Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The Protagonist is Crazy...
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Love—what is it?
A deep affection and positive emotion toward a specific person?
A sacrifice where you willingly give up your own happiness for theirs?
An understanding that responds positively to the other's personality and values?
Or maybe it's just hormonal reactions driven by sexual attraction.
Love comes in so many forms that I personally think they're all valid.
'But you lot can't go around doing that.'
These guys are heretics who've infiltrated the academy—vermin plotting all sorts of terrorist acts.
Guys who don't even give others a chance at love, talking about love themselves... Isn't that too extravagant for heretics?
"That's right... this is a romance fantasy world! Drift into NTR wreckage and get all broken down, you trash!!"
[That guy's insane...]
"Get dominated by those brain-melting hormones, you fools!"
-Hahahahaha!
"If this world runs on love... then I'll play along with the farce, world!"
Lumie floated down from above my head with a look of utter disgust, putting some distance between us.
Monitoring while eavesdropping—how perfect is that?
The reason it turned out like this was because all the young actors had studied romance acting...
Anyway! Applause for our agents who perfectly marked their targets!
As I nodded in satisfaction, Lumie flew back to me and whispered in my ear.
[Master, it's about time.]
"Oh, already? Well... it's the entrance ceremony, after all..."
I dispelled the transparent magic enveloping me and walked along a quiet path.
As I strolled down the peaceful road, random thoughts bubbled up.
[Liam... we can find her, right?]
[I've played the game too, Jenia. You think I wouldn't recognize her?]
[Yeah... someone that pretty would be hard to miss...]
[Pretty? Is she that level...? He's handsome, sure...]
[Huh?]
[What?]
I shook off the fleeting memory from the past.
For the entrance ceremony event—the first meeting between the protagonist and the Crown Prince.
Today was the day the protagonist's existence (or lack thereof) would finally be revealed.
I hadn't seen them at the entrance ceremony before, and if they didn't show up at the original spot, it meant they either didn't exist or were avoiding me.
If they didn't exist, that would reduce one headache, even if it made me worry about the original story.
To uncover the truth, I headed to the back of the academy.
The protagonist's first meeting with the Crown Prince takes place on the walking path behind the academy.
There, you help the protagonist who's gotten into a scuffle with some thugs, and the favorability gauge activates.
But no worries— no matter what choice you pick, the favorability shoots up!
"Heh heh, I'll definitely turn her into an ally and corrupt her with money... No need to hunt bounties, no need to work as an adventurer every vacation, no need to seek fortuitous encounters amid overflowing heretics! That's right, make her lazy! Let her enjoy a normal, fun school life, graduate safely, then leverage her talents for a direct job in the capital..."
[...Huh? That actually sounds pretty good...]
The game is called Rebel of the Academy after all. As the Crown Prince, as long as there's no rebellion...
'Is it a girl or a guy? Not too late, right? Should I teleport? No... let's go naturally...'
Carrying a bundle of worries, I walked toward the protagonist—and before I knew it, I had arrived.
This spot where the meeting with the Crown Prince begins is the walking path behind the academy.
It's where the lost protagonist picks a fight with some passing thugs.
Well... it's a classic cliché, but knowing it makes it all the more thrilling.
I followed the path, and there she was—the protagonist...
She was there! Surrounded by thugs, no less.
But it was a bit different from what I'd imagined...
-How dare a commoner like you!
Amid the thugs spouting their clichéd lines, the protagonist—with long black hair tied in a ponytail and emotionless blue eyes—sat on a bench, arms crossed, leg over knee, completely ignoring them.
-You cheeky bitch! We were gonna play nice since you're kinda hot!
But the thugs were thugs—they soon leered at her chest, reaching out to grab her arm...
'Time to intervene.'
The protagonist grimaced, summoned a magic circle on her fist in an instant, and smashed the thug's temple at invisible speed.
[Whoa.]
'Huh?'
Where was the slowly growing protagonist? My brain froze seeing her land a clean, high-level technique hit.
'Wha... what do I do now... sh... should I clap as I approach?'
-Tch!
She clicked her tongue at the thugs collapsing with blood spurting from their heads, then sprinkled potions from her subspace.
-Splish splash!
After stopping the bleeding, she kicked one of the downed thugs toward the woods—and our eyes met exactly then.
As our gazes locked, her cold blue eyes melted warmly, color rushing to her face.
She fidgeted her fingers behind her back, accentuating her curves even more.
Her soft lips parted...
"You saw?"
"...Yeah."
