Chapter 45

Released:

“If I’m going with Sir Theo, it’s sure to be fun!”

“I’ve said it repeatedly, I’m coming too, Estelle.”

No matter what Iris said, Estelle’s eyes began to sparkle at the thought of going to the Holy Empire with Theo.

“Iris, you’re a genius!”

“I’m saying I’m coming too.”

“Fine, I’ll let you tag along as a special exception!”

“Special exception, my foot.”

Iris let out a soft chuckle.

Just a moment ago, Estelle had been sulking completely, but now her expression was finally back to its usual self.

“Alright, I’ll contact Sir Theo. The men’s dormitory is off-limits to women, after all.”

Iris took out her phone and sent Theo a message, asking if they could meet briefly.

“My heart’s racing! I’m also happy I’ll get to see Sir Theo one more time today!”

“Estelle, you’re way too excited. He said to meet in front of the men’s dormitory, so let’s head over.”

Iris had wondered if Theo might already be asleep, but he sent back a positive reply, so she grabbed Estelle’s hand.

“Okay, great! Should I use a teleportation spell?”

“It’s literally just down there.”

The men’s dormitory and the women’s dormitory weren’t located very far from each other.

Iris figured that even if they walked slowly, they’d arrive at about the same time Theo would, so she led Estelle along at a leisurely pace.

“Thank you, Iris.”

As they walked in silence, Estelle suddenly spoke up quietly and expressed her gratitude.

“Honestly, I really didn’t want to go. It felt like I was being dragged there against my will, and it left me in a bad mood. But thanks to your brilliant idea, my spirits are completely lifted.”

For Estelle, who believed she could even walk into a pit of fire if Theo were with her, it was all the more significant.

The thought that she might have marched into the fire alone, without Iris’s suggestion, made her feel all the more grateful.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Remember the last time we went out on the weekend? You were the one who brought it up first, and I ended up tagging along. Consider this payback.”

Still, Iris didn’t think Estelle needed to be quite so thankful.

She was, after all, the type who could never muster the courage to suggest anything to Theo on her own. Even if the three of them were together, she treasured any opportunity to spend time with Theo.

“Oh! Look, there’s Sir Theo already!”

“Let’s hurry…!”

Not wanting to keep Theo waiting, the two of them rushed to where he stood.

***

“What? You want me to go to the Holy Empire with you all of a sudden?”

Theo who had just been about to call it a night and head to bed had come out after receiving Iris’s message, only to be greeted with something completely unexpected.

“Yes, well, it just so happens I need to go to the Holy Empire tomorrow, and I thought it would be wonderful if you and Iris could come along.”

“Tomorrow?!”

Without any time to mentally prepare, Estelle had announced they would have to leave for the Holy Empire as soon as they woke up, leaving Theo utterly stunned.

“Um, well, Estelle, it’s probably fine for you since it’s already arranged, but won’t Iris and I be marked as truant?”

Honestly, I didn’t care whether I got marked as truant or not.

It wasn’t like I planned to graduate from here and become a knight or a mage anyway.

Later, I’d just live on a farm with my parents. I was only here to make sure these two didn’t get into trouble, so it didn’t matter to me whether it was truancy or outright desertion. But for Iris, it was different.

“Iris, what are you going to do if His Majesty finds out you skipped without permission?”

Iris was the Crown Princess and the future Emperor.

For someone like her, getting marked as truant from the academy would never leave a good impression.

The Emperor likely paid close attention to such matters.

“We’ll just say I was sick.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

“Isn’t that how illness works? It comes on suddenly. Sir Theo can say the same if asked.”

Oh, well… she wasn’t wrong. Illnesses didn’t come with a warning, so faking it wouldn’t necessarily look suspicious.

Still, was this really okay?

“I’ll go to the faculty office and let them know, so the two of you just focus on getting ready!”

Both Estelle and Iris seemed unusually proactive. They were completely different from their usual selves.

“Uh… o-okay. Sure, got it…”

I answered without thinking, but was this really fine?

No, but then again, how could I miss the chance to visit the Holy Empire?

Ah, no, that’s not the point. Ahem, ahem. Honestly, I couldn’t let them go alone.

What if I let the two of them go alone, and they end up in a conflict where Iris gets taken hostage? What if that sparks a war between the two nations?

Everything we’ve done so far would be for nothing, wouldn’t it?

It’s absolutely not because I’m dying to visit the Holy Empire myself. Not at all. Ahem.

“Then, Sir Theo, will you be using your teleportation magic to travel?”

Was it because she had noticed me trying to use teleportation magic before?

