, it could earn me some points with him.

In this timeline, the Masked Woman didn’t exist. If the goddess wanted to keep me in check, inserting someone like that would have been the easiest way. Perhaps the presence of someone who had "usurped" the goddess’s power had made her more cautious.

The general rule was simple: if you want to guarantee victory, eliminate as many variables as possible.

Conversely, if you want to destroy someone’s plans, it’s best to become the variable yourself.

“I want to help Mia,” I said.

Alice nodded solemnly. Since she had been there with me at the time, she understood just how important that moment had been.

“More importantly,” I added, “the man who tried to crush me under his carriage back then is probably still there.”

“…Alright, I’m coming,” Claire said.

Her eyes sparked with fury.

It seemed she was more enraged by the man who had nearly killed me than she was moved by Mia’s plight.

To be honest, I couldn’t blame her. I’d been deeply affected by that incident too.

So much so that I had made sure his face was drenched in blood.

…The orphanage director was dead.

But at least, in this timeline, the children from the orphanage hadn’t disappeared without a trace.

The building hadn’t burned down, and the records remained intact.

By memorizing those names diligently, I could ensure that the children’s existence wouldn’t be forgotten, even if I returned to my original world.

Chapter 265

Meeting the Earl of Crowfield was an unexpectedly strange experience.

I knew him well—not just from seeing his face but from actual conversations. There was the time I infiltrated the Crowfield estate disguised as a maid, and another when I attacked a brothel he frequented.

Particularly with the brothel, I had rewound time numerous times to deal with enemies and extract information.

Absorbing the intel stored there, I questioned whether the Earl truly deserved to die. I even spoke with him directly—perhaps he had been acting under duress.

But after a genuine conversation, punctuated by the language of bullets, I concluded that the Earl was, indeed, a wicked man.

And now, here he was, alive in this world.

“My daughter making such good friends at the academy is something I’m deeply grateful for,” the Earl said.

His voice was surprisingly calm—not tinged with fear, anger, or lust as I had often heard before. Despite his gaunt frame, his voice was low and measured, leaving a favorable first impression.

His appearance, however, wasn’t so endearing.

When I had assassinated him before, he had looked relatively healthy, even if his dark circles and slight thinness hinted at stress. Now, he was so emaciated that his bones were visible.

It seemed he had grown out a beard in an attempt to mask his gauntness, but it didn’t help much. The shadows under his eyes stretched so far down that the beard only made him look more haggard.

“Not at all,” I replied with a soft smile. “The blessing is ours. We’re fortunate to have grown close to Mia.”

Mia was seated beside the Earl, while the Countess, his wife, sat on his other side. On the surface, the couple appeared to have an amicable relationship.

Regardless of whatever fractures existed in their marriage, both were nobles to their core. They wouldn’t dare reveal their weaknesses in front of guests—especially with two members of the imperial family present.

In both the original timeline and the world before this one, the Earl of Crowfield had been eliminated after falling out of the Emperor’s favor. While I couldn’t read his exact thoughts at the moment, it was clear that he was wary of us—royalty and staunch supporters of the Emperor.

Mia, sitting beside her father, wore a slightly anxious expression.

“My daughter isn’t much of a conversationalist,” the Earl continued. “I’m not sure how she managed to make friends as distinguished as you.”

His words were straightforward, seemingly modest. But in truth, Mia wasn’t much of a talker. It wasn’t that she lacked conversational skills; she simply didn’t feel the need to speak.

They say children who grow up hearing their parents argue every night tend to become timid. Though she had opened up to us, Mia didn’t make any active effort to form new relationships.

“I’ve heard that Mia’s inclusion in the student council was thanks to your support,” the Earl added.

“Mia had the qualifications to join the student council from the start,” I replied. “Our help was only a small part of her success.”

As I spoke, Claire and Alice continued to scrutinize the Earl. He seemed to notice their watchful gazes, which kept our conversation focused on superficial pleasantries about Mia.

…Hmm.

At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to broach the topics I truly wanted to discuss with the Earl.

For over ten minutes, the conversation meandered aimlessly, as I racked my brain for a way to shift the tone.

*

It wasn’t entirely clear where that monocle-wearing man had planned to sell me off.

However, one of the candidates I kept in mind was the Earl of Crowfield. He had a known preference for children and a penchant for indulging his twisted tastes.

In the original story, it was never explicitly stated how Claire killed the Earl of Crowfield.

The narrative only mentioned her escaping from the brothel, killing the noble who tried to assault her, and setting the place ablaze.

…Which meant that the noble Claire killed that night could very well have been the Earl of Crowfield.

After all, I had only been taken because I was more "interesting" than Claire when we were spotted together.

“…”

With that thought, I came to a conclusion.

The only way to have a one-on-one conversation with the Earl of Crowfield—

“No.”

—was immediately shot down by Alice.

After finishing our earlier conversation with the Earl and his wife, we had moved to Mia’s room. Mia had excused herself briefly to speak with her parents. She was probably confirming what could or couldn’t be said in front of us. Maybe she’d bring tea and refreshments back as well.

For a family of the Earl’s status, such tasks should typically fall to the maids. But strangely enough, there were no maids in this mansion. Only male servants and stewards.

For nobility, having male servants entering a lady’s room while female guests were present was considered improper.

If Mia had been living here alone, it wouldn’t have mattered. But since she now had distinguished guests, her parents likely tasked her with handling it herself.

…It was probably the Countess’s doing.

No woman could avoid developing a neurosis when her husband spent his days—and nights—frequenting brothels. Especially if she still harbored affection for him.

When I had infiltrated the Earl’s estate as a maid, I got the distinct sense that he had likely been inappropriate with the maids as well.

The fact that someone like me, disguised as a commoner, could infiltrate the household as a maid was proof enough. It meant the Earl specifically hired women he could take liberties with.

If the Countess had grown so suspicious that she dismissed all the maids, it wouldn’t be surprising.

And if that had further strained their marital relationship, well, it explained a lot.

At least it gave us time to discuss our next steps.

“I may not be a princess, but I’m still a noblewoman of the Grace family,” I said to Alice. “No matter how bold he may be, the Earl wouldn’t dare harm me.”

Alice frowned deeply.

“But if you were the one to seduce him, that changes things,” she said. “Legally, we’re still minors, but we’re not too young to marry. And nothing prohibits engaged couples from engaging in... certain activities. For someone of the Earl’s status, having multiple wives wouldn’t raise eyebrows.”

“Uh…”

“The Grace family might oppose it,” she continued, “but they’re only barons. If an earl with a proper estate wanted to marry you—and if you personally expressed a desire to do so—there would be no way to refuse.”

“But I wouldn’t want to marry him,” I countered.

“What woman ever says outright that she wants to marry a man?” Alice replied, her tone almost patronizing.

…Really?

I had thought Alice was a fairly progressive woman, but now she sounded positively antiquated.

“A man’s courtship is a clear ‘Please marry me,’ but a woman’s interest must be subtler,” Alice explained. “‘Would you accompany me to a wedding?’ That’s already an explicit invitation. To say something like that openly would make people cringe.”

“She’s right,” Claire chimed in, nodding.

Hearing Claire agree, someone who had shown no interest in romance, made me realize this must truly be the norm in this world.

I already understood that noble interactions often separated emotions from logic. Even minor incidents, which could be overlooked, required displays of anger according to noble etiquette. And resolving disputes often required both parties to display emotional sincerity.

But for that same logic to apply to courtship…

Oh.

It suddenly clicked.

I hadn’t noticed because the couples around me—like Jake and Lottie—operated so far outside the norms of this world that their relationship seemed almost… pornographic by comparison.

“Do you think it’s realistic for me to seduce someone?” I asked Alice and Claire.

The two exchanged a brief glance, their expressions momentarily blank.

Then they turned back to me and nodded in unison.

“Definitely,” Alice said.

“Agreed,” Claire added.

Hmm.

I thought for a moment and came to a decision.

“In that case, it might be better for me to flirt with the Earl of Crowfield.”

If feigning courtship could block any path to marriage and even create the appearance of an engagement, then so be it.

After all, it was something I would never actually do.

Order and chaos, right? If I had to lean into chaos, I’d embrace it fully.

Chapter 266

Ah, just to be clear, I had no actual intention of getting engaged.

Of course, I needed a way to keep an escape route open. After all, this was the Earl of Crowfield I was dealing with.

“I’ll have several opportunities to attempt this,” I quickly said to Alice and Claire before Mia returned. “But I’ll need your help.”

“First, tomorrow morning, I need you two to track down that monocle-wearing man. I’m not sure if he’s still on this estate, but if he is, he’ll likely be in the same place as before.”

“I remember the spot,” Alice said with a nod.

Claire, who hadn’t been with us during the previous encounter, nodded along with her. She’d witnessed the aftermath, though—how I had nearly died because of that man.

…Perhaps this time, the man would truly experience hell.

Not that I cared. This world was going to be reset anyway, and even if I had to break someone, it wouldn’t be at the cost of my companions’ growth.

“You both need to stick together when you go. That way, Claire can help if anything happens,” I said.

Thankfully, it wasn’t just us here. While they weren’t technically my guards, Alice and Claire had brought their own escorts.

“The best approach,” I continued, “is to ‘accidentally’ discover an illegal brothel while exploring the estate. Then, you can get ‘involved’ and ‘happen’ to offer assistance.”

“…Won’t they figure out what we’re doing?” Alice asked.

“It doesn’t matter if they do,” I said. “During that time, I’ll focus on persuading the Earl of Crowfield.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Claire asked, her expression tinged with worry. “Didn’t you say the goddess manipulates time to create the perfect moment for you to die?”

Would the Earl really try to kill me?

The Earl of Crowfield was driven by self-indulgence. Even if his desires and penchant for decadence hadn’t overtaken him, he had the ability to manage his estate competently. However, a man who had lived this long immersed in vice couldn’t possibly retain a sound mind.

In other words, he likely had no allegiance to either the imperialist or noble faction.

Perhaps that’s why the Emperor hadn’t removed him. Even with lingering unease, the Earl posed no immediate threat to the throne.

Still, caution was necessary.

There was always the possibility the Earl might lose himself to his urges, attempt something against me, and suffer an untimely death by accident.

That’s why I had come prepared.

I pulled a small pistol from my pocket.

It was a tiny weapon, with a barrel so short it was nearly impossible to aim properly. Despite its diminutive size, it fired .455-caliber bullets.

A lady’s self-defense pistol. It was a break-action firearm that held two bullets—a weapon perfect for concealing under the voluminous dresses of this era.

Thankfully, this world didn’t have metal detectors. By strapping it to my thigh under my dress, I had managed to evade even the closest searches.

The mansion’s staff was exclusively male, which meant there was no one who could "properly" search a noblewoman’s body.

“If it comes to it, you know I can hit a man ten meters away with these two bullets,” I said.

If the bullets landed anywhere near the target, I could always rewind time to adjust my aim.

I hadn’t practiced much shooting in this world. I was supposed to be a "tactician," weak and easily breakable in physical terms. That image was vital for deceiving the Emperor.

I needed him to believe that, apart from my intelligence, I had nothing else to offer.

But that didn’t mean I’d let my old skills go to waste.

“…Alright. If that’s how you want to handle it,” Alice said with a resigned sigh.

“Then, we’ll take care of the other matter—”

“We’ll do it tomorrow morning,” I interrupted, cutting Alice off mid-sentence.

I could hear footsteps approaching from outside the door. It was likely Mia.

This wasn’t something she could know about yet. Even if Mia felt disillusioned with her father, she was still his daughter.

…Besides, if by some twist of fate I ended up engaged to the Earl of Crowfield, wouldn’t that make me Mia’s stepmother? The thought alone made my head spin.

That must never happen.

“Ah, everyone?”

The door clicked open, and Mia entered, balancing a tray against her elbow.

As expected, the tray held a teapot, cups, and an assortment of snacks.

Judging by the quality of the tea we’d had earlier, these refreshments were likely quite high-end as well.

After all, the estate’s wealth was built on selling narcotics. Money was never an issue here, especially since they nominally sold the drugs as “morphine ingredients.”

“I’ve brought tea and snacks,” Mia said with a bright smile.

Her expression was so pure and innocent that a pang of guilt stabbed at my heart.

*

Ah, just because I proposed a meeting doesn’t mean I’m thinking of an engagement.

Naturally, I had to prepare an escape route. After all, this was the Earl of Crowfield we were dealing with.

“So, what is it that made you call me here, Lady Grace?”

A rich baritone voice brushed against my back.

It wasn’t a physical touch, but his voice seemed to sweep over my body, accompanied by a lingering gaze.

When I turned around, there he was—the Earl of Crowfield, looking at me with a heavy-lidded intensity.

…It seemed I was indeed his "type."

The appearance of "Sylvia Black" was, admittedly, strikingly beautiful, even by my own judgment. If this wasn’t my body, I might’ve been impressed. Plenty of others had been; hence the absurd nickname "Black and White Lily."

Getting the Earl alone here hadn’t been easy.

Bringing the Earl himself was simple enough. His fondness for women was no rumor—when I suggested a private conversation, he’d followed me without hesitation.

The real obstacle was the Countess of Crowfield.

She’d kept a watchful eye on every interaction between me and her husband, glaring daggers whenever we exchanged words. Whenever I proposed a conversation, she found some excuse to insert herself.

Was she jealous of a girl her daughter’s age? Well, it wouldn’t be unheard of in the world I came from.

After several rewinds and careful observation of the Earl’s habits, I finally managed to arrange this meeting. It took rewinding four entire mornings just to find the right moment to casually suggest, “Could we meet in the garden in thirty minutes?”

“I needed to speak with you privately,” I said, turning my gaze to the flowers planted in the garden. At least there weren’t any poppies here.

“Privately, you say…?”

The Earl’s voice carried a subtle note of expectation.

It was amusing, really. All I’d done was ask to speak in private. I hadn’t whispered sweet nothings or declared any romantic intentions.

The Earl wasn’t particularly handsome either. Perhaps he had been in his youth. I wouldn’t know, but Mia’s striking appearance likely came from her parents. While the Countess had sharp features, she was undoubtedly beautiful. It wasn’t hard to imagine that the Earl’s looks had been one of the reasons he had won her affection in the first place.

Perhaps the Earl was still living in those days, trapped in the memory of his former glory.

“I wanted to discuss the current state of affairs,” I said.

“State of affairs, is it?”

Did he think I was an awkward young lady, clumsily bringing up his interests to win his attention? His thick, bristling mustache moved visibly with his words. Disgusted by the sight, I quickly continued.

“There’s going to be a war soon. If things remain as they are, Crowfield will be on the front lines. All the achievements you’ve built will be wiped out.”

The Earl froze mid-step as he approached me.

“Imperial dreadnought-class airships will pass over Crowfield, accompanied by fighters cutting through the skies.”

“…What?”

“Incidentally, I happen to know the weak points of those dreadnoughts. If you’re interested, I could share them with you.”

The emotions drained from the Earl’s face in an instant.

It wasn’t a deliberate effort to mask his expression—his mind had simply gone blank.

Yes, even if I appeared calm now, I’d caused quite the ruckus in the previous timeline.

I knew exactly which parts of a dreadnought’s interior to target to bring it down effectively.

And if I knew that much, why would I need to handle it myself?

Chapter 267

Indeed, the Emperor of this world had no need to choose a different path.

Claire, while competent, didn’t act as though she knew the future in its entirety. Nor did she unconditionally push Alice as the next Emperor. Sure, she believed it was inevitable, but merely believing something and actively working to make it happen were two different things.

In other words, there was no "divine avatar descended from the heavens to monitor every move" next to the current Emperor.

I had certainly inserted myself into the Emperor’s life, boldly claiming to be his daughter and knowing far more than I should.

But even so, I wasn’t enough of a threat for the Emperor to treat me with extreme caution. Without the Masked Woman in this world, I wasn’t the same unhinged time-rewinder as before.

To the Emperor, I was simply a suspicious figure who seemed to possess an unusual amount of information—someone to be wary of, but not someone who could derail years of preparation for war.

The Emperor, though more cautious in this timeline, was still preparing for war. Troops were being stationed closer to the borders than in the previous timeline, and ships were being constructed with fervor.

War in this world was inevitable.

And when war broke out between Belvur and the Empire, Crowfield would be one of the first places to suffer.

“If war breaks out, this estate will undoubtedly be one of the most vulnerable,” I said.

No matter how persuasive I sounded, the Earl was still a noble who had spent his entire life entrenched in politics.

As an earl, he likely had his own faction and a network of subordinates. He must have been gathering intelligence of his own, possibly even noticing the Emperor’s suspicious movements.

Despite his indulgence in drugs and debauchery, his judgment hadn’t completely deteriorated—if it had, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain his estate.

“But does that give me a reason to side with an enemy nation?” the Earl said, his tone sharp. “No matter how different my political views may be, I have no intention of encouraging division within my country in the face of an external threat.”

An admirable sentiment—though the Emperor likely wouldn’t care. He had been more than willing to purge dissenters, removing royals and dukes from power.

With twelve ducal families in the Empire, reducing their numbers by a few wouldn’t seem like a loss to him.

If the Emperor sought to rule the world through sheer force, he couldn’t afford such recklessness. Even if he unified the world by strength, the resentment of those who lost their loved ones would linger. Rebellions would inevitably rise in occupied territories.

But the Emperor’s ultimate goal wasn’t mere conquest.

It was to usurp the goddess’s power.

To ascend to divinity. Once that was achieved, all the chaos he’d sown would be erased in a single stroke.

Still, it wasn’t something I could explain to the Earl.

“War will leave deep scars on the Empire and the world,” I said. “This estate will be dragged into the conflict, and the damage to you and your holdings will be substantial.”

The Earl remained silent, his expression tense as he listened.

“I’m not suggesting you oppose the Emperor’s forces directly. That would be foolish—standing against an army capable of crushing foreign militaries unilaterally is suicide. However…”

I let the silence linger for a moment before continuing.

“What happens after the Empire wins? After the Emperor’s forces dominate every battlefield and his dreadnought-class airships remain in his hands?”

The dreadnought was fearsome not because it was invincible, but because its weaknesses were obscure. Through my investigations, I’d discovered it had multiple vulnerabilities—mechanical components that, if damaged, could render the ship inoperable.

But those weaknesses couldn’t be exploited from the outside.

In World War I, battleships were terrifying because it was believed that only another battleship could counter one. It wasn’t until aircraft carriers, capable of deploying swarms of planes, came into prominence that battleships became obsolete. Until then, the only “efficient” way to deal with a battleship was to build one of equal caliber.

The role of battleships in that era was analogous to modern intercontinental ballistic missiles. Their construction was so significant that treaties were established to limit their proliferation, with nations employing every possible loophole to circumvent those restrictions.

The same principle applied here. The dreadnought was a game-changer, and its presence alone could dictate the outcome of wars. And I was one of the few who knew how to dismantle it.

The Earl’s expression remained stoic, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of intrigue. He might not have trusted me, but the seeds of doubt about the Emperor’s ultimate intentions were taking root.

I just needed to nurture them carefully.

In this world, only the Empire possesses the capability to produce aircraft. Although they export a limited number overseas, all such exports would cease the moment war breaks out.

Building naval artillery, let alone a dreadnought, is an extraordinarily complex endeavor. While the dreadnought sacrifices some defensive capabilities to remain airborne, no anti-aircraft weaponry in this world is powerful enough to bring it down. Their range and firepower are insufficient.

In short, while the Empire would sustain heavy losses in the war, the mere presence of a dreadnought in the Emperor’s hands post-war would serve as a significant deterrent.

“If absolute imperial authority falters, your position after the war could greatly improve, Earl. I’m not suggesting outright betrayal—just… a balancing of power,” I said.

Belvur would lose the war. Crowfield, though damaged, would be under the Empire’s protection as imperial territory. If the Emperor’s post-war losses were minimal, his authority would remain unshaken.

“And when I say I know the dreadnought’s weaknesses, I mean I know its internal structure as well.”

I didn’t explicitly claim to remember the blueprints—I wasn’t capable of memorizing something so intricate. But even that subtle implication was enough to change the Earl’s perspective on me.

“Is that insufficient reason to consider my information?”

Even if he didn’t believe me, I could always pass the intel to Charlotte. Granted, sabotaging the ship would require someone on the inside, which made the Earl far more capable of executing the plan than anyone else.

“And why would someone of the Grace family bring this information to me?” the Earl asked.

What should I say?

There was the option of seduction.

But would it really work? A man like the Earl must have encountered countless women who tried to climb the social ladder by using their charms, even without offering high-value information.

So, a different approach might be better.

“You’re aware of my nickname, so you must also know that I’ve built many connections since I was young,” I said slowly.

“I merely wish to build relationships with those who show potential and maintain those connections over time.”

It was vague, but intentionally so—very much in line with noble rhetoric.

“Hmm.”

The Earl seemed to accept it well—or… wait, what?

The Earl, who had been keeping a cautious distance, suddenly took several steps closer, his expression shifting.

“I see,” he said.

Wait, hold on.

Did he misunderstand me?

“Are you saying you’re looking for someone worthy of claiming you?”

“….”

That’s not what I meant at all.

It seemed this man had taken my every word as a veiled attempt at seduction, even though I hadn’t made any such move.

“To claim something of great value, competition is inevitable. I understand.”

No, no, that’s not it.

And for the record, while Sylvia’s body and appearance might be beautiful, they weren’t so extraordinary that someone would risk everything for them.

…Or were they?

Or maybe this man’s judgment was just that impaired?

“By now, the two princesses should be dealing with the ‘criminals’ on this estate,” I said, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

“Is that why you came? To tell me about that as well?”

The Earl didn’t seem to take the bait, merely responding as if it were a continuation of the earlier discussion.

Thankfully, he hadn’t laid a hand on me. If he had, he would’ve either been shot or faced the consequences of me rewinding time.

“I see. If there’s competition, then it’s best not to tarnish the prize. A flower should remain intact to retain its full fragrance when claimed,” he said with a smile.

“….”

Uh. Okay. Sure. Let’s just leave it at that.

Chapter 268

A lot of things happened.

No, really. A lot of things happened.

It felt even more so because every time I woke up after falling asleep, time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Even in the original world, it felt like events kept happening one after another. But now, I only retained concrete memories and my own will during significant moments, which made it feel even more relentless.

Here’s a list of everything that’s happened so far.

“Is this what you were looking for?”

Uninvited and entirely out of the blue, the Sword Saint suddenly showed up at the Grace estate, handed me a relic, and asked this.

...Excuse me?

I mean, sure, I did ask for help in finding the relics. I knew there were ruins on the border between the autonomous state and the Empire, which was why that place had been reduced to rubble through bombardment in the first place.

But I had asked without expecting anyone would actually find it. Yet here the Sword Saint was, confidently presenting a piece of the relic.

The fragment, still incomplete, wasn’t glowing or anything. Well, it made sense—Alice or Claire wasn’t here, so there was no reason for it to light up like in the previous world.

As I stared at the Sword Saint and the relic sitting confidently before me, my mind spun furiously.

If the goddess was trying to thwart me by manipulating the world without my involvement, then why was the flow of time still intact for “others”? Strictly speaking, even if the Sword Saint was capable of finding something like this, couldn’t the goddess have simply made sure such events never occurred in the first place?

Could it be because I had stopped the goddess’s power with Claire and the relic?

Maybe it was because the goddess was obsessed with “order.” I might be an anomaly created by the goddess, but everything else seemed to be operating according to its original order.

Even if I was frozen, the rest of the world kept moving according to its own schedules and rhythms. Perhaps the goddess couldn’t stop that. Considering how the Emperor had been lured into traps and ultimately forced to reverse his own power, this reasoning seemed plausible.

But—

“How exactly did you find this?”

“The North is my homeland. Besides, I might not look it, but I roamed the battlefields quite a bit in my younger days. Did I ever mention that I have some history with the Emperor?”

“...”

Oh, right.

Now that I think about it, the Emperor did plunder one of the ruins all on his own. He’d been waiting for us at the relic site, after all.

If the Sword Saint had skills comparable to the Emperor and knew the location of the ruins, it wasn’t entirely impossible for him to retrieve a relic fragment.

I blankly stared at the broken stone tablet—a fragment that, at first glance, seemed impossible to recognize as part of the “brass gear” relic it was supposed to form.

“But to locate the ruins, wouldn’t you have needed another relic?”

“Is that so?”

The Sword Saint crossed his arms and stared at me intently.

Indeed. For ruins that openly appeared as “ruins” yet somehow avoided detection, there was always a reason. If such ruins were obvious to everyone, they’d have been looted ages ago. Even if they were shrouded by magic only a relic could dispel, people would have still sensed something.

The only reason we were able to access the ruins in Northwood was thanks to Claire, who had seized the goddess’s power. Fortunately, the Emperor had assumed we had merely followed him there.

“I saw a red-haired fellow loitering around the battlefield. I figured he was the one you mentioned, so I tailed him. Turns out that helped.”

“...”

Lucas had been the lead?

Now that I think about it, when I was at Crowfield, Lucas hadn’t come to spy on me. That must mean he was busy doing something else during that time.

If he was searching for ruins in the North, I couldn’t really complain. It wasn’t unreasonable for a slightly more cautious Emperor to send someone covertly instead of razing the North with Jayden.

...Wait a second.

“Does that mean you fought Lucas?”

“Haha.”

The Sword Saint merely laughed in response to my question, his expression as calm as ever.

“How are you even still alive...?”

Thwack!

Before I could finish, I felt a sharp flick against my forehead. I didn’t know why it sounded more like a thud than a flick, but it hurt all the same.

“He’s definitely a remarkable one.”

When I finally looked up, clutching my forehead, the Sword Saint spoke, curling one side of his mouth into a faint smirk.

“He seemed stronger than I was at my prime. But our ‘objectives’ were different, and that made all the difference.”

“Objectives?”

“My goal was to retrieve the relic and bring it to you. His goal was simply to defeat me. Do you think someone who can’t distinguish between his mission and his desires can achieve his goals?”

Uh... hearing this from a guy who retreated to the mountains because he didn’t want to be a soldier was giving me some cognitive dissonance.

“My goal is to witness your fight against that goddess firsthand. There’s no way I’d let some kid who’s slightly stronger than me ruin the chance to see that. Fighting him would be much more dramatic as the final act, don’t you think?”

“...”

I had no words.

“Still, while I’m grateful you confronted Lucas and brought this relic, are you saying you came directly here afterward?”

“Indeed.”

I raised my hands to my head and cradled it again.

This was the first incident I encountered after waking up.

*

The incidents involving Jake and Lottie unfolded similarly here, though the situation was far more urgent, making it easier to persuade Duke Lindborough.

“We might lose the colonies in this war.”

The duke, who had maintained a degree of formality when I was a princess, spoke much more casually this time. Still, it didn’t feel like he was speaking down to me—more like he was addressing a promising young noblewoman.

“Using the colonists as a shield sounds good in theory, but it could become a serious liability after the war. No matter how desperate they are, they won’t work without reward. Right now, they’re working simply to survive, but there’s a big difference between making them adapt to a meager wage and arming them to kill and defend us.”

“And it’s also part of the Emperor’s strategy to weaken his influence after the war, isn’t it?”

I lied through my teeth without hesitation.

“Losing the colonies might be painful, but it’s something to consider for the future. Positioning the Lindborough family as the villain responsible for exploitation, then having the imperial family come in as saviors who bring hope to the colonies, could ‘relatively’ reduce friction.”

“And if the colonists who went to war are treated as heroes afterward? It seems His Majesty doesn’t care much about the purity of this nation’s bloodline.”

It’s amusing how we’re basically discussing rebellion, yet he still uses the honorific “His Majesty.”

“Caring about it won’t magically secure victory.”

The duke stared at me blankly after my comment.

“So, wouldn’t it be wise to permit the relationship between your son and Lottie? Their bond could serve as a minimal safeguard for what’s to come.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be perfect. Lottie herself could end up labeled a “traitor,” for all I knew.

Even so, Duke Lindborough didn’t look entirely convinced. Compared to when I was a “princess” and openly declared Lottie as my close ally, even elevating her to knighthood, I was now just a slightly clever baron’s daughter offering her personal deductions.

Nothing I said felt “certain” to him.

That meant I needed to secure some insurance here as well—something “definite.”

“Duke, perhaps you’re curious about the Dreadnought Fleet?”

I lowered my voice slightly as I spoke to him.

Yes.

Betrayal works best when it’s layered two or three times, ensuring the other side doesn’t notice.

This was the second incident I faced in this chain of events.

*

And then—

“You’re asking me to abandon the warships.”

I made the exact same argument to the Emperor.

“After the war, when Your Majesty’s plans come to fruition…”

I took a step closer to him.

“Whether or not warships exist, the world will flow according to Your Majesty’s design. If those who sought to harm Your Majesty are undone by their own schemes, wouldn’t it make the final stages of Your Majesty’s plan unfold more smoothly?”

“...”

The Emperor stared at me in silence as I looked up at him with reverence in my eyes.

Before me, lying neatly wrapped in fine cloth, was another fragment of the relic.

Alice and Claire weren’t here with me this time.

Yes.

Betrayal works best when it’s layered three or four times to ensure the target doesn’t see it coming.

And the timing to set it all off is just as critical.

This was the third incident in my busy life.

Chapter 269

At this point, the Emperor must have started doubting my identity.

Even if what I said was “actually” true—if I were truly the child of the Emperor and a fallen noblewoman from the imperial family—I had far too much knowledge I shouldn’t possess.

Of course, the Emperor didn’t know everything about me yet. Leaving aside the fact that I could rewind time, things like my knowledge of the warship's internal structure or my familiarity with the palace’s layout were things the Emperor could never know from his perspective.

But even so…

The Emperor wasn’t the type to casually share state secrets with a woman he might spend a single night with and then forget.

Furthermore, while the Grace family traditionally stood by the Emperor, they weren’t particularly active in politics. They were a family that would step in to protect the system when needed but weren’t much help in the Emperor’s political maneuvers.

Yet here I was, someone who had grown up as a mere baron’s daughter in the Grace family, claiming not only to understand the Emperor’s ultimate goal but also offering to help achieve it—

“I’m curious about who you really are.”

It wasn’t surprising that he’d say something like that.

I had managed to brush past Earl Crowfield and Duke Lindborough. They were experienced in the noble art of gathering information and lived with the constant awareness of what they didn’t know about their opponents—and what their opponents didn’t know about them. As the eldest daughter of a baron family close to the imperial household, a family expected to act militarily in times of need, it wasn’t impossible for me to possess certain insights.

And they would cross-check the information I gave them. It wouldn’t be easy, but they weren’t the type to stake their lives on my words alone. …Or were they? Judging by the expression Earl Crowfield made back then, he did look like the kind of man who might ruin his life over one woman.

Well, anyway.

I wasn’t too worried about those two. Honestly, even if their plans failed, it wouldn’t matter much. They weren’t the type to lose sleep over a few subordinates dying because of their orders.

As long as the warship exploded in the sky and crashed, it didn’t matter who succeeded inside it. Both of them would see that scene and believe they were the ones who made it happen.

The important part was that the warship actually fell.

The Dreadnought Fleet’s location was highly symbolic within the Empire. Even the Emperor himself occasionally forgot that the fleet’s position wasn’t all that significant to his plan.

“Your Majesty likely doesn’t remember my mother.”

“…”

I carefully spoke in a way that avoided any hint of resentment. It wasn’t difficult, since I truly felt no resentment.

“I remember her. My mother… was not an ordinary woman. She longed for your love, but at the same time, she harbored hatred toward you. And, for a brief moment—”

I carefully chose my words.

“She spoke of how the world’s order had become unbearably disturbed.”

I lifted my gaze to meet the Emperor’s.

The Emperor silently stared back at me.

Lucas and Bella, who were also in the room, looked utterly bewildered. There was clearly some exchange between the Emperor and me, but they couldn’t understand exactly what it was. It was information that only someone with the full picture could grasp.

“Then why are you helping me?”

“I don’t wish to live solely according to my mother’s will. Your Majesty, do you know what kind of life I’ve lived up until now?”

“I only know what is generally known.”

“But no one has been able to look inside my mind.”

“Inside your mind?”

“Yes. There is a curse that binds me—a curse inherited from my ‘mother.’ A compulsion to fulfill a certain duty. With each passing year, I feel this curse eating away at my freedom.”

“…”

“You might doubt me because of my words. You might distrust me because half of my blood comes from such a woman. But at the same time, the other half of my blood is Fangryphon blood.”

At my words, the Emperor looked down at me, as though trying to gauge me.

I, still kneeling on the floor, looked back up at him in silence.

“My half of freedom has brought me here.”

I pushed the relic fragment lying before me toward the Emperor as I spoke.

“Please, in the final moment, free me from this curse. That is my earnest wish.”

“…”

Whether they understood my words or not, everyone in the room remained silent, watching me.

“When the final moment comes, and Your Majesty wields all the power, it will be easier to distinguish between those who stand against you and those who do not. My suggestion regarding the warship is tied to that purpose. I’ve already taken measures. If Your Majesty delivers such a ‘symbolic spectacle,’ it will aid in the establishment of the new order Your Majesty seeks to create. That is what I concluded with my meager mind.”

I finished speaking, bowing my head deeply.

Even after I finished, the Emperor remained silent for a while.

Seated on his throne, he looked down at me for a long moment before his feet shifted slightly.

Step, step. The sound of the Emperor’s footsteps echoed as he slowly approached. When he was close, he must have leaned down, for I saw his hand suddenly appear in my line of sight.

The Emperor’s hand reached out and picked up the relic fragment lying before me.

“I understand your wish.”

Then, his other hand rested on my shoulder.

“You truly are my daughter.”

I’m not, though.

But, of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.

…Thank goodness the Emperor isn’t like Alice.

If Alice were here and saw my current expression, she’d probably ask, “Are you happy?”

*

What I heard was an explosion.

No, could it even be called an explosion?

The shockwave was so massive it was visible as it rippled through the air, an immense detonation that defied simple description.

I decided not to dwell on how many people had died in that explosion. From the moment I rejected the goddess’s offer, I had lost any right to comment on the deaths of those who met their end so tragically in this land.

If people had heard the goddess’s proposal, how many would have agreed with it? I couldn’t say for sure, but it would likely be far more than anyone might expect.

But let me emphasize again—I wanted a true happy ending. One where all the heroines survived and where I, too, made it out alive.

And in that vision of survival, there was no room for people I didn’t even know.

“How… could that…”

Alice, standing beside me, murmured blankly. Claire was equally speechless, unable to find any words.

It wasn’t just the two of them.

Even Charlotte, who had been opposing us, was no different.

Opposing, if you could call it that.

In the end, the war happened. The Empire had invaded the autonomous state, Belvur. The Imperial Navy advanced through the seas toward the Iberia Kingdom, and countless other nations had suffered in one way or another.

A war not fought for victory, but for a single, small objective buried within it.

The symbol of the Empire’s military might that erupted in a massive explosion in the sky was enough to capture the attention of every single army on the battlefield.

Even the soldiers of the Holy Nation hidden underground in Lutetia must have been staring upward at that moment.

By now, the Emperor and the children were likely ransacking the underground. In a world without the Masked Woman, there were no relics left aside from those they had already gathered.

“At the very least, this should keep the Lutetia Palace safe,” I said in a calm voice.

The warship was still falling. Even after all the helium had escaped, the wreckage, kept aloft by the enormous amount of Maramaros and mana stones used to stabilize it in the air, was descending at an eerily slow pace.

The biplanes escorting it were no different. Their canvas wings had caught fire, and their wooden fuselages burned as they glided downward like falling comets. The sight of countless planes crashing in slow motion was almost artistic.

...Once this world is successfully destroyed, even these sacrifices will cease to exist.

I lowered my gaze from the sky and looked at Charlotte.

“What… is this…?” she stammered, still unable to grasp the situation.

I took a step closer to her and spoke.

“Even in a situation like this, I didn’t want to see a friend’s home destroyed and their family killed.”

A contradictory statement. The complete opposite of my earlier thought that killing strangers and erasing this world would make all of it nonexistent anyway.

But that’s who I was. Someone who constantly shifted their words to sway others, who lied without hesitation to bring people to my side.

I was never someone destined to save the world.

The goddess couldn’t have chosen a worse person.

I walked toward Charlotte, spreading my empty hands wide.

“If you want to stab me, go ahead. I promise I’ll never harm you.”

“…”

I saw the hostility in Charlotte’s eyes begin to fade.

Yes, that’s enough.

Chapter 270

The destruction of the warship turned out to be more helpful than expected.

The Empire’s forces, which had been advancing under the cover of the ship’s heavy artillery support, were slowed significantly with the loss of their most powerful firepower. As a result, only the Emperor, his children, and the Imperial Knights accompanying them managed to reach Lutetia.

This meant that most of Belvur’s army had shifted from urban combat to defending Lutetia itself. While bombs had fallen within the city, it hadn’t been reduced to complete rubble as it had in the game.

There was one advantage to this: the small, elite force centered around the Emperor could more easily make their way toward the Holy Nation.

The Holy Nation had hidden the relics beneath Lutetia and stationed most of their forces there. They had no means to stop the Emperor and his children, a group that could only be described as a gathering of monsters. As I remembered, the Emperor broke into the Holy Nation with relative ease.

Of course, that process involved hijacking trains, stealing cars, and the deaths of countless people…

“Are you planning to use me as a hostage?”

“I’ll say it again: I have no intention of killing or harming you.”

Honestly, Charlotte had no right to say that, considering she hadn’t managed to stab me and had let me go.

More importantly, it was Charlotte who chose to follow us.

Our “party” wasn’t very large. Lena never left her country for the Empire. Jake and Lottie, though friendly with me, prioritized protecting their own territory. Mia was defending Crowfield’s lands.

I hadn’t even met Sophia. Carolyn, not being a soldier, stayed behind at the academy. Jennifer had apparently gone to the battlefield, but her exact location was unknown.

I was worried. If any of them were to die, I wouldn’t even know about it.

Despite my conviction that this world was a mirage created by the goddess, despite knowing countless people were being sacrificed even now, I was still troubled by the slim chance that I might not reach my “happy ending.” If this world wasn’t an illusion and I was being doubly deceived by the goddess…

—No, it’s fine.

If that’s the case, I’ll just rewind time as many times as it takes.

And the fewer people around me, the better. The goddess wants to get rid of me. Up until now, I’ve avoided her threats by sticking close to those stronger than me, but this is a battlefield.

With the destruction of the warship, there was no longer the threat of bombs falling from above. The biplanes, too, had been taken out of the equation, reducing the danger significantly. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“…”

In the end, the only one who had followed me all the way from the academy to here was Leo, who remained silent among our group.

It was just me, Leo, Alice, Claire, and Charlotte.

Five of us.

“You’d be much safer returning to the Lutetia Palace. I won’t stop you,” I said calmly.

“…”

Charlotte glared at me but didn’t seem to know how to respond.

Perhaps, deep down, there were still lingering emotions she couldn’t ignore.

In the end, whatever argument she’d been preparing to make was swallowed, and she silently chose to keep following us.

The path our carriage took was so peaceful it was hard to believe we were in a nation embroiled in a fierce war. Then again, all the means to launch an attack here had already been eliminated.

The monitor ships had headed to other nations. A single warship could produce the firepower equivalent to eight monitors. From the moment the warship had been directed toward Lutetia, additional bombardment support had been almost unnecessary.

This hadn’t been part of the plan, but it was a fortunate outcome nonetheless.

Clip-clop, clip-clop. The carriage rattled along for quite some time before coming to a stop.

The distance from Lutetia to the Holy Nation wasn’t particularly far, but that didn’t mean a carriage was faster than a train. We’d traveled a long way, zigzagging to avoid the numerous checkpoints along the railway after the train had been hijacked.

Who would’ve thought it would take two whole days to get here?

Along the way, we’d stayed in an abandoned house left behind by refugees. Our food consisted of tasteless military rations we’d brought with us. Even Charlotte, who normally recoiled at bland food, silently shoved the rations into her mouth without complaint.

“There must be a reason you’ve brought us this far,” Charlotte said as she stepped out of the carriage.

Border villages were typically of a decent size, but the area we arrived in had no such village. It was nothing more than a narrow trail leading onward.

Still, the Holy Nation, with its dense development even on small plots of land, was visible in the distance.

“There is,” I replied.

The “machine” wasn’t operational yet. Not without the necessary “parts.”

I gazed at the spire of the cathedral visible in the distance, took a deep breath, and exhaled in one swift motion.

“Let’s go.”

*

After all the twists and turns, we were finally here.

“Hah… Hah…”

There were still people standing.

Even after the Emperor completed the relic, it seemed he either didn’t have a way to use it or had chosen to approach things differently this time. Maybe he had conserved his strength after raiding the underground of Lutetia before coming here.

Well, that place had a Gryphon, after all. It wasn’t fully operational as a force, and I had warned them in advance about the one controlling it, so the damage seemed to have been minimal.

Among the knights still standing, I saw a familiar face.

“Sophia.”

That voice came from behind me, and Charlotte turned her head in surprise.

Understandable. While Sophia’s skills were solid, she wasn’t a knight whose name echoed across the world.

Or, to be more precise, knights from the Holy Nation rarely gained worldwide fame. They operated as discreetly as possible, leaving their faces unseen.

Sophia flinched momentarily at Claire’s words, but quickly composed herself.

It wasn’t just Sophia. Verati was also here. Both of them were wounded, with cuts and bruises all over, but they were still standing. There were a few other knights in similar condition, but they wouldn’t last long.

“You’re a bit late. Were you meeting with a friend?”

The Emperor spoke to me with the warm tone of a father waiting for his daughter to return home.

Without a word, I walked toward him.

I heard sharp intakes of breath from behind me.

Claire and Alice, at least, would trust me. But what about Charlotte?

Unfortunately, I had no way to convince Charlotte any further.

“Father,” I said, slowly approaching the Emperor.

“Yes, my daughter,” he replied.

“…”

Step by step, I ascended toward him—

And then I raised my hand.

Bang!

With someone capable of crafting power armor among my allies, it was trivial to hide a gun beneath my wide sleeves.

Slash!

My arm was severed. Not just cut, but completely severed, falling to the ground below.

The first to move was Lucas.

Good.

Before I could rewind time again, I was back in my original state.

When I turned my head, I saw Claire staring at me with wide, panicked eyes.

It seemed Claire was the one who had rewound time this time.

Well, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Just as I hoped the protagonist and heroines wouldn’t die, Claire didn’t want me to die either.

And thanks to her, I could be certain of one thing:

Even if I were to die instantly, even if my head were severed in one blow, as long as Claire was here, I could keep trying again and again.

I smiled at Claire, then turned back and started walking forward once more.

Again, and again, and again.

*

“Hah… Haha…”

It was the first time I’d heard the Emperor laugh like this.

How defeated he must have felt.

If a plan he’d prepared for his entire life had been doomed to fail from the start…

I looked over at Lucas. Bleeding and sitting on the ground, he stared up at me with an expression of utter disbelief.

It must have been incomprehensible to him. The idea that someone with no visible talent could hit him with a bullet was beyond his understanding.

But even the most ordinary person can accomplish something if they repeat it countless times.

The sound of swords clashing echoed around us.

“Hm. So it’s already over, is it?”

“Don’t be too disappointed. Soon enough, you’ll get to witness the sight you’ve been longing for.”

I responded to the Sword Saint, who had arrived slightly late to the cathedral.

Leo remained silent, his eyes locked on me in disbelief. Claire and Alice stood with their swords drawn alongside Charlotte, but none of them could bring themselves to move.

Claire, in particular, was breathing heavily. …I felt bad for putting her through this.

Even if Bella swung her sword, with the Sword Saint here, there was no way to stop what was happening.

“May I ask you one question?”

Amidst the silence, the Emperor finally spoke.

“What are you? Just what in the world are you?”

“…”

I looked down at the Emperor for a moment, lost in thought, before finally answering.

“I am not the goddess, at the very least. Nor do I have any intention of becoming her.”

“I see.”

At my response, the Emperor simply let his shoulders sag and let out another laugh.

Chapter 271

I slowly made my way up the stairs.

Everyone watching me froze. I didn't think it was some physical force or the goddess's power at work.

We were vastly outnumbered.

There were knights who had followed the Emperor. I couldn’t guarantee I could defeat them if we fought right now.

The only reason I was able to defeat countless knights from the Holy Nation before was because I had all sorts of weapons, ammunition, and enhanced armor, which used advanced technology from a world that didn’t even exist in the reality I came from.

The weapon I held now was a small, empty handgun. I had extra rounds, but I hadn’t bothered to reload.

The Emperor had collapsed after being shot. Lucas, too, had fallen to a bullet. No one could understand how an ordinary teenage girl managed to pull off such results.

The Sword Saint was on our side, watching us with clear interest. But despite the slightly relaxed demeanor, everyone knew that if someone tried to harm me, the Sword Saint would act immediately.

Bella and Damien stood frozen, watching me.

It wasn’t my intention, but… I guess it didn’t matter.

Since I was able to take down Lucas, with the help of my companions, I could probably do the same to Bella or Damien.

“What do you want?” the Emperor asked, blood flowing from his chest. He seemed genuinely curious.

“A happy ending,” I answered.

“With the goddess’s power?”

“No.”

It was true that I had come here thanks to the goddess. Should I be thankful for that? Honestly, I couldn’t say for sure just yet.

I had met characters I loved, gone on the adventures I had always dreamed of, and built personalities for them along the way. And through all of that, I’d grown close enough to those characters to risk my life for them, something I hadn’t thought possible before. That had been what the goddess wanted for me all along.

But at the same time, I had lost my own life. In this world, no one truly knew who I was. There were only the characters I had built: Sylvia, Sylvia Black, Sylvia Fangryphon, Sylvia Grace. The me I created through them.

That was a little disappointing. It wasn’t like I was unhappy with my life, but I had worked hard to get by, spending time on the things I loved and trying to live as fully as I could.

This wasn’t some grand tale of returning to my world to meet my loved ones in a perfect happy ending. I had long abandoned that hope. I didn’t even know what had happened to the version of me in the world I had come from.

The goddess’s power was useful. It allowed me to protect my friends—no, that sounded too arrogant.

The truth was, that power was the only thing that allowed me to stand by my friends. Yes, that felt more accurate.

But if that power ever put those friends at risk, I wouldn’t need it.

“The greatest threat must be eliminated, without a doubt.”

I spoke as I moved toward the device.

Up until now, I hadn’t felt like this was the right thing to do, but at this moment, I was moving entirely on my own strength.

“Order or chaos, it doesn’t matter. I just want to live in the world I want to live in.”

As I stood before the machine, muttering to myself, the Emperor let out a laugh that sounded like air escaping.

“That’s truly something Fangryphon would say.”

I didn’t respond.

“Claire.”

When I called her name, Claire’s shoulders shook.

I felt a pang of guilt as I saw her looking up at me with trembling eyes.

I had forced her to see things no one should. And not just once, but countless times.

Who had rewound time more times, her or me?

Well, there was no need to count that anymore.

“Sis.”

Claire, who had come up beside me, spoke.

“How many times have you lived through this?”

“Once.”

That was the one thing I could answer.

I had lived only one life. It was just that in that one life, I had experienced so much.

“What… what’s happening? What’s going on?”

Charlotte, who had been standing there in a daze, asked urgently.

There was no movement from the machine, and it was just Claire and I standing there, but Charlotte must have sensed that we were about to do something.

“Don’t worry. You’ll know soon enough.”

I looked at Claire.

“Alright. Then, we just do it like we did before.”

Ah, but…

“Actually, saying ‘again’ might not be quite right. I’m not ‘rewinding’ time.”

I reached out for the device.

Just reaching out didn’t activate it.

But when Claire reached out—

A soft blue glow emanated.

“…If we go back, I’m going to ask you everything, Sis.”

“I’ll answer.”

I nodded, and Claire lowered her head, her shoulders trembling. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

We’d truly gone through a long journey.

“Then, let’s wait.”

The Sword Saint spoke in a relaxed voice.

“I do hope I’ll get a proper explanation, Sister.”

Leo, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was filled with the most anger I had ever heard from him.

It wasn’t just about not knowing something. Leo had always been the kind of character who was too nice for his own good.

He was probably angry because his friends had been taking risks without him knowing. And now, I was his “sister.”

Then, suddenly, Claire let out a small chuckle. A clear laugh.

I understood. Honestly, I almost laughed too.

“I hope you don’t regret saying that.”

“...What?”

It had been a long time since I’d used informal speech. Leo, looking bewildered, asked, but I didn’t feel the need to answer.

“I have a lot I want to say, but we’ll have time for that later.”

Alice spoke. I smiled at her. Her expression immediately turned to one of confusion.

The only one not flustered was Claire, who had remembered my smile from our childhood.

“Alright, what do we say?”

“How about ‘continue’?”

Claire asked.

“Continue?”

Honestly, I didn’t think ‘again!’ was a particularly great line, but ‘continue’ felt even stranger. It sounded like something you’d hear at the end of an anime episode. “To be continued next week…”

“Yeah, that’s it. You said ‘happy ending,’ but there’s no way this story ends here.”

I suppose so.

I kept thinking of it as a game, so I kept thinking about an “ending,” but that’s not it.

We were just crossing the line between fifteen and sixteen. I didn’t live my entire life in this world, but I lived a full fifteen years here. And yet, the story wouldn’t end here.

Whether or not we had the goddess’s power.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

In a way, it was a fitting line, considering we were anticipating a sequel.

When I agreed, Claire smiled brightly. Her face was still pale, and her eyes were teary, but...

She hadn’t been badly hurt this time.

That’s all that mattered.

“Then, let’s shout together on three.”

“Okay.”

We locked eyes and counted.

And then—

“Continue!”

Hm, but honestly, saying it out loud felt a little...

*

—One more thing wasn’t a problem anymore.

“...Ah.”

The space, which had been filled with silence, suddenly erupted into noise. It felt like we had just stumbled back into the middle of some event.

To be precise, it was just us who had come back.

Even if everyone there had been real, those who weren’t directly affected by the relics couldn’t possibly remember things properly, just like most people in that world. This was especially true for Alice, who had been influenced by the fake Alice, Claire, who resonated with the relic’s power, and the country that used bodies created by the goddess herself.

But then—

“Huh?”

The first person to speak was Mia.

Her expression twisted slightly, as if she had just realized something.

Was it because she was sensitive to magic, and had noticed some subtle difference?

As I thought about this, one realization hit me.

“Sis!”

Claire screamed. I also heard Alice shouting, “Sylvia!” from the other side.

My vision began to blur to the side.

Oh, right. It came back to me.

I had gone around so much that I hadn’t remembered it right away.

I had a hole in my side, didn’t I?

Seems like I’d reached my limit.

Claire hurriedly grabbed me and laid me down on the ground. The sounds of fighting intensified, and my consciousness slowly began to fade—

Then, I heard a loud crash.

And the sound of glass shattering.

It didn’t seem like something had broken through the wall or the door. The sound came from above.

Chapter 272

Even after living for years in a world that was obviously fantasy, there were still things I kept forgetting.

The existence of magic was no longer a big deal; I had adapted well enough. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone conjured a fireball in front of me. Honestly, I’d find the sleight of hand from a street hustler more fascinating than fireballs or ice spears.

But the reason magic no longer amazed me was simple: it was wielded by humans.

After all, if magic existed in this world, it was only natural that humans would use it, just as humans in my world invented semiconductors and internal combustion engines.

But there was one thing that still baffled me.

In this world, even beasts used magic.

Not even extraordinary mythical creatures, just regular animals you might encounter on the street. Yes, giant rats scuttling through the city’s sewers or wolves running through the fields—they all used magic.

I had no idea what the principle behind it was. Given that the world followed a system similar to the original, I had to admit that the goddess’s setup was more of a device to fool me than an entire world crafted for me to understand.

Humans needed to chant spells and wield staffs to use magic, but these beasts had no such requirements. Bears breathing fire or elephants wielding ice hammers with their trunks were astonishing—not in a good way, but in a completely baffling one.

And then, there was the Gryphon that could use healing magic.

Puyoouuuu!

A Gryphon, whose only sound was that, could use healing magic, magic that Mia had to focus to use herself. Honestly, it felt a bit unfair from a human perspective.

After all, the Gryphon wasn’t even an animal in the normal sense. It was more like a legendary, incredibly strong monster that only existed in people’s imaginations.

That beast, with its newly cleaned feathers, came crashing through the window near the top of the cathedral.

It looked far more dignified than the last time I had seen it. Though its feathers were still a bit dirty, the Gryphon had apparently taken some time over the past few days to clean itself up, as its white and brown feathers now had a lustrous sheen.

But above all, it was the wings.

If I looked only at the size of its wings, it seemed impossible for a creature with such wings to physically fly. The wings stretched wide to either side, so large that they reminded me of the eagle wings I’d seen in documentaries. But they were so large that comparing them to eagles didn’t quite do them justice.

The Gryphon didn’t even need to flap its wings. It held a naturally graceful posture, with its feathers fluttering slightly as it descended slowly in a way that seemed entirely unnatural, almost magical.

White light poured from the feathers along its wings.

As the Gryphon slowly descended closer to me, I began to feel a rising heat from its body.

No way.

Seeing it up close now, I finally understood why the Gryphon was so difficult to handle. With its sheer physical attributes and magic on top of that, it was nearly unbeatable.

…How did the Holy Nation humans even manage to capture and imprison the Gryphon? Did they pick up a newborn one?

The Gryphon, which had created an eerie stillness with its presence, landed directly in front of me. It didn’t step on me, though. To be more precise, it positioned itself perfectly so that its eyes met mine as it lowered its head.

Yes, the Gryphon was looking down at me without even bowing its head.

I heard a sniff. Though it had a beak instead of lips, I could tell that it was laughing at me.

This beast just mocked me, didn’t it?

But if I said anything, I felt like my back would be shredded by its claws, so I held my tongue.

The Gryphon then raised its right foot.

With skilled precision, it dug its claws under my side.

Ugh!

It flipped me over.

Wait, what? If it was going to help me up, then just help me up! Or at least wait until I got back on my feet!

Since I didn’t want to get flipped again, I hurriedly pushed myself up.

And then, I looked back up at the Gryphon.

It gave me a haughty look as if saying, "You really think you can stand up to me?"—before it slowly lowered its head toward me once again.

“……”

The sound of people holding their breath could be heard around me.

What’s going on?

Is it trying to give me some kind of encouragement? Or is this just some Gryphon culture I’m not aware of?

Since it was impossible for a beast to communicate with words, I could only interpret its intentions through body language. Honestly, I didn’t even want to learn Gryphon language if it existed.

Like last time, I slowly grabbed the edges of my skirt with both hands and bowed my waist.

For a while, we both bowed our heads in mutual respect, and then, at the same time, we lifted our heads.

I turned away.

Hmm, honestly, when I first realized I had a hole in my side, I wasn’t sure what to do.

I still hadn’t confirmed it, but it was right after I had blown away the goddess’s power with a fully operational machine device. Just the fact that the world had “returned to its original state” was proof of that. I didn’t know when the goddess might return, but at least during the remaining span of my life, it wasn’t likely to happen. Even if the goddess were to start planning again, it would take at least a few hundred years.

“Fangryphon...”

I heard someone muttering quietly.

Right. Fangryphon.

Here, I was also Fangryphon, even if no drop of that blood ran in my veins.

“Ha, haha!”

A sudden burst of laughter broke the silence, and I turned to see Lucas laughing. He didn’t seem to have gone mad or anything—he was simply laughing because he found it amusing.

“I see.”

I heard the Emperor’s murmuring voice.

“Lucas. Why did you bring that Sylvia to me?”

The voice of the Emperor, Arthur Fangryphon, was flat. It sounded like a father casually asking his son, "What happened at school today?"

“Huh? Of course, it’s simple,” Lucas said, finally stopping his laughter, still holding his side with one hand.

“It’s the same reason you’ve been running around trying to usurp the goddess's power and put the world beneath your feet,” Lucas said, his expression refreshingly open, the kind only someone who had given up everything could have.

“Because I thought it would be more fun.”

That was a very Lucas-like reason.

And it was, therefore, exactly the kind of thing Arthur Fangryphon’s son would say.

“...I see.”

The Emperor answered with a smile.

If he had started by saying to his children, “You truly are my children,” and not tossed them into strange situations to choose their abilities, maybe things would have been different.

No, perhaps the story wouldn’t have even begun.

But the Emperor couldn’t even show enough love to Alice, whom he had declared to be his true daughter. He loved his children in his own way, but that love always had to come with usefulness.

Well, it didn’t matter now. After all, from now on, there wouldn’t be two chances.

But, really...

Honestly, with this insanely powerful Gryphon at my side, what did it matter if I rewound time?

“Pyuoooh!”

While I was thinking this, I was startled by a loud sound above me. I looked up to see the Gryphon looking down at me, as if it had a lot to say.

...Did it read my thoughts? I didn’t think that kind of magic existed.

Well, it probably didn’t, right?

Looking into its golden eyes, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

At least it didn’t seem like it was going to abandon me, so I straightened myself up. I had discarded my gun and everything else, but I could still see some things lying on the ground around me.

If I needed one, I could just grab it—

“Ugh!”

Before I could pick anything up, my feet left the ground.

Wait, wait, hold on.

I felt something heavy on the back of my neck—it seemed the Gryphon had grabbed the collar of my clothes with its beak and was lifting me up—

And then, I was suddenly lifted into the air.

Before I could even scream, I was soaring upward and landed with a thud on the Gryphon’s wide back.

“...”

Well, if you’re going to carry me, couldn’t you do it in a more gentle way?

I was wearing a skirt, after all.

No, more importantly, I really wish it wouldn’t just take off and fly with me sitting on its bare back without a saddle.

I quickly lowered my posture, almost lying flat on the Gryphon’s back.

“Pyuoooh!”

This time, whether it had read my mind or not, the Gryphon took off into the air, soaring without regard for my wishes.

Chapter 273

I’d never really thought about being scared of flying.

In my previous life, I’d been on airplanes before, and even in this world, I had ridden airships without much hesitation. If I had to stand on a precariously high spot, like a rooftop with no safety rails, my legs would undoubtedly tremble. But generally, “airplanes” or “airships” were made to transport people safely.

In other words, there was no reason to worry about suddenly plummeting to the ground while inside one. Unless, of course, an accident caused the entire vessel to fall.

Airplanes, with their massive wings flying in one direction, were remarkably stable. Airships, on the other hand, floated like they were anchored in the sky, rarely swaying unless hit by severe weather.

But a gryphon… Riding on a gryphon’s back was an entirely different story.

That’s right. A gryphon’s wings are attached to its back. And I was sitting on that back.

Every time the gryphon flapped its wings to stay airborne, my body shook up and down in rhythm. It wasn’t like the gryphon kept the area between its shoulders and back—where I was perched—steady either. With each powerful flap of its wings, my vision bobbed wildly. Though I couldn’t measure it precisely, I was sure the vertical movement equaled my seated height.

“Fwooarrr!”

What might look majestic from below—a gryphon rearing up on its hind legs with its front paws raised mid-air—was nothing but terrifying to me, as if I’d be flung off at any moment.

I mean, seriously, was there any reason to strike such a pose while in midair?

Besides, earlier, when we were descending, it ignored every law of physics, gliding without even a twitch of its wings. So why all the flapping now?

Of course, the knights below couldn’t see my expression, so they were all staring up with their mouths agape.

Even if I might have looked like the “Master of the Gryphon,” none of them suddenly dropped to their knees in reverence. Well, that’s to be expected—such stories only exist in myths. There’s no legend about a “True Fangryphon who will one day appear to lead the gryphons.”

In this world, power followed the law of the land. And the knights, for now at least, were still under the Emperor’s command—though things were unfolding in strange ways.

Another ear-splitting eagle-like cry echoed, and the gryphon tilted its head downward, diving sharply.

I gritted my teeth. Honestly, I wanted to pat myself on the back for not screaming. Losing control here was not an option—especially now that my ability to rewind time was clearly no longer usable. Mistakes were not an option.

Thud. Thud. I heard something crashing into the ground. Someone let out a bold battle cry before it abruptly turned into a squeal.

The gryphon didn’t even bother slashing with its talons. Just flying low and sweeping the ground with its massive body was enough to send the knights sprawling.

Charlotte, who managed to endure even a glancing blow, was truly remarkable.

It was pure luck that I noticed something falling toward me amidst the chaos.

Maybe the gryphon’s ground-sweeping descent had shaken me enough to regain some focus. When I opened my eyes, I saw a rifle tumbling straight toward my face.

I quickly caught it. Reflexively, I checked—it was loaded.

Blinking in disbelief, I looked at the gryphon.

The gryphon turned its head slightly toward me, wearing what could only be described as a smug expression. I felt an irrational surge of annoyance.

…Fine. So you’re saying I shouldn’t just sit back and let you do all the work, huh?

The once-silent battlefield was gradually filling again with the clash of swords. Even with the gryphon’s arrival, the fight was far from over. The Emperor still stood firm, and Lucas had yet to fall. If anything, Lucas was likely to win in a one-on-one fight against the Sword Saint. That alone was a testament to the Sword Saint’s tenacity.

Gripping the rifle tightly in both hands, I braced my legs.

Without a saddle, the ride was excruciating. My thighs burned, and the gryphon’s feathers, which looked so soft from a distance, were stiff enough to sting against my skin.

It was clear—this battle needed to end as quickly as possible.

With a cry straight out of a western epic, the gryphon spread its wings and ascended again, majestic as ever.

*

It was a sight straight out of a painting.

Sylvia, seated on the gryphon’s back, hardly resembled the mythical Fangryphon. Truthfully, there were no definitive records about Fangryphon’s gender, but in most depictions, Fangryphon was illustrated as male.

Moreover, Fangryphon wasn’t depicted as a grotesque or chaotic figure, contrary to the myth’s description of being “born of chaos with a malformed body.” Instead, the paintings portrayed Fangryphon as a proud, muscular figure of a white man.

So, Sylvia’s current appearance didn’t match the myths or the paintings. And yet…

The gryphon roared, its front claws raised in the air. Sunlight streamed down, tracing the lines of its powerful wings.

Sylvia, sitting on its back, silently reloading her rifle.

Watching her like this, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for the word “Fangryphon” to come to mind.

Alice let out a soft laugh.

Even now, she was struggling to process what was happening.

It wasn’t because she hadn’t seen what Sylvia had experienced.

From the moment Sylvia and Claire activated the device together, Alice’s mind had been overwhelmed with an influx of information.

It was as if memories she’d never experienced—ones that felt both familiar and subtly different—had come flooding in all at once. Memories of similar situations, almost identical but distinctly altered, poured into her mind like a forgotten truth suddenly resurfacing.

Moments that should have been the same, in the same place, yet carried subtle discrepancies.

And those memories… they included Sylvia.

Alice quickly glanced around her. For a brief moment, it seemed as though those who knew Sylvia had paused as well. If the gryphon hadn’t drawn the enemy’s attention and momentarily halted their movements, something catastrophic might have occurred.

“…”

Claire met Alice’s gaze and gave a small nod.

In that instant, Alice understood.

Ah, so that’s it.

These memories—

…Fine.

Alice gripped her sword tightly in both hands. Regaining her composure, she swung her blade at a knight charging toward her.

Her opponent wasn’t entirely unskilled; they quickly raised their weapon to block her attack.

Watching the clash of swords, Alice pushed away her intrusive thoughts.

Good. Focus on what’s happening right in front of you.

There was so much she wanted to ask, but that could wait until all of this was over.

She was even curious about what kind of “happy ending” awaited them.

As she rushed forward, Alice couldn’t help but think.

Alright. I’m getting the hang of this.

Surprisingly, my lifetime of shooting experience seemed to be paying off. Even from the gryphon’s wildly shaking back, my shots were landing with decent accuracy. In fact, it felt like my aim was improving the more I fired.

Every time I emptied the rifle, the gryphon somehow managed to toss me another bag of bullets or a bandolier from who-knows-where.

…Honestly, I couldn’t help but think, Can’t you just handle this all on your own? But I kept my mouth shut. The gryphon seemed to be enjoying itself too much.

Could it be that it couldn’t distinguish between the people of the Holy Nation and the Empire? Was it simply rampaging with the distinction of “the one who saved me” and “everyone else”?

Then again, judging by the way it looked at me, that didn’t seem entirely accurate either.

“Fwooarrr!”

Maybe it was just happy to finally be free after being confined for so long. The fact that its joy was causing so many deaths was a little terrifying, though.

It slashed with its talons, whipped up gusts with its wings, and even conjured ice spears and fireballs near its feathers, launching them in every direction.

In the turn-based original game, the gryphon had resistances to nearly every status effect and elemental attribute. Without accessories to block all those attacks, it was an incredibly annoying boss to deal with. But now, in real-time combat with no turn limits, it was downright horrifying.

Still…

“Sylvia!”

Even a gryphon isn’t invincible.

After all, in the original story, it could be defeated.

From a distance, a sword aura sliced through the air—so fast that even the gryphon couldn’t react in time.

The gryphon hastily lifted one of its wings to shield me.

A sharp whistle cut through the air. Droplets of warm blood spattered across my face. The gryphon’s right wing, which had moved to protect me, was bleeding.

The wing lowered, and I finally saw the one responsible for the attack.

Lucas. He was smiling.

Chapter 274

Raising my rifle was nothing more than a reflex.

Since coming to this world, how many bullets had I fired? Ever since I was a child and first started using a revolver, I had carried a gun with me at all times. And whenever I had a chance, I practiced.

Swinging a sword wasn’t an option for me—not when I had the power to rewind time. If I trained, my muscles would develop, but the moment I rewound time, all my progress would reset. No matter how hard I worked, it would all be undone in an instant.

That was why I chose firearms.

Pulling a trigger always produced the same force. The bullet’s speed was instantaneous, faster than the average person’s eye could track or react to.

Of course, that didn’t mean guns required no physical ability. In this era, most firearms were heavy metal constructs, and handling them skillfully—quickly aiming and maintaining control—still required some level of strength. But in the end, what mattered most was sensation.

There were plenty of calculations that could determine bullet trajectory—wind resistance, gravity, even my own pulse. This world had long-range rifles for snipers, after all.

But at the end of the day, the most important factor was the shooter’s instinct.

No need for meticulous calculations—just an innate sense of this is the right distance, this much wind means the bullet will curve just so, my arms are positioned like this, so the muzzle will sway like that—

—I needed to be able to fire with that kind of unconscious, instinctive precision.

I had no talent other than rewinding time. That was why I had done the only thing I could to keep from losing my edge—I fired as many shots as possible.

If I still had the ability to rewind time, I wouldn’t even be thinking about any of this. I would just fire, and if I missed, I’d turn back time and adjust accordingly.

But Lucas was smiling.

He wasn’t pouting in annoyance. He wasn’t glaring at me in frustration.

He looked happy—because he was enjoying the fact that he could fight me like this, because he knew I wouldn’t use any “unfair tricks.”

"Because it would be more fun that way."

That was what he had told the Emperor when asked why he chose me.

Lucas was savoring this moment.

Well, to him, being able to cut down someone like Fangryphon was probably a rare opportunity.

“…”

Lifting my rifle had been instinctive. But the thought that followed was deliberate.

Could I hit him without my ability?

Right now, Lucas was strong enough to fight a Sword Saint. And I wasn’t even standing on solid ground—I was balancing on the back of a moving gryphon.

But before I could dwell on it further, my mind went blank.

The solid wooden stock of the rifle pressed against my shoulder, my cheek settling against it in a familiar posture. The sensation was ingrained in my body.

The long barrel aligned itself. The front and rear sights clicked into focus. My finger rested on the trigger—

—And I placed Lucas in my sights.

I pulled the trigger.

The barrel kicked upward, my shoulder absorbing the recoil. There was no sound—not that it was unusual. The gunshots I fired always seemed quieter to me than those from anyone else.

Lucas twisted his body, dodging to the right.

Watching that, my first thought was, Of course.

I didn’t know how he had dealt with the Sword Saint, or whether he had actually finished that fight. But if he was coming straight for me, then dodging a bullet should be child’s play for someone who could slice bullets in half.

Yeah. That’s only natural.

I worked the bolt as fast as I could. Ping—the spent casing ejected with a sharp sound, clinking as it tumbled away. The acrid scent of gunpowder filled the air as the bolt slid open, ejecting the empty cartridge.

I pushed the bolt forward, chambering the next round. A crisp click echoed.

Bang!

This time, Lucas deflected the bullet with his sword. A blade aura followed immediately after, but the gryphon twisted its body at the last second, and the attack only grazed the very ends of my hair.

Oddly enough, even with the attack slicing past my face, I hadn’t changed my stance. Had the moment been too brief for fear to register?

And this, too, was only natural—

Ah. I was starting to understand.

Even after Lucas dodged and deflected my bullets multiple times, I didn’t feel afraid. I only processed it as a logical outcome.

Why?

I pulled the trigger again.

Lucas dodged—again, to his right.

Of course.

Lucas always dodged that way. The only times he moved in the opposite direction were when he needed to.

And honestly, Lucas didn’t have to dodge bullets very often. If an ordinary gunman faced him at this range, they wouldn’t even get the chance to fire before he cut them in half.

So this was—

I chambered another round. Click. The sound of the bullet sliding into place felt deafening.

Lucas was close enough now that I could see his amused expression clearly. The gryphon's magic was building, the air turning white around us. Its wings curled protectively, trying to shield me.

But it wasn’t as though Lucas was out of range.

Lucas prepared to swing his sword again—

—And then he saw me move the barrel.

A subtle movement. Just slightly to the right. A small adjustment, right as the bright light masked my form.

With firearms, even the tiniest shift in angle could drastically change the bullet’s trajectory—especially over distance. Though, this wasn’t that far.

Before Lucas could swing, I pulled the trigger.

This time, he dodged to the left.

Right. Of course he did.

He even looked a little surprised at himself.

I had spent my life shooting at anything and everything. Vases in the palace corridors, little flags strung across the streets, pigeons, sparrows, wild game—and people.

And among those people, Lucas was included.

In fact, I could say with absolute certainty—

No one had ever shot at Lucas more times than I had.

And no one had ever hit him more times than I had.

So of course—

This was a sense I had drilled into myself, rewinding time again and again until it was carved into my bones.

“Kh—?!”

The bullet tore through Lucas’s right shoulder.

Yeah. Hurts more than last time, doesn’t it?

I wasn’t sure if he was still wearing the same bulletproof gear, but there was a vast difference between a handgun round and a rifle round in terms of kinetic force.

Unlike before, where he had managed to keep his stance, his entire body reeled backward, his sword arm thrown off balance.

Click.

I chambered another round.

Bang!

And I pulled the trigger one last time.

All of this had happened in the span of a single breath.

*

The enemy’s morale was visibly crumbling.

The gryphon soared through the air, unleashing magic in every direction. Even an army filled with civilians from the Holy Nation was useless in this situation. Ordinary, untrained people—mindlessly charging forward—could only be stopped by other people who had no intention of cutting them down.

And now, the device had completely shut down. The gears that should have been turning had vanished without a trace, and the towering pillar of light had ceased to rise. The room itself felt dimmer, as though half its illumination had been snuffed out.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though the goddess’s power lingered. But not long after we returned to this world, the summoned forces began collapsing one by one, losing consciousness. In the end, only my companions, the Emperor, his children, and a handful of knights remained standing.

And then—

“It’s over.”

The Emperor murmured.

He was bleeding.

The battle had raged on for too long. His body bore the marks of countless sword strikes from multiple opponents. Honestly, the fact that he was still standing—let alone exuding such an air of authority—was remarkable.

Lucas had already been shot. Bella and Jayden were barely holding themselves together. Everyone was exhausted, their breath coming in ragged gasps.

The only one who seemed relatively unharmed was Damien, but even he wasn’t without injuries.

“Belvur will send reinforcements soon.”

Now that the barrier was gone, it was inevitable.

“…Are you expecting proper treatment as a prisoner?” Charlotte asked.

The Emperor shrugged.

“Well, I’m considering it.”

As he spoke, his gaze lifted toward the gryphon I was riding.

For the first time, I thought I saw something like admiration flicker in the Emperor’s eyes.

Chapter 275

Nothing is truly over.

The Emperor had devised two plans, and both were endgames with no turning back.

The world war was an obvious one. No matter how powerful the Empire was, waging war against the entire world would inevitably lead to defeat. Even if he miraculously succeeded in uniting the world, it would be an unsustainable victory. That was why the most crucial element of this plan was the goddess’s power.

And if he failed to seize that power, even if the war ended in victory, the Empire would not be able to maintain its control for long.

The second plan, the one he devised after recognizing my existence, was the same.

It wasn’t as overtly destructive as setting the world on fire, but it disregarded international relations entirely. Marching through Belvur and striking at the heart of the Holy Nation—an act that would mock the very faith that governed it—was an act of terror.

A terrorist act committed by none other than the highest authority of the Empire.

In this scenario, as well, the final outcome hinged on whether he could steal the goddess’s power. If he succeeded, no amount of diplomatic fallout would matter. With the goddess’s power in his grasp, he could simply erase any opposition.

“…So what?”

Charlotte tilted her head, as if something didn’t quite add up.

“The goddess intended to destroy that plan from the start, didn’t she? And she manipulated the Emperor’s mindset to expand her influence over the world.”

While Belvur’s army had already crossed the Holy Nation’s borders, quickly seizing key locations, Iberia had also mobilized its forces along the border. However, out of fear of a direct military confrontation with Belvur, they had yet to make any real moves. Compared to Belvur, which bordered the Empire, Iberia was a less modernized kingdom. On top of that, they were dealing with internal issues related to minority groups, making military action a complicated matter.

Still, as a country heavily influenced by the Holy Nation, Iberia had issued a formal protest against Belvur’s invasion. But judging by Charlotte’s lack of reaction upon hearing the news, it was likely nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

We were still inside the cathedral at the heart of the Holy Nation. Four hours had passed since the battle ended. The Empire’s knights, who had lost their will to fight, had all been restrained.

The Emperor and his children were also under guard. Not a single one of them had been killed.

…It was a very JRPG-like ending. Neither the main characters nor the major antagonists had died—only nameless soldiers and minor figures had fallen.

Or maybe, rather than a JRPG ending, this was just another example of how Azerna Chronicles played out.

“Sylvia?”

Charlotte called out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Ah. Right. We were talking about the goddess.

“Yes.”

I answered simply.

“…”

“…”

A brief silence.

“…Wait, that’s it?”

Charlotte frowned, baffled.

I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”

“No, like… You know. You fought over the fate of the world. Shouldn’t there be some kind of greater motive behind all this? A grand scheme? A deeper reason for all those intricate plans?”

“I don’t think there was anything more to it than that.”

I genuinely didn’t understand what she was asking.

“The goddess and the Emperor were competing over the fate of the world itself. The goddess wanted to shape the world into something she found beautiful, and to do that, she needed to remove the device that Fangryphon had created in the past. To eliminate it, she had to plan from that very era—hence, she laid out her strategy centuries in advance. The result of that plan was the Holy Nation’s religious order. Since the device was never completed, there was a window of opportunity for her to interfere in the world.”

And the goddess did interfere through that gap.

Even before the Holy Nation was established, she sent revelations to her most devout followers, creating a false reality to deceive me. She constructed a world that resembled the original story, ensuring that the paths leading to a happy ending were already laid out—just as I had always believed.

And I had walked straight into that deception.

If I had been even slightly more self-righteous, or if I had been the kind of person to accept an orderly world dictated by the goddess, I might have followed her lead.

But I wanted a happy ending that included me in it. And that was what shattered the goddess’s plans.

So how was she able to devise such an elaborate scheme in the first place?

Even if this world functioned under rules similar to the original game, it wasn’t actually a game. There were no system notifications, no status screens, no stats. That was precisely why the goddess had tried to replicate so many aspects of the original game.

It wasn’t unusual for the cities and villages to match their in-game counterparts—Millennium Corporation had gone to great lengths to design them with meticulous detail. But dungeons? Dungeons were different. The odd, unidentified rooms, the mysteriously placed treasure chests containing exactly what was needed at the right time…

The goddess was still a goddess. This world wasn’t the only one she could see.

I wasn’t an expert on quantum mechanics or parallel universes, but I had heard somewhere that if a world could be imagined, then it might exist in some alternate dimension.

She must have searched through countless worlds, found the right variables, prepared the necessary deceptions, and finally selected the right pawn.

That pawn had been me.

…Or maybe, everyone involved in this had been her pawns. After all, my mere existence had disrupted the Emperor’s plans from the start.

Ultimately, the goddess was a divine entity. The fragment of her thoughts that I had glimpsed wasn’t enough to fully grasp her. For all I knew, she could already be scheming from beyond this world, preparing a new plan.

Well, by the time that happens, I’ll probably be long dead. And frankly, I don’t care what happens after that. It’s not my concern, just like it isn’t my concern if some random person on the other side of the world starves to death.

The only people I want to save are the ones I know—and even among them, I divide between those close to me and those who are just acquaintances.

“She used that gap to manipulate her followers and set the stage to reclaim her power,” I concluded.

“So that means the Holy Nation’s knights have been working behind the scenes all over the world?” Charlotte asked.

I nodded.

Or, it could mean that there were many in the Empire who had received divine revelations. That was something we’d need to investigate. The device had driven back the goddess’s power, but that didn’t mean we could be complacent. We still needed to confirm whether any gaps remained.

I glanced toward Sophia.

If there was anyone most visibly wounded from this battle, it was her.

Betrayal. Rage. The feelings of being deceived by someone she had trusted had driven her to charge at Damien without hesitation.

She had been healed significantly by Mia, but…

If I searched the cathedral, there might be divine artifacts capable of healing injuries—ah. Wait. The goddess had been banished. Those artifacts had likely lost their function.

And so had divine magic.

Sophia’s gaze dropped when our eyes met.

I had no idea what was running through her mind right now. She had come this far to oppose the Emperor.

But in the end, I, the goddess’s chosen pawn, had betrayed the goddess and driven her out of this world.

In some ways, that made me an even greater enemy than Damien.

…That conversation could wait.

“I’m not finished with my questions,” Charlotte suddenly said.

I had been lost in thought, but she pulled me right back.

“If you were really the goddess’s pawn, then why did she choose you?”

“….”

Uh.

Because even at the age of thirty, I was still a hopeless nerd, emotionally invested in JRPGs filled with cute girls?

…Maybe it was because I was the kind of fool who empathized with fictional characters and wanted to save them all.

And there were plenty of people like me—hopeless nerds who got too immersed in their favorite stories. The goddess probably just picked one at random.

The problem was, the one she picked happened to be a chaotic shit-stirrer who didn’t care about being “chosen by the goddess.”

“Let me rephrase the question.”

Seeing that I wasn’t answering, Charlotte leaned in.

“Why did you betray the goddess in that moment?”

Because I wanted you all to be happy.

Not a false happiness crafted by the goddess, but a real, earned happy ending.

And maybe, just maybe, I wanted to be part of it, too.

But obviously, there was no way in hell I was going to say that out loud—

“Answer me, Grace’s Black-and-White Lily.”

…Huh?

Wait, what?

Chapter 276

"Or should I call you Fangryphon’s Black-and-White Lily now? Hmm, that sounds a bit strange. Fangryphon is technically just a family name, but… since it already sounds like a title, adding another one on top of it makes it feel like you’ve got two epithets stuck together.”

“Maybe it’s because of the sight of Sylvia riding the gryphon earlier.”

Alice, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, finally spoke up.

“The name ‘Fangryphon’ comes from Old Imperial and means ‘leader of the gryphons.’ It can also mean ruler.”

Snort.

A loud sound, like someone blowing their nose, interrupted us.

I looked up to find the gryphon staring down at me. It was sitting in that loaf-like position cats often take, but its head was held high, gazing at me with an almost comically haughty expression.

That noise just now—if I had to guess—was probably the gryphon’s equivalent of a scoffing laugh.

…By the way, are you not going home?

Even after the battle ended, it had stayed behind, sitting behind me, listening in on our conversation. It was starting to feel oddly out of place.

If it was just going to linger like this, why bother flying off earlier?

Had it been waiting for just the right moment to appear? Holding back until the most dramatic timing? I had assumed that it had only entered after the goddess’s barrier disappeared because it couldn’t cross it before. But now, I was starting to rethink that.

“…I don’t know if it actually agrees, but someone did call Sylvia Fangryphon.”

Alice picked up where she left off.

“So, in Sylvia’s case, ‘Fangryphon’ isn’t just a family name—it’s an epithet as well. Which means if you add Black-and-White Lily on top of it, it’s like giving her two separate titles.”

That would make Fangryphon’s Black-and-White Lily sound like someone with two completely different nicknames mashed together.

“…Wait, hold on.”

I raised my hand, interrupting the conversation.

“…Where did the Black-and-White Lily thing come from?”

I had a vague idea, but I feigned ignorance on purpose.

Right. If I pretended not to remember, maybe—just maybe—I could slip past this. I clung to that fragile hope as I asked.

“Oh, obviously, from when you were part of the Grace Family.”

“I was never a child of the Grace Family—”

“Oh my, but isn’t it a title you earned while going around spreading your name in high society? The very same you who attended every ball and banquet to establish your presence in the social scene?”

“…”

Snap.

I could almost hear the thread of my last, desperate hope snapping.

Charlotte smiled at me—elegant, composed, utterly merciless.

“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t remember?” She tilted her head. “It’s not perfectly clear, but it’s vivid enough that I know it happened. It feels like a dream, but at the same time, I can tell it was real.”

I had definitely thought she wouldn’t remember.

Because in that world, the only people who retained their memories had been me, Claire, and Alice. I had been created using the goddess’s power, Claire had stolen that power, and Alice had been affected by that fake version of herself.

In that world, Charlotte hadn’t remembered me. The reason we became close in the first place was because she had taken an interest in my established presence in the Imperial social scene.

“Sylvia.”

Alice gave me a look of mild pity.

“Think about who was able to pass through the barrier that blocked the goddess’s power.”

“…”

“Whether it was your power or the goddess’s will that allowed it—at the very least, the fact that we passed through means that, for a brief moment, we benefited from the goddess’s influence.”

Oh…

Wait.

Wait.

I quickly scanned the room.

Eyes were turning toward me. My friends, my acquaintances—everyone was starting to gather around, drawn in after finishing their own tasks.

“There’s another possibility.”

Claire, who had been speaking with Leo a short distance away, rejoined the conversation.

“The place where we erased the goddess’s power—technically, it wasn’t here, was it?”

Ah.

Right.

She was correct. Conceptually, this place hadn’t been where it happened. That space had been an illusion hastily created by the goddess—something caught between fantasy and reality. If the goddess had managed to fully reclaim her power there, that place itself would have become real.

The goddess had designed it that way, even in those fleeting moments.

And the place where Claire and I had shouted continue! had been inside that illusion.

Which meant the device had sent the goddess’s power somewhere else—not here.

The moment the world reverted to its proper state, the effects of the goddess’s power had already ended. There had been no time for those memories to disappear.

A shiver ran down my spine as I processed Claire’s words.

“Th-Then, does that mean other people’s memories—?”

The question tumbled out before I could stop myself, momentarily making me forget to maintain my usual composure.

Claire merely shrugged.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

She was so nonchalant, so typically Claire, that for a second, I almost forgot where we were.

“Most people probably lived almost exactly the same lives, right? If they weren’t directly connected to you, they’ll probably just dismiss it as déjà vu. As for everything that happened after the war started? They’ll just chalk it up to a bad dream. They won’t even consider the possibility that it was real.”

“…”

“…Is that so?”

“And even I, who actually experienced it firsthand, wasn’t completely certain until I saw how you reacted.”

Charlotte, who had been quietly listening, added her own thoughts.

“It feels like… a dream I had last night. Most of it is hazy, but there are certain moments that stand out vividly. Especially the memories involving you—those are the clearest. So I’d say the only people you really need to worry about remembering are the ones who interacted with you directly.”

And judging by the sly grin on her face, Charlotte knew exactly what she was implying.

…

The reason I earned the nickname Black-and-White Lily of Grace was simple—I had worked tirelessly to establish myself in high society.

I rarely interacted with people my own age, but I made sure to speak with older nobles, the ones who held real influence in the Empire.

Which meant that all those nobles—who had personally spoken with me—were very likely to remember that title.

Of course, they would probably dismiss it as nothing more than a particularly vivid dream. After all, the girl in that dream had long hair, wore elegant dresses, and looked nothing like the current me. And it wasn’t like I planned to talk to them about Relics or the goddess.

But even if they didn’t consciously remember, that title—the nickname carved into the deepest parts of their perception—wouldn’t fade so easily.

The name Grace might be easy enough to detach from me—

“…Ah.”

And the moment that thought crossed my mind, my brain stalled once again.

Because I had spent a very long time as the daughter of the Grace family in that illusory world.

Baron and Baroness Grace had treated me with warmth, with genuine affection. Seeing how Claire had grown up to be so bright and full of life, it was clear where she had gotten it from. To them, I had been nothing more than an orphan scraping by at the bottom of society, and yet… once they took me in as their daughter, they never once treated me any differently than Leo.

Sure, they had raised me with the distinctions expected between a daughter and a son, but considering how I had thrown myself into high society, I had lived the life of a model noble daughter. There had been no time to feel any kind of discrimination.

And, naturally, I had spoken with Baron and Baroness Grace often. As a daughter would with her parents.

Our relationship had been solid. In fact, to a certain extent… I had almost considered them as real parents—

—Even though I had always told myself that it was just an illusion.

“We should go visit our parents sometime soon, Sylvia, my dear sister.”

“…”

Leo said it so casually, but his words froze me in place, mouth slightly open in shock.

He was half-teasing, but I could also tell he was being completely sincere.

…Just as Baron and Baroness Grace had been my parents in that world, Leo had been my brother.

“Now that I think about it, aren’t we actually sisters now?”

Claire sounded genuinely delighted by the idea, while Alice let out a strained chuckle.

Alice stepped up beside me and patted my shoulder.

“Well, if you have parents, you should go pay your respects. I get it.”

No. No, no, no. It would be better if we just used the Fangryphon name to shut this down entirely.

But Alice wasn’t the kind of person to do that.

I knew that better than anyone—because I had spent an entire lifetime as her sister, too.

…It feels like I just finished off the final boss, only to realize there’s an even bigger one waiting right behind it.

Chapter 277

We won! Story over!

…If only things could wrap up as neatly as a few summarized lines in a novel. But life wasn’t that simple or easy—if it were, the world wouldn’t be such a complicated mess.

Thinking about it now, maybe the goddess hated that complexity. Perhaps that was why she had tried to impose her own sense of order, to create a world that was simple and beautiful in her eyes. Now that I was caught in the middle of an unbelievably convoluted situation, that thought felt more plausible than ever.

First things first—we had to clean up the aftermath of the battle.

Of everyone still conscious, Sophia was the only one from the Holy Nation left standing.

But even she had no way of proving her connection to the Holy Nation at the moment. Her official citizenship was registered under Belvur, after all. She had been a spy planted by the Holy Nation, but the problem was… all of her superiors had just left to join the goddess.

…Or had they?

Had they really managed to leave? Or had I shattered that path before they could reach their so-called divinity?

Well, that was a question only the dead could answer. No use thinking about it now.

The Pope was dead. Naturally, most of the Holy Nation’s knights who had been protecting him were dead as well. And those who had survived weren’t even conscious. They were all sprawled out in front of the cathedral.

What a pathetic end.

Even with a traitor among them, for the entire Holy Nation’s leadership to collapse this easily… Ah, well. I supposed it made sense if I considered that this outcome had also been carefully orchestrated by the goddess. After all, for things to play out the way she had planned, the Emperor needed to bring the goddess’s Relic to this very place.

The strength of the Holy Nation’s knights had come from the goddess. Their numbers, their power—all of it had been regulated by her. If she had controlled them from the beginning, then it wasn’t so strange that they had crumbled the moment she withdrew her power.

And in the end, the thing the Emperor had brought here had been an empty space—one that the goddess herself had filled. The ‘fake Alice,’ the entity the Emperor had believed was sent by his future self, had actually been a creation of the goddess.

No future Emperor had ever existed. That entire narrative had been fabricated—another elaborate deception crafted by the goddess to manipulate him.

A human’s will couldn’t last for hundreds of years. No matter how strong-minded someone was, their body still aged. And after their death, any ideology they left behind would inevitably be distorted, reshaped by the mouths of those who carried it forward. Just as the Emperor, Fangryphon’s descendant, had no interest in continuing Fangryphon’s legacy.

But the goddess was different.

She had no such limitations. She could scheme for centuries, for millennia, executing her plans with unwavering patience.

A being that existed for eternity likely perceived time itself in a way far beyond human comprehension.

Even now, she was probably constructing a new plan.

Or worse—she had already set it in motion.

If she truly wanted to succeed this time, she should pick someone a little more dignified as her next pawn.

Then again, it’d probably be harder to find a hardcore gamer without some sort of personality quirks.

Maybe she thought she was choosing a socially isolated, easy-to-manipulate loner. But honestly, what did she expect to accomplish by picking someone like me—someone with barely any friends?

…Does the goddess not have any friends?

Maybe that was why she had failed to realize just how much an introverted nerd would cling to the people they managed to befriend.

*

“…So… you’re saying this isn’t actually me?”

Alice asked again, her expression serious.

We couldn’t dismantle the machine itself. Other than the last remaining piece of the Relic, all the other components were too intricately intertwined for us to even begin extracting them.

The only thing we had managed to pull out was the fake Alice inside.

The space where the Relic had been embedded was barely large enough for a person to fit. In fact, it was so cramped that it was hard to believe the legendary, broad-shouldered Fangryphon could have ever fit inside.

Well, even the legends described Fangryphon as deformed. Not just physically, but as a being who, despite being abandoned, had managed to lead the gryphons through sheer charisma and intelligence.

A being who had ultimately refused to accept the goddess’s order and had chosen to stand against her in his own way.

In a way, that might’ve been the reason the Emperor never even considered stepping inside himself.

“The goddess’s power doesn’t work that way,” I explained.

Like winding a clockwork mechanism from the outside, her power reset the world to its original state. The positions of the stars, every single grain of sand—everything was restored exactly as it had been.

She wasn’t rewinding time itself, so things like time travel were impossible.

…And apparently, completely erasing people’s memories was impossible too.

I could feel the weight of people’s stares. Especially from those who had been entangled with me in more ways than one.

Maybe… memories that the goddess had suppressed were now flooding back into their minds.

…Even Alice, who was standing right next to me, was looking at me just a little differently than usual.

Alright. For now, I was going to pretend not to notice.

I’d act like nothing had changed—long enough for them to start dismissing it as nothing more than a vague sense of déjà vu.

“Since there’s no way to send something from the future, the only way to interfere with this world was to create something different. That’s why this one was never truly you.”

“…”

Alice shot me a glare when I called her princess, but for once, she didn’t bother arguing about it.

“But she tried to kill me. She held back when it came to you.”

“She had to act that way. Otherwise, the ones who needed to notice her wouldn’t have.”

The ones who needed to be deceived—Alice, the Emperor, and me.

And we had all fallen for it.

“…So what you’re saying is, she was just an entity clumsily mimicking my experiences and memories?”

“That’s the most reasonable conclusion.”

Alice fell silent at my words.

For a long moment, she just stared down at the other her lying on the ground.

I had laid my coat on the floor before placing her down. It didn’t feel right to just leave her sprawled on the cold, hard stone. Besides, my exoskeleton suit had been reduced to tattered rags after the fight—I needed to take it off anyway.

The fake Alice was in bad shape.

What had they said? That the Relic’s component had been inside her stomach?

Her intestines had spilled out, completely drained of blood. The sight was so surreal, so unnatural, that it didn’t even feel real.

Among the exposed flesh, tiny, intricate clockwork gears were embedded within. It was the kind of grotesque sight that could have made anyone sick to their stomach.

She had not died peacefully.

But strangely, there was something almost serene

about her expression.

Unlike the moment when she had locked eyes with me in those final seconds—now, there was an eerie tranquility to her face.

So much so that I almost mistook it for the faintest hint of a smile.

“From the moment she was created, she was nothing more than a pawn.”

She had been designed to disrupt my ability, to make her seem like a loyalist to the Emperor. But at the same time, she had been made to rebel against him just enough to convince Alice that she was herself.

And yet, no matter where she appeared, her actions had always served the Emperor’s interests.

I’d admit it—I had been fooled too.

Alice seemed to be realizing this as well. And despite everything, she looked… sad.

Even though this thing had tried to kill her.

“If it hadn’t been her… then it would have been me, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Even if Claire had existed in that world, the goddess’s plan would have failed the moment I entered the equation.

Alice’s blood was too diluted to properly wield the Relic. And I… I had no Fangryphon blood in me at all.

The Relic piece embedded in the fake Alice had been a tool for the goddess to reclaim her power, to create the perfect conditions to unleash her influence. All she had needed was for me to return the goddess’s stolen power.

That had been her plan.

So, without fake Alice, the goddess’s plan would have collapsed entirely.

But the goddess would have simply waited.

She had all the time in the world. If one plan failed, she could retreat and try again later.

The Emperor, on the other hand, couldn’t afford to wait.

The Emperor had only one lifetime.

And in that scenario, the only person left to enter the machine… would have been Alice herself.

“…I’m not saying I’m grateful. After all, she did try to kill me. But still…”

Alice lowered herself onto one knee beside her fallen counterpart, her expression conflicted.

“…Still, for some reason, I can’t help but relate to her.”

“…”

I said nothing to that.

Chapter 278

I managed to wrap up my conversation with Alice, but the real problem was that there were plenty of other people around who could make me feel just as uneasy.

Even if they didn’t remember all the details of the time I rewound—or rather, even if they didn’t consciously recall everything—the current situation alone was enough to make things unbearably uncomfortable.

That’s right. I had been so focused on dealing with the immediate crisis that I hadn’t thought about what would come next.

But really, who in that situation would have had the time to think ahead? Even the Emperor had charged in without looking back, and I had been the one forced to face him head-on without any real preparation. How could I have afforded to think beyond the moment?

With the fake Alice before me, and Alice herself in a somber mood, I took a few steps back and surveyed my surroundings.

And that alone was enough for me to realize that I was nearly surrounded by people whose eyes met mine.

Of course, I wasn’t literally surrounded as if I were being cornered. It was more of a psychological sensation. Physically, everyone kept a bit of distance—it wasn’t a solid wall, at least not in the literal sense.

I quickly started calculating.

First, I narrowed down the people who had followed me here but wouldn’t make for uncomfortable conversation partners. The Sword Saint, Jennifer, and Carolyn seemed like safe options. Both Jennifer and Carolyn were on fairly good terms with me, and neither had ever suffered because of my abilities. The Sword Saint, in particular, seemed to be enjoying the situation, while Jennifer looked deeply lost in thought.

And then there was Carolyn—my homeroom teacher. Normally, a student-teacher relationship would feel somewhat restrictive, but in this case, it was perfect. At least it gave me a plausible excuse to check in with her later.

If I started a conversation with her, I might be able to keep it going for quite a while. And who would bother interrupting a student talking to their teacher?

That settled it. I resolved to head straight for the group of mentors and instructors.

I made the decision.

That was all I did.

In other words, I failed to follow through.

"…Fangryphon."

Hmm. That was a title I almost never heard.

Officially, my full name was Sylvia Fangryphon. And yes, when I signed documents, I properly included Fangryphon in my signature.

But no one ever actually called me Fangryphon.

Not even acquaintances from before we became friends. Not even faculty members seeing me for the first time. No one felt the need to refer to me as Miss Fangryphon or Lady Fangryphon.

There was an enormous, intangible barrier against it.

Translating it into English, Fangryphon would be my last name, my family name… but more importantly, it was part of my name.

And yet, using Fangryphon alone as an address carried a weight that was simply too heavy.

I have no idea if people in England actually use titles like Miss Windsor, but in this world, I was addressed by my name far more often than by my family name. Most people called me Princess Sylvia or Princess Alice. And even that only happened when we needed to be distinguished from one another—otherwise, a single Your Highness was enough.

My friends obviously just called me by my first name. And since Alice and I were often together, calling either of us Fangryphon would only cause confusion. More importantly, Fangryphon wasn’t just the imperial family’s surname—it was also the name of the empire’s first Emperor. That made it even more awkward to say out loud.

But the fact that someone had chosen to call me Fangryphon right now meant that the name held particular significance in whatever conversation was about to unfold.

The mere sound of their voice made my stomach churn as if I were about to roll over in agony, and now they were using that name? The fact that I wasn’t already writhing on the floor was, in itself, a commendable feat.

Not that I felt particularly proud of it.

Moving with the stiffness of a broken wind-up doll, I slowly turned my head—only to find Sophia clutching my sleeve.

Her expression was… indescribable.

What kind of face would a devout believer make after witnessing the death of their god? Would they weep uncontrollably, like someone who had just lost their homeland? That would’ve been easier to deal with. Instead, Sophia’s eyes looked utterly dry, as if all emotion had been drained from them.

Not just dry—empty, like staring into a barren well. Eyes that should have always held a glistening trace of moisture were now hollow, and the sight of them only strengthened my already overwhelming urge to run away.

But running wouldn’t solve anything. The person standing before me wasn’t a character in a story; she was real.

"…Just calling me by my name would be enough."

Even though I knew it was an inappropriate response to the situation, I still said it—because I needed to put a stop to that Fangryphon nonsense, at the very least.

"…"

Sophia’s gaze shifted.

She was still sitting there in her bread-baking pose, looking up at the Gryphon towering over me.

Watching her stare at it so intently, I started seriously considering how I was supposed to clear up this misunderstanding.

That Gryphon wasn’t under my control. Just like when we arrived, it would probably fly off somewhere the moment it decided its task was done. Besides, Fangryphon didn’t refer to a single Gryphon—it was the name of an entire flock.

How many people in the modern era had actually ridden on the back of a Gryphon? Not many, I’d imagine. But that didn’t mean calling me Fangryphon made any sense.

Still, Sophia didn’t seem to be interested in arguing over that point.

"…Is the Goddess never coming back?"

…A pointless argument would have been preferable.

"…"

I carefully chose my words.

Back in middle school, there was a kid in my class who wanted to become a pastor. One day, I asked him, “So, are you planning to sleep with married women too?” When he told me his father was a pastor, I shot back with, “Then I guess your father does too.” I got punched in the face for that.

Religious people tend to be sensitive about these things.

"It’s true that I took measures to prevent it from happening."

I decided to just state the facts.

Sophia… At the start, she had been portrayed as a fanatical psychopath, but as the story progressed and her interactions with the protagonist deepened, she gradually got cleaned up. I had always found it frustrating how she was so neatly redeemed in just one installment, but looking back, it actually made sense.

She had been raised under the Holy Nation’s influence from childhood, learning to accept their teachings as the absolute truth. And then, out of nowhere, a force of pure evil emerged to oppose the goddess—of course, she would have been thrilled.

But before she could face that great evil firsthand, Sophia met Leo. Then she met me.

As a result, she became someone quite different from the character in the original story.

This Sophia wasn’t the Sophia from the novel. She was my friend. So rather than telling some half-baked lie, it was better to just be honest.

"You…"

Sophia was also choosing her words carefully.

"You… What exactly are you? What kind of connection do you have to the goddess?"

She probably already had her suspicions. There were things she had heard directly from me as well.

…That’s right. I had promised.

I had told her I would explain everything once it was all over.

"I was sent by that entity you call a goddess."

I spoke plainly.

I was well aware of the eyes on me. Not just from my own companions, but even from the imperial knights who had been bound and were now glancing in my direction.

But what was the point of hiding anything at this stage?

I had already ridden on the back of a Gryphon.

"I was also someone meant to be used as part of the goddess’s plan."

"Then why did you betray the goddess at the last moment?"

Sophia’s words might have sounded accusatory at first, but her voice was so level, so devoid of emotion, that there was no real sense of blame. It felt more like she was just stating facts, trying to confirm something rather than expressing resentment.

"…"

I closed my mouth for a moment.

How was I supposed to explain this?

When I first arrived in this world, I crafted a personality for myself. It was all to insert myself into the protagonist’s party. I’d say that was a success. After all, I did become a part of their group.

I opposed the Emperor to ensure a happy ending where everyone survived. That was also a success. In the end, no one died.

But the reason I overturned the goddess’s plans…

…was because I wanted to be part of that happy ending, too.

…

Was this really a happy ending?

I gazed silently at the believer who had lost her god.

Would Sophia be able to understand my answer?

It didn’t matter. I had promised to answer.

"Because I wanted to be with all of you."

So I told her.

Chapter 279

“I just want to be with you all.”

Nobody answered my words.

It was unlikely that anyone could fully understand what that meant. After all, I was the only one who had heard the goddess’s voice, even if just for a moment.

But I guess it was possible to infer the meaning to some extent.

If I was following the goddess’s will, it meant I shouldn’t even be here.

“……”

Sophia erased the expression from her face.

In truth, it was a bit ambiguous to say that Sophia and I were extremely close. Among the people around me, we had spent the least amount of time together. That said, there hadn’t been any significant events to build a proper trust. All I had done was tell Sophia that I wasn’t necessarily fond of Leo, whom she liked.

Moreover, it was hard to say how high her feelings were prioritized given the current situation.

For those who believe in the goddess, her existence would be more important than anything else. If the goddess directly told someone to stop loving her… Well, feelings aren’t that easily severed, but at the very least, they would try to hide their affections outwardly. The belief in the goddess would come before any feelings of liking someone.

“So, are you saying that, to you, the fact that you are with us is more important than the words of the goddess who allowed you to be here?”

“That’s correct.”

“Why?”

That was a question I couldn’t properly answer.

There’s nothing more meaningless than assigning reasons to feelings. After all, isn’t it ’emotion’? A word that’s completely opposed to logic. No matter how much logic you attach, it merely serves to justify the feelings.

I just wanted that.

I thought I wanted to be here.

That was all I could say.

Maybe Sophia realized that I couldn’t provide a suitable answer, so she didn’t press further.

“Do you blame me?”

This time I asked.

When Sophia first spoke to me, I felt like things might get tangled up, but as our conversation continued, my heart became calmer. Well, it’s not like I felt completely at ease, but at the very least, I didn’t feel the urge to run away.

“……”

This time Sophia fell into thought.

Her face still expressionless, her gaze just stared blankly above my head. After contemplating for quite a while, she finally opened her mouth.

“I… I don’t know.”

Even after a long period of pondering, the meaning behind her answer was unclear.

“I definitely think I should, but isn’t that strange? The being I believed in as the truth disappeared because of you, but I don’t feel any resentment toward you when I see you. So…”

Sophia raised her hand and looked up.

She had been the one who wrapped divine power around her sword to heal people’s wounds.

But now, even if she tried to use that power, she wouldn’t be able to. In this world, the goddess’s power no longer operated.

Magic still existed. Creatures like Gryphons, which seemed biologically impossible, casually sat around. There were also steam engines that functioned better in specific areas than the world I lived in, and villains that seemed right out of a game were all tied up and sitting there.

Only the goddess’s power had vanished from that mystical world.

To me, it was a comforting sight, but…

“If the goddess were here, and you hadn’t stopped her, what would this world be like?”

That was a pure question. I genuinely didn’t know, so I asked.

“The goddess would desire to create an orderly world.”

“In that world, you would have no value.”

“That’s correct.”

I was an alien presence from the very beginning. Thus, I was something that needed to be caught after being used once. Because that wasn’t done, we were in the current situation.

“Then in that world, would I still be me?”

Sophia’s gaze flicked, however briefly, toward Leo.

“……”

Ah, I think I understand.

The goddess is a being that loves order. And even the believers of the goddess know that at least to some extent.

They would also understand what kind of world the goddess sought.

And in that world, governed solely by order, emotions might be seen as impurities. The Fanggriffon pretended to obey order but ultimately couldn’t shake off its resentment toward the goddess, and that result led to this ‘disorderly’ world.

Sophia’s feelings of liking someone are merely part of a chaotic heart.

Even Sophia’s feelings for Leo didn’t stem from some logical reason. I couldn’t completely guess the reason since I’m not Sophia, but that handsome appearance might have played a fundamental role.

And to ‘fall in love’ because of someone’s looks is highly… illogical.

“I really don’t know.”

But I couldn’t assert that to Sophia.

After all, I couldn’t even imagine the world created by the goddess. A society where even people’s free will is controlled under the order crafted by the goddess doesn’t seem appealing just by imagining it.

“……”

Sophia merely repeated opening and closing her hands silently.

*

Maybe it was a relief, but before I could exchange words with others, the soldiers of Velbur had taken over the Papal State.

Or should I say they had taken it over? It was technically empty, so there was no fighting.

There would likely be significant backlash from the Iberian Kingdom, but the land of the Papal State was originally territory that Velbur had ceded. When it came to legitimacy or justification, the Iberian Kingdom would be far behind Velbur.

Moreover, one of the most important figures of Velbur was right here.

“……I’m sorry.”

Charlotte spoke in a genuinely feeling voice.

Me, Alice, Claire, and all the other imperial citizens were surrounded by Velbur soldiers.

“This is just a formal procedure. I promise you all will be able to return home soon.”

“I understand.”

I figured it would end this way.

While overturning the underground of Lutetia was sanctioned by the king, in this situation now, Alice was essentially just the Emperor’s daughter, who was a criminal. Of course, she had played a significant role in toppling the culprit and thwarting the scheme, so for now, as Charlotte said, this was just a formal procedure.

In reality, we weren’t restrained like the emperor and other knights.

“……We still have quite a lot to resolve… Yes, a lot.”

Alice spoke with a distant look, seemingly staring at a faraway mountain.

As the Emperor’s daughter and currently the only recognized Crown Princess of the Empire. Well, other Emperor’s children were recognized too, but nobody would go as far as to elevate any other to the emperor’s seat in this situation.

If the Emperor were to be dethroned, the available space for that position would be massive. So much so that Alice’s stature would seem small in that position.

“First, we have to deal with that Gryphon as well.”

The Velbur soldiers surrounding us were all wearing extremely tense expressions and refused to come any closer, and the reason was the Gryphon that had been glaring threateningly at the soldiers from behind me.

Its wings were spread wide open in an overt display of intimidation.

“……I think it will eventually come back.”

When I said that to Alice, she scoffed.

“So how long does it take for it to come back?”

“……”

I looked up at the Gryphon. Indeed, when would it have plans to return?

“……Maybe tomorrow?”

Huff.

The Gryphon let out a big breath through its nostrils.

Well, it seems like it has no intention of coming back at least until tomorrow.

Seeing this, Alice wiped her face with her hand.

“You know the Gryphon is the symbol of the Empire, right?”

“I know.”

It had been prominently marked in the royal seal of the Empire.

“And that Gryphon’s master is you.”

“I’m not the Gryphon’s master.”

If it thought of me as its master, it wouldn’t be tossing me around like a pancake.

It wouldn’t have treated me like a suitcase either.

It didn’t seem like it would return just because I told it to go back.

“Anyway, it’s following you.”

Ignoring my words entirely, Alice continued.

“What do you think people will think when they see the Crown Princess appearing with a Gryphon?”

“……”

Hearing Alice’s words, I fell into thought for a moment.

Then, I recalled the voice of a knight murmuring ‘Fanggriffon’ after it charged in.

And Sophia had called me ‘Fanggriffon’ too.

……

No way?

Chapter 280

"Hmm…"

That was the general reaction of the people who saw the Gryphon following me all the way back to Lutetia.

Though, I wasn’t entirely sure following was the right word. Sometimes, it would trot along behind the carriage, and other times, it would suddenly take off and soar into the distance, as if stretching its wings after being cooped up for too long.

Honestly, when it flew high into the sky, I felt a fleeting sense of relief. Yeah, just keep flying. Go back to your family and live a happy life~ I thought to myself. But just when I was about to solidify that thought into certainty, it would always come back.

And every time it returned, it was right when we were crossing a border.

Even in this world, moving animals across regions required some sort of declaration or permit. There weren’t any serious discussions about ecological destruction yet, but rare creatures were often considered a specialty of specific regions and usually got flagged at customs.

Monkeys, vibrantly colored tropical fish, parrots, reptiles… The creatures here often had familiar names but were wildly different from what I knew.

And as I’d mentioned before, the animals in this world were genuinely dangerous. Not just because they could bite people or spread disease—but because some of them could set things on fire with magic. In a world that relied heavily on gas, oil, and coal, a creature like that running wild could cause massive disasters. That’s why these inspections existed in the first place.

The problem was that the creature following me wasn’t just any animal.

…Actually, could I even call it an animal?

You wouldn’t classify a dragon as just an animal, would you?

In fantasy worlds, dragons were often portrayed as intelligent beings capable of speech. Even in settings where they were depicted more like massive winged reptiles, they were rarely reduced to the level of a mere beast.

The Gryphon following me didn’t have human vocal cords, so of course, it couldn’t speak.

But judging by the way it reacted to my words—and the words of those around me—it definitely seemed to understand everything we were saying.

"Hmm…"

That was the exact same reaction from the Belvur soldiers stationed at the border.

Was it really okay to consider this thing an ordinary beast?

And if it was a beast, where the hell was I supposed to classify it?

More importantly… Was it even allowed to cross the border?

Not that I had the power to stop it if it wasn’t.

I felt like my thoughts were written all over my face.

"Y-You may pass!"

…Seriously?

I mean, sure. If I were in their position, I’d probably say the same thing after making eye contact with a Gryphon that was standing tall, head held high, glaring down at me with piercing eyes.

But could they at least stop looking at me like I was supposed to be the one handling this?

I couldn’t stop it either.

*

"Hmm…"

Surprisingly, even the King of Lutetia had the same reaction.

It seemed he had already decided how to handle the situation before we even arrived. The moment we entered Lutetia, trumpets blared, and flower petals rained down. From the looks of it, Belvur was planning to declare victory in this battle.

There was no way to completely conceal what the Emperor had done—Belvur’s nobility already knew the details. If they couldn’t suppress the truth, they must have decided it was better to frame it as a triumph instead.

What would happen to the captured Emperor was another issue entirely, one that would undoubtedly involve a long and tedious process. But for now, I decided to go along with it.

The problem was, it wasn’t just people going along with it.

Even though the Empire had once been ruled by a Fangryphon, and even though its history was deeply tied to Gryphons, not much concrete knowledge had been passed down about them. After all, the one who had controlled the Gryphons was Fangryphon the individual, not the Empire itself.

As a result, Gryphons were seen as both real creatures and beings that existed on the edge of mythology. What did they eat? How did they live? Did they have their own culture? Very few people who had gone to investigate had ever returned, further cementing their mystique.

That was why I had no idea that Gryphons enjoyed showing off.

When the trumpets first blared, the Gryphon flinched and raised its front legs in surprise. But then it quickly collected itself and took in its surroundings.

It noticed that it had stopped moving, that the carriages behind it had also halted, and that the people around it were smiling.

Then, all at once, it charged forward—toward the carriage that had pulled away from it.

…The open carriage I was riding in.

And then, it bit me.

Screams erupted immediately. Of course, they did. The princess who had returned bearing news of victory was now being mauled by a Gryphon. If a Fangryphon descendant were to die at the fangs of a Gryphon, the irony would be too much to bear.

But in reality, it hadn’t bitten me—it had grabbed the back of my cloak.

And without giving me any time to brace myself, I was yanked up and flung onto its back.

Thank god I had worn shorts today.

As I scrambled to steady myself, sitting upright on the Gryphon’s back, the momentary silence was replaced by cheers.

I had no idea why the people of Belvur were so excited about a foreign princess riding a Gryphon into their city, but from the way they were reacting, it seemed like they thought this was some kind of pre-planned event.

The Gryphon, looking thoroughly pleased with itself, spread its wings wide, lifted its beak high as if raising its nose in pride, and strode forward with confidence.

If you ever dissected a Gryphon, I was convinced that half of its body weight would just be pure pride.

And just like that, we marched all the way to the royal palace of Lutetia.

Of course, I dismounted once we reached the King. But the Gryphon, as if it belonged there, stood firmly behind me without so much as bowing its head.

"Hmm…"

The King of Lutetia, staring at the Gryphon in silence, finally turned his gaze back to me.

"This Gryphon—is it the one the princess saved before?"

"…Yes."

I could only hope my voice didn’t sound as embarrassed as I felt.

Lutetia had no intention of going to war with the Empire. That much was clear.

No matter how long the Emperor had been absent, the Empire was still the Empire. Its weapons of war far outmatched every killing machine in the Kingdom. In the world where the goddess had existed, at least the holy forces had some means of countering them. But in this world, their warships and monitors were still fully operational.

The King wanted to end this situation as peacefully as possible.

"The ones who contributed the most to this battle were, in fact, Imperial citizens. So I do not intend to hold the Emperor’s actions against the Empire as a whole."

"…"

Huh?

Something about the King’s phrasing felt off to me.

And apparently, Alice felt it too. She tilted her head slightly, as if something wasn’t quite right.

"Besides, the Emperor himself did not actually commit any great sins against Lutetia. The ones conspiring beneath our city were from the Holy Nation."

Technically, the Emperor was responsible for all of this at its root, but what he said wasn’t exactly wrong either. Just because someone is preparing to attack you doesn’t mean you suddenly gain the right to attack someone else in retaliation.

"But that does not mean we can simply hand over the Emperor. However, I imagine the Empire itself will have differing opinions on the matter. It seems we will need to negotiate quite seriously."

"…"

Hmm.

This was bothering me.

I had considered just letting it go, but I felt like I needed to understand the reasoning now, or I’d be caught off guard later. So I decided to ask directly.

"Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"…May I ask why you changed the way you are speaking?"

"…"

The King of Lutetia blinked at me for a moment, as if caught off guard, then looked at me with genuine confusion.

"Why, isn’t it obvious?"

"…Obvious?"

"The rightful heir to the Empire’s throne is standing before me. Naturally, I must show the proper respect. Besides, from the way things look, it is entirely possible that this heir will soon become the Emperor."

"…"

I took a moment to process his words.

And then, just to be sure, I asked again.

"…You mean Alice, correct?"

"What are you talking about?"

The King’s expression twisted into even deeper bewilderment.

"Surely no one in Belvur is ignorant of the legend of Fangryphon. The one who controls the Gryphon has appeared within the imperial family once more. Naturally, that means the next Emperor must be Fangryphon."

No, actually, that’s not a law.

That’s just a legend.

I mean, sure, from the way things looked, something had happened in the past to inspire the legend. But the myth itself was incredibly barebones—it didn’t even have the usual cliché lines like, “One day, a true Fangryphon shall rise and claim the throne…” or anything like that. It was just a founding myth, nothing more.

I stood there, completely baffled, as the King of Belvur stared at me expectantly.

I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that.

Chapter 281

"The imperial law does not explicitly define the conditions required to ascend to the throne. Determining the next Emperor is solely a matter for the imperial family to decide."

"That much is easy to understand. The same applies to Belvur."

The Empire was technically a constitutional monarchy. Emphasis on technically—in reality, the Parliament functioned as little more than a puppet of the Emperor. But because of that, at least on paper, the roles of the Parliament and the imperial family were clearly divided.

The Parliament governed the nation, while the imperial family preserved its legitimacy.

That was why choosing the next Emperor was entirely within the imperial family's jurisdiction. Of course, that didn’t mean the Emperor could appoint anyone at will—there were still internal traditions and rules to follow.

The problem was that, right now, the imperial family—the people with the actual right to determine the Empire’s future—consisted of only Alice and me.

Any other royals close enough in lineage to have a say had been removed by the Emperor himself or had been cast aside in the power struggles. Even Alice’s mother had been dead for years.

The Emperor himself was currently imprisoned in Belvur as a war criminal, and most of his children had been arrested as accomplices.

Claire, who carried the Emperor’s blood, was adamantly claiming she was a Grace, not a Fangryphon.

…In short, every single remaining imperial family member with the authority to decide the Empire’s future was standing right here.

That wasn’t an exaggeration. It wasn’t a joke.

Realizing this a little late, I made sure to weigh my every word carefully. In this situation, anything Alice or I said—whether formally or informally—could be taken as the will of the imperial family.

"In past precedents, the next Emperor has generally been the eldest child of the imperial bloodline. There have been cases where an individual was chosen based on their abilities, but unless there were significant personal or leadership deficiencies, the title typically went to the eldest son. If no son was present, it passed to the eldest daughter. And…"

I glanced at Alice standing beside me.

"And I already have an elder relative whose abilities are more than sufficient. So, I believe treating me as the next Emperor is a rather hasty conclusion."

"…I see."

Thankfully, my words seemed to be sinking in.

This sort of situation had happened in the real world too.

Even when a ruler was unpopular or perceived as incompetent, if their claim to legitimacy was unassailable, they could ascend to the throne regardless.

If it were an absolute monarchy where the ruler truly wielded power, people might push for a more capable candidate. But in most constitutional monarchies, the only thing a monarch had left was legitimacy. And the more powerless the monarchy became, the more obsessed it became with preserving that legitimacy.

If someone wanted to change the monarch, the typical method was to have the original ruler take the throne briefly before formally stepping down in favor of their chosen successor.

Not that Alice and I had any intention of pulling something like that.

"What does the First Imperial Princess think?"

The King of Belvur turned his gaze to Alice.

She had been deep in thought until then, but she finally raised her head and responded.

"Nothing has been decided yet. Everything happened so suddenly. We need to sort through the aftermath before we can determine what to do about the vacant throne."

It was a textbook response.

"More importantly, I believe discussing my father’s treatment should take precedence."

"…"

The King of Belvur studied Alice’s calm, expressionless face before slowly nodding.

"Indeed. The affairs of a foreign throne are for that nation to decide. I apologize for making assumptions."

"There is no need to apologize. From an outsider’s perspective, it is an understandable misconception."

"Then, as you suggest, we will handle the urgent matters first, one at a time."

Even as he said this, the King of Belvur cast me a knowing glance.

…So, I hadn’t managed to completely clear up the misunderstanding.

Well, I couldn’t blame him.

If I were in his position, I’d probably be suspicious too.

A nation with that kind of legend just happens to have someone show up in this kind of situation?

That was a little too much of a coincidence.

…Not that I was particularly thrilled about being the person caught in it.

*

"Haah…"

Alice threw herself onto the bed as soon as we returned to her room, looking completely exhausted.

Technically, it hadn't been that long since we left Lutetia. But considering the time we had actually experienced, it felt like an eternity. Seeing Alice like this again gave me the strange impression that it had been ages since the last time.

Maybe it was because that world had been an illusion created by the goddess. The time we had spent there felt long, yet also strangely hazy—like a dream half-forgotten upon waking. Thanks to that, I didn’t feel like what happened yesterday had actually happened ten years ago. I was sure everyone who still held memories of that world felt the same.

"There’s too much to think about."

"Mostly because of you."

I sat down on the guest chair in Alice’s room, and she shot me a glare as she spoke.

"…"

I had no words.

Because, well… she wasn’t wrong.

"Really, after insisting that I’m the only one who could be the next Emperor, you went and recreated a legendary scene. What were you thinking…?"

It sounded like a complaint, but her tone didn’t actually carry any real resentment.

A year ago, Alice would have seethed with jealousy over something like this.

"Are you not interested in the throne?"

"Is that really what’s important right now?"

Then what is?

Oh, right. The Emperor’s situation. And all the awkward questions we’d have to answer once we returned to the Empire. At least in Belvur, we weren’t responsible for solving everything ourselves, but that wouldn’t be the case once we got back home.

But Alice scoffed when she saw my expression.

"…Isn’t that exactly what’s important?"

I mean, the throne is empty. That’s not unimportant.

Of course, whether the imperial nobility actually believed it was empty was another matter entirely. Some of them might try to reclaim the Emperor and put him back on the throne.

And if Alice or I ended up on that throne, there would undoubtedly be people trying to manipulate us.

"But before that," Alice cut me off firmly. "Let’s talk about your ability."

"My ability no longer exists."

"I know."

Alice nodded, then furrowed her brows as if something about the topic irritated her.

"What did you think I was going to ask? Whether you could use it to help me?"

Uh…

Well, Alice wasn’t the type to say something like that.

"It’s not about that. I wanted to talk about your ability—and the memories I got back."

She sat up, no longer sprawled out on the bed. Though she didn’t sit completely straight, she planted both hands on the mattress and looked at me.

"…Back when we were kids, when you kept getting better grades than me."

Ah.

That.

It really had been cheating, in a way. I had so much more time to study than everyone else.

"Come to think of it, couldn't you have just looked at the exam questions and then rewound time? Why did you do it that way? You pulled the same trick every time."

Alice looked at me like she genuinely couldn’t understand.

"…"

Well.

To be honest, I hadn’t wanted to sink that low.

There were other reasons too. I had always been worried that relying on shortcuts would eventually erode my personal standards, leading me to make an irreversible mistake someday.

So, if I was going to learn something, I figured I might as well do it properly. It wasn’t like I lacked time. And if I wanted to maintain my character, I needed more than just surface-level acting—I needed a real foundation. In the end, I did end up benefiting from that knowledge more than once.

But above all else… I hadn’t wanted to cheat while Alice was working so hard right next to me.

Yeah, I know. From the perspective of someone without my ability, it was still cheating.

"Seeing the hardworking princess beside me, I just… didn’t want to do something like that."

But I told her the truth anyway.

There was no point in hiding it anymore. She had already figured everything out.

The only reason I had ever been able to beat Alice… was because I had infinite chances.

Now that I didn’t, no matter what I did, Alice would always be better than me.

Chapter 282

"……."

Alice stared at me. She had the kind of look that said, Keep talking. So I did, slowly continuing.

"If I still had my ability, then the argument that I should be Emperor would make sense. Not because of my personal talent or capability, but because no matter what mistakes I made, I could simply rewind and undo them. If every mistake ceased to exist, then I could remain a perfect ruler."

But that was no longer the case.

"But now that my ability is gone, things are different."

"Why?"

"Because your ability is far greater than mine."

I simply stated the truth.

"You can accomplish in a single attempt what I had to try countless times to achieve. You have the talent, and on top of that, you work tirelessly. You also have the rightful claim. It hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but I have no imperial blood in me whatsoever."

"……."

Alice’s eyes narrowed.

But she remained silent, pressing her lips together tightly. I started feeling a little anxious, so I quickly continued.

"So… really, the only thing I have over you is that a Gryphon decided to follow me. And while that may captivate people, you and I both know that it takes far more than that to sit on the imperial throne."

That was why she had worked so hard to surpass me all this time.

After all, it wasn’t until much later that the truth about the Emperor’s children carrying his actual bloodline had come to light. Back when Alice had been striving to beat me as a child, she had genuinely believed that the throne could be taken from her.

She had known, even back then, that being Emperor wasn’t just about bloodline or legitimacy—it was about having the ability to rule.

Of course, as a child, she must have also wanted to defeat me simply because I was taking away the attention that should have been hers. But Alice was someone who genuinely loved her country and was interested in politics. It wasn’t just about personal rivalry—it never had been.

"……."

Alice narrowed her eyes even further as I finished speaking.

Then, she took a deep breath—deliberately exaggerated, lowering her head and letting out an audible sigh long enough that I could feel it.

After that long, drawn-out sigh, she lifted her head and looked at me.

"Let me ask you one thing."

Alice’s eyes were sharper than usual as she spoke.

"You just don’t want to be Emperor, do you?"

Ah.

She figured it out.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Repeatedly.

It wasn’t like I wanted to sit around doing nothing for the rest of my life. Well, okay, if I could, I wouldn’t mind. But if I had to do something, I figured I’d prefer a lifestyle that was just as busy as my time at the academy—manageable.

I mean, wasn’t it traditionally considered a virtue for royalty and nobility not to have a job? European aristocrats lived off generational wealth from inherited estates, spending their lives attending charity events.

If the Emperor had remained in power, I would have spent my life worrying about whether my head was about to be chopped off. But if Alice took the throne, things would be different. At the very least, I was fairly sure Alice wasn’t going to have me executed.

I did my best to keep my expression neutral, but Alice was already looking at me like she had read me like an open book.

"When you said all that on the train, I really did think you meant it for my sake. But after watching how you’ve been acting ever since, I started feeling like that wasn’t the only reason."

I thought I had been working pretty hard.

Then again, my ultimate goal was to keep all the major characters alive and then settle down into a peaceful, uneventful life. So, in a way, Alice wasn’t entirely wrong.

"Regardless of how I feel about becoming Emperor, you are the one who should take the throne."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

But despite Alice's response, her expression didn’t match her words at all.

…She wasn’t seriously thinking about passing the throne to me, was she?

A cold sweat ran down my back at the thought. But then, Alice, who had been glaring at me, suddenly let a small smile slip onto her lips.

"Well, forcing someone who doesn’t want to be Emperor into the role would only cause problems. The imperial throne isn’t just for show. At the same time, neither of us trust anyone else to take the position. It’s not like there’s anyone in the palace we can trust completely either, is there?"

I nodded. Trying to dig up some fallen imperial relative and place them on the throne would be a disaster waiting to happen. Any noble who suggested such an idea would be the first person I’d recommend getting rid of.

"Then, I guess I have to be the next Emperor, don’t I?"

"…"

Alice shrugged as she said it, but something about the moment felt strange.

Is this really okay?

I mean… the topic of this conversation was nothing less than the Emperor of the Empire—the ruler of an entire continent. Should we really be talking about it so casually? And the only ones involved in this discussion were two girls in their mid-teens. Well, I was something beyond a thirty-year-old man in a teenage body, but Alice was actually a teenager.

…Granted, the long stretch of time in between was technically erased, so I supposed it didn’t count.

"Alright."

Alice spoke with confidence.

"Then, do you intend to become the next Emperor?"

"I’ll finish the academy first. I’ll have my name registered, but I won’t immediately take up full governance. You built me up quite a bit, but I do still have a lot to learn."

Coming from a teenager, that sounded strangely self-aware.

"And the Parliament—what little remains of it—needs to be restored. Our father handled everything himself because he could, but I am not that kind of person. I don’t overestimate my abilities."

"I know."

Still, the conversation was progressing as it should. I nodded, agreeing with her.

The road ahead wouldn’t be easy. But it wasn’t an impossible path either. As long as we continued forward with people we could trust, we would get through it—just as we always had.

"However, I have a condition."

"A condition?"

What condition? It’s not like she had any other options for who would take the throne.

"You need to take a position too."

"…"

I said nothing.

"There’s only you and me left in the imperial family. Claire may be my half-sister, but I doubt she’d be too eager to call me big sister. She’s got too much pride for that."

Yeah. Looking at the way Alice was smiling playfully, I could already picture Claire scowling in protest.

Alice had, in her own way, come to accept Claire as family. She had lived as Claire’s sister in that illusion. Even after returning here, she hadn’t erased those feelings. Seeing that expression on Alice’s face—so relaxed, so genuinely comfortable—put my mind at ease.

"Of course, aside from that, I’ll be giving Claire a position as well. Actually, all of my closest allies are people I met at the academy. I’ll be assigning positions to every one of them. That’s the only way I’ll feel secure."

Hmm.

Something told me Alice wouldn’t just be handing out positions. She’d definitely be rewarding them properly, but that aside… she was absolutely planning to work them to the bone.

At least the foreign-born ones—Charlotte, Lena, and Sophia—might escape her grasp.

"And you. Why do you look like you’re thinking about something else?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at me, unimpressed.

"You made the biggest contribution in this battle. Obviously, you need to remain as my closest aide. Even after I assign all those positions, there will be plenty of room left in the imperial household. And based on your achievements, I should at least grant you a noble title or two. Honestly, the fact that you still don’t have one is absurd. Most members of the imperial family hold multiple noble titles by default."

And Alice looked absolutely delighted as she spoke.

There were plenty of things I could argue about. But seeing that expression, I suddenly found that I didn’t really care.

"This is my condition. If you refuse, then I won’t take the throne. So? What will it be?"

She had already backed me into a corner—there was nowhere left to retreat.

I simply shrugged.

Well… if things ever got too difficult, I could just hop on my Gryphon and fly far, far away.

That is, assuming the fickle thing was still hanging around by then.

Chapter 283

Claire had already given up on being called "noona" years ago.

From the moment Leo and Claire first met, they had been arguing over whether to call each other "noona" or "oppa." Neither of them even remembered who had started it. It was just something they had been fighting over since their earliest memories.

But even before those memories—memories that felt old enough to be vague—Claire had been calling Sylvia "unnie."

That memory, at least, was so vivid that time could never erase it.

Because Sylvia had been the first "good person" Claire had ever met.

Of course, her image had changed a little over the years.

The "unnie" who had once seemed like an angel wasn’t actually that perfect. She made mistakes, just like any person. She had clear likes and dislikes. Claire had thought she was someone who succeeded at everything, but the truth was, she was someone who tried over and over again until she finally achieved success.

Even when those failures came at the cost of her own body.

But even after seeing that side of her, Claire had no intention of not calling her "unnie."

There was no way she could ever give it up. How could she not call someone "unnie" when they had done that much for her?

"What’s got you so lost in thought?"

…Though.

"You called her noona."

"Not this again."

Leo frowned deeply at Claire’s remark.

Honestly, Claire didn’t hate that expression. Leo had the appearance of someone who was easygoing, someone who didn’t care about the little details—but in front of the people he was closest to, he always let his emotions show.

Well, he was someone who openly showed his emotions even in everyday situations, but the degree of it was different with people he truly trusted.

Of course, not hating it didn’t mean it wasn’t annoying.

"I told you. Sylvia… noona deserves to be called that. Isn’t it the same reason you call her ‘unnie’?"

"No, that’s not why I brought it up this time."

She was a little annoyed, though. Calling it jealousy toward Sylvia would be a stretch, but there was a small flicker of irritation—Why don’t I get to be called that?

Well, it was just a childish sulkiness, the kind a younger brother would have, so she decided to let it go.

"Are you going to keep calling her that from now on?"

"…"

At her question, Leo shut his mouth.

In his past memories, Leo and Sylvia had been siblings.

They must have built up quite a few memories over those years. Claire didn’t think Leo had romantic feelings for Sylvia, but aside from that, it did seem like he had naturally started to see her as family.

"Can’t I?"

"…"

For a moment, Claire had no answer.

Can’t he?

No, that wasn’t right.

By that logic, Claire herself was also doing something she "shouldn’t" be doing—she had been calling Sylvia "unnie" ever since they reunited. Only a select few people knew that Claire had imperial blood. To the rest of the world, she was nothing more than the daughter of a mere baron.

Among nobles, it wasn’t uncommon for close friends to call each other "sister." It was particularly common among noble families—some were connected by blood despite having different surnames, and others had grown up together so closely that they felt like sisters.

But the imperial family and the nobility were different. To commoners, they were all "high-ranking" people, but in reality, they were entirely separate groups. While it wasn’t impossible for a noble to become part of the imperial family, they were not supposed to be considered the same thing.

…Of course, that division meant nothing in the face of money and power. But officially, at least, they had to keep up appearances.

"Well, if you spent a lot of time with unnie, it makes sense that you’d feel that way."

Claire said it with an exaggerated tilt of her chin.

"Alright, I’ll allow it. After all, you are the youngest."

"Why do you get to allow it? And you’re the youngest."

Leo grumbled, but he didn’t actually object to her words.

Claire simply shrugged.

*

The carriage entered the imperial palace without issue.

It had been a month since the final battle in the Theocracy. November had already passed its midpoint, yet the Academy showed no signs of resuming classes.

It made sense. The Academy’s professors weren’t just excellent scholars—they were people who had made real achievements in their respective fields.

Not only that, but most of them were high-ranking nobles. Just as the Grace family was well-known despite being a barony, the professors’ families had influence of their own. They might not all be as powerful as ducal families like the Winterfields or the Northwoods, but still, no noble family would allow their heir to sit idly by while such a massive political upheaval was taking place.

The same was true for the students.

The Academy was already a place where many students left before completing the full four years. The most common reason was family matters—many left to train as heirs, while others got married and started their own families.

Now, with a sudden shift in the imperial throne, nobles were withdrawing their children from school even more quickly.

Of course, that didn’t mean the Academy would shut down entirely.

In fact, many provincial nobles saw this as an opportunity to send their children to the capital. And the headmaster, Winterfield, had already announced that he would resume classes soon.

"It’s not as chaotic as I expected."

"Maybe it just looks that way on the surface."

Leo replied to Claire’s murmured observation.

"I mean, it sounds weird to put it this way, but Alice never really had the same image as the Emperor."

Claire didn’t reply.

But she couldn’t deny it.

Alice was sharp, sure—but she wasn’t the kind of ruler who would crush those who stood in her way like the former Emperor had.

She was also still young. And technically speaking, she wasn’t Emperor yet. She had declared that she would only take the throne after graduating from the Academy, so officially, the position was still vacant. Technically. In reality, it was already hers.

That was why people could still imagine the Academy reopening someday.

…Though whether the nobles’ children could actually focus on their studies while the "de facto Emperor" was attending the same school was an entirely different question.

"At least unnie didn’t become Emperor."

"Aren’t you supposed to be disappointed about that?"

Leo grumbled, but he didn’t actually disagree.

Riding a Gryphon, stopping the Emperor’s schemes, and even overturning the Goddess’s plans just as Fangryphon had done.

That last part was a secret, but the first two were already enough for Sylvia to be revered.

"Still, Alice had a point. If Sylvia became Emperor, the Emperor’s faction would’ve revolted."

Those nobles had thrown their lot in with the Emperor—only for their leader to end up in prison.

If Sylvia had taken the throne on top of that, it would have been a major risk. She was someone the noble faction despised, yet she wasn’t exactly loved by the Emperor’s faction either. If the very person who had stopped the Emperor’s plans had then become Emperor…

…Well. If it had been Sylvia, she probably would have found a way to handle it.

Alice had also played a role in stopping the Emperor. But at the very least, she still had the legitimacy of being his direct daughter. The fact that she had never shown a particular political inclination had probably helped curb opposition to her.

"Please wait here for a moment."

The knight guiding Leo and Claire stopped in front of the audience chamber.

They obediently followed his instructions.

Claire’s lips pressed into a tight line. Having to go through this much hassle just to see unnie—someone she had once been able to meet so easily—was irritating.

The knight didn’t seem to notice.

Well, even if he had, what could he do? Sylvia had probably given instructions to treat Claire with the utmost respect.

…Come to think of it, wasn’t she now right at the center of imperial power?

It was an annoying thought.

She had already started hearing rumors about marriage proposals. She just hoped this wouldn’t make things even worse.

"You may enter."

After relaying the message from the guards at the door, the knight turned back to Leo and Claire.

The two of them exchanged glances, took a steadying breath, and stepped forward.

Chapter 284

Tension—it’s the kind of thing that comes as an optional feature depending on the time and place. But once you move past that moment and that place, it often feels like nothing at all.

Being subjected to all sorts of inspections and surveillance just to visit the Crown Princess and the Imperial Princess could make someone nervous. But when you finally pass through the grand doors of the audience chamber, only to come face-to-face with a very familiar face—the tension instantly melts away.

That was exactly how Claire felt.

“Un—”

Claire almost said unnie, but she quickly looked around. There were no knights or soldiers present. For an “audience chamber,” it felt strangely empty. Almost like if a foreign envoy were received here, they might wonder, Is the Empire secretly poor?

“This is the private audience chamber the Emperor uses,” Alice explained. “It’s for official meetings with important people, but the discussions themselves have to remain unofficial. No one other than the Emperor and the person they’re meeting has any reason to be here, so there’s no need for decorations.”

“Is that so?”

Claire asked instinctively, but the truth was, this was her first time here. If Alice, the future Empress, said so, then there was no reason to doubt it.

And technically, Sylvia was standing next to Alice in the role of a bodyguard. She was fully armed. But judging from the complete lack of any threatening aura around her, it seemed she was only literally armed. If anything, Sylvia was the one who should be receiving protection now—after all, as the only remaining Imperial Princess, she held the second-highest claim to the throne after Alice.

“What about the Gryphon?”

“Outside.”

The moment the Gryphon was mentioned, a wrinkle formed between Sylvia’s brows.

News about how the Gryphon was doing outside the palace was hard to come by. It was both the “symbol of the Empire” and the only Gryphon known to have ever followed a human. Just the sight of it made the nobles uneasy.

Some whispered that it was nothing more than a luxurious pet. Others gossiped about the myths. Since the Gryphon wasn’t just seen as an animal but as a near-divine beast, some even speculated: Did the Gryphon choose the Imperial Family?

Alice chose to let all those rumors spread as they pleased.

“…It ate a knight’s horse yesterday, so I’ve banned it from entering the palace for now.”

Sylvia’s reaction must have irritated Alice, because she frowned just the same.

“It causes that much trouble?”

“More like it eats too much. Purely carnivorous, at that.”

Alice sighed heavily.

“If we don’t provide it with enough cows or pigs every day, it doesn’t bother holding back its hunger—it just hunts whatever animal is nearby. It’s never attacked a person so far, but the knights’ horses are pretty much the perfect target. …I’m seriously considering building a pig farm in the palace.”

Alice threw a glance toward Sylvia as she said that, and Sylvia subtly averted her gaze.

“…Isn’t it just a burden?”

“What do you want me to do? It refuses to leave. Besides, expensive animals are always a burden. Past Emperors kept elephants and rhinos as pets, you know? This is just another one of those. …Oh, and don’t call it a pet in front of it. It gets mad.”

“…”

Claire was at a loss for words.

“Well, it did save our lives.”

Leo said with some sympathy, and Alice simply shrugged.

She talked like it was nothing but a burden, but there wasn’t any real resentment on her face.

Providing livestock to sustain the Gryphon wasn’t even that much of a challenge by the Empire’s standards. It wasn’t like the Gryphon was making unreasonable demands. If anything, given the symbolic power of the Gryphon, the benefits outweighed the costs.

Not that it really mattered, since the Gryphon had no intention of leaving anyway.

“Well, let’s put the Gryphon talk aside for now.”

Alice let some of the tension leave her shoulders.

She sat confidently in the Emperor’s seat, but since the chair was originally made to fit the actual Emperor, it was far too large for her. If she rested her arms on the armrests, her shoulders would rise unnaturally, making her look stiff and tense.

In the end, the only way for either Alice—or Sylvia—to sit comfortably in that chair was to place their hands neatly on their laps.

“I assume you came here because you had something to deliver.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Claire pulled a letter from inside her coat.

It was a high-quality envelope—the kind she had seen once before.

And the moment Sylvia saw it, her shoulders flinched.

Everyone in the room knew why. With three pairs of eyes on her, Sylvia’s gaze darted around. It was an expression she never would have shown before she lost her abilities.

And now, everyone knew exactly how many times she must have rewound time just to avoid letting that expression show in the past.

“A letter from our parents. Inviting their ‘other daughter’ home.”

Claire extended the letter toward Sylvia, not Alice. It was the correct thing to do. Someone in Alice’s position wouldn’t be receiving letters personally in the first place. Of course, that wasn’t the real reason Claire was handing it to Sylvia instead.

“For some reason, every time a letter was sent to you, unnie, you were conveniently out—so this time, we decided to bring it in person. I hope you won’t refuse it again.”

Sylvia let out a quiet sigh.

Claire was telling the truth. The Grace baron and his wife had sent Sylvia many letters. But each time, Sylvia had been conveniently out hunting with the Gryphon. As a result, the letters had always been returned. Even though there were plenty of ways to store the letters instead of returning them.

And strangely, every time a letter was sent, Sylvia disappeared before it even arrived.

Since she no longer had the ability to rewind time, the only logical conclusion was that she had someone informing her. She had gone out of her way to avoid receiving those letters.

“…”

Sylvia silently stepped forward and took the envelope from Claire’s hand.

“Since you’ve received it, read it here.”

“Huh?”

Sylvia had just begun tucking the letter away, but Claire immediately cut in.

“Mother told me to make sure you read it in front of us.”

“…”

Sylvia squeezed her eyes shut. Then she inhaled deeply before exhaling in a slow, controlled breath.

After repeating this process a few times, her expression returned to its usual blankness.

“…Understood.”

As if she had finally accepted there was no way out, Sylvia carefully opened the envelope.

The envelope hadn’t been sealed. It was written with the assumption that Sylvia would read it. And now, since Claire had explicitly told her to read it in front of them, there was no point in pretending otherwise. Not that Claire or Leo would have made a fuss if they had read it themselves.

Sylvia silently unfolded the creamy high-quality paper and began to read.

Her eyes moved from left to right, top to bottom, slowly absorbing the words.

Her expression didn’t change the entire time.

But Claire could clearly see the tension building in her clenched jaw.

“What does it say?”

Claire asked quietly once Sylvia finished reading.

“It says… they would like me to visit for tea sometime.”

“Anything else?”

“Nothing.”

Sylvia folded the letter, tucked it back into the envelope, and slipped it inside her coat.

“And?”

Claire asked again.

“Are you coming home, unnie?”

She asked with a bright, innocent smile.

Sylvia stared at her for a long moment.

Then she turned toward Alice.

“Well, I am an outsider here, so I won’t interfere. Feel free to go.”

Alice raised her hands, waving them in the air like fluttering pieces of paper, teasing Sylvia.

“What are you talking about?”

But Sylvia immediately rejected the idea.

“The letter explicitly invites Her Highness the Crown Princess as well.”

“…What?”

Claire turned toward Alice.

“She’s right. You did say you consider unnie a ‘sister,’ didn’t you? Whether or not we know who’s the real unnie, that would make us practically family, wouldn’t it?”

“…Huh?”

Alice’s flustered voice sounded far more out of place than Sylvia’s earlier discomfort.

Chapter 285

Of course, it was an obvious thing to say, but I had a family too.

That is, before I came to this world.

We weren’t rich enough to be called wealthy, but we never went hungry either. I vaguely remember struggling with money when I was very young, but by the time I was in middle and high school, our financial situation had improved. It wasn’t enough to buy game consoles or new games with my allowance, but I could afford to buy manga and novels from time to time. Our family had enough money to send both me and my younger sibling to college.

It wasn’t a picture-perfect, harmonious household, but we still saw each other as family and cared for one another.

I only truly immersed myself in hobbies like gaming and manga after I graduated from university and got a job.

…In all likelihood, I must be dead in my original world. My memories of how I ended up here are faint, but every time I try to recall it, I get a sinking feeling. That probably means I died.

Thinking about what happened to my remaining family now is meaningless. If there’s an afterlife, maybe I’ll meet them again once I’ve lived out this life. We’ll talk things over then. There are goddesses, all sorts of monsters, and magic in this world—so, of course, souls must exist too.

With that thought, I had already tucked away my memories of my "original family" years ago.

Then what about this world?

Maybe it was because of my deeply ingrained East Asian way of thinking, but accepting people as family without any blood ties wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

From their perspective, we were siblings who had grown up together since childhood. But to me, they were just acquaintances I had met in my thirties.

Claire called me “sister” with ease. Alice outright declared herself my younger sister. Leo, whether as a joke or because he’d gotten used to it, referred to me as “big sister.”

Were we close? If asked that, I’d nod without hesitation. Would I risk my life to protect them? I’d nod again.

But… did I truly feel like we were family?

I couldn’t bring myself to nod so easily at that question.

I had done almost nothing for them, so how could I go around calling them my family?

Because of that, sitting here now felt as uncomfortable as sitting on a bed of nails.

"……."

After arriving at the Grace Barony and exchanging brief greetings, we were now seated in the guest lounge, having tea.

I took slow, deliberate sips, unsure how to start the conversation. Alice, sitting beside me, mimicked my actions. Claire and Leo, on the other hand, were far too comfortable, their expressions and posture annoyingly at ease.

And across from us, the Baroness of the Grace family watched us with a slight smile on her lips.

Ironically, she was someone I was incredibly familiar with.

Though I hadn’t fully lived through every moment of the rewound time, I had spent years in this house.

And for those years, I had called Baroness Grace "Mother."

That had been a calculated decision.

I had been startled when Lucas kidnapped Claire instead of me, but once I was left behind in the Grace household, I seized the opportunity. Unlike Claire, I had no talent for swordsmanship, so I played the role of a "genius" using the knowledge I had carried over.

Of course, that title of genius would fade as I grew older. A child reading books meant for adults was impressive, but an adult reading adult books was nothing special.

In that sense, I had deceived the Grace family.

If I had never regained my memories of those rewound timelines, I would have never even realized I had deceived them.

I had tricked them—but the ones I had tricked had never once tried to deceive me. The Baron and Baroness Grace weren’t the type of people to scheme or manipulate.

They had probably called me their daughter sincerely.

When they had said they were proud of me, they had meant it.

When they praised my grades, when they worried for me when I was sick—

…Hmm.

There’s a Native American proverb that says a person’s conscience is shaped like a triangle. Whenever they do something wrong, it spins inside them, the sharp edges making them feel guilty. As people grow up and make mistakes, those edges wear down, and by the time they’re adults, their conscience is a smooth circle that spins without causing pain, allowing them to lie without hesitation.

If my conscience had been completely worn down to a round shape, then at this moment, it must have been spinning so violently that its edges sharpened back into a triangle.

It felt like a needle was stabbing into my heart.

"I heard you had something to say."

I finally spoke when the Baroness remained silent for too long. I knew I wasn’t in a position to rush the conversation after what I had done, but I also didn’t want to sit here in silence for hours.

"Yes, that’s why I called you here."

…Ugh.

In my memories, Baroness Grace had two distinct faces.

The first was the one she showed when treating me as the imperial princess. The noble, refined demeanor she had when I visited here during summer breaks. There was, of course, an undeniable difference in status between us, long before any difference in age mattered. Because of that, Baroness Grace always spoke to me with formal respect.

The second was the version of her that existed within the world created by the goddess—the version of her that was my “mother.”

In that world, my status was that of Lady Grace, the Baron’s daughter. Naturally, Mother spoke to me informally. She never lost her dignity, but her attitude was warm and familiar, entirely without pretense. That meant she truly saw me as her daughter.

Ironically, the version of Baroness Grace I had spent more time with was the latter.

And she must have felt the same about me.

“I was simply wondering who it is that sits before me now,” she said. “If the person before me is Her Highness, the princess, then as a noble of this kingdom, I must show the appropriate courtesy. But if she is my daughter, then it would only be right for me to treat her with much more warmth.”

…Ugh.

Her words struck me so hard that even the needle of my guilty conscience hesitated for a moment, as if wondering, Is this where she dies? Not that Baroness Grace had meant to be cruel.

“……”

I opened my mouth but shut it again. I had no idea how to respond.

“…Baroness.”

Alice, unable to watch any longer, finally spoke.

“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Princess?”

Unlike me, Alice was still technically a princess, both then and now. Just hearing Baroness Grace’s voice wasn’t enough to make her crumble. After all, while the situation was uncomfortable, Alice had never wronged the Grace family.

“I know I have no right to interfere in the relationship between the two of you,” Alice continued. “But if what concerns you is status, then I can assure you that it’s not something you need to worry about. Sylvia isn’t the type to let that dictate her relationships.”

…

Was that true?

For someone who supposedly didn’t care about status, I certainly made good use of mine. But I wasn’t foolish enough to point that out right now, so I kept my mouth shut and let Alice defend me.

“I see.”

Baroness Grace responded with a faint smile, setting her teacup down on the table.

“But even if that is the case, I cannot act recklessly until I hear her own thoughts,” she said. “I cannot be certain whether the person I remember was truly the princess herself… or merely an act.”

For the first time, her expression faltered. Not by much—her smile didn’t disappear, and her face remained composed. But the slight drop in her eyebrows and the way her gaze lowered as she looked at me…

That alone made her expression unbearably sorrowful.

“If it was the latter,” she continued, “then I would have no choice but to bury my feelings deep within my heart.”

“……”

…Is that so?

I could feel Alice’s gaze on me.

But she said nothing. Because, as Baroness Grace had said, the one who needed to speak now was me.

No matter how much Alice defended me, it would mean nothing if I had no response of my own.

I took my time, carefully organizing my thoughts.

And then, I opened my mouth.

“…Mother.”

Chapter 286

Come to think of it, I had rarely used the words father or mother since coming to this world.

Even when I was the Emperor’s child, I had always referred to him strictly as Your Majesty. Not because I refused to call him father, but because of the weight of his position. No matter how much he was my parent, when addressing the Emperor, his title came before our relationship.

In that sense, the words mother and father that I used in this world had always been tools—means to an end, meant to put me in the most advantageous position.

Staying in the Grace household alone was enough to ensure my safety. They never abandoned the orphans they took in; they raised them properly and made them part of their household. Not as disposable pawns, but as proper retainers, providing them with shelter, food, and a stable position.

But at the time, that wasn’t enough for me.

No matter how well-fed a servant was, they were still a commoner. The gap in status between a mere servant and someone like Alice or Claire was simply too great for meaningful conversation.

To truly stand on equal footing with them, I needed to be a noble. And so, I used every ability I had to become the Grace family’s daughter. The only reason I was able to pull it off was because I had seen the exact steps Claire had taken to become one.

In other words, the very process of me calling Baroness Grace mother had been built entirely on deception.

“…Mother.”

And yet, I was calling her that now.

“Yes, Sylvia.”

Baroness Grace smiled as she responded.

“You’ve finally come home.”

“……”

Faced with a mother speaking those words, I had no idea how to continue the conversation.

I had no intention of returning to the Grace household as their daughter. More than that, it wasn’t even an option. I already held the title of princess, and my place in the line of succession was right behind the crown princess herself.

Even if I were to say, I want to return as a baron’s daughter, who would ever allow it?

Baroness Grace surely understood this as well. She had lived her entire life as a noble—perhaps she felt the weight of that reality even more than I did.

“…But, I…”

I knew I had to say it. But the words wouldn’t come out.

How was I supposed to explain this?

There’s a phrase—a child born from the heart. It refers to a child who, despite not being connected by blood, is loved and raised as if they were one’s own.

To Baron and Baroness Grace, I had been that kind of child.

Leo, their real son, was always there, yet I never once felt that I was treated any differently from him. If anything, perhaps I was treated more preciously because I was their daughter, a daughter who had never been expected to fight.

Not that I had ever doubted it, but knowing now how much Claire must have been loved in the Grace household gave me even greater reassurance.

Even so, I wasn’t sure if I had the right to call her mother.

It hadn’t been unconditional love that bound us. My adoption had been entirely based on conditions—a painfully calculated relationship.

“It’s all right.”

Before I could say anything, Mother spoke first.

“I’ve spent a long time thinking about it since then. Why would a child with the status of a princess try to become my daughter? What was she after? What did she hope to gain by entering my household? Why did she behave so differently from before, going out and meeting so many people?”

She looked at me as she continued.

“But in the end, I always arrived at the same conclusion. I thought of you as my daughter. No—you were my daughter. I refused to think of it in any other way. We took you in because we wanted to. And because of that, I simply considered you a beloved daughter. That was enough.”

“……”

“So, there’s no need for apologies. We were happy to have such a kind, brilliant, and beautiful daughter.”

I had no response.

*

Honestly, it would’ve been fair to tease me for this.

I mean, despite how things might seem now, I had successfully maintained my cool beauty persona for quite some time. Though, of course, that image had completely shattered by now, and there was no way to put it back together.

The biggest risk when keeping up a persona is what happens when it breaks. Especially when someone who’s supposed to be emotionless gets caught acting emotionally—it’s incredibly embarrassing.

For a cool beauty, the ideal scenario is to gradually rediscover their emotions over time. Not to have them come crashing down all at once like I just did.

So if a character like that—someone who was supposed to be composed—ended up crying hard enough that their eyes turned red, wouldn’t that be prime material for teasing?

And yet, Alice, Claire, and Leo all looked at me with overwhelming sympathy.

"……."

Well, at the very least, that suffocating feeling of sitting on a bed of nails had eased up.

There were plenty of things to talk about beyond just teasing me.

Take Alice’s expression, for example—it was practically saying, I’ll allow you to call the Baroness "Mother" here, but don’t do it in front of others.

It made sense. We could do this because we shared those memories, but if other nobles caught wind of it, things would get messy.

Of course, I knew that the Grace family wouldn’t care in the slightest about petty rumors. But Alice was the Crown Princess. And baseless gossip had a way of spiraling out of control in ways no one could predict.

Still, Alice didn’t bring it up. Neither did Claire or Leo.

Baroness Grace—Mother—excused herself from the room.

"Why don’t you stay for dinner before you leave?"

That’s what she said before stepping out. I just pressed my lips together and nodded.

She probably wanted me to have this conversation with Father, too.

…Considering how much I owed them, I figured that much was the least I could do. That was my duty as their child, after all.

"Are you feeling a little better?"

Alice asked cautiously.

I nodded.

I didn’t speak because I knew that if I opened my mouth, my voice would come out unsteady.

"That’s a relief."

Claire let out a breath and smiled brightly.

"Now I can finally call you sister without hesitation."

"Haven’t you been calling me that with no hesitation this whole time?"

Leo muttered in disbelief, but Claire ignored him entirely.

"Now you’re really my sister. Right?"

She looked at me expectantly, waiting for confirmation.

I nodded again. Still didn’t speak. My throat felt too tight.

My sleeves were already damp. In my rush to wipe my eyes, I had completely forgotten I carried a handkerchief. By the time I finally pulled it out, my sleeves were already past their limit.

Not that my handkerchief was in much better shape now.

…Come to think of it, Mother was the one who told me to always carry one.

"Then… what about me?"

Leo spoke up, glancing between me and Claire.

"Should I call you big sister?"

"……."

I lifted my head and stared at him in silence.

"What? Why?"

Leo protested, confused by my reaction. Claire, sitting beside him, clicked her tongue.

"Calling her big sister sounds too stiff, like you’re making fun of her. It’s too formal—it doesn’t feel familial at all."

"Huh? Is that so?"

No, that wasn’t it.

It was just that hearing Leo call me big sister made me cringe.

"Yeah. There’s no way you could be her younger brother anyway."

Claire said something slightly off the mark.

"Then… should I just call her sis?"

That wasn’t the issue here.

But excluding Leo entirely felt a bit wrong. He and Claire already considered each other siblings. If I wanted to truly be part of that dynamic, I couldn’t just reject the title outright.

"…Sis?"

"……."

Well.

It was better than big sister, at least.

"Then,"

Alice, watching the scene with amusement, finally spoke up.

"Sylvia is my younger sister, so that means you two are my younger siblings as well."

"Ugh."

Claire grimaced in genuine disgust.

"Why would I be your younger sister? Has our sister ever called you big sister?"

…Hadn’t I?

I forcefully shut down that train of thought before a repressed memory could resurface.

"I wouldn’t really mind calling Alice big sis."

Leo mused.

"You’re my little brother too, so your opinion doesn’t count."

"Ugh."

…Yeah, I was going to stay out of this one.

The heavy feeling in my chest had been replaced by a kind of exhausted amusement.

Listening to their increasingly heated argument, I reached for my now-cold teacup.

They really did have the vibe of bickering sisters.

Not that I’d ever say that out loud—both Claire and Alice would be horrified.

Chapter 287

Time passed, and the academy reopened.

There was no mandatory education in this world. Naturally, there were no set hours of required schooling either. The academy was essentially a substitute for high school, but unlike in my previous world, there was no rule about shortening breaks to make up for missed class time.

But while there were no such rules, money did exist.

And the Imperial Academy demanded quite a lot of it.

For imperial citizens, the royal family covered the full cost, and even for foreigners, a substantial portion was subsidized. But that didn’t mean the academy itself was free.

From the perspective of those managing the imperial treasury, having less class time was a deeply frustrating notion. The empire was investing significant sums into nurturing future talents—or at the very least, fostering pro-imperial sympathies among the students. If class time were cut, it would feel like part of that investment was being wasted.

Ironically, because the tuition was funded by the imperial family, the academy couldn’t get away with saying, “Well, due to circumstances, some classes had to be canceled.”

As a result, the academy’s winter break was entirely canceled.

Plenty of students were complaining, but what could they do? It wasn’t like the academy itself made this decision—this was something the imperial family had pushed for.

“We really do need to tighten the budget.”

When this topic came up, Alice furrowed her brows slightly.

“The main perpetrators were arrested, so the situation was technically resolved, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t negotiations happening in the background. Considering the fact that the mastermind was none other than the Emperor himself, some kind of reparations had to be made.”

“The biggest damage was suffered by the Holy Nation, though, wasn’t it?”

At my question, Alice nodded.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean the Belvurian soldiers came out unscathed. Some were severely injured trying to break through the barrier. It wasn’t a full-scale war, so it didn’t turn into a nation-wide compensation issue, but the imperial family still had to handle it. The good news is that the expenses didn’t have to come from the empire’s treasury—only from the royal family’s funds. But that also means the budget is tight this year. There’s no way we can refund the tuition fees that were already paid.”

The empire’s treasury and the royal family’s budget were two entirely separate things.

The imperial budget was strictly designated for the governing of the empire—it was state money. Even though the imperial family ruled the empire, they couldn’t just dip into it for personal use. That would be like a president treating the national treasury as their own personal bank account.

Likewise, even if the empire was struggling financially, the royal family couldn’t demand money from the national treasury. The imperial budget and the royal budget were entirely separate matters.

If some clueless noble ever suggested, “Why not use the royal family’s budget?” the Emperor could just as easily reply, “Then why don’t you contribute some of your family’s funds?”

The academy operated on tuition fees paid by the royal family. That was why it was called the Imperial Rondarium Academy—not the National Rondarium Academy.

“So, we have to make sure we get our money’s worth,” Alice said, straightening her uniform.

“No need to be so negative about it, right? At least we’ll get to see our friends again. And you liked the food at that café near the academy.”

…Well.

She wasn’t wrong.

I had liked that café.

I had liked it enough to rewind time repeatedly just to try everything on the menu.

But that wasn’t the point.

“And there are still school events left to do. Like the cultural festival.”

Ah.

Right. That was a thing.

In games, manga, or light novels, if there was any depiction of middle or high school life, a cultural festival was practically mandatory. Even in stories that completely skipped over things like club activities or actual classes, cultural festivals always managed to make an appearance.

And in these festivals, the cute girls always ended up in cosplay.

Usually as waitresses or maids.

Honestly, the only real difference between the two outfits seemed to be how colorful they were.

…And in a way, I was a cute girl character.

“Why do you look like that?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Alice immediately picked up on my expression and questioned me, but I quickly shook my head.

Well, she was right about one thing—I didn’t particularly like the idea of skipping the second semester entirely.

And it wasn’t like I’d be the only one in cosplay.

*

Alice wasn’t as much of a morning person as Claire or Leo, but she was still incredibly diligent. By the time we arrived at the academy, there weren’t that many students who had arrived before us.

It had been a while since I last stepped foot here, and the familiarity of the place hit me all at once. Thinking about it, the academy wasn’t even that far from the imperial palace.

As I sat at my desk, briefly organizing the materials for today’s lessons, a familiar voice called out.

“Alice, Sylvia.”

There was only one person in my circle who called Alice Alis.

“Charlotte.”

And similarly, the only one who referred to Charlotte by the imperial pronunciation Charlot was Alice.

“Did you have a good break?”

“Break?”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at Alice’s casual greeting.

“I was buried under work. Especially since I was directly involved in the battle. I had to go around giving testimonies and reports—I barely had any time to rest.”

She let out a small grumble before smiling at us.

“Well, not as busy as you two, though.”

That was true. No matter how busy Charlotte had been, she probably hadn’t been as swamped as us.

In the end, Belvur still had its king. And he was still in good health. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he’d probably sit on the throne for another twenty years at least.

So even though Charlotte was the rightful heir, there was no rush for her to take over responsibilities just yet. She could take her time, learn what she needed at a steady pace, and step into the role of crown princess when the timing was right.

Her workload had been an incident-specific kind of busy—something that had only temporarily overwhelmed her due to the recent crisis.

On the other hand, the workload Alice and I had inherited… was still piling up.

We had years of training ahead of us, at the very least. Alice had delayed her succession training under the excuse of attending the academy, but that was only because the sheer volume of what she needed to learn was terrifying.

With the Emperor imprisoned, the nobles had begun pressing Alice—the most immediate successor—to begin her transition into leadership. And behind their nagging was an unspoken message: If you can’t handle this, maybe someone else should take the throne.

Honestly, considering how eerily well the Gryphon seemed to understand human speech, I half-expected it to bite off some noble’s head one of these days. But since no one was outright saying it aloud, they were still safe. For now.

“Thanks for worrying about us,” Alice said with a small laugh, brushing off Charlotte’s teasing.

It was true that we had risked our lives fighting. And the situation had escalated even further when the goddess got involved. In a way, we had been part of an event that completely changed the future of the world.

The Emperor was still awaiting trial.

And so were the other children who undoubtedly carried his blood.

The dispute between Belvur and the Empire was far from settled, which was why the Emperor was still being held in Lutetia’s noble-only prison. His final fate remained undecided.

In the original story, Charlotte and Alice had clashed over much smaller disputes than this. They were close friends, but both of them had strong pride.

But now, there was no sign of that tension in their smiles.

The way they argued over food at that café before felt worlds apart from how they interacted now.

Maybe fighting alongside someone in battle really did forge a deeper bond.

“The Gryphon’s still in the palace, I assume?”

“Well, I can’t exactly bring it to the academy.”

“I half expected you to ride it here.”

“…If I actually tried to use it as a carriage replacement, it would definitely get mad.”

Charlotte’s comment made me pause. I wasn’t sure if she was joking or being completely serious.

But the slight droop in her shoulders when she heard the Gryphon wasn’t here told me that at least half of her had been hoping for it.

…Was she treating it like a pet dog or something?

Then again, if I really thought about it, the Gryphon did have a bit of that energy.

The problem was that it ate as much as an entire pig. And, well… what came out of it was about the size of a pig too.

Not that I had to personally feed or clean up after it, so I wasn’t too concerned.

…Still, now that I was thinking about it, I suddenly felt bad for the people who did take care of it.

Maybe once this semester ended, I should look into raising their salaries.

Chapter 288

Charlotte wasn’t the only familiar face.

The empire was vast. If I used my previous world’s Korea as a reference for the size of a country, then the empire was like several nations combined into one. And if I included its colonies, then its territory stretched beyond the sea as well.

No, actually, that wasn’t quite right. Lindborough had directly annexed part of those colonies, so the empire really did have a sea running through its lands.

There was Crowfield, which shared a border with another nation. Lindborough, where you had to cross the sea to reach its heartland. Winterfield, which was tucked away in the far north. And Northwood, which still took several hours by train to reach.

And it wasn’t just the dukes and counts—there were plenty of baronies located far from the capital. Even children from smaller noble houses often lived far away.

The closest students were the commoners who resided in the capital. But I didn’t have particularly strong ties with them.

And even if I did have acquaintances among them, the difference in status meant we couldn’t easily meet. The other side might not even want to. If they did, it would require a complicated bureaucratic process.

Because of all that, during the time I was absent from the academy, the only people I could regularly meet were Claire and Leo.

As I sat in the classroom, waiting, one by one, familiar faces entered.

“Good day.”

Lena greeted me plainly, without any flowery words, despite it being our first meeting in a long while.

“Ah, w-were you well?”

Mia, on the other hand, attempted a more refined noblewoman’s tone.

“Oh? Looks like things weren’t as chaotic as I expected.”

“…I apologize on behalf of the young master for his rudeness.”

Jake and Lottie—still as lively as ever.

And then—

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

Sophia, whose expression was still somewhat clouded but significantly brighter than the last time I had seen her.

Lily Baker was probably in the commoners’ class by now. She wouldn’t go out of her way to come here just to greet me.

Unexpectedly, my friends all seemed to be in high spirits. Even Sophia—whose very beliefs had been shaken—looked much better than before. That alone was a relief.

The ones who looked tense, however, were the other students in our class.

There were likely multiple reasons for that.

Some might be wary because Alice was now officially the Crown Princess. Others might have heard the rumors about the Gryphon.

And, of course, there were whispers in some noble circles that Alice had overthrown the Emperor.

…Which was particularly troublesome because, technically speaking, they weren’t wrong.

Not that it had been our intention.

Most students wouldn’t have heard the details of what had happened. But they would have at least heard who had been there. And they certainly knew the outcome.

While they had been away at their family estates, their parents had no doubt given them very clear instructions.

Listen carefully to every word they say.

And my noble friends understood this, which was why none of us mentioned that day in the classroom.

It would have been too much of a hassle if the wrong rumors started spreading.

…Not that we avoided talking about it entirely.

*

“I’ve lost quite a bit of weight over the past month.”

Sophia let out a deep sigh.

“I didn’t even lose this much weight when I was training in swordsmanship…”

It was ironic. A girl barely old enough to be considered a high school student worrying not about gaining weight, but losing it. That kind of concern was usually reserved for middle-aged people whose health was starting to decline.

“Well, that’s because you were actively breaking Belvur’s laws.”

Charlotte shot her a pointed look, her eyes narrowing.

Sophia averted her gaze.

…Ah. So the reason she looked so gloomy was because she’d been under constant scrutiny this whole time.

“Identity fraud is a serious crime. You should be grateful you’re sitting here freely at all.”

Charlotte’s voice was firm as she stabbed her parfait with a small spoon.

We were sitting at the same café we had always visited when coming to the academy. Even our seats were the same—out on the terrace.

People walked past occasionally, but the street was noisy enough that our voices wouldn’t carry too far as long as we didn’t speak too loudly.

That didn’t mean we could discuss sensitive topics, but still.

“The process itself was technically legal…”

Sophia muttered in her defense, but Charlotte wasn’t having any of it.

“Even if you were legally a Belvurian citizen, if your true allegiance was to the Holy Nation, then you were committing a crime. If you had simply kept your feelings to yourself and not engaged in illegal activities, no one would have caught you. But if we follow your logic, then this would count as treason. Are you fine with that?”

“…I’m sorry.”

With no room to argue, Sophia lowered her head.

…Yeah. Losing weight made sense.

For an entire month, she had probably been berated like this—not just by Charlotte, but by every other official who had been questioning her.

Fortunately, she had ultimately fought on our side, and the place she had infiltrated had been the empire, not Belvur. More importantly, her mission’s objective had been me, an imperial princess—not Belvur.

Because of that, she hadn’t been classified as a high-level criminal worthy of a life sentence.

If the empire had found out, though, things would have gone very differently.

But we had collectively decided to keep Sophia’s true identity a secret.

Besides, the Holy Nation itself was on the verge of collapse. The country itself wouldn’t disappear, but its leadership had been completely wiped out. The Emperor, his children, and the Imperial Knights had cleaned house.

The only ones left were the cardinals stationed abroad—and even they were arguing over who should take the position of Pope.

Overnight, divine power had vanished completely. How was anyone supposed to prove their faith now?

There had been a Pope in my world, and massive religious institutions still existed, so eventually it would be rebuilt. But for the foreseeable future, that debate would drag on. And even if they did recover, they wouldn’t be able to act from the shadows like before.

“How is the situation in Belvur?”

We had exchanged letters, but discussing things in person always had a different weight to it.

“Hmm…”

Charlotte’s pupils slightly lost focus as she processed my question.

“There have been repeated complaints about a stench rising from underground. Apparently, the underground structures beneath the capital are so vast that it’ll take decades just to investigate everything.”

“……”

That sounded like the Paris Catacombs.

Except, unlike real catacombs, this underground structure was massive. And that only made things even more complicated.

Up until now, the Holy Nation had controlled those underground passages. But now, their leadership was gone, and the general public had become aware of their existence.

If left unattended, those tunnels could become breeding grounds for crime.

Not to mention, when I destroyed the Cardinal’s artifact, it instantly killed all the creatures the Holy Nation had kept sealed below.

If their corpses were now rotting and filling the capital with stench… yeah, that was a nightmare for Belvur.

And the smell was the least of their concerns.

Rotting corpses were breeding grounds for disease.

This world had only just started to uncover concepts like bacteria and viruses, but the idea that “decaying bodies spread sickness” had been around for centuries.

Every time the stench rose, people had to track down the source, enter the tunnels, and remove the corpses. It was an exhausting and dangerous task.

“You don’t have to make that face.”

Charlotte, noticing my guilt-ridden expression, casually reassured me.

“If that underground mess hadn’t been cleared out, things would have been even worse down the line.”

Her words lifted some of the weight from my shoulders.

“……”

And then, I noticed something.

Two people were staring at me.

No, not just two people.

Two very specific people.

Mia.

And Lena.

Neither of them had particularly intense expressions, but their eyes had noticeably widened.

…Right.

These were the two people I had always made sure to maintain my emotionless act in front of.

I had been so caught up in everything that I momentarily forgot.

Now wasn’t the time to completely drop my mask.

…Great.

Just great.

Chapter 289

Emotions aren’t something that can be easily controlled.

If everyone could master their emotions at will, then acting would be a profession that anyone could do.

I never had a talent for hiding my emotions. At best, I had just enough restraint to stop myself from making an outright disgusted face when my boss was berating me at work. And even that only worked if I had a drink afterward to vent to someone—otherwise, my irritation would start to leak out over time.

The only reason I was able to maintain my expressionless facade in this world was because I had the ability to turn back time.

There was no need for acting.

I could let out my emotions in advance, or at least process them privately before facing others, ensuring that only the necessary expressions appeared on my face.

That way, there was no risk of breaking character in front of anyone.

It was the same logic as watching a jump scare in a horror movie, rewinding, and then watching it again—you wouldn’t flinch the second time.

But right now, that option wasn’t available to me.

“……”

Still, I managed to get away with it that day.

Mia and Lena weren’t the only ones there. The conversation we were having was important, and Alice, Charlotte, and I were all deeply entangled in our nations’ political landscapes.

It wasn’t the kind of topic the average noble could easily insert themselves into.

But even if I got away with it that day, I would be seeing them a lot in the future.

Not just at the academy—our paths would inevitably cross again.

“Sylvia.”

“…Yes.”

It had been a long time since Mia had called me by name.

Then again, the Mia I had met in the goddess’s fabricated world had been different from the Mia standing before me now.

Back then, she had never fully overcome her introversion.

She had never even reached the point of calling me by name.

And yet, that Mia was the same person as the one in front of me.

She had simply become more distant from me over time.

…Though I hadn’t expected to run into her alone like this so soon.

Or maybe run into wasn’t the right phrase.

This wasn’t coincidence.

We were in the dormitory hallway.

I had temporarily forgotten because I spent so much time traveling for field exercises and usually roomed with Alice, but the academy dorms had single rooms.

No matter how close Alice and I were, we didn’t stick together in the dorms. Everyone needed their own private space.

Mia’s room was far from mine.

And since the academy had shut down before we even had a chance to pack up our belongings, our rooms hadn’t changed.

If Mia was here, walking down this hallway, then it was obvious—she had come to find me.

“I wanted to speak with you alone. Is that alright?”

Mia asked cautiously.

This was a far cry from the Mia I had met at the start of the semester, or the Mia from the world where her father was still alive.

Much more assertive.

Of course, she still wasn’t completely bold.

She couldn’t meet my eyes directly, shifting her gaze restlessly. Her fingers fidgeted nervously, pressing against each other.

“…Understood. Shall we speak in my room?”

I had been prepared for this.

I didn’t expect it to happen today, but I had always known this conversation would come eventually.

If Mia had remembered everything that happened in the time I had rewound…

Then there were many things she would want to say.

No matter how I tried to sugarcoat it, my first meeting with Mia hadn’t been pleasant.

She had lived her life with one goal—revenge against the person who had killed her father.

And I had been that person.

It was only natural that we had been enemies.

Mia nodded silently at my invitation, and neither of us spoke again until we reached the door to my room.

*

“That statement turned out to be true in the end.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The first thing you said to me when we met.”

I held back the groan that threatened to rise in my throat.

At the time, I had been confident that I fully understood my ability, which was why I had so boldly turned back time. I needed to know just how much resentment Mia Crowfield harbored toward me in order to respond appropriately.

What exactly had I said back then?

Had I told her that I killed her father for the sake of His Majesty’s power?

And hadn’t I also said that her father was nothing but a piece of trash who preyed on and murdered children?

Even Charlotte, who had been standing beside me, had looked at me like I was scum. That alone was enough to tell me just how far I had crossed the line.

If I could go back in time, I’d smack myself upside the head right then and there. But unfortunately, I no longer had the ability to do that. Not to mention, turning back time in this world didn’t allow me to witness my past self, so it was impossible to begin with.

More than anything, if I had rewound time that far, I would have erased all of Mia’s growth, turning her efforts into nothing. Even if I could do it, I shouldn’t.

“In the end, my father’s secret was exposed to my mother. No, actually, I think my mother knew all along. When I was very young—so young that my memories from that time are hazy—she managed to endure because of me, the child born between her and my father, and because she still harbored feelings for him. But… a person’s heart has its limits.”

“I see.”

That was all I could manage to say.

If someone you had thrown such vicious words at about their dead father later came to you and admitted, “You were right all along,” what the hell were you supposed to say?

Suddenly, even the discomfort I had felt at the Grace estate seemed soft and warm in comparison. Now that I thought about it, that moment had actually been warm and comforting. It had been a moment of reaffirming family, a moment where I was once again accepted as part of it.

Here, however—whether Mia intended it or not—she was digging into every single one of my past mistakes. If I had to rank the worst moments of my life in this world, that reckless and cruel statement I had made, so certain that she would never find out the truth, would be at the top of the list.

Then again, it wasn’t like I had any idea how to explain myself to the daughter of the man I had killed.

“Watching my family crumble from a young age was painful. I didn’t understand why my life had to be this way, why things had to turn out like this. I just resented the situation. And then one day, I overheard my parents arguing and learned the truth… In a way, I could say my second childhood was a living hell.”

But that didn’t mean she had to be grateful that I killed her father. Back then, there was nothing I could have done for her. I had run into Mia a few times in the mansion, but just as she had no clear memories of me, I barely remembered her either. To Mia, I had been just another passing servant, and at the time, I had been desperately trying to hide my identity as a princess.

Perhaps I had never truly recognized her as a child. She probably hadn’t been the type to dress extravagantly back then either. Maybe that was why I never noticed her.

“……”

“…I’m sorry. I guess there’s nothing you can really say to that, Sylvia.”

It was uncomfortable. It wasn’t a story I particularly wanted to hear—not because I wasn’t interested, but because I wanted to avoid it. Because in some way, I had been involved in her misery.

But that didn’t mean I had the right to ignore it.

I had my own principles. If I had to kill someone, and if that person wasn’t just some enemy I had to cut down in the heat of battle, but someone important—someone whose death required justification—then I would think about it more carefully.

It had been the same when I killed Count Crowfield. In the original story, his death had been a critical event that connected Mia and Claire. Since the novel never explained why the count had to die, I had thoroughly investigated it myself.

And I had come to the conclusion that he deserved to die.

Even if I could go back with my current knowledge, I would do the exact same thing. If someone asked me what gave me the right to make that decision, I would simply ask them:

“Would you have spared him?”

But no matter how justified it was, that wasn’t something I should ever say in front of his daughter.

Chapter 290

Whether I responded or not, Mia continued speaking.

“When I realized that this world had returned to the way it was, I felt a flood of emotions all at once. Ah, my father is gone from this world now.”

That single fact must have brought on a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. But I couldn’t even begin to imagine what they were.

Ironically, I had never lost my parents. In the world I originally lived in, I had died before they did. And in this world, the people I could call my parents were all still alive.

So I had no way of truly understanding that kind of grief.

On top of that, Mia had never experienced what a normal family was like.

It’s said that family relationships are always a mix of love and resentment. But rarely does the “resentment” part ever go beyond a certain threshold. With married couples, it might be unavoidable, but between a parent and child, unless things go terribly wrong, hatred doesn’t usually overpower love.

But Mia…

What had she felt toward her father while he was still alive?

Perhaps, in a way, things might have been easier for her if she had been able to regret my killing of the Count. If that had been the case, I would have had to bear that regret, and Mia would never have forgiven me. But at the very least, her wounds might have been smaller than they were now.

Yet the Count I had met had been exactly as I had expected.

A man who had shamelessly declared that he would “claim” a baron’s daughter as if he were licking his lips at the sight of her. By this world’s standards, she might have been considered an adult, but honestly, no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t accept it. To me, teenagers were still just kids.

“I was sad. But at the same time, how should I put it… I also felt relieved.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Like waking up from a nightmare. Strange, isn’t it? Just a while ago, my father was perfectly fine, and now he’s gone.”

Even though the world had changed, most people’s lives would have continued as before. Some who had participated in the final battle of the illusory world might have died, but now, they would remember it only as a nightmare. Unless they fully realized that what happened in that world had been real, those memories would be buried beneath their subconscious, blending into their memories of reality.

So there shouldn’t have been any cases where someone who was supposed to be dead was alive again. The goddess wouldn’t have had the capacity to recreate everything that meticulously.

But Mia was different.

Because the most important “murderer” had lived a completely different life.

For a long time, she must have watched as her father deteriorated, continuously betraying and disappointing the people around him.

I wasn’t sure whether the “Count” she had seen had truly been resurrected, or if it had just been an incredibly elaborate illusion. That was something only the goddess would know.

But to Mia, it must have been a living nightmare.

“I was sad. Yes, of course, I was sad. But… when all the memories returned at once, I also remembered just how much I had lost in order to hold onto my father in that illusion.”

“…”

I pursed my lips, my gaze darting around. It was difficult to maintain a neutral expression. Every word Mia spoke felt like it was digging into me.

“But still, I… your father…”

When I couldn’t bring myself to finish my sentence, Mia looked at me and said softly,

“This time, you’re saying the same thing with a completely different expression.”

“…”

“It must be because you can’t turn back time anymore.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

I had always turned back time whenever I wanted.

Just to keep up the “concept.” To maintain the illusion of a mysterious being who was always calm and composed, making calculated decisions with minimal effort for maximum results.

“That thing you said back then.”

Mia idly fidgeted with her teacup.

“You told me you were learning how to feel emotions.”

My mind went completely blank.

The guilt I had felt just moments ago—the guilt of being the one who killed her father, the guilt of forcing Mia to endure such a horrific past twice, the guilt of still not having apologized to her—had been building up inside me. And then, in an instant, it all flew away into the sky, completely wiped out by the sheer shock of her words.

That’s right. I had gone to Mia’s room and said that.

That I was still learning emotions, that I practiced them in private where no one could see.

Of course, it was a blatant lie. I had just said whatever came to mind to get through that moment.

“That was… a lie.”

Before my sanity could escape into the stratosphere, I barely managed to grab hold of myself and speak.

My voice cracked and felt dry. To be honest, I got chills just from saying it. My whole body felt cold to the bone, yet I was sweating at the same time. It was an odd sensation.

Not that I had the luxury to analyze it right now.

“Was it?”

This time, Mia was the one asking.

“Yes, it was. To be honest, at that time, I…”

There was no reason to hide it anymore. But saying it out loud was painful.

Mainly in the “this is so embarrassing I want to die” kind of way.

“I thought you might attack me.”

“I figured as much,” Mia said, nodding calmly.

“But even so, you handed me a gun. You told me to shoot you if I wanted to. If I had truly wanted to kill you, that would have been my best chance.”

Logically speaking, she had a good chance even now. But Mia wasn’t going to kill me. Because now, Mia and I were friends.

…Or was thinking like that too calculated?

“And honestly, I never expected you to follow me.”

Mia Crowfield had been a mage character, not the kind of thief or rogue class you’d see in a typical JRPG. Her gear might have allowed her to avoid being targeted first, but that was only because it reduced aggro, not because she was completely hidden.

That had been my mistake. Because I had played the original game, I had never even considered such a possibility. That’s why I had ended up making such a ridiculous excuse.

At the time, I thought I had managed to get through the situation.

But I had forgotten that Mia was incredibly sharp.

…And now, thanks to her sharp mind, she remembered every single thing I had said back then.

“So in a rush to make an excuse, that’s what I came up with.”

After I barely managed to finish my explanation, Mia simply stared at me in silence.

Then, she chuckled.

“So, in the end, the supposedly perfect Sylvia Fangryphon has actually been making tons of mistakes from the very beginning. To the point where she had to resort to excuses that no ordinary person would ever think of.”

“…”

I had no words.

“You know, when I once thought that you liked Leo.”

“…”

God, why did every buried embarrassment of mine keep resurfacing? What the hell had I been thinking back then?

If I had known that my ability would disappear one day—and that as a result, everyone would remember all the times I rewound time—I would have never used it so recklessly. Or at the very least, I would have used it far more sparingly.

“That time, I told you that I finally understood what it meant to learn emotions.”

I clamped my mouth shut.

I steeled myself. No matter what she said next, I wouldn’t let it shake me. …This was all my own fault anyway. I had to take responsibility for it.

“I don’t think that was wrong.”

But Mia’s words were different from what I had expected.

“I mean, I can’t explain it perfectly, but…”

Mia averted her gaze, glancing up at me. Her black eyes, partially hidden by her bangs, were no longer hollow and empty like when I first met her. Instead, they gleamed like finely cut gems.

Blushing slightly, she murmured,

“Emotions are something everyone gradually comes to understand. It’s the same for those who lack them and those who are overflowing with them. That’s why I think the Sylvia who said those words back then and the Sylvia sitting in front of me now… are completely different people.”

Her words were both understandable and incomprehensible.

But at the very least, I could tell there was no malice in them.

“So, I don’t think it would be strange to say that even now, you’re slowly regaining your emotions.”

At those final words, I finally collapsed, slumping onto the table.

…Seriously, what was I supposed to do with my whole “mysterious” persona now?

Chapter 291

I almost let out a hesitant “Uh…” but quickly shut my mouth.

Even if my carefully constructed persona was crumbling and my true self was being laid bare, there were still some things I needed to protect. Even after losing my ability, I had been making an effort to maintain at least a minimal level of my established character.

One day, the entirety of my real self might be exposed. But I didn’t want that to happen all at once, in a single moment.

And starting a sentence with “Uh…” while addressing someone? That didn’t fit my character at all. Up until now, I had always spoken only after thinking things through.

“…May I ask how much you remember about me?”

I asked, holding onto a sliver of hope.

“…”

At my question, Mia’s gaze flickered toward the empty space in front of her. She seemed to be searching through her memories, silently sifting through them one by one.

Then, after a brief pause, she spoke—her voice slightly uncertain.

“At the very least, I think I remember almost everything I saw of you…”

She sounded unsure, leaving room for doubt.

But I knew the truth.

Mia had an excellent memory—good enough to recite complex magic incantations from memory. Her academic performance was always among the top. While I had to spend significantly more time studying just to maintain my grades, and Alice pushed herself through sheer effort, Mia was simply intelligent enough to keep up without struggling.

That wasn’t to say she didn’t put in any effort. But her approach to studying was fundamentally different from ours.

Alice studied because, as a princess, she had to set an example—even if it meant forcing herself to do things she didn’t enjoy. Mia, on the other hand, studied simply because she found it fun. She had even told me before that she was genuinely interested in magic.

And since she was both diligent and intelligent, of course her grades never dropped.

For the same reason, if I had done anything particularly foolish in front of Mia, she would almost certainly remember it.

“…”

The real problem was that I didn’t remember all the foolish things I had done.

After all, human memory has its limits. I could praise Mia’s memory all I wanted, but that only applied to her—not to me.

The reason I had done well in school, or why I could remember the game’s mechanics, story, and dungeon layouts, was because I had drilled them into my head through sheer repetition. More accurately, I had repeated them until they were burned into my memory.

But I wasn’t the kind of person who could effortlessly recall every tiny detail of my past.

So, from my perspective, Mia’s statement was deeply unsettling.

Not that I could ask her outright.

If I still had the ability to turn back time, I would have asked, then immediately collapsed in horror, clutched my head, and rolled on the floor screaming before rewinding everything.

But now that I thought about it, if I still had the power to rewind time, this wouldn’t even be a problem in the first place—because no one would remember anything I had undone.

“…I see.”

In the end, after much agonizing, that was all I could say.

*

The ordeal wasn’t ending.

Usually, overcoming a trial comes with some kind of reward. But the trial in front of me had no such thing.

Thinking about it, this was all just karma for my past actions.

In a way, I had postponed my trials and taken the rewards in advance.

No—if I had known things would come back to haunt me like this, I wouldn’t have used my ability so carelessly. I would have maintained my silent and composed persona, only rewinding time when I made a critical mistake.

"Your Highness."

The voice that cautiously addressed me belonged to Lena.

There weren’t many people around me who “admired” me. Most saw me as an equal friend, and I had no complaints about that. In fact, I preferred it that way.

But there were still a few people, those who weren’t as close to me, who looked at me with admiration. They were the ones who had never directly witnessed my mistakes. And even if they had, they wouldn’t have realized that those mistakes were the result of me rewinding time. They would have simply assumed they had misremembered something.

After stopping the Emperor from setting the world ablaze and returning on a griffon, I had become a difficult person to approach within the academy—aside from my close friends.

Among those people, there was one who openly admired me.

Lena Meyer.

She had likely been sent to the academy to observe me, to report my actions to those above her. But from the very beginning, Lena had watched nearly everything I did with bright, eager eyes.

When I first met Lena, I had been concerned that our characters would overlap. No, actually, if we were talking about the “cool beauty” archetype, Lena had the upper hand. While my demeanor was something I had carefully crafted, Lena was the real deal. She wasn’t just someone who appeared calm and composed—she truly was. Even the contrast between her cold exterior and her love for cute things was entirely natural, not something she forced or performed.

I had tried to surpass Lena by deliberately showcasing my persona in front of her. As a result, Lena genuinely began to admire me.

To the point where, if there was an empty seat beside me, she would naturally sit there. If anyone spoke ill of me or expressed suspicion, she would step in to defend me. Even her combat style had been influenced—she had taken inspiration from my so-called "tactical" actions, which I had mimicked from movies, and incorporated them into her own approach.

But now, even Lena had regained her memories.

Many people lose admiration when they see their idol falter. And it doesn’t have to be anything severe—just knowing that someone they admired was only human could be enough.

And my breakdown… Well, wasn’t it far worse than just “human”?

“May I speak with you for a moment?”

The day after my conversation with Mia.

As I was leaving the classroom after finishing my usual lessons, Lena approached me and said those words.

I glanced at Alice. She merely shrugged her shoulders once before giving me a silent nod.

Uh… no, actually, I would have preferred if she helped set up a more comfortable conversation environment.

…Well, sooner or later, I would have had to face this moment anyway. It might be better to get it over with now.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

In the end, I nodded and replied.

*

“……”

“……”

Thinking about it now, I had never had a truly deep conversation with Lena.

It wasn’t as if we had never talked.

But Lena wasn’t one of the "characters" I had thoroughly analyzed, so I had never fully grasped her personality. Between how she viewed me and how I felt about that gaze, a mix of different reasons had prevented us from ever having a serious conversation.

So it wasn’t entirely my fault that I couldn’t think of what to say first.

“I remember the war.”

Apparently, Lena felt the same way. She had spoken to me casually before, but now that she had regained her memories, she might not have been able to see me as the same person anymore.

Speaking to someone when you don’t know what they’re thinking is one thing. Speaking to them when you do is another—because, at least in your own mind, they’ve already become a different person.

“I see.”

“I remember the Empire attacking the Rikrant Autonomous Region… in other words, my homeland.”

“…Did you participate in the war?”

At my question, Lena shook her head.

In that illusory world, there had been no direct intersection between me and Lena. Unlike in the real world, she had never set foot on the battlefield.

“My father sent me and my mother to the rear lines before we lost contact with him. The last news we heard was that the border region had been reduced to ashes by bombardment. Later, I heard that some military factions opposed to the government had even joined forces.”

“…”

Lena’s expression remained calm as she spoke.

“I wanted to join the war, but… my mother stopped me. In the end, I could only stay by her side.”

If she was the only family her mother had left, then sending her to war wouldn’t have been an option.

Come to think of it, I knew next to nothing about Lena’s family. All I knew was that her father had been an important figure in the Autonomous Region.

“So when I found out that all of those memories weren’t real, I was greatly relieved.”

“I see.”

I repeated the same response.

“…That’s why I have a question. May I ask?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“There are times when the actions Your Highness took feel different from the ones I clearly remember.”

“…”

I resisted the urge to take a deep breath.

Chapter 292

“Did that really happen?”

“…Yes.”

At my response, Lena’s brows furrowed slightly. It didn’t seem like she was displeased—just processing my answer.

“It’s a strange feeling.”

“I imagine it would be.”

Lena didn’t ask me to elaborate further. She likely already knew the general outline of events and could piece together why this phenomenon was happening.

I couldn’t experience the same dissonance as others did. Because I remembered everything—the moments I had turned back time included.

For me, it wasn’t as if new memories had suddenly appeared. From my perspective, things had always been this way. And even in that illusory world, I had retained my previous memories and intentionally manipulated the situation.

I had no way of knowing what it felt like to suddenly recall something that had been wiped from your mind—to completely forget, only to have those memories resurface as if they had been there all along. I could only guess that it must feel like waking up from a dream.

“……”

“……”

A short silence followed. I was probably the only one feeling uncomfortable. After all, Lena had never done anything embarrassing in front of me.

Now that I thought about it, Lena had always been straightforward in her actions, yet her image had never been tarnished. Even when her expressions changed, they had never seemed out of place or shocked those around her.

Had I leaned too hard into my own character?

“…I’m sorry.”

Lost in thought, I was caught off guard when Lena suddenly apologized.

I stared at her, unsure why she would say that, and she carefully continued speaking.

“If it was something so embarrassing that you had to turn back time… then pretending not to know is the right thing to do.”

Oh.

Well… she wasn’t wrong.

If it were close friends, they might bring up embarrassing moments just to tease me. Unless it was something truly out of bounds—like a personal trauma—then silly mistakes, drunken mishaps, or thoughtless blunders usually made for good conversation material.

And by that logic, most of my mistakes were, in fact, just that—good material for teasing.

“You rewound time countless times, even while fighting brutal battles, just to make sure we wouldn’t have to worry.”

“……”

Or… maybe not? Was it not just teasing material?

From my perspective, rewinding time erased the dangerous situation entirely. Keeping up appearances aside, it was simply the best way to ensure future battles went smoothly.

Of course, I had cared about how it looked. I had wanted to maintain my image of being flawless. And that meant even my combat techniques had to be polished and efficient.

“Thanks to you, we’re alive today.”

“……”

I didn’t respond.

No—I couldn’t respond.

Because hearing those words made my throat tighten.

I wasn’t someone who got overly emotional. But that didn’t mean I was some emotionless psychopath incapable of feeling moved. I could still tear up at a sad movie, after all.

Granted, I had outright broken down sobbing recently—but that was different. That had been about family. That was cheating. I wasn’t going to count that against myself.

You can’t fight against your instincts.

Maybe the reason I wasn’t crying now was simply because I had already cried all my tears back then.

“…I was only doing what I wanted to do.”

“But because of those actions, everything ended the way it should have. You were the one who stopped that war.”

Where was she getting such certainty?

I mean, she wasn’t wrong. I had been the one to stop it.

It wasn’t something I could exactly brag about to others.

…But if I was being completely honest, I did feel a bit proud.

“……”

“……”

And so, after exchanging those awkward words, we fell into silence once again.

I wasn’t used to being thanked.

I wasn’t great at expressing gratitude either, but it wasn’t as if I had heard people say “thank you” to me very often throughout my life. Sure, I had exchanged casual thank-yous in daily life, but those weren’t particularly meaningful. They were no different from the routine “good morning” greetings people exchanged out of habit.

You know, like when you hastily point out a friend’s mistake, or when you hold a seat for someone who’s running late. It’s not that the gratitude isn’t genuine, but it’s not deeply profound either.

But the gratitude Lena was offering now was different. It was a sincere, heartfelt appreciation.

It was the kind of gratitude that suited Lena.

And for some reason, that made me a little annoyed.

Unlike me—who had done my best yet still had my carefully constructed persona crumble—Lena had managed to maintain her character without faltering. Despite being someone whose demeanor overlapped with mine.

Sure, one could argue that it was just her natural personality, but if that were the case, wasn’t envying someone for being naturally good-looking or intelligent the same thing? Wasn’t it only natural to feel frustrated when you worked hard and failed, while someone else succeeded effortlessly?

So, I decided to be petty.

“In that case, I’d like you to share something with me as well.”

Lena, who had been sitting there with a remorseful expression, remained silent. I spoke with a tinge of mischief in my voice, though I didn’t make it obvious. I wasn’t stupid enough to let it show outright.

“If that is what you wish, I will share whatever I can.”

But hearing my words, Lena looked even more apologetic.

Did she think I was going to ask about the Autonomous Region?

From her perspective, that would have been a valid concern. After all, she saw me as someone who had manipulated the world itself, erasing an entire war. Someone who could ride griffons, battle countless enemies without faltering… If you only looked at the results, I must have seemed downright inhuman.

And if such a person asked for information about a country, it would be easy to assume that they planned to use it for some grand purpose.

Lena was sharp but also a bit too earnest at times, so it wouldn’t be strange if she thought that.

And if Lena thought that, then surely her father and the leaders of the Autonomous Region had thought the same when questioning her about me. Lena never hid her emotions, so it was likely obvious to them that she saw me in a favorable light.

Would they have allowed her to hand over any real intelligence?

…Well, maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe she was just a regular teenager. Given what happened with Sophia, it was possible that she really didn’t have any meaningful information.

But that wasn’t what I was asking about.

“I have already shown you all of my hidden sides.”

What a ridiculous statement. It wasn’t that I had willingly shown her—I had simply been caught. But looking at Lena now, she seemed like the type who would believe me if I told her it had all been intentional.

Being too pure would only lead to trouble in the long run. I wasn’t sure how much of a sheltered upbringing she had, but sometimes, a little taste of reality was necessary.

…Or at least, that’s what I thought, still caught up in my petty mood.

“In that case, shouldn’t you share a secret of your own with me as well?”

“A secret…?”

Lena tilted her head slightly.

“Yes. Is there nothing you’ve been hiding from me?”

“…”

Lena fell silent, clearly lost in thought.

Of course, she was hiding something.

She was the textbook “cool beauty” character. And as if she had been designed for it, she also had the perfect hidden side—a contrast element, a “gap.”

It was a trait I had debated using myself but never managed to pull off. Lena, however, had done it effortlessly from the very beginning.

And as far as I knew, no one else had discovered it.

Except for me, back when I had been observing her.

…Ah, wait. Had Mia found out about this too?

Damn it, another piece of blackmail material I needed to keep in check. I would have to negotiate with Mia later—whether through persuasion or trade—to ensure this never reached Lena’s ears.

“…I do have something I’ve been hiding,” Lena finally admitted, after a long moment of contemplation.

“In that case, why don’t we share our secrets? The more we know about each other, the stronger our bond will be.”

…That sounded like something a shady middle-aged villain from a questionable adult comic would say.

Realizing how weird it sounded, the pettiness inside me shuddered slightly in embarrassment.

But by the time I caught myself, Lena was already nodding.

“Understood. There is something I can show you.”

Seeing her brace herself so seriously, the guilt buried beneath my pettiness began to stir.

Chapter 293

Well, what could I do?

Here was someone who had done nothing wrong, yet was apologizing to me. The least I could do was ease some of her guilt. Otherwise, things would be unbearably awkward every time we met in the future.

And, to be honest, I already knew exactly what Lena was hiding. I had investigated it before.

If she had been a character I was familiar with from the start, I wouldn’t have bothered looking into her unless she posed a direct threat to my life. But Lena was someone I had never seen in the original story, so I had been cautious.

Lena’s secret?

She was a fan of Digger the Dog.

“……”

“……”

But Lena had no idea that I knew.

In fact, she probably never even considered the possibility. How many people in the world would expect that the person they admired had gone out of their way to dig into their private life?

Even though Lena was usually open about everything, she had been careful to keep this particular interest hidden.

Honestly, I didn’t understand why she was so secretive about it.

Subculture in this world was still in its infancy. Movies had only recently emerged and weren’t even considered a proper art form yet. The techniques that would eventually be recognized as "cinematic" were only just being studied. At this point, films were still mostly short slapstick reels. And animation? Even more primitive.

If anything, the field was so underdeveloped that the concept of "otaku" didn’t even exist yet.

So really, there was no need for her to be so embarrassed about it.

Lena hesitated in front of her door for a long time, stealing a glance at me before finally gathering her resolve and opening it.

As I followed her inside, I was greeted by a dorm room that didn’t look all that different from mine.

Well, it was a dormitory. No matter how much one tried to personalize it, there were limits. Four years wasn’t exactly a short time, but in the end, everyone would have to leave once they graduated.

With that in mind, Lena had decorated her space as much as she could.

Most noble estates kept libraries separate from personal rooms, meaning bookshelves were usually found in studies rather than bedrooms. If a noble wanted to read or work, they did so in the study—it was common sense.

But since the academy couldn’t provide a personal study for every noble student, the dorms were furnished with sizable bookshelves instead.

And on one of Lena’s shelves—an entire section, in fact—was filled with stuffed toys.

I had noticed them before when observing from outside, but now that I was seeing them up close, I realized there was more variety than I expected. Some of them resembled the mascots from my previous world, dressed in different national costumes. Others seemed to be alternate versions of the same character, with different gender presentations.

“Digger the Dog, huh.”

I deliberately acted like I was making an offhand remark.

Of course, I already knew. I had done some research when I considered adopting the character as part of my persona.

It was a fairly cute dog character, but honestly, I thought the name was terrible. Sure, it was common in the West to name dogs after things they did, but naming one Digger just because it liked digging? What kind of lazy naming sense was that?

Still, I wasn’t dumb enough to say something like that in front of a devoted fan.

“You know about it?”

Lena looked a little surprised, and for a moment, I felt a twinge of guilt.

But I played it off.

“There aren’t many popular ‘characters’ like this. And it is cute.”

“……!”

Something about my words must have struck a chord with her.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Thinking about it, she had just revealed a hobby she had been hiding all this time. And it wasn’t even by choice—I had practically coerced her into it.

Not that it was even something she needed to feel guilty about in the first place.

But the fact that she had hidden it meant she considered it embarrassing. Even in my old world, there were people who looked down on adults buying figurines or playing games. In this world? If her family had a military background, she had probably heard something along the lines of, “Why is a grown woman playing with dolls?”

“May I hold one?”

From what I knew as a former otaku, these kinds of collectible toys could be absurdly expensive. Even teddy bears, if they were from famous brands, could sell for millions.

And the reason those teddy bears were so expensive was because they were handcrafted. Over time, they gained additional value as vintage collectibles.

So it was entirely possible that these Digger the Dog plush toys followed the same pattern.

“Yes, you may.”

Hearing Lena’s permission, I picked up one of the stuffed animals. It was the most basic version, without any accessories or outfits.

I squeezed it lightly—it was quite soft. But it was also heavier than expected. Maybe it had more stuffing inside than it looked.

“When did you start liking this character?”

It felt a little awkward just standing there holding the plush, so I asked how she had started collecting them.

“The first one was a gift from my father.”

“…”

Oh.

