“…………”
“What’s wrong? …Oh, it’s okay if I go alone, you know? I’ve been there many times already.”
Millie, seeing me suddenly fall silent, is trying to explain herself, looking a bit flustered, but I’m not worried about her going alone. Rather, it would be strange to not be alone in a Plains with just a red orb floating around.
“Wasn’t it better for Millie to go with them? With those guys.”
“Me? Hmm, I was invited, but… I thought it might be a waste to quit the academy I just entered.”
…The reason is lighter than I thought. This isn’t a case of not going because there was a reason not to go, but a pattern of not going because there was no reason to go.
“I see…”
“Eh, maybe, would it have been better if I went too? You know, because of the Oracle.”
“No, I knew Haruto, right? I knew he would be going on a journey soon, but I didn’t know who would go with him… I just assumed all four of them would go.”
I didn’t want to blame Millie too much, so I was vague, but of course, it would have been better if she had gone with them.
However, as a matter of course, the possibility that this is the original story flow has not been eliminated yet.
First, the most likely scenario is that Millie joins later. In June, she seemed to be a cut above the rest of the party, and it’s not impossible that she’ll rejoin the party after returning once.
And the next most likely scenario is that it’s strange that Millie is here in the first place. If she was originally supposed to die or be kidnapped when they were surrounded, then the three of them leaving would be according to the original story. In this case, the possibility of death is low, but kidnapping is still a likely scenario. The protagonist setting out on an adventure to save the kidnapped heroine is a royal road scenario. However, this time she’s living peacefully here, so I have no idea why or where she went.
“But in the first place, where did those guys go and what did they go to do?”
The easiest way to find out what you don’t know is to ask someone who knows.
“They said they’re going to save the world or something…”
“The world?”
Just when I thought she was suddenly going to say something, it seems that the Basement was the room of the founder of this academy, Master Desroah, and they set out on a journey guided by something like his lingering thoughts. Haruto, who opened that door, apparently has the blood of the Legendary Hero who once saved the world or something.
“Hoh, I didn’t know he was such an amazing guy.”
Even though I’m saying “hoh,” of course, this is within the scope of my expectations. As expected, the protagonist is different from the start in terms of bloodline, which is a staple.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? And it was just like the Oracle said.”
“Ah, what was it? Something about saving some kind of crisis, right?”
“Why is Geld-kun so vague…?”
However, as things stand, I don’t understand why Millie is staying at the academy. You’d think she’d say something like, “If it’s about saving the world, I’ll do my best too.”
However, it’s possible that she was daunted by the scale of it. Even if you say “the world,” it’s hard to get a sense of it, and Millie was almost killed by a group of Monsters the other day. Coupled with her low self-esteem, she may have even thought that she would be a burden.
“Well, I shouldn’t keep you too long. See you later.”
“Ah, u, um…”
When I noticed, the group that was around us had disappeared. She said she was going alone, so it seems they weren’t companions to travel with. It seems they were just a mysterious group that gathered only at the time of departure.
And if I’m not mistaken, Millie seems to be reluctant to part ways, or rather, she seems lonely. If I offered to go with her here, wouldn’t my day off turn into a day of hiking with Millie?
I want to go right away, but I stop myself at the last minute. I quietly look up at the sky and see that it’s clear again today. It’s still early in the morning, so you could barely say it’s refreshing and good weather, but when it becomes daytime, it turns into hellish weather with scorching sunlight. No matter how much it’s just Millie and me, I should probably stop this―――
“Ah, um, Geld-kun.”
“Hmm?”
“What are you going to do today, Geld-kun?”
“I’m going to… explore the Town in the morning to broaden my horizons, and then spend the afternoon contemplating in my room.”
“Broaden your horizons… contemplate…? Huh? Does that mean you’re not doing anything?”
I had a bad feeling and tried to gloss over it, but unfortunately, I couldn’t fool her. She found out I was free.
“Well, people have different ways of feeling about that. But as a future ruler, I must observe the lives of the people―――”
“Th, then. Um… Ah, never mind. Sorry, it’s nothing!”
What is this? Did she try to invite me, but hesitated because I didn’t seem interested? If so, how adorable, how ephemeral, how lovely… I can’t leave a girl like this alone. If this were Claire, I’d think she was doing it on purpose, but I don’t feel that at all from Millie. As expected of an unconscious Succubus.
“Ah… that’s right, if you’d like, can I go with you? I’m free anyway.”
“Eh!? U, um! Okay, let’s go together!”
Millie smiles as if flowers have bloomed at my words. I’m glad I decided to go if it makes her this happy. When I think about it, it’s still too early for gelato anyway, and I’ve already covered this area on my walks and I’m getting bored.
Still, is there any reason for her to be so happy to be with someone like me? She’s now heading out of Town with a cheerful, bouncy gait… Her Affection for me has increased quite a bit without me knowing.
“…………Affection?”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“No? I just thought you looked happy.”
“Eh, do I? …But, yeah. Maybe I am happy.”
Of course, she is. Anyone can see that she looks happy. Of course, it’s not because I’m with her, but just because it’s more fun to be with someone than to keep walking alone… But still, Affection.
I wonder what Millie’s Affection for the protagonist is like. As far as I know, she has always insisted that they are just childhood friends, and there was no lie in that. In other words, it’s not particularly high.
And I… have definitely eliminated one opportunity for Geld to increase Millie’s Affection for the protagonist.
The incident where Geld kidnaps Millie in the original story. Of course, something dangerous must have been approaching Millie, and if he had appeared dashingly and rescued her… Even if it wasn’t a simple development where she fell in love with him at first sight, it’s natural that she would have some Affection or gratitude.
I’ve turned that into a mere farce.
Furthermore, there was the Monster attack a few days later. It seems that the Monsters were clearly targeting Millie, and a similar situation may have occurred in the original story. If that’s the case, then of course the one who would appear dashingly and rescue her would be none other than the protagonist of the story. This time, I don’t know where I went wrong, but there was no sign of him appearing… It’s the right form for the story that the protagonist appears there instead of me.
As for the latter, it’s unclear whether that situation will occur in the original story in the first place, but if it does exist… Millie’s feelings for the protagonist may be quite different from the original story.
“And you know, I learned a new magic when I defeated a Monster the other day. Look, this.”
“Oh, ice. That’s good.”
“Right? That’s why I’m doing my best. Tell me if you get hot too, Geld-kun?”
I can tell by talking to her. Or rather, I just noticed now. Her tone of voice, her expression, her sense of distance, everything is different from when we first met. I can safely say that she has quite a bit of Affection for me.
If this were all added to the protagonist as is… wouldn’t she have gone on the journey?
If that’s the case, then this playthrough is already a failure.