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.
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