Chapter 82
Volume 3 prologue part1
TLN: It has come to my attention that I don’t provide enough weeb juice to serve as daily sustenance for some of you . As a result, I’m going to try increasing my -desu levels and see if that will sate your earthly Nippon desires .
To translate that into English, I’m going to keep in honorifics and also some other nuanced Japanese-specific terms to see if you guys prefer that . I personally don’t, but if the majority of you do, I will adjust future releases of this novel accordingly .
What is love?
I, “Leon Fou Baltfault”, am an honest, slightly reserved youth who’s been thinking about such philosophical matters .
I also happen to be an ordinary schoolboy who had reincarnated into “that” otome game, the one I had been forced to play against my will during my previous life .
I’m a virtuous guy who loves peace, but in this otome game world, I’m just a mob who doesn’t stand out that much .
At least, that’s what it was supposed to be!
For some reason, I’ve been promoted to a viscount .
Being of the lower fourth rank within the royal court, I’m in quite the grandiose situation .
While still being a student, a very opportune position as a lower fourth ranked viscount awaits me .
Due to that──I’ve been worried about matters relating to love .
Sometimes, there’s the cliche where love will solve everything in a story, and there’s no doubt that the otome game follows that pattern .
Love determines everything .
Even Luxon, the supposedly undefeatable endgame boss, would have been defeated by the love between the protagonist and the male capture targets, resulting in a happy ending .
All matters are resolved by love .
Love is a big deal in this world .
A force more potent than any weapon .
An influence more potent than any diplomatic endeavor .
Domestic affairs will resolve themselves as long as love is there to help .
Love is a big deal . Love is supreme! Love will save the world!
──In this world, love is the ultimate weapon .
On that topic,
“Why did things come to this?”
[It’s all your own doing, Master . ]
I’m not in the wrong at all, and yet my accomplice “Luxon” was being cold .
It took the form of a metallic sphere with one red eye .
It’s main body is a spaceship equipped with an AI .
The softball-sized sphere is an extension of it──a mere computer terminal .
By all rights, it’s supposed to be more respectful to me, its master .
However, this thing is way too harsh towards me .
Still, it’s quite capable, so I keep it nearby since it’s a frightening thing that will do who knows what while spouting “Exterminate the new humans!” if I take my eyes off it .
Good grief, nothing but incompetents all around me .
Now then, stopping my escapism, I glanced at a pile of letters piling up on my desk .
The amount of letters sent to my dorm had reached the point where they made a mountain .
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“It’s quite the new experience to have this much of a turnabout happen . ”
The senders of those letters were girls from the academy’s advanced class .
Though the contents of the letters were pretty condescending, there were some braver ones who wrote something like “make preparations for a tea ceremony three days from now . ”
The girls who ignored my invitations for tea ceremonies up until now had made a complete 180 the moment I got promoted and wrote letters to take the initiative .
“──This is too much . ”
This situation is pretty discomforting .
It’s a little amusing to think that the girls who took no notice of me up until now were suddenly trying to get closer to me .
However, the fact of the matter is that this is not ideal .
──Pull back . It’s normal to pull back here . This is discomforting .
[Your promotion was made final prior to winter break . ]
During the school trip in the second semester, troops from the Fanoss Principality had attacked .
I managed to drive them away somehow, but the actions I took during that time ended up with me being promoted .
Due to that, the girls made a frightening turnabout when I came back to the academy .
It’s especially frightening now that I’m going from the second semester into the third semester .
“They’re not attracted to my own self, but to my status and property . How low of them . ”
[This is a matter of marriages between nobles, so there’s not much meaning to ones own self in the first place . In fact, take a look at this letter . ]
一A single letter floated up .
I took it to look over its contents .
It seems that Luxon’s able to check the contents of a letter without opening the envelope .
What a convenient thing .
“Is there something interesting written here? Whoa . ”
When I looked at the contents of the letter, they were yet again terrible .
Written inside were someone’s conditions for marriage, including the construction of a residence in the royal capital that can hold about ten people and to also look after her troublesome lovers .
