THE DAY AFTER THE DUEL, I found myself sitting on my bed in the boys'
dormitory with my arms looped around my knees.
"I didn't want to destroy it either, you know. But Luxion told me that if I
didn't, Greg would die. Anyone would pull the trigger if they thought they'd
have to watch someone get incinerated right in front of them. You wouldn't be
human if you didn't. And yet everyone's acting all disgusted with me… 'I can't
believe you did that.' Am I really in the wrong here? Is it all my fault?"
My room normally felt pretty spacious, but I had guests today, making it
comparatively cramped.
Luxion was there, of course, and Angie and Livia, and my parents. Everyone
had come to attend the award ceremony, along with Nicks and Jenna, who had
recently failed to secure an engagement with that rich viscount's heir. Her
mangy, cat-eared servant, Miauler, stood on standby outside the door.
Angie frowned at me. "He's been like this since yesterday. Baron, I'm so sorry.
We did at least manage to get him changed into a suit."
"A lot of people blamed him for the way things turned out yesterday," Livia
explained apologetically.
All the people at the academy kept saying the same thing to me: "What you
did was inexcusable!"
The only person who didn't blame me for the outcome of the duel was
Master—the world's greatest gentleman. He'd kindly said, "I'm sure you had
your reasons."
I couldn't stop myself from sobbing at the memory of his compassion.
"Oh no, there he goes again. Come on, Leon, use this towel to dry your tears.
Don't want to get your suit dirty," said Clarice.
She was here, too—something about Atlee House being involved. She'd
explained, but I had been completely spaced out at the time, so it had gone in
one ear and out the other.
Another woman stood off to the side with her arms folded—Her Majesty?—
nope, Deirdre. Why the heck was she here?
"How pathetic," she huffed. "You were so stunning in our fight against the
principality, but at this rate, you'll ruin that image."
"You are such a troublemaker!" my father said. "At least pull yourself
together for today! And who are all these young noble ladies I've never seen
before? What in the world have you done this time?" He looked completely out
of place, with his impressive mustache and his ceremonial knight's suit.
"Beats me." I moaned. "I'd like to ask the same question."
My mother, wearing an ordinary dress, seemed just as curious. "Th-that's
right, listen to your father. They're giving you a medal today. You need to keep
a good head on your shoulders for it. B-but please do explain…what kind of
relationship you have with these girls?"
Deirdre flipped her curled hair. "He's the only boy who ever insulted me to
my face."
Why did she sound so happy about that? Was she some kind of simpleton?
"Please don't make it sound weird," I cut in. "And why are you all glaring at
me? It's not like I insult people all the time—jeez, thanks for doubting me."
Having regained my composure a bit, I sighed. "Why do I have to wear a suit
for today's ceremony anyway? Everyone else is going in school uniform."
This was the ceremony where all the students who had fought against Fanoss
would be given their awards. We would all be publicly thanked for our service
during the morning assembly. Big whoop.
Actually, why were my parents even here?
Nicks shot me an exhausted look. "Did you really not hear?"
I shook my head, confused.
Angie glared at me—quite terrifyingly, I might add. In fact, she'd been
glowering at me ever since Deirdre had spoken a moment ago. Had I done
something wrong?
"Oh? I took all that time to explain it to you yesterday in detail, and you're
going to tell me you didn't hear a word I said?" Angie asked.
"Hold on a minute," Livia said, stepping in to defend me. "He was really hurt
after the duel. He had every intention of losing, but he ended up winning. So,
please…forgive him!"
Thanks for the assist, Livia! I'll give you a really incredible necklace later. I
mean, it was supposed to be yours to begin with, but still!
Wait, what excuse was I going to use to pass it along to her?
"You're the one with the most achievements to recognize, Leon," Angie said,
interrupting my thoughts.
"Huh?" I had no idea what she was talking about. "Aren't you talking about
Chris?"
"Yes, yes, the official story credits Chris with driving off the Black Knight, but
you're still known to be the one who took Princess Hertrude captive. You also
seized a fleet's worth of the enemy's latest airships and Armors, and you
offered them all to the kingdom. This was a substantially meritorious deed.
Finally, you organized the rescue of the crew and students. Altogether, that
makes you and Chris quite extraordinary. You'll each receive a real medal."
