Plan [Edited]

"So, you were always alone?" I asked, my tone deliberately casual.

"No… I had…" she began but stopped abruptly.

Huh?

She resumed chewing on the meat in silence, her expression unreadable.

Damn. I'm still hungry.

"So… you lost someone," I ventured carefully.

She nodded, a slight motion that carried more weight than words could.

That actually makes sense.

What would've been unbelievable was her surviving on her own from such a young age without anyone.

"So, why did you come here?" I pressed, though I already had an idea.

"I… don't know," she admitted softly.

…What the hell was I even expecting?

"So, you just randomly stumbled upon me?" I asked, unable to hide my skepticism.

To my surprise, she nodded.

What exactly is going on here?

Why did I meet her?

Wait. Could it be…?

Could my time outside the Azure Empire—unconscious for an entire month—have been orchestrated for this very reason?

To meet her and be dragged into the raid?

I mean, it adds up. And I'm not the type to believe in coincidences.

But… why?

"So… where will you go from here?" I asked, shifting gears to think of a plan.

There was no point denying the obvious anymore.

My chances of surviving in this world, given how weak I currently am, are slim to none.

I need a way—any way—to ensure I don't die.

I still have so many unanswered questions.

I still have to figure out what the janitor meant when he said, 'There was no other way.'

"I… don't know," she said again, but this time, she looked me straight in the eyes.

"Then why don't you come with me?" I proposed.

If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have even bothered.

But this was Liliana.

In the game's early stages, she was known for being naïve and easy to manipulate. Plus, according to the plot, she was eventually supposed to become my ally.

Whoever brought me into this world is clearly trying to keep me in check, tying me to the canon events through the concept of LP. It's probably the same entity responsible for all these "coincidences."

Still, despite my suspicions about their motives, I can't let this opportunity slip by.

Liliana is, without a doubt, the most powerful character in this world.

Well, not yet. She hasn't undergone her second awakening, the event that grants her that unmatched power. But even now, she's far stronger than me.

I need her strength to survive.

"Huh?" she tilted her head, her eyes wide with innocent confusion.

Damn it! Don't look so adorable when I'm trying to manipulate you!

"You don't want to?" I asked, feigning nonchalance.

"No… I'm just… surprised, that's all," she said, discarding the remaining scraps of meat.

"So…?"

"Will you cook?" she asked, catching me completely off guard.

What the heck?

"I can't cook," I admitted bluntly.

"Why?" she pressed, and I massaged my temple in frustration.

"Because I don't know how to," I said, exhaling sharply.

I was hopeless.

Even back on Earth, when I lived alone, cooking was never my forte. Sure, I could boil noodles, but beyond that? Forget it.

"But you cooked this," she said, gesturing to the discarded bones.

"Well, technically… yes," I muttered, scratching my chin.

Come to think of it, the meat had turned out surprisingly well.

[You didn't do anything, so stop taking credit,] a voice in my head interrupted.

"Huh?"

[It's one of your passive skills.]

"I have that?"

[Yes. The real Amael had a knack for cooking,] the voice explained.

"He did?"

[Indeed. While you don't consciously have his knowledge, his instincts as a cook remain active at a subconscious level.]

"Wait, does that mean I'm automatically good at cooking?"

[Not quite. You're level one at best. But that's enough to roast some meat, don't you think?]

"I see… so the more I practice, the better I'll get?"

[Exactly.]

"Alright, I'll cook," I said aloud.

Liliana's face lit up with a bright smile—her first since we met.

"But on one condition," I added, my expression turning serious.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously.

"You… protect me," I said, making my intentions clear.

She had to know by now how much stronger she was than me.

"...Alright," she agreed after a pause, then smirked. "After all, I am stronger than you."

My frown deepened.

What the actual hell just happened to her innocent persona?

Why do I feel like I've just fallen into my own trap?