Ding ding!
Actually, the NPC marathon isn’t just limited to the Chronicles of Aetherna.
Boom!
In both the East and the West, most RPGs put the focus on ‘role-playing’—the most important part! It’s a game where you enjoy moving the character you’re immersed in, becoming one of the cast. If you think about it, dialoguing with various characters might actually be more important than the character’s battle power!
Wah wah!
Well-made Western RPGs often allow you to finish the story without fighting, relying on persuasion skills instead. So if we’re talking about the importance of ‘conversation’ content, some could argue that Western RPGs take the cake over the clearly linear story of the Chronicles of Aetherna. But somehow, I don’t think I ran any marathons while playing those Western RPGs.
Hmmm…
Is it because I’m an otaku who immersed myself more in JRPGs with cute girl and boy characters? Or maybe it’s that in open-world or expansive Western RPGs, I just didn’t have the nerve to explore every nook and cranny?
Shrug!
Thinking about it now doesn’t mean much. To truly get ‘video games’ in this world, we’d have to wait at least half a century. And if we’re talking about video games as I know them, it could be a century or more, and considering the ‘computers’ in this world, they might never show up at all.
Whoa!
That said, directly making board games or TRPG rules to suggest to friends feels a bit… off.
Gasp!
These thoughts arise mainly because I’ve seen devices similar to games in this world a few times recently. Plus, in the original, having conversations with all the main characters before the final battle was somewhat of a tradition. Even as the world changes and new series emerge, that hasn’t changed.
Knock knock!
What I’m doing now is very much in line with that.
Tap tap!
I knocked on the big door I arrived at after walking down a long corridor.
“Mia, are you inside?”
The door was thick, but it seemed my voice reached her. She must have been alone inside.
Creek!
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Mia’s face.
As always, her bangs were slightly covering her eyes. Initially, I thought her hairstyle looked a bit gloomy, but now it seemed somewhat cute. Maybe she just looked youthful?
Hmm…
The way a hairstyle can change its image based on how the person is reacting is fascinating. In reality, having that hairstyle would take a lot of courage.
In the original, since the art was based on 2D illustrations turned into 3D models, no one dared to complain about “messy hair” because it’s easily excusable. But in real life, it looked like a perfectly cut fringe styled smoothly with flowing hair—there’s no way to claim it was unkempt!
Ding ding!
I pondered if I should suggest she switch to a different style later on.
That thought only crossed my mind because I could no longer feel Mia’s ‘gloomy image.’
“Ah, hello…”
Eep!
Her voice was filled with tension.
It was understandable she was nervous since I came to discuss what’s ahead.
After all, Crowfield isn’t exactly known as a positive name in the Kingdom. Plus, Mia was one of the individuals who went underground to Lutetia and now found herself involved in a ‘delicate’ issue for the Kingdom, so it was surprising she wasn’t nervous.
Thus, I came looking for her. If we didn’t have at least a little conversation, who knew when things might fall apart?
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“Uh, of course. Please.”
Mia timidly gestured for me to enter.
Even though Mia was silent, this wasn’t her room. It was a room that the Kingdom provided for us to stay in temporarily.
Lutetia Palace isn’t a hotel. There are guest rooms available, but they aren’t clustered like in a hotel. When foreign ambassadors come, they have a separate building to stay in, and it seemed like the other students were mostly there, while those who entered and exited Lutetia’s underground were scattered throughout the palace.
Step step!
That said, they didn’t stop me from entering—maybe it was merely Charlotte’s room.
Though I figured the maid silently standing next to the door was probably not just any maid.
Shh!
Just like the room where Alice stayed, there weren’t any watchers here. Well, even if they were present, I wouldn’t pay much attention.
Mia and I each took a chair next to the table in the room.
“Let me get straight to the point.”
I looked Mia in the eye and spoke.
“If we’re heading toward the Papal State this time, would you come with us?”
“……”
Mia hesitated for a moment, then glanced up at me and nodded.
“Yes, I’ll come too.”
“Just by following me, it won’t give you any political advantage. If anything, it might leave a bad impression on the Kingdom or the Emperor.”
Door slam!
In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that she’s already being watched from this point. From Crowfield’s perspective, it would create numerous uncomfortable and annoying situations. The Kingdom isn’t going to just storm in and retake Crowfield, but since Crowfield has trade routes with the Kingdom, those past feelings can’t simply be brushed aside.
“B-but, I want to go!”
Mia responded to me like that.
“You want to go?”
“Yes.”
So, she’s prioritizing her emotions over practical gains.
“Can I ask why?”
Is it because of me?
In the original, Mia is one of the heroines you can pursue. She knew her father was killed by the Emperor, so naturally, she and Alice have a strained relationship that leads Leo to be caught between them.
Ultimately, it was thanks to Leo that Alice and Mia reconciled.
It’s expected that both characters would end up entangled with Leo!
But in this world…… due to me, those events went out the window. By the beginning of the original, Alice had already gone through significant character development, and Mia had more concrete targets for revenge than Alice.
Resolving the issues naturally fell on me.
It’s more appropriate to say that things turned out that way by chance rather than me intentionally solving it.
But if Mia thinks of me as a ‘real friend’ through that process, I couldn’t be happier!
Most of the original characters, except for a few, were all beloved to me. I had already run through multiple game cycles, linking Mia and Leo together, so it’s hard not to feel a bond.
“That’s…”
But after a moment of thought, Mia said,
“I want to see the end of this story.”
GASP!
That was a response far more grandiose than I had imagined!
“The end of the story?”
I could only respond like that.
“Umm…”
Mia seemed to be considering how to convey this story before opening her mouth.
“U-um, it’s a bit awkward to bring up now, but… I tried to kill Sylvia, right?”
“Correct.”
I don’t know exactly when her murderous intent vanished, but at some point, Mia stopped showing open hostility towards me.
I believe that happened after I barged into her room and left. Since I could kill her whenever, Mia probably kept a wary eye on me. Of course, after everything we went through afterward, the very thought of killing her must have completely vanished.
Yikes!
“Actually… even after learning the truth, I thought about that a few more times.”
GASP!
But what Mia said was far more shocking than I expected.
“Uh, no! Of course, I didn’t really think of killing her! It was more like… I was just thinking about how to defeat Sylvia!”
Ding ding!
Wait, saying it’s winning versus killing gives off a different nuance, doesn’t it?
I’ve also pondered if I should kill the Emperor if needed, but…
Choosing targets is a huge difference from being chosen as a target by someone else.
“Honestly, I just can’t understand how someone who barely uses magic can fight like that.”
It seemed Mia preferred to quickly explain and move past this.
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