"Yeah! And you dove in there all by yourself to rescue Angie." Livia clapped
her hands together in delight. "Her family publicly declared you to be a true
knight among knights!"
Wait, seriously? Those qualify as achievements? Hold the phone! I never heard
anything about this!
"Atlee House recommended raising your rank before, but we were told to
wait," Clarice explained. "Thankfully, they have now acknowledged our request.
Chris's house also put in a good word for you, and Field House and Seberg
House wrote letters of recommendation as well. Roseblade House has also
backed you."
I couldn't believe my ears.
Deirdre chuckled. "If you hadn't the abilities to back up all your brash talk, I
would have done everything in my power to crush you. But you are what you
claim—a true noble and a great knight. If we failed to recognize as much, it
would tarnish the name of Roseblade."
What the hell have you all done?! I never wanted this!
"Pretty incredible, isn't it, Leon?" Livia grinned at me as I sat frozen in place.
"Starting today, you'll be lower-fourth ranking and a viscount. Word of you has
spread throughout the capital. They're treating you like a hero now."
I couldn't digest her words. My brain refused to process anything.
V-viscount? Hero? Something wasn't right. This was impossible! It couldn't be
happening! I tried desperately to quiet my mind.
That's right, if I cool down, I can handle this, right?
Jenna shrank into a corner of the room, clearly depressed at the very mention
of "viscount." The word probably reminded her of the boy she'd failed to marry,
if the way she cursed under her breath was any indication.
"What was his problem?" She clicked her tongue. "I said I'd be nice and marry
him, but he turned me and my best friend down. 'Thanks, but I'll pass,' hah! The
nerve!"
Actually, the viscount heir she'd been so hungry to hook up with was an
upperclassman and an acquaintance of mine. After I'd handed off those pirates
to his family for their mine, I'd asked him about the situation with my sister,
only to learn that she and her best friend were being entirely one-sided about
the whole thing. He was already pursuing another girl. So I'd smiled, told him
not to even worry about Jenna, and given him the pirates free-of-charge as an
apology for my annoying pest of a sister.
Man, what a good little brother I am.
In the aftermath, Jenna had made up with her friend. The two bonded over
complaining about the boy they both failed to land.
Who was the idiot who said female friendship is fleeting? Their bond is way
stronger than it was before!
I flopped back onto my bed, lying on my side.
"This is just a dream," I mumbled, letting all my desires run free. "When I
wake up, it'll be the day of the opening ceremony. Daniel, Raymond, and I will
complain about how much bride-hunting sucks. Master will train me in the art
of tea, and I'll go dungeon diving to earn money to buy a new tea set. Then I'll
find a nice girl with big boobs who needs saving, I'll swoop in to rescue her, and
the two of us will fall in love. After three uneventful years, I'll marry those
boobs, and we'll go back home together. We'll soak in my hot spring, savor the
flavor of delicious Japanese food, and live our lives peacefully. Viscount, you
say? You've got the wrong guy."
Jenna scoffed. "Men really are useless. What do you think women are?
Objects? You scumbag."
"You do realize you said you were marrying boobs and not a person at the
end there, right?" Nicks asked.
You're horrible.
"What's really important is the butt," said Father. "You want a nice little
round one like your mother—ouch!"
You're awful, too.
"Dear, that's inappropriate!" my mother said, as if smacking him wasn't
enough.
Good, hit him some more.
"Oh? You have a hot spring?" Clarice seemed genuinely interested. "That
sounds excellent."
Angie glowered at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Clarice raised a brow. "Oh? Am I bothering you?"
I did think Clarice was a bit cute, but Angie's glare was no joke. I averted my
gaze.
"I like it," Deirdre declared with a smile. "I'll buy the whole island from you."
Livia's face fell. "What? Y-you can't buy his island, can you?"
"Of course I can. Roseblade House certainly has the means."
Angie's voice fell to a growl. "Oh, you're going to buy his land, are you? Leon
is connected to my house. You know what that means, don't you, Deirdre?"
"Why, Angelica, that expression on your face excites me."
Yep, that girl's a pervert. Ugh, I just wanna run the hell away from this
ceremony, so could you all go home?
Livia, fed up with my behavior, roused me out of bed. "Come on, Leon, we
need to hurry. The ceremony is about to start. I mean it, get up—please."
