Chapter 7

I’ve recently come to feel that having the ability to turn back time is an absurdly overpowered cheat skill.

Ah, of course, anyone hearing this might think I’m just being ridiculous—after all, the very idea of a power that can make all my mistakes vanish is undeniably suspicious, right?

What I really mean to say is that the range of applications for this ability is simply insane.

First of all, anyone who has this power can correct their mistakes, just like you’d expect.

For example,

“Eek!”

“Uh…?”

…like when my ‘step-brother’ suddenly tried to slice me in half with his sword.

In the original story, Claire becomes one of the emperor’s children. It means she ends up being one of the evil executives wielding a ‘whip-like sword’ favored by the emperor.

And even though it’s called a whip-like sword, it doesn’t mean the blade is flexible like a whip. It’s more like a strange sword with parts of the blade that look like cut-out utility knife blades connected by some robust string, allowing it to extend and be swung around like a whip when needed.

Such a sword does not exist in reality, but for some reason, it frequently appears in subculture.

Moreover, she dressed in a wildly sadistic outfit, had a loud voice, and an arrogant attitude. Although she claimed that’s not her true self but rather the result of giving up on everything, her unique dead-eyed gaze combined with her decadently twisted aura managed to make her a surprisingly popular character.

She also occasionally showed up as a guest character in the protagonist’s party and had a relationship gauge, allowing players to increase their affection and witness specific events; however, she was ultimately a character that dies in the storyline.

Well, popular characters often manage to resurrect for all sorts of reasons, given how the developers operate, so she could potentially come back in a sequel. But in the latest one I played, she’s dead…

Of course, that’s not the case now.

Claire is safely at the orphanage run by Baron Grace’s estate. I don’t know how the original story will unfold, but at least in this world, Claire doesn’t have to suffer a terrible agony that would be preferable to dying. Plus, she doesn’t have to become one of the evil executives. There’s no need for that.

…The problem is, I took over that ‘evil executive’ position.

My impression of this place has changed a lot since the first time I came here. I made an effort to change it. I figured that it’s safer to stick around here than to be cast aside by the emperor. I always made sure to keep myself well-groomed and maintained a respectful attitude toward those above me. I even cut my long hair—which is annoying to manage—short and kept it neat at all times.

But, seeing the current situation, I wonder if it was even necessary to try that hard.

Right here is the very representation of someone who lives carelessly yet isn’t cast away by the emperor.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I heard my ‘step-brother’ ask.

“…”

My body isn’t completely split in half. The strike wasn’t heartfelt, after all.

However, it was still a deadly blow, enough to cause pain before the agony fully hit me. It seems my brain is flooding my body with endorphins to prevent shock.

But based on my experience, this state doesn’t last long. After a bit of time, extreme pain will hit me, and I’ll probably be screaming.

And if that happens, not only will my life be at stake, but my ‘value’ in the emperor’s eyes will plummet into the ground.

That would be troublesome.

“Hey, wait a sec, there’s blood…”

Isn’t that just insane?

I glared at my step-brother as those thoughts ran through my head.

Again.

*

Anyway.

If I turn back time like this, I can dodge the swords aimed at me.

In fact, it’s even possible to dodge without looking.

Ah, of course, the faster the opponent’s sword, the more challenging it becomes to evade, meaning I’ll make more ‘mistakes’ and, naturally, try again more often. But who cares, right? I can turn back time as many times as I need to.

Not only can I dodge, but I can also retry until I achieve the dodge position I want. Whether it’s a frantic roll on the floor or effortlessly sidestepping with a stylish maneuver, it all depends on how many times I attempt it.

…And over the past seven years, since I went from ‘Sylvia Black’ to ‘Sylvia Fanggriffon’, I’ve dodged this step-brother’s sword attacks multiple times a day. Even if my reflexes don’t improve, having to evade the attacks of one of the world’s strongest swordsmen dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day will inevitably sharpen my instincts.

