Chapter 7
A fact I hadn’t noticed while she was sitting down, but realized when I faced her up close.
Elettra’s outfit was quite revealing, too.
A pure-white dress with a deep neckline, and stockings that seemed to match it.
It was exactly the sort of look you’d expect from a party-themed skin in a subculture game.
‘Elettra was a five-star character, too.’
Unlike someone else, though, she wasn’t a free unit.
A beautiful woman with a cold, icy air about her.
Approach her carelessly, and she might take your fingers. Maybe not metaphorically, either.
“I needed this right now…!”
Elettra, standing in front of me, had excitement sparkling in her eyes, but.
“I’d heard that Your Highness was very interested in spirits.”
“…!”
Observing spirits.
It was Elettra’s hobby.
Apparently, in the original world, it was roughly equivalent to watching butterflies or birds.
Not a bad hobby, but not particularly encouraged among nobles.
“Even so, this must not have been easy to get….”
Right, it wasn’t. Petals of Syndras weren’t found around here.
The academy was in an empire in the eastern part of the continent.
By contrast, Petals of Syndras could only be found in a remote corner of the continent’s southwest.
Bringing them all the way to the empire in the east was a major undertaking, too.
‘Well, I just had to click the shop.’
Hmm.
Maybe the shop system itself was ridiculously overpowered?
‘If I made good use of price differences…?’
As I fell into thought, interest returned to the princess’s gaze.
“Since you’ve given a gift to a princess, you deserve a reward. What would you like?”
This was exactly why Elettra was a living hidden piece.
If it was something that could be found in this region, Elettra could usually provide it for me.
By now, everyone at the party had been focused on Elettra and me.
I stated what I wanted in front of them.
“I’d like you to grant me an elixir made by Alchemist Vade.”
At those words, derisive laughter broke out here and there.
“An elixir?”
“And not just some lesser elixir, but one made by Sir Vade…!”
“An elixir isn’t exactly cheap….”
“There’s no way he’d get an elixir just for giving her some hobby trinket….”
Princess Elettra nodded without hesitation.
“All right. I’ll procure an elixir made by Sir Vade and deliver it to you within three days.”
The ballroom erupted into a fresh commotion.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Well, I’d done what I came for, and this party wasn’t interesting or fun, so I should leave.
“Wait. Hold it right there.”
The student who’d been picking a fight with me since earlier growled.
“You asked my name before.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
I wasn’t very interested.
In a game, you would’ve been an NPC—some passing Student C, not even a named character.
“I’m Magnum Rodrimoor.”
“I see. I’m Gilliam Everchess.”
A vein bulged on Magnum’s forehead.
“I already know that much…!”
Wow, so comic-book rage really did exist in real life.
He was going to have a brain hemorrhage at this rate, young as he was.
‘This is what’s wrong with romance fantasies.’
But I didn’t even need to deal with Magnum.
“Rodrimoor.”
Princess Elettra snapped at him coldly.
Her manner was utterly different from how her eyes had sparkled at me just moments ago.
In truth, this was Elettra’s usual demeanor.
“Didn’t I make it clear from the beginning that I didn’t need your help?”
“But, Your Highness, this man is disrespecting you! Otherwise, why would he ask for such an outrageous price for a mere hobby item—”
At the words ‘mere hobby item,’ Elettra clenched her fist, but Magnum, absorbed in his own feelings, failed to notice.
“—an elixir from Vade! I’ll teach this sort of scoundrel a sharp lesson in your place, Your Highness, who must be magnanimous!”
“…Magnum Rodrimoor.”
Though Elettra’s voice was low, it rang throughout the ballroom with unmistakable force and fury.
“Why can’t you understand even when I put it nicely? Are you trying to disappoint me this much? Or is it your intention to displease me?”
“Y-Your Highness, I….”
Elettra didn’t even listen to his excuses. She clapped her hands together.
“If that’s the case, then congratulations, Magnum Rodrimoor! You’ve accomplished your goal splendidly! It seems you’ve finally found your calling. Why not devote yourself to it?”
By the standards of a romance-fantasy world, Elettra’s words were a more grievous assault than stabbing Magnum with a sword.
He’d been publicly humiliated in front of every noble freshman. By the princess herself, no less.
It was practically the same as directly lowering Magnum’s reputation throughout the empire’s entire noble society.
The spectators who’d been looking at Gilliam moments ago now turned their eyes to Magnum.
Even colder than before.
“I mean, she does have a point….”
