Table of Contents

Color Gallery

Table of Contents Page

Title Page

Copyrights and Credits

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Evil Lord Weiss

Chapter 2: The Evil Bloody Mistress Aigis

Chapter 3: The Cruel False Saint Astesia

Extra Episode: Weiss’s Birthday Party

Afterword

Newsletter

Color Gallery

Prologue

Prologue

“LORD WEISS? LORD WEISS, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?! Please, you must wake up! If you die, I’d…”

“Jeez, I can’t believe he got himself stabbed by one of his subjects. I guess it’s his fault this place is so unsafe, though. After raising the taxes so high, he got what was coming to him…”

I could hear two women speaking. One of them was clearly worried, while the other seemed to believe that whoever she was talking about got what he deserved. Hell, from what I was hearing, this guy was an awful lord.

The bigger problem was whether I was in Japan. Who the heck was Weiss? Sounded like a foreign name to me. And what was all of this about a lord? It all reminded me a lot of this one video game…

“Meg! Can you not see that your master is suffering from his wounds? How could you say something like that? I will watch over him, so you hurry and get more painkiller potions and bandages, please.”

“I swear, you’re too nice for your own good, being his personal maid even after he beat you. Ugh.”

“Enough chatting! Fetch me what I asked for, on the double!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll never understand what you see in this guy…”

The sound of a door opening marked that this person had left the room. But none of that particularly mattered at the moment. Meg? Rosalia? Weiss? Surprised by the familiar names I was hearing, I tried to move my body, only to be overcome by sharp pain in my abdomen.

OOOOW! What the hell?!

According to the two girls’ conversation, their lord was stabbed…and my abdomen was in pain…plus there was the name Weiss.

In the end, I was led to a single conclusion.

“Hell yeah! I’ve been reincarnated!” My eyes shot open as I sat up. “Someone get me a mirror!”

When I lurched upward, I smacked my forehead against the girl with pale-blue hair who was keeping watch over me. The clunking of our heads caused another sharp pain to run through mine.

She shrieked, while I shouted.

“Grah! My head’s gonna explode!”

“Lord Weiss, a-are you all right? I have a mirror if you require one,” the maid—Rosalia—said, holding her head as she brought me a mirror.

From both her words and her actions earlier, it was clear that this girl was tremendously loyal. Realizing that, I was nearly overcome with emotion just thinking about how she ended up in-game, but I did my best to fight off those feelings for now.

“Ah, thank you, Rosalia.”

“Huh?”

I expressed my gratitude and took the mirror out of her hands, causing her to freeze up in astonishment.

What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?

“Did Lord Weiss say thank you…?”

I had forgotten that during this time of his life, Weiss was, let’s say, difficult. The fact that Rosalia acted like this after receiving a thank-you said everything it needed to.

I examined myself in the mirror and quickly confirmed that my earlier conclusion was the correct one. I had short, refined black hair and a face that should have been quite handsome but instead had sickly, sunken cheeks. Compared to the character as he was in the game proper, he was much younger, but he was nonetheless the same Weiss that I knew.

If this is the same world as the game, then I should be able to do this…

I snapped my fingers and spoke the words aloud.

“Open Status.”

Weiss Hamilton

Occupation: Lord

Alias: Incompetent Corrupt Lord

Populace Loyalty: 10

Strength: 40 (38)

Magic Power: 40

Craft: 20

Skills:

Dark Magic Lv 1

Sword Skills Lv 1

Negative Status Effects:

Light Alcoholism: Focus goes down if alcohol is not regularly consumed. Decreases magic strength.

Malnutrition: As a result of eating poorly and drinking too much, your health has worsened. Two points are deducted from overall strength.

Otherworldly Being: As a visitor from another world, you are unfamiliar with the customs unique to this place. Decreases ability to understand things like magic.

Unique Skills:

Blind Belief in Your Fave (Leap of Faith): Effects Unknown

Argh, nothing but bad status effects. I mean, since Weiss is technically a villain character, it makes sense his stats are mostly over 30 and above the main character’s starting stats, but this is still pretty awful.

Just to clarify, “strength” in this situation referred to close-range combat strength, while “magic power” had an effect on the power of a magic spell, and “craft” had an effect on acquiring skills and raising their success rate.

Either way, now I was certain.

This was the very same world as, or at least based on the one in, the strategy role-playing game, or SRPG, Valhalla Tactics. Weiss, the person I was inhabiting, was the villain of the first arc of the game.

The protagonist would defeat him and save the subjects who were suffering under his tyrannical rule, and that would lead the hero down his own path to greatness. In other words, Weiss was just a stepping stone within the bigger narrative.

Upon defeating Weiss, the citizens of the land would shed tears and express their gratitude to the protagonist before swearing loyalty to him. On the other hand, Weiss would manage to flee from the hero’s party, but in the end, he would be found and lynched by his own subjects. A sad, pathetic end for the man.

I didn’t know why I’d reincarnated into Weiss, a man who was on the fast track to a spectacular death, but if there was a God, I would say…

“Thank you for reincarnating me as my fave!”

If I didn’t start making moves, I was going to be lynched in a few years, but none of that really mattered. After all, I was never going to allow that to happen! I could feel my heart lit aflame; I was finally being given the chance to save my fave.

I’d read so many fanworks where he was saved! Thought about what I personally would do to save him! I went out of my way to buy all of the production materials, which gave me insight into how he ended up the way he did. As it happened, we shared similar ­circumstances, and the more I looked into him, the more I fell in love with his character. I kept thinking about how if he had been within reach, I could have saved him.

“Heh heh heh! Ha ha ha ha!” I was so thrilled that I forgot about the pain in my abdomen. Instead, I sniffed myself, looked in the mirror, and only grew more excited. “This is what Weiss smells like! This is his face! I am a Gund—I mean, Weiss!”

Now this is what a true nobleman looks like! He may be unhealthy, but he’s still a hunk!

I then proceeded to take Rosalia’s hand while she looked on with a stiff smile.

“Rosalia, I am so sorry for all the hardship I put you through. Let us save Weiss together!”

I flashed her a joyful smile, only to have her cry out with what seemed like disgust.

Crap, right. I’m Weiss right now. Of course she’d be weirded out after watching me snap my fingers, say “Open Status,” start cackling, and say all sorts of weird stuff.

“Help, someone! Lord Weiss is acting strange! Well, he was always strange, but still!”

“Isn’t that kind of cruel?! Just, hold on a second and listen to meeee—urgh!”

I tried to stop Rosalia before she could leave the room, but the agony in my abdomen set in again, and all I could do was squirm on the bed. Through the pain, I thought I heard someone say something to me.

“What do you think you can do? Anybody in my shitty position would…”

But before I could think about it any further, everything went black.

Chapter 1: The Evil Lord Weiss

Chapter 1:
The Evil Lord Weiss

“MAN, IS THERE REALLY NO ROUTE WHERE I can save Weiss?”

I sat in front of my computer, gripping my head in my hands. I had hopes for the latest update, but much to my chagrin, the feature I desired the most was nowhere to be found.

At the moment, I was super into this SRPG called Valhalla Tactics. In the game, the protagonist, guided by the hand of God, saved the empire from the control of an evil deity. It was a classic premise for a fantasy RPG, but its distinctive characters were popular with fans.

The cast of antagonists was particularly big among players: Two girls called Evil Bloody Mistress Aigis and Cruel False Saint Astesia were among them and even more popular than the main heroine herself.

The game also included things like a loyalty system for the citizens, which determined whether they listened to orders or revolted. That being said, you couldn’t just raise the number and expect everything to go perfectly; there were some characters you couldn’t recruit if the loyalty number was too high, so it had great replay value. Online, it was often called a “Rinse-and-Repeat SRPG.”

Personally, I was a huge fan of Weiss, the first villain our hero had to defeat.

“I get it, he’s the type of character that gets his ass handed to him at the start and never even had a chance, but there’s more to him than that…”

He was the older brother of the genius mage girl who was one of the heroines in the hero’s party, and after being compared to his more competent little sister all of his life, he developed an inferiority complex and lost his way. In that sense, he was a deeply sad character. The game itself never went into this backstory particularly deeply, so on the internet, people often said he was little more than a “rotten, stepping-stone hottie of a nobleman.”

But I understood. I, too, had a talented little sister, and I knew how painful it could be to be compared to your sibling like that. I couldn’t help but see myself in him, especially when I was at my lowest. Since realizing how similar we were, I started reading old comics and fanfics where he was saved. If I had the chance, I could’ve saved him! I spent so many hours letting my imagination race.

I was certain that plenty of other folks thought this way about their favorite characters who died tragically. Weiss was that for me. I just really enjoyed bad guys like him. For example, in that one game where you could summon a cute King Arthur, my favorite character was Mr. Seaweed. In The Witch from Mercury, my favorite character was Guel.

“I just know I could make you happy.”

“Then, would you like to try and save him for real?”

“Huh?”

Glancing around, I concluded I must be imagining things. I was the only one in my room. It was probably because I’d been gaming so hard. All of a sudden, I was exhausted.

Upon lying down, however, I heard the voice in my head again.

“All right, then I’ll give you a particularly fascinating skill. Whether or not you’ll use it properly is entirely up to you, but it could prove quite useful. I do hope that you make the game board a fun one.”

Then, my consciousness faded into the darkness.

***

Which brought me to now, where I had somehow awoken as Weiss himself and was sitting in an office.

Thanks to the potions Meg brought back with her, my wounds were healed, but I was still in bad shape. My negative status effects were a huge problem, as was the extremely low loyalty score with my populace. To be clear, one hundred was the max score one could have for loyalty, and mine was at a ten. If it dropped to zero, my subjects would revolt, leading to an instant game over.

In other words, if I slipped up at all, I was doomed. I could understand why Weiss’s guards didn’t do anything to save him; his loyalty score was in the dumpster.

That was also proven by the fact that no one came to see me while I was healing. At best, I received some weird tentacle flowers from my so-called best friend or whatever. Seriously, what the hell was that thing?! It was like a gross octopus! That had to have been some kind of attempt at harassing me, right?

“But that’s not even all of it!”

I held my head in my hands as I looked over the documents I’d asked Rosalia to gather for me. Our revenue was dropping fast, and public safety was getting worse by the minute, which meant there was more crime than ever.

Things fell apart quickly once Weiss’s parents died in an accident and he was forced to become the lord.

This is, uh, kind of bad. Have I already hit a wall? I’m not feeling so good.

Or that’s what any other normal person might’ve thought, but I was built different!

“I’m from another world. Weiss, leave it to me! I’ve spent years upon years thinking of ways to save you, and I’m gonna do it! I know this game, so I’ll make things work. Trust me, I’m gonna show everyone in this world just how incredible you truly are! All for my fave!”

“Um, Lord Weiss? I brought you something to eat.”

It was Rosalia knocking at the door, pushing a cart with some food on top of it.

Crap, I hadn’t even noticed her. She saw me talking to myself and posing dramatically. Argh, this was so embarrassing!

Amid the silence, the sizzling of the meat on top of the steel plate was enough to whet my appetite. There was also white bread, a salad, and a bowl of soup on the cart. This was a full-course meal, as to be expected of a nobleman, even one who had hit rock bottom.

“Thanks! I’m gonna dig right in, okay? This looks incredible.”

“Huh? You mean…you are going to eat? I’m so happy to hear that.”

Upon offering my gratitude, for some reason, Rosalia briefly looked surprised before smiling and setting the table.

Oh, right. Everything’s going bad for Weiss at the moment. He’s just lost his parents and become the lord. I get it, I really do, but this can’t go on. In order to live on, you need to eat and get your strength back.

“Don’t mind me.”

I cut into the steak with my knife, watching as its juices flowed out onto the plate. Then, I forked the piece into my mouth, which filled with the taste of meaty umami.

This is incredible! I’ve never tasted anything like this in my old world! It’s insanely good and so tender!

Thinking about it now, this was actually the first proper meal I’d had since waking up as Weiss. While I was healing, I only drank those gross potions and some soup with gnarly-smelling medicinal herbs in it. The only other consumables in his room were booze and snacks to accompany it.

While I was focusing on chowing down, I noticed that Rosalia was watching me with a smile the entire time.

“Um, Rosalia?”

“Yes? How can I help you? Oh, wait. Lord Weiss, I am so sorry for not noticing!”

Approaching me, she pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, which she used to gently clean my mouth. As she leaned in close, her sweet scent briefly tickled my nostrils.

I can’t believe I get to have a beautiful girl who tends to me! Being a lord rocks! Wait, that’s not what matters.

“So, um, it’s kind of hard for me to relax when you’re just staring at me like that!” Although I understood why; Weiss was a hottie, after all.

“My apologies, I could not help myself. How is the food?”

“It’s ridiculously tasty. I was just thinking about how lucky I am to eat food this good every day.”

“Hee hee, not only are you finally eating again, but you compliment my cooking… What a relief. It was worth all the hard work. I’m s-so glad…” Despite her giggling, tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Huh? What’s wrong?

“Ah, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t behave like this in front of you.”

“No, no. That’s not a problem. It’s just, why are you crying?”

“Ever since you lost your parents half a year ago and became the lord, you’ve seemed so defeated. I’ve been so worried since you weren’t eating properly, but you finally are, and you even enjoyed my cooking. I’m just so glad. I-I’m sorry, I know having me cry like this is inconvenient when you have more important things to worry about.”

“Rosalia… You don’t have to apologize. Thank you for worrying about my well-being.”

I couldn’t help but gently caress her head as she broke down into tears. At first, she flinched when she felt my touch, but then she buried her face into my chest and began to sob.

Rosalia must have truly been concerned for Weiss. Her loyalty was the real deal. I could tell as much from the conversation she was having as I woke up, and then there were her final moments in-game. She stood with Weiss against the hero’s party and lost, then stayed behind to blow up the mansion, giving him time to escape even if it meant sacrificing her own life.

Despite the odds looking ever bleak for Weiss, she was the only one who stayed by his side in order to protect him. I didn’t know why she was so loyal to him, but I suspected they had unspoken history.

In other words, Weiss was her fave as much as he was mine. As someone who tried to protect Weiss, I didn’t want her to meet such a tragic end. I had to make sure that wouldn’t happen.

“Sorry for worrying you thus far,” I told her. “I want to do my best to be a good lord, so will you help me?”

“Of course! I apologize for crying on you like that,” she said, contrite, “I’m just a maid…”

“No, please. Don’t apologize. I got ahead of myself. Sorry.”

The two of us put some space between one another, our cheeks red with embarrassment.

It was just as I surmised. None of this was revealed in the game or supplementary materials, but the reasons Weiss became so twisted were complex: the sudden death of his parents, his quick ascension to lordship, the subsequent repeat failures.

His complex about his ultra-talented little sister and the fact that he inherited the lordship without any kind of preparation didn’t help either, contributing to his breakdown. However, according to Rosalia, not even half a year had gone by since he became the lord; there was still time for him to correct course.

No, I was Weiss now. I was the one who would change things.

I had a lot on my plate—I needed to build up my strength, raise my populace’s loyalty points, and improve the territory on the whole. I also needed to improve Weiss’s singular special skill: his magic. If I ended up on any kind of battlefield like I was now, I would be killed instantly. There was a lot that needed doing, and any normal person would grip their head over the stress of it all. However, I was willing to suffer anything if it meant saving my fave!

Just as I was thinking over how to move forward, the door to the office violently burst open, and a large, broad-shouldered man entered with what looked to be his bodyguard. Who in the hell were these guys? They were being pretty rude, considering I was a lord.

“Sir Gustaf, Lord Weiss has only just recovered from his wounds. I thought I told you he was not seeing anyone currently,” Rosalia said.

“Humph, I am well aware, but there is something I must discuss with him posthaste. In fact, he should be grateful, as I am here out of the kindness of my own heart.”

“Grateful, huh? So, what brings you here, then?” I asked.

I cast a suspicious look at the man called Gustaf. He smiled unpleasantly at me and signaled to his bodyguard, who then placed a single piece of paper on my desk.

What it contained had me at a loss for words.

“You used your territory as collateral to take out a loan with my business, and I would like that money back,” Gustaf said. “Of course, you are free to pay with goods if need be, but can you pay by the end of the day tomorrow?”

“Rosalia, how much do I have in savings?” I asked her quietly.

“Um…the region was hit by famine, among other things, so you have close to nothing.”

“What? Then how did you get all this food?”

“I wanted to make you feel better, so…I paid for it myself.”

Her answer came as an enormous surprise.

What the hell am I going to do? That’s way too much money, and there’s no way I’ll be able to pay by the end of tomorrow. Have I already hit a wall? Also, how is Rosalia such an angel? Dammit, Weiss. How did you go wrong with such a kindhearted girl by your side?

“Um, I apologize, but could you give me a little more time?” I asked. “I promise I will pay you in short order.”

“Unfortunately, I run a business. I even have the contract right here.”

“Is there nothing you can do?”

“Hrm, let me see.”

I was deferring humbly to the man, which prompted him to grin and ogle Rosalia. From the look in his eyes, I had a bad feeling about this.

“If you were to let me borrow that maid of yours for a night, I would gladly extend your deadline. I think that’s a good deal, don’t you?”

“Wha—”

This was exactly what I expected from him, and yet I felt a profound revulsion toward the man in front of me. Rosalia was a human being, not an object. An intense rage began to build inside of my chest.

I suspected this rage wasn’t just my own. Rosalia was an important person to Weiss as well. Her feelings weren’t completely one-sided. Weiss trusted her and thought dearly of her, just as she did him.

“I understand,” Rosalia said. “If it is for Lord Weiss, I would gladly use my body.”

“Heh, I’m glad you have such a wise maid.”

Gustaf attempted to put his hands on Rosalia, but I stepped between the two in order to stop him. I could see the anger in his eyes at being interrupted.

“Lord Weiss?” she said uncertainly.

“Sorry, but that isn’t happening. I will never force her to do something so outrageous.”

“Oh, is that so? Then, I suppose I have no choice. I expect you to pay in full come the end of the day tomorrow. Let’s go!”

Gustaf made no attempt to hide his displeasure as he left the room, followed by his slightly panicked bodyguard.

I watched him leave and let out the air in my lungs before taking a deep breath.

That was so nerve-racking! And terrifying! That pervert was seriously pissed!

I’m sure plenty of people would raise their eyebrow at a lord letting a merchant talk down to him, but if I made the wrong move, I ran the risk of lowering my loyalty points and getting a game over. I had to play it safe.

“Lord Weiss, why did you do that? If I gave myself to him, then—”

I cut her off before she could continue. “Rosalia, no more of that. I want you to take better care of yourself going forward.” Nobody wanted to see her do such a thing—neither myself nor Weiss.

“But Lord Weiss, what are you going to do?”

“My position as the lord is important, sure, but keeping you by my side is even more important.”

“What?”

Rosalia widened her eyes in disbelief at my words. Weiss himself cared deeply for her but had been too embarrassed to ever express his feelings. Because of that, Rosalia never truly understood how much Weiss cared about her, and she ended up sacrificing herself to save him. I couldn’t let that happen.

Honesty is the best policy!

“Um, I genuinely appreciate that, but where are you going to find all of that money? And by tomorrow, too… This is impossible unless there is some family treasure or secret fortune we don’t know about. You have already used up most of your funds.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be okay. I have a plan.”

Rosalia shot me a worried gaze, and I responded with a big smile. I didn’t know for sure why I became Weiss, but I felt like it was for this exact reason.

There was no way in hell I was going to sell Rosalia off to buy some time. If I did that, it would only sadden both Rosalia and Weiss. I wanted my fave to find true happiness.

“I’m gonna go look into something,” I told her.

I had my knowledge of the game. I knew secrets about this mansion that even Weiss didn’t, but my first move had to be making sure that this information was accurate. If everything was the same as in the game, I’d be able to get my hands on more than enough money to pay back the loan.

***

Weiss’s family, the Hamiltons, was a historied line of nobility. The mansion itself was as old as it was impressive, and it had secret passages to boot, which was where Weiss’s ancestors had hidden their fortune. The problem was that the only ones who knew about said fortune were those who ascended to the position of lord.

In the game, Firis, Weiss’s adopted sister and one of the main heroines, knew about this hidden passage. The hero’s party used this knowledge to infiltrate the mansion, and on the way, they discovered some rare equipment on top of the hidden fortune. This would become the basis of their war chest as they managed the territory. The reason Weiss never used that money was probably just that he didn’t know about it; he was never supposed to be the next lord.

“It’s rough having such a talented little sister.”

I smiled bitterly as I equipped some leather armor and a sword, then made my way toward the meeting spot. The aching in my chest was all my own; in my previous life, I’d dealt with having a talented little sister. Weiss struggling with the same issue that I did was part of why he became my fave.

By the way, the reason I was armed was because the hidden passage didn’t get much use, meaning it was inhabited by monsters. Since I’d asked Rosalia to gather some trustworthy soldiers, we’d probably be fine. With their help, I’d be able to pay back the loan.

Or so I thought.

“Wait, what? Am I really that unpopular?” I couldn’t help but raise my voice pathetically at the sight in front of me.

There was nobody waiting at the meeting spot. No, that wasn’t quite right. Rosalia was there, but she was the only one.

What am I going to do?

“Hey, Rosalia, do I really have no soldiers I can trust?”

“Um, you have a personality prone to being misunderstood, not to mention, you have been rather violent as of late…”

“Seriously?! It’s actually that bad?”

That loyalty score of ten wasn’t for nothing! I really was walking a fine line at the moment. I couldn’t afford any screwups.

“Well, there is one person you can trust, but he’s busy at the moment… Plus, fear not. You have me!” Rosalia said, puffing up with pride. This also caused her chest to bounce for a moment.

Nobody would blame me for getting momentarily distracted, right?

“Look, I know I can trust you, but we’re going to be fighting monsters down there, so… Actually, wait a sec.”

I thought back on the game’s story. In the boss fight against Weiss, you had to face Rosalia as well, and she used magic and a spear to make things difficult for the player. In fact, she was insanely strong for a boss character in the opening hours of the game.

Right. If I can check my own status like in the game, maybe I can check hers.

“Sorry, pardon me.”

“Um, Lord Weiss? I know you’re lonely, but—ah, ­actually, if that is what you desire, then I…”

I had no idea why Rosalia was turning bright red, but I nonetheless put my hands on her shoulders and stared straight at her. She closed her eyes. Was something the matter? I wasn’t quite following, but I figured this was my chance to act, so I took a peek at her status. In the game itself, putting the cursor over a character allowed you to look at some of the character’s stats, so this seemed close enough.

Rosalia

Occupation: Maid

Alias: The Murderous Ice Princess

Loyalty to Her Master: 100

Affection: 100

Strength: 60

Magic Power: 80

Intelligence: 62

Skills:

Ice Magic Lv 3

High-Class Spear Technique Lv 3

Unique Skills:

Devotion to Her Master Lv 3: Receives a 30% increase to stats when fighting for her master.

Weiss’s maid. She feels indebted ever since he saved her life. She cares for him more than herself and wishes for his happiness.

Holy crap, her stats are super high! Did the game designers just set her numbers like this because she’s a boss character? And what do you mean, “Murderous Ice Princess”? She must have a crazy backstory. Was she always this much of a standout character?

No wonder I had struggled in the fight against her. At least with stats like this on my side, we’d be fine. As long as she was with me, we’d be able to defeat any of the monsters in the secret passage. Even Weiss had stats higher than the hero since he was an enemy character, so it all lined up.

“Mrrrm,” Rosalia muttered.

“Huh? What’s wrong?” I asked, blinking at her. “You turned super unhappy.”

“It’s nothing! I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

While I was still mulling over Rosalia’s stats, she narrowed her eyes at me, displeased for some reason. It wasn’t long before she was wearing a smile again, however.

“Do not worry. I will protect you no matter what, Lord Weiss!”

Thus, the two of us descended into the hidden passage.

***

“I had no idea there was a place like this in the mansion, and I’ve worked here for years,” Rosalia said as we walked.

“Yeah, well, only the lords in the family know about it.”

We passed through the hidden door located in the basement library and proceeded into the passage. It smelled of mold, having gone unused for so many years.

“If you know about it, that means the previous lord recognized you as the next in line for lordship! I’m so happy for you!”

“R-right? Ha ha ha…”

All I could do was muster up a pained smile as I watched Rosalia delight over my words. You would never guess that her joy was for someone else and not herself.

Contrary to what she imagined, the only reason I knew about this was because of my game knowledge. Weiss didn’t know about this passage, but his little sister did, which meant she had been the favored choice. Whatever. If nothing else, I wanted to recognize him. He wasn’t chosen by the previous lord, but even still, he continued to work hard.

The debt he took on was because he was trying to do things for his subjects. He tried his hand at all kinds of enterprises in the hope of developing his territory, but they each ended in failure. Because he wasn’t officially meant to be the successor to the position, he wasn’t able to inherit the personal connections his father had, and unlike the hero, he was not blessed with friends who had the knowledge and experience to fill the gaps in his own.

It’s rough throwing yourself into something and getting no reward for your hard work. I get it, Weiss.

I was speaking to myself too. It hurt to have no one expect anything of you. It hurt to have no one there to see you work your hardest. That was why I wanted to recognize Weiss, even if no one else did. Fortunately, I had Rosalia, who felt the same way I did.

“What’s the matter, Lord Weiss?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about how fortunate I am to have you here. You’re my maid and my bodyguard. If you weren’t around, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened to me.”

“Please, Lord Weiss. I am your personal maid—I’m simply doing what must be done. I know just how incredible you are. Ah, but I believe we will be running into some monsters shortly, so please get behind me,” she said with a big smile before turning to raise her spear and stare down the passage with a serious expression on her face.

I sensed something as well.

The monsters in this area were just called “big rats.” They appeared in the opening hours of the game, and while they weren’t particularly strong, their speed made them a pain to deal with.

“Don’t worry, Lord Weiss. I’ll take care of them in no time. Ice! Shackle my enemies!”

“Wh-whoa…”

Upon exiting the passage, we were met with six big rats, so I took up my sword to support Rosalia. However, without any help from me, she bound the rats’ feet to the floor with her ice magic, then swung her spear and murdered them all in one fell swoop. I was completely useless.

You’ve gotta be kidding me! She’s way too strong! I guess, now that I think about it, the entire hero’s party struggled in combat against her, so of course she’s crazy strong.

“Lord Weiss, I’ve defeated the rats. We can move forward.”

“Yeah, of course. You sure are strong,” I said. “You beat them in an instant!”

She giggled. “I’m just so happy that you’re relying on me that I went a little overboard. I would be even happier if you kept complimenting me. Just kidding!” She paused. “Um, Lord Weiss?”

“You did well, Rosalia. Thank you.”

I gently patted her head as she smiled triumphantly at me. This was what she was asking for, right? For some reason, it made her face turn bright red.

Crap, now that I think about it, she’s older than me. Did I offend her in some way?

“Ah, um, you asked for compliments, so I thought maybe you’d like a head pat,” I said awkwardly.

“Oh, I was just surprised is all. You’re right, I did enjoy that.”

“Great. Okay, let’s keep moving!”

I started walking in an attempt to brush past the strange vibe between us. Eventually, I located a rather large and sturdy door and pushed it open, revealing a number of leather bags behind it. I could just barely make out the gold coins inside of them.

Hell yeah! Unlike the ones in the game, these are super shiny! Those rings should be in here too.

“Amazing, Lord Weiss!” Rosalia said. “With this much, you’ll be able to pay your debts! Thank goodness you won’t have to sell your territory to him.”

“I know, right? I’d better offer thanks to my ancestors,” I replied.

There was a small wooden box within the wall’s cavity. Pulling it out, I opened it to reveal two rings: one with a large red gem and another with a blue gem.

“Lord Weiss, what are these?”

“These are family treasures of House Hamilton. Rosalia, take this one. It should protect you.”

“I could not possibly accept such an expensive-looking gift.” She shook her head.

“Please. Consider it an order. C’mon, hold out your hand.”

Even as she resisted, I forcibly took her hand and slid the ring with the red gem onto her pale, slender ring finger. This ring protected its wearer from losing their life a single time. Considering that Rosalia was so intent on sacrificing herself to save Weiss, I knew it would come in handy one day.

As for me, I took the other ring and put it on my finger with a big smile on my face.

Magic Ring

Raises the magical growth and magic power of its wearer. The first lord of House Hamilton received it for distinguished military service in the war.

Status Up

Magic Power: 40 → 50

I couldn’t help but grin wider when I saw that the effects were exactly what I anticipated. In the game, this money served as capital for the hero to begin his work as a lord, while the red ring was used to protect him and the blue ring was used to increase Firis’s already high magic power.

So, was it okay for me to just take it? At the end of the day, the hero and his party had plenty of people who would help them out, but what about Weiss? Wasn’t it all right for me to use this stuff to save him?

“Okay, let’s get a move on. Whoa, these gold coins are crazy heavy! Rosalia, sorry, but could you help me carry these?” I asked. When I didn’t get an answer, I nudged her. “Um, Rosalia?”

Rosalia was staring at the ring on her finger, her cheeks bright red for some reason. When I called her name, she panicked.

“O-oh, of course. My apologies. I’ll grab them right away.” She began to grab one bag of coins after another. “Hup!”

She must have had incredible strength; at most, I could lift two at the same time, yet here she was, carrying ten at once.

Wonder what’s up. She’s been acting kinda weird since I gave her the ring.

“Lord Weiss, in exchange for following your order, can I make a request?” she asked with a serious expression.

“Oh, yeah, I don’t mind.”

It was rare for Rosalia to have such a serious look on her face instead of a smile. Was she really so against the idea of wearing a ring that matched mine?

Before I could finish that thought, she began to explain what her request was. It was entirely unexpected, and while I was initially against it, she ended up getting her way.

***

“Good day, Lord Weiss. You look like you’re in good spirits. Heh heh, I expect good things from you today,” said Gustaf, who was sitting across from me.

“Yes, well, I owe my good mood to you,” I answered him, though I wore a gloomy expression.

The next day, I was meeting with Gustaf in my office, Rosalia next to me and Gustaf’s own bodyguard from yesterday standing beside him. Contrary to his words, he had a condescending smile on his face. He definitely assumed I couldn’t pay back what I owed.

Bah ha ha, fool! I’m only playing the role of a pathetic young man.

I was glad my facade was working. Just to be safe, I looked at Rosalia, and she nodded with a straight face.

She mouthed something at me: Don’t forget your promise.

I wouldn’t dare.

“Now then, Lord Weiss. Will you return my money as promised? If you cannot, I want your territory immediately. However, I am not a coldhearted man. I will give you a single chance.”

“A chance? What do you mean?”

“You see, I want you to sell that maid of yours to me as a deposit. I am sure you would love to be useful to your master, no?” Gustaf said, flashing a vulgar smile as he beckoned Rosalia over.

You piece of crap. Yesterday, he wanted her for a night, and now he was all in on owning her like she was property. After a moment of hesitation, she gazed at me, then bit her lip and began to walk toward Gustaf.

“Rosalia, why?” I said.

“I apologize, Lord Weiss,” she answered. “This is the only way…”

“Hmph,” Gustaf cut in, “you should have just done this from the beginning. Heh, I’ve always wanted to have you to myself. Oh, the fun we shall have. A man like him doesn’t deserve you—gragh?!”

Just before Gustaf could touch her waist, she grabbed his hand and twisted his arm with a cold glare. He fell from the chair and cried out in pain while she gazed down on him as if he were nothing more than trash on the side of the road.

“‘A man like him’? Words like that are lèse-majesté toward our lord. Also, it is sinful to try and touch that which belongs to him.”

“You…” Gustaf groaned.

“And you are committing treason by drawing your sword before the lord,” Rosalia said to the bodyguard. “Fortunately for you, Lord Weiss is a kind man, so as long as you sheathe your weapon, he’ll forgive you.”

Gustaf’s bodyguard attempted to dive in and save him, but Rosalia quickly thrust the blade of her short sword at his neck.

She’s so strong!

The bodyguard, fearing for his own life, immediately dropped his weapon.

“Lord Weiss,” Gustaf cried, bursting into a fit of rage. “You will not get away with resorting to violence because you lack the money to pay your debts! Everyone knows you owe me money! If you capture me without returning what is rightfully mine, your reputation will only worsen.”

“Huh? Who the hell said anything about not having money? You’re the one who got ahead of himself and tried to do something gross to my Rosalia,” I said, pulling out the bag of gold coins that I hid under the table and placing it on top.

“Impossible!” Panic spread across Gustaf’s face. “How did you get all of that? You’re not supposed to have any money left.”

“What are you even talking about? You’re the one who said I looked like I was in good spirits, right? And I said I owed you, didn’t I? How can you ever hope to be a successful merchant if you can’t remember what people say? No worries, I’ll pay you back. Not that it’ll matter, considering you’ll be stuck in a cell.”

“Wh-what do you mean? I may have been a bit rude, but I don’t see how that means you can stuff me in a cell.”

“Right, right. If it was just that, I definitely wouldn’t go so far. But here’s the problem. I always try to return a favor. It’s my policy! Did you have fun messing with poor little ignorant Weiss?” I paused, letting that sink in. “Frankly, I’ve already looked into everything you’ve done. I know that you bought up the products you recommended to me in order to drive up their prices. Then, as soon as I made the purchases, you sold them off to drop their value so that House Hamilton would take a huge financial hit. Once that was done, you used my debt as a way to entangle me in your crimes.”

His machinations meant that Weiss had failed at a number of enterprises, and on the table between us, I spread out various materials detailing those schemes so he could see them. Gustaf’s bitter expression confirmed that my deductions were on the mark.

Obviously, this man had committed more crimes than I could pinpoint in a single day. The only reason I’d easily figured this out was because he tried to do the same thing to the hero in the game.

Fortunately for the hero, he had a friend who was well-versed in business matters. But Weiss had only just become the lord, and he was alone, which had led to this situation in the first place.

“In any case, you’re being arrested for treachery against the lord of this territory, as well as trying to put your hands on Rosalia. Feel free to reflect on your behavior in your cell. In the meantime, I’ll be exposing each and every one of your crimes.”

“Impossible!” he cried.

I signaled for the guards to come and take Gustaf and his bodyguard to their respective cells. Seeing the despair on his face as he was hauled away, I let a devious smile slip onto my face before I could stop myself.

Not only had this man tricked my favorite character, he’d made a mockery of him and had even tried to put his hands on Rosalia. He wasn’t getting away with it.

I happened to know that those hands were even dirtier than they looked. In other territories, he was exploring his options in drug dealing and the slave trade, both banned in this country. If Weiss lost this territory to Gustaf due to his debt, there was no telling what horrors that man would get up to. While he was in jail, I planned on collecting all the evidence I could to lock him away forever. I’d arrested him on a separate charge from the one I would eventually bring.

I wasn’t about to get fussy about the methods when it came to raising my loyalty points with my subjects and keeping this territory safe. The Japanese police frequently used this strategy to catch criminals, so there was nothing wrong with my making use of it as well.

Plus, I wasn’t the main hero. The only way for me to survive in this world was to resort to underhanded tactics.

“Thanks, Rosalia. However, I’m begging you, please don’t use yourself as bait anymore.”

“Lord Weiss, you worry too much. I bent his arm before he could touch me,” she said. “You must understand, it hurts to not be of use to you, especially after receiving a ring like this.”

It was rare for Rosalia to offer any kind of rebuttal to my words.

The request she had made to me was to allow her to act as bait in order to create an opportunity to take Gustaf into custody. Naturally, I was against the idea, but she insisted. At this rate, one day, she was going to put herself in mortal danger to protect me. I had to find a way to prevent that from ever happening, even if I appreciated that she cared so much.

Not only did I need to get stronger, I also needed to become an excellent lord. In order to make this territory better, I needed to fully understand the situation, improve it, and use the knowledge I had of the game to get rid of anyone who would endanger us in the future. There was a lot that needed attending to.

But I was going to get it all done. That was why I was given the chance to save my fave.

“Rosalia, first, I would like to speak with my people about the state of the territory. I was thinking of having a big meeting. Could you get everyone together for me? Also, can you find someone who knows a thing or two about magic?”

“That would be no problem. In fact, your regular meeting is scheduled for next week. As for a magic teacher, you have one standing right in front of you,” she said. “I’m so happy you’re interested in magic again!”

“Huh? Oh, got it. You were my magic teacher.”

After all, Rosalia fought with ice magic and a spear, so it would make sense that she had been the one to teach Weiss magic.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be glad to take that role again. Oh, and while we’re at it, we can resume your sword training as well!”

“Good idea. I might end up on the battlefield one day, as a lord.”

“Lord Weiss, that’s the wrong way to think about it. Your primary concern is making sure that such battles do not happen,” she said. “But if it should come to that, I will protect you no matter what.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will.”

I knew that she meant it. She would protect me—no, protect Weiss at any cost. While things were peaceful now, in a few years’ time, we would catch up with the game proper. When that happened, there would be a massive war that we wouldn’t be able to avoid.

Weiss wasn’t the only person I wanted to save. I wanted to save Rosalia too. There was no world where it was okay for such a virtuous young woman to meet such a tragic fate, all while trying to protect her master.

That was why I had to express Weiss’s feelings…my feelings, honestly.

“I vow here and now to protect you, Rosalia. Never leave my side.”

“Huh? Yes, of course,” she murmured. “Lord Weiss, you truly have changed. Maybe the shock of the stabbing really did do something to your head.”

“Really? That’s your reaction? Did I say something that weird?”

“I apologize,” she said with a little giggle. “I was just feeling a bit bashful. It is true that you have been acting odd since waking up from your injuries, but it’s good that you’re back to who you used to be,” Rosalia said with a big smile. “Anyway, I hope you are ready for your ­training tomorrow!”

***

“Crap, crap, crap. This is seriously bad. I’ve got like no stamina.”

I went for a jog before my training started, and it didn’t take long before I was panting as I desperately tried to keep my body moving. I was learning that malnutrition was no joke.

I’m seriously about to die!

“Lord Weiss, you don’t have to push yourself so hard right out of the gate.”

“No, I do,” I managed to say. “You need stamina in order to get most anything done.”

“Hee hee, I’m glad you’ve become so positive.”

I didn’t know whether it was because I was pushing my body too hard or what, but my legs were so wobbly that I was on the verge of falling over. Weiss had even less strength than I expected because he hadn’t eaten much of anything since his parents died, but there was nothing I could do. I had to coexist with all of my negative status effects for now.

“I’d like to learn swordplay, but I’m not even sure I can swing a sword…”

“True. Let us focus on building your stamina and practicing magic for the time being. We can leave the sword for when you’ve gotten stronger. The one problem with that is that I can only really teach you the basics of swordplay. Eventually, you will need a proper teacher,” Rosalia said.

Her tone dropped at the end. It seemed like she was hesitant to say anything more on the topic. Swordplay was one of Weiss’s skills, so he must’ve had a teacher at some point. Perhaps he’d chased him away?

Regardless, I would have to look into it.

“Let us first go over how to use magic. I have heard that when someone has a particularly shocking or traumatizing experience, they can forget how. This is because magic is deeply tied to one’s mental state. Today, we will start by going over the fundamentals.”

I had told her I didn’t know anything about magic, so she began to teach me the basics with a puzzled look on her face. The fact that I had level-one magic in my stats meant that Weiss could use magic before I occupied his body, which would explain why she was befuddled by my sudden lack of knowledge.

Despite being perplexed, she didn’t look at all annoyed or frustrated as she started teaching me from the beginning.

“You have an affinity for dark magic, so let’s use your shadow to begin with. It’s something you will always have near you. Close your eyes and focus. Imagine your shadow as a part of your body. I know it has been some time since you last used magic, but your body should still remember the sensation. Then, recite the spell that surfaces in your mind.”

“A spell, huh? Is there any way you can just teach me the spell?”

“That would be rather difficult. My specialty is ice magic, but more importantly, when you recite the spell, its results are visualized in your mind. If you don’t have that mental image, reciting the spell won’t do anything.”

“So there’s no shortcuts…”

I closed my eyes just as Rosalia instructed.

It’s kind of hard to imagine my shadow as a part of me. After all, a shadow’s just a shadow. I’m not even seeing any spell incantations in my mind.

The more I focused, the more I began to panic, but just as my mind started to slip into chaos…

“I’ll help you just this once. You’re only getting the one time, so make sure you memorize it.”

“Heed my words, shadow hand!”

The second the words left my mouth, my feelings became one with my shadow, which took the shape of a swinging arm in my mind. This was the feeling I was searching for!

“Eeek!”

“How’s that, Rosalia—ah.”

The first thing that entered my line of sight was Rosalia’s skirt, which had flipped upward, revealing the light-blue lace fabric beneath it. My shadow hand had raised her skirt.

