Roti and Jake didn’t really blend in with us until the very end, but they also didn’t attempt to forcibly drag themselves into our group.
Being a noble means you have to be aware of everything. What to ask, what not to ask, what you need to know, what’s better to remain ignorant about… and what that person might not want to talk about. This fact was known by Leo, the Baron, Charlotte, the royalty, and also by Alice, who is a Crown Princess just like me.
Those two must have something to talk about, huh? Looking at the situation, everyone seemed to think that way.
Of course, I awkwardly butted in between them.
“It really feels like it’s been so long since I played like this. It reminded me of my childhood.”
“Childhood?”
Alice asked, puzzled by Charlotte’s remark as she sat on the mat.
“Yes, back to the days when I didn’t know anything… just running around without a care for politics or international affairs.”
…But weren’t you fifteen?
When I was fifteen, I was just watching cartoons and saving up pocket money to buy figures and knick-knacks.
No, wait, thinking back, my way of life hasn’t changed much since I became an adult. I never really had that so-called “graduation.”
“The days when you didn’t know anything…”
But it’s nonsensical to think that the musings of an ordinary person in my world would be the same as someone destined to ascend the throne in this world.
Take Alice, who’s sitting between me and Charlotte. Alice… well, she never had the ‘didn’t know anything’ days like Charlotte did.
I can’t even imagine the Emperor playing with kids.
No, even the image of the Emperor leisurely sitting down and enjoying some hobby doesn’t come to mind.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. An Emperor who wouldn’t lack at all in terms of state affairs, and thus, the act of maintaining that power and trying to climb up the ranks can be considered a hobby in itself.
“Did you never have those days, Alice?”
“Me? I…”
Alice couldn’t respond properly to Charlotte’s question.
The sharp-tongued Princess who had never had a chance to play freely, thus doesn’t even know how to have fun.
That was the original Alice.
When Alice failed to answer, Charlotte’s gaze turned towards me. Her eyes, slightly downcast, held a question in them.
Alice and I had a good relationship. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say we were quite close. I could easily imagine Alice risking her life for me if I found myself in danger.
Whether I wanted that or not was another story.
“…Sylvia has always followed my father’s orders before she matured. If she lived a harsher life than I did, she likely hasn’t had many moments of peace.”
“…”
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open slightly as she heard this.
“Oh, I see…”
See what?
Whatever Charlotte had in mind, it was likely that the story she thought of was why I appeared to be pitiful.
Could it be that she realized I finish all the whipped cream every time I eat parfait without leaving even a little behind?
The atmosphere became awkward for no reason.
“This winter,”
Charlotte finally spoke after a moment of silence.
“I’ll definitely invite you to Velbur. Forget all the worries filling your head and just have fun, alright?”
“…Really?”
Alice’s expression brightened a bit at Charlotte’s words.
…However, I knew that invitation would ultimately not materialize. According to the original story, war started that winter.
*
Before the sun completely set, we hurriedly changed our clothes. It was a hot place during the day, but the temperature dropped significantly at night, and wearing swimsuits after sundown would be a perfect way to catch a cold.
No matter how detailed the character modeling and hidden settings were in the original story, there are always aspects that can’t be shown.
You can decide on likes and dislikes concerning food. Character’s measurements or underwear size can be set.
But you can’t craft every little quirk a character may have.
It’s fundamentally tied to the capabilities of the famous company, known for recycling models and motions; it would be difficult to include such intricate motions for individual characters, and if added, it would likely provide crucial hints to the game’s narrative rather than just being ‘small quirks.’
This was the biggest revelation I had since coming to this world.
The way meat is cooled down after being cooked hot, the way one holds a fork and knife, movements of the hands while talking, or walking.
Those subtle differences that feel so different from the ‘original’ made me feel that all the characters here were alive.
No, it’s correct to say they are alive.
They all breathe, laugh when happy, cry when sad, and yell when angry. They’re not just reciting pre-defined lines, but speaking what they think or showing it through actions in accordance to the situation.
That’s why I want to keep them all alive.
But at the same time, I also found myself wondering if I could really accomplish it.
“Sylvia.”
When Alice called my name, I turned my head and bit down on the sausage in my mouth.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
If you’re expecting a response, it’s probably better not to stuff a sausage in your mouth at that moment, right?
I chewed and swallowed the juicy, smoky sausage before answering.
“I was thinking about the things that are yet to come.”
“…”
Alice stared at me silently for a while.
“Do you know what’s going to happen next?”
I didn’t bother answering.
Seeing my silence, Alice sat next to me and asked,
“Is it something really terrible that’s going to happen?”
Well, who knows?
I used to think I knew, but… actually, I don’t really know.
In the original story, battles were depicted as people collapsing after swords and bullets exchanged, but in this world, it was different.
Bodies could be blown apart by shells, or guts could spill out from sword cuts… Certainly, in the original, such expressions were omitted for various reasons.
I’ve already witnessed the battlefield. I’ve seen people fall from my shots and get shredded by grenades I threw.
If one of my friends were to die like that, could I endure it?
“I have to prevent such things from happening.”
“…”
At my words, Alice looked at me again.
Her blue eyes were quietly gazing at me as Alice opened her mouth.
“Don’t try to bear everything on your own.”
Alice said so.
“There are so many people around you.”
That’s true.
There are so many that I don’t even know how to protect them all.
“…I understand.”
But since I couldn’t say such things to Alice, I merely responded that way.
Alice’s gaze lingered on me for a while after that.
*
After that, everything went smoothly.
We completed our quota by taking a few more requests.
Even though all the first-year students had gathered, the atmosphere was generally relaxed. Most requests from this side were related to hunting wild animals, so there was no need to jump in competitively. Jake appeared dissatisfied with hunting, which was also a reason we didn’t engage in it.
Above all, there wasn’t much hidden here. There were a few concealment quests, but most were just for securing Marmaros, and only one had a significant impact on the main story.
“Well, I’m glad we could take it easy before we go. Sometimes… spending a vacation like this isn’t too bad.”
“You’ve made a good call.”
I replied.
“If you never rest and only work, you’re bound to break down.”
“…Is that what you’re supposed to say?”
I was resting comfortably.
Of course, when time rewinds, physical fatigue comes back. Still, thanks to that sense of ‘I can do even better,’ my mind felt relaxed.
“Since it’s the last day, we should just take it easy and go back.”
“Even without you saying so, that’s what I intended.”
Alice said playfully, adding a comment.
Well, there was still one thing I had to do.
*
One of the differences between the game and reality is that I need permission to enter somewhere.
In the game, I could just walk into a house and speak to the people inside without any issue. Though it was ‘game permission,’ strangely enough, sometimes quests would progress just from meeting people that way, making it hard to label it simply as ‘game permission.’
What this means is, even if I’m a Crown Princess, I need to be invited by the Duke to go back into the Duke’s residence. It wouldn’t be proper to invade the Duke’s personal space without his invitation.
However, fortunately, I had the ability to sneak into that mansion.
“…”
Alright.
After getting caught by the guard five times, I finally made it inside; I’ve certainly improved.
Now then, let’s go handle that important concealment quest.
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