I had just meant it as a casual question—How did you get into this hobby?—but somehow, it had opened the door to what sounded like a deeply personal and possibly heavy backstory.

And sure enough, Lena’s story turned out to be heavier than I had anticipated.

“My father’s job often kept him away from home. Even when he sent word that he would return, there were times when he couldn’t make it back. My mother and I would stay up late, waiting for him, only to fall asleep before he arrived.”

“…”

“I thought it was fine. After all, it was for the sake of protecting the country. But my father must have felt differently. Perhaps he was troubled by the fact that he would come home late, see me asleep, and leave again without ever having a real conversation. One day, he left a stuffed animal by my pillow before he left. That was—"

Her gaze shifted toward the plush toy in my hands.

…This was way more sentimental than I expected.

I froze, still holding the stuffed animal, unsure what to do. If I abruptly put it back, it might seem like I was rejecting it. But if I kept holding it, my heart felt like it was about to burst.

This wasn’t just an expensive toy. It was something far more important.

“My father was never good at expressing his emotions… There was no letter or message, but I was certain that the toy had come from him. Unlike me, my mother had been awake when he returned, and she had seen him place it there. That’s why she suggested that I write him a letter.”

“…I see.”

I had assumed that her father—who had sent her here to monitor me—was no different from the Emperor, a man with no warmth. But if he had gone out of his way to send his daughter to safety in the middle of a war, if he had left toys by her bedside…

Then he was far more of a family man than I had expected.

“I wrote to my father. I wasn’t very good at writing, so it was just a simple letter of gratitude… but apparently, he enjoyed receiving them.”

Lena had spoken with her usual composed expression, but as she continued, I could see a hint of embarrassment creeping in.

Well, exchanging letters with your father wasn’t exactly a common topic of conversation. It was the kind of heartwarming story that made you feel a little ticklish inside.

“After that, my father would occasionally send me stuffed animals. And ever since then… I’ve slept with one in my arms every night.”

“…”

“I know it’s not exactly age-appropriate, but… it’s already a habit. I can’t easily let it go…”

Oh no.

I had assumed Lena just had a simple love for stuffed animals. That’s why I had jokingly suggested we share an embarrassing secret.

But this was way more meaningful than I had expected.

“He sounds like a good father.”

That was the best response I could come up with after searching my brain for something appropriate to say.

Lena’s face was already flushed red, her gaze lowered to the floor.

Sweat trickled down my back. Thankfully, I had my coat draped over my shoulders. Otherwise, the damp patches would have been visible through my shirt and uniform jacket.

“…”

I stayed silent for a long time before finally blurting out,

“…I like sweets.”

Yes. That would do.

At the very least, I had to share something equally personal.

If Lena started feeling awkward every time she saw me from now on, that would be a problem.

Chapter 294

“I already knew that.”

Lena blinked at me with a puzzled expression, and for a moment, I was speechless.

Oh, right.

She did say she remembered everything.

This was the difference between those who had just now realized the past had changed and me, who had never thought anything was strange to begin with.

Of course, that meant Lena could recall how I had rewound time just to sample every single parfait on the café’s menu.

“…”

Well…

Yeah, compared to what Lena had just shared, my confession was embarrassingly trivial. The story of a father giving his daughter a stuffed animal because he couldn’t be there for her—compared to “I like sweet things”—it wasn’t even close.

But I couldn’t take it back. That ability was long gone.

So I had no choice but to expand on it, make it sound deeper than it actually was.

“I spent my early years without parents.”

That should work.

Even those who knew about my ability to rewind time didn’t know much about this period of my life. And since I had only learned to use my power after getting beaten up, my time at the orphanage was one of the few stretches of life I had experienced fully, without interference.

Which meant it was one of the only parts of my past I could speak about honestly.

Lena inhaled sharply.

This was starting to feel like I was competing in a who had the worse childhood contest, which was kind of unsettling. But I felt bad that I had made her share something so personal while I had only given her a shallow confession, so I pushed forward.

I moved to sit in a chair, still holding the plush toy in my hands.

“When I became aware of myself, I was in an orphanage. Which makes sense. If my existence was created by the goddess, then naturally, I would have no biological parents.”

Lena quietly took a seat across from me, her eyes serious.

“The food at the orphanage… was hardly edible. But at the time, I thought it was delicious.”

That was only half true.

The food itself had been garbage. Unseasoned, cold oatmeal—bad in both texture and taste.

But even trash tastes palatable when you’re starving. At the time, with an empty stomach, I had been able to appreciate the faint nuttiness of the occasional grain or fragment of fruit hidden in the sludge.

And, of course, I had given most of my portion to the younger children, keeping only the bare minimum for myself.

Not because I was a saint.

It was just that I couldn’t bring myself to eat my full share while others sat beside me, starving.

Besides, those kids already had a miserable future ahead of them—I didn’t see the point in making things worse.

In some ways, it had been an act of resignation. I had thought there was no way to save them, or myself. Maybe I had been thinking like a vet putting down stray dogs. Arrogantly.

“After I left the orphanage and became a princess, I finally got to eat real food.”

People joked about British cuisine being terrible, but that didn’t apply to the palace.

Bread and meat? That was a combination that could never go wrong.

Some dishes didn’t suit my tastes, sure, but overall, the food had been incredible. By the standards of my old world, it would have been considered fine dining.

And in those early days—when I had only just escaped the orphanage—those meals had tasted even better.

And of all the things I had eaten, the ones that left the biggest impression were—

“I especially liked sweet desserts.”

That was it.

The parfaits at that café had been particularly delicious. So much so that my face had practically melted with joy after eating them.

I wasn’t sure why I had developed such a strong attachment to sweets.

My past self had enjoyed them, sure, but only at a normal level. Not enough to justify rewinding time just to try every single flavor.

“…I suppose it must be because I wasn’t able to have such things when I was younger.”

Like how food tastes so much better after coming out of military training.

Maybe my instincts told me to enjoy things while I could—because I had already lived through a time when I couldn’t.

“…”

Lena was silent for a moment before speaking carefully.

“I… had never even imagined such a thing. I grew up in a happy household, after all.”

It was clear her father had played a huge role in shaping her personality.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

She hadn’t been forced into the life of a soldier—she had chosen to follow in her father’s footsteps, out of admiration.

And the dual-wielding style she used? That wasn’t exactly military standard. Maybe her father was as eccentric in battle as Jennifer.

“Well, everyone’s circumstances are different. Just because you’ve heard my story doesn’t mean you have to feel guilty about it.”

Claire had been accepted as a daughter despite lacking blood ties.

Alice had been born with royal blood but was largely ignored by her father.

Lena had been raised by a busy father—but in a household that had been warm and intact.

Someone else’s misfortune didn’t mean that her happiness was a mistake.

You couldn’t define one single way of life as “happiness” and expect everyone to conform to it.

“…It’s surprising that the princess of an empire developed such a commoner’s fondness for sweets.”

“A-Ah, no! Not at all!”

I had said it in a teasing tone, but Lena still flinched in alarm.

I decided to drive the point home.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share this with anyone.”

Alice and Claire definitely already knew. Leo had probably heard by now as well.

But still, I meant it.

Charlotte had once watched me enjoy a simple Imperial parfait and had looked at me like I was some kind of pitiful creature.

From the perspective of someone from Belvur, a country famous for its cuisine, seeing me delight in something so… ordinary probably did look kind of sad.

If Charlotte ever learned about my past in full, how would she react?

…Even I had my pride.

No, especially because I had my pride, I had gone to such lengths to maintain my persona.

I wanted to stand among my friends as an equal—not as someone to be pitied.

“I understand.”

I wasn’t sure how much of my reasoning Lena had grasped, but she nodded with a serious expression.

That was enough to convince me that she wouldn’t spread the story.

“Then I suppose that makes us… secret-sharing friends now.”

At my words, a faint blush spread across Lena’s cheeks.

And, honestly? I felt a little jealous.

No matter how much I practiced, no matter how many times I rewound time, I would never be able to match that effortless sincerity.

Because Lena wasn’t acting.

She was that way.

“…Ah, please wait a moment.”

Suddenly remembering something, Lena stood up.

She walked over to her desk, opened a drawer, and rummaged through it.

“…Here.”

Finding what she was looking for, she carefully approached me and held out her hand.

It was a tiny version of Digger the Dog.

The small figurine was about the size of a knuckle and made of a porcelain-like material.

Attached to its head was a sturdy metal pin, which looped through a simple iron ring—not the stainless steel I was familiar with, but something cruder, meant to be bent open and closed.

It suited the era. Keychains weren’t a widespread concept yet, and materials science was still in its infancy.

Wordlessly, I picked it up and looked at Lena.

“…I want you to have it.”

Lena averted her gaze slightly as she spoke.

“Are you sure? This must have been a gift from your father as well.”

“That’s exactly why I want to give it to you. I know you’ll take good care of it.”

“…”

I stared at the small figurine in my hand before curling my fingers around it.

It was still warm from Lena’s touch.

“Then… I’ll accept it. I suppose I can consider this a symbol of our friendship?”

I smiled slightly as I spoke.

But Lena didn’t see it.

She had lowered her head, her ears burning red.

…Had she not had many friends her age back home?

The thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t ask.

Everyone had their own secrets.

I had pried enough for today.

Chapter 295

The term academy might sound grand, but in reality, the academies depicted in games, manga, and light novels are not much different from a typical high school.

In fact, the Imperial Rondarium Academy follows a Japanese high school-style curriculum. While the classes themselves are quite different from those of a regular high school, the academy's schedule is almost identical.

Of course, this year, that schedule had been completely disrupted due to a major incident. The winter break had been drastically shortened, and even after the new year began, we were still at the academy.

The Cultural Festival, originally scheduled for late October, had been pushed back indefinitely. Given that the school only returned to normal in November, there was no helping it.

And since it had already been delayed, the student council proposed moving the festival to late December. If it was going to take place in the cold winter anyway, they figured they might as well schedule it during the time of year when the most people were celebrating.

Simply put, the festival would be held from December 30th to January 2nd.

Even if the academy was effectively a high school, the concept of high schools barely existed in this world. In other words, Imperial Rondarium Academy was one of the very few institutions capable of hosting a cultural festival. The few other schools that resembled high schools were merely larger-scale tutoring centers or academies.

That was why the Imperial Rondarium Academy’s Cultural Festival was practically a festival for the entire capital city. While it wasn’t truly an event for everyone—since only invited guests could attend—even the streets surrounding the academy would take on a festive atmosphere, and students would mingle with the celebrations. So, in a way, the description wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

Though, Alice and I had never attended before. We could have, if we wanted to, but neither of us had the time.

Cultural festivals in Japanese subculture are often depicted as far more extravagant than actual school festivals, but in this world, it was even more extreme.

And the event organizers? The children of noble families.

Since this era still retained aristocratic and masculine pride, many noble families considered it humiliating not to contribute financially to such festivals. While the amount varied by social class, any parent who sent their child to the academy generally made a large donation to ensure the festival was even more grand.

Managing and efficiently distributing that massive budget was one of the student council’s responsibilities.

"This year’s donations are particularly generous. Compared to last year, we received nearly 40% more. At this rate, we’ll have a surplus even after expanding the festival."

One of the student council members commented. She was a girl with round glasses. Despite her modest appearance, she was also from a high-ranking noble family. After all, only those recommended by other student council members could join.

"We don’t have to spend the entire budget. We can save some and allocate it elsewhere if needed."

The student council president shrugged as he spoke.

"Since the festival overlaps with New Year’s, it’d be wise to keep some emergency funds. We never know when unexpected expenses might arise."

Another student at the table raised a hand slightly as he spoke.

"……."

"……."

"……."

Alice, Charlotte, and I simply sat in silence.

The term nobility was often used as a catch-all, but it didn’t exclude royalty and imperial family members. In theory, nobles, royalty, and the imperial family were distinct, but in practice, imperial and royal families often integrated into the nobility through marriage or the granting of noble titles.

Moreover, in terms of society, royalty and the imperial family were too small a group to form a separate social class. Naturally, to function within society, they had to associate with the nobles.

And among them, the ones who had to uphold their pride the most were, without a doubt, the imperial and royal family.

Both the Imperial Household and the Royal Family of Belvur had donated enormous sums. In truth, the academy was already funded by imperial money, but that wasn’t enough—they had to contribute even more.

Saying something like "We can’t donate this year due to financial difficulties" was simply unacceptable.

This pride wasn’t a personal sentiment—it was a mathematical equation among nobles. It wasn’t explicitly quantified or written down, but it existed as an unspoken rule.

And that pride included the imperial and royal families.

Both the Imperial Household and Belvur’s Royal Family had recently suffered financial setbacks, yet they still provided huge contributions to maintain their dignity.

Moreover—

"…Have you given any thought to the budget allocation?"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

After finishing their discussion, the student council president cautiously turned to us, noticing that we had remained silent the entire time.

Lately, the student council had become extremely careful around us. They had always been somewhat cautious, but now, there were even some who couldn’t meet our gaze.

Well, it was no surprise. Alice wasn’t just a princess anymore—she was now the Crown Princess. And I was second in line to the imperial throne. This dynamic would remain until Alice eventually had children.

"…I have no objections. Use it as you see fit."

At least here, we remained silent.

Because appearing petty was out of the question.

If the person donating the money also started interfering in how it was spent, it would come across as petty. It was far better to say nothing at all.

Had Alice still been just a princess, she might have been able to voice some opinions. In that case, she would have simply been the daughter of the donor, no different from the other students here.

But Alice was now the head of the imperial family. She was the one who approved the donation.

"I don’t know what last year’s festival was like, so I’ll leave it to you."

Charlotte added.

Charlotte wasn’t quite the head of her royal family yet, but she was here as Belvur’s representative. As a student and not the direct donor, she had some grounds to speak, but she likely refrained out of awareness of her position.

"……."

As for me, well, even if I had the right to speak, I had no intention of doing so.

In the original story, the festival proceeded just fine. Even if I didn’t come up with some grand plan, these guys would inevitably craft something straight out of a manga.

"Then, we’ll proceed with this plan."

The student council president, who had been extremely tense, responded with a look of relief, as if he had been holding his breath the entire time.

"Sometimes, I envy the way Iberia handles things."

"But you guys think their methods are underhanded, don’t you?"

"Isn’t the Empire the same?"

Charlotte countered Alice’s remark and let out a small sigh.

"Still, I can’t deny that their approach seems efficient at times."

"…I agree with that."

Alice sighed as well.

Unlike the Empire and Belvur, where people believed in openly voicing grievances and fighting for justice, Iberia valued results over methods.

There, people who single-mindedly pursued their goals were respected, regardless of the morality of their methods. In the Empire and Kingdom, a man using poison to kill his enemy would be seen as a coward, but in Iberia, as long as the target was eliminated, no one cared how it was done.

They called it Vendetta.

And this philosophy extended to money—contributing more than one could afford was seen as foolish.

"But at the end of the day, we live in the Empire. We follow its laws."

"And yet, are those same people respecting Belvur’s laws?"

Charlotte’s words were a pointed jab at the former Emperor’s ongoing legal troubles.

"……."

Alice averted her gaze.

Chapter 296

I had no complaints about how things worked—the Imperial Household and nobility provided the funds, while the academy and student council handled the actual management.

After all, I was never good at managing money. Back in my old world, I used to budget my living expenses to the extreme, only to end up spending everything on games and merchandise, leaving me with nothing when unexpected expenses popped up—so much so that skipping meals became routine. Things had changed a lot since I started making my own money, but at least until I graduated from college, I had spent a significant amount of time hungry.

Even in this world, I had never really paid attention to budgeting. Thinking back, the sheer amount of money I had spent must have been staggering—from buying firearms, to refining Maramaros into bullets, to wearing a reinforced exoskeleton made with technology that didn’t even exist in my previous world.

None of that would have been possible without the Imperial Treasury backing me.

If I had been part of the student council and had access to that budget, there was no doubt I would have burned through it recklessly, causing all sorts of problems.

Besides, the student council members weren’t exactly desperate for money. More importantly, no one in their right mind would dare embezzle from a budget that mixed noble donations, imperial funds, and even foreign royal contributions. That meant I had nothing to worry about—I could simply sit back and watch the academy slowly transform as it prepared for the Cultural Festival.

At least, that’s what I thought—until a student council member came looking for me.

"H-H-Her Highness…?"

The girl stammered as she approached, looking like she was about to collapse in fear just from speaking to me.

"What is it?"

Hearing my voice, she flinched hard—as if I had suddenly jumped out to scare her. You’re the one who called me, though.

"T-The teacher… s-sent me to get you… Her Highness… um… she asked to see you…"

"Me?"

I quickly ran through the list of academy instructors in my head.

It wouldn’t be Carolyn—there was no reason for her to call me specifically. Not that we had a bad relationship, just that our paths didn’t really clash.

Sure, we had stolen a relic from House Northwood, but the Duke himself didn’t even know about it.

That meant the only teacher who could have called for me was Jennifer.

And as soon as I reached that conclusion, an uneasy feeling settled in. Jennifer knew my abilities were gone, so she wouldn’t be calling me to send me back to the battlefield. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t about to throw me into something just as troublesome.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"The teacher?"

Alice, sitting beside me, also asked. The student who had approached us shrank even further—she looked like she was about to sink into the void and disappear entirely. And when Charlotte also turned her gaze toward her, she visibly choked as if someone was physically strangling her.

I knew her name—she was from Class B.

And come to think of it, Jennifer was Class B’s homeroom teacher.

So, it really was Jennifer.

I rose from my seat.

"Then, I’ll be going."

"…Do you want me to go with you?"

Alice offered, and I seriously considered it for a moment.

"…No, I don’t think it’s necessary."

If it had been someone truly troublesome, I might have reconsidered. But Jennifer? She wasn’t exactly easy to deal with, but at the very least, I hadn’t done anything I needed to feel guilty about in front of her.

I owed her a debt, sure—but I had already repaid it by obliterating the battlefield back then. Not that Jennifer even realized I had paid her back.

"Alright, then. Lead the way."

"Y-Yes, understood!"

The girl snapped upright as if I had just issued a military command.

"Oh, yeah, you’re here?"

Even though I was now second-in-line to the Imperial Throne, Jennifer’s attitude toward me hadn’t changed at all.

And for that, I was grateful. If she had suddenly started treating me with the same stiff, overly formal deference as the headmaster, I would have turned around and run for my life.

Honestly, knowing Jennifer, even if I became Emperor, she’d probably treat me the same way. Like teacher, like student.

"Why did you call me?"

"Eh, it’s nothing big."

Jennifer casually grabbed a document from her desk and handed it to me.

"Looks like we might be hiring a new teacher."

"…And why are you calling me about that?"

I took the paper and glanced over it.

"Because the person applying is someone you know."

"……."

I looked at the document.

It wasn’t so much a resume as it was a barebones application. Most of the sections were completely blank, except for basic personal details and a minimal self-introduction—as if the applicant didn’t think they needed to fill anything out.

Or maybe they simply didn’t care.

Even without reading the name, the photo in the upper corner told me everything I needed to know.

"…The Sword Saint wants to be a teacher?"

Jennifer shrugged.

"Beats me. That’s why I called you."

"And what makes you think I’d have the answer?"

I couldn’t help but ask, baffled.

Jennifer just shrugged again.

"Dunno. Just figured you might have some insight."

"……."

How?

Sure, I had spent a decent amount of time around the Sword Saint—practicing, rewinding time to train, learning techniques. He even came to the imperial palace later on to help train us.

But that didn’t mean I was the most qualified person to answer.

If we were talking about true students, there were plenty of better candidates—Jennifer herself, Claire, Leo, Alice… people who had far greater talent than I did.

So why me?

"I don’t claim to understand everything about the Sword Saint, but—"

Jennifer started to elaborate, seeing that I still wasn’t convinced.

"He doesn’t only care about talented students. He’s had plenty of disciples before—most of whom died in battle."

"……."

"Every time he talks about you, he calls you ‘untalented.’ But at the same time, he’s never denied that you’re his student. In fact, I’d say he naturally considers you one."

Jennifer paused, briefly glancing at me—as if hesitating.

She had called me untalented multiple times now, and maybe she was starting to feel guilty.

But I didn’t react.

Because she was right.

"A man like the Sword Saint doesn’t just take in anyone. The moment someone asks to be his disciple, they instinctively measure their own talent."

"And if they think they’re not worthy, they don’t even try."

Because that was how masters were perceived.

"That’s why he might see you as different. You had no talent, yet you still sought him out and forced yourself to learn. You’re one of the few who did."

"……."

Hmm.

When she put it that way, it did kind of make sense.

But that Sword Saint caring about me?

Him?

Jennifer smirked at my skeptical expression.

"Anyway, that’s why I called you. It’s not exactly objective reasoning, but I still want you to talk to him."

"…Talk?"

"If we’re hiring a teacher, we can’t just skip the interview. But the Sword Saint isn’t someone who easily opens up."

"So, you want me to pry it out of him?"

"You seemed like the best candidate."

Way too much faith in me.

I sighed loudly, making sure she saw it.

Jennifer just grinned.

Chapter 297

Honestly, isn’t it about time I get to enjoy some peace?

Sure, there was still the matter of the former Emperor, the Imperial Parliament still not functioning properly, an overinflated military with nowhere to direct its forces, and countless other issues that needed to be dealt with—but at the very least, we hadn’t entered an actual war.

We had managed to prevent conflicts from escalating into full-scale war and even neutralized the Holy Nation as a potential threat before they could act. We had driven the goddess out of this world entirely.

The Imperial Household’s problems were Alice’s responsibility. As for the Parliament, I could ignore it for now, and if they started acting up, a single Gryphon flyby over the building should be enough to remind them of their place. And while maintaining the military was burdensome for now, keeping it at full strength wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the long run.

So, at the very least, couldn’t I spend my time at the academy in peace?

Apparently not.

“You’re the one I’m supposed to be interviewing?”

Even after becoming second-in-line to the throne, this was how I was treated.

Not that I particularly wanted to be treated any differently. If I had to choose between being treated like this or being treated with excessive formality, I would choose this any day. I had grown up following Confucian traditions, and nothing made me more uncomfortable than being treated with exaggerated respect by someone decades older than me.

Honestly, every time the headmaster bowed to me, it felt like my stomach twisted a millimeter. If I had to meet him twenty more times, it might actually have a noticeable impact on my health—and not in a good way.

But even so, did he really have to be this rude?

At the very least, couldn’t he just speak casually instead of acting so condescending?

“I didn’t come here by choice.”

“Are you so pathetic that you can’t even follow your own will? What a pathetic disciple.”

Did he really need to say pathetic twice?

I held my tongue, because saying something back would probably result in flames erupting from my skull.

So instead, I maintained the proper attitude of a disciple speaking to their master and responded respectfully.

"Sir Jennifer Winterfield, another of my mentors here at the academy, made the request. I had no obligation to obey, but as a student, a member of the academy, and a member of the Imperial Household that runs this institution, I deemed it appropriate to comply. There are things in life that must be done, whether we like it or not. But perhaps that’s something a retired old soldier who abandoned his duties to hide in the mountains wouldn’t—AH!?"

I didn’t even finish before a sharp pain exploded at the top of my head.

It was such a solid strike that I wouldn’t have been surprised if actual flames had sparked.

Sure, some of my true feelings had slipped into my words—but I still thought my explanation was reasonable!?

“You really have no filter, do you?”

Yet, despite saying that, I could see the corners of his mouth twitching.

So he liked my answer, then?

If he liked it, why hit me!?

“But I suppose that kind of response is just like you. The others—those with more dignity—wouldn’t dare speak so recklessly in front of me. I take back what I said earlier.”

Even with his grinning face, my aching skull wasn’t going to heal any faster. If he was going to compliment me, he could have just not hit me in the first place.

“And yes, you’re right. I did abandon my duty once. As an Imperial soldier, I swore an oath to serve the Empire for life.”

Technically, it wasn’t a legal obligation—more like a ceremonial declaration, akin to the oaths recited during officer commissions.

While it wasn’t entirely without legal weight, it wasn’t something rigidly enforced. It’s not like people ran around nitpicking every single word that came out of a former soldier’s mouth, accusing them of leaking military secrets.

As long as you didn’t reveal actual classified information, no one really cared.

“So… are you saying you plan to resume your duty?”

That was what made his words so surprising. This was a man who had left it all behind, who had chosen to walk his own path.

“Do I look like I’ve gone senile?”

…Right. Of course not.

“Then why submit an application to be a teacher?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Does it really matter? Shouldn’t you be grateful that someone like me is willing to teach?”

“It does matter—otherwise, they wouldn’t have asked me to find out. A teacher isn’t just someone who imparts knowledge. They must also lead by example.”

For a moment, I hesitated.

What should I call him?

“So it’s only natural that the academy wants to know your true intentions.”

“Oh? Are you implying that my behavior isn’t suitable for a teacher?”

I instinctively tensed my back and shoulders, preparing to dodge at any moment.

“Do you genuinely believe your behavior is something students should emulate?”

“…….”

For the first time, he had nothing to say.

Not surprising, considering he had spent his entire life doing whatever he wanted.

Even if one of his disciples managed to reach his level, if they inherited his personality, it would be a nightmare for the Empire.

A strong individual might not necessarily benefit the Empire. Unless they joined the military or government, a warrior who trained in isolation had no value. In fact, monitoring such unpredictable figures to ensure they didn’t cause trouble was more of a headache than anything else.

“So, are you saying I’m unqualified to be a teacher?”

“Rather than that, the academy simply wants to understand your intentions. If you were just another skilled instructor, they wouldn’t have gone to these lengths to investigate. And if you had prior teaching experience, that would be even better. This is about more than just your personal skills.”

Simply put—they don’t trust you.

If he had consistently trained students over the years, even if it wasn’t within a formal institution, the academy might have accepted him without question.

But even Jennifer, who had spent years under him, found his motives suspicious. Of course the academy would want a deeper explanation.

"Hmm."

The Sword Saint fell into thought.

“Would you mind explaining your reasoning?”

“I could. But whether you can deliver that reason to the academy is another matter.”

“Are you planning to kill me after telling me?”

“……Even I wouldn’t go that far.”

Since I had asked with a completely straight face, at least I avoided another strike to the head.

“I simply doubt that you’d be able to relay my answer accurately.”

“…….”

Hearing that, I had no choice but to pause and think.

Should I listen to his explanation?

Given the way he was speaking, I had a feeling that his reason had something to do with me.

The Sword Saint’s judgment of people was always incredibly sharp. And if a man like him considered me a disciple, despite my complete lack of talent, that meant—even while constantly smacking me upside the head—he must have thought highly of me.

If I pressed him for an answer… I had a feeling he was going to say something embarrassingly sentimental.

“Even so, I’d still like to hear it. How I deliver that message will be my decision.”

I couldn’t just reject him outright.

The academy wouldn’t have put this much effort into investigating him unless they were seriously considering his application.

And he was the Sword Saint.

Even if the battlefield changed, even if swordsmanship became less relevant, it was still better to learn from the best.

"Very well."

He nodded.

"I’ll tell you. The reason… is you."

Chapter 298

“Excuse me? Me?”

shocking sound

“I wasn’t particularly surprised.”

thoughtful noise

“Because I had some inkling of it already.”

thinking sound

“In the original story, the Sword Saint dies before the war even ends, but even if he were alive, I doubt he would have taken a job as an academy teacher afterward.”

shaking head

“His character is described as determined yet eccentric, and he hates being tied down anywhere; that’s how he’s portrayed throughout the story.”

dramatic flair

“So, if his personality changed, it could only be because of me. Saying that sounds like an egotistical overreach, but no matter how I think about it, I can only come up with one reason.”

cue introspection

“The reason this world doesn’t follow the original story is me.”

pointing finger

“Because of my existence alone, the original story got derailed. People who were supposed to die didn’t, and the ending that was meant to happen didn’t arrive.”

surprising revelation sound

“So, if the Sword Saint’s heart changed, it’s obvious that it’s because of me, and if my name isn’t mentioned in the reasons for the Sword Saint’s actions, I’d find that even weirder.”

head shaking

“Is that what you mean?”

curious sound

“You don’t seem too surprised. Did you expect it?”

intrigued joke sound

“Yeah, sort of.”

casual response

As I replied with a half-hearted expression, the Sword Saint burst into laughter.

laughing sound

“I see you’ve heard similar things many times. It makes sense.”

logical sound

“Do you remember all the things I’ve done?”

intrigued tone

“If I didn’t remember, would I be here talking to you? Would you like me to continue? Honestly, considering your personality, it may very well be that you wouldn’t want to hear it all.”

teasing sound

“…….”

silence

I pondered deeply once more.

deep thought

Why on earth was I trying so hard to justify myself?

confused sound

I thought around and around, but no suitable answer came up.

frustrated sound

At first, I suggested a deal: “I’ll introduce you to someone stronger than you,” and then demonstrated, “Look, I’ve already learned this level of skill!” I had no talent naturally, so I had to rewind time several times just to barely learn and then lied, saying, “I mastered it all at once.”

embarrassed sound

Honestly, as a teacher, it’s pretty embarrassing, isn’t it?

awkward laugh

“First, I’ll say one thing. You have no talent in swordsmanship. Your head seems quite good, but your physical abilities aren’t great, and if I ranked my disciples by their strength, you’d be near the bottom. Honestly, you’re not a talent in wielding a sword.”

harsh truth sound

“…….”

silence

Was he trying to lead me on to say I have no talent? But I’d heard this already before. I myself thought I had no talent too.

self-reflection sound

“When I say that, what do you think most other people would do?”

curious tone

“……Give up and go home?”

thoughtful response

“Exactly. Normally, they’d give up and go home. After all, it’s coming from the ‘Sword Saint.’ When someone who has reached the top says, ‘You have no talent,’ there are some who’d even look relieved. Usually, they’d just retreat to find another way to make a living.”

snickering sound

The Sword Saint leaned back on the sofa casually.

relaxed sound

“And even if someone didn’t give up, nobody lasts long after hearing that. Usually, they quit within a year. The more they train, the more they start to think it’s just not for them.”

nodding sound

I get it. If someone at least cheered me on, it might be different, but when the teacher says I have no talent, there’s no way my motivation would rise.

sad sigh

I looked at the Sword Saint with furrowed brows, and he shrugged.

neutral noise

“So what would you like me to say? Physical limits are something one cannot overcome. Training without knowing your own limits only leads to injury. It’s better to inform you of your lack of talent and have you train accordingly. Usually, people can’t last even that long and end up quitting.”

thoughtful tone

Feeling pricked by his words, the Sword Saint continued.

raising voice

“But you were different. Hearing you had no talent, you still decided to train to the end, and you stubbornly trained. You rewound time multiple times and eventually acquired the abilities you wanted. Honestly, it’s not like you reached an extraordinary level as a swordsman, but it’s still an impressive feat. You’ve trained much longer than others and surpassed what I thought was impossible for you.”

proud statement

“But that must be due to the talent you mentioned.”

pointing out tone

Even the Sword Saint said it himself. Rewinding time multiple times.

nodding sound

The level I acquired, as the Sword Saint just mentioned, couldn’t be considered extraordinary. It was merely touching the threshold of a must-have level for a swordsman.

explanation tone

While it might seem impressive for someone with no talent to reach that point, on the flip side, it implies that anyone could reach there given enough time.

representative sound

And I had enough time.

confirming sound

“Even with ample time, very few will wholly dedicate that time to effort.”

philosophical tone

The Sword Saint said leisurely.

calm voice

“If you hear that you need to put in double or triple the effort to reach a certain level, most will look for something else. That’s true even if there’s a method to reverse time. I’m convinced.”

serious tone

“…….”

silence

With my lips tightly pressed together, I showed a puzzled expression, and the Sword Saint chuckled like an old man.

chuckling sound

“I heard your story.”

intrigued tone

“My story?”

curious tone

“Yeah. I have other disciples too, you know.”

implying sound

“…….”

surprised silence

Uh… So you mean you met with others before coming to see me?

logical deduction

I think Claire and Leo could have done that. They weren’t always stuck to me. Alice too… well, she wasn’t always attached to me, to put it that way.

realization sound

“What do you think a person who can rewind time would do during an exam? Do you think they would just keep studying while rewinding time?”

skeptical tone

The Sword Saint shook his head.

negation sound

“No, usually after taking the exam, they’d remember the questions and just pick the right answers. From what I hear, you didn’t do that. You spent that time studying hard, didn’t you?”

teasing tone

“Because if you don’t understand what you’ve learned thoroughly, you can’t use it elsewhere.”

defending sound

And I thought I should at least put in minimal effort since Alice was working so hard. Admittedly, my choice was pretty much cheating.

confessing sound

“Usually, people don’t even think that way. And even if you hadn’t been able to rewind time, you would’ve already had more than enough time to understand it. Aren’t you the Crown Princess? Did you think the tutor would skip explaining things just because?”

defensive statement

“…….”

daunted silence

Uh… Well, that left me momentarily speechless.

struggling sound

Is that how it is?

realization sound

Indeed, when I didn’t understand something at first and asked again, the tutor had diligently taught me. Even though it was known that the bloodline didn’t matter, you were still a princess, and the Emperor wouldn’t differentiate much based on blood.

elf clapping sound

So, um, maybe if I asked for a couple more hours, that person could have kindly taught me…?

pondering sound

I wondered if maybe the royal family offered additional allowances or something?

thinking sound

“Anyway, I started getting curious.”

inquisitive tone

As I was lost in thought, the Sword Saint spoke.

revelation sound

“While you’re at the academy, I thought if I could find a few more kids like you, life would be quite interesting. Don’t you think? No matter if they have talent or not, seeing someone who just keeps moving forward solely focused on what they want is quite commendable.”

appreciative tone

After saying that, the Sword Saint looked at me and grinned.

meaningful smile sound

He didn’t add words, but I felt like I understood the meaning behind that smile.

epiphany sound

Alright, I’ve said this much, so how would you like me to relay this to the academy?

flexing sound

Seriously, just as the Sword Saint said, if I went back to Jennifer and said, “The Sword Saint mentioned that he wants to come to the academy because of me!” she’d give me the most significant knowing smile ever.

snicker sound

And my reputation would spread like wildfire within the academy. It might already be well-known, but I could possibly add even more weight to it.

building suspense sound

“…….”

contemplative silence

I contemplated for a moment,

inner monologue

“Alright, I’ll handle it. As for the academy… I’ll make sure to let them know properly.”

determined sound

I responded accordingly.

confident tone

“Great! Ideally, I’d like you to relay my words as closely as possible. I wasn’t going to say it for the sake of my disciples, but you insisted on hearing it, didn’t you?”

mocking tone

No, I never actually insisted at all!

defensive tone

More than anything, I had no intention of relaying it as it is.

worried tone

But how should I convey this?

confused pondering sound

Chapter 299

I thought long and hard about how I could present the Sword Saint’s answer without mentioning my name, but the conclusion I arrived at was that there was ‘no way’.

I believed that I was the biggest reason this world was diverging from the original story. And the Sword Saint’s answer was closely related to that ‘reason’.

However, if I explained the situation while neatly omitting the reason, I would inevitably be unable to answer the question, ‘So why did the Sword Saint apply for the position of teacher?’

It was probably that reason why the Sword Saint laughed at me.

That guy probably knew from the beginning that I would end up in such a situation. So he partly teased me and guided the conversation in that direction.

In the end, I was the one who walked into the trap.

So I couldn’t blame anyone else, which made it even more awkward.

For days, I spent my time unable to do anything with myself. I was truly grateful that Jennifer was not our homeroom teacher. If she had been, I wouldn’t have had the chance to run off to the dorm the moment class ended.

For some reason, Jennifer hadn’t sent a student to find me, nor did she come looking for me. I wasn’t sure if she was giving me time, or if the teachers at the academy had reached a different conclusion on their own.

But for me… well, it’s a bit awkward to call it a good thing, but at least I managed to buy some time, right?

But even so, there were limits. No matter who I was, I understood that I couldn’t keep putting this off indefinitely. So as each day passed, I grew more anxious.

About four days after my meeting with the Sword Saint, Alice began to look at me suspiciously. Since she had a knack for reading my emotions while I was trying to keep a straight face, it was only natural that she would easily catch on to my current expression, which was much less controlled.

As I was at the point of giving up and considering just telling Jennifer everything—

“Do you want to summon a Gryphon for the academy festival?”

“Um, well, not exactly summon, just something like having it fly around in the sky.”

—Surprisingly enough, the student council, who were busy preparing for the cultural festival, requested a meeting with me.

As I explained before, the imperial family holds a somewhat different status than other noble families. They donate the most, but meddling in budget execution would look rather poor. It would be like saying, “I donated money, so do it my way.”

That might be expected in a completely capitalist society, but in this world, which is marked by extreme capitalism alongside a stark aristocracy and imperialism, such justifications and pride are very important.

Although Alice and I attended the same academy, we ended up in this complicated situation due to overlapping circumstances: Alice, now the Crown Princess and second in line to the emperor, and me. It never crossed my mind that they would request something from us like this.

“You do know that Gryphons are ferocious beasts, right?”

As Alice squinted slightly while saying that, every member of the student council flinched.

…To be honest, describing it as just a ferocious beast is an understatement. A Gryphon could tear apart a tiger or lion with just its claws.

Or roast them with magic.

Right now, it’s just lounging in the imperial palace garden, sitting around and eating, making it hard to tell if it’s a flying pig or a Gryphon. But for now, it seemed like a legendary beast… or something similar. It was also a symbol of the Empire.

There seemed to be numerous of them, but strangely, this one hadn’t returned to where its kind lived.

“Knowing it’s a ferocious beast, I suppose you’d be satisfied with just watching it fly through the sky.”

When I said that, the student council president nodded quickly.

“May I ask how you came to such a thought?”

Honestly, I was a bit curious whose brainchild this was. Leaving aside the fact they were trying to involve Alice and me, the audacity to bring a Gryphon to the academy festival was worth points in my book.

They were clearly a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

“Ah, well, that’s….”

The student council president averted his gaze as if it was troublesome, but the other students all turned their heads away to evade eye contact. No loyalty at all. Although, I wasn’t sure if there was such a thing as loyalty among nobles.

“…There are two guests from another country in the first-year class, aren’t there?”

Charlotte and Rena. While it’s acceptable for Charlotte, since she’s a princess and speaks formally, the autonomous region governed by the military likely had a more ambiguous nobility system than the Empire yet still uses formal language. If you think about it that way, it would be quite an ordeal to look down on people from other nations that do not match titles one-to-one.

It wouldn’t cause a major issue to underestimate commoners as mere peasants, but what if that person was the child of a nation’s leader? Then the issue becomes significant. If the person looking down were a Duke of the Empire, it could escalate from being a personal issue to an international matter.

Having reached that conclusion, I nodded.

“Additionally, this cultural festival is different from previous ones as it falls between the last day of the year and the first day of the new year.”

Ah, I think I get what they were trying to say.

It seemed Alice also figured out what the student council president was hinting at, but her expression remained somewhat strained.

“So… I thought it might not be a bad idea to demonstrate just how impressive our country’s abilities are as the continents’ dominant power…”

As we remained silent, the student council president’s voice trailed off until only silence remained.

It was a valid point.

Both Charlotte and Rena were daughters of high positions in their respective nations. While Rena was one thing, Charlotte was a literal princess, the rightful heir to the next throne.

And it wasn’t unusual for parents, siblings, or relatives of those students to visit during the academy cultural festival. Nobles had their social events, and commoners had opportunities to showcase their abilities before those nobles.

If Charlotte’s father, the King of Velbur, visited this place, he wouldn’t be coming alone. There would be some nobles who assisted him, and then those who served those nobles might come along… there could be an entire delegation.

It made sense why the student council felt pressured. Showing the Empire’s symbolism directly wasn’t a bad idea either.

If Charlotte’s father were to actually come, that is.

When a king from one nation visits another, it’s vastly different from a president or prime minister going abroad. No matter how much a president represents a country, they aren’t ‘royalty’. In a crisis that might lead to the president’s death, a new one can simply be elected.

There would be social upheaval, but a presidential system has contingencies in place for such events. It wouldn’t matter whether the new president is of the same bloodline as the previous one. In fact, suggesting otherwise would be considered foolish.

But when it comes to a king, especially one with power befitting ‘a king’, haphazardly visiting another nation is dangerous. A king is an irreplaceable figure. The king’s authority stems from legitimacy, and that legitimacy must not be recklessly moved around. They should firmly sit at the center of their own country.

In that sense, Charlotte attending this academy is an incredibly risky action by Velbur’s standards. It means the ‘next king’ of their nation is learning in another country that could potentially be a hostile one.

In this universe, with its European-themed setting, it might be fine, but from an East Asian perspective, it could easily have been interpreted as taking a hostage.

“Rather than causing unnecessary problems by focusing on appearances—”

“I’ll cooperate.”

It seems Alice reached a similar conclusion as I did, trying to refuse the student council president’s proposal. However, my thoughts were different.

Since the Empire was born under the name of the Fanggriffon, there has been no record of anyone flying through the skies atop a Gryphon. It’s almost as if there should have been some fabricated story, yet there was truly ‘none’.

What does that mean?

Exactly.

It means that no one knows how much effort and time it takes to train a Gryphon.

In other words, if I were to just hide away and emerge saying, “I was out training a Gryphon,” there wouldn’t be anyone who would understand.

And to say that once again differently, it means I could finally have a plausible reason to put off my meeting with Jennifer.

“So on the day of the cultural festival, I’ll show you the sight of the Gryphon cutting through the sky.”

Thus, I accepted those words.

Chapter 300

Honestly, I was feeling quite optimistic about this issue.

I’ve never had a pet before.

Of course, I’ve never gotten any certifications or training related to animal care. The extent of my experience with raising something was when my homeroom teacher in elementary school told us to take care of a flower pot, so I just bought a decent one from the neighborhood flower shop and kept it at home.

In fact, even now, the responsibility of caring for the gryphon is handled by others, so strictly speaking, I’m not ‘raising’ it.

But wait, can we even say that I’m raising it in the first place?

It’s clear that this creature understands human language. It’s at the Imperial Palace because it wants to be, not because people brought it here to keep it.

This gryphon wasn’t just judging based on the nuances of our language or recognizing specific words; it comprehended what I was saying and had the ability to move accordingly, so there was really no need to tame or train it.

The reason for my optimism was precisely that.

And for exactly the same reason, I soon realized that it wouldn’t be an easy task.

Hmph.

If I just put it in one character, it’s quite a cute feeling. It’s a phrase typically used by cute characters or female characters rather than burly male ones, so it makes sense that such an image would stick.

Also, that sound effect represents a small, cute creature snorting. Obviously, if a much bigger creature were to make a sound, it wouldn’t be like that at all.

The noise that the gryphon made was definitely not ‘Hmph.’ Given that its mouth structure is different from ours, and while humans have lips, the gryphon has a beak. It does have nostrils, but since its structure is different from ours, when the gryphon snorts, it sounds more like a large pump blowing air.

More importantly, as a creature soaring through the skies with such a massive body, its lung capacity is enormous, and the air coming out of those nostrils raised little dust clouds around my feet and swayed my hem slightly.

Yet, even with that, if I had to express the action the gryphon took after listening to me in one character, there was no other way to depict it.

Hmph.

“What’s the problem…?”

Confirming that no one was around, I asked in a quiet voice.

“If you’re hungry, I’ll give you food, and it’s cozy and warm here. You want to be here in the first place, right? If you’re living comfortably, isn’t it fine to grant me a small request?”

A large breath came from the gryphon’s nostrils, and once again, a little dust whirled around my feet.

“No, didn’t you come here to acknowledge me in the first place…?”

It was something I couldn’t say openly in front of others, but I could say it in front of the gryphon. I thought it was impossible for the gryphon to speak human words given its different mouth structure, no matter how smart it might be.

Since it was quietly watching as I drooped my shoulders, I didn’t think it didn’t understand my request.

Hmm.

Looking up at the gryphon again, I contemplated while rubbing my chin.

There’s a term called non-human sentience.

It refers to beings of equal intelligence to humans, but are not human. It’s said that the intelligence of crows or parrots is comparable to that of human children, and elephants or dolphins have their own cultures… It might be a human-centric way of thinking, but it’s quite plausible. It’s a bit strange to think that among the countless animals on Earth, only humans possess intelligence that matches our own.

Regardless of whether that classification is scientifically valid or overly sentimental, if that classification is practically possible, I would place the gryphon within the category of non-human sentience.

If this creature, sitting with its head raised high like a loaf of bread, truly had intelligence only akin to that of a common animal, I would be genuinely shocked.

“Alright then.”

I looked up at the gryphon and said,

“Tell me what you want. If I can grant it, I will. But you also have to do something I want in return. Doesn’t that sound fair?”

Even after hearing me say that, the gryphon stared at me for a while.

It can’t be that it doesn’t understand, right?

Just as I began to earnestly ponder, the gryphon moved.

It wasn’t a grand movement; it simply lifted its seated body.

Then it stretched out its folded wings as if to loosen up.

It wasn’t an impressive action, but just that made it incredibly intimidating. The gryphon was already large, and when it spread its wings wide, the tips reached far above its head. Naturally, for that massive body to take flight, its wings had to be that big.

From even my frequent observations, the sight was so majestic it could momentarily steal my gaze.

It’s a gryphon with a head of a white-headed eagle and the body of a lion. From the front, seeing it with its wings spread wide was like watching a gigantic eagle standing tall.

I wondered if this was a truly special action, my heart racing as I looked up, but perhaps spreading its wings was merely a stretch, as the gryphon soon folded them again.

Then, it looked down at me and abruptly bowed its head.

So, it looked like a polite greeting posture.

For a moment, I wondered what it was doing, but I, like before with the gryphon, grabbed my skirt with both hands and bowed politely.

A brief silence passed, and we lifted our heads again.

“Is this okay?”

When I asked, the gryphon tilted its head.

Then it let out another Hmph.

What.

When I frowned and looked up, the gryphon lowered its head to me again.

This time, it also bent its knees slightly.

“…Huh?”

What’s this? Is it telling me I’m dead?

For a moment, that thought passed through my mind, but this was a Western world created by a Japanese game company. There’s no way there would be Confucian rules like that concerning deaths… That’s not right; since it’s a Japanese game company, it might have a Confucian hue, but surely they wouldn’t go to the trouble of inserting that into a Western setting.

Regardless, refusing to acknowledge the greeting in this situation would look odd. Plus, I had grown quite accustomed to seeing the gryphon frequently, but it could easily devour me like pudding if it truly wanted. It’s better not to provoke it unnecessarily.

I bowed politely again and then stood up.

“Do you want to say something?”

Upon hearing my words, the gryphon tilted its head once more and solemnly performed another bow.

I accepted that greeting with a bow of my own—

…and we repeated that gesture three more times.

It was only then that a faint thought brushed through my mind.

When I first spoke to the gryphon, I had used polite language. In fact, at that time, I had used polite language with everyone around me.

Of course, I still do that now, but I was aware that I had bent that principle a few times.

Like during the moment when Claire and I turned back time.

Perhaps ever since then, I had subconsciously lowered my standard a bit.

No, more than that, honestly, it felt odd to be using polite language alone in the presence of a beast. Isn’t it strange to talk to a pet dog in polite language?

Of course, I’m not raising it.

Strictly speaking, I don’t think I’m raising it at all, but…

“…”

Regardless, the situation was quite clear.

The gryphon couldn’t speak human words due to its mouth structure, so it was trying to convey its intentions to me through body language.

And every time I spoke to it informally after greeting it, the gryphon would bow to me more cautiously and respectfully.

What could that gesture mean if it didn’t imply that it would do the same to me if I did so?

…Though, by the way, it seems to have tossed me a few times by the scruff of my neck, but I decided not to dwell on that.

“So, do you mean we should respect each other?”

Only after I spoke in honorifics did the gryphon slightly bow its head, as if satisfied.

What a pain in the neck.

“Then, if I courteously ask, will you consider granting my request?”

“…”

In response to my question, the gryphon sat down again, returning to that loaf-of-bread-like posture it had before.

In a way, it almost looked like it was cradling something.

….

Now that I think about it, I don’t even know if it’s male or female. Would it get mad if I tried to check?

Anyway, it seems that ‘mutual respect’ is the standard for our conversations, and whether it will grant my request is a separate matter altogether.

…What a pain.

I thought the same thing again.

Chapter 301

Hmm… I realize it’s pretty absurd.

Sure, the Gryphon seems to be showing some manners. It always bows respectfully when greeting me.

But other than that, I don’t really feel respected.

Like when it snorts at what I say or pretends not to hear me. Or it tosses me aside like I’m a rag doll when it decides to give me a ride. It hasn’t dropped me yet, but that doesn’t make it exactly a pleasant experience.

On top of that, the Gryphon can’t talk.

The only sounds it makes are these phew phew noises like an eagle, which might be a form of language among Gryphons but just sounds like bird cries to my ears. Even if it contains some respectful language, I can’t tell the difference.

So, when we say we respect each other, I’m the only one using honorifics.

… I’m not even sure if it makes sense to feel like this about a creature that’s not even human, but whatever, it really annoys me.

And let’s not forget, after declaring mutual respect, the negotiations that followed were just a whole different story. If I wanted something, I needed to offer something first before I’d get a response.

If the Gryphon owed me a debt, I’d say it has been paid off. I saved it once, and it saved me back. After that, it just sticks around whenever it feels like it.

So I don’t hate it, but I can’t figure out why it sticks around.

Wait, what’s with the Gryphon being all excited in the parade, but acting like a grump now?

And why doesn’t it go back among its own kind? Have its comfy human companions made it completely soft?

“……”

“……”

After a staring contest with the Gryphon for a while, I sighed and got up.

“Well, for now, I understand you have no intention of responding to my words. If you just sit there and don’t say anything, I won’t be able to guess what you’re thinking. But if you happen to think of something—”

… if you think of something?

The Gryphon can’t exactly waltz into the Imperial Palace. It’s a place designed for humans to roam freely. The corridors, while wide and the doors big compared to other buildings, are still way too cramped for a Gryphon to stroll in confidently. It could come in squished up, but it would leave scratch marks all over the floor and knock over every decoration in the hall.

Besides, it would be awkward to tell others. If I, the one who communicates best among the humans, can’t figure out what the Gryphon wants, how could the palace staff do any better?

“—So if you ever think of something you want, please express it when I visit next.”

That was all I could come up with.

Hearing that, the Gryphon looked at me for a bit before nodding its head slightly.

*

“What were you thinking to accept that request?”

After what I can only call a conversation… or maybe just me mumbling to myself, I returned to the room, where Alice was already waiting.

The fact that she was waiting in the Imperial Palace, not the dorm, meant she was quite worried about my decision.

Even if it’s Alice, I figured I couldn’t tell her what I discussed with the Sword Saint. So, I racked my brain for an excuse.

Actually, I had already thought about it before coming here. I knew Alice would definitely ask me the reason.

“Do you know how much it costs to raise a Gryphon inside the Imperial Palace?”

“……”

Alice paused at my question, thinking.

Gryphons eat a lot.

I remember hearing that land turtles like the sulcata tortoise eat several heads of cabbage per day. If I adjusted that for a carnivore, it would be about how much a Gryphon eats.

No, thinking about it, maybe for its size, it doesn’t actually eat that much. But still, Gryphons are full carnivores. If it’s like it eats a whole pig at a time, that’s certainly not pocket change for the royal budget.

“… It’s quite a lot. But it’s still manageable.”

“However, just throwing money around won’t work. If we’re going to raise a Gryphon, we need to think about getting some return from it.”

“Most people don’t think about making a profit from their pets…”

“If you treat it as a pet, then there’s even more reason to say that. If it’s a pet, shouldn’t it follow its master’s orders? Can you really call something a pet if its owner can’t control it?”

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment but then nodded seriously.

“That’s true. If we can’t control it, then it really is a wild beast. Though, given the Gryphon’s attitude, I don’t think it’s quite like that.”

“You don’t have to worry about being polite. The staff who clean its space and bring it food don’t seem too scared, but I’ve heard those who handle its fur are scared out of their wits every time they enter to work. The Gryphon may not care, but it’s natural for people to be scared when touching it. For them, the Gryphon is as wild as it gets.”

“……”

“Of course, I don’t consider the Gryphon as a wild beast.”

Even in the palace, and including Alice and the people around me, everyone sees that Gryphon as a creature beneath me.

So, to put it another way, that means I’m the master. If the master goes around saying their pet is wild and dangerous, it’s not surprising that people would be shocked.

I sat down on the chair facing Alice and spoke.

“And truth be told, I don’t see that Gryphon as a ‘pet.’ From the moment it chose to follow me, that Gryphon hasn’t thought of itself as beneath me.”

“If it’s not a pet, then how do you see it?”

Alice tilted her head.

“It’s a guest.”

I said simply.

“Whether it will become part of our group in the future is uncertain, but as it stands now, the Gryphon is a ‘guest in the Imperial Palace.’ It’s treated with respect simply because it’s a symbol of the Empire and has done great deeds in battles.”

I exhaled lightly.

“I know that it isn’t that unusual for the royal family to host important guests every few years. But usually, such guests are just guests in name only. They often function as a direct line of communication with other countries or have some significant status.”

“So, you think the Gryphon should be treated that way?”

“Yes.”

“But… the Gryphon isn’t human.”

With slight hesitation, Alice said that, and I shrugged.

“Of course it’s not human. But it’s also a being that can understand and take in human speech perfectly. And that’s why it’s important to let it know that ‘hitching a ride without giving back is unwelcome.’”

If it were an unintelligent beast, I wouldn’t even have this worry. A dog or cat is kept for cuteness, and most people don’t need a deeper reason to own pets.

And such animals don’t need to understand their status so intricately. They lack the capability to do so. As long as a clear hierarchy exists between the human and the animal, that’s enough. Animals are not there because they chose to be with humans; it’s humans that want to have animals around them. The responsibility lies entirely with the owner.

But the Gryphon never intended to be beneath me from the start. And I certainly have no ability to put it fully under my control.

In that case, shouldn’t we at least find a way to exchange things as equals?

… Well, I admit the thoughts I’m sharing are because I didn’t want to reveal to Alice what I discussed with the Sword Saint, but at the same time, they are my genuine thoughts.

“So basically, you’re saying you’re asking for at least that kind of help?”

A glimmer of understanding crossed Alice’s eyes.

“Exactly. This will be the first step.”

Well, if I fail, it won’t matter much. I’ve already achieved about half my objective.

Of course, it would be lovely if I succeeded, though.

Chapter 302

After that, I had several conversations with the Gryphon.

And I found out a few things.

In various subcultures, four-legged beings that can communicate with humans usually shied away from carrying humans on their backs.

Thinking about it, it’s only natural. Creatures that carry humans are typically treated as ‘livestock’ like horses or donkeys. It wouldn’t be surprising if they thought carrying a human on their backs was lowering themselves to livestock levels.

Most of the humans in those stories would nod in agreement when they heard this. It’s just plain odd to picture another human riding on someone who is already face down on the ground.

But you know…

It seemed that the Gryphon was not like that.

When I asked, “Is it okay if I ride on your back?” the Gryphon knelt down before me, spreading its wings to make it easier for me to climb on.

Could it be that the Gryphon’s culture is different from humans, and it has no particular aversion to kneeling?

I didn’t think so. Every time the Gryphon greeted me, it bowed its knees politely. While it could totally kneel completely… well, if needed, but showing that in front of people seemed a bit awkward.

No, more than that—didn’t the first Fanggriffon struggle like crazy to become a leader among the Gryphons? I doubt it was all that easy to fly around while carrying a human on its back.

…Thinking back, I don’t think there were any detailed expressions about that process.

After briefly pondering how the Gryphon so willingly offered its back, I carefully climbed onto it.

The Gryphon’s feathers looked tough at first glance, but they felt really soft when I touched them. However, it seemed they were coated for waterproofing, as a white powder came off on my hands after a few touches. Not just on my hands either; that powder got all over my clothes, which wasn’t exactly great.

I had heard that those who manage Gryphons collect fallen feathers afterward.

Since there wasn’t really anything to collect the Gryphon’s feathers for, I didn’t care much. I wasn’t overly concerned about whether they took them to sell or not. Honestly, compared to managing a beast like a Gryphon, that was just a minor benefit to me.

Confirming that I was indeed on its back, the Gryphon gave a gentle shake and then stood up. It swayed a bit but held its ground with its feathers.

Is it in pain?

Well, if my pulling on it like this doesn’t make it lose a feather, then maybe it’s not in pain. The structure must be different from human hair. The feathers coming out weren’t because of my pulling. Even a Gryphon would have to molt at some point.

“Alright then—”

I was just getting ready to say something while sitting on its back when the Gryphon jumped straight up into the sky.

flap A huge sound of wings flapping filled the air. It felt like I was in a supercar that goes from zero to a hundred in less than five seconds; the Gryphon soared into the sky in the blink of an eye.

I gripped the feathers tightly. My butt shot backwards due to the steep angle of the Gryphon’s rise, and I was terrified. Thankfully, my knees got caught on its wing joint, so I didn’t fall off.

Of course, the way it flapped its wings continued to lift me up and made me shiver.

As I finally focused and looked around, I was startled again. The Gryphon was already soaring way above the Imperial Capital. It was cold down here, but up this high, the temperature felt even colder.

I was worried that if I looked around too much, my knees might buckle, so I turned my gaze straight ahead, and the Gryphon glanced back at me.

It was a bit funny trying to read expressions on an eagle’s face, but it seemed like it was thinking, “So, how do I look?”

“…”

Ah, I get it.

The reason it so willingly let me ride was either to tease me or to show off its abilities. Or maybe it was both.

In this situation, making a scared face would probably be a losing battle.

I inhaled quietly.

Since I don’t have the ability to turn back time, I couldn’t maintain a perfect expressionless face, but I had at least learned to manage my expressions to some extent. I could manage to look casual.

“Is there somewhere you want to go?”

At my question, the Gryphon tilted its head.

It seemed like it didn’t quite understand what I meant.

“If you have a place you want to go, it’s okay to go there. I’ll come along too.”

Well, it was obvious that if I got off here, I’d just fall straight down and die, so I had to go along.

However, my pride wouldn’t allow me to just ask to be taken somewhere.

“…”

The Gryphon stared at me in silence for a while before it turned its head and started flying forward. It took off faster than it had been climbing.

Some scholars wrote that Gryphons don’t actually have a specific territory but rather travel the world, and it really felt like that was true at this moment because of how fast we were going.

I bit my lip to avoid screaming.

*

…And the place we arrived at was the Imperial Palace.

To be precise, it was one of the courtyards in the Imperial Palace occupied by the Gryphon.

After hearing my words, the Gryphon flew around the capital at full speed. I was too busy hanging on to grasp the exact location, but by the context, it seemed we made several big loops around the Imperial Capital. Since we didn’t fly for too long, it probably wasn’t a complete tour of the entire capital.

And then, we landed in no other place than the inner courtyard of the Imperial Palace.

I tightened my quivering legs and stood up again, looking up at the Gryphon.

It seemed hard to believe that we had just been flying at full speed; the Gryphon sat there in a relaxed bread-baking posture, looking down at me.

But how to put it… its attitude seemed a bit different this time?

I’m not exactly a person who can read emotions by just looking into someone’s eyes, but I could still pick up on the vibe to some extent.

And judging by that vibe, the expression on the Gryphon’s face looked like ‘embarrassment.’

Earlier, when that Gryphon was flying up in the sky, my words had been to “just go wherever you want.”

And then it circled the capital a few times as if it was deep in thought before landing where it lived.

“Is this place the best?”

At my question, the Gryphon tilted its head.

I thought its tilt wasn’t because it didn’t understand what I was saying, but rather that it didn’t know why it had chosen to land here.

“…”

After resting my chin on my hand and pondering for a moment, I spoke up.

“Have you not been to many places?”

“…”

At my words, the Gryphon froze for a brief moment before proudly lifting its head and looking down at me with a hmph sound.

Looks like that might be the case.

It did sound strange when I thought about it.

The Gryphon, called the apex creature in the world, being casually caught and raised by the Papal State.

If they had done that, where on earth did they capture this Gryphon? Were they using magic to capture it alive without killing it and controlling it as they pleased?

If the Gryphon had been fully grown, it would have been impossible for them to think of such a thing.

“How old are you?”

“…”

The Gryphon turned its head away as if refusing to answer.

Is this Gryphon younger than I thought? Like, not even ten years old.

It might have been caught when it was still a fledgling, or perhaps someone found an egg and stole it. In either case, a lot of people must have died in the process, but if one could control a Gryphon, that would become trivial.

Of course, even then, it seemed they couldn’t fully control the Gryphon, leaving it in a state of suffering.

“Where were you born?”

“…”

Silence.

I was beginning to understand why it was just sitting here.

So, it actually wanted to go somewhere else, but there was nowhere to go. It probably didn’t know any better.

There are quite a few places known to be Gryphon habitats. Of course, almost no humans come back alive after going there, which leads many to question, “Is there really a Gryphon there?” It’s not just baseless speculation; there are decent pieces of evidence too.

However, if this Gryphon grew up under human control in the first place, it would make sense that it wouldn’t know those places.

Moreover, even if it did know them, it probably wouldn’t feel any urge to go back. There was nothing to attach to in the first place.

By the time I thought this through, I felt a bit sorry for the Gryphon.

“Is that so?”

“…”

I went closer to the Gryphon and tried to touch its body gently—

thud

I stumbled as it kicked me away with its foot.

Definitely not very receptive; what is this, a teenager?

Chapter 303

I didn’t really want to feel a sense of empathy over something like this, but in some ways, the Gryphon and I were in similar situations.

Of course, if I were to nitpick, my situation was definitely better. In this world, I had many friends and a place I could call home.

Regardless of what happened elsewhere, I had somewhere to return to. And it wasn’t some recent find; it was the place where I had spent my childhood.

Saying that the location was the Imperial Palace meant it was far from ordinary, but technically, my “childhood” wasn’t actually that “childish,” which was a tad off-point. Still, if you ask me to point out some nostalgic places within the palace, a few come to mind.

Before enrolling in the academy, Alice was in a position where she seemed to unilaterally get annoyed and jealous of me, but that didn’t mean our relationship was the worst. I was being considerate of Alice to a degree, and she was somewhat aware of it too.

If I expressed this kind of sentiment in front of her, I would get a response like, “What are you talking about?” but… in some way, Alice was in a position to act like a little sister to me.

And even now, given that she insists on calling me her “older sister,” I could say she’s still acting a little sisterly.

…If only I had no ability to turn back time and had not escaped then, what kind of life would I be living now?

At least the Gryphon was being used because of that power, but I might not have been even that. I could have been treated as a disposable tool after using me a couple of times. I could very well not exist in this world anymore.

Even if I had survived until now, unlike that Gryphon, I probably wouldn’t have had anywhere to call home, nor would there be anyone who considered me family or a friend, leading a lonely existence.

In that sense, I felt an affinity for the Gryphon. And because of that, it was not a feeling I wanted to experience much.

“If you want, it’s fine to call this place home.”

Saying that felt a bit funny. It’s not like the Gryphon would use the word “home.” It can’t even talk like a person in the first place.

But it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t speak the Gryphon’s language. I don’t even know if it has a concept of it.

If this Gryphon has never experienced living among other Gryphons, then maybe this one is the same. Perhaps it understands human speech better than its own kind.

…Thinking that way just made me feel even more sorry for it.

Trying to ensure that that thought didn’t show on my face, I continued speaking.

“However, if you think of this as home, it would be problematic if you keep acting as you please. Since we are living together in the same home, there’s a certain etiquette we must maintain.”

The Gryphon simply stared at me. Its head was still far above my line of sight, and it didn’t seem like it had any intention of lowering it, but for some reason, I felt that its ‘looking down’ vibe was somewhat diminished.

“It’s not acceptable to fly off and eat the animals of the nearby farms. If you do that, it would create problems for the people living here.”

It’s not just about the livestock getting harmed. It’s easy enough to pay for the damages, but mending the hurt feelings is quite difficult.

Even if compensation were offered afterward, it wouldn’t change the fact that the livestock it raised was taken. Moreover, if the very culprit of the theft is the symbol of the Empire, the damage to reputation would surprisingly be significant. That’s why Alice has been careful in managing the Gryphon’s feed since that incident.

“And if you consider me as… family or an ally, please show some courtesy to my friends as well.”

I looked up at the Gryphon, which was silently observing me.

“If you can just abide by that rule, this place will always be your home.”

I didn’t quite know how long the Gryphon lived. Given that there hasn’t been much research on its biology, that’s understandable. It could very well be a creature that lives over a hundred years.

I’ve heard that several universities within the Empire are trying to contact us to study Gryphons.

Since it’s a creature raised by a Crown Princess, they can’t exactly dissect it, but it seems they want to conduct various experiments… well, if we consider it family, they shouldn’t be doing such things.

“…”

The Gryphon, after listening to my words until the end, looked down at me quietly, then slightly lowered its head.

I decided to take that as a sign that it understood what I was saying.

“Alright then.”

And I, like the Gryphon, also slightly bowed my head.

*

“I’ve heard that Gryphons are proud creatures.”

“It seems their sense of pride is different from that of humans.”

It was the first day of the cultural festival—a day before the last day of the year.

It had lightly snowed last night, but today the sky was clear.

I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

If it had snowed, no matter what, I wouldn’t have thought about flying in the sky. I was already sitting on the Gryphon’s back without any protective gear, and if I met snow there, it would’ve been not only cold but terrifying beyond imagination.

My visibility would be poor, my clothes would get wet and heavy, and if my gloves got soaked, my hands would freeze, making it impossible to hold on properly.

But because of that, I probably wouldn’t have felt the need to fly in such cold weather. The clear sky made me think about soaring like this instead.

Dressed in a thick winter coat and even wearing a furry cap like a pilot in an airplane, Jennifer looked at me and chuckled.

“The student council president must have been rambling.”

“That was what I took to heart.”

“I see.”

After hearing me, Jennifer looked up again to see the Gryphon.

While it was often sitting like a loaf when at the palace, now it was standing firmly on its four legs, looking down at both of us with a serious gaze.

But still, having spent quite a bit of time together, I knew exactly why the Gryphon was standing there.

There was no soft straw spread beneath us now. After all, we were on the roof of the academy’s main building.

That’s right. The Gryphon just disliked lying on a hard, cold surface.

Though it had never directly shown that attitude, the Gryphon always chose places that were sunny and had a soft floor to sit on. If it wasn’t, it would definitely be standing.

Still, even if it was a Gryphon, being that picky is a bit troublesome… well, it was indeed a Gryphon, but it had been raised by humans and was still being cared for by humans.

Even house cats and wild cats have very different lifestyles.

“So… um.”

Jennifer started to say something but then closed her mouth. Then she wore a thinking expression for a moment before asking me.

“So, what’s this Gryphon’s name?”

“Eh?”

“That ‘Gryphon’ is the species name. Nobody calls their pet dog just ‘dog’ when they have one.”

“….”

Oh… is that so?

Now that I think about it, I’ve just referred to it as ‘the Gryphon’ and didn’t even think about giving it a name. After all, this was the only Gryphon I could see in the Empire, and I didn’t really call it by name anyway.

But… thinking about it, maybe it would be better to name it?

When I looked up at the Gryphon, it also had a slightly puzzled look on its face as it was looking at me.

“…I haven’t decided yet.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m not its owner, so it’s not really my place to say anything.”

Jennifer shrugged and looked down toward the bottom of the building.

“It seems quite a few people have gathered. It’s probably going to start soon.”

“It seems so.”

I thought it was the case too. Students lined up, and there was a guest seat prepared in the back.

I could see the headmaster coming out to the podium placed in front of the lined-up students.

“Well then, I’ll start preparing.”

“Hmm, my father is looking forward to it. It seems it’s quite an emotional moment for him to directly see the symbol of the Empire in his lifetime. Even though he could have personally come and seen it, it’s likely he sent me here because he didn’t want to see it until he can see me soaring.”

Incidentally, it seems the headmaster was not present during the enrollment ceremony. He had already retired from the military, but the name Winterfield carries quite a bit of weight. It seems he went back to the military for a while in case the autonomous region tried to move.

“Since the Sword Saint is accompanying you, I’d like to hear the rest of that story soon. I’m curious about what kind of discussion took place between the two of you. It seems it must have been a pretty tough conversation, right? From how you’re dragging it out like this.”

“…….”

Ignoring Jennifer’s playful remark, I walked up to the Gryphon.

Chapter 304

The results of the flying show were successful.

I’m not sure if I should really call this a flying show.

In shows commonly referred to as air shows, planes usually leave colorful smoke trails behind them or perform all sorts of weird aerial maneuvers, but since the gryphon I’m riding is a living creature, it’s kind of hard to do that.

Moreover, the gryphon really hated having a saddle on its back or a bridle in its mouth, so there were many restrictions on its flying movements. If I were strapped tightly into a plane, I wouldn’t fly out even if it did a 360-degree spin, but just a 90-degree turn from the gryphon could send me flying off.

I only thought about this after the flight, but it might have been unnecessary for me to ride on the gryphon’s back. I’m not the one controlling or giving commands, anyway. It could have performed a more spectacular show all by itself if it had just flown solo.

Fwoosh!

But since the gryphon’s face looked extremely satisfied as it landed on the rooftop, I decided not to say anything like that.

Though I feel like I’m thinking ahead a bit too much, the fact that the gryphon trusts me enough to let me ride on its back speaks volumes. If I were to tell it to fly solo, it might not have done it.

Before we took off, there was Jennifer, but now it seems she’s gone down as well, leaving the rooftop empty.

This was my request. I didn’t want some random person the gryphon didn’t know to be up here and possibly cause an accident by touching it without permission.

I thought we had built some trust based on our previous conversation, but no matter how it is, I can’t know all its thoughts since I’m not the gryphon. The people around me are sensible, but among the noble guests sitting over there, there could be someone who treats the gryphon as mere livestock.

If the proud gryphon’s feelings were hurt… well, it won’t kill me, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.

“Excellent job!”

I pat the gryphon’s back gently as I get off.

Having flown down from the cold winter sky, my body had frozen up. Plus, I had tightly gripped its feathers to avoid falling off, so my hands felt stiff.

I shook my hands a few times without taking off my gloves and looked up at the gryphon.

As I confirmed a moment ago, the gryphon’s face looked really pleased. It seems like it enjoys showing off its own body in front of people.

Despite living so lazily, the gryphon’s body was in great shape. No, in fact, its feathers were shinier than when I first saw it. It looked like the effect of having expensive trainers who are renowned for breeding birds in the Imperial Capital was showing.

Well, having a prominent belly would be odd for a gryphon too.

… I should probably think about the fact that it’s not really gaining weight too. It might be a good idea to investigate how much a gryphon typically eats.

“If you want, you can go back and wait. It’s just going to be cold here.”

Considering the gryphon’s feathers, it shouldn’t be cold, but then again, sitting on that hard, chilly floor might not be very comfortable.

Upon hearing my words, the gryphon nodded once and took off.

Despite its size and wing span, there wasn’t a strong gust of wind as it lifted off, unlike a helicopter. With every flight, it seemed to be quieter and quieter.

Does using magic become more natural with experience?

If the gryphon is still growing, it’ll probably reach a level in a few years that I can barely imagine right now.

I’m not sure if I will still view the Imperial Palace as home by then.

*

After doing some stretches and confirming my body had warmed up a bit, I took off my fur hat.

I combed my hair, which was frizzing from static electricity, with my fingers to make it look decent, and after taking off my thick gloves, I opened the rooftop door and headed into the hallway.

The hallway was bustling with people.

Of course, the academy building is huge. Even with a few people, it doesn’t get crowded to the point that it’s hard to move forward. Moreover, only those certified can enter this space. Even if there are more people than usual, it won’t get as loud as a market.

Still, I have to admit that there was a much livelier atmosphere compared to usual.

No matter how many aristocratic kids and upper-class commoner kids gather, they are still kids. The first-year students had just turned 16, and even the fourth-year students are still only 19. Since it’s the end of the year, that age is accurate, but usually, the youngest students are 15. If you think of it as a mix from middle school to high school, it’s just a bunch of kids hanging out.

In keeping with the festive atmosphere, the classrooms had various decorations and things stuck up, but it still looked pretty childish, like it was made entirely by kids.

Using desks as stalls, and under those, hand-painted signs hanging from cloth.

… I don’t remember school festivals feeling this much like a ‘cultural festival’ when I was in high school. Of course, since this is a world with an original game, it makes sense that school culture festivals have a bit of ‘subculture’ vibe to them.

The top floor of the main building is occupied by fourth-years. Many students from the academy leave midway through the semester, so naturally, the number of fourth-years is the least among the grades.

But still, with four years of experience at the academy, you could see decorations that were relatively orderly and well-done.

Some of the students politely bowed when our eyes met.

These kids are going to enter society next year. Whether they are from noble families or the upper class of commoners, there’s no harm in making a good impression on someone like me, a member of the royal family.

I lightly nodded back and moved on.

As I went down each floor, the hallway got progressively louder. Naturally, it was to be expected since these were kids who’d have to wait many years before facing that reality.

A bit noisier, a bit more naive, a bit more… fun.

Oh right, even with all the events I’ve been through, I hadn’t really remembered that I’m now 16. I still have three more years to be here.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that nothing big will happen, but conversely, as long as nothing major happens, I can certainly afford to take it a bit easy.

Of course, my lack of ability means that studying will be much tougher, but… well, with everything else, I’ll end up worrying too much about grades anyway.

“Sister!”

As soon as I stepped into the first-floor hallway for first-year students, I heard a voice from afar.

It was Claire calling for me.

Feeling a bit lighter as I walked down the hallway, I turned around to face Claire and—

—froze.

Claire was running toward me, smiling brightly, and she looked really pretty. Well, that’s only natural. Besides Claire, all the heroines are beautiful too. Even the passerby extras in this game usually look pretty.

But the reason I froze wasn’t because of Claire’s beauty.

It was because of what Claire was wearing.

Claire was in a maid outfit.

“………………What is that outfit?”

When I asked, Claire twirled around cheerfully in front of me, the wide, long skirt of the maid outfit elegantly flared out.

But my heart wasn’t at ease watching it.

Ah, right.

It’s the ‘festival’ in the game.

This is a cultural festival that features a bunch of cute female characters and even has romantic elements involved.

While it’s rare to see maid cafés in real school festivals, strangely enough, they are a staple in cultural festivals in subculture content.

And it was the same in the Chronicles of Aetherna that I played.

“It’s a maid outfit!”

Well, I know it’s a maid outfit.

“By the way, all the girls in our class are wearing them. The shop hasn’t opened yet, but we need to prepare ahead of time, right?”

“Is that so?”

“……Huh? Why do you sound like you’re talking about someone else?”

At my reply, Claire tilted her head while speaking.

“I told you, all the girls in our class are wearing them!”

“……Even Alice?”

“Of course!”

She had a look that seemed to say I was asking a silly question.

“So, you should wear one too.”

“…….”

Hmm.

Thinking back, maids still exist in this world. And those are the kind of maids that die-hard fans picture when they think of maid outfits.

So, from the perspective of living in this world, wearing a maid outfit might not be much different from wearing clothes from other professions.

… It’s not really cosplaying in my opinion, but that’s what it is.

“C’mon, c’mon, this way! I have one ready for you too!”

Claire hooked her arm through mine and pulled me along while exclaiming.

Ah, now that I think about it, I haven’t given any opinion about the cultural festival to Claire or Alice.

… It might have been a good idea to express some thoughts? If I could avoid the maid outfit, I guess I could put up with looking a little out of place.

It’s not like I can say much after wearing a bunny girl costume before, though.

Chapter 305

“Is someone who is a Crown Princess really dressed like that?”

Chirp chirp!

“Are you starting a fight as soon as you see me?”

Grrrrr!

The classroom was still a bit chaotic, as it hadn’t officially opened yet.

Whoosh!

Still, everything except for the desks and chairs for the students had been cleared away, and they had brought in round tables and chairs that looked quite suitable for a regular café, but there were still some scattered supplies and tools left on the desks.

Clatter clatter!

Everyone seemed to have changed into employee-style outfits.

Swish!

…Thinking about it, I might be the only one who sees this as a ‘maid café’. In this world, maids and female servants are almost indistinguishable. It’s just that maids helping high-ranking individuals tend to wear slightly more modest clothing.

Ding ding!

If you’re in a black dress with a white apron, that’s maid attire, so given the time period, it made sense.

Wink wink!

“It’s a cultural festival. We’re wearing these just to enjoy ourselves, so what’s the big deal?”

Ta-da!

And it seemed I wasn’t wrong, as Alice promptly replied to me like that.

Puff puff!

“And if we don’t experience this now, when else will we? Since we’re royalty, that aside, all the kids here are from noble families.”

Bazinga!

Is she talking about some kind of commoner experience?

Hmm…

But thinking about it, that kinda makes sense. Even if the kids here weren’t all from noble families, it’s common to sell things at high school cultural festivals for money. At universities, they even sell food. It’s like a brief job experience.

Cha-ching!

Of course, just because one has such experiences doesn’t mean they’re something special. Especially here, since these kids are nobility. Even if not everyone who enters is a noble, there’s no way they’d act like it was an ordinary store once they realize they’re dealing with kids from noble families.

Shifty eyes!

“…”

Dum dum…

But still, something felt off about it.

Bzzzt!

I didn’t even know why I couldn’t come to terms with it. It’s not like I have any grand pride as a Crown Princess to get offended by being in such a position.

Whoosh!

Above all, I had already worn a bunny girl outfit with Alice.

Blush blush!

“So, are you not going to wear it?”

Doom doom!

Seeing me suddenly zip my lips, Alice asked. Her voice was a bit softer than when she reacted earlier.

Squeaky!

“Well, if you really don’t want to wear it, you don’t have to. Participation in the cultural festival is free. You’ve already come down here and worked hard since this morning.”

Chirp!

“…”

Silence!

Her voice didn’t sound teasing but genuinely felt sincere, making my heart twitch with confusion.

Thump thump!

When I came to my senses, the kids around were all looking at me. Of course, Alice, the Crown Princess, was already in maid attire, so it wasn’t that the situation was wrong, but the one who raised an objection was the Empire’s prestigious noble beneath this. It was only natural for them to feel tense.

Gulp gulp!

If I refused to wear the maid outfit and turned away, the atmosphere would sink throughout the cultural festival.

Whoosh!

“… No, I will wear it.”

Ding ding!

Rather than feeling pushed by the atmosphere, I thought to myself, now or never.

Deep breath!

I still had some lingering resistance, and I couldn’t tell where that resistance came from.

Fsss!

“Great, then.”

Yay!

As Alice shrugged her shoulders, the kids who were looking at me worriedly let out a sigh of relief. The children who had been frozen in place started bustling about again, returning life to the classroom.

Vroom vroom!

“Ta-da!”

Ta-da!

And then Claire, who seemed to believe I would naturally wear it, cheerfully held out the maid outfit to me.

Jazz hands!

It was the traditional maid outfit—whether this design truly was ‘traditional’ or just an image solidified by subculture, I couldn’t decide. Anyway, it was the black-and-white traditional maid outfit usually thought of by otaku.

Bing bing!

“Did you buy all these maid outfits with the budget?”

Confusion!

“Huh? No? I borrowed them?”

Shrug!

“We’re in a noble class. Anyone here can get something like this easily.”

Klutz!

Oh, right.

Ding!

Looking closely, none of them had the exact same design. They were generally in good condition and had similar designs, but the sizes of the ruffled parts on the shoulders and the lace on the aprons differed slightly. It didn’t look like they were all made from the same place.

Aha!

“… Is there any chance the lace part is a bit smaller?”

Brring brring!

The outfit Claire showed me had a ruffled lace part on the shoulders that was a bit too big—like it could hide my blush if I tried. It felt more cosplay-like because, perhaps?

Honk honk!

“Huh? Oh, the sister’s size was specially set aside, so this is all I have… should I ask?”

Hmm…

“… No, I’ll just wear it.”

Decision time!

Listening to Claire, I held my breath and took the outfit.

Whoosh!

*

The reason I felt inexplicable resistance to wearing the maid outfit was soon revealed.

Duh duh!

When I wore the bunny girl outfit, I had actually thought I was in front of people who didn’t know me. A little embarrassment felt brave because I thought I wouldn’t have to see them again after passing by.

Whoosh!

And above all, Alice was already in the bunny girl costume, and it was obvious that if I didn’t wear it, Alice would be sneaking around in that outfit alone. I felt like I had no choice but to wear it just to cover that situation.

Quick thinking!

But now… well, I was also pushed to wear it against my will, but the vibe was similar.

Uh oh!

It might be the case, but—

Hmm…

“Thank you, Crown Princess.”

Giggle!

“No, I’m just doing what I should be doing.”

Blip!

—The noble who received the tea a moment ago was someone I recognized from my memory.

Flashback!

Mostly from my memories of the ‘world within a fantasy.’

Brainstorm!

In my original timeline, I rarely attended balls or parties. There was no need to.

Boring!

I could obtain all the information I wanted without ingratiating myself with the nobility, and if it came to it, I could just have them assassinated.

Shh shh!

But in that fantasy world, to deceive the Emperor, I moved in another way, and that was the image I had constructed as ‘the White and Black Lily of Grace’s Estate.’

Ta-da!

Honestly, I didn’t want that nickname. It was just something that had stuck to me somehow.

Ding ding!

Whether it was a lily or a white lily, what’s up with the ‘black and white lily’? Tell me, isn’t that an absurd nickname?

Geez!

And now in front of me stood the Duke, one of the middle-aged men I had talked to back then.

Eyes bulging!

As a high-ranking noble, he didn’t seem to look at me as a woman, but it was humiliating enough to have to wear a maid outfit in front of someone I clearly had connections with from my memories.

Facepalm!

“… Um?”

Indicator!

Moreover, yes.

Bing!

On that day, when the power of the goddess was broken, people began to recall buried memories.

Duh duh duh!

Of course, most were just passing memories or overlapping memories with previous ones, so they probably forgot entirely, and if someone did have a distinct memory, they would think it was some dream.

Dreamy!

Even if I had had the nickname when I was a princess, I had been the daughter of Grace’s Estate in that fantasy world, after all.

Reality check!

“What’s the matter?”

Hmm?

“Oh, it’s nothing. I think I must have just been mistaken.”

Oops!

“Is that so?”

Confused!

The Duke, who had looked up at me with a puzzled expression for a moment, quickly shook his head.

Nope!

That makes sense. No matter what, he couldn’t ask a Crown Princess, “Are you perhaps born from Baron Grace’s Estate?”

Awkward!

And the fact that I was from the orphanage was a widely known story among the high nobility.

Whispers!

The rumor that the Emperor’s children really had his blood hadn’t leaked, at least not yet. If that story spread, it might cause a justification of “We must rescue the imperial descendants captured in Velbur.”

Wham!

In the end, the Empire would likely end up receiving the new revelation, but at least until then, the secret needed to remain a secret.

Shh!

“Well then, I’ll excuse myself due to the other guests…”

Ding!

“Oh, I see. Sorry to hold you up. Please enjoy your tea.”

Cheers!

Upon my words, the Duke came back to his senses and nodded again. I politely bowed my waist and turned away from him.

Twirl!

…And I saw the guests filling the shop.

Gasp!

They were all familiar faces. Mostly faces I had gotten to know while having the nickname ‘White and Black Lily’.

Blush!

Ah, I see.

Eureka!

This is why I didn’t want to wear the maid outfit.

D’oh!

If I talk too much, buried memories might come rushing back. Even if it’s a foolish dream, I didn’t want to think that there could be something strange if other nobles talked too much among themselves.

Yikes!

Of course, even so, it wouldn’t become a fact that I was the daughter of Grace’s Estate.

Sci-fi!

“…”

Exhale!

Oh, I’m already tired.

Slump!

Looking at the clock on the wall, it hadn’t even been ten minutes since the start of my shift.

Time flies!

I felt like the world before my eyes was becoming dim.

Fade out!

Chapter 306

The best way to avoid mixing with people is to stay busy.

I was someone who really hated being busy, but I had no choice if I wanted to avoid awakening the deep subconscious memories about me sleeping within the aristocrats filling this place.

I kept my conversations short and served as many guests as possible in that brief time.

Should I be thankful? There were quite a few guests who were not aristocrats here. The parents or siblings of commoner students. They managed to get in after passing the academy’s strict identity checks, so they couldn’t be treated like ordinary commoners.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like people were looking at me strangely. No, some aristocrats even showed blatant relief when I passed by without bothering to speak to them.

The situation hadn’t been fully revealed yet, but from what I could see, it was a situation where the ‘Emperor’ was countered and another emperor took his place. The high nobility couldn’t help but be tense, as we could support either side; they just didn’t know which.

Honestly, if I hadn’t been surrounded by the noble children with Alice—my friends—there could have been a near-rebellion in such a situation. The existing emperor was abruptly ousted for whatever reason, and foreign forces were involved. In a way, the empire’s prestige was openly shaken.

If, at that time, Winterfield hadn’t held its troops firmly, and if Lindbergh hadn’t held onto its neutrality, and if the only heir of Crowfield wasn’t by my side… I could only imagine what the imperial nobles would have thought.

Plus, there was that gryphon I rode on.

In such a situation, if I had to interact with the emperor or show off a gryphon, I couldn’t really complain if I hesitated.

“Hoo…”

After dealing with a wealthy commoner, I returned to the kitchen and let out a small sigh.

Most commoners knew I was a princess, so they were a little scared of me, but that particular commoner, knowing that I was ‘the target’ and being somewhat acquainted with either his daughter or me, was a bit clingy.

“Baker is quite impressive.”

Alice said with a somewhat astonished expression as I barely finished the conversation and returned.

Before I arrived, Alice had been stuck in conversation for quite a while, so it made sense.

That person seemed to have come in calculatingly from the moment they entered. Deliberately drinking tea and eating dessert at a speed that seemed to be timed for when Alice or I would pass.

“She seems a bit different from Lily.”

“Well, she is an entrepreneur. Even if she feels scared inside, she often has to overcome that fear to seize opportunities.”

“Is that really a fearful look?”

Alice looked again at Lily Baker’s father, who was sitting leisurely with his wife and enjoying tea time, without a hint of fear.

“…Perhaps they are naturally fearless, which is why they managed to rise to where they are as commoners. Perhaps Miss Baker inherited her character from her mother.”

In reality, Mrs. Baker was glancing over this way, worried that her husband might be overstepping etiquette.

“Why the change in words?”

Alice replied with a chuckle.

Seeing me shrug my shoulders, it seemed she felt a little reassured. It appeared that her earlier remark about ‘you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to’ was somewhat of a hollow comfort.

I suppose that if I didn’t enjoy the school festival properly, I would have been worried too. Plus, since the actual person was genuinely enjoying themselves, it might feel awkward.

… I overreacted earlier.

I needed to be cautious while talking with the guests, but nonetheless, it was quite enjoyable. While having to hurry around and work was slightly bothersome, chatting with close friends in the gaps was enjoyable, and it truly felt like I was at a ‘school festival.’ Thinking back, I hadn’t properly enjoyed the festivals in high school or college either.

In high school, the festival was just a day with slightly shorter classes, and in college… well, I didn’t like drinking much. I was known as a wallflower in my department.

I didn’t even have any interest in celebrities, so I never went to concerts featuring invited singers.

So, being here with friends like this… wasn’t bad at all.

“Hah… why are there so many guests…?”

While Alice and I were talking, Mia slid into our conversation.

It was something unthinkable back then. Mia speaking up first and wearing a maid outfit to part-time at a café. Though this is a bit much to call part-time.

“That’s because opportunities to receive service from noble young ladies like us will be rare in the future. Plus, given it’s a place where their sons or daughters are present, it’s only natural they would show up.”

Indeed, I noticed quite a few people briefly chatting with their daughters or sons, who were doing another job instead of serving. Everyone had happy faces as they laughed.

Noble children grow up as nobles from the moment they are born. While it might seem like a family doesn’t have affection for each other if they only create stories like that, seeing happy faces in person feels different.

“…”

Indeed, it was a distant topic from the three of us here.

I heard that Count Crowfield’s wife didn’t come today. From how Mia was keeping quiet, it seemed that if it wasn’t her, she might have been planning something using that incident as a stepping stone.

Mia was hesitant to talk about it, but maybe we should have a good conversation about it later. If there’s anything I can help with, I want to.

“… By the way, the food made by the kids is quite tasty. It seems to lack something compared to what’s made in the café, though.”

Realizing she had misspoken, Alice awkwardly shifted the conversation.

“Of course, it has to be tasty. It’s a menu using the Velbur-style recipe I brought.”

And the one who saved Alice was not Mia, who was nearby, but Charlotte, who happened to pass by.

Though it might be described as ‘just happened to,’ I wondered if she truly just happened to pass by. Among the nobility and royalty I saw, Charlotte was quite clever, so maybe she timed it on purpose.

“Aren’t we supposed to refrain from interfering with the children’s decisions?”

“But it’s also not right to ignore those who asked for help.”

In response to my question, Charlotte held her chin up proudly and spoke confidently.

“The imperial folks tend to lack culinary skills.”

That wasn’t entirely untrue.

The Empire of Aetherna was inspired by England, and of course, ‘tea time’ also existed just like England.

I heard that thanks to the existence of tea time, even desserts flourished in England, so there was little chance of being one-sidedly edged out in this regard. True, parfaits are Velbur desserts.

“… Are you saying that because you can cook?”

Exactly.

Nobles or royals hardly ever had to cook for themselves. Unless they completely fell into decay and needed to live like commoners, which was highly unlikely.

“…”

At Alice’s comment, Charlotte briefly looked speechless, but soon regained her confidence.

“Well, since I needed to pass on the recipe, I at least know how to do it now.”

“…”

Alice narrowed her eyes at Charlotte’s words but chose not to say anything more.

“By the way, are we just going to keep wasting time here? Others over there are diligently moving around. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate to not work just because we’re royalty?”

“We were about to get back to work anyway.”

Truthfully, I wanted to hang out a little longer.

But Charlotte was right. While no one could question us if we didn’t work, that didn’t mean negative feelings wouldn’t arise. No matter how much we intended to do the work with a half-playful heart, if some were working and some were playing, discontent would inevitably grow.

“I’ve rested enough—”

However, just before Alice could tell me it was time to work again,

“H-Her Highness.”

Someone approached us first.

It was a boy from our class. Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem to be here for work.

With a startled face, looking half-astonished.

“What’s the matter?”

Though he faced us, his gaze was mostly directed at me, so I answered on behalf of everyone.

“Could you look over there?”

The boy pointed to the window, behind which we were standing.

“…”

Following the boy’s hand, my gaze turned to—

… right outside the first-floor window, a gryphon was sitting and peering into the classroom.

Wait, there should be a flowerbed outside with expensive flowers planted, right?

Chapter 307

I rushed outside, and as expected, the flowerbed was in complete shambles. Sigh…

Could it be that the roof was just too cold and hard, prompting me to find a warm spot?

The classroom had a nice window for sunlight, and of course, the flowerbed underneath was a perfect place to bask in the sun.

The soil there was also nice and soft.

For the Gryphon, it might have been the optimal sunbathing spot.

“Are you a cat?”

Seeing that mess, I just couldn’t hold my tongue.

Um… no. Now that I think about it, it was quite a plausible thing to say. Sure, its face and upper body resembled a bird of prey, but the back end was a lion. And lions belong to the cat family, right? Whether a lion sits like it’s baking bread is a mystery to me, though.

The Gryphon tilted its head at my words.

And only then did I realize that I was wearing a maid outfit while jumping in front of the Gryphon… but well, that’s beside the point. This was way more urgent.

It felt slightly off to say the Gryphon caused a massive disaster, but the spot it was sitting on was the flowerbed. Naturally, its big body didn’t fit there. There was a little brick wall marking the flowerbed’s corner, but part of it was now crushed under the Gryphon’s weight.

“You said it was okay to go home.”

But for some reason, it seemed like the Gryphon had no intention of heading home.

“Well… at least we could pay for the damages.”

Alice said that beside me, but I couldn’t relax at her words.

“It’s not just about money. If the Gryphon is to continue living in human society, it has to learn how humans live. If it keeps causing damages like this…”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Alice understood my concerns immediately since she witnessed the Gryphon stealing livestock alongside me.

“But often, pets that don’t know anything cause problems. If it doesn’t bring major harm to lives or property, I think this is just a minor issue worth letting go.”

“…That’s because incidents caused by pets usually aren’t that big of a deal.”

As long as dogs or cats don’t bite someone to death, their antics are usually just small annoyances.

Sure, people might want to strangle the cat that scratched their car sitting on the hood, but imagine if that was a Gryphon doing the same thing.

It would definitely not be something you could brush off as just the actions of an unknowingly innocent animal.

“…Hmm.”

As I shot a stern look at the Gryphon again, Alice tilted her head and chuckled.

“You’re really worried about it, huh?”

“Excuse me?”

I looked at Alice, trying to convey my confusion, and she just grinned like a Cheshire cat.

“It’s that you’re worried others might reject it. That’s why you scold it every time it makes a mistake.”

The Gryphon, who had been shifting its gaze around while watching me talk with Alice, now stared at me intensely after hearing her words.

“What are you looking at?”

“There’s no need to deny it so much! And it’s only been a month since it started living here. You said it seems young. It’s smart enough to understand what we said a few times, so isn’t it much calmer now than when it first came? Maybe give it a bit more time?”

Listening to Alice, I was left dumbfounded.

“…Are you saying, ‘How could it have such mature thoughts?’”

“…”

Ignoring Alice’s complaints for the moment, I turned my gaze back to the Gryphon.

As always, it had that unapologetic look on its face for messing up.

Even so, Alice had a point. I had scolded it after it had gone out and snatched livestock. Back then, like now, it pretended to listen and then didn’t cause any similar problems after that.

I thought it was because the people feeding it came and went more often, but now that I reflect, it might actually understand.

“Anyway, I’d like you to be a bit more considerate of your surroundings.”

As I looked at Alice, Charlotte joined in.

After her words, I glanced around and noticed people were gathering around us.

They didn’t seem scared of the Gryphon.

Despite its ferocious appearance and fierce depictions in stories, it had never eaten a person. And every time the Gryphon appeared in public, it did so with me on its back. Honestly, it felt ridiculous to expect people to be scared of a Gryphon that had become such a familiar sight.

“See, people aren’t really that scared. The Gryphon doesn’t look like it’s about to attack either. Isn’t it better to relax a bit?”

“…”

I looked back at the Gryphon.

As it held its head high and gazed down at me, I started to see it a bit differently after hearing Alice’s words.

True, even with that lofty attitude, it was still a socially awkward nerd with no friends. If it had any, it was just ‘humans’ like me.

“Understood.”

I said that to the Gryphon.

And then—

“But let’s get one thing straight. If there’s a place that someone has worked hard to create, you mustn’t trample on whatever is inside it—be it livestock or flowers. It’s someone’s labor of love.”

“…”

“And if you can’t maintain even that basic courtesy, I can’t be with you. If you want to have an equal relationship, you should also respect me.”

“…”

The Gryphon’s expression didn’t change after hearing my words.

But,

“Ah.”

From among the gathered crowd came a sound. It was an impressed noise.

The Gryphon was slowly getting to its feet, showing off.

I was a little worried it might sulk and head home after what I said, but it didn’t seem that way.

It acted as if it was going to clearly show it was fulfilling my request, moving slowly and lazily stepping aside before plopping back down.

Um, that’s a path meant for people to walk, you know.

While the Gryphon sitting down didn’t completely block the way, I doubt anyone would feel comfortable passing by it.

Well… it was better than it sitting in the flowerbed, I guess.

I examined the spot where the Gryphon had raised itself. Just as expected, all the flowers lay flattened beside it. Thanks to its sharp claws digging into the ground, it looked like it would take more effort to replant rather than starting fresh with the flowerbed.

As I raised my gaze back to the Gryphon, it quickly averted its eyes.

So it at least realized it messed up.

Maybe it would be better to cut down on its food as a lesson.

As I pondered this seriously,

“Crown Princess?”

Someone called me cautiously.

“…Headmaster.”

As I responded politely, Abraham Winterfield, the headmaster of the academy, lightly bowed his head toward me.

But his gaze was directed at the Gryphon.

“Indeed, as I heard, it’s a magnificent sight.”

And there was awe in his voice as he said that.

He seemed to ignore the broken flowerbed, so I subtly moved to stand between him and the flowerbed. Alice and Charlotte seemed to notice my action but chose not to comment.

For a while, the headmaster looked silently at the Gryphon before raising one hand hesitantly toward it, a slightly bewildered expression on his face as he looked at me.

“Am I… perhaps…?”

Feeling embarrassed to utter his intention, he couldn’t finish his sentence.

“…”

I looked at the hand he raised. Then, I glanced at the Gryphon, and it was also looking at that hand.

To put it bluntly, the Gryphon looked outright displeased. No one could tell how it appeared to others, though.

I boldly rode it and assumed it hated the touch of old men?

And looking at that Gryphon’s expression, a good idea came to me.

“It’s fine. It’s a sweetie.”

“…!”

The Gryphon’s head whipped around to face me. Its eyes widened as if it couldn’t believe I said that.

But ignoring the look of resentment, I continued.

“It loves people. It’ll easily accept a gentle touch.”

“But the reaction a moment ago…”

“It loves people too much.”

“Is that so?”

Though he looked a bit uncertain, he seemed to choose to believe my words in the end.

As I watched the headmaster approach cautiously, the Gryphon looked back at me.

I shot a stern look at it.

If you did something wrong, you should be punished.

Try running away. Next time, I’ll bring the orphanage kids with me.

Chapter 308

The café decided to close at the end of tea time.

Originally, it wasn’t set up to be a full-fledged café. The noble kids didn’t really need the money, and it was such a pity to not enjoy the cultural festival properly.

There was a method of alternating shifts, but anyway, the number of guests would drop significantly after tea time. The number of guests that came into the academy was limited, and those who came once weren’t likely to stop by again multiple times.

Moreover, the academy’s festival didn’t just end with the academy itself.

Even though the new year was still a day away, the atmosphere outside the academy was already filled with year-end celebration vibes. Having dressed differently than usual, I understood the desire to roam around with friends and enjoy the atmosphere to the fullest.

And to be honest, I felt the same way.

“It looks like the B-class kids are putting on a play.”

Alice said while looking over the guide she had prepared in advance.

Usually so high and mighty like a Gryphon, she actually seemed pretty excited. I’ve spent my childhood with friends and, being an old enough guy, I wasn’t as thrilled as Alice, who spent her childhood without friends.

Seeing Alice so happy warmed my heart a bit. At least her teenage years would be shining, I thought.

“Didn’t Jake go to help the C-class?”

Alice nodded as if that was the case, not seeing my expression because she was absorbed in the guide. Charlotte and I exchanged glances, but we just laughed it off. I didn’t want to provoke Alice’s pride and see her sulk throughout the festival.

Just like that, Jake was supposed to assist in the C-class activities. There were boys in the C-class too, but it seemed like it was better for the play if Jake was the main character.

What was it about, exactly? Was it a steamy affair with the Gold Sun as a character? For sure, a noble with the looks of the Gold Sun would fit right in if it was an NTR (netorare) scenario among commoners.

Was this story acceptable by today’s standards?

“The play itself isn’t that long. About 30 minutes? Before going outside, it should be fine to catch it once, don’t you think?”

Alice looked up from the guide and said to us.

No, to be precise, it was three of us. Charlotte and I had stopped Mia, who was trying to dash off to the dorm right after finishing her work.

“I think it’ll be fine since it’s right nearby.”

“We should definitely watch since it’s our friends’ play.”

“I… I just want to take a bit of a break…”

Sadly, Mia’s brave statement was not accepted.

By the way, Claire decided to join us after finishing her work. At first, Leo was supposed to gather with us, but after seeing Sophia subtly lingering around him while working at the café, he seemed to change his mind.

I think he thought, ‘I shouldn’t interfere with my brother’s love life,’ but why was he so proactive about interfering when he misunderstood that I liked Leo?

“We still have a bit of time, but since there’s nothing else to do, let’s go ahead and wait.”

We nodded at Charlotte’s words.

*

The reason they took another guy from a different class as the protagonist was clear as soon as you saw the casting.

The heroine was Roti.

Moreover, the genre was romance.

Looking at it this way, I thought the C-class kids probably didn’t invite anyone else; Jake likely had insisted he’d do it.

And…

“…It is a play, but is that really okay?”

Alice, with slightly flushed cheeks, said seriously.

“If it’s according to Velbur standards, it shouldn’t be impossible. It’s just a bit concerning that the actor is a noble…”

And Charlotte also had a slight blush on her cheeks.

“That’s impressive, you two…”

Mia looked a bit dazed.

The play was a romance story between two people in a love that was hard to realize. In simple terms, it was like a Romeo and Juliet story.

With the time shortened to 30 minutes, the story was quite rapidly developed, and from the middle, the villains dropped out so easily that I wondered if there was any point in them showing up.

But, there was definitely one passionate kiss scene.

It was an intense one.

Even if there was a kiss scene, it was likely Jake’s desire that prompted it.

In fact, after that, Roti couldn’t deliver her lines properly. It was obvious to anyone that her flustered state wasn’t acting but genuine.

By the way, the story was written by Lily Baker, and it seems she was the one who subtly called for Jake as well.

The actual writer was left speechless by the sight.

“Is Roti going to be okay…?”

Mia asked cautiously. Up until Roti was pulled off the stage by Jake after the play ended, she had seemed a bit lost, so it was natural for her to be worried.

But I wasn’t too worried.

Both of them had been getting really close recently, it was clear. In fact, Jake was almost always in Roti’s class during break times, hard to spot his face otherwise.

During the unexpected long holiday, they both would have gone to and returned from Lindbergh territory together.

That implies…

“…”

Ah, but I genuinely wanted both of them to be happy. I really did. I even tried to give them a nudge now and then to help them get together.

However, I never wished for them to be that happy.

It’s just that I didn’t have anyone to go out with now—

—No, right, that’s it. It’s the jealousy of a solo person burning because he has no partner. So what?

The two of them would probably be somewhere whispering sweet nothings to each other. They might even be quarreling cutely about what happened earlier, just like a couple.

“… I guess the two of them will handle things just fine, so let’s go elsewhere. We might get caught again by Miss Baker’s father if we stay here.”

“Oh, right.”

Alice snapped back to her senses at my words.

“Let’s switch places and think about it. I mean, it’s not that I dislike that person, but I don’t want to talk about work on a day off.”

It seemed she couldn’t bear to speak ill of a classmate’s father to his face, so Alice said that.

*

When I was a child, I would get excited as New Year approached.

Growing older and becoming an adult was enjoyable, and the thought of being one step closer to freedom from studies was also nice.

I liked the feeling of spending another year and welcoming a new one. I enjoyed meeting friends during the holidays packed at the year-end and aimlessly wandering outside during break.

I wondered when I stopped liking those things so much.

Maybe it was when I started working.

Even with no exams or being crushed by studies, there were no vacations.

Since my work hours differed from my friends, I had to coordinate the schedule well in advance to meet them.

Working late every night without a long break made any idle time precious, and if I had free time, I’d just stay home to recover my energy.

As those same days continued consecutively, even when the date changed, I didn’t feel any different. I wondered how it might have been if I had forced myself out.

“Do you remember?”

“What memory are you talking about?”

“Ever since you came, you’ve invited me to spend the first day together every year.”

“Did I?”

Hearing Alice’s words, Charlotte reacted with surprise.

“It wasn’t anything special. We hadn’t been together that long; you just occasionally came to my room for tea, or vice versa.”

Indeed, that did happen.

At least I attended school, and there wasn’t even such a thing in this world.

Alice was always alone in her room.

It was only natural that she’d compare me to her daily grind of work.

But, since my imagination was too lacking to do anything, all I did was visit her once at the end of the year and once at the start of the year to say hello and share a cup of tea.

“…”

Neither Alice nor I felt particularly thankful for that act. In fact, if I were to trace back, Alice in her younger days seemed to be very wary of me.

“Just, I thought of it for no reason. Tomorrow is the last day, but I might forget again when it actually comes.”

“If that’s the case—”

After pondering briefly upon hearing that story, I said, “Then this year, let’s have a little gathering among friends.”

“Eh?”

Seeing Alice blink, I shrugged.

“Well, since we’ll end up at the academy that day anyway. I think spending the last day of the year with friends wouldn’t be bad.”

“That’s true…”

Alice glanced at Charlotte and Mia.

Neither of them seemed to have any objections. Even Mia nodded her head!

“Then shall we go with that?”

“Let’s do it that way.”

After responding to Alice, I quietly gazed at the street in front of me.

Everyone was laughing joyously. As if they wanted to forget all their hardships and troubles, at least for today.

Someone must have brought a stereo and played some carols, for the sounds added to the street’s bustling atmosphere.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have liked this much noise either.

Was it because I wasn’t alone in this chaos?

Just walking around without any specific actions or words like this—

Honestly, it was quite enjoyable.

Chapter 309

The list of friends invited to the party included all the names of the kids who were with me at the Papal State that day.

Now that I think about it, as the one who suggested such an idea, it’s a bit too late to say this, but gathering friends on the last day of the year isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Sure, there are some friends who want to celebrate the new year by clinking beer glasses with others outside, but honestly, when you reach around thirty, some of them start to get girlfriends and wonder if they should get married or not—and those guys usually want to spend the day with their girlfriends.

Not that I could crash into that situation. Of course, it’s not just me and my two friends gathering; if it were a meeting where everyone came together, sometimes friends would bring their girlfriends to introduce them. But since I don’t have a girlfriend, I skipped those kinds of gatherings altogether.

…So what I want to say is, there are people who don’t particularly want to spend January 1st with friends.

If not that, it’s often a family affair on January 1st anyway.

Especially if the person is aristocratic, I remembered that the day after suggesting the idea.

“Huh? Isn’t that not a big deal?”

But Alice reacted as if it was nothing after hearing me.

“Among nobles, those who like to party never miss the last day of the year or the first day’s banquet, right?”

…Ah, that’s true.

Because they’re ‘nobles.’ While many think of attending a banquet as a chore, there are plenty who enjoy the banquet for what it is.

Naturally, there would be a party on January 1st as well.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

And I quickly came to accept it.

Among my friends, there’s no one who enjoys such parties. Well, maybe Charlotte could go for it, but even then, it seems more like she just thinks she has to go rather than truly enjoying herself.

If she really wanted to enjoy it, there have been countless banquets even within the Imperial Capital. No one would stop her if she dropped the royal name, but from the looks of it, she doesn’t seem to be one for enjoying banquets.

Alice acted like she didn’t attend such places because she was busy studying, but deep down, I suspect it’s just her nature.

Even in that fantasy world, after I purposefully built a reputation and became somewhat famous, Alice still didn’t show up at any banquets for a long time. She hadn’t even considered it in the first place.

Claire, who spent time with Alice like that, was no different.

Claire’s brother, Leo, is the same. Otherwise, there’s no way a person could be that clueless. Male nobles nearly always have to dance at a banquet, after all.

Even if Roti attended, she wouldn’t have been treated properly as a noble, and Jake would have participated in the banquet to protect Roti, so he certainly didn’t enjoy himself much either. After all, he’s just escorting women around, yet the only one he’s actually dating is Roti.

Sofia probably wouldn’t be able to fit in at such a grand banquet because her disguised identity isn’t high enough. Plus, being a devoutly religious person, I doubt she would’ve liked it much either.

Mia… well, there’s really no need to imagine how she’d feel.

“What’s up?”

Alice asked, looking at my expression.

“Uh, it’s just… I’m surprised to find out there isn’t a single typical noble among the people around me.”

“I don’t get why you think you’re the most unique one here,” Alice replied with a laugh as if she found it ridiculous.

I couldn’t think of a rebuttal.

*

When I first suggested the idea, it wasn’t about throwing a grand party.

Just as Alice thought, it was simply an informal suggestion to sit and drink tea together. If anyone really wanted to drink, I would gladly sponsor that.

“…Why is there a box of alcohol on the table?”

Right. A box full of alcohol was proudly sitting on the round table meant for the tea set.

It wasn’t even high-quality alcohol. In fact, it was the kind of liquor that didn’t quite suit noble families. The reason I knew that is because I had heard that it was often used for cooking purposes.

“It’s the best to drink heavily on a day like this. Plus, if you use expensive liquor for that purpose, the taste doesn’t stand out,” Jennifer replied, who had placed the box on the table.

“Well, don’t worry, I’m not planning to give any of you students alcohol,” she added.

I seriously regretted inviting Jennifer.

“I apologize for what my student doesn’t know.”

Then, blocking the view of my apologetic self, the Sword Saint placed a very old-looking bottle on the alcohol box, as if he’d just dusted it off.

It wasn’t even a glass bottle. Judging by its white porcelain, it looked like some strong liquor imported from the far east.

“First, before drinking heavily, you savor the expensive liquor. That way, you can tell what makes good liquor good. Don’t worry too much. I’m not planning to give it to rookies who don’t even know the taste of alcohol,” he said.

And now I regretted calling the Sword Saint.

Since the people who were with me that day should be invited, it felt rude not to, but after inviting him, he immediately started bringing in all this alcohol, as if he had made up his mind.

“Really? You really won’t let the students drink, right?”

Our homeroom teacher, Carolyn, asked.

While it isn’t illegal for us to drink, depending on the observer, some might frown upon it, while others could be more lenient. Generally, educators tend to look unfavorably on it.

Well, it would be enough if I just didn’t drink, but the issue was the location.

The reason I picked my room was that I genuinely wanted to have ‘tea time.’

So why am I suddenly having all these things coming into my room?

The formerly bare room was now decorated with pink lace hanging from various places.

“Oh, that.”

When I asked, Alice rolled her eyes and explained.

“They said they were told that several nobles would be invited to your room. Since the people visiting are all important in their own right, they took it to mean that it was going to be quite a gathering. So it seems the staff have interpreted it as a banquet.”

Moreover, that ‘party’ was scheduled for today.

In the end, combined with the tight timeline and the bureaucratic situation of the Imperial Palace, and with the Crown Princess offering a testimony, it seems that they concluded with “we need to get banquet preparations done right away.” Apparently, the whole process was so rushed that no one even questioned why the banquet location was not a banquet hall.

“…”

With a dumbfounded look on my face, I stared at Alice, who quickly averted her gaze.

“Big sister!”

And someone else butted in between us.

“Since we’re all gathered, let’s take a picture! The first-year class is nearing its end. When else would we have such a great day for photos?”

Claire, appearing with a camera, sparkled with excitement.

“…”

I surveyed the table piled high with alcohol, the busy servants decorating the room, and the guests caught between it all, not knowing what to do.

I decided it would be better to stay outside until the preparations were done.

“Alright, then let’s take the picture in the courtyard. The Gryphon happens to be there as well.”

Well, ‘happens to be’ isn’t quite right; the Gryphon is always there.

At my words, Claire’s face lit up with joy.

*

And it turned out to be quite a good choice. The sun was still hanging slightly in the sky, providing ample light with just the sunset.

The Gryphon likely has no idea what a camera is. This would probably be its first time seeing one.

While the initial reason for getting everyone to step outside was to escape the crowded room, upon getting outside, I felt it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to capture the Gryphon in a photo.

Later on, if I say that there are memories but no video footage, they’d think it’s all a lie.

Well, as for the descendants, they’ll handle their own stories.

More importantly, I wonder if I’ll even have descendants.

…

That’s something to think about later.

We’re still young. No matter how much I am originally thirty or whatever, in the eyes of others, I’ll ultimately just be accepted as sixteen.

That means there’s plenty of time ahead.

How to weave our stories can be thought about slowly over time.

“Everyone’s here, right? Good.”

Claire had even brought a tripod, having prepared who knows when.

She could’ve easily had someone else do it, but it seems she’s taken a liking to taking pictures herself.

…But if it were a different story—

—No, there’s really no need to worry about that.

Whether it follows the original story or not, here we are right now.

No one is dead, and everyone is alive. It can’t be called a perfect ending, but…

The fact that everyone could be smiling makes it enough.

Yeah.

“Alright, then everyone, please smile!”

Claire said that and quickly ran over after pressing the camera lever.

The way she slipped into the gap left open for herself showed that she was quite trained.

Yeah. That’s all that matters.

All of us gathered, smiling without fail,

And among us was clearly me,

A happy ending.

This was what I had envisioned since the moment I first came here.

I smiled at the camera.

Chapter 310

If the production team of Chronicles of Aetherna stood up and said, “This game series ends here. Thank you for your love until now,” I would be really disappointed.

I’ve been playing for quite a long time, and when my friend first recommended it, I was like, “What kind of game is this?” But I couldn’t help but follow along since I got hooked on the story!

Actually, I’ve experienced something similar before—where the world setting changed and the characters’ stories ended in the previous series.

At first, it was bittersweet. The aftereffects lingered longer than I expected; for months, whenever I saw that portable game console with the last episode, the ending would keep popping into my mind.

I thought, “So I can’t see these characters’ stories anymore.” Even if there’s a sequel, it might just be a short novel or a comic. Even if they made an animation, the characters I cherished through gameplay won’t be in it.

Those thoughts kept haunting me.

Eventually, I got better.

No matter how much I felt the aftereffects, it was just a game, and those feelings usually fade away with time. Once the swell of emotions subsided and I stopped seeing the game every time I picked up the console, I didn’t think much about it anymore.

Then a new series with a different setting came out, and I reserved those games.

In the end, isn’t life a game?

No matter how much you love a work, you can’t spend your entire life just enjoying that one work. Life goes on, and if I want to eat, I have to keep myself busy.

But sometimes, when I think back to that old console, which now has no new games, I might pop in that title whose cover has faded from the light, and wait for it to load.

Then, I’ll retrace everything from the beginning, and while sifting through my hazy memories, I’ll remember why I loved that game so much and why I played it so zealously.

I guess even the last games I played went through the same process.

I think the CEO of Millennium said they wanted to wrap up the series before retiring, so there’s bound to be an end after all.

Others might feel differently, but for me, the day that game was released was like a festival!

No matter how much criticism there was, I would have eagerly awaited the sequel and bought it each year to play.

What does it feel like to follow a game series that spans the world from beginning to end for over ten years and finally see it conclude?

I can’t say for sure, but I’d expect the emotions I’ll feel will be much bigger than what I experienced with the previous series—

*

—Well, I can’t see that kind of “ending” now.

If we call the end of a person’s life a conclusion, then what’s considered the epilogue? Where does the prologue start and end, and where does the main story lie?

The teenage years are too young! Spending half that time figuring out who I am feels like I shouldn’t label the last five years as my “glory years.” So, up to now, could be considered the prologue.

But then, what about the main story?

Just trying to define what I want to do in the 20s I finally reach after finishing my teenage years feels like it passes way too quickly. In fact, many events planted during this time often bloom later, so there’s really not much of a “main story” to go on.

The thirties are a time when I’ve finally settled down. Honestly, starting from now, there’s just so much work that it’s tough to stir up any big events. Frankly, there’s not enough exciting content here to call it part of the “main story.”

After that… well, I don’t really know. I’ve transitioned here without experiencing what comes next.

To be honest, in my view, the main story has already ended. I’ve already dealt with the Emperor’s ambition, the Goddess’s conspiracy, and the Papal State’s delusions.

And yet, I’m still just sixteen.

Even by tomorrow, I’ll still be sixteen. We don’t count age in this place.

Honestly, isn’t it a bit unfair to say, “The main story is over,” at this age?

If everything that follows is just an epilogue, that’s quite harsh.

And if those “epilogues” involve situations like a war breaking out, isn’t that just a bit too much?

“I don’t think mixing tea with alcohol was a good idea…”

Alice said, with her face buried on the table.

Honestly, she didn’t look much like a Crown Princess at that moment.

She was in her mid-teens, and aside from her youthful looks, she looked like a rookie employee who had just come back from a drinking party the night before.

Even though I said I wouldn’t let the kids drink, it wasn’t as easy as that.

First, Charlotte already had a tolerance for alcohol. I mean, being from Velbur, a country known for its wines, she didn’t seem to have an issue with drinking in general.

Of course, Jennifer hadn’t touched the cooking wine since that first sip. However, she praised the Eastern wine brought by the Sword Saint.

And then there’s Rena. Rena claimed she didn’t like wine.

Well, saying she didn’t like wine pretty much indicates she had tasted other spirits before.

The Empire isn’t just mixed with England, but also with Germany. Naturally, you find places where beer flows like water!

Including the Northern Region of the Empire, that was part of that German cultural sphere. Apparently, here in the autonomous regions, even kids can drink beer.

Jake and Roti had disappeared from the room halfway through. I heard they went to the guest room, but… I didn’t pry any further. They probably spent time together as long as they didn’t cross any lines.

Jennifer, who I had expected to be a lightweight, was actually downing her drinks straight from the bottle. What really surprised me was how strong Carolyn turned out to be with alcohol. She didn’t go crazy like Jennifer did with the wine, but she kept filling her glass and drinking.

“Northwood is known for its alcohol, after all.”

“More accurately, it has a lot of quality oak.”

Jennifer supplemented Carolyn’s explanation.

So, they were saying it was famous for making liquor aged in high-quality oak barrels.

In no time, the box Jennifer had brought was empty, and soon enough, a bottle of rum appeared.

It was a very expensive liquor that had been stored in the Imperial Palace!

I have no idea who fetched it, but it seems the Crown Princess requested suitable drinks for her guests.

Even the Sword Saint, who brought that nameless Eastern wine, looked wide-eyed at how expensive that whiskey was!

Until then, Alice, who had been holding out against drinking, and even I, who had only slightly indulged in drinking in my past life, found ourselves intrigued.

“I don’t know why anyone drinks such things…”

And this was the result.

“After a few drinks, the person asking, ‘How do you drink?’ is none other than the Crown Princess!”

When I said that, Alice glared at me with her face still on the table.

“And what about you?”

Honestly, I was lucky enough to have memories up until Alice fainted.

I think I remained conscious until the point Alice was sobbing in Mia’s arms.

“Relative to that, I was fine—”

“Oh, I took pictures of my sister!”

Huh?

As I turned towards the source of the voice, Claire was there holding a camera.

And that camera had a large… bulb? It looked like a bulb, but the melted glass held a small magic stone instead of a filament. So, it seemed like a magically adjusted stone that emitted a bright light for a moment.

Considering the glass was melted down like that, I had a good idea of how many pictures she’d taken!

And I was sure I was in that picture as well.

…Could it be that the blinding flash I saw yesterday was because of the alcohol and not the flash?

“You wouldn’t command me as a princess to hand over that film, would you?”

“Of course not!”

In response to my statement, Claire looked at me as if I were ridiculous.

Moreover, judging by her posture, she looked ready to bolt any second, so it seemed she had no intention of getting caught.

“Leo, capture Claire!”

“…I’m sorry, sister.”

“I’ve taken tons of pictures of Leo too! And I’ve already developed the films with Leo’s pictures and hidden them. Even if you take this away, it won’t remove all of my sister’s pictures!”

A roll with twenty-four frames? It was clear that taking just this one wouldn’t erase all of them!

“If you’re going to fight, do it after school, okay?”

Jennifer, who had just woken up from sprawled on my bed, interrupted.

“If we want to attend school tomorrow, we have to start getting ready now, right? Even if it’s a day off, we still have to participate in the culture festival.”

“……”

Oh right.

Today wasn’t a day off.

Logically, it felt unusual to have a day off today, but we still had quite a few classes we needed to make up for.

“…This is the worst New Year’s Day ever…”

Alice mumbled with her face buried on the table.

“……”

Hmm.

What to say?

I think I was murmuring something about an epilogue, but after looking at this situation, it didn’t really matter anymore.

Whether big events happened or not, and how the story unfolds,

it really didn’t matter when it came to life.

If today exists, tomorrow will follow.

We’ll continue living like this, right?

Creating one event after another.

In that sense, the remaining parts of life are always the epilogue. And it’s also the prologue for new events.

“That’s right, just as the teacher said.”

I said, laughing to myself.

“Let’s start getting ready. We have our schedule today as well.”

As I stood up, Claire said,

“Yeah, I think you really need to prepare seriously, sister. Your hair is sticking out all over, looking like a lion’s mane.”

“……”

Chapter 311

People often say that those in positions labeled ‘noble’ live their lives enjoying many advantages.

If I lived in a modern society that theoretically considers people equal, then most of those who fit the term ‘noble’ would actually be capable individuals in their own way.

But I’m not talking about things like money, brains, or athletic skills. Sure, people might have those things.

What I mean is self-sacrifice.

People who do things for others, regardless of their own gains.

Like volunteers or firefighters. Or those who quietly do good deeds without any affiliation.

Since there are no legal boundaries to differentiate people, those living in such a society usually think of the ‘noble’ when they hear the term.

However, in a society where ranks are legally defined, it’s different.

In such a society, ‘noble’ refers to the aristocracy, or those above them.

They are literally born into nobility, grow up that way, and live nobly until they die, only becoming ‘un-noble’ when those below them rise up and pull them down.

Of course, it’s not just the nobility; royals and emperors are no different. In fact, it’s worse for them. They get pardoned for specific crimes just because they belong to the royal family and often start at an advantageous position in trials. Sometimes, their actions never even go to trial!

Some say they must work hard to appear noble because their lives may be in danger due to that nobility and they literally have to work day and night.

What a joke.

If we are talking about effort, it’s much tougher for those below to climb to the top.

In danger? Those who have never seen photos of workers building skyscrapers in the early 20th century or those who shoved their hands into regularly moving presses without safety gear wouldn’t know what danger is.

Working day and night? That’s funny. There are those who work until they drop and then sleep on a soft bed nearby, completely unaware of those barely hanging on a thread, suffering through a life of 16-hour shifts.

“It’s been a while, my daughter.”

And I’m one of those so-called noble people.

Under normal circumstances, I would be scratching the bottom of the barrel in this world, but somehow I got caught up in some strange event, whether by someone’s plan or pure coincidence, and became the second most noble being in this country.

I don’t think that at all.

But I’m not planning to become a ‘real’ noble either.

“It seems like you’ve been comfortable during this time.”

I spoke to the Emperor.

Ever since I became the second person in the Empire and Alice made herself the Crown Princess, I hadn’t been given any tasks. Alice was really averse to thinking of me as ‘above her.’

We still don’t know how Alice plans to run the Empire. She hasn’t taken the Emperor’s position or presented any vision. For now, it was just her saying she’d think about her future while living an academy life.

But that doesn’t mean she can avoid doing at least the bare minimum expected from a Crown Princess.

“Am I going to the Empire?”

“Yes,” the Emperor responded, and I answered honestly.

Well, he’s not the Emperor anymore, is he? Should I call him the former Emperor, or is it still ‘situation’?

Eh, I might as well just stick with what’s in my head. It’s not like the Emperor’s position is filled anyway. Using the term Emperor won’t confuse anyone.

I looked around unnecessarily.

Though they called it a prison, it was not your average prison that people usually imagine.

The floor was covered in thick velvet, and the walls had fancy decorations. There were iron bars, but there were also sunny windows and what looked like a guest reception table and chairs—like a noble’s room.

“I see you’ve been well.”

“I’ve been doing fine, thanks to the King of Velbur’s warm hospitality.”

Well, ‘warm hospitality’ isn’t exactly true; this prison isn’t built solely for the Emperor. It was originally a prison for the aristocracy and royalty.

Yes, a prison for the ‘noble.’

Velbur wanted to keep the Emperor in their custody. Those making such claims were the nobles. The King of Velbur seemed to agree to some extent, but at least he was more realistic than the nobles around him.

The Emperor was trying to ‘start’ a war. But he ‘couldn’t.’

Where the Emperor ran was the Papal State, and that action ultimately failed.

The Papal State effectively collapsed. And Velbur practically occupied the territory of that Papal State.

More than anything, the troops building up under Lutetia were all from the Papal State.

So, if we remove emotions and think about the gravity of his crimes, the Emperor was guilty of crossing Velbur with weapons.

And those weapons he had were nothing spectacular—basic hand-held melee weapons—and in this world, carrying such weapons isn’t that big of a deal. It’s a lot more troublesome to carry firearms like me.

Of course, the Emperor did have something else.

The ‘Jibo.’

But that’s just a worthless rock now. Moreover, the events that happened in the Papal State were too sensitive to announce casually.

So for various reasons, Velbur had no justification for keeping the Emperor imprisoned for the rest of his life.

“Was all of that your plan?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking if you guided everything so that you could still be left intact, even if it all failed.”

The Emperor smiled at my words.

“No, that’s not it. If I succeeded, everything would be under my feet, and if I failed, I would lose everything anyway. I prepared to have a backup plan, but that was only up to choosing one of my plans. The current situation can be called nothing less than a game of divine providence.”

“……”

“Did Alice order you to assassinate me?”

“Alice isn’t the type to issue death commands against her own father.”

“Then what about you? Do you think it would be better for you to kill me?”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the Emperor.

“Shall I take a guess? If you still had that capability, you would have tried to kill me first. Then observe Alice’s reaction and how the world spins before turning back time, right?”

“……”

I can’t completely deny that.

I think the chances are high that it didn’t happen, but at the same time, I thought there might be a method of choosing if it was more beneficial.

“You never know what might happen if you kill me.”

“That’s true.”

I don’t know how many supporters the Emperor still has left.

While I’m sitting here quietly watching, fearing him, and slowly watching Alice’s faction emerge, there are surely those who would gladly follow him if he stepped back into the Empire as a figure named Emperor.

If I kill him here, I might get killed too.

“I…”

I almost called him ‘Your Majesty’ but quickly corrected myself.

“I’ve come with orders to return you to your homeland.”

“That order must have come from Alice.”

“Right now, she is Crown Princess.”

“But Alice is Alice. You don’t think she’ll appreciate you using that title, do you?”

I decided to ignore that comment.

“Even if you return, you’ll be in confinement for a while.”

“Does that ‘while’ mean the rest of your life?”

“That depends on how you conduct yourself. If you cooperate during the transition of power to Alice, you’d probably live your life out normally in that situation. If not, then ‘for a while’ would indeed mean for your entire life.”

The Emperor silently looked up at me.

“Why do you think I’d be cooperative?”

“Do you really think I came to meet you first after coming to Velbur?”

I stared down at the Emperor as I spoke.

“I met my ‘siblings’ before meeting you.”

“Oh.”

The Emperor laughed in interest.

“And to all of them—meaning those who can’t save themselves anymore by turning back time—I spoke about your relationship with them.”

And I was able to glean a bit about my siblings who had passed on. At least I’m sure that ‘they’ existed.

“One side reacted with indifference, but the other reacted—a bit differently. Yes, I’m talking about your daughter, who almost ended up in a similar situation as mine.”

I gazed steadily into the Emperor’s eyes, but his expression didn’t change.

“It took quite a long time to convince her.”

Such is the age we live in.

And she’s a woman.

The already miserable life gains even more weight because of the age.

“I don’t think it’s about living long or short.”

“I see.”

The Emperor, having heard my words, laughed.

I don’t know if that laugh was because he realized it hasn’t come to an end or if it was just a refreshing laugh of letting everything go.

Chapter 312

Before the start of the second year’s first semester.

Because of an incident in the Papal State, our vacation was severely cut short, but that didn’t mean we had no time to rest at all.

If there hadn’t been any time, I wouldn’t have ended up here.

Political matters can’t take precedence over a student’s education, but Alice wanted to resolve this issue without drawing too much attention from others.

We couldn’t hide the fact that the Emperor’s seat was now empty. Alice had become the Crown Princess, and I had taken the top position in the Empire. In fact, by the time we held the coronation ceremony, news had already spread widely among the citizens, and the nobles were all aware of it too, so there was nothing we could do about it.

The Emperor’s plans had never been publicly disclosed. Probably, they never would be.

He had a scheme to usurp the Goddess’s power and dominate the world? Surely some citizens would be tempted by that story, and if that happened, it could undermine Alice’s political base. The majority of the nobles could also be at risk.

No matter how much the pro-Emperor nobles are, they don’t want to become the Emperor’s slaves, so they won’t support him out of such an intention.

Aiming to control the world through the use of the Emperor as a pawn, they wouldn’t have made nobles into slaves either, so from the nobles’ perspective, the Emperor’s plan was absolutely unsupportable.

On the contrary, considering the Emperor had practically ruled with an iron fist, he would be looking for an opportunity now that he was no longer in power.

However, it would be troublesome to keep the Emperor outside the Empire. While it’s unlikely that the Emperor himself would be used as a pawn in foreign political games, it could establish a reason for anti-government organizations to operate under that guise. If some commoners who’ve never even spoken a word with the Emperor organized a terror group under the pretense of inheriting the Emperor’s body, it would be a real headache.

In the end, our conclusion was to ensure that, at least on the surface, the Emperor could live safely within the Empire.

That way, it would look like we had “inherited” power.

However, we weren’t thinking about throwing a grand welcoming ceremony for the Emperor. We planned to bring the Emperor to a quiet place, and if anyone nitpicked later on, we could use that as justification.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

After a brief visit to Velbur, the day we were returning to the Imperial Capital. Charlotte was there to greet us at the train station.

The train itself was an ordinary one. Even though I was the top person in the Empire visiting Lutetia, it was an unofficial visit, and since it was a top-secret mission, the train shouldn’t stand out at all.

In fact, the time was not even one when trains usually run. It was completely midnight, and although it had passed midnight, it was still too early to be considered dawn. We even chose a day when the moon wouldn’t be out.

Still, the train would inevitably run with its lights on, so it wouldn’t go completely unseen.

Fortunately, there were many freight trains running between the Imperial Capital and the Kingdom. There were postal deliveries on the route too. It wasn’t particularly strange for a train to run at this hour.

“If anything, I want to ask you. Are you okay staying awake this late?”

“Are you joking? I’m not a kid.”

On a winter night, Charlotte came out to the station, dressed in a thick winter coat.

Of course, the fact that Charlotte was there was unofficial too.

“We’ve made significant efforts to prevent information from leaking, but I can’t be certain it was perfect. There are eyes and ears in the Kingdom and the Imperial Capital. The rumor that a crucial prisoner we’ve been managing for a long time has disappeared will definitely spread.”

So we took the train. Among the transportation methods in this world, there are very few that can match the speed of the train, except for planes.

“I’m aware.”

When I replied calmly, Charlotte nodded.

“Well, I don’t think anything major will happen.”

“Still, I’m not going to let my guard down.”

I answered that way as I turned to look back.

“Right, we’ve prepared pretty hard ourselves as well.”

“If such a situation arises, I am confident we’ll be able to face it.”

Claire and Leo chimed in with a word each.

Grace’s Estate was still firmly pro-Emperor despite the change in leadership. Since the beginning, Grace’s Estate has been on the Emperor’s side without paying much attention to such political issues. That’s why they have been able to survive until now.

“Moreover, there are many others on the train besides us.”

Indeed, there were more people aboard who were quite reliable.

“…Focusing too much on what’s outside the train is also dangerous. The people inside the train are also extremely dangerous individuals.”

Probably reflecting from her experience as the Princess of Velbur, Charlotte said that.

“My father seems a bit disappointed, but personally, I feel pretty relieved now that it’s come to this. The guy who tried to turn the world against itself and pull it down from under him and his gang are leaving Velbur.”

“I will manage it strictly so that such things don’t happen again.”

“…There’s no need to go that far. At least, we received a reasonable level of compensation, didn’t we?”

And that compensation was decided to be paid from the royal budget, not the Empire’s national assets. They’d pay it not all at once but in portions.

To be precise, it was a premise that “the Emperor smashed the Papal State, so hand over the cost to rebuild it,” but given the Papal State was practically ineffective now, the representatives receiving the funds would be the royal family of Velbur.

Since there was some justification tied to the money, we can’t just throw it around recklessly, but if we make various excuses, it would be easy to change the usage. There were things the Papal State had done to the Kingdom, so it should be permissible to “repair” some of the Kingdom with “Papal State’s money.”

“It’s a bit painful for the royal family.”

“Well, it’s a choice that can’t be avoided if we want to avoid clashes.”

By squashing the incident with the royal family’s money instead of the Empire’s funds, it would be hard for the nobles of the Empire to object. Because the “royal family’s authority” is just as important as the “nobles’ authority.” If a noble meddles in the royal family’s affairs, it’s as if it is saying the royal family can meddle in the noble family’s matters too. Rather, it would provide a rationale for the royal family to meddle even more strongly and crudely.

On the flip side, from the Kingdom’s perspective, after all, they did receive compensation, so it would be hard to complain.

Even among friends, it’s important to separate work and personal matters, so Charlotte responded firmly but soon wore a longing expression.

“Well then… it seems we won’t meet again until April.”

Now that Alice had become the Crown Princess, Charlotte also had to receive matching education. Since Alice would be the next Emperor, having her friend Charlotte as Queen would hold various advantages for both countries. While the Kingdom was considering that, it seemed they were also trying to prevent Charlotte from becoming too much of an Imperial figure.

“On the contrary, once April arrives, we can meet again.”

Upon hearing my response, Charlotte smiled softly.

“That’s true.”

Charlotte also wanted to continue attending the academy she had been going to.

Once Alice and Charlotte both became the Emperor and Queen, the chances of the two of them facing each other would be almost nonexistent.

They might have occasional summits, but personally visiting another country would be tough unless there was someone to fill in the palace later.

…Or maybe not, who knows?

In any case, that’s a matter for four years down the line. Plus, it’s uncertain when Charlotte would become Queen.

So, there’s no need to worry about that now.

We should simply enjoy our remaining school days to the fullest.

We’ve still got three years left.

“Oh right, and since Leo and I can personally drop by again.”

“If that happens, please make sure to let me know beforehand. The Lutetia Palace will always be open to friends.”

“That sounds good.”

Charlotte’s words brought a smile to Claire’s face.

*

“Finally made it in, huh?”

As I boarded the train, the voice of an old man filled with dissatisfaction welcomed me.

“It takes a lot of preparation for a train to depart, doesn’t it?”

“Your answers are becoming increasingly arrogant as the days go by. Have you finally revealed your true colors?”

Well, one could say that, I guess.

There was no longer anyone freezing up at my smiling face.

Or was it? It seems those who weren’t particularly close to me were still a bit scared.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have bothered with any concepts from the start.

Honestly, I was a bit deflated because everyone adapted way too quickly compared to what I expected.

“Have you spoken with the persons inside?”

“I spoke briefly.”

Besides the Emperor, three of the Emperor’s children were also on the train. It seemed the Sword Saint took quite a liking to Lucas. It seems he wants to mentor him, but… I’d rather he didn’t take such dangerous actions.

“Lucas’s skill is already better than your master’s, isn’t it? There’s no need to go out of your way to teach him or anything…”

“I think he could use a bit of training in character, though.”

“Not like your character is that amazing—”

Smack!

For a moment, stars appeared.

And it wasn’t even outside the train.

Chapter 313

What is this feeling…?

I remembered when Alice and I arrived in Lutetia.

The situation back then was very different. This time, instead of Alice, Claire and Leo were with me, and the Sword Saint was on the train too.

It wasn’t a luxurious royal train, but it wasn’t exactly subpar either.

We were huddled at one end of the train. Inside the car, several knights and soldiers from Winterfield were on board in case of emergencies, but they were all keeping a respectful distance, waiting at the front of the cabin.

I wondered how much important conversation we’d get to have, but it wasn’t particularly delightful to think others might eavesdrop on us.

“Are you very nervous?”

Claire spoke to me while I stared out the window.

“I am a bit nervous.”

I honestly replied.

How could I not be nervous when the Emperor and that kid are on the train?

The compartment they were in was specially modified. It looked like a cargo hold from the outside, but they had built a room inside to carry ‘guests.’

Basically, there was a train, and they made another room inside, so if you break through one wall, there’s still another wall waiting. Moreover, soldiers and knights guarded the area around the room, including the Sword Saint.

They reinforced the floor and ceiling with thick steel so that it couldn’t be breached by normal means.

So, I wasn’t uneasy.

But still, I couldn’t shake off the anxiety.

“We just crossed the imperial border, didn’t we? There’s no need to be that tense.”

“Indeed, we should be more nervous now that we crossed the imperial border.”

“… Huh, you really haven’t changed in this regard.”

I always thought a little tension was a good thing.

“You checked multiple times before coming here, right? I don’t know much, but if Alice is to be believed, there likely aren’t any nobles willing to take the Emperor’s side in this. It’s too dangerous, and honestly, the Emperor has been hated by nobility for quite a while.”

“Even if that’s the case, there are definitely those who are loyal to the Emperor.”

When we filled the train with people, we were cautious. If we only filled it with the knights who guarded the royal family, we might unwittingly include someone who still has loyalty to the Emperor.

Knights’ loyalty can be bought with money. Ordinary knights work for what they are paid and obviously owe loyalty to whoever pays them. No matter who sits on the throne, as long as it’s not blatantly illegal, they won’t need to turn against the current Emperor or the next one.

But, wherever there are people, there will always be those obsessed with their own ideals.

Not compromising for money might be seen as the right thing to do, and some might think that if they pledged their loyalty once, it’s right to stick with it, even unto death.

Just look at the Sword Saint; if he’s not one to care about money and such…

There could be people wanting to become heroes deep down even if they don’t show it outright, so we had to be really careful when gathering people.

In the end, we ended up borrowing some people from loyal factions like Grace’s Estate and picked trustworthy knights from the royal guards, even bringing the Sword Saint along.

The soldiers were basically the imperial army, not the royal soldiers. Of course, we also sifted through them.

“And if there are those in the Empire looking to seize the Emperor…”

“Really, what a worrywart.”

Claire interrupted me mid-sentence.

“No matter what, how are you going to stop a moving train at this hour? We deliberately pressed the schedule to be tight. Smoke screens are set up all over. We’ve planned it so the opponent can’t prepare beforehand, so how could anyone stop the train and take only the Emperor?”

“……”

Well, I wonder.

In truth, Claire was probably trying to reassure me, but she still wore her sword at her waist. In case something happened, she had to be ready to draw her weapon immediately.

Leo, quietly listening to our conversation, was obviously sitting there a bit tense too.

I didn’t worry about these two. Even if a situation erupted, they’d handle it skillfully. They were definitely capable people.

But me—

With my abilities gone, would I even be able to move properly in that situation?

Fiddling with the grip of the gun holstered at my side, I quietly pondered.

And ominous predictions always tend to come true.

“What’s happening?”

“Ah, well…”

The conductor started sweating at the edge of my sharp voice.

The train, which had been moving well, came to a stop. It wasn’t a sudden stop. Although the speed decreased rapidly, the experienced conductor carefully slowed it down to avoid derailing.

“There’s someone blocking the way ahead, so we stopped.”

“Someone? At this hour?”

“Yes, it appears to be a person who’s intoxicated. For now, the soldiers will check it out.”

I looked outside. It was completely dark. The sky was filled with stars, but there was simply not enough starlight to illuminate the area around the train. The only things visible were the places lit by the light that came through the windows.

But it wasn’t in the woods. It looked like a wide-open plain. Just like the plains I saw on my way to Lutetia with the train.

“Let’s distance ourselves from the window for now.”

I drew the curtains and stepped away from the window. I wanted to ensure that no silhouette of us could be seen, so I moved to the aisle between the seats.

This time, Claire didn’t act like it was nothing.

The situation was obviously strange to anyone who saw it.

There wasn’t even a village around. Even in rural areas, it wouldn’t make sense for there to be zero light.

I drew my gun, while Claire and Leo unsheathed their swords. The soldiers and knights who were in the cabin with us stood up, each brandishing their weapons in sync with our movements.

“C-Crown Princess…?”

“It might be an enemy attack. Conductor, you stay in this cabin. Could you gather all the civilians in the train into the cabin where the soldiers and knights are?”

One of the soldiers responded quickly, “Yes, understood!” and immediately began moving. Seeing two more join him to make three taking action, it seemed there had been a plan for emergencies all along.

“I-Is it really that dangerous?”

It seemed to be the conductor’s first time experiencing such a situation as he sweated profusely.

“Yes, at least it’s not a normal situation.”

I answered immediately and moved from where we were sitting, walking among the soldiers and knights towards the front of the cabin.

At the very front, close to the train’s head, I reached the cabin door and peered outside. From what I could see, the soldiers across were bustling around, probably having started preparing for combat upon hearing the conductor’s words.

“How far was the drunk man? Was he far away?”

“No, it shouldn’t be that far due to the train’s braking distance—”

Bang.

I distinctly heard a gunshot from beyond the cabin wall.

Bang, bang.

Then, just a few shots later…

………

Silence.

I strained my ears, but I couldn’t hear anything further.

In the next moment, everyone in the train moved in unison.

We didn’t just throw together soldiers and knights without thought. We had trained multiple times in case such a situation arose.

As for why we had to keep pushing the schedule back, it was because these weren’t just units made up of royal soldiers.

The movements of soldiers and royal guards differ. Even if they all use swords, movement styles can greatly differ depending on legacy.

Although they were all citizens of one nation, it was essentially a coalition. Fortunately, there were no bad families pulling strong divisions.

So, to synchronize, and considering how critical it was to move perfectly in emergencies, we couldn’t slack off on training.

“What kind of fools are they?”

Claire asked, frowning.

“Well, I guess we’ll only know when we meet them directly.”

Watching the soldiers take their positions in the cabin, I turned back and replied.

“Are they trying to get that person back in his seat?”

“…Can’t be sure until we see it firsthand.”

This time, I took Leo’s words in response.

Bang, bang.

As we were talking, gunshots began to echo from outside. It mostly sounded like we were the ones shooting.

Then, the sounds of shouting overlapped a few times—

Thud, and something exploded.

“…At least it means our enemy didn’t plan on using bombs.”

I said.

Well, they might have set something up, but the train definitely stopped before that. Otherwise, how could they plan to save the Emperor?

Whether they were incompetent or we were lucky, or maybe both.

“Let’s get ready.”

When I said that, Claire and Leo both nodded.

Chapter 314

Since then, I’ve been consistently practicing my shooting skills.

After being caught by the Sword Saint, I trained my stamina alongside Claire, Leo, and Alice, and due to gaining a bit of strength, I started to awkwardly learn swordsmanship.

And—while following that Sword Saint to watch, Jennifer claimed she would teach me close combat and rolled me around everywhere.

To be honest, my confidence didn’t exactly skyrocket. The ‘guarantee’ that I could ‘definitely’ succeed vanished. The reason I hadn’t been shot while traversing the battlefield was because the Goddess had calculated the odds for me, but that could also have faded by now.

But I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. As the Sword Saint said, I’m a guy who knows how to put in the effort. So I had no choice but to increase my skills as much as I could.

And—

Roooooar! A monstrous sound echoed from outside the train.

The bangs that followed were different from the screams.

To describe it accurately,

“AAAAHHHH!”

It was the sound of something falling from the sky and crashing to the ground.

Of all places, it seemed to land near my window with a crash that echoed eerily.

The gunshots that had been distant turned erratic.

“…Uhh…”

Yeah, pretty horrifying, right?

Claire and Leo had lost their words.

While I had experienced the horror of battle before, comparing a person being killed by another person to being brutally murdered by a monster was far worse.

“I had prepared for the Gryphon to follow once the train crossed the border. It seems it heard the gunshots and came down from high in the sky.”

Exactly.

My skills had diminished, so I had to pull out all the stops to cover that loss.

The noise of the airplane was still incredibly loud. If I brought the Air Force behind the train, Velbur might react violently. Even if we weren’t crossing borders, bringing troops up to the border was already a display of military force.

But the Gryphon could fly much more quietly. It was dark at night, so a Gryphon flying high in the sky would be hard for people to see.

Besides, for now, it wasn’t treated as a ‘military.’ To the eyes of the people, it was just my pet beast. As long as it didn’t harm the people of Velbur, I could come up with plenty of excuses.

…Honestly, considering the personality of that one who doesn’t seem to listen properly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it had followed us all the way to the skies of Velbur instead of just to the border.

The outside of the window flashed brightly.

It seemed the Gryphon was casting magic.

The Gryphon launched an aerial assault, while a large army inside the train attacked from the ground.

There was no way to win against an enemy that brought armored forces instead of regular troops.

Claire and Leo looked somewhat bewildered, but on the contrary, I felt relieved.

As expected, if you’re going to prepare for something, you need to prepare thoroughly.

As a side note, I had also arranged for the Imperial Army to be deployed if the train didn’t arrive on time.

So, regardless of what happened to us, it meant our opponents were undoubtedly doomed.

*

What kind of crazy person could this be?

If they didn’t realize we were us, that would be a problem in itself. It meant there were robbers inside the Empire that were hijacking trains.

Moreover, the idea of leaving a drunkard on the tracks to stop the train was also absurd. Wouldn’t the train just run over the person? If the conductor hadn’t been someone experienced with operating the locomotive, the train wouldn’t have stopped.

“What happened?”

“Yes, we’ve apprehended them all. Twelve dead, seven alive.”

It was unusually low for a capital.

“Were they disarmed for sure?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

I stood up from my seat.

Accompanied by Claire and Leo, I wore a wide-brimmed hat that obscured my face. If it were during the day, my face might have been vaguely visible, but at night with hardly any light, as long as I wasn’t too close, my face wouldn’t be revealed. By the way, Claire and Leo wore bland masks.

Following the knight’s guidance, we arrived at a place where, just as he had said, there were seven bound individuals. All were men, unwashed and looking rather scruffy. It seemed they hadn’t trimmed their beards in quite a while.

Their clothing was… all different. Since it was winter, they were all wearing thick clothes. Some wore tattered coats, while others had leather outfits.

“P-please, spare us…!”

As I approached, the men, hands tied behind their backs, all pressed their foreheads to the ground and shouted.

“And these?”

“I don’t know for sure yet, but they seem like armed robbers.”

“Armed robbers near the border?”

Originally, border areas often had better security due to their proximity to other countries. Of course, things could change if the two countries had an extremely good relationship, practically making the border a mere drawing on a map, or if the economic differences between the two were so severe that one side attracted people aiming for illegal entry.

But no matter how much Velbur might be smaller compared to the Empire, it wasn’t a place so impoverished that it would be abandoned.

And generally, for security to collapse like that, it would be the side with the lower economic level that would falter.

As I regarded my question with a hint of sarcasm, the knight slightly bowed his head.

…Well, this isn’t his fault. If there really were robbers showing up, then it would be the fault of the person managing this territory.

And where this territory was managed—

“Crowfield…”

“….”

At my mumbling, Claire and Leo nodded heavily.

Considering the state of the Countess, this wasn’t due to negligence but simply a failure to manage things properly.

At this rate, Mia would almost certainly be the next lord, but the next lord is not actually the ‘lord’ yet. The one managing this place right now is Count Crowfield’s lady.

And naturally, I hadn’t given any hint to the Crowfields whatsoever. Sorry, but even Mia doesn’t know that I’ve visited Velbur.

I shook my head, pushing those thoughts away. This wasn’t something to worry about right now. Rather, it was correct to decide how to handle these individuals now.

“Did you happen to find anything notable about them?”

“Yes. Look at this.”

What the knight showed me was a sword in its sheath.

I received the sword he held with both hands and drew it out.

It seemed like it hadn’t been properly maintained for quite some time; the blade was dull and nicked in some places. That said, it didn’t seem completely worn out.

It hadn’t been maintained for years, but perhaps on a monthly basis, it seemed. The blade itself gleamed enough to shine when light hit it.

“…”

But rather than that, something sprang to mind at the shape of the sword.

“Papal State?”

That was the sword used by the knights of the Papal State.

Without needing to think hard, I felt like I roughly understood what was going on.

“…It seems there have been people from the Papal State infiltrating even here in the Empire.”

“It’s not certain yet, but…”

They weren’t wearing the official attire of the Papal State. Plus, they looked too shabby to be people from there.

But they were holding a sword from the Papal State.

“If they are from the Papal State, why would they have this sword?”

Claire quietly asked from the side.

“This sword might have been ‘important.’”

Like the sword I previously saw from Jericho.

If it was a sword crafted using the Goddess’s power, then I could understand.

If they infiltrated the Empire to collect all sorts of information and then suddenly lost their divine powers, all the strength supporting them might have vanished.

If they couldn’t continue their operations and lost all contact with headquarters, and only received news that the Papal State had collapsed…

And if they determined that news as ‘completely untrustworthy,’ then…

“…They are armed robbers, but not the usual kind.”

I placed my hand on my forehead.

Then I would have to revise my evaluation of Count Crowfield’s lady once again.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t managing things. She must have been trying to manage as best as she could.

But the skills of those ‘robbers’ were just too good for them to be completely caught by the soldiers.

If they attacked the village or ambushed a passing merchant, it would bring tremendous losses to the territory. That would be the case even for a count’s territory that happens to have a decent population.

Thus, they would have to exert effort to hunt down those robbers, and as they kept fleeing in dwindling numbers, they would become increasingly desperate and aim for a ‘sure-hit.’

The train we were riding was also selected to run at a time similar to the trains that operate at night, making it hard to distinguish from other trains. At the same time, it wouldn’t overlap with other trains’ schedules, attracting little attention.

However, that would have meant nothing to robbers who had been just waiting for the ‘next train’ from the beginning.

“…You guys were just unlucky.”

If it had been a normal cargo train, their plan might have worked properly. There would have hardly been anyone onboard, and the armed individuals’ skills would have likely been weaker than those of the ‘Holy Order Knights.’

If they secured materials and crossed the border of Velbur, they might have had other hopes.

Truly, they were incredibly unlucky.

Fwoosh, and the Gryphon’s cry echoed up in the sky.

Chapter 315

I decided to change my thoughts about the gryphon.

Until now, I thought it was interpreting my words however it wanted and acting accordingly, but after experiencing today’s incident, it doesn’t seem that way.

The gryphon hates the people of the Papal State.

Actually, it’s not just a matter of dislike; I wouldn’t be surprised if it outright loathed them. The reason the gryphon is alone without family or friends is because of the Papal State.

Moreover, I had abused it almost to the point of death and forced it to move with magic the moment it refused to listen.

Ironically, that was a decisive reason for the gryphon to follow me.

Anyway, there’s no way a gryphon with eagle eyes wouldn’t recognize the shining holy sword.

It must have noticed the peculiar gestures and sword techniques of the Papal State people as well.

In such a situation, the fact that it spared me this much means it has demonstrated quite a bit of restraint.

“Well, this is troublesome.”

Alice said while clutching her head.

When I returned, Alice, who had been waiting up without sleeping, watched her father and siblings getting off the train with a puzzled look, and then tilted her head at the straggling defeated soldiers of the Papal State. Upon seeing the corpses that followed, she was left speechless.

After hurriedly coming to the audience room with Alice, Leo, and the Sword Saint, the reaction everyone showed was just that.

“Are there any other spies from the Papal State?”

“I think there will be. The Empire is vast.”

The Empire has territory beyond the sea. Even if the central administrative power is incredibly strong, it’s impossible to exert that power in every nook and cranny directly.

Furthermore, there is religious freedom in the Empire, although it is still a matter of fact.

However, the founding myth is much more widespread than the Goddess Cult in the Empire. Of course, it can’t be regarded as a systematic religion like the Goddess Cult, but the beliefs embedded in people’s thoughts are not easily broken.

It’s somewhat like trying to evangelize an atheist. Moreover, to the citizens of the Empire, the evidence of that founding myth is always right before their eyes.

The story of the first emperor, the Fanggriffon, ultimately entering under the Goddess, and the tales of opposing the Goddess may be absent, but the story of being born in chaos, becoming the king of the gryphons, and establishing a great nation serves as too substantial evidence for the Empire.

To believe in the Goddess Cult is to challenge that pride.

Of course, religion can penetrate even such feelings, but the Empire itself has held back from the shadows and has subtly pressured the churches being established within it to prevent them from growing.

Perhaps that situation has made the Papal State try harder to sneak in spies into the Empire.

“There probably aren’t as many as in Velbur.”

“That doesn’t exactly comfort me.”

Alice sighed deeply.

“Should we just leave it be? After all, the Papal State is practically gone, and even if they rebuild, it’s not the same Papal State they believed in. Having lost their power, maybe they’ll just give up and try to adapt to their fake identities… then again, that reasoning doesn’t really hold, huh?”

Alice pondered to herself as if she figured it out alone.

The proof that this wasn’t the case was the ones we had brought onto the train.

Religious aspirations don’t just vanish easily. Even in my previous world, where there was no substantial evidence or miracles, there were those who killed people and blew up buildings out of blind faith, so it’s even more likely to be extreme in this world. Especially for those who lost what they believed was the proof of that miracle.

“We’ll just have to cooperate with the lords.”

“……”

Alice closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

“Umm… should I step aside?”

Claire, who had been listening to the conversation, cautiously asked the two of us.

It seemed she felt a bit uncomfortable discussing such a political topic.

Leo felt the same way. Though his face wasn’t turning blue like at the beginning of the semester, he still appeared to not want to get caught up in such matters.

“No need to do that.”

Claire and Leo seemed surprised at Alice’s response.

In a good way or a bad way, Alice wasn’t a tough person. At least, she didn’t possess the personality to hold the entire nation in one hand while wielding a sword in the other like the former Emperor Arthur Fanggriffon.

If Alice were to become the Empress, she might give up part of her imperial power.

But that was inevitable. The reason absolute monarchies fall after a few generations is that they fail to adapt while trying to cling to power. Eventually, as time passes and technology progresses, even commoners will at least receive a minimum education and realize how wrong their situation has been.

In that scenario, if one tries to cling to privileges without question, all that awaits them is a knife at their throat.

It would rather make sense to firmly secure that image while it’s still positive.

Claire and Leo are the children of the orthodox imperial faction, the Grace family. Alice will probably make every effort to maintain a connection with these children for life.

Well, besides being the children of the Grace family, there’s also the fact that they are friends.

“Oh, I don’t mind if you don’t consider me. This conversation is quite interesting.”

The Sword Saint, who had been somewhat distanced from Claire and Leo, said that. …I didn’t expect much anyway.

“But starting negotiations with the lords right now could make us look too submissive before even becoming Empress.”

The Emperor never backed down in negotiations. Ignoring the growing number of enemies, he gained the cooperation of the nobility based on military might and the royal budget.

Those who have spent so long wouldn’t express gratitude simply because of a sudden peace treaty.

They would look down on it.

But apart from that, there’s no other way—

“I don’t know why you think so complicatedly.”

The Sword Saint abruptly cut through the convoluted thoughts.

“After all, aren’t they the kinds of folks who can’t even use the power they were relying on?”

…I had a rough idea about what the Sword Saint was thinking.

Not that I wanted to know.

“Then, isn’t there just one thing to do?”

He spoke with a smile on his face.

“Just go find them and deal with them directly.”

It was a ferocious smile, as if he had found something entertaining.

“…Master, it might not be a very entertaining opponent for you.”

“But there are multiple enemies, right? And those opponents are all quite thoroughly trained, and should we encounter them, they’ll certainly rush at me as if to kill. It won’t be a big issue for us whether we capture or kill them, but if they get caught, they know it will be gruesome for them.”

That’s… true, but…

But today, those I captured ended up begging for their lives when the power difference became apparent—oh, right. The opponent was a gryphon.

Suddenly being captured and taken up high only to fall back down sounds a bit… horrifying. Plus, there were reports that the gryphon was thrown once more after that without dying.

“I don’t even know where they are yet—”

“But starting now, they’re probably thinking about finding out, right?”

“….”

I closed my mouth.

“Those who confidently step forward won’t do things like that, creating chaos like what happened today. They are the kinds who will just continue to live thinking their identities are real as you discussed. Conversely, those who believe they must go back to the Papal State will surely cause problems again, just like they did today.”

The Sword Saint explained leisurely.

“Right now, the Papal State is perfectly controlled by Velbur, and exchanges between the Empire and the Velbur people have also been restricted since that incident. Border checks have become much stricter. Ultimately, to return, they have to go sneakily, but all their contact routes are cut off. The highest tier has disappeared, after all, so their only option is to band together and somehow cross the border. However, the Empire is far too vast to just ‘walk out’. Any way they try to escape will be troublesome.”

On top of that, the imperial army was famous for its elite troops, and given the ongoing aftermath of that incident, the lords were quite on edge.

Crossing from territory to territory is much more complicated than moving from state to state in America. The lords can’t act out against the Emperor, but they won’t tremble in fear towards another lord.

Moreover, in order to maintain their own power, it’s natural for the nobles to protect the authority of others to a certain extent, so crossing the Empire would be much tougher than imagined.

“So what you need to do is simple. Just find out if there are any territories where there are issues with security, and test how you can help. It doesn’t matter if they don’t accept. Just go as a small elite team, wrap things up quickly, and come back, right?”

“……”

At the Sword Saint’s straightforward conclusion, everyone in the audience room was momentarily lost for words.

Chapter 316

“There’s probably no one else in the world who can boss around the Crown Princess like this, except for the Master.”

“Well, if we’re going to nitpick, haven’t all the Emperors sitting on the throne done the same to you, and are still doing it?”

“…Alice isn’t one of them.”

“Oh ho.

In the dead of night, with winter still holding on and the air chilly, we hadn’t even turned on the lights.

At night, even a small glimmer of light can be seen from afar. The military rations made in my former world were designed to avoid a fire, preventing the entire unit from being wiped out while trying to fill a hungry belly.

But the worst of winter had passed, and this region wasn’t too far south, so it wasn’t freezing enough to die from it.

Just annoyingly cold.

I was the one caught up in the Sword Saint’s proposal to track down and deal with this suspicious person.

Claire and Leo wanted to help us, but after all, they were from different families.

If they were truly active as knights in the Grace’s Estate, they might have helped us naturally, but those kids still had a lot to learn and were quite inexperienced.

Even though they helped solve a major incident, that was an exception to the rule.

Alice was busy with the handover. The Emperor hadn’t educated Alice to be the next Emperor, so she had to learn everything from scratch, literally.

Since she had decided to stay at the Academy, she had to prepare for her duties as the next Emperor outside of her time there.

Everyone else also had to take over their family businesses. Even Jake and Roti seemed to be preparing for marriage already. Although they didn’t directly bring it up, the circumstances between the two made it obvious.

But I couldn’t exactly bring along Sophia, a former Cathedral knight, to catch a former Cathedral knight.

In the end, even though there was plenty of time, I was the only one firmly on Alice’s side to step forward.

The Sword Saint must have realized that fact before making that suggestion.

The two of us sat side by side, watching the enemy camp. They said it was a bandit that had suddenly popped up in this territory. It was called ‘bandit,’ but the area was relatively flat. Given that the locals lived in a pretty flat terrain, they seemed to call what I perceived as ‘a slightly elevated hill’ a mountain.

This hill we were sitting on was probably considered a mountain by the locals.

“Are you saying this isn’t being bossed around?”

“I’m here because of the Master, aren’t I?”

I continued the conversation, peering through the telescope at the faint light shining through the sparse trees atop the opposite hill.

“But at the end of the day, the one who asked is the Crown Princess. To be honest, when I suggested it, you were just standing there with your face like you’d bitten into something unpleasant. If Alice had said you didn’t have to do it, you would at least have pondered it for a bit before stepping up.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“There are people out there whose insides are as transparent as their faces. Plus, there’s someone who’s been trying their hardest to hide their expression nearby, making it much easier to guess your feelings in comparison.”

That person trying to hide their emotions was obviously me.

I was still being careful not to expose my feelings too blatantly. So it wasn’t that I was maintaining a blank expression but rather trying to slightly refine it.

But even in that refined expression, there seemed to exist a type of ‘unpleasant’ expression.

“But didn’t you just say a moment ago that you would eventually step up after some thinking?”

“There’s a big difference between stepping up on your own and stepping up because someone asked you to. No matter if the outcome of the task is the same, the feelings involved are different.”

“What does that mean?”

“Think about it like knowing you have to clean your room but putting it off because it’s too troublesome for now.”

“…”

“In that situation, someone prompts you to clean your room. What emotions would you feel?”

“Alice hasn’t prompted me to do anything!”

“Right now, you might feel that way, but eventually, when something urgent comes up, people often ask the same favor two or three times. And as you hear the same thing over and over, you eventually get annoyed.”

“Are you saying Alice would do that too?”

“I don’t know.”

In the end, I took my eyes off the telescope and looked at the Sword Saint.

He seemed to have been looking at me for quite some time. He didn’t appear to think that camp at a distance would change positions.

“Are you saying that without being certain?”

“There are very few things you can be certain about in this world. What you can be sure of are just such clear facts like an egg falling from chest height onto a hard floor. A person’s heart is not something you can ‘know for sure.’”

“…”

“So, the certainty you have about Alice right now can’t really be called ‘certainty.’ If you think so, that’s just an illusion.”

With the Sword Saint saying that much, I had nothing to retort.

But somehow, I wanted to deny those words, so I was rummaging through my head as hard as I could when the Sword Saint spoke up first.

“So, what I mean is, don’t just accept everything passively. I don’t know how long it’s been since you two have opened up to each other, but letting the relationship become something that’s taken for granted over too long can cause cracks. And the moment one side refuses that given thing, it will shatter the relationship.”

The Sword Saint turned his head again to look at the opposite hill.

“Make sure to create opportunities to talk openly with each other. Even if it’s something unpleasant to hear, speaking about things as they come up is much less irritating and easier to forget than blowing up after it’s all piled up. If there’s something you dislike, say why you dislike it and what you would like in the future. Doing so will help maintain your relationship. It might not be necessary if you were simply a loyal subject and an Emperor, but you’re sisters, aren’t you?”

“…”

I stared at the Sword Saint, then said,

“No, how can someone who knows such important things give up on society and live in the mountains?!”

“Shut up. At night, just as light travels far, so do sounds.”

If it’s against his interest, his hands get moving first, huh.

*

But the Sword Saint was saying the right thing.

I could handle subduing the bandit-like former Cathedral knights. There were other knights with us who had been on the train back then.

Still, I didn’t want to spend all my break on such things.

Honestly, I was tired. It wasn’t that I was worn out from Alice’s attitude or such; it was just that the events had been happening one after another at a tiring pace.

Besides, I had been killing people since a very young age, after all.

With all that stacking up, it wouldn’t be surprising if I were to experience burnout.

I didn’t want to be in cold or hot places. If possible, I just wanted to hole up in my room without going far. As someone who was an otaku in my past life, home was the best.

I knew Alice was having a hard time. She had too much on her plate and needed to learn and memorize a lot. Even if there were some tasks that might reduce the role of the Emperor a bit, it was still a lot.

However, even so, it was still a situation where I didn’t want to do what I didn’t want to do.

“…”

After listening to my story, Alice was frozen, holding her teacup.

“Jay’s story ends here.”

“…Um.”

At my words, Alice tilted her head and put down her teacup.

“So… you don’t want to work?”

“Yes.”

“But you still will?”

“That’s right.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to, but I want to help you. So if you ask me to do something in the future, please understand that I won’t always do it willingly.”

“Uh, oh… thank you?”

At my words, Alice’s face turned a bit red.

“…”

“…”

Then she tightly shut her mouth, as if sealing it with a lid.

After a brief silence, feeling somewhat frustrated, I opened my mouth again.

“This time, it’s your turn.”

“…Ah, okay.”

With a slightly dazed expression, Alice nodded and, after a moment of thinking, finally spoke up.

“Um, I would like you to address me a bit differently.”

“Are you talking about how to address you?”

“Yeah. I’d prefer if you called me by my name, not ‘you’ or ‘Crown Princess’ or ‘Crown Princess.’ We’re sisters, after all?”

“…”

I briefly thought about it and then spoke.

“Understood.”

So, it wasn’t like I was being told to call her ‘Big Sister.’

“And also, stop with the honorifics. It makes it feel distant. You used casual language that time, right? Even though I couldn’t hear it well over the distance, I saw the shape of your mouth. You said ‘It’s okay,’ didn’t you?”

Alice, who initially had a clueless expression on her face, seemed to gradually find her words from the process of speaking things out.

“…”

I thought for a moment and nodded.

Right, the honorifics I used were originally a concept.

“But completely switching to informal language all at once might be difficult. Even if the titles can change, since I’ve been doing this for a few years, I’ll gradually adjust.”

“Okay.”

“Is there anything else?”

At my question, Alice took a moment to pause, then,

“Yeah, there’s more—”

And from there, Alice’s requests went on for a while.

…Although we had known each other for years, in the end, there were still many things we didn’t know about each other. It had only been just a little over a year since we began to open our hearts to each other.

Now I understood why the Sword Saint had said such things.

If this had built up and built up, it would have eventually exploded.

Well, even so, living without fighting at all would be impossible, right? They say siblings grow up fighting.

But even if they fought—at least, it would be good to be able to reconcile. It is indeed a good idea to lay bare what each of us likes and dislikes, and where our lines are.

This alone could prevent piling on bigger problems on top of the existing ones.

Chapter 317

“It looks like you’ve put everything out there on your face.”

slap

“I never even had it to begin with.”

whoosh

The one who answered Alice’s question was Bella.

Bella Fanggriffon.

The place she was in looked more like a free space than a prison.

Since Bella had once been royalty, she would never be treated poorly until the moment she died. It didn’t matter if that royalty had committed a crime or not; there was the pride of royalty to consider.

Bella’s residence was a mansion.

Though it was quite far from the Imperial Capital, it still belonged to the imperial administrative district. It wouldn’t take more than an hour to get there by carriage, but the surroundings were barren. Alice thought that at night, she might hear wild dogs barking from beyond the walls.

Of course, this was a mansion, but at the same time, it served as a prison to keep Bella confined. Numerous soldiers and knights were always on watch, and nearby, there were even military facilities prepared for emergencies.

However, judging from Bella’s reactions up until now, it might not have been necessary to prepare to that extent. But then again, one could never know what was in a person’s heart.

“I didn’t expect you to come looking for me first.”

pop

“……”

silence

“Moreover, I didn’t expect you to come all this way alone.”

thump

At Bella’s words, Alice shrugged her shoulders.

Bella followed suit and shrugged her shoulders, inhaling from the cigarette in her hand. As she exhaled, a long stream of smoke floated from her lips to the open window.

whooooosh

“What brings you here? Do you think there’s something more to figure out about me?”

twinkle

“Do you think there’s anything like that?”

squint

“……I guess so. Even when we were swinging swords at each other back then, we didn’t know anything.”

swing

“Was the story you heard from Sylvia that shocking?”

bang

Alice pulled a chair and sat down.

“It was shocking.”

thud

“I didn’t think you’d be the one receiving it.”

eh?

“Right. I didn’t know that either.”

shrug

Bella slowly rested her cigarette on the window frame. The tobacco stuck to the end was halfway burned, sending smoke rising lazily. It almost felt like a scented candle.

For a while, Bella gazed at the rising smoke, then turned to walk over to the table where Alice was sitting.

She pulled out a chair and sat down facing Alice.

“You didn’t come all this way just to play some jokes on me, did you? Could you tell me what you really want to talk about? Honestly, your face isn’t one I want to stare at for long.”

poof

“Should I have called Sylvia? Or Claire?”

spin

“……”

awkward silence

Bella stared intently at Alice’s face, then lazily leaned back in her chair.

She was wearing nothing but a thin nightgown. Even though the sun was high in the sky outside, Bella didn’t seem to think about changing into everyday clothes.

“Yeah, it would’ve been better to call one of them. I’d get along better talking with either of them than with you.”

shrug

However, the two of them hadn’t experienced the same past that Bella had.

…Actually, thinking it through again, Sylvia might be a bit different. She hadn’t experienced a past like ‘Bella,’ but in some sense, she had seen even worse things. Losing limbs was not an everyday pain. Nor was being ambushed or having one’s carotid artery cut.

Though Bella had never seen such scenes directly, she felt a kind of affinity for Sylvia because of that ‘background.’

Sylvia had never been particularly kind to Bella directly, but Bella always treated Sylvia warmly. It wasn’t a normal kind of warmth, but that’s how it seemed to Alice.

“Are you jealous of me?”

smirk

“Probably very few people in the world aren’t jealous of you.”

whistle

“……”

dramatic pause

Alice had a far better past than Bella to make such a statement about being unfortunate.

“So, what did you come here to say? Did you suddenly want to bond as sisters? Why, did you suddenly realize you have the same blood and want to have some sort of conversation?”

wink

“……”

awkward silence

“……Wait, were you really thinking that?”

shock

Alice kept quiet and stared at Bella, then hesitated before speaking.

“Do you know? I thought I was all alone in this world.”

deep breath

As if expelling her breath, the words came out a little fast, and Bella blinked.

“I’m… not as talented as you. Not only compared to you but also when compared to Damien, Lucas, and Jayden. Be it swordsmanship or knowledge, I was always behind someone. And of course, I was with Sylvia too.”

gulp

Alice’s eyes slowly fell to the table for a moment, before slowly climbing back up to meet Bella’s.

“And Father acted like he would pass the next imperial throne to someone else, not me.”

dramatic sigh

“Ha.”

giggle

At Alice’s words, Bella laughed incredulously.

“That person?”

“Why, weren’t you guys in the dark?”

quizzical look

“Of course. In the end, the one to succeed is… supposed to be the Fanggriffon.”

shrug

“……”

heavy silence

“And the Fanggriffon needs to be recognized by others too. It isn’t simply determined by ability. The person sitting on the throne of the emperor must have no weaknesses. And there’s also purity among those.”

mysterious tone

Bella fell silent for a moment, then added,

“It was a thought since I didn’t know I had the bloodline.”

ponder

“I feel the same way. I really didn’t know that I shared blood with you guys. So I thought I was all alone.”

heavy heart

“You—”

exclamatory

Bella began to speak but then stared quietly at Alice’s expression. Then she chuckled.

“Well, I was alone. Ignoring what others said, trying to butt in while that person and I were talking.”

laugh

“You teased me. That’s why I hated it.”

defensive tone

“Oh~ I did do that, didn’t I?”

reluctant markdown

Bella’s gaze slowly rose to the ceiling. Then she slowly focused as though trying to count the decorative patterns on it.

“Honestly, it was fun. And, um, what? It was a bit cute too. Seeing you all riled up and angry.”

smirk

“I really hated it.”

scowl

“I hated you too. Because you had everything. I thought it was only natural that I got a little angry and annoyed.”

pout

“……”

blinking silence

“I don’t exactly remember when it was, but there was a time when Sylvia came looking for me, you know? She said that.”

whisper

“Sylvia said that?”

curious

“She did. It wasn’t anything grand. She just told me not to bully you and left. Maybe she saw something in you back then. Or maybe… she really knew that she was the one who was truly alone.”

somber tone

Alice silently stared at Bella.

“Are you saying it’s just a matter of thinking?”

thinking emoji

“No, it’s not that. What you’ve gone through is too much for me to say that.”

serious tone

Bella lowered her gaze and stared blankly at Alice.

“So, you really came all this way just to have a sisterly chat?”

wink

“Yeah.”

nod

“I thought you wanted to talk about something really important since you wanted to be alone.”

curious raised brow

“It is a crucial conversation.”

admitting tone

“……You know? When we’re alone like this, I could charge at you and kill you without anyone stopping me.”

duh

“So are you going to kill me?”

challenging tone

As she stared back at Alice, who was meeting her glance directly, Bella laughed shortly,

“You really are you. You haven’t changed a bit since childhood. Well, maybe you’ve become a little more confident?”

teasing smile

“It’s just that unnatural confidence turned into natural confidence.”

confident grin

“So, after settling this, are you planning to release me or something?”

sarcastic

“What would you do if I did?”

quizzical tone

“Well, I was thinking of trying to kill the person I used to call Father. What do you think?”

evil laugh

“In that case, releasing you might be a bit hard for a while.”

serious reply

Hearing Alice’s words, Bella widened her eyes.

“Are you really planning to release me?”

gasp

“It seems like the political pressure is severe.”

sigh

“When you were in the kingdom, there was immense pressure to bring you to the empire, and now that you’ve been brought here and imprisoned, the pressure to release you is just getting heavier. ‘What did the empire do wrong after all?’ It’s hard to answer that. In the end, it’s not a plan that can be announced to the whole world, and if Father’s plan fails, it would mean the Papal State’s plan succeeded.”

fact

Alice kept staring at Bella, who had her mouth agape.

“Of course, it won’t be right away. At least it’ll be a story for a few years down the line, and even if I do release you, it’ll only be formally. You would probably only be able to roam around the vicinity, and maybe if you’re lucky, you might even make it to the heart of the Imperial Capital.”

hopeful shrug

“Above all, first and foremost, I must concretely establish the ‘crime’ you all committed.”

somber tone

“……”

heavy emphasis

Bella stared blankly at Alice.

“Why are you saying this to me instead of going after that person first?”

logical question

“What do you want me to do about telling Father this? That person would start plotting the next plan the moment he hears my story.”

eventual

“……That makes sense.”

nodding

Bella stared intently at Alice.

“In the end, it seems I was born from someone like you or me.”

dark revelation

“That’s right; really. I can’t believe I didn’t know that.”

shocked tone

Alice replied with a hint of grumbling.

Chapter 318

Is comparing people to animals a breach of etiquette?

I often think about this seriously, and every time I conclude, ‘It could be, or it might not be.’

If you compare someone to a pig, of course, they’ll feel offended. That’s basically saying they’re fat. Cows aren’t a great comparison either.

For horses, there are many instances where it’s used for the face, so that’s definitely out, and the same goes for ‘dogs.’ Usually, when calling someone a dog, only negative images come to mind. If you want to say they’re cute, it’s better to call them a puppy, or at least add ‘looks like’ in front of it.

Then what about hamsters?

Hamsters are cute. Honestly, they’re cute no matter what they do. Even if they bite a person’s hand, their round and adorable appearance doesn’t change.

But… at the same time, there’s a vibe of being greedy and gluttonous. The way they stuff their cheeks full of food and chew away looks cute but also makes them seem a bit silly and greedy.

And I was thinking this while looking at Mia sitting in front of me.

How should I put it… Is it that she has a big appetite? When I see her stuff her cheeks with various food and munch away, I can’t help but think of hamsters.

But then again, I wonder if hamsters exist here. They might exist in some form, but like other beasts, that hamster could potentially use some explosion magic or something.

Why explosion magic? Well… because that’s just the image it gives off, right? It looks like it’s about to pop with all that stuff in its cheeks!

“Don’t they get to eat stuff like this in Crowfield?”

I slid the dessert plate in front of Mia while I spoke.

“Oh, yes!”

Since I suddenly started talking, Mia quickly responded without realizing I had pushed the plate forward. There was a slight delay in her response; it seems she was busy munching on various things in her mouth.

“There’s no café selling desserts like this in Crowfield.”

“Crowfield is right on the border with Velbur, isn’t it?”

Charlotte, sitting next to Mia, asked in surprise.

“I thought some dishes would be influenced by Velbur cuisine.”

Alice shot a glance at Charlotte as she proudly proclaimed, “Velbur food is definitely tastier than imperial food.”

Right now, we were sitting in that café we often visited during the semester.

Since the academy runs on a boarding system, all the students moved their stuff to the dorms a few days prior. Generally, students who live far from the capital tend to arrive early. In this era, apart from trains and airships, other means of transportation don’t guarantee reliability. There are cars, but not every area of the capital has paved roads.

In fact, for Charlotte, there’s a train running from Velbur to the capital, so she didn’t need to come early.

But did she arrive early because she wanted to see her friends?

She’d never admit to that, though.

“Ah, well…”

Mia rolled her eyes slightly and said.

It might be a bit uncomfortable for her to think about the fact that Crowfield used to be part of Velbur territory. The existence of Velbur cuisine signifies not just a border influence but rather the fact that “it was originally Velbur territory.”

“My mother focuses on her business…”

Crowfield has industrialized to a degree. Apparently, there are some factories.

But that factory? It’s a morphine factory.

Since the topic of opium is still well-hidden, I have no idea how much is produced, but even the legal drug morphine is more than enough to keep Crowfield alive.

And in that way, as an ‘industrialized’ place, the economy for common folks has totally crashed.

When I say the economy for common folks has crashed, it means there are almost no cafés like this. Although this café isn’t exactly somewhere regular commoners can drop by every week, its prices are reasonable enough that middle-class commoners can visit from time to time.

This café doesn’t sell food at insane prices and only cater to nobles; instead, it operates by maximizing its profits from the occasional visits of commoners. I’m sure having someone of royal blood like us patronizing is a huge help since regular citizens can say, “I’ve eaten where the royals eat.”

But that works only if there’s a relatively large population.

In places like Crowfield, where there’s a smaller population, it’s hard for a café in such an ambiguous position to blossom. It either turns very upscale selling only to nobles or ends up selling cheap, low-quality food, splitting like this.

Naturally, Mia wouldn’t be able to eat ‘food like this.’

It’s difficult enough to enjoy decent meals. Whenever there’s a lot of food, it tastes absolutely awful, and all the gourmet food comes out slowly, like just ‘a bite’ or ‘a spoonful’ at a time.

“Ah…”

Charlotte, hearing Mia’s words, seemed to realize that fact and kindly patted Mia’s arm.

Then she pushed the slice of cake that had been sitting untouched in front of her toward Mia.

Mia looked a bit embarrassed by Charlotte’s gesture but didn’t refuse.

“By the way, it seems Claire and Leo haven’t entered the dorms yet.”

“They’ll probably come in on the day of the entrance ceremony. Their home is nearby, after all.”

“I’m a bit envious that you get to attend an academy so close to home.”

At Alice’s words, Charlotte smiled bitterly and replied.

“How about Velbur? Is there an academy like this?”

“Actually, there aren’t. There’s a similar place that teaches some noble kids, but nothing of this scale. There are universities, but those places aren’t for kids our age.”

“I see…”

“In fact, even without going to another country, such academies are quite rare. Across the empire, the academies are few and far between, and among those, the only ones as systematic as this one are in the Theoridarium Academy.”

“…”

As my words finished, both Mia and Charlotte’s gazes fell on me.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

As I saw the suddenly silent duo, I asked like that, to which Charlotte and Mia exchanged glances before looking back at me.

“When exactly did you start speaking so casually to Alice?”

Whether Charlotte was the representative of the two or not, she directly asked me that.

“Ah, we mutually agreed to drop the formalities during last break.”

“…Is that so?”

Charlotte tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“Then why do you still use formal language with me and Mia?”

“Well, that’s because both of you are still using formal language with me.”

“Is it… is that how it works?”

Guess it is!

It seems like they’re thinking about getting me to drop the formalities too, but unfortunately, I’m not ready to do that with them yet.

It’s a bit… uncomfortable to use informal language while they are still using formal language.

And it seems my explanation left them without much to counter with.

Looking at Alice’s slightly proud expression, I felt somewhat incredulous, but—

“Oh, there they are!”

Claire’s voice rang out.

Waving from the terrace on the first floor of the café, Claire bounded over to us.

“I heard Charlotte was here, so I thought maybe you were all gathered here, and— voilà!”

“Long time no see, Claire.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yep, it’s been a while. And I’ve been well.”

“Both of you, it’s been a while too.”

Claire greeted Charlotte and Mia in turn, and behind her, Leo followed, a bit late, to say hello.

“Oh, by the way. Sylvia.”

“Hmm?”

As Claire was greeting everyone, Alice suddenly spoke up to me.

“Oh, that’s… no, wait. I was going to say something, but I can’t remember.”

“…What? Why toss that at me like that?”

I thought she might bring up something related to Claire, but an out-of-character line came from her.

Well, Alice babbling like this could be a sign that she’s comfortable around me now.

With a shrug, I turned my head back to Claire, only to be taken aback.

Claire was staring at me, completely frozen.

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“Nehe???”

Ah, I’ve heard that tone somewhere.

It’s exactly how it was when seniors reacted with ‘Huh?’ instead of saying ‘I didn’t hear you’ back in the army. That kind of tone, ‘Nehe↗!?’

“…What’s the matter?”

“’What’s the matter!’?!”

Claire was outraged as if my words struck a nerve. People passing by turned to look at us.

Um, why is this happening?

Chapter 319

“Why are you using formal speech with me? Do you feel a wall between us or something?”

“That’s not it, though…?”

As I gave a puzzled expression to Claire, who was getting angry, she groaned for a while, then said,

“Then why! Do you use formal speech with me while you’re casual with Alice! And!”

Having said that, Claire suddenly lowered her voice slightly and added,

“Besides, you spoke casually with me back then.”

“Back then…? Ah.”

It seemed Claire was referring to the time when we turned back time together.

“Back then, there wasn’t really time to think deeply.”

“And now, are you thinking deeply?”

“Because the situation is much more relaxed than it was back then.”

“Ugh.”

Claire let out a short, disbelieving sigh and turned away.

I was startled, thinking she might be angry and going home, but she turned toward the café entrance instead. Even though Claire usually didn’t bother much about the eyes around her, it seemed she still acted like a noble lady. The fact that she didn’t just jump over the fence was proof of that.

It was a bit amusing that we passed by the counter to order her drink. Perhaps she thought that even if she was angry, she still needed to eat, right?

And that was very much a Claire-like action.

Following Claire, who was fuming, was Leo with a smile on his lips.

Claire’s angry expression… Well, I hate to say it, but it wasn’t that scary.

Claire could certainly adopt a serious expression when she wanted to. If someone were to stab me with a knife, she might very well look fierce enough to be intimidating.

But Claire wasn’t very good at acting. She didn’t have the personality that could show genuine anger through acting.

Right now, Claire’s expression looked like a child who had their cookies or toys snatched away, and honestly, it was hard to suppress laughter while watching.

“You really do have terrible taste.”

“…….”

Then, noticing my expression, Alice shot me a glance and said that.

It seemed like we used to bicker a lot in the fantasy world, but did some affection develop in the meantime? Judging by how she was siding with Claire.

“So, you’re really not thinking of speaking casually with Claire?”

“I plan to speak casually with Leo as well.”

It felt a bit unfair to only speak casually with Claire. Claire was my sister, but Leo was also my brother. I had decided that during the previous conversation with Baroness Grace… I mean, ‘Mother.’

“Did you speak casually to Leo when you were Leo’s sister?”

“That was not the case.”

I shook my head.

“…In that situation, if you suddenly spoke casually to Leo, wouldn’t he be confused?”

“That’s why I plan to do it.”

“Your taste is really terrible.”

Alice made a face of disbelief.

But that expression wasn’t perfect. From her slightly raised corners of her mouth and eyebrows, it seemed Alice was secretly enjoying the situation.

“…I think both of you are the ones with bad taste.”

Charlotte, who had been listening to our conversation, said that. Unlike Alice and me, who could read each other’s feelings from expressions, Charlotte likely guessed our emotions based on our dialogue. Or maybe she learned a bit about our mannerisms over the past year.

On the other hand, Mia seemed completely lost with question marks over her head. It’s as if she couldn’t follow the conversation flow. Perhaps she took our conversation at face value but was a bit confused by what Charlotte said beside her.

Mia was usually quite mature, but she turned back into a child whenever food was involved.

As we were chatting like this, there was a thud thud sound from over there.

Claire stomped her foot, coming toward us with a somewhat exaggerated pose as if saying, “Look at me!”

Who was indulging young Claire’s childish whims, her father or mother? Hmm, based on my experiences in the fantasy world, it was probably her father. He appeared strict on the outside, but he was likely a doting father at heart.

“Sister, I think we need to think seriously about this matter.”

She emphasized the word “think” twice, saying that. If you wanted to emphasize something, it would probably be better to emphasize “seriously” than “think.”

“About what matter?”

“I mean, the way you’re talking right now.”

Claire pulled out a chair and sat down. She folded her arms and looked at me as she spoke.

“So far, I’ve endured it. I thought you’d been in the Imperial Palace for quite a while, and that’s why formal speech had stuck with you.”

“That’s not wrong.”

Hearing that, Claire frowned and glanced at Alice.

Ah, right, that’s true. Even though Alice is a Crown Princess, she speaks casually with anyone her age. The highest-ranking person using formal speech around me is none other than Charlotte.

And strictly speaking, Charlotte was different from Alice and me. She had been on a clear elite path since birth. Alice and I had been somewhat neglected in that regard. Charlotte had been guided accurately by someone. The “formal speech” Charlotte used probably stemmed from that reason.

“No, that’s a lie.”

Claire saw right through my lie in an instant.

“The only person using formal speech in the Imperial Palace is you, or the servants, or the non-royal nobility. All the royals I know have spoken casually to me.”

And in some ways, that was to be expected. Just as I had lived as a daughter in Grace’s Estate, Claire had also been a Princess.

“Sister, that’s acting, isn’t it?”

…

And Claire surprisingly dug right into the essence of the matter.

“You don’t need to do it, but you’re doing it on purpose. I don’t know the reason…”

Hmm.

The reason.

The reason…

To secure my own stake among these colorful characters—

Calculating how long I’d keep up the cool beauty image and how this cool beauty would fight through its weaknesses… it had become a carefully constructed character trait.

Simply put, it was ‘playing a character.’

“……”

“So, sister—”

“I got it.”

I answered quickly before Claire could dig any deeper.

“Really?”

Claire’s face lit up instantly. It might just be my imagination, but it felt like the ambient light increased slightly.

“Really? You’re not going to suddenly switch back to formal speech after speaking casually, right?”

“Right.”

I nodded and looked over at Leo.

“Of course, I’ll speak casually with you too. I’m ‘older sister’ after all, right?”

“……”

Just not long ago, Leo teased me by calling me “big sister,” but now he looked utterly bewildered by my statement.

It seemed like he would take a while to get used to me speaking casually.

As I had this conversation with my siblings, Charlotte and Mia watched us with somewhat bewildered expressions.

…In the midst of that, Alice was squinting her eyes at me.

I hope she didn’t realize I was playing a character completely.

*

After school started, news that I had switched to casual speech with Claire and Leo spread through the school in no time.

Honestly, there was no reason for it not to. I had been speaking politely with everyone.

Of course, I occasionally talked informally due to being able to rewind time, but generally, my speech was polite.

The problem was that I had divided the people I spoke casually with and those I spoke formally to.

Casual speech was only for Alice, Claire, and Leo, while I spoke formally to everyone else.

At first, I didn’t pay much attention to the reactions around me, but after about two weeks, it seemed the rumors started circulating among the students.

“Sylvia, could you please unify your speaking style?”

“Is there a problem?”

“If it’s a problem, it’s a mountain of problems.”

Charlotte looked a bit flustered at my response.

“You’re not pretending not to notice, are you?”

“……”

No, I really wasn’t aware.

Perhaps she could infer my reaction from my silence, as Charlotte rubbed her forehead.

“So, the other students think you’re separating people.”

…Huh?

Isn’t it natural to separate people?

Chapter 320

Those trendy folks who look at the world through a love-filled lens might not understand, but of course, people categorize when dealing with others.

Family, friends, those who are sort-of friends, acquaintances who you only know by face, colleagues at work… If someone says it’s cold-hearted to categorize these relationships, then they probably haven’t experienced social life. It’s necessary to categorize to get along without discomfort.

It’s not about jumping straight into calling someone a friend; it’s more like gradually getting to know each other from afar, which helps avoid awkwardness later.

Plus, having these categories lets you think of the right person to contact when you need help or want to help someone else.

Of course, the situation in school was a bit different. The only time we weighed each other’s benefits was during grades, which you can’t negotiate with others; it’s about your own studies.

Otherwise, there’s no need to calculate losses or gains, so you can interact comfortably with anyone, regardless of whether you’re meeting for the first time. After all, school is where kids from the neighborhood gather, and unless there’s a drastic wealth disparity in the district, you generally find similar kids. With similar ages, it’s only natural to get along somewhat.

The problem was, the academy in this world didn’t work like that.

“Alright, since we’re on formal terms and I don’t feel a wall because of that speech style, we’re good to talk freely,” Charlotte said, lowering the hand she had raised to her forehead down to her waist.

“But other people who don’t know you well don’t feel the same, right? If a Crown Princess suddenly speaks informally to some people and remains polite to you, it feels like she’s building walls.”

If the counterpart was friends, sure, that would be true. But I had always spoken formally to everyone.

“…So, it means the others are scared of you. If you’re going to build walls, you should build them appropriately.”

Alice said, pointing out my confused expression.

“Think about your image; it seems you’ve forgotten, but at one time, you were one of the fearful figures among the nobles of the Empire. Right now, you’re the only one outside of that group.”

Oh, right.

Just because the academy had a similar system as a school, it didn’t mean they were the same – ‘Academy = School’ wasn’t true.

This was a place where nobles resided. Moreover, if you went to certain classes, there were commoners too.

Even without going into the noble-commoner relationship, the hierarchy among nobles was significantly different.

There were rivalries, relationships similar to master and servant… In any case, it was way too different to compare to a school.

“These days it’s good to relax, but don’t be too spaced out just because you’re relaxed. You still need to remember the basics,” Alice said.

“…”

Alice’s words were so on point that I had nothing to say in response.

“So what should I do?” I asked.

“Well, it’s simple,” Charlotte replied, but Claire jumped in unexpectedly.

“Just speak informally to the others. Simple, right?”

“…”

However, at those words from Claire, the three of us fell into silence.

Alice, who had just been scolding me, and Charlotte, who brought up the topic in the first place, both looked like ‘Is that really okay?’

They had suggested it, but now hearing it from someone else made them realize how unnatural it sounded.

Imagine Sylvia Fanggriffon being friendly and speaking informally to everyone?

…That’s even hard to picture!

“But besides that, there really isn’t any other way,” Alice finally managed to say after some deliberation.

“Yeah, but I can’t just go back to the days when I used formal speech with everyone.”

“Exactly, I don’t want that either,” Charlotte and Claire chimed in.

“So, starting today, does that mean I just speak informally to everyone?”

“…”

At my question, everyone fell silent for a moment before nodding. Among them, Claire was the only one smiling as if it were obvious, while Alice and Charlotte wore worried looks.

Wait, what am I supposed to do here?

*

Anyway, I decided to accept all three of their suggestions.

However, the ‘everyone’ I applied this to didn’t immediately extend to the entire academy.

I’d start with those around me first. That way, the shock would be minimized.

“So, Charlotte, from today, I’ll start speaking informally to you.”

“If I’ve been speaking formally, you said you would do the same, didn’t you? Well, it’s fine either way.”

Charlotte said that while acting coy but took it quite easily. In fact, she seemed delighted to say it.

“Of course, I’ll continue using this speech pattern with everyone. So, I’m going to speak informally to ‘everyone’.”

“That’s right.”

I nodded at Charlotte’s words.

Honestly, it felt strange. I thought of her as a friend, and this was sincere, but it felt like I was crossing that line with a close work colleague for the first time. In fact, I had never spoken informally to work colleagues before, so I wasn’t sure how that felt; if I had, it would be something like that.

Still, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Okay, let’s apply this to the next friend.

Just then, Sophia, who had stepped out for a bit during lunch, was coming back in.

“Sophia, hey!”

“What’s up?”

As soon as I greeted her, Sophia froze at the door, rigid, and said that.

Then she took a step back as if changing her mind about entering the classroom and said, “What’s going on? What are you thinking? Are you planning to use me for something? Was my thought that we became friends a misunderstanding?”

She was letting out a stream of random words.

“…”

“So, it would have been nice to speak informally from the start.”

Seeing Sophia’s reaction, I turned to Charlotte, who let out a deep sigh.

“Um… I guess we missed the timing.”

Alice tried to comfort me, but it didn’t really help.

“No, Sophia, it’s okay. Just come and sit down.”

Only after Claire said that did Sophia hesitantly return to her seat.

Although the desk was the same, she seemed to subtly shift her chair over to maintain some distance from me.

“Well, my sister said she’s going to get closer to others. So, we decided to speak informally like this.”

“Don’t.”

Sophia said, blushing, and looked at me.

“Don’t do that.”

Then she emphasized it again.

…That kind of hurts to hear.

“A moment ago, I almost had a heart attack. If you didn’t respond like that, I’d have bolted straight to the Papal State.”

The Papal State was far away from here, and even if I went, the Velbur military was occupying it.

Honestly, I thought Sophia would be better off staying in the Empire, but I kept that to myself.

“It’s thanks to the fact that I’ve known you guys for a while and that I can gauge the situation from your reactions that I’m managing this much. If it were someone with even slightly weaker heart condition, they might just faint from a heart attack.”

Will I turn into some kind of grim reaper?

“Hmm… Why is that? You’re not a scary person.”

At Claire’s words, Alice, Charlotte, and Sophia turned their faces toward her simultaneously. They all looked like they wanted to question that, but realizing it wouldn’t work against Claire, they quickly turned their gazes back to me.

“…Um, is it because of my expression?”

Alice mumbled, resting her chin on her hand.

“Definitely, it might be about your expression,” Charlotte said with a serious face.

“Expression isn’t the only issue, but it does play a significant role,” Sophia added as if to reinforce.

“What’s wrong with my expression?”

When I asked, Alice said with a slightly serious expression.

“After years of training, I can interpret your expressions, but others might not be able to. Whether you speak informally or formally, if you keep that blank expression and flat tone, others will find it scary.”

“…So should I greet them with a smile?”

“If you greet them with a smile, the other person’s heart might just tighten and cause a cerebral hemorrhage.”

What on earth is wrong with her!

Chapter 321

So, are you telling me to drop honorifics or what?

Well, judging by the nuance, it seems closer to telling me to drop them.

I felt some unfairness that nobody said anything about Charlotte and Mia using honorifics, but then again, those two really never broke the rules of honorifics.

Mia did use informal speech once.

I’m gonna kill you!

…I mean, she yelled that at me once.

That situation shouldn’t be considered a “typical situation.”

For me, using informal speech was my way of showing familiarity, but for Mia, that moment was so infuriating that she must have felt like she was going insane. Assuming a state of losing rationality is the “normal state” is just something those foolish game masters of death games say when they drag people into a death game, claiming “people show their true nature under extreme situations.”

Should I have just built a character who uses informal speech from the start?

Like, I don’t know, An●ami or Na●tosu? You know, those famous characters. They drop the formalities and are cool beauties. Sometimes, they even show a human side.

It’s too late to think about that now.

“Hello.”

Anyway, since I had decided to drop the formalities, I figured I should at least give it a try.

“……”

The next target of my informal speech was Rena.

Rena, who had stepped out during lunch to make a reservation for parts at the weapon shop, turned to me with a brief dazed expression after hearing my light greeting.

“Well, it’s fine to drop the formalities, but isn’t that a bit sudden? If you’re going to drop them, at least do it since the morning.”

Alice remarked after observing Rena’s reaction.

“But whether it’s in the morning or during lunch, it would eventually feel sudden to the other person.”

“No, still, if you do it in the morning, you haven’t seen each other for over ten hours, but if you do it during lunch, it hasn’t even been an hour yet, so it feels too sudden!”

Hmm, is that so?

But that critique was already too late, as I had already talked to Rena informally while she was on her way back.

“……”

Fortunately, Rena didn’t look as shocked as Sophia. Thinking about it, Rena was probably the purest kid around me. So pure that she might actually be more innocent than Mia or Roti, who also used honorifics.

Sophia and Charlotte are definitely not the kind of people you’d call pure.

Mia, having learned some inconvenient facts while knowing about the things her father did in his lifetime, and Roti… isn’t she in her own little romance? I can’t know how far her relationship with Jake has progressed, but I can bet that there’s at least one ‘inappropriate act’ they’ve definitely done.

It’s not that Rena knew nothing of this, but if I had to pick someone farthest from all those matters, it would definitely be Rena.

Especially in human relationships; Rena didn’t seem to have any particular desires for anyone.

Since there was nothing for her to be cautious about in our relationship, she had no reason to doubt me like Sophia.

As Rena silently approached us and turned her body to face me, she spoke.

“Finally, have you decided to shed the shackles?”

“……”

A heavy silence descended.

No, it wasn’t the kind of heaviness that makes everyone around go silent just because it was too serious.

It was more like a massive question mark hanging in the air.

‘What is this girl talking about right now?’

That kind of questioning silence.

And at that moment, I almost got crushed by the weight of that silence.

To be honest, I was having the same exact thought.

What on earth is she saying right now?

I hadn’t grasped the situation well, but my instincts were sounding alarm bells. If I let Rena say something right now, I would definitely regret it immensely in the future.

shudder

But before I could stand up to stop Rena, someone grabbed my arm tightly.

It was Alice.

Alice smiled widely at me. Her face was all ‘smiley’, but her eyes were gleaming with interest.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

And Claire inquired to Rena. Claire, who had been listening while standing, didn’t have the same openly teasing expression as Alice, but she genuinely seemed curious about what Rena had heard from me.

Should I stop here? Should I at least try to cut off Rena’s words?

But if I did that, it would just reveal to everyone that the story Rena was about to tell was something incredibly embarrassing for me.

And even if I managed to stop it, Charlotte and Alice wouldn’t be the type to just let go of such bait.

My mind, racing, suddenly recalled a memory.

Before the vacation, when I visited Rena’s room.

I had asked for her to share a secret without a thought, only for that secret to be far heavier and more serious than I expected, forcing me to stumble through a half-baked story just to balance things out.

“That is…”

Rena hesitated as she looked at me.

Now was the time to decide. Should I just spill it all cleanly here and end it, or should I at least try to block it this one time?

If I just blurted it out now, I probably wouldn’t have to hear such stories again in the future. But this is a classroom. I don’t know if the other kids would hear this. In fact, a few people were already pretending not to be interested while subtly angling their ears.

On the other hand, if I stop it, even though the classmates can’t hear this, later, I’d probably have to explain it multiple times to each of my friends—worst case scenario, someone might even ‘hear’ it.

…

Fine. It’s whatever. It’s mostly made-up anyway, so let’s just let it slip.

Concepts and everything, I don’t care anymore. Once the classmates know, they might look at me a bit differently, but whether it’s pitying looks or terrified stares, I couldn’t care less.

“No, it’s not something I can talk about here.”

But Rena was even more loyal than I thought.

Noticing that someone was eavesdropping, she simply replied like that.

Since Rena said that, I missed the timing to say it was okay to talk.

“……”

The gazes of my friends around me all turned to me simultaneously.

…Hmm.

I feel like this is going to come back to bite me in the end.

*

Better to get hit first than to let it fester—so I decided to just spill it out and finish it.

Knowing Rena’s loyal character, I didn’t think she’d talk about it in front of others, so we decided to meet in a room instead of the usual café.

The dorm room was a single room, but it was spacious enough for a few students to fit in. Of course, it looked a little cramped compared to being alone or with just one other person.

There were only four chairs at the reception table.

Me, Rena, Alice, and Charlotte sat around the table, while the others had to stand; Sophia occupied a study chair, and Claire, Roti, and Mia sat on the bed.

Sitting together like this made me realize I actually had quite a few friends.

Even though wandering around the dorm is relatively free, it’s still hard for boys to enter the girls’ dorms. The dress styles and the way the kids think are oddly modern, but this is a world borrowed from the Industrial Revolution era. It would cause a scene if a guy entered a girls’ dorm even in modern times, and it would be even worse in this era.

“So, what’s this about shedding the shackles?”

The one who spoke for the group was Alice.