“Lord Weiss!”

“Okay, so, I didn’t do that on purpose! Um, though, are they light blue because you have an affinity for ice magic?”

“My word, you are quite the lewd lord, aren’t you?” She sighed exasperatedly as she brushed her skirt down, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “You’d better not say that kind of thing to any other women.”

But if saying that sort of thing to other women was a bad idea, wasn’t it also a bad idea to say it to her?

“In any case, I see you have gotten a feel for it again. Let us practice so that you can freely control your magic. Ah,” she added, “but if you try to touch my skirt again, I will cut down your shadow.”

“I-I get it. Sorry.”

“Once you have better control of your magic, you’ll be able to do a lot more things. For now, let’s have you practice using your magic for a full hour.”

Just like that, my training began while Rosalia watched with a small but happy smile. I wasn’t used to any of this, but wielding magic was actually a ton of fun, and the time went by without me even realizing. How could I not enjoy myself when I was getting to use my fave’s very own magic? It was awesome.

The end result of this training was that I could now, to an extent, summon and command a single shadow hand. There was just one thing—what was that voice I heard earlier?

***

After magic training, it was time to stare down some paperwork. I’d assumed that I’d just be looking over some documents sent my way and then stamping them with my seal. You know, simple work. Unfortunately, I was terribly wrong.

A lot of the expenditures in the ledgers were a mess, many of the reports were barely written up properly, and it seemed like nothing had been checked over. The people in charge of things were clearly taking advantage of the fact that Weiss was unprepared for this job.

Well, too bad for them, I paid attention in school and played a ton of games, so I quickly noticed that things were all wrong.

“All right. I need you to correct the documents pertaining to this particular matter and have them to me by tomorrow.”

“Y-yes, of course!”

I immediately handed back a pile of documents to one of the men who’d brought them to me. He was probably racking his brain over how to make the contradictions in it make sense. Then, I used my shadow to grab a new pile of documents that were sitting just out of reach.

To be clear, this wasn’t a matter of not wanting to get up and walk to the papers. Rosalia and everyone here had no way of knowing this, but in Valhalla Tactics, you gained more experience the more you used magic, so I was trying to use my shadow hand daily.

These kinds of spells could only ever be used during combat in the game, so there was something fun and refreshing about being able to use them for daily chores and the like. Plus, I’d seen tons of dark magic in the game, so once I got a handle on the basics, I could imagine different techniques pretty easily. That being said, my magic power was limited.

“Man, these are so gross. I should probably eat something soon.”

I rang the bell on my desk as I sipped another magic recovery potion that tasted like muddy water. It wasn’t long before a maid knocked at the door and came in with a ham and vegetable sandwich and hot coffee on a silver tray. Since sandwiches didn’t exist in this world, I had specifically instructed her on how to make it for me.

Rosalia must have been busy because the maid serving me was Meg, the girl with the chestnut-colored hair who’d been bad-mouthing me when I first woke up.

“Lord Weiss, pardon me. I have brought your food.”

I wasn’t imagining that her voice was ever so slightly trembling. She had a smile on her face, but I could see the fear in her eyes. Weiss must have truly done a number on her…

“Thanks! Let me grab that from you,” I said with a warm smile, trying to calm her nerves.

However, she screamed from shock and dropped the tray, staining her apron with hot coffee. Crap, I had used my shadow hand without considering how she might react.

“I am so sorry! Please have mercy!”

“Nah, I’m the one who should be apologizing for using magic out of nowhere. I’m sure you must’ve been scared,” I said, standing in a bit of a panic and rushing over to her with a handkerchief in hand. That coffee seemed terribly hot, so I was worried that she might have hurt herself. “Are you okay? Don’t worry about my food. Go and get changed, then make sure you haven’t been burned. I’ll fetch my own food.”

But instead of taking my handkerchief, she stared at my face in complete disbelief. Huh? Did she want me to wipe her off myself? Wouldn’t that be borderline sexual harassment?

“Lord Weiss?” she asked.

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

“No, I just…was wondering if you were going to yell at me.”

“Of course not. More importantly, you haven’t burned yourself, have you?”

Meg seemed baffled by my words, but I was completely at fault for what happened here. Magic could be a devastating weapon, which was probably why people didn’t use it for chores in their daily lives.

“Um, thank you for your concern,” she said hesitantly. “I’ll go get changed, just to be safe. As for your food…what should I do?”

“Like I said, since I’m already up, I’ll go grab something myself,” I said. “Once you get changed, feel free to get back to work.”

“All right, I will! Um, thank you for being so worried about me!”

Meg left the room in a hurry, but her steps were lighter than when she entered. After watching her leave, I stretched my arms up into the air. I’d been sitting down for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity to move my body a little bit.

“Lord Weiss really has changed.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear what she whispered to herself after she left.

That night, I randomly checked my status and found that my loyalty score had raised by eleven whole points. What had happened?

***

“Hell yeah!” I said triumphantly. “I finished my run!”

“Hee hee, you’ve gotten much stronger,” Rosalia said.

“Well, that’s what happens when you work out for a whole week. Also because, um…” I tried to find a way to offer my genuine gratitude. “You’ve been making really nutritious meals for me. Thank you.”

“Lord Weiss, please. I am your personal maid.” She smiled at me. “You have no need to say such things.”

According to what I’d heard from Meg, Rosalia worked constantly to try to make something that Weiss would actually eat—easily digestible foods, snacks, all sorts of things.

She really was completely loyal to him, and judging by the other maids’ reactions, this kind of trust wasn’t the standard. If I got the chance, I wanted to ask her about what happened between the two of them.

“You really are like a different person as of late. You make sure to do all of your work, and even the other servants see you in a new light now,” Rosalia said. “Especially Meg. She kept going on about how much you’ve changed.”

“Really? I’m glad to hear it. You seem happy too.”

“Of course! I’ve always known that you’re a wonderful person, Lord Weiss. It’s not your fault that the shock of what happened changed you. You have no idea how much it hurt to hear everyone bad-mouth you!”

Rosalia was furious, as though someone had insulted her personally. I couldn’t help but think fondly of her as I watched her rant, even if it hurt a little.

It wasn’t me she trusted, it was Weiss. Was it really okay for me not to say anything?

I tried to shake off those feelings and changed the subject. “I’d like to get in some magic practice, if that’s all right.”

“Of course! You’ve done so well relearning the basics this past week. Now that you can smoothly activate your magic, let’s move on to control.” Rosalia pointed at a tree in the courtyard. “I want you to hit that tree ten times with your shadow hand. You won’t be able to strike it properly if you cannot fully control your powers. This might be a bit difficult at first, but as long as you focus, you’ll get the hang of it eventually.”

Up until now, I’d been focused on summoning my shadow hand and raising its power. It was time to move on to the next step. Still, there was something I had to ask.

“Isn’t that a little simple?”

I mean, it seemed way easier than how I used my shadow hand to fetch documents in my office. Was there some other thought process behind it?

She chuckled. “People who aren’t used to casting magic often say that, but controlling and imagining one’s own magic is quite difficult. Wait, what?!” she cried out in surprise when I started smacking the tree with my shadow hand in the midst of her explanation. “I must be dreaming! How can you do it so easily? This normally takes at least a month of practice. You’re incredible!”

Thanks to playing games, I was more than aware of how important it was to repeat a task in order to get better at it, which was why I had done that for an entire week, drinking magic potions the whole time.

Actually, I’d been able to control my shadow hand on day one. Maybe Weiss was just genuinely gifted when it came to dark magic? There was no way for me to know, considering he died so early in the game.

“By the way, I can do this too.” I summoned three shadow hands and made them juggle some stones.

Rosalia widened her eyes in disbelief. “What? Yes, that’s still one of the fundamentals, but how can you do it so well? That requires incredible control! There’s nothing left for me to teach you…”

It felt pretty good to get these kinds of reactions out of her. Also, it made me super happy to hear my fave get complimented like this.

“Ha ha, right? Weiss is amazing! I’m so glad you get it!” I said to Rosalia. If being able to control and imagine magic was important, it was possible that I might have a bit of a cheat available to me.

“Lady Firis is incredible, but you are a genius as well,” Rosalia said.

Firis, Weiss’s sister, huh? I felt something in my chest for a moment. Unlike her stepping stone of a brother, she was an actual main character and one of the main hero’s potential heroines.

If memory served, she was currently studying at the magic academy in the royal capital. In the game’s story, she and Weiss had a less-than-ideal relationship, so I wanted to keep my distance from her at least until I’d gotten my feet under me.

“My apologies.” Rosalia must have noticed something in my expression, as she quickly changed topics. “I believe you’ve studied the fundamentals more than enough. Let’s get some practical exercises in.”

“Oh, that’s exciting. What exactly does that entail?”

“Let me see. How about this—you must land a single hit on me,” she said. “Ice, come forth!”

Rosalia stood before me with her usual smile. The only, but crucial, difference was that she had made a spear out of ice and was in combat stance.

I must have looked and sounded like a fool when I belted out my reaction: “Wuh?”

***

“Urgh, that was terrifying…”

“I apologize,” Rosalia said, following me. “I stopped before going too far, but, um, I didn’t really have the room to take half measures against you.” She was on the verge of tears after subjecting me to her dominating attacks, while I could only muster a pained smile on my face.

I grew up in Japan, a place that, in the modern era, was about as far removed from war as one could imagine. Hence, when faced with an ice spear, I was seriously surprised and terrified. She deflected my shadow hand attacks with her spear, and my sword didn’t get anywhere near her. That being said, it was also clear that Rosalia wasn’t just buttering me up with words; the task she’d given me didn’t seem impossible.

“Now that I think about it, I used to hit you when I got mad, right?” I asked, “Couldn’t you have dodged me easily?”

“Do not worry, Lord Weiss,” Rosalia answered. “I made sure to shift my body so as to take minimal damage. Besides, it wasn’t such a bad experience. Your punches fell well within the realm of role-playing.”

“Ergh…”

“And if punching me made you feel any better, then I was more than happy to let it happen.”

As we headed toward the meeting room, I was deeply impressed by Rosalia’s unwavering, some might say insane,loyalty.

“This might be impertinent of me,” she said, “but while I know you must be exhausted from training, please take care not to fall asleep during the meeting. People have begun to recognize your hard work, but that only applies to the servants in the mansion and the people you see on a daily basis…”

“Right. Thanks for always worrying about me and, um, I’ll be counting on you if something happens.”

I nervously stood in front of the entrance to the meeting room. This was it. I took a deep breath and nodded at Rosalia.

“Lord Weiss has arrived,” she announced when she opened the door.

As soon as she did, all eyes in the room were on me. It felt like they were judging me, and quite frankly, it sucked.

“Present for today’s meeting is the head of public finance, as well as…”

I listened to Rosalia’s explanation while looking at the large, serious-looking man next to the one she was talking about. Age-wise, he was in the prime of his life.

According to my research, my territory had a mountain of problems, the worst of which was public safety. I had to do something about it, so I needed to focus on whoever was supposed to be in charge of it.

Considering how serious the man in charge of public safety appeared to be, I had to wonder how things had gotten so bad.

“Next is the head of bathroom cleanliness, Sir Kaiser.”

“What?”

No way. How could this imposing man be in charge of cleaning toilets? And why was someone like that even attending this meeting? More importantly—

“Then who’s in charge of public safety?!” I practically screamed.

Kaiser piped up to answer me. “Sir Barbaro is likely drinking in a guest room…”

Why wasn’t he here? And seriously? Barbaro? That man was deeply tied to Weiss, and not in a good way.

In fact, I had only just finished looking into him. To think that he was in charge of public safety.

“What the hell is he doing?! Why isn’t anyone complaining about him?”

“Well, you appointed him as your representative, so no one could complain,” someone said.

WEIIIIISS!I imagined gripping my head and hollering, though I kept it together on the outside.

“Dammit. Fine. I’ll bring him here. Rosalia, take me to him.”

“As you wish, Lord Weiss.”

With that, we headed toward his guest room—and I made sure to have my sword on me, just in case.

***

Because Weiss was my favorite character, Barbaro had left a deep impression on me. He was the villainous leader of this territory’s mafia when he appeared in the game. In the end, he found himself cornered and told the hero’s party about the secret passage where Weiss was hiding in order to save his own skin. His words reminded Firis about the passage, ultimately leading to Weiss’s demise. He was a traitor.

“Aaah! Stop it, Sir Barbaro!”

“Shut your trap. You know what’ll happen to you if you defy me!”

I heard both terrified and angry screams coming from inside the guest room, so Rosalia and I exchanged glances before rushing into the open room.

As soon as I stepped inside, my nostrils were filled with the fierce smell of alcohol. On top of the sofa at the back of the room was a bearded man with a perverse look on his face and a bottle of booze in one hand. With his other hand, he was pulling Meg’s arm.

This was Barbaro, the man who sold out Weiss in order to protect himself and the leader of this territory’s mafia.

He was currently in charge of public safety, but he was likely using his authority to hire soldiers who’d follow his orders so that he could do whatever he wanted. I was pretty sure that he would eventually use those men to found his criminal empire.

In other words, he was one of the reasons Weiss failed at running this territory.

“Ah, my lord,” he said to me, “I just got some great booze in. Why don’t you skip that dumb meeting and join me for a drink?”

“Barbaro, let go of Meg,” I replied.

“Hah! What’s with that scary look you’re giving me? Oh, right, right.” He looked surprised for the briefest of moments when we made eye contact, but then he put on the kind of smile meant to flatter me. “I taught you about booze, but I haven’t taught you how to enjoy a good woman yet. How’s about you take her to bed? Prostitutes are great and all, but fresh ones like this are the best.”

“Eek!” Meg managed to squeak before he covered her mouth.

When Weiss was given his position and things reached a breaking point, he must have let himself believe this man’s sweet words, leading to his alcoholism. Weiss had trusted the rat bastard, allowing him to gain actual power.

“I will only say this once more: Barbaro, let go of her. We have a meeting to attend, and you’re the topic of discussion.” I drew my sword and pointed it at him.

“My lord, what are you thinking, directing your blade at me?”

“Today, we will be discussing the crimes you’ve committed. You threatened merchants in order to buy their goods at low prices, used false accusations to take their earnings, and then used that money for yourself. You will not be forgiven for your transgressions!”

“Huh? Don’t get ahead of yourself, you goddamn brat!”

Barbaro’s face distorted with rage as he yelled at me. Needless to say, there wasn’t a lick of respect in his voice. He was probably fuming that the stupid kid he’d been using as a puppet was turning around to damage his pride.

However, he wasn’t getting away with what he’d done!

“Lord Weiss, allow me.” Rosalia started to cast a spell, without any emotion on her face.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll handle this.”

“Handle what, you stupid brat?!” Barbaro spat as he threw Meg at me like an object.

Meg cried out, but I caught her. I tripped a little while I made sure she didn’t get hurt, and Barbaro didn’t let that opening slip past him. With a show of tremendous strength, he hoisted the sofa he had been sitting on and was on the cusp of swinging it down on us.

“Eat this!” he shouted.

He may have been strong, but that was all he had in his favor. “You fool. How do you intend to defend yourself when you’re using both hands? Heed my words, shadow hand!” I called.

“What? You can’t use magic—urgh?!”

My shadow fist delivered an uppercut to Barbaro’s chin, causing him to spin in the air while croaking like a frog that had been crushed. Eventually, he crashed back on the floor.

“Lord Weiss, what was that?” Meg asked in a quavering voice.

“Just my magic. Rosalia, tend to Meg’s wounds, please. I’m dragging this filth to the meeting.”

“Understood. Good luck, Lord Weiss.” She nodded, looking proud of my initiative, before she turned to call to Meg, “Meg, are you okay?”

“Lord Weiss!”

Right as I was starting to drag Barbaro toward the meeting with my shadow hand, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and spotted Meg holding back tears.

“Thank you so much for saving me! I-I was wrong about you. I said all sorts of terrible things about you behind your back…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” I said. “I know how I was. More importantly, you’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine! I was a little scared, but…now that you’ve saved me, I’ll be fine. Um, I think everyone will come to recognize you as the true lord of this land. Good luck!”

“I see…” Her words nearly had me in tears. Someone other than Rosalia recognized Weiss’s hard work! Still, this wasn’t over. If anything, it was only just beginning. “Thank you for understanding. Weiss is really incredible.”

“Um, I’m talking about you, you know? Why are you acting like you’re someone else?”

“Ah, pretend I didn’t say anything. Just ignore me.”

Crap, I’d let myself get overly excited that someone else was appreciating my fave. I shot her a smile and quickly left for the meeting.

***

“Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. It took a bit of effort to get Barbaro here.”

As soon as I hauled him into the room, there was a commotion.

“Why is Barbaro unconscious? Wasn’t he the lord’s favorite?”

“Are you telling me Lord Weiss defeated that violent man?”

“Then are the rumors that Lord Weiss has changed true?”

All sorts of murmurs came from those attending. I waited for them to quiet down, then cleared my throat to draw their attention.

“My apologies. I have yet to explain the topic of this particular meeting. We are here for the interim reports, as well as to bring this man’s crimes to light and hold him responsible. Not only did he try to skip this meeting for nonsensical reasons, he also tried to have his way with my maid. Additionally, according to my own research, he is guilty of many other crimes. As punishment for his actions, he will be fired and replaced by a new head of public safety. Will the previous person in charge please rise?”

“Y-yes…”

Kaiser, the man on bathroom duty, stood to his feet, a puzzled look on his face.

I knew he wasn’t just the bathroom guy. I walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder so I could take a look at his stats.

Kaiser Understand

Occupation: Head of Bathroom Cleanliness

Loyalty to His Master: 70

Physical Strength: 70

Magic Power: 40

Intelligence: 50

Skills:

High-Class Sword Technique Lv 4

Shield Guardian Lv 3

Righteous Heart Lv 3: When participating in a battle he believes to be just, all stats get a 10% boost.

When the previous lord ruled, he served as both Weiss’s tutor and the captain of public safety. After Weiss became the lord, he was demoted ­after offering the boy his opinion. He has a strong sense of justice, and the people adore him.

Whoa, he’s got pretty high stats! Wait, the reason he isn’t the guy in charge of public safety is that Weiss and Barbaro demoted him. Man, I bet that guy was whispering in Weiss’s ear. It’s no wonder Kaiser seems so confused.

My head started to hurt even as I calmed myself and spoke in front of everyone.

“Kaiser, I am so sorry for everything up until now.” I lowered my head. “I know this might seem shameless, but would you consider lending me your talents, even after all the awful things I’ve done to you?”

“Lord Weiss, please, raise your head. If anything, I should be apologizing. Right after your parents passed away, I kept pushing you to train harder, demanding more from you as a lord. I pushed too hard, and I deeply regret that. If you are willing to give me another chance, it would be my pleasure to wield my sword in your name once again.”

“Thank you, Kaiser.”

Despite getting demoted and being put through hell, this man still possessed an amazing sense of loyalty. Weiss was actually surrounded by a lot of great people. If only he had actually confided in them—but he probably didn’t have the mental fortitude to do that. That was why I was going to do things differently.

After saying thanks to Kaiser, I spoke loudly enough that everyone else in the room could hear me.

“Please listen to what I have to say! I know that I’ve been a terrible lord up until now. After the death of my beloved parents, I found myself in a seat of responsibility and buckled under the pressure, running away from my responsibilities. As a result, I lashed out unfairly at all of you, and I let someone like Barbaro gain power. I have no excuse for this. However, I promise not to run any longer! I will pour my everything into this land! And I want you all here to bear witness!”

The responses I saw ran the gamut. Some looked on coldly, as if to say, Isn’t it a little late for that? Others had hope in their eyes. Perhaps it was those who worked in the mansion that most harbored expectations that something might have changed.

However, one thing was true: My hard work over the past week wasn’t for nothing. My real fight started here and now. All that remained was to prove my words with actions.

“What do you plan to do first?” someone asked.

“Excellent question. The first item on my agenda is exposing the mafia operating within our borders. Fortunately,” I said, kicking the unconscious Barbaro with a smirk, “we have a perfect source of inside intel right here.”

***

“All right, let’s get a move on.”

“Lord Weiss,” said Rosalia, “there is no reason for you to go as well. You are our lord. You need not put yourself in such danger…”

“I appreciate your concern, but this fight is also about showing them the kind of lord I want to be. Plus…you’re going to protect me, right? I trust you unconditionally.”

“Gosh, how can I possibly say anything else after hearing that?” she replied with a frown.

At the moment, she was wearing light armor that was easy to move in, instead of her usual maid uniform. Barbaro had been reluctant to talk at first, but the information poured out of him like water after we said his life would be spared. Once we had what we needed from him, we made our way to the mansion where his men were.

“All right, everyone! Be alert!”

Upon hearing my words, the soldiers I had brought with me formed a line in front of the mansion. To be honest, I was worried about how good they’d actually be, but as luck would have it, there were many men who deeply respected Kaiser, so morale went up once he was restored to his old position.

That wasn’t quite the full story—I knew that Kaiser had gone around to the men with his head bowed, asking them to cooperate with me.

“Heh, this atmosphere… It reminds me of the battlefields of the past,” Kaiser said. “My lord, I will move as planned.”

“Right,” I replied. “I’m counting on you. Leave things here to me.” This was exactly like the stage in the game. Granted, this was a few years before the events of the game, so there must have been some small differences, but I knew the general layout of this building.

“I am Lord Weiss Hamilton!” I raised my voice so that it could be heard by the occupants. “We have your leader, Barbaro, in our custody! Surely you understand what this means. We know all of your crimes. The punishment for making my people suffer will not be a light one, but if you surrender now, I promise to spare your lives!”

Instead, the folks inside the mansion started to kick up a ruckus.

“What?! Isn’t he that worthless lord? I thought he was supposed to be under Lord Barbaro’s thumb?”

“Tch. He ain’t got that many men with him. Let’s take them down!”

Guys, I can hear everything you’re saying. Sorry for being so worthless, I guess…

Plus, Weiss tried to do his best! I was a bit irritated, but then I felt a chill from next to me. It was terrifying.

“Lord Weiss. They are being disrespectful,” Rosalia said. “Let’s kill them.”

“Um, you doing okay?” I asked, “But I suppose they’ve chosen to resist, so we’re in for a fight.”

“They dare call you worthless…” Her eyes were full of killing intent as she began to form an ice spear. “They have no idea how much you have suffered!”

I was scared stiff by the murderous look in Rosalia’s eyes, and the jackasses in the mansion took that opportunity to fire off a load of arrows at us. I guess that was their answer.

There was no point in waiting anymore. Our plan involved bringing a relatively small number of men to make the enemy lower their guard. This was the perfect chance to demonstrate that I would show no mercy to those who did evil.

“Everyone, charge!”

My soldiers began to rush the mansion, and of course, I was among them. I was the one giving the orders on the battlefield, which in and of itself would be more than enough to make the citizens feel better about me. That was great, but we did have bigger things to worry about. If we continued on our current course, this territory was going to be caught up in the incoming war that took place during the events of the game.

I needed enough power to let us survive that conflict. This territory had no unique industries, which meant it needed a lord with charisma. That was why I was fighting…and I needed practical experience to improve my stats.

“It seems as though victory will be ours with little struggle, Lord Weiss,” Rosalia said.

I nodded in agreement. “Not only did we catch them off guard, my men are all professional soldiers, even if they’ve been on the sidelines for a while now. Their fundamental skills are on a different level. Plus…”

“Ooh! I’m going to show off and get promoted!”

“This is Sir Kaiser’s return to battle! I can’t afford to look weak!”

Thanks to the reward I offered before the battle, in addition to Kaiser’s presence, morale was way higher than I had anticipated. We weren’t going to lose.

As I expected, we stormed the mansion and cornered the enemies, eventually trapping them in part of the building. It was about time to deal the final blow.

“Now then, I believe this battle is over,” I said. “Any further fighting would be pointless.”

“Dammit, stop acting like you’ve even done anything yourself!”

“Hmph, you are correct. At this rate, you’re going to suffer a completely one-sided loss, so I can imagine you are dissatisfied with that. You’re the leader, yes? In that case, what say we duel? If I lose, you can take me as your hostage and flee. Should I win, however, I will have you confess to all of your crimes.”

“My lord?!” My men let out a shocked cry upon hearing this proposal.

“Urgh…” As for Rosalia, well, I’d managed to get her to agree with this beforehand, but she still looked extremely displeased with the situation.

“You’d better not be lying,” the man said, drawing his blade and marching toward me. “If I win…”

“But of course,” I said. “I am nothing like you people. As a lord, my conduct must be irreproachable. I will keep my promise. Which is why—”

“Is that so?!”

Before I could finish my sentence, the man swung his sword down at me. He was attacking me out of nowhere, obviously thinking he’d already won!

Before he could reach me, he sputtered, coughing up blood.

My shadow hand had stabbed him in the back with a sword.

“Because I’m stronger than you,” I said. “I told you, my conduct must be irreproachable. I’m all too aware of the stunts a person like you would try to pull.”

Actually, this guy showed up in the game as well, so I already had his stats committed to memory. He had no special skills to speak of, making him much weaker than Barbaro, so I figured my little sneak attack would work.

“No, I’m not dead yet… It’s not over…” Just as the man spoke, the wall behind us was destroyed. I could hear footsteps approaching. He yelled, “Hah! You fell for our trap! Kill them!”

He sounded certain of his victory, but as soon as he saw who the people behind us were, his face fell.

“Lord Weiss, we eliminated the enemy troops lurking in the hidden passage, just as you ordered,” Kaiser reported. “Well done. Though how did you know all of that would be there ahead of time?”

“Excellent work, Kaiser. Thank goodness you took care of their backup,” I said, then grinned at the man in front of me. “Didn’t I tell you? I’ve got a good idea of what sort of stunts you people like to play. What was all that about it not being over?”

“Impossible… I refuse to die like this!”

“Lord Weiss!”

Like a cornered rat biting a cat, the injured man swung his sword at me with a desperate look on his face. He must’ve hoped to at least kill me on his way to the next life. While Weiss was suffering, this man, his people, and Barbaro had their way with this territory. He had no right to be angry with me!

After making sure all eyes were on me, I used my trump card.

“Tyrant of shadows, grant me your chains of judgment!”

As I cast my spell, the image…didn’t come to mind. Of course it didn’t. This was a spell that Weiss couldn’t use in the game.

Instead, I pictured the gameplay I’d seen hundreds of times, as well as my memories of the spells I daydreamed that Weiss might’ve been able to use, then linked them to my spell incantation.

“What the hell?!”

“Lord Weiss, how are you using High-rank magic…? Even Firis doesn’t have that ability yet!”

Bwa ha ha ha! This is the fruit born from the fusion of my game knowledge and Weiss’s magic skills! This spell is something Firis learns how to use around the midpoint of the game, and since I’ve played it to death, I’ve seen the incantation and the results of the spell who knows how many times. Imagining it is child’s play.

That being said, I was feeling rather lightheaded after using a spell so far above my current abilities. I wasn’t going to be able to cast this multiple times in a row, but before I passed out, there was something I needed to do.

“This is my…Weiss Hamilton’s power!” I shouted. “All of you, do you believe me when I say that I am more than just talk? After suddenly becoming your lord, I failed you. I know that you all would have preferred my little sister as your leader. However, I plan to prove to you that Weiss is the best fit to be your lord!”

“Ooh! That was High-rank magic! Only the elite palace mages can use spells like that!”

“Lord Weiss is incredible! He might even be more gifted than Lady Firis…”

“What the hell? No one told us anything about this!”

“There’s no way we can win.”

Enemy morale dropped to zero after learning their backup was gone and their foe could use high-level magic. One after another, they laid down their arms and surrendered. I remembered having a real rough time in the game when these guys caught me in a pincer attack.

With that thought fresh in my mind, I announced our victory.

“We’ve caught the bandits! I promise to God, I will never allow anyone else to make my people suffer!”

My men cheered loudly when they heard my words, and my first battle ended in victory.

***

“Lord Weiss, I heard all about how you defeated the enemy leader!” Meg said. “You even saved me before. You’re so strong!”

“Ha ha ha, thanks.” I beamed at the compliment. “Guys like him are no sweat when I’m serious.” Of course, the truth of the matter was that I’d passed out in the carriage going home and made Rosalia worry about me.

Well, that was all right. More importantly, my approval rating with citizens changed significantly after taking care of the mafia. Meg spoke to me excitedly, her eyes full of reverence, and it wasn’t just her. The guards watching me from afar also seemed to have more respect for me now.

“You know, I’m really glad that you’ve gone back to how you used to be, before Lady Firis came and the previous lord declared that he was choosing a different successor.”

“I’m like how Weiss used to be? Really?” I wondered.

“Ah, forget I said anything. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I apologize,” Meg said awkwardly. She ran off without saying more.

I watched her leave, then greeted the guards and went to my office to start working. It wasn’t long before someone knocked. Rosalia, who was waiting at my side, opened the door for them.

“Excuse me,” said the civil servant, “Lord Weiss, are you certain about this? Can you really afford to not only temporarily reduce taxes on the citizens but also distribute food to the poor?”

“Yes, actually,” I answered. “Fortunately, I got my hands on the gems and gold that those criminals were hiding in the mansion. I also have the fortune my family hid away. After making my people suffer so much, I want them to see better days.”

“Well, it is true that your public image has improved…” He looked like he wasn’t sure how to continue, so I went on instead.

“I mean, it’s just a drop in the bucket, but that’s better than nothing, right? I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble, so I’d be grateful if you shared your knowledge with me going forward.”

Most of the people who recognized me as the true lord at this point were the soldiers who were present for the battle or people who heard about the details of what happened. I needed another way of showing my people that I was a different person now, and it had to be something that was easy to understand. Lowering taxes, something that affected everyone, was a viable option.

Additionally, Barbaro and his men unfairly collected money from merchants and even tried to dip their fingers into the illegal drug and slave trades, so I was glad I was able to stop them before that could happen. We were on the path to improving public safety.

I didn’t know where he was planning on getting slaves and drugs from, but I did get the names of the noblemen he was dealing with, so I’d make do with what I had.

The problem was that, even though I knew what was going to happen in the future and which moves would be effective, game knowledge alone wasn’t sufficient to help me run the territory or handle business-related matters. I needed to educate myself.

“There’s some stuff I want to study. Do you have any good recommendations for textbooks?” I asked Rosalia, once I had finished my discussion with the civil servant.

“Hm, you should take a look at the previous lord’s room.”

“Guess that makes sense. I’ll go check it out.”

The former lord… Weiss’s father and mother… Truth be told, I didn’t have much information about either of them. At the end of the day, Weiss wasn’t part of the main cast. The most important thing about him was that his little sister was one of the heroines. He was just a springboard to bigger plot beats. The development team probably didn’t want to use precious resources on detailing his parents.

“Lord Weiss, are you all right?”

“Yeah, no problems here…”

Rosalia and I made our way to the previous lord’s room, but for some reason, my body felt kind of heavy. I must have looked under the weather, as Rosalia was watching me with concern.

After I put my hand on the doorknob, my hand stopped moving, as if it was out of my control. What was going on? Despite the strange sensation in my body, I opened the door—and suddenly lost my balance.

“Lord Weiss?!”

Just as I heard Rosalia cry out my name in concern, I lost consciousness.

***

Finally, I was able to use the magic Rosalia taught me. I had also improved with the sword after all of Kaiser’s training. It was worth practicing in secret. I must be good enough to be the next lord now. Surely Father would recognize me. When that happened, all this painstaking effort would have been worth it.

One day, my father had adopted Firis, and suddenly all of his attention turned toward her, but things would be different now that I was better. With that hope in my chest, I knocked on the door to my father’s room.

“It’s me, Weiss. May I have a minute?”

“What is it?” he asked. “I’m about to go to the store to pick out a dress for Firis for the magic academy, so I don’t have time for you.”

My heart ached from hearing such a cold response. Firis this, Firis that. Ever since he adopted her, everything was about her. Before, Father had called me his successor. He’d said he was proud of me.

“My apologies, Father. But there is something I really wanted to show you… Shadow, come forth!” My shadow took the form of another me and bowed just like I did. “Look. I can finally use level-two dark magic.”

This was intermediate-level magic. Most people couldn’t use magic like this by fifteen. It was high-level even for students of the magic academy in the capital.

I acquired this power through blood, sweat, and tears. I was certain that Father would praise me for this like he used to.

Sadly, my expectations were shattered.

“Hmph, is that all you can do?”

“What do you mean? Pardon me, but only a few people my age can wield magic like this. Rosalia even said that I could call myself a full-fledged mage now!”

Father’s cold expression didn’t change. Why? I’d worked so hard. Rosalia said that I was a genius for being able to use level-two magic at my age. I wanted to surprise my father so badly that I asked her to keep all of this a secret from him, yet he still refused to acknowledge me?!

“The words of that maid you plucked off the street mean nothing to me. Firis can use all four elements at the second level. Weiss, you need not learn magic. I want you to study clerical work so that you can support your sister when she becomes the next lord. Were you more talented, I had hoped that you and Firis would bear children, but there’s no point. She is an attractive girl, so I’m certain she will find a talented man in the capital regardless.”

“Firis is to become the next lord…?”

His words were enough to make everything that supported me crumble. I had been raised since childhood to be the next lord of this territory. I worked hard day and night to that end, but my sister who came out of nowhere was going to take everything away from me?

What was the point in everything I did? Where were the words my father had once spoken to me? He’d said he was proud of me. That I would be his successor. What happened to all of that?

I couldn’t even recall how I found my way back to my room after that. I knew Rosalia said something to me, but it was all so irritating.

I went to sleep as if fleeing from reality, and the next day, I was met with the news that Father had died in an incident when he went out shopping.

The entire house flew into panic at the sudden news of his death, and I was announced to be the temporary new lord. I didn’t know what would’ve happened had Firis been home at the time, but she was at school in the capital, so process of elimination meant I was selected instead. Despite that, I decided to do my best so as not to dishonor my father’s name. I would be lying if I said I also didn’t want to prove him wrong in the afterlife.

My job as the lord was varied, and every day brought new struggles with it. The people in the mansion must have underestimated me, as the man in charge of accounting ran off with my money. I tried to do something about the famine ravaging my territory, but it seemed like I just made things worse. Everything I did resulted in people getting angry with me.

I was trying my best, but nothing went right. Every time, my father’s last words to me ran through my head: “Firis is the best fit to be the next lord.”

Eventually, I found myself not caring about anything.

Rosalia attempted to encourage me, but she just annoyed me. Kaiser scolded me, but he was just as frustrating. Eventually, Barbaro taught me the joys of drinking. Drinking allowed me to forget the pain. The only time I felt like it was okay for me to be alive was when I was drunk.

Eventually, I left everything in his hands and fled into the bottle. It was no wonder I was stabbed by one of my own subjects and found myself on the verge of death.

“This was the life of Weiss Hamilton, the boy who went unloved by his parents and accomplished nothing. Hilarious, right?”

In the depths of darkness, I saw a man in front of me with the same face as my own, only he wore a sarcastic smile. No, that wasn’t quite right. He didn’t have the same face as me—I had the same face as him. He was the real Weiss.

“Looks like you’ve been doing quite well for yourself, huh? You managed to get the citizens and soldiers on your side. Everyone trusts you. I’m jealous. I don’t know if you’re amazing or if I’m just a hack.” He laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “I guess Father was right about me. I really wasn’t fit to be a lord.”

“That’s not true. I—”

“It is true! I mean, just look! You’re doing great! Just like you peeked into my memories, I’ve seen yours. You’re from another world, right? This place should be totally foreign to you, yet you’re doing better than I did! You’re more talented than I ever was!”

“You saw my memories…?” I asked. “Then, you should know I’m not some super talented guy.”

For the first time in this conversation, Weiss averted his gaze awkwardly.

I wasn’t some prodigy in my previous life. Just like him, I had a gifted little sister. But unlike him, my parents didn’t abandon me, and they never treated us differently. Maybe that was why, when my little sister used my first-choice college as her backup school, I might have felt inferior, but I was also able to reason that I was doing my thing, and she was doing her own. We were two different people.

That was why I ended up being so fascinated with Weiss as a character; he had the same sense of inferiority I did. When I learned more about his backstory, he became my fave—someone whom I wanted to find happiness.

“Just for the record,” I said, “the only reason things are working out for me is because I have game knowledge to work with. You’re the MVP here. You put in the effort.”

“What are you talking about? Didn’t I just tell you that I couldn’t accomplish a damn thing? Nothing at all…”

“That’s not true! You must have seen everything that’s happened through my eyes! You saw how devoted Rosalia is! And you’ve seen how Kaiser remained loyal despite being demoted. They came to your aid because of the effort you put in before I arrived! The reason I’m able to use magic so easily is because of your hard work!” I was yelling at him, unable to handle listening to my fave belittling himself so much. “All I’ve done is do what you could’ve done anyway. You’re amazing! I’m only successful because of the groundwork you laid. Everything is because of you!”

“That can’t be…” he muttered. “I just winged it.”

“No, you didn’t! You felt frustrated because you tried your best to run your territory but failed, right? You became my fave because you knew the pain of trying your hardest and having nothing go your way. I identified with that! You said you saw my memories, so you should know how I feel. You should know that I wanted to save you more than anything!”

Weiss went quiet at my words for a few moments before looking me straight in the eye.

“Yeah, I saw. I know that you were genuinely rooting for me and that you truly wanted to change my fate… And I know how it ends for me—for us.” He took my hands in his own as he pleaded with me. “Look, I don’t care what happens to me, but please, at least save Rosalia.”

Weiss was more concerned about Rosalia than he was about himself. Looking into his eyes, I couldn’t help but feel genuine joy at the fact that he was my fave. He wasn’t always so twisted. He tried his best, but he was also awkward. In the end, he was a young man just like me.

“Not happening,” I told him confidently. “I’m saving not only Rosalia but you as well. I’m going to make you both happy.”

“Ha, you sure are greedy, huh? But I guess you can’t turn a bad ending into a happy one unless you’re a little greedy. I wasn’t sure praying to God would help, but here you are. Y’know, you kind of remind me of when I was a little kid. When I didn’t know anything… Maybe it’s for the best that you reincarnated into me,” he said. Suddenly, his silhouette began to fade. “I’ll leave Rosalia and my territory in your hands.”

Hold on, didn’t I just tell you I was going to make you happy?!

I extended my hand toward him; his sardonic smile from before was gone. Instead, he was smiling as though he was free of whatever burdens were weighing on his shoulders.

He took my hand.

“Wait,” I said, “don’t go…”

“We’re becoming one—no, I think it’s probably more correct to say that you’re completely becoming me. That was the contract I made with God, after all. I’m counting on you, the man now known as Weiss Hamilton. I believe that you can save this land and bring me and Rosalia to our happy ending. Oh, and that High-rank magic you used earlier? It was incredible. You might actually be able to surpass Firis.”

My chest ached at the sincerity in his words. Surpass his sister? Really? The gulf between the two of them was so massive.

All right, fine! I’ll do it!

I looked back at Weiss—he was beaming with a smile the likes of which I’d never seen in official game art.

“Okay… I probably can’t do this alone, but I know I can do it with you.”

“Yeah. The two of us together can make anything possible,” he said. “I’m going to sleep now, but I trust you, partner.”

I could feel my consciousness begin to slip. Obviously, Firis and my own sister were different people. Despite that, if I managed to surpass her, I was sure the ache I felt would finally fade away.

Once more, I fell into the darkness.

***

“Lord Weiss? Lord Weiss!”

“Hrm?” I murmured. “Rosalia…?”

“Thank goodness. You’re finally awake. Upon arriving at the previous lord’s room, you suddenly passed out. I was so worried! You must be exhausted from all your hard work. Please rest for now. H-huh? Why are you crying…?”

Upon seeing Rosalia’s face, I was struck by a whole range of emotions: affection, guilt, and the simple joy of getting to see her again. At the same time, I was hit by memories Weiss had with her. These were remnants of his feelings. I could sense just how much he cared about her.

“Rosalia, I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened, and thank you. Thank you for protecting me all this time…” I wrapped my arms around her, still crying. She looked surprised for a moment and then held me as though she were comforting a child. “I swear, I’m going to protect you from here on out. I’ll make you happy.”

“Aw, you must have had a nightmare,” she said softly. “Silly, I’m already plenty happy. After all, I get to be by the side of the person I care most about—you.”

Weiss, I promise you here and now. I’m going to take care of her. This feeling belonged to Weiss, but it also belonged to me now. I’m going to protect this whole place for you. No! Together with you.

Rosalia held me gently until I stopped crying.

***

Complete Assimilation with Weiss Hamilton complete. All suppressed skills have been absorbed. As a result, timelines have shifted.

