Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Episode 48
After a brief dominance assertion,
Lucia finally guided me inside with a more respectful attitude. The path was cluttered, but not particularly long.
“Not bad, actually.”
“…I appreciate you saying that. I made this place myself.”
“Really? Your aesthetic sense is a bit…off.”
“You just said it wasn’t bad!”
Lucia protested indignantly. But it couldn't be helped.
If I only considered sleeping, the bed-like object was fine, but from an aesthetic standpoint, a haunted house would have been preferable. It was that bizarre.
“Why is there a cat-shaped cushion here?”
“…Because I like them.”
How should I interpret a cat beastman liking cats?
Was it a form of self-love?
“Impressive self-esteem. Honestly, I suspected it was yours, but I'm surprised you admitted it.”
“That’s beastman discrimination!”
Did such a thing even exist in this world?
Well, discrimination existed everywhere.
Then I was in the wrong.
“My apologies, I didn’t mean it like that. Uh, hmm…now that I look at it again, it suits you.”
Lucia silently snatched the cat cushion from my hands and curled up in a corner with it.
She was giving me the “I’m sulking” look. How annoying.
What did she want me to do?
“…”
“…”
Lucia settled in the corner, showing no signs of moving.
She just stared at me with narrowed eyes.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“I’m planning to stay here tonight, Prince Oz.”
I asked out of courtesy, but her answer was unexpected.
Spend the night here with me? Was she crazy?
“Why? Are you hiding something from me? I’m not planning to search this place.”
“There’s nothing like that here. Who would leave something like that in a place where anyone could come in?”
Then why was she staying?
It couldn’t be because of some budding romantic feelings for me.
Honestly, maybe with Arietta, but there was no such connection between Lucia and me.
Our relationship was purely business.
“Can we talk for a bit?”
“Just say what you want to say.”
“You’re more uncaring than I thought, Prince Oz. Acting like that will make you lose your popularity.”
“…”
Was I really such a terrible person?
How many times did I have to hear that I wasn’t popular?
Even before I became Oz, I'd never been subjected to such direct criticism!
“The Commander…”
“Just call him ‘brother.’ You’re family.”
Since I could guess what she was about to say, I put up a wall before she even started. It was going to be about Discreet, after all.
“Hey, Prince Oz? Could you please not interrupt when I’m talking?”
“Ah, right. Sorry.”
“So, my brother…”
Despite her outburst, Lucia started calling Discreet “brother” as I suggested.
“…is a man of ordinary talent, unlike you.”
“Yes, I know he’s worked very hard.”
How could I not?
Discreet, appearing from the shadows to ambush the enemy’s backline, was an indispensable character in PvP.
According to the game’s lore, Discreet had reached his position through sheer effort and experience, without any natural talent.
“It might sound ridiculous compared to you, but I seem to have…talent.”
“Yeah, honestly, compared to me, everyone looks ordinary, so let's just leave it at that.”
Besides Arietta and Alexios, there weren’t many who could compare to me.
“R-Right… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is…it's about this talent.”
If Discreet was a man of effort, Lucia was a talented genius.
“I always thought my brother's techniques were incredibly sophisticated and practical.”
“…”
“I had no idea how much effort he put into perfecting them.”
Lucia chuckled self-deprecatingly.
I didn’t need to hear the rest.
I already knew the story from the game, and even if I didn’t, it was predictable.
But I listened to her anyway.
This wasn't about what I knew, but about her struggles. Just talking about it would probably help her.
“So, after a few practice sessions, I learned his technique.”
The curse of talent. Lucia had mastered a technique Discreet had spent his entire life perfecting in a short amount of time.
In Broken Sky, Lucia’s ultimate move was identical to Discreet’s.
[Schrödinger’s Cat]
A technique that allowed the user to completely blend into their surroundings, concealing their presence for a short time.
In the game, it granted temporary invincibility.
“So? Do you feel like you’ve invalidated Discreet Punisher’s efforts?”
“…”
Of course, even though the techniques were the same, their applications differed depending on the character’s class and skills.
As a rear-line marksman, Lucia often used it as a survival skill in case the formation collapsed.
Discreet, a warrior?
He used it to appear in the middle of the enemy ranks and assassinate marksmen and mages while invincible.
Calling it assassination was an understatement; he was a monster who single-handedly destroyed the backline.
Yes, there was a clear difference between them.
“That’s an arrogant thought.”
Did she really think mastering one technique was enough to invalidate Discreet’s hard work?
It was naive. An incredibly naive thought.
Creating a new technique was far more difficult than learning an existing one.
Lucia didn’t seem to understand that simple fact.
“Lucia, as a soldier, you must know some hand-to-hand combat, right?”
“…I’m proficient in Imperial Army combat techniques.”
“How does that compare to the basic combat skills taught in class?”
“That’s a disrespectful comparison.”
The Imperial Army consisted of elite soldiers.
Basic combat skills were a prerequisite for joining, so what about the techniques they learned after joining?
