What Do I Do If It's Not in the Original? (1)
In the world of Esdinas of the Blue Sky—that is, the original game's setting—various nations dotted the landscape. Though it was one massive continent, its size rivaled Europe or Africa, so a multitude of countries divided and ruled its vast territories. Among them, four demanded the most attention: the Empire, the Kingdom, the Papal State, and the Alliance. There were two reasons for that. First, many of my comrades hailed from those places. Second, the early founders of the academy—the revered Four Saints—had emerged from these very nations.
Take the Empire, for instance. The emperor at the time had personally abdicated his throne, performing the ultimate act of self-sacrifice to seal the gateway to the demon realm for the sake of the continent. Question: Was that empire called the "Ershi Empire"? No.
"You're talking about the princess of the [Amerkia] Empire, not the Ershi Empire?"
"Yes, exactly."
Ludbekia Marchioness answered my question with utter calm.
"It couldn't be helped. Amerkia does have a crown prince of academy entrance age this year... but he refused to enroll."
"......"
It sounded like complete nonsense, delivered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. But from her perspective, it might actually make perfect sense.
-Hey, we know the original story, right? Ershi Empire.
-What if something completely new, not from the original, shows up? How do we handle it?
Asking "Where's that?" would be rude or just plain baffling—there are things so ingrained as "common knowledge" in this world.
"Does Phoenix prefer someone from the Amerkia Empire?"
Ludbekia Marchioness's eyes sparkled as she asked.
"No, I don't favor any particular nation. I just figured an empire might fabricate a fictional princess for special admission."
"Hmm, fair point. But they didn't. Probably out of shame over the crown prince's cowardice."
She sneered, curling her lip.
"He's not foolish enough to invite more suspicion, yet he's too scared to come to the academy."
"Hmm..."
"The crown prince is a man, after all—and of imperial blood. Descended from the Dragon Emperor through the generations."
Dragon Emperor. One of the Four Saints, rumored to be a half-dragon.
"With dragon blood in their veins, even after centuries, their mana retains its primal essence. Even without mana drain, plenty of women would target a successor of the Dragon Emperor..."
"He's just a coward who quit on his own."
Instructor Esta shook her head.
"Not just the crown prince—all the young men around eighteen did the same. The Sword Duke's grandson, the heir to the Blue Tower... all refused admission. Even special enrollment."
"......"
Every word from Esta brought memories flooding back. Esdinas of the Blue Sky. Built on a visual novel game, but oddly enough, you could recruit male side characters as comrades.
[Sausage Pepper Party!!!]
...Among the achievements was one for clearing the final battle with an all-male party alongside the protagonist.
That made Esdinas of the Blue Sky—a male-oriented visual novel RPG—appeal to only a tiny fraction of female players drawn to the male characters. They didn't openly reveal themselves as women in communities, but on platforms like Bluebird X or anonymous forums, they churned out all sorts of fan content featuring the guys.
The unique thing? The fandoms never really clashed.
I'd unlocked achievements I never knew about thanks to tips like that, but the male characters' tastes really diverged. Still, as "sub-allies," they were undeniably useful. A step below the angel candidates, sure, but exceptional talents nonetheless.
And now? None of them were here. Except those who'd already enrolled.
'Even among the enrollees, there are probably more originals than canon.'
The mana drain incident. It had rippled out far more than I'd imagined.
Especially...
"So the Ershi Empire has no crown prince? I'd bet they have at least one hidden away."
"Oh my. That would cause a total uproar, right? Isn't that so, Instructor Esta?"
"...The di Ershi Emperor is a unicorn rider too, Phoenix. The current princess is the niece she adopted while founding the empire."
"Hmm."
Empire "founded." I quickly rifled through Regiph's memories.
'There was no Ershi Empire back then.'
di Ershi. Di Ershi.
".......?"
Wait a second. No way?
"......I see. Got it. So where is Her Highness, the princess of this new empire?"
I probed casually, slipping in "new" naturally while suppressing the surging mana from their reactions.
