Chapter 2: I Tried Saving the Main Heroine with the Power of Gold
As I stepped into the town square, a lively clamor assailed my ears. The boisterous voices of street vendors, the laughter of children, the sound of a flute played by a street performer.
All of it made me feel that this world was truly “alive.”
“So this is… the stage of the game, huh?”
The townscape was far more vivid and real than what I had seen through the screen. The intricate patterns of the cobblestones, the colorful fruits lined up at the stalls, and the expressions of the people coming and going on the streets.
All of it was beautiful, and at the same time, held an underlying harshness.
With my Maid, Faina, in tow, I disembarked from the carriage, trying not to stand out.
If I were to walk through the town looking like a noble, it was obvious I’d attract unnecessary attention. For now, I decided to put on a simple cloak to hide my status.
“Lord Serios, are you truly looking for something here?”
“That’s right. There’s something I need to do here.”
Faina seemed more bewildered by the squalor of the lower town.
However, according to my game knowledge, Liese should be living in poverty in this town with her mother. Her mother is suffering from a serious illness, and unable to afford expensive Medicine, she will die.
The cause of this is that Serios, in order to indulge in every luxury, heavily taxed the Aegrid Territory, driving them into poverty.
Because of that, Liese dedicates herself to her studies, enters the academy as a scholarship student, falls in love with a powerful noble, and destroys the political regime of villainous nobles like Serios.
This is what fuels her determination. This place should be the starting point of her story.
But, things are different now. As this “Serios von Aegrid,” I can prevent her tragedy and change the future.
Suddenly, I stopped at the sound of an argument coming from a narrow alleyway.
“Please! Just a little bit is fine! Won’t you lend me some money? My mother, my mother is going to die!”
The girl’s desperate voice echoed. But in this impoverished lower town, no one would help her.
Rather, they themselves were in a difficult situation, struggling to survive due to the heavy taxes.
Looking deeper into the alley, I saw a girl in dirty clothes, pleading with a merchant. Her appearance matched the Liese in my memories.
The her I saw through the game screen was a noble, dignified heroine. But the girl before me now was emaciated, her shoulders trembling, tears welling in her eyes.
“Give it a rest! You think I can sell Medicine to someone with no money?! This is a business, not a charity!”
The merchant raised his irritated voice and pushed her away. The girl stumbled, but tried to reach out again, her hand grasping at empty air.
“Please… at least…”
It was unbearable to watch.
“Wait.”
As I spoke in a low voice to stop them, both the merchant and the girl turned towards me. I stepped into the alley, positioning myself in front of the girl as if to shield her.
“Sell this child the Medicine. How much is it?”
“H-Huh? Who the hell are you?”
“I’m asking for the price.”
When I said it with a quiet, intimidating air, the merchant hurriedly straightened his posture. From my appearance and demeanor, he must have sensed I wasn’t just some passerby.
“Th-That’ll be… ten Gold Coins. We’re paying taxes too, you know! I can’t lower it by a single copper!”
Ten Gold Coins was an amount a commoner could never afford. For me now, it was a trivial sum. I took out the Gold Coins from my purse and casually handed them over.
“This should be enough. Keep the change.”
The merchant looked astonished and hurriedly offered the Medicine. I took it and handed it to the girl, Liese.
“Here, this should do it.”
“…Eh?”
Liese dazedly accepted the Medicine. Her hands were trembling, and tears welled in her eyes.
“Why… something like this…”
“I bought it because it was necessary. That’s all.”
I answered curtly and offered her a hand to help her stand. Though hesitant, she clung to my hand and got to her feet.
“Th-Thank you… truly…”
Her voice trembled, but it clearly held relief and gratitude.
On the way to escort her home, I remained silent. I still didn’t know how to interact with her. To her, this might just seem like a strange act of charity.
However, when we arrived at her house and she gave the Medicine to her mother, who was suffering in her sickbed, seeing the tears of gratitude in Liese’s eyes brought me a little satisfaction.
“Why… why would you help people like us?”
To her question, I gave a short answer.
“…It was a whim.”
I couldn’t tell her the real reason. But this was fine. At least I was able to save her mother’s life.
“Um!”
“What is it?”
“I’ll do anything! What can I do to repay you for saving my mother?!”
She was tattered and by no means beautiful. But in the future, as the main heroine, she would come to be called the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.
“Then, I’ll buy everything you are with my gold.”
“!!!”
“You wouldn’t like that, would you? Then, you don’t need to worry about such things.”
“No! Please, I accept!”
“Eh?”
Liese bowed her head deeply.
“Please tell me your name, anata-sama. Even though you look about my age, you appeared so gallantly and saved my mother. I want to repay that kindness!”
Whoa, whoa, isn’t she being a bit too quick to offer herself up? Sure, the value of a life might be low in this world, but isn’t she selling herself too cheaply for her mother’s sake?
“Seriously?”
“Yes! I’m serious!”
Yeah. Despite her tattered body, why is the power in her eyes so strong? Is this the power of a main heroine?!
“Faina.”
“Yes!”
“We’re taking this mother and daughter back with us.”
“Are you sure, my lord?”
“She’s a commoner I picked up. No objections, right?”
When I glared at her, the Maid, for some reason, started trembling violently.
“Everything is as you wish, Lord Serios!”
“Good. Hey, Liese, was it? I’m Serios. Remember that. And now, I’m taking you and your mother back to my home. If I leave you as you are, no matter how much Medicine she takes, your mother will die.”
“Ah.”
It seems she thought the Medicine alone would save her. But that’s naive. Left like this, she’ll definitely die from malnutrition.
I went to the trouble of saving Liese with gold, so it would be meaningless if her mother died.