Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: This World is a Visual Novel #4
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The original game stands apart from typical romance fantasy novels thanks to its favorability system, branching paths, and bad endings.
So what does it have in common with those novels?
It's basically a reverse harem at its core.
In a standard otome game aimed at women, the story would unfold from heroine Serena's perspective, with her charming the male leads.
But this game flips that script.
The male leads chase after Serena.
Just like this.
"Serena, I saw a flower on the way here that reminded me of you."
"Oh? Really?"
The Northern Grand Duke, Siegfried von Reinhardt, handed Serena a single dandelion.
It wasn't bought from a flower shop—he'd genuinely picked it from the roadside.
"Wow, it's so pretty. Thank you, Zeke!"
Serena beamed radiantly.
The air around them warmed, as if a gentle spring breeze had swept through.
That probably boosted Serena's favorability toward Siegfried by about 3 points.
In most visual novels, the player character's favorability doesn't show up.
Why not?
Because the player is the protagonist anyway.
There's no need to distinguish between the player and the in-game hero.
If you're seducing the character you want, why track your own character's favorability?
"This is nothing."
"Oh, come on. Next time, I'll definitely pay you back!"
But in this game, "Serena's" favorability exists separately.
So as you progress through the story, meeting this male lead and that one, you end up with something like this.
- Sigh.
- I had some heart-fluttering moments, but I don't think I found true love.
- And so, my academy days came to an end...
Serena's favorability hadn't risen enough, sending you straight to a bad end route.
In that sense, managing Serena's favorability is an absolutely essential task.
"Zeke, aren't you super busy with work?"
"Not at all."
From what I could see, Siegfried still hadn't made much progress.
He seemed to genuinely like Serena, but she didn't show any special feelings in return.
How did I know?
If her favorability were high, she'd say something like, "You must be so busy, but I'm thrilled you came to see me!"
Why was that?
He'd just given her a flower, so even if it wasn't perfect, he'd been steadily building it up.
Yet Serena's favorability was bizarrely low.
It felt like how she'd treat a regular friend.
She didn't look like a girl out on a date.
"Let's tail them for now."
I'll figure it out if I watch a bit longer.
I kept observing Serena and Siegfried's "date" after that.
No worries about getting caught.
"Just trust me, Your Majesty."
Lily, the world's best at stealth, had it handled perfectly.
"It was fun, Serena."
"Me too!"
"See you next time, then."
"Yeah, see you! Today was great!"
The two parted ways just before evening.
Elisabeth, who'd watched the whole thing, wore a subtle expression.
"...This doesn't really count as a date, does it?"
"Hmm."
Lily nodded beside her.
My take?
"It's a disaster."
Even I could see that.
"The Grand Duke didn't seem to do anything wrong..."
"Lady Serena doesn't look all that interested."
She smiled brightly and responded throughout the date.
But why didn't a single line from the high-favorability dialogues come up?
What the hell was the problem?
Serena, if you don't get interested in guys, the world ends.
Turn into that girl crazy about men already.
This is frustrating as hell.
If only I could see the favorability numbers with my own eyes right now.
"...?"
That's weird.
Something invisible just became visible.
*
'I'll give you the treasure I possess.'
Hecate had left me a gift before departing.
And what was it?
The favorability system.
Goddess of system info, Hecate. I worship you.
"Theo! Did I keep you waiting long?"
"Serena. No, not at all."
Poor little brother of mine.
Clueless that she'd just been on a date with another guy.
Anyway, when I used the power from Hecate, a faint green light glowed from Serena's body as she met Theo.
It seemed like an ability to see emotions and favorability toward others as colors.
"No romantic interest this time either, right?"
"Looks that way."
Just as she said.
The green just represented basic human closeness.
Definitely not romantic interest levels.
"...?"
What?
Why no green from Theo either?
"Hmm?"
"That's odd."
Elisabeth and Lily tilted their heads too.
"Your Majesty, are you sure Prince Theodor actually likes that lady?"
Yeah.
Even I wasn't feeling it.
I wondered if I was seeing wrong.
But comparing to Siegfried just before, I could tell clearly.
Theo doesn't like Serena.
Then what the fuck was that talk he had with me?
I can't take this anymore.
"Your Majesty? Ah."
I took off the ring and walked over.
The bustling surroundings fell silent as if by miracle.
"H-His Majesty."
"It's the Emperor."
Theo naturally noticed my presence.
"B-Brother?"
"Theo."
Theo and Serena looked stunned.
Up close, it was crystal clear.
No romantic feelings between them whatsoever.
I had no clue where it all went wrong.
I pinched the bridge of my nose against the throbbing headache.
"Theo, come with me. We need to talk. Bring the lady with you."
*
So.
The "woman he likes" Theo mentioned wasn't Serena after all.