Sending one last scowl at Deirdre, Angie joined Livia, grabbing my other arm
to pull me off my mattress. "You heard her. We're leaving. My father and
brother are both attending as well. They want to put on a good show of
recognizing your accomplishments."
This whole thing is a mistake!
***
The academy hosted the grand award ceremony on the first day of winter
break. Starting with the baron who had accomplished numerous feats during
the conflict, each of the young students were praised and awarded medals for
their actions. A number of the male students were officially knighted, and most
of the women were given similar awards, as well as a small yearly pension.
The fact that the men didn't receive the same financial compensation spoke
volumes to the cruelties of this world.
Finally, the kingdom awarded Leon Fou Bartfort the title of viscount and
raised his court ranking to lower-fourth—a tremendous shift in his social
standing. In the long history of Holfort Kingdom, only he had risen so far so fast.
His role in the conflict with Fanoss, along with letters of recommendation from
Houses Field, Seberg, and Arclight, among others, secured this unprecedented
promotion.
That day, Leon's name was carved into the kingdom's history.
***
Once the ceremony ended, I loosened my collar and retreated to the corner
behind one of the school buildings, where the shadows grew chilly. My head
hurt thinking about the party I'd just escaped and the future that lay ahead.
"Why did things turn out this way?"
"You would have been better off doing nothing," Luxion said from his place by
my ear. Unnecessary commentary, as always.
"I was an idiot for expecting anything better from them. I'm never getting
involved with anyone ever again." Was it stepping up to challenge Prince Julius
and the others that had screwed me? I tried to calm myself but only ended up
cradling my head in my hands. "Viscount, are you serious? Lower-fourth
ranking? What in the world do they want from me?!"
No way could I could live up to their expectations!
As I moped, Livia darted around the corner. I had kind of taken over her
brooding spot. "Oh, there you are, Leon."
"Livia…"
I was suddenly embarrassed. We hadn't been alone since the fight with the
principality. Somehow, Angie had always been with us, and we'd gone
everywhere as a group. It wasn't like I'd purposefully been avoiding being with
Livia alone. But now that we were, I couldn't help remembering her confession
during the battle. The one where she'd said she—uh—that she— Livia seemed
to suddenly remember, too, because her cheeks turned red. "Uh, um…!"
"Y-yeah?!" I squeaked.
She took a deep breath, then smiled. "I know my feelings might be a nuisance
to you, but I wasn't lying back then."
"It's not a nuisance. I just…don't know what to do."
Her lips thinned. "You've been avoiding me, haven't you?"
"I didn't know what to say." My shoulders slumped.
Beside me, Luxion sniffed. "What a pathetic master I have."
You jerk, I'm gonna slam dunk you for that.
Livia reached out and took my hand in hers. "Well. Please let me hear your
answer eventually. I'll wait for you."
"Livia…"
"Now, come on. Everyone is waiting."
With that, she pulled me along, dragging me out of the shadows.
***
When I returned home for winter break, I found a brand-new manor awaiting
me. The clean, refreshing air of the countryside felt like a special welcome
present.
The countryside is amazing. It almost makes you think everything that
happened in the capital was a bad dream.
"That is one huge manor," I said.
Father held his head high even as his cheeks colored with embarrassment. If
the grin was any indication, he was extremely pleased with himself. "I've got
more visitors coming to see me now, you know. Figured I needed to do my best
to welcome them properly. This is all thanks to you."
I had my own fortune, but I had sent a portion of it to my parents. Apparently,
they'd used the funds to rebuild their estate. Before, the place had been, well,
let's just say it had charm and leave it at that.
Nicks seemed conflicted when he learned we had our own rooms now, inside
the actual manor. "When I graduate, I won't be coming back here much
anymore, but I'm still kinda happy to hear that."
And of course, who else would disrupt this peaceful atmosphere with their
entitled attitude but my useless sister?
"Where is Miauler's room?"
"What?" Father knitted his brows, taken aback by her tone. "The servants
have their own room."
"Are you seriously telling me to put him in the same room as our house
servants?" Jenna huffed. "If you were going to rebuild the place, you should
have said something. If I'd known there were extra rooms, I would have brought
Miauler back with me."
