Convinced.

"I will go in Saffron's place!"

Good, good. All eyes are on me. This is the moment I've been waiting for. To survive, I must ascend to a position of power, and this opportunity is a golden ticket for me.

"They must be touched by our sibling bond. Even I would be moved if I were someone else, hehe~~!"

"No. You are a candidate for the head of state."

Of course, my conniving father won't make it easy for me. He's grooming a candidate from the royalist faction now that both factions, royalists and military, are divided.

Just because he protects me doesn't make him virtuous. This man is the one who will switch sides with Saffron later in the game.

If Saffron becomes more suitable, he'll switch sides immediately, so there's no need to overthink it. Right now, he's just using me. Nonetheless, I must convince him from this position.

"Why is that? Both Saffron and I are children of the same royal family. I should be allowed to go as well."

I inquire deliberately. With both the royalist and military faction leaders present, it can't simply be because I'm from the royalist faction.

"Saffron is a girl. And you are the crown prince! Do you understand that?"

Hehe, I anticipated this response, which is why I've prepared the ultimate counter-attack in advance—the lines he uttered to Ryker when he chose Saffron instead of him in the game.

"If we consider her inherent traits, Saffron's characteristics are even more significant. She possesses a vast amount of Molecular Energy, making her more suitable to be a candidate for the head of state."

"Ryker, do you understand?"

"What do you mean?"

I gaze questioningly, and as if conceding to me, my father sighs and waves his hand. "Understood. Ryker, you shall be sent to the fortress. I will send someone tomorrow. Prepare for departure by then."

"Yes. Understood."

"Then, let's adjourn. Return to your respective duties."

The people in the king's chamber glanced at us from time to time, but without saying a word, they left one by one.

As Saffron and I made our way back to the chambers, the redhead, on the verge of tears, spoke to me.

"Brother, are you going to die in my place?"

I don't plan to die.

Actually, I don't want to die, so I have no other choice but to go.

But revealing my true feelings won't be appreciated, and I must instill it deeply so she will be grateful to me in the future. Man, I am so smart!

"Perhaps. Maybe."

"What!? No way!!"

My sister hugged me tightly. Feeling her warmth and moisture, I felt guilty.

Ugh, my heart aches.

But big brother doesn't want to be killed by these small, delicate fingers in the future.

"Saffron, you have to be strong. Become stronger so that we never have to go through this again, alright?"

"Ugh, okay. I'll become stronger."

"Yeah, it's a promise with your brother."

"Ggh, okay."

"And don't forget that I went in your place, okay? It's a promise."

"O-okay."

"Also, no matter how bad I am, you must never take my life."

"Okay."

"And if possible, try to stop me before I do something bad!"

Now, it's all set. After defeating the aliens, I should earn considerable fame.

I will miss you, Saffron.

"Brother, you mustn't die!!"

"Of course, I'll make sure you have a big house, a cute husband, a big dog, a lazy cat, and a happy family, okay?"

"Yeah, I unders... stand?"

Oops, I got carried away. I should try to cover it up.

"Um, well, I, uh, have to prepare for departure, so bye!"

I made my escape before she could ask more questions.