Hearing Alice’s question, Rena looked at me. I nodded with my lips tightly sealed.

“You all know where the Crown Princess comes from.”

Everyone here had probably heard it at least once. They must have heard it from me directly or through rumors.

The rumor that ‘all of the Emperor’s children have humble origins.’

“So… the shackles I mentioned were related to that story. It’s nothing special.”

“……”

Silence fell.

Hmm.

Would Rena keep my secret?

Actually, there wasn’t anything that significant about it. If they thought about my origins and followed that line of reasoning, they might guess what the story was. Claire, who is from a similar background as me, would immediately understand if I shared even a tiny bit of information.

“I… I mentioned I like sweets, right?”

“I haven’t heard that directly, but it was pretty obvious,” Charlotte responded.

“That’s the story. My love for sweets stems from my background; it’s not such a grand tale.”

And as I spoke, I thought to myself.

Oh? If I handle this well, it might not be too embarrassing and could smoothly pass by, right?

Chapter 322

“Is there anyone here who knows what kind of food the orphans live on in the orphanage?”

Silence…

No one could answer.

Sophia’s eyes sparkled for a moment, and Claire nodded. Thinking about it, Sophia grew up as a spy from a young age. She may have experienced orphanage life, even if only for a short time. Claire can relate since she was in the same place as me.

“At the place I was in, we ate watery porridge. It was made with way too much water and barely any seasoning. You could hardly taste it, and there was almost nothing to chew.”

Silence…

While I was speaking, I wondered if someone would butt in, but thankfully no one did.

“And it wasn’t much, either. Looking back now, I honestly don’t think it was fit to be served to humans.”

It’s not that porridge itself was unfit for humans, but rather ‘that’ porridge was not edible. It’s barely even food if there’s nothing to eat.

“We endured by sharing that.”

“No way.”

This time, someone interrupted me.

Claire, with a serious expression, raised her hand slightly.

“That’s not true. The only one who shared was my sister. She always shared with us, and we only got a few spoonfuls to get by. We fought over the food, but no one shared.”

Oh, was that how it was?

It seems that way.

I was about the same age as Claire back then, so my physical age wouldn’t have been much different.

But even if my body was the same, I was still an adult inside. No way could I take food from starving children. I believed I shouldn’t do that no matter how dire the situation was.

And honestly, I knew what that place was like. I thought I couldn’t change the future, and since those kids would end up like that, I wanted them to at least have a memory of meeting a kind person, even for a short time.

Besides, there were children I couldn’t save. So, it wasn’t something to brag about.

Silence…

The room fell into silence after Claire’s words.

“And I told them stories from the past.”

Claire added.

I had nothing to say. The stories from the past were just roughly pieced together from stories I already knew.

Of course, I wasn’t that great at storytelling, so I improvised parts I couldn’t remember, and the endings of parts I forgot, I just made them happy endings.

Alice had heard those stories before, but the other kids hadn’t. Especially Charlotte looked absolutely shocked.

She was staring at me with a look of utter disbelief. Why is it so amazing that I know how to tell old stories?

It does sound amazing, yeah.

Thinking about it, this could be a pretty good gap. A cool beauty character having been a warm and nice person in the past is a cliché after all.

“And since I lived in such a place, I hardly ever got to eat sweet food.”

If I left it at that, Claire would keep boasting about me, so I seized the moment to continue my story.

“The reason I like sweet food, especially desserts, is because of that.”

To be fair, I always liked it. But it’s not like I could come all the way here to talk about that. After all, I only mentioned it to Rena because it was related to her and her father.

…Everything was practically exposed, so it’s fine to keep at least one little secret, right?

“And it’s also the reason why my sister wanted me to drop the formal speech.”

Once the story ended, Claire said as if she had been waiting.

Seeing the attention shift towards her, Claire shrugged her shoulders and spoke.

“Sister was comfortable with us back then.”

“…No way, was the reason you started using a stiff honorific…”

Charlotte mumbled, but I didn’t feel the need to answer.

After all, how could I say that it was part of my act?

Silence…

Hm, at first, I thought this would reveal another secret and make me feel embarrassed, but in a sense, the conversation… well, I’m not sure if it went well, but at least I think I avoided the worst situation.

As I was thinking about wrapping up the story, Charlotte suddenly shot up from her seat.

“We’re going to the cafe.”

And she gave me an extremely serious look and said,

“…Huh?”

“Right now.”

Looking closely, I noticed that Charlotte’s eyes were a bit wet.

…Did she cry? After hearing my story?

I didn’t mean to go that far…?

“I… I’ll wait outside, so you prepare quickly and come out, okay?”

Charlotte said that and turned around, bouncing out of the room.

…What’s going on?

If I follow her, it seems like I’ll have to stuff every type of parfait into my stomach at the cafe without being able to turn back time.

“Then, I’ll also wait outside.”

The next person to get up was Rena. She smiled gently at me before turning away and leaving the room.

“…I’m sorry for asking you not to. So, this really was your true self. Congratulations on taking off the mask. I hope I can become like you someday.”

Then, Sophia patted my hand and said that before leaving.

“I didn’t speak up during the commotion, but I could grasp the situation to some extent. If you want, I can teach you how to make desserts. I’ll take special care to teach you.”

Roti said politely before exiting.

“There are many cafes in Zeido. I’m sure there are several other nice places too. When we have some time later, let’s find those places together. I also enjoy sweet desserts.”

Mia said with a somewhat serious expression before leaving.

Silence…

That string of events occurred so quickly I couldn’t even say anything; I felt a bit dazed.

“If I’d known this was going to happen, I would have just spoken up earlier.”

Claire muttered as if complaining.

“Yeah, right? It would have been nice if you just started like this.”

Alice squinted at me and said.

“…I had my own thoughts too.”

After hearing my reply, Alice continued to stare at me for a while before finally letting out a big sigh.

“Fine. I won’t deny it. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to take it easy like this.”

“Same here. No matter if you drop the formalities or not, you’re still my sister.”

Claire smiled as she said that,

“But you know, sister, you just used the formal address a moment ago, right?”

She asked.

“Ah.”

Did I?

After using that tone for so long, it looks like it popped out unknowingly. Since I’ve been speaking in polite terms whenever I’ve had to explain or make excuses up until now.

The atmosphere of the conversation we had earlier in the room was just like that.

“Well, it’s fine. That’s not wrong, right? You seem to be conscious of changing it… um, actually, that’s similar to you. You seem perfect, yet there’s some sloppiness. That’s what makes you human.”

“Actually, that perfection was just created on the foundation of that sloppiness. Like coloring on a white canvas.”

Alice chimed in from the side.

“…Are you trying to tease me or compliment me?”

Maybe she was trying to make me feel embarrassed. The truth is, I’m feeling quite embarrassed right now.

“See, with no ability, your true self gets exposed.”

Alice laughed while saying that.

“But that’s exactly the Sylvia we know.”

“I never knew it was like this until now.”

I protested in response, but Alice just shrugged.

“Let’s go out quickly. The kids are waiting.”

“…If I go out, I’ll probably be dragged to a cafe and keep eating desserts until I’m full.”

Especially Charlotte seemed to look endlessly sincere.

“So, you really shouldn’t have said that. Hearing that you learned to love sweet food because you were starving makes me want to fill that empty stomach.”

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll help you out.”

Isn’t it basic that each cafe will have a set for individuals? Even if I drink coffee…

“…For now, should I go call Leo and Jake?”

If I can’t handle it, I might have to ask Leo for some help.

After all, I’ve been a good big sister for a long time; a day of being a bad big sister shouldn’t matter, right?

Seeing right through my thoughts, Alice and Claire burst into laughter.

Chapter 323

The Academy of Hwangliplondarium pulled a lot from the Japanese high school culture, true to its title as a Japanese subculture game, but it wasn’t just your regular high school.

Even though the kids’ ages and class formats felt high school-ish, the fact that it was a four-year program, allowing students to drop out freely, and the immediate transition to society post-graduation made it more like a university.

Since it was a blend of high school and university, the relationship between students and teachers wasn’t strictly hierarchical. Students would naturally seek out teachers when they had questions, and teachers would naturally approach students to share their insights.

Hiring dukes, who are among the top nobles in the nation, as teachers wasn’t a coincidence. It was crucial to have teachers who could understand the students seeking advice. Being the ‘best’ academy, it was only natural that they ensured the best welfare for the students.

In truth, I ended up in the staff room just to meet my homeroom teacher, Carolyn.

Just as students were granted maximum freedom, a fair bit of freedom was given to the academy’s teachers as well. If the teachers wanted to consult with students, they could do so as long as there was an agreement between them.

It seemed Carolyn intended to understand the students a bit more closely this year. It looked like she had gained insights from the series of events that happened last year due to Juro.

After a brief consultation with Carolyn, Jennifer caught me as I tried to head back, and just like that, I found myself having a meeting with a teacher who wasn’t even my homeroom teacher.

“You look great these days.”

Jennifer, sitting across from me, casually opened the conversation with that line.

The staff room wasn’t just hers alone. The spot Jennifer had asked me to sit at actually belonged to another teacher. Various teaching materials were piled haphazardly on the desk.

I wondered what would happen if that teacher returned, but thinking it over again, I figured they wouldn’t be back anytime soon, which is why she must have left me here.

“I’ve been thinking a lot of things differently.”

“Really? When I overhear you talking sometimes, it does seem that way,” Jennifer replied with a smile.

And indeed, it was true.

It’s said that a person’s image is largely determined by their appearance; since coming to this world, I had felt that exceedingly well.

Sylvia Fanggriffon is pretty. Just sitting quietly with her lips sealed, most people would find her charming enough.

I felt the same when I looked in the mirror, so how did those looking at me, especially the guys, perceive me?

Moreover, this image helped me in ‘changing’ how people viewed me.

At first, the students would jump in surprise every time I spoke or talked informally, but they adapted incredibly fast. Within less than a month, it was as if they had been calling me by name right from the start.

And perhaps because of the way I now spoke, their fear of me seemed to have lessened a bit.

In the past, there were hardly any students willing to talk to me, but these days, it was gradually increasing.

They probably figured out the rumors they’d heard circulating about me hanging out with Mia were false. After all, how could one get close to the murderer of their father?

…There was quite a complex story behind that, but both Mia and I felt no need to explain it.

“Well, I won’t dig too deep into that. Even if I did, that would be Carolyn’s job as the homeroom teacher.”

Though I felt I had pried too much already, I didn’t want to be too stubborn about it.

“My master, the Sword Saint Frederick, is now officially a teacher here. But you already know that since you’ve attended his class.”

The Sword Saint was joining from this semester.

I made all sorts of excuses without revealing the reason why he had applied to the academy, but it seemed that both the Headmaster and other teachers thought it would be a waste to let him go.

Additionally, he was one of those who had greatly contributed in the last battle, even helping to escort the Emperor.

That seemed to be the reasoning behind the assumption that the Sword Saint wouldn’t do anything strange.

“Now that it’s come to this, there’s no need to ask why he applied for a position here, but I can’t help but be curious. What was it about me that made him decide to teach ordinary kids he hadn’t paid any attention to until now?”

“…….”

As I quietly looked at Jennifer, she had a slight smile on her lips. And that smile was… quite literally just a smile. It seemed like there was nothing being hidden behind it.

Well, I guess it wouldn’t be her style to act that way. One might even say she resembled her master so closely that it felt like they shared blood or something… But then again, considering they were both from the same region, perhaps it was just a similarity in disposition.

“As a student who learned under the same master, can’t you tell me?”

“Are you that curious?”

I was a bit nervous asking, but Jennifer leaned slightly toward me and replied.

“Yeah, I am. Believe it or not, I don’t just see you as a mere student in my academy. You might not know this since you started learning directly under the master, but he has quite a discerning eye for his students.”

I had experienced this to some extent.

Of course, it was thanks to my interest in swordsmanship that I could even learn from the Sword Saint. If that wasn’t the case, he probably would have turned me down no matter how many times I asked.

And that interest didn’t come from my talent.

“I’m curious about what made him come here as a teacher, given his high standards. What did he see in you that he was willing to consider teaching ordinary students?”

“…….”

As I continued to gaze at Jennifer, I looked around the room.

The teachers seemed busy with their own tasks, not bothering to glance this way. Maybe being teachers at this academy bent them towards a strong sense of professionalism.

“This isn’t a request as a teacher. It’s a request from someone who learned under the same master. I won’t spread what I learned from you to other teachers since it’s not something I learned as a teacher.”

Hearing that made my heart waver a bit.

Not as a teacher, but as someone who learned from the same master—was that how she framed it?

I pondered for a moment, then leaned slightly toward Jennifer.

And in a soft voice, I spoke up.

“My master mentioned that he came to teach here because of me.”

“I know that. There would be no reason for him to come if it weren’t for you.”

That made sense; he had told me to ask.

“He said that my lack of talent made him interested when he saw me working several times harder than others just to get by.”

Jennifer’s expression didn’t change as she listened to me.

Instead, she looked at me sincerely with a serious face.

“I lack talent in swordsmanship. That means I have to put in several times the effort just to imitate others. Literally, ‘several times’.”

Jennifer surely understood what I meant with that.

“I had my chances, so I tried again and again, not giving up until I could somewhat mimic the moves. My master would say that even if one has the time to spare, there aren’t many who dedicate themselves completely to effort. Since I did that, I think it caught his attention.”

“I see.”

“While teaching hundreds of students here, he thought that if he could save even a couple students like me, it would be rewarding enough.”

Having said that, I felt a bit embarrassed. After all, it sounded like I was just bragging about myself.

And with someone listening to my almost self-praising words with a serious expression right in front of me, I felt even more so.

“…I see.”

Jennifer closed her eyes briefly as if lost in thought before a small smile graced her lips.

“I remember as well. While others seem to have forgotten, you repeatedly tried and succeeded back when I first started teaching you. That lesson was actually meant to show that on the battlefield, nobility and status mean nothing.”

“…I apologize for that.”

“No, I had forgotten something important myself. Anything can happen on the battlefield. Even events that might seem out of the ordinary. You reminded me of that.”

Jennifer said with a smile.

“Indeed, my master has spoken wisely. I share the same sentiment. If I could save just a few students like you during my teaching career, it would be worthwhile. And last year, I gained a whole bunch of those students. I’m glad you came to the academy.”

“…….”

I couldn’t respond to Jennifer’s words.

Chapter 324

If I had to pick the most memorable scene from the animation I watched during my childhood, it would undoubtedly be this phrase.

Dum dum dum…

“Next time!”

I don’t know what it’s like in Japan, but when I was a kid, the animations I watched often had the network cutting out bits just to squeeze in another advertisement. They didn’t really cut the main story, but the opening and ending themes became the sacrificial lambs.

They’d edit just the part where the title comes up in the opening, and then the animation would start right away. At the end, instead of an ending theme, you’d see “Next time!” right after the ads.

And every time I saw that phrase, I felt a sense of relief.

“Next time” basically meant exactly that. It meant the same thing as, “We’ll have more of this animation!”

So here I was, watching an animation on TV without any opening or ending, feeling wistful as I watched the episode end, and then feeling reassured when I saw “Next time!” I’d wait with my heart racing for that “next time” to come around next week.

But eventually, there’s always an end.

No matter how long the animation is, that final episode always comes. Even if it’s a collection of unrelated short episodes, it’s the same.

When the episodes prepared for the year come to an end, instead of seeing “Next time!” you see, “Thank you for your love up until now!”

And every time I saw that, I felt a lump in my heart.

It’s as if I felt that once that line passed, something wouldn’t come back again, that kind of feeling.

Isn’t it strange?

Even though it’s not in an animation, the feeling I’m having right now is like that.

“Feeling empty?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you!”

For some reason, I answered like this because I didn’t want to lose against Lucas.

It felt like I had to see this at least once, so I came to find Lucas.

Not just him. Before, I had met Bella, Jayden, and Damien. I hadn’t met the Emperor yet, though.

Surprisingly, it seemed like these people didn’t have any particular desire toward me. Damien was the type who didn’t show much emotion because he was a stiff guy by nature, but Bella greeted me with a somewhat laid-back expression, while Jayden welcomed me with a slightly overwhelming smile. During our light conversations, I even wondered if these two really were trapped.

I intentionally made the order of meeting Lucas and the Emperor the last on my list. It was because seeing these two was a bit… intimidating.

If I had to pick the people whose lives changed the most because of me, it would be these two. In a negative way, of course.

“Looks like you’ve taken off your mask?”

Lucas slouched on the table with his legs crossed, lifting up the front legs of his chair while leaning on the back two legs, saying so in a ridiculously laid-back posture. He had his hands clasped behind his head in what looked like multiple meanings.

“Guess you don’t need it anymore?”

“Really? It’s not like someone told you to do that?”

“Nope.”

I cut him off sharply.

“Well, given that you wouldn’t be here without a reason, it’s not like someone asked you to do this. Now that I think about it, you’ve always acted as you wanted from the beginning to the end.”

“You seem to remember everything.”

“Of course.”

Lucas frowned a bit.

“Why did you act like I pulled a fast one on you?”

At my words, Lucas stared at me intently.

After a long silence, Lucas snorted as if to say that it didn’t even matter.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

“…….”

How ridiculous! It’s just like a terrestrial broadcast station cutting scenes just to shove in ads during the opening and ending of an animation.

“What are you sorry for?”

When I bluntly asked, Lucas looked at me as if surprised.

“Aren’t you resentful of me?”

“Why would I be?”

“Because I pushed you to death multiple times.”

“…….”

Oh, right.

I thought Lucas would remember how I “defeated him,” but on second thought, it wouldn’t just be those memories that came to mind.

He probably had many more memories of defeating me.

“Looks like you remember everything, huh?”

Before I realized I could turn back time, Lucas didn’t really dislike me. In fact, when he attacked me with a sword, it was probably more of a half-joking action than a serious attempt to kill me.

Wasn’t that called Baldur? I think in Norse mythology, the invincible one was teased by the gods by throwing various things at him, and that was just it. Lucas thought I’d dodge all those attacks and not get hurt.

In reality, if Lucas had wanted to, he could’ve easily beheaded me, who was just a little kid back then. Because he saw me as a somewhat funny opponent, he didn’t seriously swing the sword to kill me, so I just ended up bleeding a lot, with swords sticking into me or getting my arm or leg severed, or my waist almost cut in half.

And surprisingly, Lucas panicked every time. Yeah, that Lucas. He would go pale, tremble, freeze, and tongue-tie himself.

“I-I didn’t mean to—”

That was the line I heard most often in those situations.

The Emperor’s children thought they hadn’t mixed blood at that time, but there was a bond of sorts among us. Though we didn’t often see each other’s faces, we would occasionally ask how each other was doing when we met.

And Lucas, treating me like a real little sister, frequently teased me when I appeared.

What would a brother’s reaction be if he playfully pushed his little sister, and she broke her neck and died?

Since Lucas only remembered the outcomes, he probably had no idea what happened in between.

“So… did you hurt a lot?”

“What do you think?”

Lucas fell silent at my question.

And I found every one of Lucas’s reactions quite refreshing. The Lucas I knew had swung a sword at his little sister, thought it was unfair that I defeated him after I rewound time, and so he thought of killing me, making him a rather dangerously simple-minded person.

We probably weren’t understanding each other at all.

“I can’t even remember how many times I was slashed. It happened every time we met. And also when I dodged. It was good luck if I got slashed once and managed to dodge right after; it took me a few times rewinding time to escape.”

“I know.”

Lucas replied with a slightly dazed expression.

“That old guy said not to overlook how many times you tried by rewinding time. Back then, I thought I understood what that meant, but now that I think about it, my thoughts were extremely short-sighted.”

“…….”

I stared at Lucas for a long time, then spoke.

“Hey, are you really Lucas?”

“Of course I am. If I went through something so monumental, I’d learn something.”

“Pff.”

Should I praise him or not?

I pondered for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and said,

“Well, anyway, it’s practically all water under the bridge now. Plus, I’ve already killed you at least once, so I’ll settle for that.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

Lucas looked at me directly and asked.

“You killed me?”

“So what?”

“You?”

“Right.”

“How? By rewinding time so many times? Did you even try to assassinate me?”

“No, it wasn’t like that.”

I exhaled before continuing.

“It was just that I shot a warning shot while turning around, and it went out too accurately, piercing your neck.”

“…….”

At my words, Lucas turned pale.

“I actually died?”

“It seems you don’t really recall the memories of that time in detail. Thank goodness.”

“No, hey, thank goodness?”

At the very least, it would’ve been fortunate not to suffer from PTSD for the rest of your life after dying even once in the battlefield of that illusionary world.

“…… whatever.”

He seemed like he had a lot more questions to ask, but realizing I wasn’t inclined to answer any further, Lucas let out a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, let’s just pretend it never happened, just like you said.”

“Honestly, I’m the one who feels wronged here.”

“…… Yeah, you’re the more wronged one.”

Nodding at my additional comment, Lucas conceded.

“How’s the Sword Saint doing?”

“Too well, actually.”

“Let me out before the Sword Saint kicks the bucket. We need to settle who actually won.”

“I’m worried I might actually kill you, though. And the reason you’re here right now is because of what you did with the former Emperor, right? There’s nothing I can do about it. Maybe write a petition to the Crown Princess?”

At my words, Lucas sighed again.

… Saying sorry or whatever, it seems people really don’t change that easily.

Well, to be honest, even though I acted like that, I hadn’t totally cleared my resentment yet. Maybe I’d take a little more time to think it over.

Chapter 325

To be honest, if anyone were to ask if we worked hard in the student council activities last year, I couldn’t say yes for my conscience’s sake.

Tons of excuses!

We were just freshmen, didn’t know much, and if we kept hanging around the student council too much as highborns, the committee members would be super uncomfortable. Plus, if we tried to voice our opinions, even if we were wrong, no one could argue back.

Ugh! Same story now!

Or rather, it probably got worse.

Alice, once a princess, was now merely a crown princess, while I, having been one of the princesses, became the second in the royal family after her.

Charlotte, who was with us in Velbur, was reportedly gaining prominence as a royal due to that incident—though from our perspective, she was just the same old Charlotte. But it seemed the Velbur royal family was planning to thoroughly use that event as a PR stunt.

And Claire, Leo, and Mia were in the same boat. They were all there with us that day and fought hard for their lives.

As for Mia’s mother, I don’t know what she thinks, but Mia was already pretty much part of the royal’s inner circle. If nothing changes, the next generation of Crowfield is bound to be royalty-friendly.

So, when we start saying something, just like in our freshman year, the student council couldn’t do anything to counter it—

“Wait, so you’re going to run for student council president?”

“Why not? Is there a rule against foreign students becoming president?”

“No, but…”

Well, this time it felt different!

Last year, we didn’t meddle with the student council because we didn’t want things to get complicated. Technically, we were at an age where we should have been focused on studying at the academy, and getting involved in too much would have invited a lot of unpleasant attention from our peers, making school life tiresome.

But the upperclassman who was president last year had graduated.

In other words, the president’s position was empty!

Normally, the president’s term is one year, but after that, you can run for re-election as many times as you want. Students typically vote for whomever was elected president before.

Unlike the average high school where you just vote randomly without knowing the president’s name or face, student council candidates are usually nobility. Consequently, the student council is dominated by the largest noble factions.

As long as that house doesn’t suddenly collapse or lose control of its faction, they can hold onto the president’s seat until graduation.

If someone desires power within the school, aiming for the president’s position is a given.

“Tell me you’re not thinking there’s no one else to run now that the president is gone? You think no one will challenge you now that you’re a crown princess and it’ll be easy for you to snatch that position?”

……

Alice didn’t even hide her displeasure towards Charlotte’s blatant provocation.

“I just know I can win against anyone who shows up.”

“Well, you can just compete against me then.”

Charlotte replied with a confident grin.

“As I mentioned earlier, I plan to run for the student council president.”

“……Fine. I can’t let the Ronderium Academy fall into the hands of an outsider. Challenge accepted!”

“Oh my, who’s actually challenging who here?”

What’s up with this brawl? They were so friendly before!

Honestly, I’d rather they argued over food. At least then, I wouldn’t mistake it for a real fight!

While they were arguing like this in the middle of the student council room, everyone was looking at them.

“Sylvia.”

“Yeah?”

While I silently sipped my tea, Alice suddenly turned to me and said,

“Why are you so unfazed?”

“……What expression should I have?”

“If I run as a presidential candidate, it’s only natural for you to be my vice president, right?”

“……Why?”

I’m not power-hungry, you know!

If anything, I have a bit of a desire for money. A full wallet makes for a full heart, after all. If I don’t have to worry about starving, I can skip lightly, and the thought of buying what I want makes me float!

Of course, there’s no need to flaunt my money-grabbing tendencies in this world. I have more than enough when I need it.

As for power… Well, it’s nice to have, but I know the higher you are, the more responsibility comes with it. And if you don’t handle that responsibility well, you’ll naturally face the backlash, too.

More than anything, I despise bothersome things. “Work” definitely falls under that category.

If I rose to a high position, I’d definitely have to deal with loads of work, and that’s why I had no intention of climbing that high up!

I’ve never understood why former student council presidents signed up for such burdens.

“You’re the Empire’s second in command. You have an obligation to protect the Empire from external threats.”

Wait, why would this be an external threat? It’s just students running for the student council!

“……”

At my reply, Alice paused, as if momentarily speechless.

“Are you saying that for real?”

“Isn’t that the logical truth? Here, I’m just a student from Velbur. Rena and Sophia are the same. Naturally, I have the right to run for student council president just like any other student in this academy.”

With a slight tilt of her chin and a gentle look in her eyes, Charlotte stated her position… Honestly, even from a neutral perspective, it seemed a bit annoying.

“You’re my sister, aren’t you? Of course, you should be supporting me!”

“……”

I mean, there’s no need to look at me like I’m a traitor or something!

It seems that Alice thought I would predict she would run for student council president.

And naturally, she thought I would help her in that endeavor.

Yeah, I admit it.

Not because I know the original plot. The original story should still be in the midst of war by now.

I thought that because I’d been observing Alice all along. Particularly in the last year, Alice seemed to regain much of herself. She found her confidence and determination. More than clinging to the opinions of others, she had started doing things she genuinely wanted to do.

Given that it was Alice, I was certain she’d feel like trying her hand at this opportunity.

And I figured she would ask me for help, too.

“I’m not saying I won’t help you, but…”

Also, considering how well I knew Alice, she also knew me just as well. I had changed a lot in the past year. In fact, I’d changed more than Alice. My way of speaking alone completely transformed! If anyone compared me from last year to who I am now, they’d probably say I’m a totally different person.

Though honestly, it was a disguise I desperately worked on, but I’ve also changed significantly in other ways too.

“Right? So that’s settled then.”

Alice then turned her gaze towards Claire and Leo.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Claire responded immediately.

“……”

Leo noticeably turned his gaze away.

“……Sure, I’m not expecting your help anyway.”

With that, Alice turned back towards Charlotte.

“I may have a vice president candidate now, but what about you? Do you have someone to back you up?”

“Why wouldn’t I have one?”

Charlotte asked with an incredulous look.

“Are you thinking of taking Sophia with you?”

“No. That’s not happening. I wouldn’t even bother asking her since she’d reject me outright. Also, I’ve already picked a vice president candidate. Right here.”

“Here?”

Alice’s gaze shifted away from our table and towards the other students.

“Not over there.”

Seeing Alice like that, Charlotte commented as she stood up and moved over.

After reaching Mia, Charlotte placed both hands on her shoulders and said,

“My vice president candidate is right here.”

“……Huh?”

Seeing Mia go stiff as Charlotte placed her hands on her shoulders, Alice made a somewhat stunned sound.

“……Mia?”

“Yep.”

“Vice president?”

“And?”

“Uh….”

Under Charlotte’s assertive declaration, we were all left speechless for a moment.

Chapter 326

Was she lured by food?

The moment I saw Charlotte place her hand on Mia’s shoulder, I thought that.

“Is it really because of food?”

Alice seemed to have the same thought as me.

“There’s no way it could be that.”

Even though I was thinking the same thing as Alice, I still felt the need to say it out loud. Half of me meant it. Initially, I did wonder if it was because of food, but I couldn’t believe that Mia would follow Charlotte simply because of that.

Mia has a very introverted personality.

I was the same, but whenever something needed my action, I tended to move first. If I didn’t act, situations wouldn’t resolve themselves.

But Mia wouldn’t move until there was some external stimulus.

That characteristic had improved a lot by now, but I seriously doubted she’d come up with the idea of becoming the student council vice president on her own.

It was definitely Charlotte who initiated the conversation.

“Why did Charlotte make such a proposal to Mia, and why did Mia accept it?”

That was indeed a question.

The relationship between Charlotte and Mia, as individuals, wasn’t bad at all. In fact, you could say it was good. I had hardly ever seen the two of them laughing together, but Charlotte always approached Mia with a gentle attitude, and Mia always reacted softly… well, it was more like she responded timidly.

But when you looked at it from a family-to-family perspective, the story changes.

Charlotte is the eldest daughter of the Velbur royal family. Mia is the eldest daughter of the Crowfield Count family.

Both would naturally become the heads of their respective families if left alone without any incidents over time.

Crowfield was originally land belonging to Velbur. It was known for being fertile, but now most of that fertile land is used for growing poppies instead of wheat. Some among the Velbur nobility viewed this fact with great displeasure. While it’s acknowledged that morphine is an essential drug in modern society, it can’t be denied that the image of opiate-related substances is rather bad.

It makes sense that it wouldn’t have a good image, especially since they had taken the land from Velbur due to war.

“……”

So, like Alice, I found it difficult to understand Mia’s decision.

Was it to build a bridge for the future?

To reiterate, Mia’s personality is one that shies away from power. If she could, she would rather stay locked up in a room or at home, spending her time reading her favorite books.

So Mia, becoming the student council vice president?

“I guess there’s no other way than to ask her directly?”

It seemed Alice had come to a similar conclusion.

She didn’t particularly think about trying to suppress it or anything like that.

She was simply genuinely curious about what Mia was thinking.

*

“Is there a reason I accepted the Crown Princess’s proposal?”

The next day.

Since it was the weekend, there was plenty of time.

I was worried that Charlotte might refuse to talk to us while having strategy meetings with Mia over the weekend, but it seemed she had no intention of doing such a thing.

Well, in reality, it was just the position of the student council president. Although Alice and Charlotte were holding onto their pride, I believe they also thought it wasn’t as important as all that.

While they could influence the opinions within the academy, and to some extent, affect the academy itself, those who desperately needed that influence didn’t usually include royals or nobles.

Unless they were living suppressed by the royal or imperial family, the Emperor, who had completed absolute power, or the still-viable Imperial family, or even Charlotte, a foreign princess, wouldn’t need to control the influence of the empire’s academy.

Yet still, surely the reason for running in the election was primarily because they wanted to.

“Yeah. Well…”

Asking, “Aren’t you usually not into this sort of thing?” wasn’t a very good idea.

“I was just curious why you accepted Charlotte’s proposal.”

“Is it because I’m from Crowfield?”

Fortunately, Mia brought up the topic of her family instead of her personality’s flaws. Alice visibly relaxed and nodded.

“Yeah, I was just thinking it might be a bit awkward given the family-to-family situation.”

Of course, aligning with Princess Alice might be even more awkward. The ill-fated relationship between Velbur and Crowfield was an irreparable feud from a long time ago, but the bad blood between Crowfield and the royal family was only from one generation ago, and Mia, the current generation, had also suffered from it.

However, the process of Mia and us becoming close was something we had witnessed firsthand together. It was a reason that didn’t need to be asked.

In that sense, one could somewhat guess the reason Mia could become friends with Charlotte, but… aside from that, I was curious if that reason could really surpass Mia’s personal inclinations.

“That might… be true, but…”

Mia raised her gaze slightly as she spoke.

After a brief moment of silence, it seemed she had been lost in thought, as she slowly opened her mouth.

“Actually, I’m not really sure either.”

“Not really sure?”

“When Princess Charlotte made that proposal to me, I involuntarily accepted.”

“So what you’re saying is… it was too sudden and you answered without even realizing it?”

“It’s a bit different, so…”

Mia frowned slightly as if explaining was hard, tilted her head, and after a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke up.

“She was the first person to offer me something like that.”

“Ah…”

At Mia’s words, Alice seemed to realize something.

“Actually, I’ve always hated stepping forward. I worried about whether I could do well if I were entrusted with something important, and until last year, I was thinking that I shouldn’t be doing it at all.”

She must have been referring to the time she was plotting to kill me.

“I thought that if I talked with others, they would figure out what I was really thinking. Just the thought of thinking that was a dangerous matter in itself. So I didn’t make plans for important tasks and kept my distance from other people. Because that was the most important thing for me.”

Mia paused for a moment before continuing.

“However, after I let go of that thought and became friends with all of you… well, I actually still didn’t have any thoughts of wanting to step forward at that time either. I was quite content with the way I had been living up until then, and it was just more pleasant to stay locked up in my room, reading books and studying magic. Above all, I didn’t even think I could do well if I were entrusted with such an important role.”

In some sense, that was true for us too.

Since Mia hadn’t spoken up about wanting to do anything, we thought she wouldn’t want to do it. Of course, Alice probably always had the idea of making me vice president from the very beginning. I didn’t think she had even thought about proposing it to Mia.

Yet, even aside from the student council president role, we had never thought of Mia representing us in doing something.

“Princess Charlotte came and persuaded me. At first, I outright refused, saying I had never thought of doing something like that, but she kept persuading me until I gave in, should I say I was persuaded in the end?”

Mia said this with a shy smile on her face.

“Somehow, when I heard that I could keep doing it, it began to feel like I could actually do it…”

Alice and I stared at Mia’s smile, lost in thought for a while.

“So that’s how it was.”

It wasn’t some grand reason.

But since it wasn’t such a grand reason, it was much more understandable than any other political motive.

If someone you consider among your closest friends believes you can do something that you didn’t even think you could do, you probably wouldn’t think to refuse it.

That being said, while I told Alice I wouldn’t refuse the vice president role from the beginning, the truth is I had never thought of refusing it.

“Okay, I got it.”

Alice replied with a refreshing expression.

“Then for a while, we’ll be rivals.”

At Alice’s declaration, Mia smiled. Well, it seemed she was trying to put on a brave smile, but it didn’t quite work out. The corners of her lips quivered and twisted, her face was flushed red, and her eyes were fluttering.

But still, it was a look that might just barely fit the word “hopeful.”

“Ah, let’s do our best from now on.”

“Yeah, I’ll definitely win.”

“We won’t be losing either.”

It was quite different from when they were in front of Charlotte.

I mean, if she acted like this in front of Charlotte, Mia would probably be crushed.

…Wait, could it be that Charlotte lured Mia in knowing all this?

Chapter 327

“Feeling uneasy or something?”

“What do you mean ‘worried’? Ha.”

If only the ‘Ha.’ at the end was left out, it would’ve been quite convincing acting.

From the outside, it looked like Charlotte was at a disadvantage in this fight.

After all, Charlotte is a foreigner. No matter how well she’s evaluated within the academy, the student council election isn’t a popularity contest but rather a power struggle.

Charlotte would eventually become the queen of the Kingdom of Velbur. No, in fact, even before becoming queen, it’s almost certain she won’t meet Charlotte again.

How often does a noble from the Empire get to meet a foreign princess or king? At least with Alice, there might be a chance to see her at a ball or banquet, but Charlotte is different. The only nobles who can attend foreign balls or banquets are those who are diplomats in Velbur, and only high-ranking nobles are invited to weddings.

So, it’d be much better to stick with Alice than with Charlotte. Alice is from the same country, and there’s the excuse of being from the ‘same school.’ Later, at a banquet, saying, ‘Your Highness, do you remember? We were in the same class. I voted for you back then,’ would give significant leverage.

Of course, the voting itself is a secret ballot.

But usually, when nobles talk, they find out who voted for whom. Just like modern times, nobles also discuss who they voted for with friends afterward.

If one were to lie, it wouldn’t take long for it to be uncovered. There are differences in attitudes. There may be someone who can hide it until the end, but…

“I’ve never thought I would lose, you know? This isn’t ‘Royal Lutetia Academy’ but ‘Crown Princess Rondairem Academy.’ I’m overwhelmingly favored.”

“Oh really?”

As I retorted, Alice shrugged her shoulders and spoke.

“It’s a fight I’m going to win anyway, but that doesn’t mean I can just sit back. Winning without doing anything wouldn’t feel good for the opponent. It’s not polite either. So, I’ll fight with all my might.”

Watching Alice talk with her chin held high, I thought: she’s feeling uneasy.

No matter how much her personality has improved, Alice hasn’t discarded her pride in her lineage or her self-respect.

If she’s up against someone like Charlotte, of course, she would fight with everything she has. Otherwise, she might lose.

I don’t know how Charlotte will fight, but I suppose she thinks she has a chance and is willing to fight, right?

Honestly, I don’t care whether Alice wins or Charlotte wins, but if Alice wins, I’ll be in for a long, tiring time, so for now, let’s just do my best to help her.

As I watched Alice steeling herself, I thought that.

*

“Where’s Charlotte?”

The next day.

Seeing that Charlotte wasn’t in the classroom, Alice looked around and asked.

“Charlotte? She wasn’t here when I came in either,” replied Claire, who had arrived early to prepare for the lesson.

“…….”

Alice glanced around the sparsely populated classroom before sitting down. Claire, who sat in front of Alice, turned around to face her.

Hugging the backrest and peeking at Alice with a teasing expression, Claire said,

“Why, feeling uneasy or something?”

She perfectly recalled the question I had asked Alice last night without a single alteration.

“I am uneasy.”

Alice sat up confidently, raising her head, but Claire continued to look at her teasingly.

Though the Claire who came back after her memory returned was the same Claire I knew, she definitely had changed in some ways.

Claire’s personality hasn’t changed much, but it’s as if she’s become a bit closer to Alice.

In the illusion created by the Goddess, Claire lived with Alice instead of me. Based on what I heard later from the two, it seems like Claire didn’t treat Alice as well as I did.

It doesn’t seem like she bullied her outright, but it appears she had teased or complained about her plenty.

Of course, the Alice back then wasn’t the Alice of my past; she was the grown-up Alice, so Claire’s teasing wouldn’t have hurt her feelings or made her sulk.

“Hmm, is that so? But Charlotte has also learned politics one way or another, right? From what I know, you didn’t exactly dive into politics that much.”

…Or maybe not?

Did Claire learn more about Alice’s past and grow to tease her even more?

Before, they had been somewhat distant due to me, hardly knowing much about each other; now, it feels like that barrier has completely vanished.

That should be a good thing…

“It doesn’t seem like a matter for you to worry about?”

As Alice shot that back at Claire while narrowing her eyes, it didn’t seem like a completely cheerful matter. The atmosphere might not have been one of genuine fighting, but it didn’t look particularly friendly either.

If they’re going to spend time together, it would’ve been nice if they had gotten a bit friendlier.

“Why, are you worried about your sister?”

Claire grinned at Alice while slightly tilting her head, and looking back at me, sat behind Alice.

“What about you? Do you want Alice to win?”

“…….”

“Why can’t you answer right away?”

When I hesitated for a moment, Alice exclaimed as if baffled.

Of course, I want Alice to win, but if she does, I’ll become the vice-president.

Well, the vice-president’s position doesn’t really have much to do, but still, there would be a sense of obligation to do something.

Especially if the Sword Saint or Jennifer, who are now teachers, give me work, there’s no getting out of it.

“…Ha, well, whatever. I’m going to win anyway. I’ve thought of some methods yesterday too.”

“Oh, like what?”

“I’m planning to meet with the student council members and listen to their opinions.”

“Is that enough? Won’t Charlotte do that much as well?”

“It’s a completely different story if a foreign princess listens compared to a crown princess from this country.”

Alice saying ‘I’ll listen’ means she’s willing to remember some ‘family matters.’

From the perspective of noble students, it’s not a bad story. Tales of power struggles between families, or how one family became independent and the main family keeps meddling.

For Alice, it wouldn’t be bad stories to hear either. They could help when establishing policies later on.

“Is that so?”

Claire tilted her head, but she looked like she already knew that much.

“Why? Is there something you’re not happy about?”

“No, not really.”

Claire replied with a smirk.

“Just wondering if you forgot something.”

“Forgot something?”

“Think carefully. What must you do to gain votes? …Well, figuring that out is also part of the job of someone who wants to be the next student council president.”

It seemed Claire didn’t intend to share her thoughts at all.

“……”

“Why are you like this?”

As I stayed silent looking at Claire, she poked her head sideways to look at me again and asked.

“No, it’s nothing.”

The truth is, I’m experiencing PTSD right now.

In the original story, Claire had quite a strong dislike for Alice upon her first appearance, but I can’t help but wonder if that was because she already somewhat liked Alice back then.

This is because Claire’s reactions now resemble those of the Claire from back then.

Of course, back then it was much more intense. It didn’t end with a mere tease like now.

It gradually improved with time, and just before the game’s death scene, there seemed to be a reconciliation atmosphere with Alice. Knowing about her father’s plan, it felt like she’d undergone a sort of sage time, wanting to bond a little more with her sister.

Even then, she probably died without ever knowing they were true sisters.

“Huh?”

Seeing me shake my head, Claire tilted her head in confusion.

Well, for now, there’s no need to worry about death.

*

Charlotte entered the classroom just before the start of the lesson with Mia.

“Where have you two been?”

“We went to a very important place to become the student council president.”

“…A very important place?”

Alice looked over at Mia, but Mia simply avoided her gaze.

“It wouldn’t be good to pressure Mia. It’s not gentlemanly to threaten candidates to learn their strategies, right?”

As Charlotte casually declared with a relaxed smile, Alice turned her eyes away from Mia, looking disappointed.

In the end, that morning, we learned nothing at all.

Alice seemed slightly anxious, but she was doing well at hiding those emotions on the surface.

Chapter 328

The Royal Lyrindarium Academy is a four-year institution.

The reason this was decided probably stems from the developers wanting to add three more years of high school to the middle school curriculum.

This academy doesn’t have a legally established curriculum. From a system standpoint, it’s thoroughly a private academy. The system is determined based on the intentions of the people operating it—that is, the ones funding it.

In the first place, this nation didn’t even have a proper concept of elementary school, let alone high school. There were similar places, but those were exclusively for wealthy families.

In the long term, it might be better to establish such places to educate children. I plan to suggest it once Alice really becomes the Emperor.

Anyway, looking at modern society, there are very basic aspects that have never been established by law, so what about other parts?

In modern society, things that should be illegal are naturally carried out legally and openly.

And Charlotte was properly utilizing that “legal aspect.”

It took three days to figure out the whereabouts of Charlotte and Mia, who disappear every morning.

During that time, Alice and I were working hard in our own way. Primarily, we wandered around the student council room, chatting with the noble kids, subtly asking them for things we hoped they’d handle later, all while spinning our words around to make the answers ambiguous so they could decide what it meant.

We couldn’t even later ask why they didn’t help. After all, those were just conversations we had briefly during student days.

But just that ‘possibility’ alone would make the noble kids vote for Alice. And that would be useful until the moment Alice becomes Emperor.

…In a sense, it was a more cunning method than the modern politicians who throw around empty promises.

The problem was that Charlotte’s actions had gone a bit further than what we did.

“I can’t just let this slide.”

Until I finished talking with the kids from the noble class, Alice hadn’t caught on to Charlotte’s movements, but she said that to me after school.

“If we don’t see any countermeasures, we have no way of dealing with it. We need to find out what method Charlotte has chosen.”

“How do you plan to find that out?”

“…The only way is to go there in the morning and find out directly.”

Alice replied.

“That’s exactly what I said two days ago.”

When I told Alice a similar thing after seeing Charlotte not moving among the noble classmates, she insisted she wouldn’t do it out of pride.

But it seems she changed her mind after seeing the faces of the noble kids.

“It can’t be helped. If we don’t, we’ll just get beaten up without knowing what the opponent’s strategy is.”

This time, she didn’t mention that ‘it’s a foregone conclusion that I’ll be elected.’

In fact, I still viewed the situation somewhat optimistically. After all, no matter what Charlotte does, Alice is the Crown Princess of the nation. What are they going to do, cast aside the next Emperor?

“Alright then. I was curious about what Charlotte was up to too.”

*

Charlotte was quite a skilled swordswoman. In this world, being a “skilled swordswoman” means you quickly notice when someone with similar or lesser skills is tailing you.

Thus, it was difficult to wait in front of Charlotte’s room and follow her. My swordsmanship was terrible. My strength lay in shooting arrows. It would be one thing to tail her from a distance, but sneaking along the same hallway in the building was out of my capabilities.

If I had the ability to rewind time, I could manage it somehow, but that wasn’t possible right now.

It wasn’t like I could just follow Mia either; the student council president and vice president probably wouldn’t act separately while promoting themselves, so if Charlotte was next to Mia, the result would be the same as just following Charlotte.

So the method we chose was—

To boldly follow the two of them.

Since we’d eventually get caught anyway, we might as well just go along.

After all, we were just wandering around the classroom; what difference did that make?

Of course, we didn’t just start following them from the beginning. Charlotte would definitely notice and try to shake us off.

…Honestly, I really don’t understand what we’re doing over something as trivial as electing a high school student council president.

“Oh, over there.”

The first person to spot Charlotte was Alice.

And when Alice saw where Charlotte was heading, her expression was a mix of surprise and then turning pale.

That’s because we found Charlotte at the very classroom of the commoners, Class D.

There aren’t that many students in a single grade at this academy. Combining the two noble classes, there are 30 students, and in the two commoner classes, 60.

In reality, even though they say all academy students are the same, it’s quite a blatant discrimination to only place about fifteen nobles in one class while stuffing thirty commoners in another.

However, in a world where social classes are still strongly prevalent, simply saying “we’re all the same” is already quite shocking.

And because these students in the academy prioritize “equality,” each person is given “a precious vote.”

It may seem commonplace, but in this world, it’s not.

Commoners do have the right to vote. But most of them are too busy working to go vote, and even if there are commoners who do vote, they’re typically those who are wealthy and well-off. Naturally, they vote in a way that benefits the established powers.

Naturally, the ones who dominate the voting process are those rich and leisurely nobles.

Moreover, there is still no suffrage for women. Women lack both the right to run and the right to vote. The acceptance of Alice and Charlotte’s candidacy is simply because this is an academy.

And this distorted reality is considered “common sense” in this world. It’s something even Alice, with her somewhat principled thoughts, overlooked as a ‘given.’

Now that I think about it, the academy being run like this might just have been a foresight that “the world will change later” built into the system.

“……”

Anyway, upon seeing Charlotte enter the classroom, Alice quietly approached it.

Then, looking through a window in the hallway, she gasped.

I too stealthily followed and looked into the classroom—

…And there were bottles of alcohol everywhere.

No, it wasn’t that a drinking party was happening.

It was literally ‘bottles of alcohol’ everywhere.

Bottles full of high-quality Velbur wine.

“……”

I can see why Alice, with her mouth agape, couldn’t say anything.

Even I, who thought Alice would win in the end while knowing the number of commoners and that votes were equally distributed among them, never expected this.

Since anyone can run and anyone can vote, I naturally thought of modern electoral systems, and therefore thought that all legalities existing to maintain that sacred election would be similarly present.

Of course, in modern society, whether it’s a legitimate election or not, the practice of buying votes is to be avoided.

But this era is one of harsh aristocracy.

And at the same time, it’s the era of fierce capitalism.

“No, this is definitely cheating, isn’t it?”

After being momentarily dumbfounded, Alice suddenly snapped back to seriousness.

…It seemed Alice, with her eyes wide open, felt that this was somewhat excessive.

Indeed. I also thought Charlotte would use more orthodox methods.

But then again, thinking about it, if she used any other method, Charlotte wouldn’t stand a chance at all.

I kind of understood…but not really.

No matter what, living in modern society, I just didn’t find that situation appealing.

Look at Mia next to us; she has a look on her face that questions whether this is right.

This looks like a conversation is needed.

*

“I didn’t bribe anyone, you know?”

However, surprisingly, Charlotte seemed to not have really handed out that alcohol.

“I simply held a tasting event for cultural exchange. Velbur wine is quite famous even in the Empire.”

“And you brought only the most renowned of the bunch. Plus, you brought all those bottles just for a tasting event?”

“Exactly.”

That’s right.

When you listen to someone’s words while feeling good after drinking, things often sound a bit better.

Moreover, since it’s a ‘tasting’ event, there’s no need to get drunk enough to forget the conversation.

But…

Still, it’s the same as giving them the drinks outright, isn’t it?

Isn’t that dangerously close to bribery?

……But then again, thinking of this era, it might be acceptable.

The term industrial age is a magical phrase.

What kind of era turns all kinds of bizarre crimes into common sense? What the hell was going on back then?

Chapter 329

It’s a bit too far-fetched to decide whether Charlotte’s way is right or wrong.

Originally, people’s values change over time. Even the values I held in modern times might seem overly outdated and conservative in a few centuries.

I have no intention of running around trying to change the values of this world all by myself.

I don’t plan to just conform either, but at least I can’t change the values that are so openly expressed in everyday life on my own.

“……”

“……”

The day after the student council president election.

We were gathered in the classroom without saying a word.

From what I heard, the previous student council elections didn’t have such a heavy atmosphere. The student council president is usually one of the Duke’s children, so once the candidates are determined, most people can figure out who the next president will be.

The previous student council president was like that too.

However, this time seems to be a bit different.

Alice, who is about to become the next Emperor of the Empire. And Charlotte, the only child of the neighboring kingdom’s king.

If you just look at the terms “Empire” and “Kingdom,” the Empire seems higher, but in reality, they are just different countries. No matter how much the national power differs, you can’t outright disregard the authority of another country. Since it’s not like the country actually entered under my control, there’s no justification for that either.

On top of that, Alice and Charlotte are close friends. They often get along well, but suddenly they’ve turned into this competitive relationship. So, for those watching from the sidelines, the atmosphere must feel incredibly tense.

“Actually, it’s not something to think about so seriously.”

“Is that so?”

As I mumbled and popped a snack in my mouth, Mia tilted her head in question.

“Anyway, even if you become the student council president, it’s not like anything amazing will happen.”

“Is that so?”

Mia asked again, and then she picked up a snack and put it in her mouth.

“Well, the academy is a special environment. Outside, there aren’t even suffrage rights for women, and most commoners aren’t interested in how politics work. The fact that all members are somewhat interested in voting is due to the academy’s special rules that state everyone is equal.”

“Ah, that’s right. So it means you can’t apply the relationships formed within the academy once you graduate.”

Mia nodded at my words.

“You can use the friendships made here, but… no matter what, there are very few people who can freely meet the Emperor of the Empire. Moreover, if Charlotte becomes president instead of Alice, it’ll be even harder to meet her. She’ll become the king of another country after all.”

Mia’s expression darkened a little at my comment.

“But it’s okay. It’s not like we’ll never meet again. If we contact them first and visit, they should be able to spare at least a little time.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Hey, Sylvia.”

Just as I was having a leisurely conversation with Mia, Alice chimed in.

“You’re on my side, right? If I’m feeling tense, how about you get tense with me?”

What’s that? Are you praying for me not to become president? I honestly have no interest in the vice president position.

Of course, Alice is just trying to make an effort that suits her status, so I decided not to say anything that would undermine her efforts.

“It’s not like I can’t talk to Charlotte just because I can’t become the student council president.”

“That’s… true.”

“And there’s no reason for Charlotte to kick us out of the student council just because she becomes president. So, there’s really no need to be tense.”

“Right.”

Charlotte, who was quietly listening, spoke up, taking a sip of her tea.

“We are equal competitors, after all. I think there’s no need to feel tense.”

“I’m not tense!”

Alice, who appeared visibly anxious, refused to back down.

We are currently in the student council room.

You might wonder why candidates are present at the counting station, but then again, there aren’t any real legislative candidates entering an election count hall in the Empire. This is an academy, and the one being voted for is the student council president of the academy. Naturally, it’s quite different from voting for someone who actually participates in politics. Even class representatives are counted right in the classroom.

And the fact that both candidates are present might actually make it fairer.

We’re candidates for president and vice president, but at the same time, we’re still student council members. So it’s not weird to be in the student council room for such events.

“……”

“……”

As Mia and I fell silent, the student council room once again plunged into silence.

Rustle rustle, the sound of papers being counted could be heard, along with scribble scribble sounds of recording. There were also faint murmurs of conversation.

A few students glanced over at us.

I could understand why. Normally, these two would be so friendly, but now they’re having a stare-off.

In fact, I’ve convinced Charlotte in even more serious situations, and I’ve climbed onto roofs in attempts to persuade her, so nothing about this felt too serious to me.

Besides, Alice has been with me since childhood. Compared to the irritable little Alice who used to get annoyed every time she was in a bad mood, her current demeanor is almost cute.

Well, anyway, the voting is already over.

Charlotte focused on persuading the commoners while ignoring the nobility, and Alice seemed to focus on persuading the nobility, fearing that if she got involved in that situation, she might end up following Charlotte. Alice did visit the commoners’ section, but she didn’t bring gifts; she just spoke about her ordinary campaign promises.

If all the commoners voted for Charlotte, things would be different—

But, well, I guess we’ll see how it goes.

*

“The next president is… Crown Princess Alice Fanggriffon.”

And the result was just as I expected.

If I were to ask why, the reason is simple.

If all the nobles voted for Alice, that means about one-third of the entire grade voted for her. Therefore, if just one-third of the commoners voted for Alice, she would secure the majority.

In fact, over half of the commoners voted for Alice.

The reason is simple: Ultimately, Alice will be the next Emperor of the Empire.

All the nobles voted for Alice. In fact, a few abstained, which could have happened, but that was mainly because of the presence of Charlotte.

Once a favorable opinion towards Charlotte grew among the commoners, the noble kids probably thought, “Could this mean Alice isn’t winning?”

And if any votes from the noble kids went to Charlotte in a ‘true’ situation, that would mean they lost because of ‘that part.’ Even if it wasn’t a tight competition, it would still hold true.

Alice could end up becoming the Emperor with a negative image among the noble kids attending this school.

For the noble children, this was quite a frightening matter.

The same goes for the commoners. They were relatively distanced from such matters, but since they were kids from well-off families, they had no choice but to make a “political judgment.” The chance of becoming the Emperor and influencing the policies of the Empire will largely be Alice.

“Well, it turned out like this. I expected it, but I’m glad it didn’t go too badly.”

Charlotte said with a smile.

“……”

And then, Alice narrowed her eyes and glared at Charlotte, who remained relaxed.

“You didn’t plan to become president from the beginning, did you?”

“What are you talking about? How could I not be serious coming here?”

Charlotte scoffed at Alice’s words.

“If I achieved this level of success in my ‘first vote,’ then perhaps when I try again next year or the year after, it might be more effective. Plus, it helped raise the status of Velbur.”

“Are you planning to run again next year?”

“At least until I graduate, I intend to keep trying.”

Charlotte said with a smile in response to Alice’s words.

“Descendants of the Velbur royal family must always strive for the best!”

“I’ve never heard that before.”

“Well, it is; that’s the first time I said it.”

Hearing that, Alice let out a long sigh, her head bowed deeply before she suddenly lifted it up.

“Then, as the next president, I’ll have to work hard. Next time, I’ll make sure that those support rates drop dramatically.”

“There’s no reason to refuse a fair challenge, right?”

Charlotte replied to Alice’s words with a smile.

“Th-then I’ll also—”

“Of course. You didn’t think I’d be relieved just because I lost this time, did you?”

Mia’s face, previously relieved by Charlotte’s words, instantly turned pale.

“Did you hear that? You have to prepare properly for next year. I was lax this time, but I won’t let that happen again next time.”

Alice said with determination in her voice.

…Well, this is something.

It seems that despite everything that has happened, some aspects of everyday life stubbornly repeat themselves.

“Next time, I’ll definitely win!”

“I think it’ll be the same next time. I’m not going to sit idly by either.”

Look at that.

With that attitude, it feels like ending music is playing in the background and “to be continued” will pop up.

“……”

But still, well.

It’s certainly better than some lame “thank you for your love” farewell or whatever.

For now, let’s relish this repetition of daily life to the fullest.

Chapter 330

I lived a life far removed from marriage in my past life.

Actually, it was a life far removed from dating.

My friends thought of me as a lifelong single advocate, but I was definitely not that.

If I ever happened to have a girlfriend, and if we matched well enough and had the capability, I would consider marriage.

In short, it wasn’t that I chose not to, but rather that I couldn’t. That situation continued for so long that my friends just assumed I wasn’t able to find someone.

The truth is, if I didn’t deliberately think about it, I occasionally got confused myself. As the time spent alone grew longer, I found myself thinking less and less about wanting to date actual women. It became a point where I stopped questioning the very possibility of it.

I had drawn a thin circle around myself, deciding who could enter it. Generally, only my family and friends I had known since childhood could step inside. Since graduating from university, no one new had managed to enter that circle, regardless of gender.

But even I, in such a state, still enjoyed attending weddings.

Some friends got married, and some relatives tied the knot as well.

It was a joy to see those who I had been close to come running up to me, shaking my hand, and thanking me for coming, trembling with tension. It was lovely to give good wishes to my friends for their future happiness and to reunite with people I hadn’t seen in a long time.

When I was younger, I think I enjoyed the meal after the wedding more than the ceremony itself, but as I aged, my perspective shifted a bit.

And honestly, after coming to this place, I never thought I would be able to attend such weddings.

No, in this case, it’s more accurate to say I couldn’t.

Maybe I just didn’t have the time for it.

“Crown Princess.”

“…Are you intentionally using that title?”

“No, I thought it might look a bit strange if I didn’t use some form of address here, don’t you think?”

Is this my first meeting since I graduated from the academy?

In fact, that graduation was not long ago—it was just last month.

“Who cares? It would probably be more advantageous to speak casually. After all, you’re talking to a Crown Princess.”

Still, as a show of respect, I said it in a somewhat softer voice, and Jake frowned slightly in response.

Jake quickly glanced around us. There were quite a few people nearby. Well, that was only natural, as we were close to the wedding’s protagonists. For a wedding, though, the only difference in attire was that they were dressed a bit more formally.

Well, at least they looked much more put-together than when they were at the academy.

“Cut me some slack. I really don’t want to be that lunatic who speaks casually to a Crown Princess.”

“You’re not really in a position to talk, having spent your school years without caring about others’ opinions.”

To be honest, I didn’t think we were that old to be talking about “school years,” but from the perspective of others in this world, that was a different matter.

If I maintained a lifelong single status like back home, it would be easy for rumor to spread. Of course, that doesn’t mean I was planning to get married.

“Well… ”

But this is my friend’s wedding, after all.

Even though people surrounded us, they were far enough away that I doubted they could hear our conversation.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious, as Jake suggested. After graduating from the academy, I wouldn’t want others to look down on me for still using academy slang everywhere.

This time is really exhausting.

“Have you seen the bride, Sir Jake?”

“Sadly, I haven’t seen her yet. I was told it’s a bad omen to see the bride’s face before entering the venue.”

“Is that so? Then where is the bride?”

“She’s naturally in the bride’s waiting room. The sister who came earlier is probably there too.”

“Which sister are you talking about?”

“Both of them.”

Oh, it seems things wrapped up sooner than I expected. Of course, Alice was there, and even Claire.

It looks like I came in the latest.

I looked around, but I couldn’t see any of my friends’ faces. They might all be gathered around the bride.

As I scanned the area, a particular person caught my eye.

It was a woman with slightly darker skin than Roti. If Roti aged gracefully, she might end up looking just like her, and she wore a rather luxurious dress—but…

She looked rather nervous. Maybe it was because it had been a while since she had worn such a dress, as she fidgeted, unable to settle down, clutching the hem of her gown, with no one around to engage her in conversation.

“Wait a minute.”

I quietly said to Jake, who seemed to realize what I was thinking and nodded right away.

“Thanks.”

In fact, just before I said that, Jake had been talking to her. Perhaps it was because he had been seeing his daughter’s partner, Jayke, for years that their conversation flowed well, but there was no way he had any links to a family of such high status to attend this wedding.

…No, it’s not entirely accurate to say he had no connections.

If we were to count them, they would be connections, though not very good ones. Perhaps it’s more accurate to call them bad ties.

I slightly bent my knee towards Jake and moved closer to Roti’s mother, Lydia, or “Arthur,” as I should call her.

“Have you been well?”

“Oh, Crown Princess.”

Roti’s mother recognized me immediately and greeted me politely. Although her status was commoner, she had worked alongside noble families for many years and, of course, her etiquette was impeccable. Honestly, she was at a level far superior to mine.

“Congratulations on your daughter’s wedding.”

As I said this politely with a slight bow, I heard whispers around us.

There was no one here who wouldn’t recognize me, given that not a single person of significantly lower status was invited. Even the commoners present were from the academy’s commoner class, and among those kids, there wouldn’t be one who didn’t know my face.

It was only natural for all eyes to fall on the “Crown Princess” who bowed before someone of “colonial descent.”

“Wah, Crown Princess, please, don’t lower your head!”

Roti’s mother quickly said with a small voice.

“How do you feel? Your daughter is getting married to the partner she loves so much.”

Now that I think about it, Roti’s mother’s status also seems to need addressing.

Roti had received a knight title as promised. To be precise, she was now the knight of “Sylvia Fanggriffon.” In the Empire, having a knight title did not necessarily mean noble status, but it was influenced by the rank of the one who granted it.

With the imperial family nearly non-existent, a knight title directly granted by the imperial family carried immense weight.

Moreover, Alice or Charlotte must have spoken to her before I arrived.

Ironically, the reason why people found it hard to approach her might be due to that. While she was clearly linked to higher status, she didn’t seem too noble, and thus, there weren’t many willing to start a conversation without any connections.

At least from now on, there wouldn’t be anyone who could be disregarded.

“…I am happy. I never imagined a day would come when my daughter would smile like that…”

Roti’s mother said with slightly wet eyes, as though recalling her emotions.

Seeing that made my nose sting a bit too.

“And I often hear that it’s all thanks to you, Crown Princess. How can I repay this kindness?”

“Please don’t think of it as a favor. We’re simply helping each other as friends. After all, I received so much help from Roti without thinking of it as a debt of gratitude.”

“Oh, no, that’s not it, but…”

“You can just pursue the happiness in front of you. I will ensure that my friend and my friend’s family do not suffer any unfairness in the future.”

“…Thank you very much.”

Roti’s mother bowed her head once more to me.

*

“Oh, sister, you finally arrived!”

I ran into Claire as she was coming out of the bride’s preparation room.

“I had some things to take care of. But I managed to arrive before the wedding.”

“I was out looking for you.”

With that, Claire was holding the camera she had been using for the past few years.

“Where’s Roti?”

“She’s inside. She looks stunning. I’ve already taken several photos of her.”

Seeing Claire excitedly say that, I couldn’t help but smile and went in with her to the bride’s room.

And I realized immediately that Claire’s statement was far from an exaggeration.

Chapter 331

Chronicles of Aetherna, wait, all consumers of games released by Millennium are otaku. I was an otaku too, and there were many otaku gathering in the community for that game.

In the subculture world, the term “heroine” usually refers to pretty female characters who are linked to the protagonist, and in that sense, the heroines of Chronicles of Aetherna were all pretty characters, regardless of the world they belonged to.

Of course, Roti was a character a bit removed from the position of heroine. After all, she wasn’t created to be linked to the protagonist.

But that doesn’t mean her design was done carelessly.

Isn’t that right? Even if they aren’t the main couple, a couple is still a couple. If the sub-couple doesn’t have proper design, people generally don’t like it. As someone who writes stories, I want the characters I created to be loved, and I certainly don’t want to get criticized for it.

In the case of Chronicles of Aetherna being released a bit late in the West, it seems like some people claimed that Roti’s character was “tainted by PC culture,” but originally this series often had characters with darker skin tones.

Female characters are just pretty when depicted nicely, regardless of skin tone. Moreover, in the past, such skin colors were accepted as a “moe element.” Well, it seems like people don’t use that word much nowadays. But do they still use it in maid cafes?

Anyway, in that sense, Roti was a pretty character. The fact that she appears in doujinshis sometimes proves her popularity.

And, of course, the Roti in reality was also very pretty.

A beauty with distinct facial features that harmonize well is quite rare. Roti was that kind of beauty.

Normally, she would lower herself a lot, using polite speech, and her outfits were either maid uniforms or school uniforms… Or rather, perhaps that made her stand out even more? Hmm, I think Jake often interrupted the conversation among the boys to change the subject.

Anyway, Roti was looking very beautiful in a wedding dress that must have cost a fortune, with a bridal veil on her head.

Her makeup wasn’t heavy, which actually emphasized her innocence. After all, when it comes to “cute girl characters,” if makeup is too lacking, it tends to result in an odd character depiction.

“Your Highness.”

“You can just call me by my name in front of others.”

But Roti just couldn’t correct that way of speaking until the end. When I suggested calling her by her name, she’d start doing it, but eventually, polite speech would slip back in, and she’d revert to calling me “Your Highness.”

To point it out would lead to her apologizing, and I felt leaving the title as it was would be less awkward for Roti.

Well, since Charlotte, Mia, Sophia, and Rena still spoke politely to me, I guess it’s better to consider it a unique trait at this point.

In that sense, was my politeness also a unique trait? I mean, I just tossed it aside like yesterday’s trash.

“It seems like the nobles who were here were full of curiosity. It’s a wedding in Lindbergh, so it makes sense to have high-status guests. But those high-status folks seem to be chatting more with the bride than with Jake.”

“……”

“Sister, Roti has already heard that a few times….”

Oh dear.

That was meant to ease the tension, but I think I missed the mark.

Moreover, hearing that statement a few times implies it sounds like a widely known fact that everyone can see, not just a joke.

Given that Roti isn’t exactly accustomed to being the center of attention, being stared at curiously by high nobles might not be too pleasant.

“But that’s something unavoidable. Lindbergh is a famous name even in the neighboring Velbur. If you count the ‘must-invite families,’ you’d need several fingers to count them all.”

Charlotte, who had been there before, said that.

The saying “Guests shouldn’t outshine the bride or groom” seems to apply in this world as well. Of course, I personally don’t like standing out, so I came dressed simply, but seeing that even royal Charlotte dressed simply implies there’s that common understanding.

Though to be fair, the definition of “simple” here might mean that a simple silver dress that slightly exposes the shoulders could look more extravagant than the bride. But then again, next to a white wedding dress, the wedding dress color would stand out, so perhaps it’s alright.

These nobles have to live thinking about such things, and just imagining that is exhausting.

“Ultimately, it’s something we have to overcome.”

Alice, who wore a dark green dress instead of the empire’s colors of gold and red, likely chose that color for a similar reason. Similarly, Claire wore a navy dress.

Just for reference, I was in a deep blue dress that just barely avoided black. The fabric wasn’t too wide, so it wouldn’t be too glaring. In fact, even if each one stood alone, they were all unique dresses, but as most women at this wedding wore such designs, they tended to blend into the background.

It was colorful, but I guess you could say it was all about blending in. Rather, it’s because of those bright dresses that the pure white wedding dress stands out so much.

They say that someone wearing white clothes to a wedding in this world is basically saying, “let’s fight,” and honestly, it looked like that would be the case. Thinking again, who usually wears something like a wedding dress out and about?

“Uh, it’s okay! Someone like me is also high nobility! Just because I’m high nobility doesn’t mean everything is scary!”

“Mia, that sort of statement isn’t really helpful…”

Charlotte replied with a sigh to Mia’s remark.

“It’s a wedding. No one will say anything if you stand a little taller. After all, today’s the day for you to shine.”

Sophia gently placed her hand on Roti’s shoulder as she spoke.

“Honestly, who here would criticize you? Anyone who did would probably get beaten up from all sides.”

When I said that, Roti looked up at me.

“Really? Won’t they care? I’m just a commoner….”

“But that commoner got close to the Duke’s son, didn’t she? You didn’t ask for them to like you; they fell for you first. Besides, Lindbergh is a far greater noble than expected. Their estate might be on the southern continent, but they also have a sizable territory in the northern continent, and they grow quite a lot of produce there. Being a warmer region, there must also be plenty of fruits.”

Alice said with her arms crossed.

“And now that you’re the Duchess, it would be the Duke of Lindbergh’s utmost effort to protect you. That’s just who he is.”

And while that fact affected matters concerning Roti’s mother negatively, it’s better not to bring that topic up here.

The fact that Roti has Duke blood mixed in is a public secret. However, being treated as a “commoner with no connections” anyway means that Roti’s father is somewhat under the protection of Duke Lindbergh. Of course, he won’t show up at public events for that reason.

“So you don’t need to worry that much.”

“Um… Everyone, I understand you’re trying to be nice, but do we really need to talk about politics on a day like this?”

Having been completely worn out by such topics during her academy days, Sophia frowned.

Thanks to that, we were left with nothing much to say.

It seems we’ve gotten into a habit of bringing up such topics when talking, considering the circumstances.

As that somewhat awkward silence engulfed us—

Knock, knock, knock—the sound of someone knocking on the bride’s room door echoed.

Claire quickly went to the door.

“Roti!”

Then as she opened the door, someone dashed in, cheerfully calling out to Roti—

“Ah!”

Upon seeing the people inside, they were taken aback.

“Lady Baker.”

As I smiled and greeted her, she stammered, “H-Her Highness.”

Lady Baker seemed a bit stiff as she said that.

It seems she approached this side to escape high nobility but ended up meeting even higher-ranking nobility and froze instead.

I think I told her to drop the formalities every time we met while attending the Academy, but that didn’t happen easily.

It really seems the walls of the class system are high…

…Should I try introducing her to someone of even higher nobility? It seems her father, Mr. Baker, is a bit interested in that avenue.

Of course, she would absolutely refuse.

Chapter 332

“I-I wonder if it’s okay for me to be here…”

“No one’s going to say anything if you’re here, so relax. In fact, people around might see you as a high-ranking noble!”

“W-Well, wouldn’t that mean I’m deceiving them about my identity—”

“If someone misunderstands that you were just standing next to me, that’s their fault for misunderstanding!”

I tried to reassure Lily Baker, who seemed anxious nearby. Of course, other people around me could speak, but there weren’t many who could chat so casually with Lily like this.

I was still the second-in-command of the Empire, the Crown Princess, while Lily was a somewhat affluent commoner. However, since I was starting to take an interest in external activities and getting involved in business during my fourth year at the Academy, I had met Lily’s father a few times. Mostly related to weapon sales, and perhaps because he thought he had a very good connection with the royal family, that guy would blush every time he met me.

Well, I could see why. I was planning to mass-produce the improved version of the reinforced armor I once wore.

It was originally worn for combat, but honestly, if one put their mind to it, the range of uses could be infinite. Maybe because of the rumors that spread through me, it seemed inquiries were already coming in from noble families. It appeared that among the nobles, there were often cases where excessive inter-family marriages led to physical issues, and they were inquiring about possible support for that.

Also, it seemed there were inquiries coming in from factories and construction sites.

Browning, the designer, seemed thrilled as well, and since the licensing contract was smoothly established, with the Empire’s army being the first to receive supplies, it was natural for him to blush every time he saw me, who was at the center of the story.

“And all your friends are nearby, too.”

“Well, I think it’s only natural since I’m here, right…?”

Of course, Lily wasn’t the only commoner attending this event.

Although there were rumors that some didn’t give Roti the time of day due to their racism even until graduation, at least more than half of our classmates seemed to have gotten along decently with her.

It seemed the fact that Roti and I were friends and that Roti’s lover was the Crown Prince of Lindbergh wiped out the negative biases stemming from skin color with some significant positives.

Of course, Roti wasn’t that foolish; she could differentiate between kids who just wanted to chat because of her status and those who genuinely wanted to be friends. Those who were invited to the wedding were all from the latter group.

The reason why those commoner classmates gathered around us was simply that many had arrived later than Lily.

No matter how wealthy the families were, at the end of the day, they were still commoners. Spending time in a crowded area filled with nobles must have been torture. So, many arrived as late as possible but just in time for the ceremony to start, resulting in them clustering around Lily, who was nearest to us.

At first, they hurried over recognizing only Lily, but when they saw she was next to none other than the Emperor, who had been crowned less than two weeks ago, their faces turned pale.

That didn’t mean they moved elsewhere, though.

Of course, kids from the noble class also came over to greet us, and some high-ranking nobles exchanged light greetings with us. Each time, the commoners turned ashen.

“Everyone’s so tense.”

“Well, I think it’s only natural to be tense.”

Leo commented on my mumbling.

“Oh, it’s almost time to start. Should we go take our seats?”

Claire checked her wristwatch and asked.

“Well, let’s do that then.”

As I looked over my companions and said that, everyone nodded. I almost burst out laughing when I saw the visibly relieved expressions of the commoner kids, but I held it back.

*

The wedding was held grandly.

Roti actually seemed to want a modest wedding. She wasn’t the type who enjoyed gathering people’s attention.

And in fact, even if guests were invited to the wedding, most of them would be Jake’s guests. Almost all of Roti’s mother’s relatives had passed away when she was young, and the remaining relatives had lost contact with each other. It probably didn’t help that her hometown was so far away that she couldn’t remember it accurately.

Even a commoner has pride. It would be natural to feel sad about having no guests at one’s own wedding.

However, the Duke of Lindbergh had a different perspective.

If Roti and Jake’s wedding were held simply, the other nobles would surely become suspicious about Roti’s existence.

In the worst case, they might think the Lindbergh family was embarrassed about the marriage.

And from Lindbergh’s point of view, that would be unacceptable.

Roti was a knight connected to the ‘Imperial Family.’

Hiding the fact that she and the Emperor’s son were getting married was out of the question. At least from Lindbergh’s perspective, they held Roti’s status in high regard and had to boldly declare that marrying into the Duke of Lindbergh’s bloodline was an honorable thing.

That story had to spread among the colonies too.

Jake wanted to go along with Roti’s wishes as much as possible, but it seemed he ultimately couldn’t go against his father’s insistence.

That’s why we all attended the wedding. Even Charlotte, who was said to be vigorously preparing to become the next queen, was waiting for us to arrive. Rena also showed up just before the ceremony.

And we all attended as guests from the bride’s side. Jake thanked us after hearing our stories. From Lindbergh’s side, it was a good decision.

“Wow…”

Rena let out a small gasp as she saw the two people walking down the far aisle. It seemed she really liked Roti’s outfit from the way her eyes sparkled.

If you looked again, all the women sitting around were also sighing in admiration as they looked at Roti.

Well, the one wearing it was that beautiful.

I might have unconsciously gasped too.

Maybe it’s because the world was crafted by a Japanese studio, or perhaps due to the time period, but the music playing wasn’t one I recognized as wedding music, but rather a fresh atmosphere created by the harmonious blend of various string instruments.

I raised my hand and lightly clapped.

Roti, who had been walking from a distance, directed her gaze toward us. Her eyes were searching for someone, moving around before finally settling on her mother, who was sitting between Alice and me.

A smile gradually bloomed on Roti’s face, which had been tense.

Following the gaze of the bride, Jake also smiled lightly. I waved slightly at the two of them.

As the little flower girls who walked ahead sprinkled petals, the two people who would become a couple today walked slowly.

Between the two walking together, the word “forbidden” no longer had any meaning.

There were just a happy couple who would walk together for a lifetime, just like they had until now.

*

“My nose is getting stuffed up.”

Alice said as she pressed her nose bridge.

“It looks like you’re trying really hard not to cry.”

“Shut up.”

Alice glared at me as she responded.

“Well then, since we’re all gathered here, why don’t we chat a bit? It seems like we might be waiting a long time for Roti and Jake.”

The wedding took place at the Lindbergh estate, but not on the southern continent, rather on the original northern continent where Lindbergh land was.

Rooms were provided for guests who came from afar. Of course, this was only for those guests Lindbergh had to especially care for, but in reality, we were all guests Lindbergh had to look after.

The commoner kids had apparently decided to stay in a separate place that Roti had arranged ahead of time. Whether to say it was a good thing or bad, the class division was still glaringly obvious in this era, so it seemed the commoner kids didn’t feel offended by such measures. If anything, they seemed grateful.

Still, it was a nice place to be.

“…I’m not drinking today.”

Sophia said, shivering as she recalled the catastrophes of the first-year culture festival.

“Everyone here experienced that day, so I doubt anyone would want to drink, even if invited.”

Now that Alice had become the Emperor, everyone nodded, including me.

At least, I thought there wouldn’t be a second time where half tea and half liquor was mixed.

—Or at least, that’s what I thought.

Until Jake burst into the room we were quietly conversing in, carrying bottles of alcohol in both hands.

Chapter 333

“What’s with the fancy-schmancy vibes?”

Jake, who came in with liquor bottles in both hands, said with a grin.

He was still wearing that same tuxedo from the wedding. A white tuxedo that was definitely asking for trouble and dirt. Not exactly the attire for a drinking party.

Considering Lindbergh’s wealth, it’s not like throwing away a fancy outfit would be a big deal… but that’s not the issue right now.

“Did you properly entertain the guests? What about Duke Lindbergh?”

“It’s fine! I talked to them briefly.”

Yeah, like a brief chat would ever suffice.

They’re not exactly at the level of the Emperor or the Crown Princess, or even foreign princesses, but dukes and princes are not exactly everyday encounters either. The higher the status, the less likely there is a valid reason for casual chats, and in that sense, the wedding was a great chance for the lower nobility to get to know the Duke’s family, giving them an excuse to congratulate face-to-face.

It’s a special day, so everyone would be smiling and chatting, giving them the chance to have some light chatter.

If the groom just disappears like this, all the attention will shift to his father.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s a good day, after all. Honestly, on a good day, I just want to spend time with my friends. Since my father ignored our wishes and went all out with this wedding, he should be prepared for the consequences.”

Not like he anticipated anything like this… but well, it’s too late for that now that Jake has made it this far. After spending the last four years in the same class, I’ve already seen Jake’s stubbornness firsthand. No, I think everyone here is probably on the same page.

Seeing Jake, everyone wore smirks.

“Roti, why are you hiding? Come on out! No one here is uncomfortable, right?”

As Jake said that, he kicked the half-open door wide open. Thanks to that, Roti, who was hiding behind it, was fully exposed.

Just like how Jake was still in his tuxedo, Roti was still in her wedding dress.

“You don’t need to be so shy. You waved to the kids so happily earlier during the procession.”

“But… I was in a daze back then…”

I couldn’t hide my surprise seeing Roti struggling to keep her formal speech due to embarrassment.

“…Don’t tease your wife too much, just come inside.”

Hearing that, Alice, who had been watching the two with disbelief, spoke up, making Roti’s already red face turn an even deeper shade of crimson.

“Uh—no.”

And just as Roti was about to come in following Alice, she halted with a raised hand and stood up.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s drink with Roti’s friends. Isn’t Jake holding way too little alcohol anyway?”

Roti’s face turned from red to pale at that remark.

“That sounds like a good idea. It feels a bit bad to drink only with ourselves when we have the Baroness’s friends here.”

Charlotte, following Alice’s lead, stood up and said that.

Strictly speaking, we were also guests as the Baroness’s acquaintances. Although, it could be said we were closer to her husband’s friends. After all, Roti and I were in different classes until graduation. Of course, we met often and chatted, but I guess to Roti, her classmates might feel more comfortable.

But hey, if we all gather in one room, wouldn’t those friends, not to mention the innkeeper, faint in shock?

Just think about it, Alice herself is an Imperial Princess. Although her bodyguards didn’t come along, there were plenty of soldiers and knights in uniform openly roaming around the Lindbergh area.

How would they react if we suddenly decided to move with no preparation and start drinking?

…

What do you mean how? If you say to do it, you do it. I mean, it’s the Emperor’s wish, after all.

“Alright, let’s change locations then?”

When Jake, now her husband, said that, Roti’s expression suddenly turned very serious.

If I’m not mistaken, the expression I saw at that moment was one that pondered whether to smack her husband’s back in front of these noble folks or not.

*

Just as expected, the inn was in chaos.

No, calling it an inn was an understatement. It was the place Roti had arranged for her friends. There was no way it would be shabby.

Where we ended up was a hotel. Not just any hotel, but one that wouldn’t make you feel embarrassed even if nobles stayed there.

Did they receive a portion of Lindbergh’s funds even before the wedding? Although Duke Lindbergh couldn’t exactly be called an honorable man, he knew how to maintain appearances, so maybe he figured something like this was justifiable.

“Your, Your Majesty…”

The innkeeper, who was hesitating whether to call her the Empress or Emperor, eventually made a respectful bow, expressing it with that simple phrase.

It’s because the proper formalities or titles have yet to be established. Especially since there are discussions about voting rights, it seems there are various legal interpretations emerging now that Alice, “a woman with no political rights according to imperial law,” has ascended to the throne. It used to not be a problem if a queen appeared during a time when there was no parliament and the laws were at the Emperor’s whim, but it feels like they can’t keep up with the changing times.

Considering three years have passed and they’re still fumbling, it seems the legislators are just as sluggish no matter what world you’re in.

“They said there are people here who wish to meet with you at the hotel.”

“Yes, please tell us. We will serve you with all our heart.”

At the innkeeper’s words, Alice nodded a bit arrogantly and stated our purpose for being at the hotel.

The innkeeper immediately arranged to lend us an entire banquet hall.

“Wow, it’s really spacious.”

Claire said, glancing up at the banquet hall with a slightly excited expression.

“It seems it’s not just spacious in appearance.”

“Roti wouldn’t book a hotel that was just a pretty facade, right?”

Leo responded lightly, as if handing Claire a drink.

Honestly, the banquet hall was overly spacious for just Roti’s friends and us. I wonder if they rented this place solely because the Emperor was visiting.

Regardless of the innkeeper’s intentions, as we sat and waited at our seats,

“Is this really okay?”

Sofia spoke with a very low-class citizen’s attitude.

“Don’t worry; it’s not free. We’ll pay properly when we leave. I can’t have the Emperor’s name go down in history as stingy.”

Alice turned to Sofia, saying that.

“And I’m not planning to ask you to pay either, so don’t worry.”

At Alice’s words, Sofia puffed her cheeks but quickly sat back down quietly.

“You didn’t have to be like that though…”

Eventually, Roti, who had followed us here, timidly protested in a quiet voice, but everyone merely smiled at her.

No, Mia and Rena seemed to have misjudged the situation entirely. They likely just came along for the ride, caught in the whirlwind of events.

They should be fine. Once I feed Mia a few sweet snacks, her expression will melt, and Rena will surely light up once I offer her the mini digger she brought.

“…Why do you have such a proud face?”

Alice, sitting next to me, asked, looking at me incredulously.

I shrugged my shoulders at her. Alice shot me a glare, but she didn’t press any further. She probably figured I’d let her know everything once we just wait.

“Oh, by the way, what’s that alcohol you brought?”

Claire asked Jake.

“Huh? Oh, I’m not really sure. I just brought whatever was around the house.”

“Young master…!”

At that, Roti couldn’t contain herself and shouted, causing everyone in the banquet hall to focus on her.

“Roti, what’s with the ‘young master’? I’m your husband now. You should properly call me ‘dear.’”

Saying that felt really awkward.

No, it’s not that it’s awkward because it’s Roti. It’s just that these two are, in fact, the same age as us.

I mean, if I get technical about it, our actual ages differ, but that makes it feel even weirder to use the term ‘dear.’

“Huh? Huh? What are you going to do? Now that we’re married, it’s time for a change in address, right? Isn’t that right, dear?”

As Jake got closer to her and said that, Roti hunched her shoulders and shivered. It was vividly clear how red her neck and ears had turned.

“D-Dear…”

“Pardon? I can’t hear you!”

Jake moved closer on purpose and said that—

“Dear.”

Roti lifted her head, face still flaming red.

“Do you have any idea how much this costs?”

“Eh?”

And with that, the first piece of nagging from Jake’s ‘dear’ wife followed.

Chapter 334

“Do you remember that?”

Lying on the cold floor and staring at the ceiling, I heard that from above my head.

“What memory?”

“The memory from the last time we drank.”

“When was the last time?”

“Back in first year.”

“That’s too long ago to be called ‘last time,’ isn’t it?”

I couldn’t help but say that with disbelief at Alice’s use of the term ‘last time’ after such a long gap.

“I told you mixing alcohol with tea isn’t a good idea, right?”

But Alice, unfazed by my reaction, continued.

“Yet you drank it like that again this time.”

“Yeah….”

Alice spoke in a voice that sounded like she was about to drift off, then let out a groan.

And then, I could hear sounds coming from above my head.

It seemed like both Alice and I were lying down, staring at the ceiling, with our heads almost touching.

I couldn’t remember why I was doing that.

How far back… Ah, that’s right.

I suddenly sat up, feeling a splitting headache, clutching my head with both hands.

“Camera.”

At least I remembered that this time.

The camera lens aimed at me as I awkwardly sang along to the chanson, using an empty bottle as a microphone.

It was Claire who was filming me.

“Claire!”

“Hmm~ What is it, darling~”

When I turned towards the voice, Claire was lying on the table, looking as if she was dreaming a pleasant dream.

I couldn’t tell if she had just woken up or if she was still in a sleep state answering me.

…Isn’t this the kind of party you have before a wedding? When did we start doing this?

I’m pretty sure until the moment we each had two drinks, it wasn’t like this.

With this, I couldn’t shift the blame for last time’s drunken antics onto Jennifer or the Master. This time, we had caused this ruckus entirely on our own.

We actually ended up keeping our promise to drink for each other since we couldn’t attend because of our busy academy work!

Clutching my thudding head, I called out to Claire.

“Claire, the camera.”

“Hmm~”

Are you really asleep?

But, if she wasn’t asleep, there’s no way Claire would pass the camera to me. After all, someone who has been caught in an embarrassing photo only asks for the camera for one reason.

Claire pushed the camera she was using as a pillow towards me, and then fell back onto the table in the same position.

“……”

I looked at Claire once more, picked up the camera—and just set it back down again.

Claire probably didn’t take it to tease me.

Even if it feels embarrassing now, thinking that this will all become a memory later, I couldn’t bring myself to do much about it. More than anything, just imagining the expression Claire would make if I did that weighed heavily on my heart.

Silently placing the camera on the table, I turned around, and Alice was standing up.

Her expression was still pouty. She looked very tired. I probably looked similar.

“Let’s get some fresh air.”

Nodding at Alice’s words, I headed towards the door.

Outside the banquet hall, it seemed the guards had been on standby all night. Even hotel staff members were gathered.

As soon as the door opened, eyes turned towards us, so Alice and I almost simultaneously pointed our fingers to our lips. Thanks to that, no one greeted us loudly.

We stepped out, making sure the tragic state of the banquet hall was as hidden as possible.

Alice was the first to speak.

“Please don’t go inside until we tell you to.”

Among those inside, there were commoners, but there were also high-ranking nobles who would literally lead this country. We had to at least maintain appearances.

In the end, the staff would see the state of things when they cleaned up, but I could only hope the kids would wake up before that.

“……”

“……”

We exited the hotel in silence. The dawn air was cold. The sky was turning a deep blue, and people were beginning to emerge on the streets.

Alice stood at the hotel steps, and I joined her.

Right then, knights rushed in to form a protective circle around us.

“Honestly, there are many times I think it was better before becoming Emperor.”

“It’s only been two weeks, you know?”

“It’s probably just because it’s only been two weeks that I’m saying that. After a few years, I might adapt to it. But still, I might say it was better before becoming Emperor.”

Alice plopped down on a corner of the hotel steps, and I sat next to her.

“So, do you want to quit? You wanted to be Emperor so much when we were kids.”

“……I guess.”

Alice looked up at the blue sky, pausing for a moment without saying anything.

“Well, it’s only just the beginning. It’s just that we have some guards with us now. If you think about it, we had them before too.”

“That guard was me.”

“Right. That was you.”

Alice chuckled softly.

“Now that I think about it, you should have had guards with you too. In retrospect, it isn’t strange at all, huh?”

“Exactly. This is how it should be.”

Both of us shared a light laugh.

“Well, even being Emperor, I can still attend a friend’s wedding. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like people think too much of it.”

“I think they think it’s quite a big deal.”

“Really? Isn’t it a bit different from how it was during Father’s time?”

“Thinking back, it doesn’t seem like there was that much difference in the past either. We just don’t remember because we didn’t go to the banquets.”

“Oh, right….”

Alice fell silent again, lost in thought.

“Do you think we’ll be going to places like banquet halls often in the future?”

“That’s probably true. In ten or twenty years, who knows, but considering it’s still recently after becoming Emperor, it’s natural.”

As I answered, Alice sighed deeply.

“Don’t think too much about it. Think positively. At least Mia will always be at banquets.”

At my joke, Alice let out a short laugh.

But it wasn’t exactly wrong. Mia, who was originally known for rarely attending events, has been showing up to all the required places lately. Though it seemed she was much more interested in eating than dancing.

“Right, that’s true. Besides Mia, we’ll see familiar faces from the academy often. At least it seems like I won’t have to arrange meetings just to see friends.”

“Exactly! And I think surprisingly we might see Charlotte quite often too. I mean, she was crying as if we’d never see each other again when we parted, yet she just waltzed right in for a friend’s wedding.”

We both burst into laughter again.

“Time goes by, and maybe even the Emperor will be able to travel freely abroad. They said they’re adjusting the rights of the overseas territories, right?”

“……There were parts that were messed up in the last reign.”

Absolute power can be useful if a capable person holds it, but as human beings, it’s hard to remain competent until the end. Even dictators who were capable in their youth become stubborn and set in their ways as time passes.

It seemed like the last Emperor didn’t even think about such considerations, but Alice was different. She knew very well that she couldn’t be like the previous Emperor.

That doesn’t mean she was going to abandon all power. It’s more about gradually relieving herself of the excessively burdensome parts.

“Just imagine the Emperor going on a vacation abroad. That wouldn’t be such a strange picture, right?”

“Thinking like that now seems somewhat reasonable.”

It seemed Alice’s mood had lightened a bit with my words as she looked at me while hugging her knees.

“So, how about you?”

“Me? It’s not particularly hard for me.”

“You got back late yesterday because you were handling official affairs.”

“Still, there aren’t as many things for the Emperor to do. Besides, I’m a Crown Princess. I don’t have actual power, so really, my only job is to show my face.”

I was being truthful. Yesterday was just a matter of having to go a bit far.

“……Really? It’s not really hard or anything?”

“If I’m in a hurry, I could just ride the Gryphon.”

I had tried to come up with a name for it, but in the end, it just became ‘Gryphon.’

Even today, it still eats anything meaty presented to it and has a good appetite. It’s a bit surprising that it doesn’t gain weight, though.

“I’m glad if that’s the case.”

Alice said with a voice mixed with sighs.

“It’s okay.”

I told Alice.

“You’ll do well. You’ve been doing so until now, haven’t you? I’ll vouch for you since I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

“……”

Alice, still looking towards me, shrugged.

“Well, since you said it, I’ll try to believe you. After all, you’re a ‘so-called expert’ who has been watching me for so long.”

The expression on Alice’s face as she said that was the most relaxed I had seen in the past two weeks.

“I’m glad you haven’t changed just because I became Emperor.”

“Do you think I’d change that easily?”

I shrugged my shoulders, mimicking Alice.

When Alice suddenly glanced up at the sky, I followed her gaze.

At the edge of the sky, the blue dawn was slowly melting away, and the sun was rising.

The sky we admired together for the first time in a while was truly beautiful.

Chapter 335

If I were to gain the ability to turn back time…

If I had the power to erase all the mistakes I’ve made until now…

No matter how big those mistakes were, and no matter how many times I could correct them…

What choice would someone with that ability make?

The moment I started thinking that was when a dizzying scent of blood filled my nose.

It was when the person I swore to protect collapsed in front of me, spewing red blood.

Thud! How painful would it be to suddenly be flung onto that hard floor like that?

Ah, my always well-kept, shiny golden hair turned crimson with blood.

In that moment, my brain froze, and my whole body stiffened.

When I could barely start moving again, Alice was already lying on the ground.

I hurriedly moved. My legs gave out, and my knees slammed hard against the floor, but I didn’t care.

“…Alice…!”

In response to my voice, which I called too late, Alice’s eyes turned towards me.

Ignoring my body drenched in blood, I knelt beside Alice and pressed both hands tightly against her pierced chest.

Screams echoed from all around. I saw knights rushing urgently toward the sound of gunfire. Petals scattered through the air for the event. Those fake petals fell onto the blood-soaked puddle and turned red.

“Ah, ugh…”

Every time Alice opened her mouth, blood that regurgitated from her throat came up, muffling her voice. It seemed like she wanted to say something to me, but I couldn’t hear her words. Blood pooled in Alice’s mouth, choking her voice.

It’s okay, there’s no way we could say the same things. It was too late to say, “You can still live.”

Yeah, it was late—

So late—

*

—No, it wasn’t late.

When I blinked, I returned to the previous night.

I was alone in the room.

After it was decided that I would enroll in the academy, I could spend time with Alice normally.

Alice still found me a bit annoying, but she didn’t get truly mad like before. Maybe it was because we’d visited Lutetia together recently.

Just as I was starting to get close to Alice, she got shot in front of me.

I quietly lay on my bed, replaying that moment.

My memory wasn’t sharp enough to recall every detail of the situation all at once. My eyes weren’t as good as a camera; it was impossible to grasp that situation accurately.

I didn’t know the exact direction from where the gunshot came. I only knew that a bullet had flown from somewhere that could hit Alice’s heart.

That was enough.

I still had over twelve hours until that time tomorrow.

And for me, saying I had twelve hours left was like saying I had an eternity.

*

There were many houses in the Empire, but the place where the Emperor’s New Year speech took place was fixed. The direction Alice was looking at was the Emperor’s podium.

So, the place I’d need to search was every house behind the Emperor.

“W-who are you— Gahk!”

“Answer my question. Are there hidden weapons in this house?”

As I pressed the gun against his neck, tears flowed from the man’s eyes. The barrel, no matter how blunt, was as solid as a steel rod. Naturally, it must hurt and be frightening.

“N-no, there’s nothing, I swear, really! I don’t know who you are, but I don’t have anything—”

“You said the same thing last time.”

The gunshot rang out.

Probably, someone in this building, no, someone among the onlookers had been awakened by that sound.

Guh…

With blood dripping from his thigh and unable to speak properly, I whispered into the man’s ear.

“I know there’s a hunting rifle under the window sill.”

At my words, the man froze. Only his ragged breathing was audible in his ear.

I whispered again.

“Right now, you have two choices. Tell me the name of the person who commissioned the assassination of Crown Princess Alice. Otherwise, the next bullet will go through your head. If you deny my words again, the next bullet will blow off your male member.”

“I-I don’t know anything—”

The gunshot rang out again.

The man’s mouth opened wide, but no sound came out. No, there was sound—his scream was so high-pitched it was more like a shrill scratching noise.

“Do you know? Honestly, I wouldn’t particularly care. There’s a way to escape without getting caught here, and there’s someone who will be questioned even after you die from excessive bleeding.”

That wasn’t a lie. I could pretend I was never here, and someone else who might come back would be that man from the past who would die after excessive bleeding.

“So, speak. Then the next bullet will be in your head.”

“…”

The man didn’t respond.

He didn’t seem dead, but it looked like the bullet had just knocked him out.

I heard someone knocking on the door.

*

Gunfire was heard.

There were bullets lodged in both his thighs.

“I swear—I don’t know anything—”

Maybe his thighs hurt less?

*

The man opened his mouth only after seven out of ten fingers flew away from the large-caliber bullets.

In truth, those seven bullets were unnecessary.

After I recited the names of the man’s relatives, I sprinkled a handful of brown hair over his face and he opened his mouth in tears. It seemed that the life of a younger sister, which was more painful than having seven fingers shot off, was precious to him.

Even though he had thought of shooting a girl similar in age to that sister.

I heard someone knocking again, but the door was already blocked by the table. It would take some time for them to break through.

And honestly, I didn’t need to escape by myself from here.

“W-who it is I don’t know exactly…”

The man was shaking violently. Seeing his face turn pale, he would likely die soon without any intervention.

But it seemed he was fast-talking like he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to say anything before he died.

“When the gun and bullets were handed to me, it must have gone through several people—”

“If that’s the case, give as many details as possible about the person who commissioned you.”

“But if I say that, my little sister—”

“If you don’t speak, you will die in my hands anyway. At the very least, please hope that I go to kill that man for you.”

“…”

The man eventually described the appearance of that man.

And also how and where they met.

*

That man was a petty thug.

And the people above him were also human scum.

There were a few nobles mixed in, but they were all tight-lipped types.

But even tight lips can be pried open with a crowbar.

Going back, and back, and back—

Again, again, again—

After trying several times, I was finally able to find the one who commissioned it.

And the result—

“W-why…”

“Sorry, Alice.”

I quietly said, placing my hand on the shoulder of Alice, who was kneeling down looking at me with trembling eyes, murmuring in despair.

“But it had to be done. I needed to find the possibility.”

How far could I go?

That was important.

Until now, I hadn’t done it because it wasn’t necessary.

At the very least, I needed to know how the Emperor would act now that I had burned down the Imperial Palace.

Blood and blood and blood.

Soldiers and knights sprawled out haphazardly over that puddle.

Here and there, the palace that was once very beautiful and now scorched.

Could my stamina handle it? Ultimately, it could. As long as I minimized my movements and focused on shooting and throwing bombs.

And before that, if I repeatedly turned back time to set booby traps, changed the locations when discovered, and memorized the opponent’s patrol routes in advance…

If I could classify those who were capable from those who were relatively less capable, create an incident in the home of the capable, disguise it as coincidence to pull them out of the palace, set off bombs in less important places to divert attention, and place myself among the ‘people I need to hide’…

Then, burning down the palace like this was possible.

“Sylvia, what the hell…”

Leaving Alice as she was, I stood up.

And I turned to face the Emperor.

The children were all collapsed.

Wasn’t it said that the one who moves first in Go has the advantage? But for those who act unfairly by taking the first move, it didn’t mean anything.

If injury is not avoided, you can shoot until you are shot; if you are not hit, you can shoot until you are hit.

“Ultimately, it seems that my future self executed that plan.”

The Emperor said.

“With this, I’ve learned one thing for sure. Your ability is not ‘prediction.’ This isn’t merely the behavior of someone who predicts. There’s no need for someone who calculates everything within their expected range to get this angry.”

“Is this what someone says when they shoot their own daughter, just to see how I would act?”

I said as I aimed my loaded gun at the Emperor.

“But in the end, won’t you restore things back to normal? What’s the point of this?”

The Emperor spoke as if mocking me.

“If the opponent is alive, is there meaning in revenge?”

“I’m not focused on revenge.”

At my words, the Emperor closed his eyes. Then, with a slight smile on his lips, he said.

“I see. You are also just trying to see the possibilities. To know how I would act if you acted like this.”

Of course, there was some venting of frustration.

But… ultimately, if I acted this way, it would be Alice who became unhappy.

“Sylvia… please…!”

Even this man was ultimately Alice’s father.

“…”

I stood still with my finger on the trigger aimed at the Emperor—

*

“Is that so? Did you even predict that?”

The Emperor looked down at me with a serious expression.

Different from when he sat in the heart of the burning Imperial Palace, he looked intrigued.

“Since you already know, there’s no meaning in the plan now.”

“But you tried to execute it, didn’t you?”

“You know why I made that plan, don’t you?”

“Is it just to see my reaction that you planned to shoot your own daughter?”

“I thought this was a critical moment. If it were you from a while ago, you might not have acted this quickly.”

No, you do not know me.

Even if I couldn’t have a proper conversation with Alice, I would have acted for her.

Not just for Alice.

If the characters I loved were within my reach, I would have acted somehow for a happy ending.

…Though without this ability, I wouldn’t have been able to attempt that in the first place.

“You must have a reason for trying to put Alice on the throne. If someone like you can come up with such predictions, it means there’s a reason you wouldn’t ascend the throne yourself. Do you think you would be corrupted if you took the throne?”

“…”

I looked up at the Emperor silently, expressionless.

“Hmph.”

The Emperor, straightening his body that had slightly leaned toward me, leaned back against the throne.

“Then, I understand. I will do as you wish. Alice will be safe. After all, I’ve already gained the reason I made that plan.”

The Emperor raised the corner of his mouth slightly, as if satisfied.

No, it can’t be.

At the very least, you don’t know that I can ‘turn back time.’

Which means there will come a moment when I can truly take my revenge.

By some reason you do not know, without realizing it, and in a way that is inexplicable, you will physically be forced down from the Emperor’s seat.

One day, I will definitely make that happen.

It would be an event that never happened to you, but it won’t be for me.

Alice, who was still bleeding, was vividly imprinted in my mind.

What should I do so that when Alice separates from her father, it would have no reaction even if I died?

I might not know, but to discover all that information and test those possibilities will likely take a lot of time.

Thankfully, what I had in abundance was time.

I continued to stare at the Emperor when I turned my body away.

Chapter 336

I woke up to find out I was a gryphon.

No, it’s not some metaphor or allegory. I truly became a gryphon.

A gryphon—wait, is that really right? I feel a bit small for a gryphon. There’s barely anything around to compare myself with, so I can only guess, but thinking about the size of the stones in this prison-like place, when I get up, my head would probably reach about the height of a person’s chest. It was definitely different from the size of gryphons depicted in media.

Back legs like a lion, front paws like an eagle. Plus, I could distinctly feel wings! When I turned my head, I saw them. They didn’t seem to have grown feathers for long.

At first, I was somewhat horrified, but I managed to regain my composure quicker than I expected.

After all, it’s not like I’ll be trapped in some story just because I said something stupid to a writer. There used to be plenty of serious isekai stories flooding in where someone wakes up as a game character, or a high school student suddenly finds themselves in another world for no reason and becomes a hero.

As I traced the lineage of such isekai stories, I realized there are numerous bizarre stories about reincarnations. I nodded as I recalled the light novels I had read that featured those ‘bizarre’ things.

Well, yeah, being a gryphon is definitely upper-tier.

… biologically speaking.

However, now that I realized the situation, I faced several critical issues.

First, I was a baby gryphon.

“Peep?”

That’s right. If we’re talking about light novels where people cross over to become something other than humans, there’s kind of an unwritten rule that eventually, they start speaking human language. I mean, if you stay in a state where you can’t communicate like an animal or plant, the story would go nowhere. A really skillful author might pull it off, but most would hit a wall pretty soon.

And from the reader’s perspective, that would be so frustrating.

Of course, light novels often feature pretty girl characters. Especially those stories aimed at male readers often include attractive heroines to sell.

But if the protagonist is an animal or monster or an inanimate object, could they have a connection with the heroine?

Uh… well, with animals, I guess anything could happen. There are indeed genres for that.

Yet, even in those genres, the protagonist ends up talking to the heroine eventually.

Isn’t that obvious?

Even if the protagonist became a ‘living being,’ the typical animal — I mean, the pet — wouldn’t end up sparking any sort of romantic feelings with the heroine, right?

If someone suddenly felt attracted to their puppy, that’s definitely not normal. Sure, I guess there might be some out there, but in light novels, that just shouldn’t happen. Wouldn’t the readers feel something’s off?

… I’m not even sure if I’m really in a novel, but in any case.

The story’s taken a weird turn, but whether or not I could talk like a person in the future, right now, I definitely wasn’t going to say anything human.

I was a gryphon. A birdbrain. And among birds, eagles don’t mimic human speech.

“Peep.”

… And I couldn’t even make eagle sounds. I was a ‘baby’ gryphon after all.

No writing, no letters. Even if I could communicate, the characters I could write wouldn’t likely be recognized in this world.

The first problem was that I had no way to communicate with people.

The second problem—

Clank.

When I lifted my front paws — which felt like my hands, oh boy — I heard a clank sound.

A metal chain was around my front paw.

Of course, I was tied up to prevent my escape.

Not just my front paws; there were chains on my back paws, neck, and wings as well.

I was literally incapable of moving.

Did they do this because I was a gryphon? I had no idea why they would go this far with a creature that barely had gray fluff all over.

I didn’t understand the reason I ended up in this position, or how I even got here in the first place.

But one thing was clear: this situation was bad.

Whoever had me here, what kind of human were they? A merchant wanting to sell a gryphon? Or were they capturing me for military modifications?

“….”

I could hear footsteps in the distance.

My senses were sharper than they’d been as a human. The previously unheard sounds were now as clear as if they were right next to me.

A clank from what seemed like steel shoes.

And indeed, it was the sound of someone walking in metal shoes.

I saw the metallic greaves. Looking up, there stood a knight clad in plate armor from head to toe before me.

Good.

Whatever orders they give, I should comply.

That knight looked much bigger than me, and it would hurt a lot if they decided to hit me.

For now, I’d listen to orders and assess the situation—

But my thoughts were interrupted.

Whack, I was slapped, and my head spun around.

“Peep?”

That was the sound that came out of my mouth.

But it seemed the other party didn’t want to hear it, as they slapped my face again.

“Peep!”

An absurdly cute sound came out, completely out of place for the situation.

As I collapsed to the side, barely managing to glance up, the knight was looking down at me.

Couldn’t read their expression, but that shadowy sleeve looked like it was blaming me.

“Because of you, my friends have died just to capture you.”

The greave made a clank as I hastily attempted to get up, but I fell back down as the chains were too tight for me to rise.

“Are you trying to attack me?”

“Peep!”

No, I was thinking of complying for now!

But I had no way to respond.

My body was on fire.

My legs, wings, head, and body all felt like they were being beaten and pinched.

The body of a gryphon should be tougher than a human. So they’d used several chains to bind me. Just because a little gryphon like me terrified them.

“Stop.”

A male voice, not the knight’s, rang out.

Clank, clank, a set of footsteps I felt I’d heard before in my original world.

“Should the gryphon die, your friends’ sacrifices would be in vain. Are you trying to make their deaths meaningless?”

“I apologize, Cardinal.”

The knight instantly cleared the anger from a moment ago and stood at attention beside me.

No, they weren’t just hiding their expression. Who knows what kind of contorted face they might be making inside?

I hurriedly moved my body.

I didn’t want to get hit.

But the chains were too tight for me to even scoot back.

“Don’t worry too much.”

The old man, referred to as the Cardinal, spoke to me.

“If you obey us, you won’t feel any pain.”

“Peep, peep.”

I get it, I get it. I said it several times. But human words weren’t coming out.

I wondered what he thought of those sounds. The Cardinal nodded a few times at me.

“We’ll conduct some tests soon. We have to figure out if you can match our foes.”

“My friends already—”

“I said ‘foes.’ I’m not talking about swords and spears. You know that. The Empire is trying to step into a new era. We need to see if you can withstand guns and cannons.”

Guns? Cannons?

What the heck?

“… Is that so.”

In the knight’s voice, I sensed a damp delight.

Probably the joy of avenging his comrades.

“…”

Trembling, I curled up in a corner, afraid of that joy.

*

“Yikes, yikes!”

That sound came from a human holding a rifle.

I found myself in an arena surrounded by thick iron bars, something out of a movie or a comic.

In this coliseum-like place, I was trapped with a human.

The other one was holding a gun, while I was bare. Of course, that’s the way it was.

And— I realized what kind of situation this was.

The other human understood it too.

We were meant to kill each other.

Not to be precise—

I was the one required to kill that human.

A test to survive against guns and cannons.

That was the story the Cardinal mentioned back then.

“Oh, don’t come near…!”

… Not planning to come any closer.

Seeing the human aiming a gun at me, I stepped backward into a corner of the arena.

… It was terrifying.

The gun and the terrified human.

And my situation where I had to use my claws or beak against that human.

I was just scared.

Chapter 337

But I could never bring myself to kill a person.

Killing a human with the body of a Gryphon means tearing them apart with my claws and beak.

And of course, I’d feel every bit of that sensation. My feet are one thing, but my beak, although hard on the outside, felt like it was wired to my nerves.

So, I decided to just hold on for now.

I’m a Gryphon, after all. I thought that if I just tough it out, this time would eventually pass.

As a result, the nickname I earned was “Coward” and “Useless.”

“You brought this kind of thing here…!”

Your buddy died, huh?

I don’t know how that went down. I have no idea how Gryphons breed, but whether you stole a cub, an egg, or a pregnant Gryphon, if you were going to steal, you should’ve prepared for what would come next.

I heard that Gryphons aren’t exactly common animals. Of course, I hadn’t read it myself, just heard tidbits while passing by.

They say I’d be made to use magic, but seriously, what kind of idiot thinks animals can use magic? A creature that can’t even cast spells is going to use magic? It sounds like the religious nuts have really lost their grip on reality.

Well, those who throw themselves into religion in fantasy worlds often are quite eccentric, anyway.

“Eek… Eek…!”

Anyway, I had no intention of killing someone I just met today, especially not someone I didn’t want to take down.

Thump, thump, I hear sounds of strikes against me. It’s only natural that it hurts, since I was kicked while wearing iron greaves…

But I made a grand show of yawning loudly.

The first year was tough as nails. I was practically shaking in fear every time I saw those guys.

But, the Gryphon grew at an astonishing speed.

I have no idea what the lifespan of a Gryphon is, but the growth rate seems similar to that of a large dog. Look how big it got in just a year!

While I don’t know if it will grow more than this, there’s a massive advantage to growing that fast.

My endurance also increased in tandem.

The first few weeks, every hit was painful. Not just painful, but almost unbearably so; it hurt enough to make movement difficult. So much so you’d think I was developing a trauma.

But as time passed, the pain lessened.

At first, I thought maybe I was just getting used to the pain, but seeing how it became easier to bear, it sure seemed like my body was getting tougher.

I could even properly ignore the ones hitting me now.

It wasn’t just ignoring; I wondered if I might actually be immune to physical attacks, considering I’m not a familiar anymore.

At first, they struck me with their hands and feet, but once I didn’t even blink, they went and brought whips or knives with metal shards attached.

Of course, when I saw those for the first time, I freaked out—

But funny enough, no matter how many times they hit me, all that fell off were feathers.

Hitting my eyes was pointless. If I just close them, it’s all good.

Because of this, I realized clearly why they were sacrificing so many to get just one little cub out.

Surely, there are ways to kill a Gryphon. They must have been able to steal it somehow.

But if they used those methods, I’d probably end up dead myself. Or at the very least, become ‘useless.’ So, even when they were high on their drugs, they couldn’t do anything to me.

And I simply lay there, like a log.

I didn’t care whether I was starved or not. As long as I kept holding on, there was no way they’d send me to kill a human in the arena.

If things continued like this, wouldn’t they eventually just give up?

The chains binding me were still massive, unable to be easily broken. Even the grown Gryphon could do nothing about that.

So, for a long while, this deadlock continued until—

“…Today will be the last of such days.”

Seeing the high priest who came to visit me regularly grin malevolently, I realized something was off that day. The knight who looked like he’d pop a vein every time he saw me seemed particularly imposing that day.

Plus, there was a strange light emanating from the necklace hanging around the priest’s neck.

That better not be an LED light.

“If we weaken you, we can definitely take control.”

A debuff type of magic, perhaps?

As soon as I heard that, I tried to rise with all my might, but of course, the chains made that impossible.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

As the priest yelled that, the light from the necklace shone intensely—

—Just as the priest had confidently stated, it happened.

*

I was conscious.

I could resist somewhat.

But with every struggle, my body creaked.

It seems that weakening my body meant something like this. It made me susceptible to illness, made injuries easier to inflict, and let them fester.

At first, I thought they were trying to control me through pain, but that wasn’t it.

Did physical injuries really weaken the mind? At some point, my body followed the enemy’s commands like it was under hypnosis. Is there such magic, I wonder?

I tried my best to move my body according to my own will against how it was moving under the influence of that light, but it wasn’t easy.

Even if they took control for a moment, the moment they focused a little, I’d lose command of my own body again.

And then they kept inflicting damage on me, making me fester, and as that repeated, my resistance became meaningless.

Eventually, the chains on my body fell away.

I should be grateful that I wasn’t able to soar in the sky or use magic as they wished.

As long as I managed to endure with all my strength, I could attempt to resist in some way. I couldn’t move my body the way I wanted, and ultimately, I ended up moving exactly as the enemy desired, albeit with my claws being swung in a way that wouldn’t kill anyone.

I could make it so that only my claws would deal injuries and not penetrate deeply, and I could swing my beak without opening my mouth.

…And, in the end, I was treated like garbage.

A broken creature that didn’t move as they wished, no matter how they desired.

But the silver lining was, there was no more violence.

My body was in a state where it wouldn’t be weird if I died at any moment.

Eventually, I, who was supposed to soar through the skies and trample enemies, ended up trapped in some ruins. Given the lack of sunlight, it seemed to be underground. Through the process of getting here, I was too dazed to determine what kind of place it was.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it…!”

The knight who had worked hard to torment me finally fell into despair like this.

How delightful.

It was satisfying, yet somewhat absurd.

They captured me on a whim, locked me up without care, made me do this and that, and then got disappointed for no reason.

The victim is me.

But still, when I thought of their useless friends that bit the dust, I felt good.

After all, they became useless because of me, right?

Who’s the trash now?

*

“…Is this all you’re good for?”

The priest looked up at me.

How long has it been since I ended up like this?

My body had grown increasingly frail. Now even thinking about moving freely was unrealistic over there. Though, I was relieved that it was easier for me this way.

“I just hope there’s some use in you. Please show a glimpse of the Gryphon’s majesty, even just a tiny bit in front of the Fanggriffon.”

Fanggriffon?

What the heck is that? Some sub-species of Gryphon?

I wish they would just start teaching me something or shut up already.

You obnoxious jerk.

As if on cue, the necklace hanging around that obnoxious jerk’s neck glowed, and once again, I found myself unable to move my body as I wished.

My creaking body sprang up against my will. In a state where even standing was difficult, I stretched my neck up for a ‘majestic’ pose and stared at the massive door before me.

Knights appeared from every direction and took their positions.

It looked like I was being made to command them or something.

While I didn’t want to kill anyone, ah, if only I could scratch those bastard’s backs with my claws just once.

The one who always beat me up was nowhere to be seen.

He’s probably somewhere on the second floor.

Is the enemy coming this way?

If that’s the case, I only pray they’re competent enough to take them down in my stead.

Well, if they’re that capable, I’d probably die too.

Living in this state would be even more horrifying.

Due to my awkwardly held head, the door ahead came into view.

That massive door was slowly opening. The opponents should undoubtedly be strong enough to deal with those heretics head-on. Something like the magic binding me wouldn’t matter—

—It doesn’t look that way to me?

What I saw were kids who hadn’t even reached adulthood yet.

And out of those, there were only two boys; the rest were girls.

…Those are kids I could probably take down all at once with my weakened claws.

The one at the front at least seemed to be wearing something like armor beneath a cape.

She was a girl with a strikingly beautiful face; too precious to be subjected to my claws.

…Looks like they’re definitely the villains here.

Who’d look at them and not see them as the protagonists?

Chapter 338

Maybe my worries were completely useless after all.

Well, pretty young girls in this kind of novel are usually super strong anyway.

With shiny black bobbed hair and porcelain skin. Her black eyes looked like obsidian, slightly upturned and sharp, giving her an impression that was fierce, yet I couldn’t disagree that she was pretty.

Even on the way here, their clothes were already dirty and torn from what seemed like a battle. There were even parts that looked stained red, as if splattered with blood.

But surprisingly, none of them appeared to be injured.

Well, one of them was obviously holding what looked like a magic staff. It could probably be used as a blunt weapon, but the girl holding it looked too delicate for that. She certainly didn’t have a fierce appearance.

After all, in a world with gryphons and magic to move them around, there must be healing spells as well. A spell that could completely eliminate scars without leaving a trace.

Hmm, I wouldn’t mind having that cast on me too, but in this situation, that’s probably not going to happen.

Ah, I really hate this.

I mean, come on, it’s obvious we’re the bad guys here.

As if on cue, the Cardinal above was dramatically spouting some villainous lines. The girl with purple hair seemed intimidated by his words, while the black-haired girl in front looked extremely angry.

Wow, that’s scary. With a gun in hand and dressed in what clearly looks like armor, the expression on her face could make me feel like I might get shot right in the head.

……

Then again, this might not be all that bad.

Who knows how pitiful I look, but I’ve already suffered for quite a while.

Maybe it’s better to just end it here.

Back in the days when I didn’t believe in anything like religion, I feared death thinking that the end was really the end, but now, knowing that I can still exist as a spirit after death, dying in this gryphon body might not be so bad.

“Mia!”

The black-haired girl shouted fiercely and ran forward.

“Spittersglacia!”

The girl holding the staff swung it forward and shouted some mysterious words.

Blue light burst from her staff, forming ice right in front of me.

See, she’s a sorceress.

Just as I was preparing for the pain to come—

—What unfolded before me wasn’t an ice spear or blade, but stairs.

Stairs that reached up to the second floor.

The black-haired girl began to dash up energetically.

And she stomped up those icy stairs with all her might.

“Mia!”

“I know!”

What a fantastic teamwork moment.

Could it be that one of them knows the internal structure? Climbing up to ambush the knightly group right here seems wise.

Good, you’re doing well.

Just shoot that old fool in the head with your gun.

And if possible, use that big gun on your back to blow off one of those knights’ limbs.

…… Just for a moment, I thought that.

My gaze returned to the front.

I looked down at the girls who seemed to be the companions of that girl in front of me.

It wasn’t my intention.

“…… There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

The silver-haired girl stepped forward and said. In her hand was a slender rapier. Does she have that much skill in swordsmanship?

But if I looked closely, her hands were shaking slightly.

No matter how weakened they were, a gryphon is still a gryphon. There’s no way they wouldn’t tremble in front of a monster much larger than themselves.

“I know.”

Saying that, the girl who stepped forward was also holding a sword. This one was blonde.

Silver hair and blonde hair.

She might just be a noble’s daughter from somewhere prestigious. I don’t really know if nobility or royalty exists in this world.

But, well, I’ve heard something about the Emperor and all, so there must be some kind of hierarchy.

“We shouldn’t be afraid when our sister is in danger.”

The girl who said that had blue hair. She looked quite energetic. If there’s anyone here who isn’t shaken, it’s probably her.

Could it be that the one who jumped up earlier is her sister? That seems likely, though they don’t look alike.

Gunshots could be heard from above. Yelling could also be heard.

It was a man’s voice, and he sounded somewhat frightened.

Seems like a kid who’s already famous.

Serves him right.

Well, fine. I should give it my all too.

Of course, I don’t mean to give my all in trying to kill these kids.

Forward, the children step forward one at a time.

I concentrated as much as I could.

May these kids not die under my claws.

May my beak not gnaw on their futures.

Giving it my all to resist.

*

The reason my legs gave out had nothing to do with those kids.

The kids gave it their all, swinging swords at me and casting spells.

To be honest, it felt a bit magical to see magic in action. This was the first time I’d seen ordinary-looking magic, other than the kind that transformed me into what I am now.

And watching them swing their swords, some kind of wave seemed to ripple out. Could the physical laws of this world be different from what I knew?

But unfortunately…

Even as I got hurt, I didn’t feel more pain.

Only now did I realize that my body was already at its limit. I mean, it was understandable. I had left a lot of wounds untreated, letting them fester all over.

I was in so much pain that anything else felt meaningless at this point.

Thus, my downfall seemed entirely due to my own body.

Feathers that once grew beautifully were now tattered. The grand wings showed flesh in places, making them look pathetic.

And the areas they hadn’t touched were my beak and claws, so those kids had already been injured by my body.

Even healing magic seems to have its limits; sadly, the silver-haired girl was bleeding.

Thus, the battle ended.

While my body was being controlled by magic, I could at least stay standing because of the command, but now I truly had no strength left.

Kneeling on the ground, I hung my head low.

After the battle, I could hear the kids having some conversation, but I didn’t have the leisure to catch the details.

I just want it all to stop now.

Why did I end up in this world, and why do I have to go through this?

Should I hold on to my fading consciousness, or just let it go?

Footsteps were heard.

I unconsciously lifted my head at that creaking sound. I was familiar with that noise. And right after that noise, the knight who always kicked me used to show up.

But what I saw wasn’t that knight.

A girl in tattered clothes with messy hair that looked more disheveled than before— yet without any visible injuries— was standing right in front.

She was the girl who had stomped up those ice stairs.

Her name seemed to be ‘Sylvia.’

The complicated armor she wore was bent and torn in places, but she stood confidently on her two feet.

And she was holding something at head height.

A shattered jewel.

The very jewel that the high-ranking cleric had used to control me, now hanging from her neck.

Ah, I see. That’s why she couldn’t control me any longer.

“It’s okay.”

The girl approaching me said.

“This item has been destroyed. It won’t bind you anymore.”

I lifted my head a little higher.

Could it be because of what she said? My vision seemed to clear up a bit.

As if trying to show me better, she raised the jewel higher above her head.

A sense of relief washed over me.

Now that thing can’t torment me anymore; it can’t make me move to harm people.

Besides, it broke without being properly utilized. What was supposed to be the only thing that could be called a ‘battle’ was over before I could do anything.

The girl, who had been staring at me for a while, placed the jewel in her pocket.

Then, after looking at me for a bit, she carefully approached me.

A hesitant touch grazed my body.

Zing, pain shot through me. At first small, but growing into an awful throbbing as time passed. The wounds on my body seemed worse than I thought. The new pain I received from fighting those kids was barely noticeable.

As she touched my injured body, I heard a sound rising from my throat. She looked at me once more and took a step back.

“……”

Then, after hesitating for a moment,

“Follow me.”

She said softly.

And while still looking at me, she took a few steps back.

In this situation, it almost made me laugh.

Does this girl think I can understand her? Do gryphons in this world understand human speech?

But then again, thinking back, those who locked me up acted as if I understood their words.

I wouldn’t have listened to their words, but still.

She’s the one who just set me free.

Since I’m falling apart anyway, it wouldn’t be so bad to hear what a person says as my last words.

I raised my body. My joints creaked and cried out, but I paid it no mind.

The girl named Sylvia turned around only after confirming that I was standing.

And she walked toward the slightly open door through which they had entered.

Chapter 339

What lay beyond the open door was a contraption I had never seen before.

Of course, I hadn’t seen anything like it in the world I lived in, and it seemed the same for this world too.

It was a small column spiraled upwards, topped with a disc that resembled a compass, but it clearly wasn’t a real compass. After all, it didn’t have the needle that was supposed to point in a direction.

Lights of various colors swirled around that peculiar device as if forming shapes.

Through the open door, I felt a whoosh of wind.

Wait, no, it wasn’t really wind. The hair of the girl in front of me, and the feathers left on my body, weren’t moving at all. The feeling of a breeze must have been just my senses.

My body was healing.

That sensation of ‘wind blowing’ was actually my wounds healing one by one.

From my chest where the light touched, all the way to my back, very quickly.

The colors of the feathers that had lost their brightness returned, and the long, gaping wounds seemed to stitch themselves up without leaving a scar.

The bumps that had bubbled up on my skin, and the pus that had flowed for so long, disappeared one by one.

I didn’t know what that device was.

But one thing was certain: it wasn’t using ordinary magic. Even though I wasn’t knowledgeable about magic, it just felt that way.

The strength returned to my tired legs.

The body I had been forcing to stand was now firmly planted on the floor, standing properly.

“……”

For a while, I enjoyed that refreshing feeling. It was a comfort I had never felt during the last few years.

No chains on my neck, no iron bars imprisoning me.

I looked down at the girl in front of me.

Was she planning to ask something of me now?

Would she tell me to stay by her side and fight together? Would she say that now I was her ally since she saved me?

Honestly, I could afford to help a little. Of course, if she tried to forcefully keep me captive again, I was ready to resist fiercely—

But the girl’s words were different.

Just like I was looking down at her, she quietly looked up at me and pointed to a wide corridor.

“Please go.”

It seemed she didn’t want anything from me. It was as if it was natural, and she simply pointed to the corridor and said so.

“You are free.”

Free.

The right granted to all humanity living in the world. Of course, there were many places where that right wasn’t fully protected. Many people imprisoned and tormented others, and more severely, even killed them.

Moreover, I wasn’t even a person.

It seemed that Gryphons were remarkable creatures in this world too. Based on how highly the humans who had imprisoned me regarded me, it was definitely true.

Yet still, I was a beast. So that was why they could do such things. I didn’t possess the same rights that people held equally.

That’s why they probably had no conscience about doing such things to me.

“……”

I moved forward.

I had no idea what kind of place this was. There were no windows in the corridor, and there were several beast corpses scattered along the way.

Those were probably traces of my party fighting their way here.

Did the girl bring that healing device? It seemed likely. Those who had set up those beasts to stop anyone fighting against them probably wouldn’t have placed a healing device right outside the room where they were waiting.

“……”

After taking a few steps, I remembered something I had forgotten.

I quickly turned around. Unintentionally, I flapped my wings and folded them again.

How long had it been since my body’s joints could move without any hindrance? That’s why I hadn’t been able to control them properly.

The girl, who should have been surprised to see me, was still looking up at me with no change in her expression.

Indeed, she was a child who had crossed such a dangerous line.

Though she didn’t look that old, she seemed already like an adult.

I quietly gazed at her. I would have been smiling if I could have shown any expression.

I lowered my head.

Would anyone recognize me if I did this in the body of a Gryphon?

Still, I wanted to express my gratitude.

Regardless of what her true intentions were, she had freed me and healed my wounds, so I should at least show this much gratitude.

I noticed the girl gently lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied. I didn’t know much about the greeting of fantasy world nobility, but that gesture was certainly perfect.

I raised my head.

Then I turned around.

I ran forward.

The still air collided with my body. I felt a sense of liberation I had never felt before.

There was no pain in my body as I moved. The sensation of the ground touching my toes and air filling my lungs felt wonderful.

As I shouted with all my might, a caw that sounded like a predator’s cry I had heard in the far north echoed out.

I didn’t care about the complex paths. I didn’t mind if the doors were small.

My body, unburdened by anything, could ignore all of that and run.

Even if knights who had imprisoned me appeared, I just ran.

Arrows and swords couldn’t even cut my feathers and flew away uselessly. It was as if magic had never been cast in the first place; it vanished as soon as it hit my body.

The soldiers who collided with me screamed and flew away, and those I stepped on were ripped apart by my claws.

I didn’t want to kill anyone.

That thought had kept me going until now, but the notion that they might have died because of my body was too weak to stop me.

They were the ones who had kept me alive to suffer.

Besides, these were children who were not even twenty years old, fighting for their lives.

I found myself thinking that a few of them wouldn’t matter if they actually died.

So I just ran forward, forward, ignoring everything.

And then—

The air that filled my lungs was fresher than any air I had breathed until now.

As I leaped up the last stairs, crashing through the door and wall at the same time, I burst outside to see a high ceiling.

Was it a cathedral? Decorative stained glass caught my eye. Even though it was night, the stained glass shimmered beautifully under the moonlight and starlight.

“Hah…!”

I heard someone gulp.

Looking down, I saw two types of knights.

One group wore the same armor as those who had imprisoned me, while the other group wore less ornate armor than that.

At first, I thought they belonged to the same faction, but upon closer inspection, I saw they were facing each other in formation.

Oh, they were rivals.

I jumped from that spot.

And I probably crushed a few of those guys who seemed to belong to this cathedral.

After tossing those struggling to get up into the air with my front paws, I spread my wings wide and shouted loudly.

Hooaaarrr!, I let out a splendid sound.

Both types of knights froze as if they had been paralyzed.

I flapped my wide-spread wings and soared upward.

I had never been taught the laws of flight.

Was this instinctual for a Gryphon as well?

Soaring as high as I could, I smashed through the stained glass depicting an unknown woman, flying into the sky.

Higher, even higher.

Even though I was flying high in the cold night sky, I didn’t feel cold at all.

The city sprawled beneath me was shining brightly.

The lights of the lampposts and the lights turned on in every house illuminated the world.

Cold air rushed into my lungs.

Enjoying that fresh feeling, I took a small lap around the city.

Freedom.

Perfect freedom that no one could block.

I shouted repeatedly, and as I flew through the sky, I savored that freedom for a while.

*

After flying around for a while, I landed in a field.

While enjoying the sense of freedom was delightful, thoughts that followed weren’t as cheerful.

What do I do now?

I hadn’t fallen into the world I knew, nor did I have anything specific I wanted to do in this world.

Revenge? Well, honestly, that seems like a hassle. After all, those who tormented me were all defeated by that girl right there.

Especially that priest lost one of his arms.

Honestly, I felt like giving the girl a high five right then. Of course, the size difference between us was too great for that.

Hmm.

If that girl named Sylvia is fighting someone, wouldn’t it be perfectly possible to help her a little in that fight?

Well, the opponents were all people, so they would probably be surprised if I suddenly jumped in…

…….

Alright.

Then, I’ll at least take a look. If things seem tangled up, I can just fly away quickly.

But that’s not for now.

Flying in the sky seems to take more energy than I expected.

After flying for a long time, I came down and realized I was hungry.

First, let’s eat something and fill my stomach.

Chapter 340

It wasn’t that difficult to hunt down beasts.

If it had been only a short while since I arrived here, I would never have even considered it. But thankfully or not, I was treated like a ‘beast’ under those humans.

It’s quite ridiculous when I think about it.

What I wished for was something legendary, but all I got was being treated like just another wild animal. It was the same with the food they gave me and the tasks they wanted me to perform.

If only they had treated me like some divine creature, maybe I could have changed my mind?

But if you start off bound in iron chains, who would hear you out properly?

“……..”

I stared at the few bloody feathers left in front of me.

Honestly, it didn’t put me in the best mood.

First off, killing a live bird myself and chewing it up wasn’t exactly cheerful, and yet somehow I felt a strange satisfaction after I ate it.

Thinking it tasted good to eat living flesh and blood or that filling my growling stomach could bring me satisfaction was something I still couldn’t quite adapt to.

Moreover, the reason I felt happiness over such small things was that those bastards had never once given me enough food to satisfy me.

To be able to eat whenever I want—what a joy that is!

While I chewed on a small piece of meat still in my mouth, I pondered.

…So, what now?

It was great that I could escape, but the problem was that I had no idea what to do next.

Not knowing what kind of world this was turned out to be extremely fatal. I had no clue about the countries existing here, their cultures, what kind of technological level this world had, or what etiquette I needed to keep up with.

At least the one good point was that it wasn’t cold here.

Hmm.

…Should I build a nest for now?

Even though I had become a gryphon, I wasn’t sure if gryphons were closer to eagles or lions.

It seemed that the ‘eagle’ part was bigger, and I didn’t know how lions made their nests.

Though the gryphon feathers were quite warm, I felt it might be nice to have a cozy spot?

…And so I tore off a few branches and started to shape my nest. But then my brain went blank, and I stopped.

The gryphon was much bigger than I thought, and making a perimeter around me was an enormous hassle. Stacking branches on top of the perimeter to make it a wall was even more annoying.

Besides, I wasn’t even going to lay any eggs, so was there really a need to build a nest?

Giving up halfway through just sounded pathetic like a plump pigeon who couldn’t get it together.

I felt ashamed, but I decided this was all thanks to those bad guys.

They never gave me time to grow into a gryphon, you know.

Of course, I hadn’t even thought about growing into a gryphon in the first place.

“……..”

At that moment, should I have just stuck with that Sylvia kid?

If I had been next to her, I might have at least thought of what to do. I could just move as she commanded.

Moreover, thinking back, she seemed to be the protagonist.

I didn’t know anything about this world, but it seemed this wasn’t some past version of my old reality. There was magic, and above all, I was a gryphon. This creature didn’t exist in my world.

Yet, it didn’t seem like an alternate history either. The crosses on those priests’ outfits weren’t of traditional sorts.

No matter how you looked at it, it felt like some kind of story, but I couldn’t pinpoint which one. It made me think it might be a work from Japan, considering there were many pretty girls.

Would it be okay to go find her now?

Considering the knights’ reactions when I soared up, it didn’t seem that great of an idea. This creature called a gryphon seemed to be treated as a dangerous beast, and Sylvia was the only one who had tried to communicate with me. If I went back now, I might get shot.

Regret gnawed at me fiercely.

If she were the protagonist, she wouldn’t treat me like those damn bastards did.

I hadn’t thought it through enough.

While I sat there, lost in regret—

With no warning, a corner of my vision suddenly filled with light.

Turning my head, I saw a massive pillar of light.

A pillar of light stretching endlessly towards the sky from far away.

From this distance, it looked a bit thin, but considering how far it was, the pillar was undoubtedly wide and tall.

Hmm, how should I put it…

It seemed like the kind of pillar that would show up near the end of a story.

I stared at the pillar for a while, then spread my wings and took off.

Just to be safe, I looked around, but that pillar was the only thing in sight.

Then, the only thing I could think of was to head towards that pillar.

Surely, the protagonists of this world would be heading towards that pillar.

And they’d probably have the final battle inside of it.

Even if not, it had to be some sort of extremely important event.

It’s clear that this wasn’t a world from any of the games, novels, or comics I had read, but usually, stories happening in such worlds have their own set paths. Sure, there are authors who go off the beaten path, but if that were the case, there wouldn’t have been a way for me to be saved like this in the first place.

Well, fine.

Then let’s fly over that way.

While I’m at it, let’s get closer and wait to see what happens.

At least, I hadn’t seen any airplanes flying around here. Still, it had vibe like the early 20th century, so I couldn’t entirely let my guard down, but if I was cautious, I could somehow avoid danger.

A rifle bullet couldn’t kill me, but that machine gun on a plane could be dangerous.

I flew as high as I could towards that area.

*

I flew around there for a few days, keeping an eye on the happenings.

Mainly at night when I was high up, I observed that humans who looked like soldiers were gathering around.

And some would attempt to enter, only to get burned and collapse.

…I was lucky I hadn’t barged in.

I almost ended up as a gryphon roast.

During the day, I hid in a forest far from the village, and at night, after surveying the surroundings, I took to the skies for a few days.

Finally, those kids I presumed to be the protagonist’s party arrived.

They were in roughly the same combination as those I saw underground. Or perhaps exactly the same. To be honest, it had only been a short while since I had recovered my body, and I’d only glimpsed the kids for a few seconds. When I was fighting, I wasn’t in my right mind.

And before I knew it, the kids rushed in without a chance for me to stop them.

…And those who went inside looked perfectly fine. The faint silhouettes visible beyond the light walked away and disappeared into the city wrapped in that pillar of light.

Um…

Should I go in too?

Seeing that the kids could go in without injury, it seemed there was some condition, but the problem was that I didn’t know what that condition was.

“……..”

Eventually, I decided to lie low in the surroundings again.

After all, I had just recovered from being in so much pain.

I didn’t want to do anything reckless.

*

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for an opportunity to enter to arise.

How long had it been since I was flying around above the sky observing? Maybe a few hours? I couldn’t gauge the exact time without a clock, but after a somewhat boring period, suddenly, the pillar of light vanished.

Since it was daylight, I, who had been flying from a distance, took off towards where the pillar had been.

Just as I had suspected, I didn’t meet with any harm when I approached where the pillar had been. The barrier that burned any living thing approaching it was surprisingly spotless.

Slight sounds faintly reached me from afar.

Normally bustling, the city that would have been filled with people was silent. That’s why I could distinctly hear the sounds of a struggle coming from far away.

I immediately flew towards that direction.

It felt as if my instincts guided me, and I moved my wings in a way that it was almost like I was meant to do it from the very beginning, crashing straight into the stained glass of the building.

What crumbled under my wings was reminiscent of the first time I took to the skies in this world—a woman’s figure. Perhaps she was a goddess believed in by this world’s religion.

While I shattered the window and damaged part of the wall, what came into my view was the girl who lay bleeding on the floor—Sylvia.

It looked like she had a hole in her stomach, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

I rushed toward her.

What happened next wasn’t something I had been taught by anyone. It felt almost instinctual, as if I had known how to do it all along.

A ball of light gathered around my wings. The place where the light touched felt strangely warm.

My wings moved of their own accord as my body fell, naturally balancing itself. Defying the laws of physics, I landed so smoothly as if gravity itself had no power over me.

With a crack, the ground beneath me split open. A few nearby figures shouted in shock.

I opened my beak wide and let out a screech with all my might.

“Puuyooooh!”

Like the cry of an eagle heard in movies.

At that moment, all the eyes in the church turned towards me.

For a split second, I felt a little proud.

Chapter 341

Oh ho ho.

I didn’t realize how small humans seemed until I was standing here, bracing myself on my legs and looking down at them.

The concept of size is relative, after all. That relativity depends on the observer’s perspective.

I lowered my gaze.

There was Sylvia, lying down and peering up at me with a slightly turned body.

It was the exact opposite of our last encounter.

The slightly dazed expression she wore while looking up at me was kind of funny. Did a smile appear on my face too? My eyes probably narrowed a bit.

Everyone around us was frozen in silence. Even the girl I saved didn’t say a word.

How long are you planning to stay that way?

If you’re the protagonist, get up and fight properly!

I gently extended a claw— which was practically a hand by my standards— and flipped Sylvia onto her side.

Her body didn’t look that heavy, but with my Gryphon strength, it flipped way too easily.

“Ugh!”

That wasn’t a sound I’d associate with a protagonist. As she got flipped, she quickly scrambled to get up.

Was she scared that a suddenly-appearing monster had just landed on her?

Hmm.

It might have looked a little silly. Considering there were enemies nearby, it wouldn’t have made for a dignified situation.

I slowly lowered my head, just like I did last time in front of Sylvia.

“……”

Caught off guard, Sylvia looked around once. But then, as if she made up her mind, she performed an elaborate noble greeting like last time.

“Fanggriffon…”

Someone muttered something.

I had no idea what that meant. Is it a language unique to this world, or perhaps some sort of name? It could be directed at me since the word “Gryphon” is in there. But at this point, it didn’t really matter.

Then someone burst out laughing.

Turning to see, there was a middle-aged man with an unmistakable “I’m the final boss” aura, laughing heartily. He seemed to be bigger than humans of the same age and gender, and from the large sword he held in one hand, he looked like a skilled swordsman.

Unfortunately, I had no idea who he was.

To be honest, this situation was a bit confusing from my perspective. I could tell that this place, like a cathedral, was certainly a stronghold of those who had tormented me, but I had no clue why these folks were fighting or who was on which side.

…Maybe I didn’t need to think so seriously about it.

Couldn’t I just side with Sylvia? After all, she was the one who saved me. If the world ended, so be it. I had no attachment to this place.

“I just thought it’d be more fun this way.”

“…… I see.”

The two people who seemed to be having a somewhat nonsensical conversation wrapped it up.

Is this the timing?

In terms of games or comics, this feels like the perfect moment. Usually, such candid exchanges lead right into a fight, right?

I glanced around, gauging the situation, then decided I didn’t care and went for it.

Taking a deep breath,

“Fuhyooooo!”

I yelled with all my might.

…And Sylvia jumped in surprise.

What does it matter if you’re surprised? I just roared from behind you after thinking so carefully about my angle!

Hah, whatever.

Back when we first met, I thought she looked cool and had minimal emotional outbursts, but now it was clear she was a bit of a clutz.

Wouldn’t she have been in serious trouble if I hadn’t jumped in?

I lowered my head and bit the nape of Sylvia’s neck with care. I had to be careful not to bite too hard. If I messed up, I’d end up yanking out a chunk of flesh.

Then I gave her a little toss upwards.

“Eeeek!?”

In contrast to her first impression, she let out a truly unsophisticated scream as she flew up, landing squarely on my back. Fortunately, she didn’t bounce off and seemed to be holding on well.

So she’s got good instincts.

I was chuckling internally and jumped up high into the air.

“Fuhyoooo!”

With all my strength, I soared upward, then came crashing down again.

Honestly, from the moment I took off, I realized my body’s weight couldn’t just be lifted by flapping my wings. Sure, they were large, but given that I was a Gryphon, it wasn’t just about having wings.

To fly just by flapping my wings while hovering, I’d definitely need more than just sheer strength.

Thinking back, magic must have been applied to my body even then.

So the church folks pressuring me to use magic wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

But it was a mistake to bind me up and say such things.

“Aah!”

The knights in my descent hurriedly dove to roll out of the way.

I hadn’t intended to attack the knights in the first place.

I grabbed a rifle lying on the ground and tossed it up high.

Then I quickly repositioned myself to catch it for the girl on my back to grab.

To be precise, it was the girl on my back who caught it.

Since we weren’t in the air anymore but grounded, she didn’t hesitate and caught it right away.

When I turned to look back, the girl was wide-eyed, holding the rifle with both hands, gazing blankly at me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle once more.

That dumbfounded expression was just right for her age. Of course, I wasn’t exactly sure how old she was. Probably mid-teens or so, judging by appearances.

To think such a girl had to risk her life to fight in a place like this—what kind of world had I ended up in?

…Well, why should I dwell on that? If it’s such a world, they must be fighting. There was evidence that the standards for adulthood differed in the past, so I could just assume this world operated similarly.

I felt the girl gripping my legs tightly.

Yeah, hold on tight.

I’m about to really run and fly now.

Sounds of shouting and clashing swords filled the air again.

And I leaped right into that chaos.

*

The more I fought, the more thrilling it felt.

Could this be the Gryphon’s instinct?

I swiped a front paw to meet the blade swung by the enemy. No matter how long the sword, striking my claws would send it flying back, sometimes even snapping it in half.

The tips of my wings conjured ice spears and large fireballs. I could move them as easily as if they were my fingers.

When I fully embraced the instinct of a beast charging through the battlefield, that instinct suddenly raised an alarm in my head.

It was a kind of warning.

A feeling that something dangerous was watching me. I had never felt this before. Not even when I encountered enemies while bits of my body were rotting away.

I swiftly turned my body to hide the girl behind me and shielded myself with my wings.

I felt something hit my wing with a thud. The sound of feathers being sliced echoed, and a searing sting shot through my right wing. It was a familiar sensation— the long, cutting kind.

It wasn’t unbearable, but I couldn’t just ignore it either.

Lowering my wings, I turned to face the one who attacked me.

Surprisingly, she was quite a distance away. It wasn’t close enough for a knife to reach me.

With her red hair, she looked pleased to see me and was grinning.

So that’s how it is.

Well, with magic being a thing, it’s not unexpected that blade flashes and airwaves exist too. I wasn’t sure which it was, though.

Click.

There was a sound behind me.

It was the girl, holding the rifle with both hands.

Sylvia must be aiming at that red-haired person in front of me.

That person quickly charged at me.

Were they out to get me or Sylvia?

Bang!

The gun went off, but it didn’t hit the red-haired one. Did she dodge to the side at the sight of the gun being aimed? The bullet slammed into the ground instead.

Bang!

I learned for the first time that blades could swipe bullets away. This time, I clearly saw something akin to an energy wave coming from the tip of that sword. I didn’t even bother trying to dodge it. Since she swung it in a hurry, the wave didn’t hit us.

Bang!

The red-haired one dodged again by twisting her body to the side.

I could’ve jumped in at this moment. No matter how skilled the red-haired fighter was, there was a racial difference to consider.

But for some reason, I didn’t want to do that.

I felt like I should give the girl on my back an opportunity to shine—

—No, that’s not it, it felt like this was something between the two of them.

So I decided to wait until it truly got dangerous.

And then—

Bang!

This time the bullet traveled toward the direction where the red-haired one was “dodging.”

I didn’t know if Sylvia was faking it or if the other side made a mistake.

And one last time, bang, the gun went off.

The red-haired one, having been hit once on each shoulder by the bullets, collapsed right there.

She didn’t seem to be dead.

I figured there must be some backstory to that.

I turned my head to look at the girl sitting on my back, Sylvia.

The smell of gunpowder lingered.

She slowly lowered her rifle and looked toward me.

Her expression was somewhat surprised but also bore an air of normalcy, like that was to be expected.

It was a paradoxical expression, but at the same time, I found it to be a remarkably admirable one.

Chapter 342

I was stronger than I thought.

I’m not just talking about strength.

Just by the fact that I’m here, it seems people are already feeling intimidated.

At first, I thought there would be plenty of gryphons in this world. After all, being able to catch a young gryphon means there are quite a few of its kind around.

But I’ve never actually seen one.

When I heard that there had been heavy losses to the church’s forces while escorting me, I thought it was just a dangerously wild beast. However, as I observe the reactions around me, it seems the presence of a gryphon holds much more status in this world.

If a lion or a tiger appeared before me, getting scared would be normal.

But there’s no feeling of longing in those eyes. Usually, people just fear for their lives, keeping their distance, trying to run away, brandishing their weapons to threaten, or wanting to eliminate the beast before it charges at them.

However, in the eyes of those looking up at me, there’s a mix of danger and something like admiration.

The same goes for the way they look at Sylvia.

Continuing from the assumption I made earlier, imagine there’s a being riding a lion or a tiger. Normally, people would send admiring looks or say, “What kind of person is that?” But no matter how skilled, it would be tough to be treated like anything more than a good trainer or circus performer.

But since people see Sylvia on my back, their gazes toward her are entirely different.

It’s the kind of awe you’d have when looking at a figure from a myth.

There’s no way I’d receive such looks just for riding a wild animal.

So the status of the gryphon is more akin to that of a celestial beast than just a dangerous wild animal.

Even in this fantasy world.

*

I could tell that the governing body of this world wasn’t a unified government.

In the throes of battle, I hadn’t noticed much, as I was too busy retaliating against those attacking me. However, after the fight, looking at the fallen enemies and the reinforcements that arrived later, I could see their outfits differed.

I had no way to ask, so I caught bits of conversation and learned that these three factions were the ‘Goddess Cult’, ‘Velbur’, and the ‘Empire’. The Goddess Cult was literally a cult devoted to a goddess. I already knew this to some extent, as I had overheard their conversations about their goddess a few times while I was trapped.

Velbur seemed to be a nation neighboring the Papal State that the goddess cultists dominated, and the Empire appeared to be in proximity to Velbur. Everyone just referred to it as the ‘Empire’, so I didn’t quite catch the exact name. Well, I’d probably learn it eventually if I kept listening.

And one word I heard quite often was “Fanggriffon.”

I couldn’t fathom what it meant, but I heard it all the time when Sylvia and I were together.

The first time I heard it was when I caught a knight mumbling it while looking at Sylvia on my back. It must be related to that action…

Is it simply referring to the act of riding a gryphon? With the looks of awe people give, it seems it doesn’t just refer to that.

Hmm.

Maybe I should set aside the pondering for now.

I thought about writing something down, but then I remembered I didn’t know the writing of this world. If I hastily scribbled in Korean, it would probably lead to trouble, with people researching ‘gryphon script’ or something.

I had barely escaped; I couldn’t afford to be captured again. Who would have the guts to do so?

*

“……”

As I walked, people formed a circle around me.

It didn’t feel like they were watching or guarding me. Rather, it seemed like people were instinctively keeping their distance from something they deemed immensely dangerous.

Am I really that scary?

Even if my appearance is terrifying, I’ve never tried to frighten anyone.

Of course, I do bite down on a whole animal that’s bleeding, but what can I do? If it had been cooked, I would have eaten that too, but there was no choice when it was raw.

At least Sylvia doesn’t seem to find me very scary.

I took the train from the Papal State to the capital of Velbur, a place called Lutetia. It was where the cathedral I had escaped from was located.

Throughout the journey, the meaning of “Fanggriffon” remained a mystery, but at least I discerned that the name belonged to the royal family of the Empire.

Sylvia, Alice, and Emperor Arthur, was it? When other captured nobles were mentioned, “Fanggriffon” was also attached to their names.

Even so, I still think it’s a bit exaggerated for people to react to just the name “Fanggriffon…” It seems there’s a myth or some significance attached to it. After all, they wouldn’t perpetually react that dramatically every time a name is mentioned.

In the carriage ahead of me were two princesses. It was a large, extravagant carriage, open-roofed, like a convertible. It seemed like it was designed for sunny days.

The gentle breeze tousled my black bobbed hair.

In this peaceful, slightly languid atmosphere, I followed along behind the two in the carriage—

BAM—!

Whoa!

I was startled by an unexpectedly loud sound that completely failed to fit a gryphon’s demeanor.

While I didn’t lift my paw dramatically, it was enough to catch the attention of people entering the grand hall behind me.

What an overwhelmingly loud trumpet!

It was accompanied by a rallying cheer that drowned out the trumpet call.

Shredded colored paper and flower petals rained down from above.

Moreover, Lutetia’s beautiful architecture resembled that of a 20th-century European city, blending exquisitely into the celebration.

The gazes of those watching us were all bright.

This was the first atmosphere I’d encountered since arriving in this world.

I was being welcomed. Not rejected or abused.

As I paused to take in my surroundings, I realized the carriage in front of me had stopped. After moving slightly forward, it seemed to have figured out I had halted, and thus stopped altogether.

Sylvia was looking back at me.

So, they called me Fanggriffon, huh?

In that moment, a playful idea sprung to my mind.

The instant Sylvia and I locked eyes, she seemed to understand something, her expression showing a hint of panic—

But I was already charging forward.

I heard screams from the surroundings. Knights were flustered, trying to catch up to me. Far away, those cheering still seemed unaware of what was going on.

I lunged forward, grabbed Sylvia by the scruff, and lifted her up, settling her on my back.

A hush fell over those around us.

Turning my head to look at Sylvia, she quickly adapted her posture, sitting upright on my back.

Simultaneously, cheers erupted once more from the crowd.

Alice, who had been left behind in the carriage, looked at me with an astonished expression, but I held my head high with confidence.

And then, with an impressive stance, I began walking behind the slowly moving carriage.

…Okay, maybe it was a bit exaggerated.

But, who cares? I’ve never seen a gryphon before.

Besides, I’m sure everyone here was seeing a gryphon for the first time too.

So it’s only natural that they’d be witnessing me walking like one for the first time.

Even if my walking style was a bit weird, no one would notice.

With each step I took, the palace, which I had glimpsed when I flew in last time, drew closer, and the cheers of the people grew louder and louder.

My heart raced.

Everyone here was welcoming me.

Of course, I wasn’t the only one, but at the very least, there was no one who hated or cursed me, and no one was waiting to capture or abuse me.

Just joyous cheers.

The negative feelings I endured during my years after coming to this world hadn’t completely washed away yet.

But at least, it seemed like I wouldn’t face such things moving forward.

I glanced back once more, locking eyes with Sylvia on my back.

For a brief moment, Sylvia glared at me, but soon she sighed with a ‘Well, I guess that’s that’ expression.

Yeah, it’s thanks to her.

She didn’t try to use me from the start.

Had she not crushed that jewel when we first met, I surely would have harbored hatred for humanity until the very end.

Well, whatever.

Maybe I should repay her properly.

And while I’m at it, I’ll snag some food too.

I held my head high, spreading my wings wide, and walked forward with authority.

Hearing the crowd’s cheers as they looked at my wings, for the first time, I felt joy since arriving in this world.

Chapter 343

It’s great to have the luxury to laze around without a care.

They say if you relax long enough, eventually you’ll want to work, but I don’t buy it at all.

It’s not wanting to work; it’s just that you have to work because you’ll run out of money to put food in your mouth.

Even from elementary and middle school, you can tell it’s true. Isn’t it fun to do nothing during breaks? College was no different. Just aligning my schedule to skip classes and lying on my bed doing nothing felt fulfilling and time flew by.

Time dragged on when I was in class or working part-time. Even when I worked, the time spent waiting for customers was much quicker than the actual work.

Didn’t they say that being a noble is a job in itself?

Living off the properties bought by ancestors hundreds of years ago, these people have so much money they don’t need jobs. In fact, having a job was just about accumulating experience, right?

I know. I’m aware that those people aren’t really doing nothing.

However, we don’t really call the friendly sports matches, charity work, or social gatherings “work.” That’s just a hobby.

So what I’m getting at is, if you want to do something else while taking a break, just do it for a bit. If I’m not in a situation where I’m starving to death, there’s no need to feel guilty about doing nothing.

Ah, that doesn’t mean I’m not bored.

But, hey, I’m a gryphon after all.

Most hobbies that people have can’t be enjoyed by me. Reading or typical sports… Well, I never was fond of sports, so I can overlook that. But reading? Forget it, I would have to give up as I don’t know the letters of this world. Plus, I’m not exactly keen on learning foreign languages.

So, my biggest hobby in this world? ‘Flying.’

Yeah, literally soaring through the sky.

I had flown on a plane before, but riding in a plane is completely different from flying with my own wings.

Besides, you can’t just, you know, hop on a plane anytime you want.

When the sun is high in the sky and I fly up high, everything below looks tiny. The whoosh of the wind by my ears is nice, and the fluttering of my feathers feels good.

Though, saying it like this makes me feel somewhat animal-like, huh? But what can I say? It’s true.

I have no intention of going back anytime soon. This life is surprisingly free, and I’m already satisfied with that.

Since I’m here anyway, I might as well stay a bit longer, watch how Sylvia and her friends live, and then look for a way back.

By the way, it seems like the Empire has a lot of wild animals, probably because it’s still underdeveloped. There were wolves, and bears in the forest as well.

However, these wild beasts look like they’d be “bad to eat,” which made me hesitant to hunt.

But there were some that looked “safe to eat.”

A herd of cows and goats leisurely grazing on the vast prairie.

Looking around, I didn’t see any people or fences.

Well, with so many wild animals around, it’s not surprising that a herd of cows and goats might be wandering about.

This is a fantasy world, after all.

Just as I was flying and got hungry, I dived down and snatched a small cow.

THUD!

Even in a fantasy world, one must recognize the strange.

Thinking back, the herds of cows, sheep, and goats, they looked too much like what I knew.

To put it another way, these animals looked “pleasing to the eye” even to humans.

The absence of people and fences was likely because the pasture was so vast that setting them up would cost too much time and money.

Additionally, there were cases where cattle were raised without fences on purpose, because if cows wandered and bumped into a fence, it would leave marks on their leather.

Right! Cattle aren’t just raised for eating.

They are also raised for their hides.

So that means—the cow I happily hunted earlier was—

“That cow belongs to someone else. It’s typically raised for its hide. By the way, its owner runs a famous leather workshop. They mostly supply leather for luxury steam cars and carriage interiors, and I’ve heard there are serious talks about a merger with some steam car company recently.”

The Crown Princess, who had personally come looking for me, said that.

“…Is that so.”

Hearing that from Alice, Sylvia looked up at me.

I avoided her gaze.

“By the way, there was also a request for compensation for other cows besides the dead one. It seems your gryphon didn’t catch just one after all. There are cows with long scratches on their hides too and some that were wounded and later died.”

“…Is that so.”

Hmm.

So that’s how it went.

There was one I tried to lift up but dropped because I misjudged my grip.

BOOM! It made a rather loud noise, but I didn’t think it would die!

“By the way, the price is quite steep. The cows are raised for their hides, and good leather cows usually have good meat too.”

“…Is that so.”

As Sylvia said that, she continued to look up at me intently.

She looked like she had a lot to say.

Well, I know I messed up too.

Can’t she tell by the way I’m deliberately turning my head away?

But it’s not like I had any way to compensate for it either.

“Let’s get one thing straight.”

Alice said, looking up at me.

“We need to clarify whether that hunt was the gryphon’s instinct or if you just did it because you were hungry. Otherwise, it could seriously affect the citizens even if we provide food.”

After hearing that, I turned my gaze towards Alice.

“…Seems like I understand your words.”

“The intelligence of the gryphon is unclear, but at least it seems to understand human speech.”

Of course I understood!

I might not know anything about gryphon intelligence, but the one inside me has human smarts.

“Will it understand if I speak?”

Should I act like I know?

If I want to stay here without being kicked out, I need to communicate but how should I express my ‘understanding’ to them?

Just nodding my head might work.

…But that feels a bit… you know, too lame.

I just mentioned “the intelligence of the gryphon,” so it’s not like I should talk down from a high ground, but right now, I am a gryphon, aren’t I?

From what I overheard, I’m said to be the symbol of the Empire. I even saw a big shield-shaped emblem of a gryphon on the massive iron gate coming to the Imperial Palace.

In this world, while the existence of gryphons has been confirmed, almost no one has seen one up close.

So they seem to want to treat me as the symbol of the Empire. …But wouldn’t it be embarrassing to just nod like that?

I looked down at Alice and said,

“…Do you understand? Are you telling me not to take commands?”

“More so, I think you’re just pretending to be gallant.”

Sylvia saw right through my ulterior motives. Truly the perspective of a protagonist.

After answering Alice, Sylvia stepped closer to me and said,

“I don’t quite grasp what you’re thinking, but let me speak under the assumption you understood.”

Sylvia’s height couldn’t be said to be drastically different from Alice’s. She wasn’t short, but if I had to put it simply, I’d say she was of ‘average height.’

Yet, looking up at me from that relatively small height, she didn’t seem diminutive at all.

Honestly, if anyone fits the role of a Crown Princess, it seems like it would be Sylvia.

But, well, since she refused that, there’s nothing to be done about it.

“Staying here and consuming a lot is unavoidable, but please do your best not to harm others. If a symbol of the Empire brings harm to the citizens, how could the prestige of the royal family hold up? You’ve helped us a lot, but for the sake of my image, won’t you keep our name intact?”

“…….”

Sylvia looked directly into my eyes without flinching.

I quietly watched her for a while—

Well, fine.

There are ways to maintain prestige while apologizing.

I stood up from my spot.

And then, I bowed my head politely.

“If you understand, then that is sufficient.”

Sylvia looked up at me, smiling softly, and then performed the Imperial greeting she had shown me last time.

I think I’m starting to get the hang of how to communicate.

Chapter 344

— I thought I was getting the hang of this.

“What exactly is the problem?”

As I spent more time with this girl named Sylvia, she seemed to have let her guard down, to the point where she could casually say things like this.

As I sat on the soft and warm straw as usual, I looked down at Sylvia.

“If I’m hungry, you could give me food, and everything around here is managed to be soft and warm. Aren’t you here because you want to be? If you’re living comfortably, I should at least get one favor in return, right?”

I couldn’t help but let out a snort.

Ah, of course, it’s true that I’m living off their generosity. Everything I eat is provided by the palace, and the only reason I can enjoy myself is because of the people here who help me.

But I have ears, and naturally, I’ve eavesdropped on stories. The stories about Gryphons have been particularly common around me.

So, these kids taking care of me wasn’t just a thought of keeping a pet.

The Gryphon, a symbol of the Empire and its royal family, the ‘Fanggriffon.’ But this Gryphon is such a rare creature that you hardly see it anywhere else, and even fewer have raised one.

So just by living here, it makes the Empire sound like a country with a royal family that uniquely controls this Gryphon.

Thinking about it, it wasn’t so different from my previous world, where no one raised an eagle just because their family emblem featured one, right? Wouldn’t it have been cool if there was an emperor walking around with a trained eagle on their shoulder?

But the reason no one did that was most likely because it was incredibly bothersome and unnecessary. Even if I had the money to prepare food, getting that eagle to listen to me would be an entirely different story. If that were the case for an eagle, how much more for a lion?

That’s probably the reason the Empire hasn’t yet chased me away. Because I’m somewhat cooperative.

“No, didn’t you acknowledge my presence here in the first place…?”

Seeing me snort, Sylvia slumped her shoulders and said.

… Did I go too far?

When I think about it, Sylvia talks politely in front of others. I mean, even in front of someone as close as Alice, she uses honorifics. But for her to speak so casually in front of me, doesn’t it mean she feels that comfortable around me?

But if I react like this, it’s only natural for her to feel deflated.

“Alright, then.”

Sylvia looked up at me and said, “Tell me what you want. If I can grant it, I will. But in return, you have to do something I want. This seems quite fair, right?”

Hmm.

What I want…

What I wanted wasn’t that difficult.

My body is a Gryphon, but the being inside is a human. As I’ve said a few times, I don’t know how intelligent a Gryphon is. To be honest, I didn’t plan to find out directly. Because if I went to check and it turned out to be truly ‘beast-like,’ it would cause problems in many ways.

Things like mating… Hmm, anyway.

So yes, I want to live here, but I also don’t want to be treated without respect. Even if I’m respected, I wouldn’t want to be treated just like a pet. If possible, I’d like it if she would continue to use honorifics like before.

Because after all, I’m likely older than Sylvia. Not as a Gryphon, but as the person inside.

Isn’t the girl right in front of me not just a child?

The question is how to convey that.

Alright.

I have only one thing to show.

I stood up from my seat. Stretching out my stiff body after sitting too long, I proudly faced Sylvia.

Then, I bowed my head.

For a moment, Sylvia seemed perplexed about what I was doing, but she obediently bent her waist in return.

Okay, she seems to get it—

“Is this good enough?”

—Not really.

Well, just bowing again won’t make her understand.

So, if that’s the case, I’ll just keep doing the same thing until Sylvia realizes what went wrong.

I took a deep breath and slowly bowed my head again.

This time, I put a bit more heart into my greeting.

Sylvia, frowning as she looked up at me, slowly returned the bow with a little more courtesy than before and then spoke.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

Well, I do have something to say.

I just couldn’t convey it due to differences in mouth structure.

There’s only one way.

To consistently show politeness while being considerate and elevating the other person.

‘I’ll do this, so you do that too.’

That was my thought.

Truthfully, I was in the advantageous position. After all, I wasn’t in a situation where I could freely use informal and formal speech.

After exchanging greetings a few times, it seemed Sylvia had a fleeting thought.

“So, are you saying we should mutually respect each other?”

Finally!

I slightly nodded in satisfaction.

“Ha.”

Sylvia let out a huff of disbelief. But she seemed to have recognized that I wasn’t an ordinary animal in front of her.

After a brief hesitation, she opened her mouth.

“Well then, if I ask like this politely, do you think you would grant my request?”

Sounds good.

If she respects me, I would be more than willing to grant her request.

Well, I know well enough that the request she’ll make isn’t going to be too troublesome.

I sat back down and quietly stared at Sylvia, as if I was listening.

“Ha.”

Sylvia chuckled again and said, “Alright then—”

And then she told me her request.

*

Sylvia’s request was simple.

She wanted me to fly up in the sky during the cultural festival attended by Sylvia, Alice, and their friends at the academy.

Well, since it’s called ‘academy,’ it’s probably not just a regular high school. Places usually referred to like this are said to be ‘the greatest educational institutions in this country.’

If it’s an education institution centered on the Empire, it might be expected that the Empire’s symbol would come to celebrate. Surely the Headmaster is someone incredibly high-ranking.

I wasn’t sure why they were having a cultural festival in the middle of winter, though.

I didn’t know it well, but it seemed I had an unexpected liking for being the center of attention.

In fact, that stemmed from not being particularly good-looking back then. Since I wasn’t handsome, I could hardly receive much admiration from the stares I got. Thus, the only time I received attention in my past life was when I did something incredibly embarrassing.

But the stares I receive here are filled with admiration.

Well, I’m not a great beauty, but if it’s a gaze mixed with affection, it can’t help but feel good.

“Phew.”

As I let out a sound mixed with satisfaction, Sylvia looked up at me with a smile.

The sky was incredibly cold. I felt it was a bit refreshing, but for Sylvia, even with such thick clothing, she must have been freezing to the bone.

“If you want, I can go back and wait. It’s only going to get colder if I stay here.”

After she had climbed down from my back, Sylvia said that.

Well, that’s fine.

I was originally thinking of taking a look around anyway.

I nodded to Sylvia and took off into the sky.

I circled around in the sky until I confirmed that Sylvia was going back inside the building as she turned to gaze at me.

*

Be it a Japanese manga, animation, or game, if this world existed within such media, of course, there would be ‘contents’ like cultural festivals and school trips.

And naturally, if there was content like a cultural festival, a ‘maid café’ would also be essential.

It wouldn’t matter if it didn’t exist. After all, I was just planning to take a look, and it would be good if it was there, but I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t. Still, it was the first time I had come to another school’s festival like this, so I wanted to take a good look around.

Not just the academy, but it seemed like the surrounding area was also in a festive atmosphere, but for now, let’s focus on the school first.

I couldn’t enter the classroom, so I intended to get as close to the school as possible and peek inside—

Eventually, I found the maid café.

Through a window beside the flower bed, I saw students in maid outfits diligently working inside.

The boys were mostly busy moving supplies or cleaning, while all the girls were in maid outfits, doing service work.

And among them—

Oh.

If I could talk, I would have made a sound like that.

Among those in maid outfits was Sylvia.

It wasn’t the type of maid outfit that showed off a lot of skin like you’d expect from this kind of content, but the modest elegant maid outfit suited Sylvia’s image perfectly.

It wasn’t just Sylvia; Alice, Mia, Charlotte, and the other kids with them all looked great.

I guess they are children of noble families after all.

As I tried to get a closer look, moving slightly closer to the window, one of the boys working inside locked eyes with me and gasped, immediately pointing outside to Sylvia.

Sylvia turned her head and stared at me blankly.

Hmm.

Without hands, should I just flap my wings?

Chapter 345

Actually, the spot I’m sitting on is warm and cozy.

As expected from an academy with high-ranking individuals’ children, the building’s design has windows facing the sunny side, allowing for warm sunlight from morning till noon.

And in front of the window, there was a flowerbed too.

…Even though I ruined it by sitting there.

The Gryphon’s sturdy body isn’t really great for such occasions. There was certainly a strong metal fence to separate the flowerbed, but I didn’t realize it was there while sitting on top of it. I only briefly thought that my legs felt soft and comfy.

Hearing what one of my classmates said, Sylvia rushed out as soon as she saw me through the window, glancing between me and the flowerbed with eyes wide open.

“Are you a cat?”

If we’re being technical, I’d say I’m more of a bird of prey.

Of course, my lower half is lion, but considering the size, the eagle part, including the upper half and wings, is much larger. Plus, my head is that of an eagle, and since my brain is inside an eagle’s head, I guess I am close to being a bird of prey.

Inside this body is a person, though.

I knew the situation, so I couldn’t say anything. I was well aware that growing flowers takes time and money. Especially if someone wanted to create such a well-kept flowerbed, they’d need a skilled expert.

No, wait.

Thinking it over, I am a Gryphon right now.

Though my inner identity is human, to others, I am just a Gryphon. Since my body is a Gryphon.

So, pretending not to understand their words shouldn’t be too much of a problem, right?

If it involves people or money, can’t I just play dumb?

As I tilted my head pretending I knew nothing, Sylvia let out a big sigh and slapped her forehead.

“I said it’s okay to go home.”

I don’t want to.

I want to enjoy the festive atmosphere too.

Well, resting at home isn’t so bad. Despite how it looks, I used to be someone who suffered in various ways at work, so just doing nothing felt pretty nice.

But still, once in a while, such special days should exist.

There seems to be a lot of food around.

Raw meat is perfect for a Gryphon, and grilled meat too. I was curious about sweets like sugar. My previous life’s food connoisseur credentials weren’t that impressive, but I did enjoy eating.

While Sylvia and Alice briefly discussed the flowerbed price, I was lost in thoughts.

“There’s no need to deny it too much, right? And it’s only been a month since they started living here. You said they look young. They’re sharp and understand a few things after hearing them a couple of times, and honestly, they’re much calmer than when they first came, right? How about giving it a little more time?”

Alice was telling Sylvia a very reasonable story.

I almost nodded without thinking, but I decided to stay quiet for now, fearing I’d be caught knowing everything.

I had been pretending not to know just a moment ago, so I wasn’t sure what I’d get for showing I understood now.

“…Rather, I’d like you to look around a bit.”

Sylvia, while talking, suddenly glanced around and said.

People were gathering around us.

If a lion or tiger boldly entered the school premises, the people would have been in a panic and running everywhere. Even if those beasts weren’t displaying aggression, it would have still been the same. Humans can’t fundamentally communicate with animals, and unless they’ve established mutual trust over a long period, there’s no reason to believe them.

But I had roamed around among people without any particular restraint.

After getting scolded once, I hadn’t touched anyone else’s belongings, and since coming into the academy, aside from sitting on the flowerbed, I hadn’t caused any trouble.

Especially since Sylvia, who is perceived as my ‘master’ in society, was next to me, and no one said anything against me, they must have built some trust over time. Sylvia seemed to have quite an influential network around her.

“See, people aren’t very scared. The Gryphon doesn’t look like it’d attack either. Wouldn’t it be okay to relax a bit?”

The next Crown Princess is indeed quick to grasp the situation.

Seeing my and the people’s reactions, she accurately assessed why I wouldn’t pose a big problem being here. I was sure she would be an excellent ruler implementing outstanding policies after she becomes the Emperor.

Even like this, I know how to read people well.

I didn’t nod this time either. There’s a consistency in not understanding what people are saying.

“…”

After Alice’s remark, Sylvia looked up at me for a moment and then said, “Understood.”

Finally, she conceded.

But it seemed Sylvia wasn’t finished with that. Looking up at me with a serious expression, she said.

“However, let’s make one thing clear. If there’s a place made by someone, you should never trample on it carelessly. Whether it’s livestock or flowers inside a fence. It must have been cultivated through someone’s effort.”

Hmm.

“And if you don’t keep that minimum courtesy, I can’t associate with you. If you want to stay in an equal relationship, you should also respect me.”

That’s something I can obviously do.

In fact, the reason I stepped into the flowerbed wasn’t out of disregard; I simply wanted to look more closely at the inside.

I slowly stood up from my spot. I moved slowly, making sure the nearby people wouldn’t get scared or panic.

And then I settled back down on a patch of ground where the sunlight comes through but was firm enough not to disturb my claws.

Sylvia looked at me with a somewhat dissatisfied expression, yet still didn’t want to go home.

At least she should buy me some cotton candy before saying that.

Wondering if I could just grab one to eat and Sylvia would consider paying, I was seriously contemplating when—

“Crown Princess?”

Someone cautiously approached Sylvia and spoke.

It was the one from earlier who announced the start of the cultural festival. Seems to be the Headmaster.

He was a stern-looking grandfather. A classic, cartoonishly mustached grandpa, but it was quite burdensome that he was looking up at me just as he appeared.

If he had at least sharper eyes, it wouldn’t have been so scary, but his face reminded me of childhood imaginations, making it rather uncomfortable.

“May I, um…?”

The Headmaster raised his hand slightly and said that.

No, if he wants permission, he should ask me! Not Sylvia!

He wants to touch me, doesn’t he?

I stared intently at Sylvia.

I really don’t like it when men touch my body. It might sound a bit blunt, but honestly, which heterosexual man would enjoy a grandpa touching him?

So I quickly looked at Sylvia, indicating to send that hand back, while glaring at the grandfather’s hand.

And Sylvia seemed to have caught on to my thoughts just by observing my actions.

But it looked like Sylvia was still irritated.

“It’s fine. He’s a good kid.”

!!!

I swung my head toward Sylvia in shock. Although she wasn’t looking at me, I distinctly saw one corner of her lips curl up slightly. It seemed like almost no one noticed around us. Probably just Alice.

“He really loves people. He’s willing to accept a human touch easily.”

No way.

“But the reaction earlier was…?”

The Headmaster clearly noticed my actions.

“He loves people so much.”

Ignoring the Headmaster’s words, Sylvia straight out said that.

No, wait a minute!

“Really?”

Don’t you go agreeing too easily! Anyone can tell I don’t want this!

But succumbing to his own desires, the Headmaster was coming closer, ignoring my reactions.

I looked back at Sylvia, but she was just crossing her arms and looking up at me. In her maid outfit, that attitude made her look like quite a strict maid, which suited her very well.

As I flinched and tried to escape, one of Sylvia’s eyebrows slightly raised.

No, for real?

Are you actually planning to sell me off?

But ultimately, the Headmaster stroked my body, and once the nearby kids started to touch me one by one, Sylvia didn’t stop anyone, merely looking up at me.

In the end, she seemed pleased with it, even smiling.

This is too much!

Chapter 346

Ah, my feathers are all messed up!

It wasn’t just the headmaster; it was everyone nearby who was the problem.

Especially the kids who crowded around—it was way worse with them! They weren’t gently patting my feathers; they were tugging them like they were playing with yarn! Thankfully, I looked scary enough and the fact that I had a Crown Princess caring for me likely kept any feather-pulling humans at bay.

After being hounded for about 10 minutes, Sylvia finally went back inside the building, and I could leap to my feet and run away!

Maybe they liked my feathers? I sighed and flew back up to the roof, leaving the sighing people behind.

This time, I carefully sat down, looking down to avoid breaking anything.

I had no clue what happened during the last fight that Sylvia caused. Honestly, even if I knew, what would it matter? I’m not running for office or anything.

I heard they stopped some war or something, and if that was true, Sylvia’s achievements would literally make her the main character.

And because of that, people could live peacefully like this now—and—

……

Well, I tried to wrap the story up dramatically, but considering I only participated in the last battle, I had no reason to feel moved or relate to it.

I had no love for this country, nor did I feel any sense of duty to protect this world.

Well, Sylvia was a worthy opponent to fight alongside, though.

“……”

After looking down for a bit, I thought maybe I should just go back down.

If people were just going to touch me, they’d back off with just a glare. For now, I could roam around and try some food.

There was hardly anyone on campus that wouldn’t recognize me.

Once I eat, I can just charge Sylvia for it, and she’d pay up, whether she liked it or not.

In other words, as long as I don’t break anything, I’ll be fine, right?

If I stare at food like I’m starving, someone will surely offer me some, right?

With that in mind, I tidied my ruffled feathers and stood up.

Alright, let’s go find out if there’s food that Gryphons shouldn’t eat.

*

In conclusion, it seemed that desserts didn’t quite agree with a Gryphon’s system.

I didn’t get an upset stomach or anything; I just realized that foods loaded with sugar didn’t really suit my palate.

They say people love sweet foods because high-calorie foods help with survival.

So does that mean a Gryphon has no need for that level of sweet food?

“Looks like you’re not too fond of cotton candy…”

When I barely finished half of my cotton candy and left it behind, the girl who offered it to me seemed a bit disappointed.

Just for reference, what I had eaten so far included sandwiches, skewers likely made of chicken, and various cookies, and among those, only the meat in the sandwich or the skewers were even remotely to my taste.

“Guess I’m a carnivore…”

Ah, that’s for sure.

In this world, there are herbivores, carnivores, and animals that do both. But the two animals that made up a Gryphon’s body were a raptor and a big cat: the eagle and the lion.

And both of them are typical carnivores.

…… So that means, in my mouth, bugs could be more delicious than vegetables? And I’m already a bird brain as is!

“Shall I go get a steak from that restaurant over there?”

I overheard a well-dressed male student, likely of noble background, say that, and as I turned my head in that direction, he stammered as if startled.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“Did you catch the word steak?”

I understood other words too, you know. I was deep in thought about how to make him carry out that request when—

“……What are you doing?”

I heard Sylvia’s voice.

“Crown Princess.”

Seeing Sylvia, who must’ve finished her work, the kids hurriedly bowed and greeted her. As if used to such a situation, Sylvia approached me with an indifferent expression, as if she were asking why I was causing trouble again.

But before I could protest, the kids spoke first.

“We’re sorry!”

“Huh?”

When the male student said that, Sylvia turned, looking surprised, and he continued.

“We thought your Gryphon wanted food since it was just staring at the food, so we offered it some…”

“Oh.”

Thinking back, it wasn’t really my fault.

At the time when Sylvia came out, I wondered if I had done something wrong again, but now that I think of it, it’s quite rude to feed someone else’s pet without the owner’s permission. It’s normal for the owner to get mad if that happens.

The kids must’ve known that, but still, it’s a Gryphon we’re talking about! If it were a little puppy, one might worry about poisoning it by feeding it the wrong thing, but with a Gryphon that’s way bigger than a person? It’s hard to imagine it would actually die from eating a piece of chocolate.

In the real world, bigger animals usually have fewer issues when it comes to eating various things.

…… I’m not Sylvia’s “pet,” but when I look at it from the incident’s perspective, it doesn’t seem like it’s really my fault.

“…… It’s fine, everyone. It’s not something you should apologize for.”

Sylvia looked at me, who was proudly raising my head, sighed softly, and then looked back inside.

As I was intently watching Sylvia, her gaze shifted briefly to my back, and when I turned around, there was a big clock behind me—a big clock fixed atop the academy building.

“I have plans with my friends, so I won’t have much time to hang out with you.”

I turned my head back to Sylvia as she spoke.

“You seem attracted to the smell of food. How about I take you around to get some food before I meet my friends? Would that satisfy you?”

Of course, I’d be happy with that.

After seeing me stand from my seat, Sylvia placed a hand on her forehead as if to relieve a headache.

*

In the end, I ate various things throughout the day but didn’t feel particularly full.

Normally, I could eat an entire cow in one sitting. Of course, eating a whole cow would leave me without any appetite for a while, but still!

I definitely enjoyed the festival atmosphere!

“It seems you enjoyed the festival to the fullest.”

Sylvia, who came back in a bit later, remarked in disbelief as she checked my state.

I had flowers stuck in various places on my body. I didn’t know who started it, but everyone around realized that I had flowers and crowns on, and they all just had to stick one in as well. Of course, some fell off along the way as I was walking around and even flying over!

Plus, among those who came to me near the school, there were quite a few outstanding beauties.

In that case, it was worth tolerating a guy’s hands brushing against me.

“Pweeeoo!”

As I made a happy sound, Sylvia chuckled softly.

Then, she took a few steps closer and looked up at me.

“……”

After staring at me in silence for a while, Sylvia quietly opened her mouth.

“Did you have fun?”

I gently nodded my head.

Yeah, I had fun.

Even though I wasn’t in a human body and couldn’t talk properly, it was still the most enjoyable I’ve had since coming to this world.

I had spent my entire life being abused. I’ve eaten cooked meat without blood or tried dairy products like cheese, taken pictures with people, and received flowers!

Feeling liked by someone is a fantastic experience.

“Do you regret following me?”

Sylvia asked again, and I just kept staring at her. She had a knowing look, like she was confident I wouldn’t regret it.

“……”

As Sylvia silently gazed at the sunset sky, she walked over to me.

“I want to see the night view; shall we fly for a bit? It’s slowly becoming the last day of the year.”

Last day of the year?

Wow, the festival must be a big one!

I flattened my body to make it easier for Sylvia to get on.

With the light weight of the girl on my back, I spread my wings wide and soared into the sky.

Flowers that had tangled between my feathers fell one by one. Speaking of which, how was it possible for flowers to bloom even in winter? Are there actually flowers that bloom in winter?

I soared with Sylvia above the sea of light.

While the technology of this world wasn’t on par with the world I lived in, the display of lights below was already stunning in its own right.

“I hope we can do this again next year.”

Looking down below, Sylvia expressed her feelings.

Her voice was soothing.

Indeed.

I hope we can do this next year, too.

If possible, for years to come, peacefully.

“Pweeeoo!”

“Are you answering in agreement?”

Sylvia laughed as I chirped, stroking my back with her hand.

“That’s nice. Then let’s go back. I have guests coming tomorrow, so I need to prepare.”

At Sylvia’s words, I turned my body around.

And headed back home.

To the home where I would continue living from now on.

Chapter 347

The protagonist’s party is overly diligent

~if sidestory~

For some reason, I ended up back on Earth.

*

Thinking it over, it seems like challenging the Goddess was possibly a mistake.

Of course! The opponent was ‘literally’ a Goddess, right? One with the power to drag my soul to another world and stuff it into a body she created.

It’s only natural that I would be at a huge disadvantage fighting such a being.

“……”

While gazing at the ceiling of my one-room apartment, I pondered and tilted my head again.

No, wait.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to think that everything that happened until now was just a dream?

Right? I woke up as a woman, and the world I woke up in wasn’t even reality. It was a world from a game series I liked.

No matter how I think about it, it seems more believable to think I just had a pleasant dream.

Thinking that way would probably be better for my mental health.

The thought that everything I did there was all for nothing, or that all the bonds I created just vanished—those kinds of thoughts weighed much heavier.

Thinking that I just had a long, nice dream that’s hard to forget would be way better.

…Though the real issue was that the dream was so long, I didn’t even know what I should do starting tomorrow.

What was I doing before I fell asleep?

Ah, should I just go back to sleep like this?

Feeling a bit empty, I considered closing my eyes again, but I soon got back up. I hadn’t died, so I had to gather my senses and get on with life.

I had to survive somehow, after all.

Wobbling to my feet, I headed for the bathroom. Checking my disheveled appearance was the priority. —

—And then I saw my face, wearing the tattered uniform of the Avalon Academy.

The clothes were in tatters, my face had stuff smeared on it, but there were no wounds. My body was the same.

Ah, right. Thanks to Gryphon’s magic, my wounds had completely healed.

As I touched my face reflected in the mirror, I also felt my body for confirmation.

I didn’t think I was seeing things. My body felt entirely the same as what appeared in my eyes.

I have… returned to my original world.

With my changed body.

“……”

Should I be happy about this?

*

And soon, I discovered a few problems.

I turned on the tap, but no water came out.

I tried igniting the gas stove, but tick tick tick tick, there were only sparks, and the flame wouldn’t light.

It wasn’t just the stove. The lights in the room wouldn’t turn on. I tried turning on the lights, but they didn’t come on—it had been a while since the electricity was cut.

I sat back down on the dusty floor and thought.

This is bad.

The last place I lived was on rent. Even if I wasn’t found dead, the contract would automatically end after the lease expired.

So I needed to know when I came back here. Naturally, the utilities would have been cut off, so it was impossible that the phone and internet services were still running.

How is there not a single clock in the house? Well, it makes sense. In modern society, you wouldn’t need anything if you have a smartphone.

That smartphone had long been dead and out of battery.

The one power bank I had was the same.

How do they calculate overdue electricity or gas fees? No, more importantly, I think there’s something specific that happens when all signals of a person’s residence get cut off.

“……”

The more I sat and thought, the more my mind wandered.

“I need to resolve something ASAP.”

I muttered and got back up.

Right. Now that I’ve come to this world, I need to solve the situation. I can’t just let myself die—

I have to survive.

First things first: what to do about the overdue utilities?

I have clothes at home anyway. The ones I wear now might not fit well, but if I tighten my waist, they shouldn’t fall off.

If it really doesn’t work, I can just buy new clothes once I go out.

Thinking that way, I rummaged through the desk drawer.

*

Isn’t this strange?

Amazingly, I’m still me in this world.

My wallet was sitting inside the desk drawer, and surprisingly, my ID in the wallet had ‘my current face’ on it.

If someone went and changed my info, that’s some seriously unethical stuff. Sylvia Fanggriffon’s face is clearly European. Even if my hair and eyes are black, that wouldn’t be enough to pass as Asian.

Plus, the ‘Korean ID’ in my wallet registered my name as ‘Fanggriffon Silvia’. That’s right. Shockingly, the name I used in the other world was still intact.

Thinking about it, it’s not impossible for a foreigner who naturalized in Korea to keep their name as it is.

My date of birth was also different. Calculating it out, I was just over 18—the threshold of adulthood.

So, does that mean I’ve become ‘this world’s Sylvia Fanggriffon’?

That doesn’t seem right. To clarify, this room was originally my old rented place. An old five-story villa without an elevator.

Moreover, the clothes I returned wearing were torn and damaged, the same ones I had rolling around on the floor just before.

That’s not something that can be easily made up. There’s even a wound on my stomach that matches the original hole, and the blood that couldn’t be washed out was still dark red.

Well, fine.

You wanna play this way, huh?

Even if saving the world and returning to the original world is a cliché, I don’t want that. I do have friends in this world, but I also don’t want to give up what I built over there.

Just as I’m dirty, I’ll return.

First, let’s handle the utilities.

*

Surprisingly, there were no overdue taxes.

Thinking back on it, I had set most of my utilities to auto-pay, so the money would have come out of my account even if I disappeared from this world.

Still, is the power and gas being cut off a courtesy from the Goddess?

I’ve never exchanged a word with her, but thinking about it, this might be part of some ‘order’.

“Phew.”

I let out a sigh of relief knowing that my wallet situation wasn’t as serious as I thought, and that I could exist in this world without any other problems.

Returning to Korea after several years felt both familiar and strange. I’d lived there for so long, and I didn’t know how time passed, but the difference between my last visit and now was only about a year. Most things remained as they were in my memory.

However, even if everything was just as I remembered, redoing things I hadn’t done in a while felt unfamiliar.

Waiting at the crosswalk felt a bit awkward, and standing in front of the ATM felt strange. Inputting my pin code on the touchpad and withdrawing cash felt the same. Walking into a mobile shop with cash in hand to reactivate my phone felt the same too.

In the process, I found it a tad embarrassing that my ‘Korean name’ was ‘Fanggriffon Sylvia’.

Finishing all that and sitting down at an internet café felt the same.

…And above all, the looks directed at me during the process were quite burdensome.

I received looks in that world too. But they weren’t the same kind. In that place, I was ‘of the same race’.

No matter how globalized Korea has become, with foreigners shopping, the ratio of ‘other races’ is still quite low.

Besides, if you’re incredibly pretty and speak Korean fluently, it would be easy to attract attention. The fact is, even if excluding race, I had an appearance that caught attention. In Azernar, every child around me had a pretty face, so it wasn’t that my looks stood out.

Sitting in the internet café, I charged my smartphone and resolved my bills through websites, and those gazes kept lingering on me.

…Let’s get home quickly.

I finished what I needed to do.

After leaving the internet café and going to a supermarket, even while buying daily necessities and checking out, the attention on my face didn’t fade.

It might be because I’m pretty, or maybe it’s just fascinating that a foreigner speaks Korean well. It could be both.

Finally, returning home, putting food in the pantry, and taking out cleaning supplies to tidy up the dusty home—

Boom!

“Eek!?”

Startled by the sound of something exploding in mid-air, I screamed.

At the same time, two objects came falling towards me from the spot where that something exploded.

One was shining golden, while the other was a glossy blue, both about the same size as me.

“Sister!?”

“Silvia!”

And those two objects that tumbled down to the floor called out to me.

…What on earth is happening now?

Chapter 348

My clothes looked like rags just like me, so I put on an outfit I had at home.

It was all loose and baggy, probably due to the size difference between men and women, but in its own way, it kind of suited me. Still, wandering outside like this felt a bit off.

Especially for Alice.

“Wow, check this out! Sis, what is this? There’s a disc inside like a round plate!”

“Claire, let me explain, but first, sit down here.”

I said this to Claire, who was hastily digging through my game collection. I wasn’t too worried since Claire wouldn’t treat my stuff carelessly, but still, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about her touching things without knowing their purpose.

“Uh, wait a second. What’s drawn here—”

No, wait, that’s!

Seeing Claire pull out another package, I dashed toward her with all my might and snatched it from her hands. Thankfully, Claire wasn’t gripping it tightly, so it was easy to take away.

What Claire had pulled out was the latest installment of Chronicles of Aetherna that I played in this world. The cover naturally featured most of the game’s important characters, mainly focusing on the heroines.

Of course, Claire and Alice were also on it.

BEEP.

WEEEEEENG—

“Oh, it powered on. That’s right, isn’t it?”

I quickly turned my head when I heard the machine start up, and saw Claire powering on my console. Apparently, it was a touch-sensitive button, so just tapping on it would turn it on.

Maybe it was because I had just paid the electricity bill and came back? It seemed like the power had returned to the room that had been cut off. I mean, can it really come back this fast? Isn’t it usually supposed to take longer?

Setting aside those somewhat trivial matters, getting the game console up and running was more urgent.

The account login screen meant the game icons wouldn’t pop up immediately, but as I remembered, the game disc inside was the first installment of the Chronicles of Aetherna for this world. After playing through the latest installment, I had thought I’d go back and replay from the beginning to look for clues.

And due to the nature of game consoles, once logged in, the icon for the last game played would be displayed, usually with the game package illustration taking up the whole background.

I cut the power to the console’s multi-tap. The monitor and console’s power turned off simultaneously, along with the screen that had been active.

“Now, both of you, please take a seat.”

“Do you know what kind of world this is? You seem to know everything just by touching a few things.”

“That’s true. Now that I think about it, it’s suspicious. Not to mention that you were just coming in and out.”

Alice said while glancing toward the plastic bag I had brought in. A playful expression she couldn’t hide was evident on her face.

“Anyway, please sit down.”

“On this bare floor?”

“In this country, we usually don’t wear shoes when we come home, and we live sitting on the floor.”

And you two are already sitting on that bare floor. What’s the point of asking while you’re already in that position? Are you just trying to mess with me?

As I patiently explained, Claire shot her hand up like a student eager to answer a question in class.

“…Claire.”

When I called her out, Claire lowered her hand and asked, “If we live on the floor, why is there so much dust on the ground?”

“…That’s because quite some time has passed since I was displaced in this world.”

FLASH!

This time, Alice’s hand went up.

Alice wasn’t the type to enthusiastically raise her hand like that. While she studies hard, she’s generally hesitant to answer questions from teachers.

Did she catch Claire’s enthusiasm or find this situation amusing?

“Alice.”

As I spoke, holding back a sigh, Alice pointed at the lit LED light and asked, “What’s that?”

“…That’s an LED light.”

It used to be fluorescent, but I got permission from the landlord to change it.

“The light is pretty steady. It doesn’t seem like mana stone. It might be good to introduce it to the Empire. Is that possible?”

If they gathered an immense number of experts, it could be made possible in a few decades. But honestly, it’d probably be more efficient to research how to use electricity in that world.

“…Claire.”

Seeing Claire’s hand shoot up again, I called her with a half-hearted gesture.

“So where is this place? It’s not the world we lived in, right? I’ve never heard of a country like this at the eastern edge.”

“That’s right. If this technology existed, it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by us.”

After alternating glances between the light and the console, Alice agreed with Claire’s statement.

We’ve gone around in circles, but I finally got to share what I wanted.

Grabbing the opportunity, I spoke promptly, “This is the world where I originally lived.”

“The world you originally lived in?”

Claire tilted her head.

“Alice, aren’t you surprised?”

“Well, I kind of felt that way the moment I crossed over. It’s strange to think that you, someone with a goddess-like being involved, would casually say ‘I was born in our world.’”

Then the conversation got going fast.

“This world is the original realm I inhabited. Thanks to that goddess of order, I ended up crossing over into your world. And when I ended up winning, the goddess either retaliated against me or did it for a reason, sending me back to this world… I think…”

As I continued to explain, I felt I was forgetting something, causing my speech to slow.

“…But how did you both end up crossing over?”

Just then, I recalled what I had forgotten and asked.

It had barely been a day since I came to this side. I didn’t know how the time flowed between the two worlds, but judging by how ragged my clothes were, I figured I must have arrived not long after the battle.

“Ah, that’s…”

Claire awkwardly laughed a bit before speaking.

“After you suddenly disappeared, I tried to follow you no matter what, but I realized there was still some power in the spirit.”

Oh.

Does that mean there’s still strength left in the spirit?

Seemingly reading my thoughts, Alice joined in right away.

“Exactly. Just like how you woke the world using the spirit, Claire brought the spirit out to follow you. I ended up following Claire, and we both ended up here.”

As Alice spoke, Claire stood up and rummaged through her clothes hanging on the wall.

And from the unfinished spirit she pulled out, a faint light was indeed emanating.

“Is there enough power to go back? There better be.”

“…”

Upon my words, Claire and Alice looked at each other suddenly. Then, simultaneously, they sighed heavily.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Uh, it’s just…”

Alice slightly avoided my gaze as she replied.

“To be honest… I thought for a moment that you’d want to stay in this world.”

“…”

I raised my head and glanced around my house.

It wasn’t cramped for living alone. It was a house I rented temporarily because of my job, but it wasn’t really bad living there. It was clean. The only downside was that roaches would crawl in if I left the windows open in summer.

“Any way I look at it, my old place looks much better.”

But that was true.

The room I lived in the Empire was way bigger and better than this place. There were no worries about bugs coming in, and I had plenty of money to do whatever I wanted any time.

Well, there were inconveniences, like not being able to play video games, but over there, the film industry was developing rapidly, and perhaps just like how the technology of the world I lived in advanced overnight, the same could be true for that world.

If I think about over-the-top technology, it might even be faster.

Who knows, maybe during my lifetime, a piece like Star●s could come out.

At my response, Alice smirked. No, it wasn’t a joke.

“For now, let’s stay here for a few days and observe the situation. I don’t plan on sticking around here either.”

“Sounds good!”

At my words, Claire shouted enthusiastically.

“While we’re staying here, I want to see how you’ve been living!”

“I’m curious about that too.”

The two of them looked at me, filled with anticipation.

“……”

I just watched those two silently.

And I recalled the countless books, games, figures, and merchandise in this room that scream otaku.

…I’m doomed.

Chapter 349

“How should I put it, it really feels like another world.”

This was Claire’s first reaction after realizing that their story was literally a ‘story’ in this world.

Should I show them or not? I seriously pondered and clashed those thoughts multiple times, but the conclusion I reached was, ‘In the end, it’s gonna get out anyway.’

I can’t just kick these two out. I have a bit of savings, but who knows how long we’ll be here? In that situation, sending these two to a hotel or motel is impractical in many ways.

Above all, I can’t irresponsibly leave those two in such a place when they haven’t even fully adapted to this world yet.

“……”

“Alice.”

“……”

“Alice!”

“Uh, yes!?”

“Please don’t stare so much at my lower half. It’s ruining your image of me.”

“Well, I didn’t want to! But with this kind of figure, what could I do!? It’s how I look! How can I not be curious about how this side was made!?”

Alice shot back in surprise when I mentioned that. It’s not often that 2D creations like this come out, so I couldn’t blame her for instantly zeroing in on it.

I could see why she would be curious. If I had a figure made of myself, especially if it’s wearing a skirt, I would also want to know what’s underneath.

However, that doesn’t mean I want Alice to be peeking under her own skirt!

The Alice I knew from Chronicles of Aetherna was an overbearing tsundere girl, definitely not one to peek into someone else’s skirt. If I had to nitpick, it’s not someone else’s skirt, it’s her own!

“More importantly, haven’t you already seen Ian? If anything, it’s my image that’s likely to shatter.”

Alice said as she slammed the figure down onto the table. The figure was facing my direction, so it felt like the little version of Alice was looking up at me, blaming me, which was a strange feeling.

“Sis, don’t I have a figure?”

I pressed my temples with my hands to ease the throbbing headache.

No, wait, maybe it’s better than mumbling about denying my own life in shock? I feel like I’d be floored if I said that my life has been just a story from a novel or a comic.

…But then I thought about it again; they already know that I rewound time. Their actions have been undermined, so it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be shocked by something like this.

Thinking back, I really did a reckless thing.

“So, what you’re saying is that we are part of a ‘video game’ story rather than a movie or novel? You mean it’s a game, but how does that work? Do we set roles?”

Alice asked, looking curious.

Was Alice always this curious?

“Why, why are you asking this? Is it weird that I want to hear the story I’m in?”

“No, that’s not it….”

Ah-ha.

As I pondered for a moment, I could start to understand why Alice seemed so excited.

This is completely a different country. No, a different world.

I hadn’t explained to them how the political system here works yet, but that doesn’t matter for now. For these two, this world was totally unrelated to them.

Since there’s no Fanggriffon royal family, there’s no need to worry about anyone looking.

It’s a similar feeling to the strange sense of liberation one feels when traveling abroad.

Of course, how long we’d be here is an issue…

“To play this ‘game’ from start to finish, you need at least twenty hours. You can start and stop, but since you two don’t know the language of this world, starting right now is…”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“More importantly, how long do you two plan to stay here?”

Alice was speaking in a tone that seemed more like ‘Well, if it’s long, we’d better put it off for now?’ and I genuinely asked her.

“Huh? We can’t go back right now, so it’s undetermined, right?”

“…If there were a way to go back right now, how long do you think you’d stay?”

When I turned that question back to Claire, she replied,

“…But I wouldn’t just go back right away, would I? I’m curious about what kind of world you live in. Right?”

“I guess I’d owe you a bit.”

Alice said that while looking directly at me.

“…Understood.”

I held back a deep sigh and said that.

*

I really have no idea how long these two will stay. It could very well end up being a year or more.

In that case, it’d be better to save money for now.

With that thought in mind, I took out the cup noodles I had bought.

I thought I’d eat for a few days, so I bought a variety to avoid overlaps, but the problem is that these two had never seen cup noodles before.

We’ve got a long way to go.

If I had just returned to my childhood, I could have just gone to school. But thinking about having to teach these two everything from scratch already made my head throb.

“Spicy…!”

“……”

On top of that, all the ramen I picked were painfully spicy. Spicy, spicier, and extremely spicy. In fact, the ‘spicy’ ones would be considered standard by Korean standards, but it seems exceptionally spicy for someone who doesn’t normally eat hot food.

Well, I once saw an overseas reaction video where someone said even the mildest Korean cup noodles were spicy.

“Alice, there’s water here.”

I handed the glass of water to Alice, who was grit her teeth in torment. Unlike Claire, who shouted that it was spicy and gulped down her water, Alice drank the entire glass in one go.

To be honest, I deeply regretted choosing only this kind of flavor for the ramen.

…After all, I hadn’t eaten spicy food in a long time, either.

*

It’s a studio apartment without a bed.

To be honest, I debated a lot about whether to buy this place or not, but considering the possibility of moving, I thought it was easier just to rent somewhere decent without the hassle.

…Still, I should have bought one more blanket or two.

I have the habit of rolling around before sleeping, so I made sure to get a bigger one, but since I hadn’t thought about anyone else coming over to sleep, I didn’t have an extra blanket.

I could get out the summer blanket, but it might be too cold if I cover it.

Though it ended up being a ‘by chance’ situation, my sisters did come to visit my place. I didn’t want to catch a cold.

Thanks to that, the three of us ended up lying down on a single blanket.

We managed to keep a distance without touching one another, but if even one person rolled over, someone would definitely end up outside the blanket.

“……”

After a while of silence,

“……Sis, are you asleep?”

Claire was the first to speak up.

“Not yet.”

“Me neither.”

Alice said softly in response to mine.

“……”

Another silence.

“Bringing this up in the current situation seems a bit off, but…”

Once again, it was Claire who spoke up.

“To be honest, this situation is a bit enjoyable.”

“……”

Neither Alice nor I replied for a moment.

To be honest… I still don’t know if we can go back to the world we were in, but yeah, putting that aside, I think I could agree with Claire.

And—

“When we wake up tomorrow, let’s all go buy clothes together.”

I said with my eyes closed.

“And blankets. We need shoes and underwear too… we have a lot to prepare. Since we’re going to be living here for a while.”

“I guess I’ll be in your care for a while.”

Alice said in a voice mixed with laughter.

“No need to worry too much. You two are my guests, so I have to ensure you’re well taken care of.”

—And, yeah.

If we can’t go back, I’ll be very disappointed. Alice and Claire would feel the same.

The reason we ousted the Goddess was that we wanted to enjoy our lives together in that world.

But even so, frankly, even if we stay in this world, I don’t think it’s the worst ending.

At least I was not ‘alone.’

“There’s no need to wake up early, but still, it’d be better to maintain a regular routine, considering the potential of going back.”

I told the two of them.

“Let’s call it a night for now. Tomorrow, I’ll give you more explanations about this world when we go outside.”

