Chapter 4
Chapter 4
An Unexpected Ally
And I won.
Well… it wasn’t easy enough to call it a landslide victory.
If I had to put it into words, it was a narrow win.
Sylvia was strong.
It’s just that I was stronger.
In fact, even back on Earth, my hobby had been MMA.
Muay Thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu… there wasn’t a martial art I hadn’t trained in.
The result of combining that technique and know-how with Solomon’s physical abilities was astonishing.
In a back alley with no spectators, the genius of swordsmanship swallowed her frustration after losing to a mere slave.
“Ugh…! I lost…! A perfect defeat without any excuse.”
“Well, don’t beat yourself up too much. It was just a hair’s difference.”
“No! The gap between our abilities is clear. That’s why…”
Tears streamed down—pathetic, no… more than pathetic, it was unsettling.
Proud Sylvia lay on the ground, glaring at me as she cried.
There was resentment in her eyes.
“That’s why I can’t forgive this, Solomon! Why did you yield victory to me earlier! You also want to be hired by the Count’s family and start a new life, don’t you!”
“No, I don’t really…”
I truly had no such desire.
I’d already had enough of that tsundere—no, that lunatic.
I didn’t want to get involved with her anymore.
Not in any way.
“I’m not interested.”
“That’s a lie! No matter how I look at you, you’re not someone who will just remain a slave! You’ve always been special! I can tell just by your eyes! You don’t intend to live and die as a slave, do you!”
“Well, that part’s true.”
“You want to escape this life. The best way is to catch a noble’s eye. So why are you pretending otherwise! Are you pitying me?! If so, I will never forgive that. I am the proud descendant of a noble family! I absolutely refuse pity!”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it! Explain it in a way I can understand!”
“…And if you still don’t understand?”
“I’ll cut you down right here!”
Even though I’d just proven she couldn’t… sigh.
But if I didn’t give her a proper explanation, she’d keep bothering me.
That’s the kind of person she was.
Someone who lived by her pride alone—Sylvia Alesta.
In the original story, Solomon simply defeats Sylvia, and because of that, earns her hatred.
Even after entering the academy, Sylvia appears as an antagonist who constantly interferes with the protagonist.
In other words, if I answered wrong here, I’d end up with a troublesome enemy named Sylvia.
I didn’t want to fall out with her.
Because… it would be annoying.
But I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth either.
“The reason I don’t want to be hired by the Volanschefort Count’s daughter? Actually, I’m someone who got transported here from another world, this is the world inside a game, and after failing countless times to conquer Roze, I’ve completely lost any attachment to her.”
Yeah… she’d probably just think I was insane.
And aside from the fact that she wouldn’t believe I came from another world, there was another reason I couldn’t be honest.
It wasn’t just that I disliked Roze and didn’t want to get close to her.
In the near future, this world would face destruction.
The great invasion of the demon race.
At that time, Roze was destined to participate in the war as humanity’s spear.
Naturally, her guard knight would also be conscripted and forced to fight on the battlefield.
Because of that, in the original story, the protagonist… in other words, me… had to die dozens of times.
I knew.
No matter what you did, you couldn’t avoid the death flag.
Becoming Roze’s guard knight was basically synonymous with dying young.
That’s why I couldn’t tell Sylvia everything.
It would be the same as asking her to die in my place.
Thinking about it, I even felt a bit sorry for her.
If I was just going to delay that harsh fate anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to treat her a little better.
For some reason, I felt like a husband bringing back a gift after cheating, forcing a gentle expression onto my face.
Then I used the knowledge I had from the game.
“Sylvia… it’s because I know your past.”
“What? My past?!”
Sylvia’s eyes changed instantly.
They looked like she might kill me at any moment.
I’d better be careful with my words.
“That’s right. You have to avenge the Alesta family. You have to track down the bandit group ‘Octopus’ that massacred your entire family and kill them, don’t you?”
“You bastard!!”
Sylvia forced her defeated body upright and pointed her sword at me.
“How do you know that! Speak! Who told you!”
“…You did.”