“Her Highness said she was uncomfortable from the beginning, but he kept hanging around without noticing….”
“Wasn’t Rodrimoor just pursuing her for his own ‘personal interest’?”
Gilliam wasn’t bothered at all, even in a situation like this.
Personally, he didn’t care either, but more than anything, he had nothing to lose.
The disgrace of House Everchess.
The wastrel of House Everchess.
No matter how much those romance-fantasy nobles preened and strutted, there was no reputation left to take from someone whose reputation was already at zero.
After utterly humiliating Magnum, Elettra looked for the man who’d piqued her interest.
“Everchess, would you step outside for a moment?”
When he’d entered earlier, she’d heard someone murmur.
He really came alone, without even a partner.
Without a partner.
Without a woman accompanying him.
It was an intriguing thing to hear.
Very intriguing.
Especially since she was unpaired, too.
If the princess called him, he should naturally respond at once.
But there was no response.
“…Everchess?”
Only after calling him a few more times did she realize.
Gilliam had already left the ballroom.
“…Huh?”
Elettra trembled with disbelief.
——————
“Hmm.”
Crunch.
I popped a cracker topped with cured ham from the party’s finger food into my mouth and looked up at the night sky.
The moon’s shape was the same, but the constellations were different, if I remembered the setting correctly.
I didn’t know the constellations in my original world, either, so I couldn’t compare.
Anyway.
After observing things throughout the day, just as I expected.
‘Everyone here thinks like they’re in a romance fantasy.’
If this were a world made specifically for a romance fantasy, it might not be much of a problem.
In a world where the laws of physics and biology were ignored and 100,000 knights poured out of a count’s territory, things would somehow work according to its own internal rules.
But that wasn’t the case.
This world was a star-themed subculture game.
‘And subculture games always have an “enemy.”’
The Voidbeasts mentioned during mock duel class were the prime example.
There were other kinds of “enemies of humanity” in this world, too.
‘In a world like that, all the noble young masters and ladies have their heads full of romance-fantasy nonsense.’
If so, then the nobles themselves, the emperor included, were probably the same.
Power struggles between houses.
Honor.
Romantic entanglements.
The high and mighty in a world under attack by external enemies—not even enemies of the same species as humans—were risking their lives over nothing but that.
So what would happen?
It was obvious.
They’d all be utterly screwed.
Fortunately, though, that didn’t mean everything would go to hell just because I didn’t act right away.
But the grace period wouldn’t be all that long.
Probably five or six years.
For reference, the academy was a four-year institution.
‘Then what I need to do is…’
First, I had to get stronger. That went without saying.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
Even a hero with the power to save the world needed companions, and people in the rear to supply them with provisions.
‘I’ll set this academy straight.’
I’d show these romance-fantasy airheads what reality was like.
Keep risking your lives over that stupid nonsense, and you’ll all be dead in a few years.
‘…Good. I’ve decided on a direction.’
Now then, I should get some more Praise Points out of Maron—
“Hah, huff… W-wait…!!”
I turned my head, and Princess Elettra was panting in front of me.
Her forehead and shoulders glistened with sweat.
So did the upper part of her chest, boldly exposed.
“Your Highness.”
“Huff, huff… Hm?”
“You’re out of shape. You should build up your stamina.”
And, hmm.
It was about time I found a new Praise Point farming spot.
“Treating me like this…”
“Your Highness.”
“?”
“This is sudden, but may I compliment you?”
“….”
Elettra narrowed her eyes.
The political instincts cultivated in the imperial palace kicked in.
‘So the elixir was only the first reward, after all.’
A notorious wastrel had suddenly changed.
But surely he hadn’t awakened to the noble mission of fighting for the world.
‘Gilliam must be plotting something big for his own ends.’
Was he afraid he wouldn’t inherit the ducal title after all?
Or had he truly fallen for a woman? Men reforming through the power of love was a common enough story.
Power.
Or love.
Either way, Gilliam was flattering her to get something, and was trying to obtain something beyond the elixir.
‘So in the end, you’re just another despicable person.’
Elettra sneered.
“Very well. Go ahead and compliment me.”
I’ll hear what kind of flattery you have to pour out.
After listening to it all, if you ask for a reward on the grounds that you complimented me, I’ll refuse you with relish.
Elettra hated people who were one thing on the outside and another within.
Three minutes later.
“You’re beautiful, and your straightforward personality is so charming—”
“H-h-hold on a second! J-just wait a moment!!”
【The target is feeling both flustered and delighted】
<Praise Points: +100(0→100)>