Now, I can dodge these half-hearted strikes with just a step’s distance.

No, seriously, is it appropriate for a twelve-year-old to be swinging swords around?

I appreciate that this guy brought me here, but he’s clearly not sane.

It was the same in the game. The reason I’m under the emperor is to challenge more of those monsters, after all.

Swish!

As I pulled back to avoid the sword flying from behind, I heard him whistle.

I quickly turned around, pulling out the pistol from the holster under my left armpit.

After becoming the emperor’s daughter, I was troubled for quite a while.

I had the ability to turn back time, but my physical abilities weren’t remarkable at all.

I was just like any other kid my age.

Competing against other monsters beneath the emperor, I felt painfully inadequate.

Of course, others would see me as a freak with insane reflexes, acute hearing, and senses surpassing those of a human. I could dodge every incoming sword strike or sense an assassin’s presence the moment they entered the room, or even recognize who’s lurking outside.

Naturally, I was acting based on foreknowledge, but to others, it looked like I was just picking up on things using my senses.

You could say it’s like a real-life TAS.

But still, the emperor certainly wouldn’t be satisfied with just this ability. Being someone who dreams of world domination, he would want a fighting skill that guarantees victory against others.

So, what I chose was a ‘gun.’

The developers mentioned that the setting of the game is inspired by the Industrial Revolution.

But perhaps because they thought drawing directly from actual history would be boring, they made various adjustments compared to the real Industrial Revolution period.

True to its period setting, the designs and general level of technology are depicted as similar to the mid-19th century. However, since it’s a fantasy steam-punk genre, it’s way over the top technologically. Mass production of various items, new manufacturing methods that would have been quite rudimentary in the original world, are quite commonplace here. There’s even a semblance of computers, and in some respects, the 21st century modern society comes to mind—especially in terms of school uniforms.

As usual, some of the technological capabilities in this world are close to those of the late 19th to early 20th century. The guns appear similar to personal firearms commonly associated with the 1st and 2nd World Wars, complete with metallic cartridges. Although some aspects of technology might still lag behind Earth’s equivalent period, considering it wasn’t the case in the original story, it’s likely to catch up in a few years.

Even so, despite the generalization of mass production and the implementation of pressing techniques, revolvers are more popular than automatic pistols, while bolt-action rifles and submachine guns are favored over semi-automatic rifles. This is probably because designs, in general, haven’t fully stabilized yet, making basic firearms significantly more reliable than complicated ones.

The revolver I carry around is military-grade. It’s a break-action revolver that fully tilts forward to eject cartridges at once, allowing me to swap out the entire magazine of six rounds at once. It’s sized for an adult male’s hand and definitely isn’t suitable for my underdeveloped twelve-year-old grip.

Naturally, I dropped it several times at first. Thankfully, I always had the opportunity to turn back time.

Through numerous attempts, I found the most optimal stance for drawing the gun.

Turning back time means that all my previous strength training and running efforts essentially reset. My condition returns to what it was, fitting that time frame.

However, the muscle memory remains.

I could practice drawing my gun thousands, if not millions, of times. If I tire out, I just turn back time until I feel comfortable again.

The same goes for shooting practice. As long as I have a single bullet in my gun, I can practice shooting at anything, a revolver or nearly any bolt-action rifle I fancy.

Plus, if I stray off target, I can keep practicing until I hit my mark. If necessary, I could shoot a bullet into the same spot again, leaving only a single hole. As long as I keep turning back time until that happens, it’s a done deal.

I can confidently say that no soldier in the empire has practiced shooting as much as I have.

Bang!

I felt a strong recoil from the revolver in my hand—

“…Huh?”

“…Ah.”

You know, if a person practices hitting the bullseye continuously, eventually, it becomes awkward for them to shoot off-target.

…There’s a bullet-sized hole right in the middle of my step-brother’s forehead.

Uh, um…

Again.

