༺ New Plan ༻
– Ring, ring, ring!
“Ummmm…”
I opened my eyes to the incessant ringing of the alarm, and the warm sunlight was spilling in through the window.
“…Tsk.”
To anyone else, it might have seed like a peaceful scene. But knowing the true nature of this sunlight, it was nothing more than an annoying sight to .
“Ugh…”
I shielded my face with a pillow to block out the intrusive sunlight, and lingered in bed a while longer.
“Did I really get drunk?”
Holding my pounding head, I muttered with a vacant look in my eyes.
“For real?”
It had been ages since I had last gotten drunk.
It reminded of a mory from my previous cycle; back to the days in my childhood when I had accidentally taken a sip of alcohol and passed out or the tis when I used to relieve all my stress by drinking.
The alcohol that had once been my support during those days had lost its efficacy ever since my ntal strength had escalated abnormally.
So, subconsciously, I did have the desire to get drunk again, which might have been why I ended up drinking too much.
As such, yesterday’s events were a hazy blur.
“Ah…”
I buried my face in the pillow, attempting to sift through my fragnted mories, and before long, I began to make so silly noises.
“Ugh…”
Kania, who had pinned against the wall and kissed .
Kania, who had fed her blood from her mouth and then made a blood oath with .
Kania, who had asked with a charming smile if I wanted to join her for a drink.
Kania, who had smiled at and had donned a beautiful dress instead of her usual stern and tidy attire.
And…
“…..?”
For so inexplicable reason, a cold sweat prickled my back. Why was that? For what reason? Did I do sothing wrong to Kania?
– Slide…
As I continued to feel this ominous sensation, I tossed the pillow aside and was about to get up from my bed.
“Whoa!”
“…..”
Right then, I spotted a figure that had been sprawled facedown in my room all along, and a startled cry escaped .
“Master, are you awake?”
Upon hearing my voice, Lulu, who’d been lying facedown, lifted her head slightly, looking at .
“Lulu? Why are you here…”
Trying to calm my startled heart, I sat upright.
“Good morning, Master.”
With those words, she inched closer, still remaining in her prone position.
– Slide, slide…
She closed her eyes, appearing fatigued, and nuzzled her cheek against my leg.
“…What are you doing?”
I asked the question while staring at her in confusion. After a brief pause, Lulu whispered in a low voice.
“I’m acting cute.”
“Acting cute?”
“Acting cute to their owners is sothing that pets naturally do, right?”
With that response, Lulu gently closed her eyes again and wrapped her arms around my leg, once again nuzzling her cheek against it.
She acted as if it were her duty and it appeared as though it were the most natural thing to do in the world.
It was such a genuine and oddly comforting gesture that it didn’t seem like a re act of loyalty.
“…..”
After a considerable span of ti, Lulu, who was cradling my leg, finally raised her head to et my gaze.
– Slide…
Almost instinctively, my hand found its way to her head, and once again, Lulu closed her eyes, quietly accepting my touch.
“Mmm.”
For so reason, her behavior reminded of a pet delighted to receive praise from its owner, evoking a soft smile from .
“So, why are you here?”
After petting Lulu for a while, I asked her casually. She first stared at for a second before answering.
“I brought you breakfast.”
With that, Lulu retrieved the breakfast she had been holding in her arms and opened it to offer it to .
“Oh wow.”
Today’s breakfast consisted of French toast and hot cocoa.
“…Have you had anything to eat?”
I asked Lulu as I stared at the delicious-looking al that Kania had prepared. She shook her head in response.
“Here.”
Quietly, I plucked a slice of toast from the plate before and extended it toward her.
“Have so.”
“Haup.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Lulu eagerly took a bite of the toast.
“Munch, munch…”
She gazed at with wide, puppy-like eyes as she chewed on the toast.
“…So, where’s Kania? And Irina, too?”
Lulu looked so adorable, like a dog savoring its al, that I couldn’t help but chuckle as I stroked her head.
“She said sothing urgent ca up… so she went out just now,”
Lulu replied as she nibbled on her toast.”
“…I see.”
Like Lulu, I continued chewing the toast Kania had prepared, and then wordlessly, I stared into the air.
[Affection System Update In Progress…]]
“……..”
A window for updating the 70,000pt ‘Affection asurent System’ that I had acquired in a past cycle was floating in the air in front of .
“What’s this?”
When that version of purchased this system during the Third Ordeal, I had to admit; I truly freaked out. All those hard-earned points I had toiled for vanished in an instant—a whopping 70,000 points gone.
However…
‘I’m pretty sure that… there should be so essential hidden features.’
The ‘Prophecy’ that my past-cycle self possessed was different from the ‘Ancestor’s Prophecy’ that I currently had.
Considering he had experienced countless retries, it wasn’t surprising that he knew the hidden secret of the ‘Affection System.’
And now, judging by the update window appearing before , there really must be sothing to it.
“Hmm…”
I stared at the Affection System in front of for a while.
– Swipe!
Eventually, I furrowed my brows and pushed the system window aside.
‘In the end, that Affection System was also just another one of the Demon God’s tricks, wasn’t it?’
I was annoyed, but I knew I had to overco this situation. It was unavoidable. Sotis, to have the last laugh, one must play along with the trickery of their opponents…
Wait a minute. Did it really have to be this way? There had to be a glimr of hope that could turn everything around, right?
“Oh right, the DLC story.”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing.”
I sprang up from the bed after blurting that out, leaving a bewildered Lulu behind, completely lost in thought.
‘Taking a break was essential, but… there were things I absolutely had to check during this sumr vacation.’
Originally, my plan was to completely rest during this vacation.
This was because, in the original storyline, significant events rarely occurred during the sumr break, and I had already accumulated damage, fatigue, and stress from my first year.
