Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: This World Is a Dating Sim #2
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The girl lightly perched on the edge of the bed.
"Mind if I sit? It's okay, right?"
"Do as you please."
Her bare feet were snow-white. Her toes wiggled playfully. Her long golden hair dangled down far enough to brush the floor, shimmering with every movement.
She had an ethereal air, like she might vanish into thin air at any moment.
Her pale green eyes sparkled like emeralds.
The girl looked at me and giggled.
"Ah, you're trying to figure out who I am~ I can see it on your face. Right?"
She was right.
Even I, who'd played the game, had never seen this face before.
At first, I thought a goddess had finally shown herself.
But I quickly realized that wasn't the case.
"You're a black mage. That much I can tell."
The ominous mana leaking from her stood in stark contrast to her mystical aura.
No way she was a goddess.
The girl readily admitted it.
"Right you are. A black mage."
She lifted one snow-white leg.
"Over there."
She wiggled her slender toes.
I turned my head, and there was the severed head rolling on the floor.
"Know what that is?"
"Of course."
A black mage's head, wasn't it?
I'd received it as a housewarming gift.
According to the girl, that black mage had been the shadowy puppet master pulling the strings behind the Varka Kingdom.
"That kid was my disciple."
Shit.
So the master had brought her disciple's head along?
How was I supposed to react to that?
"Heh. Not sure how to react?"
She wasn't expecting some hilarious response or anything.
The girl burst into laughter.
"You were surprised, at least."
Anyone who wasn't would be the weird one.
"Well, 'disciple' is just a word. We've never actually met in person."
Then they weren't related at all.
"All black mages claim to be my disciples, in their own way."
That was when I finally pieced together who she was.
"To think I'd meet the progenitor of black mages—who's lived since ancient times—like this."
"Surprised I'm prettier than you expected?"
She hopped off the bed, her petite frame padding toward me.
The witch who stood before me tilted her head up.
She must have lived through countless ages, yet she appeared as a young girl.
Her vivid green eyes shimmered with an enigmatic allure.
"My name is Hecate. I sort of play the role of matriarch to all black mages. Feel free to call me Kitty."
"Khalid von Aquitaine. Emperor of the Empire."
"Heh. Self-introduction? Not bad."
The playful smile faded from Hecate's face.
"I came to clear up a misunderstanding. I don't know what you think of me, but I actually like you quite a bit."
"Like me?"
Was there any reason for her to?
Hecate straightened up and gave a soft smile.
"You keep a black mage close by your side."
"If that's the case, didn't you feed me that info to get rid of Elisabeth?"
"What? Misunderstanding. I've been asleep until recently. I only woke up a week ago."
Hecate looked flustered.
Was it true?
...It probably was.
In the game, the leader of the Black Serpent was said to be in a deep slumber.
Even up to the ending, you never saw the Black Serpent's leader.
That's why I didn't recognize her face.
She was a character mentioned in lore but never actually appeared.
Then shouldn't she still be asleep?
How did she wake up?
When I voiced my question, she answered.
"Fate has changed."
Hecate spread her hand open.
A miniature night sky unfurled in her palm.
"I know astrology too. But the normal flow of destiny got all twisted. Twisted big time."
Was this my fault?
I've done so much lately, plenty of suspects come to mind.
Especially recently—Lucius's situation.
If it was some glitch from the sub-hero vanishing, that would make sense.
"That's why I woke up. Couldn't ignore it."
I see.
I understood the situation.
She woke up because of me.
"No hard feelings. I never held any grudges against black mages to begin with."
"Really? Phew, that's a relief. I don't want to fight you."
"Fight?"
Hearing that, I imagined what a fight between us would look like.
Shattering the blessing around that tiny body and crushing it...
Hm.
It was a novel sensation.
It had been ages since I'd felt like a real fight was possible against someone.
"Wait. Don't look at me with those murderous eyes... I don't want to fight you. I don't want to pick a battle I can't win."
Hecate turned serious.
Just like she said, no matter how I sized it up, I didn't think I'd lose.
A hundred fights, I'd win them all.
But.
"You're exaggerating."