I could hear a mechanical voice speaking inside of my head.

Weiss Hamilton

Occupation: Lord

Alias: Incompetent Corrupt Lord?

Populace Loyalty:20

Strength:40 → 45

Magic Power:50 → 65

Crafts:20 → 25

Skills:

Dark Magic Lv 2

Sword Skills Lv 2

Unique Skills:

Visitor From Another World: A skill given to beings from another world who have been recognized by a being from this one.

By being acknowledged by a human of this world, all of the negative statuses inflicted have been eliminated, and you can easily absorb knowledge from this world.

Two Souls: This body has two souls. Whenever you use magic, the amount of spiritual power you can draw from is doubled. Currently, the other soul is asleep.

Blind Belief in Your Fave (Leap of Faith): By imagining what Weiss would be capable of if he was the main character, this skill can make the impossible possible. This was a skill given on a whim by a god, and Weiss is neither aware of its existence nor able to see it in his status.

Chapter 2: The Evil Bloody Mistress Aigis

Chapter 2:
The Evil Bloody Mistress Aigis

“AIGIS, YOUR MEN HAVE ALL SURRENDERED. I don’t want to kill you. You were just being used… Please, lay down your sword.”

The handsome blond young man stood across from the beautiful red-haired woman, both of them holding their swords up. She was covered in injuries, but the arrow wound in her shoulder was particularly grisly. If left unattended, she would die in the near future.

“What of it?” she said. “Are you saying you’ll save me? Like some kind hero?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied. “If I ask my friends, they’ll be able to heal your wounds without a problem.”

He smiled warmly at her in an attempt to set her heart at ease, then approached her. In response, she swung her sword.

“Such kindness! Too radiant for me to even look at,” she said with a cackle. “I am not so naive as to trust such a thing. If I am to be betrayed time and time again, then I shall put faith only in myself and fight!”

“Aigis, I…”

A look of sorrow crossed the young man’s face. His pleas to save her were falling on deaf ears. It was precisely because his words were so kind that they did not reach her.

“I hate you!” she hissed. “And you know what? I don’t care about anything anymore. Everything and everyone I wanted to protect is already…”

For a time after, the sound of swords clashing filled the area—until Aigis Bloody met her end.

This was the final time that the protagonist crossed swords with his rival. After this event battle, a dramatic cutscene played in-game. Players loved it for the strength of the CG and voice acting. It was such an impactful scene that fans watched it repeatedly in the hopes of saving Aigis from her tragic fate.

After being used by the people around her, she was scorned as an evil woman, and the protagonist’s words no longer reached her ears. However, what if he had been able to reach out to her when she still was capable of believing in others? If someone reached out to her, not purely with kindness but with their own motivations laid bare, could things have turned out differently?

Fans of the Bloody Mistress Aigis often wondered this.

***

The sounds of swords clashing filled the training space. Since everything that happened with Barbaro, the territory had become much safer. As for what I was up to…

“You have improved, Lord Weiss,” said Kaiser.

“Are you being sarcastic?” I asked. “You kicked my butt.”

In addition to practicing magic, I was also training with Kaiser in the art of sword combat. I was capable of decently holding my own now, but I stood no chance against a veteran soldier like him. For some reason, when he heard my complaints, he merely smiled.

“Remember, I have given my life to the sword. I cannot afford to so easily allow myself to be defeated,” he said to me, clenching a fist, before he proceeded to stare into my eyes. “That being said, I was so moved when you told me you wanted to continue your sword practice!”

He threw his arms around me, tears streaming down his cheeks as he embraced me. Despite my discomfort, I pledged to myself that I would become stronger. After all, I’d decided to live alongside Rosalia and make the Hamilton territory a strong one. In order to survive the approaching war, I had to not only develop this land but become more powerful myself.

Plus, if things were proceeding along the game timeline, then pretty soon I would have to deal with a challenging event. Thinking about something so awful on the horizon gave me a heavy heart.

“Ah, I am most sorry. I was just so happy that I lost control of myself,” he said apologetically.

“Oh, it’s no big deal. All that did was show me how worried you were, and honestly, I’m glad,” I replied with a smile.

He was a Weiss fan too, just like me and Rosalia. I was nothing if not grateful that he remained so loyal despite everything Weiss had done.

Though he did smell like sweat when he hugged me.

“Thank you for your kind words,” he said. “Let us put an end to today’s training. Oh, and thanks to the information we received from Barbaro, we have made excellent progress on eliminating the mafia. Criminals who have heard rumors of what happened have been fleeing the territory.”

“Really? Excellent,” I said. “I’m counting on you going forward.”

“Leave it to me, Lord Weiss.”

As Kaiser bowed, I noticed a few people some ways behind him doing the same. Ever since I accompanied the men to take care of Barbaro’s organization, a number of them had started greeting me. I even had a few ask me about my magic. Even if it was only a little, I was pretty happy to have my hard work recognized.

Waving my hand at the men, I left the training grounds.

***

“It’ll be a while before Rosalia gets back,” I said to myself. I’d finally reached a good stopping point in my work, so I took a good stretch.

Not too long ago, I put in a specific investigation request with the local Adventurers’ Guild. I’d received word that their work was complete, so at the moment, I was waiting on Rosalia to return with the results.

Fortunately, I’d gotten fairly used to paperwork at this point, so I was able to make some time for myself. I decided to do some secret training on my own and made my way to the garden behind the house, where I made eye contact with Meg while she was sweeping.

“Ah, Lord Weiss!” she said. “Are you here to train? I bet you’ll get hungry, so let me bring you some sandwiches. They’ll be so good that you’ll say they’re even better than Rosalia’s!”

“Unfortunately for you,” I replied, “I don’t think you’ll so easily surpass Rosalia’s sandwich-making talents. She knows exactly what I love in a good sandwich.”

“I know. She really does adore you, Lord Weiss. All right, in that case, I’ll settle for being the maid who understands you most, second only to Rosalia! In exchange, I only ask that you make my salary the second highest.”

“Ha ha, sure,” I fired back, “I’ll consider it if Rosalia agrees.” Ever since the incident with Barbaro, Meg had grown quite fond of me, which was why we were able to joke around like this.

She wasn’t just behaving like this with me because I was acting like a different person now. Even I could see that. Unlike my old world, this one didn’t have labor laws. A noble could fire you, or even have you killed, over nothing. There was no way she would’ve been able to exchange jokes like this with a worse lord.

No, this was proof that she had opened her heart to me. Because she spoke well of me in front of everyone else, not only did those in the mansion start engaging more with me, but the traders who came in and out did as well.

After chatting with some of the other servants, I arrived in the courtyard and took a deep breath to focus myself. In the meantime, Meg came over with a basket filled with sandwiches. Didn’t she have work to attend to?

“Okay, time to get started,” I said quietly. “At this point, I can get away with casting two High-rank spells in a row before hitting my limit. But what about King-rank magic?”

I’d tested out all kinds of magic, but High-rank spells took a lot out of me at this point; I’d collapsed after only using two spells last week. Since then, I’d made it a point to use magic daily, so I should’ve been gradually increasing the number of spells I could cast.

However, that wasn’t what mattered at the moment. I wanted to see whether I could even use King-rank magic at all, regardless of how much it took out of me.

“King-rank magic is supposed to be more powerful than High-rank magic, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a level above that. In fact, it’s so incredible that only a handful of court mages can use it. Oh, but you know, according to legends, there’s even God-rank magic.”

The general understanding was that King-rank magic was the most powerful type there was. In game terms, they were spells like Kafrizzle and Firaga, the ones you learned when your magic level finally reached the top levels. Casting something like that would require me to grow by two whole levels, but if Weiss hadn’t died in the game, it was possible that he might’ve grown strong enough to use King-rank magic with proper training.

“Hey, Lord Weiss? You’re already training with Rosalia, so why are you going out of your way to train on your own just to learn how to use King-rank magic?” Meg asked.

Meg’s question was entirely fair. Normally, the lord of a territory wouldn’t need to stand on a battlefield. However, things were different for me; I knew that this land would be swept up in the fires of the war to come.

“You have to remember, people are underestimating our territory because it has an inexperienced lord. It’s possible we might get caught up in a war someday, and if that happens, I want the power to protect all of you,” I said with conviction. “In order to do that, I need to try out all kinds of things that could help me in the future.”

“Lord Weiss…” She giggled. “The way you talk about your dreams reminds me of how you used to be. It’s wonderful. Or perhaps you just want to show off how much of a man you are to Rosalia?”

“Come on, don’t tease me. I can always tell Rosalia you’re skipping work if you want.”

My retort was mostly prompted by how flustered her words left me. Someone had already seen me embrace Rosalia while I cried, which led to rumors circulating around the mansion.

That being said, our friendly back-and-forth helped me calm my nerves a little. Did she do that intentionally to soothe my nerves? On the other hand, seeing her gleeful reaction to my flustered state led me to believe that I was just overthinking things.

Either way, it was time to start training. I visualized the spell I’d seen over and over in the game, then began to channel my magic powers while performing the incantation.

“Heed my call, oh sword that rules over the everlasting darkness that protects the princess! God-devouring blade!”

My shadow took the form of a woman more pitch-black than darkness itself, and my sword was engulfed in shadows…then dispersed. I was immediately struck by a burning pain in my head that felt awful.

Dammit! Was this too much for me? Was King-rank magic beyond me? I felt my consciousness growing hazy as the ground drew near…

“Lord Weiss?!”

Someone called out my name and caught me in her gentle arms. It was a good thing, too. Collapsing right now might’ve been dangerous.

“Thank you, Rosalia,” I murmured.

“Sorry, but I’m Meg,” she corrected gently. “See? Even I can be a proper maid. Are you okay, Lord Weiss? I’m glad I followed you after Rosalia told me you might push yourself too hard.”

Now that I knew who was holding me, I noticed that she was smaller than Rosalia in a few key ways… No, that wasn’t important. She must’ve sprinted over to me when I started to fall. Her sandwiches were scattered all over the ground and her hair was disheveled.

“Sorry for worrying you like that,” I said weakly. “Thanks, Meg. I’m okay now.”

I tried to stand up, but either because I’d used too much magic power or because I’d tried to cast a spell that I was incapable of using, I’d reached my limit, and I couldn’t even stand.

“I swear, you are such a child sometimes. You mustn’t push yourself so hard. If Rosalia sees you here like this, I’m the one who’s going to get in trouble, you know? I’m taking you to your room.”

“Sorry. I can’t…stand…”

She was right that it’d be a problem if Rosalia saw us like this. Not that I knew the exact nature of her feelings toward me…

“That being said, hugging me in a place like this is quite the aggressive move, Lord Weiss.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“No, no. Not at all.” She had been smiling happily even after I grumbled at her, but now her smile was frozen for some reason. “Ah.”

“Lord Weiss,” came Rosalia’s voice, “would you care to explain why you’re out here embracing one of your maids?”

“Okay,” I said. “I swear there’s an explanation for this—”

“Lord Weiss is just so aggressive! How can a lowly maid such as myself say no?” Meg chimed in.

“You traitor!” I yelled.

Rosalia let out a loud sigh while watching our back-and-forth. Was I just imagining it, or was she pouting?

“I imagine you must have gone too far with your magic training and needed Meg to save you, right? Lord Weiss, do not push yourself like this.” Rosalia cleared her throat and stared at me with a serious look on her face. “Anyway, Lord Weiss. Just as you anticipated, the situation has deteriorated into the worst-case scenario. According to the guild, they’ve sent multiple adventurers to that same location, but none of them have returned.”

“I knew it…”

I could feel the air around us grow heavy. Even Meg went quiet, so she must have felt the change in atmosphere. I hated when bad hunches turned out to be spot-on.

***

I drank a magic recovery potion to regain my stamina, then, after a good scolding from Rosalia for pushing myself too far, returned to my room to look over the report from the Adventurers’ Guild.

Numerous monsters had been sighted on the mountain near my territory. There were more orcs, goblins, and other beasts than there would be normally, and the numerous adventurers who set out to slay them for the rewards had gone missing. I thought back to a specific event from the video game.

These were all signs that a stampede was incoming: a monster outbreak.

“If I remember correctly,” I muttered to myself, “after defeating Weiss, the hero not only ends the monster outbreak in Hamilton but also stops it from spreading into the surrounding territories as well. You increase your loyalty points with the citizens by defeating monsters that were left to their own devices. Yeah, I knew it. That stampede occurs because of what happens on the mountain.”

Monsters were powerful creatures. If I didn’t come up with a plan, this outbreak would do irreparable damage to my territory and cause my people to lose what little loyalty they’d finally started feeling toward me. Besides, I was growing quite fond of them as well. I didn’t want there to be any victims in all of this.

What was I supposed to do? Just as Rosalia knocked at my door, I sighed.

“Pardon the interruption, Lord Weiss,” she said. “It’s lunchtime. Um, I brought your favorite dish, and I worked super hard to prepare it.”

“Dammit, Meg!” I cursed her, wherever she was. “You ran your mouth!”

“I was happy to hear you love my sandwiches so much.” Rosalia giggled and met my eyes with a warm smile.

Her expression had me a bit flustered. Ever since I cried in her arms, it felt a little like Weiss’s emotions were mixing with my own. But I wasn’t the one who cried that day. It was Weiss!

That was what I wanted to say, but she’d probably think I was losing my mind, so instead I shot her a question to try and change the subject.

“I believe this is all accurate,” I said. “It says they located five monster nests. Would it be okay to ask Kaiser and his men to take care of them?”

“I think it would be wise to refrain from half-heartedly provoking the creatures,” Rosalia answered. “Plus, our men have little experience fighting in cramped environments like caves. Such locations are ill-suited for large-scale battles. Usually, one would hire adventurers to handle this, but…”

“I’ve already spent a whole lot of money between paying back my debt, improving public safety, and hiring a ton of new men.” I finished the thought for her. “I also spent a lot on developing new industries…”

“Yes. Unfortunately, you cannot do anything too exorbitant…”

“Would it be possible to request help from neighboring territories?” I asked. “If there’s a monster outbreak, that would be bad for them as well.”

“You are correct, but, um.” Rosalia hesitated to answer. “Unlike the previous lord, you never attended any of their parties, so we have no means of making contact.”

“And they’d probably say no anyway, since it’s not like they know me at all…”

Both Rosalia and I sighed. We had more soldiers now, but that just meant I had hired people who needed work. They’d only recently started training, so I couldn’t possibly send them into real battle.

That being said, my loyalty points were still way down, so I could easily imagine what would happen if I raised taxes. Crap, I was totally stuck!

I can’t give up! I have to make Weiss and Rosalia happy!

“Fortunately,” I said aloud, “I believe we have time before the monsters leave the cave. Let’s think up a solution together.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Pardon me, Lord Weiss,” Meg said from the door as she knocked. Her cheerful voice dispelled some of the heavy atmosphere in the room. “You have a letter.”

“Thanks. What does it say?”

“You have received an invitation from Marquis Bloody to attend his daughter’s birthday party,” Meg replied. “Since his second daughter, Lady Aigis, is around your age, maybe he hopes you might befriend her?”

“A party, huh? Now’s really not the time for that sort of thing—wait! Did you say Aigis?! Aigis Bloody?!”

Aigis was an enemy character you fought in the back half of the game. After beheading her fiancé for rescinding his proposal, she bathed in his blood, which led to her being called the Evil Bloody Mistress.

She appeared in-game as an enemy character, wielding a demonic blade passed down to her by her ancestors. She also possessed evasion-up stats thanks to her Mind’s Eye skill and could even strike player characters while totally ignoring their defense stats, plus attack twice in a row. She was a tremendously difficult boss character with skills so powerful, they were basically cheating.

She used her men like pawns, refusing to open up to anyone. While she was beautiful, she was hard to please, but her icy personality made her popular with women as well as men who happened to be masochists.

Normally, I would have thought that it was unwise to get involved with her without a plan, but House Bloody was a famous family of warriors. I could make use of that. At the start of the game, the house had already fallen, but if they still had the means to throw a party in this current timeline, that meant they still held some authority.

If I can get close to them, they might be willing to lend me their strength!

Since I’d played the game, I knew all of Aigis’s likes and dislikes, so I was confident I’d be able to get in her good graces.

“All right, I’ll attend the party. Let them know for me.”

I mentally calculated what I would need to do to get her family’s aid, as well as how to get close to her. It was entirely possible that she’d meet me with disdain, but I would try anything I could at this point.

Furthermore, what if she had some kind of tragic past, just like Weiss? I hadn’t caught up with the game’s timeline yet. If it was at all possible, I wanted to save her.

***

“Lord Weiss? Are you all right? You seem rather nervous.” I must have looked out of sorts during our carriage ride to the Bloody mansion because Rosalia sounded quite worried when she spoke to me.

“I’ll probably be fine,” I answered. “I had your help with practicing and everything.”

In my previous life, I’d been about as far removed from these kinds of social excursions and etiquette as one could get, but Weiss must have been formally educated on it all; as soon as Rosalia taught me something, I managed to commit it to memory with no issue.

That being said, learning about something and actually putting it into practice were two different things, so I was still a bundle of nerves.

I was living as my fave now, so I couldn’t do anything that would bring us shame.

“Here, take this,” Rosalia said, handing me her kerchief. “It smells like herbs meant to calm one’s heart. Use it when you feel anxious.”

“Rosalia… Thanks!” I grabbed it from her and immediately took a sniff.

“Hee hee, I am your personal maid. You need not thank me.”

She was right about the herbs’ efficacy, and it wasn’t long at all before I felt calmer.

“Lord Weiss,” Rosalia said with a blush, “this might seem odd coming from me, but it is a little embarrassing having you smell one of my possessions right in front of me.”

“Saying that is going to make me think about it!” I replied, looking between her face and the handkerchief.

Once we reached the mansion of House Bloody, I stepped down from the carriage and made my way forward. At first glance, the town surrounding the mansion didn’t appear particularly active, but it was several times bigger than my own territory, and the central home was quite lavish as well.

The two of us made our way into the party hall.

***

“Incredible.”

I couldn’t help but offer words of wonderment at the sight stretching out before me. The party hall was filled with delicious-looking food and beautifully adorned men and women holding conversations. This was exactly the kind of party for nobility you saw in games and anime. Normally, you would talk to friends to kill time until it was your turn to greet the party guests, but…

Well, Weiss was a low-ranking member of the nobility, and since he was removed from the line of succession, he had very little experience at social gatherings such as this. Additionally, he had been holed up in his mansion for a long time, which led to his territory becoming incredibly unsafe. This only drew more attention to him—and not the good kind.

Long story short: I’m all alone. Maybe I can start a rock band. I could call it “Kessoku Band.”

However, now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that kind of silliness.

Dammit, this whole thing was bringing back awful memories of when my schoolteacher told us to pair up in class. Fortunately, I had an out this time.

“Ros—”

I was about to call her over but noticed that she was excitedly chatting with a fellow maid. It would’ve been wrong of me to interrupt, so now I actually was all alone. Just when despair was beginning to wash over me, I received another shock.

“If it isn’t my best friend! Long time no see! I heard things have been quite rough for you.”

A young man with a dubious smile on his face came walking over to me. He looked about the same age as I was, and his eyes were narrow but intelligent. Something about his face was beautiful and androgynous.

Who was this guy? I didn’t recognize him from the game, and the fact that he was speaking to me was enough to make me suspicious. I was trying to figure out what to do when he stopped in front of me and struck a dramatic pose.

“What’s this? What’s wrong, my friend? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten who I am! Surely you remember me, your best friend Nyarl!” he said. “Don’t you remember how Rosalia chewed the both of us out for reading a lewd book about training maids?”

This guy was really putting on the social pressure. Also, it was deeply annoying that an attractive guy like him could pull off such a weird pose.

“Is that your idea of a happy memory?” I asked him.

“Ha ha ha, you finally replied to me! Just keep in mind, I’m not to blame for your maid fetish. Or are you mad at me for not visiting you while you were recovering? Look, even I know how to read the room. You’ve had it rough with the whole line of succession thing in your territory. It would be bad for both of us if I did anything to bring about unfounded suspicions. Instead, I sent you Josephine. Have you been taking good care of her?”

“Er, Josephine?”

Had he sent me a dog or something? If he had, Rosalia would’ve said something. The only gift I got while I was recovering was that creepy carnivorous plant that looked like a bunch of tentacles.

I suddenly remembered that the card on it said it was from my best friend.

“You’re the one who sent that creepy flower?!” I couldn’t help exclaiming. “That thing is terrifying! It catches bugs with its tentacles!”

“Creepy? How rude. How can you not understand her beauty? I suppose this is the one thing we shall never agree upon, but that’s fine. I grow all kinds of plants in my territory, you see. It’s not uncommon for me to come into possession of rare plants.” He stared straight at me, that shady smile still on his face, and extended his hand. “But I am truly glad you’re all right. I was really worried.”

Given how he was acting, we must’ve genuinely been close. I’d only make myself look suspicious if I was overly cautious at this point, so I exchanged handshakes with him. However, when I tried to take a look at his stats, nothing happened.

Why wasn’t anything popping up? Was he using some sort of magic? No, maybe it was that I’d played the hell out of this game and had no knowledge of this man. What if I couldn’t see stats for people who weren’t in the game?

If that was true, I was in big trouble. As I progressed down an alternate timeline from the game I knew, I was inevitably going to run into people I wouldn’t have an advantage over, and there would only be more of them over time.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve run into a bunch of orcs on a mountain…” Nyarl seemed to get the wrong idea from how shaken I was, but he continued to drone on and on before waiting for my answer. “Ah, I know why you came here after holing up in your mansion all this time. You’re looking at…her. The second daughter of House Bloody—you want to enter the running to be Aigis Bloody’s fiancé, right?”

Nyarl pointed at the area where the hosts were seated.

No, dude. I was surprised at you, I thought to myself, but upon following his finger, I saw a sturdy middle-aged man and a beautiful red-haired girl, a little younger than myself, sitting up front.

The girl in question was watching the older man talk to noblemen and women with a bored look on her face. I was familiar with that expression of hers that kept people at a distance.

So, Aigis Bloody is disinterested in people even at this age?

She already looked the part of the girl who would rip the head off her fiancé after he rescinded the marriage offer, then go on to wield the magic blade passed down to her by her ancestors.

Like Weiss, she would also meet a tragic end. The hero and his party pursued her, and she would continue to fight until her life came to an end. The hero himself attempted to get her to surrender on multiple occasions, but she never listened, choosing to fight back instead. In the end, she died facing him in single combat.

“She has a beautiful face, that much is certain. However, she’s a thorned rose, my friend. Look, Versago, from one of your neighboring territories, is also getting annihilated as we speak.”

Nyarl was right on the money; a young man a little older than myself was confidently speaking to her, but she looked completely disinterested. Then, she said something that caused his expression to freeze and sent him off on the verge of tears.

I could hear him whispering crudely as he left the party hall, “That bitch… How dare she…”

Er, what the hell did she say to him to break him that badly?

“Wait, ‘also?’” I asked. “Has she turned down others?”

Nyarl’s reply was just a pompous smile. He got rejected too?! Man, even being handsome did him no favors? Well, actually, his expressions were fishy as all hell. He seemed like the type who would commit marriage fraud.

“My friend, correct me if I’m wrong, but were you just thinking something terribly rude? I’ll have you know I am quite depressed about all of this!”

“You’re imagining things. Anyway, looks like she’s every bit as fiery as the rumors say.”

I took a moment to make sure my outfit and appearance were in order, which had Nyarl staring at me with sparkles in his eyes.

“Oho, are you going to go talk to her?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a plan. People are getting rejected because they’re trying to sweet-talk her right off the bat, but just watch.”

I returned Nyarl’s sly smile with a smirk.

In my previous life, I read books like How to Be Popular and A Simple Guide to Getting a Girlfriend. My time was now!

What? Did I have any actual dating experience? Hell no. I wouldn’t be a virgin if I had the courage to talk to girls—but that was the old me. I was a hottie now, and more importantly, I had a secret weapon. I knew from the official fanbook that she loved roses, so I’d made sure to buy some in town before coming to her party.

Plus, I was Weiss. There was no way she was going to reject me. If I was in Aigis’s position, I would gladly dance with me!

“Thank you very much for inviting me here today, Lord Reinhard Bloody.”

“Oh, thank you for coming, Weiss Hamilton,” Lord Bloody replied. “You have my condolences for what happened to your parents.”

“I appreciate that. I apologize for not greeting you sooner. Things have been tremendously hectic back home.”

“Please, do not apologize. It sounds like you’ve had a rough go of it. But I’ve also heard that you captured the criminals who were running amok in your territory. I’m proud that there are youngsters like you out there working so hard for their people.”

Reinhard was praising my accomplishments, and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was sincere. He must have heard awful things about me, yet here he was, choosing to look at who I was now instead of who I was before.

As for Aigis, she glanced at me once, decided she wasn’t interested, and turned her gaze out toward the garden. Damn, she was not having this one bit.

“Come now, Aigis,” her father prompted. “Say hello.”

Upon her father’s urging, Aigis finally looked at me, disinterested as she was. However, she didn’t say a word.

“My apologies. I would be pleased if you could be friends, as you’re both close in age, but…”

“Do not apologize. I am sure Lady Aigis is simply nervous,” I replied to him, then put on my best smile and greeted the young lady. “Lady Aigis, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Weiss Hamilton.”

“Is that so? Well, I hate you!” she said in response.

She turned away and left for the drink table while Lord Reinhard held his head in his hands. This was the exact kind of behavior you’d expect from someone called the Evil Bloody Mistress. Nonetheless, I was surprised she acted like this even before the events of the game.

“I am so sorry. Things have been…a bit of a struggle in my family, leading her to treat others like this. Please try not to be too upset with her,” Reinhard said apologetically to me.

“Do not worry. I’m sure she’s just nervous,” I said to assure him I wasn’t bothered. After that, I left to find Aigis.

Things have been a struggle for them, huh?

Much like Weiss had issues with his father and his sister, perhaps she had reasons for why she couldn’t trust anyone by the time the events of the game occurred. The only information about her history in-game was a few lines of text talking about how she stopped trusting people after her past experiences, but there was nothing about what those experiences were. Maybe if I learned more about her, I could solve her problems and save her.

My love for villain characters was lighting a fire within me. Since I was already here, I was going to try and get her to open up to me!

“Lady Aigis, I’m sorry for speaking to you so abruptly earlier,” I said when I caught up with her. “As an apology, I would like you to have this.”

I psyched myself up and gave her my best smile, then held out a bouquet of roses. Showing her roses in-game would get her to stop moving momentarily; they were her mother’s favorites, so they had deep significance for her.

Aigis looked at the roses, then stared me in the eye.

“I don’t want those. I hate you!” she said. With that, she turned and left the party venue.

Okay, that sucked pretty hard.

“Howdy, friend. I guess you met the same fate as the rest of us, didn’t you?” Nyarl was doing his best to hold back his laughter. “I have to say, you’re brave for trying more than once.”

“Lord Weiss! Don’t worry, I love you!” Rosalia said with a warm smile. She must have seen my conversation with Aigis and was trying to make me feel better.

What am I supposed to do about this?!

***

“Where am I?”

After getting spectacularly shot down, I did some stress eating while I made small talk with the other nobility at the party. I wasn’t used to this kind of thing, so I decided to hit up the garden and recharge my social batteries.

So, uh, now I am completely lost.

If I shouted Rosalia’s name, I believed she’d come running like the movie version of the blue robot cat that was frequently mistaken for a tanuki, but before I could figure out my next move, I noticed the weeds in front of me rustling.

This is just like P0k3m0n! Okay, maybe it was more likely this was an intruder.

Reinhard said his family was going through some things, so catching someone trying to sneak in would be a good way to get in his good favor. I erased my presence and closed in on the weeds, when suddenly I heard a sound as a fist came flying at me.

“Whoa!” I yelped. “Hey, that was dangerous!”

“You’re that rose guy!” Aigis said, her fist barely grazing my face. “What are you doing here?!”

I didn’t know how she managed to get the jump on me when I’d received formal training!

“That’s what I’d like to ask you, Lady Aigis.”

“Be quiet,” she hissed. “Otherwise…”

“Is someone there?”

I heard someone else’s voice. It sounded like Lord Reinhard. Judging by how Aigis was behaving as she glared at me, she must’ve been listening in on him.

In that case…

“What are you planning?” she asked quietly. “Did you want to assault me? I’ll crush your balls.”

“Shh, keep quiet. Shadow, conceal us.”

I covered her mouth with my hand and summoned my shadow to hide us, all the while muttering internally about how I’d never lust after a brat like her. Our bodies were completely concealed by pitch-black darkness.

We couldn’t move in this state, but we were completely hidden. In-game, it had the effect of hiding you for a single turn—perfect for getting ready to use healing magic. I thought Aigis would resist more, but she went quiet. Maybe she understood the situation she was in.

Looking over, I saw Reinhard speaking to a slender man clad in a hooded robe and a larger man dressed to match. Both guys looked extremely suspicious.

“My apologies,” Reinhard said. “I must have misheard. Anyway, will you really cure my wife’s illness if I hand over the donation?”

“Of course. The Hades Church promises to save your beloved wife.”

“All right. I promise I’ll give you the amount you asked for. In exchange, please save her. In the meantime, if you sell this, you should be able to make quite a bit. Use it as you see fit.”

Reinhard handed a mysterious sword with a shining stone embedded in it over to the slender man. After that, the men went their separate ways. However, as the slender one passed by me, I thought I noticed him grinning.

But there was something more important on my mind: the Hades Church. It was the heretical religion that led the empire down the path of evil in Valhalla Tactics. In-game, there was a group called the Twelve Apostles of Hades, and they basically served the role of the Four Fiends in another game. This world wasn’t caught up to the events of the game yet, so they must’ve been biding their time and building their influence among the nobility.

“Father…” Aigis murmured to herself. “That magic sword has been passed down from generation to generation of our family. He once said it was the thing he treasured most after his own family.”

“Lady Aigis…”

I undid the spell and looked at Aigis as she sobbed where she knelt. I found myself at a loss for words. She had been so antagonistic only moments before, but now she looked like a weeping child. For the first time, I felt like I was seeing the real Aigis.

“Lady Aigis, those men are with an unsavory church,” I said. “They will not keep their promise. Please tell your father to distance himself from them.”

Considering we’d only met today, I doubted that my words would land with the sobbing girl in front of me, but I had to say something. The Hades Church did not hesitate when it came to using people, and in the empire, at least right now, they were considered to be a heretical church. It would be tremendously bad if other noble houses learned that Lord Reinhard was dealing with them; the church could use this information to blackmail him.

Besides, Lord Reinhard actually recognized the hard work I put into my territory. I didn’t want to see someone like that suffer.

“I know all of that!” she cried. “B-but we may have earned lots of money while at war, but all we can do is fight! We don’t know how to heal my mother, and we’re no good at diplomacy. That’s why there are so many people who try to trick us. What are we supposed to do? If there’s even a fraction of a chance that we can save Mother, we have to take it!”

She didn’t want to trust them, but she had to.

I looked at the young woman crying in front of me and thought back on the one in the game. From here on out, I was certain she would continue to be tricked and betrayed. That must have been why she lost her ability to trust in others and eventually became a monster on the battlefield.

The hero of the game couldn’t save her, but what about now, when she still wanted to trust others?

“Lady Aigis, what kind of illness does your mother have?” I asked.

“What, are you suddenly going to say you can save her?” was her reply. “I don’t trust you!”

Despite her words of rejection, I could see the hope in her eyes, and it hurt my heart. The look of despair on her face reminded me of my fave, Weiss. I wanted to save her, but I suspected my words would not reach her. We had only met today, after all.

Actions spoke louder than words.

“You don’t have to trust me,” I told her, “but I vow to save your mother, whether you believe me or not.”

“What? But…why?”

“Well, quite frankly, my territory is weak. I would like House Bloody’s protection, so to speak.”

I tried to explain my reasoning in a way that made sense without lying. House Hamilton needed the power of an influential family, and House Bloody had the military might I was desperate for. Obviously, I also wanted to save Aigis, but that wasn’t the only motivating factor for me. By helping her family, I’d be able to call in a favor with them and get their help with the impending stampede.

I wasn’t a hero, so I was going to use her problem to my advantage. If I didn’t, there was no way someone as weak as Weiss would be able to survive in this world.

“I see,” she said doubtfully. “I still don’t trust you, but I’ll tell you what she’s sick with.”

Aigis stared straight into my eyes and told me the name of her mother’s illness. It was the very same one that would cause an epidemic that the hero and his party would have to contend with down the line. It was a bit of a pain to deal with, but it wasn’t unbeatable.

While I waited for Aigis’s tears to come to an end, I ran through all the game knowledge in my head to remember the way to cure it.

Eventually, we both returned to the party hall.

***

“Well, hello there, my good friend! You’re incredible! I can’t believe you managed to go on a date with Lady Aigis of all people! What magic did you use?” Nyarl asked, surprised.

“Hee hee, Lord Weiss is incredible, so of course things worked out,” Rosalia said proudly—before pouting. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a touch jealous, though.”

Why exactly was she making that face?

I felt bad, but my mind was racing with things that needed to get done, so I couldn’t really focus on either of them. Aigis’s mother was afflicted with a disease that the Hades Church spread themselves, and it was the same illness that would run wild in the hero’s territory in the future.

I had no idea it was already doing the rounds this early. They must have used it as a tool to get powerful nobility under their control.

The Hades Church developed this particular illness, so of course they knew how to cure it. The hero of the game acquired the cure by defeating one of the church’s officers, after all. That meant, as someone who’d played the game, I knew the cure.

“Hey, Rosalia?” I asked. “I’d like to get my hands on mandrake root. Is that doable? I need it immediately.”

“Mandrake root? If you put in a request with the guild, I’m sure they can get you some, but they’re quite rare,” she answered, her face falling. “I do not know how long it would take…”

“Really?”

I groaned after seeing Rosalia’s expression. The hero and his party got their hands on some through an event, so of course this wasn’t going to be easy.

But I needed it sooner rather than later! If the Hades Church got the cure to Lord Reinhard before me, he wouldn’t be able to go against their demands going forward. They’d use and abuse him, then throw him to the dogs, leading Aigis to her dark descent.

“Hm? If you need mandrake root,” Nyarl chimed in, “I have some at my place.”

“Er, for real?” I asked.

“I told you before, my family deals in all manner of medicinal herbs,” he answered. “We also have plenty of rare plants. So…”

“Please, Nyarl. Sell me some!” I begged him.

I grabbed my friend’s hands as I pleaded with him. He looked back at me with wide eyes, then smirked.

“How could I say no to my best friend? Of course I will. But I have a single condition. I do not know what sort of business you’re getting up to, but I wish to be a part of it. I’d rather not be left out.”

Thus, I explained to him that I needed the plant in order to cure a disease.

***

“I never thought I’d get my hands on mandrake root so easily…” I said.

“Hah! You have me to thank for that, dear friend!” Nyarl laughed. “With my help, your plan has made progress!”

“Yeah, I know. I guess you’re not just a pompous advice character.”

“Hmm? I do not know what an ‘advice character’ is, but I can tell that you’re being rude.”

A few days later, I summoned Nyarl to my room after learning he had acquired what I’d asked for. Just as he said, his face as smug as ever, he’d easily managed to get his hands on the mandrake root, a material that was normally quite hard to come by.

The root looked like the face of a human in pain, and, honestly, it was gross as hell. But if I remembered correctly, it had magical powers.

“What are you going to do with this, my friend?” Nyarl asked. “Mandrake roots can grant vitality, but they are also extremely poisonous. You need to know what you’re doing if you don’t wish to harm whoever you will be feeding it to.”

“Yeah, no worries. I’m going to purify it at the Divine Spring and mix it with a potion. With that, the poisonous components should be inverted.”

“Huh. Aren’t Divine Springs places where Divine Spirits and Divine Beasts frequent because the water is so pure?” he asked uncertainly, his brow furrowing. “The nobility in the capital and some of the potion guilds have monopolized such places, and all of them are under the watchful eye of the church. I do not think it will be easy to find an undiscovered one…”

He was right that Divine Springs were incredibly precious resources. Most of them were under the management of someone already, and they wouldn’t let you use one unless you paid up, had significant authority, or had connections to those who did.

But I had played the game, and I knew that there was a Divine Spring in my territory that no one had gotten to yet. Plus, the monsters that lurked there, which I could name by heart, weren’t particularly powerful.

It sounded almost too convenient, but the Hamilton territory would eventually go on to be governed by the hero in the game, so it made sense that the designers would put a Divine Spring there. I was going to make full use of it.

“Hah, going by the look on your face, you know where to find one. When are you going?” he asked immediately. “I must prepare, so I would appreciate being given a heads-up.”

“Huh? Are you coming along?”

“Didn’t I tell you? In exchange for the mandrake root, you’re going to involve me in your plan,” he said. “I don’t want to be left on the sidelines again when you’re in need of help.”

“Nyarl…”

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Kaiser and Rosalia weren’t the only ones who thought fondly of Weiss. Nyarl probably wasn’t worth much in a battle, but Rosalia would be able to protect me and one other person, right?

That was when I heard a knock at the door, but it wasn’t Rosalia. It was someone rather unexpected.

“Lord Weiss, Lady Aigis has come to see you. I see the two of you have become quite close.”

“Ooh, Lady Aigis! How are you doing today?” Nyarl said, greeting the young woman with his usual sleazy smile.

“Terrible, now that I’ve seen you. I hate you!” She ­destroyed him with her words after barely a glance. She was the definition of tsun—no dere!

“So, Lady Aigis. What brings you here today?” I asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she said, staring at me dead-on. “It’s about what we talked about. I came to see if you were actually going to keep your promise!”

She was putting on a brave face, but I knew she was worried on the inside. Her small hands were trembling as she waited for my reply. Perhaps there were others who said they would look into trying to cure her mother’s mysterious illness, who then gave up.

I’m not like them, Aigis.

“In that case, do not worry,” I said, smiling in an attempt to calm her down. “I know what needs to be done.”

“You’re…not lying…!” She looked me in the eye. “That’s the truth…”

Suddenly, tears poured down her disbelieving face, and she embraced me in her arms.

Huh? Did she really start trusting me just like that?

***

I had Aigis rest in another room until she calmed down and sent Nyarl home for the time being, even though I felt bad about it.

“I can’t believe Lord Weiss has become the sort of man who makes women cry,” Rosalia said with a tremendously sad expression. It seemed like I’d have to clear up this misunderstanding later.

After a little while, Rosalia told me that Aigis was calling for me, so I knocked on the door of the room and called out to her.

“Lady Aigis, are you all right now?”

“Yes,” she replied, “I’ve calmed down. You can come in.”

Upon entering the room, I noticed that Aigis’s face was bright red. She must have been embarrassed after I saw her crying earlier. The traces of her tears hurt to look at.

“Um, I’m sorry, Weiss.”

“Please, you need not apologize,” I answered. “Anyone would find themselves shaken when something so unexpected happens. I’m happy that you trusted me, but I think you should be more cautious. This might seem odd coming from me, but there’s always the chance I’m trying to fool you.”

I understood she felt cornered by her situation, but it would be bad if she just went around trusting everyone as a result of that. In the game, that behavior ultimately led to her falling to the darkness.

To my surprise, she shook her head.

“You’re quite kind,” she said. “You don’t need to worry. I want to be able to pick and choose who I can trust. You truly believe you’ve found a way to cure my mother, right? Or am I wrong?”

“Well, you’re right, but…Lady Aigis, don’t tell me you…”

Something felt off about how certain she was of my intentions. Just recently, I had learned that magic you could only use during combat in-game was perfectly usable outside of combat here. If that was the case, wouldn’t it be the same for her skills as well?

“Yes, you guessed it. I have a skill called Mind’s Eye,” Aigis said with a terribly sad smile. “I am able to see how a person will move, and I can tell whether or not they’re lying based on their facial expressions. The reason I apologized to you earlier isn’t just because I caused you trouble. I was also apologizing for not believing your words. Everyone gave up so quickly, and I just didn’t think that you would actually do anything to find a cure…”

Aigis earnestly lowered her head at me. So that was why she didn’t put up a fight in the garden? She could tell that I legitimately meant her no harm.

“Ah, but, um…” she continued, “I have to activate Mind’s Eye in order for its effects to work, so it isn’t as though I always know when someone is lying to me.”

“That must be so difficult, Lady Aigis,” I said without thinking. “That skill must have caused you much suffering in the past.”

Those words came naturally when I thought about the environment she grew up in. It must have been awful knowing when people were lying to her, especially in noble society where everyone hid their true intentions. That was the kind of power that could easily cause someone to lose their faith in others. Besides that, I was sure plenty of people had approached her, looking to take advantage of the situation with her mother’s illness. The thought left me speechless.