“Okay.”

“Understood.”

Claire and Alice responded in turn.

Since none of us could move much, I couldn’t tell who fell asleep first.

But at least I know that I fell asleep a while after lying in the middle.

Chapter 350

I’m glad my sisters are smart.

Usually, in situations like this, clichés arise where people from another world misunderstand those who originally lived here, leading to accidents. At least Alice and Claire didn’t do that.

From the start, there was no way I could let them use public transportation, like subways or buses. Of course, if they did, I would join them, but weekday mornings are usually crowded. If we ended up in a situation where we all couldn’t board because the doors closed, that would be a disaster.

That said, I couldn’t just keep having them wear my old clothes. I mean, I was born this way, and the clothes I wore as a guy were way too big for the three of us. Alice and Claire seemed to recognize that, and thankfully didn’t ask me why. Still, we desperately needed new clothes.

And just in case anything happened, I had to at least tell them a bit about the geography around where we live. We couldn’t afford to get lost out there.

…There were many other things to sort out, but for now, we decided to focus on getting clothes first.

Both Alice and Claire come from noble families. To be precise, Alice is from the royal family, while Claire is from Baron Grace’s Estate. The gap in their backgrounds is quite significant, but at the very least, they needed to have some common sense to survive in this world.

Both of them, following my advice, avoided unnecessary comments. Claire, of course, but even Alice seemed to have a lot of questions she wanted to ask while looking at the world with curious eyes. However, they didn’t ask anything that would make them look suspicious about what they should naturally know.

Of course, once we returned to the room, all those pent-up questions burst out.

“Why are these pants so short? If I wear a long top, it looks like I’m not wearing anything at all! Do people here dress like this?”

“Not everyone dresses this way, but there are definitely people who do it on purpose. I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe they think it looks pretty.”

And honestly, it does look pretty to me too.

Honestly, there would have been short skirts in the world we lived in before, right? The academy uniforms had pretty short skirts. We could adjust it a bit if we wanted to, but there were still limits.

Is it the difference between skirts and pants? Thinking about it, in that world, women wearing skirts was quite normal.

“What on earth is this made of? Is it thin rubber… no, that doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s probably made from something extracted from petroleum… I can’t say for sure, though, because I don’t know the details. It’s too specialized of a topic for me.”

I answered Alice as she fiddled with her windbreaker.

Okay, at least the clothes and shoes were taken care of. Thankfully, the underwear didn’t differ much from what we had in our world. Of course, the underwear worn by commoners looked much puffier than what we think of, but the ones worn by nobles or wealthier commoners were quite similar to what we’re used to.

It seems the price is based on how much effort goes into making it and how much leftover fabric there is.

Anyway, thanks to that fact, I didn’t have to teach these kids how to wear underwear. …If the types of underwear were different, I probably wouldn’t know how to wear them either. After all, I’ve never lived as a woman in this world before.

“So what do we do now, sister?”

Claire asked with sparkling eyes.

Her eyes, which have been shining bright since we first met yesterday, are almost mesmerizing.

Alice’s eyes sparkle too, but not as intensely as Claire’s.

“For now, it seems best if we study this world for a few days. Our knowledge of this world is quite lacking, but at the very least, you should be able to walk around alone when it’s urgent.”

“Are you going to explain it to us?”

I shook my head.

Even I think I’m not good at teaching someone. The reason I’ve hidden so much until now is because it’s ‘hard to explain and ambiguous’ so…

But thankfully, in this world, there are plenty of means to learn without knowing the letters.

Alice and Claire can’t read the letters of this world, but they can understand spoken language, just like I could when I crossed over to the other world.

Whether that would work for videos viewed on a computer, I’m not sure.

*

Fortunately, both Alice and Claire could understand the spoken words in the videos.

One more thing we realized was that the three of us—Alice, Claire, and I—could understand ‘all the languages included in the videos.’

The common language in that world was the Empire Language. There were also Velbur and some other country’s languages, but if someone were of a high enough status to talk to me, it seemed that using the Empire Language was a form of ‘cultured disposition.’

Thinking back, I had been able to interact naturally with people from all over the world in the previous world. Even when I ran into someone who spoke a different language, I could communicate naturally while recognizing that it was another language. Nobles from foreign lands would naturally converse with me in the Empire Language, but with shopkeepers or people in the streets who wouldn’t know such things, I could still talk to them if I set my mind to it.

Having crossed over to another world yet still being able to communicate seemed so normal to me that I hadn’t realized just how amazing that ability was.

“…So, this means that the foreign language skills you’ve had until now are the abilities you gained?”

I thought Alice was just naturally able to chat with foreigners as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Besides, there were plenty of instances where the word orders and vocabulary were similar too.

But like how Korean and Japanese have many similar sounds and word orders, it still wasn’t easy to learn the other languages properly.

“It’s still okay because I could talk with you, right?”

Claire said. Alice shut her mouth tight in response.

“You fell into the orphanage. If we hadn’t been able to communicate back then—well, if it were you, I think you would’ve saved me anyway.”

Claire smiled brightly at me after saying that, making me feel a bit guilty, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“…Well, it seems having this ability is why we can communicate with someone here.”

Eventually, Alice nodded in agreement.

Fortunately, there were several videos explaining how to use subways and buses, and even how to transfer public transport in Seoul. It seemed targeted more towards people who were not foreigners but were using public transport for the first time in Seoul.

First, there were videos about traffic, and then there were videos about conversation methods between Koreans. Videos explaining basic etiquette were plentiful on -Tube, more than I could ever imagine.

With those videos set for us to study one by one, I started preparing dinner.

…It’s been so long since I last cooked, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I couldn’t do it properly, but still, I couldn’t just feed them instant food.

Before earning a decent income, I had to save money by cooking.

Taking out a cookbook I impulsively bought long ago at a bookstore, I found it sitting on the kitchen table where I’d left it, covered in a thick layer of dust.

Even after wiping off the dust, there were still some specks on the sticky notes I had attached throughout.

Those were marks for dishes I found delicious, ones that were okay to make when I was too lazy, or even ones that tasted reasonable even if I messed it up. Later on, I’d gotten so lazy about cooking that I ended up drawing the conclusion that rather than making one serving of a dish, I’d rather just order food because that was easier, but I suppose I used that book quite a bit for the first year after I started living alone.

In any case, there weren’t any particularly difficult secrets, and since I’ll be making three servings from now on, this is probably a better option than just ordering food every day.

Thinking like that, I grabbed some random sticky note and opened the book.

I spotted a recipe for spicy gochujang stew. Recalling the ingredients I had in the fridge, I decided that this would be dinner for today.

*

While I was cooking, I didn’t bother to keep an eye on Alice and Claire. I was a bit nervous since it had been a while since I’d cooked.

I focused intently on the recipe to avoid any mistakes and after finishing the cooking, I turned around to call the two—

“……”

“……”

I realized both of them were intensely watching a video.

The content of the video was a common gaming broadcast.

However, they were playing the Chronicles of Aetherna, and it had scenes with the companions we knew from that game.

Wait, how many people out there are watching this game as a stream??

Besides, it was a broadcast from a pretty woman, even if I didn’t know her name.

They seemed to barely understand the content of the game since they couldn’t read the text, but Claire and Alice’s eyes sparkled at the screen.

…Actually, I don’t know why Alice’s eyes are sparkling too.

Chapter 351

“So, the thing is, I mean, there’s really no reason I can’t do it, right…?”

Looking into Claire’s sparkling eyes, I hesitated a lot on how to respond.

After all, it’s tough to explain to a kid who’s shouting, “I’m going to be a celebrity when I grow up!” just how dirty and difficult it is to actually become one.

If she was a real child, I could just say, “Oh, really?” and move on since kids lose interest quickly, and she’d figure out how hard it is to be famous as she grows up. But if she really wants to do it, then it means she’s prepared for the challenge.

But Claire… well, she’s not technically a kid.

She has the initiative to do what she wants and actually goes ahead and acts confidently, just lacking a bit in common sense for this world.

And Alice over there—

…

Well, either way, being a singer or an actor is often an object of envy in both this world and the other. Sure, the behind-the-scenes of the 20th century was pretty disgusting, but it still looked glamorous on the surface back then and now.

I guess internet broadcasting is a different beast altogether.

“There’s nothing I can’t do, right?”

Claire parroted my words. Alice was oddly focused next to her.

The chances of the two of them becoming actors or singers in the other world don’t seem likely. It’s not about their personal abilities or appearances, but more about the positions they hold.

In the West, it’s common for people from good families to become actors or singers, but if you’re royalty or someone close to it, that’s a different story.

Alice is soon to be the Empress, so of course, she has various issues to deal with, and Claire… well, who knows what might happen in the future? For now, she’s a baroness, but since she recently found out about her bloodline, her future’s uncertain.

That’s a whole different story from another world, though.

…Hmmm. Is there a reason we shouldn’t?

When I think about it, it seems there’s no reason at all, huh?

The reason I haven’t done internet broadcasting is that I don’t want my face to be out there, and I wasn’t exactly pretty enough to succeed in the first place. If you’re not pretty, you’d better have some charm, or at least be good at gaming, drawing, or creating skits… basically, there needs to be something that others would find ‘worth watching.’

Well, I’m not great at gaming, drawing, or having charming conversation now either—

But I’m cute, right?

It’s not just that I look pretty because I’m a foreigner, but I’m genuinely attractive, right? Me, Claire, and Alice.

A trio of pretty girls standing together is bound to draw some attention, don’t you think?

Plus, we have quite the unique vibe. We’re ‘gorgeous foreign girls who speak Korean like natives’—

Ah.

But that ‘Korean’ thing? I’m the only one who really speaks it. I honestly don’t know if they’ll even sound Korean to the viewers when our voices are broadcasted.

…Not that I care much.

“Shall we give it a go?”

That means we can experiment with it, right?

After all, no one around here knows our faces, right? If we embarrass ourselves on broadcast, it’s not like it’ll lead to anything serious, and nobody’s digging up our past either. There’s frankly nothing to find.

We can tackle the language issue while broadcasting and if it’s really bad, I can just accompany them as the interpreter.

Claire’s eyes sparkled with excitement at my words.

“To be honest, I’m kinda curious. This is something that’s hard to replicate in our world.”

Alice also had a bit of a thrilled look on her face.

Exactly. Over there, they film videos and just rotate them on film.

“Since it’s late today, let’s get ready tomorrow morning and try for the evening.”

“Does it need a lot of preparation? Are we bothering you, big sis?”

“Not at all.”

Claire asked a little worriedly, and I smiled as I answered.

I knew we could always swap webcams with smartphones, and as for the mic… it’s just a test for now, so using the one built into the laptop will suffice. Gaming and all that can wait.

We have time until we find jobs, so we can figure things out as we go along.

*

I mentioned that no one knows our faces in this world, but technically, that’s not quite accurate.

Chronicles of Aetherna isn’t a game that every gamer knows about, but it definitely has a fandom. It’s quite niche in many ways, but it has figures, goods, and even an animated adaptation to its name, and it’s been around for quite a while.

After spending time in a world that was too realistic, namely South Korea, it slipped my mind for a moment, but the three of us literally just crossed into a world that mirrors the game’s own.

It’s no surprise we look just like the designs in the game.

To be picky, while the difference between 2D and reality means it’s not exactly identical, we’re basically ‘perfect cosplays.’

Even if our clothes aren’t technically from the game.

“W-What’s coming up… big sis?”

“Is all of that what people are typing?”

“….”

[Oh, you speak Korean well!]

[Are you the Fanggriffon sisters?]

[Wow, that’s amazing!]

[Wait, one of them is an imposter!]

Get out of here.

I banned the one who made the imposter remark right on the spot.

That was clearly directed at Claire.

The Claire sitting next to me had never been through something like that. I mean, it’s my fault that her future has completely changed.

“Everyone, please refrain from using harsh words. The people here are real.”

[LOLLOLLOL]

[Sounds just like a dubbed voice, didn’t it?]

…Hold on. My voice?

[Are you completely the Sylvia Fanggriffon with that voice?]

[Do you change your voice too?]

Glancing back at the chat, someone mentioned ‘Fanggriffon sisters.’

Wait a minute. I’m pretty sure I’m a character who doesn’t appear in the original work?

“Big sis, big sis.”

Claire nudged me, poking for my attention.

“What’s cosplay?”

[LOL, she doesn’t even know what cosplay is!]

[Is she pretending not to know?]

Hearing Claire’s question, I noticed those kinds of messages popping up.

[Did she dye her hair not even knowing she was cosplaying? Sylvia is kinda scary, haha!]

And then a 1000 won donation came in.

[Did she trick the other two just to match the concept? LOL]

[LOLLOLLOL]

[But honestly, that makes sense, LOL. They look just like the characters!]

“Sylvia? What are those people saying?”

Alice, who can’t read Korean, quietly asked.

Wait, hold on a second.

[But since they keep calling her Sylvia, doesn’t that mean they know it’s a concept?]

[This feels scripted.]

[Clarify!]

What clarification are you talking about?

I mean, looking at the chat, it feels like just some playful banter.

Caught in the chaos of the chat and glancing between Claire and Alice, who are oblivious to the situation, I made my decision.

“Well… yes, that’s right. I’m the one who got these two to cosplay. They might not know what characters they’re representing from some game, but I asked them to join me for this broadcast.”

“Big sis?”

I lightly grabbed Claire’s arm from off-screen. Claire quickly understood my intent and zipped her lips.

Alice seemed to catch on too.

“Actually, we just turned on the broadcast without any preparation, so we’ll be ending it here for today. We’ll properly prepare and be back to communicate with you all tomorrow.”

[Hey, why are you disappearing?]

[You just went through the trouble of cosplaying! Can’t we stay a bit longer?]

“That’s not it; we really didn’t prepare at all. As you can see, we’re still adapting in various ways… Yes. We’ll come back tomorrow. So long.”

Saying that, I clicked the broadcast end button.

“…….”

And then there was a moment of silence.

“Big sis, what just happened? What is this cosplay thing?”

“Cosplay refers to dressing up like a character from a work you enjoy or find fun, following their hairstyle and outfit. It’s not something you wear in everyday life, but it’s all in good fun.”

“I see, so it’s similar to how people dress up like ghosts during festivals. Some of those could be from ancient stories as well.”

Alice immediately grasped my explanation.

“So who are we cosplaying as?”

I picked up the game package that had been sitting abandoned on the table since yesterday.

“We are ‘characters’ from that story. I’m not sure why Jake’s story keeps coming up, but…”

…I need to head out early tomorrow to buy the latest Chronicles of Aetherna release.

And a capture board too.

Looks like I’ve got a rough plan on how to proceed with the broadcast.

Chapter 352

Last night, after wrapping up a brief test broadcast, I explained my brilliant plan to Claire and Alice before dozing off.

Honestly, I never thought the broadcast would go well from the start. No matter how pretty the person is or how much like the character they look, unless the broadcast spreads by word of mouth, it’s not easy to gather viewers.

Plus, the broadcast yesterday was a haphazard mess, just me with a smartphone camera, no lighting or anything. Pretty people don’t magically look good in front of a camera without some decent lighting.

But surprisingly, we had two-digit numbers in our room! And the tens place wasn’t even 1!

After the broadcast, I searched online and found that our three faces had been captured.

It was from that gallery I often visited in this world. Since it was a place where fans of the Chronicles of Aetherna gathered, I figured it made sense. Those who joined the broadcast must have seen the posts about it and hopped in.

For a brief moment, I thought about logging in with my account to say, “Hey, I’m the one doing that broadcast!” but that seemed like a risky move in various ways.

Galas don’t allow socializing. Even though I was a well-known figure, it was obvious that promoting the broadcast with that would get me blasted by trolls. Plus, I’d already made a mess with that nickname.

I finally had my identity washed clean, so there was no need to drag up my dark past just for a tiny bit of publicity.

Secondly, I saw potential.

It was just once, but we did receive some donations during that short time.

After all, online broadcasting donations exist to attract the streamer’s interest, so as we kept cosplaying—though technically, we were just being ourselves, in a way—the effort would surely help our finances.

If it doesn’t work out, I can always sell the stuff we gathered and look for a part-time job.

Anyway, the plan I explained to the two of them was to broadcast consistently and sincerely for a while. Claire seemed to agree happily, and Alice looked a bit relieved at the thought that it might help our living situation.

“But why would people give us money just for watching us talk?”

“Think of street performers. People toss coins into hats in front of them. On top of that, they earn the right to say something with their money!”

“Is that how it works?”

When I explained this to Alice, she made a funny face but didn’t seem opposed to our plan.

So the next day, we decided to head out a bit further to buy what we needed for the game broadcast.

And during that process, I stumbled upon a situation I never expected.

“…Where did this come from?”

“It was in my wallet.”

What Alice showed me was a resident ID.

Yes, it was the kind of ID that ‘Fanggriffon Sylvia’ magically appeared on when I crossed into this world, only with the name flipped to match the Korean order.

Naturally, Alice’s name on it was ‘Fanggriffon Alice’.

“I have one too.”

Claire chimed in, handing over her ID that read ‘Grace Claire.’

Both their wallets contained IDs we must have acquired while shopping for clothes together. Naturally, it should have only had transportation cards!

Yet both of them had IDs confirming they were adults.

“Did we undergo some sort of adjustment when we crossed over?”

I thought for a moment after Alice’s comment.

“…Maybe the Goddess oversees ‘order.’”

I wasn’t sure if that goddess controlled this world, but anyhow, our appearance here and Claire and Alice’s entry broke the order of this world.

And if we just left that empty spot after entering, it would create a significant hole. It would become a situation where no one would know where or how the two had come from.

We needed to create a reason; in that case, it was better to handle us as just Koreans rather than treat us as ‘illegal residents’—obviously, the former leaves fewer holes. Just because we were labeled illegal doesn’t mean we’re without nationality.

Creating an explanation about how we came here, how we settled… simple was better just to treat us as Koreans overall. After all, we’re all from another world, so there’s no nationality that wouldn’t cause a hole.

“The Goddess of Order is trying to make us blend into this world?”

“It’s not strange to think that.”

“Then the longer we stay here, the further we may drift from our original world?”

“…Sure.”

Indeed, as time passes, the Goddess of Order might attempt to fill our ’empty holes.’ After all, she’s been someone who wanted to create the orderly world she desires, even if it meant consuming the world itself.

Perhaps from the goddess’s perspective, this world is already perfect. Not in an ideal sense, but based solely on the one law of physics. Despite her creating a massive hole when she took me along with her.

“But in that case, the solution is simple.”

I replied to Alice.

“We just have to not forget that we are ourselves.”

“And tell others that we are indeed ourselves!”

Claire chimed in as she listened to our conversation.

“We should live in a way that screams we don’t fit in, making even the Goddess of Order cringe. That’s what you mean, right, sis?”

“Exactly.”

“……Indeed.”

So, it seems my plan should be to act as if I were waking from the illusion the goddess created.

I just need to show as many people as possible how bizarre everything feels.

“You really seem to enjoy opposing the Goddess.”

Alice noted with a smirk seeing my expression.

*

What we purchased was an external capture board, a microphone, a mic stand, and a monitor.

When I went to buy lighting, I found it was too expensive and more complicated to set up than I’d thought. For now, we decided to broadcast without it and adjust if we felt the need.

And…

“Is that really you drawn there?”

“You said you didn’t realize you came out of the game?”

“That’s right.”

And the latest product of the Chronicles of Aetherna.

Surprisingly, the cover featured me right next to Leo.

“It looks a bit different from the real deal.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. This one looks a bit cooler.”

“……So I’m not the real me?”

“Yep, the one drawn here looks a lot cooler.”

“True. It’s quite different from your real image… Ah.”

Alice, who had been chiming in beside me, seemed to have realized something and kept quiet.

Could she be recalling me from childhood? I hid my emotions far better back then.

[Claire really seems to have grasped it]

[It’s already evident that this world is a joke lol]

Then, while we were talking and looking at the game package, the viewer chats popped up.

…Are they saying my personality is just a concept in the game?

What on earth is my character like in that game?

“Anyway, today we will play the latest Chronicles of Aetherna. I’ve never played this game before, so please refrain from spoilers. If I see any, I’ll ban you right away.”

With that, I started unboxing the package.

*

The introduction of the game felt so familiar.

“Ah, just like when we first entered the academy.”

[???]

[Wait, did they really make that the concept? LOL]

[LOLOLOL]

Indeed.

Before the broadcast, I told them.

Since we agreed not to hide, they could just say whatever came to mind while playing.

Non-believers would think no matter how we acted, it was just a concept tied to the game characters.

And even if one of those people happened to believe it, what did it matter?

That was what we were genuinely aiming for.

Just—

“[Sis… Is that you, Sylvia, right?]”

—The issue is that, as always in the game, it wasn’t ‘fully voiced.’

And since it wasn’t fully voiced, parts of the dialogue were only presented in text.

Essentially, it meant I had to read the lines myself wherever dialogue didn’t show up.

I told Claire and Alice, who were worried, that I would read it without thinking, but this was far more embarrassing than I expected.

“Sis, really? Are you stuttering?”

“There weren’t any ellipses in the dialogue, were there?”

[LOLOLOL]

[She’s blushing over it! LMAO]

[She’s just like the real Sylvia, hahaa!]

[Concept, huh? LOL]

…..

Maybe I should just quit.

Chapter 353

“It seems the game story is a bit strange.”

“Huh? Strange? Didn’t the story start properly from the beginning?”

“That’s what’s strange.”

Claire, who just asked me the question, and Alice, who’s watching us play beside me, don’t seem to realize what’s odd about the game. But as someone who has played all the previous series, I can tell that the starting point is unusual.

In the story of the previous installments, everything had already wrapped up after taking down the Emperor.

Of course, some people died in the process, and the story itself ended on a somewhat gloomy note without reaching a conclusion.

“Ah, I see. This is the part that corresponds to the middle of the novel, right?”

Alice, sitting next to me, also commented on how strange it is.

Hmm, hmm

Hmm, hmm, hmm

Is it a trap?

“It’s not a trap. Although, I will kindly ban anyone who spoils the story.”

It’s Sylvia!

It’s really Sylvia!

Of course, it’s really Sylvia.

But I have no clue what kind of personality this Sylvia has in this game.

I think she hid her emotions pretty well in the beginning.

“Anyway, in the original work, the story was already somewhat resolved. We were able to thwart the Emperor’s ambitions.”

Back to the game story.

So, starting the game ‘from the beginning’ like this feels a bit strange. No matter how many new systems were added or new characters were introduced, isn’t it odd for the story to completely revert to the beginning, like some parallel world play?

Moreover, it’s not just a brief prologue; this has been going on for almost seven hours now.

Even though it’s been seven hours, if I don’t nitpick and just push through the story, this game series generally takes about 20 to 30 hours. We’ve effectively reached almost half to two-thirds of the way through, yet the story feels almost identical to the early part of the first installment in this world.

No, it’s not exactly the same, but…

Still, the answer to my question came quickly.

[…No. This is right. To save the people I liked…]

In her room, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, that’s what the in-game Sylvia is muttering.

“Sis… So, she’s been living with such anguish…”

“…No, I’ve never felt such anguish.”

“Perhaps Sylvia didn’t think this deeply.”

What’s this? Is this a concept?

Looks like she’s trying to hide her true character by cosplaying, LOL

I kinda like it.

The game’s Sylvia seems to be harboring some feelings deep inside.

Surprisingly, her reasoning might be similar to mine. My ultimate goal was to finish the story without the characters I liked dying.

And, I actually succeeded.

*

The game itself flowed from Leo’s perspective.

That’s why it hasn’t mentioned whether the Sylvia inside there has the ability to turn back time, but there is a skill in the playable character’s skills that makes critical hit rates 100 percent, and using that skill allows one to pull up something from the back.

Moreover, the skill’s name was ‘Chrono Reverse’.

Given that skills or magic named ‘Chrono’ frequently appeared in this game, it wouldn’t be easy to think that the character named Sylvia is entirely a time-turning character just from that skill name.

In the first place, the effects when using skills in this game are—

“Wasn’t the background in a city just a moment ago? Why did we suddenly move to the top of a mountain and are now cutting snowflakes with a sword?”

Alice asked seriously while watching Leo’s movements.

“That’s game logic. Like poetic license.”

“…So, that means the griffon roaring behind me when I swing my sword is also game logic?”

Alice does have a skill that definitely has that effect.

“Exactly.”

“Still, my swordsmanship is quite ordinary. Except for when the surroundings suddenly darken. And my movements are too stiff.”

Claire made a plain remark about her swordsmanship.

But saying her movements are stiff seems more about a lack of skill than an inability to reproduce swordplay… or maybe not? It might make sense if she lacks the skill to reproduce the swordsmanship.

My swordsmanship?

Could it be that she’s acknowledging herself?

“Some of the viewers watching the broadcast are asking if the character named Claire in the game is actually you.”

“Huh? Of course, it’s me. You can tell just by looking, right? The name is the same.”

?

???

?

In an instant, countless hooks soared.

Of course, the expressions of the people beyond the screen probably aren’t bewildered or genuinely believing it.

They’re likely just laughing.

When someone compares someone extremely pretty to themselves, viewers tend to react like that. Many people watch streamers just for the fun.

Isn’t that a bit cringe?

“Even if it’s cringy, bear with it. You chose to watch this broadcast from the start. Didn’t you recognize it when characters that closely resemble the ones in the game appeared?”

I admit that

LOL, if it wasn’t for Sylvia herself, why would we watch this broadcast?

If she’s just going to babble the whole time, why would we be watching this, LOL

Right.

In the first place, not many people streamed this game because the game’s pacing is too loose.

It’s nice to play alone and enjoy the story, but since the gameplay style is turn-based, it loses some flair when showing others how to play, plus the dialogues come out as text, and each chapter is lengthy, so once a broadcast begins, it wouldn’t cover the game even if it continued until the end.

In the first place, game fans would prefer to play it themselves rather than watch it streamed. That’s JRPGs for you.

Why would they watch unless three beautiful girls are cosplaying and playing?

Well, they’re saying, what can we do if they’re playing it themselves, LOL? Santa actually exists; why wouldn’t the heroes in the game? LOL

“Thank you for the one-million-won donation, Sylvia’s husband!”

“Big Sis’ husband?”

“Claire, that’s just someone claiming that name for themselves.”

Alice replied to Claire’s reaction. Claire nodded, “Ah, right?”

“And yes, you have a point. Santa Claus exists. If there was no Santa Claus, who would leave the present by my pillow at midnight on Christmas Eve? Plus, the Air Force tracks Santa’s location every year on Christmas!”

LOL, that’s right LOL, Santa Claus does exist

Sylvia, protect your dream!

If it gets cringy, just leave!

As I plainly said that, the viewers defended us.

I mean, it’s funny to hear complaints about getting cringy in a place where we set the concept and are broadcasting. In that sense, what would happen to VTubers streaming while wearing 2D masks? If you don’t understand, just leave.

Well, although the ‘cringe’ reception we’re getting might also be because the three of us are pretty enough to be compared to 2D heroines.

“Ah.”

Just as the play was progressing smoothly, I suddenly felt a bit flustered.

Besides the game prologue, moments appear in the main story where you can periodically see ‘relationship events.’

And you can increase the affection level by watching these relationship events or by buying gift items from merchants during the game and presenting them to the characters—which ultimately determines the characters that appear in the ending.

After finishing the first week at the academy—meaning, after my first quest went south due to Claire and Leo’s diligence, and during the mock battle where I achieved a perfect victory by turning back time—during the weekend of that week, Leo could wander around the dorms.

“Oh, Big Sis, what’s this heart shape on the screen?”

And Claire instantly recognized the change on the screen.

There were three heart shapes, all glowing pink.

With each relationship event watched, the number would decrease, and after watching all three, that week’s events would be completed.

Originally, there were only two, but since I ensured to clear all side quests while playing, I gained extra points to have a total of three hearts to use.

“…….”

And if there are such events—

It means the character Sylvia Fanggriffon is also definitely attainable.

And in this game, when completed fully, there’s usually a kiss scene at the end.

The graphics and motions don’t make it feel that grand, but—

…I’d rather not go through that.

What should I use as an excuse for Claire and Alice?

Chapter 354

Alice’s hand suddenly shot out beside me and tightly grabbed my finger.

If the situation were romantic, I might have enjoyed the touch of the hand of the cute girl holding mine.

But right now, the reason Alice was holding my hand was to prevent me from moving it to control the controller. The reason was simple: she probably wanted to see me control ‘Leo’ to talk to ‘Sylvia’ in this situation.

“Alice, please calm down and let go of my hand. I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Well, I saw your finger going towards the ‘O’ button on the controller. It looks like a circle, but you’ve been using it to go back on the screen ever since.”

……How did she know?

Ah, of course. When you play games hard, you get a rough idea of how to control things even without knowing the language. You figure out what button to press to move on to the next screen and what button to press for attacks… Even when I was a kid and didn’t understand English or Japanese, I could enjoy the games at my cousin’s house, though it was a bit inconvenient.

However, figuring out the controls just by touching them a little is something that only comes from personal experience. If she could grasp the controls just by watching, that meant she had amazing intuition.

After all, even though Alice doesn’t have the power to turn back time, she could manage to achieve top grades at the academy. And her swordsmanship was also outstanding, enough to rival that of regular knights.

“……”

And when I fought her in a fair fight, I had no confidence in winning.

Even now, I couldn’t shake off Alice’s hand that was holding my finger.

“You’re trembling, so it seems you were embarrassed to choose for yourself. Sister, we want to see Leo talk to you.”

“……Didn’t you vehemently oppose my connection to Leo?”

“Well, that’s because the real you would connect with Leo, but in this story, it’s about the you in the game connecting with Leo.”

No, why do they assume I would connect with him?

The connection events are marked with hearts, but they could be seen with male characters too. There were stories where I put just as much effort into creating them, though there’s no overtly romantic content like with female characters, but ‘those with boundless imagination’ can easily imagine them being connected.

Of course, male characters hardly appear in this game. The only major male character in the noble class is Jake, and the rest are from the commoner class.

……Though I hadn’t even had real conversations with them. There weren’t that many, and they didn’t play a significant role in the main story.

Thinking back, it seems all female characters have the chance to connect if you see their connection events through to the end.

“……Alright. I understand, so please let go of my hand for now.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

[It’s not a cosplay, but a real concept]

[Is this an ad? Did you get sponsorship from Millennium?]

[Is this a back ad?]

“It’s not an ad.”

[If it’s free advertising, that’s funny too hahahaha]

[How much of a nerd are you hahahaha]

It’s fine if they tease me about being a nerd. After all, I’m a real nerd.

Plus, with a look like this, I don’t really have to be uptight. The world is quite unfair; as long as you’re good-looking, you can like any cute girl character and wear t-shirts with cute girls on them without getting too much hate.

If there are people who would even criticize someone in cosplay, those people would have extremely twisted minds from the start.

……Hmm, thinking again, it seems like there were quite a few comments of sexual harassment on pictures of cosplayers.

Fine, I’ll stay away from internet boards while I’m here.

[No! Sylvia is going to marry me!]

“Thank you for your support, but I have no intention of becoming your wife. Please calm down for ten minutes and come back.”

I put the supporter on a ten-minute chat ban.

Should I say I’m lucky or fortunate? Usually, crazy people tend to flock to internet streams, but given that the game we’re playing is a somewhat minor series and that we appear foreign by this standard, real crazies haven’t shown up.

I don’t know what will happen when actual viewership picks up later.

By then, I might have to hire a manager or something.

“For now, alright. Since the viewers seem to want it, I will… talk to Sylvia.”

“Sis, do you really have to read it?”

“Claire, do you want to hear your sister whisper sweet nothings with someone else?”

“Technically, I want to tease my sister with that.”

“…….”

“To be honest, it sounds funny.”

Alice chimed in from the side.

[Getting bullied by two younger sisters hahaha]

[Are you the eldest? hahaha]

“Wait. What do you mean I’m the eldest?”

“Hmm?”

Alice blinked at my reaction to the chat.

“Did I just say I was the eldest?”

[Uhm uhm]

[Uhm uhm uhm]

[Spoiler ban]

[It’s a trap!]

“No, wait a minute. How can Sylvia be the eldest? Isn’t she me?”

[Hahahaha]

[Hahaha]

[Hahahahaha]

The chat room turned into a sea of laughter.

Last time, when Alice and Sylvia asked me to explain a few simple expressions, I jotted some down, so they should understand what this means.

“Wait, please tell me what I need to do to hear you call me sister.”

[Trap?]

“It’s not a trap. Should I ring the guidance bell?”

[Just do what you were going to do]

[Okay]

[Go for Sylvia as Leo]

Oh ho.

So that’s what it means.

“Sylvia, upon thinking about it, I don’t think I need to pursue you. How about I pursue Alice instead?”

Alice gave me a serious look and said that—

“Anyway, there are three chances, so I’ll pursue you, Alice.”

“No, hey!”

Anyway, since it’s not the ending yet, there won’t be any kissing scenes right away.

So what I have to do is follow Sylvia’s route to the very end, and then at the end of the first year, choose a character other than Sylvia to make a promise with.

“Alice might end up as my sister?”

“……I can’t say for sure about that.”

Claire asked with curiosity from the side, and I almost laughed without realizing.

Then, I controlled Leo in the game and approached Sylvia.

Even though it was late at night, Sylvia was sitting on a park bench.

*

Leo cautiously approached Sylvia.

Sylvia, who would normally notice immediately, said,

“Crown Princess?”

“…….”

At the call of Leo, Sylvia turned her head to look at him.

“What is the matter?”

“Ah… um, no, I just happened to pass by, and I saw the Crown Princess…”

“……Is that so.”

And then there was an awkward silence for a while.

In the game, the two characters were looking at each other, but the dialogue box didn’t show up for about five seconds.

“There’s no need to be so stiff. There’s no rule that says you can’t talk to me.”

Only after Sylvia said that, a small font appeared showing Leo letting out a “Phew.”

“So, does that mean you had no reason to speak to me?”

“Correct. I was just wondering if I might have intruded—”

“As I said earlier, it’s not particularly wrong for you to have spoken to me. We are both students of the same academy.”

Sylvia was staring intently at Leo.

Still, due to the significantly improved graphics compared to the previous installment, even with her expressionless face, Sylvia was quite beautifully represented.

“I was just contemplating about you, Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

Leo appeared flustered by the sudden mention of the Crown Princess’s contemplation.

“Are you referring to… Crown Princess Alice?”

“That is correct.”

Sylvia nodded and then gazed silently at the sky again.

“I seem to have made some significant mistakes, and it appears that the Crown Princess is quite angry. I have been contemplating how to appease that anger.”

……For some reason, it feels like Sylvia in this world might have been able to turn back time once.

Of course, I had also turned back time several times by this point, so it was natural.

However, I didn’t think she would share such personal matters with someone she was meeting for the first time properly.

It was as if she had already experienced everything and felt like she was already friends or acquaintances with Leo.

“……Is that so?”

“Why don’t you ask what the mistake is?”

“……Am I allowed to ask about a mistake?”

“……Well, if I were to tell you what the mistake is, would you also get angry and contemplate it?”

“……Yes?”

“No, I’m just joking.”

With an expressionless face, Sylvia said that and stood up from her seat.

“It’s late at night. Would you like to head back to the dormitory now?”

“Y-Yes? Ah, yes…”

As Sylvia got up and left Leo standing there in a daze, she swiftly walked away.

Chapter 355

Hmm.

I can’t quite grasp what mistake Sylvia is making.

When I was in that world, Alice getting angry or annoyed with me was more than just a few times.

Of course, ever since entering the academy, that barely happened, but…

Could it be that I couldn’t give up morphine even after going to the academy?

If the Sylvia from that game knew about the future in advance and was trying to prepare for it in any way possible, she might have used ‘all means’ to do so.

And she probably would’ve tried to take all the blame herself.

That’s a classic character cliché, isn’t it?

For some reason, I could predict a bit of the future for Sylvia in the game.

Taking all the blame alone, acting as the villain, and then getting saved by the protagonist, Leo, or something like that.

“Hey, sis. The sauce is dripping.”

Hearing Claire’s voice brought me back from my delusions.

What I was holding in my hand was a hamburger.

I actually made quite a bit of money from the broadcast yesterday. It wasn’t an outrageous amount, but it was enough that stepping out for a meal wouldn’t completely wreck my savings.

Honestly, if I just focus on increasing my viewers, could I survive on streaming for a while?

I thought about whether I could make extra money by editing and posting videos on streaming sites, but I figured that might be something to think about later.

After all, I’d either have to learn editing myself or find a separate editor, which would cost time and money.

I bit into the hamburger with my mouth full.

It felt like I was eating ‘unhealthy food.’

In fact, even though hamburgers are generally considered unhealthy, if you break down the ingredients, they don’t seem that bad.

But this greasy flavor felt like it was directly piling fat onto my body, making me feel guilty while eating it.

Still, it was that delicious.

“I can’t believe how delicious this is even though it’s not that expensive.”

Alice said with a serious expression as she looked at the cheeseburger she was holding.

Of course, it wasn’t just any cheeseburger. I wouldn’t go so far as to be stingy and only buy them the cheapest burgers since the sisters haven’t been in this world for long.

“With two beef patties and a bunch of cheese, it couldn’t possibly taste bad.”

That’s right. It’s a burger with two thick beef patties, cheese in between, and cheese layered between the buns and the patties as well.

It’s a combination that couldn’t possibly taste bad, so it was delicious.

…Thinking about it, I wonder why there aren’t even such simple foods at the restaurants in the Empire of Aetherna. Did the developers just stick too closely to their setting?

Honestly, wouldn’t a fish and chips sandwich taste good with a piece of bread on the bottom? Why do they never think of that while stuffing everything between the bread?

“I think I’m going to miss this…”

Claire, who had been eating equally tasteless street food, looked like she might cry.

…Seriously.

I think I missed it a ton too.

Living in the Empire for so long made me adapt to their food, but I would occasionally think about it.

…Could it be because there’s no country called America in that world?

I watched the two sisters happily munching on their hamburgers.

Both were wearing outfits reflecting modern fashion suitable for this world. Claire wore short denim shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt, looking a bit like a university student, while Alice, in her cotton pants and shirt, appeared quite professional. Interestingly, neither of them looked out of place despite the age difference.

For reference, I just wore jeans and a hoodie but ended up in a look that was almost as short as Claire’s shorts, with a sleeveless top and a shirt on top.

I wanted to wear something a bit more modest, but their request was overwhelming, so I eventually caved in.

“By the way, about that game we were playing yesterday…”

Claire finished off her burger that had shrimp and beef patties in it and reached for a chicken burger that she ordered extra.

“It felt a bit different from the sister we knew, didn’t it?”

“Definitely, it seemed a bit different from what we went through.”

In response to Claire’s comment, Alice replied like that. Alice had already finished her burger and popped a handful of fries from the three plates spilled onto a tray into her mouth. Of course, Alice still had an unopened burger in front of her.

“If you both keep eating like that, you’re going to get fat.”

“It’s fine. I plan to move around a lot.”

“…Where are you planning to move around?”

I asked, intrigued by Claire’s confident answer.

My room isn’t even big enough to exercise, and the sound insulation is so poor that if I move too much, someone from downstairs will come up to complain.

“Just run around the streets, I guess?”

“Well, even if the room is small, there’s a park nearby, so why not train swordsmanship there?”

“…In this country, carrying swords around carelessly isn’t exactly allowed. It’s not easy to find places to get them either.”

“Really? Then what do you use for self-defense?”

“Even if there’s a need for self-defense… if I walk around the city with a longsword, people would think I’m crazy.”

Crime doesn’t completely vanish in a country known for its top-tier safety, after all.

Honestly, considering the average stamina and fighting skills of people here, wouldn’t Alice or Claire be able to dominate adult men?

Could they unleash their sword energy with a kitchen knife?

“I’ll teach you how to exercise instead.”

I thought about getting them a gym membership, but I have a feeling the workouts they’d do there would be different from the typical workouts people usually do.

Most importantly, I don’t want to go there.

If they go to the gym, I’d have to follow them, wouldn’t I?

I finally managed to escape from under the Sword Saint, and I didn’t want to go there for intense workouts either.

I want to relax while I’m living here.

*

In any case, I wanted to choose an activity to stay comfortable, so I went with cycling.

There wasn’t exactly a place near my house where I could ride a bike freely. The area is generally set up without much distinction between sidewalks and roads, so while it’s still possible to ride, it feels a bit unsafe.

While it’s dangerous for the two of them, if by chance, we had a blast riding a bike, and I scratched a car, it would be tiresome.

Besides, I thought it would be fun to show them the cool spots in my city.

So, I decided on Yeouido.

Though not super close to home, it’s still manageable by subway, and the Han River isn’t far. Plus, there are politically significant places that Alice would like, and—most importantly—there’s a large park.

I’ve never seen Claire and Alice walking around with bikes. I don’t know if Claire learned to ride at home, but Alice has definitely never learned.

Moreover, the last time I rode a bike was back in middle school.

I’m sure you never forget how to ride a bike, but still, there’s that small chance…

“Wow…!”

Alice exclaimed in awe upon seeing the vast park.

To be fair, there was a large grassy area at the academy, and even one in the Grace territory.

But after suddenly coming out to an open area from a densely built city, it was natural to react like that. The place where I live isn’t that far from an apartment complex, and we had just been to a crowd of buildings to shop for clothes.

It’s not necessary to buy a bike when you can rent one. The city offers affordable rental bikes. As for helmets… since today would be just about learning how to ride, I figured they might not be needed.

In fact, with the two of them, even if they fell off, I felt like they could bounce back up and regain their balance.

Let’s just see how today goes before deciding anything.

“Alright then—”

As I said that and turned around, I heard the distinctive sound of a bike chain whirring.

Claire was already riding around us in circles.

“…Have you ever ridden a bike before?”

“Hmm? Nope? I’ve seen people ride, but it’s my first time trying it myself.”

“And how come you’re able to ride so well, then?”

“Well, it’s just about balancing properly, right? If you lean in the direction you’re about to fall, you won’t fall at all.”

“….”

I wondered how I was when I first learned to ride a bike.

Didn’t it begin with my dad holding on to me then? I think I had training wheels forever before I somehow learned to ride.

“Don’t feel too down. Claire is just the weird one.”

Alice consoled me, noticing my expression.

No, I haven’t changed my expression at all.

I still don’t get how she figures these things out.

“So, um… could you teach me how to ride?”

Alice said, looking a bit embarrassed.

Yet her eyes were enviously following Claire.

Well, at least it seems at least one of them would be easy to teach.

Deciding not to think too deeply, I moved on.

Chapter 356

Do you know that?

Claire is cute.

Actually, she couldn’t not be cute. She was one of the “heroines” in the game, so she had a pretty face and a great body. Plus, her personality was absolutely not bad and she was active, so it was impossible not to find her cute.

Alice is the same. She always pretended to be strong and acted a bit bossy on the outside, but inside she was fragile. Moreover, once you got close to her, she became incredibly friendly, making that gap extremely cute.

But her stamina? Not cute.

Neither Claire nor Alice.

Bicycles were the most fun exercise equipment among all the workout gear I knew. Just a little effort could let you zoom off pretty far and fast, so even a little bit of exercise felt great in terms of accomplishment. It makes you think, “Didn’t I hardly move to get here?”

From what I heard, it doesn’t strain the joints either. Other exercises can put pressure on the joints if overdone, but cycling is considered quite safe in that regard.

The problem was that I underestimated Claire’s stamina.

It was the first day of biking, and I thought we’d just ride around a little bit, which was somewhat true.

Somewhat.

“Hey, sis! Why are you loafing around? Pedal a bit harder! You can do it!”

I don’t even know how many times I heard that.

The most ridiculous part was that Claire didn’t say it while running beside me.

She had zoomed off to the other side of the park, turned, and came back around to my side, sparkling her eyes and making that comment.

“Uh, well, I’m still getting there. So you can go ahead.”

That was all I could muster as a response.

Then Claire said, “Really? Then I’ll go first!” and took off ahead.

Fortunately, Claire and Alice weren’t the types to act recklessly and get into trouble. But neither could they be called “well-behaved.”

Today was the first day, and I strictly insisted we not leave the park.

The problem was, Yeouido Park wasn’t so small either.

As soon as Claire arrived, she gasped at the open space, exclaiming “Wow!” It was that vast.

Not that it was worldly huge or anything, but surely it was wider than an average school playground, right?

Trying to catch up with Claire, who was spinning around that open area, wasn’t easy.

Claire seemed to know better since there were people around, so she spun at a speed she could manage, but after a while, it would wear anyone out who tried to follow.

“Hey, Sylvia, struggling?”

And while running, I heard that voice beside me.

It was Alice.

Unlike Claire, Alice didn’t pass us up. She ran slightly ahead next to me, glancing back occasionally to ask.

Alice, who was riding for the first time today, surprisingly seemed better at it than me, who hadn’t ridden in a while.

While I was weakly moving my legs and swaying left to right, Alice rode smoothly without any wobbling despite biking for quite some time.

“I’m… fine.”

I didn’t lack stamina. I definitely trained under the Sword Saint, learned how to wield a sword, and participated as a soldier in battles. I even fought through a battlefield with bullets flying everywhere and led us to victory.

The problem was, I could achieve that because I maximized my stamina management.

While I definitely had the stamina for a fight, going against two people who had an abundance of energy—while I mindlessly pedaled without any of my usual planning—was completely different.

“If you’re too tired, just say so, okay? How about we sit there and take a break?”

Alice suggested casually as she glanced at a bench we just passed by.

Is she messing with me right now?

This is like the person who taught me how to bike making fun of me for not knowing how to ride!

Alice’s grin poked at my pride, and it looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Could it be… she’s getting back at me for losing to her as kids?

“Well then, shall we go sit and rest together?”

“Hmm? No, I’m actually having quite a bit of fun. If you want to rest, just go do it alone. Don’t worry about me. I’ll only bike as far as what I can see.”

That meant she would continue teasing me within my line of sight.

“…”

I gritted my teeth.

Even if I couldn’t match Claire, I wanted to pass Alice, who was deliberately staying a bit ahead of me.

“Go ahead and keep trying if you want to.”

And it seemed she understood my determination, as Alice smiled and replied.

*

In the end, the one who fell behind was me.

It was inevitable. Among the three of us, I had the least interest in stamina training.

But seriously, how can these two be just fine after devouring all those burgers during the day? Could it be that people from Azernar have different organs from Earthlings?

…But thinking about it, my insides might be the same, huh? The body I’m using isn’t even my ‘original’ body.

“Oof, how’s a young lady this tired, huh?”

As I was catching my breath on the bench, I heard that voice from behind me.

I lifted my head from where I was slumped down.

A kindly looking old lady was saying that while handing me a bottle of water. A 500mL plastic bottle.

“No… I’m, it’s okay….”

“Oh, come on, drink up. After exercising, you need to rehydrate.”

“……”

I stared blankly at the old lady and eventually accepted the bottle.

The water was fresh.

“Thank you.”

After lightly thanking her, I took a sip of water when she continued speaking.

“I was just thinking about my granddaughter. She’s studying abroad right now. Are you a student studying in Korea too?”

I swallowed the water in my mouth.

“Ah… I’m Korean.”

“Oh, really?”

The old lady’s eyes widened a bit.

Claire and Alice, who had been cycling distantly, seemed to find it distracting that I was talking to someone else, as they quickly came over.

“They’re both Korean too.”

Since the three of us had our wallets, we could show it if needed, but… there was no reason to, unless it was the police or something.

“Oh dear, I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

The old lady said with an obviously embarrassed expression.

If I were truly a Korean mixed with foreign blood, this comment might have stung, but considering our trio was in a basically foreign situation, there wasn’t any reason to feel offended.

In fact, it was more that my ID suddenly appeared, but isn’t that essentially hiding my nationality?

“No, it’s fine. I get misunderstood a lot.”

As I spoke while looking at Claire and Alice, the two of them awkwardly smiled. The old lady probably misinterpreted our uncomfortable expressions as feeling bad about the national mix-up and hurriedly continued talking.

“Oh, so are you three sisters?”

With hair colors all different, how could she assume that?

Of course, you could think Claire dyed her hair.

“Yes! How did you know?”

But Claire immediately reacted to that question.

“Oh, you all look alike. Then who is the eldest?”

We all fell silent at that.

Claire calls me “sister,” Alice insists she’s the eldest, and I never denied either of those. So, I guess Alice is the eldest, but honestly, I wasn’t keen on saying that out loud.

“This one is the youngest, and we’re still debating who the elder among the other two is.”

I pointed at Claire and said that.

Claire clearly wasn’t pleased about being considered Alice’s little sister, but she didn’t push the argument any further.

“So this one is the younger sister, and the other two are twins?”

Upon hearing that, Alice chuckled briefly.

“Do we look that much alike?”

Without a hint of doubt, the old lady nodded.

“All three of you are spitting images of each other. You could go anywhere and people would think you’re sisters.”

Didn’t she fail to recognize us at first?

But I had no desire to nitpick.

“Yes, we hear that a lot.”

Alice replied cheerfully to the old lady, and Claire did too.

Sisters, huh…

Honestly, I don’t share any blood with the two.

I briefly thought about that, but glancing at the two who seemed to enjoy their conversation with the old lady, I figured it didn’t matter.

Right, if that’s how others see us, then it’s good.

Watching the two happily accept that fact made me feel good too.

Chapter 357

[Did the other two jump in the middle? Why do they look so tired?]

Get out.

The moment I turned on the stream, there was a guy babbling nonsense, so I banned him immediately.

“From now on, anyone who talks nonsense will be banned right away.”

[Eh eh?]

[I knew that one would get banned.]

[Even so, that’s a bit much to do to a sister.]

[But are they really sisters?]

I banned the last guy who spoke nonsense without a word.

If they’re sisters, they’re sisters; no need to speak too much.

“What’s going on?”

Alice, watching my hand movements from the side, asked.

“Nothing much. Just a rude person.”

“Hmm, really?”

While I turned on the console, Alice, who had been quietly staring at the chat window, spoke.

“I guess it’d be better for us to learn the writing of this country together?”

“……”

Honestly, I didn’t want to put that much pressure on them.

But who knows how long these two will stay here? It might be better to learn writing after all.

When I looked at the orb Claire brought, the brightness it emitted hadn’t changed much either.

“That might be a good idea.”

“Me, me!”

Claire raised her hand high.

“Claire.”

“I, actually, can read a bit. I’ve been comparing it while my sister reads next to me.”

To be precise, she meant she could match what I say with the writing. She probably doesn’t know the pronunciation. I had read everything in Korean without any translation.

But it shouldn’t matter too much, right? Even if there are slight differences in details, if Claire reads it, it’ll be translated in people’s ears automatically.

Or maybe every little pronunciation will be translated properly. Since the Goddess of Order turned us into Koreans, it’s only reasonable for that to happen. Thinking about ‘order,’ it makes more sense.

“Hmm, I’ve also been trying hard on the side, so like Claire said, I think I can read a bit, but if I want to read it properly, I’ll have to learn directly.”

Alice said that, and I shrugged my shoulders.

“Then let’s start learning to read from tomorrow. Once you know how to read, you can help me with things I usually handle alone, making things much easier.”

Both of them nodded happily at my words.

[You can speak Korean so well yet can’t read?]

“……… It’s because these two learned Korean from dramas and movies.”

[Wows! Wows!]

[Can you really learn Korean so well just by watching dramas and movies?]

I didn’t need to respond to that.

It’s good for us if those people suspect our situation even more.

*

It seemed Millennium was a bit concerned about the story repeating itself as well, so after introducing the character Sylvia Fanggriffon at the beginning, they quickly moved the plot along.

And the story was very similar to what we had experienced.

Just like I rushed through things that would take a few years to happen because I knew the future, Sylvia in there was just like that.

And back to a brief break between the main story.

“Aren’t you going to reconcile with Sylvia?”

“Yeah.”

Ignoring Alice trying to stop me from the side, I was currently on the attack with Alice.

Not all character relationship events appear all the time. They can show up as time passes in the game or not. It’s a matter of course. If all characters were always nearby waiting for Leo to speak, wouldn’t that be super unnatural?

In this case, since I couldn’t choose Sylvia to avoid wasting relationship event points, I was fortunate Alice was in a selectable state.

And the conversation between Alice and Leo went like this.

“Can I know the reason?”

“It’s a reason you don’t need to know.”

“……That may be true, but just keeping everything to yourself is only going to hurt. Sometimes, letting out the worries you’re holding inside is much easier.”

“Why should I spill that to you?”

“Because Sylvia, you, and everyone are my friends now.”

In the original story, Leo had been struggling and using honorifics with Alice until midway through the first episode, yet now he spoke casually.

Seeing this, I was convinced that this world was already a time-reversed world.

The Leo I had seen in the fantasy was now easily speaking to us, unlike before. Just like the Leo I was seeing in the game now.

“……”

At Leo’s words, Alice’s mouth fell open in shock.

Awkwardly, the background music that had been flowing smoothly cut off, creating a somewhat embarrassing atmosphere.

“Ha, haha…”

In the game, Alice burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

After holding her belly and laughing for a while in a slightly awkward motion,

“Haa.”

She let out a sigh.

But it wasn’t a sigh born from dissatisfaction with the situation. More like a comfortable sigh as if she had released something heavy inside her.

“You, what in the world are you saying to the Crown Princess?”

“……”

When Alice asked teasingly, Leo looked away and scratched his cheek.

“……Huh, well, if you really want to know. But, don’t tell anyone else… I mean, I hope you don’t think I’d tell my sister’s secrets to others.”

“I swear.”

“……”

Alice hesitated for a moment and then said.

“In Sylvia’s room, Morphine came out.”

“Morphine?”

Leo asked with a surprised expression. Alice nodded with a somewhat heavy face.

“Yeah. Of course, it’s not that Sylvia was using it. Sylvia didn’t show any signs of using such a drug. You know that, right?”

As Leo nodded, Alice continued with a serious expression.

“I feel like I can guess what Sylvia is thinking, but I don’t really get it. You know. We’re Crown Princesses. Even if someone fights, there will definitely be a healer or magician who can use healing magic alongside. But is there really a need to use such Morphine? What could possibly be the reason to fight like that? Sometimes, Sylvia acts like she knows the future, so she must be thinking something, but I don’t know what.”

“……”

“……Sylvia and I might not have always gotten along, but if something like this happens, I wish she’d at least let me know. Not that I’d depend on her, but yeah, just like you said, we can share worries.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t it better to reconcile?”

“I know, I do. I know I should. But I don’t know how to bring it up. Even now… even while saying this, I’m not completely trusting Sylvia. So, it’s just… complicated in so many ways. Honestly, I don’t know what’s what. That’s why it’s frustrating.”

“I see.”

“Yeah… but thanks to you, I feel a bit lighter. Alright. I’ll try to make an effort.”

“I’ll help if I hear of anything.”

“Just saying thanks is enough.”

Alice said that and smiled softly like she was teasing Leo.

*

Then the real Alice next to me narrowed her eyes and glared at me.

As for me, ever since I got caught, I hadn’t brought any narcotics to school, so this was the first I was hearing of it.

“I’ve never done drugs or anything like that.”

“Really? All that time? You’ve never used it even during battles?”

“If I had, I would have been addicted by now. Have I shown any symptoms of withdrawal since coming to this world and being with you all?”

“……Well, you haven’t.”

But Alice’s eyes were still narrowed, so I held back a sigh and continued.

“And there’s no need to worry because I also haven’t used drugs while rewinding time. Would I really be hiding something from you now?”

“……Well, that’s…”

When I looked her straight in the eyes and said that, Alice turned her gaze away, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“But there was a possibility, right?”

Claire said, looking a bit shocked.

“……That possibility has been thoroughly crushed by Alice, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

When I said that, Claire looked at Alice.

“Thank you for protecting my sister.”

“Protecting my younger sister is what big sisters should do.”

“Cough.”

At Alice’s words, it seemed Claire was touched to the point of tears.

[They seem to have a good bond, it’s nice to see.]

[They really look like sisters.]

Well, that’s right.

They are indeed real sisters.

Honestly, if I had been here alone, I would probably feel my mental state cracking day by day. So, being able to hold on like this is thanks to having these two companions to spend every day together with, enjoying life.

[Oh wowwww, is it sisterly yuri? www]

Get out.

I banned the guy who was talking nonsense without any hint of awareness.

Chapter 358

Two weeks have passed since the three of us arrived here.

For me, there was no need to adapt to this world again, so I didn’t have to worry about any adjustment period, but Claire and Alice’s situations were a bit different. It wasn’t just that they were in a foreign country; they were in a completely different world.

A world with completely different natural laws.

There’s no magic here. Even if I learned how to use magic back in the other world, it wouldn’t work here at all. Probably for the same reason, Claire and Alice wouldn’t be able to unleash sword energies or anything like that. Besides, their physical abilities seem to be the same as when they were in that other world.

But if we were to argue which of the two worlds is more complicated, this world is definitely much more complex. Back in the other world, they could put things together with magic, but here they need to develop technology, create a ton of materials and blueprints to do the same.

It’s like this: If you’re used to electronic devices since childhood, you can adapt quickly when you encounter something different later. But if you’ve lived away from such machinery, it takes forever for old folks like me to get used to it. This is even worse nowadays since the gadgets people carry around have gotten more advanced and have more functions.

So, I thought it would take these two a lot longer to adapt to this world—and then—

Ahahaha! Sis, why are you so slow!? Run a bit faster!

Not even a week after learning to ride a bike, Claire was zooming past me so swiftly and steadily, I couldn’t catch up.

Look here! Did you know this function existed?

Alice, having just learned to read, was playing around with my smartphone and showing me new features I didn’t even know about.

…These two are adapting to this world way too quickly.

Now, even taking off their shoes when entering the house has become way too natural. Whenever I leave my shoes lying around, they come in and tidy up after me without a second thought.

When I see Claire, lying on the couch, snacking from a bag of chips while watching a streaming site on the 32-inch monitor I placed in my old room instead of a TV, who would suspect she’s a hidden crown princess from another world? She looks just like any other high school or university student with over 90% of Korean blood in her veins.

To be honest, Claire only looked a bit awkward at first. Looking back, her personality hadn’t changed that much. I think she would have lived like that in a traditional house too. With the Baron Grace couple controlling her gone, it’s no surprise she’s rolling around like she’s finally free.

The problem is, Alice is also beginning to show signs of relaxing.

…What are you staring at?

Alice, who was lying sideways watching a video next to Claire, asked as she stretched her legs out on the sofa.

…Nothing. I just thought you seemed a bit… repressed until now.

…

Alice opened her mouth for a moment in response to my comment, then closed it.

Realizing that she indeed felt far more relaxed than usual, she straightened her posture.

But honestly, she looked just like a “slightly straighter postured college student” as she sat there. If only the ketchup stain on her T-shirt wasn’t there, her hands would have looked more dignified.

…

Well, still, I don’t dislike it.

No, in fact, I wish these two would stay like this even if they return to that other world. Although living like this all the time might not be possible, at least they can relax when they’re alone, or at least when I’m nearby.

Sis, what’s wrong?

Noticing I was staring at her, Claire turned her body to look at me.

Seeing her innocent expression made me feel even more uplifted.

Thinking back, I didn’t particularly like my previous flat. There was no elevator, and the building was pretty old. But it was never at a level where I couldn’t live there—it was just that when I came home to a dark, musty room alone, I felt lonely as hell.

Even when I wanted to meet friends, they all lived far away, making it hard to meet up.

I think I wished to save money and move to another place, and genuinely felt like going back to the neighborhood where I lived as a child, day after day.

But now, it feels a bit different.

With these two around, it feels like I could stick around here a bit longer. Still, my heart’s desire is to return to where we lived, but at least it’s much more bearable than being dropped here alone.

No, it’s just that I’m happy that you guys are here.

…

Claire looked at me silently for a moment, then slowly sat up.

She carefully leaned forward, pressed a key to pause the video, and suddenly knelt towards me.

Sis, did we do something wrong?

…No, not at all.

Then did we eat something wrong?

Alice, watching from the side, asked with a serious expression.

…

Come on, if someone says something heartfelt, just take it at face value!

I seriously contemplated what to say to make these two simply believe me for a moment.

*

I’d like to try the previous episode too.

It was only a little while after Claire said that.

When I went to the other world, learning the alphabet wasn’t particularly hard for me. I thought it was because the letters looked similar to what I already knew, and I had spent quite a bit of time redoing studying like a loser; but maybe it was some sort of ability I got when I returned.

Claire and Alice had an astounding capacity to learn letters. They are smart, yes, but even so, being foreigners, the Korean letters must feel almost like an alien language to them.

It wasn’t just me thinking so—these two felt that way too; could this be one of the Goddess’s tricks?

At least, for now, it was a beneficial trick.

Is that so?

Alice tilted her head, sensing something off about my lukewarm reaction.

Why? You reacted so sensitively when we first picked up that game package.

With the figures revealed now, I have no more shame.

The real embarrassing part is actually the latest project we do while streaming.

That’s where I appear as a target!

However, the previous projects didn’t have the character Sylvia Fanggriffon.

From what I found online, Sylvia Fanggriffon seems to have a lot of anti-fans. At least in our broadcasts, no one thought I was the real Sylvia Fanggriffon, so they didn’t shout insults at me, and they seemed to be careful not to curse too much in the chat, just in case I misunderstood and banned them. Still, the traces of heated conflicts are left behind in the gallery where I used to be active.

Honestly, I understand it. The previous project didn’t even drop hints and suddenly popped in, rewinding time and nullifying the story that the players had progressed in the previous game, so it’s no wonder they got a lot of hate.

I didn’t click most of the discussions because I didn’t want to get spoiled, but they said a somewhat convincing story came up in the later parts, so I should try it directly.

Honestly, had I not personally met the heroine and the protagonist, I would have been furious over that story.

But are you okay with it?

Huh?

Claire tilted her head at my question.

Because in that game, the two of you have… very dark pasts. Since the previous projects don’t include the character Sylvia Fanggriffon.

Ah.

Claire nodded as if she understood something from my explanation. Having an inkling of what might have happened if I weren’t around, she seemed to have a rough idea.

It’s okay. Anyway, it’s not something I went through.

Well, I’m sure it won’t be that severe…

Alice said from the side, and I shrugged.

If that’s how the two feel, then it is what it is.

Did I say something?

*

…

Hmph, hmpf.

Claire had her mouth agape as she stared at her character in the game.

And beside her, Alice’s face was flushed as she forced herself to hold back laughter.

Ahhahahaha!

And in the game, Claire was swinging a casual weapon like a whip with a very revealing outfit on.

Well… Bella does dress like that too in real life.

But honestly, comparing to Bella, who had a slightly more serious side, Claire came off as a little too frivolous in her demeanor.

So, I made sure to say it clearly.

Seeing this kind of appearance is all Claire’s fault!

Chapter 359

The real reason I didn’t show the game to my sisters at first isn’t just because I had glimpses of the future from my past playthroughs. I was also worried it might leave trauma on players like Claire or Alice.

Of course, the game itself wasn’t a full-on adult-rated game. In fact, it had never received an adult rating even from the strict Korean rating committee.

Honestly, considering the graphics, it was impossible to portray realistic violence anyway. Plus, if we think about it, Japan’s game censorship is stricter than Korea’s, so console games like this had to be careful not to go overboard with sexual depictions.

The series before my entry into the game, which was released on classic PC, had much more explicit content. Later remakes and console ports cut out tons of those scenes due to censorship and requests from console manufacturers.

But still, Claire’s past was pretty clearly depicted, yet just like I didn’t see myself as Sylvia from the game, Claire doesn’t seem to think of that character as herself, despite feeling a bit embarrassed.

It’s somewhat like treating it as a possibility.

But—

“Okay, Claire, call me big sister.”

The depictions of characters in the game had quite an influence on both Claire and Alice in different ways.

“No way! No way! I’m not that Claire! The only big sister I had when I was little was Sylvia! I won’t call you big sister!”

“Thinking back, you seemed similar in that world too. You were friends with Bella, right?”

“Sure, I was friends with Bella! But I never inherited a sword!? I’ve never dressed like that! I didn’t walk around with my hair down like that, nor did I wear a corset that barely covered my chest!”

As a side note, Claire’s figure was quite popular thanks to that corset that showed off her assets. It might look nice and soft, but if you touched it, it was just hard plastic.

Actually, when that figure launched, I couldn’t pre-order it because I was broke, but honestly, if I had the money, I would have bought it outright.

If I had, Claire’s mental state would probably have shattered even more than it is now.

“You two, did you fight like this even in the fantasy world?”

“Of course, Alice started it first!”

“You were always irritable! You were the one who started it!”

Hah!

I thought Claire’s personality in the fantasy world wouldn’t be much different except for her hairstyle, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“No way! No way!? I’ve never dressed that shamelessly!?”

Claire immediately retorted against my gaze. Well, I hadn’t even said anything.

“I haven’t asked, so you don’t need to react that way.”

“Right? Big sister believes me, right?”

“……Of course. I believe you.”

Only after I answered did Claire calm down a bit. Of course, she didn’t forget to glare at Alice.

“And in the game, I’m not the only one with shameless moments, you know? You’re really working Leo hard! He helps you out, and you still throw words at him.”

“……I didn’t actually do that, so it doesn’t matter!”

Alice’s face was a bit flushed as she answered.

Yeah, she probably hadn’t done that to ‘Leo’. Her behavior must have gotten corrected before she met him in this world.

“You didn’t treat him like that before entering the academy, did you?”

“…….”

Alice seemed to want to deny it in many ways, but since I was right next to her, she couldn’t quite bring herself to say it.

“See! You felt guilty about something!”

“Guilt? Did you just say guilt? Well, that means you felt guilty too, right? If that were the case, it means you wore those clothes!”

“No, I’m talking about what you did now, so why is the conversation going that way?”

……

This is chaotic.

But both of them look quite friendly. Back in the day, if I wasn’t in the middle, things felt awkward, but now they talk as if nothing’s wrong without me around.

Were they really quite close back then? After all, they reconciled in the game too.

Claire sacrificed herself for Alice, and Alice grew mentally after witnessing Claire’s act.

In the end, they reconciled in that last moment.

…… Though in the latest installment I’m playing, all of that has been erased.

Will I remember it later?

“Both of you, while it’s good to see you getting along, can you lower your voices a bit? The soundproofing isn’t that great here, and if you keep fighting like that, the people downstairs might come up.”

“Getting along? Who is getting along?”

“Do you have a vision problem or something?”

When both of them turned to me at once and said that, I almost burst out laughing.

How would Claire and Alice react if they saw the last scene in the game?

I’m already curious.

*

I don’t know much about Internet streams, but I do know that the people who do those ‘internet broadcasts’ are indeed ‘people’.

Unless you’re a serious iron man, if you broadcast until late at night, even if it’s just sitting down playing games, it can harm your health. Especially those streamers who have to manage videos while broadcasting well into the night might end up flipping their day and night schedules upside down.

That’s why you need rest days.

Of course, I’ve never stayed up late to broadcast or missed sleep, but still, it’s a rule that humans need to rest when they work, right?

If I had even one person to interact with in this world, I would have scheduled the rest days on the weekend, but since the only ones I interact with are Alice and Claire who live with me, we decided our rest days are Monday and Tuesday.

…… Right. After broadcasting for two weeks straight, someone suggested, “When are you resting?”, and we hastily set Monday and Tuesday as the rest days.

And today is Monday.

Thinking back, I don’t think I’ve walked the night streets with those two at all since coming here, so today we went out together at night.

“Is it safe for girls to be walking around at midnight?”

Claire, who made that suggestion, seemed to admire the bright night streets a bit.

…… If I write it this way, it seems like one of those ‘fantastic countries where girls can walk alone at night’ national pride content seen in broadcasts and such, but actually, the Empire of Azernar isn’t so safe for women to wander the night alone.

Well, it’s obvious since it’s modeled after industrial revolution England.

Still, it was a bit funny that Claire would be saying that. After all, she woke up at dawn to run around solving quests with Leo just the two of them.

I struggled to keep up with those two for a while.

As I was walking in between Claire and Alice, lost in thought without a specific goal—

“……?”

Suddenly, I felt something weird on my left arm, and when I turned my head, Claire had wrapped her arm around mine.

“I heard that it’s not considered strange for girls to have this level of physical contact in this country.”

Claire said, slightly blushing, but smiling as she looked up at me.

…… Ah, did she hear that it’s common for girls to link arms?

“…….”

Then Alice, watching this, slyly linked her left arm with my right.

It was cute how she acted all shy while blushing, but…

How should I put it, both of them act like real sisters too much, so it doesn’t feel like there’s anything particularly special about it. They were definitely beautiful and had nice figures, so I felt it on my arm, but— well, if I reacted to this, there would have been some kind of incident when Alice was wearing a bunny girl outfit. I probably would have confessed and gotten turned down or something.

In that sense, I guess it’s a good thing.

“How about we go have some ice cream?”

I proposed that opinion.

Thinking about it, I haven’t had ice cream since I got here. Especially the ice cream from that brand where you can choose your own flavors and pour them into a container while adhering to the pound law feels like ages ago.

The handmade parfait I had in Azernar was delicious, but— usually, those kinds of pleasure foods have a taste that can only be recreated with mass production.

“……Big sister, couldn’t you at least be a little shy?”

I know that’s the purpose, but do I really have to play along?

Dragging my grumbling sisters along, I headed to the ice cream shop.

Chapter 360

“…….”

“…….”

“……Why are you staring at me like that?”

I asked Claire, who was glaring at me with a spoon in her mouth, and Alice, who was resting her chin on her hand with a serious expression. The two exchanged glances, hardly ever looking at each other.

And then they looked back at me.

“That expression… it feels familiar.”

Alice asked, as if she was the spokesperson of the two.

What expression—well, I knew very well what the expression I had just made was. Squeak—I usually show that expression when I eat something sweet.

I wasn’t sure if I had the same expression back when I was a guy, but ever since I came to the Empire of Aetherna, eating sweets always relaxed my face.

I wondered why that was. Was it because there were fewer variations of ‘sweets’ in the other world? Come to think of it, foods drowned in sugar like this weren’t that common back there.

And there were definitely no delicious ice creams of all sorts like here.

“Well… I understand that your expression softens when you eat something sweet…”

Claire said, with a somewhat suspicious expression.

“It’s just that it’s hard for me to get used to the fact that you lived like that normally.”

“If you don’t like it, I can try to manage my expression.”

“Uh? N-No! Of course, that’s not it!”

Claire shouted, flustered at my words.

“I just wanted to say it’s nice! Seeing you so relaxed makes me happy, yeah.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Since we moved here and feel at ease, it’s okay for you to live that way too.”

Alice added, smiling softly.

“……”

When I kept silent for a moment after hearing that, Claire asked, looking a bit anxious.

“Why? Are you worried about something?”

“I’m not sure if it’s really a concern, but…”

I organized my thoughts for a second before speaking.

“I was just thinking about how things are going back in the original world.”

Hearing that they were feeling at ease made me think about that. Of course, it hadn’t been long since we came here. It hadn’t even been a month yet… Claire and Alice seemed to be adapting, but it felt like much more time had passed.

“……”

Claire and Alice exchanged glances again.

“We still can’t really do anything yet. It’s not like we have no idea on how to go about things. So, I think it won’t hurt to relax a little.”

The first to speak up was Claire.

“You always had trouble relaxing when you were with us, right? Now that you’re back in your original place, wouldn’t it be okay to live freely and do the things you wanted to do as long as time permits?”

“Yeah. I think you don’t need to worry too much. If it’s not something that can be solved immediately, then having a little fun won’t be a problem. Well, I’m not saying I’m not worried at all… but worrying won’t solve anything.”

Alice shrugged.

… Living freely, huh.

With all the things I wanted to do, I wasn’t that rich. If I had done everything I wanted from the start, I could have bought that Claire figurine I couldn’t afford back then.

But there’s no need to give up on even what I can do now. I had income now, and I could scrape by, so I thought I could use some of the money I hadn’t touched yet for some fun for the three of us.

“……”

“Big sis?”

“Sylvia?”

Seeing that I kept quiet, both of them became a little anxious.

I looked at the clock. It hadn’t been long since dinner started.

Hmm…

This is a bit sudden, but since it came to mind, should I ask?

“Claire, Alice.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think about going on a trip?”

“A trip? When?”

Alice asked.

“Right after we finish eating.”

“……Huh?”

Yeah, that’s the typical response.

Dramatic whoosh!

But I was serious.

After all, today, tomorrow is a day off.

And we turn on the broadcast usually around 7 PM.

Bing! Meaning, if we leave right now, we have a whole day to relax tomorrow!

“Are you really planning to go?”

“I’m currently looking for accommodations.”

I slightly pushed aside the empty ice cream tub and pulled out my smartphone, pondering over possible destinations.

For reference, the one reacting seriously to this was, of course, Alice.

Claire, who always trusted me 100%, was already in a blissful state since I mentioned the trip.

“Can we really go?”

“Of course! As long as I can book the accommodation, we can go anywhere.”

I might look like it, but I had a driver’s license, but sadly, it seemed they hadn’t provided one for this world. It wasn’t anywhere to be found when I rummaged through the desk.

If they were going to prepare it, I wish they had done it right. But I guess they just ignored such details since there’s no emotional attachment.

For the record, I found out just a few days ago. It just came to mind, so I rummaged through the desk drawer and found it. Luckily, it wasn’t something that needed renewing.

“And it’s not a long-distance trip. If worst comes to worst, we can spend time in this city.”

Anyway, if I gave up on the car I couldn’t use right now, I could invest that money into accommodations. Now that it had come to this, enjoying a hotel as a base and going around the landmarks of Seoul I hadn’t seen before would also be a nice idea.

Both of them, thinking that since we came this far, wouldn’t it be fun to go around a bit?

“……Certainly, the speed is secondary, but the accessibility is completely different. There are no restrictions on how to get around.”

As Alice muttered this against the backdrop, I pondered again.

“Then, shall we go somewhere nearby for starters?”

Saying that, I pressed the hotel reservation button.

Come to think of it, the notion that ‘a trip means going far’ was just my personal idea. It might have been the city I grew up in, but to these two, just being here at this moment would be equivalent to an overseas trip.

If my previous accommodation was cheap as a way to save some money, then the hotel I just booked was a real trip destination.

I had no idea how long we’d be here.

But, on the flip side, it also meant that we could return to our original world at any moment.

So, preferably, I wanted to create lots of memories with them from the world I used to live in.

“Really? Really?”

Claire sparkled her eyes and asked, making me smile bitterly.

Should I say her behavior matched her age, or that she looked younger due to her actions?

“If we leave now, we can reach there in about 30 minutes, but are you ready to go right away?”

“Sure!”

I wonder if they would really be that happy.

…Well, if it means they can just relax without having to do anything while going far, I can see why they’d feel good about it.

Dramatic lighting!

“I didn’t feel this way when we went to the hotel in Lindbergh.”

“……I thought the hotel in Lindbergh was better than this.”

Of course, the manufacturing technology in this world is so advanced that they can make the same items cheaper here, but it wasn’t really a place that could compare to a luxurious hotel.

It seems the height is somewhat similar though.

“So what I’m saying is, I’m talking about the view outside that window.”

Alice said, pointing at the window, and I could tell exactly what she was referring to.

There was an endless sea of light stretching out beyond.

The Imperial Capital was vast, Lindbergh was developed in its own right, but it wasn’t as bright as a modern metropolis.

Even if it were Seoul, there weren’t many activities between midnight and dawn, but that doesn’t mean the streets would be as quiet as dead. There were all-night cafes, lots of convenience stores, and places like karaoke rooms and PC rooms too.

“……”

Since Claire was quiet from the moment we checked into the hotel until we rode the elevator up, I looked towards her and saw her pressing her face against the window beside me.

She seemed to be genuinely fond of the scenery outside.

“I think we made a great choice coming here. Don’t you think?”

“……I guess.”

Alice answered with a wry smile at my question.

Chapter 361

I was pretty excited too.

When I was a guy, I hadn’t spent that much time in hotels.

Thinking back to trips I took with friends, during high school it was basically just school trips, and in college, we reserved a pension to all crash together on the floor.

Even after graduating, when I went out with friends, we just casually booked a nearby pension, so hotels weren’t really part of the picture.

A cozy atmosphere, with three proper beds, and outside the window, the city lights really were something.

…Sure, most of those city lights were probably made by people working, but anyway, we were having fun right now, so let’s not think about that.

“Delicious!”

After tearing open a bag of snacks I bought on the way to the hotel and placing it on the table, Claire said with a genuinely happy expression, grabbing one of each type to munch on.

Mia flashed through my mind for a split second. The only difference was, Mia would’ve stuffed her cheeks full of snacks. Claire was better behaved, only taking one at a time.

If I had to nitpick, the snacks tasted good, but the atmosphere was what made it exceptionally enjoyable.

Is it really this good?

“If this were game Claire, she’d be snarky while eating the snacks, wouldn’t she?”

When Alice remarked after seeing my expression while looking at Claire, Claire froze, still holding a snack.

“…And you’d be full of complaints while eating, right?”

Claire shot a glance at Alice before popping a twisted snack into her mouth.

It seemed like Alice had nothing to say to that.

…After all, the heroines in games are rarely perfect from the start. If they were, pursuing them wouldn’t be much fun at all. The best character dynamics are when they complement each other’s flaws.

“…”

“…”

As they munched on the crispy snacks, the two fell silent.

When I looked up, both of them were staring at me intently.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that it annoys me a bit how you seem so unconcerned.”

“I’m sure you have flaws too.”

Well, I’m a person too, so of course, I have flaws—ah, they’re still talking about the game, huh.

Claire and Alice’s flaws had already been glaringly obvious from the beginning of the game, both in their backgrounds and personalities.

On the other hand, my weaknesses hadn’t been revealed yet in the latest game we were playing. From what I’ve seen online, people were already complaining about Sylvia Fanggriffon being too perfect a character, so it seems I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Well, characters like that usually have flaws that come out later on.

There’s no need to worry about flaws that haven’t shown up yet.

If I’m gonna get teased anyway, it’d be better to just accept it merrily and enjoy.

“Your expression is really annoying. It’s like you’ve reached some level of enlightenment.”

“You better be ready for all the teasing when your flaws come out too.”

…

It seemed like Claire was one thing, but Alice was increasingly sounding more serious.

Well, it’s more accurate to say she felt liberated than untamed, which is fine, I guess.

As I shamelessly munched on snacks without saying anything, the two narrowed their eyes at me.

*

“I feel kind of strange.”

“Strange? How so?”

Claire mumbled while lying back on the bed and staring at the ceiling, and Alice asked her.

“It’s only been a day, hasn’t it? It’s still not even midnight, and we’re not that far from home, but it feels oddly like we’re in another world.”

Alice said, her voice a bit dazed.

“If we’re being technical, you’re in another world right now…”

“…That’s not what I meant, sis.”

Whatever.

“What I mean is, have we ever gone out like this, just the three of us? I mean, when we went out it was usually with teachers or staff from the academy.”

“And with the escort soldiers, too.”

Alice chimed in while perched on the bed.

“Yeah. The escort soldiers too. It wasn’t exactly easy to roam freely, was it?”

Though it felt like we roamed almost freely… well, the actual reason we did was not to have fun but to fulfill requests.

I might find it hard to relate, having come from a typical humanities high school, but for them, it might’ve just felt like just attending class. Of course, it was vastly different from a typical class experience.

“True, thinking about it, I do feel a bit strange myself.”

However, my reason was different.

It felt fascinating to be ‘back’ in this world rather than related to the academy.

My family might still be living peacefully, and right now, at this very moment, some of my friends could be working late, one of those lights shining in the distance.

I hadn’t shared this with the two yet, but since I was here, I hoped that one day I could see my family and friends again.

I wondered how they were living after I disappeared—my curiosity was slightly piqued.

And, well.

…In truth, I felt a bit excited.

Thinking of family and friends brought me down a notch, but just looking at the two in front of me made it feel like saying this was perhaps a bit over-the-top otaku-ish, but—

—Doesn’t it feel like we came on a school trip from a Japanese manga?

Of course, I was aware that my age had already well surpassed that of an adult.

Moreover, according to our IDs, all three of us were adults here.

But still, I looked like I was in my mid-teens. Just because the ID says I’m 18 doesn’t mean I suddenly age two more years.

Maybe not now, but during my high school trips, it was always a group tour. We’d generally roam in groups, and let’s be honest, it was more like a package travel experience.

Of course, that was enjoyable at that age, but I didn’t long for it. There were always some classmates I felt uneasy about, and some I didn’t want to get close to.

And in the Japanese manga I read back then, the close friends in a class formed groups and roamed freely, popping into each other’s rooms, and wandering around during the day almost at will.

Though I wasn’t too clear about what actual Japanese high school trips were like.

…Maybe I was reminded of a Japanese school trip because these two seem like characters from a game made by a Japanese company.

“Sis?”

Ah, I think I might have been wearing a bit of a spaced-out expression.

“Honestly, I haven’t really explored while living here either. I had a lot on my plate.”

Well, it was mostly going to and from work, but still.

“So, let’s go check out some landmarks together tomorrow. If you can’t think of any specific places, just tell me a theme, and I’ll plan a route for us.”

Claire and Alice’s eyes both sparkled at my words.

Looks like they must’ve been looking up various things while learning to read.

Well, if they’re happy about it, I’m all for it.

*

The next morning.

We left the hotel a bit early.

It overlapped slightly with rush hour, but our destination wasn’t the subway.

Our lodging was a hotel right in the heart of Seoul. Since we decided to really treat ourselves, there were abundant tourist attractions within walking distance.

“This city is said to be the capital of this country, so I’d like to see some places where I can feel the traditional vibe of this city.”

That was Alice’s suggestion.

Following that, I pondered between visiting a nearby hanok village or a museum that required taking the subway, eventually choosing the hanok village.

The museum was a good place, but it didn’t exactly fit the ‘enjoyment’ vibe. Since it was our first time out like this, I wanted us to walk around together, sightseeing and eating.

“Oh, sis, what’s that outfit?”

Claire quickly spotted something interesting.

“That’s a hanbok. It’s the traditional attire of this country. I think wearing it grants free admission to the nearby palace—”

It was a common sight here. Usually worn by couples if it was local, or by foreign tourists otherwise.

And thinking about it, we must’ve looked like foreign tourists to others too.

“Wanna try it on?”

Actually, I hadn’t worn one despite living in Seoul for quite a while.

“Sure!”

At Claire’s words, I nodded and glanced over at Alice.

Alice was giving Claire an “I-can’t-believe-you” kind of look, but—

Well, since I could read Alice’s expression a little, just as she could mine.

I accurately picked up on Alice’s face showing interest and excitement.

Chapter 362

I’ve been an otaku since my teens, so it’s not like I’ve never talked about such things with my friends.

I mean, you’ve heard those lines about wanting to be reborn as a cute girl in your next life, right?

Of course, that was never serious. Just like non-otakus make random jokes among themselves, it was merely an otaku-style gag.

If only I had been born handsome, I would have taken action – but since I wasn’t, I just make excuses for my fashion choices or whatever, claiming I could have earned money through internet streaming or cosplay if I’d been a cute girl.

I know those things aren’t as easy as they sound. Fashion requires studying too, and I understand that if you just throw on any clothes looking decent, people will give you strange looks.

Being born pretty doesn’t guarantee an easy life either. I get that doing internet streaming and cosplay invites all sorts of weirdos.

But here I am, doing all of that right now.

Life is full of surprises.

Well, as a Korean in a hanbok, calling it cosplay might be a stretch, but even if we’re registered residents, to others, we probably just look like foreign tourists.

After all, tourists wear hanboks like it’s cosplay.

Claire was wearing a somewhat subdued dark blue hanbok. If the top and bottom were the same color, it might feel tacky, but the top was closer to a soft white, which harmonized beautifully with Claire’s fair skin.

Alice’s hanbok had similar color combinations, with the top in white and the skirt a light sky blue. Seeing that color reminded me of the bunny girl outfit Alice had worn, but I didn’t say anything about it.

…Because I had worn the bunny girl outfit at that time too.

Thinking back, I was already cosplaying. From this perspective, even the academy uniform could count as cosplay.

“Hey sis, you look great!”

Claire said that with a serious look while eyeing my hanbok.

“It’s a bit dark, which is a shame, but it really suits your vibe.”

Alice also nodded in contentment since she had a hand in choosing my outfit.

When you mention ‘black hanbok’, one might think of simple funeral attire, but mine was anything but basic.

The sleeves were made of thin mesh, revealing my arms, and both the sleeves and top had some splendid floral embroidery. The upper part of the skirt peeking out from beneath the short top was a soft cream color, preventing the overall hanbok from looking too gloomy.

So, it’s not entirely traditional hanbok.

If it were a real traditional hanbok, it would’ve been impossible to get at this price.

Click!

Claire, who loved taking pictures, held my smartphone and the clicking sound of the camera didn’t stop.

It’s great that she’s taking pictures… but I wonder if we can take all of this home.

Just in case, I should print or develop the photos. And I must remember to bring them back with me.

All the time we spent here will be pure memories of joy for the three of us.

Seeing Claire’s beaming smile, I thought that.

*

“People are staring at us.”

“Is there something strange about us?”

At Claire’s words, Alice looked down at herself, wondering if she had somehow messed up wearing the traditional dress.

“Maybe they’re looking because you’re pretty.”

When I said that, Alice’s face turned slightly red.

“What a weird thing to say.”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

At least, that was my impression.

It was true that, since a while ago, most of the people passing by who stared at us were men, not women.

It couldn’t be helped. All three of us – me, Alice, and even Claire – stand out quite a bit in terms of looks.

Having black hair, I might look fairly modest compared to them, but Alice’s hair was shiny, golden blonde, perfectly maintained, and Claire’s was a striking blue.

Plus, all three of us… though it’s somewhat embarrassing to say, we have quite shapely figures.

Even under somewhat loose hanboks, our figures were blatantly obvious.

“Girls, stay close to me.”

Truth is, I’ve never gotten anyone’s number in my life, nor have I ever had a number gotten from me.

Not having had anyone’s number is obvious. I wasn’t that good-looking or famous. If any beauty out of the blue asked for my number, it would definitely be for a pyramid scheme or a religion.

Conversely, since I’d never gotten anyone’s number, it came to this. I was convinced such stunts wouldn’t pan out. If I had no confidence in my looks, how could I get a stranger’s number?

…But even without experiencing it myself, I get that such things ‘can’ happen.

Since I might look like a foreigner, this could be a bit tricky, but some people with excessive confidence about their looks—

“Excuse me?”

—See? There it is.

Even if my physical abilities might be slightly lacking compared to the other two, I do pride myself on my combat instincts. Especially since I was skilled with firearms. I could at least gauge what some distance away persons were planning to do with a glance.

And from afar, I could see two guys chuckling and nudging each other while looking our way.

They looked to be around the age of university students. They were reasonably good-looking and well-dressed.

They appeared to be bursting with confidence.

How annoying.

If even one of those two felt attracted, they might’ve thought to approach us, but thankfully, Alice and Claire didn’t have a particularly interested expression.

No, more precisely, they looked like they didn’t even understand why these two guys would be talking to us.

“We’re Korean.”

I said it that way. If our words were translated to those guys, pretending to use English would be evident. We would seem to be chatting in Korean among ourselves regardless.

“Oh.”

The guys exchanged surprised glances with each other and then looked back at us again.

“Sorry. We misunderstood…”

“Could you tell us what you wanted?”

The military-like formal tone I used made them noticeably flustered.

“N-no, I mean, if you have time—”

“Sorry, but we’re here just to have fun with my sisters. Spending time with others seems a bit awkward.”

As I deliberately acted stiff, the two of them looked even more confused.

Well, they didn’t look like the typical jerks you see in cartoons.

…To be honest, if all the street hunters were such criminals, this country’s safety would be in serious jeopardy.

“Oh, is that so? If you’re with your sisters then… um, have a good time.”

When I stared at them, they seemed to think they did something wrong. Or else, maybe they were just clueless about why they had approached us.

“Hey sis, what’s wrong? They seemed like nice guys.”

“…They were people who wanted to hang out with us.”

“Really?”

But even after I told her, Claire still had a puzzled look.

Maybe because she grew up as a noble, she didn’t really know where adult interactions could lead in this country.

“Listen up, both of you.”

I said seriously.

“Of course, as long as you two are in this world, I’ll generally be hanging around. But just in case, remember that interacting among adults here can lead to more… intimate stages.”

Of course, I had never experienced that, so I had no idea how far it could go at once.

But I knew very well that getting entangled would be a dirty hassle. And there could be all sorts of misunderstandings.

Especially for these two who seem clueless about such interactions… Well, I could just beat them up and escape if needed, but then I might have to deal with the police too.

After listening to me, the two seemed to grasp the situation.

In the Empire of Aetherna, commoners lead relatively sexually liberated lives, and I had heard that even among nobles, there were those who lived scandalously. But generally speaking, it’s nearly unheard of for unmarried women to live promiscuously. They take that as a ‘blemish’. Perhaps for widows, it’s different, but not for unmarried women.

So, both of them have likely had sex education but probably never imagined such a scenario.

“So, if you don’t want things to get complicated, it’s crucial to be firm from the start.”

I thought for a moment if I should have let one of them know about the others, but I chose to be clear instead.

As if it would lead anywhere.

Even if I’m listed as an adult on my ID, they’re actually only sixteen.

No matter how mature they may look, they’re still kids.

Of course, I should never.

“Well then, shall we go grab a drink?”

I smiled as I suggested, and finally, Claire and Alice’s expressions brightened.

“Oh, sis, wait! The lighting is great here!”

When she said it was great lighting, I realized she was talking about taking selfies.

…Judging by how she instinctively knew how to take them, Claire must really love photography.

Since we’re out, should I help these two set up their phones too?

Chapter 363

There’s a term called “Gukppong.”

It usually refers to the screenplay where something ordinary, or something the foreigners obviously have in their own country, is shown to them, and they react with “This doesn’t exist in my country!” Or maybe they write articles or make videos claiming, “Look at those reactions!”

People whose lives are tough find comfort in watching those, and honestly, I sometimes did too.

I mean, it’s entertaining!

Sure, I feel a bit embarrassed while watching, but there are strangely relatable moments, and most importantly, it kinda felt like I was watching a real-life isekai.

As someone who has traveled to this world, I can say it’s impossible to completely change this other world’s culture with just the knowledge I have.

Oh, of course, I’ve had my effects.

The concept of double-tapping with an automatic pistol, for example, is surprisingly something that anyone could think of, but it didn’t come about until long after the notion of handguns gained traction. Even after automatic pistols were openly introduced, the idea that a handgun is something to be fired with one hand lingered for a long time.

So, as someone who was familiar with future shooting techniques, the shooting methods I implemented through blood, sweat, and tears have a certain potential to influence this world’s culture.

The only ones actually using it, though, were Rena and me.

But other than that, I couldn’t change anything special. The knowledge I had was at best bachelor’s level, and even that I had forgotten a lot of over time after graduating.

Modern specialized knowledge has become ridiculously complex, and it’s not something a single PhD could accomplish. From a PhD’s perspective, what could some bachelor with knowledge equivalent to a potato, just lying on the street, achieve?

In a world where science and technology have progressed in a different direction, the knowledge of a watchmaker is far more valuable than the vague knowledge I have about semiconductors and batteries.

But—

The fact that I could feel that way means that someone from Azernar could come here and feel the same way.

“Wow, so many cars on such a wide road. The technology to create such machines, and the economic power to let common people buy them aside, just how much legal regulation is needed for such a complicated system to operate smoothly?”

Alice’s words made me swell with pride as I listened. At this point, it’s not just about Gukppong. Among the cars roaming the streets, there were plenty of foreign ones, not just domestic. It’s not only Korea that has related laws; most functioning countries have such laws in place.

In some ways, there might be places with more effective laws than ours.

But, how would it hold up on a global standard?

I’ve lived long enough in that world, felt a certain affection for it, and if I return, I plan to live there in the future. But the fact that I was born in this world is something I can’t change.

So this world is my hometown, and if my hometown gets praised like that, how could I not feel good?

Honestly, if I had the leisure, I’d want to take them around not just my country but all the famous spots in this world too.

“How much longer will it take for the Empire to make a camera like this? No need to change rolls, so we can take tons of photos, save costs, and it’s so much smaller. Plus, the colors are vivid. Will there be a day in my life when I can take such photos again?”

Claire gazing wistfully at my smartphone had a dazed expression that made her look a bit melancholic, but knowing that the country that made that smartphone is my country felt pretty good.

I knew it was a dumb, one-dimensional happiness, and I wasn’t even an employee at that company, so I understood that there wasn’t much to brag about. Still, it felt good. What can I say? When you feel a sense of belonging, you can’t help it. It’s like feeling happy when our country scores a goal in the World Cup. I’m not on the team and my salary won’t increase if they score, but doesn’t it feel good?

“Hey, you seem happy.”

Seeing Claire comment about my good mood made me feel a bit guilty.

But, well, it’s true I enjoy being with these two. If they were just strangers, I would only feel uncomfortable and wouldn’t have even the slightest bit of pride.

“It’s ’cause the car is delicious.”

Of course, I had no intentions of sharing my thoughts with them. That would be embarrassing.

“Definitely, it’s a nice leaf. Must be because the transportation has developed.”

“Alice, we’re here to have fun, there’s no need to talk about that.”

Alice instinctively redirected the conversation towards the transport industry, and Claire criticized her.

Normally, Alice would have countered Claire’s remark, and I would’ve heard them bickering—but—

“Indeed, there’s no need to talk about work when we’re off the clock. I’ll definitely bring back related materials if there are any, though.”

That’s not a bad thought. Transferring all the tech from this world in one go might be impossible, but they certainly have more than adequate technology to create steam from coal, so if I could just share basic knowledge about large-scale generators and batteries, maybe a revolution might happen.

Isn’t this an age dominated by over-tech? Perhaps things might develop more straightforwardly than I expect. It’s not like the people in that world are dumb and hindered in their tech development.

“But it seems like it would help. Why don’t we take a look? There’s a large bookstore nearby.”

“Oh, really?”

Seeing Alice’s eyes sparkle with curiosity made me feel proud again this time.

“There should be plenty of books related to photography.”

After the invention of the camera, there must be countless techniques accumulated by photographers.

Even though it’s not about photography, every technique we take for granted today was perfected after extensive research by many directors and universities.

If Claire, who has a keen interest in photography, looks at them, those books will surely help her.

“Awesome!”

Even Claire, who was side-eyeing Alice while saying we were supposed to be playing, sparkled at my suggestion.

Honestly, it’s quite easy to please both of them. I’d say I’m not that different too.

*

Hmm…

Maybe I should have changed the order a bit.

The big bookstore located in the heart of Seoul didn’t seem to be a hot spot for foreign tourists.

How did I know? Because there were hardly any foreigners dressed in hanbok wandering around Kyobo Bookstore.

To be precise, at least not under my gaze—there were only us.

Maybe if I wait a bit, a few people might come in, but for now, we were the only ones, so I felt a bit self-conscious.

However, Alice and Claire didn’t care at all. Perhaps because they heard it was a traditional outfit from this country, they just perceived it as clothing?

So, me thinking it was awkward by myself was strange after all.

Claire wanted books on photography, and Alice wanted books on technologies from this side of the world.

Naturally, we ended up wandering through almost the entire bookstore. The photography-related books were clustered together, but the range of what constituted ‘technical’ books was quite broad.

While specialized books would have been concentrated in one area, looking at those would have been better for us, who lack basic knowledge. Even if we bring them back, since the people there don’t know Hangul, we have to read them out loud, and it would be troublesome if we encountered words we couldn’t read ourselves.

Still, it was enjoyable.

At first, I was a bit shy, conscious of others’ gazes, but Claire and Alice were seriously selecting books and asking me questions, and responding to those was so much fun.

In the end, isn’t that why we do all this?

Claire and Alice were picking out each a book for me with consideration. Alice picked a summary book on the general aspects of technology we initially thought about, while Claire chose a book about a French photographer. He held a camera that looked similar to Claire’s film camera she carried around Azernar.

“…Ah.”

Then, as I was about to leave the store, I realized something.

“What’s wrong?”

Alice asked, and I replied with a tinge of guilt in my voice.

“I should have come to the bookstore later. There were so many places I planned to visit today, but carrying thick books around…”

“Oh come on, sis. What kind of worries are those?”

Claire, who had been following behind, slapped my back.

“It’s fine just to carry them around. We’re not that weak.”

…Ah, right.

Both of them are experts in wielding heavy swords.

“Yeah, you have nothing to worry about. I’m confident we won’t be bothered carrying them all day.”

Seeing Alice respond with a smile eased my worries a bit.

Normal daily life seems to have surprisingly strong infiltrating power.

When the common sense I had during my time here mingled with the memories with these two, they kept making me think they were just ordinary sisters.

Ordinary….

“Huh.”

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“Sis?”

As I chuckled out of nowhere, both of them tilted their heads curiously at me.

“…Nothing at all.”

Well, it’s true they’re ordinary.

Yeah. Here, they were just my ordinary sisters.

Whether it was nobility, politics, rivalries, swordsmanship, or bloodlines, they were simply everyday people that nobody cared about.

“So, shall we go?”

“Wait, why were you laughing?”

“Sis, is something going on?”

As both of them worriedly caught up with me, I gave them a little smile and moved ahead, only to hear their footsteps slowly trailing behind me.

Chapter 364

Is it really okay to be this happy?

I’ve heard that being able to have such a happy time means something dreadfully depressing is about to happen later on.

I know that’s just nonsense. Life isn’t just about living a day or two. In a year, or even a week, happy and unhappy events can happen alternately, and most of the time, these two types of events are not really related to each other at all.

It’s just that the events I experienced earlier make the later ones feel more intense. So does that mean that if I go through unhappy events, happy events must happen afterward?

Of course, there are still many things to worry about.

I can manage for now, but when the money I’ve saved runs out, and the number of viewers decreases, leading to less income, we won’t be able to have fun like we are now.

Both of us are capable, so we could find something to do, but since we’re in a situation where we don’t have any degrees, earning a lot of money would be difficult.

Of course, I’m not saying I haven’t saved enough money for that to come up soon…

There are also strange aspects to consider.

The fact that I can use the money I’ve saved now might serve as evidence that the ‘me’ who lived in this world and the Sylvia Fanggriffon who came over here are continuous beings, but…

If I died in this world, it would only be natural for all the assets I had saved to be inherited by my family, right? If everything was ‘as it should be’, I should have been flat broke. Everything in that room would have been taken back by my family.

That being said, it’s not like I just left everything behind; I’ve been able to use that wealth so naturally—

Click!

I snapped back to reality at the sudden sound.

Turning my head, I saw Claire aiming her smartphone camera at me.

“Perfect shot.”

Claire’s smile while saying that was beautiful.

And looking at Claire’s expression, I thought, ‘Does it really matter?’

Yeah, there’s no point in worrying about something that can’t be solved right now.

I could worry about running out of money when that time comes. I’ve been constantly thinking about how to return anyway.

I should enjoy myself while I can.

Claire was flipping through the photos we’d taken together with Alice today, and they turned out to be adorable.

Though, I kind of wished we had another camera.

*

Where we were was the Palace of Great Blessings. There’s usually an entrance fee, but knowing it was free if you wore traditional Korean clothing, we decided to visit since it was close to the bookstore.

While the concept of ‘the East’ exists, it was the first time for two people, who had only come to a place that was really ‘Eastern’, to hear that this was a ‘palace’, and they were being exceedingly polite as they walked around.

Claire even lowered her voice a bit.

I told her there was no need to be that serious, but—

“Even if there isn’t a king here, if this is a place that symbolizes the legitimacy of the country, we should certainly show respect.”

Alice said that.

But, you know, our royal family doesn’t really receive all that much respect from the people. Even after the constitution was designed to prevent the claim of royalty, it was the same. The image of the late Joseon Dynasty was so low that it had somewhat tarnished the image of the entire Joseon Dynasty from that era.

But I figured it would be too much to explain all that history, so I thought I’d just show them a video from a streaming site later.

“We came from a country with a throne, after all.”

Claire’s comment triggered a lot of desire to counter that.

Right in front of them, I was still a Crown Princess. I would have returned once the battle was over, and although there were people who knew I didn’t actually share blood with the Emperor, who knows how that would affect my position? Claire had boldly called me ‘sister’ even though she recognized I was a Crown Princess.

Plus, the one I was openly bickering with might very well be the next Emperor.

I never showed any sign of being intimidated when talking to Charlotte either.

So why was there a need to feel so nervous about looking at a dynasty that no longer exists?

“That’s…now we’re commoners, right? Nobles don’t come to places like this, do they? They say there’s equality, but that doesn’t mean the noble class disappears that easily, does it?”

When I showed a puzzled expression, Claire responded.

And that’s when I understood why the two were nervous.

They both couldn’t outright ask me, but judging from the state of my room, it was by no means ‘noble’. Just from looking at what we saw today, like the state of hotels and the large buildings in downtown, they must have felt how shabby and small my room was.

Even if there’s no king now, there used to be one. And naturally, if there was, there were distinctions between nobles and commoners.

And that kind of power doesn’t just disappear. Even in various European countries that claim to be democratic, there are still places where the concept of nobility exists. Whether legally or not, they maintain their positions, wealth, and real estate among themselves.

In fact, Korea could be that way too.

“Several decades ago, we all became beggars due to war, so since then, there have been no classes like nobility or anything.”

That’s right. At the very least, dividing people into the noble and the base by ‘family line’ has become nearly impossible. It’s different when it comes to having or not having money, of course.

“At least there’s no ‘class that can be known by name only.’ And even if someone comes from a somewhat well-off family, they can’t just openly look down on others in a place like this, right?”

“…Is that so?”

“That’s right. That being said, it doesn’t mean that it’s perfectly equal.”

As I explained with a wry smile, the two of them tilted their heads.

In fact, I doubt they have a good sense of my position. Compared to Azernar, which still retains the inhumanity of the Industrial Revolution, my position here was certainly much better.

“It really is a place with a lot to learn.”

Alice concluded with such an unexpected remark in the end.

“…But if you blindly follow everything, it could be a big problem. There are countries that suggest things to copy, so it would be better to carry their history books instead.”

Would England, France, and Germany be okay?

…I should get a book about the Russian Revolution while I’m at it. I’d hate to die in a revolution while I’m still alive.

*

“Was it called Samgyeopsal? It was delicious!”

Claire exclaimed, sprawled on the bed without even changing clothes as we entered the hotel room.

“It had a different feel from steak. I think grilling it ourselves occasionally could be nice.”

As Alice plopped a thick book onto the bed, she said that.

“Today was fun, sister.”

Claire said as she sat up on the bed, her face beaming with a big smile.

“It feels like I’ve done everything I wanted to do as a child with you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. When I was with you, I didn’t know anything, so I barely ever imagined it, but while growing up with Leo, I thought it would have been nice if you were there.”

Claire closed her eyes and then opened them to look at me.

“I sometimes worried about that too, you know? What if the sister I imagined was just a figment of my childhood? Like a friend from my imagination.”

“……”

“Well, hearing that other kids remembered you reinforced my belief that you really existed. I think it was a good thing I entered the academy. I never thought I’d actually see you again, but you knew I would come to the academy, right?”

“……”

I couldn’t answer because I was too embarrassed.

Although I didn’t respond, Claire, who looked satisfied with my expression, turned slightly to lie down on her side and spoke while looking at Alice, who was behind me.

“Alice, what about you? Did you get to do things you wanted to do when you were a kid today?”

“Huh?”

Alice was taken aback for a moment at the sudden question and then turned bright red.

“Who, who, who says that?”

“You probably wanted to be close with your sister from childhood, didn’t you? You may have complained about it now and then, but you really just wanted to play together, right?”

Is that so?

I knew I had gotten jealous and was acting that way, but I had never thought of it from that angle.

As I turned completely to face Alice, her face turned completely red.

It was a color I hadn’t seen since she wore that bunny girl outfit.

“…W-why are you looking at me like that!?”

Gasp!

In the end, Alice couldn’t hold back the embarrassment and threw a pillow at my face.

Chapter 365

The broadcast was growing smoothly.

It wasn’t quite at the level of a big corporation in terms of viewership, but the incoming donations were gradually increasing.

I was starting to think about uploading recorded videos to other streaming sites, but I decided to hold off for now.

I didn’t know how to edit. Alice and Claire were just learning the basics of the language. Of course, their learning speed was abnormally fast, but they weren’t quite at the level where they could use professional video software.

I’ve never considered bringing in someone else.

Who knows how long we could really work with someone new? We were people with a place to return to, but someone who would edit and run the channel for us would need to live here, wouldn’t they?

If they left without even giving us our final paycheck, our images would seriously plummet.

I didn’t want to be remembered that way in my hometown.

[Looks like you guys came to a conclusion.]

And just as I thought that, the three of us hit a wall.

“…Is that so?”

If it were just chat, I would have ignored it, but since it was a donation, I couldn’t help but respond.

“If that’s the case, please keep what you saw a secret. We’re human too, and we need to rest when we’re not streaming.”

The person who donated simply replied “yes.” This time it was a chat message, not a donation.

[But I’d really like to see you in person.]

[Without the lighting, you’d probably look pretty too.]

That’s true. We looked just like the game’s heroines.

…What would happen if we really met?

We lived in Seoul. If you include the metropolitan area with Gyeonggi and Incheon, it’s about half of the country’s populations. People living far away from Seoul in Gyeonggi might not exactly consider it their “lifestyle area,” but for those living in Seoul or nearby satellite cities, it’s a different story.

People living in Seoul would obviously run into each other while going out.

Even though we didn’t rest on weekends, people from Gyeonggi could be working in Seoul and might see us having fun on a Monday or Tuesday.

…I had heard a few stories about female streamers being harassed by stalkers.

With all three of us together, we’d be a lot safer than someone who was alone.

“Just to be sure, please don’t come looking for us. If you cross the line, we won’t hesitate to take action.”

[Oh my god.]

[Eh.]

[Seriously.]

[It should be handled legally.]

At least among these comments, there were none showing signs of being a criminal, so that was a relief.

To go against the goddess’s suspicions and ultimately get us back to our original world, we needed a certain level of recognition, but I didn’t want that recognition to come from “collabing with a big streamer.”

I was sure it would bring unnecessary troubles.

Looking at Claire and Alice, it seemed the two of them were wearing serious expressions as well.

It’s good that they could make quick judgments.

At least now I could relax a bit.

*

It wasn’t that the game was particularly spectacular, which was better than I expected.

Typically, streamers would have a brief communication time before the game stream to warm up, but we didn’t feel the need to do so.

I wasn’t great at conversation, and I felt a bit uneasy leaving the talking to Alice and Claire, even though they were adapting quickly since they were from a different world.

However, the game itself had a rather slow tempo, so I didn’t need to concentrate too hard while playing. At least it wasn’t an action game where I had to move my hands without a moment to talk.

[But you already know the map?]

“I played the previous installment. The map seems to be almost recycled.”

No conscience, huh?

Oh, it’s not completely recycled, and the map has been expanded a bit. Even so, it felt like they just added a few unimplemented areas to the original, making it hard to shake off the feeling of being an expansion pack.

But then again, this series has always been like that with its sequels.

Usually, they’d introduce “completely new areas,” but this time, due to the reason of time travel, the sense of recycling was particularly strong.

“But honestly, it feels kind of familiar.”

“Because you’ve been there before.”

Claire and Alice were chatting behind me as we wandered through the underground of Lutetia.

[??]

[Lol, since you played the previous one, of course you’d have been there.]

[Seriously, they’re the heroines. How can you not know?]

[Where’s Leo?]

“Leo is still in our world.”

Claire, who was reading the chat, replied.

[Lol.]

[Lol.]

[This is a bit cringe.]

I didn’t ban the person who said it was cringe.

To be honest, from the perspective of someone who didn’t know the background, it might look like we got too absorbed in our concept.

Even if our story makes its way onto the internet, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

“Oh, this is…”

Alice muttered as she watched the game next to me.

Where I had entered controlling Leo was the sewers of the Imperial Capital.

The sewers I had entered with Alice and Charlotte.

Ideally, we should have come here a bit later, but—

[Sylvia came down here, huh?]

[Yeah, I’m sure of it.]

Right now there was a slightly different reason.

As I moved around controlling Leo, I saw Sylvia come down here and Leo came to check it out.

If there really was a reason for being in the sewers, we wouldn’t have burst through the lock to get in.

While Leo pondered whether to follow Sylvia or not, he decided to call someone else to come along.

…Honestly, if I think about it too long, it might seem too chill, thinking Sylvia might come back, but it is typical in JRPGs to summon companions instantly.

If such a thing happened in reality, how would it have gone?

Like Leo and Claire heading out at dawn to handle all the requests, would there have been fellow companions casually passing by?

Well, the events unfolding inside the game were playing out differently than what I experienced, so imagining it didn’t hold much meaning.

“…….”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Alice stared at me, and I asked.

“Did you also dive into the sewer like this first? Is that why you knew the way?”

“No, I knew it because I played the game.”

“……The path is that complicated?”

Pointing to our party which consisted of Leo, Alice, Charlotte, and Claire navigating through the sewers, Alice said.

“It was in the previous game too.”

“It was complicated in the previous game too?”

“I studied hard enough to memorize all of it.”

“Memorized the game?”

“…….”

What.

Why.

Didn’t you read the textbook multiple times saying you’d memorize everything during your studies?

I know games and studying are different, but still.

“Sis, did you adventure somewhere like that with Alice?”

“……”

I couldn’t bring myself to answer Claire and finally said,

“At that time, you were completing requests with Leo.”

That was my answer.

But Claire still pouted as if she didn’t accept it.

[Are you guys talking about the game right now?]

[You guys are seriously addicted to games.]

[Why does it sound so real? Lol.]

[The concept is solid.]

It’s not a concept.

But of course, I had no intention of correcting it.

The fact that we were talking without any filtering during our broadcast was ultimately to make those people believe it.

I didn’t care how many people, as long as it broke the order.

To be honest, I didn’t even know if this was the right approach, but for now, I was going to try.

There were various monsters in the sewers. Animals that looked like bats or large rats… it’s called a “dungeon,” but looking again, they didn’t seem like beasts that would exist beneath the Imperial Capital.

Moreover, the difficulty was tougher than expected.

“…There really are monsters.”

As I defeated each monster one by one and obtained a blue Marmaros in one chamber, Alice muttered as if feeling a bit hollow.

“Somehow, I feel like I understood the trick of magic, but it’s really nothing special.”

…Man, I feel sorry about that.

“Hey, didn’t you get this from Mia?”

“That’s right. This is the Marmaros we found along with Alice and Charlotte.”

“……Uuu, seems I was the only one who didn’t know.”

[What?]

[So cute.]

[700700]

Did people start to accept the concept? The chat seemed to be filled with fewer rejecting comments compared to earlier when we were conversing.

And I agreed with the chat.

Yeah, it really is cute.

Honestly, it felt so absurd that I questioned whether I was even an adult on my ID.

Of course, I didn’t say that out loud.

Holding my expression steady, I focused hard on controlling Leo.

And—

[……Sylvia, what are you doing here?]

—I found Sylvia installing a bunch of bombs on the ceiling of the sewer.

……

……What? Bombs?

Chapter 366

To defend myself, I’ve never actually done it.

I only thought about it. Just thought.

Like when I was considering installing a bomb in the sewers to prepare for the time I need to assassinate Emperor Arthur III during the story, you know?

Of course, if a building is high, you have to dig deep underneath to support it; the same goes for the Imperial Palace.

It’s hard to collapse the palace itself by laying a bomb on the floor. The sewers don’t just loop around the palace, either.

Even if it collapsed, only a part would go down.

“……”

“……”

Alice and Claire stared at me.

“I understand what you’re thinking, but I’ve never done that.”

“Really?”

Alice narrowed her eyes skeptically as she spoke.

“It’s true. I only considered it.”

“Considering it doesn’t mean you haven’t! Don’t tell me you knew about the Dreadnought’s interior because you sneakily went inside?”

“……”

Hmm…

I might know a lot more, not just about the Dreadnought. Like the hidden secret library inside the Imperial Palace or how quickly soldiers and knights move when the bomb explodes… I’ve done a lot of experiments.

As I looked away, Alice pressed her forehead with her hand.

“Still, you’re saying you’ve never tried to explode something?”

“The collateral damage would be too great.”

To calculate something, the damage can’t be too large. I need to confirm whether I can control it, but if it takes too long to confirm, it tires me out too.

But it seems that the version of Sylvia in the game doesn’t think that way.

[Wait a minute!]

Just as Sylvia turned around, Leo shouted.

[…….]

[Wait, wait. Sylvia, hold on for a second.]

[Leo?]

Alice looked at Leo with wide eyes, surprised. The character design hadn’t changed much, but there seemed to be some motion added. It was a rare motion I hadn’t seen before in this game, which tends to recycle animations from previous works endlessly.

[Sylvia, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it seems like you have a way to escape even after being caught by us.]

[……On what certainty do you say that? I could just be panicking.]

[No, that’s not it.]

Leo shook his head.

[You haven’t even thought about ‘escaping.’ I may not be as skilled as Father, but I’ve trained in swordsmanship, so I can sense that much.]

[…….]

[And regardless of what method you use, we probably won’t remember.]

[Leo?]

This time it was Claire responding.

[I’ll ask again; what assurance do you have of that?]

[……It seems like you have some kind of method, right?]

Leo took a step closer to Sylvia as he spoke.

[Are you worried that I might know something?]

Leo?

Hmm, I don’t think that’s the case.

I only realized the things I know after coming out, but if Sylvia were aware of her own identity, she wouldn’t be fooled by that statement.

The only beings capable of opposing the Goddess’s powers are these guys, who have Fanggriffon blood flowing in them. And among those, it wouldn’t matter unless they were suitable with a strong enough lineage.

It wouldn’t work unless it was Claire standing right next to Leo; there’s no other way to resist in the same era.

……And that Claire died in the original.

But if Leo is unconsciously sensing something like he did when he was in the fantasy world, the story could change.

The Leo who first met Alice and me had turned pale.

But the Leo created by the Goddess, as if it was only natural, treated Alice and Claire in a very natural way.

It might have been influenced by me being siblings with them, but I think the bigger possibility is that Leo is feeling the ‘previous timeline.’

If this world was repeatedly forged enough times to create such side effects, it’s plausible that Leo, at the center, would sense something strange.

If I were to recall a famous line from this kind of cliché, it would be, “Huh, why are there tears…?”

It isn’t just about reversing time but also changing what has moved back to its original position and erasing and fixing memories made. If repeated enough, there would be parts too deeply etched to erase.

[……No, you don’t know anything.]

Actually saying that, there seemed to be some doubt in Sylvia’s voice. I wonder if she thought of the same doubts as me or if it’s truly because she doesn’t know yet.

[Are you trying to explode that bomb?]

[…….]

[If we don’t go out together now, I’ll stay right here. If I don’t want to get caught in the explosion you’ve installed, come out with us.]

[Don’t you think that if the ‘method’ you mentioned exists, I could just kill you here and reset everything?]

[Sylvia?]

Alice called to Sylvia in disbelief.

Sylvia was glaring at Leo, not looking at Alice.

As if she didn’t want to care about her.

……And I feel like I can understand that feeling.

[No.]

Leo said.

[You can’t do that. You don’t want to. If you really wanted to, you would have already pressed the button on the detonation device.]

That was truly a line straight out of a shonen manga.

……But it was also true.

I wouldn’t have done it.

Neither Leo nor Claire nor Sylvia nor Charlotte would want to kill.

It wouldn’t make sense for me to gamble their—people I cherish lives just because I could reverse time.

[…….]

Sylvia fell silent for a moment.

[Claire…….]

Looking briefly at Claire who called her, Sylvia said,

[……Is that so? You really are too sharp.]

[Are you going to listen to what I have to say?]

[No, I’ll have to find another way.]

[What do you mean by that—]

[A sure way to excise only the unnecessary parts without being caught by you.]

[Sylvia!]

Feeling something from Sylvia’s desolate statement, Alice stepped forward.

And she reached out her hand toward Sylvia.

But even before that—

[……Again.]

Sylvia spoke.

*

Boom.

[Huh?]

At the sudden loud noise, Leo turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.

[Was that…?]

A massive explosion erupted from the Imperial Palace.

A few aware citizens screamed. In an instant, the surroundings turned into chaos—

[……Father?]

Alice, nearby, muttered blankly—

And then—

*

[……Huh?]

[Leo, are you not focused?]

The entire scenery changed, and this time Leo and Claire, along with Alice and Charlotte, were seated in a café.

[What are you doing daydreaming during your review? You’re not thinking the exam is still far off, are you? If you do that, it’s going to be a big deal during test time.]

At Claire’s scolding, Leo blinked a few times and then chuckled.

[Ah, sorry. I guess I zoned out for a moment.]

[What were you thinking so deeply about?]

[Umm… what was I thinking about again?]

As Leo muttered with a slightly dazed expression, Claire took a deep, exaggerated sigh.

[Are you saying you were just spacing out…?]

“Don’t be too harsh, Claire.”

Charlotte chimed in playfully.

[Sometimes, you need time to clear your head. How about we take a little break with a cup of tea?]

[Yeah, I agree with that.]

Alice responded to Charlotte’s words.

[Then after a short break, shall we continue studying?]

[Sure…….]

Leo’s expression while answering Alice was smiling, but his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if something was unsettling.

*

“……”

“……”

“So I said no.”

Even after turning off the broadcast, Claire and Alice continued to stare at me. I reiterated my explanation once more.

“I’ve turned back time several times, but I’ve never caused such a massive incident.”

“Isn’t throwing a bomb right in the middle of the Imperial Palace a massive incident?”

“That’s to know how quickly the palace soldiers would react… right?”

At Alice’s unexpected question, I momentarily appeared taken aback.

“You planned on thinking about your next move while fighting with swords and magic?”

Claire added, and I gaped.

“……How do you remember all that?”

“Um… well, actually I’ve had my memories scrambled until now, so I couldn’t be certain—”

“After coming over here, it seems like I took time to remember my memories and figured out some laws to them. I feel the same way.”

“……”

Ah, no way.

Could it be that as we distance ourselves from the Goddess’s power, we’re slowly beginning to remember the past timelines?

“Actually, it’s still a little vague.”

“Yeah. That’s why it’s also more confusing.”

It seems the Goddess’s power hasn’t fully left us yet, so the memories are not perfectly clear.

And if we went back to that world, and the Goddess’s power fully left this world—

Does that mean all those memories would return to those people, too?

……Should I consider the option of not returning?

Chapter 367

“Doesn’t it seem a bit brighter than before?”

Claire asked in a slightly unsure voice.

We were gazing at the jibo that Claire had brought over after a long time. Since it was the jibo used when Claire and Alice flew over here, we naturally had to use it to return as well. Using the jibo, created to seize the Goddess’s power amidst the chaos she could not handle, was our theory so far.

But for that to happen, the order had to be sufficiently broken.

So far, there were hardly any viewers of our broadcast who doubted our identity.

And the signs of this power returning…

“Hmmm… I guess it seems a bit brighter?”

Alice looked a bit doubting too; it was kind of faint.

Honestly, it did look a little brighter to me, but I couldn’t tell if it was actually brightness or just my imagination.

“Well, there’s nothing to change by worrying about it now. We can think about it a bit longer.”

In truth, I wasn’t sure at all.

Considering that time hardly flowed on this side when I went over there, it could be flowing extremely fast in the opposite case.

But even if that were true, there was nothing we could do. Since we were here, we couldn’t know the situation over there.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The mood sank into a brief gloom.

“…Shall we order some chicken or something?”

“Sounds good!”

“I’m worried we’re going to get fat.”

At the suggestion to order a special remedy for our gloom, both of them responded positively.

*

However, that didn’t mean our broadcast had no effect at all.

“Look at this, it’s a post questioning whether we really came from that world.”

“That’s probably just some internet nonsense.”

In reality, the post was almost half full of ‘lol,’ making it clear it was just a funny joke. The comments were the same.

But there weren’t even such posts during the early days of the broadcast.

“How about we try to verify our identity with our ID next time?”

At my suggestion, Alice and Claire tilted their heads in confusion.

“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t show it?”

“Well, if we just cover the number and address, it should be fine. We just need to show that our name really is ‘Fanggriffon.’”

And surely, someone would report it to the police. They would say our ID was fake.

But we weren’t fools either. These days, you could easily get a resident registration online. Of course, I had already confirmed that Claire and Alice’s IDs were real.

And I had already verified that my ID was real when I reconnected to the internet. If it were fake, we wouldn’t be living like this now.

“Hmmm… Are we proving that we are ‘real’…?”

Alice fell deep into thought for a moment.

“If you don’t like it—”

“N-No, it’s not that.”

Alice said with a slightly awkward smile to my words.

“It’s just that the idea of proving we’re real is a bit funny. The story inside this game is indeed real to these people. They’re, after all, people who didn’t even know our world existed.”

…Was that the meaning?

“It’s funny that the flowing story is different, yet we claim to be the ‘real’ Fanggriffon, right?”

“And my name isn’t Fanggriffon, it’s Grace, sis.”

“…I only said that for convenience since we’re three sisters.”

In response to Claire’s objection, I sighed and replied.

“You can think of it as a name change, right?”

“Names can be changed, but changing surnames is quite difficult. If we were naturalized foreigners, we could choose a surname, but there’s no record of that.”

Of course, it was noted that we were born in this country at the right age.

“The more we deny it, the weirder it gets.”

“That’s the gap, I guess. We need to dig into that gap.”

“Ah.”

While Alice and I were chatting, Claire let out a small gasp, turning both of our gazes toward her.

“Have you thought of something?”

“Soon the chicken will arrive in a minute. Shouldn’t we get ready?”

“……”

I felt a bit envious of that optimistic personality.

Alice seemed to share my thoughts, as a wry smile appeared on her face.

*

[Is it really true?]

[You’ll get punished for forging your ID.]

[Isn’t that a serious crime?]

“I apologize for disappointing you, but we have never forged our IDs. This is truly our identification.”

[Then are your parents’ surnames also Fanggriffon?]

“Our parents don’t exist in this world. They’re all in Azernar.”

For reference, we couldn’t find any trace of our parents’ existence in this ‘other world.’ If the Goddess had a plan, some administrative processing might have been done, but if we wanted to dig further, we would need to go through some office, and I really didn’t want to do that. It would only complicate things.

And if things were to get complicated, they needed to be a societal complication, not a personal one.

That way, the Goddess would be even more flustered.

“If you don’t believe us, feel free to report us to the police. If we’re innocent, you’ll know that’s true, right? By the way, we are paying our taxes properly.”

They usually deduct 3.3%, so that’s handled. The final tax settlement is a matter for next year anyway.

“Even if you can’t believe that we came from Azernar, it’s still true that we have these names.”

Claire, who was sitting next to me, said seriously.

[So that hair is real?]

“Huh? Hair?”

Claire tilted her head in confusion, so I explained why I was asked that.

“In this world, hair colors are quite limited. Alice’s blonde exists, but blue hair is not a naturally occurring hair color.”

“Is that so?”

Claire was taken aback.

“Red is somewhat possible, but purple hair like Sophia’s or your blue hair can only be achieved through dye.”

“Wow, really?”

Claire’s eyes sparkled.

[No way, is that true? LOL]

[It’s obviously dyed.]

“Shall we do a DNA test or something?”

I said with a serious expression.

Well, I wasn’t really planning on going that far.

As long as those people are confused, that’s fine.

…I just hope I don’t end up with a stalker… but well, that’s a problem for later.

[But why do that verification?]

“It’s because we’re fighting against the Goddess of Order. The more you believe us, the higher our chances of winning become.”

[LMAO]

[LOL, solid concept!]

[But even if it’s a concept, crimes are a bit—]

“If you think it’s a crime, it’s only a matter of proving that we are indeed criminals, isn’t it?”

I said confidently.

The chatroom became increasingly chaotic. While some began to wonder if I might actually be real, others staunchly disbelieved it.

All the ones hurling insults got banned. No way you can allow those kinds of vulgarities.

For reference, the number of viewers was the highest it had ever been. I guess someone must have taken a screenshot and posted it somewhere.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it ended up on some wiki?

As long as there was one person believing, that would be enough.

If it looks like we’re getting caught up in some incident… well, honestly, if things escalate that far, we’ve pretty much wrapped up our plans for escape already.

“Well then, let’s stop chit-chatting and play some games.”

I left the still chaotic chatroom as it was and, as usual, booted up the latest installment of the Chronicles of Aetherna.

*

After that, while I was playing, the chat calmed down a tad. Since Sylvia hadn’t noticed other characters about her ability since she turned back time, the story was flowing just like I experienced with my friends.

Of course, the Sylvia in the game seemed much more stiff and emotionless than I was.

Ever since she turned back time, it seemed she had become like that.

That day, I didn’t discover any uniqueness in the story throughout my gameplay and ended the stream as normal, then lightly tidied up my room, washed up, and went to bed.

And—

“Claire! Claire!”

I opened my eyes to the feeling of Claire shaking me vigorously.

Blue light was pouring in through the window, indicating that it was still early morning.

However, an even brighter blue light was catching my eye.

“Look at this!”

It was the light flowing out from the jibo Claire was holding.

“It’s definitely brighter now, right?”

“……”

Of course, it wasn’t as bright as when we saw it from that other world.

The light flowing from the jibo was the most vibrant I had seen since coming here.

“Don’t you think we might be able to go home soon?”

Claire shook the jibo as she said that, giving a broad smile.

“…I think so. If we just keep going like this, it should happen.”

I rubbed my eyes as I saw Alice waking up and smiled again as I looked at Claire.

The way we chose seemed to be definitely the right path.

Chapter 368

Ding dong!

After Claire and Alice learned Hangul, they were given permission to play with anything they wanted in the room.

Woohoo!

There weren’t many options, but there were books and, since they loved watching movies, they happened to have a console that played Blu-ray discs, so they had a decent collection of movie Blu-rays too.

Flick flick!

In fact, they didn’t have to study English separately because they could understand it to some extent. They just needed to memorize some irregular words. To them, it seemed more like a dialect than a foreign language.

Pop pop!

Well, they didn’t really need subtitles, since the sounds would get translated into our ears anyway.

Whoosh!

And both of them got smartphones! Like my resident registration card, theirs wasn’t fake, so getting them connected wasn’t that difficult. We had a Wi-Fi device in the room, so there were no extra internet costs. After all, the three of us were almost always together!

Ding!

But the price of the devices was a problem.

Gulp!

I didn’t want to buy them a cheap model that’s confusing to use. You know, that saying? Sometimes you see companies offering low-performance smartphones as “parental phones” and think, “Parents want to use good stuff too!”

Hmm…

I didn’t want to get them something underperforming just because they were only starting with electronics, but buying the latest models felt a bit… too much. While our broadcasting was going well and sponsorships were coming in more frequently, I wanted to avoid splurging hundreds of thousands on smartphones for both of them at once or getting stuck with an expensive plan.

Bing!

In the end, I opted for used ones.

Wiggle wiggle!

Even though the other person was taken aback by my appearance, I was still able to find a very good smartphone in excellent condition for a nice price after about two years.

Cha-ching!

“If the broadcasting gets even better, I might consider selling this and getting you a new one,” I said.

“Hmm? No, this is more than enough!”

“Right. No need to overdo it. Anyway, the ones needing help here are the two of us.”

Hearing Claire and Alice respond like that made me feel like the eldest son of a family in poverty—but hey, it wasn’t bad either.

Bloop!

They had always been interested in smartphones and would often borrow mine to play, so to be honest, I was worried they’d just get absorbed by them—

“But I don’t want my conversation with my sister to get cut off because of a smartphone.”

“There are plenty of other things to learn here too. Besides… if we just keep watching videos, it feels like a waste of time.”

After spending about three days absorbed in their smartphones, that’s how they felt.

Yay!

It was kind of impressive.

Cheer!

Despite that, Claire had started staying up late at night, and Alice seemed to be interested in mobile games, but I decided to just take it as a good thing. At least they weren’t skipping meals just to watch TV like I did when I was in elementary school!

Nom nom!

Since we’re on the subject of meals, let’s talk a bit about food. The two of them were gradually getting used to the food here.

Yum yum!

It’s not like it was inspired by England or anything, but they were absolutely loving the three-minute curry.

Bloop!

…Although it was kind of a food I got sick of since I ate it too much as a student. Still, I was relieved they were okay with just three-minute curry rather than something really expensive.

Phew!

As long as it wasn’t too spicy, they enjoyed eating a variety of things, which was a relief.

Yay!

Among the three of us, I’d say I was the best cook, so I usually did the cooking.

Stir stir!

But no matter how much I wanted them to eat healthily, sometimes I was just too lazy to cook. During those times, we chose cup ramen or ready-made meals instead.

Slurp slurp!

That’s right. Even after they started living together, my cooking hadn’t changed much from the home-cooked meals I made in this world.

Whew!

I was glad I still remembered at least that much. I thought I’d forgotten everything since I hadn’t cooked in a while.

Bing!

It was the morning of our day off from the broadcast when Claire brought up the movie topic.

Ding ding!

We had just been to a hotel last week, and while it wasn’t as expensive as I thought, we also couldn’t afford to go every week, so this week we decided to stay home and think about what to do for fun.

“Hey, sis,”

At lunchtime, while I was considering whether we should head back to the Han River, Claire spoke up, grabbing my attention.

Look!

Since I still had food in my mouth, I didn’t respond verbally, but it didn’t seem like her hesitation was due to that.

“Um… there’s something I’d like to ask…”

Claire? Asking for a favor?

GASP!

Amidst our somewhat routine life, it was a bit surprising to hear Claire say that.

Hmm…

Now that I think about it, Claire had never asked me for anything like that before. Probably because we never lived together. Claire thought of me as an older sister, and I did consider her somewhat as my younger sister, but we still had different surnames.

Whoa!

Moreover, I was a crown princess and Claire was a noble, so there was really no reason for her to ask me for anything. If she needed something, she could just ask Grace’s estate. In fact, it would feel more natural for Alice to be the one asking.

Sigh…

And, oddly enough, I was a bit happy about it.

Yay!

I wasn’t quite sure how to word that feeling. If I had to compare it, it felt like when my adopted daughter asked me for help for the first time saying, “Daddy, I have a favor to ask,” but of course, Claire wasn’t my daughter.

Hmm…

Besides, Claire was already calling me “sister” without hesitation… so, I guess it didn’t matter.

“Whatever you want, just say it. If it’s something I can help with, I’ll be happy to do it.”

But rather than showing immediate delight, Claire’s expression showed more hesitation.

Ugh…

Alice, who was also eating, put down her chopsticks with a serious look, as if she thought Claire’s favor was quite significant.

Whoa!

However, what came out of Claire’s mouth was far lighter than I expected.

“Um, I want to watch a movie…”

Oh, I see.

Bum bum!

Claire and Alice liked movies.

But it wasn’t the story from Azernar; it was the story from Earth.

Woosh!

Since Azernar’s movies were just starting to emerge, they were barely on the level of black-and-white silent films.

Ugh…

Of course, there are many masterpieces among black and white silent films. No matter how good the technology in the movies from the 21st century gets, there are still many timeless masterpieces that won’t be overshadowed by that.

Oh wow!

But that’s that, and this is this. There’s nothing like “new movies” in terms of entertainment.

Bam!

And I already had quite a few Blu-ray discs in my room, plus I was subscribed to a streaming service, so Claire wasn’t talking about watching movies on that small monitor.

“Ah, you want to go to the cinema.”

“Yep!”

Claire’s response made Alice let out a sigh of relief as she picked up her chopsticks again.

“Hmm… by the way, it’s only been a few weeks since we got here, and you’re already using chopsticks quite well. I wonder if that’s a result of effort?”

Hmm!

After that thought crossed my mind, I answered Claire.

“Well, there’s a way to watch it for free.”

I still needed to think a bit about whether to do 4DX or whatever, but I’d been able to watch regular movies that way multiple times since college.

“Really?”

“Yes. However, it takes a little time. And it might hurt a bit.”

Claire looked shocked at my words, and Alice froze. Both of them were looking at me with somewhat horrified expressions.

Whoa, what?

“…If you’re thinking of something inappropriate, you have nothing to worry about. It’s all totally legal and not sexual at all.”

Hearing that, both of them seemed a bit relieved, but now their expressions were filled with doubt.

Uh?

“It’s something done by a public institution, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

I said once again, but both of them still just tilted their heads.

Huh?

Ding!

“Oh, I see now.”

It was only when I brought the two to the blood donation center that Alice nodded.

Woop woop!

That’s right. If you donate blood at the blood donation center, you can get free movie tickets!

Woohoo!

Coincidentally, all three of us had just turned 16. Of course, on the registration card, it said 18.

Hmm!

“Donate blood?”

After seeing Claire tilt her head in confusion, Alice explained.

“It’s for people who have lost blood due to an accident or are low on blood during surgery. It’s to make sure they don’t die from excessive bleeding. But if you ask someone for blood for free, hardly anyone would do it, so they give away prizes.”

Prize prize!

“You can’t just buy it with money?”

“That would definitely be a problem too.”

Alice seemed to have read about it online.

Buzz!

After finishing the explanation, Alice pondered for a moment and then looked at me.

“By the way… since we came from another world, is it really okay for us to donate our blood?”

…Huh?

Chapter 369

But you see…

The goddess we’re dealing with is the goddess of ‘Order,’ right?

She’s the kind of being who’s prepared us with our own resident IDs to not ‘mix’ in this world.

Plus, did she ensure that we would properly blend into the system of this world, worrying about the things that could happen with just those resident IDs?

You can tell how difficult that must have been just by thinking about it for a little while.

Selecting our birthdates and pretending like officials registered our births on that day…

And on top of that, the only reason we can act like adults is because we’ve been recognized as having gone through actual schooling!

This country’s mandatory education is elementary and middle school, right? If we didn’t have those nine years of records, we wouldn’t be able to act normally. We’d have to go find our parents—who, in this place, don’t even exist—and ask them for forgiveness for any crimes!

It would be a different story if we fell into a country where resident registration wasn’t mandatory, but of all places, this country requires fingerprints along with the resident IDs, making it a huge pain to create any sort of documentation.

It would actually be much easier to fit our genetic information to this world. That’s just a matter of having a little fun with our bodies.

If there was something among the diseases here that could severely threaten our lives or, conversely, if there was a disease we had that could cause a serious pandemic here, we’d be in big trouble by now.

We even booked a hotel and went sightseeing, weaving in and out of many people!

“…So, you’re saying it shouldn’t be a big deal for us to donate blood?”

“That’s right.”

Of course, since the goddess is the goddess of ‘Order.’

Manipulating things may be easier, but the impact could be way more severe.

Would the goddess really just leave things be?

Honestly, the fact that this world and the other world even work together is strange.

If the goddess hadn’t considered those thoughts, she wouldn’t have thrown me back here again.

…If she was just tossing me aside to take revenge and now regretting it while pulling her hair out, that would be her own karma.

“If it seems too complicated, shall we postpone the blood donation? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to head to a hospital for a health check first.”

“Mm.”

While Alice was pondering, I caught a glimpse of Claire looking a bit disappointed from a short distance away, and I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“There’s no need to worry too much. The movie theater prices aren’t sky-high.”

If we could watch it for free, that’s great, but it’s not priced so that we absolutely can’t watch it.

Plus—

I pulled out my smartphone and opened the movie theater app.

Right.

Typically, movies that premiere at dawn tend to have early bird discounts regardless of the showtimes.

It was still 10 a.m., and given the commuting patterns of working people, it was a weekday.

“Yup, there it is.”

Of all weekdays, Monday was the busiest, so naturally, there wouldn’t be many people making reservations for morning shows.

At 10:30, there was one movie qualifying for the early bird discount. The theater wasn’t too far from here.

“There’s a movie we can get a discount on, but would you like to go watch it?”

“Okay!”

Claire’s eyes sparkled as she repeatedly nodded her head at my question.

How cute.

I wondered if Claire and Alice had ever watched a horror movie in Azernar?

*

And I realized something I had forgotten.

It had been a few years since I last watched a horror movie.

Having enjoyed various genres of movies, I’d developed some resilience to horror films, but my tolerance for those ‘jump scare’ scenes slowly fades if I didn’t watch such movies or play horror games.

The issue was, I had feelings of ‘fear’ while watching those horror movies.

“…If there’s such a clumsy opponent charging in, wouldn’t it be manageable with the skills we have here?”

As I exited with an empty popcorn bucket, Alice was seriously pondering the realism of the movie.

That’s right.

Though shooting techniques, makeup, and CGI advances made movies quite realistic, conversely, the more you know about that ‘reality,’ the more disconnect you feel because of the alluring realism.

If I’d watched a live theater play, I would think, ‘that’s just fake,’ and it would feel a bit easier, but with Alice’s standards of having actually fought with ‘knives,’ those ‘civilians’ charging in with just a kitchen knife aren’t much of a threat.

“Tut tut.”

Claire didn’t actually click her tongue; she just gave a teasing expression like a playful kitten and said to Alice, confidently.

“Movies are basically an extension of theater, after all. Even if there are standout scenes, you need to close your eyes and accept it.”

It seemed Claire was simply enjoying the fact of having watched a movie in a theater rather than worrying about the movie’s unreality, with a smile on her face.

The problem was that we had just emerged from a ‘horror movie’ with no survivors in sight!

Could it be that I really was the only one scared?

I thought seriously.

So, during the movie—

“Sister, you screamed ‘Eek!’ didn’t you?”

…..

“After that, you were trembling just looking at the knife in the killer’s hand.”

Alice chimed in from beside me.

“…I…”

“Ah, right!”

Claire said excitedly.

“But still, sis, you love horror movies, right? You bought the ticket after all.”

“……”

Well, yeah, I did say that. I do find them somewhat enjoyable.

Even if I get surprised here and there, that’s part of the flavor of watching horror movies. Of course, while some horror movies don’t rely on jump scares, I prefer those kinds, but opinions often vary on that.

However, what Claire seemed to imply was a bit scary.

What idea was she concocting to wear such an expression?

Was she really suggesting we binge on horror films continuously on streaming sites?

“Ah, wait.”

But Claire turned the conversation elsewhere, ignoring my anxious look.

“Now that we’ve watched a movie, it’s lunchtime!”

“…Didn’t you have something you wanted to say?”

When I asked, noticing Claire’s sudden shift in topic, she just tilted her head innocently.

“Eh~? No, not at all?”

“Um, it is true that it’s lunchtime.”

Alice interjected, having eavesdropped on our conversation.

“So how do you want to have lunch? Do you want to eat outside? Or go home?”

“…”

Alice probably didn’t read Claire’s thoughts.

Though the two sisters bore a slight resemblance to each other, that was strongly denied. Their upbringing was different, or perhaps their mother was different; there were plenty of aspects that couldn’t be said to resemble each other at all.

However, there are times they strangely connect emotionally.

Especially whenever they put me in a spot.

I felt that way from living with them for the past few weeks.

Though they were not in sync enough to share thoughts, they quickly catch on when one of them has an ‘interesting idea’ and will subtly set the stage for cooperation without outrightly saying so.

That’s how it was now.

Well… Since we got here, they’ve slyly fed me spicy things or made me eat food that looks like it wouldn’t be spicy but actually is, or they outrightly had me eat something spicy while lying about it not being spicy, but still, I felt like it was a bit much for the two of them to team up like that.

They did buy me plenty of sweets, after all.

“…Fine. I can’t say what you two are thinking, but I guess filling our hungry bellies comes first.”

Well, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to let it slide this time.

It wasn’t like they did something I genuinely hated.

Even if their hearts didn’t fully overlap, the most important common ground between them was that they wouldn’t cross certain lines.

They hadn’t explicitly said it, but from what I could tell, that much seemed certain.

“Since we’re out, how about we eat outside?”

“Sounds good!”

“I’m in favor too.”

The way both girls reacted to my suggestion was exuberant.

…Well, they have resident IDs stating they’re adults, still being only sixteen.

As the eldest, I suppose it’s okay to take it easy a bit.

*

And soon enough, I understood what Claire was thinking.

“…Are you suggesting a horror game?”

“Yep.”

“From the stream?”

“Yep.”

When I looked at Claire in surprise, she gave me a look like a quirky orange cat from an animation.

“…Is that bad?”

“……”

Looking quietly at Claire, I released a deep sigh.

“…Do you have any game in mind?”

“Of course!”

Well, I’ve played my fair share of horror games.

Sure, if the stream keeps going in one pattern, that could be a problem too.

That said, it didn’t mean I wouldn’t sigh.

Sigh~.

Chapter 370

[What is this? Are we playing a horror game today?]

[Have we been stuck on one game for too long? LOL]

“…Yes, after our three-person experience, we believe sticking to one game for a long time might be a bit tiresome. If you all want to continue with the previous game—”

[Actually, that’s fine!]

[Are you trying to sneak something in?]

[Whose idea was this?]

“…It was Claire’s idea.”

[Well done, Crown Princess!]

[Excellent thought!]

“Hehe.”

“…”

I can’t believe I have no allies here.

Of course, I understand why. I used to watch those streamers who played horror games religiously when they uploaded videos.

I rarely watched live streams, but no streamer would neglect to upload good content to YouTube. Many who dislike horror games end up playing them due to audience demands; after all, if they’ve painstakingly cleared a horror game, they might as well make a video out of it.

In fact, horror game videos tend to get pretty good views.

There’s a reason these videos rack up views on YouTube. It’s not just about the streamer’s reactions; people find the story and setting intriguing while having a natural reluctance to play due to the horror genre’s entry barrier.

But if someone else plays through the horror game, and even gives hints about jump scares in the video, it becomes much easier to watch.

That’s why horror games might not sell as well, but their videos do quite well.

Since I’m already playing, why not edit it a bit and upload it?

Thinking about it, I could probably cut and piece the full version together.

…Well, let’s just keep that thought for now. Starting something simple is often way more annoying and involves more learning than expected.

“Thanks to Claire’s determination not to teach me, I’m still unaware of what kind of game she has installed.”

The fact that “it’s not selling well” applies to both horror movies and horror games. Occasionally, there are those rare hits, but they’re typically the minority.

Thus, on both sides, the number of works made by major production companies that cost hundreds of billions is surprisingly low.

And the cheaper productions usually release on PC first since they are easier to publish.

The game Claire prepared is one of those.

“I’ve selected popular titles, so look forward to it!”

With Claire’s excited voice, Alice next to her couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Alright then…”

“Ah, wait!”

Claire shouted and suddenly jumped up, dashing somewhere.

And—

click.

The lights in the room went out.

But the light from the monitor wasn’t too dim, so our faces were still visible on camera. It was just that the noise increased and the frame rate dropped.

“…”

So this means she’s determined to make this a scary environment, huh?

Well, fine. Since we’ve come this far, I’ll grit my teeth and endure it.

I launched the game platform program that Claire had prepared.

There was no background music on the main screen.

[Oh!]

[Isn’t this that trending one?]

“Do you all know what game this is?”

[Hmm?]

[Bzzz bzzz bzzz.]

[Ban this user!]

“…”

Well, that’s a spoiler from the start.

That’s fine. After all, horror games generally share similar concepts. I’ve played a few before. Sure, it’s been a while, so I’m bound to get startled, but let’s see how long I can hold out.

The main screen without background music displayed the entrance of a decaying hospital.

The protagonist who decided to enter there during a stormy night surely wasn’t normal.

Moreover, every time lightning struck the sky, the interior of the building became partially visible, showing that there was definitely someone in a corner of the hospital’s highest floor.

“…Are we starting?”

Alice, who was next to me, asked.

[Scared?]

Someone in the chat poked at my weak point.

“…I will start.”

With those words, I had no choice but to proceed.

*

And about 30 minutes later.

“…Claire.”

“Yeah?”

“Is there no means of attack in this game?”

“Yeah. There’s none, it’s a horror game, right?”

No.

Even horror games usually give you at least some means of attack! There are numerous famous zombie game series, or those settings where humanity transforms due to some indescribable alien device.

There are so many games like that! You can still be scared even if you have weapons!

Yet here I was, playing for a full 30 minutes without receiving a single weapon.

The only thing I had was a flashlight with limited battery.

And why does the battery for this flashlight run out so quickly? Flashlights that take two AA batteries usually last for hours, but it seems this game only lasts about 10 minutes.

“What’s scary about holding an offensive tool?”

“…”

Alice next to me asked, leaving me speechless.

True.

Most horror games I’ve played so far have protagonists wielding weapons.

Even if the ammunition is limited and sometimes it’s better to run away than fight, simply having something in hand provides a great psychological comfort. Plus, in those games, offensive tools usually increase as you progress, or you get mechanisms to upgrade the weapons, thus the action often becomes more intense than the horror in the later stages.

But not in this game.

This game even had stamina limits for running!

“You’ve shot a gun before, haven’t you? Wasn’t that scary?”

“…”

[Were you even a high school girl? LOL]

A donator ridiculed me.

[Didn’t you try bravery training as a child?]

Another donator made fun of me.

Well, still, most bravery training doesn’t happen in a closed mental hospital!

[Scared?]

“…”

I clutched the mouse tightly with my right hand while pressing the W key down with my left.

*

“AHHH!?”

Yeah, I expected that.

If there weren’t any jump scare moments in a game like this, that would be a problem in itself.

The story was extremely simple.

The protagonist, who is a streamer, enters a mental hospital seeking some views, but ends up trapped as the interior keeps changing, a story that feels oddly familiar.

The objective was to rummage through the unnecessarily maze-like hospital, unlocking keys and descending stairs.

And of course, there were monsters roaming around that maze.

The monsters didn’t just pop up directly to scare you; they reacted to player sounds or casually wandered into your line of sight, which, though not a triggered event, was enough to startle someone.

With gritted teeth, I pressed the W key down.

“Pressing the button hard won’t make the character go faster, you know?”

But the way Alice said that while gripping my arm and focusing her gaze on the screen was a sight to behold.

Didn’t she say horror films aren’t scary?

By the way, Claire, who chose the game, also quietly watched the screen.

From behind, there were unpleasant sounds of moans and breaths, mixed with an icky atmosphere. The fact that I was wearing headphones made it feel like those sounds were coming ‘from behind me.’

It was visually displeasing as well, this being that its eyes were stretched wide with a stapler jammed through, nearly skull-like and dressed in constraints.

If it had just looked like that, it might have been better, but its abdomen bulged unnaturally. Anyone could tell it was luridly excited seeing the protagonist, even though he was a guy.

THUMP!

But fortunately, the game had lockers the player could hide in, so if I hid there, the monsters would turn around and go away.

“Phew…”

That genuinely startled me.

Having no means to fight while feeling something following me from behind was extremely unsettling.

Additionally, since there was simply no time to observe the monsters properly, I had to gauge their appearance based on quick glimpses that got burned into my mind, almost like I was taking glimpses of photographs.

“…Claire.”

“Yeah?”

“At the very least, could we turn on the light?”

As I asked while hiding in a locker, Claire thought for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah, then—”

Ding!

[Play in the dark until it ends – 20,000 won]

“…”

Claire, who had been about to stand up, slowly sat back down.

No.

“…Then, since I’ve run once already, how about we switch turns now?”

Ding!

[Crown Princess Sylvia to play until the end – 30,000 won]

“…”

I raised my hand and pressed my temple.

“Everyone, did I do something wrong? How about negotiating?”

[Scared?]

[Lol! You’ve mostly been playing alone until now!]

…Well, I mostly played, true.

But that was just how the broadcast format had been set up! It’s not like I wanted to do it alone! Initially, they couldn’t even read Korean!

But no matter how I try to justify it, they wouldn’t believe it since they had resident IDs.

“Everyone, please don’t—”

Ding!

With increasing stakes for me to keep playing until the end, another 20,000 won was added to the mission.

“Everyone, calm down—”

BANG!

“AHHH!?”

As I was talking to the audience, a sudden noise ringing in my ears caused me to turn around in a panic and there was a muscular guy, not a shred of skin left on him, opening the locker and pulling me out.

“Does this game… have a time limit?”

[Lol!]

[Lol!]

“No, not really—”

As I reacted, the screen jerkingly turned in a strange direction, and then I saw myself fall to the ground.

And slowly the screen blurred until—

“…”

It went back to the very first screen, meaning about an hour ago.

“…Does this game have saving options?”

[It’s manual.]

“…”

I pressed my forehead with my hand.

Chapter 371

Popular games among streamers usually have one of two reasons.

One is simply a masterpiece that attracts viewers as soon as it’s turned on.

The other is that the game is ridiculously hard, scary, or just plain terrible, causing suffering for the player, which in turn draws in viewers.

Horror games often use not only the internal atmosphere of the game but also the external anxiety arising from absurdity as elements of fear.

For example, a game where you have to shoot zombies but can’t do a moving shot.

Or making it so that you need items for saves, putting a limit on the number of saves you can do at once, or only allowing saves in specific locations at the same time.

Forcing players to operate light sources through items in a dark background, thus making it mandatory to play in the dark.

This game didn’t have weapons, so it didn’t fit the first condition, but it met all the other criteria.

Furthermore, save points were at the beginning of each chapter, so to save, I had to return to where I had started.

But since the game is a “maze,” no map is provided.

With monsters roaming inside the maze, it was quite difficult to leisurely navigate using left and right techniques.

And the fact that the save point was at the starting part meant that even if progress gets saved, I still had to start from the ‘beginning of the maze’ to go that far. If I died once, I respawned from that far place.

“…This is a crap game…”

[Oh, it’s not a crap game!]

[It still scored highly!]

[If it were a crap game, would it have sold that well? LOL]

A ton of viewers responded to my mumblings.

Yeah, I know. The level design is pretty unique and well done, and there are a lot of objects scattered throughout, so the paths I’ve taken kind of stick in my mind.

Monsters stubbornly chase me, but there’s still enough hiding places here and there.

As long as it’s not that skinless hellspawn monster, I won’t die in one hit, and the health automatically regenerates, so once I adapt, I can somewhat explore the maze.

But… but, I still couldn’t admit it!

Because I’m in pain right now!

“Eek!”

[LOL]

[Are you doing that on purpose?]

Why would I do that on purpose?

I don’t want to scream like some concept-obsessed person!

Thud.

Once again, my character’s neck snapped.

And then—

“Huh?”

Was the timing of the respawn not great? As soon as my character respawned, I heard a shuffling noise nearby.

It was a monster sporting chains on its feet, making its debut in this chapter.

[King Buro]

[Just for donations!]

Two donations came in one after another.

You think I would do that on purpose?

The amount for this mission was going over 150,000 won combined. Adding that to the donation I’ve received so far made it the highest amount I had earned over the days we had been streaming.

But why the heck would I do that!?

“Where… where am I supposed to go? The path is blocked!?”

[Ugh, ugh, ugh]

[If you give hints, you’ll get banned!]

“I won’t get banned!”

Ding ding ding.

[Please ring the hint bell!]

Ugh…!

When I used to watch streams, I didn’t understand why streamers hated the hint bell, but now I get it.

Streamers and viewers are fundamentally different creatures.

Accepting help from someone while grappling with my dignity isn’t something I can accept.

Of course, if they really want to help, I wouldn’t refuse, but I certainly don’t want to ask for help first.

Gasp!

I clenched my teeth to avoid screaming.

I turned around and ran with all my might from the suddenly appearing monster, barely finding a locker to hide in.

And without realizing it, I moved my hand towards the Esc key, then dropped it.

There’s a time limit in the game, so if players dawdle without passing a certain section—probably a stage—a skinless muscular monster spawns from outside the player’s view.

The walking speed of that monster is slower than the player, but unlike other monsters, it follows the player’s position with pinpoint accuracy.

Plus, since it knows the location, hiding in the locker is useless.

The problem is, I don’t know the timing for when that monster appears in the game. While I could identify it by its ordinary footfalls, that’s only because it’s different from the other monsters; the spawn location is random, and the sound isn’t loud enough to be heard from a distance.

Which means I won’t know if it has spawned until I see it directly.

If I press the Esc key to bring up the menu, time freezes in the game but—

[Look at that hand!]

[We can see your arm moving!]

…there’s no way the viewers are just going to let that slide.

In reality, even if I brought up the menu, I would end up getting caught anyway, but that was something my pride wouldn’t allow.

“Sister, if it’s too hard, I can take over.”

“Right. Alternating might make it a bit easier.”

At first, the two were a bit scared, but after watching scary scenes for a while, maybe they became immune because they returned to their usual expressions.

No, not just their usual expressions; they looked worried about me.

Maybe it’s because we had been gaming for four hours straight.

…Usually, I would take a break after just a bit over two hours of playing games, so it made sense, but this was somewhat of a pride battle.

Not just pride, but…

If I didn’t finish this today, I’d have to continue tomorrow.

I really didn’t want that.

I have to finish this somehow today and wrap it up for good.

I bit my teeth.

Ah, really.

If only I had a power to rewind time.

*

I went through countless absurdities.

“Eek!?”

Because I took too long, a hellspawn was chasing behind me while a rigid, creepy monster came charging at me from the front.

“Wait…?”

I got caught because I got snagged on a tiny object, and—

“Gyaaa!”

Got caught by a monster in front of the stairs.

I even ran towards the stairs, which were in front of me, even while a monster was coming from behind, so I had no room for excuses.

…Regardless, after enduring through all those numerous absurdities, about an hour later.

“I… did it…”

[Human Victory]

[Wow]

[Ooooh]

[LMAO]

That’s right. I cleared it.

Just because it’s a famous game, I thought the story might be grand, but it really wasn’t. After playing through till the end, the game’s fame was probably only due to its unique progression style.

The extremely simple goal of finding stairs to escape the hospital, with the clever traps the player encounters along the way.

Naturally, there were times where I had to break through or circumvent obstacles on my path.

So, judging purely by the game itself, I could say it’s an excellent game that relies solely on gameplay. The save points were downright annoying, but that was honestly a bit of a stretch.

Although I didn’t want to admit it, placing a monster that knows the protagonist’s position was a brilliant choice.

“It was nothing special.”

[?]

[?]

[What?]

I said that while ignoring countless hooks.

“Isn’t five hours reasonable for finishing a game?”

“Sister… that’s so pathetic…”

“……”

[LMAO]

[LOL]

To think Claire would say something like that to me, I must’ve been a bit pathetic.

“And, even though I cleared it in five hours, it’s already 2 AM. That’s well past my usual bedtime.”

Alice said that while yawning with her hand covering her mouth.

“……”

Hmm.

To be honest, I took so many saves while playing cowardly that it also took longer.

It did, but…!

“Anyway, we cleared it, didn’t we? Since the broadcast was longer than usual, isn’t that a win for everyone?”

I made that argument with a steel plate on my face.

[Hmmm]

[That seems to be the case?]

[But how am I supposed to go to work tomorrow, Sylvia?]

“Who forced you to watch the stream with a gun pointed at you?”

[LOL, it kinda seems like that though]

You’ve got a 10-minute timeout.

“In that case, since I kept the lights off until clearing the game and I played all the way through alone, I will consider all the missions a success.”

The total income from the missions had nearly reached around 400,000 won combined.

For a while, I could finally breathe easy.

I barely held back a smile on my face.

[Please do it again next time]

Would I?

As I ended the stream and tidied up around me,

“Sister.”

“……”

Then I heard someone calling me, and when I turned to look, Claire was sparkling at me with wide eyes.

“You’ll do it again next time, right?”

“……”

In that innocent and pure gaze, I momentarily lost my composure.

Looking over at Alice, she just shrugged and smiled.

Looks like she’s on their side.

Is it fun for them to watch me suffer?

But when I thought about it again, that must be the instinct of siblings. Normally, siblings often drag each other down.

“If you both promise to play next time, I’ll make sure to play when it’s my turn.”

“Sounds good! Actually, I was a little curious too. I could only watch because of the missions.”

“Since I’m interested, well…”

Good.

I’ll have to pick the next game.

…It has to be the scariest game I can think of.

Chapter 372

Shall we talk a bit about food preferences?

Of course, my taste is just the standard palate of a typical Korean. I don’t particularly enjoy overly rich dishes and prefer moderately salty and spicy food.

Having spent quite a long time in Azernar—well, not so much the cuisine of Azernar itself, but mainly the foods from Velbur and Niberia—I’ve adapted somewhat, but it seems I’ve failed to completely erase my fundamental taste.

It’s a bit surprising that even though my body has completely changed, my taste buds have remained the same. Could this kind of taste be related to the soul?

…Anyway, in that sense, life has been enjoyable lately.

Eating kimchi stew, soybean paste stew, and various soup dishes has given me strength. Plus, isn’t this place a different world from Azernar? Not only Korean food, but I can almost eat all the Asian dishes I couldn’t have over there.

I should eat as much as I can since I won’t get to enjoy it again once I go back—at least that’s what I was thinking.

However, I couldn’t ignore the tastes of the two people spending time with me.

Both of them have taken quite a liking to Korean food, but still, I can’t just serve them Korean dishes all the time.

Excluding the many local foods of the Empire of Aetherna that are hard to identify, it seems that even if I gather up various foods that are more or less worth trying, the food available in Azernar is typically rich.

Moreover, rather than using chili, sauces often use tomatoes or cream, and the shape of the noodles is closer to spaghetti than thin noodles. Given that it’s based on quantities, that’s to be expected. Besides, it’s a perspective influenced by how a Japanese person sees the West, so it’s understandable that the food might feel a bit exaggeratedly Western.

Claire and Alice look at me.

No matter how much I say to relax, they can’t help it. If you’re leeching off someone else’s home without paying a dime, anyone with normal feelings would be conscious.

So even if the taste of the meal isn’t quite right for them—

“Y-yeah, it’s delicious. It’s not that spicy.”

They say that while sweating profusely, or,

“I can definitely say that foreign food is worth trying.”

They remark, unable to finish half the meal.

Right, even if it’s foreign food, it’ll taste good the first time you eat it. Maybe even the second or third time.

But if you keep eating it, you’ll get tired of it.

The reason I attempted to make dishes like spaghetti or went to the highest-rated nearby bakery to buy bread was for this reason. I wanted my sisters to not have a bad impression of the food here.

Anyway, despite that, seeing their reactions while eating fairly decent Western cuisine—mostly European food—sparkled their eyes, so I figured it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Yeah.

“I thought so.”

“…Claire, I was counting on you.”

“Ehh!? What’s wrong, sis? Did I do something wrong?”

You did.

After we streamed a horror game, our viewers increased. We didn’t create a separate account on the streaming site, but it seems that clips and GIFs of my scared moments spread around various communities.

Thanks to that, more people started asking about us, and naturally, the donations poured in.

I thought we might be able to enjoy a cushier life now and thought about ordering some pizza—

“…What’s this?”

Alice, after opening the pizza box, tilted her head.

Yes. The pizza inside the box had pineapple on it.

“…Well, it’s not wrong.”

True, it’s not wrong.

No country has made it a crime to put pineapple on pizza. It might be illegal in Italy—although honestly, if you put it that way, most Korean pizza would be illegal—but anyway, it wasn’t to my taste.

“Is that so?”

But Claire seemed unsure, looking up at me with a slight bow.

…Right, it’s not like Claire did anything wrong.

After all, for these two, all the food in this country is ‘foreign food.’ Even if we buy fish and chips we had in Azernar, it’s ultimately British food, not food from the Empire of Aetherna.

That means these two have no fundamental sense of what ‘food should be like.’ Since everything they eat here is basically their first time trying it.

I should have thought of that first.

“Pineapple on pizza is fresh.”

Fresh, indeed.

It might be sacrilegious.

“Isn’t it? That’s why I ordered it.”

Claire said, her face lighting up with a smile.

Now that I think about it, I think mint chocolate was also made in England.

…I must choose the flavor if we go for ice cream. That could’ve been a disaster.

“Sis.”

When I finally came to my senses upon being called, Claire and Alice were looking up at me, surrounding the pizza box.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Claire still looked a bit anxious as she looked up at me.

…Well, it’s not like I’m going to die just because there’s pineapple on the pizza.

Even though I dislike the idea of pineapple being cooked on pizza, what can I do? The pizza’s already here.

I cautiously sat down in the empty spot.

Both Claire, who thinks of me as her older sister, and Alice, who sees me as her younger sister, seemed to be waiting for me to start eating.

They shouldn’t have to be so aware of it.

“Well then, shall we eat?”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s do that.”

I picked up the first slice of pizza.

Pepperoni and cheese were delicately combined, and on top—was pineapple.

After a brief hesitation, I took a bite of the pizza.

The first thing that touched my tongue was the still-warm pizza dough.

After one chew, the melted pizza cheese became immediately apparent. It wasn’t too rich, and the subtly savory yet strangely salty flavor was very similar to the pizza I usually eat.

It tasted a bit different from the pizza in Azernar, but to be honest, I prefer this pizza more.

As I chewed the pizza again, the taste of sausage hit me. The slightly spicy flavor of the pepperoni sausage came through.

As I slowly savored the familiar Western taste and moved my jaw again—

I felt the pineapple.

The sweet flavor of the tropical fruit enveloped my tongue in an instant.

Honestly, I like pineapple. I could easily finish a can by myself.

But, pineapple on pizza? Really? Why?

I tried not to scowl. I hoped my two sisters—especially Claire, who picked the pizza—wouldn’t feel hurt.

“It’s delicious!”

“See? It really is tasty.”

I see. It really is good.

Compared to the food of the Empire of Aetherna, it’s overwhelmingly better.

Still, the more I put it in my mouth, the increasingly edible it seemed.

If only it didn’t have pineapple.

“Go ahead and have more.”

I finished a slice of pizza and picked up another while saying that.

“Wait? Is that it for you, sis?”

“Yeah, I think this much is fine for me.”

“Is that so? Did you have a hearty breakfast?”

Alice tilted her head.

More like… I just don’t feel like eating more. Of course, I don’t think it’s a meal I find completely disgusting.

The two of them, even while being aware of me, polished off the remaining slices.

…If I had eaten more, it would have been insufficient.

*

“Both of you, there’s something to talk about.”

At my words, Claire and Alice exchanged glances and then knelt before me.

“…Why are you sitting like that?”

“Um, no, it’s just that, during the meal earlier, I felt like you were a bit upset.”

Even so, I wouldn’t get angry just because they ordered something I didn’t particularly like.

And I didn’t completely refuse to eat it either.

“You don’t need to be tense; I’m not angry.”

Still, seeing the two of them kneeling, I held back a sigh and placed a card in front of each of them.

“Uh.”

“This is.”

“This is a debit card.”

Basically, the money I earned is my own money. Of course, I don’t plan to use it solely for myself and am thinking of keeping it as a reserve for emergencies.

But it’s a good idea to split the money earned through streaming accurately among the three of us.

It’s not like I’m the only one earning it.

Of course, while it hasn’t been settled yet, I can still see how much we’ve made.

“I’ve set aside an appropriate amount from the money we earned through broadcasting. Both of you get the same amount.”

In fact, I had already opened accounts for them beforehand. They each created an online banking account, and these cards were the debit cards I applied for at that time.

“If you want anything, you can spend it within that limit. If you need something but don’t have enough money, I’ll give you more.”

“Really…?”

Claire took the card with a slightly bewildered expression.

“…Can we really use it for personal stuff?”

“I trust you two.”

“…”

From my words, the two seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

“I’m sorry for just receiving it like this.”

Claire spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s not like that. It’s not something you should feel bad about.”

I smiled gently at Claire and responded.

“If I were here alone, I’d just wither away. Thanks to you two, I’m able to enjoy each day. And this money isn’t solely mine.”

“…I’ll pay you back one day.”

Alice spoke.

“I’m already in the process of repaying you.”

“…”

At my words, Claire and Alice were silent for a moment before—

“Eek!?”

They both jumped at me at once.

No, if you want to give me a thank-you hug, could you please be a little gentler?

I thought that while smiling and patting the backs of both of them.

Chapter 373

When Claire and Alice set up their bank accounts, we added some of the money we earned, but we also threw in a little extra cash.

It wasn’t a massive amount. I contributed a sum and divided the total money by three.

The utility bills and food costs were manageable with the money I earned, and considering the savings I’d built up while working, it wasn’t a big issue.

Anyway, it wasn’t an amount that could be considered “huge,” but still enough to buy “something nice.” While not enough for the latest smartphone, you could get a decent coat, branded sneakers, small accessories, or a pair of Bluetooth earphones.

So, I was curious about how the two would spend the money.

They might use it on street food when they go out or pop into an accessory shop to buy earrings, rings, or necklaces, or even cosmetics—but aside from food, this country’s culture was vastly different from the Empire of Aetherna, and everything they’d see would be brand-new to them.

But then I thought, would cosmetics from this country suit them? I don’t know much about skin tones, but apparently, there’s a noticeable difference between Eastern and Western skin tones. Even if they looked similar, they might lack melanin or something.

…Well, if they had experience with makeup, they probably knew more than I did. I didn’t wear any even when Grace’s voice rang like a black lily.

A day passed after I had that thought.

So, to put it simply, it was the day right after I handed over the check cards.

“I want to go somewhere,” Alice said to me, surprising me a bit.

I thought Claire would be the first to say something like that.

“If it’s a place we can return to before the broadcast time, I don’t see why not,” I replied.

Since there hadn’t been any announcement about taking a break, I figured it was fine. If someone was actually sick or an urgent issue popped up that prevented them from broadcasting, then I believed a notice should be up the day before.

After all, I had never been late until now.

Once trust is broken, all the built-up reliability can collapse in an instant.

“I know that.”

And Alice was not the type to ignore that fact. In fact, she was far more meticulous about such things than I was.

With the exception of that time we played a horror game and stayed up late, Alice and Claire always woke me up early in the morning.

Ever since I got them smartphones, their alarms were always set for the exact same time.

At least Claire wasn’t waking up as early as when she was doing requests.

After getting familiar with this neighborhood, they would go out for a morning breeze and light exercise together. Sometimes, they’d even bike around Yeouido Park like before.

Anyway, as long as they come back by dinner time, it’s all good.

“Okay. Then let’s get ready and head out.”

I had already showered in the morning, so all I had to do was get dressed.

Although Alice looked a bit tense, which made me feel a little nervous as well.

Well, would Alice really take us somewhere strange?

*

It wasn’t a strange place.

Or rather, it might seem strange to certain people.

These days, it was a spot where couples went on dates, but if you were to ask whether it’s a weird place in this modern age, it would definitely raise a few eyebrows: the International Electronics Market, commonly known as “Gukjeon.”

For reference, it was almost an hour away by subway from where I lived, so in Seoul residents’ sense of distance, it was quite far.

But I didn’t really care about that.

“Were you interested in this sort of place?”

If that was the case, they should have said so beforehand!

Though I may look nonchalant on the surface, deep down, a flame of otaku passion was still burning.

Even after returning here, I hadn’t bothered to look for new releases, but if I started, I would definitely binge a few titles. Plus, I was at an age where I would normally start feeling aches and pains, but becoming Sylvia Fanggriffon had corrected a lot of those issues.

“…Not yet.”

“Not yet, but coming all the way here shows interest, doesn’t it?”

“Hey, where is this place?”

“It’s a place where I can buy the game packages I have or a little Alice at my house.”

Of course, I rarely bought anything here. I sometimes dropped by to treat myself and picked up a couple of dumped games.

There’s a store that offers discounts for cash purchases, but honestly, it’s better to buy online and earn points instead.

Still, I wouldn’t deny the appeal of seeing and purchasing something right in front of me.

Anyway, I was an otaku, so…

“Oh.”

Claire’s eyes sparkled at my explanation, but Alice frowned.

“So that’s a no.”

But to me, imagining taking Alice to a doujinshi event was all that mattered.

But then I thought, do the three of us have to cosplay if we attend? I heard they charge a separate registration fee.

Given how we looked, I didn’t think they would believe us if we claimed we just came to look around. The event had a somewhat haphazard organizational style.

Well, that’s a story for another time.

“Have you been here before?”

When Alice asked that, I nodded.

“Then, could you possibly guide us? I know it’s the 9th floor…”

Alice said a bit shyly, and I nodded in agreement.

“Of course.”

It’s always welcome to have more companions.

It was still morning. It wouldn’t take long to look around before heading out.

Perhaps we’d hit Hongdae or Yongsan in the afternoon.

As I pondered seriously, I led the two toward the elevator.

*

As soon as Alice and Claire stepped into the 9th floor, they were both a bit shocked.

“Uh…”

“So, um…”

They might not have realized it when looking at just a single figure in my room, but there were countless other figures in the world.

For example—

“Cough.”

Claire made a sound as if her throat was choking, and when I looked over, I found the exact Claire figure I had missed out on before.

Seeing the price tag on the figure meant it was likely a second-hand item.

Claire’s expression made Alice strangely satisfied as she led the way into that store.

“Hey, wait—”

Claire looked a bit flustered, but she didn’t hesitate to follow.

As is typical for stores in this kind of market, the interior was quite cramped. However, among similar stores, this one was relatively large, but with all three of us, plus the people already inside, it felt packed.

Furthermore—

“Yikes.”

Even Claire’s reaction was enough that everyone in the store turned to look at the three of us.

Alice, who had gone in first, looked a bit stunned as if she couldn’t dare to enter.

…Well, I get it.

The three of us looked like we were dressed up for cosplay.

In terms of subculture, the Chronicles of Aetherna doesn’t take up a large space. It’s a fairly popular game series, but it’s not like it reached a phenomenon level in Japan or held a large share at doujin events.

But this place is also famous for game sales.

Our eye-catching appearance would practically make it impossible for anyone who recognized us to look away.

It’s amusing that all three of us are the actual characters.

As I gently nudged Alice forward, she finally seemed to snap back to reality.

“Um, uhh…. What brings you here?”

The middle-aged man at the cash register stood up and asked.

Alice hesitated, moving her lips a few times before pointing at me with her finger.

…Huh?

Is she signaling me to speak for her?

Surprisingly, the man seemed to get it, nodded, and turned around.

After rummaging through a large box, he asked,

“Huh?”

He pulled out a sizable figure box.

…And on that box was a drawing of none other than me.

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

The cashier said that, then quickly made an awkward expression. Given our apparent foreign status, he must have hesitated.

“Yes, that’s right.”

But Alice calmly confirmed it and visibly relaxed.

The figure was priced at a little over 100,000 won. That amount was enough to buy it and still have some leftover from the money I had put in Alice’s account.

And it was only then, while staring blankly at the payment process, that I realized why Alice came here.

…Is she planning on getting back at me?

For buying her figure?

Or perhaps, did she see it on the broadcast?

Chapter 374

“…….”

No, what are we going to do about this?

I mean, it’s nice to buy the figure, but…

You didn’t seriously buy this just to mess with me, did you?

As someone who once tried collecting figures—well, attempted to at least—I’m not against buying figures, but they’re not exactly ‘toys’ that you can play with.

Especially for the cute girl figures, even if they’re action figures, they aren’t really sturdy and flexible like actual toys. They’re more like things you ‘display’ in a specific pose and admire.

Of course, Alice didn’t buy this with the intention of playing with it.

Besides, this figure didn’t even have movable joints.

“……I bought it for the stream!”

Receiving lukewarm looks, Alice defended herself.

I couldn’t exactly walk around the subway with a giant figure box in hand, so I returned home first. I had lunch once I got back.

I don’t plan on blaming Alice for it, but…

“Are you planning to do an unboxing or something?”

Last time Claire brought up ideas for a horror game, and now Alice is bringing up an unboxing idea?

Of course, Alice’s envisioned content will probably only be about 10 minutes long. If it were a PC or console game, there’d at least be reviews while using the product, but with figures, it’s really just about showing it off.

And that’s precisely why you need to be careful when buying.

The thrill is all about the purchasing, waiting for it to arrive, and unwrapping it. After that, all that’s left is to store it somewhere in the house, and if you didn’t buy something you really liked, you’ll strongly feel, “Why did I buy this?”

In my childhood—when I didn’t know anything about the Chronicles of Aetherna yet—I went through a brief otaku phase and bought a lot of trading figures priced around 10,000 to 20,000 won.

Considering the price, it’s obvious that most of them were of poor quality, and before going to the military, I had a strong moment of clarity and ended up getting rid of them all.

After that, I decided I wouldn’t buy anything unless it was expensive and of good quality. Naturally, I couldn’t afford anything else after buying just one Alice figure.

“……I thought of that when I bought it. Is that not okay?”

Looking at Alice’s expression, it really did seem like she bought it to tease me with an unboxing.

Shouldn’t she show off her figure too? Since I inadvertently made her feel competitive by buying an Alice figure first, it would make for a convincing story.

“I think it’s not a bad idea. But are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“Regret? Why?”

“When I saw the price of the figure earlier, it wasn’t exactly cheap, you know? These decorative items usually end up boring you quickly once you buy them.”

“What do you mean? I plan to take it with me when I go back!”

With those bright eyes, Alice answered that, leaving me speechless.

“……Is that so?”

“Of course! The Imperial Palace has a lot of decorations as well.”

“…….”

Huh.

Wait a minute.

Are you talking about the statues of the past emperors placed throughout the corridors?

“There were full-body representations as well.”

Of course, there were.

There certainly were.

“But weren’t those just depictions of real people? Shouldn’t they be viewed like the portraits hanging in the corridors?”

“Hey, there are mythological figures too. And clearly, carved heroes from local folklore are also placed in towns.”

They do exist!

“So, are you suggesting you’d decorate your room with this?”

“If I’m not going to do that, then why would I spend 140,000 won on it?”

……

Huh.

That’s true.

But dang.

In a place where the concept of otaku doesn’t exist yet, especially in a world where the mass production of such items is nearly impossible, I can’t explain just how unique the concept of otaku is here.

It’s understandable since collecting porcelain from the East, or wine, or even sculptures is seen as a refined hobby of nobles.

……You wouldn’t know that unless you felt it physically in this world.

And it would be nearly impossible to feel that sensibility without visiting related places a few times.

Yeah, that’s true.

“……Alright.”

I stood up.

There are still over six hours left until the broadcast starts.

Getting to the nearest anime place will take much less time than it takes to get to the National Assembly.

If they can’t understand logically, they’ll just have to get it emotionally.

“There’s still plenty of time, do you want to go somewhere together?”

“Where?”

“……It’s a place closely related to the figure we bought today.”

They might even have books related to the Chronicles of Aetherna for sale.

Of course, the ‘connection’ I mentioned doesn’t solely refer to the game franchise.

I meant the overarching otaku culture.

“Where is it?”

Claire, who was listening next to us, asked with sparkling eyes.

Is she really that excited to go out?

After just a few days here, she’s been cooped up at home, and I wonder how she’s coped.

“It’s somewhat like a bookstore but… it specializes in a specific genre of novels and comics. You could say the atmosphere is similar to the place we went today.”

Alice seems to have a rough idea of what kind of place it is, but she doesn’t know the exact location yet.

Well, considering how few days she’s been looking around, she only knows regions like the National Assembly or Yongsan, but nothing about specific shops. People who’ve just become otaku often get surprised to find such places exist in Korea.

“It’s not too far away. Shall we give it a shot?”

“Sounds good!”

Claire exclaimed.

“Well, I’m not against it. What about dinner?”

Alice also got up and added,

“Shall we eat out? There shouldn’t be a shortage of time.”

At those words, Claire’s face lit up.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. Well, it seems they both aren’t strapped for cash yet.

Even if they become tight on money, I plan to cover for them.

But things would change if Alice decides to buy more figures.

*

And then my plans failed miserably.

Thinking back, Hongdae isn’t just a place where otakus gather. In fact, the portion taken up by otakus is minimal, while the rest is just a neighborhood where young people hang out and eat.

I already knew there were many people busking on the streets, and I knew Claire would immediately get distracted by the sights, so I moved straight to my intended destination via the subway passage.

A store filled with comic books, figures, and various character merchandise.

Once I arrived there, I looked at the other two and said,

“What do you think?”

“What do you mean?”

Alice blinked, puzzled by my question.

“How do you feel about the people here?”

“Umm.”

Alice looked around once before replying,

“People absorbed in their hobbies? They all look happy; I think they’re living fun lives doing what they want.”

It seems Alice didn’t have a clue about the problem.

“Yeah, everyone looks happy!”

Indeed.

They do look happy.

Having spent too long with these two, I entirely forgot just how fundamentally righteous they were.

And being righteous also means they view people without prejudice.

Moreover, this place is completely different from the world they originally lived in.

It’s a place where they literally can’t have prejudices. The very concept is drastically different here.

And when you think about it, the stereotypical view of otakus that people usually perceive negatively is surprisingly rare. Most here were wearing clean clothes—

And there were so many women, as if there’s some kind of event happening.

Among them, hardly anyone stood out as an ‘otaku.’

“…….”

Hmm.

Well.

I have no clue.

Let things be as they may.

Chapter 375

“Wow, it’s a comic book!”

Claire sparkled as she entered the bookstore.

Well, of course, it was a specialty comic book store! Sure, it was smaller than the one in our old region, but it was still impressive enough to be called a “specialty store.”

Claire and Alice could read Hangul now. Actually, they were still perfecting it. Even though their learning speed was faster than average, a language that has been written for so long has new stuff popping up no matter how much you study.

But still, they had no problem reading the characters.

Being able to read meant they could use a bit of a short-cut.

If there was a word they didn’t understand just by looking at it, reading it aloud translated it to their ears as well.

… It was a strange feeling in many ways. Even though they were using a different language, it translated in their ears, and if they focused hard enough, they realized it was indeed a different language.

On the flip side, when I used the language from Azernar, it rang in my ears as Korean.

Of course, sometimes reading it out loud would sound different, but as long as it was within a reasonable range of error, it was okay.

And because of that quirk, Claire loved comic books. They were easy to read!

She had almost read everything in my room. Thinking back, it had been a while since I bought comic books. About a year had passed in this world, but in my personal time, several years had gone by.

“If it’s the next volume of the comic book at home, I’ll read it.”

“Really?”

“Yes! Pick whatever you want!”

Claire’s eyes sparkled as she immediately rushed between the shelves.

“Isn’t that a bit too much? Won’t she get spoiled?”

“Claire knows how to distinguish that.”

Alice seemed worried, so I replied like that.

At first glance, she might seem like a childish kid acting impulsively, but she was actually very sensible.

She kept her promises and didn’t take any unnecessary personal risks.

Claire embodied the idea of being a “good child.”

“… Is that so?”

Alice still tilted her head, but well…

… Whatever Alice says goes, but Claire listens to me, so that’s what matters!

Thinking about it again, that description might be slightly shaky, but I decided to trust her for now.

Even if there was a book or two that I didn’t know mixed in, it wouldn’t be a huge financial problem.

“And what we should really worry about right now is…”

As I trailed off and looked around, Alice nodded slightly.

“People are glancing at us. Just like in the morning.”

“That’s right.”

After all, the places we had roamed until now weren’t spots where people shared specific hobbies; they were just ordinary parks or tourist attractions.

Based on our looks, people would just think we were “foreigners” or “dyed foreign-looking people.” It wouldn’t be easy to assume we were cosplaying comic characters unless we ran into fans of the game that we happened to appear from.

But here… this was a place that sold subculture comics and light novels. The chances of being recognized were definitely higher than in regular places.

“Hey…”

And as if my thought was right, someone came up to us.

A pretty decently dressed guy, except for his glasses. He looked like he just graduated from high school.

Besides being a bit skinny, he didn’t stand out too much.

“Are you cosplaying—”

“Nope,” I immediately cut him off.

Seeing that he held a smartphone in both hands, he looked like the kind of guy who asks cosplayers if he could take a picture.

“Excuse me? Oh, yes, I’m sorry!”

At my firm response, the guy hurriedly replied and turned around.

Glancing at where he was headed, I saw a few friends waiting for him. Once he joined them, I could hear a giggling sound. It seemed like someone was teasing him.

“That was kinda sad,” Alice remarked with a slight smirk.

Sure, I felt a bit harsh for shutting him down so coldly, but—

“If I don’t reject properly, more people will come up to us. Out of everyone here, he’s probably the only one who would recognize us.”

“That’s true, but…”

Alice didn’t seem to be blaming me. Since she was someone who played the game and streamed it, she probably knew there would be people who recognized us.

“Sis.”

While waiting with Alice, Claire came over to talk.

“I found it. I tried looking for books related to us, but they seem to be missing…”

“Well, it’s popular, but not so much that we can brag about it,” I said.

It was just popular enough for the main series to get imported. I had read and translated comic books and setting guides that I bought directly from Japan, but it seemed they hadn’t become famous enough for such goods to be translated and imported yet.

“By the way, why are you carrying two bundles of books?”

Claire didn’t pick many books. Just seven in total.

Five of them were in her right hand, and the other two were in her left. Since she was holding them together, it looked like she was carrying them with both hands, but if she wanted to carry them all at once, she wouldn’t need to split them.

“This one is the next volume of the books sis has.”

Pointing with her chin, Claire explained.

“And this one is the one I picked out because I was curious. I’m going to buy it.”

“……”

I silently glanced over at Alice. She shrugged her shoulders but seemed to agree with me.

She could’ve mixed them up and brought them all at once; she really is sweet.

“I’ll buy them all!”

“Huh? Is that alright?”

“I’m going to read them anyway.”

“But then, what about the money…?”

“Buying two more books won’t make me go broke.”

I said that and took the books from Claire’s hands.

*

“What did you think about the atmosphere there?”

After putting the books in a bag and stepping out of the building, I took a moment to walk around. Since I had made it to the Hongdae entrance, I thought I might as well do some sightseeing as well since it had been a while.

“It was quite fun! Being able to enjoy what you want is great, right? It’s even surprising that there’s a place where they specifically sell stuff like that. It’s hard to find a ‘hobby goods store’ in Azernar.”

Well, unless it’s a place for a few nobles, there aren’t many.

And usually, those places have a pretty heavy atmosphere.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

Alice tilted her head as if it was strange that I kept asking, so I gave up trying to explain.

After all, the idea of a princess buying a figurine of a girl still seemed a bit odd to me… but I wasn’t sure how to explain that logically.

Besides, since such hobbies didn’t exist in that world yet, maybe I should just let it slide.

It’ll probably take 50 more years for such markets to arise anyway.

Just as I considered abandoning today’s goal in a corner of my mind,

“Oh!”

Claire suddenly shouted and lightly ran ahead.

I wasn’t surprised at all. It was exactly as I expected.

This world was still autumn. The days were relatively warm, and the nights were a bit chilly, so it could be called early autumn weather.

In other words, the sky was clear and bright, perfect for wandering outside. Of course, that didn’t mean there weren’t street performances in summer!

Claire strolled along, while Alice and I kept a slight distance behind her.

“What’s that?”

“That’s where they have street performances,” I replied.

There were indeed crowds gathering around.

Honestly, I wasn’t someone who enjoyed watching such things on the street.

I could see why people liked it, though. You can recreate a festival-like atmosphere without actually going to a festival.

And sometimes, real idols might come out to perform too.

But still, since one has to stand outside for quite a long time, it didn’t align with my tastes.

“I didn’t know there was such a place.”

Claire said, her eyes sparkling.

… It looked like she wanted to sing there or something.

The person performing was strumming a guitar and singing an old but well-known song.

By the time we arrived, the song was almost at its end.

As the man finished singing, applause erupted from the crowd.

“Thank you!”

The man smiled and said that while looking around, and—

By chance, our eyes met.

… Was it because Claire was clapping so enthusiastically?

After all, given our looks, it was hard not to stand out.

But still, I thought there was no way he’d actually approach us.

“There, blue-haired lady!”

“Yes?”

Oh.

He really just did that.

“Are you perhaps a foreigner?”

Claire turned to look at me.

She didn’t seem perplexed at all. Her eyes widened cheerfully in my direction.

I shrugged and nodded lightly.

“Are you okay with this?”

Alice asked worriedly from the side.

“I’m fine,” I lightly nodded in response.

Claire, Alice, and even my voice sounded just like the voice actors from the game.

And among the Azernar Chronicles goods that hadn’t been imported here, there were “character songs.”

Usually, in such games, unless a character was specifically labeled as tone-deaf, they all sing well.

Of course, Claire’s album existed as well.

“I’m Korean!”

Claire’s voice announcing that rang out loud.

She had already taken the mic and was speaking.

Claire’s response drew several surprised reactions from the crowd.

“What about them?”

“Yes!”

Claire nodded her head.

Desperately trying to ignore the stares focused on us.

“Then, since you’re out here, would you like to sing a song?”

“Can I really?”

“Why not?”

With Claire’s bright demeanor, there were chuckles in the crowd as well.

“Can I just sing whatever I know?”

“Of course! I’ll strum along on the guitar.”

With the man’s words, Claire nodded.

Then she looked at us for a moment, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

And—

“Are you sure I can do it?”

“… Well, yeah.”

Of course, Claire wasn’t singing songs from this world.

What she ended up singing was, if you put it that way, jazz.

… I had no idea how jazz existed in this world where America didn’t exist, but anyway, it was a genre of music that existed in Azernar too.

The cheerful and lively rhythm suited Claire perfectly.

As Claire’s voice rang out, people clapped along, and the guitar chords followed suit.

Somewhere along the line, both Alice and I found ourselves clapping to the beat as well.

Chapter 376

“Wow, you sing really well! Where did you learn that song?”

After Claire finished singing, the original singer asked.

Well, there’s no way they’d know my answer. It’s probably a song that doesn’t exist in this world—

“On the internet!”

—Right, that’s it.

Thinking back, it had already been over a month since these two came to this world.

They must have had plenty of time to learn songs online.

Well, when I think about it, jazz is a genre that stemmed from American history, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a similar genre exists in Azernar. But judging musically, it’s probably different from the jazz in this world.

Not that I care much about it, though.

“Are your sisters with you…?”

A guy said with subtle anticipation in his voice as he looked our way, so I quickly shook my head left and right.

When I glanced over, Alice was shaking her head vigorously as well.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Thank you for the lovely song. Could you at least tell us your name?”

“I’m Claire!”

The people around us murmured a bit.

Of course, it’s only natural to be surprised that a Korean person suddenly revealed a foreign name.

But it didn’t feel like everyone was too shocked about it either.

If there was an otaku passing by, they might have thought of “Claire Fanggriffon” or “Claire Grace,” but generally speaking, they’d probably just assume she’s a naturalized Korean.

“Alright then, let’s give a round of applause for Claire, who sang beautifully!”

As the applause echoed, Claire, her face slightly flushed, ran towards us.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Yeah!”

Ever since coming back to this world, I’ve been having my share of fun, and Alice looked comfortable too, but it seemed like Claire was enjoying this world the most.

And for that, I was really grateful.

“Did you enjoy singing?”

Even though there were character songs, there really weren’t scenes in the game where Claire sang directly. In fact, there weren’t any scenes of specific characters singing at all.

Thinking about it, that’s kind of surprising.

“I never saw anyone sing in Azernar?”

Alice asked instead of me, echoing my confusion.

“Ah, well, there was the face of nobility to consider…”

Hmm.

In Korea, there was a time when certain artistic professions were looked down upon, but I’m not too sure about Azernar.

Considering the stories of famous Western violinists or renowned conductors that have passed down through history, it can’t have been entirely looked down upon… Well, even if it’s Western-based, Azernar is different from the world we lived in.

Come to think of it, even if a noble wanted to sing, it would be quite ambiguous how they should go about it.

At least, they wouldn’t just stand on the street belting out songs. That would definitely be a matter of face.

So…

“Would you like to sing to your heart’s content?”

“Huh?”

“There’s a karaoke nearby. We’ve got plenty of time until dinner, so how about we spend some time there?”

“Oh, really?”

Claire’s face lit up. Wow, she could shine brighter than that.

I peeked to check on Alice, who just shrugged her shoulders.

It seemed she wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed singing.

As for me, I was generally a person who turned down friends who suggested karaoke.

I wasn’t particularly good at it, didn’t enjoy the noise, and most of all, the whole ‘in-crowd’ vibe really didn’t suit me. I’d rather sit somewhere like a café and chat or go to a bar and just unwind.

But, well.

If she really wanted to sing.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to grant her wish just once.

*

“Sis, hurry, hurry.”

One of the first things foreigners learn when they come to Korea is probably “faster, faster,” and I think that’s accurate.

The reason I ended up holding the mic, despite not being particularly fond of singing, was because Claire had insisted.

Hmm…

If this were a formal event, I might have gotten serious about it, but the two people here weren’t my bosses—they were my sisters.

Even if I got dragged out by friends here and there, I had still sung a couple of songs to match the vibe.

It’s just—

“I’ll say this in advance: I’m not good at singing.”

“It’s fine. Not everyone sings well.”

“It’s just a gathering to have fun, so go ahead and sing your heart out.”

While Claire took it that way, Alice, who up until now had only clapped without singing, said that, and I found it incredibly annoying.

As I narrowed my eyes at her, Alice averted her gaze.

Alright.

After I sing, I’ll have to force the mic onto Alice.

Thinking about what song to sing, I decided to just go with the one I had listened to the most.

…The opening song from the previous game in the Chronicles of Aetherna.

I had been diligently listening to it on streaming sites.

I couldn’t memorize the lyrics, but since the karaoke machine would display them, it shouldn’t be too difficult. The melody was embedded in my mind, so I figured it would be fine.

With that half-hearted resolve to just sing a casual song, I chose it and began.

Claire and Alice looked enlightened.

Hmm.

I didn’t expect to feel the vibes of my otaku friends during karaoke, but there was a strange exhilaration in finding similar souls.

…Is it okay that I’m turning the daughters of a baron and a princess—one who might become an emperor in the future—into otakus? Should I make them figure collectors too?

…

Well, it’s too late now to worry about that.

I decided to stop thinking and raised the mic.

Taking a big breath, I sang the first verse—

—Huh?

“What? Woah, sis, you’re good!”

“It’s not even something to be embarrassed about, is it?”

Claire and Alice both reacted like that.

And indeed, it was so.

While I was singing, I was hitting some pretty high notes without missing a beat. It felt as natural as if I had been doing it forever.

Oh.

I see now.

In games, they often pick voice actors who can sing reasonably well for character voices. You know, to sell character songs.

Of course, some make their identity from being terrible at singing, or if that doesn’t work, they might just process it mechanically or focus on narration and rhythm rather than the music itself.

But it seems the voice actress who played Sylvia must have been a good singer.

As the song continued, Claire and Alice cheered for me, and I managed to sing the entire song flawlessly.

“……”

“Sis?”

“What’s up?”

But as I sank into my thoughts after ending the song, Claire and Alice looked at me with slight worry and asked that.

“Alice.”

“Yes?”

“How about you sing one song?”

“Eh?”

As I suddenly handed over the mic, Alice looked a bit flustered.

“Is there a song you’ve heard since coming here?”

“Um, yeah, there are some, but… why all of a sudden?”

“I have something in mind.”

That’s right, I had ‘something’ in mind.

“……Huh?”

Alice tilted her head curiously, but when I maintained a serious expression with all my might, she took the mic looking very skeptical.

The song Alice sang was probably one of the latest hits going around these days.

And she sang well.

Just as you would expect from a character associated with character songs.

Oh, I got it.

So, theoretically speaking, the three of us could sing well enough to release an ‘album’ without feeling embarrassed.

There’s something we could definitely use here.

Of course, I’m not planning on using it immediately.

Recording isn’t something you can take lightly. Especially singing on a broadcast is completely different from making a separate video.

Trying to use the mic we’re using now would be a bit tricky, in terms of sound quality and environment.

Plus the video has to look decent after recording the song as well.

And most importantly, songs have copyrights, which means we can’t monetize cover songs. It could serve as promotion and create a buzz, but it won’t pay off right away.

“What are you thinking with that sneaky expression?”

Alice asked me after finishing her song.

I was completely expressionless, though, right?

But I guess it was just Alice being able to read me.

“Nothing at all.”

“……It doesn’t sound like it’s nothing.”

Alice said that but soon sighed deeply and shook her head.

“Well, you’ve never really hidden anything from us, so…”

One day, I might tell them. But for now, I want to avoid any expectations then not go through with it.

Doing a broadcast turned out to be quite fun. More ideas kept coming to me.

“Well then, shall we head out for dinner soon? How about some hamburger steak?”

With my suggestion, Claire beamed and Alice couldn’t help but grin at her as we headed out for a meal.

Dinner was delicious. During the ride back, we had a great time. It was indeed a fulfilling day.

And—

“…Are we really going to do it in the end?”

“If we don’t use it on the broadcast, it’ll be such a waste, won’t it? We only get one chance to unwrap the product, right?”

“……”

Sure, holding a figure box while laughing seems pretty otaku in many ways, but I felt like they wouldn’t understand, so I just let it slide.

Chapter 377

As soon as the broadcast started, I could feel something was off, like whoosh.

It wasn’t because our content was any different—nope! The vibe from the viewers was just way different! ding ding ding

[Did Claire visit Hongdae?]

That was the very first chat that appeared.

Usually, people drop in with greetings, but starting with that comment? Something must’ve happened.

“Is that so? But how did you know?”

[Did you see the video?]

[The video dropped!]

[Claire’s song!]

“…….”

Hmm.

It seems earlier today, Claire’s singing was caught on video.

I quickly opened an internet browser and searched for Claire.

[A foreigner in Korea caught singing like a pro on the street!]

… and there it was.

As the thumbnail suggested, the video had a huge close-up of some guy with a surprised expression, and right next to him, Claire looking just as spectacular.

“Is this my video?”

“Looks like it.”

“Now that you mention it, I think there was a camera in front of that guy earlier.”

Alice casually commented.

“Is this person famous?”

[Who knows?]

[Did you think we’d watch something like that?]

[Honestly, if Claire wasn’t in it, I wouldn’t have watched it, LOL.]

That’s true.

Content tends to fall into categories—regular folks watch their thing, while otakus watch their own fun videos. Of course, some people watch both, but it seems none of the folks who showed up right after we started the stream were in that category.

I clicked the video to check the views.

It hadn’t been up long—only about an hour or so.

The video looked like it didn’t have much editing, given that it was just Claire singing.

Yet it had already racked up over 10,000 views.

I don’t really know how many views these types of videos typically get, but compared to our usual viewer count, that’s a significant amount.

“Let’s see, let’s see!”

“Hold on.”

I stopped Claire, who was about to grab the mouse.

“We can’t just play the video or the song on the stream without worrying about copyrights.”

[Do we even care about that during a live show?]

We should.

We don’t have great editing skills. If we just post an unedited video, we really need to be careful about copyright. Even a little hiccup could block any revenue from the video we worked hard to upload.

Since it had come to this, I wanted to boast with just our stream. Finding work out there can get stressful! I know all too well that looking for a job is way more annoying than just doing one.

And if we start working this way, we might end up with our schedules all messed up. Part-time jobs are usually at odd hours compared to regular office jobs!

I didn’t want that. While I was here, I wanted us all to enjoy our time together!

“For now, we’ll watch it ourselves. I’ll mute the mic for a moment, and you all can check it out directly.”

I copied the video link and dropped it in the chat.

Some grumbled for us to play it, while quite a few replied saying they understood.

“Isn’t it weird that I have to worry about copyrights for a video I’m in?”

“Copyright lies with the person who created the video, after all.”

Sure, we could get into rights of publicity and such, but I didn’t want to get bogged down in that.

“Alright, I’ll watch it.”

As I clicked the video—

[After finishing a street performance safely today…]

The video started with the guy just finishing his song, and some simple subtitles popped up.

It was like a VLOG. The main content seemed to feature outdoor performances and the reactions from the crowd.

The camera was stationary. Seeing the guy tilted slightly to the right, it was clear he was planning to film a guest.

Just as we remembered, the guy called out for Claire, and the subtitle popped: [I found a very pretty lady among the audience and decided to talk to her!]

[Can I just sing whatever I know?]

[Sure! I’ll play along on the guitar!]

The two of them chatted like that.

A brief wait time was edited out, and Claire started singing.

[!!!]

Such a subtitle popped on screen.

…huh, watching this really shows how well she sings!

Of course, you could hear the crowd’s cheers, claps, and passing cars, and the mic quality wasn’t top-notch, but considering all that, Claire sang splendidly.

And seeing it in this video showed just how thrilled the audience was!

After Claire finished singing, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

The guy asked Claire her name afterward.

[It’s Claire!]

Claire answered him.

[When I got home and looked you up, I realized you do broadcasts. You should totally do a singing stream…]

And just like that, the video ended.

Thinking back, it was just about lunchtime, so there must’ve been a few hours for editing. We did go to karaoke and had a meal afterward. So, if the guy wrapped up his performance then, it wasn’t strange for it to be uploaded at this time.

“Hmm.”

I switched the mic back on.

“It’s clear that Claire really sings well.”

[Do a singing broadcast!]

[Are you three considering a singing broadcast?]

“We’re thinking about it, but for now, we’re just mulling it over. We plan to take it one step at a time.”

[Oh!]

[Looking forward to it!]

Though I didn’t outright say we would do it, folks took the hint.

Well, since I was considering it anyway, no harm, no foul!

“Now I see why there are so many people watching today—all because of this! Thanks for joining us, everyone!”

“Thank you!”

Claire chirped with enthusiasm.

[LOL]

[LOL]

[700]

The crowd’s response spiked! Some were saying they preferred her over the character!

No surprise there—it’s a living character in action, after all.

“Now, let’s wrap up the video talk and move on to today’s content… Last stream, Claire came up with the idea, but this time it’s Alice’s turn. Alice, over to you.”

“Uh… huh? Me?!”

“You prepared the items for this, didn’t you? You said while shopping that you could use them for the stream!”

“No, but I didn’t say I wanted to do it!”

“Since you bought it with your money, you should do it, Alice.”

I pressed firmly.

Honestly, I could do it, but let’s face it: I’m not a huge collector of figures; I’ve seen all those otaku things before, but tearing into a figure would elicit no reaction from me. If I tried to make things exciting artificially, that’d just feel cringe.

It’s fun to get a regular person to handle something they don’t know about.

You know how videos of foreigners eating spicy tteokbokki are more entertaining than locals doing it? It’s the same thing! Sure, this figure was created in a Chinese factory for a Japanese company, but still!

“…Fine.”

Pressed hard, Alice finally nodded.

And she stepped over to the spot I had cleared out for her.

[Alice, hello!]

[Crown Princess is coming!]

[Crown Princess, we await your presence!]

Perfect timing for a royal entrance!

“I’ve been here the whole time, you know? And if we’re being technical, we’re all princesses here!”

“Not me!”

Claire sharply retorted.

“Technically, I don’t carry royal blood myself.”

“Still a Crown Princess on record!”

Alice shot me a side-eye.

Whatever; after that banter, it seemed everyone was a bit more relaxed as we pulled out the items we’d prepped under the table.

I walked over to Alice’s now-empty space and set up the 5,000 won folding table I bought on the way.

[What’s this?]

[A Crown Princess playing with another Crown Princess figure, LOLOLOL!]