In other words, she'd left him at the academy. So why was she still
complaining?
"But this was supposed to be a surprise," Father said.
"Be more considerate." Jenna crossed her arms. "Besides that, you guys
touched my things?"
"I took care of the things in your room, so don't worry," Mother said.
"Why did you touch my things without asking?! Ugh, you really should have
told me you were doing all this—I'd have made Leon send me back sooner!"
I spat on the ground at that nonsense.
"You idiot," Nicks snapped, "you're only going to make things worse."
"No one would care if I smacked her, right?"
"I get where you're coming from, but rein it in. You know she's upset about
getting rejected by that guy."
I suppose she did give me some laughs with that whole incident. I guess I can
overlook her entitlement this time—especially if I take pains to remind her the
viscount kid wanted nothing to do with her as often as possible.
Jenna stomped off to her room, steam practically rising from her head.
In her wake, our father seemed depressed. Nicks and I each put a hand on his
shoulder and complimented him on his hard work.
I meant it, too. It had been a while since I'd last seen our family's lands, but
they'd developed nicely. In another two years, this place would be a proud
barony.
***
By the time Greg opened his eyes, it was the day after the duel. Julius and the
others were gathered around him as he blinked and adjusted to the light.
"Greg! Come on, wake up!" Brad urged.
Once he realized where he was, Greg knew what had happened. "Sorry,
everyone… It's my fault we lost."
Jilk smiled at him. "We entrusted the duel to you. If you lost, then we all did.
Besides, we all underestimated our opponent's strength."
After all, that renowned professional had made improvements to their Armor,
and it still hadn't been enough.
As Greg sulked, Julius said, "Don't let it get to you. There's always next time."
"Your Highness?"
"Call me Julius. Greg, we'll challenge Bartfort again, and we need you to join
us."
Greg lifted himself up and smiled faintly. "If you guys are raring to go again,
there's no way I'm backin' down. I'm with you no matter how many times it
takes, Julius!"
Chris removed his glasses, wiping away a few tears. He'd really broken out of
the mold of a cool and collected character.
Greg glanced around. "Marie's not with you?"
"It seems like she's been busy." Brad shrugged. "She was talking to Kyle about
something. Also…" He narrowed his eyes at Greg. "Say, do you remember that
pirate leader Bartfort defeated before?"
"'Course. How could I forget?"
"Did you see Bartfort take some kind of necklace from the enemy's Armor?"
Greg did remember that—it had been the last thing Leon did as he beat the
pirate boss. "A necklace? Maybe. I remember Bartfort saying something. That
pirate boss acted like he'd be in trouble without it. Anyway, what's that got to
do with anything?"
Brad went quiet, mulling it over. "No, it's nothing. Marie just asked me about
it. When I told her we had defeated the Winged Sharks, she turned suddenly
serious. It seemed to really bother her."
Greg stroked his chin. "A necklace, huh? The item Marie showed us before
was a bracelet, right? She acted pretty serious about that, too. Maybe they
have something to do with each other."
"Yes, she said she found that bracelet in the capital's dungeon," Chris said
with a nod. "Are those two things connected?"
"I just don't want her to overdo it," Julius said, ever-concerned about Marie's
well-being. "But this seems really important to her." He frowned at Jilk's
pensive expression. "What is it?"
"I just remembered. Lately, Marie has been going to the temple. Almost like
she's hiding something from us. No, surely I'm overthinking things."
The conversation meandered on as the boys excitedly discussed preparing a
new present for Marie.
***
Zola, my father's legal wife, came charging onto my father's newly built estate
out of nowhere, acting even more haughty than usual. This time, a high-ranking
priestess from the temple, wearing round spectacles on the bridge of her nose,
accompanied her. The two seemed close.
They stationed armed temple knights outside the room they set up in, which
put my parents on edge. Jenna and our other sister holed up in their rooms and
showed no signs of coming out. Meanwhile, Nicks was off in the fields, so there
was no one else around when Zola summoned me to her.
"You insolent fool! Return the temple's treasure!"
She was treating me like I was some kind of common thief!
"What are you talking about?" I'd just returned from fieldwork, and mud
clung to the bottom of my shoes. I started peeling it off.
The priestess wrinkled her nose. "He reeks."