Are the girls who present such harsh conditions sane?
Then again, I’m dealing with the academy’s girls .
Women domineer over men──this is the reality of “that otome game” .
When the game world became a reality, things were so harsh that I felt the strange urge to laugh .
[All the girls are quite awful . Just whose child are they are planning to give birth to?]
“If I were to get married, I would want to produce a heir and then just live a free life . It’s not like I’m asking for something unusual . I mean, my father’s legal wife is doing the same . ”
Are these kinds of things even allowed?
──Unfortunately, this world indeed allows such things .
This really is a cruel world .
[It’s odd that marriages are this bizarre . Considering that males are few in number, it wouldn’t be strange if marriage was male-dominated . I’ve noticed that it’s particularly bad for those of the baron and viscount ranks . ]
The ranks above and below those don’t have it as bad .
In fact, most marriages for earl families and above are under quite normal conditions .
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I can’t say that they’re all like that though . There are some bad households too .
“This is an otome game, right? No matter how deeply I think about it, I won’t find an answer . ”
Could it be that? Could it be the fact that the girls walk around with sub-race exclusive servants?
When trying to implement that setting into the world, could it have created this kind of inconsistent reality?
This is going nowhere . Thinking about it won’t bring up any answers .
That being the case, I’d rather not think about it .
After dumping the pile of letters into the trash, Luxon spoke to me .
[Oh? You’re not going to invite anyone to a tea ceremony? Considering who you are, I was thinking that you’d take the time to be naggy and make some snide remarks towards the girls who proposed a tea ceremony with you . ]
“Just who do you think I am? Such a kind and ordinary person like me would never do such a thing . ”
[By all means, I’d like to hear what your definition of an ordinary person is . I think that what the general public believes an ordinary person is and what you believe an ordinary person is are different . ]
“You’re being noisy . Whatever, let’s finish this . ”
Certainly, I thought about being naggy and making some snide remarks, but in the first place, it would be troublesome having to hold a tea ceremony for those girls who made a complete 180 .
Despite how things look, I’m busy .
I have to make some tea for Livia──the protagonist of this otome game world, known officially as “Oliva . ”
I also have to do the same with Anjie──the daughter of a duke, known officially as “Anjelica Rafua Redgrave . ”
Furthermore, I’m also anticipating that I’ll have to make tea for the second year student Clarice-senpai and the third year student Deirdre-senpai . Those two helped me out with some things, so I wouldn’t be able to refuse if they asked me for some tea .
I also got some high-class tea leaves and a tea set, making it tough for me to refuse .
Huh? Now that I think about it, the only people I’m having tea with are girls .
──Well, whatever .
Leaving that aside, there’s one bigger problem .
I have suspicions that “Marie Fou Lafuan” is someone who reincarnated here, just like me──she’s the youngest daughter of a poor viscount family, but has been officially recognized as a saint .
Normally, if one knew about that otome game, they absolutely wouldn’t snatch away the title of the saint .
After all, in order to defeat the final boss──Livia’s own power is necessary .
It’s become evident that I have to take measures against Marie, who disregarded such risks and impersonated as the saint .
“Seriously, why did things turn out this way?”
[Isn’t this your own doing, Master?]
Is this thing planning to make all of this my responsibility?
One girl sat on a bench with a gloomy aura .
Her navy blue, long hair was fairly disheveled .
There were noticeable stains and tears on her uniform .
Her name was “Cara Fou Wein . ”
Her household was that of a semi-baron’s, being classified as a knight household under the Holfault Kingdom .
She was formerly under the guardianship of the Olfery earl household, but the Olfery household had been destroyed .
The head of the family and the heir were executed for joining forces with sky pirates .
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The other family members were deprived of their status and assets .
The Olfery household’s daughter, who Cara had followed, disappeared from the academy .
The households who were closely under their guardianship had also disappeared . Practically all people related to the Olfery earl household had disappeared from the academy .
Even so, Cara remained in the school .