[Did you buy this with your own money?]

“Is that a problem?”

[Not that!]

[But really, did you?]

“Well, the Imperial Palace has statues of the Emperor, and there are the statues of the founding Emperor in the plaza too.”

[LOLOLOLOLOL]

[LOL!]

[That’s true, LOLOLOL!]

[Anyway, they’re right, LOL!]

Alice seemed to have said that seriously, but the viewers took it as a joke.

Understandably so! It’s a classic gag—seeing the symbols from the ancient past and joking, “Aren’t these just figures made by some nerd?” Every otaku has probably said that once or heard it at least!

“So then… let’s start with the box!”

Reclaiming her usual composure, Alice pointed at the box.

“Even so, it’s pricey! You should consider the cost of the box too!”

A pretty accurate review.

Chapter 378

It seems this unboxing live stream isn’t as polished as professional reviewers, but hey, who needs fancy cameras when you have genuine reactions, right?

“There’s an illustration of the product on the box… The face isn’t an exact match, but they at least tried,” I mused while looking at the packaging.

Sure, it’d be great if it looked identical, but we’re talking 2D versus 3D here! Just like how the illustrations on the Chronicles of Aetherna box don’t exactly match the game’s 3D models, figures will have their differences too. But let’s be real, with a price like this, the quality is definitely better than the in-game models… at least, for now.

Sometimes you see a plastic window on the box to peek inside, but not for this figure. It’s just a thick cardboard box with a nice picture and little info about what’s inside.

“Here, the back shows what’s inside—uh oh,” Alice gasped, flipping the box around only to quickly hide it again.

“….”

I decided to remain silent.

“Uhh, well, the figure does have that outfit, so it can’t be helped,” Claire chimed in to comfort Alice.

LOL ROFL Crown Princess is exposed!

To our surprise, the figure’s underwear color was a bit too revealing. Generally, if the figure isn’t designed to showcase that, it usually has plain white undies. But to my amusement, the Sylvia figure showed off its panty wrinkles just fine, albeit subtly.

…Couldn’t they have just given it shorts or something?

I mean, I get it. That’s kind of the selling point. If they added anything too modest, the censorship police would probably have a fit. Perhaps I would’ve been one of those noisy people back in the day, but that’s a story for a different time.

Clears throat Alice looked ready to dive into the contents, “Okay, let’s see what’s inside!”

Woo! Finally!

The sound of the cutting tape came next, and I opened the box with great care.

“Wow, so this is how it’s packed,” Alice observed.

Yeah, not something you see every day—how many people can say they’ve bought a figure over a hundred bucks?

“Usually, people play with plastic models, but figures, nah, people shy away from those due to prying eyes at home.”

But don’t think you can just wait to be independent either—figures are like Legos. Once you get that independence, spending money on them feels like a waste compared to other needs. Plus, where are you even gonna store them? Thus, the ultimate goal of an otaku: a spacious home for all their goodies!

Scritch—the sound of thin plastic scraping unpleasantly against the box.

The plastic insert squeezed the figure from both sides. It was snug and secure, of course, because a plastic chunk over a hundred bucks needs proper protection.

Pop!

With Alice’s strength, the bond wasn’t too tough to break.

“The body is in two parts,” Claire noted, looking on curiously.

They did separate the upper and lower parts for safe-keeping—smart move to avoid breaking at the waist. There even was a thin plastic sheet between them.

“Do we have to assemble it?” I asked.

“Yep!” Alice nodded enthusiastically.

“Alright… let’s do it.”

Alice cautiously pulled out the pieces, and while the whole moment felt a tad too otaku-ish, saying it out loud would just lead to a dismissive reaction, so I held my tongue. The viewers surely were aware enough.

She connected the lower body to a clear base first. I’ve got to give it to them—it was sturdy enough to stand without support, though a brace was included just in case.

Then Alice started peeling off the protective film from the upper body…

WHOOP!

Down the skirt went!

Not broken, mind you; just designed to be easily removable to avoid dye transfer.

And just like that, we had a Sylvia figure half-naked!

LOL Too much! Stop right there!

“…..”

I picked up the fallen skirt and attempted to place it back on the lower half delicately—

DING DONG!

Figure is complete without a skirt!

—But a mission for a ten bucks popped up on screen, so I just set it back down instead.

Capitalism is a monster!

“I’m from the Empire of Aetherna, the land ruled by extreme capitalism, so it’s a given!”

The chat filled with affirmations.

“…Are you sure it’s okay?”

“I didn’t take it off myself, so I’m in the clear.”

“Your face is all red though.”

“…It’s still technically not me who undressed it.”

Claire kept teasing, but Alice seemed relieved from the situation.

“Alright, moving on then.”

We sped through unboxing the head and the upper body, putting them together on the waist coordinating a coat fit to be draped over.

We initially wondered why there’d be a brace if the figure could stand alone, and it turns out that brace was to support the coat! The character was in a casual pose, stepping forward with one leg and holding their rifle in a confrontational stance.

But the coat… oh boy, it was flowing in a dramatic manner. Alice probably had to carve grooves deep enough to actually accommodate the shoulders for that nifty detail.

“Hmm… done!” Alice smilingly pushed the assembled figure in front of the camera.

With a commanding stance, rifle at the ready for the next enemy. The coat added a nice dynamic touch, and the wind tousled the hair just right. I couldn’t help but think the pose was far from boring.

However—

Did you forget the skirt? What a boon! Seems fitting considering Sylvia’s character, right?

“….I don’t forget to wear skirts, okay?”

But really, that outfit sure was a bit lewd.

It wasn’t even like it was a short skirt or a leotard; it was literally just the panties!

And with that serious expression and stance, it made it even weirder—as if it was perfectly natural.

Sylvia’s hypnotic edition!

“…”

I couldn’t even retort if I wanted to.

After the unboxing ended, I made sure to put that skirt back on the figure.

A bit embarrassing, but more so, leaving it like that would likely get us flagged.

I wasn’t sure what the standards for this site were, but it made sense to play it safe for now.

“Well then, let’s dive back into the Chronicles of Aetherna.”

I couldn’t afford to stretch out the fun too much.

Because of Claire’s earlier bits and the figure unboxing, time really flew by, and if I wrapped things up at my usual time now, there wouldn’t be much left to do.

It would be a win at this point just to view a cutscene!

We were definitely past the halfway mark since the last save, and the plot was thickening now that the empire’s army progressed toward the borders of Velbur!

“Charlotte…”

As the character appeared, I noticed Alice’s sympathetic mutter, sensing her concern.

It felt like Charlotte was deep in thought, unable to respond properly to conversations as she gazed off into the distance unlike usual.

“I wonder how Charlotte would react if she saw this,” I pondered aloud.

Right?

What would her reaction be?

I found myself curiously intrigued.

Chapter 379

The game mostly unfolds from Leo’s perspective, but there are certain aspects that are hard to showcase just from the first-person point of view. Boom!

That’s why the game often features cutscenes where villains conspire and characters engage in separate dialogues.

Although, cutscenes don’t exactly differ from the usual dialogue scenes in the game.

This time, the characters featured in the cutscene were Sylvia and Charlotte.

[Don’t worry too much.]

Sylvia said this to Charlotte, who looked a bit troubled.

Sylvia seemed to have a serious expression, or perhaps she was just indifferent.

…Actually, the expressions of the game characters weren’t that varied, and Sylvia usually kept a blank face, so it was likely just my feelings.

[I’ll do what I can to solve this.]

[And what can you do?]

Charlotte asked with a hint of reproach in her voice.

It’s understandable since, with the war looming, she was overly worried. There was practically no way for the Kingdom to defeat the Empire in an outright war.

[Isn’t it you who’s been saying that the next Emperor will be Alice?]

[…….]

[…….]

When Sylvia didn’t answer at all, Charlotte let out a small sigh and placed her hands on her forehead.

[I’m sorry. I’m just so on edge.]

[It’s okay. Reacting like that in this situation isn’t strange.]

Sylvia said this and turned away.

[Sylvia—]

Charlotte called out to Sylvia, but Sylvia simply walked ahead without replying.

Charlotte closed her eyes and sighed.

Then, as the scene changed, it was the next day’s class.

[Where’s Sister?]

[Huh? Didn’t she come here first?]

When Claire asked Alice, Alice seemed a bit flustered and replied.

[I haven’t seen her. The class is about to start….]

[…….]

Charlotte was staring blankly out the window while listening to their conversation. She didn’t seem interested in discussing her chat with those two yesterday.

And—

[Huh…?]

A sound slipped from Charlotte’s lips.

[Charlotte?]

Alice looked at Charlotte,

Thud.

It wasn’t a huge sound, but it felt like the kind of sound you hear from afar.

[Is that a battleship…?]

Charlotte murmured as she stood up. The other students in the classroom followed her gaze and looked out the window.

Bam!

The battleship that was emitting black smoke exploded once again.

The imposing Dreadnought-class battleship that had always hovered in the skies of the Imperial Capital was now exploding in mid-air.

With massive flames erupting.

Shudder, shudder

The window rattled. Though it was a considerable distance away, the impact reached here.

[What on earth is happening…?]

The battleship fell downwards.

The ship, which had tilted vertically toward the ground, exploded upon crashing.

Screams erupted from the surrounding students.

I could see a student trembling, kneeling on the floor with their hands over their mouth.

[What about the people…?]

Someone muttered, but no one responded.

[……Sylvia…….]

Charlotte murmured softly—

Thunk.

The screen faded to black with a sound, and the episode ended.

“……”

“……”

And I was receiving the gazes of the two people with me.

“……The battleship I exploded didn’t blow up in reality.”

“Really? You mean to tell me you never blew up a single battleship while turning back time so many times?”

“The fact that you can’t remember means I really never did it. The goddess’s power doesn’t really reach here.”

[Isn’t that getting a bit too immersed? LOL]

[Were they real characters? LOL]

[They do resemble each other, though. LOL]

Well, all three of us knew that was true.

“But the fact that you thought that is just so like you.”

“……What kind of image do you have of me in your mind?”

Still, I can’t completely deny it since I have a history in this.

*

After wrapping up the session adequately and logging off from the game, we got ready carefully.

We pushed the table against the wall and spread our blankets on the floor. Luckily, there was plenty of room for all three of us to lie down side by side. I did choose quite a spacious room, after all. While there wasn’t an elevator and the building seemed to be over 30 years old, if I had ended up in one of those tiny, newly-built studios, the three of us couldn’t have spent the night together like this.

“Wow, Sis, check this out!”

As we spread out the bedding and got ready to lie down, Claire beamed as she held her smartphone in front of my face.

The view count for the video of Claire singing skyrocketed in an instant.

Moreover, the comments were filled with stuff about ‘cosplay’ and whatnot.

When Claire selected another tab on her browser to show us, it had a heated discussion about the identities of the three of us.

Yeah, it seems that the viewer count kept increasing throughout the game. Our story was gaining traction, mostly in the otaku community.

…Also, there was a screenshot of the three of us with our assembled figures placed in front of us, without skirts.

[LOL]

[Looks like she has exhibitionist tendencies by stripping herself!]

[There’s my bride!]

There’s someone here cracking jokes about marriage too.

It’s quite bold to say such things while staring at a real person’s photo.

…Well, for now, I was out of money, so I didn’t have the luxury to go into a lawsuit.

“Aren’t we getting quite famous?”

Seeing Claire laugh and say that made me smirk briefly—

Wait, hold on.

Suddenly remembering something, I turned my body.

I recalled the artifact I had kept in the drawer.

The more famous we got in this world, and the more links there were suggesting it was strange for us to be here, the power of the artifact would return.

So, by now, wouldn’t some power have accumulated to be usable at least once?

“Ah!”

And the artifact I took out of the drawer was indeed shining brightly.

Seeing the blue glow of that artifact, Alice and Claire had complicated expressions on their faces.

“Does this mean we can go back?”

“Maybe so.”

I carefully held the artifact and said.

“……What will you do?”

I asked, looking at Claire and Alice.

If the artifact had glowed at this point where we hadn’t even been here for a week, I probably wouldn’t have needed to ask. Both of them wouldn’t know much about this world.

But, now it was a bit different. They had both been enjoying this world in their own way. Especially since Alice could let go of her duties as the Crown Princess.

So I thought there might be someone who wanted to stay here—

“If there’s a chance, we should go right away. It’s a shame, but I don’t want to spend my life never seeing my family again.”

“Yeah, right. There’s a ton of stuff left for us to do. What happened here will just be a memory.”

“Sounds good.”

I said with a serious face.

“Then let’s get ready to pack up. We can’t tell how long this power will last.”

Upon my words, Alice and Claire nodded and began to gather their things.

*

A few minutes later.

All three of us had changed into the tidiest clothes we could manage and were gathered in the middle of the room with all our belongings.

There were quite a lot of items to take along.

In fact, I felt much regret. I hadn’t been able to meet my family in this world and hadn’t been able to print all the photos on my phone. Surely once I get back and the battery dies, those photos would be useless.

Maybe I could try taking pictures using Azernar’s camera through my smartphone’s screen.

…Well, that was something to think about once I returned.

“Everyone, gather around here.”

When I extended the artifact, the two of them reached out to touch it.

“……What now?”

Alice asked.

“I’ll try to do it like I did when I first came here.”

At those words, Alice and I exchanged glances and nodded.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Please do.”

“Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”

Claire closed her eyes with a serious expression. We followed suit and closed our eyes.

And,

“……”

After a brief silence—

Silence followed—

——

“……U-Um.”

A familiar voice was heard.

“Sylvia…?”

It was Charlotte’s voice.

Could it be that they were still investigating around the place we left?

What’s the first thing I should say? “I’m back!”?

I slowly opened my eyes.

And confirmed that the three of us were still in my studio room.

Yeah, something felt solid beneath me.

Now that I think about it, I forgot to put on my shoes. I can’t wear them in the room, of course.

“……”

Wait, hold on.

So, the voice I heard was…?

“……”

Alice was staring blankly at the corner of the room with her mouth agape.

The glow of the artifact we held had significantly dimmed.

Just like when Claire and Alice first returned.

“……Um, Sylvia? Claire? Alice?”

Charlotte’s voice addressed us calmly.

And I could hear shaky breaths behind her voice; it was the sound of someone clearly in a state of panic.

“……Charlotte.”

I chose to open my mouth calmly for now.

“And Mia.”

“Y-Your Highness.”

Mia was gripping her staff tightly with both hands, guarding the area.

“……”

I wiped my face with my hand.

Chapter 380

Sure, everything’s been moving too fast all of a sudden, huh? Woosh

Well, I mean, it’s okay if it goes fast. It’s better to move along a bit quicker than to just drag it out forever. Tick-tock

The problem is when the story doesn’t unfold the way I think it should. Duh!

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Claire used that device when she came over from there. I didn’t expect it could summon someone from that side, but it could happen. Zap!

Anyway, it’s a device that was made to steal the goddess’s power, right? It actually succeeded to some extent. Ta-da!

“So, we’re….”

Charlotte said, slowly circling the room and examining everything. Swoosh

“You mean this is where you lived before coming to Azernar? For sure, I can see that the things here look like they belong to a different world. I’ve never seen items like these where I lived.” Wow!

Charlotte’s gaze landed for a moment on Claire’s smartphone. Blink!

By the way, we just set down the bags we were carrying on our backs. I’ve gotten used to changing clothes in front of Claire and Alice, but I’ve never done that in front of Charlotte or Mia. Peep!

But looking closely, it feels like it should be Charlotte and Mia who need to change clothes. Hmmm…

Neither of them had visible major injuries, but their outfits looked like rags, almost the same as when we crossed over. Wowza!

“… So, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

I spoke to Charlotte. Ding!

“How much time has passed over there since we disappeared?”

“Well…”

Charlotte squinted her eyes at us. Stare!

We were naturally wearing new clothes. After all, I didn’t want to wear clothes with holes in them. Although I might have forgotten about the clothes, looking at their condition, I honestly didn’t feel like wearing them any longer. Eh?

“Maybe five minutes? It’s been a short while since we realized you guys had disappeared and started searching.”

At Charlotte’s words, Alice, Claire, and I exchanged glances. Glimpse!

“I’d like to know the same thing. How long has it been since we came over?”

“… It’s been just a little over a month.”

“… What.”

Upon hearing my words, Charlotte closed her eyes and took a big breath. Inhale!

Then she opened her eyes and looked at Mia. Blink!

For reference, not just Charlotte but also me, Claire, and Alice felt the same way. Sigh!

“I-I don’t know! We were just investigating the remaining ruins!”

Under the gaze directed at her, Mia exclaimed, startled like a little animal caught off guard. Meow!

“Indeed, Mia and I were nearby.”

Charlotte said, seemingly recalling. Hmmm…

“We were investigating the device made to steal the goddess’s power when this incident happened.”

“… What the heck.”

“So…”

Charlotte said, pressing her eyelids down with her fingers. Press!

“That means you have been here for the past few weeks.”

“… .”

“And if things go wrong, we might have to spend even more time here.”

Uhh…

That’s, well, yeah. Sigh!

As we struggled to respond, Charlotte exhaled deeply. Whew!

*

Still, don’t you think we should at least sleep?

It was lucky that we hadn’t unfolded our blankets yet in our rush to leave. Otherwise, we’d have to prepare everything all over again for ourselves. Phew!

Of course, on top of that, I’d need to unpack the mess I had and change into something better for sleeping. Swoosh!

Charlotte and Mia were able to change only because we gave them our clothes. Pop!

Charlotte’s clothes fit somewhat like Alice’s… Mia at least wore clothes that matched Claire’s, but they hung loose like clothes a parent would buy for a kid about to start school, thinking they’d grow into them. Whomp!

I figured we would need to go shopping for clothes again soon. Ding!

Anyways, in this awkward atmosphere, the five of us sat facing each other. Sitting!

Fortunately, the size of the house was precariously okay. Honestly, it felt too cramped for five people, but at least we could manage to sleep. Zzz…

Anyone rolling over in their sleep might wake everyone up at once. Bump!

In fact, there was hardly even enough bedding.

Charlotte and Mia, of course, hadn’t prepared to sleep when they came over, and the three of us were also wide awake, so we decided to have a short chat first. Chat-cha-cha!

“You said magic isn’t used here?”

Thinking Mia, who has a talent for magic, would be disheartened by this, but instead, her eyes sparkled with interest. Glitter!

“But the lights here still shine, right?”

True. Hmm!

“We’re also not entirely sure about that, but at least this world hasn’t developed based on magic.”

“Oh…”

“Let’s take it step by step starting tomorrow.”

“You mean it’s not a monarchy?”

“Exactly.”

In response to Charlotte’s words, Alice chimed in. Ding!

“There are worlds without monarchies, and this country isn’t a monarchy either but a completely republic… I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.”

Even though she learned about this later on herself, it seemed explaining it now made her head spin. Womp womp!

“…”

And again, there was an awkward silence. Awkward!

Um, how to put this…

I thought we’d be ecstatic to see each other again. Yay!

No, I mean, it was strange to say that. I was indeed happy, like really happy! Joy!

But you know, it’s like when a friend you haven’t talked to in ages suddenly pops up at your place and then says, “I’ll stay for a bit,” you’d feel a bit thrown off. Whoops!

When I was younger, like in college or my teenage years, I’d think that would be super fun, but unfortunately, even in this body, my soul still recognizes itself as thirty-something. Oof!

Yeah, right. Of course, they didn’t come here because they wanted to. Eh?

…

They didn’t want to come here. Right? Nod!

“No need to think too deeply about it.”

The one who broke the silence first was me. Dum dum!

“From what I gather, even if we spend some time here, I don’t think so much time will pass there that we won’t solve everything we need to over there.”

“That’s true.”

Charlotte said with a complicated expression, but I interrupted her with a raised hand. Chirp!

“Since you’re here, let’s make the best of it until you decide to leave. We can’t turn it back now, and judging by the situation, there doesn’t seem to be a way for you to go back for a while.”

“Sorry, sis…”

“It’s okay. It’s not Claire’s fault.”

To be precise, it’s the goddess’s fault. Ugh!

We’re not even sure if it was truly Claire’s fault that Zibo brought Charlotte and Mia here. The goddess could have been messing with us and ended up sending these two instead. Whoosh!

Without a way to communicate with the goddess, we couldn’t know her real intentions. Hmmm…

“And while the house is a bit cramped, I doubt it’ll be too bad living here.”

“… It does seem that way.”

Charlotte, suppressing a sigh, glanced at Alice. Look!

In reality, Alice appeared to have brightened up since coming here. It wasn’t just her mood but also her skin and hair—those parts that were already good before became even better. Shiny!

The skincare products or shampoos here are probably more advanced than anything in Azernar, but seeing Alice’s condition change so distinctly compared to Claire’s subtle change, it probably had a lot to do with ‘stress.’ Huh?

Especially from Charlotte’s perspective, the difference in Alice’s state from just five minutes ago felt very stark. Wowza!

Noticing Charlotte’s gaze, Alice seemed aware of this fact and looked away. Glance!

“Yeah, right! There are plenty of fun things to do here!”

“No, this isn’t exactly the time to be enjoying—”

Charlotte interrupted Claire, but suddenly… Growl!

“… .”

Not someone else, but a growl came from someone’s stomach, cutting her off mid-sentence. Rumble!

“… Ugh.”

As everyone’s gaze turned to Mia upon hearing that sound, her face slowly turned red. Blush!

Hmm.

After a final boss battle, it makes sense she might be hungry.

Mia usually eats a lot given her size, after all. Yum!

I slowly got up from my seat. Stand up!

There should still be something to eat in the kitchen cabinets. If we exclude my frequently eaten spicy instant food… there should have been a cream pasta meal kit. Yum yum!

“I’ll go grab something to eat.”

“Ah, no…!”

“Alright, I’ll help!”

“Sis, can I help?”

Nah, it’s just tearing open a meal kit and making it, so what could you possibly do? Huh?

… They definitely know it’s awkward being here with those two. Wink!

Chapter 381

Looking at the number of people, it would be better to move to a bigger place, but even if I try to move my room now, finding a ‘bigger place’ isn’t easy.

In the first place, how expensive can a one-room lease really be?

Besides, this place was relatively cheap due to its old construction and slightly inconvenient transportation.

It was a bit far from the subway station, and there’s no elevator. I usually took the bus more often than the subway, so I didn’t feel too inconvenienced. If it hadn’t been a place found just for commuting, I would have found it much more bothersome.

At least the kids I live with are friendly, and they like to walk a bit, so they don’t complain about walking for dozens of minutes to the subway.

“……It’s delicious.”

“Right?”

Claire beamed at Charlotte’s assessment.

“……It’s Eberia-style food, though.”

Charlotte added that comment, perhaps feeling a bit awkward praising a person from the Empire for their cooking skills.

“Well, it feels a bit strange to say it’s something we cooked ourselves, though.”

Alice said this while showing Charlotte the paper wrap that had been around the meal kit.

“What’s this?”

Charlotte’s eyes widened as she took the paper wrap.

“This is a kit that gathers all the necessary ingredients for this dish and lists the cooking method—”

“No, not that! Is that a photo of the dish drawn here?”

“…….”

Alice’s enthusiasm for explaining faded as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Yep, it’s a photo! Isn’t it amazing?”

Claire excitedly pulled out her smartphone and showed the photos she had taken so far.

Charlotte, still holding the fork she had been eating with, took the smartphone as if entranced.

“This is…… amazing. Are you saying this isn’t magic?”

After examining the smartphone closely, Charlotte lifted her gaze and looked around my room once again.

Seeing something that was ‘completely different from her original world’ made all the other machines in the room appear new to her. Among them, her gaze was fixed for a long time on the monitor, which could be said to be ‘similar’ to a smartphone.

Although Charlotte was a member of a family in the most important position in her country, her gaze toward new technology seemed somewhat different.

Even Alice, the Crown Princess of an Empire that already possessed world-class technology, thought about integrating new technologies into her country while seeing them, but Charlotte, the princess of a kingdom with less technology than the Empire, seemed to feel those emotions even more strongly.

……If she could apply such technology directly to her kingdom, it would certainly achieve remarkable development beyond the Empire.

“I can’t answer if you ask me about it.”

“Well, that’s true. If such technology could be realized, it’s natural that everyone with that technology would want to monopolize it.”

Uh… in a way, that was a solid point.

“Rather than that, it’s because the technology itself is too complex for a mere craftsman to create.”

“I see.”

Charlotte nodded.

By the way, Mia, who was eagerly slurping up cream pasta next to them, seemed to be seriously contemplating whether to develop interest in the smartphone or maintain her interest in the food entering her mouth, but it seems she ultimately decided to refocus on her meal.

Well, that makes sense. If it looked magical but wasn’t, it wasn’t of much use to Mia.

On the contrary, from Mia’s perspective, it could end up being a rival she would need to compete against.

……And, well, if you leave pasta alone, it just becomes leftovers, but as for the smartphone, it won’t change much except that the battery might drain over time.

Ah, I wonder if Mia doesn’t realize that.

“……Anyway, let’s take a good rest after the meal. You two just went through a fierce battle not long ago.”

I told the two of them.

“I’ll let you know about the facilities you absolutely need to know in this house as much as possible. For now, let’s wash up, get a good sleep, and talk again tomorrow.”

“Got it. Claire, thank you.”

Charlotte said as she handed the smartphone back to Claire. It seems she thinks it’s a very precious item.

Well, if you look at the price, it really is quite expensive, though…

……

Speaking of which, it seems there’s quite a bit to think about, not just about the size of this house.

I should also get smartphones for these two. I have to pay the bills too.

I need to adjust the food budget…

Hmm.

Should I go out and buy a lottery ticket tomorrow?

*

The next morning.

“Are you okay after sleeping on a hard floor?”

The two of them had slept on a bed all their lives. I asked just in case, and they answered,

“We should be grateful for being able to sleep in this house. Falling into another world and not being homeless is truly fortunate, isn’t it?”

“The floor was warm, and the blanket was quite fluffy.”

As the weather was getting chilly, I had turned on the boiler a bit, which seemed to be the right choice.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

I nodded and looked around.

Claire, Alice, Charlotte, Mia……and including me, there were five people.

The room that felt spacious with three people seemed cramped with just two more added.

Moreover, Claire, Alice, and I were bound by blood or relationships, but these two were, technically speaking, from different homes.

They were close friends and could put their lives on the line to help each other if necessary, but…… could we spend time together in a place where individual space isn’t properly separated without clashing?

“……By the way, I have no idea how Charlotte and Mia usually get along.”

Desperate, Charlotte blinked her wide eyes, while Mia was still rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“When Claire and Alice came, I was the only person who knew about this world, so I was a bit cautious, but now three out of five of us have gotten pretty accustomed to this world. So, I think it wouldn’t be a big problem to go out together today, what do you think?”

“I’m in!”

Claire said with a smile, as if she was happy just imagining it.

Is she excited about being able to teach these two new things? It seems like something Claire would feel.

“I agree too. If there are many people to teach, it wouldn’t be bad to start adapting right away.”

Alice replied seriously, nodding her head.

“……Do we really need to hold a meeting about this so seriously?”

Charlotte asked, slightly frowning. Perhaps her pride made her feel like it was something that belittled her.

“This world is completely different from the one we lived in. Just looking outside the window is proof, right?”

“I haven’t properly looked down, but all I can see are strangely shaped buildings and ugly black lines connecting them.”

Now that was quite an evaluation from the princess from the kingdom of Velbur.

“Is… is it dangerous?”

Mia asked timidly.

Even though she had become more confident recently, being thrown into a completely different world unexpectedly seemed to make her a bit anxious.

“If it’s dangerous… then yes, it is. But that danger isn’t about public safety. In terms of public safety, you could say that there’s no country in Aetherna that has better order than ours.”

This isn’t a mere patriotic claim that South Korea has good public safety; considering the level of technological development during the industrial revolution, it wouldn’t make sense for it to surpass the average safety of developed countries in this world.

“Rather, there are things you need to be cautious about.”

“…….”

Charlotte and Mia exchanged glances and then looked back at the three of us.

“Alright then.”

Charlotte spoke, still with a somewhat confused expression.

“Then, just let us know when you’re ready. We’ll follow what the host says.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that too.”

Claire and Alice exchanged a slightly awkward look at Charlotte and Mia’s responses, but I pretended not to notice.

Well, I’ll make sure Charlotte and Mia can adapt as well. At least until I suddenly get money and can move.

*

When we first stepped outside, both Charlotte and Mia looked surprised, but it seemed they didn’t clearly understand the seriousness of the situation.

There were many curious things all around, and although there was a lot to be curious about, there didn’t seem to be anything that looked openly dangerous, to be honest.

Well, electricity poles aren’t dangerous as long as people don’t try to climb them.

Moreover, since it was still a late weekday morning, the cars on the road were mostly parked with almost none moving around.

“……”

However, as soon as we stepped onto the main road, the two of them seemed to understand why we said what we did.

“Indeed, it seems like we wouldn’t be able to do just fine over there. Is that a car?”

“Yes.”

As I was answering Charlotte’s question, Mia, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, asked,

“Is it a steam engine?”

“It’s an internal combustion engine.”

“Internal combustion engine? What’s that?”

Unlike Mia, who was purely curious, Charlotte’s expression was very serious.

Did she think she could learn some technical hints from what I said?

“……”

Hmm.

Teaching these two seems like it will be different from when I did with Claire and Alice.

Well, I guess I’ll have to try my best either way.

Chapter 382

……I feel really bad for saying this, but it was very simple to reassure Mia.

First, I just needed to give her something to eat.

As the weather started to get chilly, even though it might be a bit early, people selling fish-shaped pastries began to pop up on the streets.

I didn’t see them as often as when I was young, but if I walked about 30 minutes from home, I could find vendors selling them on the main street from time to time.

Since I usually carried a bit of cash, buying some fish-shaped pastries wasn’t a big deal.

Mia seemed somewhat wary when she got her first one, probably because it was a food she had never seen before, but once I, Alice, and Claire each took one and started enjoying it, Mia followed suit.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

……That was a bit late to say. Mia had already taken a bite and was making a face as she blew on it.

In a way, that was probably the right way to eat it. After all, it’s a winter snack, so taking small bites when it’s fresh and hot, with the outside crispy and the inside steaming, is indeed how it should be enjoyed.

Even though she was flustered at first because it was too hot, she seemed to get used to it bit by bit as she continued to eat. Once she recognized the sweet red bean flavor inside, she started to eat happily.

“What’s in it?”

While Mia was focused on gingerly eating her pastry, Charlotte couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked.

She still hadn’t taken a bite yet.

“……Charlotte. I know you’re doubting our taste as people from the Empire, but this is perfectly fine. After all, this isn’t the Empire, is it?”

“…….”

Come to think of it, it’s strange that Claire and Alice were easygoing about trying everything thrown their way.

Of course, videos can be a bit exaggerated, but when watching foreigners taste Korean food for the first time, it seems that Westerners are often overly wary of unfamiliar foods.

How should I put it? They seem to have a strong stereotype about food.

Especially those who take pride in their national cuisine seem to be the most affected by this; perhaps it’s only natural for people who come from a world built on such ‘exaggerated ideas.’

“It’s red bean.”

“……Red bean?”

“It’s sweetened red bean paste.”

“So, you mean eating sweetened beans?”

“……Could you at least try it before making assumptions?”

I politely requested.

“…….”

After listening to my explanation, it seemed Charlotte only became more prejudiced against the fish-shaped pastry as she eyed it suspiciously before finally taking a cautious bite.

After carefully chewing a few times, she mumbled, “……It’s tasty.”

See?

Still, I had a strange feeling that I would keep facing situations like this in the future, so I felt a little tense.

*

“What’s that?”

“That’s a croffle.”

“Croffle?”

“It’s a fusion food made by pressing croissant dough in a waffle machine.”

“……Why?”

“……Why not?”

Seeing Charlotte’s confused expression made me confused too, so I stopped walking, and Charlotte, with an extremely complicated look, said,

“If I want to eat a croissant, I can just eat a croissant, and if I want a waffle, I can eat a waffle. Why in the world would you use dough meant for croissants in a waffle machine?”

Seeing her serious face, I realized, Ah, it’s true that Velbur isn’t a country that’s solely based on French culture.

I’m not entirely sure which country croissants come from, but since they sound French and all, I’ll assume they are.

Waffles, on the other hand, are famously Belgian.

As a Korean, I feel like since they’re both ‘bread,’ it wouldn’t matter if you made them with the same dough, but maybe from Charlotte’s point of view, it would seem very strange.

So, I tried to understand Charlotte’s gaze.

……So, it’s like thinking about smashing kimchi with a pork cutlet hammer, right?

……Why?

Thinking about it that way actually seemed plausible. Of course, kimchi isn’t dough or anything, but still.

“Maybe the person who made it thought it was delicious?”

But while I could somewhat understand the ‘that seems odd’ part, I found myself unable to answer the question of ‘Why?’ After pondering a bit, Claire, who had been watching our discussion, asked.

For reference, while we were talking, Claire had already bought one for herself and was having a bite.

Mia, sitting next to her, was already picking at her croffle while watching our conversation.

“Well, it should taste good, right? They probably combined two delicious things.”

Charlotte looked at Mia, who was enjoying her croffle, with a perplexed expression and remarked.

“Well, that’s because they combined two tasty things.”

Alice, who had been quietly listening, finally couldn’t hold back and chimed in.

“Just think about putting eel jelly on a toast sandwich. Does that sound good to you?”

“……No, I don’t think that analogy is very good.”

But surprisingly, that example was quite effective.

In the end, Charlotte wasn’t entirely convinced, but she gave up on pressing further—

*

“It’s strange.”

—I had thought once.

“What’s strange?”

After wandering around for a while, I felt lucky that it was Charlotte who joined us at the café and not Sophia. But there she went, picking on the desserts we had brought back.

For reference, our ordered beverages were one frappuccino, one espresso, and three Americanos. The espresso was to prevent Charlotte from going into culture shock, and the frappuccino was the sweet drink we recommended to Mia.

Thinking that it was lucky it was Charlotte and not Sophia stemmed from the fact that Sophia would have been horrified at the sight of the Americano, which is essentially an espresso with water added.

Seeing Charlotte, who perfectly fits the ‘somewhat exaggerated stereotype,’ made me think that Sophia wouldn’t be much different.

Considering that authentic French cuisine is hardly available in Korea, and most are limited to desserts, I thought it would be a bit better—

“Is this a macaron?”

Charlotte exclaimed with disbelief.

What she pointed at was a macaron filled so thickly with filling that it had become the so-called ‘dung macaron.’

“……They say it’s called a dung macaron because it’s fat.”

“Dung ma…?”

Charlotte pressed her finger on her nose as if in disbelief.

“Why?”

“Maybe it’s the idea that more filling means more deliciousness?”

“……Just because there’s a lot inside doesn’t mean it’s delicious. Food is all about balance, right? That seems excessive, doesn’t it? Besides, if the shell breaks, it turns to crumbs. And if it doesn’t fit in one bite, won’t the filling ooze out when you chew it?”

All those points were quite valid, but unfortunately, I had nothing to say in response.

Because I wasn’t the one who made them.

Somehow, this kind of macaron got popular in Korea and is being sold all over cafes, but my input in that has been minimal. I was someone who probably ate two macarons a year at most. Even if the macarons I had eaten were ‘dung macarons,’ they wouldn’t have made a significant contribution to the entire macaron market in Korea.

“Why on earth?”

And after seeing Claire elegantly eat one of those dung macarons—without spilling a single drop of filling—while looking at Mia, who was covered in filling, Charlotte murmured in resignation.

“Well, don’t worry too much. I doubt most traditional dishes from Velbur have been transformed like that. They haven’t spread out here much.”

I said that and took a sip from the straw sticking out of my Americano.

Honestly, even if I stopped a random Korean and asked them, ‘Have you ever eaten anything other than dessert from French cuisine?’ I doubt many could answer.

I have heard of dishes made with wine instead of water, but I’ve never actually eaten them. I don’t even know where to find them.

“……No, that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

In response to my words, Charlotte answered with a blank expression.

“Well, don’t think too negatively, Charlotte.”

And sitting beside her, Alice casually swirled her drink with a straw and said,

“After all, the dishes you know in this world are all ‘French dishes,’ not ‘Velbur dishes.’ So, even if there are oddly transformed dishes here, they fundamentally aren’t altered from ‘Velbur cuisine.’”

“……But that in itself feels strange.”

Charlotte could only let out a lament under Alice’s teasing remarks.

Chapter 383

“But still, Charlotte.”

On the way home with Charlotte, who had left a bunch of questions about the world, Alice teased her.

“In the end, everything was delicious, right? You did eat it.”

“…It was indeed delicious. That’s because the original was tasty.”

Charlotte said this with a pout to Alice.

When Claire and Alice showed up, they secretly introduced her to the taste of Korean food, but Charlotte’s reaction was quite fresh.

She didn’t outright hate the country, but while she felt curious about most of the technology, she wasn’t afraid to say the things she found strange, which was very impressive. And very much like Charlotte.

Especially her high standards for food, as any dish that deviated from what she called ‘Western food’ was met with bewildered eyes.

Like when she saw potatoes on pizza.

Pizza wasn’t even a French dish to begin with.

“I’ll prepare something ordinary for dinner.”

“Thank you, that’s nice.”

Charlotte sighed in relief as she spoke.

“Of course, ‘ordinary’ means it’s ordinary based on this country’s standards.”

“…Are you teasing me right now?”

Well, she was trying to poke fun, but it wasn’t that she actually intended to serve anything strange.

She had never accepted Charlotte or Mia as her sisters. She viewed them very differently from how she looked at Claire and Alice.

But that didn’t mean these two were unimportant.

In fact, she was incredibly glad to see them. It had been a whole month since they had met. She had been thinking, ‘Will I never see them again?’ so it felt a lot happier than it appeared on the surface.

She was just trying hard not to show it.

Claire and Alice were the same; Alice had been chatting with Charlotte repeatedly while Claire was handing food to Mia.

“I want to show you my country’s food, would you rather not?”

“……”

When I said that, Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to answer.

To be precise, Charlotte hadn’t come here because she wanted to.

While Claire and Alice came over voluntarily in search of me, Charlotte and Mia had come over due to poor timing.

Mia seemed more curious than cautious about this world. It seemed the variety of delicious food had left quite an impression on her.

But Charlotte remained very wary. And that wariness was partly due to the strange dishes she had seen throughout the day.

However, I had already mentioned that this place was my hometown.

So when I said I wanted to feed her the food from my country, she found it hard to respond.

If it were dishes like those from the Empire of Aetherna, they would be incredibly hard to eat, but it would still be hard to deny… um, maybe ‘Talula’ would fit? Of course, Charlotte wouldn’t know that term.

“It’s not weird food. It’s a taste that most people would generally like. It won’t be too spicy or salty—I promise.”

“……There’s really no need to go that far.”

Charlotte exhaled softly and said this.

Then she rubbed her forehead with her hand.

“Today, I might have been a bit… overly tense. The altered foods here must have been rearranged to suit the local palate. Every food in the world tends to be adapted to local tastes, so I shouldn’t have been so sensitive.”

Well… I understand her. After all, the food Charlotte saw today was closer to ‘Does this taste good, so let’s throw it in?’ rather than ‘regional variations.’

As for Croffle, I found out a moment ago from a quick search on my smartphone that it seems to originate from abroad, but that wouldn’t fly. To Charlotte, this world was foreign as a whole.

“What kind of food is it?”

It seemed Claire was more interested in my explanation. Even Mia beside her was sparkling with curiosity. Looking at them, I could see they resembled each other a bit.

Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve introduced them to Claire and Alice yet.

“There’s a place nearby, but I actually haven’t introduced it to the two of you. Since we’ve come this far, let’s go there right away.”

I said this and stepped forward.

*

There weren’t many great eateries near my place.

There were university students living nearby, but like students often do, their wallets were light. So, the local area was mostly filled with cheap places to grab a quick bite or meat joints for group gatherings.

As a person living alone, I didn’t often go to meat joints, but I thought it was great that there were plenty of those affordable places. To be honest, after paying living expenses and saving for emergencies, the money I had to spend was a bit tight.

I didn’t drink, but being an otaku, I still had hobbies that cost money.

Yet, among those affordable places, there was one that stood out with surprisingly high prices.

It wasn’t particularly fancy in appearance. The interior looked just like any other restaurant.

However, the food was somewhat pricey.

The restaurant’s name was Seoul Myeonok.

That’s right. It was a cold noodle shop.

Of course, cold noodles were a rather challenging dish to recommend to Charlotte. Among Westerners, who have an ingrained concept of ‘noodle dish = hot dish’, quite a few people would be horrified by the concept of cold noodles or buckwheat noodles.

But usually, a ‘real cold noodle shop’ doesn’t only serve cold noodles.

To boil delicious broth, you need good meat, and a place that makes broth with good meat will certainly serve excellent dishes with that meat.

This restaurant serves both galbitang and galbijjim.

Today, the dish I wanted to introduce to these people was galbitang.

The price per bowl was relatively high compared to regular rice soup, so I didn’t come here often, but in the dead of winter, sometimes this was the only thing that could hit the spot.

I was relieved it was still there.

As soon as five visibly European Caucasians walked in, the owner looked at us with a surprised expression.

“Five galbitangs, please.”

I said it naturally and took a seat.

Since we came just before peak dinner time, there were still quite a few seats available.

“Oh my, how do you speak Korean so well?”

The owner quickly approached us and said.

Then she pushed two four-person tables together to make a place for us.

“Thank you. Oh, and we’re not foreigners. We’re Korean.”

In truth, I couldn’t guarantee Mia and Charlotte’s ID cards because I couldn’t find them. Well, to the folk around here, Charlotte and Mia’s speech would just sound like Korean anyway.

“Korean? Ah, I’m sorry. I mistook you for foreigners.”

“It’s fine. It happens often.”

The owner immediately apologized, and while I responded with a smile, it seemed the situation embarrassed her, and she quickly left.

Right. In fact, being Korean and having looks that can easily be mistaken, but if we were in America, it would have been outright racial discrimination.

“Galbitang?”

Mia asked curiously.

“It’s a soup made by boiling beef short ribs for a long time.”

“Oh.”

At my explanation, Mia’s eyes lit up.

“Dishes made with meat broth exist in every country throughout history.”

I said while glancing at Charlotte who was sitting diagonally across from me.

“Indeed, it sounds like an extremely safe dish.”

Charlotte said, sighing in relief.

The story I heard was that galbitang, beef bone soup, or gamjatang could be eaten by foreigners from any country in the world. After all, it’s a dish with plenty of meat, who wouldn’t like it? And it’s not excessively spicy either.

When I turned my gaze back to Claire and Alice, both of them were smiling wide, as if to say ‘Well done!’

*

“Indeed, I think I had too many unwarranted prejudices.”

As we left the restaurant, Charlotte said.

The slight redness in her face wasn’t just from the warm Korean soup she had eaten.

“Right? You ate like a champion, without any prejudice at all.”

When Alice teased her, Charlotte’s face turned even redder.

“W-well, there was nothing I could do! There were no forks or knives to cut the meat off the bone!”

She could have used scissors, but that meant she would need to hold one side of the bone first.

Moreover, I had started tearing into the ribs first, so Charlotte thought that was how it was supposed to be eaten and followed suit.

“Alice, don’t tease her too much. We’re not nobles, royalty, or emperors here.”

“Right, exactly.”

“……Aren’t both of you being a bit too casual?”

Charlotte spoke as if she found it a bit absurd—

“I thought it was fine to be a little casual.”

Mia spoke, slightly parting her lips.

Mia had been quite quiet all day. Rather than speaking when she didn’t have something in her mouth, she seemed more focused on taking in the world around her.

But it seemed she was still listening to the conversation.

“I… actually think it’s okay. Here, we don’t need to care about family matters. Above all, even if we spend a little time here and go back, hardly any time will have passed for us over there.”

“……”

Charlotte stared at Mia with her mouth agape for a bit, then closed her eyes and exhaled.

A slight smile appeared on her lips.

When Charlotte opened her eyes again and looked at us, she spoke with a hint of apology.

“……I’m sorry. I think I got a bit too impatient.”

“Yeah, that’s true. And we weren’t just lounging around here.”

Claire said to Charlotte while smiling.

“We’re even earning money through streaming. We need money to live, right?”

And among the three of us, Claire enjoyed those streaming times the purest.

“……Streaming?”

Charlotte didn’t know anything about streaming.

…Well, that’s true.

But I think it would be amusing to teach her.

Chapter 384

When you think about it, Azernar was a world without electricity and many other things.

If you were to ask where the history of broadcasting began, each person would likely give a different answer, but generally, they would probably think of ‘radio.’

With the ability to transmit and receive radio waves, people were able to listen to conversations in real-time, and thus they could play music, read stories, host talk shows, or even air dramas consisting only of voices.

However, in Azernar, that ‘radio’ was never invented.

Of course, considering that radio technology was completed in the early 20th century, one wouldn’t assume that there would forever be nothing like it in a world powered by steam engines. Even if electrical devices were never invented, if magic existed, and using that magic there were phones, then who knows what could happen if we applied that concept.

But a possibility is just a possibility. Anyway, in Azernar, news was still conveyed in writing. So the concept of ‘broadcasting’ as understood by modern people never even got close.

“So, is it like a circus clown?”

“…”

Hmm, well.

It’s not quite right to call them actors; they’re somewhat similar to clowns. But isn’t calling people who broadcast in modern times clowns a bit outdated?

Then again, Charlotte is someone who is indeed out of touch with the times. Although she’s in her mid-teens in Azernar, compared to the 21st century, she’s like someone from over a hundred years ago.

Moreover, being a member of the royal family, probably makes her even more conservative.

It’s even more astonishing that Claire or Alice, who’ve considered trying their hand at broadcasting, find it curious.

“So, what do you all do in this broadcasting thing?”

“Mostly we play games, have conversations, or show off some items.”

Or we might eat something.

Now that Mia is here, the chances of a mukbang have increased significantly. Of course, we will have to see just how much she can eat.

Often, people who eat a little bit frequently end up having trouble when they try to eat a lot all at once. We can’t make her sick after she’s come all this way, so we need to be careful.

“Can you make money just from that?”

“…”

That’s a good question.

I wonder if our broadcasts are entertaining? Honestly, I’m not sure. We never really established a serious comedic concept to make people laugh, so even if we look back at the broadcast, I can’t tell if it’s particularly funny.

But still, the view count has been steadily rising, and the number of viewers is consistently going up, so it seems like there’s some sort of charm to it.

…Or maybe they’re just coming in to see our pretty faces.

“It makes money.”

I nodded and said.

“You said playing games is like having fun? So you can earn money while having fun?”

The look in her eyes resembled that of someone who thought they were being scammed. I had no idea how to explain this.

“Instead of just doubting, how about checking it out for yourself?”

Claire, unable to bear watching this scene from the side, said that.

“It’s almost time to start the broadcast.”

“Okay.”

Charlotte exhaled and said,

“Really, I don’t understand this world at all, even after hearing explanations.”

That’s true. I, too, feel completely lost while trying to explain.

Life really is complicated, isn’t it?

“So, what do you think?”

“Pardon?”

Charlotte blinked at Alice’s words.

“Are you going to join us on the broadcast? Or would you rather watch from the side?”

“…”

Charlotte put her hand on her mouth, pondering for a moment,

“If I could really earn money with log broadcasting, do you think my joining would be helpful?”

“I believe it will definitely be a help.”

After all, the trio of cosplayers, who have a synchronization rate that could break the ceiling, are already a hot topic, and if two more are added, especially two of the heroines from that game series, that will stir up even more buzz.

To be honest, I found Charlotte’s reactions to this world highly entertaining. Just her giving those reactions periodically would surely help.

“Well, then I shall join as well. I can’t just live here for free.”

Charlotte puffed out her chest as she said this, looking quite adorable.

“Alright, then.”

I immediately prepared for the broadcast.

*

[More people?]

[It’s Charlotte!]

[OMG OMG OMG]

[Charlotte? Mia?]

“Somehow, the number of people I’m spending time with has increased.”

I shifted slightly to the side to show the person on screen.

Mia seemed mesmerized by her own image, perhaps not fully grasping that she was being reflected in the others’ eyes.

While it might have inverted left and right like in a mirror, she seemed to realize that seeing herself in the screen a bit delayed told her ‘this isn’t a mirror.’ Plus, people beside her were chatting away.

“So, that’s what they mean by ‘chatting.’”

Charlotte squinted as she spoke.

She obviously doesn’t understand Korean, so to her, it probably looks like some alien language.

“I’ll teach you how to read it slowly.”

“Thank you. I’ll try my best to be of help.”

[Is this too much of a concept? LOL]

[Did you really come from that world? LOL]

[But the quality is great!]

“What are they saying?”

Before starting the broadcast, Mia, who carefully heard a brief explanation about the chat, asked cautiously.

“They think we look like ourselves, and they like that.”

“Is it not obvious that we look like ourselves?”

When Mia tilted her head in confusion, the reaction from the chat exploded.

[Mia is the best!]

[OMG]

[OMG OMG]

[700]

Mia was… in many ways, a character with a bit of a niche following.

“What does this one say?”

“Mia is cute.”

Upon answering Charlotte’s question, her eyes narrowed. While she couldn’t read the chat, her expression stiffened as soon as she knew the content.

“Charlotte, the difference between you and Mia is almost negligible.”

“But there is appearance.”

[Legal?]

I banned the person who typed that in the chat.

… In any case, the resident register shows them as adults, so Mia would undoubtedly be referred to as an adult if such a document were discovered. However, I still know we’re in our mid-teens.

Even if it’s legally acceptable in this country, morally crossing the line openly is a big no-no.

“From now on, these two will also join us for the broadcast. However, since it might be hard for five of us to appear all at once in one broadcast, we might take turns… but nothing is set in stone yet, so I’ll make an announcement once we have definitive plans.”

[LOL]

[Okay, okay!]

I let out a small breath.

I was relieved that people accepted it naturally.

Of course, these two would be Korean too, so I had no clue how they’d react once they heard that story.

“Then… okay. Earlier, you asked why it seemed strange that we looked like ourselves, right? I’ll tell you that reason right away.”

I said this and picked up a game package that was next to the table.

We don’t dive straight into the game. If we do, we’ll run out of energy midway, so first we’ll warm up with a talk for about an hour before jumping into gameplay.

It was a method I had somewhat researched on the internet.

“This is… you.”

Seeing my image on the package, Charlotte’s eyes widened.

“And here I am, and Alice too.”

Claire pointed over Charlotte’s shoulder at the package. There they were, a little distant, but unmistakably drawn: Claire and Alice.

Not only them. Many main characters were illustrated on the cover. Of course, the one drawn biggest was Sylvia, which probably sparked some backlash.

“…I’m on there too.”

“That’s right.”

Upon hearing my response, Charlotte frowned slightly as if something was odd and looked up.

“But, is it really okay to say this openly in front of others?”

“Because I doubt anyone would take it seriously.”

“B-but you said there was no magic here?”

I nodded at Mia’s words.

[Concept is solid.]

[Seems more thorough than most VTubers.]

Well, of course, it’s their own lives.

If we were to pretend to be ordinary, it would be awkward in reverse.

“This is the game we often play during our broadcasts.”

“…We appear in it?”

“That’s right. There’s also romance.”

“….”

Charlotte stared at me intently.

“Yes?”

I glanced at Mia, who wore a clueless expression, then looked at Alice and Claire.

Both seemed to pick up on something from my words.

That’s right.

Alice and I were both trying our best to woo each other, and now there was another candidate in the mix.

Someone completely clueless.

Since the story is still about halfway through, a tough route might be possible, right?

Chapter 385

“[Because it’s you.]”

“Wait, wait a minute.”

“[It’s because it’s you, I believe you can do it.]”

“I told you to stop for a moment!”

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, Charlotte crashed into me, causing me to topple over sideways.

Right.

Since coming to this world, I’ve been exercising to keep up with Claire and Alice, but I still had a strength that made it pointless to compare with the real warriors.

“What do you mean by that? What are you doing? Are you telling me that I was saying such things in there!?”

Charlotte’s face turned bright red, and she looked quite cute.

I hardly ever saw that kind of expression from her.

“Of course. It’s just how the script goes.”

“I could never say that to Leo! No, I definitely haven’t!”

“Charlotte, could you lower your voice a bit? If you’re not careful, your yelling might be heard by the neighbors.”

“……”

Glaring at Alice while smiling, Charlotte got back on her feet.

Crack

This is yuri, right?

“Claire, can you ban that person?”

“Okay!”

As I got up and said that, Claire quickly grabbed the mouse and banned or muted the guys who were spouting nonsense.

Sure enough, managing it together is way more efficient than doing it alone.

“It’s only natural that I haven’t said anything to Leo. The world we lived in and the one in that game are flowing quite differently.”

“……But I think it’s a bit twisted to deliberately pick me and make me say such lines. It’s also weird that I had to read the lines that weren’t recorded directly.”

Charlotte was sharper than I thought.

It wasn’t like the game info was given accurately—no, to be precise, I was only given a rough idea of what a video game was, yet she inferred that there might be parts I could choose in there. It’s just impressive.

Did she realize it while watching me control my character?

“But I think there’s a possibility.”

“Can you give me your reasoning for that?”

I said nonchalantly, and Charlotte shot me a fierce look while pointedly questioning me.

“Do you remember when we were in Lutetia?”

“Why does that matter—ah.”

At my words, the color drained from Charlotte’s face.

Right, that makes sense.

A fair amount of time has passed since then, and I remember it, but there’s no way that Charlotte wouldn’t recall it, especially not long after coming from the battlefield.

Back in Lutetia, Charlotte had told me she was happy to finally make true friends.

And when I said I would leave her behind, she told me not to think that way.

As a reference, just a moment ago, Charlotte’s line was what she said just before going into a pair event with Leo.

Just before the war started, when a battleship exploded, the war itself ended up half-canceled. After all, the Empire’s most enormous and powerful strategic weapon disappeared.

And of course, the rumor was that the entity that could destroy that strategic weapon must be a spy from another country deeply infiltrating the Empire.

As a reference, Sylvia had not appeared since then.

Of course, later on, in the latter half of the story, she would join the protagonist’s party when they were surrounded by enemies right before their defeat, and say something like, “This is as far as you go.” But for now, she was simply ‘missing in action.’

The Empire was thrown into chaos.

The war itself was thwarted, but the boiling public opinion seemed far from cooling down.

And this atmosphere spread to the Imperial Capital, increasing the subtle pressure on foreign nationals and embassies residing there.

Being a princess, Charlotte was one of the most important figures, and even though the army had moved close to the border, a full-scale war hadn’t begun yet, so she was still treated as an important guest.

However, those words somehow reached Charlotte’s ears. It was said that the Velbur residents were in a rather dangerous situation.

As someone from the same Kingdom, no, as the royal family of that Kingdom, she may want to protect her people, but feeling helpless, Charlotte seemed hesitant to reach out to Leo.

……Of course, I didn’t know the details. I just thought that since they were the protagonist and heroine, there’d probably be an affection event or something.

The battle started with the Empire’s people trying to lynch the Velbur residents, leading to Charlotte’s response to Leo’s question, “Do you trust someone like me, who is also from the Empire?” Her face would flush, eyebrows slightly lowered, cheeks bright red—

“……If you bring that up here, I’ll challenge you to a duel.”

“In this country, life-and-death duels are illegal.”

It could skirt the legality in some cases, but at least dueling with swords was illegal.

“The law is just a trap with loopholes everywhere.”

“Is it acceptable for a princess to say that? And doing such will be detrimental to Mia’s education.”

“I’m the same age as you guys!”

Just a moment ago, Mia, who had her face flushed while covering her face with both hands and peeking at the screen, shouted out like that.

Is that an adult?

Were they an adult?

Is it legal?

Ah, right. We were considered adults here.

Mia likely was too, so if she just finds her ID, she could buy alcohol and cigarettes.

……I can somewhat imagine Mia drinking, but I can’t picture her smoking. After all, they are trafficking opium in their territory.

No, but more than that.

“Claire, please ban the person who said it was legal over there.”

“Got it!”

Claire seemed to find that quite amusing.

“Anyway, I can’t allow that.”

Charlotte said with a determined expression.

“Choose someone else. You appear in this game too, right?”

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t shown up since the last event.”

“……”

Charlotte turned her head sharply to glare at Alice.

“I’m sorry, but I’m already being targeted.”

Alice said calmly, her expression neutral.

“……”

“Uh, I don’t mind, but I think you won’t be able to target me in this work. She’s my little sister after all?”

That was indeed true.

I had tried to talk to her, but it didn’t seem like the kind of dialogue that would lead to a romance route. After all, in the previous work, she was also a character who was confirmed to die, so it felt more like creating backstory before death rather than a genuine targeting.

“Ah, Mia is out of the question.”

“Why not?”

At the same moment as Charlotte’s words, Mia also turned her head toward me. She seemed confused about the situation.

“Are you being serious? Do you expect me to target Mia instead of Leo?”

Charlotte glanced over at Mia, then eventually sighed, wiping her face with her hand.

“Certainly, that’s the case.”

“Why me!?”

Mia protested, her face reddening.

“I’m the same age as you all, you know!?”

It was the first time Mia reacted so passionately.

Ah, no. It wasn’t the first time. I had brought up her father in front of her, so…Hmm.

……I’ll set that story aside for a bit.

“Anyway, no.”

“No!”

“I’ll buy you a chocolate cake tomorrow, so no.”

“What kind of logic is that…!”

As Mia shouted that and suddenly became quiet.

So it works, huh.

She really does love food so much. I don’t know how she doesn’t gain weight, though.

Now that things have come to this, I wonder if we should have a mukbang tomorrow. I can’t build a whole broadcast on just eating, but it could be an amusing event, like when Alice reviewed my figure last time.

“Then the ongoing event is…”

“There’s no way to end it midway.”

Indeed, the same background music had been repeating on the screen since earlier, and the characters were just glaring at each other, poised to strike.

It’s a turn-based game, so time passing doesn’t really matter, but they look incredibly awkward just standing there doing nothing.

“Then can we proceed slowly?”

“……You started teasing first…What kind of common sense is that….”

Charlotte muttered, but she no longer hindered me from playing the game.

……Well, anyway, I haven’t seen the Charlotte ending yet either.

We can determine the next person at the end of the game based on our respective abilities.

And by that time, at least I have to avoid strenuous challenges as much as possible.

I am thinking of a few methods, but after all, nothing goes as planned in this world.

I leisurely manipulated the game controller, simply finishing off the battle designed to be easily won like in a pre-event.

*

After the broadcast ended, we all changed clothes, laid out blankets on the floor, and laid side by side.

Hmm, it wasn’t as stuffy as I had worried it would be. I’m sure if any of us started talking in our sleep, all five of us would wake up.

Alice, me, Claire, Charlotte, Mia. We hadn’t decided on a specific order for lying down, but it just so happened that we ended up like this.

“……How was it?”

I asked Charlotte.

“Well…”

Charlotte let out a small sigh.

“……I’m a little anxious, but overall, it was okay. If I’d fallen alone in a place like this, I wouldn’t have known what to do moving forward, but because I have acquaintances here…”

“Me too. This world has quite a few interesting and fun things, so I wanted to explore it a bit longer.”

“I’m glad.”

“As time goes by, you’ll feel more at ease. You were royalty, after all, so since you’re here, why not just relax?”

“……Is it okay for someone of royal blood to say that?”

“What Alice said is right. Since we can’t escape it anyway, we should just enjoy ourselves. And that’s also how we can find a way back.”

“You’re referring to what you said earlier in the daytime.”

There was a moment of silence.

“……If that is true, then until the next opportunity arises, I guess I have no choice but to take it easy.”

“Right?”

Claire’s voice had a trace of laughter.

“We’ve been to quite a few fun places. Starting tomorrow, I’ll introduce them one by one. There are still things I want to experience here!”

“And eat a lot of delicious food.”

Hearing that subtle suggestion from Mia, Charlotte let out a “Hmph” sound in disbelief.

Chapter 386

“How is it?”

“Uh… it’s delicious… right?”

Mia darted glances at me, as if feeling the pressure of my gaze, while furiously chewing.

If I mentioned it reminded me of some small rodent, that would be rude, right?

“Is something wrong with me?”

“No, you’re not weird.”

After my intense staring at Mia’s face, Charlotte shot me a glare and said,

“Come on, sis, just be honest. You have something on your mind, right?”

“Your face looks like you’re plotting something.”

Claire and Alice chimed in too.

While Alice could read my face almost perfectly, I was a bit shocked that my poker face wasn’t working on Claire anymore.

Right now, we were at a toast shop.

It wasn’t exactly a local gem. It was a franchise toast shop with quite a few branches across the country, and it was more like a sandwich place that used toast.

It was a sandwich with thick bread filled with stuff and topped with a perfectly runny egg yolk, but honestly, it was my first time trying it. There are plenty of foods sold in this country, and I certainly hadn’t tried everything—after all, I only had Vietnamese pho for the first time after graduating college.

I knew it existed but hadn’t thought to try it until we stumbled upon it while passing by.

There were quite a few people around, but no one was really paying us any mind. I guess it was natural in a place meant for eating.

“Truth is, I do have something on my mind.”

I said while quietly gazing at Mia’s face.

“Oh, I think I know.”

Claire raised her hand enthusiastically.

“It’s an eating show, isn’t it?”

“… Claire, I think you need to cut down on your smartphone usage.”

Even though it’s been a little while since we came here, Claire’s speed of adapting was absurd. Especially her grasp on this kind of knowledge was scary.

Now that I think about it, that idea to start streaming came from Claire’s reaction as well.

“I move way more actively than you do on a regular basis!”

“…”

I had no rebuttal to that.

“Claire has a point.”

I tried to redirect the conversation by saying that, but—

“What do you mean she has a point? Are you saying you find it annoying that she’s more active than you?”

It felt like I’d somehow stepped in it.

“What I mean to say is—”

“Isn’t it a bit much to ask someone who’s only been here less than a week to do something on a show? At the very least, you should give her an adjustment period.”

Alice interjected, and Mia nodded vigorously. Um, you don’t even know what an eating show is, do you?

Thinking about it again, it did feel a bit inhumane to make someone who doesn’t even know what an eating show is participate in one.

“Speaking of which,”

Alice said while poking me in the side.

“… What are you doing?”

“Well, I haven’t really gained any weight despite just munching.”

“Even if I look like this, I’m still trying to keep up with you guys.”

It’s true.

I have been trying to keep up with Claire and Alice’s active lifestyle. Bicycling in Yeouido Park, going around the Han River like a madman.

I don’t want to gain weight.

If it were the ‘me’ from my previous life, I’d probably be called an uncle by now, and I know losing weight wouldn’t have a drastic impact on my appearance, so I did just enough exercise to stay healthy. But since I’ve developed this fine body, I’ve been making an effort to maintain it.

It would be such a waste if I let it go.

Not that I do anything like makeup, mind you.

As a side note, Claire and Alice had slowly started to take an interest in the cosmetics of this world. They even talked about how they should buy a lot when they go back, sounding like Japanese tourists in Korea.

“But your sides are way too soft, aren’t they?”

“That’s not because I’m gaining weight; it’s because I have relatively less muscle.”

“And that’s the problem.”

Alice crossed her arms and nodded, and Claire’s face lit up.

“Yeah! That’s the thought!”

“… What thought are you talking about?”

“Exercise! You’re thinking about exercise videos, right?”

“No way in hell.”

“Do you hate exercising that much?”

Charlotte said, looking incredulous. I nodded firmly.

“I’ll do the minimum exercise necessary to live, but I won’t work out for aesthetics.”

“Why not?”

This time Alice frowned.

“Because exercise is hard work.”

“…”

For a moment, silence enveloped our group.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like the entire shop fell silent too.

… They’re not pretending to be disinterested while secretly listening, right?

Well, to be honest, I’d find it fascinating too. Knowing we are legally considered Koreans would probably raise even more eyebrows. By the way, I found Mia and Charlotte’s IDs before coming out earlier—they were sitting neatly in the bottom drawer of the desk for some reason.

“Sis, didn’t we do even tougher things back in Azernar?”

“That was different. That was something I had to do, whether I liked it or not, while exercise is something I can choose. Isn’t that right, Mia?”

“Y-yes!?”

Mia was startled as I suddenly pulled her into the conversation.

By the way, she was calmly eating her sandwich while we talked, so she was almost done by now. She had awkwardly eaten down from the top to the bottom and was just about to put the last piece of crust in her mouth, but now she froze up and stared at me.

“Do you know this? Every human joint has a lifespan. To use them for a long time, it’s safer to use them as little as possible. But exercising puts a strain on those joints.”

“I read on a site that there are many ways to shape up without stressing the joints.”

“Right, sis. They say even things like stair climbing or running don’t actually put much strain on them.”

“Since that’s the case, what will you do?”

Charlotte chimed in with a grin.

“… If someone like me who’s a beginner at exercising suddenly tries to post exercise videos, no one’s going to watch.”

“Isn’t the point of those videos to see inexperienced people struggle?”

“Alice, how about you try reducing your smartphone usage a bit?”

I asked seriously.

I was impressed enough by Claire’s quick adaptation, but it seemed like Alice had also picked up quite a bit along those lines.

“Well, okay.”

When I chunkily rejected her, Alice shrugged. After seeing that, a tense Mia relaxed her shoulders and shoved the remaining piece of bread into her mouth in one go.

So that fits in there, huh? Although, judging by her bulging cheeks, it seems like it actually does.

“Still, since you’re trying to at least keep up with us in some way, I won’t push you into serious training. Just as long as it doesn’t become a health issue, anything beyond that is a hobby.”

“I’m glad we could communicate.”

I relaxed my shoulders a bit too.

“But this game is happening.”

Alice grinned at me while showing her smartphone screen.

“…….”

I briefly checked the smartphone screen that Alice held out and carefully asked,

“Looks like you already bought something though?”

“That’s why I said I’m going to buy it. Just so you know, I bought it with my money, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“… Then since you bought it with your own money, I really have no use for it.”

“Unless you don’t touch it yourself, that’s pretty much true.”

“…….”

The way she said that so easily made me suspicious of her underlying motives.

But Alice just kept looking at me with a bright smile on her face.

“What did you buy?”

“This.”

Alice handed her smartphone to Charlotte, and Mia, who was sitting next to her, peered at the screen. Then she tilted her head.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special, just a game.”

Not just any game.

It’s a realistic game.

But well, I said I wouldn’t do anything as long as I didn’t touch it myself.

Even if the device was running a game in sleep mode, I just had to avoid touching it.

“So, since it turned out this way, should we go buy some clothes to wear while exercising? Wouldn’t it be good to get something nice for viewers to see?”

“Do I need to bother with that? You’ll mostly be the one using it.”

“Is that so?”

Is it really so?

*

[Sylvia’s stream until it ends●Play Fit Adventure]

With a cheerful sound, that mission popped up on the monitor.

And the mission start amount was a whopping 100,000 won.

“…….”

“Not gonna do it?”

As our eyes met, Alice looked at me and smiled playfully.

So, this was her plan all along.

I rubbed my face with both hands.

Chapter 387

I went out today and, thanks to Alice’s strong insistence, I bought some clothes…

“Alice, I’m seriously asking, how does the site algorithm work? What kind of videos did you watch to end up with these outfits?”

“What do you mean, what videos? Of course, it’s workout videos.”

“No way, even if it’s workout videos…”

Are all the women in fitness or health videos dressed like this?

…..

Maybe not all, but it sure felt like most were in similar outfits. It seems like quite a few people genuinely think those outfits are pretty rather than just chasing YouTube views.

And, to be honest, they were pretty.

Though my sensibilities are closer to those of an uncle than a girl, I felt they looked good seeing well-maintained bodies. I don’t really understand the psychology of why real women wear such outfits.

Right.

I don’t understand.

“This… This outfit is so revealing. What about the sense of shame for people in this world?”

And then there was another clueless person here.

“Charlotte, you can’t just look at it from the perspective of a different world. This world has its own standards. More than anything, it’s culturally and socially much more open, so it’s okay to show off well-maintained appearances and bodies.”

Sure, it’s open, but the level of openness varies from person to person.

Some people go to clubs every day to meet new partners, while others prefer lounging at home, watching movies, and munching on popcorn. Some can jump straight into intimacy on the first day, while many place a significant meaning on sexual acts and only allow it after dating for a long time.

Well, if you dig into religion and that sort of thing, there are definitely much more conservative cases. But people who seriously care about that are a minority here, so let’s just ignore it.

Of course, the kids here wouldn’t be the type to treat free relationships casually and see things like premarital purity as old-fashioned. It’s too soon for their sexual awareness to change; it’s far too conservative in the other world.

Anyway.

“Alice. Seriously asking, is it possible you just got a taste of freedom from the royal family and now want to flirt on the edge of crossing the line?”

“……”

The way she’s avoiding eye contact means it’s true.

By the way, all five people here were in those kinds of outfits. Tight workout clothes like those worn by female trainers in fitness videos.

They could have chosen slightly looser training clothes, but due to Alice’s stubbornness, we had to wear these outfits.

Alice was in light blue, Charlotte in gray, Claire in navy, and Mia and I were in black.

The pants were all long, but they were tight on the body, and the tops were different. Claire’s was a little bold, showing some midriff. Mia, Charlotte, and I had a bit more baggy clothing. The outfit Alice and Claire strongly recommended for me showed a bit of skin on the torso.

At least, looking at Mia’s top, it seemed Alice had a last shred of conscience.

…Of course, I’ve tried on swimsuits and even a bunny suit, but the former was just casual wear for swimming pools, and the latter was a specific outfit for infiltration situations.

“But they really are comfortable to move in.”

That’s true. They were made for exercising, after all.

To be honest, they’re more functional than the uniforms we wore in battle.

“So, should we start the broadcast again?”

“……”

We had to pause the stream during the outfit change, after all.

Even though the camera was off, nobody here wanted to change clothes while a bunch of random people were listening.

As I moved the mouse to start the broadcast again—

[Oh]

[Not even in game skins, lololol]

[Oh wow oh wow]

[Looks good]

Chat messages started flooding in,

[Crown Princess has finally succumbed to money, huh?]

“……I’m just trying to make a living here.”

I wish my age on the resident registration really was true.

Then I could have provided all kinds of excuses to escape.

…Well, if that were the case, the office would have come looking for me immediately. It’d mean kids were living together without adults. Plus, I wouldn’t have even been able to rent a place like this.

“Then, according to the mission, we will start the game. …The condition was that I play until the stream ends, right?”

Once again the chat started pouring in.

As a character, Sylvia divided opinions.

People had mixed feelings about her design. There was no big issue with her character’s traits, but the most critical point was that she suddenly popped up in the middle of the series. Not just popped up, but she was a character that reversed the story built up in the previous work.

She was both unlikable and had that unique ‘fun of breaking the straight-laced character’ charm. So it seemed she often ended up twisted in various ways on famous Japanese illustration sites. Of course, I never looked it up. It seems petty, but I didn’t want to end up feeling bad for no reason.

But I’m different.

Out of all those people, how many would actually see me as the real Sylvia? Most would probably just view me as someone cosplaying and streaming. Maybe a few might think I nailed my concept down well.

But I’m a living person. If someone dislikes the character and therefore dislikes me, that’s basically mental illness.

They can dislike me just for being a female streamer.

“Here.”

“……”

Claire kindly handed over her signature ring-shaped controller from the side.

I had been stalling by pretending to set things up.

But the mission amount had already gone up significantly, exceeding 300,000 won.

“…Alright then.”

I sighed deeply and took the controller.

*

And, of course,

“Hah, hah, hah… Huh.”

Not long after, I was drenched in sweat. The fact that I hadn’t lost my mind yet was proof that I wasn’t completely out of it.

[Look at her, she’s gonna die, lololol]

[Hey!]

[Crown Princess, breathe!]

“Hah… Phew.”

I forced myself to take a breath and tried to get my body back in order.

[Alright, just try to keep up, breathe in~ phew~ breathe out~ phew~]

The donation recorded with the voice of a famous female streamer was incredibly annoying. It wasn’t her fault, but how could she match her voice with the donation so well?

“Sis, are you struggling? Do you want me to take over?”

“There’s a mission amount, so I’ll do it today. But next time…”

“Got it, got it. I’ll do it too. Is that okay?”

Alice said with a smile, and I suppressed my frustration inside.

This building was over 30 years old. Despite that, the soundproofing was somewhat decent, but it didn’t mean the noise from the place was completely unheard by the people below.

Fortunately, the game company had added options for people in such situations.

Instead of staying still, you slightly bend your knees, and at first glance, it didn’t look like it would take much stamina, but actually doing it was torturous.

My thighs felt like they were going to burst.

Of course, my clothes were completely soaked.

“If you push just a little more, you’ll clear it!”

Charlotte seemed a bit sympathetic, cheering for me hard.

[Help! Sylvia needs support!]

[Are you going to give up? lololol]

[You won’t take the mission’s money?]

“I’m going… now.”

I forced myself to move and confronted an enemy blocking my path once again.

“Hah.”

I took a deep breath and got into position.

And—

“Squats… again…”

That was what slipped out of my mouth.

At the beginning of the game, I had set myself to someone who worked out a little bit, all in the name of pride. Claire and Alice had nudged me on from the side, and most importantly, I was somewhat confident in my abilities.

Following around infinite stamina Claire and Alice, I was technically a candidate, not a full-fledged soldier. But strictly speaking, I had seen enough combat to match most veterans in this world.

But…

That was right. I had always conserved stamina by manipulating time.

And even the stamina that came from that was put to the test in this game that had quite a tough mode.

It was the mode I was currently playing.

Each segment of the stamina gauge at the bottom was narrower than my pinky’s width.

“……Next time, I will definitely make you all do this too!”

“Got it, got it.”

Every time I did one squat, I shouted out these words, and Alice burst into laughter next to me.

And then the chat lit up with “lol.”

Chapter 388

The next day, my thighs were still sore.

By the time the broadcast ended the day before, I felt like a half-dried squid. Sure, I cleared the mission and made more money than usual, but the thought of doing the same broadcast again the next day was daunting.

So, I tossed the same mission aside.

“Should I have done it instead?”

Charlotte asked with a bit of concern, and I shook my head.

“That money was earned because I did the broadcast. You probably wouldn’t get the same amount just by doing it. People want to see me struggling, you know.”

“…I understand the sentiment.”

…No, you can’t understand how I feel in that situation. I mean, my friend worked hard!

Of course, I understood why she felt that way, so I kept my mouth shut. Honestly, if the others around me were suffering through the same broadcast, I would’ve just been laughing at them from the side.

Maybe Mia wasn’t like that? I felt like Mia would think we crossed a line or something.

“Well, thanks to that, we can go on a trip now. Since you two joined the broadcast, the daily income has increased, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

It’s been a while since the two of them joined. Of course, it hasn’t even been a week yet, but I didn’t want to waste the first holiday since they joined.

As soon as the broadcast ended yesterday, I got ready to leave, and after breakfast today, we planned to head out a bit more leisurely.

At first, I thought about saving money to move to a bigger house, but honestly, unless we moved to a different region, there’s no way we’d be able to save enough money to do that.

Even the costs of entering this place were cheaper compared to the size of the house, so if I were to take out the deposit now, I’d probably end up in an even smaller place within Seoul.

We’ve only just gotten the kids used to living here, so moving again isn’t something I want to do. Besides, it’s giving me a headache.

So, it’s better to spend what I can, except for the emergency savings. After all, I’m not planning to live here for the rest of my life.

“Are we going to Seoul again?”

“There are still places we haven’t gone to from last time. I’m planning to book the rooms in a different area.”

Since we’ve looked around the north side of the Han River, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out the south side this time.

I’ve always lived in Seoul, but the rest of them aren’t exactly from here. They can get the feeling of a trip abroad without going too far.

For now, we’ll start with nearby places, take our time to prepare, and then venture further down the line.

“You said that if you leave early in the morning, it’s too crowded, right?”

Charlotte tilted her head and asked.

“How crowded could it be to warrant avoiding rush hour?”

“You won’t understand unless you see it for yourself. I’ll find a video to show you after we eat.”

Charlotte nodded at my words.

After the meal, when I showed her the video, she nodded immediately.

See?

Don’t underestimate a Monday in Seoul again.

I’m not even working, and I don’t want to be caught in that mess.

Especially since my body is still crying out in protest.

And frankly, the check-in time isn’t exactly morning, so if we leave early, we’d be dragging our bags around for hours.

Charlotte wouldn’t understand such troubles being royalty, though.

*

“Ah, could you wait a moment?”

On our way to the subway, as I said that, everyone stopped in place.

“Where are you going?”

“Just a quick stop for lottery tickets.”

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Seeing their pitying gazes, I tilted my head.

“Older sister… if you’re short on money, you can just say so. You don’t have to push yourself. I don’t need allowance, you know.”

“Let, Crown Princess, you’re putting us up, so it’s okay to cut back on meals.”

“What are you thinking I am?”

I’m not some charity case!

Among us, I’m the one with the highest mental age. Legally, everyone here is an adult, but in reality, they are still teens.

Since I’m the oldest living with them, it’s only natural that I feel an obligation to protect them.

Reducing allowances or cutting back on meals? Nonsense!

Moreover—

“Do you all know? Buying a lottery ticket is essentially buying a dream!”

“……”

Their faces were blank at my words.

Well, that makes sense.

There are lottery tickets in Azernar, too. It’s even a game system in the first installment—when you return to the capital during the story, you can buy lottery tickets for a certain amount of money at the lottery shop and win prizes based on probabilities.

Of course, if someone just wins tens of billions, the game balance would go haywire, so the amounts won aren’t that high.

As a Crown Princess, I didn’t need to worry about money, so I never bothered with the lottery shop, but I know that unlike my country, there are limits on how much you can buy at once, and they check IDs in Azernar, they don’t have such regulations.

“When I lived as a commoner, buying lottery tickets was a source of enjoyment. Even if I didn’t win first place, I loved imagining what I would do if I won.”

“……Sis, there’s no need to explain.”

Hearing my explanation only made their faces look even more pitiful.

“In any case, it’s not that I need money; it’s just a chance to try since we’re back.”

“If we’re trying just because we’re back, does that mean we’ll try drinking or smoking too?”

“Absolutely not! You’re not actually adults yet!”

When I firmly replied to Alice, she smirked a bit and said, “Hah.”

“It’s precisely because we have the luxury that we can do this. It’s not betting like gambling, so it won’t cost that much. Just think of it as a pastime.”

“……”

At my words, they looked at each other and nodded.

“Then should we buy some too?”

“……”

Well, technically, they are legally adults…

Of course, just moments ago, I had said they shouldn’t be drinking or smoking, but there’s nothing harmful about buying lottery tickets.

Besides, all the kids here usually don’t worry about money. It’s likely that it would be much harder for them to get addicted than not.

“Alright then. It’s not something we’ll do often anyway; it’s just to try it once.”

Truth be told, if I win the lottery, I’m thinking about moving, but since the chance of winning is slim, who cares?

*

With that, we all bought our lottery tickets, stuffed them into my bag, and headed to the hotel I reserved.

“This place is pretty great. The architecture in this world has really advanced. How should I put it? It feels like it’s been standardized to a higher level.”

Charlotte commented as she looked around the room.

The place we reserved had one living room with two attached rooms. One room had a double bed while the other had three single beds snugly packed inside. It was literally a family room.

In a way, we can all be called family.

“Right? Buildings like this are something you would only see in Lindbergh in the Empire. Yet there are so many here in this city, even without a capital…”

“Indeed, and that’s why we can stay like this. If there were only a handful of such buildings in Seoul, the stay would cost way more than this.”

For reference, this place costs about 300,000 won per night. And that’s with a discount reservation on a specific site; the actual listed price was nearly double that.

Of course, not many would pay that listed price, so our reservation price was practically the standard rates.

“Let’s take a quick break before we head out. We’re planning to return late tonight.”

“Late tonight…?”

Mia, who had already laid down on the bed, looked up with disbelief, as if she couldn’t understand how I could say that after booking such a nice room.

“…You’ve gone out at midnight or even before dawn for requests, so have your thoughts changed now?”

“But right now, we’re living a completely different life.”

That’s true.

In a way, Mia was adapting to this world much faster than Charlotte.

Without pressure from her mother and with no need to put on airs of being nobility, Mia was much closer to the trending term ‘dried squid woman’ that was in vogue for a while in this realm.

Recently, it seems she even watches magical girl anime, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything about it, fearing I might ruin her viewing experience.

…And I felt a bit guilty that Claire was the one who introduced her to that.

“I was planning to eat a ton of meat for dinner, but if it’s fine, you can come back and rest alone.”

“I think it would be fine to come back late for dinner.”

As soon as Mia said that with a serious face, Claire, Alice, and Charlotte chuckled at the same time.

Chapter 389

“That’s a strange thing.”

“Is it strange?”

As we passed through the aquarium tunnel, Charlotte suddenly said that, and I tilted my head.

I wondered if it really was strange, but thinking about it, it could indeed seem odd to fill a massive glass tunnel with simulated seawater and pack it with all kinds of fish.

So, it was pretty, of course. But I guess you could say it’s a bit far from nature.

However, it seemed that Charlotte was not talking about how it looked.

“The money collected by kings wielding absolute power in the past was literally astronomical. But could such kings create a city like this just by pouring out money?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Alice, walking beside me, nodded as if she understood.

“Famous dictators often build gigantic mansions and create personal zoos even as their countries crumble.”

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just dictators; even royalty in the Middle East were like that. They may not have owned the entire country, but some had personal zoos with lions where they took selfies or owned dozens or hundreds of cars that would be hard to afford even if they saved money their whole lives.

Moreover, they built cities in the middle of vast deserts with enormous capital.

“I heard the population of this city is ten million. Are you saying it’s possible to gather that many people?”

Charlotte said that with a genuinely surprised expression, making me ponder for a moment.

Well, I did recall that Dubai also went through a period of severe financial trouble. Just ‘building’ alone would be quite challenging in many ways.

Without going far, there are cases where mismanaged new city plans resulted in entire areas becoming uninhabitable.

“If you’re talking about specific levels of buildings and not an entire massive city, it seems quite impossible.”

In the end, it’s the people living there who come in and fill the city and get the economy running. If the city itself wasn’t livable from the start, that would be impossible.

And the numerous buildings in the city weren’t simply constructed by individuals; they were built by many people hoping for profit, resulting in high, taller buildings. Whether they rented part of a building for money or bought and sold property rights, it was ultimately a product that couldn’t exist outside ‘commerce.’

“In the end, I think it may be better for many people to compete rather than having a single individual directly governing.”

Charlotte murmured seriously, and I was taken aback.

“Just leaving everything alone could also lead to serious problems.”

Just look at the Empire; as soon as you step into the back alleys, public order is nearly neglected. It’s almost impossible for a woman, or even a man, to walk alone through the back alleys at night.

“The country’s policies can’t simply follow the progress of certain regions blindly. The history and culture of the country also play a significant role. In this country, the reason why bloodline aristocracy has mostly disappeared is that it was once overturned by war.”

When Alice, who had arrived before Charlotte and studied various books, said this, Charlotte nodded seriously.

“But it’s also right to learn from other countries if they have something to teach.”

“… Be careful; if you just follow this country’s policies on the Azernar continent too closely, you’ll be called a communist.”

I said seriously.

Of course, it’s not that South Korea is a communist country. There are hardly any countries where you could call them communists just based on a single health policy.

Honestly, how many people haven’t benefited from medical insurance while living here? How many haven’t used cheap public transportation?

Yet, even those health policy concepts could be viewed as extreme leftist claims in Azernar. They set up things that look like clotheslines and called it ‘a place to sleep.’ And it’s not even free; it’s charging people!

Well, this led to the emergence of extreme opposition stories like communism, which then collided and fought each other, leading to bloodshed before modern systems were established. Who knows what problems could arise if ‘royalty’ tried to get involved? At least, the era when citizens revolutionized to behead nobles has passed; it might be better to step back a bit and watch.

Is that too harsh to say?

“What’s communism?”

“……”

Ah, right.

That concept hasn’t even emerged in Azernar yet.

Wondering how to explain it, I said,

“… Mia, what do you think? Was it worth seeing?”

I turned to Mia, who was staring blankly through the aquarium glass.

“……It’s really beautiful. If I had just stayed at the hotel, I would have definitely regretted it.”

Mia’s eyes sparkled at my words.

Honestly, when I came here as a child, I wondered if it was worth spending that much money just to come to such a place, but now that I’m an adult, it felt different. There were times when I suddenly wanted to go to places like aquariums or zoos that I didn’t visit often as a child… but now that I’m an adult, I find it hard to go.

“I might be saying this too bluntly, but it’s good. This time, I’ll let you off.”

“……I have some related books at home, so I’ll lend them to you.”

“Thank you, Alice.”

Hearing the voices of those two chatting behind me, I sighed in relief.

*

“Sylvia, can I try that?”

Unexpectedly, Charlotte’s eyes sparkled because I mentioned we were going for dinner.

Maybe it was because she rarely had the chance to cook herself, but she was watching me grill pork belly with shining eyes.

“Are you sure?”

Though I may look like this, I’ve grilled meat often during company dinners and sometimes held tongs when I met friends. Since coming to Azernar, I haven’t had to grill meat myself, but I hadn’t forgotten the skill, and since I arrived here, I got the hang of grilling meat a few times in my sharehouse.

But has Charlotte… ever grilled before? The most she probably had were steaks expertly grilled by top chefs or stews simmered meticulously using wine instead of water—all those fancy dishes.

“Alright.”

But I didn’t dwell on it for long.

Since we’ve come this far, it would be nice to experience various things.

Despite many Korean barbecue places in Gangnam having staff who grill the meat for you, I purposefully searched for one where guests grill their own meat. The price wouldn’t differ much, but I wanted to share this… joy.

Having come to Korea, though here you can eat Japanese ramen, sushi, or Chinese mala soup, I still wanted to provide an experience that stayed true to my hometown’s way.

“Thank you. So… I just have to watch until it reaches the right color, right?”

“That’s right. There’s no need to feel too pressured. No one here will complain if you burn the meat.”

At my words, Claire, Alice, and Mia all nodded with smiles on their faces.

“I-I don’t plan on burning it.”

Charlotte muttered, her face turning red.

Well, we’ll have to see about that.

My slight smile triggered a bit of competitive spirit in Charlotte, making her puff her cheeks.

*

“… It’s wonderful.”

“Yeah. It’s really delicious.”

When I said that, Alice responded with a cheerful expression as she moved her chopsticks.

To be honest, I felt that what Charlotte grilled tasted better than what I did.

Both Alice and Charlotte excel in observation and physical abilities. If they start learning something, it’s natural that they grasp it much faster and better than I ever could.

Especially when Alice, who understood things in one go that I spent many times trying to understand when we were younger. Of course, I don’t know how much effort she put in afterward.

“I-I think what my sister grilled is tastier.”

Noticing my expression, Claire said that, making me smile bitterly.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“I-I think they both taste good,” Mia also tried to comfort me, which was heartwarming.

“No matter who grilled it, it’s delicious enough to eat.”

“That’s right. Doesn’t it only matter if the meat tastes good?”

Agreeing with Alice, I picked up the grilled meat.

“… Oh, wait. Thinking about it again, I feel like I might be at a disadvantage here.”

Seeing me casually munching on the meat, Charlotte spoke.

Only now did she realize that.

“Meat should be grilled by the person who grills it best.”

“Is that so?”

Charlotte squinted her eyes at me, but I continued munching on five more pieces before I took back the tongs again.

Chapter 390

When you think about it, the kids’ personalities still shine through even after coming to this world.

For example, Claire always enjoyed the situation here. It wasn’t just a sense of duty that made her go on requests with Leo from dawn while in Azernar; she seemed to genuinely enjoy it to some extent. Here, she quickly understood and embraced the local culture.

She was also the first to grab cosmetics, watch idol music videos, analyze patterns while viewing internet broadcasts, and inform us about short-form videos.

Honestly, she seemed to know a lot more about the latest trends here than I did, who had my tastes somewhat set in stone in my 30s.

As a result of her diligence in embracing those tastes, it seemed like she could thrive anywhere in Korea.

Alice was just as diligent. She adapted to the culture by watching videos on the internet at a fairly swift pace. But her focus was more on “study.”

When I saw her pour herself into studying in her childhood, I thought it was just her forcing herself to do something she didn’t want to. Apparently, that wasn’t entirely the case.

For a while after coming over, Alice lived quite comfortably, but over time, her interests shifted back toward learning. The intensity of the studying was very relaxed compared to when she was in Azernar, yet I think the simple act of studying showed her ambition.

Considering that she primarily watched science and health videos, it made sense.

In comparison, Charlotte and Mia haven’t fully revealed their characters like those two, but bits of it were showing.

Charlotte was studying various aspects of the culture in this world. She showed quite a bit of interest in the fallen monarchy of her country that underwent modernization, thinking that this could apply to her own nation too.

If she can learn lessons from that, then all the better. And having the perspective of a country that has already gone through similar experiences is surprisingly valuable. Even if the future events won’t be identical, it could significantly aid in recognizing the signs of somewhat similar incidents.

As for Mia… it seemed like she had a strong desire to rediscover her lost childhood.

“Are you all not eating…?”

After dinner, we brought back some snacks to the hotel. Mia and Charlotte hadn’t tasted the franchise ice cream yet, so we got the largest size of ice cream and stopped by a convenience store to grab heaps of snacks and beverages.

Honestly, there wasn’t anything particularly significant about that process. I just thought my mouth would get bored if I returned without snacking. It wasn’t so much about being with these kids as it was about simply doing what you do when you go on a trip.

I enjoyed watching Charlotte and Mia’s reactions while eating the ice cream. Although this ice cream brand wasn’t from Korea, thinking of it as something only available in this world gave it a different feel.

There were various flavors, most of which weren’t common in Azernar yet. Some were flavors that hadn’t even been released.

Charlotte, still a girl, lit up every time she took a bite of the ice cream.

But Mia’s reaction seemed similar yet different.

Her eyes sparkled while she kept moving her spoon, which was cute yet somehow pitiful.

I’d seen this kind of behavior before, so I didn’t initially pay much attention. I just brushed it off.

But every time she opened a new snack, grinning with sparkling eyes, I thought her reaction was genuinely childlike.

And only then did I recall Mia’s unfortunate childhood.

Mia, raised solely for revenge during her childhood. Naturally, that meant she couldn’t experience her childhood like most kids.

As for me, I wasn’t really a child at that time, and Alice had me, allowing her to retain some innocence. Claire was adopted into a very good family and grew up with a bright personality.

In contrast, Mia… well, her family situation wasn’t great.

“No, I’m eating.”

I said as I picked up a snack to eat.

I’d already thought about this before, but observing closely again to see her reaction in this world revealed that part of Mia was showing.

Perhaps this innocent appearance stems from how much she suppressed that youthful essence of hers.

…Speaking of which, Mia mentioned she was watching magical girl shows.

Maybe I should avoid that topic altogether.

“So where are we going tomorrow?”

As I resumed eating the snacks, the atmosphere around the kids, who were just following my gaze toward Mia, seemed to lighten.

In response to Claire’s question, I answered.

“We’re going to an amusement park.”

“Amusement park!?”

“Yes, I’ve already booked the tickets. They had a discount event recently.”

“Wow!”

“Is it that great?”

Alice asked with a smile at Claire’s reaction.

“Because I’ve always wanted to go while watching videos.”

If the food in this world is a ‘very rare type or difficult to make’ kind found in Azernar, then the amusement park was something exceedingly hard to replicate due to technological differences.

Well, considering it’s a world where people are dressed in powered armor by steam technology, they could manage to make something similar, but there are still many safety questions. Plus, with a ‘steam’ engine, the surrounding area would be filled with white steam.

“An amusement park?”

Mia looked cutely puzzled, and I unconsciously almost reached out to pat her head, but I held back.

It just seemed… too creepy.

Honestly, in Chronicles of Aetherna, the heroines weren’t the touchy-feely type.

“There are various rides, and it’s a place where you can enjoy yourself on those.”

In foreign countries, they call them theme parks, which typically have a clearer theme compared to our amusement parks, but in the end, the well-known attractions are still ‘rides.’ They even make movies based on those rides.

“There are parades too; in any case, it’ll be a lot of fun when we go. Since we’re here in this world, I think it’s best to enjoy everything we can here.”

Maybe if there’s time in the future and more leisure, we could broaden our horizons.

“It’ll probably be here.”

In the meantime, Claire showed Mia a video on her smartphone, and Mia’s eyes sparkled.

“Um, Sylvia?”

“Yes?”

Charlotte cautiously called out to me from the side.

“Since you haven’t asked us to pay separately, does that mean you booked all those tickets?”

“That’s right.”

“But then…”

Why?

Am I at too much of a loss?

“I’m just doing this because I enjoy it.”

Exactly. I do this because I want to.

What I first felt when I came to this world wasn’t a relief of returning but a sense of loss for what I had lost. Maybe the Goddess knew that, which is why she sent me back here.

Of course, I could try to find family or friends in this world and somehow persuade them to rebuild those relationships. Whether that’s possible or not is something to be seen, but I could at least try to make the effort.

But before making those attempts, Claire and Alice chose to come here to find me.

And spending time with these two in this world was so much fun.

So, I just wanted to do various things for them. I’ve received so much.

“…Is that so?”

Seeing my expression, Charlotte must have felt something, as she didn’t press any further.

But it seemed like she found our conversation heartwarming, judging from her smile while observing us from a distance.

“And just in case, I think I’ll be getting smartphones for you two soon. Both of you must have some information you want. I think it’d be good to be able to search for it yourself. It might be more accurate reading there than me just telling you.”

At my words, the joy on their faces was impossible to hide.

There’s certainly a sense of fulfillment in doing something for them.

“I think Alice and Claire have adjusted to this world just fine. As for you two… I’m still a bit concerned about you going out separately, so it might be better to go out with one of us who’s here.”

“Really!? …Oh, but I don’t think there’s any need for us to be separated.”

Claire, whose face brightened at first, quickly reverted back to her original state and said that.

Yeah, I expected she’d say that.

“Are you avoiding going out with us for any specific reason?”

“….”

I averted my gaze at Alice’s words.

“Okay, so you have to stick with your sister from now on.”

Ah, this isn’t working.

Chapter 391

“I’m amazed that there are so many people here every time we walk around.”

“Well, isn’t that because you’re royalty? I feel the same way every time I go to the Imperial Capital.”

Alice responded to Charlotte while they took a moment to sit on a bench.

“It’s not strange to feel that way. The population in this region is quite large compared to its size. Plus, with nearly ten million people crammed into this city alone, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.”

Also, people living in Seoul might not realize it, but it’s a tourist city. Many foreigners visiting Korea stop by Seoul, and quite a few people come from other cities too. Nowadays, there’s a lot of talk on the internet about things to see in different cities, but still, overseas tourists gather in Seoul a lot… or so I think I saw in the news once.

Well, anyway, it seemed like the people around me were pretty shocked by the idea of a “two-hour wait for a ride.”

“Thinking about it, even if this Empire has places like this, only the bourgeois or nobles could visit. It might be impossible for so many people to gather here.”

“And that’s why the entrance fee is so much higher. With this many visitors, the current costs can cover maintenance, but if the visitor numbers drop, they’d have to charge outrageous amounts just to maintain the facilities. Of course, the nobles can afford it…”

The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

If Azernar has a big problem right now, it’s probably that. The divide between the classes is so extreme that honestly, who knows when it will explode?

“But I think you two will manage just fine.”

I said.

“There have been two world wars in this world. But the next generation of Azernar will be led by you. I believe you’ll find much better ways to go about things.”

In fact, royalty could just keep a low profile and slip away when needed. Most European royalty survived by switching to constitutional monarchies. Nobles did the same.

… Well, it’s not like it’s an easy thing to do.

“What are you talking about? In the end, you’ll be there to experience it with us.”

“Are you thinking of not going back to Azernar? Even if you spend time here and return, very little time must have passed in Azernar?”

“…”

I had no reply to that.

Speaking of which, I was a crown princess too.

When staying here, I keep forgetting that fact.

“Come on, why so serious?”

Claire waved her hand dismissively.

Just for fun, the other hand was gripping cotton candy.

Mia had a waffle and churro in both hands and looked so happy.

Funny how, even in the same place, the atmosphere feels so different.

“That’s true.”

Charlotte stretched in her seat, agreeing.

“After all, even if we go back, very little time will have passed, so we might as well relax while we’re here. Though, that’s not something you can just decide so easily…”

As she said that, Charlotte’s gaze drifted towards Mia.

She seemed fascinated by how quickly Mia adapted compared to when she arrived.

“… It’s a little strange.”

She mumbled softly, but all three of them turned to look at me at the same time.

“Even though I spent so much time in Azernar, being here feels like it’s been ages, as if I’ve been living like this from the start.”

“…”

They all stared at me in silence for a while.

“Because it’s my hometown. Even if I thought nothing of being in Azernar, you can’t just abandon the place where you were born.”

Charlotte said.

“Sister, if you want to stay here…”

“I have no plans to do that.”

I cut her off sharply.

“Everything I did in Azernar was to be with all of you. I struggled to make it work, so there’s no way I’d just give that up.”

That’s right. What was I enduring for?

If I were only thinking of myself, I would have settled down in some obscure corner of the story long ago. With my abilities, I could have managed to live without a care.

I really don’t know how the goddess would react to that, though.

And I’m sure she would have been thrilled when I returned to this world.

I’ve always found it amusing when people from different worlds want to go back to their original world. Was it because the cartoons and animations I watched in my childhood were all from Japan?

Having gained abilities I never had in my original world and achieving so much, going back to the original world seems like a joke. Even if I immigrated against my will, I wouldn’t want to give up what I built in that world.

Besides, I was a crown princess. Sure, I had lots of obligations, but a bottomless wallet was definitely worth holding onto.

“… Did I say something wrong?”

When everyone averted their gaze from me, I asked, and Claire cleared her throat.

“No, sister, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Right. Since you want to go back with us, we’ll definitely make sure to take you back.”

Alice added after Claire.

“We’ll repay the favor of our time here once we go back. So, expect it.”

“I-I’ll make sure to keep in touch often!”

Um… well, it’s nice that they’re saying that, but I don’t really understand why they’re reacting like this all of a sudden.

*

To be honest, I was a little anxious.

As everyday life goes on like this, my sense of purpose might fade, and I might end up choosing to settle down here.

What if, while all the other kids want to go back, I’m the only one pulling strings to stay behind?

Of course, I think that won’t happen, but what if…?

A few days passed since the last holiday to Saturday.

The light from the surveillance was still faint. Of course, it was a bit better than right after Mia and Charlotte came, but it still hadn’t brightened enough to repeat that last incident.

The streaming went smoothly. Honestly, it seemed like I was playing other games more often than the Chronicles of Aetherna lately.

To my surprise, Charlotte was quite fearful. Mia was the same, and the two of them playing horror games left quite an impression on many viewers.

There were times when we streamed just five people chatting instead of playing any games, and we even filmed online FPS games suggested by viewers. Surprisingly, my real shooting skills from training seemed to translate into decent game skills, but teaming up with strangers just didn’t suit my character.

Anyway, we spent a peaceful time like that—

Finally, the much-anticipated Saturday.

Today, we decided to start the stream a bit later.

Since we bought lottery tickets anyway, we thought we’d watch the lottery stream first. If we won first place and started celebrating on stream, it would cause all sorts of trouble.

Of course, the chances of that happening are extremely low, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.

Plus, in the first place, that’s the whole point of playing the lottery—to buy a little dream. There’s no harm in having a tiny bit of expectation. And getting disappointed isn’t anything to be heartbroken over.

All our selected numbers were different.

“Sister, what would you do if you won first place?”

“Do you even know the chances of winning?”

Charlotte commented on Claire’s words.

“That’s something you wouldn’t know until you check, right? Plus, didn’t you say it? The lottery is about buying dreams, not just winning.”

“If you need to spend 5,000 won to buy a dream, isn’t that a pretty poor hope…?”

“Well, more like buying a fluttering feeling.”

Alice answered with a smile at Charlotte’s words.

“I still hope to win first place.”

Mia said, her eyes sparkling.

Mia seemed much brighter than before she came to this world, much brighter than in the beginning.

Seeing her enjoying delicious treats without a worry in the world makes sense.

Among the five of us, Mia seemed to have the most “dreamy” expression.

Not a bad thing.

I said that and checked the time.

There’s no need to wait while watching the stream. The results would be posted on the website soon enough.

Let’s just pass the time watching other videos with the kids until then.

*

“… Oh.”

And after the announcement time passed.

There was a brief silence in the room where we were all together.

Uh, so…

“Did we win? First place?”

Yes.

Just as Claire muttered blankly next to me.

And we both had the same winning number.

… I mean, how could something so unlikely happen?

Chapter 392

But isn’t it the case that these things happen without any coherence anyway, so who cares?

At first, my brain was a bit dazed, but in an instant, it returned to normal.

“First place? Are you serious?”

Alice asked again.

“No matter how many times I check, it’s still first place.”

And there are two first places, no less.

This first prize is around 2 billion.

Even if half of it goes to taxes, that’s still about 2 billion since there are two winners.

Isn’t that enough to buy an apartment in Seoul? As long as we don’t go looking for somewhere too expensive, I think we can afford it.

Especially if it’s somewhere close around here, it’s a significant amount left over after the purchase.

“Uh, uh, what do I do? What should I do?”

“There’s not much to do. First, we need to focus on claiming the prize.”

Charlotte answered seriously to a slightly flustered Claire.

“What can we do with this amount?”

Mia tilted her head and asked. It seems she can’t quite imagine it since she’s never bought anything with her own money yet.

No, rather, she simply doesn’t know how big this amount really is. Even though both places have a currency economy, the prices in Azernar and this world are drastically different. As far as the same consumer goods go, items here tend to be cheaper and in better condition, whereas land prices might still be cheaper in Azernar.

Well, that’s not what’s important right now.

“We can move to a decent apartment.”

“……”

My answer left everyone momentarily silent.

It didn’t seem like they were shocked into silence. Rather, they seemed to be struggling to grasp exactly what I meant by that.

Still, Alice and Claire, who had spent over a month here, seemed to understand a bit, while Charlotte and Mia looked… well, confused, as if asking, ‘Should we?’

“It’s going to be hard for everyone to have their own rooms, but if we share a few rooms, it can create some personal space. The living room might even be bigger than this room. Then we can sleep a lot more comfortably.”

“I like living with my sister right now.”

“Well, just because we move doesn’t mean we have to live separately.”

“What do you think?”

Alice asked.

“Do you want to move? To a slightly bigger place?”

“More than just going to a bigger place…”

I thought for a moment.

“An apartment is the best living arrangement in this country.”

Sure, there are issues like noise between floors, but that’s the same wherever you live. All we can do is hope our neighbors are decent people.

Even if it’s not a villa, I’d appreciate having an elevator in my home. It tires me out when I sometimes come back after shopping.

“……”

The kids remained quiet, so I decided to speak again.

“What’s wrong?”

At my question, they all exchanged glances before looking back at me.

The first to nervously speak up was Claire.

“Well, I was just wondering if we are relying too much on you, sister.”

“……I already answered that last time.”

When I raised an eyebrow, they looked somewhat embarrassed.

“What I want to say is, it’s not about escaping from discomfort, but rather about moving to a more comfortable place. Since we’re at it, it would be nice to live in a larger space anyway.”

I waved the lottery ticket while speaking.

“And it’s also because nothing else comes to mind that I can do with this money.”

Exactly. What else can you do with 2 billion?

Sure, I could buy various new items, change the furniture, and stuff like that. But 2 billion isn’t exactly pocket money, and ‘spending all at once’ is about all you can do with that.

“Other than that, maybe I could buy a car.”

Of course, the only new thing I have is a resident registration card, all my other licenses and certifications have disappeared.

So I’ll need to get a new driver’s license too, but that’s not a big deal. With enough money and time, it’s not hard.

“Since it’s not money I can take back, I’ll just think about using it freely. Anyway, even after that, I’d still have some left over, so I won’t have to worry about living expenses.”

Only after I explained that did the kids’ expressions brighten a bit.

I guess worrying isn’t necessary.

Once they came around, they seemed to definitely be more shy.

Maybe it’s because they suddenly went from having a lot to having less?

*

The next Monday.

Who knew I’d see a number in the tens of billions on my bank account?

Even that time I first exceeded 10 million seemed oddly unreal, but now thinking about having twenty times that amount was even harder to grasp.

They say there are plenty of people asking for money outside the lottery payout place, but I guess because we look so obviously foreign, no one approached us.

There’s no reason they’d think winning first place wouldn’t apply to foreigners, legally speaking, but… they didn’t seem to realize a bunch of young girls were gathering because of the lottery win.

Well, that’s fine by me.

Whether it was a coincidence or they genuinely misunderstood doesn’t matter. I was able to receive my money without any interference, and that’s nice, right?

I put in a lot of effort not to show any expression during the broadcast yesterday.

Still, viewers didn’t ask, “Did you win the lottery?” They probably just couldn’t even think of that.

I wouldn’t either.

“Shall we eat something a bit more expensive today?”

I didn’t have to hold back with all this money in my account, plus the earnings we had saved up. Nothing to fear!

“Oh, really? What?”

Seeing me in a good mood, Alice seemed to brighten up too and asked with a smile.

“Well… something expensive…”

When you think of “expensive food,” it always seems to point to seafood.

I mean, sure, there are fancy sushi places or steak houses, hotel dining, but within the bounds of just saying, “Let’s go today!” that’s pretty much the range.

“How about crab?”

At my question, the kids tilted their heads.

*

Fortunately, everyone seemed to like it, and there weren’t any picky eaters.

After all, crabs can’t be bad. I loved crab meat when I was little. Though, it probably wasn’t real crab, to be honest.

Eating food I couldn’t afford when I worked felt really nostalgic.

“First, I’m thinking of looking for a house to move into.”

I said to the kids who were enthusiastically eating. I picked up a piece of sashimi with my chopsticks.

It seemed some of them hesitated to eat raw food, as only I touched the sashimi. The kids who seemed curious stopped reaching for it afterward.

It’s just so good, though.

If we hadn’t gone to a sushi restaurant, I might’ve regretted it.

“But before that, I think it’s best to decide how we want to live in the new place.”

After my words, two of the kids who were devouring their food paused.

It was Claire and Alice.

Mia and Charlotte slowed their eating a little too, glancing with interest between Claire, Alice, and me.

Why?

“I’m sharing a room with my sister.”

Before Alice could even open her mouth, Claire said that first.

“…Shouldn’t we think about how many rooms there’ll be first?”

Alice chided Claire.

“It doesn’t matter how many rooms there are. It’s going to be hard for everyone to have their own. So I’m saying I want to share with my sister.”

“There could be three rooms, you know?”

“Then you can use the extra room by yourself. You’re the Crown Princess destined to carry on the Empire, after all.”

“……The same goes for Sylvia.”

“Besides, it’s Sylvia who’s buying the house. If anyone gets a room to themselves, it should be Sylvia.”

“But I’m Sylvia’s little sister.”

“I’m Sylvia’s big sister.”

“Has Sylvia ever acknowledged you as an older sister?”

“……”

I decided to just eat my food in peace at that point.

While I was looking for a place with at least three rooms, it seemed like, at this rate, we would indeed need one room for three people.

We’d have to use the remaining space as a broadcasting room or something.

I’ve never been popular, but in this world, it seems I’ve somehow gained a lot of attention. I guess I could call that a blessing.

Ironically, that attention seems to stem from my sisters, who share the same blood.

…Is it common for sisters to get along this well? Claire and Alice’s relationship seems much more similar to real sisters than mine.

Ah, right. These kids are actual sisters.

Finding the answer in my mind, I nodded to myself.

“……Say something, sister.”

“Yeah, Sylvia. Since you’re the decision-maker, you should decide.”

Hmm.

“Now that I think about it, we have plenty of time. Let’s think about it a bit more before deciding.”

Though I had already made up my mind in my heart, it was quite amusing to watch these two argue, so I decided to stay quiet for today.

“……”

Meanwhile, quietly watching us were Charlotte, who lightly turned to Mia and said,

“Mia, let’s share a room.”

At Charlotte’s words, Mia nodded with her mouth full of crab leg.

Chapter 393

I’ve never directly talked to a Goddess, but I think I have an idea of what her attitude is like.

It seems like the Goddess is trying to exclude me from that world.

Well, that’s how a Goddess can roam freely in that world again.

I mean, as a human, I can’t escape human lifespan, and the Goddess might try to move that world again after I die—but—

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up researching ways to stop the Goddess while I’m alive. So that a few hundred or even thousand years later, someone like me can pop up and stop her again.

Just like the Fanggriffon Emperor did in the past.

So, it’s probably better for me to stick around in this world. I suspect she’s trying to make me settle down here for good.

To ensure I don’t hold onto any regrets about that world, she sends all my loved ones here whenever she gets the chance, takes care of what I need to worry about, and even gives me a lottery win.

Of course, it’s all possibly just a coincidence.

Claire may have just used her power to come over to find Alice and me, and maybe when she prepared to go back last time, she made a little mistake.

The lottery win might genuinely be just a stroke of luck, not the Goddess’s plotting.

…….

That can’t be, right?

There’s no way so many coincidences would happen in such rapid succession. I mean, I’m not someone who buys lottery tickets every week, and the first ticket I buy after coming back here wins the grand prize? Plus, the two numbers I picked manually are the winning ones?

Give me a break. Let’s be honest, it’s basically saying, “Please just stay there.”

Unless she’s planning to bring that entire world here, I think I’d actually want to go back. It was a mistake to send them here in the first place.

If I were engaged, I might just try to go back and give up if I failed, but since there are kids who have a place to return to, I can’t give up because of them.

Even if I seem fine on the outside, how much worry am I actually carrying inside?

“Delicious…”

…..

Well, I mean, even if Mia looks so happy on the outside, she’s definitely worrying inside—

“I just want to live here forever…”

…..

[Oh my gosh]

[Are you planning to kick Mia out?]

“There’s no such plan.”

With more people around, we’re relocating, so why would I kick them out?

Now, I don’t have to worry about money anymore.

Looking at the apartment prices, it seems I could get something decent for about a billion won if it’s not too expensive.

Out of the remaining billion, if we split another five hundred million won among everyone to one hundred million each, we’d still have five hundred million left.

But since I won’t need to worry about housing anymore, that money will mostly go towards living expenses. No worries when each of us has a hundred million won to spend, no matter where we go!

So there’s really no need to kick anyone out, right?

Of course, I don’t actually plan to split the money ‘for real.’ There’s something called gift tax. If I transfer a hundred million won to someone else’s account all at once, the tax office would be on me like whoosh.

It’s probably much safer to distribute it gradually as pocket money. That way, since they all have a place to return to, they won’t be too greedy. Money from this world won’t be of any use if they take it back.

They don’t even need to be concerned about money in the first place.

[Mia-chan… what kind of life did you lead?ㅠㅠ]

[Were you starved?]

No, technically, in terms of age, we’re the same.

There’s no way I would starve her. Honestly, out of the five of us, Mia has the biggest appetite.

It was a good idea to persuade Mia to try a food challenge, but now it seems I’m being misunderstood for it. With Mia being small and skinny, her stuffing her face with food just looks pitiful in many ways.

I’ve never really starved Mia.

No, not just Mia, I’ve never let any of the kids around me go hungry. As long as I could feed them, I made sure they ate well.

What was in front of Mia was just chicken. I bought a good amount of boneless chicken to enjoy eating together.

Before going to Azernar, I had no idea how much other girls in their teens to twenties actually ate.

But now that I think back to how much my little cousin girls used to eat when they were very young, I feel a bit bad saying this, but Claire, Mia, Alice, and Charlotte eat way more than them.

Of course, I’m not eating as much as when I was a guy. Still, I get it. They burn a ton of energy.

“Mia, just take your time. No one’s gonna snatch it away from you. You’ll choke like that.”

“Uh?”

Mia usually speaks formally, but with her mouth stuffed, it sounds kind of informal.

The chat blew up with cuteness.

I thought about whether I’d have looked cute eating like that at her age, but quickly concluded that I would certainly not have been.

If I had looked that good, I probably would’ve already had a girlfriend.

I silently picked up a napkin I had prepared earlier and wiped the side of Mia’s mouth gently.

[Mommy、Mommy!]

And then you came in, and I just quietly put it away.

“But honestly, people are really watching this just for eating.”

“It’s not just eating; it’s because we have one person who eats well,” I told Alice as she was astonished.

And probably, it’s also because all five of us eating are cute girls. Typical cute European girls who can speak Korean really well.

There are broadcasts with millions of views just showing foreigners eating Korean food when they visit Korea, and I think this is a similar case.

Honestly, I might want to see it too. Well, if we’re not really talking during eating, I’d probably get bored after a few showings.

*

“……”

I ate every single piece of chicken without leaving any scraps behind. I wasn’t particularly lacking.

Actually, it might be that we got a bit more than one piece per person. Seeing everyone lying on the floor, it seems our stomachs are a bit bloated.

Still, I’m glad this isn’t my body from my thirties, but rather a teenager’s body. The bloated feeling from being too full will disappear quickly.

“Thinking about moving to another place from here feels a bit unreal.”

“You used to live in a much larger place before coming here, didn’t you?”

Suddenly, Alice teased Claire as she opened her mouth.

“It’s different here and there. It feels like I traveled with you, my sister, Mia, and Charlotte, away from where I originally lived.”

“To be honest, it’s not wrong to say that. You, and we will eventually return. If we think of it as traveling, then it’s certainly traveling.”

“We haven’t been here long, either.”

Charlotte replied with a voice filled with laughter at my words.

“But thinking of it as a trip makes it more enjoyable,” said Mia.

“Um… to be honest, I do like that we can go to a wider place. It’s a bit uncomfortable with five people living together,” Alice said.

“But, um, how do I put it. I feel like I will miss this time when we laid together like this. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced something like this.”

“……”

Everyone didn’t say it out loud, but it seemed they agreed with Alice’s words.

“Well, then, it’s no big deal.”

But at that moment, just when they started to feel nostalgic, I cut in.

“It’s not like there won’t be a living room there. After all, entering barefoot and living in both would still be the same, and even if the five of us split into two rooms, the living room would be where we’d gather most. If we miss lying around like this, we can just lay out a blanket in the living room and do it together.”

“……”

“Um, sis, I don’t think you should be saying such things right now,” Claire said with a voice filled with laughter.

“If you originally lived here and then went to Azernar, then does that mean that apartment is one of the places you really want to live in?”

Charlotte asked.

“It’s not so much that I want to live there… I mean it can be said that it’s the most optimized place to live in this city. Other places are so expensive that I can’t even dream of it.”

Of course, apartments are generally way too expensive to even dream about.

“Should I understand it like that was a dream I couldn’t achieve in this world?”

“……”

Is that so?

While getting a house was a dream for me, I guess I just wanted a place where I could settle down steadily.

“So what you’re saying is that you thought of us again this time. You’re saying you’d feel uneasy if it wasn’t a place where you can settle down.”

“……”

I didn’t know how to explain myself, so I just kept silent.

No one pressed for an answer. We just lay quietly staring at the ceiling.

But even without saying a word, the fact that someone was beside me felt so comforting.

……I began to somewhat understand what Claire had said.

Chapter 394

It was a bit fun seeing people surprised when we went house hunting.

I was slowly making a name for myself online, but the fandom wasn’t that big yet. I hadn’t run into anyone who recognized us on the street, not even once. Or maybe they did recognize us but just chose not to approach.

So, to strangers, we likely looked like foreigners.

When five white girls stormed into a real estate office, they were shocked, and when we opened our mouths to speak, they were shocked again.

Usually, they reacted like the grandmother who talked to me, Claire, and Alice when we first went to Yeouido Park: “You speak Korean well!”

And when we showed our resident registration cards, they momentarily lost their words.

As it’s quite racist to ask an Asian American if they speak English, the same question to a “Korean” would seem fairly racist too.

Besides, if we had our resident registration cards at this age, they’d probably think we were mixed-race.

Watching the other person sweat bullets was pretty amusing.

…Considering I enjoy situations like this, I guess I still have that twinkle from my days of causing chaos on sites back in my world.

“How about it? I think the price is quite reasonable.”

And this was the second time meeting this person.

Maybe they had relieved their nervous sweat last time because this time they looked pretty bright. We had called ahead before coming, essentially signaling that we meant business about buying a house.

We had checked quite a few places, but this one had the best conditions. It was relatively spacious compared to others, and the subway and bus stops were nearby. Plus, there was a market close by, making it convenient.

“Hmm…”

When I turned around, all the kids who would be living with me nodded their heads.

Well, I had already wrapped up our discussions before I came here, so it made sense.

After comparing the pictures we took last time, I cautiously selected this one. I mean, it’s not like we’d be living here for years, but it’d be nice to have a stress-free time, even if it’s just for a short while.

“Then, let’s sign the contract.”

And just like that, I succeeded in getting my own place.

*

The move didn’t take too much time.

No matter how much of an otaku you are, balancing work and personal collections can be tough.

Living alone meant that I had expenses piling up for various reasons, and I could only buy games or comics by saving on my living expenses.

Aside from various living appliances and clothes, most of my stuff was either books or games.

Well, even if I crammed things into my small studio, how much could there really be? With the movers and the five of us working together, we managed to finish the move by 2 PM after buying new furniture for Mia and Charlotte’s room and placing a couch and new TV in the living room.

“I think… this can go here.”

As I placed the last difficult-to-find item on display, I muttered to myself.

That was none other than my figures.

I was someone who liked these, but I didn’t exactly buy them often. I could cover the costs of books and games somehow within my living expenses, but figures—often more expensive than several full-priced games—were not items I could easily get.

In the end, a figure modeled after Alice and me ended up on the shelf in front of the living room TV.

“To be honest, looking at it is a bit… strange, isn’t it?”

“Huh? A bit strange? What do you mean?”

When Alice, who had been looking proudly at the figures, asked back, Charlotte fell into deep thought with a somewhat baffled expression.

“What I mean is… it’s not really a complete reflection of us, right? Strictly speaking, it’s a three-dimensional re-creation of our two-dimensional images… isn’t there a lot of suggestive stuff in that?”

Charlotte surprisingly hit the nail on the head.

…Although I couldn’t exactly explain to Alice, the original of the figure I purchased, that it’s quite common for figures to be designed to be “appealing.” Of course, there are neutral costume figures too. But just because they’re neutral doesn’t mean they aren’t designed to emphasize certain assets or that they are tamer than daily wear.

Even school uniforms are often depicted shorter than the typical ones worn daily, and characters with a more pronounced body type are usually designed as “well-endowed.”

And most importantly, you can’t declare a figure that fully implements what’s under the skirt as “totally wholesome.” Since I had taken apart the figure to prevent damage, I had wrapped it in bubble wrap and placed it in the leftover shoe box. So it made sense that Charlotte looked at the figures oddly.

Alice seems to think of them like the marble sculptures in the royal corridor, though.

“Hmm? Sylvia’s and my figures are kinda similar, right? Suggestive as it may be, our school uniforms weren’t that different!”

“…”

Charlotte was now at a loss for words.

She looked completely stumped on how to explain that.

…For a moment, I thought about telling Charlotte that there’s a lot of fan art that twists characters from games or comics in quite the peculiar ways but decided against it.

Even if these kids were technically adults according to their resident ID, they’re still minors in every sense of the word.

“…”

Mia was sprawled out on the couch, not moving at all. She must have been worn out from working hard earlier in the day.

Thank goodness my stamina was better than Mia’s. Next time, I’ll make sure Mia does some stamina training while streaming. That might help raise my own stamina’s evaluation a bit!

By the way, Claire had also been glaring at the figures nearby.

“…What’s going on here?”

Finally, Claire opened her mouth.

“Isn’t it just Alice and you who have figures?”

…

Well.

Truth be told, I wanted to buy a Claire figure too.

“But is that really okay?”

“Huh?”

Claire raised her head at my question.

“Is it okay? What do you mean?”

“The figure made based on your appearance would be from older versions, not the latest one.”

“…”

Well, it is possible for there to be a figure of Claire in a more modest outfit. But after searching, it seems there are no plans for it yet.

The Sylvia Fanggriffon figure had been planned for release even before the game’s launch.

Considering that it wasn’t very popular or widely seen, there’s very little variety among the released figures. The game series barely started producing figures for older versions.

Given the time generally taken in the figure market, which can be years from announcement to release, even a tame Claire figure won’t be coming out anytime soon.

“Thinking about it, maybe I could skip buying one.”

“What on earth kind of outfit would warrant such a reaction?”

“It was… a revealing outfit that showed the upper chest.”

“Alice!”

As Alice giggled, Claire shouted back, flustered.

“Well… since we finished things up sooner than expected, shall we start having a meal?”

The moment I said that, Mia’s eyes lit up.

Was she not just sleeping?

But then again, we hadn’t eaten while working, so I understood why she was so hungry. We were the ones who told her, “Just a little more, and we’re done.”

That “little more” had turned into two hours, so it was justifiable for her to be on the verge of collapsing from waiting.

“Since it’s troublesome to take out the plates, let’s just get delivery. I know a great food place that’s perfect for this kind of occasion.”

Indeed, after moving in, it had to be Jajangmyeon.

…Oh, um, is that still a thing these days? Not sure.

*

Watching my friends eat is always enjoyable.

Alice seemed keen to respect the culture, often asking me detailed questions about how to eat. She seemed to have gotten the hang of properly using chopsticks now.

Claire was a bit clumsy compared to Alice but was adapting her own way with the chopsticks. Likewise, her method may look a little odd, but she wasn’t missing any of the food.

Relatively late arrivals, Charlotte and Mia still used forks.

Well, they were both trying hard, but their previous etiquette appeared too ingrained in them; they seemed much more comfortable with forks.

However, seeing them twist their Jajangmyeon from a disposable container like spaghetti was something else entirely.

They were all enjoying their food quite well.

“…”

“What’s wrong, Mia?”

“Is it… good?”

When I asked Mia, who was staring intently at my bowl, she cautiously asked back.

She really was a curious little one when it came to food.

“…It looks spicy just by looking.”

Charlotte remarked seriously.

As a reference, I had chosen the menu after showing pictures on my smartphone and describing the tastes, so everyone knew my Jjamppong was spicy.

“If you’re really curious, I can give you a little.”

At my words, Mia’s eyes sparkled, and I chuckled while getting up.

I brought a small bowl from the kitchen and scooped a little of the noodles and seafood, along with some broth.

“Thank you!”

Even though she couldn’t handle spice well, it seemed she was still curious about the taste.

Alice, Claire, and Charlotte’s eyes all followed the bowl in Mia’s hands.

Mia quickly sucked the fork she was using to eat Jajangmyeon clean and carefully fished out some Jjamppong noodles.

And after putting it in her mouth—

“Ugh!”

Her face instantly turned red.

I did say it was spicy, didn’t I?

Even though it wasn’t super spicy Jjamppong, she still reacted like that.

But watching her finish it without leaving anything made me feel a bit proud.

“Cough.”

“Here.”

Charlotte, having predicted that, passed her a cup of water.

“…”

I don’t know how to describe it, but it felt very familial.

If I kept watching this scene, I might just burst out laughing, so I quickly bowed my head and focused on my food.

Chapter 395

Today’s broadcast wrapped up quickly. Even though moving ended early at around 2 PM, work is work, and Mia still hadn’t fully recovered her stamina. In fact, while I felt fine right now, I figured I’d be sore all over by tomorrow.

But everyone understood just how exhausted we were after moving, so there wasn’t much opposition to ending the broadcast.

When I stepped out of the room after shutting down the stream, I was struck by how small our previous place really was. My old place was somewhat roomy for a one-room apartment in Seoul, but the living room of this apartment felt even bigger since it had three separate rooms. The kitchen also wasn’t just stuck to the living room; it was kind of its own space.

The spaciousness of the new home wasn’t just about the number of people living here relieving space pressure; it also meant we could store things more efficiently, making the place visually appealing. Most importantly, having a wide, unobstructed wall was fantastic.

Because we could put up a big TV!

I didn’t usually watch TV much. I typically watched movies through an online streaming service, and the same went for animations or dramas. I didn’t really care for the emotional impact of screen size, so I rarely felt the urge to go to the theater.

But having a big TV had one considerable perk.

It was nice to watch something together.

In the one-room, it was awkward to watch anything together. To watch a movie, we had to use a computer monitor, and while mine felt big enough for solo use, it was quite small when trying to watch with everyone.

So usually, we spent our time looking at our phones individually. But now, that wasn’t the case.

Watching a movie on a big TV with everyone gathered in the living room was quite a nice scene.

“What’s the point of buying a sofa if you’re just going to sit on the floor?”

Thinking this, I spread a blanket in front of the sofa and sat down, earning a curious look from Charlotte.

By the way, Charlotte was sitting properly on the sofa.

“I’ve lived sitting on the floor for quite a long time.”

“I get that, but is there a reason we bought a sofa?”

“…Sometimes I want to sit on the sofa.”

That was the only answer I could come up with.

Usually, I liked stretching my legs out while half-lying on the floor, but when I needed to sit for a bit, the sofa was more comfortable.

Unlike me, the other kids hadn’t adjusted to floor-sitting, and among them, Charlotte and Mia, who were still getting used to it in this place, seemed genuinely thankful for having a sofa in the house.

Alice was sitting on the sofa, while Claire was sitting on the floor with me.

Anyway, since I had spread a blanket on the floor, and there was a blanket to cover up with, it wasn’t all that cold.

“Well, people in this country have their own ways.”

“That’s true, but…”

If we traced it back, our country had traditionally been floor-sitting until sofas and tables from overseas were introduced and became established. But hey, maybe it wouldn’t matter much.

Sitting like this felt really calming.

I thought about why that was, and it struck me that it was largely because this house felt like ‘my home’. In a rented place… no matter how long the landlord didn’t rush me, there was always the pressure of needing to leave someday. And it wasn’t just me feeling this; others probably felt it too, which might be why they tried to secure their ‘own home’.

But now… there was no need to worry about homes or money anymore.

“…”

After a moment of thought, I opened my mouth.

“Everyone, are you thinking about getting your driver’s license?”

“Driver’s license?”

Claire’s eyes sparkled at my words.

“I’ve already confirmed your resident registration is real. If you all want, you can get a driver’s license anytime. Until recently, I considered the cost of getting a license and thought it might not be useful, but now, we have the money for both the license and a car.”

As I explained, both Charlotte and Alice looked interested.

Well, their intentions were probably quite different from Claire, who just wanted to try driving.

In the Empire, there were still regulations in place, and Velbur wasn’t equipped with proper road laws yet since cars hadn’t fully entered yet.

To develop, we’d need to create and amend relevant bills one by one.

If we could learn about such things firsthand, this was a perfect opportunity.

“I…I…”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Most of the time, we’ll move together anyway. I’m sure there’ll be someone to give you a ride if you ask.”

“Absolutely! I’ll drive you anywhere!”

Claire, who had never even gotten her license, declared this, making Mia look a bit uneasy.

I hope it’s fine. While she had this lively image as if she’d cause an accident, Claire was really a model student who adhered strictly to the defined rules.

Of course, she would teeter on the edge of those rules sometimes.

“What about you? Thinking of getting it?”

“Since my original license has essentially disappeared, I need to get a new one. In reality, I hardly ever drove even when I had a license, and having spent years in Azernar without getting behind the wheel, it’s probably better to learn anew anyway.”

“Well, let’s think about that slowly later.”

“Yeah, weren’t we just gathering to watch a movie?”

Ah, right, true.

The TV was still showing the OTT program stuck on the movie selection screen.

“Ah! Wait a moment!”

As I reached for the remote, suddenly Mia shouted and jumped up.

Then, in an instant, she dashed to the kitchen and returned with a bunch of something in her hands.

The little thing she was hugging was none other than popcorn.

“I heard it’s good to have when watching movies…”

Mia dumped various kinds of popcorn onto the empty spot on the sofa as she said this. Her face had a hint of a blush, perhaps feeling a little embarrassed.

“That’s a classic choice.”

I responded with a smile.

*

“…Hey everyone. Aren’t you going back to your rooms?”

After the movie wrapped up, I thought to stay in the living room a bit longer before heading to my room.

Watching other videos on the big TV was quite enjoyable too. It was especially nice that I could slump on the floor and still get a good view of the screen.

I was about to doze off while watching, just like my dad used to do at home, but surprisingly, no one was heading back to their rooms.

The beds were properly set up, and each one was even a single bed for everyone to use comfortably. The delivery guys had quite the hard time with it.

Thanks to that, the rooms that Claire, Alice, and I used were filled to the brim, but it wasn’t at a level that made living there impossible.

“Oh? Where’s big sis?”

“I can just stay here and fall asleep if that’s fine.”

“Oh? Then I can also stay here and sleep.”

Claire repeated my words almost exactly, tilting her head in confusion.

“I don’t feel like sleeping yet. I thought I’d watch what you were watching.”

“…”

With Alice saying that too, I found myself at a loss for words.

For now, all the money from the lottery was in my bank account, and the house was in my name, but I didn’t intend to act like the landlord over these kids.

This house was a place we all lived together, and I thought of us as all being the owners. While we were here, it felt like we were five sisters together.

“The three of you are here, so it feels a bit off for just me and Mia to head back, doesn’t it?”

Hmm…

If only two people remained, maybe it could be alright for the three to head back to the room. No, that was a bit tricky; if I was just with Alice or Claire, then only one of the two would head back to the room. Even if it was me and Mia, or Charlotte, the same notion applied — either Mia or Charlotte would end up returning alone.

As long as I stayed in the living room, it felt like the situation grew oddly imbalanced.

“I’m fine with just sleeping on this sofa.”

Mia, who had confidently laid her head on Charlotte’s lap, said this.

“…At least I’d recommend coming down to the floor to sleep. You might fall off.”

“Is that so? Should I just get my blanket? After all, we’re all going to sleep here, right?”

“…”

In response to Claire’s words, I found myself struggling to come up with a reply.

Chapter 396

Why did we move to such a big place—no, maybe it’s because we moved to a bigger place?

The space we lived in was practically the living room. Whenever we were home during the day, we almost always gathered in the living room, watching TV or chatting together. Well, most of our stuff still ended up around the living room rather than the individual rooms.

All the snacks we stacked up were in the kitchen, and most of the things I brought from my old one-room place ended up in the living room as well. A lot of what I bought for myself ended up getting used by everyone in the house.

…Now that I think about it, leaving a hairdryer in the living room for everyone to share is a bit weird, but since it’s already happened, as long as no one complains, I guess we’ll just keep using it.

In this household, the only ones who could be called introverted were Mia and me.

“Hey, sis, what about this?”

Claire was, without a doubt, an extrovert. She preferred wandering outside rather than spending time at home and had no hesitation when talking to others. It wasn’t to the level of having no boundaries with others, but whether in Azernar or Earth, Claire gave off the energetic vibe of an exuberant puppy.

And when I saw Claire picking up an air freshener, I advised her.

“If it’s an air freshener, you should probably buy a slightly more expensive one. If you get something too cheap, the scent can be polarizing, or it might be too strong to use for long. Generally, those are best bought in bulk for common areas.”

“Is that so?”

Claire tilted her head but put the item down anyway.

“What about cups or plates? Since there are five of us living together, shouldn’t we stock up a bit?”

“Definitely, that’s true. Considering the money we have, I wonder if we should spend a bit more on those, but once they start getting expensive, it can go up endlessly.”

At Alice’s suggestion, Charlotte nodded.

Although Alice and Charlotte were a bit different from Claire, they were both extroverted.

Charlotte had developed her sociability by attending various social gatherings since childhood. Alice, who had been somewhat stubborn and difficult in the original story, had become much kinder and more sociable simply because I had been by her side since childhood.

“Until now, we’ve mostly been eating instant foods and takeout, but I think it’s about time we try cooking for ourselves. Now that the kitchen is bigger, multiple people can fit in there without it being too crowded.”

Charlotte smiled at me.

If this had been me during my time on Earth, that smile would have felt extremely awkward. There weren’t that many times when a girl, especially a pretty one, smiled at me.

But ironically, now I was one of those “pretty girls.”

Not that I could easily return a smile though.

“How about this? The room feels a bit barren…”

“If it’s decorations, feel free to buy as many as you want. Some people even collect small figurines for decoration. As long as you can handle it, I won’t say anything about it.”

I responded to Mia, who had brought over a small rabbit-shaped ceramic figurine.

Both Mia and I had introverted personalities, but we often craved company.

When I was living alone on Earth, I didn’t feel that much loneliness since I was busy trying to survive, but ever since moving to Azernar, making friends and having sisters around, being alone… felt a bit different.

Claire wouldn’t leave me alone, and Alice suspected that I was up to something when I was alone, so being alone was quite hard for me in many ways.

Mia was the same. At first, she was very introverted, making it difficult to bring her out, but once she started interacting with the kids, she became that type who always stuck close to them.

I guess she wouldn’t have liked being alone in the room.

So as a result, we spent almost all our time in the living room.

It wasn’t anything to complain about. The living room was definitely spacious enough for five people.

Even though the parents weren’t around, having all five of us felt a bit like family, which was nice.

But still, having a room in the house felt a bit off when nothing was decorated at all.

So Claire suggested visiting Daiso.

I thought it was named after the idea that you could find anything you needed nationwide, but it turned out it was named after a different Japanese company, famous for having practically all daily necessities if you took a look.

There was one in our neighborhood too, but the fact that she insisted on going all the way to Myeongdong was quite obvious, yet none of us bothered to object.

Well, it was fun.

“Every time we come here, it makes me realize just how amazing mass production is,” Charlotte said, holding a basket filled with several plates as she approached me.

When I was younger, I had heard that the 21st century was all about small-batch production, yet there were indeed more types of products, but honestly, was this really ‘small-batch production’? I wonder if they ever produced this much even during the Industrial Revolution.

“Economies of scale are truly impressive,” I said, and Charlotte nodded as if she envied me.

To think she’s still having such thoughts even while out having fun seems quite princess-like.

Not that I meant in the fairytale sense. I meant as a political princess.

If a princess from the Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution and a fairytale princess had a conversation, I bet the fairytale kingdom would turn into a colony.

*

That’s right.

Now that I think about it, there were three people in my apartment that could certainly call themselves princesses, and one of them shared blood with a true princess.

And I was among them too, as I was the Crown Princess.

But the room we decorated certainly didn’t give off the vibe of being “decorated by princesses.”

“…It’s dull.”

“Alice, I’m really curious, but what’s that book over there called ‘How Steel Is Tempered’?”

Seeing the sickle and hammer boldly engraved on the spine, it seemed like an extremely questionable book. Forget other books, what’s up with that one?

“Oh, this?”

The cover of the book Alice took from beside the desk prominently featured a proud Lenin.

It looked like a book that a certain government agency would absolutely love.

The publishing house was one I’ve heard of often, so it probably wasn’t illegal or anything.

“In Azernar, such things haven’t happened yet, but it doesn’t hurt to know beforehand, right? I don’t subscribe to this ideology, but knowing the opponent’s thoughts might make it easier to deal with if a similar incident happens in the future. And just to be clear, it’s not a novel praising that side, despite the cover.”

“…Is that so?”

I was worried that Alice might start a revolution when we returned, but it seemed like that wasn’t the case.

Considering there were also plenty of capitalist books right next to it, it seemed she was just trying to accumulate knowledge about society in general.

“Ugh.”

Claire gasped.

“But your grades were good, right? Why’re you reacting like that?”

“Just because I had good grades doesn’t mean I like studying…”

Claire replied, shivering at Alice’s question.

Claire’s desk was quite simple. Alice’s, Claire’s, and mine were arranged in order, and since there was no wall next to Claire’s desk, it was a bit awkward to put a bookshelf next to it. Of course, it seemed like Claire didn’t really mind.

On her single-tier bookshelf, there were several novels. Most of the covers had pastel colors.

“I’ll probably place a doll on it later.”

Claire said.

“A doll, you say?”

“Yeah. One that you’ll buy me.”

She declared that quite boldly.

But somehow, I didn’t feel bad about it. After all, I had the money to buy a doll, so why not?

Lottery jackpot!

“Well, I’ll make sure to buy one for you soon. What kind would you like?”

“Just have my sister pick something out. That’s the fun of it, right?”

Is that so?

The only woman who has given me a present was my mother, who preferred receiving money more than anything.

“Your side… um, there’s nothing.”

“There’s no need to fill it up unnecessarily.”

I didn’t intend to study or anything here. I just wanted to relax comfortably and chill before I left.

I might read some books and could do a little studying if I found something I wanted… but that’s not on my mind right now.

“Should I fill it up?”

Claire said with a big smile.

“Since you promised to buy me a doll, I’ll also buy you a doll!”

“That’s a good idea.”

Alice said as she put the books back on the shelf.

“It might be nice to decorate it since she doesn’t usually do it.”

No, I doubt guys my age would spend time decorating their places anyway.

As for the things in the room, isn’t it fine as long as they function properly?

“Well, then I’ll tell Mia and Charlotte too!”

But before I could say anything, Claire had already dashed out of the room.

Alice wore a wry smile watching Claire’s back.

…Well, whatever.

I wasn’t saying I disliked receiving gifts.

Thinking back to Claire’s words made my heart race a little.

When was the last time I received a gift from a girl?

Chapter 397

[Sylvia, you’ve been looking brighter lately!]

“Really?”

With no worries about money, having moved to a nicer house, and finally getting a room suitable for broadcasting, it would only be strange if I didn’t look brighter.

“Honestly, you do look brighter. But if you ask me how to express it properly, I’m not sure what to say.”

“Maybe it’s because I upgraded the lighting a bit more appropriately?”

With some money left over, I properly upgraded the broadcasting equipment. I haven’t installed a soundproof booth yet, but at least we’re using better lighting so our faces can show up better on camera, and since I switched to a better camera, my expression might look brighter, even if it’s similar.

“Overall, the situation has improved a lot. My worries have been significantly reduced.”

[Did you win the lottery or something?]

Sharp as a tack! Although it’s more likely they just guessed it rather than being actually sharp.

“At the very least, I can say I no longer have to worry about living expenses.”

[Haha, does the Crown Princess really have to worry about living expenses? LOL]

[So, have you finally inherited the throne?]

A deadly donation has arrived!

“The throne is going to Alice, not me, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Alice’s expression got a bit subtle at my response, but I shrugged it off and said, “Well then, let’s continue the game today!”

*

After Sylvia blew up the warship and vanished, we still hadn’t found her. Life carried on uneasily after her disappearance. Alice smiled less than usual, Claire had a deflated mood, and the Empire and Kingdom remained tense, but still, there was no one to threaten the entire world with disaster.

Amidst all this, suddenly, an incident broke out in the Imperial Capital.

[Please wait here. As of this moment, no one in the academy may exit.]

[What do you mean by that? Do you know who is here? Especially me, I have a right to know what’s going on!]

Alice shouted at the Imperial troops surrounding the academy, but they shook their heads.

[This is a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor. Nobles must wait here.]

[What the hell…!]

But as the knights did not move, Alice muttered despairingly.

“……”

Everyone stared at me intently as I played the game.

“I’ll say it again, I am a different existence from that Sylvia Fanggriffon. If I were the same as that being, wouldn’t I have caused the same trouble in the world we were in?”

“I know that, but…”

Alice cocked her head at my defense.

“To be honest, isn’t Sylvia the type to stir up trouble?”

“What do you think of me?”

I was at a loss for words.

“Exactly.”

Still, Claire supported my defense.

“If it were her, she would have acted before she thought, and if it didn’t work, she would have reversed time.”

…

What kind of image do these kids have of me?

[Sylvia would totally do that, right?]

Ding ding!

Just as that donation came, I made a serious face and turned it off.

“At the very least, I would have acted when I was with you all.”

At my words, the four who were watching the game behind me pondered for a moment and nodded.

“Definitely true.”

“They won’t just say nothing to us. They would act rashly.”

I had nothing to say to Charlotte’s remark.

Yeah, everything I’ve done so far went down that way.

“……”

Mia’s gaze bore into the back of my head. I decided to ignore that gaze and continued playing the game.

Time passed a bit, and inside the academy, students gathered to discuss countermeasures. Naturally, the main members were everyone but Sylvia.

Of course, Rena and Sophia weren’t here yet either, given that they hadn’t appeared in the storyline.

Sophia appeared in the previous installment, but I really had no idea who Rena was. I didn’t even know that character!

Anyway, with the character Sylvia Fanggriffon appearing, she might show up in the sequel. The Empire’s storyline might have concluded, but conceptually, more than half the continent was still undiscovered on the map. Perhaps the next installment would relate to the Riclant Autonomous State.

…Anyway.

[One thing I’m suspicious about.]

While the students gathered and shared their opinions, Alice voiced her thoughts.

[I know the knights well. They were guarding me since I was little. I wasn’t exactly sociable, but I at least recognized their faces…!]

[……All the knights were wearing helmets.]

Leo muttered.

[They were completely covering their faces. It was like they were afraid someone would see their faces.]

[That could happen if it’s during a mission.]

But Charlotte rebutted Leo’s words.

[Isn’t it normal for them to be armored up during combat?]

[…Then should we check?]

Alice suggested.

[Let’s ask them to lift their visors so we can check. If a Crown Princess says it, they’ll probably comply.]

“That’s true; most of the knights’ faces would be familiar.”

Alice pondered, saying, “I was really worried that Sylvia would take the throne from me during our childhood. I thought if I knew everything about the royal family, my father would recognize me. So I desperately memorized the faces and names of people working in the royal family.”

[Are you sure you’re really a Crown Princess? LOL]

[You’re way too into character, aren’t you? Hahaha!]

It was about time to give up, but there were still people reacting to what we said.

Still, most were like, “Well, it does sound like something Alice would do” or “I remember something similar was mentioned in the developer’s notes.”

…Did I translate those developer’s notes? That thought crossed my mind for a split second, but not wanting to reveal such past details, I pushed that memory deep down.

“Surely, it is only natural to remember the faces of people close to you. Trust is the most important thing in protection, after all. Trust can lead to intimacy.”

Charlotte nodded and added her input.

I wasn’t that diligent, but thinking over a few faces I could surely remember, it seemed like Charlotte’s words rang true. I could probably rely on these kids at least to some extent, even if not to the level of them being my bodyguards.

“Is that so…?”

However, when Mia, who was watching the game behind us, tilted her head and said this, the room turned cold, as if water had been splashed in it.

“……”

Come to think of it, Mia’s family was one that made money by selling drugs.

Moreover, Mia’s mother suffered from extreme delusions, suspicious of every female servant that came into the house.

Did Mia have anyone she could absolutely trust growing up in that kind of environment?

“…There might be people she can’t trust, but in that case, it would still be advantageous to remember more faces, right?”

At the words I barely managed to muster, everyone nodded. This time, even Mia said, “Ahh,” and nodded along.

She still had that darkness within her heart.

[Mia-chan! T_T]

[We must buy something for her to eat!]

…Maybe I should order some late-night snacks for her today.

I pondered seriously while manipulating the controller.

*

“Who are you guys?”

Denied a request, Alice stared with piercing eyes at the knight guarding her.

[…]

[Did your father order you to hide your faces? If that’s the case, he wouldn’t have ordered you to wear knight armor like that. He’s always thorough.]

Alice took a step back. The comrades beside her drew their weapons.

“Honestly, I’ve seen this scene too many times, but… where did you pull those weapons from?”

Charlotte squinted her eyes when she saw weapons suddenly appear in their hands.

“…It must be a setup that they already had them.”

“Is that so?”

“…Probably.”

“So you’re saying you don’t know?”

That’s right.

No one asked such odd questions, and thus it was a story that even the developers hadn’t given insight to.

If we were to dig into every detail, we’d have to scrutinize all the cutscenes.

Guess we’ll just chalk it up to game mechanics!

[If you don’t reveal your identities, we will consider you as enemies.]

[…]

[…Fine. Then we’ll subdue you somehow and see your faces.]

Saying this, Alice laid her hand on her sword.

“…Do you truly think you can subdue the Knight Order with your sword skills? Seriously?”

“…It’s the same for me as well.”

Alice delivered a justification identical to my previous excuse.

Well, in any case, this is a game we control to win.

We’ve defeated monsters much larger than humans, so why not a knight?

So if you asked how we won, well, I wouldn’t have an answer!

Chapter 398

Alice, Leo, Charlotte, and Mia were included as party members, with Roti and Claire as supporting characters.

Well, it’s not like the supporters have much to offer; they could be considered a second-string squad that steps in to fight if any party member goes down.

“Hey, what about me…?”

“……”

But under the scrutinizing gaze directed at me, I had no choice but to swap Claire’s position with Leo’s.

Leo is a physical attacker and tank, while Alice serves as a magic tank and physical attacker.

Charlotte is a well-balanced character, and Mia, of course, is a magical DPS character. This series traditionally favors magical DPS, because once you survive just one turn, it’s like unleashing a magic bomb afterward!

Claire, along with Charlotte, is also a well-balanced character, but unfortunately, she hasn’t been regarded as particularly powerful despite her popularity.

At least, I had steadily equipped her with weapons and Marmaros, thank goodness!

“Thinking about it again, I can’t understand why only about six of us are rushing in against so many knights from the Order.”

“…… Games are a kind of play. It doesn’t really make sense to worry about actual tactics in a play.”

“But isn’t the story that follows the outcome of that play very serious?”

“……”

Damn, I can’t argue back.

If I were someone who had never lived in that world, I might have just shrugged it off thinking, ‘Oh, I guess the protagonists have just leveled up that much.’

But here I am, a person who came over from Azernar.

Moreover, I am someone who has experienced real combat in great amounts.

Just like how career soldiers might find some absurdities while playing FPS games, I can’t simply brush off the magical and swordsmanship experiences I have had over there.

“But we fought and won against the Order, didn’t we? In the end, even the Goddess was involved.”

Claire, who felt better after I let her join the party, said.

“But there were the Sword Saint and the teachers there.”

“…… We have teachers here too, but let’s just gloss over that.”

I thought about countering Charlotte’s rebuttal, but just decided to move on.

“Just think of it as a type of hero story. No one argues that it’s ‘physically impossible’ for heroes to defeat monsters that seem unbeatable.”

Well, someone might, but they’d usually just be treated as a joke. If they were serious, they’d just look foolish.

“Sorry.”

Charlotte said with a voice mixed with a sigh.

“Since the people appearing inside are ‘us’, I keep thinking seriously about it.”

[Us hahaha]

[At this point, can’t we think it’s real? LOL]

[Totally falling into the concept hahaha]

“…… Sylvia, it’s okay for us not to hide our true identities, right?”

Seeing the incoming chat, Charlotte squinted her eyes and said.

“Of course. Whether people choose to believe is up to them.”

“Well, believe us or not, we are who we are.”

[Oh]

[Seriously LOL]

[So quintessentially Charlotte]

As the chat created the atmosphere, Charlotte snorted with a ‘hmph.’

*

Mia thoroughly decimated the opponents with her attack magic.

“Ugh…”

And during that process, Mia got knocked down several times, but with recovery magic and items set on the surrounding characters, I revived Mia a few times and replenished her MP.

“I don’t want to fight like that…”

“No matter what, when we fight in reality, we won’t let things go like that. It’s not like we can just bump up like that with magic every time we go down.”

Reassuring the pale-faced Mia, I maneuvered the game pad.

In the game, an event scene was unfolding where the protagonist’s party was checking on the fallen knights.

[So, do you recognize anyone?]

At Leo’s question, Alice shook her head.

[No, not at all. They’re all strangers to me.]

[What happened here?]

Charlotte murmured with a serious expression.

[Maybe another faction invaded the Imperial Capital.]

[Is that even possible? If so, our territory would have noticed it by now…]

Mia remarked.

[…… Even if Count Crowfield has issues with the royal family, he wouldn’t say nothing when there’s danger… Could it be a special ops unit?]

[…… I don’t think it’s the Royal Army. If they could send a special ops unit to the royal family, they would have done so last time before the war… right?]

[…….]

No one among us could give a proper answer to Charlotte’s statement. Most of us were from the Empire, after all.

[They really started something without permission.]

And someone interrupted our conversation.

[Jennifer-sensei.]

[I’ve been watching from afar, and I must say, you’ve really improved. It was a magnificent battle. I had difficulty stopping Carolyn from rushing in.]

[Is that something a teacher should say!?]

At Jennifer’s words, Carolyn yelled in panic.

[Ahaha…] The characters laughed, as per the script’s direction, and

[So, what are you all planning to do?]

The Headmaster, Abraham Fitzgerald Winterfield, stepped forward.

The name really is long.

Like the other teachers, he seemed to have been observing from a distance before walking towards us.

[Though I can’t be sure of their identities, it looks to me like these knights have received formal training. However, it differs somewhat from the Royal Guard’s style. They are not part of this country’s army.]

[That means……]

[At this point, there’s nothing I can assert.]

As Leo opened his mouth, the Headmaster said this.

[So, what will you do, Crown Princess?]

He looked at Alice while speaking.

[Well……]

Alice clenched her fists in front of her chest and pondered for a moment, then resolved herself to speak.

[I want to find out why this situation occurred.]

[Then do as you wish, Crown Princess. After all, you are the one who will rule this country.]

Chuckling while saying such grand words, the Headmaster.

[…….]

After seriously pondering, Alice closed her eyes and then opened them again with a determined expression, concluding the cutscene.

[Would you like to save?]

“Well, thinking about it,”

I said while pressing the save button.

“When Charlotte said I should step into the battle, you said, ‘I was already planning to go.’”

“……”

“King’s Majesty had snipers positioned around to prevent you from going.”

Charlotte didn’t say anything in response.

Hmm, is it just my imagination, or does her face look a bit flushed?

[What?]

[Did you come from another world and play games? LOL]

“Of course. The real me had pretty decent social skills compared to the me in the game.”

“Are you serious?”

“…… But would a socially skilled person go around saying they murdered your father?”

…… I knew Alice would react that way, but Mia’s remark cut deep.

[Forget the game; tell us about that time!]

Ding-ding, the ‘don’ sound arrived.

There was only text, but it felt as if I was tilting back in a chair and placing my hands behind my head.

“Well…”

I was about to say, “I might,” but then I kept my mouth shut.

…… Now that I think of it, they probably remember everything I did before turning back time.

If I spill the beans now, I’d end up revealing all the hidden dark history!

“Why?”

And it seemed like someone could accurately catch my thoughts, as a teasing voice came from the side.

“Are you afraid of what we might discuss?”

Naturally, it was Alice’s voice.

“But they do need to know our story. What we’ve been through is a tale entirely different from the one in that game. At least to protect my honor, I must tell the tale! After all, I’ve never had such conversations with Leo.”

As Charlotte’s voice grew louder, the atmosphere shifted; it felt less about embarrassment and more about genuine grievance.

“Oh, really? So I can hear stories about you and Alice from back then?”

“……”

At Claire’s words, Alice suddenly fell silent.

Right, most of Alice’s dark history happened in her childhood.

The naive Alice back then wasn’t the ice princess she was in the game, nor was she as socially adept as the Alice next to me now.

“……”

Mia stared at me intently.

“…… Okay, then. Let’s lay it all out. However, today we’re already past the broadcast time, so I’ll slowly unravel it starting tomorrow.”

[Nooooooo]

[Don’t go!]

You really think a broadcaster would listen to requests not to leave?

Chapter 399

“It’s about time to get winter clothes.”

I said while looking out at the darkened window.

Well, to be precise, it wasn’t completely dark. Seoul’s nights are bright. Even though restaurants and most shops are closed, 24-hour fast-food joints and convenience stores still keep their doors open. There were quite a few cars even at this hour, and night buses were running.

The Imperial Capital’s nights aren’t that dark either, but it’s not comparable to this city that never sleeps.

It’s been about two months since I returned to this world. The now chilly weather has reached a point where saying “it’s cold” would be okay.

That doesn’t mean we’re already in winter, but if I don’t start preparing winter clothes soon, there’ll be nothing to wear when it really gets cold.

Finally, it’s Monday. Our day off.

“And while we’re out, let’s also check out the driving school. We have free time in the mornings, so getting a license shouldn’t be too hard.”

Everyone, except for Mia, who looks like she has no intention of getting a license, generally has good motor skills. I don’t think there will be any major issues with driving.

“Ah!”

The moment the word “driver’s license” was mentioned, someone’s eyes lit up.

There was no need to think hard about it, it was Claire. She loves this sort of thing. Last time at the amusement park, she was having the time of her life with the bumper cars.

I knew Claire would be this excited, but—

“Sister, I want a license!”

I couldn’t have predicted that at all.

“A license you want…? Are you talking about getting a driver’s license?”

You want a license, so why bring up driver’s licenses now?

Oh, does she want to get a manual license? I could see Claire enjoying that kind of control. Apparently, there are people who specifically buy manual cars because they love them.

My first license was a regular car license, but honestly, I question whether there’s a need to get such a license in these modern times. Even if manual cars are cheaper, do they even come with that option for regular driving?

“Yes! This one!”

And on Claire’s smartphone—

“No.”

“Huh?”

—was a picture of a motorcycle.

Not just any scooter, but a fancy motorcycle that likely costs as much as a car.

I could just imagine that if you even slightly twisted the throttle, the speed would shoot up instantly and hitting something would send you flying like a boulder thrown by a siege engine.

“…No?”

Claire’s spirits plummeted immediately.

Have I ever told Claire so firmly that she couldn’t do something?

I don’t think I have.

Actually, um… maybe I’m being too rigid in my thinking. I usually don’t care much about what others ride, and as long as it’s not excessively modified with an annoying noise, I don’t mind what people do.

But… how should I put it? If it’s my little sister, I want to stop her.

“It’s dangerous. Even with our skills, we would still get hurt badly if we had an accident.”

Or dead.

“I’ll ride safely!”

Claire desperately tried to persuade me, but I shook my head again.

“It’s not just about you riding safely.”

Even if she follows all the safety rules, that doesn’t mean everyone else on the road does.

If a car that doesn’t follow traffic rules runs into a motorcycle, the person in the car may be fine, but the motorcycle rider could end up dead.

Hmm… or is it just a preconceived notion? I’ve heard that advances in gear have reduced fatality rates lately.

“Sigh…”

“It does look quite dangerous.”

While I was lost in thought, Alice, who had been looking at the picture, spoke up.

“If Sylvia is saying something like that, it would be wise not to ride it. Has she ever been that firm about something since coming here?”

Yeah.

If I go that far, I start to question whether I’m being too strict.

All the statistics I’ve seen are old data… and saying this kind of thing might be rude to those who actually ride…

“…Instead, let’s choose a car that Claire wants. One of the two should at least fit all of us, and how about Claire chooses the other?”

“…Aren’t you being too soft-hearted? Just a moment ago you were so firm about it.”

But it feels unfair.

Am I really that soft-hearted?

But I don’t want to cut her off too abruptly and end up creating a rift. After all, I proposed an alternative. Money isn’t an issue, and getting a slightly more expensive car shouldn’t be a big deal.

Plus, I trust Claire.

I don’t think she would buy something excessively expensive or high-maintenance.

“Really? Is that okay?”

Seeing Claire regain her spirit quickly seemed to confirm that this was the right decision.

Is it just my imagination, or are her tied-up hair also bouncing upwards with excitement?

Turning my gaze to the other three, Charlotte and Alice were nodding with wry smiles.

And Mia was just nodding without even a bitter smile. She doesn’t seem to have any intention of driving anyway.

I guess it’s a relief that they’re all reasonable kids.

I let out a subtle sigh of relief.

*

First, we bought winter clothes. We each bought two thick outer garments and selected a few layers to wear underneath, but… it was a bit tricky to carry them around because of their bulk.

So, I returned home to hang the clothes and then went out again, this time to get passport photos taken at a nearby photo studio.

…And only then did I take a close look at the photo on my ID.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s just that we never took a photo separately, so I was wondering how there was one on the ID.”

“…You’re only noticing this now?”

Right?

Why did I only look now?

The being in the photo was, in every sense, me. It wasn’t even black and white; it was a proper passport photo.

After staring at the photo for a while, I vowed not to think deeply about it and stuffed my wallet back into my pocket.

After all, thinking about it further is pointless. The Goddess must have made it for me, because of some order or whatnot.

Then, we registered at the driving school. Since it’s not the holiday season for universities or high schools, it didn’t seem too crowded. Or maybe it was just our luck.

According to the orientation, the necessary training time for the driving test wasn’t that long. I remember it being like that when I got my license too.

I guess I did fail a few times on the driving test.

…But since I’ve had the experience before, I shouldn’t have any major issues this time.

Sure, it was over ten years ago, but still.

If worst comes to worst, I’ll just ride in the car that my sister drives.

…She seems to like driving.

*

And then, a week later—

“Hey, sis, don’t worry too much. Driving isn’t that hard!”

“It’s not that it’s hard, but you dropped out alone.”

Alice was about to tease me and ended up quieting Claire instead.

“You can just try again, so there’s no need to worry too much. If it really doesn’t work out, you don’t have to get a license.”

Charlotte’s comforting words were just stabbing my heart.

“I… I’m okay with not getting a license!”

“…”

Well, I…

Dreamed of getting an awesome car and driving my friends around.

Having come this far, I wanted to be seen as a cool and successful person from the world I’m from.

Now that I think about it, I didn’t even get my driver’s license in one try last time. Back then, they almost abolished in-garage driving tests. No, perhaps that’s why I ended up failing this time?

Now that I think about it, I did manage to drive decently.

Besides, it wasn’t a manual car, so I wouldn’t stall the engine. The reason I failed this time was purely because I failed to memorize the routes.

“I’ll try again next time.”

I nodded.

“I got confused about the roads this time, but it should be fine next time.”

“Didn’t they guide you with voice navigation?”

“…”

“Why are you saying that to sis!”

Alice interjected, but received a light jab from Claire.

Alice seemed to be enjoying this quite a bit. After all, she almost never won against me in our childhood. I think she might have even felt that I deliberately let her win sometimes.

“…Once I get my license, I’ll challenge you to a circuit race.”

“That sounds fun. Of course, I’ll win, though.”

“…Don’t forget that there’s no need to memorize the routes on the circuit.”

“Hey sis, didn’t you say it was dangerous to go too fast with me…?”

Hearing Claire’s words shift in such a way made me finally stop my argument with Alice.

Chapter 400

Claire, who was prohibited from riding a bike, was wondering if she might want to buy a car with a convertible roof.

Honestly, I didn’t think it was a big problem.

Usually, such cars are foreign brands, and naturally, they are quite expensive. The insurance and part costs when something breaks would add up, so if I thought about it long-term, it wouldn’t be a great choice. I had just won the lottery after all; I wasn’t someone who could earn billions a year.

So when considering outgoing expenses versus incoming income, it would be a problem if I planned to live here for a long time… but hey, weren’t we thinking of going back anyway? Spending some money on a car didn’t seem like that big of a deal.

“How about this one?”

But oddly enough, the car Claire showed was a domestic SUV. Not that it was from some super expensive brand. Something a middle-class family could reasonably consider buying.

“I was thinking of buying a car like this from the start, so it should be fine.”

When I nodded and said that, Claire’s face immediately brightened into a big smile.

“Can I drive?”

“I don’t mind, but are you okay with that?”

Honestly, driving can be quite fun at first, but it tends to get boring the more you do it.

My friends, who bought their first cars in their twenties, were excited to drive their friends around at first, but usually after about a year, they stopped bringing it up. We weren’t riding for free either; even when we went out together, their contribution to the bill was never considered.

Well, I thought Claire might be a little different. Maybe because of her diligent personality, she was the type to stick to what she wanted for a long time. If she had a personality that got bored easily, she wouldn’t have developed a habit of waking up at dawn to tackle requests.

And had that been the case, I might have had it a bit easier.

“Actually, I was considering buying two cars. But if we get this one, we won’t need to.”

It was a car that could easily fit about five women.

“To be honest, I’m a little excited.”

Charlotte, who had been watching us, chuckled and chimed in.

“I’ve spoken for myself before, but it’s my first time thinking of going somewhere with friends like this.”

“Well, Charlotte is a princess. I’m sure whenever she thought about going somewhere, various people were always around her.”

“Exactly.”

“Is it really okay for me just to ride along? Do I really not need to learn how to drive?”

Although Mia had said she wasn’t planning to learn to drive, she seemed a bit anxious now that we had all gotten our licenses, so she asked that.

The three of us patted Mia’s head repeatedly without saying a word.

“Wha—!? Wait, wait!? So is getting a license actually a thing? It is, right!?”

Seeing her flustered like that was adorable.

“By the way, where’s Alice?”

“Huh? Oh, she seemed to be doing something in the broadcasting room earlier. She has something to do on the computer.”

At Claire’s words, I stood up.

I didn’t think Alice would oppose, but it would be best to have everyone’s agreement on the shared car. It wouldn’t be fair to just spring it on her without any warning.

As I headed to the broadcasting room where the computer was, I could hear the sound of a mouse clicking from inside, just as Claire said.

“Alice, what are you doing?”

Upon entering, Alice looked over at me with her chin resting on her hand, deeply focused on the monitor.

“Oh, you’re here? Then could you take a look at this?”

Alice slightly turned her chair to show me the monitor.

The screen displayed a shopping mall website.

And the products on the shopping mall site were—

“A tent?”

Yep. It was a tent.

Not just a tent. There were other browser tabs open as well—one for lanterns and another for sleeping bags.

“Yeah.”

Alice nodded seriously.

“See, all the places we’ve gone so far have been in urban areas. And while I don’t hate that—I’ve really enjoyed it—since we’re buying a car, I thought it might be nice to go a little further, to places not easily accessible by public transport.”

Indeed.

It was a dream of anyone who buys a car.

Camping, as shown in videos, really seems cozy and fun. Even streamers who claim, “This is such a hassle,” end up enjoying camping quite a bit.

To be honest, I had also searched diligently for how to camp after getting a job, but when I thought about setting up a tent alone and preparing everything, then cooking, eating, sleeping, waking up, folding everything again, it felt too overwhelming, and I gave up.

And even those who go camping with family often only do it a few times and don’t go again.

But…

“Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Yes.

My logic here was ‘we’re going back anyway.’

Camping gear? Well, who cares if I buy some and leave it unused after a few uses? We’re going back anyway.

Besides, everyone here was a noble, royalty, or aristocrat. If one can’t enjoy such moments here, they certainly won’t enjoy them back home. What I might enjoy as a normal hobby as I age is likely to become an embarrassing thing over there, especially with work taking up my time.

“Really?”

Alice’s eyes sparkled.

“We were just talking about what car to buy with Claire. Since Claire also wants a big car, there shouldn’t be any space issues.”

Perhaps we could buy a whole bunch of camping gear and enjoy it a bit more widely.

No, wait. Now that we’re at it, a camper van… Nah, that seems a bit much. Let’s just settle for separate camping gear.

“Camping, as in sleeping outside?”

Charlotte said, hand on her chin.

“It’s not just sleeping outside. Of course, cooking is part of it too—things like barbecues that are hard to do indoors.”

“Barbecue!”

Mia instantly reacted to Alice’s explanation.

“Sounds great!”

Claire mumbled, seemingly imagining it at a distance.

“Well, if we’re buying it, let’s prioritize the experience over efficiency. Do they have any wood stoves?”

When I completely went off on a tangent adding that, Alice’s face brightened even more than before.

“Oh, I saw some options. Want to take a look? How about this?”

We then spent quite a while discussing what items to purchase.

*

[How about we turn that into a vlog?]

“Vlog?”

Hmm.

Indeed, since we arrived here, it has been more than two months of continuous real-time streaming.

We have recorded footage. The videos recorded during the broadcasts are all saved.

It’s just that I didn’t bother to edit them because it seemed tiresome.

I could hire an editor, but that also felt overly complicated. It’s like our current state is at a perfect ratio, and I didn’t want to attract people for work and expand my network, for some reason. I still didn’t know how the others felt about that.

“A little simple editing might be doable, but making it a long video wouldn’t be that necessary. We’re going to have fun, not just broadcast.”

[I understand]

[You should take a break!]

[But keeping memories as videos could be nice later. I have backups of videos I made with my family too.]

Ding ding!

The chat was lighting up.

Indeed. Memories.

Smartphones won’t last long even if I bring them back. No matter how much I conserve the battery, it’ll naturally drain, and even if I put it at a maximum, it won’t last more than two years.

But wouldn’t it be nice to share memories, even if not for two years, but one year or just a few months? I could bring a couple of power banks or even a solar charger… though I’m not sure how much I’d be able to bring…

Well, even if I think about charging methods for a bit, sharing memories with those who couldn’t be with us might still be worth it.

“If that’s the case, I’ll think about it seriously. However, I’m not sure if we will actually record the videos.”

The responses in the chat varied, but most showed excitement.

I slyly turned my gaze to the kids gathered in the same room.

They all seemed pretty indifferent.

Hmm.

If that’s the case, how about making a short video of about one to two minutes rather than a full vlog?

…Since that’s the case, should I buy a camera?

Chapter 401

Living spontaneously like this isn’t so bad after all.

In fact, this isn’t the first time I’ve lived like this. Back in my first year of college, I kind of lived like this too. I didn’t study hard for the college entrance exams, and after graduating high school, I was so relaxed with my newfound freedom that I just did whatever I felt like in the moment, which totally messed up my grades. I had to make up for it later in other years.

Of course, things are different now. Back then, I had no money and was living off my parents, so I couldn’t really do whatever I “wanted to,” but that’s not the case now.

Plus, I don’t have to worry about jobs or certifications at all.

My life really opened up after traveling to this world.

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

I looked over at Charlotte, Mia, and Alice, who were sitting behind me.

The one humming a tune in the driver’s seat was Claire. The music selection in the car was based on Claire’s pre-made playlist. It was a mix of idol songs that I didn’t really care about, with random bits of very atmospheric jazz tossed in, making the playlist a little funny yet pleasant.

At first, Claire was driving, and Charlotte was supposed to sit next to her, but before we even got on the highway in Seoul, Claire kept turning around to talk to me, so we had to stop the car for safety and switch seats.

It seemed like Claire was really excited and couldn’t keep her body in check. But at least she was driving well.

“It’s my first time going out like this, so I’m super nervous!”

Mia said with a slightly flushed face and was immediately petted by Alice and Charlotte on either side.

When was the last time I went out like this with friends?

It’s been at least ten years. After graduating from college, all my college friends went back to their own towns, and the friends I had from high school who lived nearby also moved away for various reasons.

And as we got older, friends started getting girlfriends or families. Gathering like this for fun became awkward.

Going to this fantasy world aside, I think this is the aspect I like the most: feeling young again.

Even if we go back to the other world, we still have school life left, so we can enjoy this life a little more leisurely.

I can’t help but feel great.

“Are you enjoying driving?”

I asked Claire, who was humming a tune, and she nodded vigorously.

“It’s fun! Honestly, I’d want to take this car back with me.”

“Yeah, but you won’t be able to keep riding it.”

“That’s too bad…”

A car doesn’t just run with gas. Various parts have lifespans, and if you don’t replace things like engine oil or tires, it seriously affects safety.

“However, I think bringing the car itself is worth considering. Even if we can’t drive it, we could take it apart and see what hints we can get. Since there are steam-powered vehicles, I think we can definitely make internal combustion vehicles too.”

“And we need to think about the batteries and circuits as well. It’s essential to bring back electricity. I wonder if it’s possible to merge that theory with Miss Ada?”

While Alice spoke seriously, Mia opened a bag of snacks.

“Want some?”

“Thanks!”

As Mia offered it, Charlotte smiled and took a yellow snack out of the bag. It was banana-flavored. I hadn’t seen that in ages.

While Mia loved snacks, she definitely had her own tastes—she preferred non-spicy over spicy, sweet over salty, and meat over vegetables.

It’s a bit strange that she loves all those fattening snacks yet doesn’t gain any weight at all.

“Oh, thanks.”

The snack bag made its way to Alice, who smiled and took a snack out.

“Here you go.”

Mia leaned forward a bit to offer the bag.

“Thank you.”

I took out two snacks from the bag, holding one out to Claire. Claire caught it with her mouth.

I had always thought Claire and Alice were sisters, which is why I treated them like that, but I wasn’t quite sure how to act with Mia and Charlotte at first when they first came over.

At first, I thought I’d just get to know them slowly while hanging out together.

But as time went on, they started to feel like sisters as well… Well, it’s not like I could say that outright given our respective pasts.

There was a moment of silence in the car.

But it wasn’t an awkward silence. It was just that everyone was lost in their thoughts, and no one spoke, yet I didn’t feel uncomfortable with five people crowded in this small space.

After a while of just snack rustling and crunching sounds, Claire, who was driving, broke the silence.

“Oh, right! Can we stop at a rest area?”

“Do you need something?”

“Hmm? No, I just want to go check it out.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

Well, knowing how much Claire studied travel, there’s no way she wouldn’t know about the existence and role of rest areas.

“I’m fine with it.”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking of a few things I want to try eating there.”

“Oooh.”

Mia’s eyes sparkled at the mention of food.

Given how interested she was in BBQ when planning the camping trip, that made sense.

Honestly, food at rest areas isn’t particularly special or tasty. In fact, it can be more expensive.

But well, there’s nothing quite like eating on a trip.

Because… well, it’s a trip!

“Alright, let’s go a little further and stop at the next rest area.”

Claire seemed even more excited now as she hummed while nodding her fingers on the steering wheel.

*

“Ahhhh.”

Claire stretched her arms high above her head when we got outside.

“Driving is fun, but sitting still for so long is a bit uncomfortable.”

“Well, it makes sense since we’ve come quite a distance.”

I lightly stretched my body in response.

It wasn’t just us; the other three were also moving around to loosen up. It’s a behavior that seems natural without needing to be taught. My friends used to do the same when they got out of the car.

“Anyway, if anyone needs to use the restroom, go ahead. Let’s meet up in front of the rest area building in about five minutes.”

Everyone nodded at my words.

“Then I’ll go!”

“Oh, me too…”

“I’ll go too.”

Alice, Charlotte, and Mia seemed to be heading to the restroom. I didn’t really feel the need, and it seemed Claire was in the same boat, so we let the three of them go.

“…What can I say, it feels like a mother-daughter duo.”

“Which one seems like the mother?”

Claire mumbled, looking at the three that were walking away in the order of Alice, Mia, and Charlotte, and I playfully asked.

“Hmm, well, since their hair colors are different… if I had to choose, it would be Charlotte, I guess?”

“So, does that make Alice the aunt?”

Claire chuckled for a moment before quickly suppressing her laughter and clearing her throat.

“Then… what shall we do while we wait?”

“Let’s check out the convenience store for a bit.”

It was conveniently nearby.

I bought two cans of caffeinated soda at the convenience store, handing one to Claire. We sat on a nearby bench and popped open the cans.

“…This is nice. Being far away from wars and all that, and having fun with close friends is just the best.”

“But are you thinking of going back?”

“Of course. This is, uh, could we say it’s a short vacation?”

“That seems a bit long to be just a vacation; I might feel sorry for Leo. The last time we took five minutes, so it’s probably ten minutes now? They’re probably starting to worry over there.”

The sky was truly blue. If you looked up, it was almost blinding.

“Well, I don’t think there’s any problem with taking a longer vacation, right?”

Claire took a sip from her drink.

“What about you? Do you want to go back?”

“Of course, I want to go back.”

It’s not that I have no attachment to this place. However, when weighing the attachments to both this world and the other, the scale tips heavily towards the other world.

It’s a happy ending I fought so hard for; I deserve to enjoy the aftermath.

“Why? This is where you originally lived… isn’t it kind of like home for you? Please don’t tell me you’re trying to force yourself to leave because of us…”

“If I were to say I’m not going back, what would you do? You wouldn’t actually say you’d stay here with me, would you?”

Claire fell silent. Maybe she was genuinely contemplating that?

“I’m definitely going back, even if it’s just because I don’t want to waste what I’ve built up in that world. After all, I’m dead in this world. There’s really no reason to be so concerned.”

“Really?”

“Really. Plus, there are so many people I want to see again. Most importantly, I’ve been saying I’ll go back, right? For Sylvia Fanggriffon, ‘the original world’ is Azernar.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Seeing Claire smile brightly, I couldn’t help but smile back.

Chapter 402

I always ate udon whenever I stopped at the rest area.

Not that I particularly liked udon, but it’s just one of those foods that has a decent price and doesn’t fail too badly. I mean, the udon sold at these places just comes from factories anyway, whether it’s the noodles or the broth.

With ramen, I thought, “Do I really want instant ramen at this price?”, and with jjajangmyeon, there were too many times it didn’t taste like what I wanted. I never really thought about the other menu items. After all, you don’t come to a rest area to eat something super delicious.

Not that I would say anything if the others ordered different things, though.

But even without me saying it, most of the things the kids ordered were udon. Only Mia ordered a tonkatsu.

There wasn’t anyone here who could really handle spicy food. Claire held up pretty well, but that didn’t mean she liked spicy food.

So, the ramen sold here would’ve been pretty spicy for these kids. Naturally, when they picked the menu, they ended up choosing food that wasn’t too spicy.

For a moment, I thought maybe these kids were better suited for other countries than Korea, but then again, it kinda made sense.

After all, they weren’t from a big food culture. It was natural that they wouldn’t handle overly spicy or unusual food.

Still, there were non-spicy options available, which was a relief.

“This place is a bit more serious than just a break spot, huh?”

Alice said casually while slurping her udon.

Maybe it was because it was a weekday; there weren’t too many people. Not that it was empty, though.

“During the holidays, this wide space gets filled, and finding a seat becomes a real pain. It’s sometimes better to just use the rest area for bathroom breaks and find another restaurant,” Claire chimed in.

“Is it that bad?”

Alice said, sounding incredulous.

“I can see why given that we’re in the city, but cars are overflowing nationwide. If they don’t think ahead when making policies, all sorts of problems will spring up later on,” Charlotte said.

Well, to be honest, Charlotte would know more about those matters than I did, so I didn’t feel the need to butt in.

These days, Alice and Charlotte exchanged opinions and studied various things together more often. That could be seen as a positive thing. Although it wouldn’t be entirely applicable, studying the history of this side of the world might help them handle unexpected events in the future.

But—

“Today is supposed to be a fun trip; why are we talking about this?”

Claire said with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

“Look at Mia over there. She’s completely focused on eating without a care in the world. Learn to enjoy things a little more innocently,” Claire said.

As Claire mentioned, Mia was savoring her tonkatsu with a look of pure bliss. It’s not like it was some amazing delicacy or anything.

“I feel sorry about that… but given that I’ve lived until now like this, letting go a bit is kinda tricky. It’s already been over two months since we’ve been here, after all.”

“Same here. I’ve lived like this my whole life… But I still think meeting all of you has been lucky for me.”

“Honestly, it doesn’t really matter how we spend our time. We’re not in any rush. We can study a bit or enjoy political debates. I just hope you can have fun,” I said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

*

If I chose udon for a meal at a rest area, what would I choose for a snack?

I usually bought butter potatoes.

They’re something I could easily make at home, but it turns out to be more of a hassle than you think, and there aren’t many places to buy them outside either.

Aside from that, it would be things like squid or hot dogs… I just feel the best options are those you’d want to eat but find too much hassle to make yourself.

Of course, I didn’t choose the snacks alone.

Claire, Alice, Charlotte, and Mia all got a load of stuff they wanted after I handed them a card.

Thanks to that, our table was piled high with food.

It felt like we were already throwing a party before even arriving at the camping site.

If I had been doing this with friends I knew from childhood, I would have felt a bit embarrassed, seeing as they would all be in their 30s like me. Honestly, if we were all sprawled out eating like this, we’d look like pigs.

But right now, we were all teenagers… no, technically, we were women in our 20s.

Plus, it was hard to believe we looked like Koreans just by our appearances. I mean, we’re from another world anyway. Maybe that’s why I felt bolder.

On the table, there were chicken skewers, tteokbokki, walnut cookies, donuts, hot dogs… a mix of delicious foods to enjoy and things you’d be surprised to find at a rest area.

But whatever, right?

As long as we’re having fun, that’s all that matters. We’re on a trip!

Especially watching Mia munch away excitedly, the types of food in front of me didn’t really concern me.

“Is it really okay to eat all this on our way?”

Alice said with a somewhat reasonable concern, looking a bit worried.

“Don’t worry. Once we get there and work hard, we’ll be hungry again,” Claire chimed in with reasonable support.

That’s right. Technically, we were in our 20s on paper but still had the bodies of teenage girls.

We’d probably be hungry again soon anyway.

“Exactly, Alice. Since we’re on a fun trip, there’s no need to dwell on serious thoughts.”

“That’s not your place to say. It was you who talked to Claire earlier!”

Alice pointed out, but Charlotte ignored her and just picked up a chicken skewer.

*

After driving for about another hour after leaving the rest area, we finally arrived at the camping site by the seaside that we had booked.

“What do you think? Did we make a good reservation?”

“I had my doubts for a while, but I think we nailed it,”

The reservation was made by Claire and Alice. Since Claire wanted to drive, they had been eagerly researching camping gear since they heard they could buy a car.

But that didn’t mean the other three of us were uninvolved.

Mia, Charlotte, and I had been busy planning the other details. What we would eat when we got there, what roles each of us would take to wrap things up quickly.

It wasn’t that we had a strict plan, though. Honestly, it was just that the two were so enthusiastic about everything that I felt a bit out of place.

It ended up working out as division of labor, though.

It was autumn.

It was great weather for camping, but today was Monday. Not that there was a holiday, making it impossible for there to be too many people around.

Claire and Alice’s reservation spot was not far from the sea, and we could see the ocean right in front of us. The camping site was lined with pebbles, and as soon as you stepped out, the sandy beach was visible. It might be pointless to come during the summer when there would be lots of people wanting to come.

But it was a beautiful place.

We all worked together to set up the tent. It was our first time pitching a tent ourselves, but I had laid out the parts and simulated it beforehand. Plus, the strength and stamina of the other three exceeded that of an average person, so it took us only about an hour to pitch the tent and finish up the small preparations.

The tent stood alongside the car. We hadn’t purchased anything special for car camping, but it seemed that the tent alone would comfortably fit the five of us.

“Sis, let’s go to the sea, the sea!”

“…If we go in the water in this weather, I feel like I’ll freeze to the bone.”

“Dipping my feet is fine! You’re wearing slippers right now too!”

With Claire’s words, I reluctantly let her drag me toward the water.

Swish—

The sound of the waves was refreshing.

The sea was blue, and the sky seemed determined to match it. We made a good call starting early in the morning. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten to enjoy such a view.

I followed Claire and dipped my feet into the water just a bit.

Even with slippers on, sand slipped between my toes. The water was a touch cold as expected, but it was bearable.

The salty scent of the sea wafted through the air.

“How is it?”

“It’s beautiful, really.”

“Yeah. It’s really pretty.”

Claire and I stood side by side, looking out at the sea for quite a while.

Click.

A sound came from behind, and when I turned around, Alice was holding a camera.

It was a camera I bought on a whim, thinking I might want to use it for vlogging. I chose an entry-level camera with lenses recommended for beginners.

“I want to take a picture too!”

Claire quickly ran over to Alice. Every time Claire stepped onto the sandy beach, little footprints sank into the sand.

Taking the camera from Alice, Claire immediately snapped a picture of her.

Alice might’ve been a bit flustered, but surely the shot turned out well. After all, it was Claire taking the picture, and Alice was the one in it.

Not just her, anyone else too.

There’s no way the pictures we took together while enjoying ourselves wouldn’t turn out beautifully.

When we look back someday, we’d surely be enveloped in wonderful memories.

Chapter 403

The autumn sea is nice.

Of course, the summer sea isn’t bad either. Taking a splash in the water to cool off under the hot sunshine is quite fun.

Going with close friends to splash around and throw each other into the water is a blast. Of course, your clothes get all sandy and you might end up getting soaked in the car if you’re not careful.

As I grow older, I’ve come to dislike that whole process of getting in the water. Being submerged makes your body tired, and most importantly, having to change clothes or take a shower again is quite bothersome.

Even though my body feels young like this, it doesn’t mean it’s waterproof. If this were the summer sea, there’d barely be any time to sit back and ‘heal’ like this.

Would Claire just sit around doing nothing?

Since the sea is cold this season, this is how it is—

Thump—!

“Eek!?”

I screamed instinctively at the sudden sound above my head.

What was that noise? Oh, it was a beach ball bouncing off my head.

“Sis, what are you doing over there?”

It seems a beach ball that kids were playing with on the beach hit my head and bounced off.

“What do you mean…?”

“Since we have so much time until dinner, and we just stuffed ourselves at the rest area, we should skip lunch and save room for dinner!”

“Ugh… I just want to sit here and relax like Sylvia did a while ago.”

“You can’t come all the way to the sea and not enjoy the sandy beach, can you?”

Mia, who advocated for relaxation, was looked at like she was weird by Claire.

“Speaking of four people here including Mia, how about we split into teams and play a game? I’ll be the referee here.”

“Sis, what are you talking about?”

Claire looked bewildered by my suggestion.

“That’s right! You just want to sit out and have fun by yourself!”

I probably pushed in there with too much energy and the extroverted teen girls made their objections clear—Mia rarely raised her voice like that.

“Right, Mia, good point. Sis, it won’t be good if you sit out. Mia isn’t a power player for this game. And from what I can see, you wouldn’t catch up with Alice or Charlotte over there.”

“Exactly! So—huh?”

Mia was agreeing with Claire’s merciless evaluation, turning her head to Claire with a slightly dazed expression.

“So, sis, if you join, it makes Mia and the other two people equal one whole, right?”

“……”

Claire.

Even though I call you ‘sis’ with a friendly tone, your evaluations are starkly cold.

“……Understood.”

While those words were painfully accurate coming from Claire, I couldn’t just let them slide.

Even though I’m not blood-related, I’ve grown up as a ‘Fanggriffon’ for quite some time. I can’t just let such provocation go.

“Your opponents are Alice and Charlotte, huh? I’ll gladly inform you that the number of three heads is not something to be underestimated.”

I stood up with that declaration.

*

“Don’t worry, sis. It’s not like I thought we’d definitely win. It’s just for fun!”

“……”

Hearing those words from the only score holder of our team made me feel even more unjust.

“Three heads is not something to overlook, huh? Who said that?”

Alice kept poking at my pride from the side.

“Don’t be so mean, Alice. Sylvia is a pro with firearms. Of course, her close combat skills are bound to be lacking.”

Yet Charlotte’s eyes saying that were clearly mocking me.

I felt furious.

Really furious.

“Charlotte, do you have a lot of built-up tension against me or something?”

“Are you not going to ask Alice if she has anything against you?”

Well, Alice must have quite a lot against me, considering I’ve hardly ever decisively beaten her since childhood.

Of course, that was because I tweaked time several times to yield only the optimal results. It wasn’t because I was just good at it.

Damn, if only there were a shooting range nearby, I’d be confident I could get first place.

If I ever get the chance to visit the bustling district, I must definitely seek out an air gun range. I’ll show off my marksmanship skills, honed through countless repetitions.

“……There’s really no need to get so upset. Mia seems quite refreshed, doesn’t she?”

That’s not refreshment; she’s just out of juice.

Mia was languidly draped over a folding chair with the backrest leaned back, looking like a half-dried squid.

If that expression could be seen as someone that’s let everything out, sure, but to be precise, it was more of a look of resignation before the brink of death, having let go of everything.

“You two definitely need to raise the intensity of your workouts.”

“I think I’m already exercising plenty. Even with all this eating with you guys, my weight hasn’t budged!”

“That’s the problem. It means what you’ve eaten hasn’t turned into muscle.”

No, I really don’t want to become a gym rat.

Half-listening to Claire’s comments, I rubbed my tummy.

Hmm, it does feel like jogging around was a good choice.

If I had done such intense exercise right after eating, I would have thrown up what I just ate, but having stuffed myself after stopping by the rest area and riding in the car for a while allowed my stomach enough time to settle. Given that, I really worked hard to run around, so I’m feeling quite light.

It’s the perfect time to shove something else into my body.

“Ah, wait a second.”

Claire said that and picked up the camera we had temporarily placed on the table.

She positioned herself for a selfie and included all of us in the shot. Thanks to the rotating LCD of the camera, we could see ourselves on the screen, albeit on a much smaller display than a smartphone.

“……”

We all looked at the screen and struck our poses.

“……”

“……Oh, it was a video.”

Claire said that as if she just realized.

Alice made an incredulous expression.

“What, does it matter? A video will surely be a memory. Of course, I might not be able to keep it for long…”

Still, I had thought of a few things. Even if going all the way to solar generators is too much, is there a way to get a manual charger and figure out how to run a steam engine over there?

The primary goal is to watch videos for a long time, but I also thought I might get some hints during the research process. After all, modern power production is ultimately just boiling water to turn turbines.

“There were people asking for a video to be uploaded anyway.”

Claire finished the recording and said.

“Okay, then!”

And then she spun around and said,

“Let’s get ready for the barbecue party now!”

“Barbecue!”

At that, Mia, who had been lounging around, suddenly sprang up.

“Already? It’s not even dark yet.”

As Alice asked, Claire shook her finger.

“What are you talking about? A barbecue party is not just a meal. It’s about leisurely grilling meat for hours, and once the meat is all gone we gather around the embers and chat for a while; that’s a party! Plus, the pictures taken at sunset come out the prettiest.”

Wow, Claire really has read a lot.

Even Alice, who had been searching for ‘emotional tents’ since before buying the tent, seemed captivated by those words.

“Really? Should we start preparing then?”

Seeing the two decide that, Charlotte, Mia, and I exchanged wry smiles.

Well, good is good.

*

Sizzle, sizzle, the pork was grilling perfectly over the charcoal.

Actually, there were items available from the tent site, but we deliberately bought a separate barbecue grill. Generally, the stuff borrowed from these places tends not to produce pretty pictures.

To be honest, part of it was that I had the money, and it felt a bit bad to tell Claire and Alice, who were so excited about picking out items, that we didn’t need to buy everything.

We unfolded the grill we had loaded into the car and placed in the burning charcoal. Then one by one, we laid the meat on the grill.

When Claire flipped over a steaming strip of meat,

“Wow!”

Everyone gathered around couldn’t help but gasp at the perfectly cooked surface of the meat.

The meat, cooked to a delicious brown, had those diamond-shaped grill marks on the parts that were touched by the grill. It really appealed to the appetite.

“Was it samgyeopsal (pork belly)? I feel like I’ll be thinking about this even later.”

“Is that so? Should we ask the butchers later?”

Alice and Claire started that conversation.

“Even though I still think the food from my homeland suits my taste better, sometimes it’s not bad to eat grilled meat this way.”

Charlotte smiled as she spoke.

While we breathed in the delectable sizzle of the meat, we chatted excitedly under the vividly red sunset.

In this moment, we were no longer a crown princess, a second princess, or a noble lady, but just teenage girls.

…Wait, does that mean I’m not one?

Chapter 404

While preparing for camping, the only food I got was some meat and a few vegetables to eat with it.

Looking back, we all went to the mart and bought what we wanted. Eating only meat is a bit greasy, so I got some salad and wrap ingredients too, and I bought pork belly, other cuts of meat, bacon, sausages, onions, and potatoes.

And we also bought some carbonated drinks to enjoy together. I thought that was enough.

But it seemed like the others didn’t think so.

Since we were grilling over charcoal, we couldn’t stir-fry rice, but at some point, a huge pot of soup appeared on the grill.

At first, I thought they were going to boil some ramen, but for some reason, what was bubbling inside was bulgogi.

“Uh… I thought this would be easier to eat than something spicy…”

When I looked at Alice with a slightly bewildered expression, she said that while avoiding my gaze.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the pot that appeared on top.

Next to it, for some reason, a sturdier and larger pot was on the grill, bubbling with what was unmistakably braised short ribs.

…I should have realized it when I soaked the ribs in water earlier.

By the way, we bought a lot more ribs than that and had already grilled some.

“Um, isn’t it better to have more variety in food?”

When I stared at her, Charlotte defended herself by saying that.

Last time, when I treated everyone to braised short ribs, I guess it left quite an impression.

But did the dishes that required pots really have to be on the grill? Couldn’t they just use a gas burner next to it to cook separately?

It was meaningless to argue about it now that it was already up there.

“I can still eat more, but I think if I eat just a little more, I’ll feel completely full. Can you guys handle it?”

“Of course!”

Claire said with sparkling eyes.

“I can eat more too,”

Mia said with a determined expression.

No, Claire can eat more, but where the heck is Mia putting it? Does she have a few more stomachs hidden away?

After today, I wonder if they’ll grow a few centimeters taller due to excessive nutrition. Well, it’s probably more about gaining weight first, though.

Seeing Claire whip out instant rice, I was at a loss for words.

*

Among us, my food intake was the least, and while it seemed like I ate much more than the other girls, I had my limits. Eventually, the four of them also ended up leaving some food behind.

But that didn’t mean they were going to throw the food away.

For now, they just covered it with a lid and pushed it aside, planning to eat it again when they felt like it.

Around the time the sun set, Alice opened the car and pulled out what looked like scrolls.

Setting up supports in the remaining space, she hung the scrolls up, transforming it into a magnificent screen.

“Did you prepare something like this?”

“Yeah… Well, I had planned to try making something like this during the trip.”

It seemed like she had brought all sorts of sentimental camping supplies for a touchy-feely feel.

Well, I had a bit of a romantic notion too.

I once saw someone’s post on an internet blog about watching movies with friends on a screen set up on a rooftop. I thought it was super cool, but I had never owned a building, lived in an attic, and most importantly, I had never even considered buying a projector.

Now, I had a car, money, and above all, friends to do that with.

I thought time had slipped away, but somehow it had turned back.

“Oh, it’s fine. I’ll prepare it since it’s something I wanted to do.”

“It’s a camping trip for everyone, right? It’s not like I’m going to watch a movie by myself.”

Alice tried to hold me back while unfurling the screen, but I got up and unfolded the small table Alice had pulled out.

“Will this work?”

“Uh, yeah, thanks. I’m sorry for being a bother.”

…?

What was that supposed to mean?

When I slightly frowned and looked up, Alice was glancing around, seemingly trying to explain herself.

“Um, well, it was fun when we first came here, but thinking about it, this costs money, right? Claire did the driving too.”

“Driving was something Claire insisted on doing.”

“No, still. It feels like I’m just receiving all the time.”

“Isn’t Claire the one who has had the most fun running around here?”

I said it genuinely, bewildered.

“And even though I didn’t run around as much as Claire, we all ate a ton! It’s not like we forced it down either; it was delicious! If you really didn’t want to come here, you would have opposed it from the start.”

“Uh… is that so?”

“You’re saying something strange.”

Before I knew it, Charlotte chimed in from the side.

“We’re not just here for Alice. We’re here to have fun together, not just to entertain you.”

Alice’s face turned bright red.

“Why are you suddenly apologizing by yourself?”

Claire’s expression was similar to mine.

“No, that’s not it… Uh, wait! Claire, what’s in your hand…!”

“Oh, sorry, your expression was just too good that I couldn’t help it.”

Claire said while holding a mirror.

Alice stretched out a hand to block the camera lens, but Claire moved the camera around to avoid her grasp.

“This is a video! Blocking it is already useless!”

“Get that away from me!? I’ll delete everything!”

“I just got a wonderful scene! Oh, I could edit this into a vlog.”

…True. It would make a brilliant emotional scene. People would think it was staged for how fitting it looked.

Claire ran towards the beach, and Alice chased after her.

They created a scene where they were shouting at each other while running around.

“Oh.”

Mia watched the scene from afar and exclaimed with fascination while filming it on her phone.

“Let’s keep preparing.”

“Shall we?”

Charlotte nodded at my words.

In the end, we completed the setup for watching the movie while Alice and Claire were running around.

*

Alice meticulously had even picked out a movie beforehand. Perhaps we might end up posting this video on a global streaming site; they had a VOD service selling movies that had been released before, and Alice had bought one.

The movie was a Japanese one.

In terms of years, it had been released a few years ago. To my personal sense of time, it was already over ten years old, but since only about a year had passed in this world after I crossed over, I could say, “it’s not that old of a movie.”

We connected Alice’s smartphone to the portable projector, started the movie, and all of us arranged our chairs facing the screen to enjoy it.

Our poses were unique to each of us. Alice and Charlotte used the chairs literally as “chairs.” Claire leaned back a bit more, lying slightly, while I completely reclined, propping a cushion behind my head, only lifting my head to watch the screen. Mia laid down next to an unfolded chair, tucked in a blanket.

The movie was a great one to watch at a camping site. There wasn’t anything too violent or erotic.

But the content was tear-jerking.

I didn’t know if Alice had searched for a great movie to watch while camping, but the story was about a man and a cat traveling together.

The man had circumstances that made him unable to keep the cat, so he was trying to find it a new home, and the monologues attached to the cat’s lines were impressive.

But as is usually the case with these kinds of movies, who knows why?

Sob.

I heard Claire sniffle.

Mia was peeking out from under the blanket, and while Alice and Charlotte weren’t outright crying, their eyes were a bit moist.

“…I don’t think I can have a pet.”

“Right? If it left me first, I think that would be truly shocking.”

…Though it seems the movie had the opposite content, I think that’s a fair enough sentiment. At least cats can’t live as long as humans.

“Oh, by the way, you also have a pet, don’t you?”

“…Me?”

“Yeah, from that time when we fought.”

“…”

Are they talking about the Gryphon?

“The fact that you can treat the Gryphon like a pet says a lot about the bizarre distribution of power. But no matter how I think about it, can I really call that ‘pet’ just because it jumped in and saved me?”

“Really? It seemed like it liked you.”

“No, no matter what, the Gryphon wouldn’t treat me like its master.”

“I don’t think so either.”

Charlotte, who was listening to the conversation, chimed in.

“After you disappeared, it seemed really anxious, wandering around everywhere. I told it you might be able to find it, and it seemed a bit relieved.”

Did that all happen in just those five minutes?

“That’s right. I’m sure your feelings got through.”

Mia said that.

…What feelings are they even talking about?

I was truly curious.

Chapter 405

Gryphon! Anyway, even after the sky turned black, we were still not sleepy.

Maybe it was because we had come outside.

So, we decided to watch one more movie.

Including Alice, who picked the movie, nobody wanted to feel too hot this time, so we chose a light action movie.

And I recommended it.

If it’s a family movie that’s good for passing time, it should definitely be something from the 80s or 90s.

Since we could watch any movie as long as we had access to OTT.

It was a movie with a ridiculous premise about modifying a supercar into a time machine—absurd by today’s standards—but I actually liked it. It was well made and had a lot of fans.

Since it was a series of three movies, we gathered around the projector to watch.

We opened the snacks we had brought beforehand and started popping them into our mouths—

“…Are you really planning to eat that?”

“Huh? It’s what was left from earlier. It hasn’t been long, so it shouldn’t have gone bad.”

Claire said confidently.

I mean, come on! It’s a bit strange to be hugging a bulgogi pot while watching a movie instead of popcorn or snacks.

“Look over there, they’re eating galbi-jjim!”

Sure enough, Mia was hugging a plate of galbi-jjim.

Is she really fitting more food in there? Didn’t she just eat a ton?

It’s like she has a fourth-dimensional pocket in her stomach!

Alice and Charlotte chuckled at the sight.

Well, Claire had a point.

These days, theaters sell all sorts of things, not just popcorn.

In a few years, they might even start selling bulgogi or something.

…But, I doubt they’d sell galbi-jjim.

*

In the end, we chattered away until the three movies ended, barely watching any of them at all.

I’d wager that unless it’s someone as clueless as me, no one in our group can properly explain the plot. Honestly, it wasn’t like we had put the movie on to watch; it was more like we just played it so the ones who wanted to could see it.

It wasn’t until all three movies had finished that we realized we had been talking well past midnight.

We often ended up chatting that late, so it wasn’t a big deal since I usually streamed until the evening and rested in the morning.

Even if I thought sleeping late might stunt my growth at this age, I believed the rest of us were tall enough already. Whether it’s because people here grew faster or if they just appeared that way due to being mixed, I don’t know, but with bodies like these, we wouldn’t have to be embarrassed anywhere.

And Mia was just cute as she was right now!

…But if a guy tries to approach Mia in the future, I’ll have to seriously question his taste!

No one seemed ready to go to bed just because it passed midnight.

Maybe they think this romantic moment is too precious to waste?

Everyone rearranged their folding chairs and lay down side by side.

Five girls lying together toward the sea.

They looked like they could be models. We probably looked like something out of a magazine. Or maybe a movie in this genre? Well, closer to a drama than a movie, might be right. A slice-of-life drama.

“The stars are really visible here.”

Alice said.

With clear autumn skies and no moon in sight, being far from the city, of course, they could see better.

And in front of us stretched out was the sea, going on and on.

It’s been ages since I’ve seen stars like this. When I used to return to the university dorm every weekend, I could see stars like this… Well, I don’t want to go back to those times, really.

“I should have learned about constellations,” Charlotte said with a chuckle.

“Yeah. Maybe I studied too many worldly sciences. Astronomy is probably a unique science of this world. In a sense, it’s completely different from the other world, right? Like the star maps.”

If those two studied astronomy in this world, I could picture them discussing the risks of intercontinental ballistic missiles at some point, but I didn’t feel the need to interrupt.

Hehe.

And hearing their conversation, Claire chuckled.

“I know; that’s the Big Dipper over there, right? Isn’t it, sis?”

Not that I know for sure.

The sky I watched while returning to the dorm was so tiring that I didn’t really think much about it. I was just walking while thinking I should look at the sky.

Plus—

“Claire, I see it all.”

Claire was holding her smartphone.

I couldn’t tell what app was running, but every time she moved her phone toward the sky, the um… graphic moved along with it, so it must be some kind of star map app or something.

“…At times like this, just admire it, sis.”

Claire said, a bit sheepishly.

That’s something you’d say.

“What app is that?”

As I was about to jump in, Mia, who was next to Claire, asked.

“Oh, would you like me to install it for you?”

“Thanks! Star maps are pretty important for a magician, you know.”

“I heard that constellations affect magic.”

“There are spells that solely utilize the flow of stars… though most are faint ancient magic. The star positions change over time, and modern magic has mostly evolved to not rely on them.”

“Hmm, there was a hypothesis that some stars were made of Marmaros.”

“There are also claims that some stars include Marmaros from outside Earth. It’s all just theories, though.”

It sounds like it’s similar to how the sea is affected by the moon’s movements. I didn’t learn magic in such detail as the academy focused on practical application.

“Then, can magic be reproduced in this world?”

Claire asked while handing her phone back to Mia after installing the app.

Mia shook her head.

“Since Marmaros itself doesn’t exist here, it might be a bit difficult? The principles seem quite different….”

Sounds tricky.

“Don’t think too seriously about it.”

I said to Mia.