She must have been raised in the capital. Given her closeness with Zola, her
personality probably sucked, too.
The priestess cleared her throat. "Viscount Bartfort, you disposed of some
pirates last season, yes?"
"I did. And what of it?"
Her face reddened with anger. "Those pirates made off with one of the
temple's treasures! You must have it! It's a necklace decorated with the
emblem of the temple. When we asked those pirates, they testified that you
stole it from them!"
Maybe I should have done something to silence the pirates then? Ugh,
probably not.
More importantly: "And why do I deserve to be treated like a thief for that? I
defeated them, so I had every right to take whatever they had in their
possession. That's the law of the kingdom."
Zola wanted to play it like I was the bad guy here, but my actions were
justified, legally speaking.
"If an object is inscribed with the emblem of the temple, it only makes sense
for you to return it to us!" the priestess snapped.
What you seem to think is common sense sounds absolutely illogical to me.
I considered driving them off by force, but I didn't have any weapons on me at
the moment. In addition to their armed knights, they had an airship hovering in
the distance.
Luxion chimed in through my earpiece. "Master, unfortunately, I think you
had better give in."
I paused, waiting for him to explain.
"It would be easy enough to cut our way out of this situation. But if you
treasure your peaceful existence here, resistance now would likely end in
serious repercussions later. Given your persistent policy of nonviolence when
possible, handing it over is the best course of action."
The temple had its own military force, but an airship was outside of their
usual budget, to my understanding. In other words, they'd sent an abnormally
large force to deal with a mere barony, as if they were poised to attack if the
situation required.
I turned away from the priestess, who continued to splutter, and focused on
Luxion's analysis.
"I imagine you don't want trouble with the temple specifically either. They're
the ones who will, in the future, recognize Livia as the Saint, correct?"
Religions sure are a pain, but he's right. Making enemies out of these guys
wouldn't pan out well.
"Could we give them a fake?" I asked at a whisper.
"I suspect they would see through a replica," Luxion said.
I swallowed back the urge to click my tongue in frustration and glared at Zola.
Her triumphant grin really made me see red.
"Fine, I'll bring it. Just wait right here."
Before I could turn to leave, the priestess said, "I hear you have also amassed
quite the fortune, Viscount. Give the temple a donation as well." She lifted her
chin condescendingly.
Zola nodded. "You should do what she says. You can't defy the temple."
"That request you can refuse," Luxion said. "Donations are unrelated to
official temple business. I suspect she decided to demand one on her own."
But also, they had gathered all these knights simply because I had the
temple's treasure in my possession. As far as they were concerned, I was some
heinous monster for hiding it from them. Clearly, they were on edge.
Okay, yeah, but heinous? A monster? I'm not that bad.
"I'll give it some thought," I said finally.
The two women turned to each other with matching grins and began
whispering, most likely discussing how to split whatever money I gave them.
Morons, who said I was actually going to give you anything?
I did briefly consider it, but I didn't want to hand them a single coin. They
were free to fantasize if they wanted, though.
Leaving the two behind, I reunited with Luxion, grabbed the necklace, and
headed back to the wicked witches.
Kidding! I went to the docks, where I intended to hand it off to someone else
affiliated with the temple.
***
The general of the forces Zola and her priestess pal had brought was a man in
his forties who seemed awfully tense. He was on edge from the moment I
approached. Guess he'd heard the rumors about me.
"Are you the one in charge?" I asked.
"I command this warship," he responded. "Viscount Bartfort, if possible, I'd
prefer to avoid any violence. Would you be willing to return the temple's
treasure peacefully?"
That was all anyone had to say to begin with.
I flashed the necklace at him, and he widened his eyes before calling someone
over to have it appraised.
"Yes, there's no doubt." The inspector nodded his head vigorously. "It's just as
the legends say!"
The general trembled. "Th-then this really is our lost treasure?!"
If it's really that important to you, you should take better care of it.
"Anyway," I said, "please take the people who visited our estate back with
you. They seem to have their eye on more than just the treasure. Namely my
money. They demanded a donation, and it's put me in an awkward position."
He flinched. "I-I'm terribly sorry to hear that. We only came to retrieve the
necklace. I'll have them brought out, and we'll leave immediately."
At least the temple knights had no intention of fighting me.
Luxion sure is convenient. We managed to get through that without any real
conflict.