*

There’s a god named Baldr from Norse mythology.

He’s a deity who doesn’t get hurt regardless of what weapon strikes him, so the other gods used to throw all sorts of things at him out of pure fun.

…For reference, they didn’t torment him, they just played around with him in that way since he couldn’t get hurt.

My step-siblings looked at me just like that.

Whenever they suddenly swing swords or shoot arrows, I evade before they even know it, making it feel like I’m just joking around.

Of course, the only one who acts like a madman all the time is the one who just got shot by me not long ago.

Well.

Since I turned back time before being killed, that earlier incident can’t really be counted as me killing someone, right?

Bang!

With the sound of the gun, his movements stopped.

If I had managed to evade the first strike, I should’ve just ended it, but apparently, the madman was ready for a follow-up.

The ends of his red hair were slightly burned, precisely at the side of his temple. That’s where the bullet passed by.

I didn’t aim to hit that spot specifically, but it seems like it worked as a proper warning, so I’ll take that as a win.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, sister.”

He displayed a deceptive air of concern, raising his hands to show he meant no harm to me.

“…Do you swing a deadly sword at your dear sister like that?”

“No, I knew you’d dodge it no matter how many times I swung. I was sure you’d get away with this much.”

As he spoke, he casually sheathed his sword with a theatrical flourish.

You didn’t dodge it, you madman.

Even if I explained it, you wouldn’t believe me.

“What if I hadn’t dodged?”

I asked, and he frowned slightly and pondered for a moment before saying,

“Huh? But you dodged, didn’t you?”

Exactly.

This guy seems to lack the brains comparable to his swordsmanship. Well, it makes sense since he let his guard down and got shot by me earlier.

No matter how amazing my skills may be, they don’t compare to that swordsman’s talent. Of course, no one thinks of that since I keep spinning time to create optimal outcomes.

I had to maintain a minimal level of fitness to dodge the blinding strikes from this guy every day, just to avoid being shot from a distance. Damn it.

And there are still three years until the main story starts. The game’s setting is that they send out the most talented twelve-year-olds to the academy, meaning this guy still has room to grow a bit. Mostly in terms of brains.

After all, he’s not a complete fool; he wouldn’t let his guard down and get shot in the original narrative either.

Despite being barely twelve years old, this is so frustrating.

“Whoa, whoa, Sylvia.”

He seemed to think it was cute how I glared at him, showing off his palms in a pacifying gesture.

“Calm down. I’m your big bro. Would I seriously hurt my dear sister?”

You did hurt me.

But to be fair, if it hadn’t been for you being serious, I wouldn’t have split in half.

And at this moment, it’s also true that I’m not hurt.

“…Lucas.”

“Hey, sis, what’s with being so aloof? Call me ‘big bro’~ Okay? Honestly, you’ve known me longer than Father.”

It’s only been a few hours apart.

The emperor had been watching that orphanage from the very start.

Surely, he wasn’t trying to find capable kids like Claire or me beforehand. Rather, he was probably gathering intel on the nobles connected with the orphanage and looking for weaknesses to exploit.

And the one assigned to spy on the orphanage was this ‘Lucas Fanggriffon.’

After the orphanage caught fire, he witnessed me manage to escape with the children without a hitch and deemed me ‘talented.’ He then kidnapped me and brought me directly in front of the emperor.

And then he swung a sword at me. The insane man.

At a five-year-old no less.

In the end, I barely managed to evade after numerous tries.

I’m in a Millennium game, not some mediocre software game.

But hey, thanks to this, I caught the emperor’s eye, and now my name is Sylvia Fanggriffon.

“…………Lucas. If you do that again, I won’t dodge the next strike and will report my injury to his Majesty the Emperor.”

“Oy, is that so? Did our little Sylvia get upset? Should we tell Daddy?”

“…”

Should I kill him?

Should I just go ahead and kill him?

I seriously pondered while fiddling with the gun in my hand.

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