The moment we fought, this land would probably turn into barren wasteland where not even weeds could grow.
My instincts screamed as much.
No wonder she was the progenitor of black mages.
"It's just because my body is special. Like yours. A normal fight couldn't even happen, right? There's no one else in the world who can hold as much power as you. It's a mystery how your body even holds up."
Hecate placed a hand on her chest.
"Me? Well, I'm sort of unkillable in various ways."
"I see."
Immortal, huh.
She radiated overflowing vitality, alright.
"I hate pain, though. I feel everything so vividly."
"Healing power?"
"Of course I have it."
"Mind if I test it?"
She kicked my shin.
Her eyebrow arched up.
"Happy now?"
No dice.
What a shame.
"Anyway, this isn't the time. Not much time left."
Hecate hopped up.
A quick glance showed her feet starting to fade.
"My time here is limited. Gotta head back soon."
"Alright."
"Nice meeting you, Cal. So, can we consider ourselves friends now?"
"Says who."
"Aw, that's too bad. I'll aim for next time, then. Who knows when we'll meet again."
Hecate reached out and tapped my shoulder.
For an instant, I felt something connect between us.
"...Feel it?"
I nodded.
A ticklish sensation prickled my shoulder.
"I gave you one of my most precious treasures. Figured you'd put it to better use than me."
Hecate looked up at me with a mischievous smile.
"Figure out what it is by using it yourself."
She pulled me into a hug.
Uninvited contact.
Normally, I'd never allow anyone that close.
But oddly...
I didn't mind at all. It felt strangely natural.
"That's because you and I are the same kind, fundamentally."
As she gently pulled away, her waist had already begun to fade.
"Listen up, Cal. Not sure if you'll believe my advice."
"What is it."
"The power that holds this world together is love."
I was speechless for a moment.
But thinking it over, it wasn't wrong.
It even made perfect sense.
This world was a dating sim, after all.
"Without love, this world falls apart."
That part, I couldn't quite buy.
No matter how you sliced it.
Was she joking?
But Hecate's face was deadly serious.
"Funny, right? Looks like the goddess wanted a world like that. Made us this way and all."
The girl laughed merrily.
I couldn't say for sure, but her hatred for the goddess rang crystal clear.
"Hate the goddess?"
"Yep."
She gazed at me.
"I hate the goddess, but with you here, the world doesn't seem all that bad. Finally met you, after all. So, if I have to give a hint—things are on shaky ground right now."
"Wait, Hecate."
"See ya. Bye. Let's meet again someday, my cute little brother."
That was it.
Like a mirage, Hecate vanished, leaving only a faint lingering echo to prove she'd been here.
I stared at the spot where she'd stood for a long while before covering my face with my hand.
Saving this doomed empire was exhausting enough.
Now I had to worry about the world ending too?
Dating sims weren't supposed to be this much work.
It was a bit shocking, but...
Thinking it over, I already knew most of it.
This world was an otome romance fantasy.
Basically a romance fantasy where a prince, a northern grand duke, and a tower lord all vied for one heroine.
But.
There was one big difference from regular romance fantasy novels.
Bad endings existed.
Failed affection management or wrong route choices, etc.
Unlike novels where you just follow the plot.
From that perspective.
The fundamental force upholding the world is love, and without enough, it collapses?
Interpreted as dating sim mechanics: Watch out for bad ends.
Hecate was basically a tip-giving NPC.
I got the gist.
'Things are on shaky ground right now.'
So what did that parting line mean?
Affection levels weren't being managed well.
Why did Hecate show up out of nowhere?
In dating sim terms, it's like she appeared to warn me for neglecting the heroines while focusing on my own stuff.
Thinking about it, that felt unfair.
Shouldn't the protagonist—not me—be the one handling heroine affection?
Still, what had to be done, had to be done.
The next morning.
"Your Majesty?"
"Lily, we're going to the Academy."
"Pardon?"
"Wait, where do you think you're going? You have mountains of work—"
"You're coming too."
"Pardon? Eek!"
I grabbed Lily and Elisabeth and left the palace.
The Emperor heads to the Academy.