Chapter 181: New Plan
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༺ 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 seemed like a peaceful scene. But knowing the true nature of this sunlight, it was nothing more than an annoying sight to me.
"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 me of a memory 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 times 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 mental 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 fragmented memories, and before long, I began to make some silly noises.
"Ugh…"
Kania, who had pinned me against the wall and kissed me.
Kania, who had fed me her blood from her mouth and then made a blood oath with me.
Kania, who had asked me with a charming smile if I wanted to join her for a drink.
Kania, who had smiled at me and had donned a beautiful dress instead of her usual stern and tidy attire.
And…
"…..?"
For some inexplicable reason, a cold sweat prickled my back. Why was that? For what reason? Did I do something 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 me.
"Master, are you awake?"
Upon hearing my voice, Lulu, who'd been lying facedown, lifted her head slightly, looking at me.
"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 something 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 mere act of loyalty.
"….."
After a considerable span of time, Lulu, who was cradling my leg, finally raised her head to meet 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 some reason, her behavior reminded me of a pet delighted to receive praise from its owner, evoking a soft smile from me.
"So, why are you here?"
After petting Lulu for a while, I asked her casually. She first stared at me 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 me.
"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 meal that Kania had prepared. She shook her head in response.
"Here."
Quietly, I plucked a slice of toast from the plate before me and extended it toward her.
"Have some."
"Haup."
As soon as I finished speaking, Lulu eagerly took a bite of the toast.
"Munch, munch…"
She gazed at me 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 meal, that I couldn't help but chuckle as I stroked her head.
"She said something urgent came 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 Measurement System' that I had acquired in a past cycle was floating in the air in front of me.
"What's this?"
When that version of me 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 some 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 me, there really must be something to it.
"Hmm…"
I stared at the Affection System in front of me 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 overcome this situation. It was unavoidable. Sometimes, 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 glimmer 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 summer vacation.'
Originally, my plan was to completely rest during this vacation.
This was because, in the original storyline, significant events rarely occurred during the summer 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 grimmer, 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 me.
Political and physical pressures would come at me from all directions.
Furthermore, the Academy, relying on the Fake Hero as its pillar, was being manipulated like a puppet.
To overcome these challenges, which were several times darker and harder than my first year, I needed to focus on my mental preparation while also taking up proactive measures during this summer 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 me to join the Hero Party but, for some reason, chose me instead. Now, she approached me, lying face down.
And Isolet, who, despite her numerous attempts to kill me, couldn't draw her sword from the scabbard for some 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 seemed 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 meet the Sub-Heroines in person.'
'Well, it shouldn't be too difficult.'
After all, the vacation this time was quite long.
Even if I met all the girls who were currently designated as 'Sub-Heroines,' there would still be plenty of time for rest.
Of course, Aishi was currently on the Western continent, but she had come 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 something gently touched my ankle.
"....."
Upon looking down to see what it was, I suddenly noticed that Lulu had come right up to my side, nestled against my legs, and was gazing up at me.
"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 me for a morning walk?"
"...…"
A moment of silence ensued.
"…All right, let's go."
For some reason, the mark on her shoulder seemed to emit an unsettling glow. Hence why I agreed to her request.
'Then…'
I murmured inwardly.
'…I guess I should begin by meeting 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 hummed to herself, wholly immersed in her task.
"Lady Roswyn, I have something to report…"
The female employee who was in charge of the counter, opened the door to Roswyn's room to deliver a message to her.
"…Huh?"
Yet, she found herself momentarily 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 some kind of enchantment spell? Or is it a matter of preferring women…"
"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 moment 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 someone?"
Meanwhile, 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 some 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 me another flower this time? Didn't he already do that last time…"
"You may go."
Finally, just as the female employee was about to say something, 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 meticulously 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 came out of the room.
"Darn it, if it weren't for this darn compelling force… I should have anticipated something 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 claimed you finally did something, didn't you? You assured me 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.
You can read 505 episodes for $10. p.*atreon.com/Astrid02