Episode 18

As expected, I’ve already raised Luminous’ affection level. The reason her affection is so high might be because she feels some sort of gratitude toward me, given how strongly she clings to the Union.

This is a serious situation.

“I’m only looking after Seraph because… I just want to satisfy my own ego.”

Seraph and Luminous are often referred to as rival angels and demons. But as far as their character design goes, Seraph is made to be the superior one.

This is intentional, to strain the relationship between Luminous and Seraph.

Seraph is always ahead, leaving Luminous in second place, causing her to grow more distorted over time.

The developers are cruel, aren’t they…!

By having Luminous do things Seraph struggles with, they let her feel a brief sense of superiority.

…Well, in the main game, this inferiority complex gets resolved as Luminous develops her relationship with the protagonist and becomes his number one.

Incidentally, if you want to see Luminous’ bad ending, you can trigger it by entering a romantic relationship with Seraph. That’ll lead to Luminous’ “yandere” end.

This whole idea came about because Nomura kept insisting, “Seeing a cheerful, lively girl mentally break down and carry hidden burdens is my lifeblood…!”

I was the one who greenlit the idea, though.

I mean… come on, there’s this thing, right? The syndrome where you just *have* to see all the bad endings? Even though you know it’ll turn out awful, you still end up collecting every single one. It’s that kind of vibe.

Of course, I believe those stories work because there are happy endings too. So I’ve instructed that they can write any bad ending they like as long as we have satisfying, happy endings for all characters.

“…Is that really true?”

“…It is. That’s why I’m not being kind or anything.”

Luminous’ previously cheerful expression faded, and now she looked completely dejected.

…In the game, this is where the protagonist would comfort her.

Unlike the game, though, I could just say, “I see,” and end the conversation right here if I wanted to.

After all, it’s not my job to heal Luminous’ heart—that’s the protagonist’s role.

B-but still.

Seeing Luminous looking so down, there’s no way I could do something that heartless…!

Ahh, I just want to cheer her up and see her smiling like usual…!

“I always thought you were kind, Luminous.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Back during the fight with the Kyōjū, didn’t you help me out? Even though the situation was pretty bad, you kept a bright attitude… I was really saved by that. You didn’t even hesitate when we formed the contract, did you?”

“…I wasn’t really thinking. Maybe there was a better way to handle things.”

“In the end, everyone made it out safely. Why don’t we focus on the results? Sure, there might be things you feel you lack, but I have my own shortcomings too. We’ve got a contract now, so let’s help each other from here on out.”

Luminous lifted her head, surprised. She then gave a small, shy smile.

“…Geez. I said something really pathetic, huh? Sorry about that.”

“Nah… everyone feels like venting sometimes. From now on, as members of the Union… if anything’s bothering you, just talk to me.”

“…Hmph. You sure about that? I might end up relying on you a whole lot.”

“…Take it easy on me.”

“Well then, I’ll count on you next time something comes up.”

Luminous laughed, shrugging her shoulders lightly as if to hide her embarrassment.

Well, I managed to cheer her up for now… but damn it!

Even though I’m trying not to raise her affection level, I ended up doing it again.

But when I see Seraph and Luminous looking sad, I just can’t leave them like that.

Damn it, if only they didn’t make those faces around me, I wouldn’t have to worry about it…!

Anyway… moving forward, my goal will be to keep their affection levels steady at a certain point.

After all, Seraph and Luminous’ main objective is to raise the Union’s public image.

However, besides that goal, I’m setting one more for myself. 

I need to adjust Seraph and Luminous’ affection levels to a certain point, and somehow get everything back to normal before the main game starts! 

My ultimate objective is to restore my relationship with Seraph and Luminous to the state it was in before the game begins. Then, I’ll slip back into my role as a background character and enjoy watching the game’s characters and their fun, exciting interactions as just another NPC…!

—

Finally, today is the entrance ceremony for Soulwing Academy. 

The First Soulwing Academy, where I’ll be attending from now on, is the “holy ground” of this game world. 

The location I’ve visited countless times in the game actually exists here, and now I get to step foot into it myself. 

There’s no greater joy for an otaku like me! 

The entrance, the hallways, the classrooms of that academy… I can see them with my own eyes and walk through them in real life. It’s not just something I’m seeing through a screen anymore, it’s real. 

There’s a term for this: a “pilgrimage to sacred sites.” But who would’ve thought I’d end up living in one of those “sacred sites”…!

The excitement I felt made it impossible to contain my pounding heart. 

That must be why.

Even though it was still early in the morning, I was already wide awake. 

Checking my phone, I saw it was 5 a.m. 

…Yup, super early. But, well, that’s fine.

I stretched lightly and stood up from my bed, quickly changing into my tracksuit. 

From the day I realized I’d reincarnated into this world, I made morning training a daily routine. 

All of it was to get into Soulwing Academy. 

The entrance exam for Soulwing Academy requires a certain amount of magical power. As long as you meet that threshold, you’re eligible for admission. 

When I first reincarnated, my magical power was pitifully low. But thanks to using my game knowledge and training every day, it’s increased significantly.

That game knowledge wasn’t anything too special. 

In the game, there’s a section where you do basic training every morning and night. Depending on how well you train, you can strengthen your base stats. 

After changing into my tracksuit, I put on a magic-enhancing bracelet, an item that boosts the effects of basic training, and left my room.

Original Author’s Comment:

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