Furthermore, the second year’s plotline was set to grow progressively grimr, so I needed to brace myself for that.
The Church was the source of my privileges and resources. However, because the war with the church played a major role in the second year, these benefits would gradually decrease. Eventually, the Imperial Family and the Church would turn their backs on .
Political and physical pressures would co at from all directions.
Furthermore, the Academy, relying on the Fake Hero as its pillar, was being manipulated like a puppet.
To overco these challenges, which were several tis darker and harder than my first year, I needed to focus on my ntal preparation while also taking up proactive asures during this sumr vacation.
‘However… the story has been completely changed now.’
I didn’t know how the DLC would affect the second year’s story, so I’ll put that aside for now. But there was one thing I couldn’t ignore.
“Mas…ter…?”
It was Lulu, who had initially tried to abandon to join the Hero Party but, for so reason, chose instead. Now, she approached , lying face down.
And Isolet, who, despite her nurous attempts to kill , couldn’t draw her sword from the scabbard for so inexplicable reason. She also harbored emotions that even the system’s skills couldn’t identify.
The common thread among these variables was that they were all ‘Sub-Heroines.’
“Perhaps… the DLC story was…”
This evident change that began right after the Third Ordeal might possibly hold the key to turning everything around.
Therefore, it seed like there was a need to slightly adjust the plans that I had set for the vacation.
In my simple plan, which included ample rest and preparation for the second year, I needed to incorporate a necessary addition: ‘to et the Sub-Heroines in person.’
‘Well, it shouldn’t be too difficult.’
After all, the vacation this ti was quite long.
Even if I t all the girls who were currently designated as ‘Sub-Heroines,’ there would still be plenty of ti for rest.
Of course, Aishi was currently on the Western continent, but she had co to the Empire this vacation to enroll in Sunrise Academy, so there shouldn’t be any issues.
“Hmm?”
While in deep contemplation, I was putting on my coat when sothing gently touched my ankle.
“……..”
Upon looking down to see what it was, I suddenly noticed that Lulu had co right up to my side, nestled against my legs, and was gazing up at .
“Why are you like this, Lulu?”
So, I asked her.
“Ah…”
Blushing, Lulu responded with a reddened face, countering with another question.
“Aren’t you going to take for a morning walk?”
“………”
A mont of silence ensued.
“…All right, let’s go.”
For so reason, the mark on her shoulder seed to emit an unsettling glow. Hence why I agreed to her request.
‘Then…’
I murmured inwardly.
‘…I guess I should begin by eting her, after all.’
.
.
.
.
.
In the back alleys of the Empire, where information was sold, criminals ran amok, and other awful acts converged.
“Ehmm~ Hm~♪”
Nestled in those winding alleys was the largest information guild in the underworld. And beneath the surface of such an organization, a girl humd to herself, wholly imrsed in her task.
“Lady Roswyn, I have sothing to report…”
The female employee who was in charge of the counter, opened the door to Roswyn’s room to deliver a ssage to her.
“…Huh?”
Yet, she found herself montarily speechless.
“What are you up to right now?”
The employee, who had been observing Roswyn for a while, finally asked the question.
“You ask, what am I doing?”
Roswyn responded with an elated expression.
“Of course, I’m looking at the photos of the Hero.”
She answered, her eyes fixed on the photos plastered all over her room.
“Phew…”
Seeing Roswyn like that, the female employee sighed before speaking further.
“Is she really the Hero?”
“…What?”
In response, Roswyn shot a sharp glare at the woman.
“For the past few weeks, you’ve been bringing strange photos of a woman out of nowhere, and redecorating your room with them… You even started placing the flowers you used to discard on your desk as decorations…”
“…….”
“Did you perhaps fall under so kind of enchantnt spell? Or is it a matter of preferring won…”
“Quiet down.”
Nevertheless, Roswyn promptly interrupted the female employee, who kept asking questions persistently.
“The Imperial Family and the Church will soon hold the verification ceremony and I will attend that event.”
She responded with a smile.
“But, it hasn’t been verified yet?”
The employee stared at Roswyn bewilderedly as if she was being unreasonable, and then asked another question.
“She even hasn’t been verified yet, so why…”
“I had a feeling from the mont I first laid eyes on her.”
“Really?”
She cocked her head upon hearing Roswyn’s words.
“Have you ever experienced that sensation where your heart aches, and your entire being trembles the instant you first lay eyes on soone?”
anwhile, Roswyn remained transfixed on the photos.
“…Is this fate?”
With flushed cheeks, she replied like that.
“………”
And silence followed.
“Wellll, alright then.”
Shaking her head in exasperation, the female employee finally answered Roswyn.
“By the way, I have so news to share.”
“…What is it?”
She spoke with a smile on her face.
“Frey Raon Starlight is on his way…”
“…Ah.”
Roswyn’s expression quickly soured upon hearing those words.
“Is he going to give another flower this ti? Didn’t he already do that last ti…”
“You may go.”
Finally, just as the female employee was about to say sothing, Roswyn waved her hand with a sour look.
“…Alright, I’ll step out then.”
The female employee maintained her smile and left Roswyn’s room, where countless flowers had been ticulously arranged on the desk.
“Sigh.”
And then…
“I’m going to lose it at this rate.”
The female employee’s expression underwent a complete 180-degree turn the second she ca out of the room.
“Darn it, if it weren’t for this darn compelling force… I should have anticipated sothing like this when I made the contract a thousand years ago.”
With a hollow look in her eyes, she stared into the air.
“The scroll? Whatever it was, you took it and claid you finally did sothing, didn’t you? You assured that things would change from now on, and that I could anticipate it, you booze-loving charlatan.”
She chewed on her cigarette and kept murmuring with an annoyed expression.
– Syaaahh…
A moonlight aura began to emanate from her body.
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