She asked if I planned to use it directly.

“Uh… do you think it’s even possible to go that far?”

If it were possible, I wouldn’t mind testing my magic on such a long-distance journey, but the Holy Empire wasn’t just far; it was extremely far.

I tried to gauge whether my magical power could handle such a distance.

But earlier, when I checked the stats window, my magical power was at 2,064…

Honestly, with that much magical power, it would probably be stranger if I couldn’t make it.

“Of course! Sir Theo, you could probably teleport from one end of the world to the other!”

Still, from one end of the world to the other seemed like an exaggeration. It’s not like we’re talking about teleporting across the length of a farm field.

“Then, I’ll use magic to take Iris to the Holy Empire, and Sir Theo, you can follow these coordinates.”

Estelle precisely marked the coordinates for me to follow, and I nodded my head in agreement.

“…If I happen to land somewhere strange, please come find me.”

It’s the Holy Empire, after all. If a citizen of the Ermunt Empire suddenly popped up out of nowhere, it could definitely cause an international issue.

It’s not like I’d be officially visiting with a passport in hand.

“Of course! No matter where you end up, Sir Theo, I’ll come to get you, so don’t worry!”

“Although, I have a feeling Sir Theo will manage just fine.”

For some reason, the two of them seemed unusually reliable and trustworthy today.

At the start, these kids did nothing but fight, and every little comment seemed to lead straight to a bad ending. Where did those kids go? Sniff…

“Of course, having to hold Iris’s hand is a bit annoying, though.”

“I’m equally displeased about holding yours, for the record.”

“Now, now, both of you, that’s enough. Friends should get along.”

Forget it. Cancel that.

It still felt like a single comment could bring about another bad ending.

[Achievement ‘Annoyed About Holding Hands’ has been recorded.]

See? This, right here.

If I hadn’t stepped in, they might have ended up in another bad ending again.

Why did they act like they couldn’t stand each other one moment, only to seem like they got along so well the next as if they were ready to draw swords and fight?

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I should head back to my room early, too. If I want to tell the staff tomorrow morning that you two are unwell, I’ll need to get up early. It’s a shame, but I’ll take my leave now.”

Iris hesitated, obviously unable to leave easily, and fidgeted nervously as she offered a polite goodbye. Meanwhile, Estelle offered a sweet, cotton-candy-like farewell and turned away immediately.

The two of them were certainly different in personality.

“Iris, hurry up. Are you coming or not?”

Despite constantly bickering and claiming to dislike each other, the way they looked out for one another was oddly heartwarming.

“I’m coming. You’re too loud.”

Or… maybe not?

“Both of you, take care.”

I too called out to their retreating figures before stepping into the dormitory.

Still, I hadn’t expected a sudden Holy Empire visit event to happen before the break even started.

I knew that someone from the Holy Empire had arrived and that it was about time for Estelle to make a visit there.

In the game, there was a similar event that took place around this point.

However, in the game, no one accompanied Estelle. Not Iris, not Lina, not anyone.

Usually, the Holy Empire visit event occurred closer to the break, after the characters had built stronger relationships.

Hmm, this is tricky. Nothing major should go wrong, right?

Honestly… well, it’s true that I agreed because I wanted to see the Holy Empire in person, but I couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.

When a game that’s been progressing smoothly suddenly veers off in a strange direction, it makes anyone nervous, doesn’t it?

The fortunate thing, though, is that in the game, Lina’s bond with the two at this point was weaker than the bond they and I had built now.

Even in the Holy Empire, I’d still need to keep playing the “Bad Ending Defense Game”, but at least the chances of something disastrous happening seemed low.

Even if it came to a direct confrontation, I felt like I could manage somehow.

“Well, what’s done is done. For now, tomorrow…”

I found myself hoping that I’d be able to explore everything I wanted to see and have a fun time with the two of them.

Of course, since Estelle had called us because she needed something, there was a high chance it would mostly be Iris and me spending time together.

“Hmm, let’s see. Famous foods in the capital of the Holy Empire…”

Traveling always called for a culinary adventure, after all.

If there were any delicious local specialties, it was practically a rule to try them before leaving.

“Oh, seafood is famous there? Amazing, they say lobster is as common as pork? I have to try this…!”

And just like that, I ended up unable to sleep properly that night. I turned into an elementary schooler too excited to sleep the day before a field trip.

Ugh… at this age, what was I even doing? Honestly.

One response to “Chapter 45”

  1. That lazy guy Avatar
    That lazy guy

    Huh the reason he probably hasnt get a different title is because his dream is still to live a villager life after he solves the Yuri good ending.

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