“Huh?” Aigis’s eyes widened in surprise at my response. “You’re not…freaked out? You’re the first person to ever say something like that to me. Um. Thanks.”

Perhaps the reason she said things like “I hate you” to someone she was meeting for the first time was because she wanted to push others away—a defense mechanism to keep her from trusting outsiders. After all, if that person ended up being a liar, who could blame her for not wanting to get involved with others after being betrayed so many times?

That really would hurt. When I started imagining what I could do to help her, I knew what to say.

“Well, I was just thinking about how hard it must be to have a power like that,” I told her. “We’re both around the same age, so I would love it if we could get along.”

“Heh. You truly are quite strange.”

Aigis gave me a blindingly bright smile the likes of which I’d never seen when playing the game. For a moment, my chest burned hot. She was adorable.

In any event, I had no idea that Mind’s Eye worked like that. In the game, it raised her evasion stat, which was a pain to deal with as her opponent, but even in day-to-day life, it was an extremely powerful skill.

Considering I could use my shadow hand to carry objects and do all kinds of work, it felt safe to say that magic and skills in this world could be used in many ways outside of combat.

“U-um, if you really do want to get along with me, may I make a request of you?”

“But of course,” I replied. “If it’s something I can do, I gladly will.”

“Then…would you…b-be my friend?” she asked, her body trembling slightly. Her face was bright red, and I could tell she had to work up her courage in order to squeeze those words out.

Her request took me off guard because she never opened her heart to anyone in the game.

“Absolutely, Lady Aigis,” I answered. “If you are fine with having me as a friend, I would love to be yours.”

“Is that so? Thank you. In that case, you can just call me Aigis. Also, um, if you ever need help, just let me know. I’ll do everything I can.”

“Thanks, Aigis. I appreciate that.”

In that moment, the two of us officially became friends. We spent the time afterward chatting about ourselves, and I could immediately feel the two of us growing closer. Much to my surprise, Aigis was quite the chatterbox, which gave me the opportunity to learn who she really was.

She told me all about how her father taught her how to wield a sword and complimented her skills. How she enjoyed combat but also loved cooking as well, especially sweets. This was information that didn’t exist in the game, and the fact that she was opening up to me made me feel happier than I had words for.

We chatted for so long that I lost track of time. Eventually, one of her servants came to get her.

“All right, Weiss. I had a lot of fun today. I’ll be back again soon.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Lady Aigis.”

“Grrr!”

She suddenly started pouting at me. Did I do something wrong?

“Huh? Why are you in such a bad mood?”

“I told you, you don’t need to speak to me so politely. You can just call me Aigis…” She said through puffed-up cheeks, glaring at me.

That’s what she’s upset about?!

I glanced over at the House Bloody servant who had come to get her, and they nodded as if to say, That’s totally fine. Apparently, I could do as Lady Aigis—er, Aigis asked.

“Okay, Aigis. If I make any progress, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks. But are you certain you don’t want some soldiers? This is our problem, after all.”

“Nah! There are monsters over there, so it’d be best to go in small numbers. Me, Rosalia and Nyarl should be fine on our own. Rosalia’s crazy strong.”

But my proud declaration only had her raising an eyebrow. What was it now?

“Nyarl. He’s that foolish-looking man, right?” she asked.

“Um, yes?”

“In that case, I will accompany you as well. When you know what day you will be leaving, please let me know. Father trained me how to fight, so I won’t slow you down.”

“Wait, for real?”

With a serious look on her face, she climbed into her carriage and rode off before I could respond. What was all this about?

Wait, was she jealous that I invited my friend Nyarl along but not her?

***

I’d always been observant.

House Bloody was a noble family that rose in prominence thanks to our exploits in battle, which is why I was trained in the way of the sword despite being a girl. As I exercised my body and mind, my observational skills grew even sharper, and I eventually found myself able to just barely tell what someone was thinking.

“You’re incredible, Aigis. That powerful skill of yours is called Mind’s Eye, and I’m certain it will protect you,” I was once told.

“Really? I don’t like it very much. I can tell when people are lying…”

Sure, such a skill was useful in battle, but that wasn’t the case for day-to-day life. In noble society, where people were constantly scheming and putting up a front, this gift was more like a curse—chains holding me down, even.

Maybe things would have been different if I were the sort of person who was smart enough to both see through the lies and use that to my advantage, but unfortunately, I was never particularly clever. I was always better at swinging a sword than I was at thinking. In the end, I found myself gradually coming to hate people as they continued to lie to my face. Sometimes, I faked being sick to get out of parties and social gatherings.

One day, Father came to see me, worried about how I’d been cooped up in my room. When I told him my concerns, he answered me with a smile.

“Truth be told, your old man is pretty useless outside of battle, too,” he told me. “People took advantage of me all the time back in the day. That’s why I want you to look for a special someone. Someone who’s kind. Someone you can trust. If you do that, I know you can find true happiness. They’ll be your guiding light.”

“Does someone like that really exist? Did you find that special someone?”

“I sure did. Your mother. That’s why I’m no match for her, as I’m sure you know. But I am happy,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “I’ve even been blessed with adorable children.”

As I looked at him, I dreamed that one day I might find someone like that for myself.

Back then, House Bloody was so peaceful. That changed when Mother came down with an unknown illness. Father did everything in his power to find a cure, but nothing worked.

“What do I do?”

Father panicked as he saw Mother’s condition worsening. Eventually, he started relying on less credible options and shady individuals.

“Daddy, you mustn’t believe them,” I said to him.

“I’m sorry, Aigis. If there’s even a chance we can cure your mother, I have to take it.”

Father was cornered, and my words were no longer reaching him. He knew I could see through lies, but he refused to listen. No, that wasn’t quite right. He didn’t want to listen. Even if it was false hope, he had to cling to something, anything.

House Bloody continued to flourish on the battlefield. We had plenty of money and a massive territory, so there was no end to the number of people who sought to take advantage of us. They didn’t limit their attempts to my father either. They came to me as well.

“I know someone who can cure your mother.”

I was approached by a swindler looking to take advantage of me for a quick buck, but I immediately saw through their lies, beat them up, and took them into custody.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to find a cure for her. Come search with me.”

Next, one of my father’s friends approached me out of genuine kindness. However, after looking into my mother’s illness and coming up empty-handed, he gave up like everyone else.

“I hate everyone! No one is going to save us… In that case, I don’t want to get involved with anyone!”

That was why I rejected every person I met. Father asked me to at least attend my own birthday party, so I did for his sake, with no intention of being friendly with anyone there.

It was there that I met a mysterious young man. At first, I thought he was trying to curry my favor. I remember being disappointed, thinking that he was just like the others.

Later, I saw Father meeting in secret with two suspicious men. While I was off guard from seeing them, I ended up telling the young man everything.

He said something I didn’t expect—he told me I didn’t have to trust him. He would save me regardless, and in exchange, he wanted us to protect his territory.

It was a proposal born out of both sympathy and self-interest, but I could tell that he was really trying to think of a way to save my mother, and I found myself relieved that he wasn’t trying to deceive me. We’d only just met, and he had no reason to go out of his way for me and my family. Maybe that was why I felt able to trust him more than those who tried before him; he wasn’t just acting out of kindness. He was also doing this for himself, and he was honest about it.

At the end of the day, I didn’t trust offers made out of pure kindness. A person might try their best at first, but as soon as they ran into a challenge, they’d give up. People worked their hardest when they had something to gain from it. Sure, one of the main characters from the old heroic tales might’ve tried to save me out of pure kindness, but I wasn’t such a dreamer that I believed that kind of person actually existed.

Sometime later, I dropped by his mansion. I couldn’t help but grasp at the slimmest of hopes even though I kept telling myself to keep my expectations low.

When I saw him, I asked him about a cure for my mother, and he told me, “In that case, do not worry. I know what needs to be done.”

Then, he smiled warmly in order to put my nerves at ease. When I used my Mind’s Eye skill on him, I knew that he wasn’t lying.

I could see a mix of emotions in his expression: relief that he had found a cure, happiness that I would be relieved by this news, exhilaration that he’d made a connection that would allow him to protect his territory. None of his feelings were false.

Oh, he’s truly found a cure… He can save my mother.

As soon as I understood this, I began to weep even though another person could see me. After my tears dried, I explained my power to him, certain that he must find it questionable that I could put my faith in him so quickly. Regardless of what his intentions were, it was unfair to keep my skill a secret when he was willing to lend me his aid.

Being able to read someone’s emotions… Others saw it as unpleasant. To be honest, I assumed he would be disgusted, but I continued to explain nonetheless, my heart racing all the while.

I’d never imagined what he would really say.

Instead of being disturbed by my abilities, he showed genuine concern. This filled me with so much joy that I found myself saying something to him that I had never said to anyone else.

“Then…would you…b-be my friend?”

“Absolutely, Lady Aigis. If you are fine with having me as a friend, I would love to be yours.”

When he responded with a grin, I could feel myself on the verge of tears again. It was then that I felt it—the breadth of knowledge that allowed him to discover a cure for Mother and the open-mindedness that led him to accept my power meant something. This young man was like my mother was for my father. He was my soulmate.

And so, I silently made a vow to myself: I would protect him at all costs. Plus, I wanted to see what he would go on to accomplish.

Just as I gave my thanks and was about to head home, he mentioned that he was going to the Divine Spring with his maid and the young man named Nyarl. I immediately changed plans.

Nyarl was an extremely suspicious person whom I couldn’t understand. For some reason, I was incapable of reading him with my Mind’s Eye.

Obviously, there had been others like that before: a knowledgeable, battle-worn nobleman at the royal palace and an assassin who displayed no emotions on their face. However, this Nyarl was just a random nobleman’s son. I suspected there might have been something deeper going on, which meant Weiss was potentially in danger. Before I realized what I was saying, I told Weiss I would tag along.

He didn’t seem to know what to do, but he gave me permission to come to the Divine Spring with them nonetheless.

I only hoped he wouldn’t dislike my pushiness. As scary as that might be, even worse was the thought that something could happen to him because he was helping me.

***

It was said that the Divine Springs came to be when the gods descended upon this mortal realm. Their water had the mysterious effect of curing all wounds and ailments. These were also areas where clusters of magic with their own will, known as Divine Spirits, resided, as well as creatures called Divine Beasts, which were capable of forming contracts with others to share their powers.

There were a host of in-game events where you got medicine from this Divine Spring and even welcomed a Divine Beast into your party. Thanks to that experience, I knew how to get here.

“Is there really a Divine Spring here?” Aigis asked. “This is your territory, right? How come you’ve never found it?”

“We don’t have a lot of money,” I answered, “so there’s a lot of undeveloped forest around here. That’s where we’ll find this Divine Spring.”

“Huh… So, why do you already know about it?” Aigis asked with a puzzled look on her face.

A totally fair question. I’d reincarnated here from another world, but I couldn’t possibly say that to her without making her question my sanity. The problem was that Aigis would see through my lies, and quite frankly, even if she couldn’t, I didn’t want to lie to her.

“Well…”

But before I could come up with a solution, someone else extended an olive branch.

“My good friend here is quite studious, you see. I’m sure he’s done all sorts of research,” Nyarl chimed in, even though his face was as pale as a ghost. He put a hand over his mouth. “Urgh! I feel sick.”

He must’ve been queasy from all the rocking in the carriage.

Concerned that he would throw up inside the vehicle, Aigis cried out and offered him a cup of fruit water. “Could you please not vomit here?! Have some of this, okay? It’ll make you feel better.”

“Will you be all right, Lord Nyarl? You should lay down in the back and rest,” Rosalia said.

“Ugh, I shall take you up on that offer.” He moved to the back to lay down. He had taken his own self-concocted anti-nausea medicine earlier, but clearly it wasn’t effective enough.

Watching Nyarl suffer seemed to have distracted Aigis from her previous line of questioning, and she changed the subject. “Well, whatever. So, Mother’s really going to be cured by this method?”

“Correct. Her illness is actually caused by mandrake poison. If we have her drink mandrake extract after purifying it at a Divine Spring, she should recover.”

This was a healing method that the main party of the game would go on to develop, but as of this point in the timeline, only the Hades Church knew about it—and that meant they would never suspect anyone else would.

At present, they were only making moves beneath the surface, and it seemed like Aigis’s mother was the only one suffering from the disease right now, but there was no telling how things would develop in the future. I wanted to get my hands on this Divine Spring as soon as possible so I could begin mass-producing medicine.

“Lord Weiss, we have arrived.”

“Cool. Thanks,” I said.

“So this is the forest where the Divine Spring is. Are those Divine Spirits? They’re beautiful,” Aigis said, her voice laced with wonder as she let out a deep breath.

I nodded. The woods were so dense that they blocked out direct sunlight, and the way the Divine Spirits flitted about made them look like fireflies, giving the whole sight an ephemeral atmosphere. It served as a strong reminder that I was in another world.

This whole thing was hundreds of times more beautiful than how it looked in the game. CG just couldn’t beat actually being there.

“I bet this would make for a great date spot,” I mused. “I’d love to give that a try one of these days.”

“What?! Are you really talking about that kind of thing right now?! You can’t just jump straight to a date!” For some reason, Aigis turned bright red and stuck her bottom lip out. “You have to at least have tea with a girl a few times before inviting her out.”

I was trying to figure out why she was so angry when Nyarl interrupted our little chat. He joyfully freed himself from the confines of the carriage.

“Thank goodness! Finally, solid ground!” he exclaimed. “I thought I was going to throw up the whole way.”

“Lord Nyarl, are you feeling better?” Rosalia asked with concern.

Talk about ruining our moment.

Anyhow, we’d managed to get to the woods where the Divine Spring was located. Now what?

“We might run into monsters from here on out, so stay on guard,” I warned. “I’ll lead the way, since I know where the spring is. Rosalia, I want you at the rear. Nyarl, if you spot any medicinal herbs you think we can use, let me know so I can gather them up. As for you, Aigis…”

“Don’t worry,” she said, holding up a worn-out sword. “I’ll fight too.”

Was that a weapon for children? It was just short enough that she could swing the heavy blade without straining. While it was a fact that she would grow up to be a powerful warrior, at the moment, she was just a normal young lady. She didn’t have the magic sword she used in-game, so I thought it best not to push her too hard.

“Thanks, Aigis,” I said, “but as your friend, could you allow me to serve as your protector? This is my territory, so I’d like to escort you properly.”

“Hmm, well, if you say so…”

She squirmed a bit as she put away her sword. In my time getting to know her, I’d come to realize that this so-called evil young woman just wasn’t used to having friends, so she mellowed out big time whenever someone treated her like one.

Thinking back on her words and actions in the game and in the garden, it seemed like she was the type of person who tried to solve her problems with pure strength. If she lost control, she could be a terrifying force, so I was glad to have figured out a way to calm her down.

“Is it just me,” Aigis said in a hushed voice, “or is there a good chance Weiss grows up to be a real scumbag of a man?”

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit concerned about his future,” Rosalia replied. “That said, I would find great satisfaction in being deceived by him.”

“Oh, c’mon.” I narrowed my eyes as the two girls whispered together. “And you too, Rosalia?”

She just winked at me. “I’m only joking, Lord Weiss. I certainly have no qualms regarding your friendship with Lady Aigis. However, please, do not forget about me, okay?”

“Of course I won’t,” I said. “We’re together forever.”

Rosalia smiled. “Thank you very much. Hearing those words brings me great joy.”

“I have a friend… I’m so happy!” Aigis giggled to herself with a bright smile.

“Why must I be subjected to all this flirting?!” Nyarl wondered aloud, clearly fed up with the rest of us.

I paid him no mind. In any case, our group had fallen into formation, so we entered the Forest of Divine Spirits.

***

“This is more exhausting than I expected…”

Nyarl started complaining not long into our little hike. I could understand where he was coming from, though—this really was pretty tiring.

“Well, we’re using a game trail,” I explained, “so not only does it take more out of you than a flat road, we’ve gotta keep our guard up in case we’re attacked by monsters. Not much we can do about that.”

“You need to train harder,” Aigis said. “‘Might solves most problems.’ That’s our family’s motto.”

“If you’re exhausted, let’s take a break,” Rosalia chimed in. “I made lunch for us in case we get hungry, so I hope you’ll enjoy it!”

The women in our party were tough as all hell. Rosalia came as no surprise, but even Aigis wasn’t remotely out of breath. Also, that was one hell of a family motto. Talk about brawn over brains.

“There are supposed to be monsters in these woods, but we haven’t run into a single one,” Aigis said. “We might end up getting to the Divine Spring without having to fight anything.”

“Hey now,” I said to her. “Can you please not raise any flags?”

“Flags?”

Aigis looked puzzled by my choice of words. Well, that wasn’t how the word “flag” was used in this world. I told myself to be better about not using slang like that, but before I could finish the thought, I heard some kind of scream.

“See? This is all on you, Nyarl!” I said.

“How is it my fault?!” he cried.

“Lord Weiss, these noises…” Rosalia looked around. “There’s a fight nearby. One of your subjects might have wandered into the woods.”

“We have to go save them!”

We tread softly as we rushed toward the origin of the noise, only to come upon a small rabbit creature being attacked by goblins.

Wait, that’s no rabbit! That’s a Divine Beast!

“All right, we’re saving that little guy!” I said. “Nyarl and Aigis, hide! Rosalia, you draw the goblins away!”

“Understood,” Rosalia said. “You’re even kind to animals. I’m fine with buying you time, but it’s okay if I defeat them, right?”

Rosalia held up her weapon and dashed toward the goblins. She sounded like a certain archer during his final moments, which left me temporarily concerned, but then I remembered that goblins were mob monsters from the early part of the game. They stood no chance against her.

The real problem was this Divine Beast. They were creatures that lent their powers to those who possessed strong desires. In the game, they were basically mascot characters, and they formed pacts with the hero and heroine, giving them special skills and even turning into a means of transportation in the latter half of the game.

It would undoubtedly be a huge boost to my territory’s strength if I could forge a pact with it, but that was a huge “if.” The requirement for doing so was showing the beast that you had not just a strong desire but the will to see it through to the end.

In the game, the hero engaged one of the Twelve Apostles of Hades, during which his master of sorts was killed. In the face of his own powerlessness, his desire for more strength allowed him to forge a pact with a Divine Beast.

Did I have that kind of powerful desire myself?

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Kew!”

The Divine Beast must have hurt its leg in an attempt to flee the goblins; I could see scratches all over it. Despite looking like a rabbit, it had something like a gemstone embedded in its forehead. Oh yeah, and it was super cute.

When I reached out to treat the creature, it bit me as hard as it could.

“Ow!”

I cried out on reflex, then quickly took a deep breath to calm myself. The creature was glaring at me with its teeth clamped in my skin, but its body was trembling in fear.

How could it not have been terrified? It literally had just been attacked by monsters. Obviously, it was going to be afraid of me too. I recalled that the pet rabbit I had in a previous life was like this at first, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me as I gently rubbed its back.

“There, there,” I murmured. “No need to be frightened. I’m on your side.”

“Kew?”

It may not have understood my words, but I was certain my feelings would get through to the small creature. I continued to rub its back for a time, and it wasn’t long before the beast began to lick the wound it had given me, looking at me almost apologetically.

“Hey, no worries. It doesn’t hurt,” I said. “I just wanna heal you, okay? Will you trust me?”

“Kew?”

First, I rubbed some medicinal herbs on my own wound to prove that they weren’t harmful. Then, having put the creature at ease, I began to rub the herbs over its injuries. Its fur was so soft that I honestly felt like it was healing me instead.

“Keww!” The beast must’ve been feeling better, as it cried out happily and began to nuzzle me. After watching everything unfold, Aigis and Nyarl came over, as did Rosalia, who had easily dispatched the goblins.

“You sure are tough, Rosalia,” said Nyarl.

“Seriously,” added Aigis. “I’d love to have you as one of our soldiers.”

“I appreciate the kind words. This strength is necessary in order to protect Lord Weiss,” she replied, then looked at the creature. “That is a Divine Beast, right? It’s adorable!”

“Yeah, and it’s all thanks to you that we were able to save it. Thanks a lot.”

Rosalia was spellbound by the small creature; this was perfect. If someone with that much magical power were to become this Divine Beast’s master, she would get that much stronger, and she’d be able to better protect herself.

Her desire to protect me was powerful. At least as powerful as the hero’s drive to protect the world. Surely it would forge a pact with her.

But when I tried to make that happen, the small creature chirped and hid behind me instead. Was it afraid of humans other than me? Maybe it was just keeping its guard up against other creatures in general after what had happened.

“Kew! Kew!”

“It seems to like you, Lord Weiss,” said Rosalia with a giggle. “It clearly understands how kind you are.”

“Is that really what’s going on? You’re way kinder than I am.”

Pacts with Divine Beasts were forged by fulfilling the aforementioned conditions, as well as supplying the creature with one’s own magic power. Unfortunately, that was looking to be rather difficult in this particular scenario, but since it liked me so much, I’d feel bad letting its kindness go to waste.

Once it became more accustomed to her, it would probably grow as fond of Rosalia as it was of me, and it’s not like there was a downside to traveling with a Divine Beast. Plus, there was how adorable it was on top of that.

“Wanna tag along with me, then?” I asked.

“Kew! Kew!”

“Now, now. Calm down.” I patted the little creature perched on my shoulder when I noticed that Aigis had gone stiff. “Um, Aigis? Is something wrong? You’ve been quiet this whole time.”

“It’s n-nothing,” she answered.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of little animals. Look how soft this cutie is.”

“Oh, shut up. I’m not scared, okay?! It’s just, I don’t really know how to deal with animals!” She huffed. “Anyway, let’s hurry to the Divine Spring! Come on.”

I must’ve been right on the mark. I chuckled at Aigis’s surprising weak point, but decided to let it go for now. Her mother’s life was on the line, so we couldn’t sit around wasting time.

“Right. We’re close now.”

A short while after resuming our trek, Aigis awkwardly spoke up. “Um, it’s not that I hate the little guy or anything. It’s just, my pet hamster bit me when I was a child! Ever since then, I’ve struggled with small animals. Sorry if I came off poorly…”

“Nah, everyone has something they struggle with,” I told her. “Thank you for being honest with me. Feels like we’re even better friends now.”

“Is that so? Eh heh, I’d like that.”

As we chatted and made our way toward the spring, the Divine Beast on my shoulder began to squeak loudly, like it was attempting to draw our attention to something. Aigis’s face locked up at the sound, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at this surprisingly soft side of such a tough girl. That made her shoot a glare at me.

Going by the creature’s reaction, we must’ve been close to the spring. After proceeding a little further, we came upon a beautiful water source reflecting the light, with a host of Divine Spirits fluttering above it—a truly resplendent sight.

“Wow, how beautiful,” Aigis murmured.

“I can’t believe something like this has existed in our territory this whole time,” Rosalia said, sounding awed. “Well done, Lord Weiss!”

“You could easily turn this into a tourist spot,” added Nyarl.

All three of my companions had different reactions to the beautiful sight before us. I didn’t say anything, but that wasn’t for lack of thoughts. I was simply at a loss for words to express them. It was so much more beautiful and mysterious than how it looked in-game.

When I took a step toward the spring, an arrow flew straight toward me.

“Lord Weiss, watch out!” Rosalia shouted.

A surprise attack! But I hadn’t told anyone we were coming here before we left.

“Whoever you are, show yourself!” I shouted. “Have you attacked knowing that your target is Lord Weiss Hamilton?”

“Who would’ve thought there was a Divine Spring here?” a stranger said, ignoring my question.

“You! You’re the ones who…” I murmured.

I recognized our attackers. It was the pair of Hades worshippers who were at Aigis’s mansion that day—the thin man and the large man. Had they realized that I was trying to make a cure?

Sweat started to prickle on my forehead. The Hades worshippers were enemies you fought during the middle portion of the game, and each one of them had a power that was extremely annoying to deal with. We didn’t have the strength to go up against them right now. There may have only been two of them, but there was still no guarantee we could win.

Amid my confusion, Aigis elegantly stepped between us and our attackers. She felt intimidating, which made sense considering she was the daughter of a warrior.

“Why are you two here? He is my friend. Lay down your weapons and apologize.”

“Aigis?!” I wanted to stop her, but instead of listening to me, she pointed her hand at my weapon.

She was telling me that she’d buy time for us to catch them off guard. She really was a daughter of House Bloody.

The slender man smiled, trying to look like he was on Aigis’s side. “We were so worried when we saw that you’d left the mansion, we came looking for you, Lady Aigis. Let me guess, they were trying to kidnap you, right? That’s the only reason they would bring you to such a remote place. That man is famous for being a corrupt hack of a lord. He’s only going to use you.”

Yeah, my bad reputation preceded me for sure. This would’ve definitely been dangerous had we not already formed a relationship built on trust—but we were real friends now.

“So, you followed me?” Aigis said. “Sorry, but I already know why my mother is sick. You made her drink mandrake poison! Now, apologize for insulting my friend. If you do that, I promise to spare your lives.”

“How did you find out?!” yelled the large man, shaken by the sudden reveal.

Honestly, I was just glad that Aigis was willing to go to bat for me, especially considering that she never opened up to anyone in the game.

“Idiot! You should’ve kept a straight face.” The slender man’s flattering tone vanished as he laid his own bloodlust bare. “As for you, well, I suppose we have no choice. We’ll have to kill every last one of you!”

“Yeah, sorry.” The larger worshipper raised his arms. “We can’t let you escape. I’ll crush you with the muscles I received from Lord Hades!”

There was no way we’d keep breathing if we got hit with those arms of his, but that relied on his hits making contact.

“Not on my watch! Ice, come forth!” Rosalia shouted as she slipped between Aigis and the worshippers, using her ice to freeze the large man.

“Shadow!” I unleashed the magic I had prepared in secret and restrained the slender man with my shadow.

Normally, this would’ve spelled victory for us, but this wouldn’t be that easy. In fact, the slender man was grinning ominously.

“Ha, don’t underestimate us. We have been blessed by Lord Hades! I summon you, kin.”

“That ice is meaningless in the face of my muscles!” The larger man hugged the ice in his arms and crushed it.

“My ice!” Rosalia gasped.

“What’s with these guys?!” was all I could exclaim.

Meanwhile, the slender worshipper’s hand glowed, and he summoned a sinister crow that almost looked like it was made of condensed darkness.

The Divine Beast on my shoulder let out a worried sound: “Kew…”

“Summoning magic? Not bad,” I said to myself. Unfortunately for these guys, I now had a good idea of what type of characters they were, and I had experience with fighting them in the game!

“The large guy is strong, but that’s it,” I told my comrades. “His speed and defense aren’t anything to write home about. Just stay away from his attacks! The slender guy uses his crow to quickly strike your vitals, but he’s not a big deal otherwise!”

“Got it. Then we just have to take them down fast, right?” Aigis said. “Allow me to fill you in on a little secret, big man. There are times when well-trained might surpasses pure strength!”

“Ha! Your speed stands no chance in the face of my Mireille’s tentacles!” Nyarl said.

“Er, what?” I asked.

Aigis sped toward the large man who was gloating after smashing Rosalia’s ice, then swung her sword into him so violently that he was sent flying through the trees. It was almost comical.

“But my muscles!” he called as he went.

Meanwhile, Nyarl cockily snapped his fingers, producing countless tentacles from the cuffs of his clothes, which ensnared the shadowy crow and crushed it.

“It’s meal time, Mireille,” he said calmly. “Eat your fill, honey.”

“Impossible! How could you catch my kin like that?!” the slender worshipper cried.

“You guys are this strong?!” I asked the pair as I choked the worshipper I had in my shadow’s grasp and knocked him out.

“Of course I am. I’m a warrior of House Bloody,” Aigis said. “This is just good etiquette for a lady.”

“All nobility must be able to at least protect themselves,” Nyarl said.

Their responses sounded proud.

“Well done, both of you. But Lord Weiss is also very strong,” Rosalia added.

I should have figured Aigis could do this much. She was one of the most powerful enemies in the game. Maybe her crazy stats weren’t from having a magic sword equipped but because of her own abilities. I made a mental note never to make her angry.

As for Nyarl, I didn’t really know one way or the other. Maybe he was a character who’d be added into the game in a future update or something. Either way, if I had these two on my side, we might be able to gather comrades even stronger than the hero’s party and develop our territories together. I could feel my heart beat faster just thinking about it.

Weiss, I’m going to make our territory the best in all the land and help your dream come true.

“Lady Aigis, can you go fetch the large worshipper you sent flying?” I asked her. “Let’s hand him over to Lord Reinhard when we finish up here. I’ll keep an eye on this guy in the meantime.”

“’Kaaay!” she replied enthusiastically. “Nyarl, come with me. I sent him way farther than I thought.”

“Ha ha, well, you are as strong as a beast… Eek! Don’t glare at me like that!”

I listened to the two of them chattering while I kept an eye on the other worshipper. If I handed these guys over to Lord Reinhard along with the medicine for his wife, he would probably believe what I had to tell him regarding the stampede.

“Lord Weiss, I can handle this one,” Rosalia said, indicating the Hades worshipper I was holding with my shadow.

“Oh, no, I’m good. Plus, there’s something I want to look into.”

“Jeez, I wish you would rely on me a little more.” She pouted, then said, “Fine, I’ll monitor our surroundings.”

I chuckled at how cute she was being before touching the worshipper to take a look at his status.

Schuzel

Occupation: Hades Worshipper

Loyalty to God: 100

Strength: 15

Magic Power: 60

Intelligence: 60

Skills:

Summoning Magic Lv 2

Unique Skills:

Blind Devotion to God Lv 3: Gains a status bonus when fighting in the name of God.

Received a revelation from Hades, prompting him to act as his hands. His hobby is crow baseball.

It made sense that he had decent stats, considering he was an enemy character in the middle chunk of the game. I needed to toughen up my soldiers if they were going to contend not just with the stampede but with guys like this further down the line.

What was the best way of going about that? It’d be perfect if I could get an experienced military leader to help teach them how to fight…

“Kew, kew!”

“Hm? What’s up?”

The Divine Beast was pulling at the cuff of my sleeve. Before I could ask what exactly it wanted, I felt like someone was watching me. When I turned around, I found the bound worshipper staring at me, even though he should’ve been unconscious. To make matters worse, his eyes were deep red and projecting a malevolent light.

“Huh?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “How are you conscious? What’s going on?”

He tore away the shadow chains wrapped around him with no regard for how he damaged his own body in the process, splattering blood all over the place as he tried to reach out to grab my neck. I backed off just in time for his hands to grab at empty air.

He glared straight at me.

“What’s going on?” I repeated.

When the worshipper opened his mouth, I heard a voice from the heavens—something inhuman, steeped in loathing for this world.

“What are you?” he asked, viciously enough that my heart trembled. “Don’t tell me you are a messenger of the otherworld god! Curse them…”

I remembered this event. This was the one where the hero lost no matter what. In the game, it happened after defeating one of the Twelve Apostles of Hades. The hero and his party were beaten half to death, and that was when his master stepped in to buy time and ended up perishing in battle. This super depressing event, called “Hades Descends,” took place in the opening act of the game.

“That means you’re Hades!” I exclaimed. It had to be him—the last boss of the game and the reason the empire fell into darkness.

“You know who I am?” He seemed a bit confused. “What god do you serve? Zeus? No, you feel different.”

The main character was the one blessed by Zeus, not Weiss, but the way he said it made it sound like I had also been blessed by some deity.

Whatever! Now wasn’t the time to think about that. I needed to come up with a strategy to get us out of this mess while he was still getting his bearings.

I glanced at the Divine Spring. Gods were weak against the blessings of other gods. In the game, the main party was able to damage Hades by using the saint’s power to borrow the strength of Zeus and wield it as magic. They also did damage by forging a pact with a Divine Beast and attacking after being blessed by Zeus. Unfortunately, no one around me had a pact with any Divine Beasts. In that case, if I could somehow manage to acquire the power of the Divine Spring, which held the power of a different god…

“Of course I do,” I declared. “And I know you’re weak to the blessings of other gods! I’ve got nothing to be afraid of as long as I have that Divine Spring!”

“Oh, you’re rather knowledgeable, aren’t you?” he cackled. “Unfortunately, you will be getting nowhere near the spring. I do not know whose kin you are, but I will not allow you to get in the way of my plan. It’s time to die!”

A single swing of his arm produced red blades that came slashing at me.

“Gah!”

The only reason I was able to dodge them in time was because of my familiarity with his move set from the game. Hades’s special technique was basically condensed death, so to speak. The effects were simple: If it touched you, you died. Laughable, right? That was the final boss for you. Lucky for me, it helped that he moved exactly the way he did in the cutscene.

Just as Hades was about to swing his arm again, his body was impaled by an ice arrow that began to freeze him.

“Lord Weiss, are you all right?!”

“You’re a lifesaver, Rosalia!” I thanked her before grabbing my sword and sprinting toward Hades. I needed to deliver the killing blow while he was still weakened.

“Did you really think your magic could stop me?” He cackled, until he realized something was wrong. “Wait, why can’t I move?”

“Why do you think I went out of my way to yell about your weakness?!”

“No, it can’t be! This is frozen water from the spring?!” He struggled within his restraints. “Dammit all! I can’t move… How did she figure out what to do with so little information?!”

“Simple! I’ve got one hell of a maid!” I said, raising my sword. “Eat this!”

I pierced Hades’s throat with my sword.

He glared straight at me even as his face distorted from the pain. The heavy pressure I could feel from him had weakened significantly, but the ice trapping him was still melting. This was but a temporary moment of weakness, and I started to feel that pressure of his once more.

Dammit! Are you telling me I can’t do any real damage without a saint or a Divine Beast’s blessing?!

Then, the ice shattered and Hades was free. This was bad. The only reason we had managed to get any hits in was because we’d taken him by surprise. We weren’t going to get another chance like that.

At this rate, all of us were in danger. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Rosalia hoist her weapon and sprint toward me. She was probably planning to sacrifice herself in order to save me.

It was just like the moment in the game, only in that timeline, it was the hero’s master. The two events overlapped in my mind…

Not on my watch! I thought fiercely before shouting a swift incantation: “Tyrant of shadows, lend your arm to me!”

“High-rank magic?! Grah!”

My shadow took the form of a giant beast, more specifically Cerberus, the gatekeeper of Hell. It then used one of its hands to grip my sword with me, and together we thrust it into Hades’s body.

Please let this work…

“Lord Weiss?! Frozen armor, protect me!”

Rosalia forced herself between Hades and me, now clad in armor made of ice. The evil god was attempting to strike back at me, even as he grimaced from the pain of his wound. His sinister crimson arm of death collided with Rosalia. In an instant, she lost her balance and we were both flung backward.

“What terrible power,” I muttered.

Rosalia groaned, coughing up blood from where she was on top of me. I had managed to catch her, but she was clearly in pain. The only reason she was alive was because of her ice armor, but her ribs might’ve been broken, and she was still in mortal danger.

“Lord Weiss…please flee,” she said as she gasped for air. “I’ll…buy you time to escape…”

Despite the agony she was in, she got to her feet with a smile, gripping her spear.

Oh no! At this rate, Rosalia was going to die. Everyone was going to die! We’d come so far, and yet…

This can’t be happening…but what am I supposed to do?

Hades laughed malevolently as he approached. “Did you really think you could defeat me using Cerberus’s power? I was surprised to discover you can wield such magic, but that is ultimately meaningless. You can do nothing else. This woman will die like a worm, and you are a worthless fool who would have been better off doing nothing at all!”

Hades looked at me, then looked at Rosalia and laughed.

“What a foolish woman. If she had simply abandoned you, she would have been able to flee!”

That unearthly voice had insulted Rosalia.

You son of a—and wait, what did he call me? Call us?

“We’re not worthless…”

“What?”

“Lord Weiss ain’t worthless, and Rosalia is no fool!” I shouted at him. “Unlike you and your shitty cheats, those two have done their best to live in this world!”

The verbal abuse against Weiss and Rosalia brought me back from the edge of despair. I couldn’t let this guy get away with insulting my faves without knowing a damn thing about either of them.

This might’ve been the same as the auto-fail event with the protagonist, but…that was the protagonist who lost, and I wasn’t him. I was Weiss, the lord meant to be a stepping stone for the hero. Because Weiss died so early, no one knew just how powerful Weiss could’ve become. That was why I believed—I believed that he could push through the obstacles before him and wield this spell!

“Heed my call, oh sword that rules over the everlasting darkness that protects the princess! God-devouring blade!”

“What?! That’s King-rank magic… How could someone like you…?”

This time, my shadow took the form of a person made of pure darkness, so pitch-black that it looked like the king of all shadows. I took a piece of the sharp ice that protected Rosalia and wrapped it in that black void.

For an agonizing moment, I felt like my brain was being burned to a crisp.

This isn’t good… I don’t have the magic power to pull this off…

Was this as far as I could go? Was I going to be unable to save Weiss and Rosalia?

No, that was bullshit! If I didn’t come through now, when was I going to?!

“The two of us together can make anything possible.”

Recalling what Weiss said to me earlier, I felt magic power welling up inside of me, forcing a scream from my chest. “GAAAH!”

“As if I’ll just let you devour me!” Hades gloated as he tried to dodge my attack, only to find his body bound by icy chains. “Wait, what?!”

It was Rosalia. She had mustered the last of her strength to bind our enemy. I sprinted toward the god and thrust the sword in my hand straight into his abdomen!

The ice pierced Hades’s body, and an oppressive amount of darkness began to spread through him as if he were being devoured.

“How dare you!” he howled. “You aren’t even one of Zeus’s chosen ones!”

He could still move after taking this much damage? Was this because I wasn’t the protagonist? Could only the true hero actually defeat him?

In my moment of weakness, I worried for Rosalia, but then I felt someone cheering me on from within.

That’s right. I wasn’t alone. Both Weiss and Rosalia were here for me.

“I’m not losing! I may not be the protagonist, but I have a power that belongs only to me! Right, Weiss?! Together, we can do anything! We’re not going to let anyone die!”

I vowed to protect everyone, and just as I poured my strength into my sword—

“Keww!”

Having been hiding in the trees throughout all of this, the Divine Beast suddenly cried out and leaped onto my shoulder. As soon as it did, I felt a mysterious power rising within me.

Wait, was this a contract?

I silently expressed my gratitude toward the small creature and continued to pour my strength into my blade, which shone with a radiant light that further damaged Hades.

“Urgh, the blessings of a Divine Beast? I’m at the limit of this vessel, then… Tell me your name, my…”

“I got no name to give you, you damn creep!”

This time, Rosalia’s ice spear pierced Hades’s face, ending him for good. The Hades worshipper he had possessed, at long last, became little more than a corpse.

“Lord Weiss, are you all right?” Rosalia must have healed herself with a potion while I was fighting. Though she was still out of breath, she rushed to me and handed me one.

“Yeah. Thanks, Rosalia… You too.”

“Kew!”

“Please don’t scare me like that. How could you face such a fierce being?” Rosalia frowned, then wrapped her arms around me, as if she were trying to keep me from disappearing. “If something had happened to you, I don’t know what I would have done…”

Unfortunately, the proximity meant that I could feel her large chest pressed up against me. I started sweating.

Crap, this is a little much for a virgin like me…

At the same time, I felt tremendously at peace. I didn’t even realize just how tense I had been until now. The exhaustion came rushing forward all at once. I just wanted to give myself over to her warmth…but that wasn’t going to happen. Not yet.

“What the? It looks like people fought here—wait, that guy’s dead?” Aigis said.

“You’re more than welcome to get all lovey-dovey,” Nyarl teased, “but I would prefer it if you saved that for your mansion. Ah, unless you’re into outdoor play?”

“This isn’t what it looks like!” As soon as I noticed the returning pair, I frantically stepped away from Rosalia.

“Ah, Lord Weiss,” Rosalia murmured.

C’mon, don’t make such a sad face at me…

I explained to Aigis and Nyarl that the slender worshipper had gone on a rampage, although I left out the details regarding Hades. Then, we finally used the Divine Spring to make the cure for Aigis’s mom.

***

After defeating Hades and making the medicine, we were on standby in the waiting room at the Bloody Manor.

Nyarl was resting in a separate room to try and shake off his motion sickness from the carriage ride back. Rosalia must have been waiting for the two of us to be alone before she spoke to me. When she did, she wore a serious expression on her face.

“Lord Weiss, what was that thing?”

“What if I told you that he’s a god? And, to make matters worse, an evil god that is trying to take control of this country?” I asked, bracing myself for her reaction. “Would you believe me?”