Anyway, now that I'd given them the necklace, it was about time for me to
collect the Holy Bracelet.
The general relaxed as he admired the necklace in his hands. "You're quite
different than the rumors led me to believe."
"That so?"
"I heard you were arrogant and insolent—in which case, I could understand
why the Saint was angry. But you're far more collected than she implied."
Wait a minute. What did he just say? "Hold on, Saint?"
"Ah…" The general had leaked that information without thinking. The other
temple staff slapped their hands over their faces in exasperation.
"So you found the Saint?" I pressed. Maybe Livia—
My hope was short-lived.
"Yes, I believe you know her already. Lady Marie Fou Lafan. She appeared at
the temple with another lost holy item—the bracelet."
No—what? There's no way.
Why in the world did she have the bracelet? If she'd just gone and turned it in
to the temple herself, that was one thing. As long as the bracelet made its way
to Livia, everything would be fine. But Marie was claiming to be the Saint?
Absurd! She was a reincarnated background character, just like me.
While I hated her for the sneaky way she'd ensnared all five of the love
interests, I understood that, kind of. But pretending to be the Saint? That was
beyond reason—and beyond salvation.
How could she be this stupid? Hadn't she played the game? She had to know
that the important thing about Livia becoming the Saint wasn't that Sainthood
gave her extra power—it was that her Sainthood best positioned her to use all
the power naturally harbored within her.
"Marie's the Saint?" I said, still struggling to accept his words.
"Yes. She can cast healing magic, and she's already outmatched everyone's
abilities at the temple. The staff also reacted when she—"
Someone nearby hushed the general.
"My apologies," he said. "At any rate, we will take our leave. I'll send
someone to retrieve the priestess from your estate."
I stood there in a daze on the docks and watched them go until their ship
disappeared across the horizon. Once they vanished, I contacted Luxion via
transmission.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Marie's gone and declared herself the Saint. I'm never going to forgive that
frothing wench."
***
Meanwhile, at the stable of Redgrave House's territorial estate, Angie taught
Livia to ride. The prospect of horses terrified Livia generally, though Angie tried
to soothe her.
"See? There's no reason to be scared."
"I'm so high up. Even higher up than I thought!"
"You can hardly call that 'high up.'"
Angie had invited Livia to her family's estate for winter break for the express
purpose of riding lessons.
"Once we become second-years, we'll be judged on more than academics.
We'll have more practical tests, like this. You should get used to it now while
you still have a chance."
Livia's entire body trembled. She had no problem with academics. Rather, she
seemed to have a problem with everything else. However, since she insisted on
her need for self-improvement, Angie was instructing her.
At first, the two had considered visiting Leon's home, but they decided
against it since he seemed busy starting up his maintenance facility.
"Sit up straight," Angie said. "You're slouching."
Snow began to drift down outside as the lesson continued with her quivering
friend.
It's come awfully early this year, Angie thought. She missed the warm
temperatures in Leon's region. She couldn't stop thinking of all the fuss he'd
kicked up just before the award ceremony.
My father and brother are intent on bringing him to our faction, but Clarice
and Deirdre seem to be up to something, too. We'd better find a partner for him
soon. If they're going to select the daughter of someone in our faction, I wonder
who they're thinking of now?
Regarding Leon's marriage, his options had expanded with his new title. As a
baron, his only choice had been girls of similar status. At best, he might have
been able to wed a viscount's daughter. Now, however, he could marry as high
as an earl's daughter. The daughter of a duke's house was still too high, surely,
but he still had plenty left to choose from.
At the same time, Angie expected girls to flock to him in droves with his new
position. A full third of the student body had witnessed his performance during
the conflict with the Principality of Fanoss. Even if no one had seen him drive off
the Black Knight, it didn't require much thought to realize how much he had to
offer. In addition, he now held lower-fourth court ranking, not to mention the
enormous airship Partner, as well as Arroganz, the Armor that had defeated the
Black Knight.
What was going through the minds of the girls who had seen these
achievements unfold firsthand? What of the girls who only heard the rumors?
Angie's head throbbed.
Are Clarice and Deirdre after his hand? It would make sense; their statuses do
align with his. But there's no way I can hand Leon over to them…
As envy welled up inside Angie, she quickly shook her head.