Perhaps it could be said that she was left behind .
Though the fact of the matter was that her household had no relation to the sky pirates, there were other factors contributing to her situation .
A group of girls happened to pass by Cara, who hung her head .
“Look, it’s the traitor . ”
“What a disgrace to the nobles . She should just hurry up and vanish . ”
“She was involved with sky pirates, so why is she still in this academy?”
──Her situation served as a sort of warning .
Given no option to quit school, Cara had to accept her current position .
“I──I…”
From Cara’s point of view, a follower like herself had no right of veto .
She knew very well about the Olfery household’s conduct, and also knew that they would dispose of anyone who made the mistake of opposing them .
However, now that the Olfery family been torn apart, she was being treated as a traitor .
“What was I supposed to do? What could I have done?”
She couldn’t defy the Olfery household’s daughter .
It was obvious that she would have suffered a bitter fate if she did .
If she betrayed them, it was highly likely that she would be crushed and have further revenge await her .
Under such circumstances, what could she have done?
(Even I had to put up with that woman . And yet…)
While weeping and thinking of such things, a small girl approached the group .
She was someone acknowledged by the temple as a saint──Marie .
(She sure has a lot of followers . )
Marie never had a single follower up until recently, but after becoming a saint, people gathered around her .
As a saint and as the former crown prince’s lover, Marie was someone to be sought after .
It was inevitable that noble children would draw closer to her .
The girls who had badmouthed Marie before were now praising her .
“Marie-sama, you’re as lovely as ever today . ”
“As usual, your clothing today is wonderful . You’ve got good taste . ”
“Marie-sama, a new cafe opened up . Do you want to visit it together?”
The girls in the academy made a complete 180 .
Furthermore, exclusive servants and boys accompanied those girls, resulting in there being many people around Marie .
Under such a situation, Marie──
“Sheesh, didn’t I say to just call me Marie?”
──was having a lot of fun .
“But, calling Marie-sama such a thing would be too much . ”
While the girls were bewildered, Marie made a smile .
“I prohibit using -sama . I mean, aren’t we already close friends?”
“Marie-sama, how kind of you!”
“Jeez, I said to stop that~ . ”
Cara looked at Marie, who was asking the girls to stop while enjoying her time, and cast her eyes downward .
(They’re going to bully me again if they don’t go away soon . )
Cara, who had put Marie’s lovers Brad and Greg into a trap, had stayed away from Marie for fear of retaliation from her .
A girl, seeing Cara, made a loud voice .
“Ara~, it’s the one whose been a disgrace to us nobles . ”
Cara, whose shoulders quivered, quickly attempted to flee, but was blocked by the boys .
“You’re still in this academy?”
“How can someone like you call yourself a noble?”
“How truly annoying . ”
Normally, the boys would be reserved in front of the girls, but were allowed to do as they pleased with Cara and began taking the offensive .
People gradually gathered and surrounded Cara .
The people around laughed at her as she became frightened and curled herself into a ball .
As she quivered and shook, Marie then approached .
When Marie’s hand approached Cara, the latter closed her eyes and braced herself for an impact .
However, no matter how long she waited, she didn’t feel a slap, nor did anything happen to her .
As she nervously opened her eyes, she saw Marie smiling while reaching a hand out to her .
“Eh? A, ano?”
“You must be Cara . A lot had happened, but let’s be friends . ”
The surrounding people were surprised at what Marie said and advised her against it .
“Marie-sama, this is the girl who led Brad-sama and Greg-sama into a trap . Besides, she’s a traitor connected to sky pirates . ”
Marie shook her head towards that .
“There must be some reason for why she’s here . It seems that she already apologized as well, so it’s fine . Besides, it’s not good for everyone to gang up on someone and bully them . ”
The people around her went silent .
After speaking, Marie took Cara’s hand .
The small Marie grasped Cara’s hand while making an expression of respect .
“So, Cara . You and I should be friends . ”
Cara was delighted . She shed tears while nodding towards Marie, who seemed to be sparkling .
“R, right . ”