Despite my sudden reference to something so ridiculous, Rosalia nodded earnestly. “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you? I saw just how much power that being possessed. He seemed like the real deal, and more importantly, I trust you. However, it doesn’t matter who or what he is. I will protect you no matter what.”

I was moved by her strength of heart in the face of a literal force of evil. Rosalia was truly amazing. At least I knew the conditions required for him to appear. We likely wouldn’t have to worry about him for some time.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “We beat him this time. He can only take control of the bodies of his worshippers, and after appearing once, he can’t appear for multiple years afterward.”

The flip side to this was that Hades would reappear in a few years. Despite the desperate situation we found ourselves in, she smiled at me, impressed.

“You know so much.”

I couldn’t help but be a bit perplexed by her reaction. “You’re not going to ask me how I know all of this?”

“I’m not. If you haven’t told me already, then that means you have your reasons, right? I will gladly wait until you are ready to open up to me about it. As I said, I trust you.”

I looked at her smiling face and promised myself once again that I would protect her no matter what.

Still, it was not good that Hades was aware of my somewhat irregular presence in this world. In fact, it was entirely possible that I might get wrapped up in some real trouble, just like the game’s protagonist had. I didn’t have plot armor like him, so I wasn’t sure how far I’d be able to go, but I had Weiss and Rosalia on my side.

“Thanks. I can’t give you all the details yet, but this nation is heading down the path of chaos due to the Hades Church. I need to strengthen our territory before things worsen. That way, we can fight back. I’m going to need your strength in order to make that happen. Would you lend me a hand?”

“Of course. I am your spear.” Rosalia smiled happily. I shot her a puzzled look, so she continued, “Didn’t I say I wanted you to rely on me? When you became the lord, all I could do for you was be by your side, but now you’re actually coming to me for help. Lord Weiss, I vow to never leave you alone ever again.”

“Thanks, but I’m going to end up really leaning on you if you say stuff like that.”

“Hee hee, be my guest. Actually, would you like to rest your head on my lap?” she asked jokingly, then patted her thighs.

When she said all she could do was be there for Weiss, she must have been talking about when he’d started falling apart…

I’m going to be okay. I won’t try and handle everything on my own. I know I’m not alone, after all.

“Kew, kew!”

As Rosalia and I gazed into each other’s eyes, the Divine Beast on my shoulder chirped proudly, as if to proclaim that he was here to help as well.

“He certainly likes you quite a bit,” Rosalia said. “He even followed you out of the woods… He must really adore you.”

“Yeah! I should give the little guy a name.”

“Kew, kew!”

The Divine Beast started dancing happily on my shoulder, almost like he understood our conversation. The strange power I felt welling up inside of me that had helped me defeat Hades was no coincidence; this little guy had forged a pact with me. As proof of that, not only could I still sense that mysterious power, but the little Divine Beast had followed me home.

In other words, he had the same powerful desire to support and protect Weiss and Rosalia as he did toward the hero and his party in the game’s timeline.

I was grateful knowing that he was as much of a fan of my faves as I was, so I gently pet the beast, who in turn happily leaned into my hand. What a cutie.

“As for a name…” I wondered aloud, “what about White Tear God Rabbit?”

“Kew?!”

“Lord Weiss, um…”

Both Rosalia and the Divine Beast shot me bewildered looks. Wasn’t Rosalia just going on about how she trusted me unconditionally? What, was my naming sense really that bad?

“Ah, my apologies. It’s just, um, the name you came up with is so…unique!” Rosalia said diplomatically. “What if we shorten it to just White?”

“Kew, kew!” White leaped off of my shoulder and ran over to nuzzle Rosalia’s thigh.

“How adorable,” she said with a giggle. “I think he likes it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Weren’t you supposed to be on my side, little buddy?”

Just then, I heard a knock at the door.

“Lord Weiss, Lady Rosalia. Lord Reinhard awaits.”

“Right,” I replied, “We’ll head over, then.”

We quickly got ourselves in order and followed the maid out of the room. Was White Tear God Rabbit really that bad of a name? I thought it was cool as hell.

***

“Thank you for coming, both of you,” Lord Reinhard said to us as we entered the room. “No words can express how grateful I am for what you have done for House Bloody. Aigis told me everything.”

“Yeah! Weiss is incredible!” Aigis added, looking as pleased as if her father had been praising her. Well, whatever. She was cute, so all was well that ended well.

“I do not know what we would have done without your rich knowledge. My wife’s condition is gradually improving, and just yesterday, she finally regained consciousness and said my name. I was so thrilled that I couldn’t help but share a passionate kiss with her!”

“Father… No child wants to hear their parents talk about that kind of thing,” Aigis chimed in, exasperated.

“Yes, right.” Reinhard awkwardly scratched his cheek. “My apologies.”

Hey, I understood how he felt. It was natural that he was delighted his wife was going to be okay. Heck, Aigis might end up with a little brother or sister sometime in the near future.

“I am glad to hear that,” I said. “As for the members of the Hades Church…”

“They were behind everything, yes? I interrogated the survivor, found out where they were operating out of, and crushed them. It’s been some time since I last wielded a sword, but I haven’t lost my touch!” Reinhard said with the smile of a dashing hero.

Each worshipper of Hades was strong in their own way…and he crushed their base like it was no big deal? In the game’s timeline, Reinhard was already dead before the opening act, so I didn’t actually know much about him. Was he actually crazy powerful?

“Of course,” he continued, “I also informed the lords of the neighboring territories to keep an eye out for the Hades Church. We should be able to limit their movement behind the scenes.”

“Thank you, Lord Reinhard. You did everything before I could even ask.”

“Yes, well, all under my wife’s direction, you see. She is incredibly smart,” Lord Reinhard said proudly.

Perhaps he had more brawn than brains, a bit like his daughter. Nonetheless, it was a huge deal that we were able to cut down the church’s strength. That would buy me time to build my own territory’s might.

“So, you wanted to ask something of me, yes? Fire away. If it is something within my power, I would gladly do it. Or, if you wish to take Aigis’s hand in marriage, I will most certainly see about making that happen.”

“Father?!” the girl in question yelled, her face bright red as she stared at me.

“Huh?!” I gasped.

“I knew Lord Weiss was well-liked,” Rosalia said.

“Heh heh, I jest.” Reinhard chuckled as he watched the two of us panic. “So, Weiss. What do you desire from me?”

I was still flustered, but I managed to collect myself enough to make my request. “I have discovered multiple monster nests in my territory. Naturally, it is my responsibility to eliminate them, but I do not yet have the manpower to make that happen. Once we are ready, I plan on sending my men to exterminate the beasts. When that time comes, I would like your assistance. Would that be all right?”

“But of course. Hm,” Reinhard said thoughtfully, “you lack the manpower but not the numbers, right? In that case, what say you to having joint training sessions with my men?”

“I could ask for nothing better. Thank you so much, Lord Reinhard!”

Did my voice crack just now? This was more than I could have hoped for. House Bloody’s troops were famous for being highly trained, and now my men were going to learn directly from them? Amazing.

Lord Reinhard suddenly lowered his voice.

“I’m not asking this as payment for my services or anything, but…I would appreciate it if you continued to be friends with Aigis. She seems to have grown quite fond of you.”

“You need not ask,” I replied. “Lady Aigis… No, Aigis and I are good friends already.”

Lord Reinhard briefly looked at me with wide eyes, glanced at his daughter, and then nodded at me contently. He must have been worried about her since she grew so distrustful of others.

“What are you two whispering about?!” she cut in.

“Heh, we were just having a chat, man-to-man. Right, Weiss?”

“Yes, exactly,” I agreed.

“I bet you were talking about dirty things.” She pouted, clearly annoyed that she wasn’t being let in on our little secret discussion.

Reinhard quickly changed the subject, and we began to chat about all manner of things, with Aigis included in the conversation this time. I ended up having fun with my new friends.

When poor Nyarl discovered later that he’d been left out, he was pretty sour about the whole thing, which I did feel bad about.

***

Weiss Hamilton

Occupation: Lord

Alias: Incompetent Corrupt Lord(?)

Populace Loyalty: 20 → 25 (Due to tax reductions)

Strength: 45

Magic Power: 65 → 70

Crafts: 25 → 28

Skills:

Dark Magic Lv 2

Sword Skills Lv 2

Divine Blessing Lv 1

Unique Skills:

Visitor From Another World: A skill given to beings from another world who have been recognized by a being from this one. By being acknowledged by a human of this world, all of the inflicted negative statuses have been eliminated, and you can easily absorb knowledge from this world.

Two Souls: This body has two souls. Whenever you use magic, the amount of spiritual power you can draw from is doubled. Currently, the other soul is asleep.

Blind Belief in Your Fave (Leap of Faith): By imagining what Weiss would be capable of if he was the main character, this skill can make the impossible possible. This was a skill given on a whim by a god, and Weiss is neither aware of its existence nor able to see it in his status.

Chosen One of the Divine Spirit: A skill acquired by possessing powerful emotions and establishing an emotional bond with a Divine Beast. Increases stat-growth rate and the power of anti-god attacks.

Chapter 3: The Cruel False Saint Astesia

Chapter 3:
The Cruel False Saint Astesia

THE EVIL DEITY HADES WAS FINALLY WITHIN reach. Deep in the underground shrine where he waited, two groups stood opposed to one another: one with flags bearing the crest of the Zeus Church and the other clad in black.

“You must realize the truth, Astesia. Hades isn’t trying to save any of you. He’s just using you! That’s why…”

“What? Would me asking for help change anything at this point?” The girl named Astesia responded to the young man with her face set. “Are you saying that you, followers of Zeus, are going to save followers of Hades? Even if we are being used, we have to see this through.”

She and her fellow Hades followers stood no chance of victory, and they knew that. Numbers-wise, they were equal, but most of the remaining men on her side were untrained newbies at best. Those who could fight had been defeated already by the young man and his group above ground, but even if she and her men surrendered here, there was no bright future waiting for them afterward.

“I’ll convince them. I swear,” the young man said.

“You know that’s impossible,” Astesia replied. “We’ve shed too much blood in this conflict. Don’t try to tell me you’ve forgotten what happened to my allies when they surrendered. There is no more room for peace. The followers of Zeus will never let us live.”

The young man found himself incapable of responding. His sense of justice had led him to speak, but she’d reminded him of the reality of the situation: Any of the followers of Hades he’d apprehended had been executed by the Zeus Church. In response, Astesia had murdered all of the Zeus believers she’d been keeping as prisoners.

There was no turning back.

“You said Lord Hades is using me, right?” she prompted. “But is Zeus not using you as well?”

“I…”

The young man bit his tongue.

“Maybe things could have turned out different if both you and I had simply ignored the revelations we were given.” Her bitter smile spoke of the pain she had endured. Perhaps she should have just ignored the gods’ wishes. Both Zeus and Hades had toyed with her life, leading to her slander as a false saint.

That was one of the final thoughts that ran through Astesia’s mind.

It was also the final line Astesia uttered as the only remaining member of the Twelve Apostles of Hades. Soon enough, she would go on to fight in Hades’s name and fall in battle.

If only she had ignored the divine revelation given to her by Zeus, perhaps things could have turned out differently.

***

“I’m finally done!”

“Excellent work, Lord Weiss,” Rosalia said. “You’re finished with all of the paperwork. Look, even White is complimenting your job well done.”

“Kew, kew!”

After I’d finished speaking with Reinhard, I ended up busy with meetings regarding our joint training sessions and putting together reports regarding the Divine Spring. I was finally finished, at least for the time being. I petted White gently while sipping the tea Rosalia made for me.

“You know what, it’s been a little while since we last went out,” I said. “Let’s call it an inspection! Plus, I’ve got business with the church as well…”

“What a wonderful idea,” Rosalia agreed. “It’s much safer on the streets these days, and apparently the marketplace is thriving. Let’s go out! I already spoke to the sister at the church and let her know that you might be dropping in soon, so it should be fine to arrive unannounced.”

“Keww!” White seemed to agree as well, dancing on my shoulder to show his approval. It was almost like he was following the conversation.

It was best to strike while the iron was hot, so we quickly prepared to head out.

Now that I thought about it, this would be my first time actually walking through the city. My approval rating among my subjects had been so low up until recently that I couldn’t risk going for a walk outside, so I was actually pretty excited about this.

Since we were going on a bit of an outing, I changed into some nice, understated attire. Meanwhile, Rosalia was also in her casual clothes. She was almost always clad in her maid uniform or some sort of leather armor for combat, so this was very refreshing to me. Honestly? She looked fantastic. I felt like I was being rude when I stared at her, but then she smiled at me, making my heart skip a beat.

We were just about to leave the manor when Meg called out to us. “Ah! Lord Weiss! It’s so unfair that Rosalia and White get to go out into the city with you! Let me come too!”

She must have spotted us while she was in the middle of cleaning. Huh, I didn’t realize she actually did any work like that.

She was staring at us longingly, which left me unsure of how to handle this. I was fine with bringing her along, but three people were a lot noisier than two.

“Meg, we’re not going out to have fun,” Rosalia said. “Lord Weiss is inspecting things in the city, and I am accompanying him as his bodyguard.”

“Then why are you all dolled up?” Meg asked pointedly. “It’s like you’re going out on a date…”

“Meg,” Rosalia said calmly, “would you like me to tell the chief maid about how you broke a plate and secretly swapped it with a different one?”

“Have fun! Make sure you bring back souvenirs! Oh, I’d love some cookies. Now, time to work! So, so busy!”

Meg went right back to cleaning. Rosalia sure could be calculating.

But Meg’s words led me to realize that, even though she went to all the trouble of dressing up, I’d yet to compliment Rosalia on her attire.

She was wearing a light-blue dress decorated with lace and a ruby pendant that made her seem even more mature than usual. Meg was right; she really had dressed up for the occasion. In that case, it was only right that I tell her so. At least, that was what I’d read in a book about how to be popular with the ladies in my previous life.

“Rosalia, it’s really novel to see you dressed differently than normal. You look wonderful.”

She giggled bashfully at my compliment. “Thank you very much. I’m glad to hear that.”

Super effective. I would have never been able to say something like that in my previous life, but maybe because I was Weiss now, the words just flowed out naturally. It was important to have confidence in oneself.

We decided to walk to the church instead of traveling by carriage, making it easier to take in the sights.

“The marketplace is so much busier now,” Rosalia said. “I’m glad there are more people out and about.”

“Agreed!” I replied. “Hey, c’mon, White. Take your time eating, would you?”

“Kew, kew.” The little guy munched furiously at the fruit I’d bought from one of the street stalls.

For the record, the middle-aged man running the joint hadn’t even noticed that I was the lord. That made sense; it wasn’t like there were televisions in this world, so people wouldn’t have an easy way to commit the face of their lord to memory. Plus, Weiss was only recently appointed, and it didn’t seem like he’d done many public speeches before I entered the picture. All of that meant that performing an inspection like this anonymously would be easy.

“Hey, Rosalia? I’m feeling kinda hungry. Any good restaurants around here?”

“Hm, let me think. There’s a food stall that sells those meat skewers you like so much. Meg also loves them, and I often see her eating one with an ale in her other hand while she’s supposed to be out shopping.”

“So, she’s just skipping work?”

“Hee hee, whoops. I said too much.” Rosalia gave a mischievous smile.

Was this her way of getting back at Meg for earlier? She was always so kind to me, but maybe she had a more frightening side when she was angry.

We gazed at the marketplace crowds as we walked by, and I was pleased by all the smiles I was seeing. For now, at least, my subjects could live here in peace.

Eventually, we arrived at the skewer stall in question. They had a selection of different meats available, including pork, beef, and chicken. It reminded me a lot of the food stalls you’d see at festivals back in the other world.

“Sir, could I have two of your best skewers for myself and the young lady here?”

“Absolutely!” replied the vendor, “You’ve got quite the beauty with ya, eh? Here, I’ll give you a little discount.”

“Lord Weiss, I can pay for myself,” she whispered apologetically.

“Put your money away. This is thanks for always making me such delicious meals,” I said with a little bit of swagger.

That put a smile on her face. At the end of the day, she was always good to me, so I wanted to do something for her.

“Kew, kew!”

“You want some too, White?” I asked. “I mean, can you even eat meat? Aren’t rabbits supposed to be herbivores?” But White was doing his best to remind me he was there, so I ordered some for him as well.

It wasn’t long before the guy running the stall brought out some skewers with a delicious scent. I immediately took a bite, and my mouth was filled with the juices that poured out from the tender, umami-packed meat. I was a big fan of the upper-crust cuisine at the manor, but this was delicious in its own way. Plus, it had a fantasy vibe about it that was exciting for me.

“What do ya think, pal?” the vendor asked. “Good, right?”

“Yes, this is great!” I told him. “By the way, I heard the lord here was pretty corrupt, so I’m surprised to see the marketplace doing so well.”

Rosalia shot me a look that screamed, What are you doing? She was worried that the man’s response could hurt my feelings. I understood where her concern came from, but I’d made a promise to improve this territory, and that meant listening to the regular citizens.

The man wore a slight frown as he replied. “Hm, well… The previous lord’s son took over after he died, you see, and at first, it was pretty rough. He tried his hand at all sorts of enterprises and screwed up every time, leading to a busted economy. Then, one of his people brought some shifty guys into town and things got real unsafe. I remember complaining that we’d have been better off if his little sister, Firis, took over.”

I could see Rosalia stiffen up. I gently held her trembling hand in an attempt to let her know that I was all right.

“But he collapsed not too long ago, and it’s like he’s become a completely different person since then.” The man continued without noticing either of our reactions. “He arrested his guy that was causing trouble, and he even lowered taxes, so the economy has been recovering.”

“I see. He must be doing everything he can since he changed…”

“Yeah,” the vendor agreed. “Plus, there’s this noisy maid that works at his mansion who comes here skipping work sometimes, and according to her, the guy even took to the front lines with his soldiers to put down the mafia that was running amok in the city. She said he’s ‘amazing.’ Plus, I heard he’s planning to hold military exercises with House Bloody. Thanks to him, folks here can finally live in peace, which is why the marketplace looks like this now.”

I took a look around the area, gazing at the smiles on children’s faces and taking in the conversations the merchants and others were having.

My changes were making a real difference. I felt bad that all of Weiss’s hard work in the past wasn’t being recognized, but at least Rosalia and I knew. This was fine. I was a bit sad, but just as I made peace with that—

“Now that I think about it, he used to come into the city with his servants all the time when he was just a kid,” the guy behind the counter continued. “I remember him asking me, ‘What can I do to make life better for all of you?’ But after his father took Firis in, he stopped coming here…”

“Really?”

Weiss came into the city to listen to the voices of his future subjects? I couldn’t help but be surprised at this information that was nowhere to be found in the game.

“So, I guess it’s less like he’s been reborn, and more like he’s gone back to who he used to be,” the vendor concluded. “Really, when he first became the lord, I gotta admit that he did try his best. That’s why I’d be pleased as punch if you avoided calling him corrupt from here on out.”

“Oh, I understand. Thanks for letting me know,” I said, fighting back tears.

Man… There are people out there who see how hard you worked, Weiss.

“Master, use this to wipe your eyes,” Rosalia said, intentionally avoiding using my name, as she handed me a handkerchief. Was I just imagining things, or was she tearing up as well?

Of course she was. She believed in Weiss more than anyone else alive. His bad reputation was just as much a burden to her as it was to me. She might even be happier than I was that someone recognized his efforts.

“Thank you for the interesting information, kind sir.”

“Think nothin’ of it, and come again sometime!” He replied, “Actually, I feel like I’ve seen you around before…”

Before he could recognize us, I quickly settled the check and walked away from the stall, my steps much lighter than they’d been when I arrived.

***

“So what’s this sister like? She’s your friend, right?” I asked Rosalia.

“Yes. She’s a priestess I used to party with when I was an adventurer,” Rosalia replied. “We adventured together for some specific reasons, but when the reverend father at this church retired due to old age, she gave up adventuring and took over. She watches the orphans as well. Her mouth is surprisingly nasty, but she’s a good person at heart and very serious about her duties. That being said, she tends to avoid any sort of hard work, so she might not hear you out…”

Um, I’m getting mixed messages about what kind of person she is.

After we arrived at the church, I put my hand on the door. I was technically the man in charge of the Hamilton territory, but members of the church were different. The backstory for the game stated that God lent the right to govern to kings and the nobility, so members of the clergy had the right to turn down requests from them.

“You brats! If you don’t listen to me, you’re gonna get punished!”

“Eek! You’re so scary!”

We heard loud voices coming from inside of the church, but the kids seemed to be having fun and not suffering in the slightest. Peering inside, we found a blonde-haired sister chasing around a number of children.

“I am glad to see you doing well, Angela,” said Rosalia. “I’ve brought Lord Weiss.”

“That you, Rosalia? Long time no see.” The sister named Angela smiled warmly at Rosalia. “Wait, then, you must be—”

By contrast, Angela looked at me with a ghastly expression on her face. What, had I done something wrong? Did Weiss do something to her at some point?

I was a bit shaken by her sharp glare until I realized that she was actually looking at White.

“That’s…a Divine Beast!” Angela said. “Rosalia told me you found a Divine Spring, but I didn’t expect you to have forged a pact with a Divine Beast.”

“Yeah. I just happened on the little guy when he was injured and healed him. After some other things went down, we ended up making a pact.”

“Kew, kew!”

“It’s so cute!” the kids chattered excitedly.

White must have noticed all the attention, as he suddenly started chirping and wagging his little tail. For some reason, Angela’s serious expression didn’t change.

Are you telling me his cuteness isn’t working on her?

She maintained that expression as she spoke to the children. “Kids, go play outside. I have some important things to discuss with these folks here.”

“Okaaay! I wonder who the guy is.”

“It’s a lovers’ tryst! Angela’s finally found herself a man!”

“Just get outta here!” snapped Angela, “and stop repeating that sort of stuff!”

I watched the children scramble away and realized that Rosalia was right; Angela was a tremendously kind individual. The kids seemed very fond of her, and despite being orphans, none of them looked particularly lonely.

She definitely had a bit of a rough edge to her, though.

She led us to a small room inside of the church that was used for private discussions. It was a simple room, with only a plain wooden table, some chairs, and a bookshelf inside.

I sat facing Angela across the table while Rosalia began to pour some tea. She must have come here relatively frequently, as she seemed to know where everything was located. Soon after, Angela asked her to go look after the children, leaving only the two of us in the room.

Was there a specific reason she wanted to be alone with me?

“So, what brings a big shot like you here?” she asked. “I doubt you’ve come to pray.”

“You’re already aware that I found a Divine Spring, right?”

“Yeah, Rosalia was happy as can be when she came to tell me about it. Kept going on about how amazing you are. Lemme guess, you want me to manage it?”

To make things easier on me, Rosalia had already caught her up, and it seemed like Angela had figured out why I was here.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “The Divine Spring is a precious resource. If there’s no one in charge of it, the capital is going to end up sending someone from the Zeus Church to manage it. There’s no guarantee that whoever that is will act in this territory’s best interest.”

“You’re not wrong. They’ll probably prioritize the church’s agenda.”

Generally speaking, the Zeus Church and the nobility were equals, status-wise. That was why, as lord, it was difficult for me to make big requests of them; there was always the chance they’d just refuse. If they sent someone from the capital here, it was likely they’d prioritize their own self-interests over helping our territory. Describing it in terms used in my old world, it was like when someone from HQ came to a branch office and did whatever they wanted without considering the impact, acting only for the main branch.

That’s why I wanted Angela to take charge. She actually lived here and cared about the people.

“You didn’t consider that, as a member of the church, I might also prioritize their interests?” she asked.

“I doubt you’d do that. Rosalia trusts you, and I can tell the children here are happy. That tells me that you’re not sending more of the donation money to the church than you need to. Seeing that, I feel I can put my faith in you.”

Angela widened her eyes at me for a moment, the surprise holding on her face as she spoke.

“Huh. I was worried since I hadn’t heard much good about you, but I can see that you’re the observant type. You’re not just here because Rosalia made the re­commendation, are you? You’re looking at the bigger picture and considering all the aspects with that head of yours.”

“Hey now.” I’d prepared myself to hear Weiss get bad-mouthed, but it still disappointed me. “I was trying my best before. It just didn’t amount to much.”

I was shocked when she actually apologized.

“You’re right. My mistake,” she said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I just want those kids to find happiness. If you say you’re gonna develop this territory, I’ll gladly lend you a helping hand. There’s just one request I’ve got. Something only you can do, since you’ve been recognized by a Divine Beast.”

“Huh? This little guy?” I asked, petting White where he was perched on my shoulder, prompting him to lick my neck.

If she needed White’s power, then was this related to the gods in some way? What kind of impossible task was she about to drop on me?

“There’s this girl that’s like a little sister to me,” Angela started to explain. “I want you to save her. You’ve made a pact with a Divine Beast, so I know you can do it. Please… Please save Astesia!”

“Astesia?” I replied, shocked by the unexpected but familiar name she’d uttered.

***

In the game, the Cruel False Saint Astesia was the second-ranked member of the Twelve Apostles of Hades and a powerful enemy who could wield both the powers of Zeus and Hades.

She showed no mercy to soldiers who begged for their lives, but at the same time, she was kind to her friends and allies, especially children. It was that difference in how she treated certain people that made her such an attractive, cool beauty.

The two biggest talking points among her fans were the lightning she could fire from her chest, which fans had lovingly dubbed her “Booby Thunder,” and the event in the game where you found out (only after defeating her) that she was secretly taking care of the children who’d been orphaned in the war against the Hades Church. The kids were waiting patiently for her return, and when you visited her room at the orphanage, you found her diary that was filled with her tragic backstory.

With those memories floating through my mind, I whispered to myself:

“Right… I wanted to save her, too.”

If Weiss was my fave male character, then Astesia was my fave female character. If I tried, maybe I could save her like I had Weiss and Aigis.

Angela knit her brows at me after seeing my reaction, clearly puzzled. “Wait, do you know Astesia?”

Ah, right. She was confused why I knew about a member of the clergy from another territory. It made sense that Angela was suspicious. How was I going to explain my way out of this?

Well, that’s what you might think if you were reincarnated without having studied this world like me!

“If I recall correctly, a few years ago, a girl with a powerful blessing from Zeus appeared in the capital, right?” I replied to Angela in as much detail as I could muster. “Wasn’t Astesia her name? I believe people called her a saint. However, I ultimately heard rumors that she was actually a fake and was chased out of the capital.”

Much like I knew everything about Weiss, I also knew everything there was to know about Astesia! Her past was laid out with a decent amount of lore in the fanbooks and everything! She was much more popular than Weiss, so there was a lot more information on her readily available.

“Huh, but that was when you were a kid. I’m surprised you know so much.” Angela nodded, impressed by my knowledge, before she continued with a mournful expression, “She’s no fake. She really does have tremendous powers, but that caused others to ostracize her.”

Her face contorted like she was recalling a painful memory.

“There’s something else,” she continued. “For some reason, when people look at her, they feel…disgust.”

“Do you think the evil god has put some kind of curse on her?” I prompted. “Since I have a blessing from a Divine Beast, I might be able to negate another god’s power. Is that why you want me to save her?”

Angela’s theory was right on the money. Because of how powerful Astesia was, the Twelve Apostles of Hades put a curse on her in order to keep her under their thumb. That curse was tremendously strong, and it was entirely possible that even Astesia was unaware of its presence as she lived her days under the harsh eyes of those around her.

After she finally fell into true despair, the Hades Church would swoop in to save her… Well, she would believe that she was saved.

But we hadn’t caught up to the game’s timeline yet, so there was still a chance to really save her!

“I think I understand, but I have a question,” I said, still curious. “Why are you so worried about her? You said she’s like a little sister to you, which means you’re not actually family, yeah?”

“You see, we both lived in the same school dorm and were raised like sisters. Despite that, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t resist the curse, so I—”

“Angela became an adventurer in order to find a way to help Astesia.” Rosalia answered for Angela as she returned to the room and came over to sit beside me. She must have finished checking on the kids. “Unfortunately, even the expensive holy water she bought and sent to her had no effect.”

Angela nodded meekly.

I had no idea Angela was linked to Astesia like this. It seemed a little unnatural that such a key character was here in my territory, but given that this place would eventually become the hero’s base of operations, it actually made sense. Maybe the devs were going to add Angela in a future update so the hero could learn about Astesia or something.

“Wait,” I said, “if you sent her holy water, you must know where she lives, right?”

“Yeah. She works at a church in House Inclay’s territory, the one neighboring us,” Angela explained. “Though it sounds like she isn’t being treated very well…”

Astesia had probably never dragged herself here because Angela was not exempt from the powerful effects of the curse. Astesia had been avoiding seeing Angela in person again all this time.

It stung to see how much Angela struggled with not being able to save Astesia; she wore her anguish on her face.

“House Hamilton and House Inclay aren’t on great terms, so if we are going to see her, it would be best if you went disguised as a commoner rather than a lord,” Rosalia warned. “Should you be discovered, you will be in danger. What will you do?”

It was rare for Rosalia to have so little emotion on her face. Angela was her old comrade in arms, but her desire to help her old friend and her desire to protect me were at odds now.

No worries. I made my decision ages ago. The whole reason I reincarnated into this world is so that I can save my faves from their tragic ends.

“Angela, I, Weiss Hamilton, vow to save Astesia. In return,” I told her, “I would like you to manage the Divine Spring.”

“Are you sure?” Angela asked. “You’ll be putting yourself in harm’s way…”

“That’s not true. You forget I have a very talented maid. Right, Rosalia?” I asked jokingly, prompting Rosalia to smile her usual smile.

“Correct! I will protect Lord Weiss.”

“Not quite,” I corrected her. “We’re gonna protect each other. Between the two of us, there’s nothing we can’t do. Let’s get ready to leave.”

That was how the two of us ended up on the road to meet Astesia.

***

“Dammit all! Why is the daughter of House Bloody getting all friendly with that piece-of-crap lord from House Hamilton?!”

I, Versago Inclay, angrily smacked the table in front of me, causing the nearby girl dressed in unsightly rags to yelp. Her terrified expression only served to enrage me more. Obviously, she wasn’t my maid—she was my slave.

“Lord Versago, please calm down,” she said. “Have something to drink.”

“Silence! When did I say you could talk back to me?! And look, you spilled it everywhere! Hurry and clean that up!” I snarled at her. “House Inclay has endured for generations, and House Hamilton cannot even come close to us! So how is he the one getting buddy-buddy with Aigis, even though I was supposed to win her over with my charms? Not only that, but Gustaf and Barbaro were both arrested because of him. It’s all that Hamilton punk’s fault that my plans for my slave routes have been thrown out of whack!”

The slave hurriedly wiped down the table using her tattered clothes as I screamed at her. It was against the law in this country to possess, buy, or sell slaves, but they certainly were handy to have around. No matter what you did to them, they couldn’t complain.

There were many members of the nobility who desired such items. The whole reason I based my slave-trade operation in the Hamilton territory was so that I could push the responsibility onto them if we ever got caught, but Weiss just had to ruin all of that.

As I bemoaned my poor luck, the door opened. The man who entered had his hood up far over his head. He was a collaborator of mine and one of the few who knew about this manor where I kept slaves.

“Oh, my. What’s this? Is something the matter, Lord Versago? You seem in a particularly foul mood today…”

“You!” I turned my rage on him. “You told me that as long as I followed the plan, I’d be able to buy and sell slaves and make House Hamilton take the fall if something happened! Explain yourself.”

“Hm, you are right.” Despite saying that, he seemed completely unfazed by my anger. “I certainly didn’t expect the Hamilton lord to be so talented. I thought he would become Gustaf’s puppet and derided by his people as a corrupt lord.”

The man’s words only further infuriated me. “Talented, my ass! He was just lucky, and your plan was full of holes!”

“Indeed. I do apologize that things turned out this way, even after receiving your assistance.”

He was bowing his head, but the fact that he seemed so nonchalant about all of this only made me hate him more. Unfortunately, I needed him to tell me about the slavers’ trade routes and how to acquire drugs to sell, so he still had his uses.

Not to mention, thanks to the traceless poison he’d given me, I’d been able to murder my annoying father and little brother and become lord. So, I did owe him to some degree.

Still, it only seemed fair that my stupid father should die after giving his support to the stupid son he had with a concubine, just because that son was supposedly talented. The same went for my little brother. He didn’t know his place.

“Well, why are you here? I was about to have some fun.”

“Ah!” The slave twitched and squeaked as I watched her, only serving to feed my sadism. Her fear put me at ease.

“My, my… I apologize for interrupting your private time. However, I came here to report that the slave-training facility you disguised as a church here has been cast under suspicion. It is possible that the capital will send an investigator here in the near future.”

“What?!” I couldn’t hide how badly his words shook me. “How can that be? You said it would be fine!”

If I was caught taking part in the slave trade in my own territory, it would be terrible. I could always throw the people in charge to the wolves, but I would never be able to erase all of the evidence leading back to me.

Why was this guy so damn calm? He would be just as screwed as me if that facility was discovered!

“I, too, was surprised to find that someone was suspicious of that church,” he said. “However, this will not affect the plan. There is a sister there who is hated by all. If things go poorly, you can simply make her the scapegoat.”

“Ah, right. Astesia, was it? She’s a beautiful woman, but for some reason, I’ve never felt the desire to take her for myself. If anything, I find myself wanting to stay away from her…”

I recalled the one time I’d eyed her from afar. She had a beautiful face, yes, but in that moment, I’d felt a visceral disgust toward her. It was a truly odd thing.

“Likewise, I have hidden one of our Twelve Apostles at the church, so fear not,” he said. “They have a bit of a unique personality, but they are strong. The investigator they send from the capital will not stand a chance.”

“A member of the Twelve Apostles?”

I’d heard the rumors. Just as Zeus possessed Twelve Apostles, Hades had also granted special blessings to his own Twelve Apostles. Someone that amazing was working for me?

I could feel my chest burning with excitement. The man before me grinned when he noticed the change in my face.

“That’s just how important you are to us. I look forward to our future business arrangements, Lord Versago. May the blessings of Hades be with you.”

The man bowed and departed.

The Hades Church was quite an organization. They were certainly suspect, but they seemed to value me greatly, which pleased me. If nothing else, they were useful, so I didn’t mind maintaining a positive relationship with them. When I’d gotten everything I wanted, I could cut them loose.

I grinned as I watched the man leave.

***

Immediately after hearing Angela out, we made our preparations and departed for the church in House Inclay’s territory. It was impossible to know what Astesia’s exact situation was right now, but I was certain she was suffering. We needed to make haste.

“Hey, Rosalia? Do I look like an adventurer? Are you sure my noble charisma isn’t oozing out?” I asked nervously.

“You look wonderful, just like a veteran adventurer,” she replied with her usual smile. “In fact, you look good in everything!”

Since I couldn’t go to our destination as a lord, Rosalia and I were wearing disguises.

Rosalia was dressed as a traveling priestess, and I was the adventurer she’d hired to protect her, which gave us the perfect excuse to visit the church where Astesia worked. As far as proof of identity was concerned, we had an introduction letter that Angela wrote up for us.

At Rosalia’s words, I let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the man next to me poured some tea. “Indeed, my good friend. You have quite the mean look in your eyes, which helps sell your disguise.”

“Remind me again why you’re here?” I asked him.

“What do you mean?” Nyarl replied airily. “I came along because I’m worried about my best friend.”

He had just happened to show up at the mansion to hang out as we were leaving, so he’d forced his way into our little quest.

I probably should have just told him not to come.

“Don’t you think it’d be more convincing if you were guarding me as well, since I’m a nobleman?” Nyarl continued. “In fact, did we not pass through inspection with no problems? Unlike you, Weiss, I get along with the nobility around us. Right, Marianne?”

In response to Nyarl’s words, his pet tentacle plant wiggled around a bit.

“Look, I am grateful…” I said reluctantly.

I hated to admit it, but he was right, and we were making the journey in one of his carriages. One of the reasons we were able to avoid the long inspection line and go through a back entrance was because his family exported potions to House Inclay’s territory. Nevertheless, I had some issues!

“Seriously, what the hell is with your weird plants?! Look how scared White is!”

“Kew, kew!”

We were surrounded by creepy tentaclelike plants inside the carriage, each of them undulating in unnerving ways. White was terrified, hiding inside my clothes and whimpering.

“Heh, come now. These lovelies are used for making potions and antidotes, you see. In fact, their lovely aroma is what is keeping me from getting motion sickness.” Nyarl lovingly stroked one of the weed’s tentacles. “One of my clients is in the same city where the church you’re visiting is located. I’ll be hanging around for a bit, so when you finish up, just let me know. We can go home together.”

“I appreciate that, but…why are you going out of your way to help us out?” I asked him, “This is just like with the Divine Spring. There were monsters in that forest. You could have died, but you’re still helping without even asking me what we’re up to. Why?”

“Why, you ask?” A complicated expression crossed his face before he chuckled. “Because you’re my best friend. I couldn’t do anything for you when you were suffering, which is why I promised myself that I would lend you my strength whenever possible. I want to see what kind of world you create as a lord. Is that a good enough answer?”

“Man… Thanks. If you ever need my help, let me know, okay?” I said to him. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Yes, well, I’m looking forward to when that time comes. Trust me, it will,” he said with a foreboding smile.

My chest burned as I thought about his kindness. He really was Weiss’s best friend.

“Lord Weiss, we will be arriving at the church shortly. Let’s ready ourselves,” Rosalia said.

“Right. Nyarl, please take good care of White.”

“Kew…”

“Heh, fret not,” Nyarl answered, “I will treat him with love and care.”

I stroked White, who looked very disappointed to be left behind. Unfortunately, we would stand out way too much if we brought a Divine Beast with us to the church, and our first priority right now was getting a better idea of Astesia’s situation.

“Remember,” Rosalia said once the carriage had come to a full stop, “we’ll be using our fake names going forward. Shall we, Royce? Both our names start with an R… It’s almost like we’re family. Hee!”

If you couldn’t guess, Rosalia was the one who’d come up with our aliases.

“Don’t worry, Big Sis,” I told her, “I’ll protect you.”

“Lord Weiss as my little brother? I would be okay with that,” she said as we descended from the carriage. I could sense something almost dangerous in that response.

“We’re going to draw attention if the carriage stays stopped here for too long,” Nyarl interrupted. “Get going, you two.”

***

Once we walked for a bit, the church in question came into view. As we approached, we could hear a child crying. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw a boy around the age of five crouched down with tears in his eyes. It looked like he’d fallen and scraped his leg.

I decided to hand him a potion, but before I could get to him, someone else ran to his aid. She had silver hair, a blank expression on her face, and clear white skin that almost made her look like a doll. To put it bluntly, she was beautiful.

“Keith, are you okay?” she said to the child. “May the blessings of Lord Zeus heal this child.”

The young woman brushed her hand across the boy’s leg, and a warm light healed his wound instantaneously. The child then thanked her, putting an end to this little event—except that’s not what he did.

“What’s your problem?! I didn’t ask you for help!” For some reason, the boy slapped away her hand and ran into the church while she watched him go, her face unchanging. Then, silently, she followed after him.

“Hey, Rosalia. Be honest with me. What do you think of that silver-haired girl?”

“Well…” She knit her brows as if she didn’t know the answer herself.

“I do not know why, but I felt a sort of loathing toward her, even though her actions were undeniably benevolent,” she answered apologetically.

“Gotcha.” I sighed deeply. It took a lot for Rosalia to feel animosity toward someone, but even she felt that way. The curse on that young woman must have been even more powerful than I imagined.

Indeed, she was Astesia, the person we came here to save.

***

“My name is Father Claise, and I am the reverend in charge of this church. Lady Rosalia, I think it is wonderful that you are traveling all over to spread the teachings of Lord Zeus.” After looking at Angela’s letter of introduction and back at Rosalia, Father Claise turned his attention to me, a puzzled expression on his face. “And you are?”

I needed to play the part of an adventurer so he wouldn’t get suspicious!

“Heh heh heh. I’m the almighty adventurer Royce. I can’t be lettin’ a girl travel on her own, y’hear? I’m keepin’ a real close eye on her in exchange for some biiiig cash!”

I put on my best vulgar smile (the same one I’d practiced in the mirror the other day), then twirled around the knife in my hand.

How’s that?! Meg taught me all about how adventurers act. I bet I sounded perfect…

Unexpectedly, Father Claise looked at me like I was a total freak, and even Rosalia was taken aback. Wait a second, did I mess this up?

“Well, I suppose adventurers come in all forms,” Father Claise said diplomatically. “Lady Rosalia, if you need my help, please let me know. The guild in town knows me quite well, so I should be able to introduce someone to you…”

“No,” Rosalia told him, “I’ll be fine, thank you. Royce is a bit unique, but he’s truly wonderful. Please do not worry.”