"She should arrive soon. She's taking the train herself..."
No odd reactions. Meaning it truly was a newborn empire.
'An empire popped up in just ten years?'
I could dismiss it as absurd, but considering the faint malice radiating from the name [di Ershi], who knows.
Clearing the original 100% doesn't mean I know everything about this world.
They say rivers and mountains change in a decade—this world can too. And it might not perfectly match the original I knew anyway.
In other words...
-Even if unknowns pop up that you don't know about, there's one thing we need to focus on.
-Adapt on the fly.
As a gamer, and drawing from headstorms with Chang Yeom and the demon dukes of hell, the answer was immediate response to the current situation.
"Looks like the train just pulled in while we were talking. Shall we go greet her?"
"Let's do that."
I stood with the two of them, heading to the concourse as a massive train rolled into the southern terminal.
To welcome the wildcard variable: Evangeline, princess of the new empire.
[Meanwhile, Esdinas Academy Old School Building Training Grounds, Shooting Range.]
"The last one is Evangeline, princess of the Ershi Empire."
"...Who's that?"
During archery training with mana-engineered bows, Unia lowered her shot at Rydmila Lionheart's words.
"Have you heard of the Ershi Empire?"
"Uh, um, no?"
"I see. Not surprising. It's only been less than five years since it became an empire."
"......"
Unia blushed slightly, shooting Rydmila a wary glance.
"Miss Unia. I'm saying this with Phoenix away."
Rydmila placed a hand on her chest and bowed her head.
"I know a fair bit of intel. You can relax."
"That."
"You don't need to be so guarded. Protecting you is one of my secret missions."
"...So you're not really a pure classmate after all."
Unia gave a wry smile and bowed her head, but Rydmila just closed her eyes briefly.
"No one isolated from outside info would be unaware of the Ershi Empire. It was the Ershi Kingdom until five years ago, when it crushed three kingdoms in war and unified into an empire."
"......"
"Ten years ago, the massive incident in Hapsderk Monster Zone."
Rydmila raised her bow and spoke slowly.
"An S+ monster died due to some phenomenon, Hapsderk reorganized around the current Ludbekia Marchioness, and the monsters in the zone went berserk."
"Ah, I know that. That's when monsters started climbing toward Esdinas Academy, right?"
"Yes. But some spread elsewhere..."
Pang!
"...Dealing fatal blows to what are now the fallen three kingdoms. And the one who conquered them is the current Ershi Empire."
"So its princess is joining our team."
"Yes. Me, you, Phoenix, and her highness—four of us."
Rydmila spread four fingers with a serious face.
"Assuming no major issues, we'll be teamed up for at least the first semester... no, the full first year."
"A year."
"Yes. Next year, who knows. But the Ershi princess might enter the academy for the most 'ordinary' reason—to find someone."
"Ordinary reason?"
"Yes."
Rydmila fired her arrow, lowered her bow, and lightly patted her abdomen.
"Most girls come to the academy to find husband material, don't they?"
"Uh, th-that... no way, right?"
"...Well, it's one possibility."
Rydmila nodded with an air of reluctant acknowledgment.
"Among this year's enrollees, there probably aren't many 'upstanding' men."
"......"
Unia's face gradually hardened with anxiety and worry.
The concourse doors slid open.
"Hng."
A girl in a frilly pink dress overflowing with ruffles appeared.
"Pleased to meet you. Marchioness Ludbekia. And Instructor White Sword Saint."
She held a matching frilly parasol, her hair an even deeper pink than the dress.
"And you... hehe. The sole male special enrollee?"
"...I greet you, Princess Evangeline."
I looked down at Evangeline, now on our team.
"......"
She stared right back up at me.
"You're tall."
From a very low angle. Her emerald eyes sparkling.
"S-super tall."
"......"
Princess Evangeline was tiny—like a doll. She had the build to qualify for Esdinas Academy, but still, very small. Squishy and puffy. Sugoi and deka—