“Just like how you all crossed over here, we can go back as well. Until then, we can just relax and enjoy, like now.”

Upon hearing my words, everyone nodded.

We continued to gaze at the stars for a long while after that.

It was only when Mia began dozing off that we entered the tent.

I wondered if we needed a stove, but since the sleeping bags were quite nice, it didn’t seem necessary. Plus, the mat on the floor was decent.

Just in case, I opened the hot packs I had brought and divided them among us, putting a couple in Mia’s sleeping bag with the blanket.

After crawling inside our sleeping bags, looking like caterpillars, we took a photo before finally falling asleep.

*

The next morning.

“Ugh….”

The mat was quite nice, but sleeping outside was still challenging.

I arose from the sleeping bag, and my spine screamed in protest.

I sat for a while, blinking to wake up, then slowly emerged from the sleeping bag.

It felt like shedding skin.

Thinking it was slightly amusing, I tidied up the sleeping bag.

Mia, Alice, and Charlotte were still fast asleep.

I couldn’t find Claire.

Well, she was always the earliest riser, so that made sense.

When I stepped outside the tent, a world painted in pale blue met my eyes. It was still dawn.

To keep the cold morning wind out, I made sure the tent was tightly closed and, with a blanket draped over my shoulders, I headed toward the beach.

Claire was sitting in the middle of the beach, hugging her knees.

“Is the sea really that nice?”

“Yeah.”

She seemed hardly surprised to see me approaching and answered without hesitation.

I sat down next to Claire.

“It feels like it goes on forever. I really like places that are this wide.”

“Maybe it’s because I’ve lived too long in the complicated Imperial Capital. I grew up among those narrow alleys.”

“Is that so?”

Personally, I thought Claire’s hair color matched the color of the sea quite well.

“We should board a boat sometime. Whether here or back home.”

“Oh, can we do that?”

“We’re still young. We have money too.”

“That sounds a bit bittersweet because of the undercurrent.”

Claire said with a bittersweet smile.

“I feel a little sad about going back.”

“I thought I’d have to return immediately when I woke up.”

My back still ached. The hard ground was definitely not my friend.

Even back home, I have a good bed, yet I still end up sleeping on the floor, but whatever.

“Not long ago, I thought returning meant going back to our old routine, but lately, that thought has changed a lot.”

“Really?”

“Sometimes, I think it wouldn’t be so bad to just throw away all my responsibilities and run away.”

“Really? Should we kidnap Charlotte after she becomes queen?”

“Wouldn’t that be fun?”

We laughed, discussing something that would scare them if they heard it.

Would they truly be scared, though?

Somehow, I feel like Charlotte would act differently now.

“Claire? Sylvia?”

We heard someone call from afar.

Turning my head, I saw Alice, wrapped in a blanket, coming out of the tent just like me.

From the sight of her, there was no royal dignity. Just a girl of our age.

“Shall we head back?”

“Let’s go back.”

We said that simultaneously and shared a brief laugh.

Chapter 406

“Did you not wear a swimsuit after coming back from the sea?”

“First, I’m going to block this person temporarily.”

It’s impressive to hear someone say they got blocked even after sending a donation.

“Paid ban, haha!”

“That person’s got no lines, haha!”

Taking a peek at the chat, it was reassuring to see those reactions.

“Even if we wore swimsuits, I can’t guarantee whether we would show that photo. Unless we all agree, I’m not thinking of showing it.”

“In the game, you wore one.”

“Then satisfy yourself with something like a figure. Do you want to get banned?”

As I said that, the chat was filled with emojis of falling over. I didn’t know there were such emojis. Are they exclusive to broadcast chats?

“I don’t know if I’ll edit the video and upload it or not, but for now, I’ll show you at least a photo I took.”

As I said that, I brought up a photo on the screen.

The first one was a photo of the rest area.

I started with a photo taken during the trip to avoid people figuring out where we lived. I began by showing photos from the journey.

In fact, we had a style that was bound to stand out. If someone living nearby was watching our broadcast, they could probably guess where we live. But at least until now, no one had come to find us, and within the scope of my searches, I hadn’t seen any discussions about our neighborhood.

Fortunately, we lived in an apartment, so even if someone found our address, it wouldn’t be easy to knock on our door. Of course, that would be different if the stalker was a local.

Well, there’s really no need to worry about things that haven’t even happened yet.

In any case, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful, so I selected the photos accordingly.

“LOL!”

“Looks like you had a lot of fun, haha!”

“Did you not eat enough there?”

“It was only about an hour’s drive back, so it was no big deal.”

“And besides, we played some more after that.”

Claire, seated next to me, added with a smile.

The photo showed us with a table full of rest area food. Thanks to our appearance, it almost looked like a scene out of a cable reality show: ‘Foreigners Going Crazy Over Korean Rest Area Food.’

If a post popped up on a famous site, I could use it as material for the broadcast.

And then there would be another comment saying ‘Koreans are really discriminatory,’ and maybe I could catch onto another broadcasting gig. It’s truly an infinite loop of content.

“Did you like the rest area food?”

“We’re Korean, so it suited our tastes.”

My statement brought light laughter through the room.

“Wait, are we foreigners now?”

“Ugh, you trash!”

“I’m sorry!”

Ding! A donation came in with an apology. It was a thousand yen.

“Well, since we came from another world, strictly speaking, we are foreigners.”

My answer made the chat room buzz once again. Of course, most of it was playful banter. This time, there were a lot of comments about how I had forsaken my nationality for money, but most of them were just jokes, so I left it at that.

“After eating here, we set off again…”

As I pressed the keyboard arrow key, the next photo appeared on the screen.

“Oh!”

“Pretty!”

It was a beautiful place even to the naked eye, but the photo taken by the camera made the colors even more vibrant. Although the autumn’s unique melancholy was somewhat muted, the blue sea and sky turned out really gorgeous.

“We could stay at a fantastic camping site. We could take a lot of things because we had a car.”

And then the next photo—

Oh?

I thought the next photo would be of our dinner, but it wasn’t.

It was a photo of Claire throwing a ball that hit my head right on the mark.

Since it was taken during the bright daylight, the image was accurately captured without a blur.

As I turned my head, all the kids in the room simultaneously turned their heads too. Even Mia did so.

… Yeah, well. That’s on me for not checking thoroughly at the end.

“We had a lot of fun too.”

I shrugged and said that.

I had a scene of playing with a beach ball recorded, but since that was a video, I skipped it for now.

The next photo was of Mia and me sprawled on camping chairs, then one where we were preparing for a barbecue party, another of us eating together, a photo of Mia hugging her dish of galbi stew, and Alice shedding tears while watching a movie…

It was a plethora of photos, almost unbelievable how many we had taken.

I couldn’t express how grateful I was that everyone had smartphones. Otherwise, those moments would have slipped away without us realizing it.

“… And that wraps up what we did at the camping site.”

After sorting everything out, the last photo was a group picture in front of the car, marking the end of our photo collection.

“You’re amazing!”

“I can’t wait for the video!”

“I want to go camping too!”

“Exactly. I want to go again.”

Charlotte chimed in, agreeing with one of the comments she was reading.

“We just got back, though?”

“But it’d be great to go again. Besides, we all have plenty of time.”

Oh.

It was a bit surprising to hear that from Charlotte.

“Why are you saying that?”

As I stared at her, Charlotte looked a little flustered.

“Nothing at all.”

“No, you definitely had something to say. What was it that made you make that face?”

“My expression hasn’t changed from usual, you know?”

“It has.”

Alice said with a laugh.

Hmm.

I’ve been slowly working on my expressions lately, but the fact that even Charlotte noticed meant I wasn’t taking care of my expressions at all.

After that, Charlotte kept looking at me suspiciously, but honestly, I felt quite wronged.

I really wasn’t thinking of anything at all.

*

“Shall we put this here?”

“Sounds good. We can just fill it from here to the side.”

Claire said with a satisfied expression, causing me to accidentally look at her face.

This was the very back of the TV’s cabinet.

On the way back, we stopped by a photo studio to print out the last photo we took at the camping site. It wasn’t printed on large paper; instead, it was a palm-sized photo. We also stopped by a household goods store on the way back and bought a frame that matched the size of the photo perfectly.

Once placed on the far left of the drawer, Claire said that, seeming like she was intending to completely fill out the upper part of that drawer with photos. It seemed like it could hold way more than ten if arranged like this.

“Well, it’s not that we have to fill it completely, nor that we have to fill it with camping photos.”

Claire said to reassure me.

“We can take photos anywhere, and just pick the good ones from there, right? And when we go back, we can share them.”

“Are you not thinking of selecting by the number of people?”

“Well, that could work too.”

Claire thought for a moment before saying with a bright smile.

“More than that, don’t you think it’ll make us want to meet if we each have different photos? To revisit every memory, we have to meet again just for that reason. Otherwise, we’d just put them in an album and be sad while looking at them every hour.”

… Is that so?

“Sure, that makes sense.”

Charlotte replied.

Then I stared at Charlotte once more.

“Why do you keep making that face? Is there really something going on? Are you planning another scheme?”

“… I don’t think I’ve schemed that often.”

Upon my words, Charlotte widened her eyes as if to express disbelief.

“Is this coming from someone who’s drawn a grand scheme from childhood to drive away the Goddess?”

“That’s true! You’ve done it while overlapping time multiple times!”

Mia exclaimed from beside us.

No, back then, I was only able to draw because I could rewind time. Plus, I only understood the true nature of the world after quite a while.

“…”

But I couldn’t say anything to Mia, as I had joked around with her about the time-reversing ability.

“Well, it’d be nice to set a promise like that.”

Alice stepped in as a mediator.

“No matter how busy we are, isn’t it possible to make time if we really want to? I find it a bit strange that I’m having these thoughts, but honestly, after having experienced this life, it feels like if we don’t spend at least a day or two like this each year, life might get too boring.”

“… I also agree with that.”

Charlotte said.

“Until now, I’ve only lived thinking about my country and the throne, but yes, we do have a long life ahead of us, don’t we? We ought to have some joy in our expressions.”

Mia nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, that’s right, sis. You think so too, right?”

To Claire’s statement, I shrugged.

“Did you know? I’ve lived my life with that kind of thought from the start.”

My answer made Alice chuckle, and Charlotte facepalmed. Mia blinked innocently.

“I wouldn’t have thought that at all.”

“Is that so?”

At Mia’s comment, I unconsciously patted her head.

Then the other three immediately followed suit. Mia tried to resist somewhat, but she couldn’t completely escape the hands of the four taller women than her.

Yeah.

The reason I enjoy running around like this is for a happy ending.

What could that possibly be if not my own whimsical ‘joy of life’?

Thinking about it that way made me smile for no reason.

Chapter 407

“Oh, it’s over?”

As I clasped my hands and stretched with a big yawn, Claire walked into the room and said.

“Yes. I ended up keeping at it all day.”

Having never done any editing before, everything from start to finish was utterly inefficient. When I questioned whether it really needed to be this complicated, I found much simpler examples and templates. But I forgot what I did a moment after using them, so I searched again… and thus, several hours slipped away.

The result was barely about 5 minutes of content.

These days, short videos are pretty popular, but after spending several hours, coming up with a video that’s just long enough for a piece of royalty-free music was a bit shocking.

I thought it was difficult, but I never expected to get so lost in it.

“Eat and then do it.”

Claire said, placing a plate piled high with fruits on the table.

Most of it was apples, with a few pears mixed in.

The state of the fruits was all over the place. Most were sliced rather excessively. Honestly, some didn’t seem to have been ‘peeled’ as much as they were ‘chopped to bits.’

Of course, I was unsure if I could even slice them to this extent.

“Can I watch the video?”

“Of course.”

I got up from my seat and moved to the side of the monitor. Then, I poked the fruits with a fork and started eating.

Yum!

I hardly ate fruits while living alone; they were a bit pricey.

Even when I did buy some, I would only choose seasonal fruits that were the cheapest. Naturally, they looked all different, and the bags they came in were usually transparent or black plastic.

Maybe because of that memory, I was taken aback when the kids I went shopping with came back with beautifully packaged fruits in a box. It was a bit funny that I could buy a car or camping gear without a second thought but was so surprised by mere fruits.

But these fruits weren’t just pretty; they tasted good, and I understood why such fruits sold so well.

“Oh.”

When I turned on the video, a pretty tune played, and Claire gasped in admiration. It had taken a little time to choose the right music that matched the atmosphere while listening to each one. Plus, I had to check for copyright.

When we shot the video, we didn’t exactly take it seriously, so there weren’t any lines. There were sounds of laughter and scenes of us running around and shouting, though.

“I should’ve at least said something next time.”

“Yeah. It’s nice, but it definitely feels like it could use more of a story.”

“Still, I don’t want to make up a story or anything.”

“I don’t want the place we went to relax to turn into a filming location.”

Claire nodded along, seemingly agreeing with that.

“Should we at least add subtitles?”

“Hmm… Since it’s the first video, and I’m only posting it to check the reactions, do we really need to? The main purpose is to preserve memories.”

That’s definitely true.

I speared some fruit with my fork and popped it into my mouth.

“Hmm…”

As the short 5-minute video came to an end, Claire crossed her arms and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, so I quietly continued to munch on the fruits.

“To be honest, I don’t have the confidence to edit this much.”

When I turned my gaze toward Claire, she had a very serious expression.

“Big sister can’t shoulder this all by herself. We’re already a burden as is.”

“I don’t really mind, though?”

“You’ve been sitting here for several hours today!”

Well, if you don’t want to do it, can’t you just not do it?

I mindlessly grabbed another piece of fruit.

“We all share these memories.”

Sometimes Claire would say these slightly cringey lines. Plus, seeing her with such a serious expression gave off a real protagonist vibe.

Honestly, I didn’t remember Claire from the game at all. It’s just that it’s hard to imagine a polygon character existing in reality.

But I liked those cringey lines. It seems like I still haven’t outgrown my middle school phase.

“Then let’s all watch the video and chat. I don’t want to force it, though. While we’re here, I want everyone to feel at ease.”

“…Thanks.”

Seeing Claire look apologetic like that made me shove a piece of fruit into her mouth.

*

“Wow…”

Among us, the one who reacted the most confidently to the video was none other than Mia.

“Do you like it?”

Alice and Charlotte’s eyes sparkled, but Mia was the only one who gasped out loud, so I asked her.

“It’s like magic.”

Is that so?

I suppose it could be. While you can think of photos as extremely finely drawn pictures, videos are a completely different story.

While we sometimes caught our faces on video during broadcasts, that screen usually just appeared small at the bottom. Plus, the angles hardly changed.

People can easily tell that the game screen isn’t human, and there are films with good cinematography, but they don’t show our faces.

However, the video we were watching now wasn’t just a simple smartphone video; it was shot with a large-sensor mirrorless camera.

Though I took it casually without knowing much about cameras, the colors were so beautiful, and the quality was so good that the video turned out exceptionally well. And since I edited it a bit, it looked even more splendid.

It seemed Mia was reacting to that.

“Would you like to learn how to do that?”

“Uh?”

“How to make something like that.”

At my words, Mia hesitated a bit.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course! I’m just starting to learn myself, so I can’t provide detailed instructions, though.”

“I want to learn!”

Hmm.

It felt a bit burdensome when she looked at me with such sparkling eyes.

I’m still a rookie, after all.

When I awkwardly looked up, Claire was watching me with a pleased expression.

Well, something good is good.

After all, if we’re going back, we need to show our faces, and to do that, we need to post more videos.

*

Even after posting the video, there was still plenty of time left before the broadcast started. Since we didn’t manage any special websites or internet cafes, there was no promotion.

But, somehow, the video started to receive comments.

I thought the video I made with pride was just an ordinary video, but apparently, it was special in some way.

“Aren’t we foreigners?”

Alice read a comment and laughed.

“We’re foreigners but speak Korean really well… Well, it’s only natural to think that. I feel like our looks always stand out when we wander around outside.”

“And someone below is questioning whether it’s cosplay or not.”

Charlotte, having been on air with us for quite a while now, knew what those words meant.

“For the next video, wouldn’t it be good to post one called ‘We’re Korean’? If we include names that sound peculiar for this country, more people might watch it.”

I seriously pondered Charlotte’s suggestion.

“If we’re too blunt about it, some people might dislike it, so it might be good to keep it low-key. How about revealing it when someone comments about foreigners doing ‘nationalistic’ videos?”

“Sounds like you.”

Alice replied to my opinion, leaving me momentarily speechless.

“No, well, that’s a compliment.”

Seeing me caught off guard, Alice quickly said that.

If it’s a compliment, then sure.

“Is it possible that we might really receive requests for broadcasts or something?”

Hmm.

Last time, Claire’s appearance spurred quite a buzz, yet we never received any contact… But that might be because our contact details aren’t publicly available. Since we uploaded the video to a streaming site, maybe we’ll receive an email from that site.

“What do you all think? If a TV station requests us, would you go for it?”

It might be wishful thinking, but you never know.

I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask in advance instead of deciding later on.

To be honest, all five of us are quite stunning if I say so myself. And each of us has a pretty definite position.

… We might not be idols, but it’s strange that such five women living together have yet to attract attention through broadcasts.

“I’m curious.”

Claire was the first to respond.

“Since we’ll have to go back someday, participating in a regular broadcast might be a bit much.”

Alice added a condition.

“An interview would be fine, though…”

“Yeah, it seems reasonable just for an interview.”

Charlotte and Mia reacted cautiously.

Seeing everyone’s reactions, I nodded.

“Then if the day comes when we’re contacted, I’ll agree to a light interview.”

Everyone nodded at my words.

Well, we’ve just posted one video, after all.

There’s no way it’ll attract that much attention in just one day, right?

Chapter 408

After learning editing, I ended up with quite a few uploaded videos.

Besides just the ones we shot casually, we also had the broadcasts we usually did.

I had kept all the videos from those broadcasts separately.

Thanks to that,

“Eek—!”

Surprisingly, a video titled ‘Eek Dispenser’ was uploaded to our account.

For reference, my face, filled with shock, was all over the thumbnail.

“……”

I quietly looked at Mia who was kneeling in front of me.

“How did this video come to be?”

“W-Well, Claire…”

Before I could even call for Claire, she quickly knelt down next to Mia.

“I-I just thought it would get a lot of views! You said it would be good if we made videos that earn money, right?”

I mean, I did say that.

“……Then who made this thumbnail?”

As I pointed to the thumbnail filled with my face, this time Alice knelt beside Claire.

“……”

I was lost for words.

It’s not just some random person; half of the people I live with are involved in this!

“By the way, the view count is skyrocketing. It hasn’t even been two hours since it was uploaded, and we’re already at 100,000 views.”

Indeed, this video’s view count was doing much better than the last camping vlog I edited.

Honestly, it was well made.

The vlog had only a slight cinematic effect, just some music and short conversations, and there seemed to be something lacking in the camera angles and editing.

But in a gaming video, those flashy things weren’t really that important.

That doesn’t mean there wasn’t a need for good sense, though.

Knowing when and where to cut a long video, focusing on moments of gaming versus the streamer’s face, and highlighting the most entertaining parts.

They even added subtitles quite well.

Since Mia was a diligent studier, of course, she must have studied hard while watching similar types of videos.

“I didn’t exactly call you all to say anything…”

“Anyone could tell you were going to scold us, though?”

Alice retorted but fell silent when I looked at her.

“However, a thumbnail that’s too overly stimulating might bore people later on…”

I tried to say something, but gave up when I received uninterested glances from the other three.

Yep, anything I say here would just sound like an excuse.

Suppressing a sigh, I said,

“You did well. Uploading videos like this sometimes will be helpful.”

“Yeah! I’m sure workout videos will be helpful, too!”

“And horror games too.”

“……”

Now that I think about it, there are workout videos as well.

Is it just my imagination, or does that video title also seem like it would be ‘Eek Parade’?

“By the way, who came up with the video title?”

“……”

This time, Charlotte knelt down and came forward.

No, was it everyone except me?

The view count was great, but still.

*

Our video had garnered an astonishing number of views in such a short time since it was uploaded.

We had only five videos up now, and all the views for videos aside from the “Eek” series just barely surpassed 100,000, while the video of me freaking out during a horror game in tight-fitting clothes had a significantly higher view count.

If I were to ask if we had become completely well-known, that would clearly be a no. But for someone broadcasting, it was immense. Anyone who had ever uploaded a video on that site would probably feel a pang of jealousy.

Moreover, the growth wasn’t stopping; it was still climbing, which was a bit scary.

Well, thinking about it, we did have all the elements to be popular.

Five pretty girls, doing cosplay while gaming, and uploading daily life videos.

And on top of that, we weren’t just pretty; we looked foreign, even down to our names.

Yet legally, we were Korean.

Isn’t it a bizarre charm that completely attracts people?

Of course, we had only disclosed the fact that we were legally Korean in our broadcasts so far.

However,

But here’s the thing—

“……”

I received an email and was seriously contemplating.

Honestly, I had thought that the broadcasting station might contact us. And I also figured that the program would be about foreigners living in the country.

But I never expected the email to come this soon.

“TV broadcast!?”

Claire reacted that way.

“Yes, it’s a broadcast, but this program features foreigners living domestically.”

I know what it is. As far as I know, it wasn’t a show with high ratings. But it was somewhat known.

“……Ah, I see.”

Alice nodded at my words.

Yes.

Except for me, the other four were technically foreigners. Not from this world, but from another country in a different world altogether. They felt that way too.

But the only ones who see themselves as foreigners are them; legally, they are Koreans.

They weren’t ones who had become Korean after coming from abroad or had a foreign parent… nothing like that. They just always were.

Yet their names are foreign.

Well, once we truly start gaining notoriety, the goddess would probably hustle to restore order to the world, so the settings might be filled in somehow, but the issue lay in the difference between how people perceive our actions and the discrepancies recorded by the national agency regarding our identities.

“I might be able to join the broadcasting station someday if they call, but right now I don’t think it’s the right time.”

Even though more than two months was a decent period to adapt to the country, it doesn’t change the fact that a person doesn’t become “one of them.”

Moreover,

“Here, if you read this, you’ll see it mentions that there could be some director involvement.”

And saying there might be ‘involvement’ is no different from saying they will.

“Why would there be direction in capturing our daily lives?”

“Probably to draw out more stimulating scenes.”

I explained to Alice, who had furrowed her brow.

I once read online about how some people had asked for multicultural couples who seemed to be living well to pretend to argue. Perhaps this kind of direction is something similar?

If they ask us, who had always been living together in the living room, to act like we’re fighting, how would that even feel?

“That sounds dreadful.”

With Claire making a face, I decided not to respond to this email.

*

However, it wasn’t just the broadcasting station that thought our life could be a commodity.

Plus it wasn’t only the broadcasting station.

Because we uploaded our gaming broadcasts to the video site, other streamers were also sending us collaboration emails.

“But we don’t have any plans for collaboration at the moment.”

“Good call!”

“But wouldn’t collabing with someone famous increase the viewer count?”

The audience’s responses were mixed.

Some suggested it would be better to keep broadcasting as we are if we weren’t urgently needing to boost income, while others said now that we’ve dipped our toes in, we should dive deeper.

Just yesterday, I was kind of thinking positively about it, though.

“It might be better to think a bit more cautiously. As you all know, we’re people who directly came from Azernar. The more we dig into our backgrounds, the more holes we’ll find.”

“Hahaha!”

“Consistent concept, haha!”

“But they really do look alike.”

I didn’t lie at all.

Well, believe it or not, that’s up to the viewers.

*

In the Chronicles of Aetherna, there are many playable characters.

Even if we exclude the noble faction, there are even commoner faction kids.

Of course, I ended the story before I could get close to any commoner characters in Azernar.

In fact, most of the commoner friend characters surrounding Lily Baker and Roti were also party members I could use.

The commoner characters didn’t have much importance, but still.

“What on earth…?”

The characters who were the most shocked by the incident in the game were the commoner characters.

As the main party exited the academy, there was nothing but desolation outside. It felt a bit like when we invaded the Papal State.

Of course, there were no blazing pillars of fire enveloping the Papal State.

“Dad, Mom…!”

The commoner characters would have likely belonged to quite successful families to have gotten into the academy.

And naturally, many students were children residing in the current Imperial Capital.

Lily Baker was one of them.

On the way to the imperial palace, Lily ran ahead to see her house. Bursting through the door, she found no one inside.

“Where on earth… is everyone?”

Lily knelt on the floor, mumbling in shock, and the scene ended with the party hurrying to look at each other with concerned expressions.

“That’s similar to what we experienced.”

“Does this mean that the incident only happened because Sylvia didn’t act like me?”

When I replied to Alice, she shrugged her shoulders.

“Honestly, it’s hard to say because the events in the game and what we experienced are so different.”

Well… I guess the truth of what happened would come out when I reach the end of the story.

By the way, my personality in the game and my real self is really quite different.

Will I ever find out the reason the goddess chose me by the end of this story?

Chapter 409

The final dungeon is not something to take lightly.

Most Japanese RPGs become like a pig in a slaughterhouse when you increase the difficulty, and turn-based games feel that even more severely than action games.

There’s a set time to wait after hitting once, and when I hit once, the enemy definitely gets to hit me back once too.

Of course, if I’ve leveled up a speed-focused character or an evasion-focused character, that’s not much of a problem.

Besides, I’ve been playing this game for a ridiculously long time. Just by looking at an enemy’s appearance, I can roughly tell what kind of attributes work well against them.

As the series goes on, balancing patches make it impossible to achieve 100% evasion, but hey, just because 100% isn’t possible doesn’t mean 80% isn’t either.

“Wow!”

She’s like her own inspiration… Well, calling it inspiration might be a stretch. It’s more like a completely separate entity, honestly.

Anyway, Claire was amazed seeing ‘Claire,’ who looks just like her, dodging practically all the magic up front.

Some say balanced characters are mediocre on all fronts, but to put it another way, if you set them up right, they can step up in any situation.

Honestly, getting a 70% evasion rate was a bit tight, yet somehow, I was managing it with a stroke of luck.

[Ha! Dodging this one? LOL]

[Just crossing the halfway mark counts as high! LOL]

[Do these probabilities look like a joke?]

In the chat, they were also admiring Claire dodging consecutive spells.

Even if we died, it wouldn’t be a big deal. After all, Charlotte, who I had put in the party, was also a balanced character.

Just because both are magic-physical balance type characters doesn’t mean they’re completely the same. Claire’s skills are all attack types. So, she can completely cope with situations where both magic and physical attacks from the enemy are present. Plus, she has useful self-buff skills.

Charlotte was basically an attack character too, but one of her skills was a group heal. It’s definitely weaker than Mia’s heal, but it can still be quite useful in emergencies.

Moreover, one of the equipped Marmaros turns items into area effects.

So, if either Charlotte or Mia doesn’t fall in this party, the remaining characters can revive and keep fighting like zombies.

This chapter’s final dungeon is the Imperial Capital itself.

As we got closer to the Imperial Palace from the Imperial Capital where civilians had vanished, enemies were pouring out.

“Hey, don’t those enemies kind of resemble what we saw in the royal capital’s underground?”

“Really. They all look like beasts possessed by something. I guess the Papal State is behind this?”

“I think so too.”

“But then, what happened to Sylvia?”

Exactly.

Since this situation arose after Sylvia vanished, I couldn’t think of anything other than that she must have gone over to the Papal State.

But why would she do that?

Is it that the Sylvia from that world decided to somehow align with the Goddess?

“You’ll find out by continuing to play.”

That was my response for now.

*

And—

[Hahaha!]

“……”

The others looked at the character on the monitor, who was swinging her sword and laughing maniacally, with bewildered expressions, aside from me.

Yeah, well.

I already knew what she looked like from the previous game, but I could understand this reaction from those who remembered Sophia’s usual demeanor.

“Um… So, Sophia?”

“At least, that voice is definitely Sophia,” Alice calmly replied to Claire’s murmur.

“…… I’m getting a sense of déjà vu.”

Claire muttered.

Indeed.

If one were to suddenly see a friend depicted as a total psycho in some media they hadn’t seen before, such a reaction would make perfect sense.

Especially since the voice sounds the same. Sure, the game’s dubbing is in Japanese, but it translates to our ears.

[With the power granted by the Prophet, I will stop the unbelievers like you!]

“……”

I was thankful that Sophia wasn’t here.

Or maybe I should be wishing she was.

A blue light was emanating from behind Sophia’s head like a halo.

[That person is……]

Leo looked a bit flustered at seeing Sophia’s appearance.

[Why does she seem so familiar, even though I’m sure I’ve never seen her before?]

And those thoughts drifted out loud.

Looks like this world is tightly woven into the previous game’s backstory.

[Who the heck is this Prophet?]

Alice stepped forward, fuming with her question, but—

[I have nothing to share with unbelievers and heretics like you.]

Sophia said with a smug smile and jumped down from the platform.

[If you came from that world, you must have met Sophia too.]

“Yes, of course.”

I responded to the question that popped up in the chat.

They probably wouldn’t take it seriously, but at least it was proof that our ‘concept’ was getting through.

“She was just a normal girl with a boy she liked, after all.”

“Right? I was really curious if things would turn out alright after the final battle,” Claire muttered.

“Didn’t she get really mad back then?”

“Yeah, I thought Leo might connect with her, that’s why. I wouldn’t mind if Leo were dating someone else, but she’d better be decent.”

“So, you’re saying Sophia was decent?”

Alice questioned with a smile.

“Eh? Of course! If Sophia had that crazy personality, I wouldn’t have approved!”

[What the heck happened? LMAO]

[Sophia without Chuunibyou…]

[I can’t even imagine it!]

I hated Sophia as a character originally, but you know…

“In the end, she even fought alongside us.”

“She was a kind, good person…”

Charlotte and Mia chimed in, each sharing a word about Sophia.

Well, thinking back, she had grown a personality like that because she believed in her own skills, especially since a ‘Prophet’ chose her.

…Still, I can’t help but think that this game’s ‘Prophet’ might be Sylvia, but I quietly kept playing the game.

*

[Even if I fall…… that person……]

Sophia left those words behind before collapsing.

Thankfully, this game isn’t a series known for offing characters without care. Otherwise, Sophia would have died, and the story’s tragedy would have felt more intense.

If I never met Sophia in Azernar, I might have felt relieved, but there’s always an odd discomfort about killing someone you know, even in a virtual world.

The friends I was playing with were growing silent one by one.

While the graphics hadn’t significantly improved, the music was still top-notch for this series. The ominous, melancholic background music gave off a vibe that something very important was about to happen soon.

And then—

[Sylvia!]

Alice in the game shouted.

[Sister!?]

And Claire too.

On the high platform the protagonist’s party was looking up at, there was Sylvia.

However, her outfit was completely different from usual.

She wore a long-sleeved, flowing robe, the sort you’d expect a religious figure to wear in such games.

Of course, underneath it was a skirt, and the side slits revealed her legs, but still.

[Welcome.]

[Sylvia, what the heck happened? Why are you here dressed like that—]

Leo stepped forward and asked, but then he shut his mouth.

Behind Sylvia’s head floated a completed gear.

One gigantic gear.

Soon, the gear started to float, shining behind Sylvia.

The radiating light split like the beams of light from a night photograph, resembling the halos seen in religious paintings.

A blue halo.

Divine yet simultaneously ominous.

“Wow.”

I couldn’t help but be amazed after a long time.

“Looks like they spent a lot of money on this chapter.”

[You had to suffer so much in the motion department, LOL]

[But the graphics are still……]

I had felt that the effects had improved and that the movements had been slightly better, but I never expected they’d use motion capture for every character’s movements in such an important cutscene.

This series typically has characters sliding up steps as if riding a transparent slope. Yet, naturally, one can’t help but be impressed when a character is seen stepping down the stairs properly.

“It would have been nice if they had included more scenes like this in the previous ones.”

[For real, LOL]

[Is this the limit because they are low on budget?]

[It’s improving bit by bit, so maybe the next installment will be even better.]

“Will the series keep coming out until then?”

I thought it would likely keep going even as I answered.

Otherwise, I’d be disappointed if it didn’t.

Chapter 410

Well then.

To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing.

When I was in Azernar, I did have some strict outfits among my costumes. Like a bunny girl.

At that time, I tried to cover my face with a metal plate to somehow neutralize the embarrassment. And honestly, I could avoid looking at myself if I didn’t deliberately try. As long as I didn’t look down, well, you could say my upper chest wasn’t visible.

…No, even if I didn’t look down, it was still somewhat visible. But at least it wasn’t detailed.

But even if I could endure that day, if someone had taken a picture of me and kept it, I would have died from embarrassment.

I might have gone back in time multiple times to burn that photo.

The “Sylvia” appearing on the screen right now wasn’t exactly something I’d find too embarrassing, but—

“Sylvia, it really suits you. You could use it for your wedding dress.”

Alice, with a cheeky grin, said that.

“Isn’t it a bit ambiguous to use as a wedding dress? The upper part should be a little more revealing. Like the shoulders.”

Charlotte casually added fuel to the fire.

“Honestly, you could just use it as it is.”

Unlike the two teasing me openly, Claire said this with a serious expression, resting her chin on her hand.

No, no matter how you look at it, that’s not me. That’s just a polygon mass. It looks totally different when compared to the latest game graphics.

If it were a ★Final Panel★ new title, I might understand.

“Mia, you’re the only serious one here.”

“Huh? Huh?”

I said that out of the blue while petting my head, and Mia was visibly flustered.

“You’re not trying to brush it off now, right? It’s right there on the screen.”

“It’s so blatant that if it were other nobles, they would have jumped right in on your weaknesses.”

“I’d realize it right away, too.”

But all three of them seemed to have made a pact as they placed their hands on Mia’s head.

“What are you doing? What’s going on all of a sudden?”

Mia shouted in shock as if something was broken. This happens every time I pet her head.

It’s definitely the parents’ fault. She should have been showered with affection since childhood, but that didn’t happen.

…Though I can’t say anything since I’ve made cheeky jokes in front of kids before.

Whether the other three caught on to my intentions or not, they succeeded in covering things up at the expense of Mia’s head.

By the way, how is that Sylvia going to fight? Honestly, using firearms in that outfit seems a bit odd. It’s not some high school girl mobile game with cute girls brandishing guns.

[Well then, please come forth.]

[Wait, sis—]

Before Claire could stop Sylvia, the screen went white.

And then,

[Avatar of Order]

The name of the character that had been called Sylvia until just now changed like that.

Just like when the final boss of a game appears, the Avatar of Order Sylvia was the only one there. The battlefield was a limited space, which, to put it simply, was perfect for the enemy’s area-of-effect attack to sweep all allies.

At first glance, it seemed like a very unfair battle, but in reality, it probably wouldn’t be unbalanced.

This game series’ final bosses are surprisingly squishy. The developers are well aware that the space is limited and the enemy’s attack power is strong.

So, if you can somehow withstand the attacks, you can win.

“Are you going to tell us the reason after it’s all over?”

“That’s how this game series works.”

[By the way, Azernar special) Ending takes about an hour to read.]

Can’t argue with that.

Thinking that, I entered the battle.

*

Among the game’s skills, there’s one called the “Ultimate Skill.”

Honestly, it’s not categorized that way, but all characters share the common traits of having an ‘almost full-map range’, ‘various status effects to inflict or remove’, and ‘huge damage, or area heal to recover from incapacitation’. Of course, since the characteristics of that skill differ by character, it was important to choose wisely based on the time and place.

However, the price you have to pay for such power is quite high, as you can only use it after expending skill points, which you gain solely by hitting the enemy or being hit, instead of using limited items.

That’s right. Healing is only possible with ‘limited items.’

In other words, if I had hoarded those limited items like a madman during my playthrough, I could use them to my heart’s content.

I periodically cast the ‘speed buff’ set on Claire and attract aggro using Leo and Alice while taking hits.

Every time it was Charlotte’s turn, I absolutely used the item that recovers skill points. Since Charlotte was set up to turn ‘items into area skills,’ in such a narrow map, it restored the health and skill points of all ally characters.

“…This feels a bit shameful.”

“It feels like we’re exploiting loopholes in the rules.”

Alice and Claire each remarked.

It seemed the fact that the opponent was ‘Sylvia’ weighed on their conscience a bit.

Of course, I, who was actually holding the controller, didn’t care at all.

[The one who wants to erase their black history is youwwwww]

[Don’t wear an embarrassing wedding dress in front of me, lol]

[Was the white outfit that revealed your legs really that embarrassing, Crown Princess?]

Comments trolling me appeared in the chat, but I completely ignored them.

What if I was embarrassed?

“The final boss battle only drags on if you lose focus.”

[Fact) True]

[That’s hard to argue against…]

At the very least, every viewer who has played the game would agree with me.

It’s a turn-based game.

If you drag things out and start getting hit, it’s way too long. Characters falling and getting back up isn’t the issue, but during that process, all the magical power and skill points would get wiped out, and recovering that takes even more time.

And if I just hit normally, the damage is just minuscule.

So you have to push hard all at once.

As Charlotte’s healing skill had the characters unleash their ultimate skills like crazy, Sylvia’s health bar dropped in an instant.

When I was actually in Azernar, I had to deal with ‘reality’ so I employed various tricks, but… that’s why game cutscenes are great. It feels like I’m truly doing something while not having to argue about any setting or anything.

“The main character and their party did their best and defeated it!” How wonderful of a scene is that?

[Keugh…]

As the health gauge hit zero, a cutscene showed Sylvia saying that and retreating.

Thud.

The halo floating behind Sylvia’s head cracked.

“Hey sis, just stop now…”

[For reasons I can’t figure out, Sylvia, it’s not too late!]

Claire and Alice cried out.

The space created by order was starting to crumble.

“No, that’s not it. Not yet, it’s not over yet…”

Sylvia said, glaring at Leo’s party as she rose from her spot.

Thus began the second phase.

Well, calling it a second phase might be a stretch. The developers undoubtedly knew it would be unreasonable to make a stronger second phase.

With all items used up and no magic or skill points left in the characters to heal anymore, this was a sufficient event battle that could still take her down.

As I chipped away at her health bar one more time,

Thud.

The halo behind Sylvia’s head finally shattered.

[…Phew.]

Sylvia seemed to have finally let out a sigh of relief, laughing softly.

[Wait, Sylvia…!]

[Thank you, everyone. This is it, it’s all over…]

[What do you mean, Sylvia! It’s not over yet!]

But even as Leo shouted that and reached out, Sylvia simply smiled softly as she fell backward without a word.

[No, no… Sis!]

[Claire, don’t worry. I was never meant to exist in your life. There’s nothing to regret.]

…She was falling, but very slowly.

[Sylvia?]

Alice called Sylvia as if asking what she was talking about.

[As an avatar of the goddess, I was an artificial being made to maintain order beside you all… but…]

Sylvia smiled.

As if time was flowing slowly in a space where all order had crumbled, Sylvia was slowly being drawn into the abyss.

[Being with all of you has changed my perspective a little, maybe. Even without my presence, you all have done enough—]

[Wait, no way.]

Charlotte’s expression turned to shock as if she realized something.

[As the avatar of the goddess, being eliminated by you all. That’s how I destroy the will of ‘Order.’]

Sylvia seemed satisfied, closing her eyes.

[…May you all find peace. Return everything you’ve achieved back to your hands—]

But before Claire could finish her sentence—

Something sharp rapidly surged from within that abyss and pierced Sylvia’s back.

Bright red blood splattered everywhere, and we all watched as Sylvia was impaled by the black spear—

Amid the children’s screams—

And then, darkness fell.

“…Huh.”

“It seems that wasn’t the end after all.”

I maneuvered the controller, saving as I spoke.

“Kind of a letdown, huh?”

When Alice asked that, I shrugged my shoulders.

“It’s been like this often in the previous installments.”

To be honest, the first part was somewhat extreme.

And then the sequel came out almost two years later.

[But this is the final chapter now.]

[Just a few more hours and we’ll be done.]

It’s a feature of this game that you catch something like a final boss and still have to play for the time it takes to see the ending in other games.

Shall we call it a day here for today’s stream?

Chapter 411

“Does that mean my sister could have ended up like that?”

Claire said it with such a serious face that I shook my head.

“There was almost no chance of that happening to me. I’m a completely different person after all.”

Of course, the Sylvia in the game spoke formally like me and acted emotionlessly in front of people. If someone didn’t know me well, they might not be able to tell the difference between me and that Sylvia.

“Well, to be fair, Sylvia does have a bit of a careless planning style.”

…No, that’s not the kind of distinction I was asking for.

When I turned to look at Alice after hearing her words, Charlotte chimed in.

“Actually, it’s more accurate to say that it’s not that the plans were immaculate, but rather that she succeeded by trying again and again even after failing.”

“That’s true for the game’s Sylvia too, isn’t it?”

“But the game’s Sylvia had zero humanity compared to you.”

“True.”

Claire responded to Alice’s remark.

Hmm… While I appreciated the comment, I thought I shouldn’t agree with the accusation of being humane in front of Mia, who had been staring at me since earlier.

If I really wanted to know how things got this way, I could just play the game right now.

But if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to show a genuine response during the stream. The viewers don’t really like it when we are playing games without streaming.

“Let’s start preparing soon.”

At my words, all the kids went into the rooms they had decided to stay in.

Then everyone came back out with blankets.

We had beds, but none of us actually used them.

How strange.

*

During the day we played, in the evening we streamed, and our routine included preparing together and checking how brightly the Zibo was shining.

Today, Zibo was shining quite brightly.

“But it’s not as bright as when Mia and Charlotte came over.”

“Why is that? We should be way more famous now than we were back then.”

Mia tilted her head in confusion.

That was a fair point.

Considering that our names had been formally introduced online, and we received requests from broadcasting stations or other streamers asking to collaborate, it was clear we had gained significantly more fame than when the three of us were just hanging out.

“Maybe it’s because people have adapted to us.”

I said, looking at Zibo.

“It might be that now, having two additional people joining the stream seems more natural to everyone than when the three of us first started.”

“Plus, unlike back then, we’ve adapted to this world much better now.”

I thought winning the lottery was surely the Goddess’s trick to keep me from leaving this place.

If that thought was correct, then the current situation was indeed going as the Goddess intended.

“It seems we might need to change the content of our streams a bit.”

At my words, the kids all looked over at me.

“How?”

“It’s important that people don’t think we’re just doing… ‘cosplay’.”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“Rather than appealing that we differ while playing the game, I think it would be better to properly tell our story.”

“Oh, like we did last time?”

Charlotte asked.

“Exactly. We can emphasize that the stories we share are real experiences, regardless of whether anyone believes us or not.”

“That sounds fun.”

Alice said with a smile.

“Honestly, I’ve got quite a few stories I wanted to share anyway. It wouldn’t be bad to let it all out at this opportunity.”

…Seems like she has a lot built up.

Did losing to me during childhood really affect her that much?

It probably did, for sure. It would be less frustrating if it was just because of a lack of ability, but I had been using cheap tricks all along.

“So, will we get to hear all about Sylvia?”

“Huh?”

I found myself inadvertently asking that in response to Charlotte’s question.

“I meant, like how we each have stories we’ve kept inside, doesn’t Sylvia have her own stories too?”

“……”

“Now that we’ve come to this world, didn’t she have a family here?”

Hmm…

“I had thought about maybe going to meet them…”

But still, it’s a bit awkward to have a stranger follow you around, especially since we stand out so much.

Even if I tried to watch from a distance, who knows when or how my family would show up. Even if there were some patterns, spotting them within that pattern would be even tougher. Standing outside during rush hour would certainly get me noticed.

“If it’s uncomfortable to meet them, then you don’t have to force it… but this is a story from your past that you’ve never shared, so why not share it?”

“……”

A story from my time in this world.

There’s not much special about it.

If I were some big shot with tons of friends and experiences, I might have some stories to tell. If I had a girlfriend, I could share dating stories.

But before going to this world, I just repeated the grind between home and work, played games in my free time, and met up with friends for a drink whenever I had some spare time.

And other than that… perhaps stories about my time wandering the internet?

“……”

So, um, I don’t think I was being a troll, but I certainly wrote some random nonsense while posting on the Azernar Chronicles forum.

But that was something people commonly did on the internet, and truthfully, I wasn’t saying anything problematic about real people.

I’ve made a fuss about winning before, tweaked my translations to make them slightly more palatable, and had my攻略 posts rebutted. But still, it didn’t really seem like I was actually harming anyone, so what’s the big deal?

…Yeah.

There’s no need to talk about that. Who shares what they read on random websites with everyone?

“I don’t have much to offer, but I could share a few stories from my childhood.”

That was all I managed to say.

*

The next day.

Just because we’re together doesn’t mean we have to be out all day.

By nature, I was someone who preferred to stay indoors, watching streaming sites or movies, dramas, or reading comics during my free time.

Though Claire is generally pretty social, she doesn’t spend all her time away from home.

Charlotte has a moderately social personality but doesn’t venture out much alone.

Alice surprisingly leans strongly towards being a homebody, and Mia, well, there’s no need to explain her.

Today, no one said, “Let’s take the day off at home.” But somehow, a mutual desire to relax at home manifested, and we ended up all staying indoors together.

“……”

Strangely, while everyone was in the living room, we were each deeply focused on our respective tasks—

“Pfft.”

Claire let out a laugh.

Since she was right next to me, I felt a little concerned, but I generally didn’t like it when others meddled when I showed that kind of side.

So I intended to ignore her until—

“Sister, look at this.”

Our social butterfly Claire didn’t seem content to keep laughing about it alone.

Well, since I was a little interested, I followed her words and glanced at her smartphone, instantly freezing in shock.

From the looks of it, Claire hadn’t seen it.

Azernar Minor Gallery.

……That was a site I frequently used before. It was a gathering place for people playing my favorite series, and I had become somewhat known there.

“This person apparently wrote about the follow-up to the Chronicles of Azernar last year, but it looks like everything was wrong. They went missing after getting flamed all over.”

[Didn’t they get every prediction wrong regarding the vibes? LOLOL]

This post titled that compared everything I had written against the latest work and was openly bashing me.

“……”

“Hey? Sister, what’s up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Seeing me start to sweat, Claire asked, but I shook my head.

Could it be that as we gained fame, the gallery was revitalized?

It was only natural, considering that was the very first place I’d gone after our first stream to check responses.

“More than that, this person apparently used to say a lot of weird things because they wanted to win?”

“……”

“They would get way too into their characters and even fight with people. I heard someone said ‘Claire’ and they ended up writing a lengthy rebuttal.”

My shoulders relaxed a bit.

Phew.

Thinking back, I often messed with the settings but never outright bashed any characters, so that’s a relief.

The only character I outright roasted was Sophia.

……

Though that is definitely something that must not be revealed.

Chapter 412

“Hmm? Sis, your expression doesn’t look good. Are you sick?”

“……”

What should I even say?

To be honest, I had intended to hide this until the end—no, I wasn’t planning to say anything at all. So, it’s not like I actually hid it.

That’s right. I haven’t hidden anything. Hiding and not mentioning it are completely different things, aren’t they?

In the first place, even if I’d gained a bit of fame with the nickname on a not-so-famous minor gallery, it’s not like I’d be known by everyone on the internet. I mean, no matter how famous you are on streaming sites, there are always people who don’t know you at all.

Besides, it’s not like I’m creating something; I’m just buying etymology books and translating some information or translating magazine interviews, or creating a script before the Korean version is out… The only famous part about me is that, and there’s surely someone who remembers my nickname—

—Yeah, I suppose there would be, just like what Claire showed me.

“… I think I have a slight fever. It might just be a cold.”

But now, the story had changed a bit.

That’s right. Just because I didn’t intend to hide it doesn’t mean I wasn’t planning to reveal it. I don’t actually know what that means, but in any case, my mind has changed. Since the situation has changed, isn’t it natural for my assumptions to change too? Initially, I had no intention of hiding it, but since I wasn’t planning on revealing it either, if someone were to dig up that dark history without my knowing, of course, I would naturally start thinking about hiding it.

No, more than that, the characters I wrote back then were simply ‘characters’ and not real people, so there’s really no dark history to speak of.

If my friend finds out, the only one who would actually care would be the person who plays that game with me, and that person wasn’t even part of the entire community.

“Didn’t you stay in all day today? You were fine until the morning.”

Of course, Claire’s eyes were filled with worry as she said that to me. It’s not like she wanted to blame me, but she probably needed to figure out why I was sick to grasp the situation.

“Just lie down for now. Should I take you to your bed?”

“……”

Since I wasn’t actually sick at all, I felt terribly guilty for displaying such a reaction.

“What’s wrong? Why are you like this? What happened?”

As I got up with Claire’s help—even though I hadn’t said anything, she took it upon herself to support me—Alice asked, surprised.

“She said she’s sick. I think it’s a cold.”

“A cold? But you didn’t go out today! It wasn’t like you exercised or anything.”

Alice made a very valid point. It was exactly what Claire had said.

Exactly. Usually, you don’t catch a cold just from being at home. I’m not that active of a person, anyway.

As Claire and Alice spoke, Charlotte and Mia naturally reacted as well.

“Are you saying Sylvia is sick?”

“Where does it hurt? Magic… Ah, that won’t work here.”

No, you can just do what you were doing!

Besides, there’s no need for two people to support me when I’m not even sick.

In the first place, a cold isn’t a huge deal. Sure, it might hurt a bit, but it’s not like I can’t walk at all, right?

“Could it be something that I ate today?”

“But if that was the case, we all would be sick.”

It was quite bothersome to be caught in the middle of Claire and Alice discussing this.

That’s right. Honestly, I felt embarrassed. I ended up acting all sick from saying just the wrong word.

… Ever since I forgot about reversing time, I’ve never felt the need for that ability more intensely than today.

“……”

Without meaning to, I found myself lying in the middle of our room, staring at the ceiling.

There was already a wet towel on my forehead. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any medicine on hand, so I couldn’t take anything.

… But can you take cold medicine even if you’re not sick?

No, more importantly, I don’t get why they’re not leaving the room while I’m lying here.

The room wasn’t exactly spacious; it had three desks, three beds, and a wardrobe, so it couldn’t have much spare room. There was a space to sit on the floor, but it wouldn’t be very spacious at all.

The kids sat between Claire and my beds and started chatting away.

Is this just going to become a habit?

“So, what was that post you were looking at earlier?”

Alice asked Claire with curious interest.

Claire answered while showing Alice her smartphone.

“Yeah. The world we were in is known as a game in this world, right? It’s only natural that there are fans and enthusiasts out there. And this person has been involved in related communities for a long time, writing all sorts of speculative posts.”

Not a community, but a forum.

I don’t even know the faces of the users. No, even from the start, if I had posted something like that, I would’ve been immediately shut down.

I know that from experience.

And it’s not like I only wrote speculative posts! I also wrote a lot of helpful tips! I’ve been banned several times, but I avoided permanent ban because of that!

Of course, later on, my position became precarious because of the translation tools, and I got banned again!

“This is just wrong in every way. Especially… What is this? My bust size? Even if we assume that someone might guess that, isn’t it just too ignorant about a girl’s underwear size?”

I wanted to cover my ears, but if I did that, they’d notice I wrote it, so I gritted my teeth and ignored it.

“And I didn’t have any hidden siblings. If I did, there would be no reason for Father to have made me the heir.”

Charlotte said.

No, that kind of setting is pretty common in these games, isn’t it? I thought there would be some new character or something.

“I’m just glad there were almost no speculations about me.”

Ah, that’s a relief. Now that I think about it, I didn’t write much about Mia.

In fact, if I did have speculations about that, it would lead into Claire’s story.

She was a character I had seriously considered whether to buy a figure of, so naturally, I didn’t want anyone criticizing her or putting her down.

Usually, some fans of these games have a repertoire of complaints when it comes to characters with such pasts.

It was hinted in the game that Claire’s father was killed, and the reason was fairly clear, but I was hesitating to judge whether he deserved to die until I confirmed it myself.

In the end, I did go with killing him.

“… But there are posts like this. ‘Why Claire is a virgin.’”

“……”

“This is a bit… awkward.”

Charlotte frowned slightly at Claire’s words.

“I get a feeling that someone likes her, but, uh, that’s a bit… yeah.”

Alice looked as if she was contemplating how to judge this.

“Honestly, doesn’t it give you the creepies?”

Mia cut it short.

My heart felt like a knife pierced it over all of that.

No, I mean.

At that time, they were just characters in a game. Who’d be talking about human rights while talking about game characters?

“Someone who wasted time in many ways—”

“—That’s not true.”

Ah.

I messed up.

I unintentionally retorted to Alice’s words.

But still, I wanted to say that’s not the case.

“I wrote guides and translated info. Even if it looks like that, people must have benefitted a lot from the things I wrote.”

When I suddenly jumped up and said that, the kids looked at me with dazed expressions.

“Uh.”

“And that guiding and translating takes much more time and effort than you might think. Do you know how hard it is to learn a language from another country without any abilities? And since it’s free translation, it’s only natural that I can throw in a few personal opinions as a bit of fun. It’s not like I’m being paid for it, so isn’t it ridiculous to nitpick about the accuracy? If you think your skills are better, go ahead and translate it yourself—”

“Uh, sis.”

Claire said in a very composed manner.

“Is this person your sister? Are you angry because she’s your sister?”

“……”

Thud.

I collapsed right into the bed.

And I pulled the covers up to cover my head.

“Sis, sis!? Wait, I’m sorry!”

“Uh, I’m sorry! I didn’t know it was you writing that…!”

“I mistook Sylvia for someone from this side!”

“… Was this the reason I’m sick?”

Mia’s last question hurt a lot.

“Don’t worry, sis. You thought we were just characters. The truth is, it wasn’t me who wrote it, but I just wrote it down after seeing a character that looked like me. Yeah, if I thought I was going to meet them in real life, I wouldn’t have been able to write something like that.”

… Ah, that was a kind thing to say.

Yeah, that’s right. I wasn’t writing about Claire or Alice. I was just putting down my impressions of the characters I had seen.

So—

I peeked my face out from under the blanket.

There was Claire smiling brightly at me.

“So, since you wrote something like this, could you read it out loud?”

[Claire is the most virtuous and pure character in the Chronicles of Aetherna, and any claims to the contrary are completely wrong.]

That was the last line of my ‘Claire the Virgin’ post.

“……”

I stared at the post for a moment before pulling the blanket back over my head.

And for about ten minutes, I kicked the air above the blanket.

Chapter 413

There are various kinds of silence.

Generally, silence is awkward and uncomfortable. People are social animals, so even those who don’t particularly enjoy talking to others feel uneasy when left silent with just one person.

Even while feeling like they shouldn’t say anything, they end up letting out a sigh of relief once they finally escape that situation.

When you get into an elevator, everyone pulls out their smartphones or just stares at the changing numbers for a reason.

Well, I suppose people who have completely lost any semblance of social grace would find situations without conversation to be completely natural, but I don’t think I am that far gone.

If the silence isn’t uncomfortable and awkward, it likely means everyone has something they want to say but is just holding back.

And if we’re going to nitpick, the silence hanging in the air right now was that kind.

To be more precise, it was the kind of silence teetering on the edge of laughter yet somehow being kept in check—it was only the one person who was the source of that laughter that felt less than pleasant.

Yep. That person was me.

More specifically, it was those writings I had penned in the past.

“Ahem!”

Claire finally stifled her laughter with a cough.

What could I do when those writings were going to flash before my eyes for the entire time I could use the internet here unless I read them right now?

Of course, I briefly considered just calling the service provider to cut off my internet, but honestly, I felt that would be far worse.

Besides, what was I supposed to do if someone who makes a living through internet broadcasts lost their internet?

So, with a face of pure determination, I tried to read it, but the weight of the text was heavy enough to crush the iron plate I tried to put on my face.

After enduring it all the way to the point where the noblest and purest character in the Azernar series was declared to be Claire, I was knocked down flat on my bed.

I dropped to my knees and covered myself with the blanket.

However, even peeking through the blanket, I could see no sign of anyone leaving the room.

“Don’t worry too much, big sis.”

Claire patted my back gently.

“After all, it’s just us who know that you were that person. As long as you don’t mention it on broadcast, no one will catch on.”

“…Well, the fact that everyone here knows is the most important point.”

Honestly, if the people in this room didn’t know, then who else would—no, of course, my family living in my previous life’s world would be excluded, but I couldn’t care less what anyone else thought.

Right? After all, to others, Claire is just Claire from the game. No matter how much I debate with someone about being a virgin, it would just come off as nonsense. I’ve had actual arguments over such things with friends before.

In fact, it might even be a point of interest. At first glance, I appeared to be a ‘foreign beauty who speaks Korean exceptionally well and understands otaku culture.’

But, but think about it.

What if my younger sister caught me? And what if her friends did too?

Wouldn’t I just want to die? At least right now, I wanted to die.

I felt like running to the goddess and asking for anything—not really, just begging for the ability to turn back time.

“Yeah, Sylvia. Don’t worry too much.”

Alice, cutting in, made it sound like she was the one worrying.

No, more importantly, did she find this situation that delightful? Even though it hasn’t been determined which one of us is the older sister, didn’t she think of us as sisters at least a little?

“Anyway, it looks like it’s already decided that I’ll be the older sister between you and Sylvia.”

“……”

I pulled the blanket I had covering my head down to reveal my face.

“What are you talking about?”

Hearing that when I thought I hadn’t been decided raised my hackles.

“Ah, she’s coming out now.”

“Well, wouldn’t you come out without listening to that?”

I sat up on the bed, leaning against the edge. Claire sat beside me on the floor, looking up, while Mia sat next to her.

Alice and Charlotte perched on the bed.

“By age, I am older than you, though.”

“Not that we’ve been dividing ages that way until now, right?”

“That’s because I was being considerate and didn’t mention it.”

“Big sis… isn’t it a bit weird to say that after reading something like that a moment ago?”

I felt like Claire’s words hit my heart like a punch, but I held back for the moment.

“Claire, isn’t this quite an important topic? If I acknowledge being Alice’s sister here, then you also become Alice’s sister. And that makes you my little sister.”

“……”

Claire’s expression froze in an instant.

“Y-You’ve never mentioned that before, and now you decide to drop it in like that, making it seem like you’re just trying to push me down to maintain your rank as the big sister, huh?”

“It definitely looks that way.”

Charlotte remarked with amusement, barely holding back a laugh.

Claire stood up and sat down next to me. Mia was clearly enjoying the switch between the two sides as if watching a ping-pong match.

“Alright, I agree with what you said. Even if a person has some childish parts, it doesn’t take away from their age. Besides, you have your duties as a big sister and, well, the things you wrote were to defend me, right?”

“Then what about the article I wrote about my chest?”

I almost spit out blood.

“That means you were vigorous at one point as well, huh?”

I was way past my puberty age.

“And besides, you also directly received salvation from your big sister, didn’t you? You said she took care of your childhood pretty well, right?”

“That’s right. During Alice’s childhood—”

“Wait a moment.”

Alice interjected, raising a hand.

“Fine, fine. Let’s just keep things as they’ve been up to now.”

“What kind of childhood did you go through that made you react like that to just one word?”

“Nothing special. It’s not a particularly interesting story. At least it’s not as amusing as what Sylvia has written.”

“If that’s the case, can’t we just tell it? Hmm, then let me share this story: Alice, when she first met you—”

“No! Just wait! Wait a second, Sylvia. I messed up.”

As soon as I brought up something not from her ‘distant childhood’ but something from ‘last year,’ Alice quickly cut in.

That’s right.

Everything that was going to come to light has already come to light. Even if bringing up that time made me feel like I’d spit blood, there was no longer anything to hide.

But Alice still had weaknesses.

“What’s this? What is it? If it’s related to me and you cut it off like that, it’s too concerning!”

“It’s nothing.”

“If it’s nothing at all, can’t I say it?”

“No, I mean it’s a mistake!”

“Then just what kind of story is this that prompts such a reaction?”

Claire looked at the two of us bickering with a completely incredulous expression. Mia was swapping glances between Alice and me, mouth agape.

This nonsensical exchange continued for several more minutes.

*

In the end, we agreed not to bring up each other’s pasts.

Of course, it wasn’t that Charlotte, who didn’t know about the existence of weaknesses, and Claire, who probably wouldn’t think of it as something shameful, were not included in this agreement.

…Mia, however, had a dark history where anything she brought up would deliver critical hits to the person talking.

So even though it was a shaky agreement when you got down to it, I understood that no one here would gossip about my past when others weren’t around.

I understood, but—

“Hmph~”

Seeing Claire fiddling with her smartphone, seemingly enjoying herself, still made me a little uneasy.

So, wasn’t that indicating she could bring it up in front of me, not in front of others?

Each time, it felt like I’d take a mental blow.

…I really should treat Claire exceptionally well.

“……”

Once again, silence fell over the room.

…

Come to think of it, we’ve been in this room since before.

“…Everyone, how about watching a movie? There’s still some popcorn and soda left in the kitchen.”

“Oh, let’s go!”

Claire leaped up at my suggestion.

“It feels like you’re trying to change the subject, but today, I’ll let it slide.”

Charlotte also got up.

Alice stood up with a rather joyful expression. Of course, it probably wasn’t related to the movie at all.

“Popcorn!”

…Mia seemed more interested in food than the movie.

Well, I guess I managed to get through this situation somehow.

I sighed deeply and stood up.

Chapter 414

The doorbell rang, and when I opened the door, there were two enormous boxes waiting for me. One was smaller than the other, but still larger than a normal package. The delivery person had already taken the elevator downstairs.

It wasn’t anything too unusual. Most of my money was still in my bank account, but the others living with me had used it together.

Back when I lived in the villa, I splurged only a little to save up extra money whenever I got cash, but ever since I won the lottery, I didn’t feel the need to do that anymore.

It’s not like they were buying hundreds of thousands of won worth of luxury goods at once, and besides, even if they did, I had enough money to handle it for a while, so I wasn’t too concerned.

But this delivery today—

…is pretty big.

One of the boxes was almost as tall as my thighs. In fact, it was slightly shorter than my height.

Thanking the delivery person for bringing it this far, I lifted the box.

It wasn’t unliftable by myself, but it was still quite heavy. As I lifted it, I heard something moving around inside with a rustle rustle sound.

“Oooh, did the package arrive?”

Claire came running to help me after seeing me open the door.

“Did you buy this, Claire?”

“Yep, it’s mine!”

Claire said with a big smile.

Could it be something like a teddy bear the size of a person? I tried to imagine what kind of large item Claire would buy, but I couldn’t really picture it. In fact, since it was Claire, it wouldn’t be weird no matter what it was.

After placing one box in the entrance, Claire returned with a smaller box than the one we’d brought in.

“Hmmm~”

She thought for a moment and then said, “I think we should take both to the living room and open them.”

“What’s going on?”

Alice must have heard the sound of us moving heavy objects because she dashed out and widened her eyes when she saw the box that was almost the same height as mine.

“Oh, perfect! Could you help me move this to the living room? I can lift it by myself, but the size is just too awkward.”

“What’s up?”

Once one person came out, others began to follow. The temperature was starting to drop, making us spend more time indoors. Still, we usually went out for meals about half the week before returning home.

But the idea of bringing the table into the warm living room and having a hot pot or shabu-shabu sounded pretty nice.

In the end, Charlotte and Mia also came out to help move the box.

“Phew.”

Alice sighed quietly, resting her hands on her hips as she gazed at the box.

The presence of the two boxes taking up the center of the living room was quite significant.

“So, what is this? It doesn’t look like an appliance inside.”

If it were a home appliance of that size, it would definitely be heavier. And if I pressed down on the box, it probably wouldn’t have caved in like that.

Was it something square like the box itself? During the moving process, the corners had already been bent. It was probably some evidence of it getting banged around during the delivery.

“Fufu. This is—”

Claire hurriedly went inside, grabbed a cutter knife, and pulled out just the tip of the blade.

Then she started slicing along the edges of the box from top to bottom.

As she cut through the lengthwise tape on each corner, the box opened in four directions, as though that was how it was supposed to be opened.

“……”

And we were left speechless when we saw what was inside the box.

“Tada~!”

Claire spread her arms wide towards the box, announcing it.

I turned my gaze outside the window without saying a word. The days had been getting shorter lately, but it was still daylight, and the outside scenery was very visible.

The weather had gotten quite dry and chilly, but it hadn’t started snowing yet.

Wait, didn’t they say it had already snowed for the first time in Gangwon-do? Well, at least here in Seoul, I hadn’t seen any snow yet.

But I hadn’t thought about that; it was only the second week of November.

…Isn’t it a bit early to be seeing Christmas trees?

“Oh, you don’t have to worry. It’s fake. You won’t have to water it or change the soil. Plus, after this Christmas, I can just stash it away in storage to take out next year!”

Considering that Claire, who came from Azernar, where the religious beliefs are clearly different from this world, was going to celebrate the day honoring the birth of the saint from this world’s religion indicates quite a remarkable adaptability.

Still, it felt a bit unsettling to assume I would be here this time next year, but I decided to set that aside.

“There’s still over a month until Christmas, though.”

“Sis, you really don’t get it.”

Well, telling me that, who lives in this world, isn’t exactly helpful.

“Those kinds of things are usually prepared in season. I mean, who really only brings out the tree on Christmas Day and then puts it back in storage right after?”

Well, that’s true.

When you look at stores, they usually start showing their Christmas stuff around December and slowly take it down by the end of January.

But still, don’t people generally not decorate their homes with a tree? Maybe in Europe or America, but abroad, it appears only marketing makes a big fuss over holidays. Unless they’re from really devout Christian households.

Though, looking at it, I suppose we do seem like the type to celebrate Christmas and Halloween without fail.

……

Let’s avoid the topic of Halloween. Claire would surely insist we prepare for it late. After all, she is the type to get ready for Christmas in November, so she wouldn’t care that Halloween was a little over a week ago.

“Why? Don’t wanna…?”

“…Nope, not at all.”

As we continued to remain silent, Claire spoke with a slightly more uncertain expression, prompting me to smile and reply.

“I guess we’ll just have to decorate since we bought it anyway. It’ll be a hassle to deal with it all over again in December.”

Claire’s face brightened at my words.

Alice and Charlotte couldn’t help but smile as well.

Mia, meanwhile, still looked a bit curious, glancing at the other box that hadn’t been opened yet.

Oh, right.

She probably hasn’t had much experience with things like this.

“Shall we open this one too?”

Claire eagerly cut the tape on the relatively smaller box with the cutter knife.

And what emerged from the opened box was—

“Tada!”

Huh.

I had expected it to contain little lights or wreaths for decoration, but instead, there were a bunch of items that were completely unrelated to Christmas.

Why is there a plastic pumpkin?

“I didn’t realize until after, but among the holidays, there’s something called Halloween, right?”

No, that’s not a holiday from our country.

Of course, if you think about it, according to their standards, both Korean festivals and Western festivals are all “foreign holidays.”

I’m not sure if Halloween is considered a festival abroad or not.

By the way, we didn’t have to bother with things like ancestral rites during Chuseok. Instead, we just went outside and enjoyed the emptiness of the streets of Seoul with far fewer people. Claire seemed a little disappointed we didn’t do the rites, though.

Maybe this, in some way, was a reaction to spending that holiday not feeling like a holiday?

“Oh, don’t worry! We have all the Christmas decorations prepared for sure!”

As she said that, Claire started pulling out tiny lights from deep inside the box.

“Oh, Halloween items were ridiculously cheap!”

Of course they would be. Halloween had already passed.

Well, I had enough sense to keep those thoughts to myself.

*

In the end, the decorations turned out to be quite bizarre.

There was space to put the tree. Since it was a fake tree anyway and didn’t require concerns about sunlight, I just placed it randomly between the window and the TV.

There was a star on top, and the twinkling little lights wrapped around it met the conditions for being a Christmas tree, but…

The attachments were fluorescent ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, and all that kind of stuff.

Additionally, instead of hanging large socks for Santa to put presents in, there was a plastic jack-o’-lantern placed under the TV.

In between them were candy cane-shaped ornaments and sparkling star-shaped decorations, making it look even more like a joke.

If I really had to say, the overall atmosphere definitely screamed Halloween. Among Halloween costumes, Santa costumes exist too.

“Um, fantastic!”

Is it really fantastic?

“Are you planning to leave it like this until next January?”

“Hmm? No, I can’t just keep the Halloween decorations until Christmas or anything. By the end of this month, I’ll take down the Halloween decorations.”

…But it does feel like way too much decoration to take down. But again, I decided not to say anything this time.

So… I guess it means I’ll be stuck living with this bizarre interior state until the end of November?

Well, at least it’s cheerful, so that’s nice.

It is kind of a hassle that, after unpacking everything, some clothing-like items were stuck at the very bottom of the box, but I decided not to think too deeply about it.

Chapter 415

I think if anyone around me knows how to enjoy life to the fullest, it’s definitely Claire.

Most people can’t be bothered to remember foreign holidays, but she makes a point to celebrate them.

Of course, even some Koreans dress up for Halloween and throw parties. But unless you’re quite passionate about it, you probably wouldn’t go to such lengths.

Thinking about it, Claire is something of an ‘influencer’ in that sense. If she were born in this world, her smartphone would be packed with countless contacts.

Though, come to think of it, she didn’t have that many friends in Azernar.

…Could it be my fault?

Being around someone as socially awkward as me might have deprived her of the chance to make friends in the triple digits.

Now that Halloween has passed, is the urge to dress up related to her influencer instincts erupting?

“How about it?”

Seeing Claire holding her costume with a big grin, we were momentarily at a loss for words.

No one had really put it on yet, but that outfit looked like something witches would wear.

Did you know? Even in Azernar, where actual mages exist, there aren’t any women magicians with such archetypical witch costumes. So, this witch image is something she learned after coming to this world.

Her learning ability is quite scary.

“It looks pretty! I think it would really suit you, Claire.”

“Huh? What are you talking about, sis? Obviously, we should all wear it together!”

Yeah, that seems about right.

“Do you know? Our workout video views skyrocketed to an alarming level! If we keep dressing like gaming characters, it’s going to lose its freshness! We need to switch up the outfits according to the occasion!”

Speaking of timing, Halloween is already long gone, and even if we wanted to match the location, we’re not even broadcasting outside.

Of course, saying such things to the exuberant Claire wouldn’t matter anyway.

I looked back at the other three. They all seemed somewhat bewildered, but oddly interested.

…As I pointed out earlier, the image of a ‘black-cloaked witch’ doesn’t really exist in this world.

So, it’s understandable if they didn’t feel like Claire’s outfit was particularly special. They might just think it has a fresh design.

Alice didn’t seem to have any objections even when she wore a hanbok last time. Of course, I also wore it without any issues back then.

Wondering how to explain that a hanbok is different from a witch’s attire, I decided to just give up.

*

[What? Is it Halloween? Didn’t it just pass?]

“You do know it passed, huh?”

Eventually, we donned the witch outfits and started the broadcast.

Not all witch costumes are the same. Claire’s and mine were your typical “Gothic-style” outfits. Honestly, without the hats, it would be hard to tell they were witch attire.

Alice and Charlotte’s costumes were a bit more subdued in decoration but revealed a bit of cleavage.

Alice seemed a bit bashful putting hers on, but surprisingly, Charlotte had no resistance at all. From what I’ve heard, the dresses worn at gatherings and parties are often even more revealing than this. Still, the back was not particularly exposed.

Now, Mia’s outfit… was honestly closer to a magical girl than a witch. Unlike our mainly black costumes, hers was a vibrant purple.

Though it suited her, I would definitely not pick that one if I had to choose an outfit for everyday wear.

Not that we were going outside anyway.

“Even though Halloween has passed, we didn’t celebrate it, right? So this is our slightly late Halloween special broadcast!”

At least we can be glad it’s not an early Christmas broadcast?

There’s no doubt she’ll be preparing Santa outfits for Christmas.

“And!”

Claire leaned forward to grab the mouse. I quickly moved back to give her space.

She wanted to decide the content of today’s broadcast herself, so I let her be. After all, I didn’t prepare anything big for today.

As long as she doesn’t make us sweat while wearing these costumes, I’m fine.

“Today’s broadcast is this!”

“…What’s this?”

And the game Claire set up was something I had never heard of or seen before.

“Voice Recognition Game!”

Ah, I think I remember hearing about those.

Even among major games, there are some that utilize voice recognition, but it’s not common to use that as the main content. Even if it’s fun for a time or two, playing such a game alone can feel kind of awkward.

Besides, even if it’s called voice recognition, the tech that actually recognizes ‘voice’ is more advanced than you’d think. When the language changes, it has to be developed anew, so usually, it just reacts to the loudness of the sound. You might have to blow into the microphone or, on the other hand, not breathe or scream.

The most unique indie game I saw was one where you had to shout while controlling the pitch of your voice.

“Tada!”

But the game Claire brought out was a bit different from that.

It seemed like a completely new type of game.

It looked like a side-scrolling shooting game.

“This isn’t an officially released game yet; it’s a shooting game being developed by an indie game maker in the U.S.”

Having accumulated experience from streaming so far, Claire skillfully explained the game.

From what I heard, the game itself was a very difficult bullet hell shooting game if you just played normally.

However, there’s one unique aspect about this seemingly standard shooting game – the ‘bombs.’

In typical shooting games, you have a few lives, and there’s a super attack where you wipe out all enemies with a barrage. In this game, you can use those bombs infinitely. Magical girls confront enemies with courage, after all.

But, those bombs can’t just be used by pressing a button—

“You have to say the designated lines to use them!”

“…Wait a minute, Claire.”

I pressed my nose with my fingers as I spoke.

“Can voice recognition honestly be that detailed in a game made by one person?”

“Of course not. That’s why the creator said, ‘It’s up to the magical girl’s conscience.’”

“……”

“Actually, if we look at the system, you can just scream for a certain amount of time to launch the bombs. You don’t even have to use your own voice; you can play a pre-recorded sound or just blow into the microphone. But!”

There are witnesses in the form of viewers.

This is clearly a game for streamers.

“From now on, we’re going to take turns playing this game. There’s only one stage since it’s still in development, but I heard the difficulty is higher than other bullet hell shooting games. Since it hasn’t had a balance patch, random bullets can lead to situations where you can’t avoid them at all. So it’s better to get rid of bullets beforehand!”

[LOL]

[Where did this crap game come from? LOL]

Viewers reacted in awe after hearing Claire’s explanation.

[Anyone try to clear it within the broadcast?]

Ding!

A mission was immediately placed. The mission amount was 100,000 won.

[Last place gets a three-person dance time.]

Ding!

This time, someone placed another mission. Again, it was 100,000 won.

That’s free money, but… why does it feel so unsatisfying?

“Alright, alright.”

Claire’s eyes sparkled as she said that, then she looked at us.

I glanced back at Claire and the others.

Alice and Charlotte’s expressions seemed similar to mine. It didn’t look good. But somehow, they seemed confident.

Those two were surely good at motion detection. If I had them play a different game instead, they’d likely do fine. They struggled at first because they weren’t familiar with the controls, but they typically performed above average in purely physical games.

So, what face would Mia make, who had lesser physical abilities—

“Oooh!”

Having heard Claire’s explanation, Mia was shining with excitement.

Ah right.

She’s still watching that magical girl anime.

Moreover, her outfit was the closest to a magical girl’s among the five of us.

[Mia is so cute.]

[Agreed.]

Seeing Mia enjoying herself alone, people reacted like that.

This… I guess I can’t avoid it.

I held back a sigh that was about to escape.

“Oh, by the way, you can’t just imitate someone else’s lines. Originally, magical girls have different identities.”

Do you also watch magical girl shows?

When our eyes met, Claire grinned.

Could it be that she set this Halloween setup as a buildup for the broadcast?

What a scary kid, seriously.

For a moment, I felt like I was looking at Claire from the game.

Chapter 416

There are usually specific aspects that otaku tend to be strangely picky about, and Claire was one of those.

It’s not that Claire is an otaku yet.

By my standards as someone who was once an otaku, just playing a game series or enjoying mainstream manga or anime doesn’t qualify you as one. An otaku has a bit of a gloomy side and must make waiting for that game or anime a part of their life’s joy.

If you can just pass by a certain point or forget about it when it goes on hiatus—without feeling like the sky is falling—then you can be called an ordinary person.

So among us, the only one who could be called an otaku is probably Mia.

… Of course, I could also be considered a full-fledged otaku for moving around just to reach a happy ending in the game.

However, even if she wouldn’t openly call herself an otaku yet, Claire definitely had the potential for it.

“By the power of light and justice! Magical Sylvia!”

“Eh, that’s not right, sis.”

At first, I tried to clear the game with determination, but watching me shout out my ultimate move in utter frustration because I couldn’t break through the physical challenge, Claire said sternly,

“A magical girl won’t stutter while chanting her spells! The catchphrases of magical girls are the franchise’s signature! If you don’t shout it right, the toys won’t sell!”

“… Isn’t that a bit too realistic?”

Boom!

While I was inadvertently trying to retort against Claire’s words, I ended up missing my flight target, leading to a disastrous explosion.

Even though the shooting game depicted people flying through the air, they just tossed it aside as ‘flight,’ it seems. Regardless, just because the graphics are of a magical girl, it doesn’t mean blood will burst out. It simply exploded in a flash, like a firework.

“By the way, there’s a serious issue with the game.”

“Huh? What do you mean by an issue?”

“The ultimate move doesn’t activate immediately; it has to listen to everything I say before launching, so it can’t actually stop the enemy’s bullets.”

Exactly.

The ultimate move goes out only after the game recognizes that I spoke into the mic, acknowledges the end of my sentence, and then processes it in the game.

So even if there’s an infinite use of ultimate moves, I need to shout several times in short to use them.

For reference, if my voice is heard from the side, it also gets recognized as part of my ultimate phrase, which means that if there’s continuous conversation happening, the moment it stops is considered one ‘phrase,’ thus making my ultimate move go out late!

I mean, no matter how limited the technology may be, aren’t they being way too lenient about the crucial parts?

Maybe this was intentionally designed that way. If it’s a deliberately lousy game, then it’s entirely possible.

“Well then, I can just create different spell names for each type.”

“……”

I was inadvertently impressed by Claire’s comment.

She had more ideas than I thought in this area.

I quietly passed the turn to Alice. I figured in the end, it’d probably come down to a duel between Mia and me.

By the way, it seemed like Alice had a similar thought, as she first tried to evade by just watching with her eyes.

However, her reflexes aimed at swordplay seemed different from those used for game controls.

“Magical Missile!”

“Wrong!”

Claire cheerfully declared.

“You need to transform before using your abilities!”

“Claire? If you keep talking from the side, the spells won’t go out because they’ll be seen as part of your technique!”

Boom.

“… Um, during the time you two keep chatting, my ultimate move hasn’t gone out either.”

At Alice’s comment, I averted my gaze.

[LOL]

[I don’t think we’re finishing this game today]

[Guess we just need to interrupt each other]

The viewers quickly grasped the essence of the game.

“So from now on, let’s refrain from talking from the side.”

Charlotte said as if she had been waiting to say that.

“Otherwise, the game won’t end correctly! We have to collect the mission money.”

We all stared at Charlotte, but she had an utterly unbothered expression on her face.

Truly a crown princess.

She delivered a statement that truly reflected someone who’s learned politics properly.

*

“Magical Missile!”

“Magical Beam!”

“Magical Whatever!”

And when it was Claire’s turn, who was most knowledgeable about the game, she made up some lines to reach as far as possible.

And I internally dismissed the theory of Claire being an otaku.

If I think back, having her interrupt earlier was merely a distraction.

This was her way of enjoying being the first to clear the game while the rest of us faced penalties.

Among us, she surely lived the life furthest removed from politics… Oh, right! When I rewound time, Claire had indeed become a crown princess. So perhaps she did learn a bit about politics after all.

Boom.

However, no matter how much it went on, I couldn’t dodge the endless bullets that were pouring in.

Ah! If I shouted in a short, frantic way, it might have been doable, but shouting like a magical girl while dodging wasn’t that easy.

“Well, that’s unfortunate.”

But Claire, who had managed to reach quite far, looked satisfied as she passed the stick to Mia.

[But come on, “Magical Whatever” is a bit much]

[A cowardly adult’s incantation]

[Just trying to win LOL]

“But it did have ‘Magical’ in it, right?”

I mean, just throwing in “Magical” doesn’t mean it’s a magical girl spell, does it?

Well, to be fair, the only one in the room dressed like a magical girl was Mia.

All eyes were on Mia as she took her seat.

She was the one among us who knew the most about magical girls.

Of course, I watched magical girl anime when I was younger. I didn’t watch them all thoroughly, though. I was a boy, and when I watched something considered to be girls’ anime by myself, I felt embarrassed. Perhaps due to pride, I avoided it and endured a feeling of regret.

So I couldn’t say I knew it well.

Then how would Mia, who watched magical girl shows streaming regularly on her smartphone, chant her spells?

Inhale—

Seeing us play the game ahead, Mia took a deep breath in preparation.

And then—

“Pipirupaparachange Q!”

… Huh?

That sounded like something that wasn’t human language at all.

The other four watching this froze slightly.

[?]

[??]

[Is this how magical girl chants are these days?]

Good question!

I too couldn’t quite recall.

Thinking back, it really did seem like something unexpected.

“Love Change!”

Or,

“Beat Q!”

Hmm, that’s right.

I realized that even in a series under the same franchise, depending on the era and the preferences of kids, it changed a lot.

When I was young, up to my early teen years, I watched a lot of anime and played outdoors without smartphones, while kids nowadays have smartphones— it seems the age at which they play with toys has dropped significantly.

Perhaps the same could be said for girls’ toys.

[Feeling nostalgic…]

[Is this… the true power of magic?]

[Magical girl Mimical Mia!]

The chatroom exploded into chaos.

And while we were left speechless, Mia marched straight to the boss as the first among us.

The bullets that would’ve made it impossible to advance if just played without strategy turned into a shooting game with the right dialogue flowing in a manageable level of difficulty.

On closer inspection, Claire had a similar style too.

“Oops.”

But even Mia couldn’t clear the game on her first try. The boss was slightly harder to beat. Plus, due to its size taking up about a third of the screen, the distance from where the bullets were generated was a little short.

“Phew.”

Though she lost, Mia’s face shone with excitement as she stepped aside.

[Is this… the power of childlike wonder?]

No, we’re the same age. At least our physical ages are the same.

Besides, in this country, we’re both just regular adults.

“Mia, did you have fun?”

“Yes!”

Watching Mia respond with a bright smile made me realize how unexpectedly deep the darkness in my heart ran.

No, if we’re talking about darkness, doesn’t Mia, who was plotting to kill me, need to have a darker heart?

Is it because she realized her childlike wonder a bit later?

What the heck…?

“……”

And all of our gazes turned towards Claire.

While the playing styles were similar, the gap between Mia, who purely enjoyed the game, and Claire, who merely wanted to clear it first, was pretty substantial.

“… I’m sorry.”

In the end, unable to withstand our stares, Claire turned her gaze away and responded.

Mia watched this spectacle with a question mark floating above her head.

Chapter 417

After countless attempts to chant that incomprehensible spell while playing the game—

“……”

In the end, I was the only one left in despair.

Well, yeah. Honestly, I suspected it would turn out like this. I was the one who had played video games the longest among us, but that didn’t mean I was any good at them.

I wasn’t a big fan of online games. I really hated losing to someone else.

Maybe it’s because I had always run away from all the overwhelming ranking games, living like a coward.

When I faced someone in a game, I simply couldn’t win.

The first one to clear the game was Mia.

Her sparkling eyes while playing the magical girl game made her look dazzling. The rest of us, including me, were just trying hard to win—no, more like trying not to be the last one, but Mia was having none of it.

And after all, a game is supposed to favor the one who enjoys it the most.

[Mia is a magical girl! Mia is a magical girl! Mia is a magical girl!]

[Mia-chan is the best!]

Mia already had a decent fanbase from the game, but it seemed that broadcasting together with us had significantly thickened that fanbase.

Ah, of course, that doesn’t mean she was as popular as the actual character Mia from the game. In Japan, where this game originated, they probably wouldn’t even know we exist. Not until someone spreads it on a Korean channel, at least.

Next up was Claire.

[Cowardly adult Claire]

[Did you even watch magical girl shows? LOL]

[Did you pick this game just because you wanted to win?]

“No, that’s not true!? I watched it next to Mia! Though I didn’t pay much attention!”

Thud.

Having somewhat shared common ground with the fact that she had indeed watched it, Mia, upon hearing Claire’s words, looked like she had been struck by lightning out of a clear blue sky.

“Uh, no, Mia, I mean…”

[Uuuh trash Uuuh]

[As of today, Mia is officially F●Q-Cure!]

“…Do you even know the latest series title to say something like that?”

Claire’s response caused the chat to momentarily get lost in silence.

Good point.

While it was easy to pick up on certain series like Kamen Rider by roaming around the internet, especially on sites packed with otaku, not many cared about how those series were currently progressing. The same goes for those using clips for memes; probably not many genuinely watched them?

Next was Charlotte.

Charlotte played calmly and managed to clear the game with minimal use of her finishing moves.

[Not cowardly… but]

[Your inner child is dead, isn’t it?]

“Hmph.”

Seeing the comments in the chat, Charlotte tossed her hair back and spoke.

“I can’t say the one maintaining their inner child is wrong, but it’s ridiculous to insult someone who put in their best effort at the game.”

Her professional attitude drew some admiration in the chat for a brief moment. Of course, Charlotte wasn’t being entirely serious, and the chat’s reactions were playful too.

Then, obviously, it was Alice’s turn.

“Phew.”

Having cleared the game quite consistently, much like Charlotte, Alice let out a sigh of relief. It was only a slight difference compared to Charlotte.

LOL

And ultimately,

Who could it have been but Sylvia? Everyone was expecting it, right?

Yeah, I kinda thought it would turn out like that. A shooting game can honestly just be a physical game at its core.

But…

“…”

I couldn’t help but feel a little void.

[You look more defeated than Saint Sylvia!]

[Hang in there!]

[Do your best and dance!]

LOL

And, obviously, the chat was completely ignoring me.

Well, of course. There’s someone who’s spent 100,000 won on this, so I guess it’s only to be expected. Broadcasting isn’t free. People pay to watch us have fun, and more popularity means more ads come in, and that’s how we earn a living.

I didn’t necessarily need to earn money to live, but still.

“What am I supposed to do to make them dance?”

As I grit my teeth and asked, the chat was flooded with LOL. Is it funny? Yeah, I guess it is. If I were on the other side as a viewer, I’d find it hilarious too.

“Bring out Zero Two, bring out Zero Two!”

“……”

When I turned my gaze towards the voice from beside me, Claire, who had been excitedly shouting for Zero Two, immediately shut up.

She looked both scared and amused at the same time.

[Zero Two! Zero Two!]

[Let’s divide it into thirds!]

Alright. It’s better to just wrap this up quickly. Didn’t they say it’s better to get hit first? Although, in this case, the one getting hit would only be me.

Claire quickly looked for the BGM, and the other kids in the same room stood up to make some space.

Did they all have a secret agreement or something? Of course, judging by the absurd expressions they wore while playing, it was probably unrelated, but still, it felt like they were really in sync at a moment like this.

Dividing the screen into thirds… Back when I watched broadcasts, I had never understood people being embarrassed about that. But now that I was the only one on the screen, my thoughts had changed.

Actually, it seemed less embarrassing to just leave the sides black like a direct cam video.

“Okay, here we go!”

Claire grinned.

I silently clasped my hands behind my head.

*

I thought we were done—

Yeah.

I had completely forgotten about another streaming site that was different from the one we were broadcasting on. The one that usually uploaded edited versions and full broadcasts.

And I didn’t have to collect my own source material for editing because there was someone other than me in the house who would edit videos.

“……”

To avoid copyright strikes, the music was removed, but my appearance, dancing with my waist shaking on the divided screen, remained as is.

No, it wasn’t just ‘as is’; it had been edited to match the music with emphasis on my embarrassing facial expressions and those unnecessary waist movements. Maybe there was a scene where something akin to a Zero Two blast was shot.

“…Mia?”

Looking over at Mia, who was sitting next to me while I checked the streaming site from the broadcasting room, she swiftly turned her head away to avoid my gaze.

“I distinctly remember Charlotte blocking your sight while we were broadcasting.”

Mia, the smallest and youngest among us, often treated like a child, probably understood everything.

It was just that Charlotte must have acted without realizing she’d need to take those actions.

“B-but, we need to upload the edited versions. Just posting the entire video isn’t going to get us views.”

Mia said this while fidgeting her fingers as if making excuses.

I held my head in my hands.

Yes, that’s true.

But…!

“Sis? What’s going on—”

And just as I was burying my head in my hands, the broadcast room opened again, and this time Claire walked in.

What was playing on-screen was the dance video I couldn’t manage to stop.

Pffft!

With Claire bursting into laughter, I jumped up from my chair.

“W-why are you so mad? Honestly, you wrote stuff about me too!”

“That was aimed at the character Claire, not you!”

“Oh, I mean, that’s what you said, but—”

But as I tried to say that, Claire spun on her heel and bolted away the instant I took a step forward.

It’s okay.

Claire was wearing her casual clothes right now. No matter how lively she was, she was still the daughter of a noble household.

There’s no way she’d think of going outside dressed like that.

So, her fleeing meant she was still at home.

“Sylvia? Claire? What’s going on?”

Seeing me chasing after Claire as I came out of the room, Alice widened her eyes and asked.

I didn’t answer. If I did, Alice would also let out a Pffft! laugh, and I’d find myself chasing after her soon after.

“…Could you at least refrain from running at full speed? You’ll disturb the neighbors downstairs.”

Just then, Charlotte, who had been cooking in the kitchen, spoke calmly, with a very princess-like expression that made Claire lift her toes and attempt to run as quietly as possible. I did the same.

“By the way, what’s all this about anyway?”

I still chose not to answer.

After all, I’d get caught eventually, so…

For now, I had to do my best to catch Claire.

“Sis, I’m sorry!”

“Sorry, but I will not forgive you yet!”

Especially for enjoying the situation while running away.

What I couldn’t forgive the most was myself, who found this entire scenario amusing while chasing after her.

Chapter 418

To be honest, if I could choose a body, I would’ve picked the body of a “handsome guy.” whoosh!

I often select female characters in games, but it’s not that I wanted to become a girl; I just didn’t want a male character cluttering up my screen. poof!

The reason I would’ve chosen the body of a handsome guy is simple. ding!

I just wanted to be a popular guy. I wanted to experience those “handsome guy KakaoTalk situations” I often saw on the internet. bam!

Of course, the body I have now is not that of a handsome guy but a pretty girl. sparkle!

Neither side is ugly; I’m pretty with great hair and an amazing figure. wow!

This isn’t just me trying to flatter myself; there’s some objective basis behind it. ta-da!

First, the “Zerotu” video I uploaded got a yellow sticker within a day. gasp!

It wasn’t a copyright issue; it was obviously about the suggestiveness. uh-oh!

I was definitely wearing proper clothes. nod!

Well, this site is known for handling AI logging stuff, so it’s basically no fault of my own. I think my dance video is a bit too much for kids, but fine for middle and high school students. whoosh!

Honest to god, my body wasn’t that flexible, after all. If you get down to it, it’s just fat wobbling around. wobble!

I think I would’ve liked it though. tee-hee!

The second piece of evidence is that the “no-no” video is actually pretty popular. yay!

The views of the videos posted before and after it skyrocketed, so that effect is definitely real. zoom!

…Could it be that I have some kind of unconscious appeal to people I don’t know? Even though I was dancing fully clothed, it somehow looks overly seductive? oh my!

I mean, it does look suggestive, even to me. Enough for Charlotte to cover Mia’s eyes. oops!

The vlog we posted last time also gathered a pretty decent amount of views, and though it has those ‘uh-oh remix’ vibes each time I watch it, this one got an explosive reaction. boom!

There were even comments not in Korean showing up. eyebrow raise!

“Sylvia, you’re quite popular.” giggle!

Alice said with a mischievous smile. wink!

“Guess you have to play on an international level.” cheer!

“…Unfortunately, more than half the English comments are sexual harassment.” sigh!

“…That’s a bit unfortunate, but…” shrug!

Alice said, slightly avoiding my eyes. shifty!

We may look like typical Westerners, but the broadcast is in Korean, and we’ve already certified that we’re Korean on air. After getting my driver’s license, I also certified that I got it. check!

In fact, every time we go to places like the community center, the civil servants often look a bit surprised, but most of our streaming audience has started to realize we’re Korean and have adapted well enough. nod yes!

And in reverse, it appears to be ‘mysterious’ to foreigners. mystery sound!

It creates a vibe that we’re beauties broadcasting in a language that they have no clue about. chime!

Plus, due to growth or whatever, and since the age of adulthood is often missed here, the others except me are basically ‘teenagers.’ teenage dream!

Being in their mid-teens means our faces look undeniably youthful to Westerners, especially now that we’ve certified ourselves as adults, and it seems we’re slowly becoming famous. fame!

I guess there are quite a few Koreans active in English on overseas sites lately. yay!

That’s a good thing. thumbs up!

We had to become famous to get back to that other world, so it was something to be happy about, but… hmm…

“Why do I not feel happy at all?” sad trombone!

When I lamented, Alice gave a bitter laugh. sigh!

*

These days, surprisingly, we’ve been getting a lot of advertisement emails, but we’ve almost been rejecting them. We didn’t really need the money, so there was no reason to take on the stress of accepting ads and planning stuff. no way!

Editing was something we rotated among ourselves, and broadcasting management was doing just fine with the five of us involved. teamwork!

You could say it was like a cottage industry; there’s no labor cost, and we had plenty of surplus money, so I couldn’t really see the reason to do it. cha-ching!

However, I did ponder a little every time the emails from the broadcasting station came. hmm…?

Even though we had declined before, if they weren’t overtly asking to be fixed members or demanding a specific situation, I thought an interview would be okay. maybe?

Honestly, how many people wouldn’t think about wanting to get their faces on TV since childhood? dreams!

“I think it would be fine if it’s a one-off, but if it’s that kind of program, they’re likely going to want to come into our home and film.” yikes!

In this regard, there was some disagreement between us. uh-oh!

For the most part, the four of them besides me didn’t care much about the whole figurine thing. meh!

Alice and Claire treated it like some bust decorations in the hallway. Charlotte and Mia were completely uninterested. blank faces!

Maybe, because it’s a ‘Japanese stereotype of Westerners,’ Charlotte has a mix of 20th-century conservatism and 21st-century Western openness. Although her ideas about sex are somewhat conservative, she doesn’t seem to care at all about individuality. yee-haw!

Mia has been the quickest to adapt to the concept of subculture, so she’s excluded from that. I bet when she goes back to our original world, she’ll hit it off with Rena. besties!

It looks like I’m the only one really concerned about the whole figurine broadcasting thing. nervous!

…If they quote our broadcast, would they also be airing “Sylvia’s Hypnotic Edition”? yikes!

I was honestly worried that there’d be a wild uproar about such an internet broadcast… uh-oh!

“Well, isn’t that okay?” shrug!

Claire quickly dispelled my concerns with a tilt of her head. nod yes!

“We’re not going to be politicians or anything here, so even if such content comes out, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? As long as our viewers like it, that’s all that matters!” ray of sunshine!

“……” silence!

I had no rebuttal to that logic. uh oh!

Is that how it is? hmm…?

So, I just wouldn’t worry about my surroundings and let it be? let it go!

“Then… should we accept this broadcast?” decision time!

This broadcast is one that shows amazing stories and has a very long history. Weirdos really come on, and people with disabilities come to get help on such broadcasts. ding ding!

Honestly, some cases are obviously scripted, but since what they want is really just us, it shouldn’t be too big of a problem… probably. fingers crossed!

Well, we can just discuss what we’d want, and if it doesn’t work, we can refuse the broadcast. easy peasy!

“I’m okay with it.” yes!

After Alice started to respond, nod!

“Yeah.” sure!

“If a broadcast like this comes out in our world first, it wouldn’t be bad to experience it.” all in!

“I’m okay too.” count me in!

Claire, Charlotte, and Mia responded in that order. team spirit!

I nodded and began to draft a reply to the email. typing sound!

*

You can’t just let broadcasting staff walk right into your house. nope!

It’s not simply because it’s a house with only girls living in it or there are things that might be a bit showy inside; those aren’t the reasons at all. nuh-uh!

It’s just that I feel a bit reluctant to let other people in. uh oh!

When I arrived at the appointed place, the staff member turned out to be one woman and one man. Both were station writers, and it seemed like the female one was in a higher position. noted!

“There’s nothing to dress up or anything. If you want to look that way, we can help, but honestly, you’re already looking great as you are.” compliment!

The female writer said, as the male writer nodded in agreement. nod yes!

“Can you eat Korean food?” yummy!

At that, we all exchanged glances. eye contact!

Honestly, with the five of us plus the two writers, the setting looked a bit awkward. I could tell the writers had invited us to a café with a round table for a reason. Maybe it’s a place university students frequently visit? hmmm…

“Well, we’re Korean but…” uhhhh…

I was the first to speak up. whistle!

It seemed they were a bit surprised by how fluently I spoke Korean when we first met, suggesting they probably didn’t watch our broadcasts carefully. surprised gasps!

They might not have been regular viewers at all. aha!

“No, actually, were you mixed?” curious!

“…I was Korean from birth, though.” matter-of-fact!

My answer immediately made the atmosphere at the table awkward. awkward silence!

Especially with the two writers. zips lips!

Um. uh oh!

I know I shouldn’t think this, but it was honestly a bit funny. giggle!

Whatever they say, it feels like the conversation will inevitably drift off into some ridiculous nonsense. But really, we weren’t going to lose anything. grin!

After all, I truly was a foreigner in the legal sense. I was practically just a foreigner who had been living here for about three months. shrug!

“Ah, um, then what about your name?” question mark!

“Actually, I grew up without my parents, so I don’t really know why I have this name.” shrug again!

“……” speechless!

Seeing me make a somewhat sad expression made the two writers freeze up once more. oops!

The other four were looking quite confused. Should they play along with my performance or just stay quiet? wacky dilemma!

Well, either way, it shouldn’t matter. They probably wouldn’t even think of it as acting. smirk!

This is true reality. ding!

Chapter 419

It’s true that I’m not exactly known for having a good personality; I know that about myself well.

But I never expected to enjoy making people uncomfortable this much.

“So, you all…?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I answered neatly. I couldn’t bring myself to complete the question, but I had a feeling that the question about whether I had parents would come up again.

At this point, if they had asked me, “So how have you been until now?” I would have been just as uncomfortable. It was only after saying that that I remembered that fact.

Was I a girl who had to take care of myself, or was I from an orphanage? Were there adults to protect me instead?

If I had come out of school, where did I come from and how? What were the circumstances that led children in similar situations to gather and live together?

If I started to ask one by one, there would be no end, and in fact, I couldn’t respond to those parts.

But I came here thinking that the more this kind of story comes up, the more difficult it would be for the Goddess.

If we kept fixing this and that, wouldn’t there be parts where the Goddess would make mistakes too?

And if such parts came up, she might just get tired of it and send us back.

After all, we hadn’t even been here for an hour yet, so it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, would it?

“……”

But the writers chose not to ask such questions.

Well, it’s not like we were in a bad situation. We could just live comfortably and prepare to go back.

“Um, how are you all doing? I mean…”

It seemed the female writer had printed out the emails we exchanged before meeting. After pulling out a piece of paper from the file and reading it, her face brightened.

“You mentioned you won the lottery and were able to get an apartment.”

“Oh, yes, we originally lived together in a villa.”

“A villa?”

“It was an old studio villa without an elevator, but it was still big enough for five people to live in. Now our situation has improved a lot.”

“……”

“Oh, but could you leave out the part about winning the lottery? I sent it in an email, but if such stories come out, I think we’ll definitely get contacted by people…”

“Of course!”

The writer seemed relieved that the conversation hadn’t turned gloomy again, and she crossed that part out with her pen.

Five girls with foreign blood running through them.

But without parents to grow up and live on their own, just a while ago they were barely surviving in a cramped old villa, sharing the space among five of them.

Even a couple of lines could leave one gasping for breath, so it seemed difficult to have a more extended conversation.

It would make for a good story to make into a broadcast.

*

Afterwards, the story continued a little longer.

But once the topic shifted to the story we were broadcasting, the writers’ expressions brightened a bit.

The tale of traveling around, eating what we wanted, and streaming while gaming meant we were doing well.

Perhaps to tie things up like that, the writers said they would contact us again once they figured out the content.

“The administrative system in this country is stricter than I thought.”

Once the writers left, we gathered together again, and Charlotte remarked in awe.

“If it were Azernar, they would have just brushed off stories of children without parents or those living alone.”

That’s right.

In a country where registration isn’t ‘systematically’ enforced and education isn’t required, the ‘commonalities’ in answers would likely be few when asked about the past. Of course, there might be some statistically common answers, but the question “Naturally they must have attended elementary school in this country” wouldn’t really apply.

Yet the country we’re in now requires education up to at least middle school. If you ask a child whether they go to school and they say no, it’s easy to spot problems in that household.

Though that system doesn’t always work properly.

“I find it disappointing that even if we wanted to mimic it, we can’t.”

Alice said.

“In reality, by the time they think they want to mimic something over there, it might be impossible. People’s thoughts tend to differ, after all.”

I’ve heard people get shocked seeing a system like resident registration overseas.

“Nobles would probably hate it to death.”

Charlotte said, laughing bitterly.

Well, that’s one part of it.

“But I think it’s great that they made it mandatory for everyone to attend school. It means you can make friends from childhood.”

“……”

As Charlotte said that, she looked at Mia and ruffled her hair. Mia protested, “Ow, eek?” but she couldn’t run away since she was in the corner.

Still, sitting together adequately in the same room wouldn’t be so bad. If it had been the case, Mia would have had to deal with the hands of the other four.

“I’m glad I’m not a crown princess.”

Saying that, Claire shot a glare at Alice who was happily drinking her beverage.

*

Honestly, aside from the figures, the state of the house was fine.

Everything we bought was properly organized and put away. We don’t usually live carelessly.

I laid down a blanket in the living room to sleep, but after waking up, I clean it all up nicely.

Still, since a broadcast was going to be happening nationwide, wouldn’t it be good to clean the house at least once?

I tidied up places that I couldn’t usually see, and if there was anything unnecessary, I threw it away.

The deep cleaning took a little longer than expected.

And after all that hard work, —

“……”

“……It hasn’t really changed as much as I thought.”

Alice made that remark.

That’s true. In the end, the places we cleaned were the nooks and crannies that were hidden from view.

In fact, all five of us here hadn’t had long periods where we cleaned up ourselves while in Azernar.

At least when we lived in the dormitory, there was minimal cleaning to do, as long as a maid wasn’t asked to come by and clean like hotel room service.

Of course, I did tell them not to send anyone, so they wouldn’t.

Nevertheless, perhaps because the kids are pretty tidy, the house itself was always kept clean. I’ve often heard that girl dormitories can be ridiculously messy, but that wasn’t the case here.

“True.”

When I brought that up, Claire spoke in a somewhat puzzled voice.

“Aren’t we living too formally with each other?”

“……No, not really.”

Alice furrowed her brow slightly and replied.

“Claire, don’t tell me you just tossed your underwear onto your bed when you lived in the dormitory?”

“No, there’s no way I would do that! If I did, the hotel staff would see it immediately.”

“That’s right. We’ve always had to care about how others see us, after all. It’s no wonder that this kind of lifestyle has become ingrained.”

Thinking back, that did sound plausible.

I doubt members of the British royal family would carelessly throw their clothes on the floor in Buckingham Palace.

“Is this the result of learning since childhood?”

Charlotte rested her chin on her hand as she said this.

“Right. When we first started living at Auntie’s place, our stuff was all over the place.”

“……That’s because I was away from home for about a year.”

“Dust aside, the mess was likely from the stuff that got tossed around about a year ago, right?”

Alice’s retort left me speechless.

In reality, it’s been one year in this world, but in Azernar, I spent several years there. I did live somewhat as a princess during that time too, so I developed a cleaning habit.

As Alice said, even if I just threw underwear on the bed, the cleaning staff would definitely notice. Maybe in a dormitory, but it wouldn’t be easy to clean up a spacious room in a palace by myself.

In the end, laundry has to be collected and delivered separately, but you have to maintain at least a minimal sense of decorum.

“……Alright!”

Claire spoke as if she had come up with a good idea.

“Then should we relax from now onwards?”

“……After cleaning all this?”

“No, rather, if we don’t act naturally in the broadcast, people might think it looks forced.”

“Generally, broadcasts aren’t supposed to be that natural anyway.”

“Even so, if it’s too obvious, people might not like it.”

“Isn’t it just that you want to relax and be comfortable?”

At Charlotte’s words, Claire glanced away.

“I-I think I’m okay.”

At Mia’s comment, all eyes immediately turned to her.

“Uh, no, I mean… It’s been this long we’ve spent together, so being too formal…”

“……”

After hearing Mia’s words, I, Charlotte, and Alice exchanged glances.

Um…

Now that they’re saying we should ditch the formality,

Is there really anything more to let go of?

Chapter 420

And surprisingly, there was something else to let go of.

Thinking back, the girls around me were quite decent for teenagers. After all, they had been educated as nobles or royalty.

Among them, even Claire, who had the most active personality, grew up in a baronial family.

In fantasy novels, barons are often described as the lowest-ranking nobles, but in reality, they are lords with territories. It’s not a family that can be deemed low at all, and they received thorough education. It’s just that Claire was naturally lively.

Therefore, in a way, I was the only one who had shown my true self during this period.

I had revealed my home, dropped my expressionless facade, and got caught with my favorite hobbies… finding myself in situations I didn’t even want to recall.

Thinking about it, I was probably the only one who had exposed myself like that. The others still had many untold parts.

The first one to muster the courage was Claire.

“…….”

We stared at the poster Claire had stuck on our room wall for a long time, seriously.

“Claire, what’s this poster about?”

Charlotte, who had been staring at the poster with a serious expression, finally gave up her deduction and asked like that.

What was on the wall was a gym promotional poster. A ridiculously well-bodied woman was striking a pose. It wasn’t just that she was wearing a sports bra and posing; she was wearing a shirt but had it undone in the middle, so it looked like some body profile or something.

She was muscular, but not in a rough way—more like a very nice body where the abs were visible.

“I want to become like her.”

Claire said with a very serious expression.

“……Where did you get this poster?”

“I took it from down there.”

I facepalmed.

“Please return it.”

“No, we agreed to be honest about what we want!”

“But stealing something is a problem.”

Yeah, the edge of the poster seemed torn. It looked like she had ripped it off entirely from wherever it was stuck.

But more importantly, when did she go out alone?

“…….”

I looked around to see who she went out with, and Mia avoided my gaze.

Did she bring it back from the last time she went out? I remembered her carrying a bag then. Looking again, the poster had places that were crumpled and uncrumpled.

“Hey? Isn’t it marked ‘No advertising’ there? It shouldn’t be stuck in a place where it’s not allowed, so is it okay to take it?”

“……Still, it’s not allowed.”

I wasn’t quite sure about the legalities, but it made things more complicated.

Of course, going back to stick it again now would mean we could get caught this time around.

“……I’ll buy a new one, so just stick that one up. Let’s choose again in a bit.”

“I really liked this one, though….”

“…….”

“Ah, okay, sis.”

“By the way, don’t you work out regularly and look like that?”

“Well… even if I exercise, I can’t become like that.”

Claire tilted her head.

I figured the most frequent exercise she did was aerobic. The times when Claire put her energy the most was when we were out in the open fields riding bikes or running. I’m not a gym trainer, but I’ve heard that aerobic exercise isn’t great for ‘muscle loss’ and whatever.

Of course, I didn’t want to delve deeper, so I didn’t know the specifics.

“If you want to look like that, going to a gym would be right.”

As I carefully examined the poster still attached, Claire suddenly asked, “Oh? Then why don’t you come with me?”

“I don’t have a hobby of torturing myself.”

“……You could handle being shot by guns and swords when you had your abilities.”

“That was something I had to do to win, but.”

Hearing my blunt reply, Claire grumbled, and I replied with disbelief.

Well, still.

“……It seems like there are definitely aspects we want to do but haven’t mentioned yet.”

You can’t just casually walk around in t-shirts like guys do. I’ve heard from somewhere that girls sleep in just their underwear, but it seems there’s a higher hurdle amongst us.

But if it’s about revealing ourselves like this, I think it’d be fine.

Surely we decorated our rooms in our own ways, but we hadn’t hung up posters like this or collected albums of our favorite idols or anything.

“The money is mostly managed by me, but the money collected is also earned together, right? I’ve already said a few times, but you can spend it however you like.”

Honestly, the lottery ticket purchase wasn’t because I thought I’d do well; I just wanted to move house. Plus, I hardly bought lottery tickets when the others weren’t around.

The kids listening to me looked a bit more serious than when they usually heard my stories.

*

A few days later.

The appointment with the broadcasting station got pushed back a bit more. After meeting for further discussion, it was decided to schedule a filming that would include our house.

We hadn’t revealed anything about our private broadcasting yet.

In the meantime, even though there hadn’t been many changes for us—

“…….”

Wait, no, it feels like a lot more changes had happened than I thought.

Just after we talked about wanting to enjoy as we wanted, a few packages arrived at our house.

One was a pretty big box, and the other was a little smaller but had a rather peculiar shape.

It was long and thin.

When I brought the package inside and looked at Claire, she shook her head. Since our house was still decorated for Halloween and Christmas, I wondered if Claire had bought New Year’s decorations early, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Ah, this is mine.”

Alice said as she pulled the quite large box toward her.

“……You said to do as I please, right? So I bought it.”

Seeing Alice’s face slightly reddening as she locked eyes with me, it seemed what was inside wasn’t ordinary.

“……T-This is mine!”

And Mia picked up the thin box. Her face turned bright red too, so it looked like what was inside was also very personal.

Well, this one was probably a poster.

But right now, I was more curious about Alice’s big box.

Knowing that we would see the contents no matter how it was opened, Alice started tearing the box open, her face still flushed.

And what was inside was—

“……What is this?”

Claire said, grimacing.

It was truly a rare scowl.

“There’s only a figure of me and a figure of Sylvia in front of the TV. I thought it would be fun to buy figures of everyone here. Of course, not everyone’s products have been released yet.”

“Just because of that, you bought a Bunny Girl figure!? It’s even bigger than those two over there!”

“No, this just happened to be released as a figure.”

“Rather, buy previously released figures second-hand!”

Claire screamed.

That’s right. This was a design even more vulgar than the figure of Claire that she despised so much—the ‘before reincarnation’ version of Claire.

But still, at least she was properly dressed.

“Are you laughing? Are you laughing right now? You were just bright red moments ago!?”

“I feel a bit relieved seeing your reaction….”

With that comment from Alice, Claire, who finally exploded, lunged at Alice.

“Be careful not to disturb the lower floors with too much noise.”

Charlotte said while resting her hand on her forehead, and the two began a soundless chase.

By the way, it seems Alice also has a bit of an otaku side. If we live here for a few more years, I wonder if she’ll start regularly watching new anime.

Seeing Claire quietly watching magical girl shows with Mia, it seems most people here have that side too—

“……Why are you looking at me like that?”

Charlotte asked in a tone of “ah-ha” when our eyes met.

……Is Charlotte not like that?

I thought that being from a world so much like a game setting, the characters from that game would have some talent in this sort of thing, but thinking again, it doesn’t seem Charlotte has that kind of vibe.

“What’s that item?”

“Oh, this? It’s a poster!”

When I turned my gaze toward Mia and asked, she answered just like that.

Then, Alice opened the box with a cutter knife she used to open the first box, and out came a poster… a printed fabric poster rolled up like a scroll.

What do they call it? A tapestry?

Of course, it depicted a magical girl. It was a series I wasn’t very familiar with.

But it looked amazing when Mia held it.

“Are you thinking of hanging it up in your room?”

“Yes!”

At Mia’s bright reply, Charlotte laughed.

……But I’m really curious.

If Charlotte were to get into a hobby, what would she obsess over?

It felt like digging deeper would be fun.

Chapter 421

“What country is Charlotte’s homeland?”

Bam!

“It’s Velbur.”

Bam!

“So, which countries inspired Velbur?”

Bam!

“France and Belgium, of course!”

Bam!

“Ah, but that doesn’t mean all French or Belgian people are crazy about chocolate and wine.”

Bam!

“Just like there are Koreans who dislike kimchi or can’t handle spicy food. Though, their standards might differ from foreigners.”

Bam!

“However, subculture characters often follow the stereotypes of their inspired nationalities. It’s simple—it adds more personality to the character and makes it fun! Plus, if it’s not overly derogatory, people from that nationality might actually enjoy it.”

Bam!

“Me? I’ve never been to France and don’t know any French folks, so I can’t really say how they feel about their food—”

Bam!

“It’s delicious…”

Bam!

With a very proud expression, Charlotte served the food, and we couldn’t talk for a while.

Gulp!

Although I had been spending time in my hometown for the past few months, the food I had eaten for the previous few years in the Empire of Aetherna was the ‘stereotype of British food’ circulating on the internet.

Yikes!

Ah, it wasn’t that the food there was inedible. As a Crown Princess, of course, the food I ate matched my status.

Nom nom!

But that doesn’t mean there were no bad dishes, and the variety wasn’t that extensive. Plus, having not fully shaken off my Korean palate, there was a certain ‘fundamental mismatch’ somewhere.

Bing!

So, subconsciously, I had ingrained the belief that ‘food in this world isn’t that great’.

Ka-Ching!

“Charlotte, seriously, I think you have a talent for cooking.”

Reeeally?

“Really?”

Shy!

Charlotte replied a bit shyly to my compliment.

Bashful!

In fact, I hadn’t truly experienced Velbur cuisine from that world, nor had I tasted Charlotte’s cooking in this world before.

Confused!

But what I tasted wasn’t ‘properly prepared’ dishes. Most were made with the ‘Korean ingredients’ I unconsciously used.

Ding!

We often ate out or ordered food, and we only really stayed at home once the cold weather started kicking in.

Brrrr!

Reflecting on it, our wandering outside that morning was probably because our place was cramped. After moving into the apartment, there’s plenty of space, but before that, the one-room was a bit tight.

Cramped!

So, having these ‘properly prepared’ dishes was bound to be hard.

Yikes!

Recently, as part of our ‘hobby finding’ project, Charlotte decided to try cooking.

Chef mode!

Breaking away from the cooking book I used during my university days, she wanted to try dishes she truly liked.

Foodie!

While the languages of this world and that world differ, there are still overlaps due to the inspirations. Since the original work had cooking-related collection elements, the names of dishes frequently matched.

Cooking show!

The dish ‘Boeuf Bourguignon’, which sounds fancy just by hearing it, is apparently considered home-cooked in France.

Fancy!

This dish, which uses lots of France’s pride—wine (although we used American wine)—and beef, tasted incredibly cozy, just as the internet suggests it’s a representative home dish.

Warm and fuzzy!

Since we tried hard to recreate it with hard-to-find ingredients, it couldn’t possibly taste bad, and if someone asked if I ever had something classier, the answer would be no—but…

Huh?

Why is it so delicious?

Wow!

“Maybe it’s the taste of warm home?”

Warm vibes!

Charlotte smiled and said.

Smile!

“Does it taste like what you had when you were little?”

Curious!

“No, not really. Actually, I didn’t eat this often.”

Uh-oh!

Well, it is home cooking. Royalty often ate fancy meals prepared by royal chefs. It’s hard to have any special memories attached to this dish.

Confession!

“Uh, maybe!”

Quick remark!

While we were lost in thought, Mia quickly added,

Surprised!

“It might be the atmosphere.”

Serious!

“Atmosphere?”

Curious!

Alice looked around upon hearing that and suddenly muttered as if she realized something.

Eureka!

“Surely.”

Nod!

Charlotte nodded as well.

Nod, nod!

Cold outside, warm inside.

Cozy!

People who have spent quite a long time together.

Friendship!

And even though it wasn’t quite the season yet, there were Christmas decorations. Of course, there’s no Christmas in Azernar, but there are similar days, so celebrating the year-end is the same here.

Celebration!

Maybe that’s why it felt like this.

Hmmm!

“I honestly haven’t seen this before, us all sitting around together for a meal.”

Surprised!

“……”

Silence!

It was indeed Mia.

Backfire!

Her life is pretty dark, so she sometimes plants mines and boom!

Ka-Boom!

“……Wait a minute, I never really…”

Shocked!

Alice, who was about to say something, quickly shut her mouth.

Uh-oh!

She probably felt my gaze on her.

Watch out!

“What’s up?”

Curious!

Claire tilted her head, clearly interested.

Wonder!

“Don’t.”

Stop it!

Before I could say anything, Alice hurriedly interjected.

Fast talk!

“What story could provoke such a reaction?”

Curious!

Charlotte also asked, intrigued.

What now?

“If we don’t talk about it here, it might flow in a strange direction.”

Caution!

When I loosened my mouth slightly, Alice’s face turned red.

Hot!

“Why? Why? What story is it?”

Curious cat!

Claire seemed anxious, as she probably sensed it was related to me.

Suspicious!

“Oh, alright. Just a little then.”

Reluctant!

Realizing that chatting about this would turn too much towards her, Alice spoke with an incredibly embarrassed expression.

Blush!

“I just need a little context, okay?”

Context please!

“……”

Speechless!

Alice shot a glare at me.

Stare down!

I figured she accepted that whatever story I brought up would reveal her little secrets, and I opened my mouth.

Gulp!

“I’ve eaten with Alice a few times just to keep her company when she was lonely.”

Gasp!

“Oooh.”

Shockwave!

Claire sparkled her eyes before tilting her head again.

Baffled!

“Is that really something to react that sensitively about?”

Curiosity!

“If she thought no one wanted to eat with her because she wasn’t social, it makes sense.”

Understanding!

Charlotte said, not teasingly but seriously.

Support!

“But that’s not your fault, Alice. I don’t know what nobles do, but it can’t be that much different from royalty. My father is busy a lot too, so I often had meals alone.”

Relatable!

“Yes! I used to often have dinner with Leo when I was little.”

Fond memory!

“……”

Awkward!

I just kept staring at a blushing Alice as I took a piece of beef and popped it in my mouth.

Chew!

“……Fine! Just say it. It’s okay to talk about it…”

Breaking!

Perhaps unable to endure my gaze, Alice finally surrendered.

Defeated!

“Are you really okay with it?”

Questioning!

“……”

Silence!

I was gritting my teeth, but I couldn’t help it.

Choice time!

She asked me to say it!

Ding ding!

“Alice threw food at my face when I first asked her to have a meal together.”

Shock!

“……”

Jaw drop!

The dining room fell silent as if a mouse had died.

Dead air!

Charlotte, Claire, and Mia stared at me in shock and then looked back at Alice.

Stare contest!

“……I wasn’t thinking back then! I’m sorry!”

Apology!

“Right?”

Exposed!

I nodded.

Confirmation!

Trust isn’t just granted; especially since Alice envied me for a long time during our early years. The Emperor often acted like he favored me when he was in front of her. That wasn’t something she could help.

Awkward past!

Still, I hadn’t said anything harsh to Alice and accepted her antics most of the time.

Easy going!

After all, she was just a child. Plus, she was quite timid.

Tiny!

Even if food was thrown, it was just a piece of bread that wouldn’t burn me; it wasn’t smeared with anything nasty.

Safe!

Moreover, I had turned back in time to dodge it.

Whew!

Alice was more frustrated because I never got angry about it.

Crisis averted!

Slowly, that piled up without me realizing it, forming the trust I had with her now.

Strong bond!

Of course, I had one more thought.

Calculating!

I wanted to befriend the protagonists and also wanted to save that childhood mess for later when Alice matured.

Future plans!

I had forgotten about that scene from years ago, and here it came back out of nowhere.

Surprise!

“Wow, your sister truly is amazing for putting up with that…”

Praise!

“That’s true.”

Nod!

“No, asserting oneself as ‘sister’ is something…”

Wait what?!

What does it matter? I mean, my true nature has been exposed enough anyway.

Awkward laughter!

“……Alice. Don’t you think it’s a bit strange to call yourself ‘sister’?”

Serious tone!

Charlotte said with a serious expression, causing Alice’s face to turn even redder.

Flustered!

Chapter 422

“Well, to be honest, it’s a bit unfair.”

After finishing the meal and doing the dishes, Claire grumbled.

“Are you complaining about doing the dishes?”

“Huh? Oh, no, no, not about that.”

When I asked with a slightly surprised look, Claire quickly shook her head and continued.

“I meant Charlotte’s hobby.”

“Cooking, you mean?”

“Yeah.”

Claire tilted her head and said.

“It’s just… how should I put it? It’s like she’s in a different dimension and really grown-up all by herself, you know?”

So, it seems like it’s not a serious complaint, just a bit of jealousy.

“Don’t you think being that jealous makes you seem like a child?”

But to be honest, she is a child. Our ID shows we’re adults, but I was genuinely an adult at one point.

At my words, Claire puffed up her cheeks.

“Being adult-like isn’t always a good thing. In fact, having a bit of childlike spirit makes life more enjoyable!”

I tried to soothe Claire.

“If you were just very grown-up and went around saying ‘Santa doesn’t exist’ or ‘there’s no such thing as ghosts,’ then we wouldn’t have any pumpkins or Christmas trees coming into our house. To enjoy the end of the year properly, you need to have that spirit of enjoyment!”

“…Is that so?”

Just because you grow older doesn’t mean you turn completely into an adult.

The things we longed for in childhood, the things we wanted to have, the places we wished to go… those things stay in a corner of our hearts and eventually, when we become adults and have a little cash and freedom, we try each one of those things.

And surprisingly enough, it’s a joyful experience.

That doesn’t mean those who lack that aren’t pitiable. If cooking brings you joy, shouldn’t you just cook?

Moreover—

“Speaking of which, I think your hobby is quite healthy.”

“R-Really?”

“Indeed. Exercising to build your body is a hobby many people enjoy.”

At least it’s better for your health than just sitting around playing games, right?

“But my ultimate goal is to take body profile photos.”

“In this world, that wouldn’t be seen as an embarrassing thing.”

In the Azernar context, it could be a bit of a risqué photo.

A baroness taking nude pictures might just take up part of a booklet titled “Women Ahead of Their Time.” Of course, Claire would never publish that.

“……”

Claire kept silent for a while, focusing on the dishes. It seemed like she was mulling over what I said.

“But it’s still unfair.”

But in the end, Claire sulked and said that.

After all, she is still a kid.

*

If there are introverts in this world, then there are extroverts too. Actually, statistically, there might be more extroverts because they’re the ones “forming groups.” Among them, there are otaku and non-otaku alike.

To me, Charlotte was thoroughly the former. She might not be interested in subculture, but she didn’t overly care about those around her and was good at listening and responding.

Her hobbies are completely wholesome, and she seems like the type to handle herself quite well in society.

She claimed she didn’t have many friends, but considering her personality, that wasn’t due to preference; rather, it was a situation where she had to distrust everyone around her.

Although Claire grumbled last time, I thought it wasn’t necessary to forcefully look for “otaku” sides in someone like Charlotte.

That’s what I thought.

That day was a slightly different morning from usual.

Claire and Mia were editing videos in the broadcasting room. Alice was in her room checking out cosmetics, and Charlotte was alone in her room doing whatever she was doing.

Suddenly, I looked at the clock, and it was almost lunchtime.

For some reason, the thought of preparing a meal and doing the dishes didn’t appeal to me today, so I wondered how about feeding everyone instead.

To tell the truth, it was more about suddenly craving a sandwich.

Grabbing my smartphone and opening the delivery app, I headed to my room to ask Alice for the menu. Next, I would head to the broadcasting room to hear Mia and Claire’s opinions.

Then, as I picked a menu I wanted while moving to the living room and Charlotte’s room, I slung open the door to where the two of them were hanging out.

“……”

“……”

And then, I locked eyes with a startled Charlotte.

I took a quick look at her surprised face and glanced at what she was holding.

Charlotte was holding the shoulder part of a ‘magical girl outfit’ that Mia had left lying around, checking it against her own body.

It probably wouldn’t fit. Mia eats many things but doesn’t gain weight like it’s astonishing.

But more than that, the difference in body type and bone structure was too large; it looked like that magical girl outfit, which seemed unstretchable, would not fit Charlotte whatsoever.

However, the reason Charlotte was holding that outfit against herself was evident.

She must want to try it on at least once.

“……”

“……”

Charlotte seemed to be trying to come up with some excuse as her mouth moved a little, but no sound came out.

I silently observed her and slowly began to back out of the room, grabbing the door handle.

“Wait a moment!”

Thunk.

Charlotte quickly dashed over and slammed the door closed.

“It’s fine; you can finish what you were doing. I’ll ask about the menu later.”

“W-What do you mean? I think there’s been a misunderstanding, it’s not like that!”

It isn’t not like that at all.

“People naturally have personal hobbies. Whether to share them or keep them private is a personal choice. The fact that you were checking out a magical girl outfit secretly means it was a hobby you found hard to share with us, right?”

“That’s besides the point! It’s not like that!”

“You don’t need to worry. I won’t tell anyone else.”

“N-No, that’s not the issue! What’s worse is that someone could misinterpret it! And above all, please get rid of that sympathetic look!”

Charlotte pulled the door hard and opened it entirely, grabbing my arm with her other hand and pulling me into the room.

Clunk.

The door quietly closed. If it slammed, all the children in the house would probably come running to see what happened.

“I’ll explain.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I’m going to, so listen.”

With a fierce gaze, Charlotte said that, and I sealed my lips.

“First of all, I don’t want to be a magical girl.”

My gaze shifted back to the bed. It seemed she had placed the outfit on the bed while chasing after me. It wasn’t just thrown down; it looked like she had care for it, knowing Mia treasures it.

“It was about the design of that outfit!”

As my eyes narrowed, Charlotte’s face grew red in response.

“Because, you know, that outfit has so much lace.”

“Well, it is a magical girl costume.”

“No, that’s not it!”

Charlotte appeared frustrated as she spoke.

“That’s the kind of outfit princesses in ‘old fairy tales’ wear!”

“……”

It took me a second to register her words and my brain lagged in response.

I slowly rolled my eyes and opened my mouth.

“So, you’re saying you were holding that outfit against you because it looks like a ‘princess’ dress?”

“Exactly.”

“But Charlotte, you’re already the princess of Velbur, right? Is there really a need for you to long for a princess position?”

“Th-That’s different! It’s different!”

“……”

“It’s different. The position I hold is a political ‘princess,’ right?”

Aha.

I was starting to see the light.

“Is it perhaps influenced by that D●sney movie we saw last time?”

“……”

Charlotte’s eyes darted around. As my gaze followed hers, Charlotte turned her body entirely away.

“Y-Yes! So what? When the stories I longed for in childhood unfold so flamboyantly, how can I not be affected?”

“……”

A princess longing to be a princess?

I internally marveled.

“But is there really a reason to hide that?”

“…It just seems too embarrassing… besides, I really know what it’s like to hold the real ‘princess’ position…”

Oh, come on.

She is, after all, a princess you’d expect to see in a game.

To think about it, that’s a little odd. In reality—meaning, on ‘Earth’—princesses often lead much tougher lives. In fact, Charlotte’s image is somewhat a result of applying the fantasy world’s perspective of a “princess” to this world.

Yet this seemingly perfect Charlotte, in fact, longs to be a princess from American animation?

“Just so you know, it’s a secret from others.”

Charlotte pointed at me with her finger and spoke.

“…Understood.”

I nodded readily.

Charlotte let out a long sigh.

Chapter 423

Bang!

“!”

Seeing the door open, a question mark appeared over Charlotte’s head.

“Um, excuse me, is the order done yet?”

It was a bit funny seeing Mia peeking in cautiously through the slightly open door, even though it was her own room.

“No, we’re still deciding on the menu with Charlotte.”

“Y-Yeah! We were just debating what to eat.”

Honestly, we were talking about something completely different, but since Charlotte had just said not to mention it, I decided to bring up another topic for now.

“That’s a relief.”

Mia let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside.

“Shall I change the menu to something else?”

“No, not really, but I have something extra I want to add…”

Mia opted to double up on the ingredients. It was going to be quite thick—would she even be able to chew it?

Well, considering Mia always managed to finish whatever food was in front of her, there was no need to worry.

With a refreshed expression, Mia stepped back a bit.

“Shall I add something else? I could add another cookie separately if you’d like.”

“No, that’s not necessary… Huh?”

Mia, who had been smiling, suddenly turned her gaze to my bed.

On the bed lay the magical girl outfit that Charlotte had tossed aside while following me out.

In an instant, Charlotte’s face froze. It was as if she had literally turned to ice.

“…Huh?”

Mia, going back to pick up the outfit, tilted her head. She was puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I’m pretty sure this outfit was hanging in front of the wardrobe…”

Certainly, she must have seen it with her own eyes. If it had been tucked away in the wardrobe, Charlotte wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of taking it out to wear.

“Do you usually hang it in front of the wardrobe?”

“Um, yes. It’s a bit embarrassing to wear all the time, but staring at it makes me happy.”

So it seems it gives off a poster-like vibe. I could understand that. Sometimes people hang clothes with anime characters on them outside the wardrobe or on the wall. It makes sense; if it’s something you can never wear, it would feel wasteful to tuck it away inside.

“Did I misinterpret things?”

“Th-That could be possible, right?”

Charlotte spoke quickly.

“You often hold it in your hands and try it on, don’t you?”

“I suppose that makes sense? There’s no reason for Charlotte to go and handle this.”

As she said that, Mia hung the outfit back up in the wardrobe and went outside.

“I’ll call you when the delivery arrives.”

“Thank you!”

As I watched Mia leave, I quietly closed the door again.

“Be grateful that Mia trusts you. Her memory is quite good. To be honest, this is almost like being ‘fooled.’”

Mia is smart. It’s not just that she studies well; she once concocted a plan to assassinate me. After she relaxed, she seemed to live comfortably, but still, she could instantly recall where her things were if she put her mind to it.

There was simply no need for her to do that here.

“…I know.”

“Since it’s come to this, why not just say it comfortably?”

“No way.”

“Why not?”

“Because I must maintain my dignity as a princess. Besides, everyone here is royalty and nobility from other nations, right?”

“Didn’t you say you consider me just a friend?”

“…”

“And by that logic, I’ve danced shaking my butt in front of hundreds of people.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Charlotte finally spoke.

“Th-That still doesn’t work.”

She said it as if forcing the words out.

So in the end, it’s just pride.

Until now, I thought she was the most mature among us, but perhaps that’s not the case.

Shrugging, I showed my smartphone to Charlotte.

“So, what will the menu be?”

“…”

Seeing me ask so calmly, Charlotte seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

*

The reason I could remain so unshaken after witnessing Charlotte’s antics was that I felt a sense of camaraderie in a way.

Where else would I find the motivation to speak politely to kids over ten years younger than me?

Exactly.

It comes from my concept.

The reason I wore a coat on my shoulders unless it was extremely hot, and didn’t bother to take off the winter fur unless it was actually a frigid place, was all to maintain a cool concept.

Now that I’ve lost the powerful ability to manipulate time, which was the most crucial part of maintaining that concept, I had let go of it, but for quite a while, I managed to uphold the concept of a cool, emotionless, sniper girl.

Charlotte’s dignified princess cosplay was something I could definitely understand and overlook.

“Then what about princesses from manga?”

However.

“Manga princesses?”

“Yes. Especially those from American media. Do you think those princesses have dignity as princesses?”

Wouldn’t it be a waste if I didn’t tease her about this?

It was a slightly forced question to connect to the movie chatter we were just having, but judging by everyone’s reactions, my question seemed to be interesting in its own right.

Alice, who had lived her life as a princess, and Claire, who held a princess-like position in the illusion created by the goddess, both fell into deep thought with serious expressions.

Mia, too, seemed intrigued.

Although not as much as in this world, in Azernar, the positions of princess and noble were still somewhat esteemed. There were still quite a few fairy tales related to those titles. It’s not easy to imagine the honest feelings one might experience in such positions unless you’re truly from royal blood or very high nobility.

Typically, people just have idolized fantasies about those lofty figures.

Mia’s love for magical girls is likely a remnant of her childhood innocence. At the same time, since she’s a noble who has been involved with a princess, she wouldn’t idolize a real princess, but if it was an American manga-style princess, that would be different.

“Dignity? Hmm, I’m not so sure.”

That was Alice’s answer.

“I think they might have some capable aspects, but it’s hard to consider them as dignified. They usually come off as a bit childish, don’t you think?”

Alice tilted her head as she spoke.

“Well, since the target audience is children, they probably adjusted the tone to suit them.”

A few stories floated to mind that I could tease Alice about, but I held my tongue, figuring she might genuinely get upset if I pointed them out.

“Still, they’re cool. Honestly, I can understand why they’re popular here. The content may seem fairy-tale-like, but if you’re looking to capture the feel of a classic tale, you must consider that level, don’t you think?”

Claire said while nodding.

“What do you think about adult women liking them?”

“It shouldn’t matter, right? If we start nitpicking those, we won’t be able to enjoy the games we play. Moreover, the people making them are all adults too.”

Alice coolly replied.

Well, otherwise, they wouldn’t be collecting figures and all, would they? Especially not female figures.

Though, I think Alice still views it as something akin to a bust of royal garments, even now.

“I like magical girls.”

Since magical girls were originally created to target young girls. Manga often needs a certain level of childish exaggeration to be fun. That’s why it resonates with the public. If a parent went to see a show with their child and fell asleep right next to them, how heartbroken would the kids be? So it must be made in a way that appeals to adults as well.

And therefore, there’s no need to be embarrassed about enjoying it.

Listening to the three of them talk, I nodded and glanced over at Charlotte.

Charlotte was desperately avoiding eye contact while eagerly chewing on her sandwich.

Suppressing a laugh, I focused back on my own sandwich.

*

“A manga event?”

At my suggestion, Claire’s eyes sparkled.

Mia also brightened up at the idea.

What I had displayed on my smartphone was a subculture event that regularly takes place in Seoul or its nearby areas. Usually, people sell fan comics, novels, and fancy products there. They enjoy the festival itself while buying and selling these things, or—

“Cosplay.”

Mia nodded as she read what it said.

“Do you know about that? The event staff tend to be a bit picky, so it’s not uncommon for them to lump too flashy outfits together and demand a cosplay entry fee out of the blue. Since we could blend in with the character directly, I was thinking it’d be better to just pay in advance and cosplay ourselves.”

“Oh.”

Claire’s eyes glinted.

Alice let out a laugh that seemed incredulous, while Charlotte looked at me with a hint of confusion.

“If we all wear them together, it wouldn’t be embarrassing, right?”

I suggested while watching Charlotte.

Since we’ve come this far, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have some memories to take home.

Well, if they didn’t want to do it, that was okay too.

Chapter 424

Charlotte didn’t react right away that day. Duh.

Of course, all the kids were together at mealtime.

In fact, it wasn’t just during meals; we were almost always together. Sure, there were times we were alone in our rooms, but usually we lived in the living room.

How could someone say such things while we were all sprawled out on blankets, watching TV? Sigh.

Charlotte didn’t even give a hint that she was paying attention to me. All the kids in this place were observant. If they had glanced my way even once, they would have figured it out instantly.

So, it was probably the next day when Charlotte finally brought it up.

“Charlotte, between jjajangmyeon and jjamppong—”

“Hold on, let’s talk about something, okay?”

I opened the door to ask about the menu for ordering from the Chinese restaurant, but Charlotte grabbed me and pulled me inside.

It felt like I was being taken by some closet monster. Of course, I was the one being taken.

Thud.

The door closed—

“…Was that on purpose?”

“Are you referring to the choice of Chinese food for lunch? If you don’t want that, I can choose something else.”

“…”

Seeing Charlotte glare at me slightly, I decided it would be dangerous to joke around further.

“Yes, it was on purpose.”

I admitted it straightforwardly.

“Why is that? Is it because you want to tease me?”

Well, of course I wanted to tease her. If there’s someone who’s playing a role, isn’t it more fun to strip away that role?

Just like what had happened to me.

…I absolutely wasn’t feeling wronged or anything.

“I don’t particularly want to tease you.”

Of course, I couldn’t say that for real. Charlotte was already looking at me with narrowed eyes.

“I just thought, wouldn’t it be nice to relax here without worries?”

I raised my hand slightly to open the closet door, continuing my explanation.

“Of course, I understand that you want to maintain a certain face in front of foreign nobles and royalty here.”

Thanks to the fact that we had known each other since the academy, I sometimes forgot, but Charlotte was indeed a foreigner. In other words, her nationality was different from the rest of us living here.

No matter how friendly we were, there could still be a sense of awkwardness, and even when we chose food together, she could feel out of place. Admittedly, Charlotte hadn’t shown any blatant signs of that yet.

But probably, Charlotte’s desire to keep a minimal facade in front of us also contributed to that wall.

Even though she shyly called me her friend from that other world, no one can be perfectly honest with everyone, right?

…Still, I found it extremely unfair that my internet black history got exposed in this case, but I decided not to dwell on it further.

“So, being honest ‘without others noticing.’”

“…Honest without others noticing?”

Alright.

Charlotte was slowly coming around.

“You want to wear the princess dress, don’t you?”

“I—”

The moment Charlotte opened her mouth, blushing from my words—

Click.

The door creaked open, and we both simultaneously shut our mouths and looked at the door.

Mia’s face peeked through the slightly open door.

“Uh… Were you having an important conversation, by any chance?”

“No, not at all. Charlotte was just choosing the menu. Do you want to add something?”

“Well, um, can I have an extra portion of jjajangmyeon, please?”

Mia spoke with a cheerful face while gently opening the door and squeezing her body inside.

“Of course.”

I smiled and manipulated my smartphone to show Mia.

“Thank you!”

Mia, in high spirits, carefully closed the door again.

“…”

“…”

As we quietly listened to Mia’s footsteps fading away,

“I never did something like that!”

Charlotte opened her mouth first.

“Didn’t you definitely try on some magical girl outfits?!”

“I-I wasn’t planning on wearing it!?”

Charlotte’s voice was nearly a scream. Of course, she tried to keep it low enough not to be heard outside the door.

“Do you even know what event I was talking about?”

“I know! I searched it last night!”

Charlotte pulled out her smartphone, showing me with a slightly annoyed expression.

There were various photos there. People wearing all sorts of colorful wigs and posing in character outfits against the backdrop of the event hall, or people lined up in front of the entrance.

“W-What? Wearing that in front of this many people…!”

“That’s a bit strange, though.”

I said a little more seriously.

“Are you saying those people in the pictures are dressed weirdly?”

“Not saying that…!”

“And we’ve already done a broadcast in such outfits.”

“Well, it wasn’t like people could see our faces…!”

“Moreover, I even danced a really embarrassing dance in that outfit; I had no idea you were looking at me like that. As a friend, I’m truly saddened.”

“…”

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed again.

Oh dear.

“…Perhaps it would have been better if you hadn’t said that last part about being sad as a friend.”

This was definitely a judgment call from a real princess raised in a political house.

I quickly erased the sad expression I had on my face and spoke.

“In any case, it’s actually easier to cosplay here without much worry.”

“…You don’t even plan on making excuses. How shameless you are.”

“Don’t you really want to try on the princess dress?”

“…”

When I completely ignored Charlotte’s response and asked again, she closed her mouth and looked deep in thought.

“Again, everyone here is on your side, Charlotte. Ultimately, if we go to that event, we’ll be dressed like that. No one will know that you secretly admire that, and even if they did, there’s no way we’d blab about it to anyone in this world.”

“Well… I know that.”

“Well then, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy yourself here completely carefree, just like you’ve always wanted? Especially since you’ve grown up in such a strict household since childhood. It’s a wonderful opportunity. Just look at Alice.”

Thinking of how scatterbrained Alice had become, Charlotte’s expression slightly loosened. It seemed like she had entered a bit of a sage moment.

“And.”

“And?”

“You haven’t chosen what you want for lunch yet.”

As I said this to Charlotte while handing her my smartphone, she ended up chuckling.

*

Despite how proud Charlotte was, she knew well that refusing alone in this situation would spoil the fun. In fact, since she had grown up watching others, that feeling must be even more pronounced.

Just as I argued, Charlotte finally begrudgingly chose a costume.

And that costume was of a princess from a super famous animated movie.

A princess in a blue dress casting magic with a wand.

“Oh!”

And Claire’s eyes lit up when she saw Charlotte come out in that outfit.

“Did you deliberately choose that princess?!”

Since Claire was the one who enjoyed watching movies or cartoons the most among us, she definitely recognized whose outfit it was.

The princess character had silver hair. The same silver as Charlotte’s.

“W-Well, of course.”

Charlotte said to Claire.

“Since this princess has the same hair color as me. If I’m going to dress up, wouldn’t it be better to dress up as someone resembling me?”

And she made a pretty good excuse.

“True. It really suits you well.”

When Claire said this, Alice and Mia nodded eagerly.

“If you just learn English, you could even appear as the protagonist in a live-action movie!”

“W-Well, it’s not like it suits me that well…”

I thought she would fit perfectly as a real princess. Although if it was for a movie shoot, it would take at least a few months, and we would need to return to our world, so it was a bit of a stretch.

Well, since she didn’t seem to have any intention to really star in it, I guess it didn’t matter.

“I’m glad it suits you. I’ll go change and come back. After all, I can’t just stay like this today.”

Charlotte said that and went back into the room.

“I’m glad Charlotte likes it. Right?”

“Yes!”

I nodded at Claire’s words.

“I could tell she was really moved by the cartoon. It was a different vibe from when she watches other movies.”

Hearing Claire excitedly talk, I almost burst into laughter.

Well, it’s not like I knew it as accurately as she did,

But, Charlotte, I think you’ve already been found out.

Chapter 425

It’s been ages since I’ve been in a place like this.

I’ve been to crowded areas before, sure. Commuting to and from work is enough to pack in humans like sardines.

But you don’t go to those places because you want to. Even taking the subway just makes you want to scream. Even when you finally arrive, you end up just sitting there doing boring stuff you don’t want to do.

But the vibe we’re heading towards is filled with excitement, even without the subway packed like a can of sardines.

I know it looks like there aren’t many people right now, but all the ones sitting and standing will get off at a specific station.

When I was a kid, I even saw people cosplaying on the subway, but it seemed like not everyone saw it kindly. For some reason, there were also people changing clothes boldly on the train, so it became ‘change in the event venue only’.

In reality, I’m an otaku who lives a life completely unrelated to cosplay, so I have no idea why. I can barely talk to girls, let alone take decent photos with cosplayers.

But at least I’m lucky to have to buy a separate ticket for cosplay.

We all carried a bag each. Inside, of course, were the costumes we planned to wear. All outfits from manga or games.

Honestly, while the characters that fit us best are our own images, isn’t it less frustrating to do it like this rather than wearing regular clothes? Especially since we’re paying more anyway.

Curious glances started to peek at us from around. I wondered how many knew our names. People who recognize us as internet personalities rather than just characters.

Well, I guess we’ll find out once we start cosplaying.

“I’m getting off here.”

As I said that and stood up, the others followed suit.

And—

“Oh.”

Claire let out a slightly surprised sound.

It wasn’t just us; most of the people seated were getting ready to disembark.

Even though we’re otaku, figuring out who’s who in winter isn’t as easy as it seems. You can spot a few with glasses and a bit of weight, or the painfully skinny ones, but in winter, a single jacket hides everything.

So it’s a bit interesting that everyone is preparing to get off.

Then, the train doors opened, and everyone poured out like whoosh.

Some stepped out at a brisk pace, while others were practically sprinting.

“Wow.”

Alice exclaimed in awe.

“Does it mean all those people we were riding with are heading to the same place as us?”

“That’s right.”

I said casually, not in a rush.

Even though we arrived ages before the entrance began, this is what we see. I’ve never seen a train full like this from my experience, but from what I hear, if you leave a bit late, you have to ride a packed train.

“Well, at this point, we’re already late. The place will be packed with people lining up.”

“At this hour?”

Mia seemed genuinely surprised.

True, I’m curious about that too. When did all these people start lining up? I’ve met friends at 4 AM before, and there were already countless people around.

It’s an event that happens only a few times a year, but can there really be people waiting from the day before?

In spring or fall maybe, but in this winter weather, waiting in the freezing cold seems like an awful choice.

When we got out of the station and approached the event venue right next door, just as I thought, a massive crowd was already lined up. I can’t tell if this is just my perception or reality, but it felt like way more people than I remember from my childhood.

The four of them were already looking bored.

“Well, at least technology has advanced a lot.”

I replied with an honest smile.

“Having smartphones or gaming consoles is a blessing!”

Back in the days without smartphones, you had to bring actual books. Or carry around something like a PMP.

“But since we all came together, time should pass quicker than expected.”

Do you all understand the loneliness of coming alone because everyone else was busy?

…Talking about it would just make me sound pitiful, so I held back.

*

Thinking back, I don’t recall seeing many foreigners at these events when I was younger.

If someone truly loves this kind of content, they’d probably choose to live in Japan. Not only domestically, but most otaku know famous circles and attend multiple events associated with these circles.

But then again, considering times have changed and there are more foreigners living in Korea, or perhaps since I look foreign now and my friends are also effectively foreigners, I do notice a few more foreigners among the people waiting in line.

Well, this city has grown quite a bit.

“…Finally made it.”

“How funny that we’re planning to change costumes and head out again.”

When I sighed and muttered this to Alice, she gave me a side-eye.

“Don’t say stuff like that when I’m feeling drained…”

“But the line coming back likely won’t be as long.”

Only after I said that did Alice’s expression brighten a bit.

“Alright then. Shall we change and regroup here?”

Upon Alice’s suggestion, we all nodded.

*

I briefly pondered the idea of defining a character as part of a specific work or series, but that seemed rather dull.

Isn’t it more enjoyable to cosplay as what we each want?

First up, my chosen costume was a princess from an animation by a historic animation company alongside Charlotte.

I figured it’d be less awkward if you went with someone in the same series.

With her black bobbed hair and pale skin, the character’s inspired aesthetics suggested Snow White. She looked way softer than I do, but who cares—

“Sylvia, how about showing a little smile?”

—But there was someone here who didn’t care.

“…Is that really so important?”

“And also, try to soften your speech a bit.”

“…”

“The time you spent as a crown princess is inevitable. I understand why you’d hide such a tone and emotions when you look back at your life. But now, you’re playing a completely different princess, aren’t you?”

If it’s not an official cosplay, maybe there’s no need to stick to personality traits.

“Come on, hurry up!”

Someone undeniably enthusiastic stood nearby.

Looking at the others enthralled by our conversation, I realized I had nowhere to escape.

I simply smiled in silence.

“That’s not quite the smile I meant….”

Ah, geez, how demanding.

“Let’s see a smile that radiates warmth and brings peace to others.”

“Yet you’re not doing that at all, Charlotte.”

“That’s because I’m not that type of character, obviously.”

Charlotte replied with a frown.

“…”

Yeah. I brought her here.

Honestly, if Charlotte showed just a bit more effort to hide her feelings, I’d help her out. But if she’s going to be this blatant, there’s nothing I can do.

Let it be.

Closing my mouth and making a subtle smile with my lips, Charlotte finally appeared satisfied.

*

Striking a pose in front of so many people turned out to be more embarrassing than I expected.

I already knew some people took pictures like this, but experiencing it first-hand felt different.

A few people seemed eager to chat personally, but I firmly shut that down. We weren’t celebrities, but we were somewhat known faces from our internet broadcasts. The last thing I wanted was to get tangled in something weird and hurt our image.

Mia definitely seemed to be the most popular. Her purple dress as a magical girl suited her really well. Plus, her expressions and poses perfectly embodied the essence of a magical girl.

Alice seemed like one of the heroines from some rom-com.

I had no idea Alice was reading comics. Was she looking at them while fiddling with her smartphone?

I guess I noticed it when she was collecting figures.

Claire was another heroine from the same comic series as Alice. It felt like I hadn’t seen her with long hair in ages.

“We’ve taken enough pictures, how about we head inside and see what’s in store?”

“Sounds good!”

Charlotte exclaimed excitedly in response to my suggestion.

That energy truly resembled a lively protagonist from a magical girl show, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“That’s it, Sylvia. You’re doing great!”

…..

Charlotte, are you a tad too excited?

Are you trying to pull me into this?

Chapter 426

There was really nothing worth living for.

The works I primarily sell aren’t really popular for second creation in the country. I mean, sure, there are items that caught my eye while getting shoved around in the crowd, but those were mostly series of works over ten years old that managed to survive until now. I glanced briefly, but didn’t feel like buying anything.

In the end, I came out empty-handed. Even Charlotte didn’t find anything she particularly wanted to buy.

Mia bought a badge with a magical girl’s face printed on it. She seemed really happy since she could buy the faces of all the characters from the latest series.

Claire bought an alarm clock featuring a character from a comic I didn’t even know.

“Is it from a work you know?”

“Hmm? Nope. I just thought it was pretty.”

Yeah, it really did have a nice drawing. The flowers were drawn in various colors, and the unknown cute girl was pretty too.

In the end, I had no idea who she was.

Well, it’s common for people to buy fancy products without knowing the character. Maybe it’s a character made solely by the illustrator.

Alice was similar.

Alice was holding an eco bag. Instead of a fancy drawing, it had a neatly drawn cute girl in a more straightforward art style. The character drawn with blue lines without any coloring… Honestly, it did look like a cute girl character that an otaku would love, but since Alice was holding it, it looked a bit more appealing.

Back when I was really into it, I used to buy a ton of doujinshi. But these days, I just don’t have that kind of passion anymore.

“Phew…”

After making a round looking at all the booths, we finally sat down outside. We were lucky to find an empty bench and all five of us squeezed in, so it was manageable.

“It’s tougher than I thought.”

Mia, who had the weakest stamina among us, said that.

“Agreed.”

But seeing Alice say that meant everyone was feeling drained in many ways. I mean, it wasn’t just that we were tired from walking for a long time; it was more about being squeezed between people.

“But it was still quite fun. It’s just about people bringing things they like to sell. Isn’t that filled with passion?”

Claire said something that sounded vaguely familiar. Her way of thinking is definitely positive.

“Really. Today was quite enjoyable.”

Even Charlotte said that, and I felt a surge of warmth in my heart.

“Still, I have no intention of getting on stage, though.”

“That’s true.”

At Charlotte’s comment, we all nodded seriously in agreement.

Doing cosplay together felt like we were in a festival, and since we were all close friends, we noticed a lot more details than when I went alone without any friends. It was way more enjoyable than when I came here alone before.

But still, I didn’t have the courage to get on the designated stage and perform. I’d rather be satisfied with just watching it on broadcast.

“…Should we start heading back?”

When I said that, everyone nodded.

*

In the past, even before I entered the body of this cute girl, whenever I wandered around the event hall, I would have plenty of time left. I didn’t have the stamina to stay until the end, and more than anything, as time went on, the items at the booths would run out, and there would be nothing more to see or buy.

So after a few laps around the booths and buying all the merchandise related to the anime I was watching, there would be nothing more to do.

Since I came out early in the morning to roam, I had a lot of time left in the afternoon. If I had been alone, I would have started heading home, but now I was with friends.

Going home without doing something felt a bit regretful.

“Let’s eat something.”

I said as we were on the subway.

Lunch was decided to be pork cutlets.

Since we were already on the train, we planned to get off at the transfer station and eat at a nearby delicious place.

Well, since we found it through a search, we wouldn’t know if it was actually good until we tried it.

Ever since I started living here with these guys, I’ve been experiencing a lot of this “good” phrase.

“It’s delicious!”

Seeing Mia’s eyes sparkle as she said that, it seems we hit the jackpot again.

She must have been so hungry from all the wandering that she didn’t even realize it. Everything going into her mouth was delicious.

As we were enjoying our meal, Claire suddenly opened her mouth.

“But Charlotte, that outfit really suits you.”

“Pfft.”

Charlotte almost spit out her food, unlike her usual self. Luckily, she managed to close her mouth and didn’t embarrass herself completely.

She hastily grabbed a tissue to dab around her mouth, quickly chewed and swallowed her food before hastily speaking.

“Uh, is that so? That’s good.”

She seemed to be trying hard to act, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be going very well.

“You must really like that character, huh?”

At Claire’s words, Charlotte’s shoulders flinched.

I was a bit fascinated as I poked a piece of pork cutlet with my fork and put it in my mouth, seeing her act like that was a rare sight.

“Um, not really. I don’t like it or anything.”

Hmm.

I had the impression she liked not just that character but all the princess characters from that company.

If I counted all the advice Charlotte had given me throughout the day, I’d likely run out of fingers.

“Really? Last time at the movies, your eyes were sparkling.”

But since Claire was doing an excellent job of sinking Charlotte on her own, I didn’t need to intervene. Of course, Charlotte did glance at me, seeming worried that I might spill a secret to them.

I shook my head.

“Did something happen between you two?”

Alice, who was watching, asked.

“No, not really.”

I answered that, and Alice tilted her head in confusion.

Even as Alice was talking to me, Claire was busy questioning Charlotte about this and that.

“Why? Isn’t it fine to say you like what you like?”

“Uh, that’s…”

“Are you holding back because of modesty?”

Claire hit the nail on the head.

“Mia, take a picture of this too. It’s delicious.”

“Wow, thank you!”

“No, you two are having a serious conversation! Can you not focus on that?”

I said, pushing the curry sauce meant for the pork cutlet toward Mia, and Alice gave me a jab.

“Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal.”

“See? You knew something!”

“……”

I shut my mouth.

“I also liked the movie. Especially the princess who wore a purple dress—”

“……It was purple, right?”

Thud.

Oh.

I just heard a sound like something snapped. But since nothing visibly snapped in front of me, it seemed I just thought that on my own.

But even if they couldn’t hear the sound like me, it seemed everyone noticed Charlotte’s mood change.

Oh, this is bad.

I had sensed it a bit earlier, but it seemed Charlotte was a peculiar type of strict enthusiast in a strange way.

Come to think of it, Charlotte did have a stubborn side.

“Purple?”

Claire, who was caught on a strange point, cautiously asked back.

“Um, the dress color you mentioned was purple.”

“Oh… Isn’t dark purple and purple the same?”

Claire wasn’t very perceptive in these matters, so she didn’t seem to write colors down in great detail.

In fact, she often showed quite a sensitive side in games regarding such things, but it seemed her personality changed a bit due to a different living environment.

I liked this version of Claire more, though.

“……Is it the same?”

Charlotte’s expression became one of shock.

Ah, right. Come to think of it, she was from Velbur.

And the motif for Velbur was France and Belgium, with France being well-known for design as well.

“Did you just say it’s the same?”

“Uh? Uh-oh?”

At Charlotte’s words, Claire became so flustered that she couldn’t even speak properly.

“Mia, what sauce is that?”

“Oh, this is yuzu sauce, I think. Want to give it a try?”

“Thank you.”

“No, you both. Listen to the conversation, will you?”

With Alice saying that while I casually talked to Mia, she looked a bit anxious.

*

“……I’m sorry, Claire. I got a little overexcited.”

“Oh, um, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I think I can be more precise with color distinctions when I do my makeup from now on.”

Claire comforted Charlotte, who was sulking as we returned home.

“And… If you ever want to see any works from that company in the future, let me know. I’ll watch them with you anytime.”

“Claire…”

Charlotte said with a slightly touched expression at Claire’s words.

See?

At least in this house, no one cares about what hobbies anyone has.

Isn’t that what freedom is?

That day, watching that warm scene, I couldn’t help but smile—

But a few days later, I was shocked to see an endless stream of princess figures coming out of a giant box that arrived at my doorstep.

Chapter 427

[Cosplay?]

[Cosplay!]

[Looks great!]

[Mia-chan so cute! Mia-chan so cute! Mia-chan so cute!]

Well, it’s rare for someone who doesn’t watch anime to be watching our stream, and since there are people like that, it’s natural there are those who showed up at the event we attended.

So, just because we don’t reveal our photos doesn’t mean people won’t see us in costumes. Someone will post our pictures anyway.

These days, the concept of portrait rights is widely spread, so if permission is ambiguous, people tend to cover their faces when posting, but internet broadcasters exist somewhere between celebrities and regular folks.

So, we revealed the photos we took ourselves during the stream. Of course, we erased anyone wandering around. It wasn’t just a solo job; we picked a few good shots and took turns working on them while setting a time.

The one who mainly took the pictures was Claire. Among us, she had the best camera skills.

The camera we bought for the last vlog turned out to be very useful. The weather was clear, so our faces were captured very clearly.

And among all, Mia’s cosplay was the most popular.

“……”

In reality, Mia was so embarrassed she couldn’t even properly look at the chat.

Normally, she wouldn’t stutter while speaking on stream even when wearing a costume, and she didn’t hide that she loved magical girls, but it seemed seeing her name pop up in the chat made her a bit shy.

[Charlotte, you look great too!]

[You look just like you popped out of an anime!]

Hmm.

If we’re being picky, they came straight out of a game. When considering the story, it felt like a parallel world different from the game.

“……”

Charlotte also seemed unsure of how to respond when reading the chat. But she didn’t look displeased. Who would dislike being told they resembled their character while cosplaying?

[But Sylvia, it doesn’t seem to suit you…]

[Your smile is awkward…]

[You don’t really give off a fairytale vibe…]

[More like you’re here to assassinate a queen, right?]

“……”

And I was also receiving attention in some sense. Rather than compliments like Charlotte’s, it was more like I had the vibe of a ‘fan character’.

I found it annoying to receive these taunts from viewers despite finding it a hassle to be corrected by Charlotte during our work.

Especially remarks about assassination were annoyingly plausible even to me. In the game, Sylvia tried to assassinate her father, and I had my experience with that too.

If I banned those comments completely, people would say I’m being petty.

“……Well then, let’s wrap up the photos for now.”

[Are you sulking?]

[Is Sylvia pouting?]

“……”

My fingers itched to move the mouse, but I held back.

“You did well, Sylvia.”

Alice, who was looking at me from the side, praised me and patted my shoulder.

But that look on her face seemed like she was just teasing me.

“I’ll be fining everyone who just mocked me for the next 10 minutes. Reflect on yourselves.”

[Ahhhhhh!]

[Unfair fine! LOL]

[Isn’t this dictatorship?! LOL]

After fining those two below, I felt refreshed.

“Sis……”

The gaze of Claire, who was looking at me, was quite piercing, but that was bearable.

“I don’t know when we’ll have the chance again, but I had quite a bit of fun this time, so we might go again next time.”

[It’s too bad you didn’t get on stage.]

“I’ll consider it for next time.”

Even if I do, I wouldn’t be going up myself, though.

*

After warming up for a total of one hour with Just Chatting, we finally turned on the Chronicles of Aetherna after a long time.

So…

Uh…

Ah, right. It was right after Sylvia got stabbed by something and had a gaping hole in her torso.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the hole was visible; she was still stuck in the tentacles.

…….

But I don’t think I would have gone that far if it were me.

Did Sylvia in that world have no other choice?

[……May you all find peace. Everything you have figured out, you will return it with your own hands—]

The game started by showing the situation right before the last screen goes dark again.

Sylvia’s chest was pierced, and she was lifted into the air. Just looking at it, it seemed extremely painful. Sylvia’s face wasn’t visible, but that looked like a certain death to me.

[Sylvia!!]

Alice screamed.

Claire was on her knees, with a vacant expression that was never seen in her usual self.

Even Charlotte, with whom I had built a friendship, and Mia, whose relationship was just improving, had similar expressions.

Let me emphasize again; this was very much different from the happy ending I had hoped for.

[————.]

The background music was silent. Even the dubbed voices were unheard, but dialogues were being displayed on screen.

The speaker of the dialogue—

“Order?”

Seeing the name displayed, Alice frowned.

It wasn’t “Goddess of Order,” just ‘Order’.

In this game, ordinary names often reflect ‘self-claims.’ Characters who use pseudonyms have their pseudo names revealed, and those who don’t mention their names are referred to as ‘the guy with OO colored hair’ and ‘the girl with OO lips.’

So it’s likely that ‘Order’ is also a self-proclaimed name.

[In the end, you choose such a path.]

And slowly, the metallic shine of the tentacles that pierced Sylvia’s body began to rise.

What appeared at the end was a faceless woman.

No, rather than a faceless woman, it would be more correct to say a woman whose face couldn’t be seen. The glow of blue light on her face made it impossible to see how she looked.

It looked as if the halo drawn around a religious saint had shifted from behind the head to the front of the face.

And if that halo were not white but a pale blue, it would be similar.

A foreboding yet grand, probably Latin song played in the background.

[Despite having given the ability to correct time—no, the ability to rectify the world, why do you ultimately prolong the chaotic time?]

The tentacles dropped from the woman’s back and soon vanished like dust.

Sylvia’s body dropped down. Thud. In a motion that was not very good for this game, that appearance was expressed with odd delicacy, making it look quite painful.

Blood flowed beneath Sylvia’s corpse.

[Death was an option, and you could have reached a more perfect conclusion.]

[Don’t insult Sylvia!]

Alice shouted.

[I don’t know what happened, but Sylvia fought until the very end for us!]

[That is the problem.]

The goddess folded her hands reverently before her belly. Though, she didn’t look particularly reverent.

With neat attire. It was identical to what Sylvia was wearing.

I wonder if there’s a woman behind that glow who looks just like Sylvia?

[The existence created by mimicking my appearance is not perfect.]

“Wow…….”

Claire, peering at the screen, sounded impressed.

Indeed.

If I had truly seen it, I would have had a similar reaction. Of course, I would have ended up like that, flattened out there.

……So, seeing that the goddess was “not the Sylvia in the game” and had brought me here was likely to prevent scenarios similar to this game from happening.

Perhaps the reason she still doesn’t reveal her true form in front of me until now—could it be because of this game’s ending?

[You needn’t worry too much, everyone. There will be another chance. I shall take responsibility and change this world into a place filled with order once again, since I have regained my power—]

[No way!]

Leo yelled, reaching his hands forward, and the screen slowed down…

……Nothing happened.

And the somber background music that had been playing came to a complete stop.

[……could it be……!]

As the goddess turned her body,

[Protect Sylvia!]

Leo shouted.

Rather than comprehending Sylvia’s secret, he probably quickly judged the situation and made a decision.

Leo ran to block Sylvia and many children who followed him surrounded Sylvia.

And,

[Sylvia!?]

Alice knelt beside Sylvia.

Cough, Sylvia spat blood.

But she was still alive.

[Sylvia, just hold on a little longer! I’ll do something—]

[Of course. I cannot die yet.]

Sylvia’s eyes looked at Alice, then towards Leo in front of her.

[……Everything is prepared. I have connected the world and time, calling forth the goddess into this realm. At least in this space, the ‘rules of Order’ should flow.]

Sylvia said slowly while closing her eyes.

[However, regarding the power to rearrange the world as you wish, the ‘time’ that you refer to is still within my grasp.]

[……!]

[You all. Please return everything you have figured out with your own hands.]

Sylvia said so.

[Not as a mere remnant, but as the protagonist of fate, walking time on your own.]

……Ah, that’s cool.

……I want to do that too.

Chapter 428

[……I Won’t Forgive You.]

Alice stood up from her seat and said.

[It doesn’t matter if you’re a goddess or whatever.]

[That’s right.]

Claire finally came to her senses and said.

[No matter what, I will make you suffer as much as my sister.]

Ah, this.

[I won’t allow you to control the world as you wish.]

That’s it. It’s that event where the protagonists take turns saying a line in the final boss battle of every series.

The dialogue continued even after Charlotte.

[We will take back our time, with Sylvia!]

[You foolish…].

The goddess muttered as she watched Leo shout out a heroic line from the front.

[…You have very little time left. Unless that divine child over there dies and stops time, eventually, you will meet your doom.]

But if Sylvia turns back time, the goddess will find another way to kill her. She’ll probably use a method to ensure instant death more convincingly.

[Fine then. Until then, let me toy with you.]

With that, the goddess’s body expanded to occupy half the screen.

…Yeah, it feels like the ground the protagonists are standing on is fan-shaped.

That’s why that giant boss is right there.

Even in her enlarged state, the goddess’s face still radiated light.

[Whoa, wwww, Sylvia’s giant breasts are back againwwwww.]

“……”

I couldn’t tolerate that chat and immediately banned them.

That’s a goddess. Not me.

Of course, they might have referred to the game’s Sylvia, but it still felt unpleasant to me.

And, the final battle of the game began.

The majestic theme music fitting for a boss battle, described as “somewhat grand Latin background music,” filled the air. Naturally, I couldn’t understand a single word of the lyrics, but it was probably related to this game.

As expected of a company good at making music, this background score was nice too.

“Seeing this, I feel a bit pity that the goddess isn’t fighting directly.”

Alice tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s a game, so turns are being taken anyway, but if it were a real fight, it’s unmatchable.”

Alice responded to Claire’s question.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah. When magic is used, the background changes to a place that’s not actually in the game, and when an ultimate move is used, the background either turns completely black or white. They tend to ignore terrain when using skills as well.”

“Right. Honestly, if you had guns, you’d likely be shooting from trench to trench instead of fighting up close.”

Charlotte chimed in.

“Casting magic gets interrupted sometimes, so that feature’s included here, but seeing how leisurely you can use powerful spells multiple times compared to real battles is a bit unrealistic.”

…But pointing that out now…

[Is this… the weight of reality?]

[Let’s keep the game as a game, shall we?]

[These are people who have been through another worldㅋㅋㅋㅋ.]

See, even the chat is bewildered.

“Perhaps the goddess may have seen some detailed future.”

My words gathered attention in the room.

“We might think it impossible now, but it could have been possible in the time of ‘not me, Sylvia.’ So the goddess brought ‘me’ here.”

That’s right. I was interpreting this game a bit differently.

That future, owing to the conclusion that the goddess absolutely couldn’t stop, led her to probably transport me to Azernar.

“Still, we were able to end things without even seeing the goddess’s face, sister.”

Claire said.

“Our being here is also the result of the goddess’s struggles.”

[Was that the setup?]

[They’re surprisingly resilientㅋㅋㅋㅋ.]

I didn’t pay much attention to what was being said in the chat.

Though we didn’t fight the goddess directly, we could still see the story of the game’s sequel.

Having come to this world, I enjoyed several months without any worries, so in the end, there was no need for regret.

Thinking that even the goddess got played, I felt satisfied with that choice.

Even if I return someday, it would become a great memory.

*

It took a bit of time to revive fallen characters a few times.

Because I spent quite a few skill points in the Sylvia battle, the timing for my ultimate move was tighter than I expected.

Still, I managed to withstand the attack while buying time and succeeded in clearing the game.

At first, I thought the kids who grew a lot without me could defeat the goddess, but after actually playing it, it seemed like a game allowance after all.

It had slipped my mind that since the player characters had flashy and exaggerated skill effects, so did the enemies’.

How could one win against an opponent that creates something like a black hole in thin air?

The real goddess probably couldn’t do that much, right? Does some limitation appear when manifesting in the world?

[……I see. In the end, it’s failure again…….]

The goddess muttered as her HP drained completely.

[However, I am an eternal being. Someday, when time flows and even you cease to exist, I can attempt this again.]

[By then, others like us will surely be waiting.]

Leo said.

The goddess didn’t reply to that and vanished into thin air.

[No, no, no!]

[Claire.]

Sylvia was still barely holding on.

But even in the game’s graphics, her face looked very pale, so she wasn’t in a condition to hold on much longer.

[……Thank you, everyone. You all did well.]

Light began to stream from Sylvia’s body.

Could that be the goddess’s power that Sylvia had left over?

Sylvia’s abilities that the goddess couldn’t take until the very end.

Well, I suppose it technically was the goddess’s power.

[It’s time to say goodbye. Thank you for dealing with an unwelcome guest all this time.]

[No, no, no!]

[Claire!]

[Sylvia!]

[Please, Sylvia, no!]

Claire, Alice, Leo.

And everyone else, even the other kids who tagged along, were calling out for Sylvia.

[If I die, the remaining power will be used for you all. There will be conflicting aspects. The fate you held in your hands will return, and at the same time, the world you experienced with me—]

Sylvia’s gaze stopped at Claire.

A slight smile appeared on Sylvia’s lips.

She raised her bloodied hand and touched Claire’s face.

[Surely, your past will return to those blessed times….]

[No, sister? Sister…?]

Sylvia’s hand fell.

As Claire tried to catch that slowly falling hand, it vanished into a flurry of light from her fingertips.

[No, no, no!]

As Claire screamed, the screen slowly faded to white.

And—

Would you like to save?

I pressed YES without hesitation.

Chapter 429

Gyaaaak!

Cut it here? Cut it here?

I wasn’t just playing a game to watch this!

“Surely, this follow-up story will take at least two hours. Can we really do more here?”

But I replied to the chat with this.

“I’m not sure if I can continue right away tomorrow, but I will definitely finish, so please don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure to wrap it up this year.”

Still, most of the viewers of this broadcast were people who had already played this game, so I was relieved. More than half of them must have cleared it before I even returned to this world.

I said a few more closing remarks and ended the broadcast.

Looking at the time, it had just passed midnight.

November was almost at its end.

“I could watch the story to the end and wake up a bit late tomorrow…”

Claire muttered, sounding disappointed.

“I need to check something.”

With a serious expression, I said that and entered the room of Claire and Alice. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it was fair to even call it a room anymore. Life wasn’t being lived there; stuff was just piling up, so it’s more like a storage room, isn’t it?

I put my belongings in a prominent place. Just in case an outsider came in, I wanted to clean it up before they saw it.

Still, I had to be prepared to return at any time.

…I’ve been saying this for months now.

The light of my belongings had definitely become a bit brighter compared to the last time I checked.

“The rate at which it’s getting brighter has noticeably slowed down. When it was just the three of us, it used to brighten up instantly even with just a little fame.”

As I said it with a serious face, the others tilted their heads.

“…Could it be?”

The first to speak was Mia.

“Isn’t our image being too firmly engraved in people’s minds? At first, I thought they were just surprised and couldn’t speak, but we’re living our lives and broadcasting so nonchalantly.”

“Plus, recently we even went to events in cosplay,” Alice muttered with a serious expression.

“So, it means the longer we stay here, the closer we get to the Goddess’s scheme,” Charlotte said with a serious face.

“…It’s complicated in many ways.”

Hmm.

“We need to be more proactive so the Goddess speeds up how fast we adapt to this world.”

I said seriously.

The conversation with the broadcast team wasn’t over yet. To be honest, it had been somewhat stalled.

Our birthplaces and names are too personal to share, so as long as we were requesting that, the broadcast team couldn’t air it. When I exchanged emails with the writers, it seemed that the higher-ups at the broadcasting station thought that it was a good story.

And right now, simply talking about our lives wouldn’t mean much. The viewers would think, ‘So they’re on TV too,’ and first-timers would just go, ‘Oh, there are such people.’

We needed to make sure we looked ‘foreign’ enough.

“Still, we can’t reveal our birthplaces.”

Putting aside that they won’t think of it as a game birthplace, there’s a chance they might think it’s forged identification.

I’d prefer not to get caught up in the legalities. Though it seems the Goddess would prefer that too.

“…What about foreign broadcasts?”

Claire cautiously spoke up.

As our gazes gathered, Claire said seriously.

“The game we’re in isn’t from this country. If we tell the people there, wouldn’t they find it super fascinating?”

Very true.

There’s a high chance it could just be a one-off event. We’re not foreign residents in Japan. We have no intention of living there, nor do we have the means. It seems getting a visa through internet broadcasts isn’t that easy either.

That said, broadcasting in Japanese for a Japanese audience is equally troublesome.

“Let’s say our names have always been like this, and touch that gap. We need to spread it among people around the world.”

“…That’s something worth thinking about.”

I nodded.

“First, let’s finish the upcoming broadcast before brainstorming more ideas.”

Claire immediately smiled at my praise.

Sometimes I wonder if we’re really the same age.

But Mia is also the same age.

*

Before the camera was ready, the broadcasting staff came to our house first.

“Your decorations are unique.”

The female writer from last time said as she looked around our home. Our place still had Christmas and Halloween decorations up at the same time. Shall I call it Chris-Hallo-Mas?

“Celebrating each season is the best kind of fun!”

Claire responded immediately.

“And what hobbies are these?”

The writer asked, looking at the lined-up figures in front of the TV.

“I-I am.”

“Me too.”

Charlotte and Alice spoke in almost unison.

It was a bit embarrassing for Charlotte when she unwrapped the packages, but I didn’t expect Alice to feel shy too. I thought she might still think they were similar to the palace’s busts.

Did she learn something from the internet recently?

Well, whatever.

We also showed our room. Aside from a few added posters, nothing much had changed.

“My goal is to shape my body like that.”

Claire confidently said, placing her hands on her waist.

“I…I like those things, so…”

Mia explained, but she was quite shy about it.

“So how do you sleep? Do you go to different rooms and sleep at different times?”

At that question, we exchanged looks before looking back at the writer.

“No.”

When I said it without specifying who, the writer looked a bit surprised.

“…We lay out blankets in the living room and sleep together. Normally we scatter around the house doing stuff, but when we go somewhere fun, we all go together.”

“Is that so?”

The writer’s eyes widened.

“You all seem to get along well. Um… not everyone is your sister, right?”

As the writer seemed to ponder our names, I debated how to respond, then turned around.

All my friends were looking at me directly, smiles on their faces.

No matter how I answered, they didn’t seem to care much.

So I looked back at the writer and said.

“Although we don’t share blood, yes, we all think of each other as sisters.”

“I see.”

It seemed my response pleased her. I wonder if she’s concocting some story in her mind?

“Oh, and.”

“Yes?”

As I started to add something, the writer, who had been typing something on her smartphone, looked up.

“I don’t mind some scripts, but I don’t want to show us fighting.”

At my words, the writer smiled slightly and nodded.

“Understood.”

Then she typed a few more letters on her smartphone before putting it back in her pocket.

“Then, I’ll adjust the schedule in detail. Are you planning to go anywhere far soon?”

Since the broadcasting team couldn’t just show up with cameras anytime.

It might not come out right after filming either.

“Understood.”

I said that and saw the writer off.

*

“Um…”

“Why, do you want to go on a trip or something?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

It seems Alice and Claire have become really good friends. Claire just snorts, and Alice understands her meaning.

Well, even when I maintained a perfect blank expression, Alice could read my emotions.

Claire’s reactions were pretty easy to figure out too since she doesn’t hide her feelings.

“Shall we prepare then? Just as the broadcasting team set the date!”

The schedule was set for the first week of December, so if it doesn’t overlap, we should be fine.

“Is the broadcast okay?”

“We can take a break from the broadcast for a few days.”

If I hadn’t won the lottery, I might have thought about it seriously. When you’re strapped for cash, every little donation matters.

But right now, it’s not about the money.

“As long as we’ve been doing broadcasts without being tardy, we shouldn’t have any major issues as long as we advertise properly.”

“Then it’s settled!”

At Alice’s words, I smiled and nodded.

“What about Charlotte and Mia?”

“I’m fine.”

Charlotte replied first.

“As long as it’s not camping in this weather…”

Mia added that.

And honestly, no one would do such crazy things.

“Then let’s slowly think about where to travel. We’ve got plenty of time left.”

I said lightly.

Chapter 430

“Ah, it feels like it’s been ages since I’ve stayed at a hotel.”

Alice said, gazing out the window.

As we shared our stories, we set off on our journey together.

Not near Seoul, but a place far from it where the sea could be seen.

There’s no city in Korea as big as Seoul besides Seoul itself, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other tourist cities.

“The sea is really beautiful,” Claire said, staring peacefully out the window.

While we were trying to decide where to go for this trip, the conversation of “I want to ride a plane” came up.

Azernar had planes too, but it seemed that airships were the trend for passenger transport.

After all, they didn’t have the technology yet to make fixed-wing aircraft that could carry many people.

But it seemed these kids were quite intrigued by the fact that airships could carry a lot of people, just like airplanes.

Going overseas was a bit cumbersome with passports and whatnot, so we chose a domestic travel destination we could go to right away.

It was Jeju Island.

Thanks to the clean winter weather, the blue sea was clearly visible far off in the distance.

I’m not sure if it’s just this area or if all of Jeju’s sea is like this, but the sea we saw on the way to the hotel looked extremely clear. At least, among the seas I’ve seen, it was the clearest.

The palm trees lining the streets gave it a rather exotic feel even though it wasn’t a foreign country.

The low fences and fruit orchards—probably tangerine trees—around the house were also charming.

“Riding on the plane was quite an experience, but there were just too many people inside,” Charlotte sighed lightly.

“That’s true for the seats we had. If we had chosen the really expensive seats, we could’ve had way more space. Considering our status back in Azernar, those pricey seats should’ve been the norm.”

“That’s right. The airship we rode was specifically for academy students,” I said, and Charlotte nodded in agreement, laughing bitterly.

“But it’s a bit disappointing. The weather is too cold to go into the sea,” Claire said, deflating a bit.

Well, it was winter after all.

“Then why did we pack swimsuits?”

“Sylvia said it was ‘just in case’,” Charlotte replied, glancing at me.

Over here, we had never been to a swimming pool. We had been to the sea, but the temperature wasn’t suitable for enjoying a swim.

So of course, we didn’t have any swimsuits, and thus we went shopping for them before our trip.

“While it’s certainly not ideal to enter the sea, the swimming pool here uses warm water in winter. It’s possible to swim even in this weather.”

“Really!?”

Claire reacted excitedly.

“And I made sure to book a room close by.”

Of course, I had no intention of running straight to the pool in a swimsuit. Even so, wandering around the hotel room in a swimsuit felt… kinda wrong, didn’t it?

I think I read somewhere that there were people who did that, though.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Claire grabbed my arm and dragged me. Seriously, she’s such a child.

“But, um, even if there’s warm water, won’t it still be a bit cold because of the weather?”

Mia timidly, but reasonably, voiced her concerns.

“Well, I’m a bit worried too, but we won’t know for sure until we try it out. Shall we grab our swimsuits and head out?”

When I said that, Claire rushed towards her bag.

*

The pool wasn’t too crowded.

I guess even with warm water, winter is still winter, huh?

The first impression of the warm pool was more like an outdoor hot spring. It looked just like a swimming pool, but with steam rising up, it definitely reminded me more of a hot tub.

“Wow, it’s really warm! Feels amazing!”

Maybe it was because of that image.

Seeing Claire in her swimsuit, enjoying herself in the pool, felt like watching a child play in a hot spring bath.

Her swimsuit was a sporty kind, resembling sports underwear. The top was like a sports bra, and the bottom looked like matching set underwear.

But regardless of that thick blue material, it clearly was swimwear.

“Come on, sis, get in here too!”

“Alright.”

At Claire’s urging, I quickly stepped into the warm… no, pool.

At first, I thought I’d go in later and spend some time outside, but standing out there, I felt like it wasn’t weather for staying outside at all.

Just as Claire said, once I got in, it was definitely super warm and felt great.

Oddly, instead of feeling energized, I felt more relaxed.

Splash!

“Uff!?”

But before I could fully enjoy that relaxed atmosphere, Claire’s attack hit me, and I let out an absurd sound in surprise.

“… Claire.”

“Haha!”

After Claire, who had gotten in before me, splashed me, I immediately lunged at her.

Of course, there was no way I could win against Claire’s physical abilities.

When the others saw us splashing around, one by one they jumped into the pool too.

“Wow, really… ”

“It is warm, isn’t it?”

Alice and Charlotte each commented with slightly bewildered expressions.

“It’s like a hot spring…”

And finally, as Mia joined us, she let slip the observation we were trying to avoid.

“Yikes!”

But that comment was soon followed by an unexpected splash that landed on her own face.

“Whether it feels like a hot spring or a swimming pool depends on how we play, right? If we have fun, it’s a swimming pool!”

So, Claire essentially admitted it felt like a hot spring too.

I tossed some water back at Claire.

“Ugh! Sis…!”

And then Claire splashed back at me, which sprayed Alice and Charlotte who had been nearby.

In the end, the pool—which was practically ours—became a battlefield of splashing water for a while, filled with mid-teen girls.

*

“Ahh.”

Letting out a long breath, we leaned against the wall of the pool.

The reason we didn’t want to get out was simple—it was too cold outside.

But standing there felt surprisingly like being in an outdoor hot spring. Watching Charlotte flipping her hair back and Alice wiping the water off her face felt even more so.

Among us, only Mia had bought a one-piece swimsuit. To be honest, I felt a bit guilty recommending a bikini to Mia. While she liked her dark swimsuit, which she said looked like a magical girl outfit…

I couldn’t help but wonder if there were any magic girl stories that weren’t aimed at kids. It was a bit of a thought, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. We agreed not to judge each other’s interests.

The rest of us were all in two-piece swimsuits.

Claire’s was like sports underwear, as she mentioned earlier, and Charlotte was in a rash guard on top and bikini bottoms.

Alice wore a bolder white bikini.

And I was in a black bikini.

A bikini.

I never thought I’d wear one of these when I was younger. I mean, of course, when I was a guy, there was no chance I’d wear a bikini.

It wasn’t about the bikini. I was just embarrassed to take off my outerwear and show everyone. My body wasn’t in good shape, and I hadn’t been exercising either.

So I didn’t particularly enjoy going to pools, and even at the beach, I never felt the need to wear a swimsuit.

… I really have changed a lot.

Especially my confidence in myself has shifted in many ways, it seemed.

“Hey, sis.”

“Yeah?”

“Your expression looks kinda old.”

“……”

I filled my palm with water and splashed Claire’s face.

“Huh!?”

With the comical noise she made, Claire immediately glared at me with a mischievous smile.

And then she stretched out both arms—

“Wait, Claire!?”

This time, instead of splashing water, she charged at me shoulder-first.

“Whoa!?”

In the end, I made that bizarre sound as I sank into the warm water—no, the pool—with a splash.

*

It was still a bit early for dinner, but not doing anything felt awkward.

After washing ourselves up and drying our hair, we decided to take a stroll along the beach.

It’s Jeju Island! It’s famous for its beautiful beaches.

And as expected, the beach near our hotel was incredibly pretty.

At first, the five of us walked down the shore together, but eventually, we started to drift apart, doing our own thing.

Alice and Charlotte were having a conversation, while Mia was drawing something on the ground with a stick.

I was with Claire.

“…… Claire.”

“Yeah?”

As I called her name suddenly, Claire responded right away.

Actually, it wasn’t that I wanted to say something in particular.

I just felt like talking since she was next to me.

So I just casually tossed out a question I had.

“Are you having fun?”

“Of course!”

Claire said with a grin.

“This might be the happiest moment in my life!”

“Is that so.”

Hearing Claire’s answer, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction in my heart.

“What’s this?”

“Mia, do you have some talent for drawing?”

“Huh? Oh, no, it’s… hehe.”

Suddenly, we heard that conversation, and we turned our heads quickly towards it.

The drawing that Mia had made on the sand was impressive.

“Let’s go take a picture!”

Claire said that and I nodded with a smile.

Chapter 431

It’s strange, isn’t it?

Typically, characters who fall into another world try to find a way back to where they came from, but I did the exact opposite.

Maybe it’s because my time here hasn’t been that short.

Even though I’ve come back here, I’ve never really thought that I could return to my family.

If the Goddess had sent me back as the “original me,” would I really think, “Ah, I’m back!”?

The answer, of course, was “I don’t know.”

I don’t know a future I haven’t experienced. No matter how many times I go back in time and see various outcomes, I have no power in the present me.

Instead, I just try to enjoy this moment as much as I can.

The time I spent as an office worker in another world is just a thing of the past for me.

I suddenly thought about this, maybe because I think of this place as a separate world.

I’m still on Earth. It’s not like I’ve even gone to another country; I’m just in a region where Korean is spoken.

But still, the fact that I’m in a place I don’t know was enough to spark those thoughts.

Like when I first arrived in this world.

Or maybe it’s because I’m slightly out of breath.

“Hey, sis, I think I need to exercise a bit.”

“…I’m always exercising.”

“No, not just following me around. You could just join a gym like me, you know?”

“I have no interest in torturing myself.”

No, more than that, to be honest, I wish she wouldn’t talk to me so much.

Jeju Island has a unique landform called oreum.

I only remembered studying it in textbooks ages ago, so I forgot what it actually was, but coming back, I found out it’s a “ parasitic volcano.”

Of course, it’s not bubbling magma or anything. I don’t know if it’s an active volcano, but at least the oreum we’re climbing now looks like a ground at the top.

Typically, when I see pictures of oreum, they appear as laid-back paths that aren’t steep. So I thought this place would be just a casual walk-up.

However, once I arrived at the oreum, what stretched out in front of me was a literal “hiking trail” that was over 200 meters long.

I should have realized when I read that the blog comments warned to bring crampons in winter.

Wearing thick clothes in this cold weather and holding hiking poles in both hands, I was just barely making my way up, while Claire next to me showed no signs of fatigue at all.

“Oh, but this isn’t bad either. This country has a lot of mountains. How about going hiking often?”

What a horrific suggestion.

“It feels nice to be up high on days with clear air.”

“As long as it isn’t too often, I think it would be good for a change of pace.”

Uuh.

What are these guys thinking?

At this rate, I half-expect the housemates to get together and start a hiking club.

Right behind us, Mia struggled to keep up, gasping for breath, barely managing to say “Hah, huh…”

Honestly, it was kind of cute though.

“If you’re going, you all can go without me. I won’t follow.”

“…Sis, you do know that this isn’t that high for a mountain, right? It’s barely a staircase.”

Climbing stairs like this is torture just the same.

“Yeah, but I’m glad you recommended this. I’m already looking forward to what the view will be like from up there.”

No, if I had known it was this kind of place, I wouldn’t have recommended it!

I just picked it because everyone said “oreum” when they mentioned Jeju Island!

More importantly, someone should look after Mia.

…Honestly, I didn’t have the energy for that.

*

The view is nice, though.

By the time we nearly reached the top, I was too exhausted to respond to Claire and lost in my thoughts, slowly dragging myself up.

Still, at least I didn’t slip.

Just moments before we reached the top, I’d been cursing myself for choosing to hike all the way to Jeju Island.

“Haah…”

The scenery truly was breathtaking.

“How about it, sis, we made it up, right?”

Claire nudged me in the side with her elbow.

Honestly, I had no idea that climbing oreum is practically hiking. As soon as I got to this entrance, I wanted to give up right away. I just kept trying to persuade the three who love exercise, alongside Mia.

So, well, it’s nice. It really is…

“Mia, are you okay?”

“I’ll never hike again!”

Hmm.

Still, I guess I could use Mia as an excuse every time the others want to form a hiking club.

I’ll just choose to wait down here with Mia.

But since we’ve come this far, looking down…

At first, when we only played near our hotel on the first day, I didn’t really feel it but, yes, winter is definitely here.

It seems it had already snowed quite a bit before we arrived, and the view of Jeju Island from here was truly a ‘winter landscape.’

Mia, who had been panting heavily, seemed to regain her senses slightly and admired the white scenery.

“See, sis? Even from this height, it looks so beautiful. Just imagine how amazing it will be from higher up!”

Should I confess that the reason I didn’t include hiking Hallasan in our plans for Jeju was simply that I don’t like hiking?

Yeah, better not say it. I feel like they’d really want to climb Hallasan if I give them any ideas.

Click.

I snuck beside Claire, who was busy taking pictures, and she smiled at me while snapping a shot of me against the snowy backdrop of Jeju.

Before I knew it, Alice, Charlotte, and Mia all gathered close to me, taking pictures together and then rotating to take shots of each other.

Yeah.

Regardless of when we go back, it’s all about the memories captured in pictures.

When I get home, I should seriously print all the photos.

In the distant future, even if I become an emperor and a king and everything gets torn apart, I mustn’t forget these memories.

So that when I meet them again as an old man who no longer cares about politics and everything else, I can revive this memory.

*

My absolute favorite seafood is sashimi.

And, among sashimi, my absolute fave is flounder.

Isn’t it fortunate? Out of all those seafood, my favorite is a fish that’s farmed.

“…But honestly, I still don’t understand why we eat sashimi.”

“That’s why we bought it wrapped up separately. Just in case there’s any left over, it’s a shame.”

I chuckled at Claire’s remark.

We’d come in from outside after eating various things.

We had extravagantly instant noodles loaded with seafood and Jeju black pork, among others.

The seafood ramen tasted amazing, but honestly, I couldn’t really tell what was so different about Jeju black pork compared to regular pork. Well, I just ate it because it was more delicious.

Since we’re here, wouldn’t it be a waste not to eat local specialties?

“Still, the yukhoe is delicious.”

Alice said, defending me.

“I was shocked the first time I saw it. I thought I might die from eating it.”

Well, I felt uneasy when I tried it for the first time too… but having eaten it for decades without dying, I thought, “Eh, whatever.”

Though overseas, there were cases where people died from bad management, I didn’t think it was necessary to mention that.

“I’m surprised we still have two days left.”

Claire mentioned.

“Time flies when you’re having fun, but still, it’s a bit reassuring when you think about it like this.”

“I can understand what you mean.”

When you combine annual leave with weekends and holidays to create a long break, the first couple of days feel so peaceful. You can think, “Today is gone, but tomorrow is coming~ and the day after tomorrow is here~” and just take it easy.

But then it gets to the last day, and you feel like you might die tomorrow.

Despairing at the thought of not being able to relax anymore makes you feel like your heart will just stop. Yup, I know that feeling.

…But isn’t that just us?

It’s just a matter of turning the broadcast on or off.

“Speaking of which, want to go to the pool one more time?”

“…I’m sorry, but my arms and legs are really sore after that oreum hike.”

“M-Me too.”

As the two weakest of the five-member party whined, Claire let out a long sigh.

“Hih…”

…

Cute, but still, it’s tough.

If we keep playing like this, we might be found dead by morning. Swimming takes a lot of muscle, you know.

“There won’t be many days like this left, so why don’t we have a little fun?”

“Actually, you just want to go out and play, don’t you?”

When I narrowed my eyes at Alice, she stuck her tongue out and looked away.

“Since we came to play, how about making a few more fun memories?”

“…”

But when Charlotte gently urged us with a soothing voice, my heart shifted a little.

“Then, I’ll just watch you all from outside.”

“M-Me too.”

Under the gazes of the three remaining, both Mia and I finally surrendered, saying that.

And we had forgotten one small detail.

The weather outside was way too chilly for just wearing swimsuits.

In the end, escaping the cold, we jumped into the warm pool full of water and got swept up in the playful antics of the three energetic girls for quite a while until we were completely worn out.

Chapter 432

Traveling isn’t over until it’s over. dun dun

Ah, maybe this isn’t the right context for that saying? sweat drop

Well, as long as the meaning is right, it’s all good!

I arrived back at Incheon Airport from Jeju Island and took a direct train back to Seoul.

However, the timing was a bit awkward.

The broadcasts had stopped until today, but it was still a bit awkward to go home at 2 PM.

Of course, Claire, full of energy as always, and Alice and Charlotte, still full of energy, even Mia, who seemed to have regained some strength during the flight, were all buzzing about.

And I, who had been feeling a bit wistful, seemed to be on the same wavelength as them.

“So, how about we just hang out a bit since we’re out?”

When I said that, everyone nodded vigorously. nod nod

After pondering where to go, we decided to head to Gwanghwamun first.

We stashed our bags in a nearby coin locker and dashed outside, starting with a meal.

Without much thought, we headed to a fast food place.

After munching on burgers, my hunger was satisfied. nom nom

“By the way, have Mia and Charlotte ever worn hanbok?”

As I was chatting while devouring fries that came with the set, Claire popped the question.

“Hanbok?”

Charlotte asked back.

I’m sure she knew that hanbok was a traditional outfit of this country. After all, she often looked things up on her smartphone or the internet.

“Yeah! There’s a palace nearby where the old dynasty used to rule, and if you’re in hanbok, you can enter for free!”

Technically, it sounds better to say it’s free to enter if you’re wearing hanbok, but either way, it’s not wrong.

After all, the admission fee for Gyeongbokgung Palace isn’t more than the rental fee for hanbok.

“Have you all tried it on?”

In response to Charlotte’s question, Claire grinned and promptly pulled out her smartphone.

And what she found was our photo in hanbok.

We were all decked out in hanbok, grinning for the camera.

Not only were we wearing the clothes, but our hair was also styled beautifully to match. The rental place offered that service too.

“So that means you two have been having fun like this without us before we showed up?”

Charlotte said with a little pout, to which Alice replied,

“We only entertained ourselves for about five minutes before you all got here, so what’s the fuss?”

A small chuckle erupted in the group.

“Well, I think it’s fine. Since we’re here, I want to make a lot of memories. If we go back… well, it won’t be this easy.”

Mia’s words had us all lost in thought for a moment.

All five of us here were aware that we had to return soon.

No matter how much the Goddess might want to push us out of this place, our thoughts won’t change.

These people, even if I say I’ll stay here, will definitely go back. They have that much sense of responsibility. There’s no point in fighting the Goddess if we don’t.

As for me, not going back would mean my existence was meaningless.

So, everyone will go back.

Just because we go back doesn’t mean we won’t meet again.

But that doesn’t mean the carefree times we had will come back either. There’s a risk that, a few years down the line, we might find it hard to meet properly ever again.

Knowing that, this place feels so sweet. A world with no responsibilities.

“Really, even as a last resort,”

I said, opening my mouth.

“If you all decide to stay, then I’ll stay too.”

“……”

Everyone was silent for a moment at my words.

But—

“If I’m here, who will take care of Leo?”

Claire shrugged and said.

“Eh? So, does that mean Sylvia isn’t needed?”

“Who said that?”

As Alice teased, Claire fired back.

“Of course, I’m kidnapping my sister and bringing her back!”

That bold declaration left me momentarily speechless.

“I don’t care if my sister ends up disliking me for that. But my sister is my family. If she starts to dislike me, I’ll make sure she likes me somehow.”

I don’t know how I would do that.

“Anyway, you don’t need to worry. If I say let’s go back together, we’ll go back together. I didn’t plan to stay here forever. I just asked as a last resort.”

“Honestly, it feels like returning to the academy after a break.”

Charlotte sighed deeply and said.

“Well, considering I felt more anxious during the break, going back to the academy might actually be better. After all, even if we go back now, we still have two more years to create memories, right?”

Mia eagerly nodded at Charlotte’s words.

“That’s right. I think so too. Let’s make unforgettable memories that we’ll never forget!”

Such pretty words.

It feels like just yesterday when she said she’d kill me.

…Well, actually, it hasn’t been a year yet, so I guess it makes sense that it feels like just yesterday.

Clearing those dark memories from my mind, I nodded.

*

It’s the end of November.

While we were in Jeju, it seemed the first snow had fallen in Seoul.

Although it wasn’t enough to fully accumulate, there were traces of snow slightly piled up in the corners.

Quite some time has passed since the time when I, Alice, and Claire were here.

Even compared to the time Claire and I reunited, it’s not a short duration. To put it another way, it was the same for Claire and Mia.

The rental shop also has winter hanbok, so wandering around outside wasn’t a big issue.

Tourist spots don’t close just because it’s winter. Unless it’s a seaside area, Seoul is just Seoul, all year round.

When I returned alone at first, I only had bad feelings about the Goddess, but thinking about it now, it was another opportunity.

No matter how good a person’s memory is, it’s not easy to recall the details of one’s hometown without seeing it clearly.

I was the same.

Seeing the hometown I hadn’t been able to visit for years, revisiting the places I once somewhat liked, was a pleasant experience.

I took a bunch of pictures. Photos that I wouldn’t have cared about when I lived here, but now I was scared of forgetting them, so I snapped away.

Fearing that I might forget that we had such good times together and end up unhappy.

And—

“……”

Having enjoyed all the tourist attractions in Jongno, we changed our clothes again.

When it started to get a little dark, we took a detour into a neighborhood.

I didn’t say what place it was, but all the others followed me quietly. It must have been my serious expression.

A common apartment complex that you can find anywhere in Seoul.

We had been waiting quite a while in a café near the complex.

On the table were plates of cakes we had already devoured and empty cups.

As I gazed silently out the window, the others started to follow suit.

After waiting for a few minutes like that.

“Ah.”

A woman walked by in the distance.

She looked to be in her late fifties. A younger-looking man, perhaps a bit below my original age, walked alongside her.

The surroundings weren’t too crowded, so my friends sitting with me quickly realized who I was looking at.

Those two walked happily, chatting away. Then, a man who looked a bit older than the woman followed behind them, and the three of them entered the apartment complex side by side, chatting.

“……”

They all seem to be doing well.

“It’s ready now.”

“Really?”

When I said that and got up from my seat, Claire looked shocked and asked.

I didn’t specifically mention who they were, but it seemed she thought those three were my original family.

“Yes, it’s someone I’ve never met before. If I approach them and pretend they’re family, it would just be a shock.”

“But…still…”

“Claire.”

Alice called out to Claire.

“It’s really okay.”

I placed my hand on Claire’s head and spoke.

“Right now, my family is here.”

That’s right. My family now consists of Claire, Alice, and my friends here.

That’s enough.

“I see.”

Charlotte, who had been listening to the conversation, smiled and stood up with me.

Seeing her with that expression, it looked like she thought those folks were doing well too.

“……I hope that someday we can meet again and share stories.”

Mia said in a slightly subdued voice.

To cry tears for someone who was once an enemy, Mia must be a much better person than I am.

I absentmindedly picked up the tray on the table.

“Well then, shall we head back?”

“Yes.”

Alice got up from her seat too.

Claire stole one last glance out the window before gently sighing and standing up.

“If my sister says so.”

I nodded at Claire.

Thus, the day came to an end.

It was fun, truly.

Chapter 433

The broadcast station camera was smaller than I expected.

Well, it’s not like we’re filming a movie, and we have to carry it around, so it makes sense that we can’t use a big camera.

Of course, it’s bigger than the mirrorless one we use.

“So, you five have been living together since childhood?”

“Yes, before moving here, we lived in a much smaller house.”

“Were you ever uncomfortable?”

I looked at the four kids.

Everyone shook their heads with smiles.

Of course, there must have been some inconveniences. How could anyone not feel uncomfortable living in such a cramped space without any personal space?

Still, it was comforting to know that I wasn’t completely alone in this world.

I just hoped the others felt the same way.

“There was never a moment we felt that uncomfortable.”

When I replied, the writer nodded.

Speaking of which, it’s funny that the writer is holding the camera.

There were two people with cameras, perhaps thinking of saving some money by not hiring another person.

“The living room has quite a lot of decorations, but is there a reason you set up both Halloween and Christmas decorations at the same time?”

“We forgot about Halloween, so we just decided to put them all up together.”

Claire said something a bit off, but the broadcast crew just laughed.

There wasn’t anyone with a bad first impression here.

If I had to nitpick, my own first impression, with not much change in expression, might not be the best.

Anyway, because of that, Claire’s comment could just be seen as an odd reply from a cute girl.

“This…?”

“We don’t typically interfere with each other’s hobbies.”