The combat techniques taught to Imperial soldiers were at least intermediate to advanced level.
They weren’t comparable to the basic combat skills taught in class.
“But you lost to me.”
“…”
“You were completely destroyed by someone who only uses basic combat skills.”
“…Prince Oz? Perhaps you should choose your words more carefully?”
Lucia mumbled, seemingly speechless at my blunt words.
But I couldn't think of any other way to describe it.
She was completely destroyed by me.
“In the end, a technique is just a technique. It’s the user that matters.”
“That’s not what I…”
“No, that’s exactly right. You think learning a technique Discreet created invalidates his effort?”
Lucia tried to argue with a bewildered expression, but I wasn't going to allow it.
There was no need to entertain such a foolish notion.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something, but the technique my brother created…”
“Are you talking about Schrödinger’s Cat?”
“Just what… Do you have a spy in Tenebris?”
Lucia shuddered again.
She hadn’t expected me to know about that technique.
By now, I must have become some enigmatic figure with endless secrets in her mind.
“It took him his whole life? Of course, it did. Does creating a technique seem that easy? The Imperial Army combat techniques you brag about were also created by someone who dedicated their life to it.”
“I never bragged about it. Besides, you…”
“I’m a genius.”
Technically, it was Oz, not me, but since I was Oz, I was a genius.
Even if the in-game skills were garbage, I was the only one who could wield so many ultimate magics.
“And it’s not like I haven’t put in any effort.”
Talent was just a foundation. Oz had also worked incredibly hard.
Contrary to his arrogant appearance, Oz’s identity leaned more towards hard worker than genius.
A genius who also worked hard. That's what it took to reach SSR-rank at this age.
Seeing her agonizing over a bit of talent was pathetic.
“You were defeated by someone who only uses basic combat skills, and yet you claim to invalidate Discreet’s effort? That’s just arrogant.”
“…”
“Or did you think I would comfort you?”
Was this also due to Oz's personality, amplified by the [Erosion Rate]?
Or was it because I was comparing myself to him, someone without even a shred of talent?
Or was it because of the original story, which was frustratingly convoluted due to trivial matters?
Whatever the reason, I wasn't going to leave her like this.
“Lucia, your worries are completely useless.”
“That much?”
“Honestly, you’d be better off agonizing over whether to eat T-bone steak or tomahawk steak for lunch tomorrow.”
“…Why are the only options steak?”
“Because I like steak.”
In my memories, steak was considered a luxury food.
So, naturally, it became my standard for extravagance.
“The value of hard work is far greater than you think.”
At least, I preferred the word “effort” to “talent.”
The feeling of accomplishment was all the sweeter when it was the fruit of hard work.
“If you’re agonizing over learning one technique, you’ll never catch up to Discreet.”
It was Lucia’s arrogance that would ultimately disappoint Discreet.
“Never, as you are now.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?”
“It has to be harsh for you to come to your senses.”
“…”
Lucia hugged the cat cushion tighter and glared at me.
I thought she was sulking, but she seemed lost in thought.
Her expression changed rapidly, as if a mix of emotions was swirling within her.
And finally,
“Ha…!”
Lucia let out a sigh, as if confessing her worries.
She, who was already changing because of Eleanor, must have been affected by my crude words.
“HAHAHAHA!”
And then she burst into genuine laughter.
She must have expected affirmation from me, someone more talented than her.
But instead, she received not even a shred of sympathy, only denial.
Then she had no choice but to accept it. There was no other option.
These were the words of someone with both exceptional talent and unwavering dedication. She knew that denying my opinion in this situation would be nothing more than childish whining.
“Sigh… Prince Oz, you are a truly arrogant person.”
Lucia finally managed to speak after laughing her heart out.
“At my level, it’s not arrogance, it's confidence.”
“HAHAHAHA! You’re amazing…!”
Lucia continued to laugh, clutching the cat cushion tightly.
This was different from anything I'd seen from her before.
There was no pretense.
No consideration.
No hesitation.
Instead, something that hadn't been visible before appeared.
Her own unique ‘color.’
“Really… Hearing you say that makes me realize how foolish my worries were.”
[SR Mingling Cat]
She, who could blend in anywhere because she had no color, had finally found her own.
“Thank you, Prince Oz.”
“It was nothing.”
Yes, all I did was help her clearly recognize something she already knew. It was nothing special.
Even without my help, she would have eventually found the answer.
That’s how these collectible RPGs worked.
Attractive characters, like alternate protagonists, possessed distinct characteristics.
That's why even she, who was said to have no color, could now possess a more vibrant hue than anyone else.
“Just you wait. I’ll get you back for this later.”
Lucia declared with a bright smile, challenging me.
But I was also one of those attractive characters.
“No, you’ll never be able to lecture me about talent or effort again.”
I had no intention of remaining a mere supporting character.
“Because I won’t neglect either of them.”
So, she would never catch up to me.