The Regressor Must Die
The character system in Starlight works like this: there are seven playable characters that the player can directly control, and once you've seen every ending for all seven, you unlock the ability to create a custom character—someone whose appearance, traits, and background you can set however you like. For example, there's Sebastian, the man currently serving as a butler with the trait "Master of Torture." And here's the thing: any playable character you don't choose won't appear as an NPC in the game world. That's exactly the case with Faye Nicare standing in front of me right now.
Anyway, as a regressor and a playable character herself, she becomes an absolute nightmare when encountered as an NPC. And not just any nightmare—the most unpleasant kind. She doesn't lash out like Violet does. Instead, she hides her venom behind a bright, cheerful smile, playing the part of a sly con artist who swindles the player at every turn. She's widely regarded as the most hated character in all of Starlight. But her personality isn't the only reason.
Would you believe there's actually a madwoman trying to pursue a pure romance route with the Demon King? That's her. She wants to live out a sickeningly sweet love story with the very Demon King who once saved her life, and she doesn't care who gets caught up or dies in the process. Whether she leans toward good or evil to achieve that goal, she's a walking time bomb whose direction can shift at any moment. Just hearing this much is already infuriating, but what truly sets my blood boiling is how she obsessively despises Violet and constantly schemes to kill her—not quickly, either. She systematically removes everyone around Violet, spreads vicious rumors, and only when Violet is completely isolated does she savor killing her slowly and painfully.
Yes, she's clearly an unpredictable psychopath. Even so, players can't just kill her on sight. No matter which path she takes, Faye contributes significantly to defeating the Demon King. Of course, she does it for herself rather than the world, which only makes it more aggravating. If you're still having trouble grasping how harmful she is, here's a simple fact: out of the six other playable characters, three have had their lives ruined because of her.
I want to kill her. That was my first thought the moment I saw the wretched woman clinging to Violet. I wanted nothing more than to pull the dagger from my pocket and stab her over and over, but rationally speaking, that would be a terrible mistake. No matter how insane she is, she does provide major assistance in progressing the story and defeating the Demon King. If I let my temper get the better of me and kill her now, I'd be the one left dealing with the consequences—and as the veteran player, that burden would fall squarely on me. I have no intention of shouldering that alone.
The one silver lining is that she doesn't try to kill Violet immediately. Instead, she first attempts to eliminate everyone around her. That means Violet isn't in immediate danger and might even receive a strange sort of protection until those people are gone. Of course, it won't be long before I, as the closest person to her, become the next target. Still, I know Faye Nicare's patterns better than anyone. There's no way she'll manage to kill me. How could I die to someone I've beaten hundreds of times? So for now, I'll leave her alive. In exchange, she'll be the first playable character I kill in this life. I swear it on my Starlight career.
With that resolve, I turned toward Violet.
"Violet, you're cute today too?"
What the—? That crazy woman is rubbing her face against Violet's cheek? A surge of murderous intent welled up in my chest, but I bit down hard on my lip and forced out the most polite tone I could manage.
"No matter how fond you are of the young lady, this is inappropriate for grown women. Please step back."
"Aww, can't you just let it slide a little?"
"I cannot."
At my refusal, she grinned as if pleased and finally pulled away. God, I really want to smack her.
"By the way, what brings you here? I was under the impression you had other matters to attend to."
She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "They told me to come to the magic training hall for practice. Our paths just happened to cross."
"Then you should hurry along. If you stay here chatting with us, you'll be late."
Whether she noticed the edge in my voice or not, she simply smiled and leaned in to whisper something to Violet before waving and disappearing down the corridor. Judging by how red Violet's face had turned—like a tomato—she definitely hadn't said anything wholesome.
"Might I ask what Faye said to you?"
I asked the moment she was gone, worried it might have been something strange or even a curse. Violet's reaction was immediate.
"N-no! Why would I ever tell a guy like you something like that?"
"I am your butler, my lady. If she said something inappropriate, I have a duty to know."
Normally she would have answered without hesitation, but the way she was hiding it suggested there really was something to hide. It might seem overly cautious, but in Starlight, Faye had been known to inflict real harm on Violet through nothing more than words and curses. I couldn't afford to overlook even the smallest detail.
"It was nothing, okay? So just drop it."
"Your expression says otherwise, my lady."
She'd snapped at me, but her flushed face, trembling voice, and wavering eyes made her look anything but innocent.
"Please just tell me. Is it a sensitive topic? You're an adult now—there's no need to feel embarrassed about—"
I hadn't even finished the teasing remark before a full-powered low kick slammed into my shin.
"Y-you crazy bastard! What the hell are you saying? You've gotten way too cocky lately!"
"Ghhhk…"
Violet was a physical fighter who wielded a sword. Her body was extremely well-trained. A full-power low kick from her could easily shatter the leg of a grown man. I was forced to stay rooted to the spot as if under some binding status effect.
"H-hey. Are you okay? Can you walk?"
She'd stormed off in a huff, but when she saw me clutching my leg and groaning in agony, she finally seemed to realize what she'd done and cautiously approached.
Of course I'm not okay, you walking disaster. It hurts like hell. If she'd kicked an ordinary person like that, their leg would've been destroyed without exaggeration.
"I don't think I can move. It feels like my leg is nailed to the ground."
Since I clearly couldn't walk, I suggested she go on ahead, but before the words had fully left my mouth, the searing pain in my leg vanished as if it had never been there.
"…Huh?"
Still dazed by the sudden change, I could only manage a stupid sound.
"Brother, are you able to move now?"
A white-haired man was smiling gently at me, as if answering my idiotic reaction.
"W-why are you here?"
Despite his kind expression, I could only respond with another half-witted question. Seriously, why was he here again? Did he have some kind of business with me? Was I unconsciously emitting some kind of seductive pheromone like a clueless TS heroine or something?
"I will go anywhere Brother needs help."
If a novel wrote something like this, readers would complain about the lack of plausibility. I mean, seriously—meeting a playable character twice on the very first day of school?