As I filmed the items in front of the living room TV, Alice and Charlotte truly looked embarrassed.

“Oh, I know these characters. I’ve seen them often since I was young.”

The camera first pointed to the left. There were mostly princess figures collected by Charlotte.

Surely even non-otaku wouldn’t find it too problematic to see this. They were just figures without any revealing features.

A movie buff might consider it a collection worth having.

“Yes, I like the movies from this company too…”

Charlotte managed to reply somewhat.

But those last two figures that Alice and I had set up…

At least the first two were somewhat acceptable. They were both dressed in ordinary school uniforms. Although the skirts were a bit short compared to usual uniforms, they were still decently dressed for such characters.

However, next to them, Claire’s figure was… dressed like a bunny girl.

“This is…?”

Both the writer and the camera director momentarily lost their words.

Should I say it was Alice who bought it?

But I also had some stake in it, didn’t I?

“These characters resemble us, so we bought them just for fun.”

So I came up with a suitable excuse.

“Ah, looking at it this way, I can see the resemblance!”

The writer’s expression brightened.

Phew.

“At first, I bought the figure of Alice, then Alice bought a figure of me… and through that teasing, before we knew it, we ended up with Claire’s figure.”

“You have quite a mischievous relationship. But it looks nice.”

The writer said with a smile, then tilted their head.

“But does that mean the names of the figures are the same as yours?”

“Ah, yes. Both first and last names are the same.”

“Uh…”

The writer seemed a bit flustered.

“So, you’re saying that the names of you guys overlap with the game characters without a single letter difference?”

The writer exhibited a somewhat surprised expression.

“If you’re not joking, that fact might actually be a better material for the broadcast. You didn’t change the names halfway through, did you?”

“No, we’ve had these names since birth.”

I won’t start counting from one year old, though.

“So you’re saying that, despite being Korean, you have foreign names, and those names are the same as characters in a game?”

“That’s correct. Besides, we were actually born before that game was made.”

“……”

How do the words not make sense?

When examined piece by piece, it could happen.

Two foreigners who became naturalized citizens in Korea could have a child. That child might have a name from their home country.

Names other than Fanggriffon could commonly occur overseas, so overlaps are possible.

It could also happen that a person’s appearance resembles a game character.

But does everything overlap? No matter how you think, it sounds absurd.

“And you’ve never contacted the game’s production company?”

“No, we only started the internet broadcast this year.”

How will the Goddess patch this hole, I wonder?

No matter how it’s revealed as a coincidence, and even if they broadcast it as a coincidence, people won’t easily believe it.

The Goddess can send us this way or that, but she can’t change people’s thoughts at will.

From what I see of winning the lottery, it seems like she can have some effect on this world, but trying to stop stories from spreading internationally is another matter.

“Is it alright if we contact the game’s company during the editing process?”

“Of course.”

There’s no reason copyrights would come into play.

There are many types of people in the world, and some might even name their child after names from games or comics.

Plus, once again, in this world, the names we’ve always had since the beginning are regarded as ours.

“Ah, and…”

“Big sis?”

I grabbed Claire’s arm, who was next to me, and said,

“Her hair color is natural, not dyed.”

It’s blue.

“Yes?”

The writer blinked.

It seemed they were struggling to process so much strange information at once.

Watching the writer and cameraman look at each other, I was convinced that things were moving along quite well.

*

After the broadcast crew left, we grilled meat at home.

It was a small celebration for how well the story had rolled out.

With the spirits high, we spread newspapers all over the living room and grilled using a portable gas burner in the center.

“If this goes well, will we be able to return to our original world?”

At Alice’s words, I nodded.

“That’s probably how it will go. But we still have quite a bit of time left. The broadcast crew needs to confirm that what we said is true.”

“And during that confirmation process, they’re bound to see several illogical parts.”

Charlotte said with a smile.

“That’s the core.”

Claire confirmed.

“If things go well, there’s a chance we could visit other countries during that process.”

“Is that the country that made that game series? Do you have been there?”

Alice said, picking a piece of meat from the front plate with her chopsticks.

“I’ve been there, but I don’t think I got to enjoy it properly. I went with friends, and one of them didn’t have any money.”

“Um…”

Sadly, no one could relate to my words.

It’s probably hard to imagine thinking about having no money while on a trip.

There’s a term called grand tourer, which comes from nobles sending their children to various countries to broaden their horizons. It’s now a term used in automobiles and fits well with expensive cars.

Excluding Fanggriffon and Velbur, both Grace’s Estate and Crowfield had their own historical backgrounds.

Wherever we go, a decent sum of money would be gained.

Mia, even while in the Imperial Capital, never ran out of money.

“So, in short, I’m saying there’s a place we wanted to go but couldn’t.”

“Do you think we can go this time?”

“Well, let’s first see if we can get connected with the company.”

I answered with a smile at Claire’s question.

However.

“Even if we end up not going for work, we could all still go together. Having come to another world, it would be too disappointing to only stay within one country.”

Though we say traveling within the country can be time-consuming, there’s really no reason not to go abroad.

Since we came this far, it wouldn’t be bad to try everything we can do.

“We still have some time left. The filming won’t end just because we’ve had today’s visit.”

They said they’d also like to film us having fun outside.

Then we’ve got to show them that too.

“Let’s think about what we can do when filming outside.”

“Since it’s the end of the year, maybe there’s a festival or something?”

“…Even so, isn’t it a bit harsh to drag the filming crew to a local festival?”

As Claire said this cheerily, I plopped a few pieces of meat on Mia’s plate with tongs.

Seeing Mia wrap up the meat with a happy expression and eat it, I resolved to find a way to live this kind of life even in another world.

Chapter 434

“…….”

“…….”

“……Sis, what are you doing?”

“I’m photosynthesizing.”

“……Mia wouldn’t say something like that.”

I was lying on one of the benches in Hangang Park.

Not far away was a bike path unique to Hangang Park, and nearby were places for people to spend time. Naturally, there was also space for people to run.

I was lying there, taking up one of the benches without permission.

“Why don’t we just go a bit further?”

“I’m fully aware that if I leave you alone, you’d definitely try to escape Seoul.”

“…….”

Look at that.

Look at how she’s dodging my eyes. It’s clear she wanted to get out of Seoul.

I got up from my spot.

I didn’t notice it while running, but it was cold now that I stopped. It’s December, so it’s the middle of winter.

I think Claire, who suggested running in this weather, is out of her mind, and I’m starting to think I am too for going along with her.

Why did I do that?

While running, I was sweating and my legs were hurting, but now that I stopped to give my legs a breather, the sweat started to cool down, and my body began to shiver.

My legs felt a bit better, though.

I pondered when I last felt this way, and I realized it was during boot camp in my early twenties. It felt exactly like this after running in the middle of winter.

“Anyway, there’s a group following behind, right? It won’t hurt to wait a bit.”

“Mia is… oh, she’s coming from way back there.”

Naturally, Mia, who wasn’t as physically fit as I was, lagged the farthest behind.

In fact, Alice and Charlotte were both faster than me when it came to running, but I was in a state where I couldn’t even keep up with myself, so watching over Mia was nearly impossible.

In the end, Alice and Charlotte were sticking together beside the stumbling Mia.

At the speed they were going, it was absolutely not ‘running.’

“How about having the three of you come back instead? I’ll wait here with Mia on the bench.”

“Why do you hate exercising so much?”

I stared vacantly at Claire, who asked that with a look of pure incomprehension.

“How can anyone like exercising?”

“Well, you feel refreshed after running.”

“Running is painful.”

Some people say it feels good to arrive at the finish line and exhale, but that kind of accomplishment can be achieved in games too, right?

If I exercise, it’s strictly for health reasons. And I’m not at an age where I have to worry too much about such health right now.

“Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.”

While I was endlessly bickering with Claire, I heard that sound coming from a little distance away.

If it were any ordinary person making that sound, I would’ve thought they were trying to act cute, but it was convincing because it came from Mia, who looked almost like a walking dried squid.

Mia staggered over and collapsed onto the bench.

Claire looked at Mia, who had her thigh as a pillow and was lying sideways, and once again looked bewildered.

“Mia, what are you doing?”

“……Photosynthesizing.”

“……”

Claire facepalmed.

*

“To be honest, I don’t really like exercising either.”

After we finished running and sat on a nearby bench to eat ramen, Alice said that.

“I just did it because I didn’t want to fall behind everyone else.”

“Don’t you feel refreshed after running?”

Charlotte said the exact same thing as Claire, and I was horrified.

It seems like our five personalities are falling into distinct categories like this.

Claire and Charlotte enjoy moving their bodies. To be precise, Claire is a full-on sports girl, and Charlotte just enjoys it occasionally.

Alice is precisely in the middle, and Mia and I hate exercising. Of course, there’s a gap; I’m a bit more active than Mia.

How could five people with such different tendencies live in the same place for months? Not to mention, we don’t even have our own rooms; we’re living in the same living room with blankets spread out.

……But then again, if we eat ramen after running, doesn’t that completely nullify all the effort?

Thinking that suddenly crossed my mind, but as I watched Mia blowing on her ramen, I didn’t feel like pointing it out.

“……But I can’t deny that I had fun.”

“Huh?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No, Sis, did you just say running was fun?”

At that, I crinkled my eyebrows a little.

“I didn’t say running was fun; I said running with you all was fun.”

“……”

Claire fell silent for a moment, then said, “Hehe.”

She smiled a bit foolishly.

The reason we all came out and did this running—even though we normally didn’t—is that it stemmed from the idea of trying out something each of us wanted to do together.

I did exercise often, but I just didn’t do it as much as Claire, Alice, or Charlotte.

I usually ended up sitting on a bench with Mia, watching the other three exercise in the park.

But since we decided to do it this time, we ran with all our might.

The result? I could barely make it halfway before collapsing.

At first, I thought Claire was just trying to mess with me, but her face genuinely looked refreshed after running, so I realized she meant it.

“But this isn’t the end of the exercise, right?”

At my words, Mia’s chopsticks stopped dead in the air.

She looked up and gauged everyone’s expressions around the table, especially when her eyes met mine; the urgency in her gaze intensified. I guess I feel the same way?

“There’s no helping it. Today is a day to follow Claire’s lead.”

“Right, Mia. Sorry, but I already told the gym you’d be coming.”

“……”

Huh, what?

As I stiffly turned my neck to look at Claire, she looked back at me like it was strange that I was watching her.

“Why, Sis? Today is my day to do what I want.”

“That’s… true.”

The situation was even more ridiculous since I was the one who proposed it in the first place.

I averted my glance as I caught Mia giving me a disapproving look.

*

“…….”

After spending about an hour at the gym, I found I couldn’t even speak.

It wasn’t an important issue. I was just in pain all over my body, literally.

“Would you like to learn to exercise more systematically, member?”

And taking in my condition, a quite pretty female trainer asked me that.

“You’re too weak.”

“……”

No way, I had managed to roll around on the battlefield!

I turned my gaze to Mia, who had become even worse off than me.

“I’m not a member.”

And I answered in Mia’s stead.

Claire, Alice, and Charlotte were working out hard, as if competing.

Especially Claire seemed to have developed some muscles on her arms; it wasn’t the bulky kind, but more like the kind fitness models have, plastered all over her walls.

Well, considering she usually worked out, it’s only natural.

If she keeps it up, she might have a solid body by the time we return.

“……”

Though I never thought that was even a possibility.

*

“Hmph.”

On the way back home.

Claire was walking with a very pleased expression, her steps almost floating.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Of course!”

Then she spun around to look at me.

“I hope we can keep doing this together.”

“……I’m not going to the gym, no matter what.”

Claire and Charlotte started going recently.

Alice didn’t feel the need to join them, and neither did Mia or I.

Now it seems like it would be fine to just go our separate ways without any major issues.

“That’s a bit disappointing.”

“……Well, I can at least accompany you for running.”

“Really!?”

Claire dashed over and linked her arm with mine.

“Sis, are you serious? No backing out?”

“…….”

I glanced at Charlotte for a moment as I said that.

“……But could you please let go of my arm a little?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Claire said that and released my arm, yet the smile never left her face. Is it really that enjoyable?

Considering we just came from exercising, my arm was sore.

Would I even be able to get up tomorrow morning?

“Well then, it’s Alice’s turn next.”

Charlotte said that and turned to Alice.

“Have you thought about what you want to do?”

“Of course.”

Alice nodded vigorously and said,

“I think we’ll be wandering around a lot tomorrow, so is that okay?”

“A little soreness in my limbs will probably go away after some time.”

“……”

At my response, Mia looked at me with eyes full of disbelief, but I made sure to avoid her gaze.

Chapter 435

I had thought about what Alice would do.

But I couldn’t have predicted this.

In this world, Alice had one major hobby.

Cultural content exploration.

It could be from this country or another. Alice didn’t really care.

She watched movies and dramas, read many books, and enjoyed comics and animations.

Of course, there were also purchases of games and figures, but since she bought the bunny girl Claire figure last time, she hadn’t bought any new ones, and it didn’t seem like she was heavily into games either.

So I expected Alice would suggest watching a movie together.

“…Plastic models?”

That’s right.

Alice led us to buy plastic models.

They said that many shops in Yongsan had closed down, but the shops attached to Yongsan Station were still thriving.

In that shopping mall, there were quite a few toy and game shops, but we headed to the plastic model store.

“I heard you can assemble these without glue.”

I knew that.

Where Alice took us was probably a direct store of a Japanese plastic model company famous worldwide, especially for its robot animations.

“…Were you wanting to try making one?”

“Since I was a child, I’ve had an interest in art.”

Had she?

Looking at the types of content Alice likes in this world, it made sense.

When I fell into a bit of thought, Alice shyly said,

“Well, I’ve never shown it in front of you. I figured… it would be a weakness.”

“How could liking art be a weakness?”

“I thought an emperor shouldn’t have such delicate hobbies.”

Delicate…

I mean, it would be pretty jarring to imagine the emperor assembling robot plastic models in a room.

Maybe miniatures would fit better.

“So, are you saying you want to buy one and assemble it together?”

“Yeah.”

Well, it couldn’t be that bad.

As I grew up, I realized there’s little time to assemble, and if just for display, figures were better than models, so I had been buying figures instead.

Thinking this, it felt like now I’d actually have some time.

Perhaps when we return to the Empire, I wouldn’t be too busy for a while.

This kind of gathering with the five of us wouldn’t happen often though.

“What kind do you want to buy?”

“Hmm, well, something with a lot of parts and a bigger model would be nice, right? Since there are five of us, we can work on it together.”

True, the more expensive models tend to look pretty good even without painting.

I nodded at Alice’s suggestion.

*

“Wow, there are really a lot!”

When we returned home and opened the box, Alice seemed excited seeing the mountain of runners spilling out.

After knowing her for so long, I hadn’t realized she had this hobby.

Actually, might she get along well with Rena? Even though there aren’t plastic models in the other world yet, she also likes collecting things.

Thinking this, I felt a bit nostalgic.

I sat down with a bitter smile.

“Alright, here are the tools.”

Alice happily handed out plastic model nippers to everyone.

“There’s no need to be too serious. We’re just doing this for fun, right? If something breaks, we’ll just assemble it and make it look decent.”

Even though it was a bit of an expensive model for that mindset, I didn’t say anything. After all, today was Alice’s day.

If we take turns, my day will come too.

“Um, I’m not very handy…”

“I said it before, but it’s okay if it doesn’t go perfectly. What matters is the process, not the result.”

But still, if those V-shaped horns broke, I feel like that would really bug me… If I pointed it out, I’d just seem like more of an otaku, so I decided to stay quiet.

*

Not long passed before the room was filled with the snip snip of nippers.

Well, saying it was full might be a stretch. The nipper sounds were intermittent, and there were more snap sounds as parts fit together, and the occasional rustle of instructions or tearing open runner bags.

Everyone was quiet.

“Are you too focused?”

Feeling the silence was a bit awkward, Claire opened her mouth.

“Yeah, it definitely requires concentration during assembly. It’s much easier than making sculptures, but you still need to focus to avoid mistakes.”

“Right. That’s why I wanted to try it once. I heard it keeps your mind clear while making it.”

Charlotte replied to Alice.

By the way, Mia, who was worried about her lack of dexterity, seemed to be the most focused among us.

Watching her fumble with her hands felt like watching a small animal.

But petting her head while she concentrated might be a bit tricky.

“When did this all start for you?”

“Hmm?”

As I asked while assembling the plastic model parts, Alice looked back at me, still focused on her parts.

“I mean, when did you develop an interest in art? Did you like novels or paintings… things like that?”

“…”

Alice paused to think, then said,

“You remember how I sometimes read the newspaper?”

“Yeah. You said you wanted to stay informed about international affairs.”

“That’s actually because I wanted to see the four-panel comics.”

“Was that the reason you bought all those newspapers from different agencies?”

“Well, sort of.”

Alice giggled.

“When did I start…? Hmm, I’m not sure. I just liked it since childhood.”

Well, if I were asked when I started liking comics, I wouldn’t really have an answer either. I could confidently say I started buying comic books since middle school, but that was just when I began to have money to spend.

Mainly from the allowance my parents gave me.

“I had to hide a lot of things in front of you, right? In the end, it became harder to hide than to show. I felt like you were so perfect that if you found out something, you might be disappointed.”

“…”

I fiddled with the plastic model parts before replying.

“To me, you seemed perfect as well.”

“Eh?”

“I rewound time several times to study before an exam. If I missed or misunderstood anything while studying, I’d go back and make sure I understood and memorized it. I didn’t cheat too much, but I did bend the rules a bit.”

I began fitting the parts again.

Snap, and they clicked together, making me feel slightly pleased.

“But you didn’t do anything like that and still achieved results far beyond my original ability. You didn’t know everything from the start, but at least you knew how to put in the effort. That’s why I thought you were amazing.”

“…”

“Maybe the reason I didn’t study just by memorizing answers was that I knew you were working hard.”

“Th-thank you?”

As I spoke calmly, Alice’s eyes twinkled nervously.

“Hey, hey, what about me?”

When we paused briefly, Claire called out to me.

“What is it?”

“How about me?”

“…”

I mean, we were a bit too young to talk about things like that, weren’t we?

“…You were a cute and obedient little one, I think. Back then, you were really well-behaved.”

“I’m still well-behaved, aren’t I?”

“Where’s the evidence of that?”

“Big sis. Next time we race, I’ll add a round trip to the course.”

“Of course I’m well-behaved. Probably the most well-behaved among the kids I know.”

Claire stuck her tongue out at me, as if she knew I was just kidding.

A light laughter filled the room for a moment.

Still, Claire really knows how to read the atmosphere well.

If things had gone wrong, the conversation could have turned too heavy.

*

“…….”

“How is it?”

Alice asked, looking at the completed robot, which was primarily white and blue.

“Nice.”

“Looks good.”

Claire and I replied that way.

“Seems more satisfying since we all made it together.”

“It was pretty fun, especially since it was my first time assembling one.”

Charlotte and Mia said the same.

The results turned out much better than I feared. We didn’t swap or polish parts like serious model builders, but the overall look was still decent. Well, that’s just how this company’s products are.

We placed it on the furthest right side of the figure lineup in front of the TV.

I thought it would feel awkward having a robot at the end of a lineup of cute girls, but it turned out better than expected. Maybe it was because they were all otaku goods anyway?

“Great, I’m satisfied.”

Alice said with her hands on her hips.

“So, whose turn is it next?”

“I’ll go.”

Charlotte chimed in cheerfully.

“Of course, I have something prepared for what I want to do.”

Chapter 436

Charlotte’s wish was simple.

At first, I thought she was just trying to cosplay as a princess, but it turned out she had just booked a movie instead.

“If it featured a princess, that would have been great, but unfortunately, there are no good releases timed just right. Guess we’ll just have to settle for this anime.”

Watching Charlotte, with her hands in her coat pockets, I briefly wondered if she was considering us.

However, looking at the expression on her face, that didn’t seem to be the case. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.

We packed our hands with carbonated drinks and popcorn and sat down, taking up five seats. Since it was a weekday afternoon, there weren’t many other viewers. Given the nature of the anime, it was unlikely that many people would come at all.

The movie itself was from a company that Charlotte liked. Therefore, I was able to watch it without too much pressure.

There weren’t any significant twists, it didn’t try to denounce society or anything like that, just a plain old happy ending.

The visuals were stunning, and there was a decent amount of humor sprinkled throughout.

Of course, we had devoured almost 30% of the popcorn and cola before the movie even started, during the ads.

“That was fun!”

Mia’s eyes sparkled as she shouted that when we came out.

Instinctively, the folks in our group ruffled Mia’s hair. She seemed a bit startled again, but it looked like she had adapted to us quite a bit over the past few months. She didn’t twist away or shy away like before.

We went home and had a slightly late lunch.

This time, the menu wasn’t anything fancy.

We enjoyed chatting casually while munching on burgers from a nearby place.

“In that movie earlier, the main character…”

“Speaking of which, that brand recently released limited edition shoes…”

“Look at those couples sitting over there…”

This was nothing but the mundane everyday chatter.

There wasn’t anything special about it, just simple stories that, once spoken, would easily be forgotten within minutes.

Charlotte leaned on the table, resting her chin on her hands, or propped on the chair with legs stretched out, sharing in our conversations.

I began to understand what Charlotte truly wanted.

After finishing our meal, we wandered around until sunset.

We had no particular destination.

We just strolled through the streets aimlessly.

Along the way, we passed by a famous brand store with large glass windows and ducked into narrow alleys.

We spotted and bought some fish-shaped pastries from a street vendor, proceeded to enjoy the famous tasty buns on the subway.

While walking through the narrow alleyways, there were areas where no buses or subways played, yet strangely, tourist spots formed. Some streets were incredibly beautiful too.

We dropped by a café to drink a strangely long-named beverage or whiff the scent of coffee beans we didn’t even recognize.

We even found ourselves in a coin karaoke booth. It was too cramped for all five of us, so we split up into pairs or groups of three, mixing our songs.

Honestly, seeing Japanese game characters singing our country’s idol songs was a refreshing sight.

We took a lot of photos, equipped with smartphones in our hands.

Taking turns to snap shots, we squished together for those group selfies, sticking our faces close to the camera.

It was fun. Really.

“How about eating dinner at home?”

As the winter sun fell faster, Charlotte suggested.

“I want to treat you all… but oh, I need to stop by the market quickly before heading home.”

We followed her lead.

Instead of a large supermarket, we bought ingredients at the local market near home.

Charlotte carefully selected each piece of meat and vegetable, while we cluelessly trailed behind her, wondering what dish she was planning to make.

When Charlotte was carrying bags full of groceries, I tried to help her—

“I want to carry it myself.”

Seeing Charlotte refuse with a gentle smile made it hard for me to insist.

The dish Charlotte made was something we had tasted before.

I thought she was just hiding a hobby she really wanted, but it seems she was genuinely into it.

Beef bourguignon.

Even though we had had it before, it was different in a fundamental way.

“Did you change some ingredients?”

“Yes. I purposely bought them from our neighborhood store. Of course, the wine had to be just wine though.”

Charlotte replied with a smile to my question.

While we relished our meals, Charlotte just watched us happily, her plate in front of her barely touching her food.

“Is it strange?”

“No, not at all.”

I responded, and the others quickly nodded along.

Beef bourguignon is said to be a typical French home-cooked meal.

With as many recipes as there are homes in France, Charlotte’s method—making it her way, rather than following someone else’s recipe—could be considered the true essence of it.

“I’m relieved.”

Charlotte smiled sincerely as she continued to eat slowly.

“I wanted to feel this atmosphere one more time before going back.”

At Charlotte’s words, the spoons that were energetically moving all paused for a moment. The rest of us looked at each other.

It seemed everyone had a similar expectation.

Charlotte loved fairy tale princesses.

However, it didn’t mean she wished to be a princess for real.

It was an unwavering wish under normal circumstances.

In fact, it was probably a long-held wish that could never come true because she is a princess. Those precious moments spent here meant so much to her.

Just like how I felt.

“I see why cooking is enjoyable. Watching someone enjoy the meal I cooked makes me so happy.”

“Sometimes, when I visit, you should cook for me.”

Alice said a little playfully.

“Would a reigning emperor really have time to frequently visit another country?”

Charlotte asked cheekily, to which Alice shrugged.

“Well, if I retire, I won’t have much to do anyway. It might actually help strengthen the ties between our nations as an envoy.”

She answered.

“…That’s true. If I do live that long, it would be nice to meet together again.”

Alice’s second response made Charlotte nod seriously with a thoughtful expression.

“Shall we promise that then?”

Claire spoke with a smile.

“Whenever it may be, let’s make sure to carve out time to meet, even if we return.”

“Don’t say that, it makes it sound like I’ll be going back tomorrow.”

At Claire’s words, Mia chimed in, pouting.

“Tomorrow is when we follow my orders!”

“That’s right. Sorry, sorry.”

Claire apologized.

“So, Mia, what are you thinking? Have you decided what you want to do?”

“Yes, I know what I want to do. But… I’ll say that tomorrow.”

Mia said, her face slightly flushed.

Just like Charlotte, Mia might dream of something unrelated to being a magical girl.

After all, she has her own share of loneliness in the past too.

“Wh-what about Sylvia?”

Mia inquired, seemingly diverting attention back to me.

“It’s your last day. Do you have something in mind?”

…

Well, not particularly.

Honestly, I was so content with this life that I didn’t have any thoughts like, “I must do this!”

But it’d be a good idea to come up with something, wouldn’t it?

Well, wandering around with Mia tomorrow to brainstorm ideas wouldn’t be so bad.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Charlotte said brightly.

“Just wandering around today was so enjoyable; I wonder what you all would think.”

“Uh, um, uh…”

“……”

Charlotte’s anticipation was dazzling.

Of course, I knew it was just pure excitement, but still, it felt a bit heavy.

“After our meal,”

So, I decided to change the subject a bit.

“How about we all go watch a movie? A favorite of Charlotte’s.”

“Oh, that sounds good. When watching at the theater, we can’t talk.”

Charlotte nodded with a smile.

I couldn’t tell if she knew I was trying to change the subject or if she was genuinely excited about it.

It might be a bit of both.

Chapter 437

It’s been ages since I dressed up in a suit!

Even in Azernar, suits that resemble those from my world exist.

Since it’s a Japanese game and the background era is just starting to normalize such outfits.

But honestly, I rarely wore such clothes on purpose in Azernar.

Unless you count uniforms or military attire.

“How do I look? Does it suit me?”

“Yes, it looks good on you.”

The kids nodded as they looked at me all suited up.

My outfit was black, making it a bit gloomy, but the colorful attire of the other kids balanced it out, so it wasn’t a big issue.

At least I wouldn’t look too somber in the photos.

Right. Photos.

Mia requested that we take a family photo together.

“My Father and Mother weren’t the closest since I was little.”

Mia didn’t have a proper ‘family photo.’

… And that was partly because I messed up big time. Even if they were that kind of people, in the end, he was still Mia’s father.

If he hadn’t died so early, Mia might have had such paintings or photographs.

If we were just casually wandering around, we might have all worn something decent enough to not look too out of place.

But for the family photo Mia wanted, we needed to dress a little nicer.

We were going to a photo studio for big prints.

The shoot itself was quite expensive, so it was better if it turned out great.

“Uh…”

I had contacted the studio in advance, but when we walked in, the photographer blinked up at us in a bit of confusion.

“We have a reservation.”

“Oh, yes.”

When I spoke fluently in Korean, the photographer finally snapped out of it.

He checked something on the computer before looking back at me.

“Oh, so you must be Mia… Crowfield?”

“Not me, but…”

Turning around, Mia raised her hand slightly and said shyly, “I’m Mia.”

The photographer nodded.

“I thought it was a nickname! You speak Korean so well on the phone…”

“I’m also Korean.”

Hearing that, he chuckled a bit awkwardly.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry.”

“It’s something I hear often, so no need to be that sorry.”

Rubbing his head sheepishly, he looked at us and asked.

“Are you all going to take the photos in your current outfits?”

I glanced back. All the kids nodded.

It was mostly just me and Claire in suits, while the others wore modest skirts and blouses.

Overall, we looked very proper. Even Claire.

“Well then, please wait a moment. I’ll get things ready and we can start shooting right away.”

The photographer wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he stood up.

*

There were plenty of photography studios, but the one Mia reserved didn’t seem too big or famous.

Well, it had a nice atmosphere and appeared decent enough.

Maybe it reflected Mia’s personality, considering she didn’t like strangers talking to her that much.

If we’d gone to a big studio with tons of people, we might have had to deal with a crowd.

“Alright, the person in the middle, give a big smile! You look way too stiff.”

With Mia seated in the center, Charlotte sat beside her, and I, Claire, and Alice surrounded them, striking a pose.

A family photo—going for that sort of vibe.

I told the photographer that we were all sisters, and no one objected to that.

Maybe because Mia looked too tense, the photographer pondered for a moment before turning and walking somewhere.

He came back with a long-necked yellow rubber duck.

“Hey, Mia, look at this!”

He squeezed it, and quack, the silly sound filled the room.

Pffft

We all burst into laughter.

“Great! Hold that expression! Alright, say cheese! One, two!”

The camera clicked rapidly.

The photographer looked at the results for a moment and said,

“Let’s take another shot!”

He squeezed the toy again.

Since we were all laughing, we managed to smile a bit more calmly for the second round.

Mia seemed to ease up a bit after that first shot. After the second shot, the photographer nodded in satisfaction, stretching his back.

“Let’s check the photos.”

He led us to a laptop connected to the camera.

I understood why he had taken so many.

Trying to figure out who had their eyes shut, or whose expression was odd would be much easier by just taking several shots and picking the best.

“How about this one?”

We all smiled comfortably at the camera.

“Looks great.”

Mia nodded.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t answer easily; she sought the best photo seriously as it was her wish.

“Oh, by the way,”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Can I choose one more?”

Mia looked at me earnestly.

Right, it’s not easy to have a large print.

“Yes, it’s totally fine to choose one more.”

“Oh, I’d appreciate that!”

The photographer beamed at my response.

The second photo Mia picked was a different vibe from the first.

The first shot had us smiling comfortably; now, the second was taken when we were laughing at each other, not looking directly at the camera.

I understood why Mia chose it.

“I would like both a small and large print. Just one large for each, but can we get one small for each of us?”

“Yes, that’s possible. The small prints can be done today, but the large ones might take a bit longer.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“Then follow me to discuss frames…”

After that, we talked about what sizes and styles of frames for the prints.

*

“……”

Once we returned home.

Mia still hadn’t come out of her room.

“Is it really that good to take photos?”

Claire muttered.

“Well, she doesn’t have such kinds of photos or portraits, so it makes sense she’d be excited.”

Charlotte, who shared a room with Mia, mentioned that Mia was happily staring at the two photos on her desk.

I bet she’s planning to take them back with her.

“I need to learn photography once I go back.”

Claire said.

“I’ll help with the big fancy camera; I’ll take the photos for you when the time comes.”

“I heard it’s supposed to be way harder than the cameras here.”

“Which is why I want to learn, sis.”

Alice chuckled softly at Claire’s comment.

“I’ll be looking forward to it!”

“Yeah. It would be nice if we could regularly get together for more photos.”

Yeah, that would be great if we could pull it off.

As we chatted, Mia and Charlotte’s door silently opened.

Mia, her face a bit flushed, stepped into the living room.

Mia bowed to us, looking a bit shy.

“Thank you for taking the photos together.”

“Of course. We wanted to do it together anyway.”

Charlotte said with a warm smile.

“Let’s buy albums for each of us to hold the ones we’ve printed so far. We can sort out those old photos too, right?”

Mia’s face lit up at Claire’s suggestion.

“Sounds good.”

Alice nodded and looked at me.

“Well… Sylvia.”

“Yes.”

“Tomorrow’s your turn.”

With a smile, Alice stared at me.

“Do you have anything in mind?”

Uh…

I thought that by doing what Mia wanted today, something I desired would come to mind, but that didn’t happen.

Hmm.

“It’s hard if you just say, ‘I’m fine.’”

“Exactly, sis. We want you to tell us what you want too.”

Claire backed her up.

That doesn’t happen too often.

“Surely you’re not saying this moment is what you wanted, right? That would mean it’s the same as what I wanted.”

Charlotte chimed in.

Well, it could overlap a little.

…

Should I have spoken up first?

Chapter 438

And surprisingly, I spent the entire next morning wondering, “What should I do for fun?”

After everyone fell asleep, I stayed awake for a long time before finally dozing off, only to wake up early in the morning and dive back into my thoughts.

The conclusion I reached was, “There’s not much more to hope for.”

As long as we all had fun together, that was good enough. To be honest, that was how I felt.

“First, let’s go out.”

But still, I couldn’t just let it slide without doing anything.

Did I not create some expectations? Then I had to take responsibility for that.

My idea was to go out and think about it while moving around.

“Shall we ride a bike at least?”

“Eh? Is that okay?”

At my words, Claire’s eyes sparkled.

“But today, we take it slow. It should feel more like a stroll than exercise.”

“Got it!”

We went to Yeouido Park and enjoyed riding bikes together.

At first, I thought we would just play around in the park, but since we got up early anyway and had a decent amount of energy left, we headed over to the Han River to rent different bikes.

Instead of just riding solo, we tried renting a tandem bike and bought all sorts of snacks we wanted to eat.

“Next time, shall we go to a museum?”

“That sounds great.”

After spending about two hours wandering around, Alice happily replied to what I said.

The place we visited was the largest museum in Seoul.

If you took your time looking at each exhibit, it could take hours, but honestly, none of us were that serious about checking out a museum.

Even Alice showed some interest in a few relics, but it seemed like she was having more fun just hanging out with us.

Before leaving the museum, we saw the two most famous Buddha statues displayed on the first floor of our country.

“……”

It seemed Alice liked those Maitreya statues the most.

Alice stood there for a long time examining the Maitreya, while we watched her.

“Next time, uh, shall we watch a movie?”

“Sounds good.”

But Charlotte’s eyes narrowed as she said that.

It didn’t seem like she was looking at me to place blame, but rather starting to doubt my true intentions.

The truth is, I was just following the ideas the kids threw out since I couldn’t come up with anything myself.

I was just going along with the ideas the kids came up with, one by one.

To be honest, the movie wasn’t that entertaining.

It seemed the other money-loaded movies avoided releasing around the same time as the one Charlotte picked last time.

To put it plainly, the 15,000 won movie ticket felt a bit overpriced, but—

“The popcorn was delicious.”

After watching the movie, Charlotte said this with a smile, showing me the empty popcorn bucket.

“So, what are we doing next? Honestly, I feel like I’m slowly getting a picture in my head.”

“……”

I avoided Charlotte’s gaze.

“Should we… take a picture?”

“Sounds good!”

Mia laughed at my question.

The other kids seemed to have finally figured out what I was up to and started grinning.

*

That didn’t mean we were going back to the photo studio.

You know those self-photo booths you find while walking through the bustling streets? We went in there.

Posing in front of the camera, we snapped all sorts of pictures.

“Hehe.”

When I handed the printed photo to Mia, she smiled happily.

The other kids also wore expressions of joy, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“Next, I’ll guess.”

Alice raised a finger and said a little smugly.

“We’re going grocery shopping, right?”

“……”

I averted my eyes slightly.

“Alright, let’s go to a big supermarket for the groceries.”

I said this with a bit of defiance, and all the kids laughed. Even Mia.

“Okay, then.”

Alice responded like that, and we headed towards a nearby supermarket.

*

“……”

“……”

Cooking was left to Charlotte and me.

Alice, Claire, and Mia hadn’t exactly been out of the kitchen in the last few months either.

The results were pretty decent, and edible at least, but… they just couldn’t match Charlotte’s skills.

Today’s menu was based on what I used to eat often when I lived alone: soybean paste soup, rice, and some side dishes.

It really felt like ‘home-cooked’ food.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t had meals like this as often as I thought.”

Charlotte suddenly said this while tasting the soybean paste soup.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. If you think about it, you always chose meals suited to our tastes.”

“I chose the food to fit my taste.”

At the beginning, when it was just Claire and Alice, it seemed like I catered to my own preferences.

But thinking back, they couldn’t handle spicy food at all, so I refrained from eating too much of it and avoided foods that would be too polarizing from the get-go.

I’ve already lived in Azernar for several years.

Although I got used to the food at the Imperial Palace, I still managed to survive eating some of the absurd dishes from Azernar now and then.

So I figured it was much better for me to adapt to their tastes rather than force them to adapt to mine.

“…I wonder if I’ve been too pampered until now. Now that I think about it, this is your home too.”

“I did it because I wanted to.”

I said it plainly.

“If I had lived here alone, even if I won the lottery, it wouldn’t have been that enjoyable.”

As I scooped rice into my bowl, Charlotte kept her mouth shut.

“You could have made new friends here. You could have forged new bonds, but… that’s it. I’ve been happy to meet you all over the past year, and now you’re telling me to give up? That would be just too empty, wouldn’t it?”

Exactly.

How did I endure such a long time in the Azernar Empire?

Why did I keep building my character, going back in time several times?

It was simply to meet the kids I liked, build relationships, and reach a happy ending.

So, this is how it turned out.

“…I’m sorry for teasing you earlier.”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s just… I thought you were just following us because you couldn’t remember…”

…That’s true.

“You were just enjoying being with us.”

Well, that’s true, but it feels a bit off too.

Of course, I nodded with a serious expression. No need to refuse Charlotte’s kind thought.

Charlotte smiled.

I couldn’t tell if she read my mind or if she just thought my sentiment was charming.

*

Clank, clank.

The sound of spoons clinking against bowls is endearing.

When I eat alone in my studio apartment, the sound of utensils clashing feels annoyingly nagging, but when it’s someone else’s sound, that gloomy feeling disappears.

“Today was fun.”

Alice was the first to speak.

Lisa was the first to speak up.

“Yeah, it was really fun, sis.”

Claire smiled and chimed in.

“Thinking back on the movie, it feels like there might have been some meaning behind it.”

Charlotte gave a bittersweet smile.

“I took good care of the pictures!”

Mia beamed.

“Is that so?”

I chuckled and replied.

“As long as we enjoyed it, that’s what matters.”

Yeah, that’s all that counts.

A happy ending we all earned together.

That’s what I wanted the most.

No need for some profound meaning or significance.

I don’t care about hidden philosophical messages or metaphors in the story.

Maybe I’m still a child at heart, just taller now.

But really, what can you do?

If I’m happy, that’s enough.

“Someday.”

I slowly began to speak.

“If I can fully harness the power of the Goddess, I hope all of you and other friends can join us too.”

“That would be great!”

Claire gazed into the void as she said that.

It looked like she was already imagining being with her friends.

“Indeed, really.”

Alice laughed.

“…I want to gift Sophia with pizza from this country. Piled high with pineapple.”

She said it as if she wasn’t going to suffer alone.

But honestly, serving coffee watered down and calling it coffee seems like it would go over better.

Well, why not do both?

“So then, will we be able to come back here regularly to have fun?”

Mia asked.

We exchanged glances for a moment before looking at Mia.

“Looks like we’ll have to study really hard.”

“Right. Just leaving this expensive house empty doesn’t make sense.”

Charlotte and Alice said with solemn faces.

“And we also have the viewers waiting for us!”

Claire raised her chopsticks dramatically. I nearly burst out laughing at that.

Such a classic Claire comment.

“Exactly. If we just suddenly disappear, the viewers watching would probably get depressed. Let’s make sure they see our faces at least a few times a year.”

At my words, the kids all nodded in agreement.

Is it possible? Is it not?

Well, that wasn’t something to debate right now.

Chapter 439

“So, I think we’ll be on TV soon.”

When I asked, ‘Can I mention going on TV from an internet broadcast?’ I heard it wouldn’t be a problem, so we decided to just spill the beans.

[Though it feels like it’s finally coming out now]

[Fr, it’s like optimally serving the national pride, lol]

“I’m Korean, so what national pride?”

[Oh, that’s true]

[Woooo]

[Woooo, trash, woooo]

The person who called us optimally serving national pride suddenly bowed deeply.

[I apologize]

Ding ding.

“I’ll forgive you.”

It’s only polite to accept an apology when you give a proper amount. After all, we were just joking around when we said it.

“However, the airing date is undecided. They said they would look into our story a bit more after hearing it.”

[Are they really in contact with the game love?]

[But the character has the same name and looks the same, can’t resist]

[For real, lol]

“Well, I haven’t heard that much.”

I had heard it was fine to talk, but it didn’t seem right to go into too much detail, so I cut myself off.

“Still, it was fascinating. I was thinking, so this is how you film and edit.”

Claire, who was next to me, said.

It was definitely a different vibe than just editing something shot with a webcam.

Would it be different if we went to a studio? Of course, I had no plan to go that far.

“Ah, and the photos we took are out.”

[Oooh]

[Show us!]

[I wanna see]

“Please wait a moment.”

I stood up from my seat.

It wasn’t just me—everyone gathered for the broadcast stood up too.

We had placed a small photo of all of us on the desk, and the large photos were already brought out in frames by Miri, just outside the broadcasting room.

We unfolded the stand that we had prepared and placed the two frames on it.

“How is it?”

“Looks good, right?”

[This is a real family photo, lol]

[Mia looks just like a real daughter]

“I’ll say it again, we are all the same age.”

At my words, Mia puffed out her cheeks slightly. Was it because it sounded like I was emphasizing how young she looked?

Well, still, we were all satisfied with the photo.

The picture seemed to have no edits other than color correction as requested. Of course, that was enough since we looked beautiful.

I mean, someone might ask if it was a cosplay photo…but after watching the kids’ faces so closely over the past few years and months, it didn’t look like that to me.

“I’m thinking of hanging these big photos in the living room.”

In the chat, family photo jokes started popping up again.

Well, we are family, after all.

That’s the vibe we were going for.

*

After putting the photos back outside, we gathered in front of the camera again.

“Well then, I will now play the remaining epilogue part of the game.”

I switched to game settings and held up the controller.

“By the way, how much playtime is left?”

[2-3 hours?]

[About 4 hours]

[I took about 3 hours]

Compared to the total playtime, there wasn’t much left.

“Then let’s clear it all in one go today.”

I said that and pressed the button.

The game started again from where we last left off.

More precisely, it began as if nothing had happened.

As if Sylvia had never existed, and as if there had been no battle with the goddess.

But not that time had gone backward…

[……Claire.]

[Alice.]

The two people I met at school.

Claire didn’t look like the Claire I knew, with her ponytail; instead, her hair was slightly wavy and down like in the previous game.

I mean, she’s a character whose hairstyle changes often, so…

With two buttons of her school uniform undone, she looked a bit decadent, and seeing that character made me think—

“Ugh.”

Claire freaked out.

Well, if I saw Sylvia in a bunny outfit in the game, I’d freak out too.

……I mean, I did wear it myself once.

Originally, at this point, Claire is already a ‘dead person.’ In the previous game, Claire had died, and so Emperor Arthur III’s plan had completely fallen apart.

[You look healthy.]

[You too, should I be relieved?]

The two exchanged banter with a tic-tac of words.

“Did you all have that kind of vibe in that world?”

“Well, I mean, it was better than this.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t this cold, at least.”

Claire and Alice replied respectively.

[Lucky you, Alice. You got the chance to become the next empress, after all?]

[Thanks to someone, right? ‘You risked your life’ to save me, didn’t you?]

Alice, who was talking, suddenly cut her sentence halfway as if she felt something strange.

[……. ]

Claire looked quietly at Alice.

[You’re also sensing something strange, huh?]

And then Claire spoke.

[That’s right. I ‘risked my life’ to save you. Thanks to that, Father’s plan was completely ruined, and you got to be in a position to become the next emperor. But how could I ‘risk my life’ to save you?]

Claire said while moving her arms as she crossed them.

[Surely, the attack… would have killed me without question.]

[……. ]

Alice held silent for a moment.

[There’s also a part that doesn’t make logical sense.]

Alice looked at Claire and said.

[Your past.]

[Why about my past?]

[Isn’t it strange? You were… in that kind of situation, how could that child escape safely from there?]

[What? Are you calling me out now? Should I have been assaulted by those men?]

After showing one hand to Claire, who got immediately furious, Alice said,

[No, on second thought, that’s not the issue. I distinctly feel like I’ve heard that past from you. But strangely, that part I can’t recall exactly. Why is that?]

[……. ]

[Actually, you’re also feeling it’s odd, right? Every time I think of parts that don’t make sense, various facts come to mind simultaneously. It feels like this was the case, or that was.]

[Nonsense.]

In the end, Claire answered like that and swiftly passed by Alice.

[Either way, it’s all worked out in the end. Just enjoy the happy ending. Someone did risk their life to save you, after all.]

[……. ]

At Claire’s words, Alice couldn’t say anything.

The screen changed to Leo.

[Princess.]

[You can call me Charlotte.]

“……”

Charlotte was looking at the screen with an expression as if she had something really to say.

“If you have something you want to say, feel free.”

“Why am I making that kind of expression at Leo?”

I looked back at the screen.

One hand was shyly raised to tuck her hair behind her ear. Of course, it was just a motion, as Millennium didn’t have the technology for hair to flow smoothly behind the ear.

“Maybe it’s because I raised the affection level a lot?”

The story doesn’t change significantly. It’s just the characters appearing in a specific event scene that alter.

At first, Alice and I were pushing each other to pursue, but at some point, we were pursuing Charlotte.

I guess the character coming out in this scene isn’t just Charlotte, but also those whose affection levels were maxed out.

“……”

Since Charlotte was glaring at me silently, I quickly turned my head back to the monitor and focused on the game.

[What were you doing here……?]

Leo spoke a bit awkwardly.

[I was looking at the flowers.]

Charlotte said that to Leo and chuckled.

And then,

[When did I say you could drop the formalities?]

She started talking and cut off midway.

[When was it?]

[It seems like it was in the first semester.]

[Wasn’t it after the summer break?]

The two didn’t match their memories.

No, to put it accurately—

[……It seemed like that?]

[Listening to you reminds me, it seems like it was in the first semester…… ]

The reason for the discrepancy in the two timelines is that that event happened at different times in the previous and this work.

This is what Sylvia said as she was dying.

Sylvia judged that her existence didn’t match the future they had chosen.

Thus, she rebelled against the goddess, who was trying to deny everything they had achieved in order to twist the world to her own order.

[ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Sylvia-chan..]

It’s a bit funny how people who seem to know all the contents are typing that in the chat.

[This is strange.]

Charlotte said with a serious expression.

[Yeah, strange.]

Leo agreed.

[Once more, what’s happening?]

[……Well, I’m not really sure either. But it seems we can’t just sit and do nothing.]

Somehow I had a feeling of what the next contents might be.

Chapter 440

If you start searching blindly without any information, you won’t get an accurate answer.

But the group of heroes had experienced this world twice already.

Once they fought against the Emperor, and the next time they battled the Goddess.

And probably, they went through something similar a third time as well.

“Alright, then let’s review the memories,” Leo said as he gathered the children around.

“First, we fought and won against the Emperor of this country. We also finished the battle with the church.”

Leo jotted down the information on the blackboard.

“In this process, we have two conflicting memories in our minds.”

One memory was of fighting against the Emperor.

It was the memory of uniting all their forces to defeat the Emperor and preserve the peace of the world.

However, there was a hazy part within that memory.

“Claire, how did you survive back then?”

A moment of silence filled the classroom where the children were gathered.

“I clearly remember Claire getting attacked and collapsing. But none of us here—even Claire herself—has any recollection of how she made it back.”

Claire quietly listened with her eyes closed.

“It’s as if… it was erased.”

After finishing his words, Leo glanced around the classroom. A few children nodded.

“It’s not just Claire’s story.”

Each time Leo recounted a story, the corresponding character’s face appeared on the screen.

There was surely a memory of fighting in the depths of Lutetia, yet nobody here had actually gone into the ruins of Lutetia.

During this story, Charlotte, who was sitting with a serious expression, appeared.

It seemed like there had been a war, but there were no traces of it left in the world.

Alice’s face appeared during this story as well.

The situations where they fought against Sophia could also strangely be divided into two types—of course, Sophia’s face was shown during this discussion.

“That’s the situation.”

As Leo finished his tale, Alice raised her hand.

“And one more thing.”

All eyes turned to Alice at her words.

“We all have someone we remember.”

“…….”

“Just be honest.”

Even though it was a serious moment, Alice poked my side with a finger.

“…What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t you incredibly embarrassed right now?”

“……”

I didn’t answer and just pressed the button with my finger.

poke-poke.

“Why are you doing that?”

When I glanced over to the person poking my side, it was Claire, looking at me with a sly smile.

“Are you a bit ticklish? You don’t think we wouldn’t do this if big sis disappeared, right?”

“Please don’t tease me too much.”

Charlotte, who had been listening to the discussion, said with a smile.

“After all, Sylvia is usually quite shy, isn’t she?”

“She’s also very lonely.”

It was surprising to hear Mia say such things.

But you know, I also have my own points to argue about.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for you two to talk about following me to this world just because I disappeared.”

That’s right.

Charlotte and Mia ended up here somewhat unexpectedly while tracking down the three of us who disappeared, but at least Alice and Claire were children who followed me all the way here.

I was quite shocked when I first saw them.

“……”

At my words, Alice and Claire turned their eyes away.

Haha! Imagining it and actually doing it are two completely different things.

Those who’ve actually done it are mocking those who’ve only imagined it, hehe.

“Big sis! Ban them!”

I ignored that and continued to play.

By the way, it seems there are hardly any people left who joke about it even in chat.

Have they come to consider it practically like reality? Perhaps it’s a concept taken from the ‘alternate persona’ idea that celebrities often use.

Even though everyone knows it’s fake, they still want to believe it’s real.

Of course, while we were as genuine as one could possibly be, it was a different matter.

Someone who’s forgotten…

Jake crossed his arms and spoke after a moment of thought.

But, if someone has been forgotten, is there really a way for us to find them? Being forgotten literally means they’ve been forgotten.

It’s only natural that such a statement would surface when asking to find a missing person without any basis or even knowing their name.

…….

After a moment of consideration, Sophia spoke up.

If they were a real person, we might have a chance. After all, souls are immortal beings.

You want to do necromancy or something?

Such a thing doesn’t exist in this world. A soul must cling to the world on its own accord to exist in this world. Even with that, the success rate is slim.

It has already appeared in the game before. Not as a typical mob, but as a named monster. Of course, in a work from before the world changes.

Even if the world changes, only the forms of nations, continents, and history change; natural laws and settings generally remain the same unless we get into very fine details, so that will likely hold true in this work as well.

Is there really someone who would have likely helped us still left in this world?

…….

Nobody could answer Leo’s question.

Is the repository still there?

……It is.

Leo nodded at Claire’s question.

I don’t have any memories, but where is it kept?

In the depths of the imperial castle.

Alice answered. Claire seemed to understand what she was getting at.

But the repository failed to move. Father tried to use me, but it seems the conditions weren’t met. So even if it’s attempted…

We won’t know unless we try.

Claire put a hand over her heart and said.

And at first, I also… didn’t want to think about it.

She then slightly lowered her head.

But the more I try to ignore it, the more I feel a sense of longing. It feels like I have to meet that person. The simple memory is completely blank, yet the emotions feel abundantly intact.

And then she raised her head.

Claire’s face had a resolute expression.

So, I want to try to do something.

…….

Everyone’s eyes turned to Alice.

Alice hesitated for a moment, but eventually opened her eyes and said,

Okay, then. Let’s give it a try.

*

However, even in this last chapter, there remained a dungeon.

Well, it’s a tradition of this series. The main story is completely finished, yet somehow, there are oddly strong enemies left at the end.

What the hell is this…?

Alice said with a perplexed expression.

The place Alice had arrived at was one of the deepest spots of the imperial castle.

The depths of the imperial palace I had once infiltrated long ago in search of a prophecy.

It seemed Alice had hidden the repository there.

Normally, they should have been able to stop the security system and enter by using a key.

But what lay before them was truly a labyrinth.

Walls were rising everywhere, and slight cracks that let some light out could be seen on them; the light resembled that of the Goddess’s radiance from the final battle.

I couldn’t help but guess whose doing it was.

W-when we last checked……!

I know.

Alice cut him off without hesitation.

Such things can’t just be accomplished overnight by anyone.

Alice turned around.

Leo and his companions nodded.

Since something was happening, they must have thought it was time to tie up the loose ends.

“This dungeon is quite complicated.”

I said calmly.

Honestly, if I really wanted to, I could just take a quick look around and finish it right away. As the final dungeon, the chests placed all around would probably contain good items, but I wasn’t sure if we would have time to go for a second run.

But—

“Still, I would like to have a proper look around. Is that alright?”

“Do as you please, big sis.”

“You’re the one who was playing the game in the other world. You probably wanted to see how it ends too.”

“Honestly, it looks like it would be quite fun to play.”

“Maybe it’s because we’ve spent so much time on it; now that it’s ending, it feels a bit sad too…”

Hearing everyone’s agreement, I smiled lightly and said,

“If that’s the case, I’ll play it like I did when I was strategizing.”

Saying this, I pressed the option button to save the game.

*

Who could be the culprit behind this?

Was it Sylvia or perhaps the Goddess?

I thought it might be one of the two, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

……Who are you?

The person holding the repository looked somewhat grotesque.

Their back hunched, arms of different lengths. While their legs were relatively normal,

their long hair covered their face.

Who are you? This is the imperial palace. And this is a place where no one can enter unless permitted by me.

The imperial palace… the imperial palace. Ahh.

“Uh, wait a second.”

Alice, who had been observing the screen, said in a panic.

“Could it be…?”

Hmm, it probably is what she thinks it is.

The first Emperor Fanggriffon.

…Could it be that Sylvia defeated the Goddess and thereby broke the seal on the other side?

Chapter 441

[So… even after such a long time, this world still isn’t free. My reappearance in this world surely means the Goddess’s power has vanished.]

The image of the first Emperor glimmered slightly behind.

[That’s… everyone, that’s an illusion!]

Mia, who was well-versed in magic, shouted.

[An illusion.]

The Emperor slowly reached out into the air, pulling out a sword from the void.

The black greatsword emitted a sinister light. It wasn’t the clean blue light of order, but a foreboding mix of red and black.

As he swung the sword, several walls beside him crumbled.

[I suppose that could be said. I am the very manifestation of the power I kept hidden. But to merely treat me as a phantasm is quite unpleasant. I certainly have a ‘form’ and ‘power.’ Power that can truly liberate this world.]

The Emperor, who loved chaos, spoke like that.

[Look there!]

Claire shouted.

A blue light glimmered from his chest. There was a gear.

[That’s the Jibo!]

[…Do you want this?]

The Emperor said.

His lips curled upwards.

[Then fine. I am one who does not shy away from battle. Can you, beings from a distant future, truly defeat me?]

Towards the Emperor, Leo stepped forward.

[I don’t know how this happened, but we must… retrieve one person.]

[Oh, a person.]

[Yeah. I don’t know who that is. I don’t even understand how this world was created in such a way. But at the very least, I know that person was incredibly important to us…!]

[He must not be a very welcoming figure to me.]

Heh heh heh, the Emperor laughed as if he had heard a funny joke.

[Very well, I shall entertain you. Jumping into battle right after waking up; reminds me of the era of struggle I lived in.]

[…Fine.]

Leo pointed his sword at the form.

[Then, here I go!]

With that, the intense sound of electric guitar resonated, and the theme of the game began to play.

Yeah, a theme should come out during the final battle; that’s the style!

I smiled and pressed the button.

*

“That’s kinda weak for a final boss.”

“Just like with the Goddess, it started off with a fight for the world.”

“That’s a mercy from the system,” I replied to Claire and Alice.

“We’ve already fought the boss several times before. If they made the last boss even harder, it would feel too exhausting. Rather, it’s closer to a device to show how much the protagonists have grown.”

“Now that you mention it, that does make sense.”

“Y-yeah, but it doesn’t feel too easy either.”

Exactly.

No matter how you slice it, if the final boss is too weak, that would be boring, right? It feels too patronizing.

Moreover, it might have felt easier because cutscenes played each time HP dropped.

Once a cutscene plays and the game resumes, it feels like facing a boss who has lost max HP again.

Maybe that’s why the difficulty was set relatively easy.

If you had to watch a cutscene three times while defeating a boss that gets skipped, it wouldn’t just be stressful after the second playthrough.

Especially if you aim to clear all challenges.

[…I’m starting to remember a bit!]

As the boss’s HP dropped, a crack appeared on the boss’s chest, playing a cutscene, and Claire shouted in sync.

A bright smile spread across her face.

[Yeah, me too.]

Leo muttered along and opened his eyes.

[In front of me, there’s the answer!]

The Emperor straightened his wobbly body again.

The battle continued. The Emperor pushed the protagonist party hard, even using ultimate moves, but they were already equipped with top-tier gear and had leveled up enough not to be fazed.

[At this point, it’s a bit sad, haha!]

[Emperor-chan waking up after hundreds of years,]

[Getting beaten like a dog, seriously, lol!]

Speaking of which.

It is a bit sad.

Well, that’s just how the system works, and in terms of setting, he’s undoubtedly a strong enemy, just like the Goddess.

[I see. She surely…….]

[It didn’t start well, but in the end, she fought for us.]

The characters said such lines during the second cutscene.

Check, the Emperor’s chest cracked again, and blue light poured out from within.

A bit more fighting continued—

[Foolish mortals… What’s so good about becoming slaves to order? Isn’t a truly free world, where all can converse with strength, a far superior place?]

The Emperor, who initially seemed cool, gradually became pathetic.

Well, that was common in this game series.

[That sort of thing doesn’t matter to us!]

Leo declared while clashing swords with the Emperor.

[What do we care about your wars? We just want to bring our companion back!]

Leo collided with the Emperor and was knocked back.

[Leo!]

Charlotte shouted.

But soon, she stood facing the Emperor.

[I won’t back down. Not ever.]

And, thus the battle against the bloodied Emperor resumed.

*

Well, they fought back in various ways, but enemies in such games are made to be defeated.

Guh…!

Haa, haa, haa…

The Emperor staggered back, and Leo gasped for breath.

Check.

The crack in the Emperor’s chest was nearly breaking apart.

Heh heh…

The Emperor laughed again, but this laughter felt like he’d reached some form of enlightenment.

[So, this is the choice of the people of this age.]

[Yes. We shall walk neither the path of the Goddess nor yours.]

[Indeed. But that is also another kind of freedom… Very well. You have ultimately triumphed over my delusion. Magnificent.]

The Emperor’s chest shattered completely.

His semi-transparent body, which had been smiling as if he had let go of everything, broke into pieces.

And what covered the screen was a dazzling blue light.

The remaining power of the Goddess, the final strength needed to turn back time, was now being unleashed.

And.

[Sylvia!]

Leo yelled out—

Gah!

He shouted and quickly turned around.

Not just Leo, but the other male characters who followed suit did the same.

“……”

I silently turned around.

I could see the kids about to burst into laughter. Even Mia pretended to cover her eyes, shaking as she watched the screen.

I looked back at the screen.

[Big sis!]

[Sylvia!]

The kids were running towards the returning Sylvia. It was an emotional scene but I couldn’t fully feel that emotion.

[Hahaha!]

[Gah gah gah!]

The chat was filled mostly with laughter, and some seemed to be holding back numerous things they wanted to say.

Sylvia appeared without a single thread covering her.

Of course, due to the nature of the game, complete nudity wouldn’t show.

It was just that the angle cleverly twisted here and there, hinting that Sylvia lying on the floor was naked.

Well, it makes sense.

If you’re reborn in empty air, there’s no way clothes would be conjured with you.

While it’s not there, it felt a bit unfair too.

[Ugh…!]

Sylvia slowly opened her eyes.

[…Everyone…?]

[Big sis, big sis!]

Claire was now crying. Even though her hairstyle wasn’t the Claire I knew, that voice acting made it feel so much like ‘Claire.’ Truly, a veteran actress is different.

Claire hugged Sylvia tightly, and Sylvia looked around in confusion.

[Sylvia, don’t make such choices anymore.]

At Alice’s words, Sylvia simply looked up at her and murmured,

[…Is that so?]

Then she slowly closed her eyes again and smiled gently.

[You all came to find me, didn’t you? Even I had given up on myself… ]

With those words, that scene ended.

*

There was still a little more epilogue left.

A few weeks passed, and things finally normalized.

The world remained a hodgepodge. It was challenging to wrap up what happened during that time, as it slipped into one of the realities so subtly.

So, they just decided to leave it be.

[Honestly, what were you planning to do if the Goddess’s power hadn’t remained…?]

[I’m really sorry. At that time, I genuinely thought that was the only option… ]

Sylvia slightly bowed her head to Alice.

[Don’t say anything to my sister.]

Upon seeing Claire say that with a frown, Alice forced a smile.

[Well, what matters is that she’s back.]

Leo said that,

[Let’s get through until graduation at the academy, please.]

Charlotte said that.

[Happy ending is the best!]

Ding, and the notifications came in.

I strongly agreed with that statement.

Chapter 442

“Ah, the aftertaste of that game really sticks with you!” swoosh

After finishing the broadcast, Claire said as we lay side by side on the living room floor, staring at the ceiling.

“Yeah, it tends to do that. That’s why when a new installment comes out, we’re always waiting for the sequel. The production team said there’s still more story left, after all.”

“Do you think Rena will appear in the sequel?”

“Since I heard the setting is changing, there’s a good chance.”

“By the way, didn’t you write a speculation post about the Riclant Autonomous State once?”

“……”

I was at a loss for words in response to Claire’s teasing question.

“Well, all the speculations I wrote before were completely wrong, though.”

“……There’s no need to bring that up, is there?”

When I asked in disbelief, Claire chuckled.

“Maybe the reason this story lingers is because it’s ours.”

Alice, who had been listening, chimed in.

“……Honestly, I’ve loved that series for a long time. Even before I met all of you.”

At my words, both Alice and Claire fell silent.

It seemed Charlotte was still awake, but Mia… well, I wasn’t sure. She might have dozed off?

“So when I first met you guys, I vowed that we’d make it a happy ending without anyone dying. Looking back, the last time we lost characters, we just brushed past it like this. I think I understand why this installment is getting criticized.”

I thought there might be a chance to revive them, but I never expected they’d just throw in an overpowered character and reset everything.

For those who were hoping for a happy ending, it might have been a decent work, but for fans who had been sticking with the series and hoping for answers, it was probably unsatisfactory.

I hope everything gets resolved in the sequel, but since the setting is supposed to change, I’m not sure what to expect.

“But thanks to that, we were able to reach a happy ending in a different way,” Charlotte said softly.

“Yeah, I think it’s fortunate,” I replied with a smile.

*

The next day.

[I talked to the game company, and they said they can film for us!]

“Ah, really?”

I received a call from the broadcasting station’s writer.

[Yes, they were super curious! They said if we weren’t from the broadcasting company, they wouldn’t have believed it!]

I looked around.

The voice blared from the speaker, and everyone’s eyes sparkled.

“So… does that mean we’re going to Japan?”

[We’ll need to discuss it further with the higher-ups at the broadcasting station, but it seems likely! I’ll let you know the details as we get more information!]

This was exciting.

I thought this person was more thrilled about the fact that they were going to Japan for a business trip than about broadcasting something amazing.

Well, I could see why. I would be pretty excited too.

After just a little bit of work, I’d be wandering the streets of Japan doing various things. Though I had no experience working at a broadcasting station, so I wasn’t sure how it actually worked.

At the very least, we’d definitely have some time to relax.

Let’s see… where was the Millennium headquarters again?

I think they said it was in Tokyo.

“What do you all think? Are you interested in going?”

“Of course!”

Claire shouted with excitement.

Without realizing it, a smile formed on my face at her innocent expression.

“Alright.”

Seeing that there were no opposing opinions, I nodded.

“Since we’ll head back after the broadcast anyway, it shouldn’t be a problem to take a relaxed trip to Japan. How about we spend a bit more money while we’re there and stay a little longer?”

“That sounds great!”

Alice said with a smile.

“You’re lucky to have a wealthy friend,” Charlotte teased playfully.

“There’ll be different foods and sights here, right?”

Mia’s eyes sparkled as she said this, and her cuteness was so overwhelming that I unconsciously ruffled her hair.

*

As some time had passed since they came to film at our house, the broadcasting station hurriedly arranged the schedule.

Luckily, since we weren’t working for any company, we were able to negotiate a few extra days on our own schedule.

Fortunately, we had already applied for our passports well before our trip to Jeju Island. Usually, it takes about two weeks, but it seems that demand skyrockets at the end of the year, causing delays of up to a month.

Timing was on our side, indeed.

“Wow… this is amazing,” Alice said, looking around.

“It seems the same yet completely new at the same time. It feels different from just walking around a familiar country.”

“Just looking at the signs shows it’s in a different language.”

Plus, in Japan, cars drive on the opposite side of the road compared to Korea.

As I gazed down at the street from the hotel, at first, I didn’t notice much difference, but slowly I began to spot the things that were different from where I lived, and I realized, “Oh right, this is another country.”

It felt like looking at a magic eye.

By the time we arrived in Japan, it was already past afternoon, and by the time we took the train to Tokyo, even more time had passed.

Naturally, most regular companies had already closed.

Well, in a city like this, plenty of people are still working at night, but we couldn’t show that in a broadcasting station.

“Shall we step outside for a bit?”

At my suggestion, they all turned their heads toward me.

Their eyes sparkled as if they’d been waiting to hear that.

We had already had dinner, but well…

To be honest, aren’t we all a little unrealistic when it comes to activity levels?

Eating a bit more wouldn’t cause any harm.

*

When it comes to the preferences of travelers, they can generally be categorized into two types.

Not just busy movers versus leisurely movers.

There are those who seek out local food and those who prefer to spend the day enjoying luxury meals at fancy hotels.

I fell into the former category.

The images I’ve seen in Japanese manga and anime since childhood tend to depict teenage kids from ordinary families rather than the ultra-rich.

Of course, I know that’s not the complete reality. Just as there is a discrepancy between Korean dramas and the reality of family life, I imagine the gap between manga and reality is even greater.

However, restaurants are almost always depicted similarly.

As we barged into a street vendor stall, the owner looked taken aback.

He appeared surprisingly young, maybe only ten years older than the kids there. When he saw a sudden influx of foreign girls, he tried to communicate in English as best he could. However—

“Five ramen, please.”

Upon hearing Claire speak fluent Japanese, he seemed to momentarily short-circuit.

Truth be told, we weren’t really good at Japanese; it just translated in our ears like Korean does.

“Are you Japanese?”

The owner asked, startled.

“Not at all, we’re Korean. All of us,” I said with a smile.

The owner looked both amused and skeptical as he began preparing the menu.

At the food stall, the only option was tonkotsu ramen. There was one pot bubbling with broth, and it looked like that was the only item on the menu since he probably only sold it after boiling it.

Adding chashu would cost extra.

The weather was a bit chilly. Not as cold as Korea, but still, it was winter in Japan.

On such a day, having rich, flavorful ramen from a tiny stall outside… what a luxury.

Well, there was a faint smell of pork simmering, but that couldn’t be helped.

“How did you end up in Japan? Just here for tourism?”

The owner couldn’t help but ask.

“We came here for work. We have a broadcasting shoot planned,” Alice answered.

The owner looked at her with a confused expression again.

“Are you perhaps an idol?”

That question made us all laugh.

The ramen was delicious. To be honest, the taste was quite different from the food I had in Korea. If I had to eat it for the rest of my life, it would be a different flavor, but that’s just a matter of taste.

After all, we weren’t here for just a week-long trip.

“It’s delicious!”

Mia said, her eyes sparkling.

At first, everyone was hesitant about foods that smelled like this. But it seemed that bringing them around to try various foods instead of just Western dishes paid off.

“It’s good, so I’m glad.”

Whether or not we were really Koreans or idols, the thought that we were still foreigners evidently remained.

I thought it might be rare to see a foreigner speak Japanese this well, but who knows if that even matters in the end?

After thoroughly enjoying our ramen, we stopped by a convenience store nearby to pick up various things we had never seen before and headed back to the hotel.

Ah, really.

Already so much fun!

Chapter 443

Hah…

Our schedule was right the next day.

Wondering how to make the company people believe us, we decided to just show them our passports.

Well, it’s not like these folks could really do anything with that info. Besides, it would be known soon enough on the broadcast that we met these people.

“Just to clarify, we absolutely did not make a game based on you guys.”

We all laughed.

They understood it was a joke.

However, even if it was said as a joke, it seemed there was some line being drawn at the same time.

It could turn out to be a real problem. Imagine how tiring it would be for the company if we decided to sue them.

But we couldn’t change the names of characters we’ve used for years now.

Of course, we had no intention of doing something like that.

“The game is always fun to play.”

“It’s amazing that people with the same names as our characters enjoy our game. I often thought, ‘Is there really someone with a name like this?’ during the making process, but I never imagined I’d actually get to see it, and that people with those names would gather like this… it’s really…”

Still not believing it, the company president wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.

“Especially the name Fanggriffon. I never thought it would actually exist.”

True that.

That name sounded like it shouldn’t exist at all.

The closest mentioned name to that is ‘Pandragon.’

I don’t know the details, but I think it was more of a title than an actual surname… Well, in the game, and even in the Azernar I lived in, it’s a setting where a title turned into a surname over time, so it’s somewhat similar.

“Well, since you came all this way, let me give you a little tour of the company. At first, when I heard the story, I thought the broadcasting folks exaggerated a bit, but now seeing this in person, I just have to give you a tour.”

“Thank you very much.”

It was a bit hard to get used to this person being so nice to me.

This person only just… met me, so to speak? Anyway, this was our first human-to-human meeting, so he couldn’t know anything personal about me, and naturally, he wouldn’t have any particular feelings. But I was different.

It was the president who was one of those biting critics that had a crazed fit, mentioning my real name in some online community.

…Well, I knew he wouldn’t come all the way to Korean sites to sue every single one, so I did it anyway.

I felt a bit guilty.

Looking at him now, he just seemed like a nice guy.

“…”

Claire was giggling, looking at me, as if she had read some other post I hadn’t yet deleted.

Well, I wasn’t so sure Claire would say that to the president, but still, it felt nerve-wracking to be around someone who knew that fact.

I’m sorry! Really!

I silently apologized as I watched the back of the president walking ahead.

*

In the end, we ate some pretty decent company food, did a short interview for the broadcast, and even walked out with our character clear files signed by the voice actors.

“So, one last thing, do you have any requests from the perspective of players who enjoy our game series?”

Before leaving the company, I pondered for a moment as I watched the smiling president before finally answering with a slight grin.

“Then I hope that the next Chronicles of Aetherna game will be simultaneously released in Korea.”

I probably wouldn’t be able to play it by then since I’d be going back to my original world, but I still wished for the people who remained to enjoy it.

I may have stirred up trouble and manipulated the story to my liking, but ultimately, it was because I really liked that game series.

…Well, thinking about it now, did I really need to go that far? But anyway.

“Understood. That’s something we’ve been contemplating as well. We’ll try to ensure that the Korean version is developed alongside it from the very start.”

“Thank you.”

We bowed to each other as we exchanged goodbyes.

“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”

The writer and cameraman from the broadcasting station who guided us to the company waved farewell to us.

“Just to check one last time, you already arranged your flight tickets and accommodation separately, right?”

“Yes. We’ve checked it several times, so you can just go back without worrying.”

“Oh, by the way, we actually plan on staying another day or two. But… you will be heading out separately, right?”

Nodding our heads, the writer smiled.

“Yes, understood. When it’s time to edit, we’ll let you know the broadcast date. It shouldn’t take too long.”

“Okay, understood. Thank you.”

“Oh, we should be the ones thanking you.”

After saying goodbye to the folks from the broadcasting station as we walked away, Claire suddenly poked my side with her finger.

“How’s it going? Still feeling sore in the heart?”

At her words, I shot a glare at Claire, and Alice reacted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Claire laughed and covered her mouth as she answered.

“You know, the post my sister wrote on the internet back then.”

“Oh.”

Alice quickly understood what Claire was getting at and forced a smile.

“There was a post cursing that president guy.”

“…You wrote a post cursing someone you didn’t even know, in such a public place?”

Charlotte’s words stung more than Claire’s poke.

“…I didn’t know I would meet him like this.”

“Just because you didn’t know, does that mean it’s okay to write such a post?”

Charlotte frowned and looked at me, making me increasingly at a loss for words.

“Um…”

Mia seemed like she had a lot to say, but she didn’t seem to want to voice that thought.

True.

Mia must know well that I have that kind of personality.

Because she remembers the times when I turned back the clock.

“…”

No matter how I tried to counter, all that came to mind were ugly ways to respond, so I kept silent and walked on.

*

As we discussed whether we should grab something more to eat between lunch and dinner, we somehow ended up ordering some tendon.

I mean, if we were thinking of grabbing another meal between lunch and dinner, wouldn’t something lighter like a snack be better?

Well, the tendon was delicious though.

“But is this how you’re supposed to eat it?”

Alice asked quietly.

True that.

It came out as a rice bowl, so I thought we should just scoop it up with rice, but trying to eat it that way felt a bit odd.

Especially since I ordered the chicken tempura tendon, which wasn’t just boneless but had the wing tempura straight on skewers.

“Well… it should probably be eaten separately, I think.”

It was my first time eating in Japan, but I had at least tried it a few times in Korea out of curiosity.

There, they said to serve the tempura on a plate first and then mix the rice well to eat.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter how you eat it?”

Charlotte, who usually paid the most attention to these things, said with a smile.

“After all, in the eyes of these people, we’re ‘foreigners.’”

That’s true.

“True enough.”

Claire added with a laugh.

But Claire herself didn’t seem to care much about such things, so she probably didn’t need to agree with that.

“When eating galbitang or gamjatang, we usually eat the meat off the bone with rice first, right?”

“That’s a very valid point, Mia.”

When I responded like that to Mia, she blushed slightly.

“Maybe there’s no specific way to eat this. Now that I think about it, this isn’t exactly a high-class restaurant.”

Hearing Mia’s words, Alice nodded in agreement.

“Right. We’re on a trip, so we should just enjoy it our way. Isn’t it fine as long as we don’t bother others?”

Claire dipped a shrimp tempura into the soy sauce and said.

“Speaking of which, where should we go next?”

“Let’s walk around the downtown area. Maybe Ginza.”

There must be a place in Japan like Myeongdong in Korea, where tourists gather like crazy, making locals tilt their heads in disbelief if you ask if that place represents their country.

But there’s a reason foreigners gather in places where tourists usually go.

“Starting from a broad area and then going into narrower spots sounds good too. Some people say it’s fun to look for places featured in movies while in Japan, you know.”

“Oh really? Then maybe we could catch a movie at night? There was a theater near the hotel, right?”

Seeing Claire immediately wanting to put my suggestion into action made us all smile.

Chapter 444

Before we came here, we all had various ideas, but in the end, what we chose was… no plan at all! dun dun dun

We debated whether to visit a theme park or a museum, but honestly, we just wanted to spend time together. whoosh

“Oh, the list of pilgrimage sites is already out!” Claire said while lying on the bed and looking at her smartphone.

It seemed to be a ‘pilgrimage’ list based on the anime movie we watched yesterday. ding ding ding

Unless the setting is entirely fantasy, they usually draw inspiration from real-life backgrounds. That’s the easiest way to convince the audience. wink

And when such an anime goes viral, a list of those locations is created by the millions of viewers. ka-ching

Most of the anime I watched as a child were Japanese, so it was hard to do in Korea. sigh

I had a little longing for that when I was younger, so I was a bit excited now. bouncy bounce

I’m just barely managing not to show it on my face. sweat drop

“By the way, if we said we were on a pilgrimage in Azernar, people would definitely misunderstand us.”

True. nod nod

Honestly, I think that word is a bit over the top, but hey, there’s something good about that slightly over-the-top atmosphere. rock on

When enjoying something, it’s way better to bounce around joyfully than to stay numb! woohoo

“Well then, shall we start from the closest place?”

At my words, everyone got up from the bed. stretch

We reserved two rooms, but we’re almost always gathered in one room. shrug

However, we did go back to our own rooms to sleep, so it felt a bit lonely… Hm, should we switch rooms tomorrow? scratch head

Or is it possible for five of us to fit in a room with three beds…? huh?

Maybe it’s the relaxed atmosphere, but I found myself following the kids with sillier thoughts than usual. giggle

*

Wherever you go, people live similarly, but the shapes of houses differ due to cultural and geographical reasons. ta-da!

In Japan, once you enter an alley, a unique neighborhood spreads out. whoosh

In Korea, residential areas are densely packed with villas or apartments, and even if there are standalone houses, they rarely have a uniform design. meh

However, Japanese standalone houses feel oddly similar. Is there a construction company that specializes in those? thinking face

“It’s quiet.”

“Everyone must have left for work.”

I answered Alice’s mumble. ding

The vibe felt… kind of like skipping school or using a half-day leave from work. sneaky sneaky

Not many people are wandering about, time feels slow, and it’s quiet. tick tock

It feels similar to everyday life, yet has a special quality that’s almost alien. sparkle sparkle

Plus, this is a neighborhood in another country! surprise!

Thinking this calm atmosphere is normal for the locals feels oddly fascinating. ponder ponder

“Oh, over there!”

As we entered the neighborhood, we spotted three vending machines lined up in a particularly narrow alleyway. ta-da!

With a small roof over them, these machines looked a bit old. hmm…

At first glance, they just seemed like ordinary drink vending machines, but these were featured in the anime as a part of the main characters’ childhood neighborhood. flashback

On a rainy day in midsummer, they dashed hurriedly and hid under those little roofs to avoid the rain. splash!

The male and female protagonists stood awkwardly, and then decided to grab something to drink. pop!

“Where… oh, here!”

Claire smiled and pulled out a bottle of green tea from the vending machine. pop!

Unfortunately, it didn’t have the exact design from the ‘childhood of the protagonists,’ but at least it’s the same brand. It kind of looks similar. wink

“I definitely get why people go on pilgrimages. I might not have any attachment since it’s the first time I’ve seen this anime or heard of its director… but wandering like this isn’t bad at all.” nod

I agreed with Alice. thumbs up

“At first, trips usually focus on famous tourist spots, but as you find more time or go often, you tend to explore neighborhoods like this.” tour guide mode

“That’s probably doable in a world like this.”

Charlotte replied with a bittersweet smile. sigh

“Wandering alleyways in Azernar or Velbur without escorts is probably out of the question.” huh?

“…Maybe one day, when it develops more, the story might change.”

I said to comfort Charlotte. pat pat

“Um…”

While this was happening, Claire took a sip of her drink and made a very wacky sound. gulp gulp

“Is the drink not to your taste?”

“Uh, yeah…”

“It’s likely because it’s not sweet since it probably doesn’t have sugar in it.”

Our usual black tea is from the same tea leaves, but unlike green tea, we often add sugar or milk. tea time!

I heard that in China, they sometimes add sugar to green tea, but I only heard that casually, so I’m not sure how true it is. scratching chin

I swapped my soda for Claire’s and took a sip. It tasted like a typical green tea drink. Seems like it’s a love-it-or-hate-it situation. meh

“Is it good?”

“It suits my taste, but would you like to try?”

I offered the drink to Mia at her question. After taking a sip, Mia tilted her head. huh?

“Honestly, things like this are more like drinks to have instead of tasting. Someone who enjoys tea would brew it properly.” teatime!

I handed her another soda and received the green tea bottle back. swap swap

“Oh, sister, should I take a photo?”

“Would you?”

“Yep, just look here. Later, I’ll take a photo of you in the same pose as when the main character is waiting for the male lead!” clickbait!

Hearing that, I willingly went next to the vending machine. Claire tugged and adjusted my position before snapping a picture with her mirrorless camera. click!

“Oh wow, this turned out great!”

Alice laughed at the result. giggle

Claire’s photography skills had really improved over time. The pose in the picture looked quite similar to the one in the movie. double thumbs up!

If I were on social media, I’d totally post this! pout

“Shall we move to another place now?”

“Sure!”

Everyone nodded at my question. excited nods

*

The next place we visited was a shrine. ding ding!

Since I had never had any religion from my past life until now, and I concluded that the Goddesses I encountered weren’t particularly trustworthy, I didn’t feel any religious emotions. shrug

Thinking about it, outside of Japan, how many people seriously believe in such places? ponder ponder

Wouldn’t even the Japanese think similarly? It seems like something akin to the sacrifices we make during holidays in our country. nod nod

“Look over there. There’s a real priestess!”

Claire said, pointing at a woman sweeping the floor with a broom from afar. whoosh!

“…”

That priestess, I once read somewhere, usually does part-time jobs.

In a cathedral, a nun would generally be in that position, but it seems not many people take it seriously. sigh

Of course, to keep Claire’s dreams alive, I decided to just stay quiet. pat pat

Since it’s a shrine, similar to a temple, it wouldn’t be suitable to roam around and chat excitedly. shhh!

We saw a few people, including some who probably came after watching the anime like us, along with some couples, but there were far fewer people than a famous tourist shrine, so overall, the atmosphere was calm and quiet. zen

We took a couple of group photos and tossed a few coins into the offering box… then… was it called omikuji? Anyway, we drew fortunes. whoosh!

Mine turned out to be great luck! yay!

“Nice job, sister!”

Honestly, it was just a random draw. shrug

I’ve heard that if you draw a great misfortune, people say, “Here, I used my bad luck here, so good things will happen from now on!”

Should I keep the paper as a memento? thinking face

*

While the pilgrimage itself was fun, I felt a bit unsatisfied just wandering around. hmmm…

“Yeah, but still, it’s a place worth visiting.”

Alice murmured from the Tokyo Skytree observatory. whoosh!

“It’s really beautiful…”

Mia’s eyes sparkled. sparkle sparkle

The view outside the window, not yet completely dark since the sun hadn’t set, was even more splendid. wow!

The sunset over the city cannot be anything less than spectacular. amazing!

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve really seen this kind of view in Seoul.” huh?

“Oh, is that so?”

I asked back at Charlotte’s words. tilt head

For sure, I remember seeing it from the hotel, but I don’t recall ever climbing to the highest point in Seoul. hmm…

“Then let’s go back and capture the view of Seoul in our memories!”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

Charlotte smiled at my words. smile

Chapter 445

Could it be that I’ve planned the trip for a whole week?

I feel like I could just lounge around for a day and still be fine.

If it had been a 3-day, 4-night schedule, I would’ve been up early with an alarm, but since it’s a week…

Plus, even when I go back, I can still take it easy.

“You look happy.”

“Well, in a situation where I can’t help but be happy, what can I do?”

As I replied while pulling the blanket up to my chest, Charlotte chuckled softly.

Last night, I switched rooms.

Even so, it didn’t feel right to take the hotel blanket into the next room and sleep on the floor. I might as well buy a sleeping bag if I wanted to do that.

Usually, I hang out with Alice and Claire, so last night was all about spending time with Charlotte and Mia.

Just as I expected, they weren’t noisy at all.

Compared to Alice and Claire, who often bicker and make a racket whenever they’re together, it was almost the opposite.

Thinking about it, Alice is a crown princess, and Claire is basically a crown princess too in a way, while just Count Crowfield’s daughter, Mia, is much quieter.

“Shall we slowly get up? It’s already lunchtime.”

Charlotte was already dressed. Mia next to her was too.

“…What about Alice and Claire?”

“Well, our crew is out exploring the area.”

“Since this morning?”

“Yep, all morning.”

That was a bit surprising.

I thought Claire would come bouncing into the room to shake me awake the next morning.

“I-I insisted on letting you sleep.”

As I sat up, Mia said.

“Is that so?”

“Yep… you were sleeping so comfortably.”

“To be honest, I was so surprised at first, I thought you weren’t breathing.”

Charlotte said, sitting on the edge of the nearby bed.

“It was the most relaxed expression I’ve seen on you until now.”

Hmm…

I guess that makes sense. I had been on edge a lot in Azernar.

Even if I rewound time to extend my sleep or repeated holidays to rest my body, that fatigue would come rushing back after time rewound.

The only thing that did seem to heal was a bit of mental stability.

That alone was a huge help, but the image people often saw of me was probably that of someone on alert, always looking around.

I stretched my arms out in front of me.

“Thanks to you, I think I’ve slept deeper than in the past few years. It’s refreshing.”

Even though I learned how to remain fine with reduced sleep, the most comfortable way to rest remains sleeping deeply and waking up.

To lie down on a fluffy bed in a completely safe place without any thoughts is happiness itself.

“That’s good to hear.”

Hearing Charlotte’s reply, I threw off the blanket and stood up.

*

“Oh, sis, you’re up!”

“Did you sleep well?”

I waved my hand lightly to greet the two waiting for me in the hotel lobby.

“You look really good! You must have been tired.”

“It’s just Mia among us who doesn’t wake up early.”

As I replied to Alice’s comment, Mia puffed out her cheeks, and I chuckled a little.

“So, what should we do today?”

“I found a place nearby that sells delicious tarts. It’s not just tarts, it seems they have various breads too.”

Seeing Claire look at Mia while saying that, I guess the searcher was Mia.

“Then let’s go check it out?”

I nodded in agreement.

*

After stopping by the bakery to eat bread, we came out onto the street and bought random street food to munch on while walking.

We took photos whenever we saw parks, and went into strange alleys for no good reason.

If there was an oddly shaped shrine, we even went inside to take a spin.

Even though we were happily wandering around here and there, I hardly felt my body getting tired.

Actually, I felt like I was continuously recovering instead.

It was as if the grime was washing away, revealing the white within bit by bit.

“…”

As I walked down the street, I suddenly stopped, and the children walking ahead turned around at the same time.

It was such a beautiful sight.

No doubt after this time passes, I’ll only recall it vaguely.

After some time passes, even if I seek it out in photos, I won’t accurately remember this day.

While that fact is a bit sad, it’s also just too beautiful.

As if trying to engrave the sight of the four of us standing together in my mind, I quietly watched.

“Sis?”

Claire was the first to break the silence.

“What are you doing over there?”

Alice tilted her head.

“Sylvia?”

Charlotte looked puzzled,

“Are your legs hurting? Would you like to take a minute to rest?”

Mia suggested.

The corners of my mouth curled up slightly as I silently watched the four of them with my hands tucked into my coat pockets.

“No, I was just watching because I wanted to.”

As I resumed walking and slipped by them, Claire tilted her head.

“We see each other’s faces all the time.”

“Right.”

I replied for no reason.

The other three looked bewildered, nodding their heads repeatedly, but I didn’t elaborate.

I wonder if we’ll ever get together again like this at least once.

If that time comes, I want to bring all the friends I made in that world with me.

Is that too greedy?

Well, it doesn’t matter.

After all, people are creatures who want more once they have something. I’m one of those people too.

No one will scold me for desires I didn’t speak out loud.

The somewhat cool Tokyo night gleamed, perhaps due to the end of the year.

Maybe it looked even more sparkling because of the four people around me.

*

Having spent a leisurely week like this, we returned home.

The flight time was just two hours, but it’s really just two hours of flying time; add in the time from Tokyo to the airport, check-in, and customs, plus the time spent wandering around the airport and taking the bus back, and that time doubles.

Of course I’m bound to be tired.

As soon as we entered the house, Claire dashed toward the living room. The hallway from the entrance to the living room was slightly bent, so I couldn’t see her properly, but considering the thud I heard, she must’ve jumped onto the sofa.

“Claire, you need to unpack.”

While the apartment entrance wasn’t small, four teenage girls and five suitcases made it unrealistically crowded.

“Let’s unpack later~ later.”

I heard Claire’s voice from quite a distance.

Alice sighed heavily.

Honestly, I wanted to quickly spread out a blanket in the living room and lie down too.

“Hmm.”

“Why the sudden giggle?”

As I thought of that, too tempted to sit on the bed, I let out a quiet laugh, and Alice asked.

“It’s nothing.”

I said while folding the suitcase handle.

“Then let’s just unpack first. If Claire leaves her bag in front of you, it’ll be inevitable.”

“Let’s do that.”

Charlotte nodded her head.

*

After some fuss, we finished tidying up, and it was about an hour later before I could spread out the blanket and lie down.

“It’s hard to believe I was in another country just a few hours ago.”

“Maybe it felt that way since the travel time wasn’t as long as expected.”

Charlotte responded to Claire’s comment.

“Bellbur and Azernar share a border, and there’s a lot we have in common with building styles too. Since we weren’t blocked by a long sea journey, crossing over didn’t have a huge impact.”

“And in my case, I actually lived in Azernar.”

Charlotte chimed in with Alice’s statement.

“I’m kind of the same. It’s my hometown, right across from Bellbur.”

I guess it could be compared to taking an airship over the sea. While it technically was Azernar land, it’s a bit similar.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, staring at the ceiling.

“If we go back to that world…”

Claire spoke up.

“Let’s all go on a trip together, just like we did this time. We could easily make it work during vacation.”

“That sounds fun.”

Charlotte laughed.

“Yeah, for sure. It’ll be a worry-free trip.”

Alice said as if just imagining it was enjoyable.

“If possible, I hope it’s a place with plenty of sights and food.”

Mia honestly expressed her wishes.

I didn’t bother saying anything.

Another silence descended. Among those who didn’t utter a single word, a quiet breathing sound was heard.

Perhaps it was Mia.

With that breathing sound as a cue, one by one, we began to drift off to sleep.

Of course, it makes sense after a few hours of traveling.

As I listened to those breaths, I too felt the heavy sensation pulling me in.

My eyelids had already grown heavy and shut tight.

“…”

Surrendering myself to that pleasantly tired wave, I felt like I would have good dreams tonight.

Chapter 446

And the long-awaited broadcast day.

“I think today is the right day,” I said to the kids gathered in the living room.

We had already packed our things.

All our gear was stored in the room designated for broadcasts.

It wasn’t just to head back right after watching the TV broadcast; I wanted to greet the viewers we had met since coming here.

Once we head back this time, who knows when we could return to this place again?

“….It’s a bit sad to leave this house,” Alice said while looking around the living room for no particular reason.

“Honestly, when we moved out of our one-room apartment, I felt this way too. But now that I’m told to go back, I feel like I can’t,” she added.

“That’s true,” Claire nodded, and Charlotte laughed.

“I know it’s silly to say now, but having at least a little personal space was definitely much better for living,” Charlotte chimed in.

That’s a valid point, and I agreed with Mia.

We only had two rooms; one had three people, and the other had two. But since we usually spent time in the living room, if someone wanted alone time, they could easily go to an empty room.

Even occasionally, I would hang out in the broadcast room since all the computers and gaming consoles were there.

“Did you pack the albums?”

“Of course, we each packed one in our bags. I’ve checked several times,” Alice reassured.

Just in case, we also packed emergency food supplies.

As a result, our bags were almost as big as camping backpacks.

…Well, it wasn’t entirely wrong since we also packed sleeping bags and personal tents.

I wondered if we were being overly cautious, but it was better than falling over there without any preparations.

The light around us had already grown quite bright. Could it be due to the broadcasts we’ve done over the past few months?

By tonight, it would definitely be much stronger.

“…I thought we could give and receive Christmas gifts,” Claire said with regret while looking at the Christmas—HALLOWEEN—decorations she had set up.

“Maybe there will come a day when we return and take down the decorations,” I suggested.

Claire shrugged at my comment.

None of us were without regrets here.

Still, more than that, the desire to return was strong. After all, in this world, we were just outsiders.

“It’s time,” Alice announced.

We braced ourselves and turned on the TV.

*

The images on TV were like a compilation of our lives in this world.

Now that I think about it, the photos and videos we gave to the broadcast team were only from the last few months.

Of course, that’s to be expected; we hadn’t spent that long here.

Even if it’s a goddess who could change the world to the extent that time itself seemed to rewind, she must know how tangled things could get if she recreated all those past events.

Was the broadcasting team not aware of this because of the goddess’s trickery?

“…Oh, we did send photos from our time in the one-room apartment together,” Claire murmured as a picture of five of us crowded in a nearly full room smiled at the camera appeared on screen.

It was Claire who held the smartphone, while the other four awkwardly smiled at the camera.

That picture was from just after Charlotte and Mia had come over.

[Though our names and backgrounds are different, they say that the five sisters have been together since their very poor days.]

[We just help each other out. Anyway, besides us, there’s no one else we know.]

After the narration, Alice had said that on the broadcast.

She tried her best to sound natural, but you could still tell it was a bit awkward.

The MC and guests on the broadcast reacted with surprise, and a few chuckled softly, finding it heartwarming.

“It looks like a kaleidoscope, made from our memories,” Charlotte remarked, hugging her knees on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the screen.

After the broadcasting team left, our hobbies were shown, which led to talking about how our names are actually the same as those of characters in a game company.

[So, we went visiting that Japanese game company with that backstory.]

We chuckled at that.

The president, the story writer, and the game production team on camera looked a bit more flustered than when we had met them directly. It was probably due to the sound effects and effects added on screen.

We saw a scene of the five of us touring the game company.

“He was a kind person,” Claire said, turning to look at me, her face serious.

“….”

I ignored her gaze.

The screen caught us all waving at the camera together.

[So, everyone, please live happily together for a long, long time~]

I thought it would come out like that, but actually seeing it made me chuckle a little.

Then, the screen moved on to the next story.

“It’s not coming out as long as I thought,” I remarked.

“Well, it’s not just showing one story; it’s a program showing multiple stories alternately,” I said to a slightly disappointed Alice with a smile.

“Still, with this…”

Mia looked down at the light she was holding.

The light was shining brighter than anything we had seen before.

Even brighter than when Charlotte and Mia had just come over.

Looking at the light, we nodded at each other.

*

“For that reason, we were originally supposed to return to our original world.”

The light that was glowing brightly began to glow even brighter during our broadcast.

…Is it going to burst or something?

[What do you mean?]

[LOL, heavy concept here]

[Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, don’t go!]

The chat was in utter chaos.

Not only was the chatter chaotic, but the number of viewers had recorded an all-time high.

“Thank you for everything so far. If it weren’t for you all, I couldn’t have kept such a bright disposition,” I said earnestly.

That wasn’t just empty words.

It all started with Claire’s idea, and the biggest reason we could stay positive here was that we had these kids with us. But still, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being completely isolated from the world while being able to communicate like this.

Besides, before we got our luck back, these people made my life bearable.

Although I never saw their faces, they were all so very appreciated.

“That’s right, thank you so much for everything,” Claire nodded in agreement.

“I hope we can meet again someday. If possible, even if it takes time, I’ll continue broadcasting,” she added.

“It was fun, everyone,” Alice said as she gracefully waved behind Claire.

“Everything felt so strange when we first got here, but I’ve learned so much thanks to you all. Please, do take care of yourselves,” Charlotte added, saying her farewell in the Velbur style.

“Someday, I swear we’ll return and meet again,” Mia said, looking a bit sorrowful while hugging the picture we took together.

[? Really?]

[Don’t go!!!]

[Where are you going?]

[Why do you talk like it’s for real?ㅠㅠ]

Since this was our final broadcast, I had blocked donations. I didn’t want to waste money on something we couldn’t even use.

“Well then, let’s go,” Claire declared.

We each placed our hands on the light Claire held out.

The humongous bags on our backs were cumbersome, making it a little uncomfortable.

“This time, we need to get the direction right,” Charlotte joked.

“Oh, can we just leave the broadcast running like this?” Mia asked, and I nodded.

“We can turn it off when we come back someday. Electricity bills can be paid for years.”

At the mention of coming back, Mia faintly smiled.

Everyone here knew the chances of that were pretty slim—

Yeah, someday, for sure. I hope we can return.

When that time comes, I want to bring so much that this apartment is filled and have a blast—

“Well then…”

Claire murmured for a moment before meeting my gaze.

Then she smiled brightly.

“Let’s continue our story.”

And then, our vision turned entirely white.

*

“Claire! Sylvia!”

Amidst the weight of the bags on our backs as I tumbled to the ground, a voice I heard was… Oh my, I never thought I’d long for a male voice.

“Leo.”

The person who grabbed Claire’s hand to help her up was Leo.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

We all wore outfits that were not the school uniforms—clothes of a design you wouldn’t see here—and with the massive bags on our backs, all eyes turned toward us.

I tried to lift my head to explain, but I hastily looked down again.

Not only was the surrounding scenery still the place where we had our last battle, but the fact that all the people around me were those I had missed so dearly caught me off guard.

“I’m so… glad,” I heard Charlotte mumble softly.

Indeed.

I’m really… truly glad.

Chapter 447

There was no chaos after that… or so it seemed.

But if you think about it, it was chaos indeed. We had to discuss solutions right after the battle, handle political issues, and somehow navigate through legal matters.

The tedious negotiations about the defeated side and discussions on reparations dragged on.

If there was a problem—

“…I feel like I’m going to die from working too long.”

Alice sprawled out on the bed.

“I agree that the idea of working until you die isn’t great, but why are you sprawled on my bed of all places? Especially at bedtime.”

Exactly.

I thought I could jump into bed after finishing up, but there was Alice lying there like a corpse.

Did she mistakenly enter my room? After all, she used the room next to mine.

“Why, can’t I come here?”

“It’s not that you can’t.”

I answered while sitting in my desk chair.

“No, it’s just that I don’t dislike it here, and my room isn’t especially uncomfortable. But lying alone in this lonely room makes me feel a bit weird.”

“Isn’t it troubling in many ways that at your age, you’re scared of being alone in a room?”

“…Do I look like I’m scared?”

While glaring at me, Alice turned slightly.

“Uh, maybe I might be.”

She replied like that.

“Don’t you think? Just two weeks ago, we had five people all in one place. Doesn’t it feel empty next to you?”

“……”

I couldn’t disagree with that.

I thought I wasn’t the type to be particularly lonely.

So, it’s not that I’m okay with being all alone in this world or anything like that.

Like living alone in a room or eating alone, those things… You might think I’m entirely immune to them, but I was just starting to think that it might be okay now.

The shock of crossing over to this side was just about realizing how quickly all my relationships had vanished.

However, it did feel quite empty suddenly having five people sitting together during meals and cooking together.

Here, we don’t exactly gather around to eat together, after all.

“With Jibo gone, we have to adapt to this life. But when we start going to the academy, it should get a little better, right?”

“Is that so?”

Alice turned over again and sprawled out on my bed.

…Alice seems to have gotten pretty bold. Well, she did have a bit of a bold side before, but did she catch something from Claire while we were in that other world?

I let out a small sigh as I watched her.

*

“Are you talking about the other world?”

“Yes.”

After things wrapped up somewhat, I conversed with Rena, whom I hadn’t seen in a while at the academy.

It seems we had been missing from this world for about an hour or so.

Considering that time changed a bit compared to when Charlotte and Mia came to see us, it doesn’t seem to be maintained at a constant rate. Though it’s not like we can go back to the past or anything.

And now, since Jibo had disappeared, we can’t even attempt to retry anything.

I know too well.

Using the Goddess’s power has its limits. Just because we had one Jibo doesn’t mean we could use that power indefinitely.

Thinking about how much time we had to communicate with everyone to come over here just emphasizes that fact.

“There are tons of comics and movies, and a lot of merchandise featuring the characters… I can’t really imagine it.”

Rena shares something in common with Mia.

It’s not exactly the same, but there’s a longing for things kids would like.

…I was quite surprised when I visited Rena’s room a while ago.

At that time, I could honestly say, “I just like that kind of thing.”

After all, there were already four people who knew way too much about me in this world. I figured there was no point in hiding it anymore.

“I’d like to go if I could.”

Rena said with a slightly excited expression.

Well, I mean, this world does hit that middle schooler’s fantasy hard. Once you actually go, it’s just another world where people live, but still.

“If we get the chance, it’d be nice to go together. The house we used is still there too.”

As I replied, I heard someone calling me from afar.

“Sister!”

Claire, wearing her school uniform, was back after a long time. Well, technically, I had been seeing her the whole time in the game.

“Oh, Rena is here too. What were you talking about?”

“We were talking about the things that happened after we visited.”

“Ah.”

Claire smiled and sat next to me.

“It was fun, really.”

Claire also had a bunch of pictures hanging around her room.

“Oh, I was talking with Sophia yesterday. When I mentioned Americano and Hawaiian pizza, she almost started foaming at the mouth.”

“…Did she compliment how delicious it was?”

“Uh-huh. It was delicious, you know? Though the Americano was a bit bitter.”

Did she actually go on and say the Americano was bitter?

I admired Claire’s audacity.

“I also told Leo about it. Showing him each photo while telling the story, he seemed to enjoy it.”

“I hope you didn’t talk about the game.”

“Am I crazy? There’s no way I was going to mention that you and Leo could actually date.”

“…The Crown Princess and Leo, dating?”

“…Just to clarify, that’s not a real-life story.”

I shot a sideways glance at Claire. She stuck her tongue out at me.

“Ugh. I already want to go back.”

“I’m looking for ways, but—”

“I feel the same… Where did Jibo go? We were clearly holding onto it at the end, right?”

When Claire and Alice came over, they had it in their hands too, so they should have had it when they returned.

But no matter how much we searched, we couldn’t find it.

“This is troublesome, really. The Goddess seems to have a quirky personality.”

Claire grumbled.

For a moment, we stayed silent.

As we quietly looked at the clouds drifting in the sky, Claire suddenly spoke up.

“Why don’t we just give it a try?”

“What do you mean?”

“Going to that world.”

“You mean without Jibo?”

“We’ve got nothing to lose by trying, right? Huh? Huh?”

“If it’s a try, couldn’t you do it alone?”

“But it’d just be boring to go over there alone. What if I couldn’t come back?”

I was at a loss for words.

“What do you think, Rena?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been listening to the conversation until just now, right? Don’t you want to go and see it?”

“Ah, yes, I do want to go, but…”

“See? Sister.”

“……”

I looked at Claire suspiciously as she said that.

What’s up with this?

I had the feeling she was super confident about something.

“Alright, alright, both of you hold my hand.”

Claire said that while grabbing my hand, then she grabbed Rena’s too.

“Uh? Uh?”

Rena seemed a bit flustered as Claire took her hand.

“Okay, then, here we go!”

“Wait—”

Before I could even say anything, Claire had already declared—

*

Rena and I rolled on the ground.

But do we really have to roll on the floor every time we move like this? Should I lay down a mat every time we cross over to that world?

Rena instinctively got up and prepared herself.

She took a quick spin around to assess the surroundings, then she stared at us blankly.

I sat up and rubbed my head where I bumped it on the ground, looking up at Claire.

“……What just happened?”

“Hehe.”

Claire smiled and showed me a peace sign.

“Uh, excuse me, where are we?”

“Please tell us quickly. Right now, Rena seems to be breaking down.”

As Rena widened her eyes and looked around, Claire quickly grabbed my hand and Rena’s again.

Then we rolled on the ground once more.

*

“I practiced a bit, and it worked.”

“Practicing and it just working, do you really think that makes sense?”

Claire shrugged.

“Jibo’s gone. So, I think it’s right to view it as having ‘completed’ that Jibo in some form.”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at Claire.

“Are you saying that Jibo… got ‘completed’ by being connected to you, who strongly inherited the blood of royalty? Did you rob some of the Goddess’s power?”

“Very accurate.”

“……”

“We gathered the distortions of the world to activate that Jibo, didn’t we? So probably, during that process, the most power has gathered so far and merged into my body.”

I rubbed my face.

“By the way, I already broadcasted it. Next time I come back I said I’d bring my sister along.”

“……Shortbang?”

Rena repeated like a parrot.

“Oh, but a bit unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like time flows very slowly like when we were over there. Now, it seems to flow the same as this side, so when we go back, we might need to take a vacation.”

“……”

What should I even say?

…Ah, right, in the game, didn’t the Emperor pop up right after chasing out the Goddess?

It seems that remaining power has been absorbed into Claire’s body in a completely different way this time.

Alice would be delighted to hear this.

Sighing deeply as I looked at Rena, who still didn’t understand the situation and was alternating between looking at me and Claire, I let out a big exhale.

Chapter 448

“Maybe it was because we broadcasted at the last moment.”

Claire speculated.

“People might have thought it was CGI, but the fact remains that we haven’t broadcasted since then. And when I looked into it, that scene made it onto the news from our broadcasting station. If I hadn’t called the station, it might have escalated to a police investigation.”

Clears throat, Claire puffed out her chest, and Rena next to her asked.

“What does CGI mean?”

“Com, computer graphics,” Mia answered the question.

“It means overlaying detailed images on top of video to create things that don’t actually exist.”

“I see…”

Rena replied, a bit dazed.

“But then, since Rena fell over, did she also get an ID? Like ours just magically generated?”

“Here!”

Claire answered immediately, placing an ID card on the table.

“…It seems being a goddess comes with lots of challenges.”

Charlotte responded, looking incredulous.

“I really don’t know what to say.”

At Sophia’s words, Charlotte nodded seriously.

“Right. If one maintained their faith from birth to adulthood—”

“Why is there such blasphemous ‘fruit’ on top of the pizza?”

“…….”

Sophia’s serious anger left Charlotte speechless.

I’m not sure if she was scared or just didn’t know what to say.

“What is this fruit anyway? Why would you put something sweet on pizza?”

“I heard it’s Hawaiian pizza. Pineapple is originally a sour fruit, but when cooked, it becomes sweet.”

Claire replied casually, taking a slice and munching on it while talking.

“So the people of Hawaii are the problem.”

“Actually, it was made in Canada.”

“……Why does a dish made in Canada have a name from another country?”

If I started nitpicking, I’d have to explain the madness of the imperial era, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Oh, and this.”

Claire seemed to be getting even more malicious as she handed Sophia a can of coffee.

“What is this?”

“It’s Americano.”

“Americano?”

“Espresso with water added.”

“…….”

Sophia froze.

“Well, this one is pretty tasty! It’s similar to what I had back in Roti’s hometown!”

“Really? It brings back memories.”

“That’s because this was ordered from the real Indian uncle’s curry shop…”

I sighed, addressing Jake and Roti while raising my hand to my forehead.

Seriously, this is insane.

I thought something like this would happen right after Claire discovered her powers, but I never expected she’d bring friends over for the weekend.

Well, at least she didn’t bring the teacher and Sword Saint with her; that’s a relief.

By now, the goddess might be crying tears of blood. Perhaps she regrets ever sending me to this world.

But that’s not really my problem.

Someone carefully poked my back with a finger, and when I turned around, Roti and my classmate Lily were pointing at the TV.

“Can I ask how much those things cost?”

Is it boiling inside her as the daughter of a significant person?

“…First, we need to secure electricity, so buying just one of those won’t be very useful.”

“How can we generate that electricity!”

“Oh, you’re right. We might actually collaborate with bakers to actively introduce electricity.”

Another technological revolution might take place.

I left Lily, who was seriously discussing business with Alice, and thought about just eating pizza.

“Are you really planning to eat that blasphemous food!?”

Ah, come on.

*

After a chaotic moment passed,

I looked at the ten people gathered in the room.

It feels a bit like a family reunion during a holiday. Thankfully, I managed to rent a pretty expensive apartment.

“Is everyone a bit calm now?”

At my words, everyone nodded.

At least Roti and Jake were quietly enjoying themselves from the start, and Rena was too busy exploring the house to say anything.

“Claire.”

“Yeah?”

“Apologize to Sophia.”

“I’m sorry.”

No, apologizing with such a bright smile isn’t really an apology.

Honestly, I didn’t expect Claire to enjoy it that much.

…Could it be she deliberately did that knowing Sophia likes Leo?

Like a sister-in-law mode or something?

“…I’ll forgive you.”

Fortunately, Claire also ordered a traditional pizza separately. They even properly prepared espresso.

It’s not that she’s just tormenting, but she probably just wanted to see Charlotte’s reaction from last time again.

“…Charlotte.”

When Charlotte raised her hand quietly while watching Claire apologize to Sophia, I gave her the floor.

“I’d also like to be apologized for the atrocities against macarons, waffles, and croissants.”

I rubbed my face with my hands.

“…Are you serious?”

“I’m sorry. It was just too amusing to see Sylvia sitting on the sofa deep in thought.”

Charlotte stuck out her tongue slightly.

She seems to have become somewhat more optimistic.

I let out a small sigh and said,

“Anyway, everyone sitting here oddly doesn’t seem to want to go back today.”

No one immediately responded, but their eyes clearly showed a longing for adventure.

“I’ll arrange the rooms, but since the gender ratio doesn’t match, most of you will have to sleep on the floor.”

“That much I can handle.”

“I brought a sleeping bag.”

Leo and Jake responded in turns.

That… can’t we just skip this ‘courtesy’?

After all, there are nine girls in this house and only two guys… yeah, they’d want to sleep, huh.

Of course, I know neither of them would do anything inappropriate to us. Leo is extremely gentlemanly, and Jake, despite his looks, only has eyes for Roti.

Still, they shouldn’t be on a broadcast together. It’s a point of concern for various reasons.

…In the game, Leo was a harem master, after all.

However.

“I’d like for the two of you to use the broadcasting room. I believe there will be enough space for sleeping if we remove the chairs.”

“Sure, of course.”

“Even getting a room is a bonus.”

Leo and Jake nodded again.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Jake while saying,

“If you cause any disturbances in this house with excessive public displays of affection, I will send you back to your original world immediately.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Roti’s face turned slightly red, but I pretended not to notice.

“The rest of you…”

After thinking for a moment, I continued.

“Change your clothes in the room, and the five of us who originally lived here will sleep in the living room.”

“The Crown Princesses?”

When Rena was surprised and asked again, I nodded.

“We haven’t been using the beds we made. Even if you go into the room to sleep, I don’t think it will be a major problem… Although we’ll need to clean a bit.”

It’s been a while since it was left untouched, and it’s a bit dusty.

“Would this be okay?”

As I spoke, everyone nodded again.

I know deep down they wouldn’t do anything if asked not to… so why do I feel like sighing just by looking at them?

“For now… let’s all go and take a look around nearby.”

At my words, everyone’s eyes sparkled.

All together, eleven people.

What is this, a group tour package?

Or is it really not different at all?

*

I was quite confident that I knew the ‘protagonist party’ pretty well.

I had seen them several times in the game and even talked to them in person.

But the more I see of real people, the deeper and deeper it gets.

Whether positively or negatively, many aspects I didn’t know were pouring out.

Sophia liked ice cream much more than I expected, and Rena loved character goods more than I thought.

Jake and Roti seemed to care little about their surroundings as long as they were together, while shy Lily turned out to have quite ambitions as a businesswoman.

“Having a tough time?”

And Leo turned out to be more mature than I thought.

“Whoa.”

But before I could respond, Claire quickly interjected between me and Leo.

“You’re my younger brother, and my sister is my sister. So you both are just siblings. I absolutely oppose you two dating.”

“…….”

Though it seems she didn’t react that strongly when she had no idea before.

It looks like the game we played instilled a new sense of caution in Claire.

Seoul, a street near our apartment.

As I looked around at the crowd of foreigners congested together, I felt a bit dismal.

…Well.

Still, there’s a slight chance, maybe… it’s a bit fun?

Chapter 449

I remember when I went to the university MT.

We rented a spacious room, gathering as students to drink and have fun, then just naturally collapsed wherever we fell asleep.

Of course, we didn’t really have alcohol, and it wasn’t quite a party atmosphere either.

Last night, while wandering around the neighborhood, I felt like I was on a tour guided by someone.

I mean, it wasn’t just me; Claire, Alice, Charlotte, and Mia were also there, but every time we saw something, it reminded me of how Alice and Claire answered questions, and how Charlotte and Mia reacted.

“…someday, let’s go to a better place. It seems we came here a bit too suddenly today.”

I said that while having a meal back home.

It’s pretty obvious, but eleven people can’t just walk into any restaurant without prior reservation.

It was tough to find a place that would accommodate us without proper bookings.

But splitting into smaller groups made me a bit uneasy.

I mean, I think there wouldn’t be any big issues if Claire or Alice, or even Charlotte and Mia mixed together…

But still, those four aren’t kids like me who have lived in this world for decades, right?

“Sis, you worry too much.”

“Still, I feel uneasy if we don’t follow the rules.”

I replied to Claire, and she didn’t really say anything else other than shrugging her shoulders.

But I’m glad she understood my point.

I looked back to the living room again.

The table was too small to accommodate eleven people, so we were eating food spread out on a camping mat we had brought along.

The dishes were diverse. Everyone had different tastes, and above all, the types of food people wanted to eat from their countries were all different, so it felt like it took forever to order.

No, wait, isn’t it a miracle we only took an hour to order different menus for this many people?

This morning and afternoon, after a long tour around our neighborhood, I didn’t have much appetite, and I kept picking at the pickles in front of my Jajangmyeon.

“…Claire, didn’t you say you went live when you arrived?”

“Yeah!”

“And you must’ve talked about Jake too.”

“She said she missed you a lot.”

Claire laughed.

I placed my hand on my forehead.

That’s right.

In that last broadcast, I had spoken as if I would never be able to broadcast again.

Would those playful viewers really let me off the hook?

*

[We were originally going to return to the other world.]

Ding ding ding.

See? I knew they would send donations like that.

[Hahahahaha]

[Oh man, the concept was heavy]

[Oi oi, did you really just come back?]

[The broadcaster who just couldn’t hold it back, hahahaha]

I rolled my eyes in disbelief and said, “You might not believe it, but we really came back from the broadcasting station.”

[Zunty rue dear Sie if then you~]

[Ahahaha, what do you think you are, a teleporter?]

No, I didn’t think I’d be a teleporter either.

[Can you really call that the Goddess’s power? Sylvia, you really seem like you didn’t play the game properly?]

That chat made me seriously consider whether I should just permanently ban them out of frustration.

No, it’s not about the settings; it actually happened. Why are they acting like this when I said so?

…Is this some kind of mirror therapy?

“Okay, okay, everyone calm down.”

Claire made a gesture like ‘whoa, whoa’ with her hands.

“No matter what, isn’t it a relief that we have come back? Did you all wish for my absence?”

[That’s not true]

[It’s nice to see you again]

[Now we can have a sequel]

Ah, that’s true.

We can have a sequel.

…Not just that; I might even get to see the series come to a conclusion. How exciting.

“Oh, right. While we’re at it.”

Claire, who had been setting up the broadcast before I entered, pulled up a video on the screen.

“There’s going to be a sequel trailer, right?”

“I heard it’s about time for it to come out. We took so long playing this game, to be honest, we could’ve cleared it a while ago if we had played for a few hours every day.”

That much is true.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Claire said that and left the broadcast room.

As I calmly watched the question marks popping up in the chat, the broadcast room door opened soon after.

And—

“Sylvia?”

The one who came in saying that was Rena.

Ah, by the way, the rest of the people were currently cleaning. Since they had spent the weekend here according to their time standards, they needed to head back by midnight.

[?]

[What’s this?]

[Hahaha, how long has it been since the sequel was released, and a new character is added?]

Looking at the chat reactions, I thought I understood why Claire brought Rena along.

Claire sat Rena next to me and took her own seat beside Rena.

“Well, you probably know without me having to introduce her. This is Rena Meyer. Just like us, she’s Korean and speaks Korean well.”

“…Um, who are you talking to?”

Rena said, looking a bit surprised at the images of us on the screen.

Well, from her perspective, it probably looked like a mirror conversation.

“Can you see this?”

“Yes… the characters are coming up.”

Rena knows enough to recognize this is Hangul. She has seen enough of it outside yesterday and today.

“Right now, the people watching us are typing in real-time.”

“Huh?”

“This is what they call a broadcast. There are over a thousand people watching right now.”

“Wha—!?”

Rena jumped in surprise and immediately touched her hair.

Yeah, she was as much into her concept as I was.

After touching her hair, Rena straightened her back and tried to look dignified.

[Sylvia Mark II, haha]

[This one looks bad too, haha]

“…What are those people saying right now?”

“They’re saying you look cool.”

I told a little white lie.

“Is that so?”

Seeing Rena grow a bit confident made me feel good.

But looking at Claire’s evil grin next to her, I doubt it will last long.

“Well then, let’s start watching the sequel trailer!”

Claire said, pressing the play button on the streaming site.

And—

“Ah?”

That sound slipped out of Rena’s mouth.

“……”

What showed up in the trailer was Rena herself.

It seems I guessed correctly that the sequel would take place in the Riclant Autonomous State.

Rena… would probably be a playable character. The video was so short that she couldn’t grasp the entire plot, but it seemed to show Rena as the protagonist with other characters appearing, and a few characters from the Empire of Aetherna as well.

“What is this?”

“It’s a game.”

[Ahh… that’s a game]

[There are characters that look just like you in it]

Of course, people think this is all a concept.

No, wait, do they somewhat believe it now?

“This… I will make sure to buy it and play on release day.”

When I said that, the chat went wild with excitement.

“Of course, right?”

“Of course! Let’s bring Rena with us!”

“I think it’d be fun to let Rena play the game too.”

“Wait, me?”

“You’re the protagonist, after all.”

Rena froze at my words.

She is charming in her cute way.

I chuckled softly.

*

The broadcast continued after that.

Not just Rena, but I ended up calling in each person who had finished cleaning, filling up the broadcast room.

Of course, I didn’t call Leo and Jake.

Maybe I’ll invite the teachers later.

Not that they have that much relevance, but there are quite a few people who like them. For example, Carolyn. Her figure is quite unreal in many ways, yeah.

“In that sense!”

Then, when the broadcast was about to end, as we were getting ready to really wrap things up, Claire abruptly raised her voice for a major announcement.

[Oh]

[What’s this?]

[Are you preparing something?]

“Hey, do you guys have any plans for Christmas?”

With Claire’s words, the chat filled with anger.

A ton of angry emoji flooded in, and it seemed like Claire was intentionally provoking them.

“So, we will hold a Christmas broadcast!”

With Claire’s words, the speed of chat messages skyrocketed.

“……”

Well, to be honest, that was something we had been planning from the beginning. We just hadn’t thought about executing it since we unexpectedly came back early.

Christmas was just around the corner.

Ah, of course, that’s just around the corner according to this world’s standards, and in Azernar, it’s still a bit early for the year-end celebrations.

“And we’ll also have a New Year’s Eve broadcast!”

[!!]

[Thank you, thank you]

[A broadcast with the heroine from the game is happening?]

Indeed.

I never expected a broadcast like this would come to exist.

If it were to exist, I would rather be the one watching it instead of being in it.

I guess even the Goddess can hear me from here.

Chapter 450

Claire might look like a reckless impulse shopper at first glance, but in reality, she’s quite cunning.

This was true even during her villain days in the original story. While blocking the protagonist’s party, she pretended to let them off easy, but really was picking apart their choices ahead of time, following the Emperor’s orders to the letter. In the end, she threw a wrench into the Emperor’s plans, leaving everything up in the air—that was all thanks to Claire.

And it was the same for the bright Claire I knew.

“Santa outfit…”

I wiped my face.

That’s right. Claire had the foresight to buy a Santa outfit in advance.

Wait, upon reflection, maybe she didn’t buy it ‘in advance’ after all. I don’t recall her picking it up while shopping for Christmas and Halloween decorations; it seemed like she got it after realizing we could return to this world.

However, you can’t underestimate the distribution network of Earth, and especially Korea.

If you buy it at a decent time, it arrives the next day—so Claire probably bought the Santa outfit the moment she thought of “Christmas special broadcast.”

She is quite the planner, perhaps having done her homework on the measurements of the main characters long before we even got here.

“What’s a Santa?”

Rena looked skeptically at the cylindrical dress made of red fabric and white fur.

“A Santa is an old man who comes to give presents to good kids all year round!”

“It doesn’t look like something an old man would wear…”

“Because it’s a woman’s outfit!”

Seeing Claire firmly state that right after explaining it was an old man’s outfit made me feel a bit of cognitive dissonance.

If you think about it logically, there’s no real need to make a Santa outfit into a dress form.

In my opinion, that color combination suits women quite well, which is probably why such costumes exist.

You see bikinis made with Union Jack or Stars and Stripes designs, and they don’t necessarily have to be from that country to wear them. Well, of course, that steers too much into a sexual image, so they probably only get worn in 2D contexts.

“We all saved the world together, so we deserve presents from Santa!”

“Except Santa doesn’t even exist.”

“Doesn’t exist, you say?”

“Alice!”

Claire leapt behind Rena and covered her ears with both hands. Rena’s head swayed with Claire’s movements.

“Here’s someone who’s hearing about Santa for the first time today—what are you doing?!”

She’s barely a year younger than us, right?

Well, besides, Rena seemed indifferent to whether Santa existed or not. She was from another world, after all.

Maybe Claire didn’t genuinely mean to do it, as she quickly let go of Rena’s ears.

“Well, Santa is more of an abstract concept than a real ol’ man, right? It’s a story parents tell to get their kids to behave, while giving gifts on Christmas.”

“Ah, so you mean we should become Santa ourselves.”

“Of course! I prepared gifts for Leo and Jake too.”

“Ours has a beard.”

“Well, Santa is an ‘old man,’ right?”

Despite that, the women’s outfits were all short dresses.

“Wait, am I wearing this too?”

“Of course you are, Roti! Jake’s been looking forward to it!”

“He is?”

“…”

As Roti shot daggers at Jake, he managed to grin awkwardly.

“Okay, okay, everyone else! Quick!”

At Claire’s urging, we split male and female and headed to our respective rooms.

*

“Uh, this skirt seems a bit short?”

“Mia, it’s not too different in length from the magical girl outfits you usually wear.”

“R-really? But those have wider skirts and more lace…”

Sure, Mia’s outfit looked like something that would please the police but ironically, it was legal in this country.

The reason was simple—Mia was considered an adult here.

Well, thinking again, it’s not like she was naked, so there was no legal issue. In terms of coverage, it was much more decent than a bikini.

“Ah, I get it now.”

Charlotte murmured that while closing her eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I can definitely see how wearing this for a broadcast would draw in way more viewers.”

“…”

I was momentarily speechless seeing Charlotte’s wide-eyed realization.

“Why the long face? We’ve broadcast in outfits even more scandalous than this!”

“This is more scandalous?”

Sofia gasped at that.

The Santa costume design was the same for everyone, bar the measurements. Shoulders revealed, the neckline barely covering anything, and the skirt felt almost as short as a school uniform skirt.

It definitely screamed “what the girls would wear at Christmas.”

“Of course! Remember the workout outfits we wore…?”

Sofia gulped.

…Should I show it to them later, since it’s on video?

That video did quite well in views—almost as good as [Eek! Dispense] and [Eek! Remix]. Though it got a yellow tag slapped on it too.

Just thinking about that embarrassing video made me want to shift my gaze.

“Excellent! You make for a perfect Santa, Roti.”

“B-but if we do this in front of others…”

Roti’s hands were trying to ‘support’ but not really ‘push away’ the act, and it felt a bit strange.

I’d prefer they keep affection displays for private instead of in public. Poor Leo standing next to them.

“Leo, over here.”

I grabbed Leo by the arm and pulled him over.

“W-why?”

Then I shoved Leo next to Sofia.

“Gah!?”

Without waiting for Sofia’s next reaction, I walked over to Lily Baker, who was a bit distanced from our group.

“I didn’t expect you to be this shy.”

After I spoke, Lily looked slightly taken aback then smiled a bit.

“Ah, yes. I grew up in commoner areas, you know? Though it was relatively well-off, I still saw a fair bit of street performers.”

Ah, I see.

In taverns, there were plenty of waitresses with short dresses.

Plus, in a world set in the early 20th century, there were still bikinis and bunny girls! Maybe it wasn’t just skirt lengths she was exposed to after all.

“Plus, seeing the Crown Princess and the nobles wearing outfits like this gives me a bit of courage.”

“Oh, is that so?”

In that case, I had nothing more to say. If it makes her happy.

“Okay, okay!”

Claire clapped her hands.

“Now that all the Santas are gathered, let’s exchange the gifts we prepared!”

Following Claire, everyone clapped along.

Ah, this is nice.

You can definitely feel the Christmas vibe.

It’s been ages since I felt that.

Dropping in and out of homes and school without a girlfriend was bound to lead to that.

Exchanging Christmas gifts wasn’t about anything extravagant. With too many people, we agreed to prepare only one gift each.

It would work like a lottery. If your number was picked, you’d put it back and draw again—simple enough.

And what I ended up with was—

“Oh, that’s mine!”

Alice said with a smile.

“Oh really?”

I had number three.

As I unraveled the modest wrapping that looked like it had been done by hand, a small keychain emerged.

“I bought this last time we were here. I originally intended to take it as a souvenir, but since we returned, it feels like giving it to someone else will turn it into a memory.”

It wasn’t anything fancy—it was a small keychain shaped like a puppy.

But it was cute.

“Thank you! I’ll cherish it.”

“Don’t mention it. I just picked it up on the street.”

Alice still looked delighted.

“Ah, it’s my sister’s gift!”

Claire, in charge of ceremonies, held up the gift labeled with my number one.

“What’s inside… oh?”

Claire’s eyes sparkled when she saw what I had put inside.

“A necklace!”

“It’s not anything expensive.”

I pondered a lot over what could be liked by both genders and ended up choosing a necklace.

To be honest, after all that deliberation, it wasn’t even that pricey.

“No way, thank you, Sis!”

Claire immediately wore the necklace around her neck.

The crescent-shaped ornament sparkled as it dangled.

“How does it look?”

“It suits you well.”

I smiled and commented, watching Claire proudly puff out her chest.

Chapter 451

[Thank you, thank you!]

[Wow!]

[I’m happy, but this seems a bit much…]

The firepower in the chat was immense.

Well, if I were surrounded by girls who looked just like the heroines from the game, I wouldn’t be able to resist joining in either.

And it’s not even a major game; it’s just some indie game developed by a small company that only a few people know about, so it’s even more tempting.

I wonder if Millennium is watching us?

It would be nice if they were.

I wonder if we could do a collaboration someday.

“But we said it’s a Christmas broadcast, what should we do?”

I asked Claire.

By the way, we’re not in a broadcasting room but in a living room.

We set the camera up temporarily and connected the computer to the TV instead of a monitor. We were using a huge TV as if it were multiple monitors with a capture board.

Even if two guys were missing, there were still nine girls. The broadcasting room wasn’t too cramped, but it wasn’t big enough to accommodate nine people either.

Since we hadn’t done soundproofing here, we promised not to be too loud for now.

Claire held up the console game software that was connected to the TV.

“An intuitive game would be nice, right?”

It was a cart racing game that allowed four players to play at once.

“But before that…”

Claire set the software package aside and said, “Since it’s Christmas, how about we all watch a movie together?”

“I’m not saying we should play the movie on the TV. We’ll watch it, and other people can play it simultaneously from their own TVs or computers.”

Oh, I see.

I guess that sort of content exists—like watching anime together.

“Oh, but of course, you have to pay to watch this. So… um, anyone who really doesn’t want to see it can just chat while watching our stream?!”

Isn’t that a bit irresponsible?

Well, we aren’t exactly people who need money.

It’s not like we live here. We usually stay in Azernar and only come here for some relaxation during holidays, spending the money in our accounts, and then going back.

[Oh, I know this movie!]

[I’m logging in now!]

[It’s been a while; it’s nostalgic.]

[I unsubscribed yesterday, though.]

Various opinions came up in the chat. Most were saying it was a movie they enjoyed from childhood and that it seemed fun, but a few people were grumbling about not subscribing.

Well, if we don’t do something like that, we won’t have much to talk about. Claire, Alice, Charlotte, Mia, and I had plenty to discuss since we’d been together for a long time, but these kids had nothing but tales from Azernar.

“Ah, the boys decided to watch separately in another room, so you don’t have to worry.”

Claire whispered in my ear.

…Well, the two of them are pretty close, but is that alright?

There’s nothing more dreary than two guys watching a movie on Christmas. But then again, for these guys, Christmas isn’t exactly a significant day.

“By the way, what movie are we watching?”

Rena’s eyes sparkled, as she was usually very interested in animated movies.

Having already experienced the concept of animation and movies from this world through the TV, she seemed excited about the movie we were about to watch.

“This one!”

Claire selected a movie from the streaming site and said.

It was quite an old Christmas movie that they used to air every Christmas during my childhood; a movie about a child thwarting thieves trying to invade where he lives.

“I enjoyed it when I was little.”

“Then I picked well.”

Claire replied with a smile.

“Alright, everyone watching, get ready! We’ll start in five minutes!”

Claire shouted at the screen with a grin.

*

“…Seriously, if you keep running around with your feet getting stuck like that, you might lose a leg.”

“That’s brutal…”

Hmm.

Hearing Sofia and Roti’s comments while watching the movie felt a bit strange.

Is it brutal? Well, it kind of is. But this is a movie made for kids, and that brutality is exaggerated like in children’s cartoons.

The problem is that all the kids sitting here have experienced ‘real combat.’

Ordinary people might laugh at seeing a comedic scene where someone steps on a nail, but coming from a background where they’ve fought with swords and guns makes that scene look different.

Wait, did I think it was brutal when I was a kid?

“How did someone become a skeleton and come back?”

Electricity turned them into a skeleton and then they returned to their original state… If you just look at it, you could probably express it that way, but that’s actually an attempt to depict the commonly seen cartoonish scene of “the bones becoming visible in a shocked state” in a somewhat realistic way.

But it seemed that, in Lily’s eyes, it looked like someone suddenly turned into a skeleton and then came back.

Now that I think about it, electricity must be strange to her. Besides, it’s not like you would have bones visible if you were electrocuted.

If you don’t understand cartoonish expressions, it’s natural to react that way.

If anyone enjoyed the movie the most, it was Rena.

She enjoys watching cartoons quite a bit. I only realized this recently.

So, she could naturally understand the cartoonish exaggeration often used in movies from the early 20th century.

But the issue is…

Seeing her bursting with laughter while trying hard to keep her mouth shut among all the kids watching solemnly felt a bit—um, how should I put this?

Honestly, it looked a little creepy.

[The normal among the abnormal is abnormal.]

[Among the newcomers, only one of them is normal.]

[The kid’s concept is heavy too, lol.]

That was the sort of chat that popped up faintly in the corner of the screen.

Well, even if there’s a normal person, standing among the abnormal makes it look abnormal.

Usually, Rena is full of concepts, but for just this moment, she was the opposite.

*

The four people with me had to learn letters to live in this world, but the others didn’t.

Sure, they had ID cards, but they weren’t planning to be serious since they would just be hanging out here before going back.

So, the game Claire chose was a racing game.

As long as you know how to press a button, you can somehow play it, and the items are pretty intuitive.

After finishing the broadcast, we were all engrossed in the game.

I actually had a negative perception of online games. When RPGs go online, there are too many tasks, and when FPSs go online, you’re forced to cooperate.

But playing a game together like this made me understand why people play online games.

Playing with people you know is just so much fun.

“I won…!”

“Ah!”

Just for reference, what we were doing now was the real finals, including the two guys after the broadcast.

The ones who made it to the finals were Claire and Leo.

In a sibling rivalry, the one who won at the end was Leo.

“Is it really that hard to give the finals to your sister?!”

“Who’s calling you sister?”

Claire huffed, and Leo looked utterly dumbfounded.

We laughed watching the two bicker.

The floor was littered with snacks, and there were remnants of the takeout food as well.

Time had already passed midnight. We had lost track of time while playing games.

Now that we had the finals, it was about time to clean up and get ready.

“Tomorrow is a holiday in Azernar, right? Should we just all sleep here and go back tomorrow afternoon?”

Claire made that suggestion while cleaning.

“Then can we watch one more movie?” Rena asked.

“Since tomorrow is a day off, if you can manage it without staying up all night, I will allow it. For those sleeping in the living room, is that okay?”

“Why don’t we all just gather in the living room?” Jake suggested.

“You trust me and Leo not to do anything weird, right? We’d just need to change into our pajamas, right?”

“…”

“What’s the big deal?”

The first person to speak up was Claire.

“As long as you all don’t do anything too weird, isn’t it fine to be in pajamas? Especially you two… you know?”

We all looked at Roti.

“…I will manage it well.”

Then our gaze turned toward Sofia.

“Uh? Me?”

Sofia looked very flustered.

Well, neither of them are dating, and Leo is pretty much oblivious, so they have a long way to go to get closer…

But it would be nice to have at least one person marked.

“I’ll help too.”

Claire sighed deeply and said.

“Well then, let’s watch a movie before we sleep.”

I said that and asked Rena, “What kind of movie would you like to watch?”

“Do you have any recommendations?”

“Me!”

Mia raised her hand excitedly.

“Is it okay if we watch a cartoon?”

“I don’t think that would be a problem.”

Charlotte said with a smile.

Certainly, Rena’s expression brightened up significantly.

I even briefly thought about getting her a figurine or something as a gift.

Chapter 452

Lately, there are times when I just can’t fall asleep.

In the past, that would have been impossible. Sure, I could control fatigue with meditation, but to have so much energy left over that sleep eludes me? That’s just laughable.

I’ve been struggling to survive, thinking about how to protect the people I love, practicing something, and trying to turn back time.

Turning back time wipes out physical fatigue, but if I don’t sleep, mental exhaustion keeps piling up.

It’s not great to be physically relaxed but constantly stressed from working without rest.

So, I decided to sleep. I’d be grateful for any time I could sleep and would do my best to stay awake when I needed to.

But now, there was no need for that.

Having so much energy that sleep escapes me? That’s just hilarious.

As I sat by the window, looking down at the scenery, I heard someone fidgeting behind me.

“Are you not sleeping, big sister?”

It was Claire.

When I turned to look, I saw Claire lying and looking at me.

“I can’t fall asleep.”

I replied to her like that.

“Why? Don’t you want to go back tomorrow?”

“That’s not it.”

I answered Claire, who was teasing me, with a smile.

“I just have a little energy left. It seems like my stamina has increased a bit.”

“Really?”

Rustle rustle, Claire got up from her spot.

Since Claire’s place was right by the window, she could sit next to me without moving much.

“I’m glad to see you like this again.”

Even at midnight, the city was bright. Sure, if I went down, there would be more closed shops, but it’s something to see people still wandering about.

“I think so too.”

“……”

We sat quietly.

“Don’t you want to go see your family again?”

Claire whispered softly.

I paused to think for a moment.

“Maybe one day I’ll feel that way. But not right now.”

“If you want to, just say so. I’ll help you anytime.”

“Thank you, that’s kind of you.”

I replied like that.

“Hmm….”

It seemed Alice woke up from the sound of our conversation.

Alice was sitting next to me. So, technically speaking, the order of our lying down was Claire, me, and then Alice.

I was just sitting by the window, having climbed over Claire.

“What’s up…. You two aren’t sleeping?”

“Well, tomorrow’s a day off anyway.”

“The date has passed.”

“Right? But today is still a day off.”

I shrugged at Claire’s remark.

Alice crawled over while yawning, covering her mouth with a blanket over her shoulders.

“What were you talking about?”

With her voice, it sounded like she was still half-asleep. No, it was actually a time when she didn’t even need to wake up.

We had all watched a movie late into the night, so it made sense that she couldn’t even open her eyes properly. In fact, more than half of us had fallen asleep during the film.

“We didn’t talk about much. Just… a little about this world.”

“Really?”

Alice didn’t seem to be trying to share anything specific; she just came over after seeing the two of us awake.

“It was really fun.”

Alice said.

“It was really enjoyable. I’d want to play like this again next time.”

“I’ll help you.”

Claire confidently pounded her chest and announced.

“But after graduating from the academy, things will be tough in many ways. Getting everyone together will be difficult. Besides, time flows the same now.”

“That doesn’t mean we can abandon the people waiting for our show, right? We have sequels to do too.”

That’s true.

Since it had come to this, I wanted to play through the entire series properly to the end.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to gather you all.”

At that, Alice laughed bitterly.

“The moment you try to kidnap two princesses, you’ll become a major criminal.”

“Who’s gonna know? I already ran away to another world; there’s probably no evidence.”

Hearing that, I chuckled snicker.

“I’ll be counting on you when that time comes.”

“Can you really say that?”

Alice shot me a sideways glance.

“If my workload becomes too much, I’ll make a clean getaway.”

“Well then, I’ll just pile on more work and wait.”

That’s a bit scary.

The three of us laughed quietly.

Ugh.

Charlotte, who had been sleeping next to Alice, let out a sound and woke up.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at us when she saw the slight reflection in the window.

“What’s everyone doing? Aren’t you sleeping?”

Well, there goes the neighborhood.

Charlotte sat next to us as well.

“What were you talking about so intently?”

I heard the same question again. I guess it can’t be helped.

“We didn’t talk about much. Just some stories about this world.”

Alice repeated my answer word-for-word.

“Right.”

Charlotte smiled softly.

“It sounds like a dream. I thought I had given up on coming back, but hearing I don’t have to give up again… feels a bit strange.”

“Don’t worry. Even after you become the queen, I can easily kidnap you.”

“Are you trying to start an international incident?”

Thinking about it, Claire had a point.

In the world where Claire is a princess, her role was what it was after all. Of course, she wouldn’t appreciate hearing that.

“…… Yeah.”

“Looks like Mia is up now too.”

Finally, all the original five members were awake.

“What were you talking about…?”

“It’s nothing special, just talking about this world.”

How many times am I going to hear the same thing?

In the living room, there were other kids sleeping besides us. If they get woken up, it’d feel like it was such a waste. If that’s the case, we should have just stayed up all night from the beginning.

“……”

The five of us sat together in silence, looking out.

I could see cars sparkling with lights passing by. If you looked closely at the sidewalk, you might see some people wandering too.

“When I first came here, it was overwhelming.”

I spoke, somewhat unexpectedly.

“I’ve survived because of you all. Honestly, if it were just me, I would have lived like this alone and died old.”

I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford this apartment either. I wouldn’t even think about buying a lottery ticket. I wouldn’t have thought to stream online.

It was thanks to these five that I could endure.

I think about it many times, but no matter how many times I think about it, I’m grateful.

“Eh, you don’t need to be that grateful.”

Claire waved her hand without a flinch.

“…… If your sister says that, can’t you at least take it a little sentimentally?”

“Originally, that’s what sisters are for.”

Saying that, Claire stuck out her tongue at Alice.

“Hasn’t it been less than a year since you two reunited?”

“Time doesn’t matter. The bond between us is strong enough it won’t be weakened by such things.”

Claire insisted against Charlotte’s words.

Well, I do agree to some extent. Claire recognized me immediately when she saw me.

“I also… If you all weren’t here… I wouldn’t be able to live this positively…”

There are a lot of ellipses, but it wasn’t because I was shy. Mia looked incredibly tired. After all, she had stayed awake through the entire movie.

Maybe that’s why she could speak so honestly?

“…… Why are you staring at me like that?”

Charlotte felt the gazes on her and asked.

Charlotte, who was sitting hugging her knees, eventually sighed deeply at our unwavering stares.

“Y-Yeah, I also enjoyed a happy school life thanks to you all. I’m sure my time at the academy will be enjoyable and happy as well. Is that enough?”

It was dark, so I couldn’t see well, but her face probably turned a little red.

The five of us turned our eyes back to the front with satisfaction.

The weather was a bit cold. Though the heating was on, sitting by the window, I could still feel a chill.

Yet, at the same time, I felt warmth.

I paused for a moment, and then—

“If, at this moment, this is the conclusion to a long story…”

—I unexpectedly brought that up.

“Can we call this moment a happy ending?”

The four of them looked at me simultaneously.

There were no words from anyone.

As my face started to heat up slowly, Claire was the first to speak up.

“Of course.”

“I think so too. It couldn’t be a better way to end a story.”

Alice chimed in.

“After long trials, is it a story of finally living happily with friends? It’s a happy ending, of course.”

Charlotte said with a smile.

“…… Finally, everyone lives happily ever after.”

Mia finished with a sleepy voice.

“……”

A smile I couldn’t suppress appeared on my lips.

Yep, it was a long story.

Though our story would continue in some form or another, for now, one grand chapter of that great tale had come to a close.

And, I would say, even I could call that end a happy ending.

Chapter 453

Sure.

It’s okay that I came back to this world.

I did want to come back once, and truthfully, I was a little curious about how the story in the game’s sequel would unfold.

I was definitely planning to go back to Azernar, so I thought that it wouldn’t be bad to drop by like this once—at least that’s what I was thinking.

And I didn’t mind that my sisters came over too.

Claire was the type who would cross worlds to look for me.

Honestly, it was a bit touching that I could think of her like that.

And I could understand Alice following Claire as well. Alice truly cared for me, so it wouldn’t be strange at all if she tagged along to reach me, even if it was a bit forced.

Both of them were precious sisters to me.

But…

But here’s the thing.

“…How on earth did that person get here?”

“It’s a bit disappointing to hear that from someone who’s related to your father.”

No, that’s not a disappointing voice at all!

“Even if you lose a war, isn’t it wise to capture the next opportunity, my daughter?”

“Oh, so you really ran away to this world, is that it?”

I pressed my throbbing forehead.

In my hands were still the fresh vegetables I had just bought and the marinated pork stir-fry ingredients I had in a plastic bag on sale.

After all, I had to live in this world, so I bought ingredients for about a day or two’s worth of food.

Although it looked like they would be gone in no time tonight.

“…Sorry, sis. I didn’t think that person would suddenly jump in.”

“No, it’s my fault. I should’ve been more aware and jumped in first.”

Claire and Alice each apologized in turn.

I carefully set the plastic bag down on the floor and sat down.

With my index finger pressing against my forehead, I said, “…Understood. But could you at least take off your shoes inside?”

Everyone was still wearing dust-covered shoes as if they had just come from a battlefield.

As a Korean, I just can’t allow that, you know.

*

The three of us were sitting around the jibo.

By the way, there were four people in the room, but I expressed it as three because there were three people surrounding it.

The remaining one could very well be deemed… my father…

In reality, I’ve never thought of him as a father. The Emperor may have thought of me as his daughter, but that was only because he was under the impression that his blood flowed through me.

But still, the other two were definitely his daughters.

“So, does that mean that using the jibo allows us to return to that world?”

Claire nodded at my question.

“But the light has decreased now…”

“Probably because it was used already once.”

Our heads turned sharply in the direction the voice came from.

“The power of the jibo is not infinite. It was created by the First Emperor to counter the Goddess’s powers, so naturally, conditions must be met for its power to activate.”

“…Would you care to tell us about those conditions?”

“Well, the more the Goddess uses her power, the stronger the jibo will become. The Goddess of Order will do anything to maintain her order; wouldn’t it be fun to see how the order of this world collapses?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just like I did.”

Are they suggesting we cause a terror attack?

“Sorry, but this world has its own level of chaos, and even for minor reasons, violence can lead to conclusions like ‘that’s plausible.’”

“What if we step in ourselves?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“This isn’t the world we lived in. I don’t know how you manage to act like you’ve adapted after coming to this world, but if outsiders like us act too conspicuously, the Goddess will rush to settle things. She might reveal that we came from another world.”

Hmm.

Honestly, that was quite a valid point.

Because they resembled characters straight out of a game too much.

Not just in appearance, but their voices were identical too. The only difference was the language they used.

“Sorry, but I have no intention of using such violent methods.”

I stated firmly.

I’m from this world.

Surely, my parents and siblings are still living back in my hometown. I wouldn’t even want to consider dragging such a world into chaos. What do they think of someone else’s hometown?

Although I haven’t informed them that it’s my hometown yet.

“Do you want to come all the way here and do that?”

Alice shot a glare at me, but the Emperor merely shrugged.

“I just mentioned that it was a possibility.”

How annoying!

“Anyway, so there is a way to go back, right?”

Alice turned her head again, speaking. Claire nodded her head.

Okay, knowing that there’s a way back lessened the burden a bit.

I sighed in relief.

*

Even after living a few years in another world, my taste still matched that of Korea.

Well, it was the world I lived in for over 30 years.

It’s not that I didn’t want to eat Korean food in Azernar; it was simply because I had no way to do that.

At the supermarket, I seriously pondered whether to buy ramen or try cooking after a long time, but I decided to cook first and brought home the pork stir-fry ingredients.

Somehow, what I’d prepared for two days alone turned into an amount to share among four people.

“This is what they call chopsticks? I heard they use this in the East, but it’s my first time holding them.”

Why is that old man so happy about this?

Just act cold like usual! The two daughters sitting next to him are feeling super awkward!

To make matters worse, the only table we could spread out was just large enough for four people—it made things even more uncomfortable. At least Claire and Alice were sitting across from each other, but I was facing the Emperor.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just use a spoon and not spill the meat?”

I said as I set the hardened pork onto his plate.

“Hmm? But shouldn’t I be trying to adapt now that I’m here?”

“……”

I was at a loss for words.

“This is a bit spicy! But still delicious!”

To dispel the awkwardness, Claire said that as she earnestly munched on the meat.

“Right? It’s a flavor we could hardly find back in our place. The spiciness here is different from curry.”

Hearing both of their voices lifted my mood a bit.

…

But what should I do now?

Should I look for a job right away tomorrow?

If it were just me, I could have taken two weeks off without a problem. I might even be fine for a month if I’m lucky? After that, I’d feel a bit uneasy.

But now, there are four of us living in this small house.

The Emperor is some old dude, so even if he eats a bit less, it shouldn’t be a huge issue. People’s metabolism tends to slow down as they age, so a little food could last longer.

But the other two people in this house are fifteen years old.

That’s the age when they eat a lot.

“Is this house the only room? If we’re all going to live here, it could get a bit inconvenient.”

Hearing such remarks made me a bit irritated since I had found this place myself.

“Your Majesty, you know?”

I couldn’t hold back and opened my mouth.

“Your Majesty has made a hole in my body not too long ago. It may feel like a day has passed for me, but for you, it was mere moments ago. How can you speak like that while being in the house of someone you hurt?”

‘Your Majesty’s’ lips closed immediately.

Does he have any sense of shame?

“This house is currently in my name. I hope you keep in mind that I can throw you out whenever I please.”

“Oh? So you mean you have the means for forcible eviction?”

…Why is he seeing a possibility for administrative power within a threat?

I tried holding back a sigh and ignored that comment.

“But I’ll assure you that the two of you will never be thrown out, so don’t worry.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

The two answered in turn like that.

“Is this how it feels to be ignored by your daughter as a father?”

“……”

He probably said that jokingly, but why does it make me so angry?

It must be because he got stabbed just recently and is feeling sensitive.

I understand a bit since we fought over everything. Not to the full extent though.

But still—

…If I threw these chopsticks, would they stick? They are steel chopsticks, after all.

If I could turn back time, I would certainly have thrown them at least once.

Chapter 454

I mean,

Honestly, I didn’t think the Emperor would be much help in my life.

And, well… it’s a bit awkward to say, but isn’t he kinda old?

Most of the older folks I’ve seen in this world tend to wave their hands and refuse when you try to teach them how to use smartphones or PCs, saying things like, “I can’t do this; can’t a young person do it instead?” or “The computer won’t turn on; can you do something about it?” They say that a lot.

Yeah, I get it. Sometimes I honestly don’t want to learn new things, and if it doesn’t stick in my brain, I just give up quite quickly.

So, I thought this person would be the same.

Anyway, I just slept on the first day.

Fortunately, the clothes I wore at home fit the Emperor just barely. It was pretty annoying that the Emperor, who looks like he’s lived several decades longer than me, had broader shoulders than my manly days, but at least I put them on.

“Whose clothes are these?”

If only Alice and Claire had come over, I might have shared my past life story. But I had no intention of sharing that with the Emperor.

I mean… he’s the Emperor. Who knows how he might use that against me? Considering I plan to jump back to that other world, it’s better if the past stays hidden.

Though it seems it’s too late for that.

…Should I just leave it all behind when I go back?

Claire and Alice fit into the women’s workout clothes I bought, so I made them wear that for now.

We all decided to compromise and change our clothes in the bathroom.

No matter how mixed our blood is, a daughter can’t strip in front of her father.

“I thought it was about time for my daughters to hit puberty.”

The Emperor chuckled as he observed the barrier I put up between him and us three.

The barrier wasn’t anything special. I just rolled up a blanket that I sometimes used in winter and placed it between the Emperor and me. I laid Alice and Claire on either side of me.

Anyway, after a night of sleep,

“Since there’s no way to go back right now, I’ll teach you how to live in this world. Please, try not to commit any crimes, as I’ll be here for quite a while.”

Of course, the talk about crimes was mainly directed at the Emperor. I could trust Claire and Alice with my life.

“Okay.”

“Got it.”

“Understood.”

The last response came from a deep-voiced middle-aged man, which annoyed me a bit, but I held it in for now.

“Today… I’ll show you a bit of this world. The technology here is highly developed. It might seem a bit complex at first, but once you get used to it, I believe you can use most things quite efficiently. In fact, the machines using steam power are usually simpler and easier to operate.”

The fewer parts a machine has that can break down, the less likely it is to malfunction. Many people mistakenly think electronic devices are easy to break because they consist of a very small circuit, but honestly, they tend to break less when they are made of complicated and small parts unless there’s a flaw. As long as you protect the circuits well and keep them from failing, that is.

If you drop a digital clock and a mechanical clock from a height of two stories in an apartment, usually, the digital clock survives.

“Well then, let’s head out after breakfast.”

At my words, Claire’s face sparkled with excitement. Alice looked a bit anxious—meanwhile, the Emperor was smirking.

Why? What are you planning?

I really wish he’d just say something instead of plotting.

*

“Is that a car? I think it’s about time to maintain the roads of the Imperial Capital. I should push to abolish the recurrent regulations, right, Alice?”

“…You seem to think you’ll lose your position as Emperor when you go back.”

“Of course. What can I do since I lost that battle?”

Seeing the Emperor chuckling, I had no words. He’s just acknowledging it; what can I say?

“By the way, I’m curious about the limits of this smartphone.”

“…I think most internet services should be available.”

Limits of a smartphone, huh.

It really depends on how you define ‘limits.’ If you’re asking about games, that might be a clear boundary, but if it’s just about “what can you do with a smartphone,” the story changes a lot.

So, what can it actually do?

“Does that mean stock trading and voting are possible?”

“Oh, that’s not the case. You can do stocks, but voting is not possible.”

“Why not?”

“Stocks are only the loss to the individual, but voting is a loss to the nation as a whole. Moreover, stocks need real-time price checking, but voting doesn’t need that; you just go in and come out. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks.”

I’ve heard there are places where electronic voting is actively used. Was it Brazil? But most countries still use conservative methods. Many people believe that’s a more reliable approach.

“…But, are you really thinking about getting into stocks?”

“Do you think I want to live with three of us in such a tiny room? We should at least get another room or find a place with two additional rooms.”

At that comment, Claire and Alice glanced at me.

Come on, you don’t need to be that careful on a bus.

“I wouldn’t mind living like this.”

“…Stocks aren’t that easy.”

I’ve tried it.

I only lost.

“Do you think that’s true? I’ve tried stocks too, you know?”

“……”

Did he gain something?

But hold on, wasn’t it because he had the Emperor’s name that he could profit? If the Emperor invests in stocks, they’re bound to surge, right? He’s a person with such high approval ratings in the Empire.

Otherwise, in our country, it would be like saying the president made a fortune off stocks. It seems like… that shouldn’t be legally allowed, but it sounds like it would create a ton of backlash. At least his external image would be tarnished.

“Is that impossible?”

Sigh.

I let out a deep breath.

“Anyway, I was planning to buy each of you a smartphone.”

Of course, I was thinking of getting used ones.

But still, we should have a way to contact each other, right?

*

And for the following week, I taught the three of them Hangul.

Thanks to the Goddess’s powers, they quickly picked it up. Maybe they were worried about being seen as strange for not being able to read Hangul despite being registered as Koreans?

The Goddess is truly an ungraspable entity.

Naturally, I got them smartphones.

Me, Claire, and Alice, well, we used them just for our age-appropriate purposes. We kept in touch, watched videos while lying around, and read various things on the internet.

While Claire and I were just having fun, Alice was studying diligently.

…And the most dedicated among us was none other than the Emperor himself.

“This world is overflowing with interesting things to discover the more you learn.”

The Emperor said this with a wicked smile.

“…Stocks are definitely not to be given as gifts. Always do it within your means. I don’t want to end up in the negative with what I have.”

“Of course. No way should a father leave debts for his daughter, right?”

But then, it’s okay to pierce holes in the body?

I knew all too well that he wouldn’t flinch at that comment, so I decided to stay silent.

*

And then, about three days later,

I found an alert on my phone, showing that a hundred thousand won had come in.

…Why on earth a hundred thousand won?

The sender was ‘Arthur Fanggriffon.’

“…What is this money for?”

“Oh, it’s from the profits of stocks.”

“…Huh?”

The money I had given the Emperor was two hundred thousand won.

Not just the Emperor, but I had given the same amount to Alice and Claire too. In my mind, that should cover what they might want to do for a month since we were already handling our meals together.

It seemed Claire really wanted to do internet broadcasting, and Alice showed some interest too. Even the Emperor seemed intrigued.

Honestly, I was interested too, so the three of us were checking things out.

At some point, I was curious about what the Emperor was doing with his smartphone—

He was trading stocks?

“…So you used twenty thousand won to yield ten thousand and sent this?”

“Not quite. I actually earned twenty thousand. But if I reinvest, won’t I earn even more?”

“……”

I looked at Claire and Alice with a dazed expression.

Claire tilted her head, but Alice shrugged her shoulders.

“Father has always been good at accumulating money through stocks.”

Yeah, I knew that.

But to think that was true no matter if he was an Emperor or not?

“Hmm.”

Hearing the Emperor’s voice made me turn back.

“I think you’re underestimating me. Even if it looks like this, I was an Emperor who had the Great Empire in my palm.”

……

That’s… uh…

There’s no denying it’s impressive, but.

I rubbed my face.

Chapter 455

I’ve had my fair share of serious worries because of the Emperor, but this is the first time I’m contemplating such a reason.

You know what? I gave both Alice and Claire, as well as the Emperor, 200,000 won each.

That money wasn’t meant to be used right away. It was given for them to hold onto and use when needed or when they wanted something.

There wasn’t really a reason to give the same amount to all three. I just thought it would be easier than getting into a fuss about not sharing equally or giving less. Honestly, I even considered giving the Emperor a little less.

But then, the Emperor turned that money into more and has been consistently giving me 100,000 won every three days. This has been going on for two weeks now.

Whenever we go out, the Emperor doesn’t tag along awkwardly. Instead, every morning, he goes to a nearby café, orders an espresso with his smartphone in hand, and enjoys it in style.

I followed him a few times, so I’m sure.

Naturally, his smartphone had stock trading apps and such open.

“Well, isn’t that okay?”

Alice shrugged her shoulders and said.

“He says he’ll earn his own money to spend.”

“……”

“Are you saying you don’t like getting money every three days?”

Seeing my expression, Alice asked with a smile.

“Well…”

“So, we don’t really have much to say about that, huh? Since both of us are part of the royal family, you, me, we’ve all used the royal funds generously.”

“……”

Well… that’s true.

The giant Marmaros cannon I used in the last battle, the futuristic automatic pistol, and the steam-powered exosuit were all bought with royal money. I wasn’t even in a position to earn money for the royal family.

“But not all of that is technically the Emperor’s money.”

“If we’re splitting hairs, it’s still the Emperor’s money. Sure, it’s becoming mine now, but the ownership ultimately lies with the head of the royal family, even if most is managed below.”

After hearing Alice say that, I lost my words.

“Well, there’s no need to pay it back or anything. You’re not completely wrong. The Emperor didn’t earn all that by himself, right? If you want to be precise, he’s just rolling over what has been accumulated from previous generations.”

When I still looked uneasy, Claire, who was beside me, chimed in.

“You can just think of it as him paying back what he borrowed from your family.”

Is he really acting as if he’s paying it back? That’s worth considering.

Honestly, he gives off a bit of a psycho vibe, like he treats people as mere game pieces.

“No, more importantly…”

I said again, looking a bit serious.

“What I’m really worried about is something else.”

“What is it?”

Alice asked as if she was genuinely curious. Claire, listening nearby, also leaned in.

“Well, I’ve been contemplating whether if I increase the money I’m giving, the returns might also grow larger.”

“……”

Both Alice and Claire were momentarily speechless and stared at me.

“So, you’re saying that receiving the money isn’t the problem?”

Alice asked. I tilted my head.

“Is it a problem when someone gives you money? After all, the principal of that profit was my own money.”

“Well, it is kind of accurate when you put it like that.”

Alice rubbed her forehead.

“To be honest, this room we’re in is a bit cramped, isn’t it? It’s overly open for three of us: an adult man and two teenage girls. We’re managing to keep our boundaries, but still…”

“That’s true.”

Claire nodded seriously.

“To be blunt, I can only call him ‘that guy.’ I mean, calling someone who hasn’t raised me for even a minute ‘father’ just because we share blood feels off.”

Claire’s remark was very reasonable.

“So, how about we gradually increase the investment with the end goal of moving houses? Then we could think more seriously about streaming here.”

The room we’re currently staying in is a small studio.

Since it’s a rented place, putting up curtains feels a little awkward, and there’s nowhere to set up partitions.

So if we were to stream, the Emperor would either have to be outside or sitting still somewhere. A wide-angle camera that shows all three of our faces would capture nearly half of our studio.

I feel like sitting pressed against the wall while streaming wouldn’t be comfortable.

“But is that really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“If the father really starts making a lot of money, then instead of him sleeping over at ours, we might end up living at his place.”

“……”

I thought for a moment before saying, “Then let’s consider moving out from this rental. If we can buy a house, the Emperor can live outside, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Also, according to your logic from earlier, we’ve always been living at the Emperor’s house. A few more months living here shouldn’t change much.”

Alice couldn’t argue against my point.

“Anyway, I’m in favor.”

Claire raised her hand. I raised mine too. As we both looked at Alice, she shrugged and then raised her hand.

“I’m also not particularly dissatisfied with the three of us living here.”

Good.

I nodded.

Click.

And at that moment, the door to our house opened.

The person who entered was the Emperor.

Even though all three of us turned to look at him simultaneously, he didn’t seem surprised at all.

“What were you three chatting about so amicably?”

“We were just talking about money for a bit.”

“I thought I heard that money wasn’t at such a dangerous level yet.”

The Emperor smiled and took off his shoes as he stepped inside.

For some reason, ever since he got here, he seems to be in a good mood, like he just shed an invisible layer of armor.

Is he planning to establish a new empire here?

Well, it’s definitely better than getting into politics while stuck at home fiddling with stocks.

“It’s not about being in danger. Since you’re involved in this, why don’t you join for a bit of a discussion?”

“Oh?”

The Emperor came over with an intrigued expression.

And he seated himself some distance away from us on the floor.

With his legs crossed and hands resting on his knees, he looked very firm. You could probably hit him with a fist and he wouldn’t even flinch.

Well, he actually wouldn’t.

“I have some savings.”

“Oh?”

The Emperor smirked at my words.

I really don’t like that smile of his.

“I’ve saved about 20 million won in my bank account. Of course, I don’t think it’s appropriate to spend all that money, but I can invest anything under 3 million.”

“That’s a brilliant proposal.”

The Emperor rubbed his chin and thought for a moment.

“But I think I could manage to raise that kind of money myself soon. Even without deducting what I give you, I have surplus funds.”

Then he grinned again.

I really, really don’t like that smile, but still, I thought for a moment.

“Do you not trust me? I assumed you were making that proposal because you believed in me.”

“……”

So what amount would satisfy him?

“Are you confident you can assure a profit?”

“Do you not see what I’ve done so far and still doubt me? I designed modern capitalism in Azernar. I understand its fundamental aspects all too well. I built it all by making every mistake possible in my youth.”

But I wonder if that experience would apply in the 21st century?

“Just to confirm, do you also dabble in coins?”

“It’s a high-risk option, but I’ve been dabbling a little here and there. Surprisingly, the gains have been decent. I prefer stocks more than anything.”

“……You’re keeping it within the bounds of not going into debt, right?”

“Well, it’s not easy to go into debt. I still don’t have a job here. Besides, like you said, I’m not touching futures. No matter what, even I can’t read the future, and if I mess up, you might end up wanting to kill me.”

Still, I can’t imagine killing anyone in this world. There’s no way to cover it up. Honestly, if I wasn’t registered in this world as a Korean person with fingerprint records, it would be one of my last resort options, but alas.

Still, I have way more options I can take now than before and feel no complaints about it.

“……How about 7 million?”

At my question, the Emperor lowered his hand from his chin.

He wore a confident smile on his face.

“That’s a kind offer.”

I just hope it’s an offer worth being thankful for on my end.

Chapter 456

And 7 million won returned to me as 7 million won.

What does this mean, you ask? It means just that. The Emperor returned exactly 7 million won to me a few days later.

“Isn’t it a bit too straightforward to return the money I gave you?”

When I asked this after checking my bank balance, the Emperor chuckled and said,

“It’s because I made that much profit. As much as I may seem, I’m someone who remembers favors. Thanks to you, I’ve got quite a bit of capital now, making things much easier for me.”

“…Could you tell me how you made such a profit?”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor thought for a moment and then spoke.

“Actually, I have a plan for that too; would you like to hear it?”

There was no way I could turn it down. Because, quite frustratingly, the Emperor had indeed been a huge help in our lives.

Not just a little help. It was such a big help that we didn’t even need to look for part-time jobs.

It’s kind of funny relying on the Emperor’s stocks like this. I mean… doesn’t it seem wrong? Just the other day we were fighting each other for our lives.

The problem was that once the Emperor moved past a situation, he was a man who didn’t hold grudges. While I was still sorting out my emotions, he seemed to assume it was all water under the bridge.

Otherwise, he would have had bad feelings towards me from the start.

“I’m thinking about doing a broadcast.”

“…A broadcast?”

I repeated his words.

“What kind of broadcast are you planning to do?”

“A stock broadcast. There are many broadcasts like that.”

“…”

Um…

For some reason, the thought of him doing a broadcast made me uneasy. I never thought of the Emperor as someone skilled in public relations. He was the type to achieve things with his own abilities and then announce them to the media to lead public opinion.

He only speaks the truth, but that truth brings definite benefits to the Empire and earns him support, creating that kind of public opinion.

“Are you perhaps planning to manipulate stock prices?”

I asked seriously.

I didn’t know much about economics. I understood the laws. I wasn’t sure if manipulating stocks to what extent counts as a crime, or if merely discussing this and that on a broadcast counts as manipulation.

But if it were the Emperor, it seemed totally possible.

“I’ve thought about it, actually.”

I placed my hand on my forehead.

“But getting involved in crime would cause us trouble in many ways. I’ve heard economic criminals tend to be dealt with quickly, and for us, even a year would be a huge loss.”

“Well then, how exactly do you plan to broadcast?”

“Literally, about market trends. Rather than naming companies, if I just discuss certain stocks, there shouldn’t be any major problems, right?”

I crossed my arms and thought for a while before nodding.

“Alright. That seems like it won’t be a big problem.”

“Good.”

The Emperor nodded and then looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

“But we can’t just do the broadcast right here in such a cramped house, can we? You guys will be appearing behind me.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

In response to my answer, the Emperor smiled and slightly extended his hand.

“So, how about you consider properly investing in me? I’ve multiplied the money enough to return you 7 million won. If you want, I could show you the proof.”

“…”

Are you saying that with a 20 million won investment, I could inflate it to 20 million won?

“Money, after all, comes back more when there’s more at stake. The story differs entirely when you invest 100,000 won as opposed to 10 million won.”

“But even so, I can’t give you everything.”

I made a firm statement.

“It’s not about the success or failure of the stocks. I still can’t fully trust you.”

“Do you think I would run away with your money?”

“It’s not impossible, is it?”

I spoke while trying my best to steer the atmosphere back in my favor.

“…How about this? I’ll add 300,000 won to the 7 million you just gave me, making it 10 million. How does that sound?”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor smiled.

…What’s going on? Why do I feel like I’m being cornered?

“Well then, let’s take our time and let the money grow slowly. There’s really no need to worry. I’ve kept the 7 million won you lent me handy.”

“…Is that so?”

So next time, does that mean the Emperor will have more money than me?

That’s a bit unsettling.

*

“That’s negotiation tactics, isn’t it?”

Alice said with a laugh, seemingly amused.

The three of us were gathered together in a café.

Alice and Claire were seriously considering part-time jobs. They knew well how risky this ‘investment’ could be.

No matter how much of a genius the Emperor was, he wouldn’t know everything about this world’s system.

But the Emperor had returned 1 million won to me just this morning. Honestly, at this point, I couldn’t help but be suspicious. Isn’t this a scam?

Borrow money and keep steadily paying it back several times to build trust. Then, once the other party fully believes in you, you pull a fast one and run away with the money.

“At least, I’m sure this isn’t that kind of scam. The Emperor isn’t someone who would be satisfied with just a few tens of millions. He’s probably using my money as seed money.”

“Then what about that negotiation tactic you mentioned?”

“It’s simple, right? Ask for an absurdly large amount that’s hard for the other party to give immediately, then lure them into investing a smaller amount than that. You thought about 20 million won, then ended up handing over a million. Logically, how many people would simply hand over half of their own wealth? Even if it’s ‘your father,’ you know? And it’s not just lending it; it’s ‘investing,’ right?”

“…”

“I think so too, sis.”

Claire said while spreading strawberry jam on her scone.

“I don’t think the Emperor seems cheap enough to scam us, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t deceive us either, right? There’s a possibility he crafted his words to create a favorable situation for himself.”

“…”

Their words left me momentarily speechless.

“Well, that just means you are that desperate,” Alice said, seeing my expression and trying to comfort me.

“Everyone feels they can’t resist investing when they see money rolling in like that. Unfortunately, there are scams of that sort out there too.”

Like manipulating the screen to show something, while in reality, no money is really moving at all.

Thinking back, it felt like that might have happened to me.

“You’re usually so skeptical, yet you seem to have a bit of a blind spot too.”

Claire chuckled.

“Let’s take some time to think this over. You mentioned you received 1 million, right?”

“Yes.”

I definitely saw the money come in.

“Then, let’s wait and see if your father can restore that 10 million.”

Alice said as she sipped her drink through a straw.

*

“How about it, does this make you believe me?”

The Emperor said after transferring over 15 million won to my account.

Honestly, he looked entirely confident about it.

This was just a week later.

“…So, does that mean you have more than this in your account?”

“Not right now.”

How impressive.

“So for now, there’s no need for me to give you money. I’ll manage what I have.”

“How on earth can you accumulate that much money?”

“Hmm? Naturally, I thoroughly read the world’s newspapers to get a sense of the situation. I don’t always win. There are times I lose. But since I have divided my investments thoroughly, I’m guaranteed to make profits in certain areas.”

“How much… and where do you invest?”

“I invest in about five different markets. As for the companies, it’s obviously a lot more than that.”

“You do all that by yourself?”

“Having ruled a vast empire, I’ve scrutinized every detail. Isn’t it all possible? Besides, with this tiny device in my palm, I can do anything. Oh, but it’d be better to have a computer for a better overview. Would it be okay to bring in a few monitors?”

“…”

I stared blankly at the Emperor for a while, then nodded.

“Excellent decision.”

The Emperor said with a smile.

“Oh, and regarding the broadcast, I thought about it again.”

“…What is it?”

“Instead of just having me on the broadcast, how about you three join me?”

“…”

“I think you three have enough appeal to catch people’s eyes.”

“…I’d rather do a separate broadcast.”

“Hmm, that’s a bit disappointing. The opportunity to start the broadcast quickly has vanished.”

But the Emperor raised his shoulders as if he didn’t care much.

It was oddly irritating.

Chapter 457

Do you know the feeling of helplessness when you see something you can’t change with my power?

So, for example…

The size of the money the Emperor is collecting seems to be getting bigger day by day. At this point, I wonder if it’s economically possible, but the problem is that it’s actually happening.

And I have no justification to stop the Emperor.

The money the Emperor earns is ‘actually’ being used helpfully for us.

In the end, we gave up looking for part-time jobs.

We don’t need to stress ourselves with work when we have enough money to get by. Just the money the Emperor has given me so far could let us lounge around in a room for months.

The problem is that the money is directly from the ‘Emperor to me’, and that’s the source of my stress.

In the Empire, I did not receive money ‘directly’ from the Emperor. The amount of money I could spend was decided within the budget managed by the finance minister, and I just had to take out what was there. Sure, strictly speaking, it was money I spent thanks to the Emperor, but at least he never smiled at me while handing it over.

Yeah, I know. If you’re this stressed and your pride is hurt, then just don’t take it.

Even though I could…

Honestly, if someone just hands me hundreds of thousands won saying I don’t need to pay it back, why would I refuse?

“None, right?”

Alice cut in sharply.

“I think so too.”

“Your pride is hurt because you lack the ability compared to the Emperor. Remember how we defeated Father on the battlefield.”

“That’s true, but…”

I closed my eyes tightly and pressed my fingers to my forehead.

“Are you saying that you think we’ll move to a bigger house if this continues?”

Claire asked with a laugh.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“…No, how should I put it?”

I… well, there’s something I’ve been thinking about since arriving in this world, especially since Alice and Claire have been hanging around with the Emperor since I got here.

So, the story is…

“Doesn’t it seem like we’re a little too much of a cozy family?”

That’s right.

No matter how I complain, I just look like a rebellious teenage girl. Or maybe a twenty-something living off her father without going to college or getting a job in this world.

But Father, in the role of Emperor, just easily smiles and hands me pocket money. Sometimes in the hundreds of thousands won, sometimes even in millions.

In all my previous experiences of earning money, I’ve never received as much as the pocket money the Emperor gives me.

“…”

“…”

And after finally bringing that thought up, Claire and Alice stared at me blankly.

“Well, I think I understand a bit of what you’re feeling. I didn’t live here as long as you, but… I was also mobilized to earn money when I was very young, right?”

But Claire just shrugged.

“But even after becoming a noble, I’ve never felt pride hurt saying, ‘This money isn’t my earned money.’ I just lived gratefully with what was given.”

“I feel the same. I did think about pushing out Father and becoming Emperor someday, but that’s about it—I just thought of the money as mine and spent it.”

Well, that’s understandable, considering Alice has been a princess since birth. Even if there were differences due to the Emperor’s power, she had no choice but to adapt to a life of luxury.

“Above all, all the money the Emperor is earning right now is thanks to the money you’ve worked hard to gather in this world, right? If you think about it that way, isn’t it a big problem? Instead, if you lose money, Father should be apologetic.”

No, that’s not how it works!

“By the way, did you buy a lottery ticket because of that?”

“…”

That’s right.

I impulsively bought it when I went out with Alice and Claire for some fresh air.

We’ve been here for about a month now. We still haven’t started any internet broadcasting. We’re still living in a one-room apartment.

Although the Emperor is earning money, using all that money to buy an apartment is still a bit problematic. I’d have to take out a hefty loan and, no matter how well he’s earning, since it’s stock earnings, there is always risk.

Even without doing anything, the living situation was slowly brightening. I don’t really understand why.

…I think the Goddess purposely sent me here. And the living situation is basically a device that allows someone whose blood flows thickly from the royal family to steal the Goddess’s power.

So the Goddess is pretty much intervening in this world, but why?

Is the Emperor working so well that attention is being drawn here?

As I gloomily stared at the lottery ticket, Claire patted my back.

“You never know, right? If this lottery ticket hits and we get a huge investment, your thoughts might change a bit. It’ll be a ‘sure’ massive help, right?”

Could that actually be?

I seriously fell into contemplation.

*

And on the day the lottery results came out.

I was once again sitting face to face with the Emperor.

Neither of us spoke for a while.

Alice and Claire, who were a little ways behind me, were also silent.

Just to note, I had a slight sweat on my forehead.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

The Emperor finally opened his mouth.

“How much can you invest?”

“……”

Uh, that…

Actually, my concept of money in Azernar wasn’t that solid.

No, I wouldn’t say I couldn’t calculate. I’d think, “Oh, this must be expensive for regular folks, and with this much I can afford to eat,” while buying things.

But… to be honest, I’ve never felt a sense of reality while spending money.

Of course, there were times when I struggled to live in Azernar, but back then, I couldn’t spend money directly, so I ‘didn’t have’ the experience of ‘saving up.’

To me, the currency of Azernar felt like something that wouldn’t come to me. Even when buying things, I thought of it as getting cheated on the price, but I never actually haggled.

But the ‘won’ in Korea is different.

I’ve lived through tightening my belt, having had experiences of putting a 100,000 won figure in my cart, taking it out again, and finally giving up. I’d carefully pick and choose even for a movie, thinking it was too wasteful to go to the theater and waiting for it to upload on OTT.

Right after I returned to this world, I tried to live a little more comfortably.

Having some housemates might make it a little more relaxing to live together. I also had savings. And I thought I’d be able to go back before the money fell short because of the living conditions.

So to me, a winning amount of 2 billion won was an enormous sum. It was a sum that remained after taxes with the first prize amount, all of which I matched.

I swallowed hard.

The Emperor… only managed to accumulate close to 100 million won in a month from 10 million won.

So, what would happen if I invested that much more money with the Emperor?

“…How about 100 million?”

I cautiously asked.

If it weren’t for the Emperor, I wouldn’t even be dreaming of investing.

I’d just have bought an apartment to move in with them, and I would have kept all the remaining money in the bank to earn interest.

Honestly, using 100 million for ‘investment’ is a bit hard to comprehend for me. Isn’t it possible for it to just disappear?

The problem is, despite considering such a premise, I was still partly thinking, ‘What if it’s the Emperor?’

“Hmm.”

The Emperor leaned forward slightly while resting his hand on the ground.

“Since you’ve got money, how about investing more?”

“……”

“I’m not saying you should invest all your money. Not even half. How about around 500 million?”

500 million.

That was money I’d never touched in my life.

“…Um.”

As I hesitated, the Emperor thought for a moment before speaking.

“Sure, larger amounts of money can bring various problems. For instance, if you just ‘give’ me money, you’d have to pay gift tax. Given that I’ve already deducted tax from your lottery winnings, if there’s more deducted, you’d get angry.”

At the Emperor’s words, I suddenly remembered the gift tax I had forgotten about.

“Then how about this? Write a loan document, and you lend me the money. Then I’ll grow that money and pay you back. This way, the gift tax problem is resolved. You can receive interest at the legal rate, and I’m obliged to pay you back.”

“…But we will eventually have to go back.”

“So you think I won’t pay you back?”

The Emperor laughed.

“Let me tell you one thing. I also plan to return when you all do. Honestly, I’d rather enjoy being in power even if I step down.”

“……”

That’s annoying in its own way. It means he won’t give up power even after going back.

“But if I were to fail to pay you back, you’d be able to sue me. You could even possibly get me locked up. In that case, I wouldn’t be able to return to my original world with you. Right? Because my living situation is linked to you.”

Ah.

“So, I would be legally obligated to pay you back regardless of the circumstances. Alright, what will you do? Even if I calculate with the legal maximum interest rate, I’m confident I could return the amount. No, perhaps I could even return more.”

“……”

In the end, after pondering for a while, I had no choice but to nod.

Chapter 458

I already lent out 500 million won.

With a bit over 1 billion of the remaining 1.5 billion, I could buy an apartment.

Even after that, I still had quite a bit of money left.

Is it enough to live on for a lifetime? If you ask me, I’m not sure. 400 million won is a lot, but I wasn’t living alone anyway.

But… well, to be honest, it’s not an exaggeration to say we shouldn’t worry about it.

The apartment had three rooms. One was for the Emperor, and we decided to use another.

The reason three of us ended up sharing one room was that Claire and Alice didn’t want to be away from me.

In the end, the remaining room became our broadcasting room.

Claire had wanted to broadcast since her one-room days, and Alice was also quite interested.

The Emperor contemplated doing broadcasts too but was told he could just do it in his room since he already had many monitors set up on his computer.

Honestly, being given that consideration felt a bit strange.

“Still, your expression has brightened a lot. Is it because you’re in a separate room?”

“It’s not just about having a separate room; it’s because I bought this place with my own money.”

That’s right.

The thought that I might not be of any help completely vanished after buying the house. Even I thought this was a very positive thing.

Claire and Alice laughed at my answer.

But that was my sincere feeling.

Well, I did think the Goddess was involved in this, but wasn’t it thanks to ‘me’ that the Goddess got involved?

“Then… how should we approach the broadcast? Shouldn’t we start with casual chats?”

“Playing games would be nice too.”

Claire said excitedly.

“Well, I guess it’s important to gauge the atmosphere first.”

Alice’s words made both of us nod in agreement.

*

The broadcast… was going much smoother than I expected.

It took a little time to learn how to open donations, but I had already set up everything. With three monitors hooked up to the computer I originally used, it’s honestly excessive for a beginner broadcaster.

But hey, if we want to play games, some setup is necessary. I think it’s better to prepare in advance since we don’t know how big the broadcast might get.

After all, we had enough money.

[Your cosplay is amazing!]

“It’s not cosplay. This is our real name.”

[LOL]

[Strong concept, haha!]

Well, I kind of expected a reaction like that.

Since Claire and Alice already knew how to read the chat, there weren’t any issues following along.

We talked about everyday matters. Although we didn’t have many viewers, the chat was lively. Must be because of our looks.

Just as I was thinking that if we kept this up, we could earn living expenses…

[So what’s your relationship with the Emperor?]

“Are you talking about the Emperor?”

A short video donation came in as I spoke.

The uneasy feeling I felt for a moment turned out to be spot on.

[In that case, it’s good to invest in this side. The future here looks promising. Also, which country’s market is important—]

The person continuing the conversation was the Emperor, who was in a different room than us.

“……”

[It’s really the Emperor, haha!]

[The concept here is solid, haha!]

[But your voice is really nice.]

Well, it was bound to be nice.

Of course, mine, Claire’s, and Alice’s voices were great. They all sounded like professional Japanese voice actors. Although I couldn’t even tell if my voice was truly ‘voice actor-like’ from a game.

But the Emperor… usually, well-known voice actors are often assigned to middle-aged male voices in these games.

Especially with cool middle-aged male voices, they tend to be exceptionally distinctive. Even low and deep voices come with a bit of acting flair.

The Emperor’s voice was one of those.

[Huh? Huh?]

[By not being able to answer, are you truly his father, haha!]

I hesitated for a moment.

Is it better to lie here? Or is it better just to admit it?

Seeing Claire and Alice glance at me, I quickly made up my mind.

“My Father… is correct.”

If I deny it, what kind of backlash would come later?

I’d become a disgraceful child who denied their own father.

In internet broadcasts, every word is recorded. Naturally, denying it would leave a trace, and later if found out, there’d be a wiki entry like ‘Sylvia (broadcaster) / controversies and incidents / character controversies’.

Even if I managed to conceal it well throughout, well, considering we’re living together, wouldn’t it be odd to get caught at any point?

It’s better to just be straightforward than risk that.

“We all… grew up under him…”

I said while subtly watching Claire’s expression.

“Uh, uh! That’s right! We grew up together, yeah!”

Claire, picking up on my cues perfectly, said that,

“But that doesn’t mean we can just ride on Father’s broadcast.”

Alice added.

“Someday, we might have a joint broadcasting session, but for now, we are broadcasting separately. Most importantly, the topic over there is stocks, and we don’t know much about that.”

[LOL]

[How is even your father part of the concept? Haha!]

“My father… is not part of the concept.”

Every time I used the title ‘father’, it felt a bit strange.

“We really do hold these names. If we can verify it later, we will.”

Ding!

While I was speaking, another donation came in.

[Hmm, all my cute daughters! You’ve helped me in various ways.]

Well, you really did help in ‘various ways’.

As I turned red, the chat was busy teasing me.

[A daughter embarrassed by her father’s praise, haha!]

[It’s nice to see you all getting along.]

[This is totally different from games.]

“…What do you mean games?”

I asked, and the chat replied.

[Haven’t you tried the latest installment?]

[You’re pretending not to know after dressing like that.]

[Fake madness…]

I opened a browser and searched for Chronicles of Aetherna.

The cover of the latest installment… showcased a giant picture of me.

“Oh!”

Claire’s eyes sparkled.

In fact, all previous series had been in the room. I was someone who played these previous world series.

But for some reason, I didn’t want to show it to the Emperor.

As for my figures, Claire and Alice had already noticed them. The Emperor noticed but didn’t mention anything.

“…So shall we play this latest installment?”

As I said, Claire smiled and nodded.

*

I took a deep breath and knocked on the Emperor’s door.

I heard some movement inside, and then the door opened.

“Sylvia?”

The Emperor looked a bit surprised, but still… his face exuded a calm demeanor, though it wasn’t something you’d easily see.

“Can we… talk for a moment?”

“Of course. The fact that I’m staying here is all thanks to you.”

I didn’t really respond to that, and led the Emperor to the dining table.

Claire and Alice were already seated at the table.

I sat next to Claire, and the Emperor occupied the empty seat.

“It seems we both ended up broadcasting.”

“Indeed.”

Cutting straight to the point, the Emperor nodded.

“That said, we can’t just keep using our titles from Azernar.”

“Um.”

“If I refer to you as… Your Majesty, people will surely look at us strangely.”

“I agree. While we do have a monarchy over here, that’s not the story of this country.”

I nodded at his words.

“So… wouldn’t it be best to sort out how we address each other?”

“I already call you by your names.”

In fact, while I was called by my name, only Alice and I received that, while Claire and the Emperor still had a bit of awkwardness.

We had casual conversations with each other. But I had never seen them actually address one another. It was… a bit delicate.

“Claire, would that be okay?”

Given that Claire already had a ‘father,’ in the form of Baron Grace.

“Um…”

Indeed, Claire looked a bit uneasy.

I took a small breath.

I can’t force someone who doesn’t want to do so. Also, if Claire made that kind of expression, it’s clear she was ‘truly’ uncomfortable about it.

So I already had a title in mind.

“How about… ‘Uncle’?”

“Uncle?”

Claire’s eyes widened in surprise.

Hehe!

The Emperor was holding back laughter.

No, I genuinely thought it was a fitting title.

In the end, the opinion was accepted.

Claire would call him Uncle, while Alice and I would call him Father.

…Father.

What a title that stuck in my mouth like mud.

Chapter 459

Time is the best medicine, and as I spent time with the Emperor, I felt like our relationship was slowly mending.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven and accepted everything about him. Honestly, I didn’t plan to go that far.

More than anything, I didn’t want to bear the risks of the Emperor living apart from the three of us.

This country… I couldn’t call it my country right now, but it was still the place where I spent my childhood. I didn’t want to see the Emperor turning it into an economic colony after separating from us.

I also understand this worry is… not very realistic.

Even if someone made a fortune with coins or stocks, it would be nearly impossible to hold sway over a nation’s economy. There are limits to the shares each company can have, and besides, the Emperor mentioned that he diversifies his investments across several companies. So, his influence over any single company would actually be diminished.

Yet, if I ask if the possibility is ‘completely’ nonexistent, I don’t think so.

I mean, it’s the Emperor we’re talking about. He might be able to sway public opinion with just that brilliant brain of his. It could take several years or even more than a decade, but if the Emperor sets his mind to it, I believe he could achieve it someday.

“……”

Since I acknowledged that even that faint possibility exists, we lived in the same place as the Emperor.

Being in the same place meant we couldn’t avoid facing each other, so naturally, we managed our relationship.

I felt like the Emperor thought the same, as we all gathered around the table for meals every day.

To be honest, it felt more like ‘an awkward dinner with three adult daughters and their father.’ If I looked at it in the best light, that is.

If I looked at it without glasses, it was more like ‘strangers having their first meal together.’

“Bulgogi is delicious!”

Still, we were all ‘trying.’ Claire, too, sometimes praised the cooking like this.

“It’s meat I bought from the grocery store. I’ve never bought it before, but the seasoning is just right.”

I gratefully rode along with Claire’s words.

“I guess I’ll have to go there often. It’s in the shopping district, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

Alice chimed in, and I nodded vigorously in reply.

“No matter how many times I eat it, food in this world is amazing.”

Even the Emperor joined in.

“Honestly, I think food in Azernar is way too messed up.”

“Hmm, did you feel that way?”

“Most of the food that isn’t meat doesn’t really pay much attention to taste.”

To me, how should I put it?

For some reason, it reminded me of ‘the cooking from the cyberpunk era where there are no ingredients, so they just fill you with nutrients.’ I’ve never actually eaten that kind of food, but the typical meals offered in Azernar were kind of like that.

“Alice, when we get back, we should create simple recipes so we can teach others. After all, the food situation itself isn’t that bad.”

“In fact, it’s hardly good.”

I rebutted the Emperor’s remark.

“Although food production has increased, the lives of the citizens are becoming increasingly severe. Laws to protect the people are also insufficient.”

“Hmm, is that what you think?”

The Emperor looked at me with a smile.

“Then what do you think we should do?”

“……How about gradually turning some of the royal treasury’s budget to improve the situation around the people of the capital? The royal assets are sturdier than you might think.”

“But much of that wealth comes from the colonies. And such an economic system can’t last forever. As soon as the colonies’ wealth dries up, it’ll collapse. Then what should we do?”

What comes to mind is wealth redistribution, but—

No, wait a minute.

Why did a casual conversation suddenly shift to discussing Azernar’s economy?

Coming to my senses, I noticed Claire and Alice were looking at me. Both of them had a grin on their faces.

We shouldn’t be discussing politics at the dinner table, to begin with.

“……I apologize for bringing that up during our meal.”

As I apologized, the Emperor smiled and resumed moving his chopsticks.

“No, I enjoyed it quite a bit. …Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since I’ve had such a conversation.”

If this was a typical paternal relationship, one wouldn’t even think of having such conversations.

But I didn’t verbalize that thought.

After a moment of silence, the Emperor spoke up again.

“Speaking of which, we organized titles the last time we met. But now, I have one question.”

I lifted my gaze to look at the Emperor again.

He shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

“Claire is my niece, and you two are my daughters. Isn’t that the relationship here?”

“That’s right.”

“And the three of you have already grown up together like sisters, so you all just see each other as sisters, right?”

“……That’s correct.”

I responded after a moment’s thought.

What was he trying to say?

“So, who’s the eldest among you three? You’ll have to figure it out so I won’t get confused later on.”

“…….”

Alice and Claire exchanged glances.

I could swear I saw sparks flying in the air between them.

“Well, obviously she’s the youngest.”

“Of course, I’m the eldest!”

Claire and Alice spoke simultaneously, each taken aback that the other would say something like that.

“Sylvia, you are my sister. So you must be the youngest.”

That was Claire’s claim.

“What kind of nonsense is that? We need to clarify who’s who.”

“How exactly? Are you saying Sylvia isn’t your sister?”

“Of course Sylvia is my sister. She joined the royal family later than I did! No, more importantly, even if Sylvia were to be considered my older sister, what could justify me being your younger sister?”

“Well, obviously, there’s no room for anyone else between Sylvia and me.”

“What sort of logic is that?”

I merely picked up another piece of meat without saying a word.

The Emperor had no idea we were having these mundane conversations. His head was filled with thoughts of economics, politics, and the like, and he even had the hobby of plotting conspiracies.

“……Do they always do this?”

“Only when we’re deciding ‘who’s the eldest.’”

“Hmm.”

At my words, the Emperor let out a hum.

It was the first time I saw him look flustered like this.

Oh right. Being an Emperor, he probably spent a lot of time dining alone at a big table. Even if someone else joined, there wouldn’t be a cozy atmosphere like this.

So, this reaction of the Emperor… was kind of refreshing.

I didn’t think of it as acting. There would be no point in acting in this kind of situation.

“How about you share your thoughts, Your Majesty?”

At my question, both Alice and Claire stopped their chatter.

Then both looked at me, then at the Emperor.

“I…”

The Emperor was flustered under the intense gaze of two girls. At least that’s how it seemed to me.

Ah, this is kind of amusing.

For a moment, the bad feelings I had toward the Emperor lessened slightly.

“I… thought Sylvia was older than Alice.”

“…………Huh?”

Alice froze at the Emperor’s words.

Well.

For someone so skilled in politics and economics to be unable to manage his daughters, isn’t that just the quintessential father?

Though, of course, you’d have to actually try fatherhood to get that.

I silently picked up another piece of bulgogi.

“That… You’ve never called Sylvia your older sister, have you?”

“I’ve never called Sylvia my older sister either…?”

Alice responded, forgetting that she was a Crown Princess.

“Whenever you sulked, didn’t Sylvia always cheer you up?”

“Oh.”

Claire immediately reacted to that statement.

“Can I hear a bit more about that story? Uncle?”

I nearly spat out my drink.

I managed to avoid coughing and calmly set the cup down, looking at the Emperor.

The Emperor’s expression was much the same as usual, but there was a brief moment where he stared blankly at Claire.

“Uncle….”

Alice also looked at Claire.

“Um, that story….”

After overcoming a brief buffering pause, the Emperor started to speak again.

“Whenever Sylvia came to visit me, Alice would—”

“Father.”

Alice warned.

There was no hint of warning in her words, but with just her gaze, one could feel the potential for an assassination attempt against the Emperor.

I hoped there wouldn’t be any killings here. This is a place where forensic science is developed enough that unless you’re extremely lucky, it’s tough to hide a body.

“Um….”

“Uncle, please tell us!”

I think Claire’s persistence is something worth learning.

I’m not sure if I can follow her sparkling gaze perfectly, though.

“Father.”

“Uh…”

Alice’s eyes were dangerously gleaming again, and the Emperor cleared his throat.

…….

Still, today has a more ordinary family-like atmosphere.

I think this can be regarded as a positive thing.

Chapter 460

We’re slowly becoming famous.

We’re a bit too overly set up as Koreans who are ridiculously good at Korean, yet oddly seem European, so if word got around that we weren’t getting any attention, that would be more surprising.

Playing games with characters that look just like us, commenting on them, buying figures of ourselves to review… Of course, fans of Chronicles of Aetherna really liked us. It feels like the audience’s age is a bit on the older side, but who cares? We’re doing this for fun.

Donations are just a side income. The massive profits the Emperor brings in mean we don’t have to worry about money anymore.

Without worrying about money, we’re creating a channel where we can comfortably do what we want, and I’m starting to think we might as well upload edited versions to streaming sites too.

But, the Emperor has become even more famous.

With near-psychic investment skills, the Emperor can predict the future and has created a following on YouTube.

Honestly, it’s weird if people don’t start following after that. Basically, if you invest, you’re guaranteed to profit. What’s more, it’s not even a scam, nor is he doing anything illegal. The Emperor just talks about potential economic trends without telling anyone to buy specific stocks.

And the result—

Ding ding!

[Hey, my nephews,,, I got lucky today,,,,]

“…Please don’t say stock trading is like gambling,” I sighed as I said that.

The donation was a whopping 100,000 won.

Yes. This person watched the Emperor’s stream, and after winning money, decided to throw us a donation under the pretense of giving ‘pocket money to my nephew.’

[LOL, it’s gambling if it’s stocks!]

[You still won, right? LOL!]

“So does that mean my father teaches gambling methods?”

[Sorry about that!]

[Didn’t think of it like that!]

Everyone typed in seriousness at my comment, but I knew they understood it was a joke.

…To be honest, I somewhat agreed with their statement. I’ve never invested directly, in this life or my past life, but I knew that unless you have a lot of money and are unlikely to suffer losses, it’s not good to meddle with stocks.

Well, it’s definitely better than crypto, though. Jumping into this without knowing anything or thinking of studying is basically like diving straight into a gambling table.

[By the way, aren’t you thinking about collaborating among family members?]

[It’d be fun to show Emperor Arthur the games we play.]

[For real! LOL]

Show the Emperor the games we play?

I think the Emperor has probably looked up related information and read about it. There’s no way he wouldn’t want to check out something about this world since there are media discussing it.

“If we collaborate, which way are we collaborating? Us with our father? Or our father with us?”

[It’d be better for the Emperor to come over here.]

[Honestly, you wouldn’t understand even if we talked stocks, right?]

That’s true. I hadn’t thought about learning much.

I pondered for a moment.

In fact, since both we and the Emperor started streaming, the light of Jibo has rapidly started regaining its original brightness.

Of course, it doesn’t seem like the right timing yet. To our memories, it used to shine a bit brighter.

So we agreed to ‘use it once we’re a bit more certain.’ We didn’t fully trust the Emperor yet, so Jibo was kept under the care of the three of us.

Would collabing speed up the timing for returning?

That was worth considering.

“Is it okay if we think about it?”

“I think it’d be fine.”

Initially, Claire, who felt a bit uncomfortable around the Emperor, had now adapted most surely to life with him.

Naturally, she is quick to adapt and friendly wherever she goes.

It’s true that the original Claire had endured a lot to the point of breaking, but at least here, thanks to my presence, Claire wasn’t ruined.

“Wouldn’t it be okay?”

Alice was also adjusting well to the Emperor.

In fact, Alice had already adapted to the Emperor while in Azernar, so there was no reason for her to be afraid of him here. Of course, she still kept a bit of a wall, but that was it.

As for me…

It’s quite ridiculous, but I’ve also lost my initial animosity and now had a mindset of ‘It’ll work out somehow.’

Was it because the wounds were healing so clearly? Now I didn’t feel any hatred or resentment towards the Emperor.

I didn’t want to think this way, but it was also a result of the Emperor’s efforts. He had worked hard to talk to me whenever necessary since moving into this house.

Did he want to restore our relationship? Maybe something changed in his mind after coming to this world?

…Somehow, given that he’s the Emperor, it wasn’t easy to think that way.

“Well, then, I’ll talk to him. Don’t get your hopes up too much.”

[Wow!]

[I really wanna see the collaboration!]

Yeah. To be honest, I feel that way too.

Who else would do a collaboration as a bad father-daughter pair from the same game if not us?

*

“Collaboration, huh.”

When I brought up the collaboration during dinner, the Emperor contemplated for a moment.

And I found his expression unexpected.

“If you don’t want to, there’s no need to force it.”

“Hmm? Ah, it’s not like that.”

But the Emperor denied my words.

“It’s not that, but I find it difficult to understand what comes out from your broadcasts.”

“……”

I lost my words for a moment.

“So… what are you saying?”

“Well, the game you’re playing must involve combat, right?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“There’s no way a person could withstand that many bullets.”

Ah.

Did he possibly watch our recent FPS broadcast?

If he had seen us playing Chronicles of Aetherna, he wouldn’t have reacted so lukewarmly. That game has quite significant relevance to actual Azernar.

“Games aren’t serious combat training. They’re ‘fun,’ as the name suggests. You play chess, alternating turns, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

Hmm…

It felt like he was speaking as if he had no understanding of games, like a parent might say.

Yet it didn’t seem like he intended to hinder our gaming.

No, but wait.

“Have you not seen us play any other games?”

“I usually stream at the same time as you. And the stock market is surprisingly busy. Time passes quickly checking this and that. It’s quite enjoyable, though.”

So… this guy doesn’t know Chronicles of Aetherna?

I turned my gaze to Alice and Claire. They both wore slightly perplexed expressions too.

“What’s the matter?”

The Emperor asked.

“Uh, well… the game we usually play is much longer than that. The story continues at length, and the character stories interconnect.”

“Is that so?”

So?

The Emperor looked like he wanted to ask me that.

“And that long story content is about things happening in ‘Azernar.’”

The Emperor’s hand, which had been moving his chopsticks, froze.

“Did you say Azernar?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s Azernar. It’s not just a name that sounds similar. Did you really not know? There were some related products in my room when we all stayed in that one-room place.”

“Knowing your personality, if I rummaged through your room, I wouldn’t keep quiet about it, would I?”

That’s true. If it was Alice or Claire, it might slip by, but if it were the Emperor, I would have genuinely been angry.

Now that I think about it, the Emperor had been somewhat… living like a criminal in that house. Is that why he killed time at the café whenever he had some free time?

Did something change in his mind after gaining a disadvantage in this world?

I shook my head side to side in my mind.

I still can’t be sure. The Emperor was pretty good at hiding his thoughts.

“We do sometimes take recommendations from viewers to play other games, but the core game is still Chronicles of Aetherna. The story is so long that it’s impossible to finish it in a single day. If we were to collaborate, we could show you that game while playing.”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor fell into brief contemplation.

“To be honest, I find it a bit interesting. But it must be a completely different story from what we’ve experienced, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. There are some preconditions that are different.”

“Just watching it once wouldn’t hurt. So, how about we set a date?”

“Sounds good.”

Honestly, I was also curious how the Emperor would react to seeing his own appearance in the game.

Chapter 461

So it happened.

Ding!

However, just because it was a royal gathering, it wouldn’t be much different from our usual broadcasts if I just watched the Emperor play a game. So, we decided to play a game together briefly as part one of the stream.

Typically, when I hand over a game controller to elderly folks, they struggle to adapt. They move the controller too cautiously, so their characters barely move, and when it comes to actively fighting, they feel pressured.

But the Emperor? Is he an ordinary person?

I was clenching my teeth and manipulating the controller. I tried my best to keep a straight face, but it wasn’t easy.

Gulp!

“I heard real driving is much harder than this, but this game seems simplified.”

The game we were playing was a globally famous kart racing game.

It’s well-known as something ‘anyone’ can enjoy, but just because anyone can enjoy it doesn’t mean everyone’s skills are the same.

Honestly, I wasn’t someone who used to play online games before. So in a competitive game like this… I really have no talent.

My emotions were all over the place with the gameplay.

Gah!

That was the same for Claire.

Her usual personality is full of emotion and a strong competitive spirit, so she was taking this game quite seriously.

Maybe it was because her opponent was the Emperor.

Claire knew about her lineage. Although she pretended to be nonchalant, saying “I’m Grace,” she was probably thinking quite seriously about it.

And knowing Claire, she wouldn’t want to lose to the Emperor.

In reality, the Emperor and Claire were battling for first and second place. Of course, the Emperor was the one moving the controller more casually.

And then there was me—

Silence…

Silence…

I was competing with Alice.

To be honest, first and second place were so far ahead that I had already given up reaching them, playing just with the intent of not finishing last.

It’s a racing game, right? If I can manage third place, I’ll at least get a trophy.

I just didn’t want to be the one left out.

“Why don’t you just hand the trophy over to your sister?”

“Who’s your sister?!”

Claire shot back at Alice’s comment. Claire’s eyes were focused on the screen, but her ears were clearly open.

LOLLOLLOL!

Look at them fighting over who’s the elder at a time like this!

“Do you fight like this often?”

“It’s half a joke, so you don’t need to take it seriously.”

I responded to the Emperor’s question. Naturally, my eyes were glued to the screen.

Seeing a father and daughter gaming side by side is heartwarming!

Where else can you find a dad who plays along with this kind of setup, LOL!

“Hmm.”

As I glanced at those chat comments, it seemed the Emperor was aware of what I was thinking, letting out a small grunt.

In fact, Claire and Alice had been getting along well while calling each other by name. The topic had flared up again after our last conversation with the Emperor. Since they had gone through the process of identifying “who’s the elder” once, it became hard to stop.

“Since we’re just having fun, you should feel free to relax.”

“But your fingers are moving like crazy for just having fun!”

Alice countered my comment, but I ignored her and pressed the accelerator.

Zzzziiip!

“Ah!”