“Is that right? Well, if you say so…” Father Claise smiled at Rosalia, then looked at me dubiously. “I do apologize, but if you are going to use this facility, I ask that you do some work as well. Cleaning and looking after the children, if that is all right? It has been rather violent in these parts as of late. Would you be okay with keeping watch of the children and around the church while you’re here?”

“’Eyyy, leave it to me! I freakin’ love children, y’hear? Heh heh heh, we’re gonna have so much fun!” I replied, attempting to regain my honor after my earlier failure.

Father Claise shot me a look of deep concern and leaned over to Rosalia.

“Are you sure he is quite all right? I worry that he might be a bad influence on the youths.”

“He’s fine,” Rosalia answered. “And, um, I’ll talk to him about the way he’s speaking…”

That was how we managed to infiltrate the church with absolutely zero issues!

***

We put our things away, then Father Claise led us to the church’s courtyard.

“This way. Are you sure you’re okay sharing the same room?” he asked.

“Yes, that is no problem at all,” Rosalia answered. “We went through much on our journey here, so I prefer to be together. Right, Royce?”

“Yeah. I gotta look out for her, after all.”

As a side note, Rosalia had this to say about my gruff talk from earlier: “I think the way you were speaking was vivacious and wonderful, but please go back to your normal voice. I’ll have to come up with a punishment for Meg.”

She said this with an uncommonly serious expression on her face, so I went back to normal. Nonetheless, I decided to keep my tone a little more casual.

Is this really the right move? What if Weiss’s tremendously noble aura accidentally comes pouring out? I thought.

Suddenly, I heard children’s voices coming from nearby. The boy with the injured leg from earlier was talking to an older girl about something that sounded rather awful.

“Malta might’ve been kidnapped by some real bad people, so I’m gonna go look for her!”

“But you can’t! Father Claise said it’s dangerous to walk around the city alone. Maybe her parents came for her.”

“Don’t you get it?! There’s no way that’s what happened!”

“Ah, those children are orphans that we’re taking care of here at the church,” Father Claise explained to us. “There was another girl, but she went missing while out shopping. I do hope she is okay…”

“Oh, I see. I hope she’s all right as well. Do you have any idea what might have happened?” Rosalia asked him.

“Well…” Father Claise looked down sadly. “Recently, I spotted someone wandering around outside the church. At the time, I thought maybe I was just imagining things, but…”

“Do you think he was a kidnapper?” I asked. “How revolting.”

Father Claise let out a sigh in response to my words, and his face grew serious.

I had things under control in our territory now, but I was aware that in some places, people had been kidnapping children from slums and orphanages to sell into slavery. It was probably the same here. Now that I thought about it, the lord of this region was on Barbaro’s list of slavers. I was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this.

Father Claise clapped his hands together, getting the children’s attention.

“Come, Keith, Catalina. We have guests. Say hello.”

Keith said nothing.

“Hello, miss. I’m Catalina. It’s nice to meet you.” The young girl introduced herself politely, then turned to scold Keith. “This unfriendly boy is Keith. Hey, you need to introduce yourself.”

“Ugh, fine,” Keith responded sourly, completely disinterested in all of this.

I could tell from their behavior that she was the one in charge. In contrast to Catalina’s greeting, Keith lowered his head toward us with great reluctance.

Rosalia crouched down to match the children’s height and smiled. “We’ll be staying here for a little while. I’m Rosalia, a traveling priestess. This here is Royce, my bodyguard. Catalina, Keith, it’s nice to meet you both.”

I followed suit and greeted the children. “I’m Royce the adventurer. Nice to meet you.”

It seemed that was more than enough to get the children to lower their guard.

“Wow, you’re a traveling priestess? I want to be a priestess when I get older. Can you tell me all about what you do?”

“Huh?! An adventurer?! That’s awesome!”

The two were fascinated by our occupations and wanted to know more—their eyes were practically sparkling. I wasn’t surprised. Boys were always into the sorts of adventures that appeared in heroic tales and, by association, the people who went on them. Even in my previous life, when I was a kid, I’d seen tons of boys get obsessed with the heroes or protagonists in video games and all sorts of manga. Personally, I was more into rival characters or the ones who stood no chance against the hero. I liked the stepping stones in the stories.

“My, my. It appears as though you’ll both fit in quite nicely.” Father Claise let out a sigh of relief at the children being curious instead of frightened of us.

Unfortunately, that peaceful atmosphere quickly faded as we were approached by the girl we came here to help.

“Father Claise, I have finished cleaning.”

“You have my thanks. Well done.”

Of course, it was Astesia. Everyone who noticed her grimaced. As for her, well, she didn’t ever seem to react.

“Ugh, I wish I didn’t have to see your face.”

“Come now, Keith,” Claise chided him, “She’s an important member of this church. Aren’t I always telling you that we must be kind to all who believe in God?”

“Sure, that’s what Lord Zeus says, but… You might be a little nicer to her now, but you complained about her all the time too!”

Keith shouted back at the father and then ran toward the courtyard. Unlike earlier, Catalina did nothing to rebuke him for his rudeness, following after him instead. Astesia watched the two of them blankly, then shot a look of complete disinterest at us before delivering the bare minimum of what one would describe as a greeting.

“It does not bother me. I am Astesia. Nice to meet you.”

It almost felt like she had no interest in the world whatsoever. However, I knew how she really felt thanks to beating the game. Rosalia didn’t move a muscle, so I stepped in to introduce myself first.

“It’s a pleasure,” I said in greeting. “I’m Royce the adventurer.”

“And I am Rosalia. It is…nice to meet you,” Rosalia said through a smile that was stiff, but a smile nonetheless.

“We’ll be staying here for a little while, so if you need any help, please let me know,” I said. I winked in an attempt to break the tension so she wouldn’t immediately hate me.

“You… Could it be?” Her eyes widened. “No, that’s impossible. Pardon me, I must go and pray.”

Astesia turned on her heel to leave. It was only for an instant, but I noticed that expressionless mask of hers slip.

I hope she realizes I’m on her side…

“My apologies,” Claise said. “She’s a bit strange, you see. She can be rather unfriendly, but she does her job well.”

“Please, don’t worry,” Rosalia replied, “I was also quite rude…”

I had to do my best to resist the urge to jump in and explain that the reason everyone was so cruel to her—and the reason she in turn was so unfriendly—was because of the curse cast on her. Just knowing the “why” wouldn’t solve anything if I couldn’t dispel the curse.

Fearing Astesia’s talents, the Hades Church cast a very specific curse on her: She would be “hated by everyone except for members of the Hades Church.” Thanks to my love for my fave character and the pact I had with a Divine Beast, it looked like I had some resistance to the curse.

That was why even Rosalia of all people hesitated to greet her, and why a child like Keith couldn’t hide his disgust. Eventually, Astesia would find herself in a pit of despair from the hatred and loneliness, leading her to join the Hades Church when they treated her like an actual person.

Don’t worry, Astesia. I’m going to help you. I was brought here to save my faves, I said to myself as I stared at the door she had left through.

***

We ended up not seeing her again for the rest of the day. Apparently, she ate separately from everyone else.

Come nightfall, Rosalia and I explored the area surrounding the church while everyone else was asleep. Since I was playing the role of an adventurer, the reverend asked me to handle nightly patrols. Rosalia could have stayed in bed, but she came along after claiming there was safety in numbers.

“I apologize for my earlier behavior, Lord Weiss. I can’t believe I acted like that toward someone I only just met…”

“Don’t worry about it. The curse on her makes everyone other than members of the Hades Church hate her, so it’s only natural you’d feel that way too,” I explained. “I’m only fine because I have White’s divine protection.”

“The Hades Church? They’re the ones who hurt you and made Lady Aigis suffer. We can’t let them get away with this,” she said, before asking, “but, um, why do you know about the curse?”

“Er, thanks to White’s divine protection. Ah ha ha.” I managed to answer with a stupid lie.

“I see!” For her part, Rosalia seemed genuinely impressed. “I should have expected as much from you, Lord Weiss!”

Argh! I feel so guilty!

Meanwhile, Rosalia seemed to remember White, and she let out a lonely sigh. “I really wanted to bring him with us.”

“He’s cute and divine, so I get it,” I said, “but we’d stand out more than necessary with him around, so I had no choice but to leave him with Nyarl. I hope he’s doing all right.”

I recalled White’s adorable little squeaks, which left me feeling just a smidge lonely. When everything here was done, I was going to dote on him so much.

As I was thinking about that—

“Eek!” Rosalia suddenly tripped over her feet and fell into my arms.

“Uh, Rosalia…?”

“Don’t move your face,” she whispered into my ear. “Look up at that building. There’s someone hiding up there.”

“What…?”

I glanced up at the roof of the building Rosalia mentioned, trying to look nonchalant, but I couldn’t see a damn thing. I also didn’t sense anyone up there, but all that really told me was that Rosalia’s adventurer skills definitely hadn’t dulled. My magic was pretty effective, but I didn’t have as much practical combat experience as she did.

“They must be the real deal,” I said to her quietly. “I’ll hide myself with magic, so can you try and lead them toward me?”

“But you’ll be in danger!” she protested.

“You said you’d protect me no matter what, right? I’m not worried. Besides, I’ve gotten stronger.”

“Jeez, that’s so unfair… Okay, fine, but if things look bad, please run.”

With that, Rosalia and I split up. Using my shadow magic, I wiped away my presence, although that meant I couldn’t move at all. Fortunately, I could see just fine, so I’d know the exact time to spring my surprise attack.

After waiting for a bit, I saw ice spears rain down on the area Rosalia had pointed out earlier. Something silver flashed in the distance, and somehow, all of the spears were deflected.

“Ha! To think that someone could sense me. You’re not bad, not bad at all! It must be thanks to God’s divine blessing that I’ve encountered such a powerful enemy here!”

“Who are you?” I heard Rosalia call. “Why are you creeping around this church?”

Rosalia once again fired her magic at the person clad in an old robe, but he simply deflected her barrage with the short swords he had in both hands.

This guy was no joke. My muscles began to tense up.

“My apologies, I, Darkness, cannot afford to reveal my true identity, beautiful young lady.”

“I see,” she said. “So your name is Darkness!”

“H-how do you know my name? Don’t tell me you possess the Appraisal skill?!”

Just like that, my muscles relaxed.

This guy seemed like a total idiot. He was called “Darkness,” huh? That was totally a name straight out of To Love Ru. The moniker itself felt familiar, but I didn’t recall anyone like this in the game. Maybe I’d seen it in the production materials.

Anyhow, this Darkness guy sounded brainless, but in terms of strength, he was a threat. Especially if he could overpower Rosalia.

“Sorry, but I cannot afford to stand out more than I already have. I shall be retreating now!” Rosalia thrust her spear forward, but he used its force to launch himself off the roof of the building while cackling. He then began to spin in midair. Was he just trying to show off?

Well done, Rosalia!

As soon as Darkness landed where Rosalia had been guiding him, I dispelled my magic and cast a new spell.

“To think I hadn’t noticed your presence!” he said. “However, you appear to be rather young! If you do not wish to perish in combat, I advise that you…”

“Tyrant of shadows, capture my foe!”

I ignored Darkness and continued to cast my spell, causing my shadow to become a giant beast. It swung its claws down in an attempt to capture him.

“What?! High-rank magic?!” He let out an astonished yelp…then began to laugh riotously. “Well done, well done! However. However, you are not the only one who can wield magic. To my left arm, a wind beast. To my right arm, a wind raptor. Oh, wind! Coil yourselves around my blades!”

Darkness cloaked both of his short swords in wind, then blocked my shadow beast’s attack with the sword in his right hand while thrusting his other sword into the ground.

“Damn, he can use High-rank magic too? And two different types simultaneously?” I hissed.

Using the wind expelled from his left-hand sword, Darkness shot into the air like a rocket.

“Bwa ha ha ha! Farewell!”

“Get back here!” I commanded. “Shadow beast!”

“Not happening—ah? What?!”

My last-ditch effort to grab Darkness worked; my shadow beast just barely clipped him with its tail, causing his trajectory to shift ever so slightly. He let out a pathetic scream as he went flying off in a tumble.

Was he the Hades worshipper targeting Astesia? He was a pretty weird guy for that job.

“What is all this racket?” Father Claise asked.

“I’m sleepy,” Astesia said with a yawn.

Both of them had come out after hearing all the noise (mostly from Darkness). I wasn’t sure how to explain the ruckus to them, but then Rosalia appeared at my side to give them the details.

“I was on patrol with Royce when a strange man attacked us,” she told them. “He might know something about the missing girl. He was also quite strong, so I think it would be wise to request aid from another church.”

“There really was an intruder? He must be the one who kidnapped Malta…” Astesia remained stoic, but there was anger lacing her words.

Personally, I was more interested in Father Claise. He whispered to himself, “They’ve finally shown up.”

He seemed to know something we didn’t.

***

In order to ensure everyone was safe, Rosalia and I ended up sleeping near the children. The reverend father went to report what happened to the other churches, and Astesia…stayed away and slept in her room because everyone hated her.

Her rejection was deeply frustrating to witness, but it just spoke to how strong the curse was. There was nothing I could do about it.

Keith wouldn’t let me go at first, but after making sure he was fast asleep, I quietly called out to Rosalia. She looked at the children, gently caressing the hand Catalina was using to hold on to her clothes.

“I wish I could offer you my help,” Rosalia murmured, “but I get the feeling I’ll say something rude to Astesia if I join you.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it. We’ve both got things we’re suited for right now. All I’m going to do is tell Astesia that Angela asked us to save her.”

“Please do. However, the curse seems stronger than we imagined. Will you really be able to dispel it?”

“Yeah, I think so. I’ve got multiple ideas that should work. For now, we need to get her to our territory and try them all out.”

“You are every bit as knowledgeable as I thought, Lord Weiss.”

Rosalia shot me a bright, trusting smile, and all I could do was smile back weakly in return. It was wild that she didn’t find me suspicious. She must have been curious about how I knew all of this, yet she never dug deeper. Our relationship was so strong that we trusted one another without having to talk about it.

In that case, I couldn’t afford to betray her trust. I’d just have to live up to her expectations and save Astesia.

At present, I had two ideas for how to lift the curse on her. The first was through the blessing of a Divine Beast. I would have her forge a pact with a powerful Divine Beast and use its power to purge the curse. The success rate on this particular plan struck me as being pretty high, since something similar came up in the game. At one point, one of the main party members was almost taken over by a member of the Twelve Apostles of Hades who was capable of taking control of the person who killed them. Thanks to having a pact with a Divine Beast, they were able to resist. It seemed like the curse didn’t affect me due to my pact with White, so I had some evidence.

“But White already has a pact with me, and forging one isn’t exactly easy. In the game, it only works out because of a series of stacking coincidences,” I said to myself. “I guess that’s what happens when you’ve got plot armor…”

Unfortunately, I was an evil nobleman who’d died in the opening act. I couldn’t count on tropes like that to save us.

My other idea was using the water from the Divine Spring.

“This isn’t really related to any in-game events. It’s just a normal recovery item.”

There was an in-game item you could only ever have one of at any time: Divine Spring Water. If you used it, you could go back to the Divine Spring to get another one, but every time you did, you’d get text on the screen that said, Divine Spring Water is a precious resource. You shouldn’t hog it all to yourself.

I knew for a fact that I wasn’t the only one who thought, Shut the hell up. Let me have more than one!

This item was capable of healing any status ailment in the game, and that included poison, paralysis, and other curses. Theoretically, it should work on Astesia’s curse. That said, instead of having her drink it like in the game, maybe it’d be better to have her bathe in it.

I arrived at Astesia’s room. It looked like it used to be a storage space of some sort; it was kind of damp and pretty old compared to all the other rooms. This certainly answered the question of how she was being treated here.

“Sorry,” I asked from the door as I knocked, “but there’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Do you have a moment?”

“I don’t mind,” Astesia replied after a moment of silence. “What is it?”

I could tell she was wary of me, which made sense after how much suffering she’d experienced.

I’m going to save you no matter what, Astesia!

When I opened the door and stepped into the room, I was met with a very plain, minimal interior with a bed, a table, and a bookshelf. The building itself was old, but the room was clearly cared for. The bookshelf was packed with texts related to the church, displaying her serious personality. However, I also noticed a book titled Illustrated Guide to Fluffiness between the others. Maybe she was secretly into cute things?

Quite frankly, I wanted to roll around on the floor and smell everything while screaming to the heavens about how I was in my fave’s room, but now wasn’t the time for that, dammit. Truly unfortunate.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t stare so hard at my private space,” Astesia said. “How about sitting down instead of standing there? Are the children sleeping soundly?”

“Yeah. They’re with Rosalia. Don’t worry.”

“Thank goodness…” She sighed with relief.

In the game, she fell to the darkness after being betrayed by the people she’d desperately tried to save. And then, after becoming a member of the Hades Church, she was merciless to all outside of her new family. She still felt affection for the children here, which meant I could still save her.

“Let me cut to the chase,” I started. “You know Angela, right?”

“Yes, I do. That name brings me back. Here,” she said, face blank as she handed me a cup of fruit water.

Given that she was my fave, there was no way I’d miss the brief sparkle in her eye when I mentioned Angela’s name. She must have been precious to her.

“I came here to save you on her request.” I sipped some of the fruit water before explaining more. “I know it must hurt being hated by everyone around you, and I think I know how to save you.”

“Save me? Right, you don’t seem to feel repulsion toward me. Why is that?”

Her eyes widened, and then, for just a moment, she seemed to smile. The problem was that her smile was quite ominous.

“Well…”

Just as I tried to explain my reasoning, I felt my head grow heavy. What was happening? My body grew unresponsive even as I was trying to work through my confusion.

“I’ll answer for you,” said Astesia. “It’s because you’re a heretic, right?”

“What? No, I’m here to…”

“I know exactly what the curse on me is. I will be ‘hated by all’ except those in that heretical religion, right? Then, when I’m at my lowest, you and your people would show up to ‘save’ and brainwash me. Too bad for you, but I was once called a saint. I have knowledge of curses, though I was only able to weaken its effects instead of ridding myself of it entirely…”

Frozen under her gaze, I could only groan. This was bad! She’d mistaken me for a member of the Hades Church. Not only that, but what she described was exactly how they recruited her in the game.

Talk about persuasive.

“Were you the ones who kidnapped Malta? I’m going to make you talk. I’ve never tortured someone before, but don’t worry,” Astesia said as she drew my own sword from my belt. “I’ll be able to heal your wounds quickly.”

Shit! I am so dead! Man, all these villain characters are so quick to violence. Aigis was just like this! I desperately tried to move my body, but it wasn’t listening to me. A paralysis effect was locking me in place.

“I adjusted the medicine so you’d be able to speak.” Her eyes were cold as she lifted my sword to my throat. “Why did you curse me like this? And what do I need to do to dispel it?”

“You’ve…got it all wrong…” I protested. “I’m not one of them… I’m here to save…”

“Is that so? I’m disappointed you won’t be honest. Torture isn’t really my thing, but I’ll heal you as long as you survive. Fear not.”

Aah, I am so screwed! What do you mean, “fear not”?!

Okay, well, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t something kinda hot about having my fave coolheaded, beautiful dark saint threatening me. The problem was that this was also my other fave’s body, and I wanted to avoid harming him as much as possible.

In the end, an unexpected individual saved me from this desperate predicament.

“Keww! Kew? Kewwww!”

“White?!” I cried.

Astesia stared. “What? Why is a Divine Beast here?”

My adorable White squeezed through the gap in the door and saw me in my moment of turmoil, then spread his tiny arms out to try and protect me from Astesia.

What a thoughtful, loving little guy he was, but I couldn’t afford to let him get hurt. In the game, Astesia hated Divine Beasts so much that she singularly targeted characters who had pacts with them. By appearing here, he’d put himself in mortal danger.

“White, run…! Run and get Rosalia…”

“Kew!”

Instead of complying, he stayed right where he was. I was trying to figure out what to do next when Astesia laid down my sword and lowered her head as if she were in the presence of a god.

“Wh-why would a Divine Beast…?” She spoke with a trembling voice and a look of sheer disbelief on her face. “Could it be that you’ve formed a pact? Is that…why the curse does not affect you?”

Huh? She’s changed her mind? In any case, I’m saved!

“Yeah, that’s it.” I barely managed to squeeze out the words. “I-if possible, it’d be lovely if you did something about this poison…”

“Right, I’m so sorry! Divine blessing, purify this man!” Astesia said in a panicked voice. A moment later, my body was wrapped in bright light, and my paralysis vanished as if it had never been to begin with. Wow, healing magic was incredible!

“Wow, thanks. You really saved my butt, White!”

White climbed my shoulder happily while I was busy being impressed by Astesia’s fantasy magic, then began to nuzzle my cheek. His soft fur felt incredible.

“Kew, kew!” he chittered.

The little guy saved me big-time. According to the church, Divine Beasts were the messengers of God himself, beings to be venerated. Unlike in the game, Astesia hadn’t yet fallen into darkness, so she, too, revered these creatures. Things were finally looking up for me.

“I am so sorry. There’s no way a heretic could have a pact with a Divine Beast, yet I doubted you. I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

Astesia was so apologetic that it made me feel like I had been imagining her behavior earlier. I had White to thank for this.

Wait, did she say “anything?” That was like something straight out of an over-eighteen doujin.

“Mua ha ha! All right, then how about you prostrate yourself and repeat the following: ‘I’m so sorry. I’m a foolish woman for ever doubting you, Lord Weiss.’”

“As you wish. I’m so…”

“Ah, stop, stop! I was just joking. I’m sorry!” I panicked and managed to stop her just as her forehead was about to touch the floor. “Please don’t lower your head like that. Given the situation, I understand why I came off as suspicious. You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

I couldn’t deny that I’d seemed suspect given the situation, especially if she was aware of the curse and its effects.

“But wait. If you know about the curse, why did you choose to live around other people? Isn’t it…hard?”

“Well, you see, I believe this is a trial given to me by Lord Zeus. He is always watching over us, so if I can overcome the curse the heretics put on me, then I will acquire the blessing of God in the truest sense. Or at least, that’s what I think. At the moment, the children still hate me, but the father has become slightly kinder toward me,” she said proudly.

How could she write this off as a trial from God after all of the suffering she’d gone through?

In my previous life, I was just a Japanese guy with no religious beliefs, so our thoughts on the concept of God were completely at odds. Blessings here let you use magic, so to her and the other people in this world, the gods felt not just real but close by. Enough so that they were worth believing in through the suffering. But God still wasn’t going to save her.

Just what kind of trauma could cause someone with faith as strong as hers to switch over to the Hades Church? I felt my drive to save her from that fate grow stronger than before.

First, I needed to lift the curse on her.

“Astesia, I don’t want you to consider this as recompense of some sort for what happened earlier, but would you mind if I held your hand for a moment?”

“No, that would be fine.” I could see the confused look on her face. “Is that really enough?”

I nodded, then took her hand in mine and checked her stats.

Astesia

Occupation: Priestess

Loyalty to God: 98

Strength: 30

Magic Power: 80

Crafts: 80

Skills:

Divine Magic Lv 3

Staff Technique Lv 1

Pharmaceutics Lv 2

Unique Skills:

Blessing of Zeus: A skill bestowed upon one blessed by Lord Zeus. Success rate and effects of divine magic boosted. All stats receive a buff when in combat with a follower of another god.

Blessing of Hades: A blessing forcibly bestowed upon one by Hades. The target is capable of using Hades’s power, but not when desperately fighting against it.

Negative Status Effects:

Curse of Hades: A curse that causes anyone outside of the Hades Church to hate the target. Only one who has received a blessing from God can defeat this curse.

Her excellent looks combined with the effects of the curse make her seem colder than she actually is. In fact, she is just socially awkward, and she’s a bit self-conscious about this.

Now that’s what I’d call a boss character! Her stats were crazy high! The fact that she hadn’t even hit her true potential yet was especially nuts.

As far as the curse went, my theory was right on the mark. Only one who received a blessing from God could be cured. In other words, Zeus had something to do with this. The fact that I’d never felt any disgust toward Astesia because of my pact with White was proof. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little sad that I wasn’t overpowering the curse through my immense love for my fave character, but alas.

Nonetheless, I was ecstatic that I was going to be able to save her.

“Is something the matter?” Her face started to contort as she looked at me in my silence. “You took my hand, then went silent all of a sudden. Please don’t tell me you’re disgusted now too? Did the curse’s power increase through touch?”

“Ah, my bad,” I hurriedly answered to clear up her misunderstanding. I couldn’t even imagine how painful it would be to think someone was on your side, only to have them betray you at this point. “That’s not it. I know how to break the curse.”

Astesia widened her eyes in disbelief before excitedly taking my hands. “A-are you…certain?”

I could see the desperation on her face.

“Yes, I’m certain. I can release you from this,” I replied with a nod.

“Can you really?” Astesia gripped my hands so hard, it started to hurt. “You mean I won’t have to meet someone for the first time and see them look at me like I’m garbage anymore? I won’t have my kindness returned with ­hatred? The people I was once close to won’t suddenly hate me without warning? Am I finally going to be free?”

She began to sob, the tears in her eyes betraying what was behind the blank look that she’d so fervently worn up until now.

In the brief time we spent together, I hadn’t seen exactly how much she was suffering. No, she made sure we wouldn’t. I couldn’t begin to imagine how painful it must have been to have so many people hate her right away, and to find herself hated by the people she had once been close to.

This whole time, she’d been fighting desperately against this absurd curse, trying her hardest not to let that pain surface on her face.

“You’re going to be okay. I promise to release you from all of this suffering,” I instinctively responded in a gentle voice.

“I-I… Aaaah!” She wept as she fell onto my chest.

“It must have been so hard,” I murmured.

“I was, I was so lonely… It hurt so much. Everyone I knew left me behind. It hurt so, so much!”

As Astesia unleashed all the pain and loneliness that had built up within her over the years, I looked down at her and remembered what I’d seen.

When I met her, she was just like she was in the game: completely stoic. Even when her underlings or the orphans she cared for died, she never reacted.

That wasn’t because she didn’t feel anything. She was gritting her teeth and bearing the pain this whole time. She kept telling herself that it was some sort of trial. As a follower of Zeus, she knew that crying would only draw more ire from those around her, so she feigned disinterest.

That didn’t change when she was recruited by the Hades Church. They felt that dying for their dark lord was something to be proud of, so Astesia didn’t shed tears when her men or the orphans she loved died. In the end, she could never truly become one of them in that regard, so when those she cared for passed on, she grieved for them like anyone else.

Just like before, she knew all too well that if she cried, she would only make those around her worry, so she kept her emotions hidden behind a mask.

Ah! My best girl was so noble. That was why I wanted to protect her.

I tightly embraced her in my arms, and she held me in return as she cried. Her grip was strong, like she was desperately trying to make sure her salvation didn’t get away. My heart ached for her.

“Royce! Bad news! The reverend father is…”

It was rare for Rosalia to barge into a room without knocking. I watched as her panicked expression shifted to something much harder to describe.

“Um, uh, it sure must be rough, huh?” she muttered, then raised her voice. “It’s nice that you’re popular with women, but I have something important to discuss, if you do not mind?”

Huh? What’s with that look? I thought before starting to process the situation I was currently in.

I was in a young woman’s room, late at night, and holding her tightly in my arms…

Yup, this looked bad.

Astesia and I hurriedly moved apart.

“I swear, this isn’t what it looks like. Right, Astesia?”

“Exactly. Please do not worry,” she said awkwardly. “He was simply holding me tight after whispering kind words to me.”

Talk about an awful explanation! In fact, it was only going to make things worse!

“Is that so? Well done, Royce.”

What did she mean by that?! I was terrified of Rosalia in that moment. I could feel myself sweating on the inside and tried to change the subject.

“So, what did you need to tell me?”

“Could you come with me?” Rosalia asked. She shot Astesia a glance before beckoning me over to her. She must not have wanted her to hear. This was serious.

“White, look after her, okay?”

“Kew!” White hopped off of my shoulder and into Astesia’s hands with a chirp.

“Oh, Divine Beast, you are so adorable…” She whispered to him, like she was in a trance. This arrangement would work out just fine. After all, animal therapy was helpful, wasn’t it?

I exited the room with Rosalia.

“Things are bad,” she told me. “Father Claise was attacked by someone. His life is not in danger, but he’s recovering from his injuries at the church. The attacker used wind magic, so I am guessing it was the work of that man we encountered before.”

“Seriously?”

Cold sweat ran down my spine. This was so sudden! Up until now, Darkness had only been surveying the church. Had we provoked him into taking action?

The man acted like a goofball, but I could tell he was genuinely powerful. Astesia’s stats were high, but she had no practical combat experience. We couldn’t let him take her.

It would be tough with just Rosalia and myself, but we had White with us as well. If I could use the same powers I did during the battle with Hades, surely I’d be able to take him down. Thinking that, I hurried back to the room to get White.

“Astesia, we have to…” I trailed off when presented with a shocking sight.

“Aww, who’s a little soft and cuddly cutie?” she crooned to White as she snuggled him. “You are! Ah, this is so wonderful. Your ability to heal my weary soul is God-rank, little Divine Beast. My word, how many years has it been since I last got to touch an animal? Hee hee, you’re just the cutest.”

“Kew, kew!”

The expressionless Astesia of before might as well have been an illusion given the giant smile on her face while she cuddled with White. He seemed to be having an absolute blast from all the attention. Ah, right… Animals weren’t a part of the Hades Church, therefore the curse affected them as well…

And wait, I never got to see Astesia smile like this even in the game!

“Ah, would you like some yummy tweaty-weaties? I wonder what kind of food Divine Beasts eat?”

I was frozen solid from the unexpected sight, and just as Astesia lifted her head to feed White, our eyes made contact.

Her smile disappeared instantly, and her expression smoothly reverted to a flat one.

“While you may be my savior, you should knock on the door before coming into a lady’s room.”

“Yeah, uh, my bad. Uh, we’re going to go patrol the grounds real quick, so wait here. White, please come with me.”

“Kew!”

“All right. Be careful.”

A lonely expression crossed Astesia’s face for a moment as White left her. She must have really loved animals. Just knowing that made me glad that I reincarnated into this world. There was still so much to learn about my faves!

“Hey, I just want you to know,” I said, “I think it’s great how relaxed you are when you’re playing with White.”

“Wh-what?! Ah, urk!” Astesia’s face turned bright red.

With that, I parted ways with her and met up with Rosalia waiting outside of the room. She must have been listening in on our conversation because she had a big smile on her face too.

***

“Father Claise was attacked while he was on his way to ask the other churches for help? That means the enemy is watching our every move,” I said.

“Indeed,” Rosalia replied. “For now, let’s search the area. There’s no telling where that man is.”

“You need not look far, for I am right here!”

Right as we entered the courtyard to leave, we bumped into a man. There was no way we’d mistake him—it was Darkness, clad in his tattered black robe. Rosalia stepped in front and brandished her spear, which Darkness reacted to by drawing his twin swords.

“Sorry, but I must put a stop to your evil…” He looked at me, then his expression froze. “Wait, is that not a Divine Beast on your shoulder?! Aren’t you Apostles of the Hades Church?”

“What? You’re the one with the Hades Church!” I said. “You’ve been kidnapping the orphans here, right?”

“Royce, this might be a trap to get us to lower our guards.” Rosalia, as usual, kept calm. “Stay vigilant.”

But then, as a sign that he meant no harm, Darkness raised both arms.

Was he surrendering? However, he could also use magic, so I wasn’t about to let my guard down, just like Rosalia had said.

“Wait, wait,” he implored, indicating something on his chest. “Look at my crest. My name is Darkness. I’ve come here from the capital after receiving intel that this church was actually a slave market that sold orphans. I’m an investigator. If you two aren’t Apostles of the Hades Church, then there’s no reason for us to fight!”

I squinted at him. “Is that the crest of the royal family?”

“Royce, what should we do?” Rosalia kept her weapon at the ready as she waited for me to make the final call. She must’ve been through some real trials when she was an adventurer. “It’s possible that it’s a fake, but…”

This was the perfect time to put my unique skill set to use.

“Don’t worry,” I told her. “Leave this to me. Darkness, can you show me that crest for a second?”

“But of course. Right, I forgot. You possess the Appraisal skill. That’s how you knew my name!” Darkness said. He nodded his head, impressed with me.

I decided not to point out that he’d actually introduced himself to us earlier and gently took his hand while I pretended to look at his crest.

As usual, his status popped up.

Darkness

Occupation: The Sixth of the Twelve Apostles of Zeus

Loyalty to Oneself: 100

Strength: 90

Magic Power: 85

Crafts: 90

Skills:

Wind Magic Lv 4

Fire Magic Lv 4

Sword Skills Lv 4

Concealment Skills Lv 3

Unique Skills:

Blessing of the Twelve Apostles: A skill bestowed upon only those recognized by Zeus as one of the twelve strongest individuals in the church. Zeus’s blessing enhances all stats.

Heretic Counter: Negative status effects from heretics have no effect. Strength against heretics gets a +10.

Negative Status Effects:

Chuunibyou: Makes others suspicious through one’s own actions and deeds.

Dual Wielding: He does not have an aptitude for dual wielding but does so anyway because it looks cool. Weaker than when he uses a single sword.

As he is the sixth of the Twelve Apostles, he is actually quite talented and important, but because he thinks being mysterious is cool, he usually does not reveal his true identity to others.

Hah! Are you kidding me?! This dope is one of the Twelve Apostles of Zeus? Wait, now that I think about it, according to the production materials, one of the Twelve Apostles dies during the event that leads Astesia to fall to the darkness. Are you telling me it’s this guy?

I was genuinely shocked by this turn of events, but what I now knew for sure was that Darkness wasn’t our enemy.

“Rosalia, he’s really not a member of the Hades Church. He’s on our side. In fact, he’s actually—”

“Young man, it’s poor manners to reveal a hero’s true identity,” Darkness said, cutting me off. He had a weirdly smug look on his face, so Rosalia was still wary of him.

Or not? Actually, as soon as she heard my words, she lowered her weapon. “Understood. If you say he is our ally, then he must be.”

“Oho, I can tell she trusts you!” said Darkness. “On the other hand, perhaps this is the result of my powerful aura. Everyone usually finds it suspicious. This is the first time anyone has ever found it trustworthy! Ha ha ha!”

Bro, the reason people find you suspicious is because of the weird way you behave…

“If you’re not our enemy,” I asked him, “why did you attack Father Claise?”

“Hm? I haven’t fought with anyone besides you two. I’m only here to investigate, after all. I’ve been avoiding combat as much as possible.” He then looked at us and winked pompously. “In your case, you seemed like you might be a nuisance, so I wanted to encourage you to exit stage left to avoid interfering with my activities.”

“Wh-what?!”

Both Rosalia and I simultaneously choked at his words. I mean, Father Claise was attacked by someone, right? I was starting to get a really bad feeling about all of this.

As we stood there bewildered, Darkness shot us a question.

“More importantly, has there been anyone around you acting strangely? One of the heretics is capable of changing their appearance freely. It’s possible that they’re disguising themselves as someone else.”

I suddenly recalled what Astesia had told me earlier: “At the moment, the children still hate me, but the father has become slightly kinder toward me.”

“Rosalia, it’s Father Claise!” I shouted. “The enemy might be disguising himself as the reverend father! What’s he doing right now?!”

“Um, he’s looking after the children in my stead.”

“He might have noticed my presence and is planning on kidnapping the last of the children before fleeing! We must hurry!”

We hastily broke into a sprint. The children weren’t the only ones in danger—Astesia was as well. She already felt so cornered and stressed that she broke down in front of me, a complete stranger. That might mean that she was in the same mindset as when she fell to Hades in the game. Perhaps this was the triggering event?

I didn’t want to see her suffer right when she had regained her ability to smile.

***

The blessing I received from Lord Zeus awoke when I was ten years of age. I heard him calling to me in a dream. According to his words, the empire was on the cusp of being overcome by the heretical Hades Church, and he wanted me to put a stop to them. He had given me this power for that purpose. As if to prove that was the case, I was able to use divine magic when I awoke from my dream.

When I told the reverend father at my village’s church and showed him my power, he said it was the will of God and contacted the capital for me to arrange my journey there. My parents had passed away from an epidemic, so as someone who had been looked after by everyone in the village, this was a perfect chance for me to grow.

Once I arrived at the capital, I enrolled in a school just for women with special abilities. Apparently, those with the best grades were sometimes chosen to be attendants to the Twelve Apostles, but I wasn’t particularly interested in that kind of promotion.

All sorts of things happened while I was there. I made my first friends who were the same age as me. I was particularly close to Angela, the girl I shared a room with. She took care of me; even though I wasn’t very good at talking to others, she always had my back. Angela could sometimes be a bit curt, but she was a kind individual underneath that.

To an orphan like me, she was like the big sister I never had. When I was around her, I found myself wondering if this was how it felt to have a family.

But that happiness didn’t last for long. One day, an elderly person asked me for directions in the city. When I tried to answer the stranger, they suddenly swiped at my hand, and I lost consciousness.

Everything changed after that. Everywhere I went, people looked at me with disgust. The powers that Lord Zeus had given me were almost useless. I was able to figure out the nature of the curse, but I didn’t have the power to suppress or dispel it.

It broke my heart to have people I was close to suddenly start avoiding me. It hurt to have people I didn’t even know yell at me in fits of rage. If I ordered food at a restaurant, the people there would click their tongues and sometimes even put bugs in my meal.

The silver lining was that Angela graduated ahead of me. If she had started to hate me, I don’t know if I would have been able to bear it. I found myself unable to explain my circumstances to her and continued avoiding her as time passed. We sent letters back and forth, though our lack of face-to-face interaction impacted our relationship. I was tremendously lonely, but that was better than having her look at me in disgust.

I could no longer stay in school because of the curse and ended up bouncing around to different churches. Things were hard wherever I went. If I complained at all, they yelled at me. If I ever looked like I was suffering, that only made people hate me more. That was when I decided never to show my emotions on my face. I was never particularly good at expressing my feelings anyway, so it wasn’t all that difficult.

Every time I wanted to die, I remembered Lord Zeus’s voice and pushed myself to keep living. This must be a trial, and when I overcame the curse, I would be saved. Oh, how many times did I tell myself that? If I hadn’t said it over and over, I would have lost my mind.

Oh, but it hurt so much to have even the animals hate me. Animals were so dear to me.

***

I dwelt for a moment on the painful memories from my past, but at long last, that time was over. I thought back on Weiss and his Divine Beast, and my heart warmed. Surely he was my savior.

My suspicions of him caused me to do something horrible, but he forgave me anyway, as expected of one who made a pact with a Divine Beast. He had a big heart, and his beast was adorable to boot!

With my long trial finally coming to an end, I decided to pray to Lord Zeus.

Knock, knock.

I was basking in the kind of warmth I hadn’t felt in so long when I heard a knock at the door.

Cautiously, I opened it to find Keith standing there on the verge of tears. What he said was almost incoherent.

“Astesia, p-please, I need… The father is, he’s hurt, ­a-and Catalina’s somewhere, I don’t know… Help me!”

The curse on me may have been weakened when Weiss touched my hand with his Divine Beast in tow. I could still see the hatred in Keith’s eyes, but I was just relieved that he was asking me for help for the first time. I didn’t need him to apologize for how rude he’d been to me. Quite frankly, I didn’t care.

How long had it been since anyone sought my help?

***

“Is it really true that the intruder can change forms at will?”

“According to the results of our investigation, yes,” Darkness answered. “We received a report that such an individual was sighted in these parts. We also found a corpse with a mangled face. The body of the victim matched that of the reverend father who works here.”

“Could someone with an ability that powerful really be here?” Rosalia sounded doubtful. She must have had trouble with this country in the past, as she didn’t appear to trust Darkness.

However, I could think of one person with that ability.

“There’s a Hades worshipper, the seventh of the Twelve Apostles,” I said. “Emilelio of the Phantasm!”

“You’re so well-informed, Royce!” Rosalia gushed.

Rosalia, the reason I know about the apostles has nothing to do with me being well-informed. At least, not in the way you mean…

“My, to think you know that name,” Darkness said. “I knew it. You’re no ordinary person. But let me correct one thing. He is the ninth apostle.”

Apparently, Emilelio had yet to reach the rank he held in the game.

One might think that we’d have no problem dealing with this apostle now that we had recruited Darkness, the Sixth Apostle of Zeus. Reality wasn’t so accommodating, sadly. The numbers assigned to apostles related to their contribution to the group, not their combat strength, and Emilelio’s power was extremely annoying to boot. The worst-case scenario here was him killing all of us in battle.