It was just my misunderstanding, latching onto the words "woman I like."
"Serena's definitely an attractive woman. I agree. If I were the old me, terrified of you, Brother, I might've fallen for her warmth."
"Ahaha..."
Theo nodded calmly, saying stuff like that.
Serena gave an awkward smile.
Unbelievable.
This was because of me too?
In the original story, Theo should've been rescued by Serena from his fear and resentment of me.
But since my relationship with Theo turned out better than in the original, that never happened?
Ah.
"Hoooh."
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
No, I'm not.
What kind of bullshit forced plot twist is this?
I worked to fix the Empire properly, and now Theo's route gets blocked as a result?
What kind of fucked-up trash game is this?
And it's the reality I live in, which makes it worse.
"Who is she?"
"Huh?"
"Who is this lady you like?"
"Oh. Her name's Flora, from the Yulcrin Count Family. You probably don't know her, Brother."
I don't.
Who's Flora?
Never even heard the name.
"The Yulcrin Count Family holds a small eastern fief. They were prominent in the past, but now they're a fallen house with just a name left."
What? That's some romance heroine backstory.
Well, plenty of families like that, I guess.
Hell, I've ruined a few myself.
"Fine. I won't meddle in your love life anymore. Handle it yourself."
However.
"Why the hell were you going on dates with another woman if you have someone you like?"
"Ah, that was..."
Theo smiled sheepishly.
"It was like a fake relationship."
What?
"Meeting Serena was before I fell for Flora."
Here's what happened with Theo.
Since I've been vigorously reforming the Empire lately, he wanted to help.
To do that, he needed an excuse to disband the support base that had formed around him as the victim of my "tyranny."
"So I pretended to be obsessed with women."
Prince Theodor is just like that womanizing Emperor!
Something like that image.
So he asked his friend Serena for help.
And by flaunting lavish gifts—even dipping into the imperial budget—he'd steadily built that reputation.
A lot of his support base had already peeled away.
"It was a method that wouldn't have worked before. Seems your reputation among the nobles has improved a lot, Brother."
Yeah.
I knew that.
In the original, even if you went crazy for women and showered Serena with imperial heirlooms, your support dwarfed Khalid's.
But still.
I was planning to hand you the throne anyway.
My clueless brother's troll move made my vision blur for a second.
"Serena."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
Serena's shoulders trembled.
"What possessed you to join this foolish scheme?"
"W-Well, Theo said it would definitely help the Empire."
Lies.
My instincts told me it wasn't the truth.
Elisabeth, listening in, furrowed her brow too.
Still.
I couldn't call her out here, so I'd let it slide.
On the surface, that was probably why Serena helped Theo.
"...So what about the woman you like?"
"With Flora..."
Theo hesitated.
Then Serena looked up.
"Your Majesty. Truth is, Theo's never even properly talked to Flora!"
"Wh-What, Serena?!"
Aha.
I see.
I realized it instinctively.
So Theo's heroine isn't Serena—it's this Flora girl I've never even heard of.
And he hasn't even started pursuing her?
"You're the culprit."
"C-Culprit? Wait, what do you mean—Guhk."
My fist lightly bonked Theo's head.
The fragile Theo clutched his head, trembling.
"At least I've found one precarious loose end."
My intuition was screaming it.
Yeah.
It doesn't have to be mutual.
What matters are the protagonists' feelings—not that they have to reciprocate.
Got it.
Why didn't you just say so from the start, Hecate?
This world is a visual novel, but it's reality too.
I felt a bit better.
"I get the situation. Stop the idiot antics now. Understood? What are you doing when you have a girl you like?"
"Y-Yes."
Serena answered.
"Hmph."
"......"
For some reason, the women's gazes toward me stung pretty bad.
"Um, Your Majesty. Can I ask one thing?"
Pretty rude attitude.
But heroines gonna heroine.
I nodded magnanimously.
"Go ahead."
"Do you plan to visit the Academy often from now on?"
A somewhat innocently perplexing question.
Me, to the Academy?
I wouldn't unless it was absolutely necessary.
Wait.
Even if I'd sorted Theo's issue, I still needed to handle Serena.
She was the key, after all.
So maybe I should drop by the Academy occasionally.
As I pondered...
Elisabeth sidled up close and whispered.
"Your Majesty, you're busy with work—tell her there's no time for Academy visits and decline."
Why are you so venomous?
"I might drop by occasionally."
"What for?"
As Elisabeth and I bickered quietly...
"Ah, Your Majesty. Wait, big problem."
Lily grabbed me with a serious face.
"In Philemon Margrave territory, which you've taken direct control of..."
"What?"
"They found a gold mine...?"
?
Why does that come up here?
"...Brother, just how far ahead were you planning?"
Fuck.
That's not it.