But soon, a sound of disappointment slipped from my mouth.

“Done…!”

Seeing Alice shout that made me think grrr, but—

“Claire?”

Suddenly, my car passed Claire, who was vying for first and second place.

“Hehe.”

Claire let out a small laugh.

“Sis, it’s fine. I’ll take the last spot. As your sister, I can do this much.”

So, she was intentionally slowing down.

“Claire…”

In that blink of an eye, the rankings were set.

The Emperor came in first, Alice second, and I was third.

And Claire was left off the rankings.

“I’m fine, sis. If you could’ve won…”

“…Isn’t it just that you couldn’t possibly beat Father, so you pulled back?”

Silence…

Ah, seems that’s right.

“Father, you play games well.”

“Hmm….”

The Emperor let out those words again at my comment.

Honestly, it was rather amusing to see.

The Emperor was someone sitting way up high. He was in a position that moved others beneath him.

Of course, that position must be lonely.

Though I was convinced the Emperor enjoyed that position, there’s a kind of relationship you can’t feel under normal circumstances.

I wondered if the Emperor actually thought of it as a ‘father’ position. In any case, he was experiencing being a ‘father’ for the first time in his life. And he was the father of three daughters.

Well, one could say she was called “uncle” though. Still, since they had been close like sisters since childhood, it’s fine to call her daughter.

“I’ll keep a better lookout next time.”

“…Even after coming in first, no one would probably believe that.”

Hmm…

Having always been in a position to excel, he might be a little clueless.

But it seemed he wasn’t a ‘must-win-at-all-costs’ kind of father.

Though it was just a brief moment, I imagined what kind of father the Emperor would have been if he had been born into modern society.

A capable and good father, perhaps.

…No, the reason why the Emperor isn’t thinking of being the ‘ruler of another world’ is probably because of this. If he was born in my country or any other, he would have bootstrapped himself to power by force. If he had been born in Korea, by now, he would have been a congressman or the president.

It was a thought I would entertain with no basis, but the character traits of being an Emperor were firmly established.

“Then, would you like to try a different game? There are still some fighting games I haven’t tried yet.”

“Then let’s do that.”

As I reached out for help, the Emperor quickly grabbed my hand.

It felt a bit strange. It seemed like we had been really trying to step on each other’s toes in the other world.

I rifled through the software I had prepared on the desk and spoke.

“This is a fighting action game. The goal is to knock your opponent off the map. You can play in teams or as individuals.”

“Then let’s do individual matches.”

Alice spoke up.

That was a wise choice.

If I showed signs of not wanting to be on the same team as the Emperor… wouldn’t we all become disobedient daughters?

Though it had been the Emperor who committed the first sin, technically.

Seeing the Emperor nod seemed to show he agreed with that sentiment.

In the end, we ended up playing individual matches—

Wow, Sylvia isn’t good at online games at all!

…

I realized I had much less talent in fighting games than in racing games.

Dun-dun-dun!

Still, having played games together like that was pretty helpful.

The awkward relationship had improved significantly. It seems fighting really is the best way to get closer.

“Then in this game, I’m the villain?”

“Yeah… well, kinda.”

I nodded.

“But in games like this, it’s often the one in a high position who plays the villain. Not just the Emperor.”

“No need to defend me. I was pretty close to a villain in the other world, too.”

The Emperor chuckled at my words.

Hahaha!

“….”

Right? Why did I say that?

Seeing me close my mouth, Alice and Claire started to laugh.

Tsundere daughter, LOL!

Father-daughter relationship looks really good!

They should have seen the moment the Emperor thrust a knife into my back.

I would’ve been dead if it weren’t for the Gryphon. Really.

“However, the Emperor’s position in this work is a bit ambiguous. It was probably a bit much to appear in a leading role. After all, you were already the main villain in the previous work.”

“In that case, I’m honestly a bit curious about the previous work.”

“…I don’t appear in the previous work, though.”

The Emperor shrugged as if to say, “Well, what can you do?”

“Then, let’s get started.”

I clicked the start button, fearing that if I kept talking, we’d never get to play.

And shortly after starting the game—

“Is that so? A battleship?”

The Emperor murmured with a serious expression.

“Can you do that too?”

“I could do it.”

I exhaled lightly as I spoke.

I had actually done it once. Of course, that was ‘in another timeline’.

“……So that’s what you did back then.”

“In fact, I’ve never directly blown anything up. I just passed on the information.”

“You should be grateful that you didn’t fall on the capital.”

“….”

I had done infiltration. I’d thrown grenades too. Anyway, I had rummaged around inside that battleship.

Now that the time has passed, I can’t do that anymore.

“It was indeed riskier than I imagined.”

The Emperor’s serious expression was a rare sight.

“…Please don’t get too immersed in the game.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. After all, it’s related to me.”

The Emperor was joking.

Well, that’s all in the past now.

I thought that as I pressed the button.

Chapter 462

“To put the entire Empire at risk for a single friend, honestly speaking, I wouldn’t have made that choice.”

“Sure.”

I nodded. The Emperor would never have done that. Not for the many… but he casually sacrificed others for his own power.

At least the first Emperor had the justification of seeking human freedom; the current Emperor just wanted the world itself.

Trying to use that device wasn’t about the power of the first Emperor, but about stealing the power of the Goddess.

“But it’s definitely a very ‘you’ thing to do.”

“…”

I looked at the Emperor while holding the controller.

“I never thought it was wrong. Just that our desires were different. In the end, didn’t you win?”

“…I did win, yes.”

Though I hadn’t fully formed that conclusion here, it seemed unlikely that going back would flip the situation.

“There were many attempts, after all.”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor shrugged.

I took another look at the game screen.

[Concept is solid, lol]

[Just a minute ago, they were just a father and daughter, and suddenly they’re enemies.]

I even glanced at the chat.

It seemed everyone didn’t take my conversation with the Emperor too seriously. They were just treating it as a concept.

“If Your Majesty had a power like mine, what would you have done?”

“I would have solidified my plans.”

“How many times would you have gone back in time?”

“Indeed.”

The Emperor said, sitting with his arms crossed.

“For quite a long time, I thought you could see the future. Ultimately, that was somewhat true, but in reality, it was a much harder path. I think you’re amazing. Just because others think you can do it doesn’t mean it’s easy.”

“When did you become so humble?”

I chuckled.

In the game, news spread that Sylvia had gone missing after the battleship crashed.

If Sylvia had been on the battleship, where could she have disappeared to?

I recalled the internal layout of the ship.

I had thoroughly explored every nook and cranny. But remembering all of that was stretching it. Throughout the time-turning, I had tried to memorize the inside of the battleship.

To be able to instinctively navigate it. To recall exactly what it was like when I closed my eyes.

In the end, I had blown it up. Though it wasn’t my doing directly.

Did she use a parachute? Maybe it was a delayed bomb. It could have been discovered before it exploded, but Sylvia had infinite chances. As long as she succeeded just once after hundreds of attempts, it would appear as if she had succeeded on the first try.

That doesn’t mean it was easy.

In any case, after the battleship fell, Sylvia went missing. No one chased after her.

The remaining children panicked and worried about Sylvia, which the Emperor watched quite seriously.

“Honestly speaking, I’ve almost never thought about being in a position of suffering.”

“Is that so?”

I was surprised by the Emperor’s words. Alice and Claire felt the same.

No, it wasn’t the fact that he had never considered being in a position of suffering that surprised me. It was my surprise at him saying that in this situation.

The Emperor… wasn’t he kind of a self-righteous person? He was someone who would rather crush others than negotiate when he had the power.

For him to sound like he empathized with the people he crushed… it was hard to accept.

[Sylvia looks horrified, lol]

[Is it because the Emperor said that? lol]

[If it’s a concept, it looks like he could act.]

“So, is the feeling of sympathy now overflowing?”

“Well…”

The Emperor quietly stared at the screen.

Alice in the game looked anxious. Claire was ready to jump out any second, but then Charlotte stopped her.

Other characters felt the same. They genuinely worried about the missing Sylvia.

Sylvia was probably, just like I was, a member of a secret force under the Emperor. Known as the Emperor’s children, a name given by others.

“It’s a bit different from that feeling.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m an ordinary person here.”

Alice said in a somewhat haughty voice.

If anyone here had feelings resembling affection for the Emperor, it would undoubtedly be Alice.

Though I stood as the Emperor’s child, we had been at each other’s throats for a long time, and Claire, while having some blood relation, wasn’t a child raised by the Emperor.

But Alice was different.

From childhood, she sought her father’s attention, almost leading her down a twisted path. Fortunately, the Alice I knew didn’t have that twisted personality.

“In this world, there’s no privilege of being an Emperor. It’s far removed from the story of being born with the future of an Emperor in store from the moment of birth, right?”

“Hmm…”

The Emperor pondered again after Alice’s words.

“I wasn’t born an Emperor from moment one.”

[It’s a prequel.]

[This is actually kind of interesting to hear.]

[At this point, it feels genuine.]

There were still people in the chat thinking our conversation was just following the characters.

Yet the atmosphere had calmed down a bit compared to before. There were fewer who seemed to enjoy our dialogue than before.

Perhaps it was a mood where it couldn’t just be light-hearted laughter.

No matter how much it was a concept, if the performers looked serious, it wasn’t too strange for other people to start questioning its sincerity.

“There were countless adversaries, and I dealt with them one by one. I couldn’t let the nobility take power. My blood needed to be shared widely. To ensure the success of my plans, I needed many possibilities, and I prepared for it over a long time.

The Emperor’s words felt like something I had heard before but, at the same time, felt completely new.

Because of his attitude. That one difference created such… an eerie feeling.

“Looking back now, how do you feel?”

“Well, I still have to accept what I did. That was my entire life.”

A life chasing power.

“Does that mean you have things you want to try out now? Is there anything you want to start anew in the remaining part of your life?”

“…To some extent, yes, I can say that.”

“Even so, when you go back, I won’t leave you here.”

I replied firmly.

I don’t think the three of us believed we could keep the Emperor firmly in check. The Emperor was someone capable of plotting new schemes anytime, anywhere. To think we could completely thwart someone like that was arrogance.

So, I can’t leave the Emperor in this world.

Though I might not come back here, even if I never see this world again, I won’t let the Emperor devour this world.

…In this world, my family still exists. Not the family I gained over there, but my parents and my younger sibling who raised and birthed me are here.

Though I hadn’t met them again yet, I wasn’t too comfortable thinking that the Emperor, if left behind, could involve those people in whatever he might do.

“I don’t expect anything either. And—”

The Emperor said after a moment of thought.

“And don’t worry; what I want to try out here isn’t particularly dangerous.”

“You think there’s a fool out there who would fully believe the words of someone who, while claiming to make the world peaceful and free, is plotting to make that very world his puppet?”

Upon my words, the Emperor closed his mouth while chuckling again.

“…”

A brief silence fell in the broadcast room.

The chat sensed the atmosphere, and questions began popping up.

“…Ta-da!”

Claire, having watched the scene, suddenly shouted at the screen.

“This was all part of a script written in advance! What do you think? Was it convincing?”

[Lolololol]

[Of course it was]

[If it’s a concept, it looks like it got a little too serious.]

“I’m sorry. It seems I have a personality that gets immersed when performing.”

I also said with a slight hint of teasing.

“Right? Sylvia, you tend to get a bit too immersed in your acting.”

Alice laughed as she said it.

No, that was just a real diss. She was talking about how I was holding on to a concept over there.

“I had almost completely forgotten it in that performance.”

The Emperor defended me.

I wasn’t really pleased by that.

I wasn’t particularly happy, but…

How should I express this feeling?

…

For now, I’ll just set aside expressing it.

Later, when my feelings become a bit clearer, I can decide then.

I let out a light sigh and continued with the game.

Chapter 463

The first reaction to the first joint session ended up being quite good.

I had recently started learning editing, so it seemed like a good idea to upload it as my first edited video.

“How about a horror game?”

“A horror game… you mean?”

I pondered for a moment. It could be fine. Of course, the main content would be me getting startled while the Emperor has a poker face throughout the entire game.

“Well… I’ll think about it.”

I replied, temporarily setting Claire’s opinion aside.

*

The three of us shared the same room.

The room was large enough for three beds to fit side by side, and there were three desks for each of us.

Actually, I think the term ‘enough’… can be viewed a little differently depending on the person.

I said it was ‘enough’ because there was space on the floor for me to sit, but to those who view space as more spacious, it might seem a bit cramped.

Still, we were grateful to have a room of this size, especially since the previous one-room was a bit… cramped.

“I do miss those times a bit.”

Claire said as she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling.

“It was kind of fun sleeping all snuggled up next to my sister. It was cozy too.”

“… Was it?”

The Emperor is much bigger than us.

Not just taller, but also broader and sturdier. When lying down, I think he occupies about 1.2 to 1.3 times the space of an average adult male?

So, with a wall of belongings separating him from us, I, Alice, and Claire had no choice but to sleep somewhat close to each other.

At first, it was tough to adjust.

I had spent time with Claire in Azernar and with Alice as well, but I never actually shared a bed with either of them.

In the orphanage, even though it was old, we each had our own beds, and in the Imperial Palace, we used different rooms which were large enough to be a bit too spacious for one person.

So, there was no sleeping like this… close to a girl.

Yeah, I know. Claire is my sister. Alice is also my sibling. Of course, I didn’t think about it that way. It’s just how it is. I had been ‘alone’ for too long. In many senses.

“…”

After a moment of thought, I said, “How about we go camping sometime?”

I heard someone suddenly sit up.

Alice was sitting up on her bed.

Since Alice was on my right and Claire was on my left, I also sat up and looked to my right.

“Really?”

Alice said, her eyes sparkling. For a brief moment, they had remarkably similar expressions as Claire. Must be a sister thing?

“I’ve been thinking about it. Camping in this world can only be enjoyed here after all.”

Camping in Azernar would likely just be the same as camping. They might have a lighter, but they don’t have the lightweight tents or all sorts of hobby camping gear like in this world. It’s all heavy metal.

To actually ‘enjoy’ camping, we would need a lot of people over there.

“However, there’s a lot to prepare. For example, if we don’t have a car, it’ll be quite a problem. But none of us three have a driver’s license.”

I originally had a driver’s license, but it disappeared when I traveled between worlds. The Goddess didn’t seem keen on taking care of that.

Sure, I can just get the license again, but… I might be short on time. I was almost at that light of ‘future’ after all.

It seemed that the Emperor’s economic activities had bothered the Goddess more than I thought.

“About the license, that person got one last time.”

But just like that, Claire swatted my worries away.

When I turned around, Claire was sitting up as well. Her finger was pointing toward the door. It was the direction Claire referred to as ‘that way.’

Beyond that door was another room—The Emperor’s room.

“… Wait, did the Emperor get a license?”

“Yeah. When we stayed in the one-room. You know how he went in and out a lot in the morning? He must have gotten it during those times.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well, I asked him.”

“…”

Oh, now that I think about it, during the joint session, he did say that racing wasn’t that realistic.

Could he have been serious when he said that?

“However, that means the Emperor will also be involved in the camping trip.”

“…”

Alice’s eyes widened significantly.

That sort of expression usually means there’s something she wants to talk about, but it’s too embarrassing to bring up.

“… Um, I…”

Alice opened her mouth but glanced at me and fell silent.

Hmm.

I think I understood what Alice wanted to say.

Alice was conflicted.

The Emperor was someone Alice had admired for nearly her entire life. Before entering the academy, Alice did all sorts of things just to catch the Emperor’s eye. We slowly became friends after I calmed her down on the train, and by the time we headed to the academy, Alice considered me a sister.

But that doesn’t mean Alice’s feelings toward the Emperor completely vanished either.

And… Alice also had her share of grievances against the Emperor. Putting aside the political stuff, the Emperor was the one who almost put a knife into me.

But still, the Emperor was Alice’s father.

“Alright, then—”

“I think we should leave out the Father.”

Just when I was about to suggest letting the Emperor drive, Alice cut me off decisively.

“… Huh?”

I asked back.

“If it’s because of that, then there’s no need to force it.”

But Alice shook her head at my words.

“I still… haven’t completely forgiven him. While I plan to treat him a bit easier while I’m here, I still need to judge him according to the law when we go back.”

“…”

“Setting aside what happened in the Empire, he’s the one who almost killed you. You were the only one who stood by my side during my childhood. And if it weren’t for you, it would have been Claire.”

Claire and I were momentarily at a loss for words.

It felt a bit… like we got hit. I had assumed Alice had forgiven the Emperor since she had been treating him so kindly lately.

“I want the three of us to go.”

Alice said firmly.

“…”

I turned to Claire. She shrugged her shoulders.

After thinking for a moment, I spoke.

“However, if we go camping, we’ll ultimately need a car. No matter how close we go, we’ll still have a ton of stuff to carry.”

At my words, Alice fell silent.

Should I get my license first?

I thought about it, but leaving with just the Emperor… made me feel a bit uneasy.

It wasn’t that I was worried something would go wrong… it just felt strange.

“… I do have money to buy a car, so let’s just ask the Emperor. If he’s going to buy a car, he’d probably be happy about it.”

At my words, Alice showed an uneasy expression. Though we shared the same feelings, her reasoning was the opposite of mine.

I understood, not because I couldn’t, but because I understood too well that it would be an issue.

“So, do we have to use the same tent?”

“… Tents could be two. We can just book two spots.”

At my simple suggestion, Alice and Claire chuckled.

“Are you really okay with that?”

Alice asked me again.

“I appreciate you thinking of me, but to get what you want, you should also be ready to give up something. And… I feel that the Emperor…”

I pondered for a moment before saying, “I think things have changed a bit. Although it may not have been long, and perhaps it’s just because the place has changed.”

At my words, Alice and Claire donned thoughtful expressions.

“Then… let’s take some time to think about it. After all, we aren’t at the point of going back yet.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Besides, we’ll need time to choose camping gear anyways, and we can’t just buy a car right away.”

“That’s right. For now, we could either buy or borrow a car under the Emperor’s name, and then we can work on getting our licenses.”

Of course, doing so would lead to various restrictions like insurance and whatnot, but it’s not that we were low on money. And as long as whoever drives has a license, it’s not illegal if the ownership isn’t an issue.

At my words, Alice and Claire nodded again.

Thus, wrapping up our meeting without the Emperor knowing, we ended the discussion.

By the way, I only remembered the fact that the Emperor didn’t know the next day when we all sat down at the dining table.

Was it a bit inappropriate to have a meeting without him knowing?

Chapter 464

And in the end, we became just like we talked about.

Upon reflection, we really didn’t have time. It wasn’t just a matter of buying a car or not, or getting a license or not.

The weather was slowly getting colder.

In a month, winter would officially start, and by then, the kind of weather that would make me reluctant to sleep outside would arrive.

We had already decided whether to go to the mountains or the sea. We didn’t think of any other options besides the sea.

Maybe it was because all three of us were from big cities.

In my past life, I lived in Seoul, and in Azernar, I lived in the Runedarium. These two lived their whole lives in the Runedarium as well.

Living among closely packed buildings, it makes sense to want to go somewhere with a better view.

We just bought a used car. The reason for buying a nearly new car as a used one was that there was a bit of a wait for a new car.

Anyway, a used car is just something you buy and drive away with.

And since I had no desire to die early, I got the inspection done neatly.

In the meantime, I bought various camping supplies.

“Camping, huh.”

Before buying the car, the Emperor, who seemed to be somewhat informed about our plans, had a slightly puzzled expression.

“What’s the point of wanting to sleep outside?”

“…….”

Well, that was something only noble people of the old days would think of.

But it couldn’t be helped. The Emperor was from back then, being royal and all.

“It’s like going on an extended picnic.”

“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to stay at a hotel by the beach? I’ve heard there are plenty of those in this country.”

That’s true.

People naturally want something a bit cozier and more comfortable as they age. Of course, there are those who only develop a taste for camping when they get older.

I, for example, when I was young, would just go down and pick any motel nearby to drink with friends.

But as I got older, I could no longer do such things, so when I went, I would spend more for a hotel.

Of course, as I aged even more, all my friends became too busy and even had families, leaving us with no time to go at all.

But if I had gone alone, I would have definitely chosen a place where I wouldn’t wake up with back pain.

“…… Spending time in such places can be nice too.”

Thus, I couldn’t openly contradict the Emperor. I knew just how wonderful a comfortable trip could be.

Still, I really wanted to go camping with Claire and Alice.

“Hmm.”

It seemed the Emperor didn’t fully grasp our thoughts, but in the end, he went along with it.

Well, what could he do if he didn’t?

…What could he do? He could easily live alone by himself comfortably.

Looking back, there was really no way for the three of us to stop that from happening.

The Emperor was sharing the same house with us, but perhaps the desire to return was stronger? We had talked about this before, and that was his answer back then.

Well, anyway.

So, we hastily made some plans.

Even so, we managed to reach our destination without any strange incidents.

Camping supplies could be purchased. There was someone to drive the car, and we successfully got the car. The only thing left was the location, but that didn’t turn out to be a big problem either.

While it was a season where many people were camping, fortunately, there was an available camping site.

Strangely enough, it was a place with a very good view, yet there weren’t many people.

…Every time I find myself in such a fortunate situation, I can’t help but think it’s a scheme by the Goddess. It feels like she’s asking why I would want to return when it’s so nice to live here.

But if I end up not going back, she would probably retaliate in her own way afterward.

Is this just my paranoid thinking?

It doesn’t matter since I wasn’t planning on going back anyway.

“……”

We rushed, and although we prepared quickly, looking back, we didn’t do nothing. We were quite busy moving about.

Upon arrival, reflecting on it, it was worth being busy.

“It’s beautiful…….”

Claire murmured.

I nodded at her murmuring.

“Indeed.”

“I’m glad we came.”

Well, the Emperor was doing the driving, after all.

The Emperor was watching the sea from a point slightly away from the three of us.

“I want to go in the sea for a bit.”

“The water will be too cold.”

“Oh, I’m not saying I want to dive completely. I just want to dip my feet.”

At Claire’s words, Alice and I looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

The three of us went to the sea wearing sandals.

The seawater was cold. If I had jumped in, I would’ve run out immediately with my teeth chattering in just a few seconds.

But dipping my feet was a pretty good idea.

I could smell the unique brininess of the sea.

I briefly closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then suddenly turned back to look at the Emperor.

The Emperor… well, to say it bluntly, he looked like an uncle.

I don’t know why I suddenly thought that. His outfit wasn’t anything special. He was dressed in a hiking jacket with a zipper just around the neck area and stretchy fabric pants, like something you’d wear at home. Still, he seemed to be aware of the sand at the beach as he was wearing sandals like us.

Maybe it was a bit chilly, so he wore a thin padded vest.

…

I realized it was that padded vest. Every other piece of clothing looked uncle-ish, but that one was the pinnacle.

And the background played a part too.

I had spent relatively few outings with the Emperor. When I did go out, I acted without thinking about his presence. I had no reason to consider his feelings…

But since I had seen the slightly human side of the Emperor while being together, he strangely seemed a bit familiar.

I let out a small sigh.

Then I turned and walked away.

“Sis?”

Claire called me, but I waved a hand slightly and walked over to the Emperor.

After just a moment in the sea, my sandals and feet were soaked with seawater. I could feel the soft sand sticking to my feet instantly.

I reached the Emperor.

He was deep in thought and looked at me, blocking his view.

“Roll up your pants.”

The Emperor seemed to take a moment to interpret my words.

And it looked like he failed to interpret it properly.

“Does that mean… it is exactly what it sounds like?”

The Emperor really asked me, which was rare.

“Of course. Those shoes can get wet, right?”

The Emperor observed me for a moment.

“So, you’re telling me to come into the sea like you?”

“I’m not saying dive in. Just get your feet in.”

The Emperor stared at me for a moment again.

“So…”

“Yes. Since you came with us, you should join in with us.”

The Emperor looked at me again as he tried to interpret what I was saying.

But ultimately, he failed to understand once again.

The Emperor slowly bent down and rolled up his pants.

Wow, rolling up his pants really made him look like an uncle.

I nearly burst out laughing in that moment but forced myself to hold it in and said, “Are you going in now?”

“Did you just try to laugh?”

“No.”

“I’ve been in politics longer than your whole life.”

That’s true.

But considering my past life, it might not be that long. At that time, the Emperor was still ‘young’ enough to be considered so.

…

But thinking back, the Emperor was probably studying politics even back then. Forget that previous statement.

“Anyway, no I didn’t.”

I stubbornly insisted and turned away.

As I started to walk forward, I heard the Emperor’s hesitant footsteps follow behind me.

“Why are you being so timid when you used to swing your sword so avidly on the battlefield?”

“Needing to get wet is different from doing it for no reason.”

“……”

Wow, this guy really doesn’t get it.

Glancing back, I saw Claire and Alice looking at us with intrigued expressions.

I was the first to step into the sea. The sand sank beneath my feet, and the water rose to about my ankles. It was indeed cold. If I stayed too long, my feet would surely freeze.

“The water feels refreshing and cool.”

“……”

At my words, it seemed the Emperor finally gave in.

After some hesitation, he stepped forward, putting his feet into the sea.

“……”

“What do you think?”

“Indeed, the water is cool.”

The Emperor acknowledged reluctantly.

“Sometimes living a little younger is good for your health. If you only think about politics and the economy every day, you’ll age faster.”

“Is there a basis for that?”

I didn’t bother answering.

Chapter 465

Hmm, well…

Seems like bringing the Emperor along was a pretty good choice, after all.

If it was just the three of us, I’d feel a bit guilty, and surprisingly, watching the Emperor who’s almost clueless about daily life was kind of funny.

Let’s see…

At home, the Emperor didn’t really cook much.

It’s not because he’s overly patriarchal; it’s just that picking the menu usually fell to one of us three—me, Claire, or Alice.

We’d decide what we wanted to eat, prepare the cooking together, and then call the Emperor. Naturally, his chances to cook disappeared.

And because of that, the Emperor wasn’t very good at grilling meat.

“It’s only natural since I’ve lived my whole life eating meat grilled by others.”

I said that while I grilled the meat myself.

“Technically, the one who usually grills meat in this kind of setting should be the father figure, but it can’t be helped.”

“Ahem.”

The Emperor made a noise that hinted he was a bit uncomfortable.

This kind of talk was actually rare to hear in Azernar.

The Emperor… well, he rarely got angry, good or bad.

It’s a bit like…

He has one of those frustrating ways of thinking that screams, ‘I’ve thought about that too.’ Maybe that’s why he’s good at stocks or something, meticulously calculating the risks and diversifying his investments.

I was really curious, so I tried watching a rebroadcast, but honestly, just watching doesn’t mean you can imitate it. It’s more of a method where you literally do nothing and just focus on stocks for almost all your time.

But when the Emperor joined us to play around, he seemed a bit relaxed.

“It’s surprising that someone who can do so much can’t cook.”

Seeing the Emperor like this for the first time, I figured this was my chance and started teasing him.

As I watched sausages sizzling on the burner, a shadow fell over them.

Looking up, I saw the Emperor had come close.

“…Do you have a pair of tongs?”

The Emperor asked, and I happily handed him a pair. I brought plenty just in case multiple people wanted to grill at the same time.

“If you teach me how to grill, I’ll give it a try.”

“Are you sure? Cooking is harder than it seems. Didn’t you just fail at grilling meat a moment ago?”

Honestly, that was kind of inevitable.

Unlike relatively easy grilling, like with pork belly or shoulder—which isn’t too tough—the meat the Emperor tried to grill was a thick slab of beef! Without the right feel, he couldn’t help but burn the outside.

But since he was grilling sausages now, it probably wouldn’t be a huge issue.

“You can learn what you don’t know.”

“You have a positive mindset.”

Hmm…

If I tease him too much, would it look like revenge for losing in the last game?

But I figured it didn’t really matter. After all, we weren’t broadcasting. Even though Alice and Claire were watching, they already knew my real personality.

I guess you could say it was the attitude of someone who’s given up everything.

“Then, let’s give it a shot.”

“Okay.”

The Emperor nodded seriously at my words.

…

To sum it up, the Emperor actually learned to cook quite well.

It was his first time grilling today, so I couldn’t say it was perfect. I wasn’t a chef either, so I didn’t think I had taught him perfectly.

Still, he didn’t burn the outside too much, and the insides weren’t cold, so that was good enough, right?

The first thing we grilled was beef; this time it was pork.

“The food in this country is wonderful.”

“Well, more than half of what we’re eating is actually foreign food.”

“But since it’s made in our country, you can’t say it tastes exactly the same, right?”

That was a fair point.

Honestly, the sausages from Azernar were tastier. And it’s no wonder, considering Azernar is modeled after Europe. It’s even bizarrely a mix of Germany and Britain.

It was a country famous for sausages so there were all kinds overflowing.

Still, dining out was mostly awful. I don’t know why that is.

“If I may say, compared to Azernar’s food, there’s a bigger chance that whatever food you bring from anywhere else will taste better.”

Unless it’s a case of them being too poor to cook properly.

I think that even if genuine British food was served, it’d be far worse than Azernar’s cuisine, right?

“With all the ingredients coming from all over the continent’s history, they should be the best.”

“If it’s not properly distributed, then it’s pointless.”

“That’s true.”

“Well, I’m learning various things too, so don’t worry. I’ve heard that countries similar to ours are implementing many forms of welfare policies. We’ll have to apply it slowly over time.”

“There’s no need to discuss national prosperity while camping.”

Claire seemed a bit irritated as she said that, and we all laughed.

“Ah, right!”

Claire clapped her hands, quickly grabbing the camera hanging around her neck.

She loved taking pictures, and she was always printing and storing them whenever she had the chance.

“Everyone, look here!”

Claire said as she aimed the camera at us.

Me, Alice, and even the Emperor all squeezed into the shot, click! She took the photo.

“Great, great.”

It was October, and the sun was already setting. The sky was clear. It was either not a day for the moon to rise, or a few bright stars were already twinkling.

The Emperor quietly watched Claire doing that.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked, and the Emperor shrugged his shoulders.

“Just thinking about other possibilities that haven’t happened.”

“Within those possibilities, someone probably did stop your plans.”

“That’s not what I was thinking.”

The Emperor said with a grin, as if he found it amusing.

“I was just thinking about those who got caught up in the things I did.”

…

I wonder if becoming an ordinary citizen changed his perspective.

But honestly, we’re living a lot better than most ordinary citizens.

…You might have risen to the top even if you were born in the back alleys.

“You think so?”

“I do.”

It really seemed that way.

Even if it was the back alleys of Azernar, the Emperor would have struggled a lot from the moment he realized he was born into this world.

And I think that struggle would bear fruit.

“Perhaps it might have been safer for you to be born as the Emperor.”

“Sometimes, I think that way too.”

The Emperor said with a smile.

“It’s usually less of a sacrifice to be the one rising to the top than it is to struggle just to get there.”

I didn’t have any comeback to that statement.

…

Midnight.

It had gotten pretty cold, but the three of us—me, Claire, and Alice—were sitting together on the beach.

Looking up at the sky, the stars were quite visible.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t like those picturesque illustrations or movies where the Milky Way is on full display. It was just that there were more stars shimmering in the sky than in Seoul.

But even that I found very beautiful.

“I hope we can do this when we go back to Azernar.”

“We should be able to. After all, I’m going to be the Emperor, right?”

“…No, if you go with the Emperor, there will be soldiers everywhere.”

“That’s just something we’ll have to deal with. The other side really has bandits and thieves lurking around.”

Claire made a “Tch” sound in response to Alice’s words.

“Well, if there’s a chance to hang out, you better take me along too. I don’t want to be the only one left out while you two have fun.”

It was such a Claire-like remark that I almost laughed.

“…?”

For a moment, we all paused to speak.

…”Does it seem like that person’s personality has changed a bit?”

Claire was the first to break the silence.

“Yeah, it’s not at all the person we saw in the Empire. Do you think the failure affected him significantly?”

I thought for a moment before I spoke up.

“And living in this world has probably influenced him a lot as well. I think we three are the biggest reason for that.”

“…Us three?”

I quietly gazed up at the heavens and said.

“The Emperor has never experienced family.”

“….”

Yeah, there was an Empress. He had a daughter. He did pick and cherish talented kids in his way.

But could those be termed as family relationships?

I… was a bit skeptical.

“…I think I understand what you mean.”

Alice said with a somewhat bittersweet expression.

“But just because he has that doesn’t mean a person… can become someone else. He’ll have to be careful when he returns.”

“I know.”

At my words, Alice let out a sigh.

Chapter 466

Actually, I’m the one in the three sisters who sleeps the most.

But I don’t think of myself as ‘lazy.’ I typically wake up around eight without even setting my smartphone alarm, assuming the sun is shining outside. Of course, that could be a bit delayed in winter.

Anyway, it was surprising that I was the first to wake up among the three sisters.

Usually, Claire is the one who gets up first and shakes us awake. Then she drags us out, still half-asleep, insisting we make the most of our time until we head back home.

But right now, Claire was sleeping.

Though she’s usually full of energy, sometimes to the point of being too much, seeing her asleep made her look like an angel.

No, wait. Claire is always an angel. She thinks I saved her when she was young, but I believe Claire saved my life in Azernar.

If it weren’t for her, everything I did would have been incredibly difficult.

With her always positive attitude, helping me with a smile, and lighting up my path, Claire has already become a very important person to me.

Alice is the same.

She might grumble a bit and sometimes doubt me, but she believes in me just as much as I believe in myself. It was also because I didn’t want to hurt Alice and Claire that I managed not to go crazy and corrupt in Azernar.

“… Hmm.”

I pondered for a moment while looking at the two angels sleeping.

Should I wake them up?

But… I didn’t feel like it.

I took out my smartphone. Then I took pictures of their faces. It wasn’t to take weird photos, I just thought they looked pretty while sleeping.

Since they both seemed to be sleeping really deeply, they didn’t wake up from the click of the smartphone.

Could it have been because we talked for a long time last night?

I couldn’t even remember what time we went to bed.

Then I grabbed my outerwear and stepped outside.

“Ugh.”

After shivering from the cold dawn air, I put on my windbreaker and zipped it all the way up. With my hands shoved into my pockets, I felt a bit better.

Taking a deep breath, I filled my lungs with the cold yet refreshing air, which helped clear my head a little.

“…”

Then, without saying a word, I walked towards the Emperor’s tent.

Hmm.

It seemed like no one was inside. While I couldn’t see inside from outside, there’s usually some presence when a person is sleeping.

I circled around the tent, which had its zipper completely closed, and shrugged.

If he was sleeping, I didn’t want to wake him up. There was no point in waking him up for no reason.

However, if he was awake—

I took another deep breath, letting fresh air fill my lungs as I headed towards the beach.

Swish, swish, the sound of the waves was magnificent.

I once read a novel that started with a phrase about the sea being like crayons… what was it again? Maybe it was The Ocean Is a Crayon or something. The beginning of the story had left a strong impression on me, just like that. The waves looked like a blue dragon rolling over.

And there was someone unmistakably recognizable standing on that beach.

Though he looked like he could be transitioning from middle-aged to elderly in just a few years, he still stood tall with broad shoulders. Was that the physique of someone who had supported a nation?

But standing alone in front of the sea made him seem so small, even though he was someone who had aimed to put nature beneath his feet.

I strolled aimlessly.

The sand, which had dried out somewhat overnight, didn’t cling much to my feet.

But I definitely felt grains of sand getting stuck between my toes.

With that aimless wandering, I reached the Emperor.

“Awake?”

“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have come here. Do I look like I have sleepwalking issues?”

“… You’re saying things you wouldn’t have before.”

“That’s because you were the Emperor, holding absolute power. I had to hide my strength.”

“If that’s the case, you weren’t very successful. I never let my guard down around you.”

“Yeah, well, the Goddess felt the same way.”

I sighed deeply.

I listened to the sound of the waves for a moment.

I know that the realm of human emotions doesn’t obey the laws of physics. If the sound of the waves could wash away one’s worries, then everyone in the world would have become a Buddha by now.

But even so, I could still catch that ‘feeling’ to a degree. Honestly, changing the scenery is the best way to refresh oneself.

“Have you felt anything while staying in this world?”

“I’m curious about what prompted you to ask that.”

“I just thought you seemed a bit changed.”

“Is that so?”

The Emperor, with his hands in his pockets, looked rather like an international model in a sportswear advertisement while dressed similarly to me in his windbreaker.

And at the same time, he kind of resembled an old man. The latter is likely my personal impression because I might know this person that well.

“Just like you hid your strength in front of me, I also had things I needed to hide from you.”

“…”

I thought that was a fairly plausible excuse.

“Do you want to go back?”

“I’m thinking of going back.”

“Punishment will certainly be waiting for you when you return.”

“That’s my fault. It was my scheme, my plan. Then the conclusion is entirely mine.”

“That’s something a person who had been briefly sheltering in this world shouldn’t say.”

When I was the first to smile, the Emperor chuckled and said, “I was just thinking of buying some time.”

“Do you think it’s futile?”

“Do you believe there are futile things in this world?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then this can’t be wholly futile either. At the very least, I had time to organize my thoughts. In fact, maybe it was too much. That seemed to be a bit of a problem.”

“… Perhaps it was a problem that we three got to stay together.”

The Emperor… not the ‘Emperor,’ but the time when he was my Father.

Of course, maybe Alice was the only one who thought of him as a father in the truest sense. But… well, isn’t it common for daughters and fathers to not quite see eye to eye?

This case might be the same.

That awkwardness is a rather serious kind of awkwardness.

“Yeah, maybe.”

The Emperor muttered in response.

After a brief silence, the Emperor glanced at me and said, “Did you say you lived here originally?”

“… Yes, but.”

Strictly speaking, ‘here’ isn’t accurate, but the Emperor didn’t ask if I lived in ‘Gangwon-do.’ To put it correctly, he was asking if I lived on ‘Earth.’

“Then you must have had family.”

“Yes.”

“…”

The Emperor pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Before you go back, wouldn’t you want to meet them?”

“Just a brief meeting would be fine. My family may not fully accept me as I am.”

“I see.”

The Emperor paused for a moment before continuing.

“I could give some of the money I’ve collected to your family.”

“…”

I stared at the Emperor.

“Wouldn’t they be a family that lost a child?”

“Are you the kind of person who would worry about such things?”

“…”

At my remark, the Emperor fell momentarily silent.

“When a person falls into a world of which they know nothing, they inevitably come to rely on someone.”

“…”

Did that really happen?

It was hard to tell, as the Emperor didn’t show it much.

Well, at least he taught me how to read. He was also the one who introduced me to the rules of this world and things like stocks.

The Emperor was the one who learned about smartphones from me.

Wow, I was actually a lot more helpful than I thought.

“Let’s consider it a minimum compensation. For what I’ve done for you.”

“Is this because you’ve changed your mind about your thoughts while staying in this world?”

“It’s not just your help.”

The Emperor spoke slowly.

“Alice and Claire have also helped you quite a bit while you weren’t looking.”

“…”

Well, I had been aware of that. No matter how much the three of us might be together, we wouldn’t be attached 24/7.

Claire helped edit the Emperor’s broadcasts and put them on YouTube, while Alice helped manage that channel.

The two knew about the strained relationship I had with the Emperor, but they didn’t feel the need to mention it. I didn’t particularly object to it, either.

“But still, the only reason I could buy some time in this world was because of your existence. If it weren’t for you, there wouldn’t have been any connection to this world at all.”

“…”

I didn’t quite know how to respond to that.

“… Let’s think about how to proceed step by step.”

“… Understood.”

At his words, I simply nodded.

“Sis!”

A moment later, a voice called out to me from behind.

Turning around, I saw Claire waving her hand towards me. Alice stood nearby, still looking a bit dazed from sleeping with a blanket draped over her shoulders.

“Are you going to your sisters?”

“Yes. Will you stay here?”

“Experiencing the view of the sea without guards is quite nice, too.”

At the Emperor’s words, I shrugged.

Then, I turned towards my sisters to enjoy the remaining time with the two of them.

Chapter 467

I’m a fundamental otaku, so I’m the type to really scrutinize the concept of abilities.

Whether it’s when I watch comics or anime, or even when I play games! Since I hardly play online games, I usually just raise my characters according to my preferences. Of course, if the character concept is clear like in a JRPG, then I won’t think of raising it in another way.

Anyway, that’s why I’ve thought about how to return to my original world when the time comes.

Should I make a grand entrance or just quietly slip back?

We concluded that a quiet return would be the best.

The Emperor didn’t particularly want to draw attention to our return, and Alice and Claire agreed with my words.

We confirmed the bright glow of the portal and took about a week to prepare.

Taking our time, we decided what we would leave behind and what we would take with us.

Alice chose a lot of books. She thought about preparing solutions to whatever might happen in the future once we returned.

Claire mostly packed photographs. It seemed she didn’t want to let go of the memories we built while living here. Besides that, she grabbed a few souvenirs.

The Emperor was… similar to Alice.

“Are you thinking of doing politics again over there?”

“Well, this is my idea; may I share it?”

“…Please go ahead.”

At my words, the Emperor shrugged.

“My shadow won’t disappear so easily. Of course, I might be imprisoned for quite a while. I might even lose the throne. But I don’t think they’ll execute me.”

“….”

I had thought up to that point as well.

“And even while imprisoned, there will be those who fear my name. My political enemies won’t easily attack Alice just because I’m ‘alive.’”

Alice nodded at those words.

“Are you suggesting we use your name?”

“That’s correct. And I could also give some advice in my own way.”

“….”

When I shot the Emperor a glare, he shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

“Well, it’s not that big of a deal. The advice I could offer would be just to apply my knowledge to estimate the current state of the Empire. As long as Alice doesn’t hand over all the Empire’s information, I can’t manipulate her. Besides, I didn’t raise my daughter to fall for those sweet words.”

Alice glared at the Emperor, but he continued speaking nonchalantly.

“I failed to take over the world. But the Empire is still my homeland. I can’t let it fall apart easily. And even if I wanted to manipulate Alice, I assume you wouldn’t think of leaving her side, would you?”

That was… true.

Of course, I had no intention of becoming the Emperor, and I wasn’t planning to rise to any official position, but if Alice were to take the throne, I would become first in line for succession.

So, naturally, I had to help Alice wholeheartedly, and that was my plan as well.

“So… hmm, it feels a bit odd to say this, but you probably don’t need to worry too much.”

“I understand.”

In the end, I could only nod at those words.

We brought the packed items into the living room. A large hiking backpack was almost full. Honestly, it was tough to carry around, but it wouldn’t be a big problem as long as I could head to Azernar.

And—

“About your family in your world…”

The Emperor spoke to me.

“I’ve been thinking about how to give them money.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. I believe the simplest answer is simply ‘to give it.’”

“Didn’t you say you’d think of another way?”

“I had a few ideas, but most would take too long. The most straightforward method is just to levy a tax and give them the money.”

“….”

“So, I think we have no choice but to meet them directly.”

“…Father.”

Alice spoke up, but the Emperor was only looking directly at me.

“If you don’t want to, then I won’t force you.”

I pondered seriously and eventually nodded.

“Have you thought about what you will say?”

“Yes.”

The Emperor nodded with a smile.

*

I… had no desire to meet my family in person.

If I got too close to even talk, I might end up crying or calling out “Mom”, or something like that.

In the end, what I chose was to describe my family’s appearances, tell their names, and things like that.

That wasn’t too difficult. I could easily find a place with a family photo. The computer I used was still in my small apartment, and we took it with us when we moved.

…It seems the Goddess thought a family photo wasn’t information that would disrupt the world’s order.

Well, it’s not like I could do anything just by having that. My ‘previous life’ in this world was already a dead person, and they were a real existence. Such photos would likely already be in my family’s computer.

I memorized their faces with the family photo, memorized names, addresses, and contact details.

The method the Emperor came up with was simple.

Open a bank account, deposit some money, and say, ‘Your son made a fortune in coins. I’ve been protecting that money until I finally found you.’ He would also explain that he was handing over the money because he had invested as seed money for stock trading.

He had many other sad stories prepared, but I figured it wasn’t necessary to enumerate them one by one. It was all just made-up anyway.

At a glance, it seemed like a somewhat… flimsy plan, but I had no choice but to rely on the Emperor’s oratory skills.

Alice, Claire, and I set up a spot on the second floor of a café near the apartment where my family lived, watching the street below.

Outside, the Emperor was waiting for my family.

After about 20 minutes of waiting…

“Ah.”

In the distance, I could see my family.

Even at such a far distance where their faces were barely visible, I hadn’t seen them for years, yet I still recognized them.

Mother, Father, and my younger sibling.

The three of them were walking together happily.

It seemed the Emperor spotted my family as well.

With a demeanor that showed no hesitation, he headed toward them.

When the Emperor approached and spoke…

The three of them seemed very taken aback.

I slowly sipped my coffee, watching as they talked.

As the Emperor spoke, at first, they reacted with uncertainty, but when the Emperor handed over the bankbook, it looked like they figured out the truth.

The climax was… the letter I wrote.

Currently, I had no way to prove that I am me. So the choice I made was to write my will myself.

“If anything happens to me, please send all the investments to my family,” I penned, which wasn’t a particularly long sentence.

But since it was written in my handwriting, I figured they would recognize it. Among my belongings, there were probably many things with my writing on them.

If they did a handwriting analysis, it would surely match mine, after all. It was something I wrote myself.

My mother took the bankbook and will, hugging them to her chest.

The Emperor exchanged a few more words with her, shook hands with my father and sibling, and then bowed respectfully before turning away.

The three of them quietly watched as the Emperor walked away, then slowly turned back toward the apartment.

“Are you okay?”

“What?”

Alice suddenly spoke up, causing me to flinch.

When I turned my head, I saw Alice looking at me with a slightly worried expression. The drink in her glass hadn’t decreased at all.

“Are you sure you’re okay without meeting them directly?”

“….”

Truthfully, I wasn’t completely okay, but I felt this was sufficient.

I knew all three were safe, and I had seen that a fair amount of money was passed to them.

The reason I didn’t write a long letter was to avoid raising any suspicious points while reading it and to show that this wasn’t written as a genuine will.

Who would seriously write down detailed content while making a will to someone while investing money? At least, that’s not my personality.

I wrote it because I was told to, trying to create a casual atmosphere.

So—

“Yes, I’m fine.”

I figured that someday I would be able to meet them again. That’s what I believed.

“…Big brother.”

Claire gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

“….”

I turned my gaze back to the window.

The three of them were slowly walking into the complex, eventually entering the apartment building.

As the lights in the communal entrance lit up, their faces became clear even from afar. They looked a bit… sad.

“This is enough.”

I set my glass down and said with a slight smile.

“My family is here right now.”

At my words, both Alice and Claire smiled a little.

Yeah, I should go meet the Emperor again.

And… I should thank him for today.

Chapter 468

It was quite peculiar to see a middle-aged man gradually edging into his prime facing off against three teenage girls.

Whoosh!

Each of them carried bags that seemed ridiculously large compared to their bodies. Even the Emperor, towering over the average man, had a backpack that looked enormous when compared to himself.

Rumble!

It was packed to the brim with all sorts of stuff.

Honestly, we had no clue how much we could actually carry. I just assumed I could bring whatever was touching my body from the clothes I wore when I came this way.

But isn’t this whole premise a bit vague? If it were just a body swap, that would be one thing, but every work has its own take on how much you can actually bring along.

We just hoped we were right about what we thought.

By the way, Claire had tucked her most treasured photos into her clothing pockets, just in case, vowing that even if she had to leave her bag behind, she would at least clutch onto a few pictures.

“So… everyone ready?”

Claire spoke up.

The rest of us had our hands on the ‘zibo’ Claire presented. We weren’t just lightly touching it; we were gripping it tightly.

Because we wanted to go back.

I might have been born in this world, but I had accomplished far more in Azernar.

I wasn’t the type to easily give up everything I had worked for. I wanted to personally experience the happy ending I had achieved.

Alice and Claire shared the same sentiment.

As for the Emperor—

Just before Claire activated her power, I stole a glance at his face.

His expression was almost blank. It was different from our relieved faces.

Once we returned to the other world— the Emperor would have to step down from his position.

Even though he had fought and lost, losing everything he had built would surely be a despairing situation for an Emperor.

And yet, he chose to go back. He opted for the title of ‘former Emperor’ over living in riches here.

That thought was both understandable and hard to comprehend.

Well, I suppose a day would never come when I could completely understand the Emperor. No matter how much time passed.

…But then again, isn’t that the case for all humans?

Claire closed her eyes.

Seeing Alice and the Emperor do the same, I followed suit and shut my eyes too.

Claire didn’t say anything else. She simply poured her strength into the zibo—

Zoom!

“Yahh!?”

I let out an unexpectedly loud scream after quite some time.

The ground I was standing on abruptly vanished, not the most pleasant experience.

Though I was used to amusement park rides, I knew it was safe because I was securely strapped into something.

Being thrown into the air without anything tethered to me other than my backpack was just not my vibe.

Nevertheless, the bag I was carrying proved to be quite helpful.

I toppled backward. The bag hit the ground first, absorbing a fair amount of the impact, allowing me to avoid injury.

I wasn’t the only one to fall backward.

“Ouch…”

Alice, having apparently packed a lot of hard stuff in her bag, rubbed the back of her head grimacing after getting hit by something protruding from her backpack.

“Ugh… Still, I’m glad it’s not as painful as last time.”

Claire, who had fallen flat on the ground last time she came over, expressed her relief about this being better because of the backpack, sprawled out on the floor.

And then—

“…Hmm.”

I didn’t expect the Emperor to fall too.

Lying back on the ground, arms crossed, staring at the ceiling looked oddly comical. He resembled a serious character from a gag comic, yet somehow managed a slapstick moment.

I didn’t bother the effort of standing up with my backpack still on.

I loosened all the straps of my hiking backpack, slipped my arms out, and shook off my clothes as I stood up.

Looking around—everything was exactly as I had last seen it.

…Well, no, there were a few changes.

The knights who had been sprawled all over the floor seemed to have been cleared away. The local residents too.

There were still quite a few broken things scattered here and there.

I swung my arms around to loosen up and went over to Alice.

I helped yank the hiking bag off her struggling form to get her up.

“Hehe, sis.”

Claire seemed to be pausing intentionally, lying still while waiting for me. I smiled back and lifted her up like I did with Alice.

Now for the Emperor—

“Sylvia!”

I suddenly heard someone calling my name.

Then, I heard some mad footsteps approaching, as silver hair burst into my view.

Charlotte jumped into my arms.

She nearly toppled back just like when she was lugging that backpack a moment ago but managed to catch herself.

“Where have you been disappearing to!?”

Charlotte hugged me once, then went over to give Alice and Claire a quick hug each.

When I came to my senses, I realized everyone had gathered nearby. My friends and teachers from this world, along with everyone who had fought alongside us in the final battle.

“…To put it simply, it’s complicated. Let’s sort out the situation first, and then I’ll explain everything.”

I told Charlotte that.

Yes, there was a ton to say.

“…But how long have we been gone?”

“…Twelve years.”

Charlotte rubbed her eyes and said that.

“…What?”

“That’s obviously a lie.”

The Emperor stood up and stated flatly.

“If twelve years had really passed, someone like me wouldn’t be the only old one. You young folks practically wouldn’t look the same!”

“…”

As I looked at Charlotte, Leo, who had come closer, just chuckled bitterly.

“One hour. Everyone was gone for just an hour.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“So—”

The Emperor strolled over leisurely and spoke.

“How are we handling the aftermath? Am I going to be arrested or something?”

“…”

Charlotte glared daggers at the Emperor.

It wasn’t just her. Everyone here turned to glare at him. Even those who didn’t didn’t hide their feelings of hostility in their eyes.

…Right.

We had gotten used to being around the Emperor after being with him for some time, but to everyone here, it would look like he simply vanished only to return after a brief while.

They still hadn’t processed their feelings.

The Emperor knew that too.

Watching him get restrained… was a bit unsettling.

“…What the heck happened?”

Charlotte, maybe having sensed my expression, looked at me with sharp eyes and asked.

“I’ll tell you everything.”

I nodded slowly, then glanced at Alice and Claire.

Both of them nodded seriously in agreement.

There was a mountain of things to do.

…But it was okay.

It felt like I had rested enough.

So now, I had to solve the tasks ahead.

Flash!

The zibo had vanished.

Maybe it was because we jumped worlds twice? Perhaps its powerful essence crumbled to dust or burned bright in the light.

Things began unfolding in order. Of course, that didn’t mean there weren’t any headaches, but overall, it went far smoother than I anticipated. The impending friendship between the next leaders of the Empire and Kingdom was quite helpful in such times.

“…Going to another world turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected.”

I stood before the Gryphon that followed me after the battle.

Though it looked at me with serious eyes, I couldn’t tell if that was just its default expression or if it understood my words.

Even if it did understand, it wouldn’t grasp such intricate details.

I shrugged and brushed through the Gryphon’s wing with a comb.

Sure, the wings were way too big for a comb of this size, but the Gryphon spread its wings wide, making it easier for me to comb through.

Well, I didn’t know if it would help the Gryphon, but it was helpful for me. It was a good way to organize my thoughts.

As I combed through its wings—

“Sis!”

That shout came from behind me.

“Claire?”

I turned around.

Claire was waving her hand, her face bright as the sun.

Did she have some good news?

“What about Alice…?”

As I was about to set the comb down, the Gryphon let out a disgruntled squawk behind me, but I waved it off and went over to Claire.

“She said she has something to say. So, I thought I’d tell you first.”

“What do you want to tell me?”

Claire grinned at my question.

Before I even sensed any unease from that smile, she grabbed my wrist tightly.

And—

“Yahh!?”

I felt that familiar sensation of the ground disappearing beneath me after such a long time.

What’s happening now?

Chapter 469

“…So that’s how it is.”

“Is that so? That’s good to hear.”

“……”

It’s been about two weeks since I realized we could travel back and forth across the world by absorbing Claire’s power.

During that time, I showed my friends another world.

With the apartment available, I didn’t have to worry about the location. Every time I brought a new friend, I even had a new ID, just like the times we went there before.

In fact, there might be issues after a few decades.

Right now, it’s easy for friends to meet, but in the far future, it’ll be difficult to find time.

What if it’s around their fifties? Some might never get to visit Earth again.

An ID left untouched, without even a death certificate…

Well, it would be best to keep taking them along consistently to avoid that.

And among all these situations, the most dangerous person was, of course, the Emperor.

“We’re still researching. Why is the place we return to always the starting point when we go that way, and conversely, why do we get similar results when going this way to that?”

It’s unlikely that a multi-story apartment building would just vanish randomly. I think it would last for as long as we could go to Earth.

But what if, by some chance, the apartment disappears while we are here?

As soon as we arrive in that world, we would appear dozens of floors up and fall straight to the ground.

Would the Goddess adjust that? Does she think it unnatural for people to fall from the air?

It felt a little troublesome to think too optimistically.

Well, it wasn’t something to worry about right now, anyway.

“The people over there miss you quite a bit.”

“Do they?”

The Emperor chuckled at my words.

“Yes. It’s not just because you helped them earn money through stocks; they enjoyed the moments when they talked while watching broadcasts. It seems your speaking skills are remarkable.”

“Well, it wasn’t all for nothing to have been in politics my whole life.”

The Emperor was still under house arrest.

It’s true he didn’t start a world war, but he did recklessly meddle in other countries. While I can’t disclose detailed stories, at least those in the leadership of the countries involved know what his objectives were.

So, it can’t be easily resolved. But at the same time, it was difficult to just throw him in prison.

As a result, he’s kept under this separate house arrest in the mansion right now.

“…Have you met the other kids?”

“I haven’t told them yet that we can go to another world.”

“…Perhaps that could be an alternative?”

“An alternative, you say?”

“Yes. Rather than keeping them in this world, it’s better to send them to another one.”

“…Have you developed any feelings of sympathy now?”

The Emperor fell silent, which was quite rare.

He looked a bit surly with his mouth shut.

“You’ve learned how to see people as people, huh? It hasn’t been long since that happened.”

“Perhaps it’s because I never really lived as a human.”

“…But, I still can’t fully trust you.”

“Probably so.”

“Therefore, I will… hold off on sending my… siblings to that world for now.”

The Emperor probably didn’t consider the possibility of going to Earth. Even if he knew it was a possibility, he had no intention of going until things reached this point.

Naturally, he wouldn’t have given orders for his children to conquer that world, nor had the time to do so.

But even so, every time I see the Emperor, I can’t help but think of that one chance.

“Is that so.”

The Emperor simply responded calmly.

I paused for a moment, then spoke to him.

“Maybe it’s because I’m one of them that I can think this way.”

“……”

“I can’t claim to be completely innocent either.”

That’s right. I’m someone with blood on my hands.

I’m not only talking about Mia’s father.

Due to the ability to rewind time, I’ve killed people and then put them back. I personally went in holding a gun when figuring out the inside of the Imperial Palace and the Dreadnought-class battleship.

Separate from rewinding time, I’ve killed before. In that earlier battle, I inadvertently rescued the Gryphon. I clearly committed murder. Although it was a combat situation…

I will definitely never go back to before then. Even if I rewind time, that ‘fact’ remains.

As I remember…

“……”

“In a way, you might be my father.”

I spoke with a self-mocking smile.

“I lived thinking I hadn’t learned anything from you… but, it seems I actually learned a lot.”

“…Hmm.”

The Emperor merely hummed in response.

“To be honest, I can’t just sit here talking to you pleasantly. Years of built-up suspicion and emotions can’t be washed away in an instant.”

I stared intently at the table.

Doing so, I felt the Emperor’s expression flicker.

I didn’t want to see that face directly. I didn’t want to show him my face either.

Yet, what I was saying eventually needed to be shown.

Thus, I ended up in this awkward position.

I intertwined my fingers on my lap, leaning back in the chair, I took a moment to gather my thoughts and said,

“But, I definitely appreciate what you did for my previous parents.”

Not everything in this world can be solved with money.

But that doesn’t mean nothing can be resolved without money. A lot of money makes a lot of things possible.

Having that buffer for my family was certainly welcomed.

“So… yes. I’m thankful to you for that.”

“……”

“Maybe I’m thinking a bit that it could have been your true intention.”

“Thank you.”

At the Emperor’s words, I fell silent again.

What else should I say?

“…My siblings are all under separate house arrests in different places. Fortunately, none of them have lost their lives.”

The Emperor didn’t reply.

“Someday, even after a long time has passed, I hope there will be a chance to do those things for each one of them. And that, like you and me, we could understand each other even just a little.”

“I understand.”

“…It’ll probably be a difficult task. Just a thought, but my siblings’ personalities are all a bit rough around the edges compared to me.”

“I know that much.”

With the Emperor’s reply, I raised my gaze slightly.

That smiling expression at the corner of his mouth never fails to throw me off.

“Of course, I believed you were the most difficult being to deal with.”

…..

Should I be happy about that?

I stood up from the chair.

“Someday… I’ll make arrangements for us to go back to Earth and spend time there again. Collecting money seemed to have been enjoyable for you.”

“Yes, that was the case.”

“Someday the resources over there will be needed too. To fix the broken bits of Azernar, we’ll need the information, technology, and inventions from that side. Perhaps even your talents will be needed to learn all that.”

“Do I have the right to meddle in such important work?”

“That’s why I said ‘someday.’”

I replied.

“Someday… when we truly do not need to doubt each other anymore. By then… Alice and I would think seriously about it too.”

“……”

The Emperor remained silent.

I slowly pushed in the chair.

“…Then, I will come again when there is time next.”

“Alright. I’ll be waiting.”

The Emperor replied like that to my words.

I nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped back to leave the room.

*

“How was it?”

Claire, who had been waiting outside, asked.

“…It was better than I expected.”

Claire nodded with a smile in response to my answer.

“Then, shall we take a walk for a bit?”

Claire said that and walked ahead, and I followed behind her.

We walked silently for a while, even passing by the car parked in front of the building.

In this place, slightly away from the Imperial Capital, the smoke covering the sky was nowhere to be seen.

The sky… was blue. I guess it would be hard to see such a sky even on Earth.

“Thanks to you, various technologies are being introduced here. Pollution like that should decrease a lot.”

Claire said as she looked at me watching the sky.

“I hope so.”

And perhaps, based on the research results here, we could help Earth too.

“It’s going to happen, undoubtedly.”

Claire replied with a smile.

Under the blue sky, her fluttering blue hair looked remarkably good together.

Chapter 470

“…….”

“……”

Hmm.

I kind of regret this a lot.

I actually thought this was a pretty good idea.

Although time doesn’t flow here like it did back in Azernar, with months passing in this world for every hour we spent there, isn’t the world a bit more peaceful now that even the Emperor has softened a little?

So… um, I thought I might be able to help the Emperor’s other children somehow.

As a result, the person in front of me right now is Bella Fanggriffon.

But no, no matter how I look at it, bringing all of the Emperor’s kids together at once strikes me as a foolish idea.

But then I thought about it again, and bringing just one person along seems like a foolish idea too.

“…So, what do you want from me?”

Bella asked me.

Well, it’s not like I wanted something specific.

Maybe I’m just a little… sentimental.

It seems the Emperor thinks Claire is his daughter. Of course, it’s true that Claire is the Emperor’s daughter… I mean, she’s got his blood. The whole mess started when Lucas took me along instead of Claire.

And the Goddess was aiming for that too.

But it seems Claire doesn’t intend to fully accept that the Emperor is… her father.

She acknowledged the fact that they share blood, but everything else, that is, her true parents who raised her and saw her as their daughter, seems to remain the Grace Baron’s couple in her mind.

I think that’s a fair choice.

Anyway.

Claire has decided to cooperate with my plans. She seemed to understand the situation of the Emperor’s children reasonably well, and most importantly, Claire really likes me, another of the Emperor’s kids.

So right now, the people sitting in front of Bella are just me and Claire.

Alice was busy, and this was my first attempt to figure out the personality dynamics before we had any clashes.

“…I don’t really expect much.”

At my words, Bella’s eyes narrowed.

“More importantly, please eat. The ice cream is melting.”

I said that and picked up my spoon. It wasn’t packaged, but served in a shop, so the spoon was metal instead of plastic.

Where we are right now is a world-renowned ice cream franchise.

When I say world-renowned, it probably sounds like it must be a super amazing place, but if you think about it, this is fast food in the ice cream world. Back in my childhood, the prices felt ridiculously expensive, but nowadays, with inflation, this seems relatively reasonable.

Well, I don’t really have to think about prices in my current situation anyway.

I casually scooped some ice cream and put it in my mouth.

The rich chocolate flavor instantly took over my mouth.

Usually, I prefer a milder taste when eating food, but desserts are the exception. Especially cold desserts should feel sinfully sweet enough to make my blood vessels cry out!

Fortunately, Claire agreed with my taste.

Right now, though, Claire was nibbling on her ice cream, a bit self-conscious about it. Even the most cheerful person wouldn’t feel entirely at ease if the two people they were with seemed awkward and distant.

“……”

Bella was looking at me with a skeptical expression, but eventually, she picked up her spoon.

Then she looked straight at me and took a big scoop of ice cream before putting it in her mouth.

And then—

Her eyes widened.

See?

Of course, there’s ice cream in Azernar too. It’s surprisingly good, and the texture and taste are pretty similar to what you can get here.

But the flavor is nowhere near as ‘varied.’

Refrigeration, transportation, and manufacturing technologies are all inferior in Azernar compared to here, after all.

The food produced here by big companies pouring money into it is hard to replicate in Azernar.

“Is it good?”

“It’s decent.”

“Thank goodness. It’s not that high-class a dish.”

“…Huh?”

“In this world, it’s just about an average price to eat.”

“….”

“At least we don’t have to worry too much about starving while wandering around.”

At my words, Bella was momentarily silent.

“The apartment is in a safe place, so you should be able to relax for a while.”

“…What if I end up running away from here suddenly?”

“Are you thinking of running away? Living here won’t be easy, you know. The economy of this world is much sturdier than that of Azernar, and without money, you can hardly do anything. You’re considered part of my family, so restrictions will be even greater. They’ll treat you like a ‘rich and important figure.’”

Well, to be fair, Azernar is probably even tougher in that regard.

“So, what are you trying to say? Just to relax while I’m here?”

“That’s the intention behind the invitation, but is that a problem?”

“…Why?”

Bella asked again, genuinely confused.

Hmm.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts and answered.

“I want to make peace with you.”

“…Huh?”

“We’ve fought for our lives. I want to make peace. But saying it verbally alone wouldn’t be enough to understand, right?”

“…Did you eat something funny?”

“That could be it.”

I took another big scoop of ice cream and put it in my mouth. This time it was banana-flavored. It didn’t taste like ‘real’ banana fruit, but rather like an artificially strong claim of ‘I AM BANANA!’ that looked completely different.

But I liked it. At least that kind of flavor is hard to find back in Azernar.

“Maybe the food I ate while being with the Emperor has scrambled my brain.”

“You’re… siding with the Emperor?”

“No, not at all.”

I said firmly.

And while quietly looking at the ice cream, I continued.

“I don’t wish for you and the Emperor to reconcile. I’m just… curious to see if I could make peace with you too based on how my feelings have changed while being with the Emperor.”

Bella stared at me with her mouth agape.

“Have I said something weird?”

“Yeah. At least not like you, idiot.”

Bella said as if she couldn’t believe it.

“That’s not something ‘Sylvia Fanggriffon’ would say.”

“Of course it’s not the ‘Sylvia Fanggriffon.’ The powers I had back then are gone, so now I have to live cautiously.”

“……”

Bella once again picked up her spoon and scooped out some ice cream.

“…It’s good.”

“Yes, at least it’s a delicacy we can enjoy in this peaceful world.”

I replied to Bella, who was casually impressed.

*

When I got back to the apartment, I also brought Alice along.

At least since she didn’t seem likely to try to kill me, I figured it’d be fine to bring someone like Alice.

But that doesn’t mean we could all just crash in the same space. Not yet… that’s still too much. When it comes to sleeping, we’ll either have to send them back or just have the two of us return, one or the other.

“Movies…”

Bella muttered as she stared at the scene unfolding before her.

“Yes. It’s a movie.”

I replied.

“It’s really different from our world in many ways.”

“Well, in Azernar, it’s still at the infant stage.”

Various techniques are being explored, but it’s literally in the crawling stage. There’s still a long way to go to develop.

Bella seemed captivated by the movies from this world.

She was sitting very close to the TV, hugging her knees and staring at the screen.

Honestly, the movie wasn’t anything particularly special. It was just… something Bella picked based on the thumbnail that popped up on the screen.

The content was just a simple romance.

“Do you like it?”

“…Yeah.”

Bella nodded and replied.

Did she have any dreams from the past?

In the original story, she wasn’t a particularly significant character. Just a background character who died before the main story began.

Dreams… might not be impossible.

Considering her life’s hardships, it might’ve been hard to have any, but usually, even in tough situations, people engage in some form of imagination.

Even if they’re unachievable dreams, people still tend to fantasize.

Acting is a popular profession even in Azernar.

“Are you interested in acting?”

At my question, Bella looked at me as if asking what I was saying.

I shrugged lightly.

“Perhaps someday I might try my hand at it here.”

“…Don’t say such foolish things.”

I didn’t push the issue further.

After all, it was just something I said on a whim.

Neither Alice nor Claire brought up anything in particular about it either.

We just quietly sat on the couch behind Bella, watching the movie and her reactions to it.

…Will it help?

I thought it might help if she gets far away from the world she was born into—

But who knows, I still can’t tell.

Chapter 471

“…….”

“…….”

If there’s someone you’d rather not talk to, it’s better to create a situation where you don’t have to.

However, even if you don’t talk to them, it should be an awkward situation to leave. That way, they can accept the fact that they are near each other.

After learning that I could go back and forth to Earth, a lot of things happened.

My friends have all visited at least once. Everyone loved desserts, some were horrified by certain fusion dishes, and they were shocked that I diluted coffee with water.

Well, satisfaction was generally high. In this world, there was a specific market that could only be created through mass production and overwhelming financial power, and because of that market, there were countless cultural contents.

Just relaxing for a few days and experiencing those things brightened their faces immensely.

It was incredibly gratifying.

Even if Claire agreed, it didn’t cost extra. Of course, Claire would make various conditions, prompting me to visit her house with Alice, drink tea together, or go camping in this world.

But, since I wanted to do those things anyway, I had no complaints. What a splendid deal! It was a textbook win-win strategy.

Anyway, of course, I put effort into calling my friends each time.

I cleaned the house in advance, stocked up food in the fridge, did a bit of broadcasting, and planned where to go for fun.

But usually, everyone came intending to have fun, so as long as I paid attention to a few polarizing foods, there were no major issues.

The ones I was picky about were the Emperor and those kids.

They were set up as being older than me, putting them in the position of older siblings, and most of them had rather… um, unique personalities.

Moreover, they shared a common hatred for the Emperor.

I once thought they would risk their lives to follow him, but it was strange they didn’t resent him, given that he twisted their fates.

And for some reason, I wanted to keep the Emperor and those kids together.

I truly don’t know why. Even knowing that there are kids who find it impossible to fully forgive the Emperor, I just wanted that.

Maybe I hope the Emperor will at least apologize, like he did to me?

Well, anyway.

It took a whopping two years to show all the kids this world, persuade them, have their feelings toward the Emperor calm down a bit, and wait for the curse to break. And even after the curse was broken, it would still take a long time for them to properly resolve that guilt.

If I had to put it, you could say the curse’s location shifted from outside to inside the Imperial Palace.

I’m still a minor. Alice and Claire are also in the same boat. We were just about to graduate from the academy.

So, I had a little time. I thought that once I became an adult, it wouldn’t be easy to relax like this, so I suggested to Claire and Alice:

Let’s all go on a trip!

The place I picked was a fishing spot.

The Emperor, me, Alice, Claire, Lucas, Jayden, Bella, and Damien.

Eight people were sitting side by side, blankly staring at the water.

Since it was fishing, of course, they weren’t squished together; everyone kept a decent distance. Claire, Alice, and I were practically seated together, though.

Still… um, is it a relief that we created a peaceful atmosphere?

“Eek!?”

Suddenly, Jayden shouted.

He reflexively grabbed the fishing rod upon seeing the bobber bobbing, but wore a face that said he had no idea how to catch a fish.

Watching Jayden pulling a flopping fish to the shore but not knowing what to do, Lucas clicked his tongue, got up from his seat, and brought a net near Jayden.

Somehow, the two managed to successfully land the fish.

Jayden beamed at me, raising the fish high.

Um… honestly, this was my first real fishing experience too, so I didn’t know what it was either.

Bella looked at Jayden in disbelief, while Damien silently stared at his own bobber.

The Emperor watched his children, but his expression was blank.

…Right.

Should I call this peaceful, or merely an extended thorny cushion?

Well, I guess we should be thankful it didn’t turn into a bloody killing ground.

*

“It’s entirely thanks to you that we aren’t killing each other.”

That was Bella’s comment.

“Everyone… thinks they owe it to you.”

Is that so?

After all, Lucas had trouble meeting my eyes for quite a while.

When he was enraged at me for using the ability to turn back time, I think he once believed he was stuck in an endless loop of being cut up by me, so it wasn’t surprising he was in shock when those memories returned.

Since Lucas had thought I was somewhat cute in our younger days, it must have been a significant psychological blow. So in that sense, rather than ‘debts’ as in owing my life, it’s better to think of it as a total amount of pain he had dumped on me.

Jayden seemed to give me credit for not killing him. Plus, I gathered he was really impressed I improved my study time and practice time without even looking at the answers, despite having the time-turning ability.

Damien… well, we weren’t really close, but did he think of me as a sort of stick to lean on?

“I even went so far as to plead for you not to kill the Emperor.”

That was true.

I recalled that memory and let out a long sigh.

The Emperor was grilling fish a bit further away. Was he practicing? He was actually doing really well now. Not that I’d expect anything less from him; such a talented person certainly had skills to learn even in this area.

“…….”

We were mostly quiet unless the kids spoke to me.

However, wasn’t it a breath of fresh air without that deadly aura? Well, I almost had no ability to sense such an aura anyway.

The Emperor’s expression was… initially rather rigid.

But as time passed, he began to relax slowly. At least for now, it didn’t seem like he was intentionally maintaining a blank expression. He was adjusting in his own way, but just that much.

I thought that was a positive sign.

It meant the Emperor didn’t view his children solely as tools.

“……So.”

The first to speak during the meal was, inevitably, Lucas.

Perhaps because he had the most karma accumulated with me, he seemed to be trying to match my mood.

“That… you said broadcast? Is that what Sylvia is doing?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

“Is it like a movie?”

Jayden asked.

“No, it’s a bit different. It’s much more static. In movies, they can’t just shoot whatever they want.”

Bella chimed in.

“Huh? Can’t you just film it appropriately and paste it together?”

“What do you think movies are?”

Seeing Bella frown while saying that, I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit inside.

Bella… well, she didn’t dream of being an actress or anything. She probably thought that was ‘unrealistic.’

Instead, she had taken up a hobby for watching movies.

When I came to this world, I was hoping to bring movies on a tablet.

And I decided to just bring generators into this world and generate electricity with gasoline. After all, can’t I just bring it when I go back? Developing steam turbines properly will take quite a long time now since we’ve just started.

So, there’s a big TV, air conditioning, a fridge in the palace… anyway, that’s how it is.

I stacked up Blu-ray discs there and let Bella borrow them, and she ended up watching all the movies in no time.

So, Jayden probably didn’t like what Bella said at all.

“……Is that so? Hmm.”

Jayden quieted down at Bella’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah. Here, look.”

Bella showed me the edited version of my broadcast video on her smartphone.

What appeared in it was—

“…….”

Me, pathetically crying after a crushing defeat with the Emperor.

Jayden’s face turned blank.

“Puhaha.”

Lucas burst out laughing and then quickly composed himself upon seeing my expression.

Damien was quietly watching the screen with an expression of disbelief.

I glared at Bella, but she simply shrugged her shoulders.

…Did she pick that video intentionally?

No, it was definitely on purpose.

I glanced at the Emperor.

He was looking at me with a slight smile.

Really, it felt like a different person now.

*

“Were you satisfied today?”

While I was briefly outside the nearby pension looking at the stars at night, the Emperor had approached me without my notice.

“……If you ask whether I was satisfied or not, then yes, I was.”

“Is that so.”

“Perhaps, there seemed to be a possibility that we could get along.”

“…….”

The Emperor also stared blankly at the sky along with me.

“Don’t you think it’s gone too far?”

“Since we’ve come this far, we should take a moment to pause so the others can catch up.”

Even though we still had a long way to go, those kids’ pasts would never be compensated, and we couldn’t completely erase that resentment.

But still.

Still, it felt like today, there might be a glimmer of hope.

“Calling you ‘Father’ is the very last step for me.”

“…….”

“If you have that intention, try persuading the others. It’s in your hands.”

“……Is that so.”

The Emperor looked up at the sky for a moment, then turned to look at me.

“……Alright, I’ll give it a shot. Although it seems harder than conquering the world.”

“Still, the odds should be a bit easier, right? I won’t be the one writing this time.”

At my words, the Emperor let out a short laugh.

Then, we both looked up at the sky for a long while.

Chapter 472

After everything was over, I even gave up on the concept.

But life went back to being ordinary.

There were mountains of tasks left to handle, and there was no guarantee that clearing those mountains wouldn’t result in more mountains appearing, but we worked hard anyway.

Since they were mountains, there was no need to deal with them all at once. Slowly, with more people to tackle things together, trying various approaches would be enough.

If we shoveled away bit by bit, well, even if we can’t clear it all in our lifetime, we could at least change the shape of it a little.

The fortunate part was that the connections I had built during the times I could turn back time weren’t just any connections.

Among them were quite a few people with skills close to that of an excavator in certain areas, handling situations I couldn’t solve with ease.

“Come on, you know your resilience doesn’t end here. Pick up the sword again.”

For example, the Sword Saint in front of me right now.

Sword Saint Frederick wasn’t just someone who could wield a sword.

He had already served in the Empire’s military and had led many people beneath him.

He could certainly contribute greatly to the modernization of the Imperial Army. Just look at his disciple, Jennifer Winterfield!

“I’m not here to swing a sword—”

“Ah, hearing that means you still have some energy left.”

No, listen to what I’m saying till the end.

The reason I sought the Sword Saint was certainly not to learn swordsmanship. Nor was it to hope for the modernization of the Imperial Army. Most of the Imperial army was still intact and functioning well. In fact, it was the most modern army in this world.

Rather, I had come to ask him for advice on a certain someone who was just as life-and-death about swords as he was.

“After going back in time so many times to train and increase your skills, you’re complaining because you made just one leap?”

“Is it appropriate to just swing a sword at the Crown Princess like that?”

I vented my frustration, but of course, the Sword Saint wasn’t swayed by her status. After all, he was the one who spoke back to the Emperor without a care, so what would he think of the Crown Princess?

Moreover, he was also the sword instructor of the next Emperor.

And of course, the Sword Saint swung the wooden sword at me, as if my words were a waste of time.

Alright, that’s how you want to play it then.

I also had some muscle memory in me. I had watched the Sword Saint’s swordplay many times. It was incredibly fast, but if I didn’t back down and just dodged like this—

Thwack!

The sword flew from my hands and rolled on the ground.

“……”

“Are you not going to pick it up?”

He inquired.

Well, after all that, how could I not?

Having let him toy with me right after arriving, it would be aggravating to simply stop now.

I picked up the sword again.

“That’s how my disciple should act.”

…… Regret was pointless.

I didn’t say the same thing again. To be honest, there was no way for me to beat the Sword Saint.

However, still.

Even if I had lost the ability to turn back time…

If I kept trying over and over, wouldn’t there be a chance? I had already experimented with it several times, so I knew there was a slim possibility.

The opponent may not have been the Sword Saint, but still.

As I took a stance with the sword in both hands, the Sword Saint smiled as if he was enjoying himself.

Yeah, it’s nice that he found joy in his later years.

Now that he was teaching, he might as well teach it for real.

*

Today, I didn’t win.

The Sword Saint looked down at me, sprawled on the ground, sweating heavily as I gasped for breath, without putting any blame on me.

I guess my relentless charge did work out a bit. Did he like it?

“So, what did you come to ask for?”

“Well… just now…”

Huff.

I took a long breath before sitting back up again.

“…… I would like you to convince Lucas a little.”

“Me? Convince Lucas? Why would you think I would do that?”

“That’s because…”

Lucas would eventually reach a level where he could defeat you!

How could I phrase it nicely? Saying that the Sword Saint might lose to Lucas was something that could lead to him getting killed. Lucas… even if he had lost his passion now, once upon a time, he thought of slicing everyone above him.

Sadly, I was included in that.

“If Lucas is going to learn something, it would only be from the Sword Saint.”

When I replied like that, the Sword Saint exhaled in disbelief, “Hah.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Lucas won’t walk the path of academia, and he wouldn’t learn how to bake bread, so if there’s someone he can communicate with a little, I thought it would only be the Sword Saint.”

Then, I quickly added, “If by any chance Lucas thinking of challenging you happens, I will prepare enough people to stop him.”

“Hmm.”

The Sword Saint sat down in a chair.

Though he no longer lived in a crumbling cabin at the foot of a mountain, oddly enough, the layout of this place was just like that time.

Perhaps this was the Sword Saint’s ideal arrangement for a home or something like that.

“Right. Once upon a time, I thought that dying fighting a strong opponent would be my endgame. I haven’t lived much anyway. Since I’ve lived long enough, I wished to enjoy it until the very last moment.”

The Sword Saint tapped his shoulder with the wooden sword. Even though it was a sword that could kill someone if used as a real weapon, seeing him do it made it look like just a tool for massage. He was an old man, but his physique was still impressive.

“However, recently, my thoughts have changed. There are those I want to see for a little while longer. So these days, I am taking care of my health.”

“…… So, you don’t wish to confront Lucas?”

“Of course not. Wasn’t he someone who tried to kill me once? I don’t want the thread of life I’m barely holding onto to snap.”

If he felt that way, there’s nothing I could do.

I couldn’t force the Sword Saint into that position, and above all, I didn’t want to make him do something he didn’t want to.

As the Sword Saint said, I was still his disciple. Though I was the worst disciple among them.

“Rather, why not have you teach?”

When the Sword Saint said that, I opened my mouth slightly and looked up at him.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you come here hoping that I would teach Lucas something?”

“Of course, swordsmanship.”

And if possible, I wanted him to teach Lucas how to connect with others through swordsmanship and how to socialize a bit. Obviously, I didn’t really expect him to actually ‘socialize.’ It seemed he wasn’t good at that either.

What I was targeting was to have those two, at least those who bonded with each other… something like that. So gently opening their hearts so they could return to social life; that’s what I was after.

“Then you can teach him that swordsmanship.”

“……”

Is he joking right now?

Looking up at the Sword Saint as if I were incredulous, he merely shrugged.

“Don’t underestimate your abilities. Just as you said, it seems that your formidable power no longer exists at the moment, but what you possess is not the ability itself but the tenacity and persistence you gained by repeatedly attempting through that ability. Surely you’ve learned a lot already.”

But still, I was someone who could objectively assess myself a bit.

No matter how much I had practiced swordsmanship, I knew that I couldn’t even touch the tips of Lucas’s talents.

I managed to shoot him with bullets in the last battle. After all, that was something I could only do because I had seen Lucas for so long.

However, that didn’t mean I could ever defeat him in swordsmanship.

And naturally, I wasn’t in a position to teach him either.

“Isn’t effort your specialty?”

The Sword Saint struck the ground with his wooden sword.

Holding it like a cane with both hands resting on the hilt, he smiled at me.

“You can do it.”

“……”

I stared at the Sword Saint for a moment before standing up again.

After nodding slowly, I turned towards the door.

Finally, I turned back towards the Sword Saint and said, “Don’t sit like that. You look like a frail old man.”

Then I quickly opened the door and burst outside.

Smack! Something hit the door hard.

Yeah, I can do at least this much. It’s not like I haven’t been hit several times already.

… But, I’m not sure if it’ll even reach Lucas.

I sighed deeply, scratching the back of my head as I pondered over the Sword Saint’s words.

Chapter 473

“……Hey, say that again.”

See? I knew this reaction was coming.

“Are you saying you’ll teach me swordsmanship?”

I neither nodded nor answered. For some reason, I really didn’t want to.

Well, sure, it was me who brought it up, but it’s not like I wanted to do it.

At first, I asked the Sword Saint, but got rejected. Then the Sword Saint told me to “try it myself.”

Since it’s coming from the Sword Saint, I was a bit unsure, but I went ahead and asked anyway, and naturally, this was the kind of response I got.

It was only to be expected.

After all, the person in front of me was Lucas, who had actually managed to kill the Sword Saint in the original story.

When it came to swordsmanship, there was no way I, just recently past the novice stage, could teach him.

“You? To me?”

Lucas asked again, looking as if he couldn’t believe it.

Well, did he really need to confirm that so clearly?

I knew how ridiculous my statement was.

Realizing that I was the one saying something so ridiculous, I thought for a moment and then said to Lucas, “W-Well, the Sword Saint told me to—”

That’s right. I decided to put the blame on the Sword Saint.

I mean, why not?

After all, if the Sword Saint said so, isn’t it okay for me to push it off on them?

Originally, giving advice is just like providing a guarantee for that advice, right? Like after-sales service.

Besides, if the Sword Saint didn’t come looking for Lucas directly, he wouldn’t even hear about it, so I chose to go through with this without hesitation.

“The Sword Saint? That old man must’ve lost his marbles.”

Hmm.

If I relay this story as is, won’t the Sword Saint get all fired up and come running?

I was seriously contemplating this when Lucas opened his mouth again.

“……I really don’t get what you’re thinking.”

Right? Exactly.

“…….”

Lucas pondered for a second before speaking again.

“Fine.”

“What?”

That was the first time I made a sound after telling Lucas about the Sword Saint’s words.

“If the Sword Saint said that, it must mean something. There must be a reason behind it, right? Or am I wrong?”

I mean, I actually didn’t know.

“……There should be space for that in this mansion. Just follow me. Let’s see if you really have a way to teach me.”

“No.”

I said this, but I stood up to follow Lucas anyway.

Uh, what’s this?

I just intended to lay the blame on someone, but Lucas strangely seemed persuaded instead.

Still, the people around me, like Alice and Claire, are finally starting to figure out my personality and habits one by one, yet Lucas, who has been with me almost all the time, knows absolutely nothing about me.

Well, I guess the day I understand the lives of those who dedicate themselves to the sword will likely never come in my lifetime.

*

“Okay. Then—”

Lucas stood facing me with his sword, showing an expression that clearly said he wasn’t particularly keen on this.

I tightened my grip on my sword and looked straight at him.

I was bracing myself for Lucas to charge at me instantly—

“……Nah.”

Lucas lowered his sword.

No, he didn’t just lower it; he basically just dropped it on the ground.

“Let’s stop.”

What the heck?

Those words almost made it out of my mouth, but I managed to hold back.

“……Was that all you needed to say?”

“That was it.”

At my words, Lucas shrugged, brushed past me, and said,

“Seriously, what a foolish thing to say. That Sword Saint must’ve really lost it. How about recommending him to a nursing home?”

But even as he hurled those curses, he didn’t look back at me, making me feel a little strange.

I quietly observed Lucas’s retreating figure.

His hands were slightly trembling.

……What’s this?

I tilted my head in confusion and followed behind Lucas.

*

“Isn’t it guilt?”

The next day.

While watching the Gryphon eat, Alice asked me that.

“Guilt? About Lucas?”

With an indifferent expression, Lucas was dealing death without a care, as if he could easily take his own life. He had even attacked me, his fellow sibling, several times.

Most of those attacks were successful. While he may not have cut my neck outright, he did slice into my thigh, almost to the bone, exposed my insides several times, pierced my lung leaving me breathless, and made my arm drop to the floor…

Guess I really endured a lot.

Most of the time, I was able to rewind time before feeling the pain, so the damage wasn’t as severe as it could have been. They say if you suffer a major injury, the brain releases chemicals to buy time before you go into shock. It’s somewhat like that principle.

“So, is that not it?”

Alice asked again.

“Lucas…… well, he did point his sword at us, but he must have thought of you as a sibling, in his own way. He was the one who brought you here.”

“That’s true.”

He chose me over Claire because he thought I seemed more interesting.

In a way, he was actually a key player in how we managed to win our fight against the Emperor. Of course, it wasn’t something he intended at all.

“And…… since he chose you, he probably has some affection too. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“Lucas seemed flustered every time he called me.”

I admitted that willingly.

“Whew?”

The Gryphon lifted its head and looked at me.

“That was a long time ago.”

As I said this to the Gryphon, it tilted its head a bit before burying its face back in its food bowl.

It was a bowl filled with fresh raw meat.

It’s as if it’s almost a dog, except for the eating part. Hmm, better not talk about this in front of it just in case. It seems to understand human speech almost completely.

“Do you know how much fun it was for you to be between Jayden and Lucas? To be honest, I was a bit jealous. I tried to act annoyed to not let you know.”

“…….”

“Jayden praises every single thing you do as beautiful, while Lucas, pretending to gag, tries to distance himself from you. Honestly, if it weren’t for Father’s intentions, I would think you two were like a painting of siblings.”

“……You were jealous?”

“A bit?”

When I asked back, Alice said,

“Which is why Lucas…… probably holds a lot of guilt toward you. Much deeper than you might think. Maybe the Master sent you here for that reason?”

“……Really?”

“Yup. So, if you two can properly spar with each other, then that means you’ve restored your relationship.”

Thinking back on it, Alice’s words made sense.

I pressed my forehead and let out a long sigh.

“Then I wish I could’ve heard that from the start.”

“Well, that’s how a Master is.”

Alice said while scratching the Gryphon’s head.

“The point is, don’t leave it to others; solve it yourself. If not, it won’t mean anything.”

……Hmm.

But the problem is that Lucas absolutely won’t take hold of a sword in front of me.

As I quietly watched Alice petting the Gryphon, realization hit me.

Wait, why is he so willing to lower his head without me even needing to use honorifics?

*

Alright. I came up with a plan.

First off, if Lucas feels guilt toward me, that means he won’t let me die while I’m around him. There’s no reason for someone with guilt over not having killed me to actually go and kill me.

So, that means I can be a bit annoying beside him without worry.

What I thought of was ‘imitating the younger version of Lucas.’

Back in the day when Lucas first brought me to the Imperial Palace, he slashed his sword at me.

Of course, that was more of a form of reverence from the gods towards Baldr in Norse mythology.

Whatever way Lucas attacked me, I knew ahead of time and dodged. Naturally, Lucas was swinging his sword, assuming I would dodge.

That was why I never actually lost my head in one fell swoop.

But the difference from Baldr is that while Baldr could never die or be injured, my body was sliced through like pudding. What else could you expect from a child’s body? Besides, the sword Lucas wielded at the time was one of the finest.

As for that fact I should have completely forgotten, since Lucas recalled it, it’s now my turn to pay him back.

“……Ha!”

When Lucas was taking a stroll in the mansion’s backyard, I suddenly leaped out from behind a tree and swung a wooden sword at the back of his head.

Naturally, Lucas dodged that attack so easily it made me wonder why I even tried.

“……What are you doing, you?”

Lucas asked in disbelief, but I just put away my sword casually and turned back.

“No, seriously, what is it?”

I heard Lucas’s voice asking me from behind.

Right? Honestly, I don’t even know exactly what I’m trying to accomplish with this.

But… still, I couldn’t just do nothing.

Because I didn’t want to end things like this.

Chapter 474

“Hey, just be honest with me.”

By the time I had tried to hit Lucas on the back of the head and failed over twenty times, he spoke with a look of disbelief.

“You really have nothing to do, do you? You’re just doing this because you’re bored, aren’t you?”

“……”

I swung my sword again without answering.

Thud.

This time, I actually hit Lucas’s shoulder. It probably didn’t hurt that much, though.

“It’s true that I have nothing to do.”

I placed the sword on the table and said.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m screwing around because I’m bored. I’m just… trying to find a way.”

“A way? What kind of way?”

“……”

For some reason, I felt like saying something like ‘a way to fix our relationship’ would be pointless, so I just kept my mouth shut.

“Ha.”

Ultimately, Lucas rubbed his face with both hands, rolling his eyes as he spoke.

“Then why not just choose the way you’re good at?”

“The way I’m good at?”

“You shoot well with a gun.”

“……”

Hmm.

“Well, if you adjust every time you miss and keep shooting until you hit, who wouldn’t be able to do that?”

“……But my skills are real.”

Right.

I only did that when I needed to ensure I hit the target.

Of course, in actual combat, I always had to hit the opponent, so I couldn’t help but rewind time dozens or even hundreds of times, but hitting Lucas’s shoulder was for real. It was because I knew exactly how and where he would dodge.

“So, you want me to bring real bullets and shoot at you?”

“……Well, go ahead.”

I stared straight at Lucas.

Was he really just saying that to ease his guilt? Up until now, the reason I had been missing was that I was swinging a wooden sword. If it had been a real sword that could actually cut, he might have stood still.

With real bullets, it’d be even less of a problem.

“I’ll think about it.”

I flopped back in my chair. Lucas’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Did he not expect me to respond like that?

But hey, what’s the harm in trying? Getting shot doesn’t always mean you die.

Well, most people would probably just die, but people like Lucas are a bit different.

*

So, what to do now?

Normally, I wouldn’t be able to bring a weapon into Lucas’s mansion, which was now under quarantine.

A wooden sword is a great killing machine, depending on the circumstances, but people would know that I couldn’t kill Lucas just because I charged at him with a wooden sword. So, they didn’t really care about me bringing that kind of weapon.

What about a real sword?

Even if I brought a real sword, unless Lucas intentionally let himself get hit, there was no way I could kill him.

In that case, my life as the Crown Princess would be at risk, so I couldn’t bring a sword for that reason.

What about a gun?

Of course, generally, I wouldn’t be able to bring one either.

Since I had led the Gryphon in battle last time, everyone in the army knew the kind of stuff I could pull with a gun. Ever since then, I had become, without a doubt, an object of admiration to the soldiers.

But just because I was respected didn’t mean I could ignore the rules. I had to adhere to what Princess Alice, the next Emperor, told me not to do.

So, regular-sized firearms were completely out of the question.

There’s no way I could bring a rifle blatantly, and even a handgun would be quite obvious if I tucked it inside my clothes.

Veteran soldiers guarding this place would easily see that I was hiding a handgun.

So, there was only one option left.

Click.

Bang!

Even the smallest handgun sounded incredibly loud in this room.

In fact, a Derringer-style pistol was designed to reliably incapacitate a person with a single shot, so unlike its size and number of rounds, it could pack quite a punch. Of course, considering the size, it would still be firing .433 caliber rounds, which is typical for military revolvers.

The smell of smoke and gunpowder wafted strongly from the muzzle.

“Crown Princess!? Prince!?”

Startled, the soldiers guarding outside rushed in.

Click, click, they aimed their guns at the two of us.

Truly, these soldiers were well-trained. To point guns at the Crown Princess and Crown Prince, nonetheless. But I guess Lucas might feel a bit unfair about that from his perspective.

It didn’t seem like he was showing it on his face, though.

“……What are you doing?” Lucas asked.

The barrel of my gun was aimed precisely at Lucas. If there had been a live round instead of a blank, he would have been dead by now, even at this distance of about five steps away.

So, Lucas was questioning the absurdity of this situation.

Since he was supposed to just drop dead from a bullet.

But, am I stupid?

I knew he wouldn’t dodge, so I shot a real bullet.

“……What are you doing?”

I asked, lacing a hint of annoyance into my voice.

Having decided to speak casually, I had also resolved to be a bit more emotional. Of course, I wasn’t completely hiding my emotions usually, but it wouldn’t be bad to live a little more casually after abandoning my entire concept.

It seemed Lucas was confused by my sudden emotional display. Even though I had already spoken casually in front of him, this was the first time I had shown this degree of emotion.

“You heard the sound, right? I even gave you time to dodge, so why didn’t you?”

“……Oh, I see.”

Lucas sighed deeply and responded.

“Oh, I see? What does that mean?”

I sighed dramatically.

“Crown Princess?”

A soldier cautiously asked.

“The next bullet will be a live round, is that okay?”

“……”

“Well, there’s nothing to ask. If I shoot, it’ll just hit you anyway.”

I spread my fingers, palm facing up.

The device hidden in my sleeve shrank back, allowing me to hide the handgun back inside my sleeve.

I waved my hand slightly at the soldiers. They looked a bit bewildered, but they put their guns down for the time being.

It seemed clear that I had no intention of actually killing Lucas.

I pulled up a chair.

“What on earth is the problem?”

My voice tinged with annoyance made Lucas shrink his shoulders.

He too sat down on a chair a bit away from me.

But he wouldn’t look me in the eye.

What a painfully frustrating guy he is.

“Do you really want to die?”

“……Not really.”

Lucas replied.

“Then what the heck do you want? Do you want me to shoot you? Are you a pervert? Do you want to be shot by someone you thought was your little sister?”

“……”

Wow.

I sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling.

“……Let’s just be straightforward.”

I had initially tried to approach slowly, but I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Are you feeling guilty about how many times you took me down?”

“……”

Silence.

“You remember when I shot you in the head, right?”

Of course, I rewound time afterward.

Honestly, it wasn’t like I shot him because my skills were that great. It just happened because Lucas was careless.

I wondered if he remembered that too. I didn’t really know if he could remember dying. I had never really died before.

“You’ve never killed me, but I’ve killed you.”

The soldiers had expressions indicating they didn’t get what I was saying at all, but I didn’t really care. They would struggle to understand no matter how much I explained.

“So let’s just say that was how things went.”

“How can we do that?”

Lucas said in disbelief.

“I remember every time you rewound time to avoid my attacks.”

“It’s all been reverted anyway.”

“As long as I remember it, it’s something I’ve actually experienced.”

“No.”

I rubbed the back of my neck.

“……You really resemble the Emperor in some ways.”

Lucas glared at me.

“You talk like you don’t hear a word anyone else is saying. It’s like you’re only saying what you want to say. Guess blood doesn’t lie, huh?”

“Is that something you should be saying?”

“I’m not even related by blood.”

As we talked, I could see the soldiers’ faces turning pale. I waved my hand at them again. They hastily retreated as if they didn’t want to hear any more.

“Let’s take it one step at a time.”

I said, trying to regain my calm and composure as much as possible.

“So, you feel some guilt or regret about taking me down multiple times. But there’s no way to go back, and even if I do rewind time, you remember it, so it’ll just be your fault. Am I right?”

“……”

Realizing how ridiculous that thought was, Lucas kept his mouth shut.

“……No.”

Huh?

He said no?

“Then what is it?”

“Well…”

Lucas thought for a moment before speaking.

“Well, since I ignored your efforts.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

I said, touching my forehead.

Chapter 475

Phew.

I let out a deep sigh.

“So… you’re telling me that instead of just turning back time and dodging, I actually had to practice, conduct research, and make it my own to avoid getting hit?”

“Right.”

“But you thought that effort was just a trick.”

“Exactly.”

“And because of that, you’re feeling guilty.”

Lucas nodded.

I stared up at the ceiling.

No.

I have no idea how to explain this mess to this guy.

“Hey, listen.”

I raised a finger and said,

“First, I had no choice back then.”

Lucas looked at me. Just by his expression, he seemed pretty blank, but I felt a hint of interest in his eyes.

“Look. One of the fastest swordsmen in the world swung his blade at me. But I had no leisure to dodge. Sure, you didn’t mean to kill me, right? So the incoming sword wasn’t necessarily a death blow. There were plenty of ways I could’ve ended up mortally wounded, though.”

I shrugged.

“I could’ve lost an arm or leg, or I might’ve had my guts spilled out. Who knows? So, is there any way to deal with that? I just had to turn back time to minimize the damage. It wasn’t something I wanted to do.”

If we’re being picky, I kind of wanted to shoot something like a ball, too. But digging deeper, that was still part of my survival efforts, so at least it wasn’t something I did on purpose.

“So, it’s a bit ambiguous to just call it effort, right? I was only dodging the flying stones.”

Lucas crossed his arms.

That gesture clearly said, ‘No, I still don’t get it.’

I extended another finger and said,

“Second. Anyway, I was just lucky. If I didn’t have the ability to turn back time, there wouldn’t have been any chance to grow my skills. I probably wouldn’t have survived this long. My ability to twist my opponent’s victory into defeat is no different from cheating.”

I gestured with my hands, lifting them slightly toward the ceiling.

“So, I really don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you trying to make me feel guilty on purpose?”

“…I just wanted to learn how to wield a sword!”

…Oh my.

“I didn’t grow up in a rich environment like you did in my childhood. But all the adults were stronger than me, and so I learned swordsmanship just to resist. And, quite accidentally, I discovered I had talent.”

“……”

“In the end, it’s quite similar to you. If I belittle your abilities, it’s no different than slandering my own efforts.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

I crossed my arms in the same way.

This was a bit uncomfortable around my chest, so I crossed my arms lower, but then it felt like I was unnecessarily emphasizing my chest, so I just let my arms hang.

It’s nice to look good, but other than that, there’s not much use.

Well, if I were asked to choose between having it or not, of course, I’d pick to have it.

“Now that you know, isn’t that enough? Let’s just think positively about each other and move on, okay? The person involved says it’s fine.”

Lucas was still unmoving.

I let out another sigh and stood up.

“Anyway, I’ll give you some time to think. Honestly, time is all we have right now. I’ll come back again.”

I said that and turned around.

Lucas didn’t stop me.

I stepped outside the mansion and stretched my back.

The soldiers still looked at me with tense faces. They seemed scared of what weird thing I might do again.

To calm those soldiers, I walked forward confidently.

Hmm…

Honestly, Lucas’s attitude was incredibly frustrating, but—

I felt a bit relieved. At least, I think I said all that I wanted to say.

Before coming here, I was at a loss about how to sort this out.

Maybe when the Sword Saint said ‘You must teach him yourself,’ it wasn’t really about teaching swordsmanship, but rather telling me not to pass the responsibility onto someone else.

If I had just said that, I would’ve probably been dodging again.

“……”

Still lacking in training, huh.

I sighed deeply and walked to where the car was parked.

*

I decided to give Lucas a little time.

The next destination was where Jayden was.

Having just spoken with someone who was as hard as a wall, I wanted to talk to someone who seemed a bit easier this time.

I also wondered why I was so fiercely trying to restore relationships. But somehow, if I didn’t do this, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully for the next few years.

They’re probably planning to keep the ‘Emperor’s Children’ locked up forever. To protect Alice and my life, of course.

For the time being, it seems like they have no intentions of escaping, but who knows, maybe their thoughts will change over time.

So, I figured it would be better to clear things up and solidify Alice’s throne instead.

And… there was a bit of sympathy as well.

“Brother!”

As soon as I entered the mansion, Jayden sprang up from his seat. I almost turned around and left.

But still, I had to try talking. That was why I came here.

Forcing my feet, which naturally wanted to retreat, to go forward made me stumble a bit, but in any case, I succeeded in moving forward.

“Are you that nervous to see your sister again, that your footsteps are trembling like this?”

“No, not at all.”

“…Just sit down for a bit.”

“Sit…?”

As I abruptly spoke informally, Jayden seemed shocked, freezing up.

I pulled a chair in front of him and sat down.

The mansion’s halls were massively spaced apart to avoid the Emperor or the Emperor’s children conspiring together.

It took me over an hour to get here by car, even though I was outside the Capital.

“Don’t be surprised just because I’m informal with everyone else. If I stayed formal like this, we wouldn’t be able to talk.”

As I said that, Jayden sat down with a stunned expression.

Hmm.

I thought it would be easy, but now that I think about it, he might be difficult as well. I doubt he’ll understand me the same way Lucas did.

“So, Sylvia, my sister.”

Jayden quickly recovered.

Leaning slightly on the table and grinning a bit too cheerfully, Jayden asked,

“What’s the matter? What brings you here?”

“……”

Seeing that expression made me feel even worse.

It was something I really didn’t want to say, but after some hesitation, I finally managed to say,

“…I need a little help.”

“Oh!”

At my words, Jayden’s shoulders straightened.

“You know we had a clash with swords, right?”

“Of course, I remember. It wasn’t for a glorious reason, but still, it was the most heroic battle of my life. I’ll never forget it.”

This guy is also a battle freak, just like Lucas, but in a different way.

“…Don’t you care about honor?”

“I have my pride, but I fought with everything I had. And I lost. Then it’s a knight’s way to acknowledge the defeat cleanly. Plus, I’m in a much more positive state than being dead, right? So here I am, able to meet my sister!”

Jayden spoke as if genuinely pleased.

I scratched my head.

“Well… that’s nice.”

I let out a small sigh and muttered,

“I’d like you to help Lucas a bit.”

The face that had just been cheerfully smiling crumpled in an instant.

“Me… help him?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Hmm…

How should I persuade him?

Since they’re brothers, I didn’t think we’d be able to communicate with the same words.

In reality, the two of them looked like siblings who were slightly irritated with each other, and it’s highly possible they think of each other that way as well. Ever since they discovered they actually share blood, it’s only gotten worse.

But because of that, Jayden probably wouldn’t feel inclined to help.

Even if I told him about Lucas’s condition, he probably wouldn’t think it was that serious.

No, more than that, if I reminded him how many times Lucas has challenged me, he might go berserk.

Even if I’m the only child of the Emperor without blood ties, Jayden would still see me as his sister.

But still, I have one sure weapon to use on Jayden.

“Ugh, sigh.”

But even that seemed incredibly awkward to bring up.

“…For a day, I’ll speak formally and call you ‘Brother.’”

“Three days.”

“…….”

When I opened my mouth and looked at Jayden, he grinned and said,

“As much as you know me, I know you, Sylvia. The fact that you came to me to ask for help means it must be something I can’t assist with. So three days. No negotiations.”

I clutched the back of my neck.

Chapter 476

In a dramatic showdown between Jayden and me—where I was insisting that one day was enough and he was adamantly claiming it had to be at least three—we ultimately reached a tense compromise of two days.

I still wasn’t sure why we were negotiating over something like this, but thanks to this, I managed to secure one method.

“So, what exactly do I need to do?”

“I’d like you to persuade Lucas a bit.”

“You know he won’t be swayed just because I try to persuade him, right?”

Jayden looked incredulously at me.

“It’s not necessary to actually succeed in persuading him. Just… talk to him.”

“Oh.”

“That guy… um.”

I pondered for a moment. Lucas only attacked me when I was alone. Otherwise, someone else would obviously block those attacks for me.

Jayden’s skills couldn’t match Lucas’s. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t defend against anything. Sure, if they fought with their lives on the line, Lucas would win easily, but he could definitely block a sudden slap like a pro.

What this meant was that Jayden didn’t know about the time Lucas had actually sliced me with a sword.

So I thought for a moment.

Despite my bravado, Jayden showed that he cared for me.

He treated me like a real brother, even though our blood was not connected.

I had continually rejected this kind of goodwill, but if we were to get technical, it was pretty similar to the kindness Alice showed me.

Of course, there was a difference.

Alice chose the path of not following the Emperor, while Jayden chose to follow him.

Alice was a bit less burdensome, whereas Jayden was quite a bit more so. Alice expected almost nothing from me, while Jayden had some expectations. That was probably the difference.

Since matters related to the Emperor were done and dusted, I could push that to the back for now, but the feeling of ‘burdensome’ was more pronounced just with that subtle difference.

“……”

After thinking for a moment, I decided to lay down a condition first.

“First of all, I’d like you to swear to me.”

“What kind of oath?”

Jayden looked a bit taken aback, his eyes wide.

“I swear you will never kill Lucas, no matter what.”

“What did that guy do wrong?”

“It’s not that he’s done any wrong against you.”

“Still, doesn’t that mean he’s done something that would make me want to kill him?”

Damn.

“Anyway, if you don’t do that, I won’t ask anything more from you, and I won’t call you ‘brother’ anymore.”

Jayden thought seriously for a moment.

He weighed the reason he might want to kill Lucas against the chance to make me call him ‘brother’.

“Okay, I swear.”

Jayden chose the latter.

What’s the big deal about the word ‘brother’?

Looking at Jayden, who was staring at me with a serious expression, I opened my mouth.

“Lucas has tried to slice me up with a sword more times than I can count. He succeeded often enough that I can’t even keep track anymore, and thanks to that, I’ve experienced being sliced all over.”

“……”

Blink.

Jayden blinked.

I thought it would be best to not give him time to fully process what I meant.

“Even though I reversed time and it ultimately didn’t happen, the memories from that time came back, right? It seems Lucas remembers all the times he sliced me up like it was yesterday.”

“Wait, hold on.”

“Lucas didn’t do it just because he hates me—”

“Hold on.”

Jayden raised his hand seriously, and I closed my mouth.

“…So you’re saying Lucas has actually sliced you with that sword? And more times than you can count?”

“Well… yeah.”

If I gathered all the pieces I was sliced off, it would probably weigh dozens of times my current body weight. It wasn’t just a matter of getting lucky once.

“……”

“So he thought I would dodge, so he swung his sword around casually. Every time I dodged, it probably looked like I was doing it out of expectation, right?”

“Do you think that would be a good excuse to swing a sword at your brother?”

“Lucas never made excuses. He just…”

I took a moment to collect my thoughts.

“At first, he thought I was just cheating and dodging easily, and he felt betrayed. But now he realizes that’s not the case. It’s that I’ve analyzed his moves and evaded them. He has to put in ‘effort.’”

“And?”

Jayden spoke in an infuriated tone.

Since I rarely saw him angry, to be honest, I was a bit scared.

“He thinks it’s pathetic that he overlooked that effort. While thinking of it as a mistake, he’s still sulking.”

“So you wanted me to convince him.”

Jayden sighed deeply.

After a moment of silent contemplation, he eventually nodded.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“…Thank you.”

“I haven’t heard a genuine ‘thank you’ in a long time.”

But it seemed like the fact that the cause for my gratitude was Lucas didn’t sit well with him.

“By the way, does that mean I can leave here?”

“No. You’re still in confinement.”

“Then? Will you let me make a call? Setting a phone line costs quite a bit. Do you think Alice will approve?”

“Nope, that’s not it either.”

“Is there a way?”

“Well, there is. You might not like it though.”

“Stop hiding it and just tell me.”

I looked at Jayden and simply replied.

“Gryphon.”

*

“When I heard ‘Gryphon,’ I honestly felt a little excited.”

Jayden grumbled.

“I told it to wait by the window, but I didn’t expect it to break the window and swoop down.”

“Well, it did ride on my back halfway.”

The Gryphon was smart.

I was sure its intelligence surpassed that of a human.

Though it did have some beastly tendencies, sometimes seeming silly or timid, it was still a magical beast. It could remember its flight path accurately.

So I asked that Gryphon to abduct Jayden a little.

The soldiers couldn’t dare fire a shot at the Gryphon. First of all, it was my property, and secondly, they didn’t want to accidentally shoot Jayden in the foot while trying to attack.

Halfway through, the Gryphon brought Jayden along and landed, then waited for me to hop on its back before taking off with Jayden behind me.

When we reached the place where Lucas was, we broke through the second-floor window again, pushed Jayden inside, and now we were perched at the entrance of the mansion.

Maybe it was pretending to be asleep.

If I were to say that I didn’t know why the Gryphon did that, I would just apologize and return Jayden to his original spot, and that would be that.

I had a feeling that the Gryphon found this plan a bit entertaining.

It also had a rebellious spirit, after all.

“…What are you two doing?”

Lucas looked dumbfounded as he saw us entering the mansion.

Hmm.

“I just came for a quick visit.”

“With that guy?”

“That’s right.”

Jayden said.

“We made a deal.”

“…What kind of deal?”

“That’s not important.”

Before Jayden could answer, I quickly interjected.

“Let’s, uh, sit down.”

“Well, I’m not sure if sitting down is necessary, but…”

“…Huh?”

As I pulled out a chair to sit down, Jayden said that.

Jayden tidied up his slightly disheveled clothes from riding on the Gryphon and walked up to Lucas.

“What’s the matter?”

Lucas stared at Jayden with an incredulous look—

Thud!

And in an instant, he got knocked sideways.

With a bang and a loud clatter, Lucas crashed into a couple of chairs before rolling onto the floor and quickly got back up.

“Are you okay!?”

There were voices coming from outside.

Hmm.

I thought for a moment. Is this okay?

But thinking about it, I didn’t think either of them would end up dead in a fight.

Making that judgment, I shouted.

“I’m fine!”

“They went inside!”

Ah, see? It’s all fine.

Well, it’s fine. After all, it would take a few more minutes for them to come in. The fight would end up getting resolved inside.

As I sat in my chair and casually pulled a snack bowl toward me from the table, Lucas charged at Jayden, who had just gotten up.

“What are you doing!?”

“It’s my brother’s share.”

“Oh.”

While Lucas paused for just a moment, his face got greeted by another punch.

After hitting the floor again, Lucas didn’t immediately get up this time.

“Get up.”

Jayden approached, cracking his knuckles.

“…Was this the deal? Using you to get revenge on me?”

“Nope.”

Jayden said.

“He said he wanted you to be persuaded.”

“…Persuaded?”

“I plan to make you listen to and understand my brother’s story, since you don’t listen.”

“…!”

Lucas opened his mouth and stared at me.

Blood was dripping down from his nose.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Honestly, the reason I asked Jayden for a favor was that I figured if Jayden was the one trying to persuade him, Lucas would get riled up enough to argue back.

…Well, that’s up to Jayden to figure out how to do it. I didn’t go into details. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this, but it might just work in its own way.

If Lucas has any sense, he’ll counterattack.

Chapter 477

“Hoo, hoo, hoo.”

Jayden gasped for breath.

His face was a mess. It wasn’t serious injuries, but anyone seeing him for the first time would be shocked by his state.

Lucas looked the same way.

Was it because he was ambushed without holding a ‘sword’? Or maybe it was because swordsmanship and combat skills were different fields, or perhaps Lucas just looked strangely unenthusiastic.

I pulled out a handkerchief.

Hmm… I only have one.

Should I give it to Jayden, who has blood slightly running from his nose?

“Thanks, little brother!”

Jayden accepted the handkerchief with a big smile.

“… Take it. Just.”

I said this after seeing Jayden press the handkerchief to his nose.

Then I looked at Lucas.

Did it look like I was taking Jayden’s side? Lucas had a strangely depressed expression.

“Touch my little brother, and that’s what happens, pal.”

Are you really saying that when you’re bleeding too? Well, at least the atmosphere lightened a bit.

Once, I too was a man. Of course, I had never fought fiercely, but I did wrestle around with friends.

Even if I wanted to kill each other at the time, after a little scuffle, it often turned out to be nothing in the end.

This was true even with a little brother. Whether friends or siblings, ultimately, you can’t just throw them away. As time passes, there should be at least a few people with whom you can share your feelings comfortably.

“Did you see that? Huh? Sylvia, did you see? Your brother taught that guy a lesson.”

“Ha.”

Lucas laughed, seemingly incredulous.

“What’s so funny?”

As Jayden got riled up again, Lucas still looked incredulous and scratched the back of his head roughly before glaring at Jayden.

“Considering what I did to that guy, dealing with it with your fluffy little fists won’t be enough.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

I said in a stunned voice to Lucas.

“Are you saying you’re going to settle your debts with death? Dying won’t bring me a single coin.”

Of course, I was in a position where I didn’t need money.

I returned to the table and sat in a chair. I grabbed a snack and put it in my mouth… It was extremely soggy, probably having been left on the table for too long.

“Yeah, that’s right. Do you think your insignificant life can erase the act of daring to mistreat my sister?”

“…”

At Jayden’s words, Lucas was momentarily at a loss for words.

“My fists didn’t say they’d forgive your sins. I just did what I had to do as a brother.”

Jayden walked over to the table and sat down next to me, taking a snack and grimacing like I did.

“And if you’re going to host guests, at least serve some decent food.”

“You broke in through the window while riding a gryphon and you’re calling yourself a guest?”

Lucas said incredulously.

“And you seem to be clueless about the fact that the act of forgiveness is entirely up to the forgiver, given you’ve never asked anyone for forgiveness before. No matter how much you can’t accept it, if the forgiver forgives, that’s it. You can bear your guilt and pay your penance with that heart.”

I looked at Jayden with a shocked expression.

This guy could say something like that?

“Hmph.”

But as soon as I sent him a glance, Jayden said that while pushing up his bangs, shattering the mood.

“Even though I may seem like this, I was a commander of the Order of Knights. I know how to manage subordinates to maintain loyalty. Unlike that idiot over there.”

“…”

Lucas looked irritated.

“So… I…”

“You just need to live like that. What? Is this the first time you’re feeling guilt?”

Jayden continued to speak.

“There are bound to be people who die when you manage an Order. Even in peacetime, there are always operations that ask for lives. Every time that happened, I learned to apologize to the remaining family.”

Oh, I see.

Jayden was a commander of the Order.

Among the Emperor’s children, he was one whose ‘face was known’. Of course, he often participated in secret operations like the others, but he had often appeared officially as a capable figure of the royal family.

Though it felt almost nonexistent in front of me.

“If we did our best here and the other side doesn’t accept it, then there’s nothing we can do. But we have to do our best anyway. And if the other side claims that they did their best, even if we feel uneasy about it, there’s nothing we can do. That’s the best.”

Lucas stared blankly at Jayden.

“I, too, plan to find the families of those affected by the battle once this confinement ends. Fortunately, it seems we’ll have plenty of time. Isn’t this a duty I should be doing? In that sense, think hard about how fortunate you are. The ones you should apologize to are right nearby, and they’ll accept you easily without you even having to say much.”

“… Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

I decided to ride on Jayden’s words.

Lucas stared at the ground, clenching and unclenching his fists, before he finally took a deep breath.

“… Alright.”

Wow, that really worked.

Honestly, I had just acted recklessly.

Yeah.

The reckless operation riding a gryphon was half-baked out of a sense of surrender.

I planned to keep it a secret from Jayden for life.

“At some point…”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“When everything is done, let’s all gather and go on a trip or something. We can go anywhere. After all, we are the prince and princess.”

“That’s a great idea, little brother. I guess that’s when you get to use the right to call me ‘brother’.”

“…”

At Jayden’s words, I held my forehead.

Looking at Lucas, he still didn’t look completely lighthearted.

But… it seemed definitely better than when I first met him.

If I spoke like this, both of them would probably freak out, but I wondered if this was what being siblings felt like. It’s much better to talk with multiple people than to think alone since it’s easier to heal wounds that way.

*

Alright.

Jayden and Lucas had such a conversation… and what about the remaining kids, Bella and Damien?

Actually, we weren’t the only ones among the Emperor’s children. There were kids I hadn’t met before.

Just because I hadn’t met them didn’t mean I could meet them now. The Emperor had used those kids in battles. The ones I hadn’t met were either ones the Emperor hadn’t bothered to look for or just the ones who died.

I thought about how I should find those kids too. The problem was that I had no idea where or how to look.

And even if I did find them, it didn’t seem likely that they’d be thankful.

“… Should I take care of what’s right in front of me first?”

I scratched my head and sighed deeply.

… Before that, I thought I should get a little rest.

After all, I didn’t think it was something that absolutely needed to be done. I just didn’t want to leave it alone because it felt nagging.

I would have to live in this world for the rest of my life.

With the ridiculous law of ‘mandatory military service’ still in effect, moving at a snail’s pace in the back seat, I decided to just walk out.

People got out of the car that had been with me.

In the past, I would have strolled around without any escort. I used to be able to turn back time. But now… without such abilities, my position had already risen close to the highest in the Empire.

I already felt dizzy just thinking about how many more mountains I had to cross.

If I were going to exert myself, I should first consume some energy for that, right?

I headed towards a café near the academy, a place we frequently visited.

I hadn’t graduated yet. There were still two years left.

It’s March. There’s just under two weeks of vacation until classes resume in April.

It was a bit of an awkward period to return home, so most students who didn’t live in the capital stayed at the academy.

“Sylvia!”

Among those still around, there was a familiar face.

“Charlotte.”

I smiled and headed her way.

The café owner merely nodded to me lightly, as always. I liked that. When I first entered a shop, an overly extravagant welcome could feel burdensome.

“Looks like something good happened.”

Charlotte, sipping on what looked like a light cup of coffee, only had a coffee cup on her table, without any desserts.

“You might look tired, but you also look like you’ve achieved something. It’s sometimes the look my father has.”

Charlotte added that with a smile, as if teasing me.

“I did have something good happen. I just came from seeing my two brothers… well, they didn’t exactly reconcile, but I made them face each other.”

“Is that so?”

Charlotte didn’t pry too deeply.

Before moving on to the next task, I thought I’d take a brief rest. It was likely that my side would take much longer.

“You must be going through a lot.”

“Really.”

I lightly sighed and waved to the waiter.

For now… hmm, I think I’ll have a parfait since it’s been a while.

Chapter 478

“Are you okay?”

“Pardon?”

I asked Charlotte, who tilted her head as if she genuinely didn’t understand what I was asking.

“I mean the Emperor and those kids. I guess they were the Emperor’s children, but to you, they might just be strangers.”

And yet, at the same time, they were opponents I battled with my life on the line.

From Charlotte’s perspective, they were not exactly agreeable company.

“That’s true. They’re not exactly someone you can just smile and accept.”

Charlotte lightly scooped some gelato with a spoon, took a moment to let it melt in her mouth, then spoke.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore the situation of my friend.”

“……”

At that, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

The only thing I could muster after a bit of struggle was,

“Thank you.”

That was all I could say.

“Did you know?”

Charlotte said with a smile.

“Since I put so much effort into reading your expressionless face, your voice, which shows no acting at all, makes it too easy to feel your emotions?”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I was quite wary of you.”

Ah, right.

I had bluntly said something like that to a king who had lived for decades, backed by the Emperor’s power.

“……Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

Charlotte replied.

“If I were in a similar situation, I would have acted the same way. What’s more dangerous than other countries forming alliances while leaving ours aside? In this case, the problem is that even if we form an alliance, we can’t easily defeat the Empire.”

“……”

“I can only hope the next Emperor thinks about peace.”

Charlotte said jokingly.

“Because we don’t want to fight either.”

I exhaled lightly and responded.

The only ones who would believe what I said were probably Charlotte and her friends. To everyone else, it would just look like I was gathering the closest aides of the Emperor again.

Still, it was a relief to have someone I could sincerely connect with.

I took a small breath and spooned some parfait into my mouth.

It had been a while since I tasted such a flavor.

I probably would keep coming here even after I graduated from the academy.

It’d be great if I could come with my friends then too.

*

“…So you figured out the recipe?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to make ice cream just yet.”

Saying that, I dragged in a huge icebox.

Inside were loads of handmade ice cream I had received from that café.

The icebox was filled with ice cubes.

Of course, it wasn’t as perfect as a modern icebox. So, I even added Marmaros, which could use ice magic, to maintain the temperature.

Bella looked at me as if she found it utterly ridiculous that I had gone to such lengths just to have some ice cream.

“I brought fruits and ice cream, so it’s fine. Besides, I just need to stack them one by one, so it shouldn’t taste too weird.”

As I said that confidently, Bella placed her hand on her forehead.

“No… Haha, no.”

Bella said that and then sat down.

“Well, do as you please.”

“Alright!”

I rolled up my sleeves and said.

Then a few minutes later, what I created was—

“Here, give it a try.”

“It looks completely bizarre. At least from all the parfaits I’ve seen so far, this is the worst.”

Bella looked at the parfait with a face that seemed to question whether it was even safe to eat.

What stood before us was a ‘parfait’ that had completely failed at stacking ice cream and fruits. The fruits were even so overly peeled that the surface was quite bumpy.

“But it should taste good, right? It’s fruits and ice cream, whipped cream?”

“Whipped cream or ice cream, it’s all melted!”

I had confused the order of pulling things out, taking the ice cream out too early. The ice cream, which hadn’t been kept in a freezer for a while, was apparently nearing its limit.

Thanks to that, what was in the beautiful glass cup turned into a soup-like mass of sticky milk with a few pieces of fruit floating on top, rather than a parfait.

Its appearance was very far off from the original meaning of ‘parfait,’ which meant perfect.

“…I’ll eat it too.”

Not wanting to just watch someone enjoy a nice treat, I made myself a portion, but of course, mine looked the same.

“It’s not like you’ll examine it for poison.”

Well, I was confident in my cooking skills.

I had often cooked for myself during my time living alone.

Of course, there weren’t many occasions to peel fruits. I was never motivated to expend the effort to buy fruits when I could just buy ready-made ones.

Moreover, fresh fruits in my country were a bit pricey for someone living alone.

“……”

Still, when I picked up my spoon, Bella grabbed hers too.

I took a bite, and it actually tasted okay. It had the flavor of a salad without the vegetables, replaced by way too much dressing.

“It just tastes like thick milk.”

Exactly. That was the taste.

“But it’s sweet.”

Bella looked at me as if I was ridiculous at that.

Yet, she didn’t stop her spoon. Though she wasn’t eating it with enthusiasm, she didn’t seem to think it was garbage either. That was a relief.

“This is going to make you gain weight for sure.”

“……”

I had never thought about that while eating anything.

Now that I mentioned it, it was truly strange.

I had moved around a lot, but was it really possible for me not to gain weight like this? Even when I wore that bunny girl outfit, my figure had been okay.

“What’s with that dazed expression? Isn’t that kind of irrelevant?”

“I’ve never thought of purposely trying to lose weight.”

Bella’s mouth opened slightly.

“So, right now, you’re saying you have a ‘body that doesn’t gain weight from eating’?”

“…Is that so?”

“Are you challenging me?”

Bella turned her spoon upside down. Is she a spoon murderer or something?

“What about you?”

“I’m just like everyone else. If I don’t manage myself, my body goes completely haywire.”

She sighed deeply.

“Whether it’s due to youth or some special trait of yours, I don’t know. Since you were able to turn back time, I wonder if your body has something extraordinary about it?”

“Not now.”

“I know. If you could turn back time, there wouldn’t be a parfait like this in front of us.”

Bella scooped a fruit and some ice cream with her spoon, then let it fall back into the cup. The sight of fruit floating in the white, viscous liquid now closely resembled yogurt rather than ice cream.

“…So?”

Bella said.

“You came all the way here just to try one parfait?”

“Yup.”

When I nodded, Bella looked at me with a somewhat astonished expression.

“You?”

“What do you think of me?”

When I asked back, incredulous, Bella stared at me and said,

“A monster gazing ahead at a ne’er-do-well without knowing what’s in its head.”

“……”

Given that, you seemed quite relaxed in front of me all the time, right?

“What else do you expect to do? It’s useless to be scared of a monster.”

Besides, I guess that monster was… ‘our monster.’

That must be how the Emperor saw it.

Though signs of betrayal had been evident for a long time now.

“To be honest, I thought you had an impure character.”

“I’m not pure.”

“Are you sure?”

When someone else asked me that, I had no words to reply.

Am I pure?

“…What.”

Bella said with slightly softened eyes.

“Well, it’s true that if it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone else.”

Bella stirred the melted ice cream with her spoon. It was rapidly becoming close to ‘milk porridge’. I thought it couldn’t even be called a parfait anymore.

“Alice and you were the cutest, after all.”

I knew she thought of us as adorable to some extent.

And the term ‘adorable’ had a very literal meaning. It was in a way that made fun of us, but not in a malicious way like Lucas would do. At least, it was more like an older sister.

Though I didn’t get to see that side for very long.

“……”

I pondered for a moment, and ultimately opened my mouth.

“Actually, I had one more goal.”

“See? I told you. I knew you wouldn’t do anything without cooking up some scheme.”

No, where is that thought even coming from?

I was just someone capable of turning back time. Though I questioned if the word “just” applied to such a skill.

“I…”

Carefully choosing my words, I cautiously spoke.

“My goal is to gather the Emperor’s children again.”

“Are you planning for another war?”

“No, I’m not.”

Bella’s eyes slightly widened at my words.

Was she teasing me on purpose?

Chapter 479

“……”

Bella stared at me blankly for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I sometimes feel like you have a flower garden in your head.”

Hmm… I can’t entirely deny that, so I didn’t bother to argue.

I don’t think it’s exactly a flower garden, but it’s true that I’m excessively optimistic.

After all, here we are, making peace after nearly fighting for our lives just a while ago.

And I’m even trying to mend my relationship with the Emperor, who has deceived me all my life.

To those directly involved, it must seem utterly absurd.

“What do you think?”

At my words, Bella shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t really care about meeting the ‘other kids.’ In fact, it wasn’t like we were that bad off, you know?”

Bella said it with a mocking tone.

“At least Lucas didn’t try to kill me. What about you?”

“I… forgave him.”

“See? There you go, that flower garden in your head again. I can’t understand how you can forgive someone who once went crazy trying to kill his own sister.”

Bella’s expression stiffened a bit.

“And you know, there’s a reason why I could hate my ‘Father.’”

I nodded.

“But how do you plan to shrink that gap?”

“I never thought about shrinking it. I don’t have that kind of skill.”

“Right, you definitely don’t have that skill.”

It stung a little to hear Bella admit it, but I held back for now.

“So, you’re just going to wait for time to heal? Do you think that will make me forgive the Emperor?”

“……”

The phrase about time healing wounds is something you can say for wounds that can actually mend.

Using it on someone who has lost a limb? You’d deserve a slap.

There are hints that Bella’s childhood resembles Claire’s childhood from the original game.

That’s why Bella also found Claire quite endearing.

Thinking about it, I received quite a bit of cuteness as well. Of course, it’s likely that Bella wouldn’t find me as cute as the original Bella did with Claire. The Emperor had caught onto my abilities early and has kept his distance, observing me.

Even though Bella was close to the Emperor, she must have been wary of me.

But the reason she found me somewhat cute was probably due to how my situation resonated with her own childhood.

From an orphanage in the slums, sold off to someone who would do terrible things… Of course, I escaped before that happened, and Bella knew about that, but at the very least, she probably empathized with why I wanted to escape.

What would she think when she learned that I had been raised in a good family, well treated, clothed in fine garments, and fed delicious meals?

What would she think, remembering her ruined childhood because of her father?

I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“I’m not asking you to forgive me. That’s something only you can do.”

“So? You’re telling me not to seek revenge?”

“……”

“Why? Did you feel some sort of duty as a father?”

“…… This is a selfish reason.”

“Then let’s hear it.”

Bella dropped the spoon she had been holding, making an clang as it landed in the cup. Since the cup was tall, the spoon barely fit.

“…… I just don’t want to fight anymore.”

“……”

“That’s all there is to it. I have no other reason.”

At my words, Bella stared at me with her mouth agape.

I had nothing more to say.

This was purely Bella’s issue.

Lucas had done wrong to me in a major way. Naturally, I thought it was right for him to apologize, and even when Lucas was obstinate, I felt frustrated but didn’t feel guilty.

Jayden was someone who would initially listen to anything I said.

But Bella… discussing things like this with her was complicated in many ways.

“So, you’re saying that you just want to do it for no reason other than your own desire.”

It sounded absurd.

So I couldn’t explain it.

If Bella refused, that would be the end of the discussion.

Bella looked at me quietly before opening her mouth again.

“What if I refuse? Would you stop seeing me after that?”

“…… Do you ever want to see me?”

At my question, Bella frowned.

Her expression said that it was a very strange question.

Crossing her arms and leaning against the backrest, she thought for a moment before answering.

“There are times I want to see you.”

Bella looked at me quietly as she spoke.

“After all, you were… family to me. I know that sounds strange. You, Lucas, and Jayden, it’s more about comradeship for all of us than family. But still.”

Bella’s gaze turned to the ceiling.

She stared at the lamp hanging there and said, “Now that that comrade-like relationship is gone, only that shallow notion of family has remained. That’s all I have left in my life now. So yeah, there are times when I want to see you.”

Bella turned back to me and asked.

“What do you think? Are there times you want to see me?”

This time, I was the one staring at Bella blankly.

I had intended to ask a question, but I hadn’t expected her to throw this back at me.

I never thought she would actively take a step forward.

“What about not just me? How about Lucas, Jayden, or Damien? Do you want to see them sometimes?”

I furrowed my eyebrows just like Bella and contemplated seriously.

“…… Occasionally?”

“When you think of me?”

Bella’s expression looked normal, but her voice seemed a bit shaky.

Of course, that could just be my imagination.

“…… If there were someone I didn’t think about at all, I wouldn’t have bothered coming here to make an effort.”

I said, “You guys are all that’s left of my family.”

Bella looked at me blankly for a while.

With her mouth slightly open, she seemed to have lost her spirit.

“…… How did you convince the others? Was it that Jayden beat Lucas?”

“That makes it sound worse. And Lucas would never admit that.”

In reality, Jayden had taken more hits, but he seemed satisfied.

“What were the conditions?”

“Conditions?”

“Yeah. You didn’t ask Jayden for a favor? What did Jayden want from you?”

I felt a bit uneasy.

Why was she asking about that all of a sudden?

“Why?”

“Just tell me. Before you ask for something, you have to set the conditions, right? Isn’t that how it works?”

“……”

I kept my mouth shut and stared at Bella as I seriously thought about why she was saying such things.

However, it was a bit hard to reach a conclusion.

The emotions that had momentarily surfaced had now slyly hidden under Bella’s smiling face. The Bella in front of me now was the skilled spy who could stealthily infiltrate any place and extract information.

“……It’s calling me ‘older brother.’”

“What?”

But my face turned beet red at her teasing response, bringing back that blank expression on Bella’s face again.

“…… I told Jayden I’d call him ‘older brother’ for a few days. Jayden accepted that condition.”

“……”

Bella looked at me with that blank face, then suddenly burst out laughing, “Haha, haha!”

She couldn’t hold it in and laughed so hard she had to clutch her belly.

I worried the cup might spill as she thumped the table.

“That’s so like Jayden! He really cared about you, huh?”

“……”

While I kept my mouth firmly shut, Bella wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Hah, that was really funny. I haven’t laughed like that in ages, heh.”

And looking at me again, she said, “Then I’ll accept that condition for our deal.”

“……”

I stared blankly at Bella.

“What deal was I proposing?”

“You came to ask me a favor. And if someone accepts that favor, and then you set a condition, that’s a deal.”

Is that really how it worked?

“…… So you want me to…?”

“I’d like you to call me ‘sister.’ Jayden asked for that, right? How about… a week? The duration can be whatever I want.”

“…… Jayden only had two days.”

“Well, that’s because he was a one-time thing.”

Bella leaned on the table, clasped her hands beneath her chin, and looked at me.

“But I’m a bit different. You asked me not to kill the Emperor, right? Ah, thanks to you, I have to live my life suppressing the urge to kill for good. Considering the loss I feel, just changing the title for a week is a very advantageous deal for you, don’t you think?”

“……”

I couldn’t deny that.

As I sat there, keeping quiet for a while, Bella extended a hand toward me.

……

In the end, I took her hand.

Bella then burst into laughter again, clutching her belly as she did.

I felt like I had been caught in some trap.

It was clearly a deal where I wouldn’t lose anything, so why was my stomach aching so much?

Chapter 480

Damien…

What am I supposed to do with him now…

I had some acquaintance with the other siblings, but with Damien… I barely ever saw his face. He was usually off carrying out the Emperor’s orders.

After the battle, I met him just once. But even then, Damien was super stiff.

But honestly, in a way, he might be in the best condition among us.

Because Damien showed the least difference between how he was before the battle and how he is now.

“Hi.”

As I approached him and said that, Damien tilted his head.

“Are you doing well?”

In response to my question, Damien stared at me and answered.

“Can’t complain. I don’t have to fight for my life, after all.”

See? He answers like this.

Talking to him is extremely annoying, you know.

“I came to ask you a few questions today.”

“……”

Damien didn’t bother to answer and just kept staring at me. I decided to interpret that look as a yes.

“Why did you follow the Emperor?”

“He saved me from hell.”

Damien answered immediately.

“Didn’t you have any interest in power or anything like that?”

“My life in the back alleys was tough, so getting to become a prince seems good enough to me.”

…Well, that’s not entirely wrong.

Moreover, when the Emperor was at his peak, the powerful nobles in the country couldn’t afford to treat the Emperor carelessly at all.

So, thinking about pushing the Emperor out or pushing aside the successor he appointed is not very wise at all.

“The one who made your life that way could be the Emperor himself, you know.”

“I thought about that for a long time. I’ve had plenty of time to think since I got here.”

Lucas thought the same way too.

At first, he begged to be let out as fast as possible so he could confront the Sword Saint, but every time I went to see him, he got gloomier and eventually said he couldn’t forgive himself and started spouting some weird stuff.

If a person doesn’t do anything, they end up overthinking things, you know? Didn’t we all have all kinds of thoughts while standing guard in the army?

“In the end, that’s how things turned out. If the Emperor hadn’t engaged in power struggles from the start, the royal family would have collapsed somehow. The one who held it together was the Emperor.”

“Do you think it was a necessary sacrifice?”

“No. I don’t think so. More like… it just had to happen.”

I kind of get it, but at the same time, I don’t.

“Wasn’t it something that didn’t apply to you since you could turn back time and change the events?”

“……”

I didn’t even know how to respond to that.

“Wasn’t it because of that situation that you could be there?”

“……”

I could only nod at that.

That I, having no blood relation, could become a crown princess was because Lucas, one of the Emperor’s children, found me interesting.

The reason Lucas was watching the orphanage where Claire and I were was that the Emperor was trying to sift out children with great potential from his scattered bloodline.

From my perspective, it was primarily because ‘there was a game,’ but based on this world’s standards, if the Emperor hadn’t done that, the subsequent story might not have existed.

Alice might have been living a much more miserable life than now, and the kids who were having decent times at the academy might be fighting each other over power.

It’s not the best scenario, but at the same time, it is the best. That’s the situation we’re in.

“So, you don’t really hold a grudge?”

Damien shrugged.

“There’s nothing that can change by killing someone now. It’d just break the peace instead.”

“Hmm…”

When I made an ambiguous expression, for the first time, Damien asked me with curiosity.

“What’s your reason for trying to gather us like this?”

“Because we’re brothers and sisters.”

“Not a very logical reason, huh?”

“Do I look like someone who cares about logical reasons?”

Damien stared at me for a while and then spoke.

“Honestly, I thought that. I thought you were the type to choose only the options that are beneficial for yourself and leave your own mark on the world. The Emperor thought the same way.”

That assessment about me is way too grand.

But I guess that was the impression I left on him.

I shrugged off my awkwardness and said, “It was all an act.”

“But it was good.”

Damien smiled slightly for the first time.

“In the end, you created the world you wanted.”

“……”

I felt myself shivering at Damien’s praise. That gave me the creeps. Ugh. It was different from what Jayden usually said. He’s usually expressionless, and I think that’s why.

“Anyway, I came here with a completely illogical reason. What about you? Do you want to spend time together with your siblings?”

“What would we do if we spent time together?”

“……”

I was at a loss for words.

“Uh… anything?”

“If that’s the case, is it okay to just stay still and do nothing?”

“Right?”

I frowned slightly and looked at Damien.

“You just want to do nothing, huh?”

“Well, I didn’t know I wanted that until now.”

Damien thought for a moment and then said,

“I haven’t really rested since childhood. Back in the alley days, if I stole bread and didn’t run, I’d starve. And where to eat that bread secretly was crucial. If I got pickpocketed, I had to find a hiding spot that was just mine while keeping an eye on where to hide it and regularly change hiding spots to not get caught.”

“……”

“After living a life like that, once I became a prince, I was deployed for various missions in different countries. They were all faraway places, and they were jobs that required constant thinking. So… yeah. I haven’t really rested until now. I didn’t even know what resting was.”

“So, you mean to say you actually like the current situation?”

“Yeah. There’s food, I won’t freeze to death, and there’s plenty of clean water to wash up with.”

Surprisingly humble, huh?

No, actually, it fits his image, I guess.

“If you can’t trust me, then I can’t help that.”

“…… Are you perhaps at a loss about what to wish for because you haven’t tried many things?”

To my question, Damien tilted his head again.

“Is that so?”

“Well, kind of… um, I’m not sure.”

Honestly, I totally relate to his words.

There are times I just want to do nothing too. Lately, I’ve been way too busy.

“If you want to do nothing and just stay still, can’t you just do that here?”

“Huh?”

Did he finally read my expression? Damien made a suggestion.

“It seems like there are no time limits during visitation hours. So, why not just say that you’re spending necessary time for conversation and just sit around doing nothing?”

For a second, I almost fell for that temptation.

Bring a sleeping bag and lay it out anywhere on this floor and just lie down? No one would touch me during that time? That was a brilliant idea, but…

“I’ll pass.”

I shook my head.

Yeah. Just because I don’t work, it doesn’t mean the issues I haven’t dealt with will just deal with themselves.

I wasn’t in a position to take over any important parts of the royal family yet, but Alice was already planning to make me work hard after graduation.

It would be problematic if I started procrastinating.

“Really? It’s your choice, so do as you wish.”

What’s up with that?

Why is he suddenly so irritating?

Up until now, Jayden was number one on my irritation list, but now this conversation just switched the ranking in an instant.

He had this attitude like he’s broken free or something, which was pissing me off. I wanted to ask him to do something.

But in this situation, there’s no way to make him do anything, so it annoyed me even more.

“Anyway, that means you really don’t care about anything right now? You’re saying you’d come if I called you?”

“…… That would be the case, I guess.”

Damien looked at me and spoke.

“Are you aiming for the Emperor’s throne or what?”

“Am I crazy? I’m just thinking of going somewhere to relax and then coming back.”

“…… That in itself is… a bit shocking.”

“Everyone seems to look at me weird when I first bring it up.”

I let out a small sigh and said,

“But honestly, haven’t we had a time like that? I don’t recall us ever gathering around a table for a meal.”

“Not just rarely, but there’s probably never been such a time.”

“See?”

Of course, Damien still had that ‘so why does it matter?’ expression, but I simply shrugged.

“Then, does that mean I can consider you joining? Do you have to eat with the other kids to come?”

“…… There’s really no option of not going, is there?”

“Still, feelings matter, you know.”

When I said that, Damien tilted his head again.

… Is it really okay to be this relaxed?

No matter how I think about it, I’m envious. Damn it.

Chapter 481

I met all my brothers and sisters—except for one still outstanding.

As for Claire, sorry, but she’s out for now. I painted her as my sister, but for her to be one of the Emperor’s kids… well, that’s a bit of a stretch.

So I decided to catch up with Alice later.

Yeah.

Even if Claire is in her own category, Alice can’t opt out. Since I learned all the Emperor’s kids are actually related by blood, it meant Alice had to join this ‘sibling meetup.’

Especially since Alice will be the next Emperor. In a way, she’s kind of at the center of this whole circus.

“… So, you want me to release the restrictions?”

“I’m not saying to lift everything. Just to change the location of the confinement for a bit.”

Alice, who had been busy lately, promptly agreed to my request for time. I really appreciated that.

Plus, she listened to my seemingly nonsensical story with great interest.

“Go on.”

Alice said with her arms crossed.

“Where the Emperor and his kids are right now isn’t really a prison, right? So I thought maybe we could just find a building somewhere and all meet up to chat.”

“……”

Alice gave me a look, then picked up a sheet of paper that had been sitting on the table.

Oh right, we were in Alice’s room. It wasn’t her office, but considering how much she had to read, there were various papers that looked like reports scattered around. Not a mountain of them, but each one looked like a headache waiting to happen if I dared to read them.

And when Alice becomes the Emperor, she’ll have to read a lot more than that.

I’ll have to be there to read them too.

Just thinking about it made me feel dizzy, but I decided to suck it up.

Bam!

“A gryphon suddenly flew in and broke the window.”

“……”

Alice read the report.

I had no words to say.

At first, I thought she was ignoring me because my story sounded ridiculous, but the opposite was true.

“… And it says here that another prisoner was brought in through that broken window.”

I was at a loss for words.

Alice gently placed the report down and picked up another one.

“Here it states that the suddenly appeared gryphon kidnapped the first prince, Jayden.”

“Uh…”

“By the way, this report was filed directly by the knights and soldiers monitoring the mansion. They are instructed to report any anomalies. Naturally, it gets escalated directly to the Emperor. It seems the captured ones are subjects requiring special attention.”

Alice said, keeping her eyes glued to the report.

“And it mentions that the defenders have made certain assumptions about the cause? It’s written like this.”

Alice cleared her throat and read.

“It seems the Crown Princess is up to something. It would be best for the Crown Princess to meet with her directly.”

“……”

Hmm.

That makes sense.

While I thought the gryphon took care of this by itself, it was unrealistic to expect no suspicion from the other side considering the situation.

“You didn’t even give me a heads up about this.”

“……”

“Why not let the gryphon handle it again? If you grab one with your legs, you can move them all at once, right? You can ride on its back.”

“Th-that…”

“Huh? Why? Did you just realize that having gryphons break into houses and kidnap people isn’t such a good idea? Then why not just rewind time? ‘Do it again!’ Huh? Huh?”

Alice rolled up the report and seemed like she was about to jab it at me as she leaned closer.

I twisted my body, trying to dodge the report.

“Well, that might prevent you from keeping them in one place…”

“Even if you think that way, wouldn’t it have been better to at least tell me in advance? You really haven’t kicked that habit, have you?”

“……”

If I had a hundred mouths, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself.

“And right. Let’s worry about that later.”

Alice tossed the rolled-up report onto the table. After being rolled up once, it almost unfolded, but the end just barely stayed crinkled.

“So, what about this?”

Alice read the report.

“It says here someone hid a small gun in their sleeve and threatened the prince… They even fired it?”

“… It was a blank shot.”

“……”

Alice stared at me, and I averted my gaze.

“I thought I told you not to bring weapons?”

“A gun without ammo isn’t exactly a weapon, is it—”

“Sylvia.”

Alice called my name in a stern tone, forcing me to look back at her.

Her expression was serious.

“Do you… not trust me?”

“……”

“Is that why you did this?”

“… No, this is just my fault.”

I said that.

Yeah, it’s my fault.

It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t trust Alice; I just fell back into my old bad habit from the days of rewinding time. I would just take action, and if anything went wrong, I’d rewind time to fix it.

I somewhat realized I couldn’t just rewind time anymore, but when it came to needing to do something, my instincts kicked in.

“……”

Alice, sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed while watching me, let out a big sigh.

“Well, good. At least you came to tell me now.”

Had she been waiting for me to show up all this time?

Thinking about that made me feel even worse.

“I think… it’s okay.”

But Alice’s face didn’t seem very confident at all.

Watching Alice a bit nervously, she spoke.

“Isn’t there someone who might have a hard time accepting that they suddenly became so happy?”

“… Ah.”

The King of the Kingdom of Velbur and his daughter.

And the Papal State, which got fully wrapped up in this incident.

Of course, the case with the Papal State was a bit different. They were somewhat on the side of the aggressor in this scenario.

“……”

I pondered for a moment.

“So, you mean the Emperor and his children need to clearly tie up their relationship with the victims?”

“… Yeah. That’s what I think. Of course, the surface-level issues have been resolved. Velbur has achieved a complete victory, and my father… the Emperor has stepped down. All the kids trailing behind the throne have been pushed out as well. The only ones who can ascend now are you and me.”

Saying that made my stomach churn.

But Alice continued her explanation regardless of my expression.

“While there wasn’t a large-scale war, casualties still occurred. Siblings wanting to reconcile and trying to repair their relationship with their father? Sure, that’s possible. But if they appear to be living happily to others, it could worsen the relationships in the future, don’t you think?”

“……”

She sounds like she’s worried about international relations, but deep down, she’s really worried about her friend Charlotte.

Once the two become heads of their countries, they’ll hardly get to see each other.

“Should we… have the Emperor apologize?”

“Well, who knows? He might not want to see them at all.”

Alice said, resting her chin on her hand.

“Have you met Charlotte?”

“… I have.”

“Did you talk about this?”

“Yeah. We did.”

“How did it go?”

“… I don’t think it was a very comforting subject to talk about.”

When I told her that I introduced my two brothers, Charlotte said that.

“Of course, isn’t that right? If that’s the case, it’s already too early to clear any misunderstandings. It’d be better to wait until those people genuinely regret their actions.”

“… Was I, too hasty?”

“You were way too hasty.”

Alice didn’t back me up this time.

“Still, it was effective. At least, it gave them a chance to think things over differently. As for the rest… we have to hope that time will heal it.”

“……”

“Such wounds won’t heal easily, right? We can consider ourselves lucky that it ended up with this much because we were both there. From Velbur’s perspective, it’s somewhat safe to hold face.”

While she wasn’t openly backing me, she still seemed to have some comforting thoughts.

“So, I don’t think it’ll take decades. To ensure they forget to a degree, I think a few years might be enough. Once they’ve calmed down, we can slowly figure out how to communicate moving forward.”

“……”

“Until then, we’ll just have to work hard ourselves.”

Alice flashed a gentle smile at me as she spoke.

Chapter 482

Tick tock, tick tock…

Time flows.

Now that I couldn’t twist it back anymore, all I could do was accept it.

surprisingly, it didn’t feel that bad.

I got to realize once again how precious time with someone is.

Even if I could turn back time, the choices I could make were ultimately in one direction.

If I rewind, the memories would vanish from the other person’s mind, and everything I built would disappear completely.

After choosing what I wanted through multiple rewinds, all that was left for me was to push time forward again.

But despite that, I acted as if I had infinite time to play with.

In the end, the time I enjoyed now was just a result of those choices.

Right now, everyone remembers that I was rewinding time, but…

“Are you looking at the flowers?”

“Yeah, I’m looking at the flowers.”

A year has passed.

During that time, I tried hard to live my life.

I studied. Maybe because I had a solid foundation thanks to the countless times I rewound time, my grades turned out surprisingly well. Unlike before, I didn’t compete for rankings with Alice, but I was satisfied with my progress.

I worked out, too. Now I couldn’t use the excuse “everything goes back once I rewind” anymore. My athletic skills were still lacking compared to Alice and Claire, but I improved significantly compared to a year ago. Well, it’s not surprising since the opponent is a Sword Saint.

And most importantly, I made an effort to create memories.

I tried hard to engrave as many memories as possible.

After realizing how much I’ve lost once that excess “time” vanished, I understood just how important it was.

I had no leisure.

Even while studying and exercising, I consistently met the kids, talked, and tried to maintain our friendship.

Even if we get far apart someday, I wanted to ensure that we wouldn’t forget each other and could laugh without feeling awkward when we met again.

I dare say, this approach seemed to have worked.

It was clear when I saw Rena smiling next to me.

“It appears to be a tree brought from the East. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Was it last summer?

We decided to expand trade with other countries on the continent. Various items were traded for experimental purposes, and this cherry blossom tree was one of them.

I wasn’t sure how they brought such a large tree here.

Honestly, when the idea first came up, I was a bit worried. I thought maybe the Empire was trying to build a colonizing empire that would eventually collapse while expanding its influence.

However, the countries in the east were engaging in their own forms of power games. Although their technology was definitely lagging compared to the Empire, they developed in their unique ways and surprisingly weren’t falling behind too much in terms of technological level.

Well, this world is similar to the world of the game I played back in my previous life.

Although the setting of “the East” hasn’t been properly revealed in that world, everyone anticipated that it would eventually become the main stage one day.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a situation where they’d be unilaterally crushed by the western nations.

Anyway, the first cherry blossom tree we brought in was planted at the Academy.

And come spring, the beautiful cherry blossoms bloomed.

Students passing by would stop for a moment, staring up at the tree and gasping at its beauty.

“Indeed. It’s really… beautiful.”

Rena’s persona still wasn’t completely unraveled.

But her icy demeanor was slowly melting away, and now anyone could easily notice that change.

To be honest, I felt a bit jealous.

That was the approach I was aiming for. Going from an ice-cold girl to someone who gradually opens up. Rena was pulling it off perfectly.

If this continues, by the time she graduates in my second year, I might see her smiling often in front of us.

“Sister!”

As I was looking up at the cherry blossom tree with Rena, Claire ran over and hugged my arm.

“Are you looking at the flowers?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s really pretty. I thought it was just an ordinary tree when we brought it last year.”

Someday, I could plant a lot of these cherry trees and create a street where cherry blossoms float down every spring. It wouldn’t be bad to have such a street in western scenery.

“Sister, I heard you’re planning a family trip?”

“…Yeah.”

I had discussions with Charlotte and the Kingdom side.

Whether I liked it or not, this world still had a strong class system. While it would gradually fade over time, for now, it was a period where nobles, royalty, and aristocrats could be pardoned for their crimes.

And Charlotte’s father, the King of Velbur, was royalty after all.

Once they took care of Velbur’s face-saving, benefits, and justification, they wouldn’t care too much about the remaining people.

That way of thinking lingered with Charlotte too, if not as a king, leading her to ultimately agree with our plans.

Of course, the biggest reason for that agreement was the presence of Alice and me.

The thought of not wanting to see her friends suffer because of her…

I guess I’ll consider that a favor owed to Charlotte. Though I don’t think she sees it that way.

“……”

“Family matters shouldn’t involve outsiders. Please feel free to talk.”

Rena smiled at me and politely bowed her head. I waved lightly at Rena.

Seeing my gesture, Rena turned away with a pleasant expression, distancing herself from us.

“Speaking of that, can I come along too?”

“……”

I stared intently at Claire.

“Oh, I’m ‘Grace,’ by the way. My parents are also in the Grace territory. But it’s the same for you, right?”

Claire said mischievously with a grin.

“My mother said you could think of her as family, too.”

“…She did say that.”

“So… well, I do want to meet my siblings. After all, we share blood. I don’t plan to get super close, but I still want to know of each other’s existence.”

“I see.”

I nodded.

Honestly, if we’re talking bloodlines, I’m probably the one least connected to any of this.

How did I even get involved in this?

“Okay. I’ll let Alice know.”

“Sure.”

Claire nodded to my words.

After that, we looked up at the cherry blossom tree for a while longer.

As the wind blew, small leaves fell, fluttering in the air.

That sight was truly beautiful.

Maybe I was reminded a bit of my previous life when the cherry trees lined the streets of my hometown.

Flashforward…

So after a bit of time passed, the weekend arrived.

Due to a packed schedule, we failed to plan a trip during the break.

In some sense, that was a good thing. We could adjust and prevent the trip from dragging on too long by making excuses.

Isn’t that right?

Though the kids of the Emperor might be familiar with each other, the relationship between the Emperor and his children is still uncertain.

Rather than awkwardly stretching it over several nights, it would be better to just go for a clean one-night getaway to the nearby outskirts.

“Why are you packing so seriously?”

And that morning.

Right before it was time to leave, Alice asked while seeing me pack my things.

All of Alice’s stuff was already packed by the servants in the Imperial Palace and taken to the train. Meanwhile, here I was, dawdling while packing myself.

“I know. Even if I don’t pack, if we need something, they’d probably deliver it to us within a few hours.”

“And?”

“…… It’s just, I don’t feel at ease unless I do it myself.”

In a way, this is a professional habit.

I’m usually fine, but as the operation approaches that needs me to be alert, I rewound time to recheck my equipment.

Even if I fail, I could just go back and pack again, yet doing it this way feels more comfortable to me. No matter how reckless someone is, they don’t want to be shot and stabbed every time.

Knowing I couldn’t rewind time made me a bit more anxious.

Honestly, what I packed wasn’t that amazing.

Fishing rods, books to read on the train, and a few personal items.

But I was doing this because the upcoming event felt like an ‘operation’ in many ways.

Participating in an operation with no plan, especially when I couldn’t rewind time…

How could I not be nervous?

“We should be leaving soon.”

“Alright. I think I’m ready now.”

I clapped my travel bag shut.

Then I followed Alice outside and handed it over to a servant.

“Why are you so tense? You’re the one who planned it, right? Since a year ago too.”

“…… If the relationship breaks here, it won’t be undoable.”

“Really?”

Alice responded to my words.

“You know, that’s a form of illness too. Thinking that because you can’t rewind time, it’s impossible to retry something that has already failed.”

“…… Is that so?”

“That’s nonsense to someone who’s been living by failing repeatedly, like me.”

I had no reply to Alice’s words, which she said with a smile.

“So relax. After all, we’re young. We’ve got time. If we fail this time, we can just spend a little more time preparing. Even in the worst-case scenario, our trust between us won’t break.”

“……”

At Alice’s words, I quietly nodded.

Chapter 483

Ironically, the atmosphere on the train felt familiar, like something I had experienced before.

“Hey, sis!”

As I returned to my seat after a quick trip to the front car, Lucas waved at me.

It seemed the memories of childhood were still influencing him, but after his fight with Jayden, he decided to respect my thoughts.

“Come over and sit. We have plenty of time, so let’s play some poker.”

“……”

I glanced at Lucas, who was holding cards.

He had done the same the last time we rode the train together. Back then, Lucas had suggested a card game to me as well.

I had refused that time.

The reason was simple. I had no idea how much I would need to rewind time to win a card game, and that sounded like a hassle. In life-or-death situations, it was unavoidable, but going through the trouble of rewinding time just to win a card game was too annoying.

“What are you trying to teach the kid?”

Jayden rolled his eyes.

“Kid? You think she looks like a child? She’s all grown up.”

“You really can’t say anything to your little brother, huh?”

Jayden said this to Lucas and then flashed me a very friendly smile.

“You don’t have to force yourself to join. Just spend your time however you want.”

Hmm.

For some reason, that annoyed me. Last time I was irritated by Lucas calling me over, but now it was Jayden treating me like a kid that was getting on my nerves.

“……”

I briefly stared at the two, then waved my hand to shove Lucas aside.

“Oh, are you going to sit down?”

Lucas said with a blush on his face.

“I don’t know how to play poker.”

I said as I took the seat he had offered.

“Let’s play blackjack. The rules are much simpler.”

“Right, that sounds good. And it’s quick to deal.”

Lucas smiled as he shuffled the cards.

“Blackjack, huh….”

Jayden muttered that under his breath.

Of course, it wasn’t because he disliked blackjack; he seemed a bit shocked that I knew such a game. He probably thought I would stay cute and innocent forever.

“Alright, how much should we wager?”

“Hey.”

Jayden said incredulously.

Seriously, does it even matter what we wager?

Sure, both Jayden and Lucas might be in a pension state right now, but technically, both of them were princes.

Needless to say, there was really no need to worry about money. I mean, unless we were wagering a castle or a mansion, then maybe it would be a different story.

“More importantly, do you even have any money?”

Right. And this was also important.

It wasn’t like I was struggling to eat, but neither was I giving these guys money. First, all the money provided by the royal family had been cut off. They might get items if they request them, but in case of emergencies, they wouldn’t give out cash.

Anything they personally had was probably frozen too.

“I don’t have any money. But how about this? You wager ‘Big Brother’ rights on a daily basis. You promised to give it to Jayden, right?”

“I didn’t know you were interested in that sort of thing?”

When I fumed and asked, Lucas leaned against the window and turned towards me as much as he could.

“Hey, I’m technically your older brother too, you know? You’re the youngest among us siblings. Of course, I want to hear you call me ‘big brother.’ Ah, but you know what? I’d prefer ‘oppa’ over ‘big brother.’”

Imagining myself calling Lucas ‘oppa’ sent shivers down my spine.

I wanted to slice off the part of my brain that came up with that image.

“I can’t just let that slide.”

The person who jumped in with that was… Claire.

I thought she was seated with Alice in another car earlier, but somehow she was here now. Then again, since we were in the same car, the space wasn’t that wide. Plus, the loud chugga chugga sound of the steam train made it easy to overlook her coming.

“Sylvia is my sister. I have no intention of handing her over to you guys.”

“Hey, what about that? Your sister has already transferred that ‘big brother’ right to Jayden.”

Jayden puffed out his chest, looking proud as if he had earned that right.

“Two whole days!”

Jayden said, declaring victory.

Claire looked at me, slightly shocked.

“Really? Only two days? I have a whole week.”

“What!?”

Bella suddenly interrupted, and Jayden’s jaw dropped.

“I reserved a week’s worth of calling her ‘sister.’ I plan to use it from when we arrive at our travel destination.”

Hmm, I think I’ll just hole up in my room at the travel destination.

“……I can’t just let that pass.”

Alice chimed in.

They were all jumping in on this, huh?

I sat down to play a card game only to end up under attack from all directions.

“Aren’t you giving that title too easily to Jayden or Bella? Come to think of it, I think I did that last time too. I remember saying I’d ride on the airship.”

“……”

“Sis, you need to know how to value yourself.”

No, Claire. That story seems quite different. They’re siblings after all.

“……Alice, I don’t think you ever coveted such a title.”

“I didn’t covet it. I just don’t particularly wish to have a younger sister.”

Alice responded.

“But every time you call me ‘sister,’ your expression is entertaining.”

“……”

I paused for a moment and then looked at Lucas.

“Why don’t you say that to Alice?”

“To Alice?”

Lucas glanced at Alice and sank into thought for a moment.

“Um… Well, it just doesn’t feel necessary?”

“……”

“I probably didn’t listen to her a lot during childhood. So now I have this mindset that she would never call me that even if I asked. Back then, I felt a bit of a wall too.”

Ah, right.

From their perspective, it seemed that Alice was technically the next empress in the traditional sense. They probably thought they didn’t have royal blood flowing through them.

I felt the same way too.

But looking at the revealed facts, it turned out that I was the only one here without royal blood.

“Um… So, wanna try calling me that for a test?”

Lucas asked, and Alice’s expression twisted up tightly.

“Why should I?”

“See?”

“No, I’d refuse if you asked me to.”

“You don’t just refuse. You’d use it however you could if it benefited you.”

“……”

I had nothing to say.

“So, will you do it or not?”

“Of course not.”

I cut that off firmly.

“What’s the point of playing a game where you either break even or only lose if you don’t win?”

“……That’s also a fair point.”

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and said.

“Then let’s do it on a point system and see who wins. We still have more than an hour until we get there, right?”

If there’s nothing at stake, it might be alright.

I shrugged, and Jayden nodded his head.

“How about you guys? Want to join?”

As I looked at Alice, Claire, and Bella, Bella shrugged and went back to her seat.

“I’m good.”

Alice waved her hand and turned away.

But instead of going too far, she sat at the opposite side where our table was visible.

“I’m in.”

Claire said, and Jayden graciously moved aside to let her take a seat.

“But how do we do this?”

“Oh, the rules are simple. You get two cards first, and the person closest to 21 wins. It can be exactly 21 as well. But if you go over, you just die. After getting two cards, you can draw as many cards as you like to match the number, but if you go over because of the extra cards, you die.”

“Oh, that’s easy.”

Claire seemed pleased as she smiled.

“Great! Then I’ll deal the cards—”

“No, wait.”

I held my palm up to Lucas.

“I can’t trust you.”

“……”

Lucas looked at me incredulously, but I continued to stare him down as I shouted.

“Damien!”

“……Why are you calling me?”

A somewhat annoyed voice came from a chair behind us.

I couldn’t believe he was still sitting there. I thought he would move away because we were noisy.

Well, he was definitely withdrawn last time. It seemed that maybe Damien sat down first, and then Lucas and Jayden ended up sitting behind him, and Damien was just putting up with it because he was too lazy to move.

“Can you deal this? I can’t trust Lucas.”

“Hey, hey, are you really doing this for a game with nothing at stake?”

“Isn’t it you who’s planning to cheat in a game with nothing at stake?”

“Is cheating already a given?”

Lucas muttered incredulously, but I snatched the cards from his hands and turned to give them to Damien.

Damien sighed heavily as he stood up.

“Fine then, I’ll cooperate for just this one game.”

Of course, Damien wouldn’t be able to leave and continued shuffling cards until we arrived.

In a surprisingly amazing turn of events, Claire had a significantly higher score, enough to scratch Lucas and Jayden’s pride.

When I asked Claire if I should call her “sister,” she freaked out.

……So, the train ride to the travel destination turned out to be way more enjoyable than I had expected.

Feeling tense seemed foolish in comparison.

Chapter 484

The mansion we arrived at was nothing short of a ‘vacation resort.’

Naturally, since it was near the Empire’s interior, it wasn’t a seaside location. However, for some reason, I liked it even more than a beach.

Thinking back, I had hardly been to a proper vacation spot in this world.

I had gone to the beach with everyone from the academy once, but that was it.

Basically, my time was mostly spent doing what the Emperor ordered, and when I wasn’t working, I was just waiting at the Imperial Palace.

In the meantime, I practiced shooting or studied, all while turning back time.

If you include my past life… I’ve been to valleys and seas many times, but I had never stayed in a mansion by a lakeside like this.

Thinking about it, I had never really made an effort to find such a place. Why was that? It would have been harder to find a country without lakes anyway. Well, even without limiting it to lakes, there were still tons of places I hadn’t visited.

The vast lake stretched out before me, almost as far as the eye could see, with towering conifers dotting the distant forest. There was even a dock between the lake and the mansion, lending it an ambiance straight out of a foreign movie, especially with a rowboat moored there.

…Of course, places like this usually end up as murder scenes in foreign films.

Well, as long as no assassins show up among us, it’s fine. I mean, aren’t we all essentially human weapons? No one among us is likely to just die easily.

“…This is better than I expected?”

Bella got out of the car, her expression reflecting delighted surprise.

The driver, who had driven us here, bowed slightly before retrieving our luggage from the trunk and heading toward the mansion.

After all, we aren’t the only ones staying in this mansion. There are also people managing the place.

Moreover, we were only able to move to this location because we received permission from Alice, yet we were still technically in a state of confinement. Just in case anyone decided to run for it, a military force was stationed around here.

I also got the impression that this place was primarily meant for high-ranking officers to rent out.

Apparently, it was quite popular among officers from commoner backgrounds who don’t have territories of their own.

“Shall we head to our rooms first?”

I proposed, and everyone nodded.

Lucas, who had seemed indifferent before we set off, now looked genuinely pleased upon arrival.

After all, it was a sight that could lift anyone’s spirits just by looking at it.

The mansion had three floors. Given the number of people, one might think three floors would be a bit small, but it was quite lengthy, so we wouldn’t run out of rooms.

The room I stayed in was on the second floor.

It had a terrace attached, so I could enjoy a refreshing view of the lake first thing in the morning.

Inside were three beds.

Naturally, it was meant for me, Claire, and Alice to share.

At some point, the three of us had just become a set together. Well, I didn’t mind it at all.

The room next to ours was Bella’s. Our room and Bella’s were connected by a terrace, allowing us to meet outside while sitting.

I wondered if Bella would even bother coming over to see us.

Jayden and Lucas insisted on having their own rooms each, which naturally led to Damien also having a room to himself.

Their rooms were a bit smaller, but they were quite spacious for being individual spaces. They were also on the third floor, and these rooms all had terraces too.

When we entered the room, our luggage was already taken inside and set up for us.

“Wow, this bed is better than what I have in my own room.”

Claire said as she plopped down onto one of the beds.

“If you’re jealous, you can enlist. After all, we’re graduates of the academy, so it’s super easy to join as officers. Then, you can apply to use places like this during your vacation.”

“…They say it’s popular, right? Is it really a place you can use just because you want to?”

At Claire’s words, Alice averted her eyes.

“Hmph.”

Claire scoffed, seemingly in disbelief.

Even if she attended a school that resembled a military academy, Claire had a free-spirited personality. It was natural she wouldn’t want to intentionally join a military-like environment.

I suppose attending the academy was due to its relatively free-spirited atmosphere.

After bouncing up and down on the bed a few times to enjoy its fluffiness, Claire looked at me and asked.

“So, what are we doing now?”

“I was thinking of trying some fishing.”

“Fishing?”

Both Claire and Alice exclaimed at the same time while looking at me.

Why?

I nodded.

“I just thought if we played a game that had a competitive element, Lucas and Jayden would end up fighting.”

“…So you picked fishing?”

“…What’s wrong with that?”

I replied.

Alice seemed to look at me incredulously, and my confidence wavered a bit.

“Should we do something else now?”

“…”

Alice and Claire exchanged glances.

“No, let’s fish.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Both of them said in unison.

…It felt like they were saying that just to comfort me, but oh well. They said they were up for it, so whatever.

“But what about the Emperor?”

“He’ll be arriving soon. I intentionally had him take his time.”

“…In case he gets assassinated on the train?”

“I can’t say that’s impossible.”

The Emperor was the most dangerous individual, so there were special considerations in handling him, but ultimately, I figured it wasn’t wise to keep him on the same train with those kids for too long.

Well, in the end, I’d probably have to face a similar dilemma when we met here too.

Knock Knock.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door.

I went to the door and pulled the handle.

“Crown Princess, a guest has arrived.”

“…”

Hearing the servant’s polite announcement, I turned back.

Among the three of us, it was impossible not to figure out who that guest was.

*

Sitting side by side on the lakeside, we were fishing, but it was far duller than I expected.

Though I contributed to the boredom to some extent, I felt like I was sitting too far apart.

Bella, Lucas, Jayden, and Damien had positioned themselves quite a distance apart. Naturally, if I wanted to call Damien over from here, I’d have to raise my voice quite a bit. Perhaps Damien intended it that way. Since he seemed satisfied being here, he probably didn’t want anyone casually bothering him and interrupting his rare peace.

Alice and Claire at least sat relatively close to me. They were still maintaining a distance to avoid tangling our fishing lines though.

And at the far end opposite Damien, a large man was sitting.

It was the Emperor.

The decent atmosphere we’d managed to maintain during the train ride chilled rapidly upon the Emperor’s arrival.

While we had all become quite chummy, the Emperor was… still an inscrutable figure.

In fact, I had been pondering until the last moment about how to address the Emperor. I thought about addressing him after all the siblings became close first.

In the end, I ended up calling him, though.

The bobber on the surface didn’t show any signs of movement. No one had caught a fish yet, and we might as well have been in a drought, or maybe it was just that we had settled in a relatively shallow part of the lakeshore.

After sitting there for quite some time without anyone catching a single fish, we all sat there with blank expressions, just staring at the bobber.

…

Was this a failure?

I wanted to smack my past self hard on the back of the head. Truth is, until last year, I could have probably done similar fishing. After turning back time, all I needed to do was smack my head.

But now, that was no longer an option.

What should I do to improve this situation even a little, I wondered—

“Hey?”

Suddenly, Jayden broke the silence.

All eyes turned to him.

Everyone glanced at Jayden’s face and then shifted their gaze in the direction he was looking.

Splash.

The bobber moved slightly.

Jayden immediately jumped up, grabbing his fishing rod.

“Whoa!?”

Jayden exclaimed.

The bobber was moving! The line was taut, and the fishing rod was bending.

“I got one! Sylvia, look! The fish is biting!”

“Don’t look at me, look at the fish!”

I yelled, and Jayden immediately turned his gaze back to pull the fishing rod toward himself.

It was a relatively simple-looking fishing rod, one without a reel. You pulled on the line with just the right amount of strength to catch the fish.

“Lucas, get the net! The net!”

“Who are you barking orders at?”

But even while Lucas complained, he made his way toward Jayden—

“Lucas! Your bobber’s moving!”

Alice shouted.

Lucas turned his head. This time, his bobber was moving too.

I shot up from my seat, grabbing the net that I had placed near me, and hurried over toward Jayden.

The fish he had hooked was quite large. I wasn’t sure what kind it was, but it had a somewhat dark color, appearing to be a ‘freshwater fish.’

As I scooped up Jayden’s fish with the net, Lucas shouted.

“Hey, hey! I need some help too!”

Wait, what’s with the sudden shift after having caught nothing for ages?

Chapter 485

I really wanted to give Jayden some sort of reward.

Of course, excluding the brotherly tirades. After all, I wouldn’t have to think of something to give since he’s bound to receive it anyway. Ignoring it would mean I couldn’t ask him for anything else in the future.

Hmm, thinking about it, there’s really no need to give him anything. It’s already reserved for him, but more than that, if we’re nitpicking, the credit goes to the fish that Jayden caught first.

I don’t know what kind it is, but it’s definitely different from the one Lucas caught. From the looks of its whiskers, they both seem to be catfish, but this world has magical beasts roaming around carelessly, so perhaps this fish isn’t just any regular fish.

Anyway, since both are dark brown with whiskers, I’ll tentatively consider them catfish. However, the fish Lucas caught was fatter on the sides, while Jayden’s was longer in the front and back.

Naturally, Jayden’s fish was much longer.

“Hey, no matter how you look at it, mine has more meat, right? Cooking it up would feed at least two people!” Jayden puffed out his chest in protest.

I’m not sure if it would actually taste good, though. Some fish are so bony and smelly that I wouldn’t even know how to eat them.

“Lucas, you seem to be misunderstanding. The length of a fish caught by fishing is the measure used to compare.”

That sounds right. In fishing shows I’ve watched before, they only measured the length, not the weight.

“So if you catch something long like an eel, does that mean it’s superior to catching other fish?”

Well, not exactly.

To be precise, it means measuring the lengths of the same species for comparison. If it’s one species, that’s the larger one, and if it’s another species, then that’s the larger one… Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone here who could compare in such a manner.

“What are you two fighting over something so trivial?” Bella said, looking dumbfounded.

I wasn’t too bothered.

At least Jayden caught a fish, which made the atmosphere cheerful. That alone was worth the effort of “catching.”

“Ah!?”

While Lucas and Jayden were at it, Claire suddenly shouted.

“Wait, look at this!”

The gazes of the two fighters shifted.

At the end of their line—

A fishing rod bent almost to the breaking point. The line taut like it was about to snap.

It was obvious to anyone that what lay beyond was a fish far larger than what Lucas and Jayden had caught. A massive shadow could be seen on the clear surface of the lake. A shadow hooked on the tiny bobber, struggling to break free, looked ferocious.

My instincts screamed.

That must be similar to the beasts that roam around in the realm of ‘Gado.’

Before I knew it, Alice was also pulling on the fishing rod.

“Wait!”

I rushed over to the two and said, “If you pull like that, it’ll break! Lower it a bit…”

Instead of adjusting the bend on the rod, we basically leaned back.

To be precise, we tried to pull back.

But since the ground was all soft mud, our three feet got dragged towards the lake.

Should we just let go? I pondered for a moment, when a thick hand suddenly grasped the fishing rod tightly.

“……”

For a moment, we three forgot to pull and looked up at the Emperor.

He was holding onto the rod just enough for us to manage, not letting it pull us into the lake.

Guess it’s the experience from all those years in politics that gave him that instinct.

Yeah, if you caught it here, it’s basically stealing.

Heave-ho, heave-ho! Claire, Alice, and I began to lean back in sync.

Since we were holding the fishing rod at the end, it was obviously impossible for us to pull out the fish with our hands. It would also be tough to scoop it up with a net.

“Hey, can I help a bit?” Lucas shouted.

“Are you just going to stand there doing nothing!?” Claire yelled back.

Lucas grabbed the harpoon he had prepared in advance and hurled it towards the head of the fish.

The harpoon flew straight and struck the fish’s head, which had just slightly surfaced from the water.

BANG! At that moment, there was a loud cracking noise and the sound of the fish convulsing, all at once. Then, the fish at the end of the line toppled over, exposing its white belly and stretching out.

“……”

The Emperor discreetly let go of the rod he was holding.

Claire glanced up at him and slowly tugged on the fishing rod.

That harpoon was thrown so powerfully, combined with its weight, that the fish was incredibly heavy. Even though it was dead, we still had to be careful not to snap the line while pulling it up.

What we caught was markedly different from the whippy catfish Lucas and Jayden had caught.

I think I know what this is. It’s a carp.

But its color was unusual. It sparkled like silver, almost like a saury…

“……Is it okay to catch this?”

Only after we extracted it did Alice mumble.

Right.

This world doesn’t really have laws like animal protection or endangered species legislation.

But because of the sheer size and majesty of this fish, it had an air about it that screamed “sacred” and felt wrong to catch.

“Uh… well, no one’s warned us, so it should be fine, right?”

Lucas said.

“Is there anyone to warn us?”

When Alice questioned, Lucas fell silent.

“……Well, I suppose it’s alright since it’s caught with the future Emperor. I guess that settles it… The victor is decided. Lucas, Jayden, sadly, no matter how many you two catch, you won’t beat what Claire caught.”

Bella, who had come closer to examine the fish, said with a smile.

Lucas and Jayden slumped their shoulders.

…Well, I can’t blame them.

I couldn’t help but chuckle and look towards the Emperor.

He was staring at us from a slight distance.

His gaze seemed to be observing us, as if he was witnessing something fascinating.

As if he never thought he’d see a scene like this.

That’s what Father said.

The Emperor’s gaze locked with mine.

What should I do? Should I just look away as if nothing happened?

After a moment of contemplation, I shrugged in the Emperor’s direction.

The Emperor just stared at me.

Well, it’s not like we were ignoring each other, so…

That settled it.

*

The Lake’s Owner.

When we presented the fish we caught, the elderly steward who had been managing the mansion for decades lit up with excitement.

Given the atmosphere that screamed “You shouldn’t have caught that!”, the caretaker then asked us if we would be taxidermy-ing it.

Our gazes turned towards Claire.

She thought for a moment before shaking her head.

“Umm… It feels a bit embarrassing to keep it as a taxidermy.”

If that was the last one of its kind in the lake, then turning it into a taxidermy would leave evidence that would mark her as the one who caused the extinction of that species.

To eliminate that evidence, Claire wanted to get rid of it by eating it.

However, there was really no need to worry about that.

“Though it’s called the owner of the lake, it’s not the only one in that vast lake. It may be the largest of the bunch, but if it were truly in danger of disappearing, there would be more anglers who’d be catching it.”

Besides, he said not many people fish in the lake. Since the whole lake was owned by the Empire, there was no chance of overfishing by outsiders.

“Well then, isn’t it all the more reason to feel free to eat it?”

After hearing this, Claire said as such, and ultimately, that ‘Owner of the Lake’ became our meal. Fortunately, they said it tastes delicious. If it hadn’t, we probably wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of catching it.

In exchange, we took a photo with Claire holding the fish.

It was so big and long that Alice and I had to support its head and tail from either side.

The camera was that expensive one Claire always carried around.

While the staff prepared the meal, we returned to the lakeside to set up a bonfire.

After Claire caught that big one, she also managed to catch a few more. Bella and Damien each caught two, and Lucas and Jayden also reeled in two more.

Alice and I were satisfied with just one each.

And on top of that, the Emperor added a pretty sizable fish.

The owner of the lake was a fine ingredient, so the staff decided to cook it with care, but the rest of the fish we caught were simply going to be grilled over an open flame.

If it tastes bad, then… well, it can’t be helped.

“But, do you know how to clean it?”

“I learned how.”

Excluding the fact that we’re royalty, the fish and meat sold in industrialized Korea are usually already cleaned.

Many people wouldn’t know how to clean fish even if they were taught to sneak in and cook.

I picked up a suitably small fish and sat down—

Then, I looked up at the Emperor again.

“……Ha.”

After a small sigh, I grabbed another fish.

I walked over to where the Emperor was and held out the fish with its tail in front of his face.

“……Huh?”

The Emperor made a sound of surprise.

“What are you just standing there watching for?”

I said.

“Don’t expect a free meal, help me clean this. Since you’re here, think about contributing a little!”

“……”

Only after hearing my words did the Emperor pick up the fish I was offering.

He looked incredibly awkward, unlike when he held a knife.

I tugged on the Emperor’s sleeve with my empty hand as I walked towards the place where the kids were.

Everyone was looking over here with slightly dazed expressions.

…Well, after all, this was the objective we started with. Let’s steel ourselves.

I let out a tiny breath and made that resolve.

Chapter 486

At first, it was okay.

Of course, the kids didn’t chat with the Emperor like they were best buddies.

But thankfully, there was no hostility among them.

The grilled fish, lightly salted, tasted quite good. I thought it would be better not to have to deal with the bones, but hey, isn’t that what gathering here to eat together is all about? The atmosphere is part of the whole dining experience.

“Oh, right.”

Jayden said.

“Sylvia, I’d like to use that ‘Big Brother privilege’ from now on.”

“…”

Everyone’s gaze suddenly concentrated on me.

Even the Emperor’s gaze was on me.

“Oh, then I want to use it too.”

Bella raised her hand to speak.

“…”

I clamped my mouth shut.

Well, it was my idea in the first place, so I guess I had no choice.

“If you go silent like that, it defeats the purpose of our deal, doesn’t it?”

Lucas teased.

“If we made a deal, it’s only fair to keep the terms. Otherwise, your partner might refuse your next proposal.”

“I know, I know,”

I just couldn’t shake off the awkwardness of trying to switch back to formal speech after dropping it for a moment.

I’d been using formal speech my whole life in this world, but switching back after such a short break was surprisingly difficult.

“…From now on, I shall refer to you as ‘Big Brother’ for two days.”

“Great, great. That’s wonderful, little sibling.”

Jayden said with an incredibly proud expression and took a mouthful of fish.

“…”

And Bella was staring intently at me.

I took a deep breath and spoke as if I was about to spew,

“I look forward to your guidance over the week, Sister. But we likely won’t be around to use it for the full week.”

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine. In the end, we’ll be using it all vacation long, right? I’ll let that slide. There’s no need for you to feel awkward calling me Sister.”

“…”

Alice and Lucas stared at me closely.

“You two should make your deal before talking.”

“What if I say, ‘If you don’t call me Sister right now, I might pass the imperial throne to you’?”

“Sister, don’t give in to threats like that!”

I mean, seriously, can’t she just endure the simple act of calling someone Sister without becoming the next Emperor of the Empire?

“If I become the next Emperor, I’ll pass all the powers to Claire.”

“…Sister?”

“…”

The Emperor seemed to chuckle a bit.

“It’s a bit absurd to see you two passing around the power without wanting to hold onto it for yourselves.”

Lucas said.

“Because I don’t need it.”

“I think you’d do quite well as Emperor, though?”

“…That’s impossible, Big Brother.”

“I’ll give you back that Sister title, so how about letting me have the Emperor’s seat?”

“That won’t do, Sister.”

When I frowned and said that, Bella burst out laughing.

“Hmm, I suppose I can’t trust you with power. I’ll find another way to make you call me Sister.”

Wait, why was she suddenly fired up?

Claire shot a glare at Alice, and Alice shrugged.

While we leisurely chatted and ate,

“Everyone.”

A servant had approached us and spoke politely.

“The dishes are ready, may I guide you to the hall?”

At that, we got up, shaking off our bottoms.

*

The meal continued like a small banquet.

We sat at a large table and tasted the ‘Lord of the Lake’, made from dishes. Saying it like this makes it sound like we’re cannibals, which feels a bit awkward, but it seems that the name is really referring to that fish.

Maybe soon, I ought to call some biologists or such to properly name it.

“Whoa, this is really good.”

Lucas exclaimed.

It was indeed delicious.

There was zero muddy smell one would expect from freshwater fish, and the sweetness of the sauce beautifully complemented the perfectly grilled flesh. The way it flakes was definitely fishy, but the texture felt closer to meat. I have no idea how it tasted so great.

“After the meal, a light drink is prepared. Please enjoy.”

Since we are such high-profile people, or maybe that’s just the service here, I couldn’t tell, but the servants kept a close eye on us throughout the meal.

Well, even if it was just military service, it wouldn’t be surprising. There’s quite a big wall between officers who are nobles and regular soldiers composed of commoners, and on the battlefield, while officers slice their steaks, common soldiers often eat hard, stale bread.

The Empire has a lot of land and plenty of food available, but… generally, the food isn’t that tasty. During missions, I tended to take care of my own meals rather than survive on rations.

Once we finished eating in this relaxed manner, music played from a gramophone in the dining room.

Of course, the sound quality was notably inferior to that of a live performance; however, it felt a bit awkward to call musicians to play in such a place. Personally, I found the crackling sound of the music somewhat charming.

By the way, the LP I knew seemed a bit different; it looked like each plate had only one song, about five minutes long, on it.

So, someone was standing beside the records, swapping each song out as it ended.

…Well, at least they didn’t seem to mind.

“…Nice.”

Bella said.

We were holding our drinks. I, Claire, and Alice were sipping mineral water with fruit juice, while Bella had real champagne.

She wasn’t drunk per se, but her face was slightly flushed. Maybe she was feeling a bit tipsy?

Given how many drinks she’d already had, I guess that was understandable.

“Why? Are you uncomfortable with someone my age being mixed in among you?”

Seeing her whining like that suggested she indeed might be a little tipsy.

I turned my gaze to Lucas and Jayden, who were making faces like they didn’t want to be here while arm-wrestling with Damien as if judging him.

Did it have to come to this?

“There are no other women here besides us.”

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why I’m here. Hah.”

Bella sighed dramatically as she turned her gaze, suddenly locking eyes with the Emperor.

“…”

Seeing that, Alice, Claire, and I quickly exchanged our glances.

We had to be ready to intervene if anything happened.

Bella poked my shoulder.

She was giggling like she had thought of something amusing.

“Hey, is that charming gentleman over there someone you know?”

“…”

I looked up at Bella with a slightly bewildered expression.

I was trying to gauge whether she was genuinely drunk or just joking around, but it was starting to seem like the latter. My heart raced a bit as I glanced at Alice and Claire before responding to Bella.

“Shall I introduce you?”

“Oh my, would you?”

Bella smiled brightly.

I nodded and led Bella to the Emperor.

The Emperor stood by the window, quietly gazing outside while holding a cup.

As I approached, confirming that Bella was following me, he turned his gaze back to me.

There was a hint of questioning in his eyes.

Did he think that our relationship had completely come apart?

I debated how to approach things and then greeted him politely, just like I was taught in the royal court.

The Emperor appeared to ponder how to handle the situation momentarily, but then he politely returned the courtly etiquette greeting.

“What brings such a beautiful lady here?”

“Well…”

I glanced subtly at Bella and then back to the Emperor.

“…This lady here wishes to greet you, sir.”

At my words, Bella stepped forward and curtsied elegantly. Despite wearing form-fitting pants, her movement resembled that of someone who had been trained in grace.

“I am Bella Fanggriffon. Fortuitously, I have inherited the noble lineage of this Empire.”

Although it sounded quite sarcastic, the Emperor didn’t flinch or scowl.

“Is that so? It’s an honor that a distinguished individual would speak with me.”

As if they were total strangers from the very beginning, those two began conversing.

It was hard to tell whether they were trying to rekindle their relationship or if Bella was merely being sarcastic. From what Bella said, it seemed closer to sarcasm, but…

As a brief silence fell, music from the record player filled the air.

“Charming gentleman, would you care to share a dance with me?”

Bella said while extending her hand. She lifted her hands up, inviting him to dance like a lady requesting a dance.

It was almost as if she were trying to reenact something she hadn’t enjoyed in her childhood.

“…”

The Emperor glanced down at her hand, then slowly moved his hand to grasp it as if to support her.

“…It’s an honor.”

Chapter 487

“What’s up with them?”

Lucas, who had approached without me noticing, asked me.

I guessed that ‘them’ included the Emperor.

“Yeah, I don’t really know either.”

I said while watching the two dancing at a distance.

When it comes to couples dancing at a ball, they usually fall into three categories.

First, there’s the little girl dancing with her father.

Typically, the father looks at his daughter with a honey-dripping smile, and the daughter seems to be having the time of her life. Naturally, this scenario often involves a very young daughter, and those around them watch with warm affection.

But those two were indeed father and daughter, yet there was no such atmosphere.

Since Bella was older than me, there was absolutely no way she looked like a ‘young daughter debuting at the social scene.’ The Emperor and Bella weren’t gazing at each other with joy either.

The second category is lovers.

In this case, it didn’t fit at all. Pass.

Lastly, there’s the common social dance. As the name implies, it’s a dance meant to build camaraderie without any particular feelings involved.

In this case, the two people could be close friends, or on the flip side, could be from two rival families.

Uh… they definitely leaned toward the latter in this case. Although they weren’t from different families, Bella’s glare at the Emperor was icy.

The surrounding people were watching Bella and the Emperor dance with bated breath filled with tension.

“……”

We were discreetly watching the two with growing concern.

If we had to pick the person most likely to harbor ill feelings toward the Emperor, we would unanimously point to Bella.

Lucas and Jayden might have gained the Emperor’s favor at a relatively young age, but for Bella…

There was no story exchanged between the Emperor and Bella.

They just stared at each other, locked in a gaze.

After a few minutes of spinning around, the music came to an end.

“Ha.”

Bella sighed a little and picked up her glass from the table.

Then she downed the champagne in one go.

“You dance well. Honestly, I thought your skills would be rusty.”

Had Bella danced with the Emperor before?

“You probably don’t remember.”

“……I remember.”

“Um.”

Bella received a new glass from a waiter and gulped down the drink in one go.

Then, she crossed her arms and said to the Emperor, “So, gentleman, shall we have a little private chat? Somewhere without other people.”

It was a bit of a chilling scene.

Of course, Bella probably intended it that way. She wouldn’t actually try to seduce her father.

“……Alright.”

The Emperor said after a brief hesitation.

The two walked side by side and exited the banquet hall.

“……”

Even the staff waiting to change the record stood there with their mouths hanging open, staring at the door the two had left through.

We exchanged glances and quickly followed after them.

Who knew what they might do if we left them be?

What if they ended up killing each other?

*

Finding Bella and the Emperor wasn’t that hard.

The mansion was spacious, but it was still a house. It wasn’t as vast as a department store.

I found Bella and the Emperor on the third floor.

As I crept up the stairs, I could faintly hear Bella’s voice, so I slowly moved in that direction, trying to make as little noise as possible.

The two were talking.

Actually, it was more accurate to say Bella was talking alone.

“Why did you do that?”

Bella asked very directly.

It seemed she hadn’t noticed I was nearby.

“Do you know how hard it was for me after you abandoned me?”

Her voice was wet with unshed tears, but oddly enough, it was very calm.

It felt like she was forcibly holding back.

They were on a terrace at the end of the corridor.

I pressed my back against the outer wall of the terrace to avoid being seen by them.

“……”

The Emperor remained silent.

“If your blood was flowing in me, you didn’t have to prove anything. You could have just brought me here, raised me decently, and married me off to an appropriate noble, right? Even if I wasn’t capable.”

Bella lamented.

“Why? Did you dislike the thought of children inheriting the Emperor’s blood? Did you have to grab all the power for yourself?”

Her voice was like one reading a predetermined script.

My heart raced. What if Bella decided to kill the Emperor?

The Emperor had looked strangely weak in all his actions today. When he was first captured, he had seemed ready to concoct and execute new plans immediately, but it felt like something was missing from him after spending so long alone.

“Did you know? The moment I learned about my lineage, I wanted to kill you.”

“……I understand.”

“You understand?”

Bella scoffed. This was the first time I heard genuine emotion from her voice.

“Then will you die for me? I don’t want to dirty my hands.”

At Bella’s words, I wondered if I should jump out now. I hesitated but decided to stay hidden a little longer.

“I can’t kill this feeling I have for you. Given time, I might actually try to kill you.”

“……”

“A sister, they said.”

I stiffened.

“Well, it’s not like she’s the type to call me ‘sister’ under normal circumstances, but isn’t it odd? If circumstances were different, I might have cut her throat myself, but she tried to save me. And here she is, trying to create something family-like. She’s a strange one. She was also used by you, after all.”

“……Is that so?”

For the first time, the Emperor spoke.

“Is it because of Sylvia?”

“Yeah. If you’re going to put it that way, it is. It’s ironic, isn’t it? She, who doesn’t have a drop of my blood, keeps coming to me to talk. All sorts of strange things too. Nonsense that’s completely distant from power or authority. But you know? She’s the first person to come to me like that in my life.”

Bella laughed.

“So yeah, I might feel a little regretful. If I die or if something happens to me that makes me unable to talk to her.”

“……”

Bella had been shown to sympathize a lot with Claire in the original story. Considering the weapon Claire used until her death was Bella’s sword, it likely meant they were very close.

In fact, Bella had wanted family more than anyone. Whether it was her father, mother… or her own siblings.

“I’m trying to talk to her, but you seem to be in the way.”

“……Is that so…”

“Sylvia is really nice, isn’t she? Maybe even nicer than you think? Even in this situation, she’s still trying to look out for you, right? Lucas and Jayden are both startled every time they see you. It’s possible our family’s focus shifted to Sylvia a long time ago. Maybe that’s when your plans started to slip away.”

“……”

“……I said you should die earlier, but that might be a bit difficult. You see, she can’t turn back her plans. So, to come to the conclusion I want, I’ll have to cooperate with her plans. Don’t get it twisted. That’s not me forgiving you. I’ll probably never forgive you. Well, different feelings might overshadow that, but.”

“I understand.”

The Emperor replied.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I’ve thought about it for quite a while now. I had plenty of time to think during the alchemy period.”

The Emperor slowly continued.

“The plan has fallen apart. Looking back, no matter how I constructed the plan, there were no options left. Everything was connected to you guys. If I… had been in a properly trusting relationship with you, maybe I could have executed my new plan.”

“Ha, what a conclusion befitting you.”

“Now, to say I found something precious… I wouldn’t think of saying something like that.”

The Emperor said.

Calmly. Just like Bella next to him.

“But… hearing your story, it’s definitely interesting. This plan of Sylvia’s. I…”

“Well, I don’t even need you to say it.”

Bella leaned against the terrace railing.

There was a long silence between them.

Um, I was thinking it might be time to slip out when…

“Sylvia!”

A redhead appeared from afar.

Lucas came up the stairs waving at me.

“Oh, what’s going on? You were all here—”

Bella seemed somewhat relieved that she hadn’t pierced the Emperor after all, but as she moved up, she caught sight of me hiding behind the wall and her expression stiffened.

I placed my hand on my forehead.

Seriously, if you’re going to call out, could you do it a bit quieter!

They’ve figured out I was eavesdropping all this time!

Chapter 488

“Oh my, really? Were you worried that big sister would mess things up? Our Sylvia is so sweet!”

“Not like that!”

No matter how much I wailed, Bella kept giggling and said.

“By the way, shouldn’t you call me big sister? If you keep breaking promises like this, you might not be able to make any promises from now on. Isn’t that scary? Right?”

“…That’s not true, big sister.”

As I gritted my teeth and spoke, Bella laughed and patted my head.

“Don’t worry too much. I have feelings, but I’m not foolish enough to spill them all out. If I were, I wouldn’t have survived up until now.”

However, while saying that, Bella shot a sharp glare at the Emperor.

“Thank this kid.”

“……”

The Emperor said nothing.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

Lucas, who had broken the atmosphere by loudly calling out for me, apologized.

I took a deep breath and said.

“It’s fine. It’s no big deal.”

“Really?”

Lucas, alternating his gaze between Bella and me, spoke.

“Then shall we go back? I heard there’s more food coming out. You like eating, right?”

Well, I do like it, but it’s not like you gotta point it out that much.

But still, dessert was tempting. If there’s anything I can indulge in without getting flak in this country, it’s desserts and cakes. Of course, there are things like sardine pie, but considering how it looks, it’s actually pretty good.

“Alright. You guys go ahead. I’m… going to chat with him for a bit before I go.”

“Is that so?”

Lucas glanced between me and the Emperor and shrugged.

“Then should I tell the others to go ahead?”

I nodded.

“I’ll leave you here.”

Lucas patted my shoulder and turned to leave.

No, it’s not like I’m that obsessed with food! I’m just the type who eats when there’s food around.

“……”

Well, whatever.

I took a big breath and turned around.

And faced the Emperor.

“…So, what do you think?”

“Everyone seems to be getting along better.”

“…Do you have any idea how much effort it took to get back to this point? I had to find and persuade each of those kids. It was a mess.”

I sighed deeply and stood by the terrace railing.

On the terrace beside the building, there was a view split with a wide lake on the left and a forest on the right.

The silhouette of the forest bathed in moonlight was both eerie and magnificent.

I could almost understand why they decided to put the terrace there instead of by the lake.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded and looked at the Emperor.

“So, what do you think?”

“……”

The Emperor pondered for a moment and then replied,

“It was quite enjoyable.”

“While sitting quietly without saying anything.”

Well, at least that’s good. If he had kept scraping at his insides like the old Emperor, this gathering would have turned into a disaster.

“Still, having days like this in life isn’t bad, right?”

“…I suppose so.”

The Emperor said.

“Your answer is short.”

I complained.

“Take some time and work on that attitude. Talk to the kids some more. Well, if they don’t want to, that can’t be helped.”

“Do you not blame me?”

“When have I ever cared about such things?”

As I looked back, astonished, the Emperor was just staring at me quietly.

Hmm, maybe I should answer this seriously.

But honestly, to answer seriously, there should be something to talk about.

“I did… blame you.”

I nodded.

“Why did you put us in this situation? Why did you make plans that led me to break things multiple times? Couldn’t you have made things a bit better for the kids from the start?”

But it’s all pointless resentment.

Anyway, we survived. The problems the Emperor created are far too many, and I’ll probably be handling them for a long time. I’ll have to deal with the political repercussions, and adapt to the rapidly changing times.

But, in the end, we just returned to square one.

“So, pay it all back. That grand plan of yours, let’s try to steer it in a better direction this time. There’s no point in trying to pull any tricks. After all, all your useful limbs have become independent.”

At my words, the Emperor chuckled softly.

“Just as I thought, you have the talent to be an Emperor.”

“What a terrifying thing to say.”

“I’m serious. It’s completely different from my way, but you’ve made your own side.”

It’s strange.

If it were the Emperor, he would surely add all sorts of conditions before giving a compliment.

But this time, it was different.

“The next Emperor is only Alice.”

“…Yeah.”

The Emperor said.

“Alice is a good girl. She has talent too.”

This time, there was no ‘but’ attached.

Well, what difference does it make?

It’s definitely proof that he’s changing.

“…Shall we fish again tomorrow?”

In response to my question, the Emperor simply chuckled instead of answering.

*

I had a blast throughout the holiday.

The next day, instead of grilling fish, we roasted a whole pig.

Of course, none of us had the ability to roast a whole pig evenly, so we left it all to the servants.

It was delicious. Honestly, it couldn’t be bad.

We shared various stories.

Most were about our childhoods. Questions about what Alice was like as a child, what I was like as a child, etc. I also heard about Lucas and Jayden’s childhoods, and Bella and Damien’s as well.

Still, we hadn’t yet talked about the times outside the royal family. For that kind of conversation, we would need a lot more courage to share and listen.

But that’s fine.

We still had plenty of time.

Slowly—taking our time, we could get to know each other.

In that way, we are becoming a family again.

*

“……”

Splash splash.

The sound of water broke the silence in the middle of the tranquil lake.

In such a lake, we were on a small boat, just the three of us: me, Alice, and Claire.

It was a boat that had enough space for five people, but we felt a bit awkward in our positioning.

I had my back turned to the front, Claire was looking at me, and Alice was behind her.

To have all three of us converse, Claire and Alice both had to shift slightly.

Floating in the middle of the lake felt like being in another world, even though we could clearly see people coming and going at the distant mansion.

“…So, how was it?”

I asked.

Claire and Alice turned their eyes toward me.

“Was it fun?”

“Of course, big sister.”

Claire answered first.

“I hope you’ll call me next time there’s another outing.”

“I will.”

I smiled and replied, looking at Alice’s peeking head from behind.

“It was fun.”

Alice said.

“I can’t really tell if this is normal life or if it’s these days in the Imperial Palace that are normal.”

“If I ever bring those kids back to the palace, this will become the norm.”

“……”

Alice stared silently at me and opened her mouth.

“You’ve done so much for us.”

“……”

“Really, big sister.”

Claire chimed in.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to be who I am.”

“Same for me.”

“……”

For a while, I couldn’t convey any words, and finally managed to speak.

“Even if it weren’t for me, both of you would have… been just fine.”

Even if there were trials, in the end, they would have overcome them. Claire would surely have survived again. After all, thinking about the game story.

I…

“No.”

Alice shook her head.

“Right. Maybe everything could have magically gone well. But that’s still not us.”

“……”

“Big sister, the ‘me’ who calls you ‘big sister’ exists because of you. Alice is right. Even if I grew up in a fortunate family, I wouldn’t be me today. Our times intertwined and intertwined to become who we are now.”

Yeah, that’s true.

I also…

I too, surely, if nothing had happened, would have been living as an ordinary office worker.

Because of these kids, I became ‘Sylvia Fanggriffon.’

Now, the ‘original work’ or whatever, I couldn’t care less. This isn’t just a few years of a story from a game; it’s the story of a lifetime unfolding in front of us.

We will continue to live on, facing more wounds.

And embracing each other, we will rise again.

“…Thank you.”

Since no one was watching, I spoke honestly to the two of them.

“Really, thank you for appearing in my life like this. Both of you.”

“…Who are you saying that to?”

Claire said with a shy smile, lowering her head.

Alice averted her gaze to the lakeside for no reason.

“I hope we can always be together moving forward.”

“Surely. We will definitely be able to, without a doubt.”

In response to my murmuring, Alice replied.

And I believed that answer.

The ripples of water touching the bow repeatedly flowed steadily forward, to places unseen in the distance.

Never to return again.

Continuing.

Continuing…