"Oh, Angie," Livia pleaded, "my legs are about to cramp."
That broke her out of her spell. "Could it be that you're…out of shape?"
Livia was an indoor-type to begin with, and since coming to the academy,
she'd had less need to move about now that she didn't have to help her family
with chores. As a result, her stamina had decreased.
"Well, this is bothersome," Angie said. "At this rate, it's going to be difficult
for you to clear a dungeon before we graduate."
"Clear a dungeon? Uh, um, I thought if we cleared the dungeon in the capital
it would disappear?"
Angie helped Livia dismount. "I say clear, but really you just have to make it to
the thirtieth level. You're considered an adult once you can make it down that
far. On the other hand, if you can't accomplish that much, you're seen as little
more than a child in an adult's body. Hiring bodyguards to make your way there
is one way to pass, but you'd be in big trouble if you didn't have the stamina to
make it there and back on your own two feet."
Unless by some special exemption, clearing the dungeon was an essential
condition to warrant graduation.
Livia shoulders slumped. "I-I'll try my best."
Her knees practically knocked together as Angie supported her, giggling.
"Your whole body is shaking. Although, you know, you're really warm."
"Angie, don't hold me so tight."
The two fussed and fawned over each other on the way back to the house,
heedless of the bodyguards and maids who watched.
***
Marie was seated in the temple's VIP room, lounging back against the
cushions with her legs folded over one another. She glanced down at the coffee
table and smiled at the necklace lying in front of her.
"He he, it's finally mine."
Now that the necklace was in her possession, she wasted no time fastening it
around her neck. The Holy Necklace dangled across her chest, matching the
gleam of the Holy Bracelet on her wrist. The Saint's Staff leaned against the wall
behind her. Every single one of these items showed a reaction to her, softly
glowing in her presence.
"I may have stolen my role, but there's nothing wrong with me being the
Saint as well. I'm skilled at healing magic, after all. I worked hard at it."
Marie had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into training her healing
abilities so she could one day break free of her miserable family in this otome
game world. She'd made great use of her knowledge of the game to accomplish
all this.
"In the animated event scenes, all the Saint had to do was pray," she said to
herself. "I've suffered all these years, but now things are going to change. If
anything crops up, I'll handle it in your place, Olivia. In exchange, you just have
to surrender all this to me."
Marie did have to admit that her knowledge came primarily from the
animated event scenes and CGs. The online walk-throughs had been pretty
mediocre and often incomplete. Beating the game had been so difficult, she'd
given up halfway. She owed her collection of scenes to her past life's older
brother.
"Regardless, it was tough even getting this far. I went through so much to get
the bracelet, and it was so difficult convincing the people at the temple." She
scowled, thinking of all the obstacles she'd faced. "I can't believe that useless
background character defeated the pirates who had the necklace. Does that guy
actually know something about this game?"
Marie had never heard of Bartfort House before Leon. No one with that name
had ever appeared in the game.
"It was so strange for him to save Angelica the way he did. Plus, he's got that
really strong Armor. Hold on a minute, could it be…? Is he the same as me? Is
that why he's getting in my way all the time? Urgh! I won't let him get away
with it!"
Marie raged for a bit, then contemplated how best to exact her revenge.
"Right now, my social position outranks his. We may both be reincarnated
souls climbing the social ladder—but I won't let him beat me. I'll have Julius
reinstated as crown prince so I can become the queen no matter what it takes!
An opulent, extravagant life in the city of dreams awaits me! I'll have beautiful
men serving me while I live in luxury. I really suffered in my previous life—the
world owes me this much. And if that background character wants the
protagonist, he can keep her. They suit each other perfectly."
She paused. "Hmm? Wait a minute, is it really safe for me to leave those two
together? No… I can't do that. I won't get over this until I do something about
them."
Her thoughts drifted back to her life in Japan. "Ahh, life was so tough back
then. I was so popular at the nightclub where I worked, but then I landed a
piece of crap for a boyfriend. Oh, why did I have to end up so unhappy?"
Still, her experience at the club served her well here. She'd honed her ability
to seduce men in her previous life, and those skills reeled boys in no matter
what you looked like.
Marie sat up straight and smiled. "I will become happy in this life, though, no
matter what it takes!"