“When did I ever say something like that! We’ve never even had a proper conversation!”
“That’s true. Rather than a conversation, it would be more accurate to say I overheard it by chance.”
Faced with the threat of death, lies came out smoothly.
“It was purely coincidence. I couldn’t sleep one night and was wandering around the quarters when I heard you mumbling in your sleep. Calling out your mother and father’s names, crying, saying you couldn’t forgive Octopus. Octopus is an S-rank wanted group, isn’t it? I just put the pieces together.”
A bandit group referred to criminals who, though human, caused damage like demons.
Octopus was notorious even among them for its brutality.
The Alesta Viscount family had been wiped out by them.
“…I said all that in my sleep?”
“Yes, Sylvia. After hearing that, I just couldn’t bring myself to fight you. Of course, I also want to escape being a slave. But that’s for personal advancement—I don’t carry a grudge I need to repay like you do. The one with the greater purpose should move on to the greater stage. Isn’t that only natural?”
“But… there’s nothing in it for you.”
“Do you only act when there’s something to gain?”
“No… that’s not what I meant…”
Sylvia’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
Well, honestly, I was the one acting purely for my own benefit, so I had no right to say that—
and yet my tongue moved shamelessly.
“If having the heart to yield for someone else is wrong, then I apologize to you.”
“No… I didn’t mean it like that. I just…”
Sylvia lowered her sword and looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Solomon… I didn’t realize. You… you’re truly a good person. Then is it really okay for me to become the guard knight of the Volanschefort Count family? You’re really going to give up such a good opportunity for free? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It might never come again.”
“I’ve already answered.”
“…I’ll ask again. Are you really…”
“Really, truly, absolutely. I’ll give that opportunity to you. No… it’s not giving it to you. It was your right from the beginning. So Sylvia, stand proud, lift your chest high, and seize that chance. Starting tomorrow, you are the guard knight of the Volanschefort Count’s daughter.”
I smiled brightly like the sun and extended my hand toward her.
Should I clap for her or something?
Now please just leave me alone.
This should be enough.
Even my conscience is hurting.
In truth, I’m pushing you off a cliff to die in my place.
“Sniff…”
“Hey, don’t cry.”
“Sniff… ugh…”
Sylvia started crying.
My chest ached even more, like it was being pierced by thorns.
“Y-you’re really a good person, Solomon… sniff… truly my benefactor for life. Among everyone I’ve met, there’s no one kinder than you.”
“Ugh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing.”
For some reason, I felt like dropping to my knees and apologizing.
Looking at Sylvia wiping her tears with a deeply moved expression made my chest tighten.
“Ever since my family fell, the people who approached me were either scammers or after my body. You’re the first person who approached me with pure goodwill, without thinking about your own benefit at all.”
“Haha…”
“You… you…”
For reference, this game is a dating sim.
Except for an unconquerable MacGuffin like Roze Volanschefort, most of the female characters were made for romance.
Sylvia was no exception.
In the original story, after having the worst first encounter, she constantly clashes with the protagonist, but once they reconcile, she becomes a more reliable ally than anyone else.
Her true nature is that of a knight.
And a knight’s virtue lies in repaying what is received.
Whether it’s kindness or hatred,
if she receives it, she returns it—that is Sylvia’s belief.
Repayment and revenge are the guiding principles of her life.
And right now, her eyes were overflowing with intense emotion and gratitude.
“Solomon!”
“Y-yeah…?”
Sylvia dropped to one knee and declared in a loud voice.
“From this moment on, I swear to respect and cherish you as a dear friend. Whenever you need help, call for me at any time.”
I don’t really need that.
“And when I need help, I will call for you.”
I need that even less.
“I will definitely repay the kindness I received today!! I, Sylvia Alesta! Never speak empty words! You can trust me!”
“Mm…”
All I could do
was keep repeating, “Alright.”
Otherwise, it didn’t seem like she would leave.
Sigh… I really hate troublesome things.
Still, thinking about the future, making Sylvia my ally wasn’t a bad choice.