“So, who are you people, really?” Darkness asked us. “You’re dressed like an adventurer, but the way you move tells me you’ve received education as a member of the nobility. Your priestess companion does not appear to be able to use healing magic, and she fights as though she has actual combat experience. It also looks to me like she’s treating you very respectfully, even though you should be deferring to her. Did you come here because you’re suspicious of this orphanage? Are you in the same line of work as I am?”

Rosalia and I exchanged looks. Was it okay for us to reveal our identities now that we knew he was an ally? He died before the events of the game, so I didn’t really know anything about him.

For some reason, though, I felt like I could trust him. He behaved strangely, but he hadn’t harmed a single person. If he hadn’t held back in his first battle against us, there was no way we would have been able to talk like this.

“Rosalia…”

“I will abide by your decision.” She seemed to understand what I was thinking from my expression and smiled at me.

“My name is Weiss Hamilton, and I am the lord of the neighboring Hamilton territory. This here is my maid and bodyguard Rosalia,” I admitted. “We’ve come to this church to take a young woman into protective custody.”

“Hmm, Hamilton, you say? I certainly never expected to hear that name here…” Darkness whispered to himself, then grinned. “I understand now! Despite being a young man, you have the ability to wield strong magic and the courage to come here to save a single girl despite having the support of only one talented subordinate. As a member of the Twelve Apostles, I am formally requesting your aid! I am a person who always returns a favor! You have nothing to lose by being my ally!”

Darkness looked at me as though I were his trustworthy ally already.

Whoa, wait a sec! Am I being formally recognized by one of the Twelve Apostles?! My heart burned at the thought. See, Weiss? You were always amazing. I hope you stick with me. Let’s do this together.

“I accept,” I told Darkness. “Now, Rosalia and I are going to enter the church first. Sir Darkness, you—”

“Please! Call me Darkness, my compatriot!” He grinned. “You need not take such a proper tone with me.”

Was it really okay for me to speak so casually with one of the Twelve Apostles? But if he said it was fine, I guessed it was. Aigis got all prickly when I pulled the same move with her, so I gave in.

“Darkness, I want you to lie low and come to our rescue if things look bad,” I instructed. “I think that’ll be the best prep we can make against Emilelio. He probably knows you’re stronger than me.”

“Hmm, I see. Understood.” Just like that, his presence faded. He was right next to me, yet somehow I completely lost track of him. What the hell? That was amazing!

“Lord Weiss, fear not. Sir Darkness is still close by,” Rosalia assured me.

“Bwa ha ha!” Even if I couldn’t see Darkness, I heard him laughing. “It would appear my all-too-incredible skills caught you off guard!”

I couldn’t see his face, but I could still picture him grinning. If only he did something about that weirdo personality of his, he’d be amazing.

When I stepped forward and opened the church door, I was shocked by what I found.

Catalina was tied to a cross with some rope, almost as if she was at the center of some kind of awful cult ritual. Astesia was looking up at her, dumbfounded, while Keith stood behind her. I sensed a deep darkness in his eyes.

No, it was actually much worse! Keith had drawn a knife from inside his shirt and was about to swing it at Astesia.

“Go to hell, witch!” shouted Keith, “If it wasn’t for you, Malta and Catalina wouldn’t have had to die!”

“What?” Astesia’s eyes went wide as Keith prepared to attack her.

I had no clue what was going on, but I knew I needed to put a stop to it.

“Heed my words, shadow hand!”

Just as Keith, his eyes full of hatred, was about to slash Astesia, my shadow hand twisted itself around his arm and stopped him in his tracks.

That was so close. One second later and this would’ve been a horrific tragedy!

“Royce! Why did you stop me?!” Keith wailed. “Father Claise told me it was all her fault that my friends were gone! Everything is because of her! That’s why I have to…”

Astesia’s face warped with sadness as she listened to the bound Keith roar in anger. “N-no, I wouldn’t…”

That cursed priest—no, Emilelio! Keith was only a child! He didn’t have the ability to think things through logically, and the reverend had told him that the culprit was the woman whom he already hated due to her curse. Of course, Keith had believed him.

“Ah, aaah…” Astesia sobbed.

I used my shadow hand to strike Keith’s neck and knock him unconscious, then took Astesia in my arms.

“Don’t worry, Astesia. None of this is your fault,” I assured her. “I vow to never let you feel this way ever again.” I needed to pull her back from the cusp of total despair. I couldn’t let her negative thoughts devour her. In my previous life, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to do this. It was a good thing that I was a super hottie like Weiss right now! My favorite character. I didn’t feel embarrassed in the slightest!

Also, I really couldn’t bear to see her like this anymore.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “You really are my savior…”

“Your savior, huh? I’m nothing that grand. Just a big fan.”

“Fan? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I can tell you’re on my side, and that makes me so happy.” She was still holding back tears as she wrapped her arms around me.

I shot her a smile to try and give her peace of mind.

Abruptly, I heard another pained voice.

“Help…me…”

“Are you all right? I’ll be right there!” Rosalia called.

“Rosalia, don’t! That’s the enemy!” I shouted before she could get any closer to Catalina.

If he wanted to personally witness Astesia’s descent into despair, Emilelio had to be close by.

He wasn’t actually all that strong on his own, and he didn’t have a concealment skill strong enough to mask his presence from Rosalia or Darkness. In which case, he must have been hiding as someone else. Process of elimination made Catalina look incredibly suspicious.

As sharp as ever, Rosalia burst into action once she heard me.

“Ice, bind them!” she cried, casting a spell that made ice explode from the floor and freeze the entire cross that Catalina was tied to.

Unfortunately, before the magic activated, Catalina opened her eyes wide, escaped the rope, and leaped off the cross.

While still in midair, Emilelio revealed himself to be an adult man.

“Mmm, how unfortunate! I was so close to getting to see the woman once known as a saint fall into despair. I just love seeing beautiful girls sob!”

“Wh-who is that?!” Astesia shrieked.

I could understand why. By the time Emilelio had landed on the floor, he’d gone from being a young girl to a young man. He was now of average height and had nothing particularly noteworthy about his face. I’d only just met him, yet it still felt like I was about to forget him. He was so unremarkable that it was eerie.

Despite his mild appearance, he took a look at us and started yelling. “I should be asking who in the hell are you?! How do you freaks know what my blessing is? Well, whatever. You must be from the capital. Faster than I anticipated, but it doesn’t matter, since you’ll be dying here. Make sure to scream real good for me!”

Emilelio’s face contorted into a sick smile as he stared at us. Somehow, the fact that he had no noteworthy features only made him look more sinister.

He sent a visceral chill down my spine.

“You son of a…!” I hissed. “You planned on making Astesia take the fall for the kidnappings and everything else that happened here, didn’t you? That’s why you fed Keith those lies? Why would you do all of this?!”

“Heh heh heh. I wonder why?” His smile was sadistic as he feigned ignorance. “If you want an answer, how about licking my shoes first? Y’see, I hate handsome guys like you!”

It wasn’t difficult to imagine what would happen if, with Darkness dead, he pointed the finger at Astesia while disguised as the father. Especially since we’d been suspicious of Darkness ourselves at first.

Plus, Astesia would’ve been mentally weakened after Keith, the boy she was trying to save, attacked her. There was no doubt the attack would have left her in an unstable state, lacking the strength to refute his words. It all would have played out like it did in the game’s timeline.

“Lord Weiss,” Rosalia said, prompting me to make a move.

“I know! Astesia, Keith won’t wake up for a while!” I shouted. “Take him and run!”

“All right. Please, you have to live!” Astesia said. I thought she might push back more, but she only said that before sprinting for the exit.

At the same time, I heard metal colliding with metal. Rosalia had swung her spear to deflect one of Emilelio’s throwing knives.

“Hah! I specialize in sneak attacks, so you’re better than I thought, girl.”

“You are quite the playboy, Lord Weiss,” said Rosalia calmly. “You managed to get such a stubborn girl to open her heart to you.”

“Heh, right back at you. I always know I can rely on my super maid.”

We exchanged smiles and completely ignored Emilelio’s ranting. Rosalia was mad strong. It was wild how Emilelio was glaring at us over the dumbest stuff given his situation.

“Ugh, you’re so damn annoying! This is why I hate hot people! Bet you spent all of last night gettin’ touchy-feely,” Emilelio snapped, trying to agitate Rosalia. “Did it feel good gettin’ it on in the house of God with your ‘big brother’?!”

If I recalled correctly, he had a complex regarding his plain face. While I didn’t appreciate his dirty talk, he did call Weiss a hottie, so I was pretty happy about that. Uh, not the time, though.

When I looked over at Rosalia again, her face was set.

Ah, she’s totally pissed off.

“Please don’t sully our relationship with your nasty words,” she said icily. “Lord Weiss, may I kill him?”

“Wait, hold on a sec, Rosalia. Emilelio, I need to ask you a question. You’re the one who tore off the reverend father’s face, right? Why? Is it a requirement in order to transform into him?”

“Ha! You think Lord Hades’s blessing is that weak? Fool. I did it because I wanted to.” Emilelio practically spat out the words. “Y’see, even though we might’ve had to blackmail him at first, he joined our ranks! Then, he had the nerve to say he didn’t want to sell children anymore! Where’d he get the nerve, huh? Everyone said he had such a kind face, so I ripped the damn thing off. He was pathetic at the end, begging his lord for salvation before I showed him real despair. If he’d become a true believer of Lord Hades, he wouldn’t have ended up like that!”

He seemed proud of the actions he detailed to us. That was a relief, to be honest. This guy was pure evil, and not the kind I was a fan of. He was just trash.

“Good to hear,” I said. “Doesn’t sound like you’ll ever be one of my faves.”

“‘Faves’? The hell does that mean?” Emilelio wondered. “Whatever. I’m gonna peel off your agonized faces soon enough. Time to get serious! Once I take your face off, I bet that so-called saint will make a real good face herself!”

“I won’t let that happen!” Rosalia said, though she paused in confusion a second later. “Huh?”

“That’s your move, is it?” I murmured.

I couldn’t blame Rosalia for her confusion. Emilelio had transformed into the strongest person I knew: Reinhard Bloody.

Emilelio’s blessing gave him the power to dive deep into the memories of those in front of him and transform into anyone in said memories. He’d searched for the strongest person that Rosalia and I knew.

In the game, he transformed into the main hero, so the best strategy for fighting him was to go into battle with nothing equipped at all. This guy could actually wield the main character’s holy sword! He was a real pain in the ass.

“You didn’t turn into me, huh?”

“Most certainly not! Who would ever deign to transform into weak vermin like you?” Even Emilelio’s way of speaking changed; there were traces of elegance in his words and tone, though he’d spoken so vulgarly only moments earlier.

Rosalia bristled. “Weakling? Lord Weiss is not remotely weak! I’ll murder you!” I was a little terrified of her obvious rage.

Now, I’d fought Reinhard more than a handful of times during our trainings. Not alone either—I was with Rosalia and Kaiser, and even then, we never stood a chance.

Man, this was unrelated, but if I had Emilelio’s power, I’d be able to talk to the other Weiss. Wouldn’t that be nice?

“Lord Weiss, please hide,” Rosalia said. “I will protect you!”

“No, I will fight too. I told you we’re in this together!”

“But he’s so dangerous…”

“Ha ha ha, I’ll save the woman for later. First, I’m going to rend you limb from limb!”

There was a thunderous roar as Emilelio, posing as Reinhard, jumped into the air and vanished. He was approaching me so quickly that I couldn’t see him.

“White!”

As soon as I shouted, White poked his head out from the inside of my shirt and chirped. I smiled for Rosalia, then began to cast a King-rank spell.

Needless to say, my magic wasn’t strong enough to restrain Emilelio, but that was fine. There was someone else who could stop him in his tracks.

Clang!

“Wh-what?” Emilelio gasped.

Darkness, who’d been hiding this entire time, intercepted Emilelio’s attack.

“Mwa ha ha! You had best not underestimate me, Darkness! Weiss, Rosalia, you have my gratitude! You bought me the time to cloak my entire body with the wind!”

Darkness, having buffed himself like crazy using wind magic, struck his blades against Emilelio’s. They must have been attacking each other with incredible speed as they went back and forth.

I say “must have been” because, unfortunately, I couldn’t follow them with my eyes.

Darkness, you jerk. You really did take it easy on us.

Even Rosalia could only barely follow what was happening, but that would be more than enough.

“Rosalia, are you good?!”

“Yes, of course!”

“Great. Then, heed my call, oh sword that rules over the everlasting darkness that protects the princess! God-devouring blade! Darkness, that’s your cue!”

The compressed darkness of my spell wrapped itself around Rosalia’s spear, infusing it with magic. There was no way I’d be able to land a blow on him by myself, but Rosalia could since she could still track the fight.

“Understood. It is time to reveal my true power!” Darkness called. “O, sword! Dance before the wind dragon’s blessing!”

“What’s going on?!” Emilelio cried.

“This is the secret skill I created in order to defeat my master! I call it the Darkness Special!”

Darkness threw the sword in his left hand, which flew upward as if it had a mind of its own, striking Emilelio.

Amazing! It’s just like a Gundam funnel!

By attacking Emilelio with his funnel-like sword and the blade he had in his other hand, Darkness was able to break Emilelio’s stance and create an opening in his defenses for us.

“This is punishment for insulting Lord Weiss!” Rosalia cried as she threw her spear, grazing his arm.

That’s right—she only grazed him.

“Rrgh?!”

That was still enough to cause the deep darkness to spread outward from the small wound on his arm and devour it instantaneously. The princess of the underworld craved the life force of the living. Emilelio had to cut his own arm from his body to survive the relentless attack.

But doing so left him open, and Darkness didn’t hesitate. “Claws of the wind dragon, shred my enemy to death!”

Just as Darkness’s attack pierced Emilelio’s stomach, blades of wind burst forth from the sword and began to tear into him, sending him flying. He smashed against the wall and groaned in pain. As expected of a member of the Twelve Apostles of Zeus, Darkness was able to use High-rank magic.

“But how?” Emilelio groaned. “I transformed into Reinhard, one of the strongest men alive…”

“Not quite,” I corrected him. “What you copied was the version of Lord Reinhard who took it easy on me in a sparring match. The real deal is way stronger than that.”

“Ha ha! Your Appraisal skill saw right through his blessing, then. That is why you told me to hide myself, right?! Well done, Weiss. I give you the right to call yourself my friend!” Darkness shouted triumphantly.

Quickly, he threw two knives imbued with wind magic. Those blades pierced Emilelio’s throat and forehead, silencing him for good.

I decided not to correct Darkness about my skill. It wasn’t like he’d believe me if I told him it was game knowledge.

If things had progressed the way they did in the game timeline, Emilelio probably would have copied the most powerful person in Darkness’s memories, then killed him. As a member of the Twelve Apostles of Zeus, Darkness was sure to have experienced many more real combat scenarios than I had at this point, which meant there would be many more options for Emilelio to choose from.

Now, we were the victors, and Astesia had been saved without anyone dying.

Right as I was feeling good about our accomplishment, my body started to grow heavy. A side effect of using King-rank magic, no doubt.

“Lord Weiss, are you okay?! Please, hold on!” Rosalia grabbed me to support my weight before I could topple over. Her gentle touch and sweet scent helped to relieve my headache. “White’s worried about you, and you’re going to worry me as well.”

I was significantly more exhausted than after my battle against Hades. Yes, I was putting myself through special training to better handle the blowback from casting High-rank spells, but that King-rank magic I busted out at the end to enhance Rosalia’s spear was a step too far.

I had put all of my focus into controlling the spell so the magic wouldn’t go wild and hurt her.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Rosalia. I’m okay,” I said.

“You won’t convince anyone with that look on your face,” she said softly.

White chirped, licking my cheek. As I felt somewhat better mentally, I tried to stand up on my own, when suddenly a part of the ceiling came falling to the floor.

Upon closer inspection, there were cracks in the pillars holding up the building. No good!

“Oh, my. I might have gotten a little too serious,” said Rosalia. “I damaged both the walls and the pillars. It truly is terrifying how talented I am.”

“Argh! Rosalia?!” I yelped as she suddenly lifted me up in her arms. Wait, she was carrying me like a princess!

“Fear not, Lord Weiss. I will protect you no matter what. I can only be at ease when I have you in my arms, right here with me. If I leave you on your own, I feel as though I might never get you back.”

“Rosalia…”

Seeing the wistful look on her face left me at a loss for words. It was true that I’d been pushing myself a little too hard as of late. Rosalia never said it out loud, but she must have been deeply anxious about my behavior.

“Well, well, you two are quite passionate,” Darkness said. “In any event, he should be dead. Let us make our escape.”

“Wait, but what about Catalina?” I asked blearily.

Darkness chuckled. “You need not worry, There was no one else in the church. One of my men is searching the area and should have found her by now.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Lord Weiss?!”

Once I heard the good news, my consciousness began to fade. Rosalia was holding me so tightly in her arms. It was warm…

I’m going to worry her again. I’m sorry, Rosalia…

Still, I’d managed to save Astesia before she succumbed to the darkness, and while we hadn’t planned on it, we’d also helped one of the influential Twelve Apostles of Zeus. This was pretty good, all things considered.

Moments later, everything went dark.

***

“Urgh.” My head was killing me. Something warm pressed on my cheek, leading me to open my eyes. The first thing I saw upon waking up was Astesia, who wore a smile on her face, even if it was rather stiff.

“Where am I?” I groaned.

“You’re awake? Thank goodness,” she said. “You’ve been asleep for half the day, so I was worried. Darkness arranged a room for us at a local inn.”

“Did you look after me? Sorry you had to do that…”

“I did it because I wanted to, so you don’t need to apologize. More importantly, how are you feeling? If anything hurts or feels off, let me know.”

“Oh, I’m doing okay. Thanks a lot.”

“I’m happy to hear that. But if you want to thank someone, thank your friend here.” She pointed to Rosalia, who was sleeping in a chair, not far away. “She stayed by your side until the absolute last minute, though she must have been exhausted from all the fighting.”

Rosalia had a blanket over her, put there by Astesia, I assumed.

I went and caused trouble for her again, I thought—right as something moved inside of Astesia’s clothes.

Holy crap, her boobs are moving?! That’s terrifying!

“Eeek! Hey, stop that!” she cried.

“Kew, kew!” Bursting out of her shirt, White leaped onto my shoulder.

“You were worried about me too, White?” I asked as he happily licked my cheek.

“Ah, but you were so soft.” Astesia looked really disappointed, which made me feel bad, but White’s adorable cooing distracted me. Petting him was healing for the soul.

“You know, that woman is quite amazing,” Astesia said. “She should be filled with hatred toward me due to the curse, yet she let me watch over you after saying, ‘I trust you because Lord Weiss trusts you.’”

“Yeah, she’s my best maid,” I answered, a smile on my face as I watched her dream away.

This girl… She was exhausted, but she stayed up for me…

“At least it seems she’s having a good rest now,” Astesia said.

If Rosalia’s usual behavior was anything to go by, she probably wasn’t planning on resting until I woke up, so it was a relief to see her fast asleep.

“Actually, I’m sure she is,” Astesia continued. “She kept saying she refused to sleep until she saw you wake up, even though she was barely staying on her feet, so I drugged her!”

“Uh, tell me you didn’t use anything bad? She’s going to be okay, right?”

“I just gave her some sleeping medicine. Don’t worry. Anyway…” Astesia looked back and forth between Rosalia and I, as though she were gazing at something too bright to keep looking at. “I’m jealous of how much you trust one another.”

Just then, I realized I’d accidentally called Rosalia my maid in front of Astesia, although at this point, there was no reason to hide who we were.

Astesia sure uses a lot of different medicines, doesn’t she?

Priests and priestesses needed to have a vast wealth of knowledge about practical medicines, considering they healed illnesses and not just physical wounds. Magic could be used to heal damage to the flesh, but it wasn’t all-powerful: It couldn’t cure diseases. In the game, Astesia used Zeus’s powers to heal, while she attacked with Hades’s powers, so I was happy to learn about this side of her that was into medicine.

“When I lift your curse, I’m sure you’ll find someone like that in your life.”

“Right, thanks.” For some reason, a conflicted expression crossed her face when she replied. Perhaps she was thinking back on her difficult past.

Wanting to avoid any awkwardness, I panicked and changed the subject. “So, uh, what happened after I blacked out?”

“That Darkness guy pretty much resolved everything,” Astesia replied. “He took Keith and Catalina into custody. They’ll be living at a different church nearby now. He’s going to be using the information left behind to take out the heretics who are still in hiding, as well as investigate the merchants and noblemen who bought slaves from the facility. Also, he found proof that the man who transformed into the priest was planning to pin all of his crimes on me, so he asked me a few questions. It seemed like my curse had no effect on him. Is he blessed by a Divine Beast as well?”

“Oh, about that. Darkness is actually one of the Twelve Apostles of Zeus,” I informed her, “so he has a super powerful blessing that gives him a high tolerance against heretics.”

“What? That man is an apostle? You must be joking…”

It was uncommon to hear Astesia so dumbfounded, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Her face turned bright red in embarrassment as she glared at me.

“Must you tease me? A-anyway, I do have to thank you for your help. What happened to the reverend father is terrible, but I’m glad the children and I will not be sold off as slaves.”

The fact that she had it in her to be so concerned about the children’s well-being despite what she went through with Catalina and Keith was admirable. Little did she know, however, that she wasn’t going to become a slave. This was the incident that would have resulted in her becoming a Hades worshipper. That would have been a very different story. A different timeline. There was no need to correct her.

“Yeah, whew. So, what are you going to do now?” I asked her.

“Well…” Astesia hesitated a moment before answering me. “Once you lift the curse, I think I will follow Lord Zeus’s guidance at another church. It’s thanks to him that I met you, my savior. I’ve finally overcome the trial he bestowed upon me, so I want to do what I can to help save the world.”

The words sounded like she had rehearsed them ahead of time. It looked to me like she had mixed feelings, and I couldn’t shake that instinct no matter how hard I tried.

What if there was something else she actually wanted to do? I couldn’t help but think that she was mistaken about one big thing.

“Is that…really what you want?” I asked.

“I mean, that was why I was given this power,” she replied. “Everyone says so. They told me that my power was special, and that was why I needed to use that power for God’s sake. After all, Lord Zeus saved me.”

“You’re wrong.”

I stared straight into Astesia’s eyes and rejected her words. I couldn’t help it! She was totally off base. I had no way to know what Zeus was thinking when he bestowed his power upon Astesia. Maybe he wanted her to become a saint who could save the world. Worse, he might have meant for her to be a stepping stone for the protagonist, and that was why he’d blessed her in the first place. I didn’t have answers, and quite frankly, I didn’t care about them.

There was one truth that I felt confident in: Zeus didn’t save Astesia. He didn’t save her in the game, so she suffered and fell into the darkness. Because of that, I felt there was no reason for her to follow his plan.

“God didn’t save you,” I told her. “Angela asked me for help, and me and my friends took action. Together, we defeated our common enemy. You shouldn’t be thanking him. You should be thanking Angela. So, when I lift that curse, you should do whatever it is you truly want to do. Don’t just follow God’s instructions. Follow your heart.”

“What are you saying? I mean, you came here with your Divine Beast and saved me in my time of need! Are you telling me that was all just a big coincidence?!” Her voice was trembling.

“You’re not getting it,” I continued, giving her no leeway. “I was able to form a pact with White because of my own strength. Angela and I were the ones who saved you, and you saved yourself by fighting back against your despair. None of that was because of Zeus.”

My pact with White was truly a coincidence. If you absolutely had to explain it away, then you could argue it was thanks to the strange voice I heard just before I reincarnated, but I had no clue who that was, so there was no point in dwelling on it.

I smiled at Astesia.

“It’s okay for you to live freely,” I said confidently.

“Is…that really okay?” she asked. “I mean, I was given God’s power…”

“It is. Sure, God might’ve blessed you, but he didn’t save you,” I told her. “You can take that power and run with it. You went through hell up until now, so I think you more than deserve at least that much. If he gives you crap for it, I’ll get mad at him for you!”

“Run with it…?”

Astesia widened her eyes and looked at me in shock, but then she giggled. The smile on her face was a happier one than I’d ever seen from her.

“Jeez! You’re quite the villain, asking a former saint candidate to betray God,” she said, “But…thank you. I feel better about things now. I still don’t know what I want to do, but I’ll take the time to think about it.”

“Cool. If you ever need anything, just come to House Hamilton’s territory,” I said. “I’ll take responsibility.”

“Hmm. That’s a promise.”

“Lord Weiss…?” Rosalia mumbled.

It seemed that our talking had woken her. At first, she looked at me, half asleep, but eventually, her eyes widened and her tears began to flow.

“Rosalia, I’m okay,” I tried to reassure her.

“Lord Weiss, I was so worried!” Rosalia practically leaped out of the chair and embraced me in her arms. “Thank goodness. Oh, I’m so glad… If you didn’t wake up, I don’t know what I was going to do.”

“Whoa!” Her arms wrapped around me and she squashed my face with her breasts, leaving me no chance to object. White chittered in concern.

Dammit, look how worried I made her…

“Rosalia, I’m sorry. I…”

“I’m going to get stronger,” she said quietly. “I know you’re going to end up pushing yourself too hard for someone else, so I need to be strong enough to support you.” Having said that, Rosalia just held me that much harder. “And I’ll train you so you can improve your magic power. We’ll go even harder than before.”

“How, um, passionate,” Astesia said, her brows furrowing a little. “I’ll let you two have the room.” She stood up, clearly done with us. “This is a good inn, so you don’t have to worry about making too much noise.”

Wait, does she have the wrong idea about Rosalia and I?

Before she left the room, she said one more thing, though her face was flushed with embarrassment. “Um, thanks. Both of you. I’m going to try and find my own path.”

“We’re rooting for you.”

After that, I had to work for quite some time to finally calm Rosalia down.

***

He couldn’t believe it. Yes, he could admit that the plan was sloppy, but he was strong enough to deal with an Apostle of Zeus if one showed up. What truly messed up his plans was the brat who came out of nowhere with King-rank magic.

Disgusted, Emilelio emerged from beneath the rubble.

“Dammit. If I didn’t transform into Ambrosia at the last minute, I would have died for real.”

Emilelio recalled the face of his unpleasant colleague and grimaced. If Ambrosia knew that he had borrowed that other apostle’s powers, he could just picture the reaction. Ambrosia was capable of self-regeneration, and while the ability had conditions, it effectively allowed one to become immortal on a limited basis. That was how Emilelio survived his knife wounds.

“Whatever. The Zeus Apostle aside, who was that brat? How could he use King-rank magic at his age, and where the hell did he come from? He could get in the way of Lord Hades’s plans in the future. I need to let the other Apostles know so that we can—”

“That would be a problem, especially now that my best friend is changing the future,” said a handsome young man wearing a crocodile smile. “I can’t have him dying on me.”

“Who the hell are you?!”

The young man’s handsome face was enough to stir Emilelio’s jealous heart, and he immediately found himself wanting to kill the stranger. However, Emilelio was suddenly struck by an uncomfortable sensation, holding him in place.

“My name is Nyarl,” the stranger said. “Just your regular local nobleman, you see. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Emilelio of the Phantasm, number nine of the Twelve Apostles of Hades.”

As soon as he realized his identity was laid bare, panic ran through Emilelio’s voice. He hadn’t noticed this man when he was fighting earlier. He also went out of his way to minimize the unique qualities of his face to make himself as forgettable as possible, yet this young man recognized him as Emilelio.

“You… You follow Lord Hades, like us. Wait, no, you don’t?!” Cold sweat dripped down Emilelio’s brow. “Your blessing is from an even more insidious being! Who the hell are you, and how do you know who I am?!”

“Heh heh, I wonder how? More importantly, could you promise not to lay your hands on my best friend? If you do that, I’ll spare you. Oh, and I apologize, but I will be taking that pesky power of yours,” he said with the kind of cheerful attitude one might use when asking for a bite of someone’s meal.

He’s going to take my blessing? What is he saying? This guy is bad news. Can I use my power yet? Yes!

The singular weak point to Emilelio’s power was its cooldown period. But by this point, he was capable of ­another transformation. He would morph into Reinhard at full strength, the version that that man Darkness was familiar with, then cut down this man, Nyarl.

While I’m at it, I’ll rip off his handsome face. That’ll make me feel much better.

There was something deeply unsettling about how easily Emilelio cut Nyarl in half with his sword. In fact, it was so anticlimactic that Emilelio squawked in surprise.

Hold on. Think rationally. I’m a member of the Twelve Apostles of Hades. Of course this was easy. There’s no way I’d lose to a brat like—

“Oh, my. How brutish you are. Here I was, trying to talk things over.”

“Ack?!”

Nyarl spoke to Emilelio as if nothing had happened, as if the halves of his body weren’t growing tentaclelike appendages, and as if they weren’t reaching for each other to bring the two parts together again.

He’s a monster…!

“Wh-what the hell are you?!” Emilelio shouted, overcome with an indescribable fear.

I’ll chop you up, chop you, chop you up, chop you up, chop, chop, chop! I’ll chop you up so you can never talk again!

Surveying his work, Emilelio laughed like a broken man. “Y-you scared me for a second there! But you’ll never beat me, you freak…”

“My, oh, my, you sure are violent. Or perhaps this is some kind of ritual that all members of the Hades Church conduct before engaging in conversation?”

Despite Emilelio’s hard work, even the tiny pieces of Nyarl were reconnected by the tentacles emerging from his corpse, making him whole again.

“Wh-what are you? What the hell are you?!” Emilelio screamed in pure terror.

***

“Are you really broken now?”

Nyarl had yet to move since meeting Emilelio, instead choosing to watch as he screamed in hopeless, shattered horror.

“Hey, Marianne,” Nyarl said as he gently caressed one of the tendrils from the plant that dwelled inside of his body. “I wonder what kind of dream he’s having.”

Emilelio had breathed in the bewitching scent she gave off, so he was definitely having a dreadful nightmare at this point. One so awful that he would never be sane again.

“Ah, but maybe I went a tad too far. He’s not supposed to die here,” Nyarl said to himself. “Plus, the Eighth—Aigis Bloody—and the Second—Cruel False Saint Astesia—won’t be succumbing to the darkness at this rate either… A lot of things are going to go differently…”

On top of that, Darkness, one of the Twelve Apostles of Zeus, was still alive. Compared to the true timeline, the balance between the two groups’ power levels was all out of whack now.

“Eh, whatever. It is what it is… More importantly, my best friend is certainly talented. Not only did he save Aigis, he saved Astesia as well. I can’t wait to see what kind of story you weave together, my good friend. Right, Marianne?”

The tentacle plant lovingly wrapped itself around Nyarl, almost as if to respond to his words. He looked at her and smiled, then left the wreckage of the church behind.

At a later date, people would find a broken man screaming in the ruins of the building, but he never regained his sanity.

***

“Was it really okay to leave Lord Nyarl behind?” Rosalia asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” I said.

After defeating Emilelio, we rode back to the Divine Spring in the Hamilton territory. The original plan was to go home with Nyarl, but apparently he had business to attend to, so he let us leave ahead of him in his carriage. We’d only just switched from his carriage to a pair of mine. Now, we were headed for the Divine Spring.

“Is Astesia okay?” Rosalia asked. “I feel bad she ended up riding in a carriage all by herself because of me.”

“Don’t worry about it. The curse is just that strong, so it’s not your fault,” I reassured her. “Since she’s with White, she should be okay.”

In fact, she was probably happy as could be, getting to cuddle with the little guy. I couldn’t help but crack a smile as I pictured her playing with him.

There were actually two reasons Astesia was riding in a different carriage: one was out of consideration for Rosalia, and the other was because Astesia requested it. According to her, she needed time to mentally and emotionally prepare herself for when the curse was lifted, so she wanted some privacy until then.

In exchange, she asked that I let her borrow White for the time being. I had a hunch that she just wanted to cuddle with him in private, but I resisted the tactless urge to bring that up. I was sure she genuinely had a lot to think about.

“Ah, do you think the letter got to Angela?” I asked.

“I’m sure it did,” replied Rosalia. “I think she is probably headed this way as we speak. You are very kind, Lord Weiss.”

“Yeah, well, I just want my fave to find true happiness.”

“Your…fave?” Rosalia looked puzzled by my words as she parroted them back to me.

Right, right. No one used slang like that in this world. As I tried to think of how to explain the concept, she smiled kindly at me.

“I do not know what that word means, but I do know that it is a good one,” she said. “In that case, would it be accurate to say that you are my fave, Lord Weiss?”

“Uh, yeah… Th-thanks. This is kind of embarrassing.”

I watched Rosalia smile devilishly, leaving me kind of bashful. But this wasn’t the old me. I was Weiss now, so I could handle this, no problem! In response, I decided to say the sort of lame line that only a hottie could get away with!

“You’re my fave too, Rosalia.”

“Hee, hee, thank you very much.” She giggled. “Even if you don’t mean it, it makes me happy to hear that… We should be arriving shortly.”

Rosalia reddened as we gazed at each other, and amid this sweet atmosphere, the view through the window turned a verdant green.

When we reached our destination, I descended from the carriage and walked toward the one Astesia was in. Anyone else ran the risk of hurting her.

“Hey, Astesia!” I called out. I could hear White making his little noises inside.

“Oh, gosh. You are just so super-duper cute! Wanna come homie-womie with me? I just wanna be together with you foreber and eber.”

I opened the door without knocking and saw Astesia holding White in her arms in pure ecstasy, speaking as though she was talking to a baby. Honestly, I wanted to tell her to knock it off and get ready to disembark, but I resisted the urge as we made eye contact.

After a moment, the happy smile faded from her face.

“So, we’re finally close to the Divine Spring…” she said in a flat voice.

“Y-yeah. We can lift the curse on you now.”

“I’m really going to be free of this curse. It has been a long journey… Thank you, Weiss. I swear I’ll repay you some day,” she said seriously. Almost too seriously.

She was seriously trying to pretend nothing had happened! Upon closer inspection, I noticed that her face was still a little red despite her attempt to look nonchalant. Jeez, there was no need for her to hide her love of animals.

“All right,” I said, “let’s get a move on. Are you mentally prepared?”

“Of course. I’m still a little nervous, but I’ll be fine.”

After seeing my fave look so adorable, my lips crept into a grin as I turned my back to the carriage.

“I like how relaxed you look when you’re having fun with animals.”

“Why couldn’t you just pretend you didn’t see anything, you jerk?!” Her embarrassed scream echoed throughout the Divine Spring.

Gotta say, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as teasing your fave.

But really, I was glad she was feeling better.

We came across a number of monsters on our way to the spring, but we didn’t suffer any major setbacks. Rosalia was our vanguard, I was at the center of the formation, and we had Astesia as our support. Look, let me be real with you: We were a crazy-strong party. I was inhabiting my fave’s body, and to make things more unbelievable, I was partied with my other fave.

I felt like my brain was turning to mush. If that wasn’t obvious, you could tell because my ability to verbally describe things was falling apart.

“I can’t believe there’s a Divine Spring here,” Astesia said.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s amazing.” Rosalia sighed.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” I agreed.

As we approached the front of the spring, we saw the same butterfly-shaped spirits from the last time and a number of Divine Beasts, just like White, bathing in the water. The sunlight reflected off the surface of the spring, making it look like it was sparkling. It was spectacular.

“All right, Lord Weiss, Astesia. I am going to keep watch.” Then, Rosalia addressed Astesia directly. “If Lord Weiss says he can lift the curse, he most definitely can. Please don’t fret.”

“Right. Thank you.”

Rosalia and Astesia’s chat was a little awkward, but it was incredible to me that the former had the strength of will to put on a smile despite the latter’s curse.

After Rosalia left, White hopped off my shoulder and ran toward the spring, chirping at the other beasts.

“Kew! Kew, kew!”

“Kew? Kew!”

White must have told the other spirits and Divine Beasts why we were here, since they all opened a path forward for us to access the spring. I felt like Moses. It seemed like the little critters were smiling at us.

“I’ll go, then,” Astesia said nervously. She must have been worried about whether this was really going to work.

“Don’t worry. The Divine Beasts are watching over you. That curse is done for, and if somehow it doesn’t work, I’ll take full responsibility,” I said in an attempt to calm her nerves.

“‘Responsibility’? You really should choose your words better, but…thank you. I feel a little braver now.” She nodded, her face red for some reason.

Her resolve was firm as she proceeded toward the spring, but she kept glancing over at me instead of getting in for some reason.

What was the matter? I was watching over her so she’d feel safe.

“Um, I have to take my clothes off, so could you face the other way?” she finally asked.

“Huh? Oh, right! I’m so sorry!”

I hurriedly turned around and closed my eyes. Now I remembered. In the game, the saint stripped naked before entering the spring so that the impurities of her clothes didn’t dirty the water. In-game, you could choose to have the hero peek at her or not, and the choice affected her heart meter.

I could hear the rustling of clothes behind me. Now that I thought about it, wasn’t I in an incredible situation? My favorite female character was behind me, taking off her clothes and getting naked! I didn’t have any luck with women in my previous life, so this was starting to make me feel pretty weird.

Like, if I turned around, Astesia would be there, completely naked…

The nude body of my fave, something I never got to see in the game, was right there. I swallowed loudly and steeled my resolve—then pinched my thigh as hard as possible!

In no world was it okay to peek at a young woman like that! I reincarnated in order to make my faves happy, and I didn’t save Astesia just so I could make her uncomfortable!

“Urgh,” I groaned. I must have put way too much strength into my pinch because now my thigh seriously hurt. I was trying to block out the pain when I heard footsteps coming from behind me.

“You can turn around now. Um, what are you doing?” she asked with a perplexed voice.

She must have noticed my groaning.

I was fighting against my instincts, okay?! I did what I had to do!

I turned around and noticed that her hair was slightly damp, making her look a little suggestive, but that wasn’t what I needed to be thinking about right now!

“Can you, um, check?” she asked uncertainly.

“Yeah. I’m on it,” I said, smiling as I touched her pale hand and opened her status.

Just as I was about to tell her how things turned out, her eyes widened with disbelief and locked on someone behind me.

Looks like my letter got to its recipient. She arrived right on time.

“Astesia? Is it true that the curse has been lifted? I’ve been so awful to you…”

“Angela?!” Astesia cried out in complete disbelief. “H-how? Why are you here?” She then turned her gaze toward me.

“Hey, don’t worry,” I said. “Go enjoy your reunion.”

“Thank goodness—and thank you.”

She sprinted past me and pulled Angela into her arms while tears streamed down her cheeks. “Angela!”

“Astesia, I’m so glad. You’re finally free…”

The women’s cheerful voices echoed throughout the spring. I was watching their reunion with warmth in my heart when Rosalia came up to me.

“Astesia’s curse has been lifted?” she said. “Look at how happy Angela is! This is wonderful for both of them. Well done, Lord Weiss.”

“Please, this wasn’t all me. You lent me your strength, Angela looked for a way to cure her, and Astesia never gave up. That’s why we were able to save her.”

The Divine Beasts also chirped and chattered as they watched Angela and Astesia’s happy reunion. Indeed, Astesia was saved because we all came together. I let myself begin to relax and felt a warmth that threatened to overwhelm me.

I’d truly saved one of my faves, something I could never do in the game.

For a while, I continued to watch Astesia and Angela from afar.

***

The first few days after getting back from the Divine Spring were impossibly busy; I had to deal with the tons of paperwork that had built up in my absence, plus Aigis was sulking because we couldn’t hang out the whole time I was dealing with the Astesia problem. Things had calmed down now, so I was putting together the official paperwork for Angela regarding her new position as manager of the Divine Spring.

“Okay, as per the details of this paperwork, you are now officially the manager of the Divine Spring, Angela,” I announced. “That sound good?”

“Yes, of course,” she replied. “I owe you a lot, after all. Really, thanks for everything. I’d heard all sorts of nasty rumors about you, so when Rosalia introduced you to me, I was pretty worried. I’m glad I confided in you.”

“Ha ha, well, I was doing the best I could before. Try not to be too hard on me.”

“Yeah, I get it. Sorry, sorry. I should know better than anyone not to take rumors at face value.”

She lowered her head apologetically.

With her in charge of the spring, the church wouldn’t be able to slide in and take it from us, and we could improve our financial affairs by charging for use of the water. I’d be able to make the cure for the approaching pandemic, as well as deluxe potions like the ones in the game.

“Thanks to you, I got to see Astesia’s smile again. I’m so glad,” Angela said with tears in her eyes.

Angela had gone out of her way to become an adventurer in order to save Astesia, so I could only imagine how happy she really was. Angela wasn’t the only one feeling good, though! I was also pleased as punch that my favorite girl could find true happiness now.