"Hee hee! Guess you did! Whatever!"
I had no idea what didn't matter, but she casually stepped on the thugs' torsos she'd been dragging and sauntered over to me.
"Um... miss...? No... lady?"
I was confused... I'd vaguely prepared for how a protagonist who knew the future might act...
She ignored my backpedaling and closed in.
"Hmm... I'm hurt, Liam... Call me Leah, okay?"
Her face flushed deeper, breath quickening.
A fresh scent brushed my nose as the excited heat radiating from her enveloped me.
"Haa... I missed you so much, baby..."
She hugged my frozen form, inhaling deeply.
"Haa... I love you... I love you... I thought I'd go crazy missing you..."
[Crazy...]
The protagonist I'd been searching for was insane.
"Haaa... for this day..."
I barely clung to my wits, prying the protagonist off me.
"Huh?"
She tilted her head as if she genuinely had no clue.
Her eyes were completely unhinged, so I quickly blurted out,
"L-Lady, this is the first time I've seen you, and this situation is extremely confusing. Also, I already have two people I've promised my future to."
This was true. I'd only seen the protagonist in the character select screen or when equipping gear—first time in reality.
And the Crown Prince she knew was probably someone else...
Oblivious to my turmoil, she beamed.
"Huh? Oh~ I did my homework. You can't hide from me, baby. You act like you know the future, and your habits are exactly the same... Hee hee, so cute..."
"I know about your fiancées too! One's someone you couldn't see in your past life, right? Whatever... it's fine! You'll love me anyway."
...In the protagonist's mind, I was already someone who knew the future.
"Lady, I don't love you. This rudeness..."
"You say that even after pounding away every night? Even when you tormented me while I cried and begged... Hehe... but it's okay! You love me!"
For a split second, her eyes turned dangerous at "don't love," but they snapped back.
[Master... they're all crazy...]
'She's a crazy bitch...'
Dialogue wasn't getting through.
As I pondered what to do...
"Sigh... My husband's too amazing, that's the problem... I looked away for a second, and... But I was late, so I'll put up with it!"
I guess I had to tell her the truth.
If this crazy girl was coming at me with sincerity, I'd meet her with the truth.
"Sigh... Lady, the Crown Prince you knew and I are actually different people... In fact, I'm..."
She smacked her lips in confusion, then brightened up.
"Ah! That was the issue! I know!"
"Don't interrupt. I'm..."
"Jaehwan."
In an instant, I sealed off the surrounding space and summoned countless spears of light aimed at her throat.
"How... do you know that."
Even with spears at her neck, she didn't care, grinning brightly.
"Hehe... Were you worried about that, my Jaehwan~? After all our time together, you think I don't know what's inside you?"
My name—known only to me—slipped from her lips.
My past life, now overcome with this new one.
A past I didn't flaunt because it wasn't pretty.
"My Jaehwan all thorny and bristly is cute too..."
"Losing your memories is a shame, but it's fine... I know everything you like and hate."
"Hee hee, Jaehwan... mind clearing these away? Can't hug you like this..."
Blood trickled from the scratches on her neck, but her sticky gaze held me as she stepped closer.
"You're always like this? Getting swayed left and right because your heart's too soft..."
One push and they'd pierce easily, yet she took another step, confident in something.
"That pathetic imperial family's secret still unsolved, huh? Well..."
The spears yielded helplessly to her advance.
"Haa... I wanna see our baby soon... Ah... thinking about it makes me sad..."
Now right in front of me, she looked up.
"But... this life will be different, right?"
Her expression darkened for a moment, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Eh? Oh~ sorry sorry. You hate seeing me cry, right? It's been so long, feels weird..."
She hurriedly wiped her tears in embarrassment, then smiled brightly once they were gone.
I agonized over what to say.
Having seen her fragile mind buried between madness and sticky emotions.
"How... many lives have you lived?"
To my quiet question, she shyly hugged me.
"I don't even know anymore... But I knew you'd say that... You always worried like this when the past came up."
Was her once-bright voice muffled because her face was buried in my chest, or from aching sorrow?
"Haa... Good thing I revealed it this time... From next— Ah... no, scratch that!"
She looked up with a slip-of-the-tongue grin, as if flustered.
Hiding her panic behind that smile.
Her worn, fraying spirit peeked through the grin.
Noticing my gaze, she buried herself deeper in my arms.
"I love you... no matter how many lives... no matter how many deaths..."
Her hands around my back trembled.
So many questions burned inside, but for this moment, I held them back.
I'm confused too...