At present, Astesia was staying with Angela in her church. I had actually sent Rosalia to quietly check on them, and she reported that Astesia was having fun with the children there.

“It’s great that Astesia is enjoying her time living at your church,” I said.

“Well, she was,” Angela said. “She actually said she’d found something else she wanted to do and left this morning.”

“Wait, for real? She didn’t say a thing to me.” I was so surprised that I must have sounded like an idiot. I mean, I told her to find her own path, but couldn’t she at least have said goodbye? Man, and I thought we were friends… Did she hate me or something? Maybe she’d noticed that I’d considered peeking at her at the spring, even if it was only for an instant.

“Well, you know how she is,” Angela said calmly. “Astesia can be pretty shy at times. More importantly, I want to see your training grounds, since I’m already here. If there’s anyone who’s hurt, I can heal them for you.”

“R-right…”

I was having trouble shaking off the shock from Astesia just up and leaving, but I led Angela over to the training grounds regardless. It was true that there weren’t many priests in my territory who could use healing magic, so having her here was definitely helpful. But there was still so much I wanted to talk to Astesia about. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

At the training grounds, a single spear user was engaged in combat with a number of tough men wielding swords. Despite being outnumbered, the spear user used her skill and magic to completely overwhelm them.

“Her spear work is as incredible as ever,” Angela said. “Talk about reassuring, right?”

“Yeah. She’s the maid of maids, after all. She’s always saving my butt,” I replied while nodding proudly.

Who else would it be but Rosalia? Recently, she’d been training on the side when she wasn’t attending to her work as a maid. I imagine she might be feeling self-conscious of the fact that she couldn’t match Darkness or Emilelio in the recent battles.

She’d told me, “We won’t be able to spend as much time together as before, but I would like time to train.” The memory was still fresh in my mind.

I wanted to tell her that she was being too hard on herself. That we had battled against one of the Twelve Apostles, one of the strongest boss characters in the entire game. Then again, I also needed to get stronger so I wouldn’t constantly worry her either.

“Hey, do you have any personal priests or priestesses?” Angela asked. “Since you’re a lord, it’d make sense to have at least one.”

“Um, I mean, I have some priests among the troops. That’s it,” I replied with a puzzled look on my face.

“I’m talking about one exclusive to you.” She sighed, exasperated. Apparently having a private priest was just common sense. “They don’t just heal your wounds, they also keep track of your health. We priests can heal wounds with healing magic, but we can’t cure illnesses. So, a personal priest basically follows you around twenty-four seven in order to keep tabs on your health and make medicine when you’re sick. Really important folks have a whole bunch of specialists taking care of them.”

“Ah, I get you.” In my old world, we’d call that a family doctor. In the game, whenever the main character got sick, the saint would mix medicine for him, and sometimes she even monitored his eating habits. That was how she’d been voted “Number One Heroine Who Acts Like a Girlfriend” in one of the surveys.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the financial means to hire someone like that,” I told her. “I barely have many priests as it is, so there’s no way I could hire one just for me. As far as food goes, Rosalia handles the cooking. Or are you volunteering? I can’t pay you much.”

“Sorry, but the kids at the church come first. But, hey, if it ever comes to a fight, I can definitely lend you my help. That said—” Angela cut herself short for some reason before she smiled teasingly and continued. “You’re the lord of this territory. It’d be bad if something happened to you, right? I just happen to know the perfect person for the job. I think she’d be so happy to work for you that the money wouldn’t be too much of an issue. She’s head over heels for you, actually.”

I let out a sigh. “The person you’re describing doesn’t exist.”

“When exactly did I say I was head over heels for him?” A hooded girl cut into our conversation with panic in her voice. “Can you please not put words in my mouth?”

She had silver hair under her hood and had come from the corner of the training grounds, so had she been hiding there this whole time?

“What are you doing here, Astesia?” I asked. “Angela told me you found what you want to do, right? I was pretty sad when I heard you up and left without so much as a goodbye.”

“You were sad I left, were you?” For some reason, she repeated what I’d said back to me and turned red, even though her face remained blank. “Well, um, Angela told me I should surprise you, s-so…” As if desperate for help, she turned to Angela.

And Angela rescued her with an explanation. “Astesia here wants to be your personal priest. You’ll need to pay her, but she went to a proper school and all, so she’s got bountiful medicinal knowledge. She was once a candidate for sainthood. I can vouch for her healing magic skills.”

“Whoa, for real?” I said in disbelief. “Look, you don’t have to do this just because I saved you. The moment Angela became the manager of the Divine Spring, that debt was paid in full. You can live however you want to live now.”

This only prompted Astesia to look at me with a serious expression. For a few seconds, she struggled with how to respond, until she found her words and opened her mouth. “You’re the one who told me to find what I want to do and not just blindly follow God. Well, I thought it over. There’s many things I want to do, like saving others who are suffering like I did, or even seeking revenge on the Hades Church. But when I sat alone, not knowing where to turn, your face was the first thing that came to mind. I know you’ll go on to save other people, and you’ll never take the side of the heretics.”

“I mean, yeah, that’s all true, but…that doesn’t mean you have to be my own personal priest. There are a bunch of more powerful noblemen and women who’d kill to have your talents available to them. Hell, I could write you an introduction letter for Lord Reinhard.”

If she worked for me, she’d only be able to operate within the narrow confines of my territory, and I didn’t have much authority to speak of. It would be better for her in the long run to work for Reinhard.

I couldn’t understand why Astesia looked so conflicted or why Angela was holding her own head in an exasperated fashion.

“Astesia,” said Angela, “you need to tell this man how you feel, or it won’t get through to him. You’re already awkward enough as it is. Just be straight with him.”

“Urgh, fine.” Astesia hesitated, swallowed, and continued, “I want to repay you for what you’ve done for me. No, more than that. I want to be by your side and see what kind of nation you build. This isn’t about repaying you. This is what I want to do right now!” Astesia lowered her head, her cheeks bright red. “Please hire me as your personal priest. I beg of you.”

I wasn’t sure what to do. Quite frankly, I would gladly welcome her as one of my allies; she was a late-game boss character with incredible power! At the same time, I wasn’t sure my heart could take working directly with one of my faves now that I literally inhabited the body of another one of my faves.

However, Astesia’s passionate gaze pierced my indecision, and I relented. This poor girl went through so much rejection but still managed to work up the courage to tell me that she wanted to stay with me. I was here to make my faves happy. If I didn’t think I deserved to be with her, then that just meant I needed to better myself. Weiss and I would be able to do it.

“Of course I’ll hire you,” I finally replied. “I’ll be counting on you, Astesia.”

“Thank you,” she murmured. “I knew you would keep your promise.”

“Promise?”

“Remember? You said you would take responsibility for turning me from the path of God,” she said.

The smile she gave me then was beautiful, even though it was a little awkward.

***

Weiss Hamilton

Occupation: Lord

Alias: Normal Lord

Populace Loyalty: 25 → 40

(Increased thanks to stable governing)

Strength: 45 → 50

(Increased thanks to daily training)

Magic Power: 70 → 75

(Increased thanks to daily training)

Crafts: 28 → 30

(Increased thanks to daily training)

Skills:

Dark Magic Lv 2

Sword Skills Lv 2

Divine Blessing Lv 1

Unique Skills:

Visitor From Another World: A skill given to beings from another world who have been recognized by a being from this one. By being acknowledged by a human of this world, all of the negative statuses inflicted have been eliminated, and you can easily absorb knowledge from this world.

Two Souls: This body has two souls. Whenever you use magic, the amount of spiritual power you can draw from is doubled. Currently, the other soul is asleep.

Blind Belief in Your Fave (Leap of Faith): By imagining what Weiss would be capable of if he was the main character, this skill can make the impossible possible. This was a skill given on a whim by a god, and Weiss is neither aware of its existence nor able to see it in his status.

Chosen One of the Divine Spirit: A skill acquired by possessing powerful emotions and establishing an emotional bond with a Divine Beast. Increases stat growth rate and the power of anti-god attacks.

Extra Episode: Weiss’s Birthday Party

Extra Episode:
Weiss’s Birthday Party

“THE DAY HAS FINALLY DRAWN NEAR…”

My voice was trembling as I looked at the calendar in my room. The most important day of my life was in one week. That’s right, I was talking about—

“I can’t wait for your birthday next week, Lord Weiss!” Rosalia said happily when she noticed my gaze.

Precisely. It was soon to be Weiss’s birthday, and I would be lucky enough to celebrate it as him!

In my previous life, I had celebrated his birthday all on my own, but now I had Rosalia with me, a fellow Weiss fan. Personally, I wanted to get everyone in the territory in on the celebration, but my loyalty points still had a long way to go.

“Hey, I kind of want to throw a territory-wide celebration. Do you think that’d make people angry?” I asked her.

“Hm, let me think. Recently, you took down the mafia operating here and stabilized the local government. That being said, only the people in this and nearby cities know what you’ve done, so it will still prove difficult.”

“Yeah, I figured…”

There was no television or internet in this world, so my efforts to turn things around hadn’t spread to everyone in the territory yet. A bad reputation was a hard thing to shake.

“However,” Rosalia continued, “the flip side of that is that everyone in this city now knows how incredible you are, so I think they would be glad to cooperate. I’m sure that Lord Reinhard, Lady Aigis, and Lord Nyarl would also be more than happy to participate if you invited them. We might not be able to hold a territory-wide celebration, but I think we could pull off a citywide one.”

I smiled and nodded. “That’s a good point. Let’s make this as grand as possible!”

There were lots of preparations to be made, so things were going to get busy in the lead-up to Weiss’s birthday. Where should I start?

“By the way, what was it like last year?” I asked in the hope of getting some ideas.

“Ah, well…” she said, frowning and concentrating. I rarely ever saw her make a face like that.

Crap, is she wondering why I don’t remember last year’s birthday…?

But I quickly learned that wasn’t the problem.

“Um, you were so drunk, you might have forgotten,” said Rosalia, “but none of the invited guests came to the event. You ended up eating a huge meal and drinking with Lord Barbaro before going on something of a rampage…”

“Gah!” That was bad even for someone with my rep.

Weiss, don’t worry. I’m going to make this year’s birthday a happy one!

“That being said, things will not be the same this year,” Rosalia said firmly. “We have Sir Kaiser here, and I plan on celebrating all day long no matter what happens. Let’s bring everyone into this!”

“Right, thanks. Okay, first things first. I have to hold a presentation about this at our next meeting, so I need to think of a plan.”

Grateful to Rosalia for her consideration, I tried to think of how to best get people in the city together and how to make sure everyone had a good time. In the game’s timeline, the hero planned a big festival here… What was the main attraction again? One specific event came to mind.

Food and drink were the fastest way to a person’s heart, and if I had something special, everyone would have a grand old time.

“I have a good idea,” I said. “Rosalia, if we get through the next meeting successfully, would you like to go on an adventure with me?”

“An adventure?”

“Yeah. A treasure hunt, so to speak.” Just thinking about it, my expression was growing excited while Rosalia looked on, puzzled.

***

After I distributed the Weiss’s Birthday Celebration materials I’d discussed with Rosalia, I explained their contents to the meeting’s participants.

These materials covered not just the entertainment but things like the venue security and the economic benefits of the event. I was confident I’d covered absolutely everything after talking it over with her. I’d stayed up multiple nights in a row in order to put this presentation together, but that would be a small price to pay to make this work.

Also, while no one else knew this, it actually felt more like the fun vibe of staying up late before a cultural festival than cramming all night for a test.

After going through all the other topics of discussion for our monthly meeting, I closed by asking everyone for their final thoughts. “With all that said about the celebration, can I assume there are no objections to making this a city-wide celebration this year?”

I’d already put in the orders for the food we’d be serving at the party, and I was done preparing the invitations for Aigis, Nyarl, and the rest of the nearby nobility. But in order to get the city on board, I needed the help of the Merchants’ Guild and the other big names in the city.

The president of the Hamilton Merchants’ Guild vocalized his support first. “I have no issues with the contents of this plan. If anything, I am grateful I have permission to use your name to sell my goods.”

“Leave city security to us! We won’t let a single criminal or heretic into this city!” added Kaiser, my head of public safety.

Those two were completely on board, and the others appeared to have no objections either, and the rest of the meeting went smoothly.

We’d regained a fair bit of financial stability thanks to the Divine Spring, so we could afford to spend some money to have fun. At this rate, we’d be able to throw a massive party, just as planned. All that was left was to get my hands on a certain special food.

As far as that was concerned, I knew where to go and what to do. I was going to use my game knowledge to make this party the greatest success it could be.

***

“Walking through the woods like this brings me back to my days as an adventurer,” Rosalia mused.

“Y-you really are incredible, you know that?” I panted.

“Wh-why is she even a maid?” Astesia groaned.

We were both out of breath as we followed Rosalia through the woods. There wasn’t so much as a game trail here, so it was taking a toll on us physically. I’d been working out lately, but I looked pathetic next to a former adventurer like Rosalia.

Astesia, could you please not secretly heal yourself? That’s so unfair.

“Kew, kew!” Unlike us, White was cooing happily. Looking at him was enough to put a smile on my exhausted face.

“At least you’re in a good mood, White,” I said.

Astesia giggled. “Divine Beasts love nature.”

I swear, just having him here makes me feel like I’m being healed.

Anyway, it would all be worth it when we found what we were looking for. “I’ve never had shroomboar before,” I said. “I’m excited to try it.”

“Well, they’re considered to be a high-class delicacy,” Rosalia said. “You are as impressive as ever, Lord Weiss. It’s incredible that you know where to find the famous shroomboar. They’re so rare that even the Adventurers’ Guild struggles to locate them consistently.”

“Kew, kew!”

I smiled and played it off. “Yeah, well, I have some connections…”

It’s not like I could tell her that I knew from the game that shroomboars were monstrous boars covered in mushrooms that absorbed nutrients from the boar itself.

More importantly, shroomboars were delicious. The mushrooms themselves were tasty, of course, but in addition, those mushrooms also sent signals to the boar’s brain that made the animal eat only plants. This meant that shroomboar meat lacked the gamey smell expected from this kind of creature. Its fat was also uniquely sweet, and that light flavor apparently made it easy to just keep eating.

Long story short, it was a top-tier food.

“Sorry to drag you both out here like this,” I said to the girls. “As thanks, you’ll be the first ones to try some when the time comes, okay?”

“Please don’t apologize,” Rosalia said, beaming. She loved to help. “Shroomboars are not particularly powerful monsters, which means other creatures typically kill them the moment they’re spotted. They have to live in places cut off from the outside world in order to avoid such a fate. Besides, as your personal maid, I will follow you wherever you go.”

“And I’m your priestess,” Astesia added. “If you go somewhere dangerous, of course I’m going to come with you.”

“Right. Thanks, girls…”

I suddenly felt tears forming in my eyes. I was curious why Astesia emphasized her position as my priestess like she was competing with Rosalia, but that didn’t matter. I was just happy that they cared about me so much. White cooed and licked my cheek to remind me that he was with me as well, so I gently rubbed his head.

After walking for a while longer, a cliff came into view. From afar, I could see an area with a massive stone sticking out of the ground, covered in greenery.

“There. That’s where the shroomboar is,” I said.

“Okay. How are we getting there? We don’t have any rope,” Astesia pointed out.

“That’s a good question,” I replied, prompting her to shoot me a cold look.

This isn’t my fault! In the game, my little sister, Firis, uses levitation magic to get there. I didn’t think it would be so high up!

A complaint that had to remain in my head, unfortunately.

“Sorry, talk about being unprepared,” I said instead. “If we buff our physical skills with magic, maybe we can get there?”

“Fear not,” said Rosalia with a little laugh. “I can climb this, no problem. Vines of ice, open my path forward!”

“Wuh?”

Before I could get a full question out, Rosalia cast her magic and created icy vines that ran up the cliff like a ladder.

“Oh, awesome!” I said. “We’ve got a way up!”

“I’m your personal maid, Lord Weiss. This is nothing.” Rosalia giggled.

“Huh…”

They looked cold to the touch, but at least we had a way to climb up now. Rosalia seemed proud of her creation, but Astesia wore a more conflicted look on her face as she stared at the ice vines.

“I can support you too, you know,” she said. “I’ll buff your physical abilities and make them easier to climb.”

“In that case, buff my magic instead,” I told her. “I have an idea.”

“Sure, but…”

Astesia looked puzzled, so I shot her a smile. Unlike in the game, I could use magic outside of combat. Rosalia had reminded me of that just now.

“Ladies, hold on tight! Heed my words, shadow hand!”

Two arms emerged from my shadow and grabbed onto the icy tendrils. Now none of us would have to get our hands cold.

“Amazing, Lord Weiss!”

“Huh, not bad.”

Both young women wrapped their arms around me, impressed by my work…

Grah! They’re so soft!

I could feel Astesia’s heavy breasts pressed up against me, and though Rosalia was covered in armor, her sweet scent certainly wasn’t helping my ability to focus. But…right now, I was in the body of my fave! The Weiss I knew wouldn’t act desperate in the face of a fanservice event like this!

Screaming internally, I used my shadow hands to climb the cliff.

***

“Your ability to control magic is really impressive, Lord Weiss,” Rosalia praised me.

“Incredible,” said Astesia. “You moved those arms as if they were your own…”

“Ha ha, right? Weiss is awesome.”

After getting to the top of the cliff, I bent forward and let Rosalia and Astesia down before making sure they weren’t hurt. When I looked forward, I was met with a green paradise. There were trees and vegetation everywhere, their leaves swaying to and fro in the wind. It was all very picturesque.

I wasn’t the only one moved by the view; the rest were equally in awe.

“It’s so nice here. I can’t believe this place is real…” Astesia said.

“It might be fun to have a picnic here. I’ll make lunch for us when the time comes,” Rosalia added.

“Kew, kew!”

This world was so much more beautiful in person than it was through a screen. I felt this back at the Divine Spring, and I felt it now too.

As we moved forward, the sounds of the leaves swaying in the wind and the scent of the greenery just felt more and more pleasant.

“Now then, where’s the shroomboar?” I murmured.

“Oink?!”

Surprised by the sudden appearance of intruders, the mushroom-covered creatures looked at us and oinked.

There you are! And four of them to boot!

“Let’s do this!” I cried out.

“Fine, I’ll help,” said Astesia. “Oh, Lord, please bless us!”

“U-um, you guys?” Rosalia stammered.

With our physical attributes buffed, Astesia and I both charged at the creatures with our weapons in hand. Being in such a beautiful environment had me really pumped up.

Despite knowing how fast the shroomboars were in the game, I totally underestimated them.

***

“Haaah, haaah…” I wheezed. “Why are these things so fast and smart?”

“Dammit, I completely underestimated how swift wild animals can be.”

We’d chased the boars around for about five minutes, but they’d evaded us using feints and other obstacles in the area. By now, we were completely out of breath as we glared at the beasts from a distance.

“Oink, oink!”

The shroomboars shook their butts, almost like it was a taunt, before they ran deeper into the forest.

“You jerks!”

“They’re mocking us!”

“Um,” Rosalia piped up, “couldn’t I have just frozen them to start with?”

Rosalia was so correct that we had nothing to say in response.

In my defense, there was a shroomboar-catching mini-game where you had to chase around a bunch of the monsters on foot, which meant it never occurred to me to use magic to catch them.

“Let’s get after them!” I shouted instead. “Rosalia, I’m going to need you to use your magic the next time we catch up!”

“Right. Leave it to me,” she replied with a slight titter.

Despite being somewhat flustered, we made our way deeper into the forest, surrounded by the sounds of birds and bugs that clearly didn’t care about the humans in their space.

Eventually, we exited out into a clearing with a large tree that had a hole in it. It was there that we spotted a single shroomboar, who, for some reason, was stumbling as it moved.

“Is it all right? Perhaps it ate something bad?” Astesia asked.

“This might be a trap. Let’s be careful,” Rosalia said.

“Good point. Astesia, be ready to cast healing magic,” I ordered.

If it was a trap, it wasn’t a man-made one, but we still needed to play it safe in case this thing gave off poisonous gas or something. Rosalia and I cautiously approached the shroomboar.

Fortunately, Astesia was an expert at healing, so I had her and White on standby at the rear in case anything happened.

Sniffing the air, I murmured, “Hm? This smell, it’s…”

“Is this alcohol?” Rosalia tipped her head. “But how?”

“Don’t tell me—”

Hurrying over to the tree, I found a transparent liquid inside the hole in the trunk that gave off the strong smell of alcohol, along with something sweet and fruity. It was quite mysterious.

“Lord Weiss, watch out!”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine,” I reassured her. “I think that shroomboar over there is just drunk. Here, Rosalia. Try some.”

I scooped some of the liquid out of the hole and tasted it as I watched the bright-red shroomboar wobble about drunkenly. The condensed, sweet, fruity flavor was different from that of wine.

“This…is absolutely delicious!” Rosalia exclaimed after her own sip. “I’ve never had anything like it!”

“Wait, what’s going on?!” After hearing the two of us yelling, Astesia came running over with White on her shoulder. She followed our example and took a sip, then smiled as her cheeks turned bright red—she was definitely a lightweight. “What the…? It’s delicious!”

“Looks like we got a bonus on top of the shroomboar,” I said.

“Well done, Lord Weiss! But why is there alcohol in a place like this?”

“This is just something I’ve heard, but apparently, on very rare occasions, when animals stash fruit inside of a cavity in a tree or stone, they naturally ferment and become booze over time. A kind of miracle that can happen specifically because it’s so far removed from human hands.”

In my previous life, my old man had loved drinking, and he’d told me about monkeys making their own alcohol. It would be wise not to tell human hunters about this place. This had to be a paradise for animals to have created such a miracle.

“You know so much, Lord Weiss,” said Rosalia.

“Eh heh heh, this is so delish!” Astesia said.

“Umm, Astesia, don’t drink so much. We’ve still gotta head back down the cliff!” I warned.

That awe of nature I had been feeling? Yeah, well, it was gone after watching Astesia drunkenly enjoy the view.

I took the boars we captured and the alcohol home with us, feeling a touch disappointed.

***

“It’s so lively…”

“That just goes to show how much everyone loves you, Lord Weiss,” Rosalia said with a giggle.

On the day of my birthday, I went out walking through the city with Rosalia. Obviously, I was wearing a fancy robe with a hood pulled over my head to hide my identity. As for her, she had on a maid uniform that hid the Hamilton crest and a few accessories. I was happy to see that she was wearing the ring I gave her too.

I looked like the son of a noble family out with my maid. White had stayed back at the mansion with Astesia because he stood out way too much.

“Today is Lord Weiss’s birthday celebration! We’ve got tons of foods you can only get today!” a vendor called out. “We’ve even got Lord Weiss’s favorite food, cookies!”

“Wait, my favorite food is anything that Rosalia cooks for me.”

“I appreciate your kindness, but let’s let them off the hook for today,” said Rosalia. “It’s nice to see everyone celebrating your birth, Lord Weiss.”

The folks running the food stalls were all selling what they usually did, only at higher prices. But I wouldn’t complain. For today, it was fine.

The food stalls weren’t the only ones doing business; there were a number of places selling official goods too.

“We’re selling commemorative coins with Lord Weiss’s face on them! You can only buy them today!”

“I want some! I’ll take three!” I sprinted over to the stall. “One for saving, one for giving to a friend, and one to put on display!”

The coins featured a slightly deformed version of Weiss’s face on them. He never got any official merchandise in my old world, so this was finally my chance to go nuts! How could I not buy some?!

“Oh, Lord Weiss…” Rosalia sighed with a rare exasperated look on her face. “You have samples back at home.”

“You don’t get it, Rosalia. Buying these on-site during the event is what makes them special!” Even I knew that I was making excuses, but I couldn’t help myself. “Plus, if they sell a whole bunch, they might make more next year.”

“Good point.” Her aggravated expression faded as she giggled. “Let’s have an even bigger party next year.”

We were having a blast enjoying the unique atmosphere of a big festival. In a way, this felt like proof of all that I’d managed to accomplish since becoming Weiss. Realistically, the people in the city weren’t actually celebrating Weiss’s birthday, but they thought it was a good enough excuse to have some fun, and that alone made me happy.

After buying all the official goods I could get my hands on, I spoke to Rosalia, who was trailing behind me as she had been this entire time. “Is there anywhere you want to go?”

“Let me think. Hmm. What about that one place?” she asked with a smile.

“Which one?”

I had no idea what she meant until it was too late.

***

“Come on, folks! We got good, cheap stuff here! Lord Weiss has personally eaten here; it’s one of his favorite joints! I can guarantee the flavor!”

Rosalia had brought me to the meat-skewer stall we had visited once together. It was doing really well, and not just because of the festivities. The Hamilton crest on the sign and the meat and mushroom skewers were the real reasons behind its success.

“Today, we’ve got special shroomboar and mushroom skewers!” the vendor called out. “This is the only way to experience these two great flavors together! Your tongue will be overwhelmed with flavor!”

“Did he just say shroomboar?! And it ain’t fake?”

“Look at the Hamilton crest! I doubt he’s lying.”

The crowd stirred in response to the owner’s promotion, and not just the tourists either; the merchants and nobility who’d come here incognito were responding the same way. It just went to show how much of a rare delight shroomboar was.

“Looks like our plan was a success,” I observed.

“Yes,” Rosalia agreed readily. “Selling the shroomboars wholesale to a handful of participating vendors, then guaranteeing their authenticity with your crest was a brilliant plan, Lord Weiss. You profited off of selling the use of the crest while they profit by acquiring goods to draw more customers in with. Both sides benefit from this plan. Well done!”

“Ha ha, all that studying on how to be a proper lord has paid off,” I answered, somewhat bashful at hearing Rosalia praise me so earnestly.

It was a simplified version of the franchising system that existed in my old world. I was just copying it, but the idea hadn’t spread into this world, so I didn’t feel bad about making use of it to the best of my ability.

“Though I never expected this vendor to be one of the participating businesses… It’s nice to see.”

The guy running this stall had given Weiss a genuine appraisal, and the fact that he was lending us his aid meant that he recognized his lord’s abilities. I was grateful.

“Actually,” Rosalia leaned over to whisper in my ear, “the owner visited your mansion once before to say hello.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

“He wanted to apologize for saying such rude things in front of you, and he said he was glad you enjoyed his food so much. Remember when I served skewers at the manor that one time? Those were actually from him.”

That was right! After we saved Astesia, there was a night where Rosalia served us a special dinner. The meat was different from what she usually made, so I remembered being surprised.

“Now that you mention it… No wonder you were grinning so much the whole time. He should have told me”

“Hee, well, the owner is a bit shy, so he asked me to keep it a secret. Lord Weiss, since we’re already here, how about we have a bite? I’m sure the owner would be more than happy to join in celebrating your birthday.”

“That’s why you brought me here.”

In all honesty, I’d been avoiding this stall because I thought it’d be awkward for the owner if he figured out who I was. Turned out he already knew! Rosalia had gone the extra mile to fill me in so that it’d be easier for us to swing by in the future. She truly was an exceptional maid.

“Thanks, Rosalia.”

“What are you thanking me for?” she replied, happily taking my hand to lead me toward the stall. “More importantly, let’s hurry, otherwise he’ll run out of shroomboar meat.”

I hesitated for a moment before speaking to the owner, just like I did the last time.

“Um, owner, I’d like a skewer for myself and the lady here.”

“You’re…” His eyes widened momentarily, but then he took my order like he did before. “Aye! I see you’ve still got that beauty with you, eh? I recommend the shroomboar skewers today. I used my own sauce on ’em, so it’ll taste even better than the ones you had at the mansion.”

“Wonderful.”

We were acting just like we did the first time we met: a nobleman in disguise and a humble stall owner. The aroma of cooked shroomboar meat and mushrooms tickled my nostrils.

“Those look incredible,” I said. “How much?”

“I don’t need your money, lad,” he replied. “Today’s your birthday. Consider this thanks for doing your best for the city.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you.”

I took the skewers from the owner, my heart filled with gratitude toward his kindness, then took a bite into the aromatic, crispy surface of the meat that was soaked in a special salty-sweet sauce. The concentrated flavors of the meat exploded into my mouth, and at the same time, I could feel the flavor of the mushrooms stimulate my sense of smell.

“What the heck?! This is incredible!”

“It’s even better than I imagined!” Rosalia echoed.

The more I chewed, the more I tasted the shroomboar’s meat juices and flavor, and the more they mixed with the sauce, creating an orchestra in my mouth. This might’ve been the best thing I’d eaten since coming to this world.

In the game, the characters not only recovered HP by eating this, but their affinity levels also went up. At the time, I’d thought that was ridiculously over-the-top, but now? If anything, that undersold how good this was.

“This shroomboar is crazy delicious!”

“Ha ha, we have Lord Weiss to thank for this! I heard he happened to find a bunch and hunted them down himself.”

“That’s insane. I was worried about the state of things not too long ago, but now I’m glad I live here!”

While we ate, the other customers began eating their skewers and sharing their impressions. I could hear the people in the crowd who recognized how hard I’d been working. Rosalia and I exchanged glances and nodded.

Little by little, the people who lived here were thinking better of me and smiling more.

“We’ll be by again soon.”

“Aye! I’ll be waitin’!”

We said our goodbyes to the owner who was getting busier by the minute, then made for the mansion, our steps lighter than they were on the way here.

***

“I see the two of you went out together again. Could you please invite me one of these days?”

“Meg…” Rosalia sighed. “We were out surveying the city. We weren’t having fun. I can promise you that.”

“Huh, that so? Then why don’t you explain why you woke up early to do your hair, put on fashionable accessories, and even wear the perfume you never use?” Meg asked with a big grin, causing Rosalia’s face to go bright red.

“W-w-well,” Rosalia stammered through her blush.

It was true that Rosalia was at least two times cuter than she normally was today. I should have complimented her more…

“Listen to this, Lord Weiss,” Meg continued, clearly enjoying our reactions. “Yesterday, Rosalia was in front of her mirror, and she repeatedly…”

“Meg,” Rosalia said with a terrifying smile, “speak further and you know what will happen to you, right?”

“Ah! I forgot I have work to do! Pardon me!” Meg fled in a panic.

What was Rosalia doing in front of the mirror, though? I was curious, but I had doubts that she’d give me a proper answer if I asked.

“Don’t concern yourself with what Meg said” was all that she told me.

“O-okay…”

“You can change into your formal attire after your bath. I believe everyone will have arrived by the time you are finished,” Rosalia explained, gazing at me with a smile altogether different than the one she gave Meg.

***

“Oh, Divine Beast, please save me…”

“Kew, kew?!”

What awaited me after I finished changing into my formal attire was the sight of Astesia cuddling with White while he chirped in bewilderment. She was going to attend the party as well, so she wasn’t wearing her usual priestess attire. Instead, she was in a pale-lavender dress. She also wore a deeply concerned look on her face.

Quite frankly, neither her cuddling with White nor her worried expression came as a surprise to me. For years, Astesia had been exposed to an endless number of people who had nothing but hatred and loathing for her. If anything, I was grateful that she was pushing through her distrust of others in order to attend my birthday party.

In the game’s timeline, it would have been unimaginable for her to present herself in front of so many strangers during this period.

“Are you okay, Astesia? If this is too much for you, you can just rest for today. It’s fine.”

“I’ll be all right… I’m your personal priestess, after all.”

Upon noticing my presence, she swapped to her usual blank expression as though nothing had happened, then swiftly rose to her feet. However, her legs were still quivering, and I could see the fear in her eyes.

“Astesia, thanks for sticking with me.”

“Wh-what are you…?”

I took her hand in my own and smiled in the hope of relieving some of her anxiety. The fact that she gripped my hand back must have meant she was okay.

Heh heh heh, I’m one of my faves, holding hands with another fave. Am I in heaven?

“White, I want you to stick with Astesia tonight, okay? There’s nothing quite as striking as a priestess and Divine Beast hanging out together, after all.”

“Kew, kew.”

“Thank you,” Astesia said softly. “I don’t mind your protective side, you know.” She gripped my hand more firmly despite wearing no readable emotion on her face.

I was trying to play it smooth with her, but she ended up seeing right through me. That wasn’t a problem, but I wanted to surprise her a little, so I leaned over to whisper in her ear.

“By the way, that dress really matches your hair and skin color.”

Her face turned bright red as she glared at me. “What?! That should’ve been the first thing out of your mouth, you jerk!”

“Kew, kew!”

With Astesia too annoyed to be nervous, we made our way to the party venue together.

***

I opened the door to see a bunch of familiar nobility and merchants chatting among themselves. Aigis and Nyarl stealthily waved at me. When Reinhard shot me a quick smile as he carried on his conversation, I felt like his eyes were telling me to calm myself.

Rosalia and Meg were endlessly attending to the needs of our guests to make sure they had everything they needed, while Angela and Astesia (with White on her shoulder) were together, watching over me.

This was it. Do or die. My…Weiss’s big moment.

Unfortunately, Firis was stuck at a school event in the capital, so she couldn’t be here. To be honest, I was glad that was the case. I wasn’t mentally ready to confront her yet.

In front of everyone, I took a deep breath, then spoke.

“All of you, thank you for attending my birthday party today.” I formally greeted my guests and bowed like I had countless times in front of the mirror—and was met with applause. When I raised my head and continued, I was thinking of the many things that had led me to this point. “Given the occasion, I will spare you the formalities. I have a surprise for all of you as thanks for coming all this way! Rosalia, if you please!”

“But of course!” she replied. A moment later, she brought out the shroomboar steaks and the alcohol we had found in the hole of that tree trunk. “This is shroomboar meat that Lord Weiss personally hunted, as well as Divine Spirit Booze!”

The whole “Divine Spirit Booze” name was something I came up with on my own. In my other life, this stuff was called Monkey Booze, but there were no monkeys in this world. This new name had more of a mysterious aura, so it was working out.

“Oh, so this is the shroomboar I’ve heard so much about? I was surprised that the stalls were selling it, but to think Lord Weiss actually hunted them himself…”

“Divine Spirit Booze? Is it different from wine?”

My little surprise was a success; the guests were all excited over the reveal. I let out a relieved sigh.

Suddenly, someone poured Divine Spirit Booze into my glass. As always, it was Rosalia.

“I’ve been trying to lay off the alcohol because of what happened before, you know,” I said to her.

“I think it would be all right if you let loose tonight,” she said. “If it looks like you’re straying from the path again, I have a lecture prepared this time, so worry not.”

I shuddered. “Terrifying! But, really, thank you. I won’t ever binge drink again with that threat over my head.”

We exchanged a little more banter before I downed my glass. The sweet flavor of condensed fruit and alcohol shot right through me.

Whoo, now this hits the spot!

That was a private thought, though. Wearing a calm smile on my face, I went around to greet my guests.

I greeted everyone and even joked with Nyarl a bit. Reinhard and Aigis wished me a happy birthday, and after saying my hellos to everyone else, I noticed Aigis kept glancing over at me and taking a few steps, only to retreat.

I’d already said hello, so what was the matter?

Reinhard seemed to be grinning at my confusion. Then, once he realized I was looking at him, he pointed at Aigis and nodded slightly.

Did he want me to go up to her?

“What’s up, Aigis?” I tried.

“Oh, Weiss…” she said. “Well, um, I practiced how to dance. I’m not very good, but I worked super hard.”

“Ah, I see,” I replied without thinking about what her words might mean. “That’s amazing!”

“Grrr…” Aigis pouted at me.

Honestly, I was pretty confused. In the game, she didn’t have a dance sequence. Despite being a daughter of nobility, it was more her style to cut through enemies than it was to dance, so why was she practicing?

It took me a moment of thinking, but I finally figured it out.

“Wait, are you saying you’re willing to dance with me?”

“Yes, I am,” she said as her face reddened, “Of course, only if you want to…” Aigis held her hand out to me as she fidgeted in place. Her fiery-red hair almost seemed to reflect off the surface of her cornflower-blue dress, ­making her look that much more adorable.

Plus, the way she raised her eyes pleadingly, asking me to take the lead, was tremendously charming. Could anybody say no to such a beautiful girl?

“Please, I’m the one who should be asking you for a dance. Um, I’m not very good, though, so don’t get your hopes up.”

“Heh. Don’t worry,” Aigis replied. “I’m just happy that I get to dance with you.”

Once I took her hand in mine, the sound of a waltz filled the room. I was surprised; it almost felt like they’d waited for us to be ready.

We began to dance. I could hardly call her a skilled dancer, but even then, I could tell from the look on her face how hard she was trying. At a time like this, it was a man’s job to lead!

Now, I obviously had no dance experience from my previous life, but I’d practiced like hell with Rosalia before Aigis’s party. Weiss must have learned how to dance before I reincarnated into this world because his muscle memory took me through the steps.

Gently, I took Aigis’s hand in mine and smiled at her while she inexpertly stumbled through the steps along to the music. That must have calmed her nerves, as her expression softened little by little, until she had a big smile on her face by the time the song came to an end. It was as though the bloodlust-filled girl from the game was nothing but a big lie.

Those around us began to dance as well, and the party ended up being a huge success.

***

“Phew, I’m beat, but that sure was fun.”

“Kew, kew!”

After seeing everyone off once the party finished, I was just kind of zoning out in the empty party hall with White on my shoulder.

“So, this is where you are.” Rosalia’s voice reached me. “You must be exhausted from today’s events. If you don’t get some rest, it’s going to affect your work tomorrow.”

I turned to her. “Hey. I was just basking in the joy of today… How everyone showed up, you know.”

“I’m also very glad that everyone celebrated your birthday.”

Rosalia walked up to my side and looked around the hall with me. Her face spoke of her happiness, and I could tell that we shared the same feelings even though we stood in silence.

This party was the result of all of our hard work. Weiss was supposed to have been used and abandoned by the Hades Church, but I successfully changed his future, which directly led to today’s birthday celebration. I was also able to save Aigis, Astesia, Kaiser, and everyone else who lived in my territory.

But I didn’t do that alone. I only succeeded because I had someone who never stopped believing in me… In Weiss.

“Rosalia, thank you.”

“Lord Weiss?”

I couldn’t help but smile, looking at her confused face. Maybe she didn’t quite get why I was thanking her. I needed to be direct with my words.

“I’m grateful to you for always supporting me.”

“Oh, hee. You’re quite welcome, Lord Weiss. Is there a chance… Would you possibly listen to a single unreasonable request of mine?”

We exchanged glances, then Rosalia smiled bashfully. With no idea about what she might ask, I waited for her to proceed.

“Um…” Her face turned red. “I know it’s rude for a maid such as myself to ask this, but could I share a dance with you?”

“What?”

“I found myself a bit jealous after seeing you dance with Aigis and… Ah!”

I had already taken her hand. “Please, is that all? It would be my pleasure.”

She fidgeted a little longer, then stepped forward. As always, Rosalia quickly matched me. Of course she did. Rosalia knew everything there was to know about me.

Events were diverging from the game in enormous ways. I didn’t know what awaited us going forward, but I had the feeling that I’d be able to get through anything as long as Rosalia and the others were with me.

Afterword

Afterword

HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS KEI TAKANO. IF YOU happen to be someone who read one of my other series, well, that just makes me happier than I can describe. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this book. This is the published version of a novel that I posted on the websites Kakuyomu and Let’s Be Novelists.

A personal aside, but I learned about web novels through an isekai reincarnation story, so when I found out that my own isekai novel was going to be published, I was delighted. But it really didn’t feel real until I saw the book cover and the illustrations within.

Since I have the space, I’d like to talk a little about this book. I won’t be spoiling anything, so don’t worry about that.

I’ve always loved villain characters more than the protagonists. In my opinion, stories shine the brightest when not only the hero but the villains and rival characters are fun and interesting.

There are all sorts of appealing antagonists who end up defeated by the heroes throughout fiction, like villains who shared similar circumstances with the protagonists but ended up straying from the path and destroying themselves, or villains who possessed immense power but fell in the face of the heroes and their party unity. This book is the condensed form of all the times I imagined what I would do if I was the villain, or what I’d do to save them.

I’d be thrilled if you enjoyed your time with this light novel. If you read this and want to read a second volume or thought it was a fun time, please leave a review on your site of choice and tweet your impressions as well. It’d make me really happy. I’m always name searching, so I’ll probably leave a like (lol). It’s your voices as readers that directly feed into an author’s motivation and continued publication, so I’d love it if you shared your thoughts on social media!

Finally, I want to thank everyone involved with the publication of this book.

Thank you so much to kodamazon for the lovely ­illustrations. You made Weiss and the girls even cuter than they were in my own head. I would also like to thank my lead editors, Nishimura and Yamaguchi, as well as everyone who read this volume. It’s thanks to all of you that this book exists.

For now, until we meet again.