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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: A Change of Plans
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That evening.
Lellia had spent the entire day being dragged around by her friends, forced to recount stories of 'Leo'.
During the day, they had even made her visit the grave where the real 'Leo' was buried.
After Crown Prince Leo's death, Emperor Raidios had buried his son's body in the finest plot of the imperial cemetery.
Raidios himself, however, had been killed by Perseus, leaving not even a trace of his body behind.
Fortunately, Emperor Perseus had not disturbed Crown Prince Leo's grave.
After visiting the cemetery, they headed to a tavern in the bustling part of town.
A tankard as large as her face was placed in front of Lellia.
“...”
Unlike the hesitant Lellia, the four men gulped down their drinks.
Lellia resented herself for having to lie again, just after being reunited with her friends.
'I dreamed of a touching reunion…'
If she could, she would have grabbed each of them and asked how they'd been, talking all through the night.
While Lellia nibbled on the fruit served as a side dish, the four men discussed their future plans.
They had originally gathered to avenge Leo, but since the one who killed him was already dead, their purpose had become unclear.
"Well, I'll just go back to wandering around as a mercenary, like before."
"Are your eyes really okay?"
"I told you, they're getting better."
Calix shrugged as if it were nothing.
'A lie. His sight is only getting worse.'
Lellia kept her mouth tightly shut and watched their conversation.
"What about you?"
Calix asked, turning to Oscar.
"...I'm going back to my home country."
Oscar replied.
Lellia still couldn't believe that man was Oscar.
'Of course, I knew from the original story, but…'
In the original story, Oscar was a bloodthirsty emperor, practically a psychopath.
But that was due to his tragic past, and since that past had changed, she had assumed he would have grown up to be as bright and innocent as he was when they were children.
She had been mistaken.
"Your home country? Ah, right, you were a crown prince, weren't you?"
Calix chuckled, saying he'd forgotten for a moment.
"Yes, I have things to do back home."
Oscar answered in a low voice.
Lellia swallowed hard.
'Yes… I'm sure he has things to do back home…'
In the original story, Oscar returns to his home country and kills his father, the emperor.
That was probably what he had to do.
“...”
In that moment.
Lellia's eyes met Oscar's.
Unlike the endearing red eyes of his childhood, his gaze was now chillingly intense. Lellia quickly looked away.
When they reunited, she had planned to hug him and ask, 'Have you still been crying from nightmares every night like you used to?'… But if she said that now, she felt she'd be the one having nightmares.
"I also have things to do in my home country."
Griffith said.
According to the original story, Griffith would also return home, sever ties with his family, and head to the neutral zone to become the master of the holy sword.
"Romeo, what about you?"
As Griffith asked, Romeo stroked his chin, seemingly in thought.
"Me…? Hmm. I don't have anything to do."
That was only natural.
'Romeo is unemployed, after all…'
After he gave up the throne, Romeo's parents supported him in whatever he chose to do, allowing him to live freely.
So, of course, he had nothing to do. In the original story, he eventually builds a magic tower and becomes its master, but that was still far in the future.
"You?"
Romeo gestured toward Lellia with his chin.
The eyes of all four men turned to Lellia.
"M-Me?"
Startled, Lellia blinked and glanced at them.
The quest marker [!] still floated above their heads, along with a number that she presumed was their affection level.
However, unlike the [-999] they all had at first, there had been some changes.
Oscar's was not much different at [-700], Griffith's was [-520], Romeo's was [-200], and Calix's was marked with a [?].
'What in the world is the question mark?'
It was then.
[Optimizing for Special UI Mode! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ You can now issue commands without pressing a button! ٩(*˙︶˙*)]
A message window appeared, looking slightly different from the usual speech bubbles.
The text was displayed in a translucent rectangular window, likely because it was in the special UI mode.
'I can issue commands without pressing a button?'
Lellia stared intently at the [?] floating above Calix's head. A message immediately appeared.
[Special Affection can be checked once the value turns positive by using Crystals or completing hidden quests! o(≧∇≦o)]
“...”
Those damn Crystals…
Lellia sighed inwardly and opened her mouth.
"I… have something I need to do…."
"What is it?"
Calix asked. Lellia avoided his gaze for a moment before giving a vague answer.
"There's something I left behind in the imperial palace before I ran away. I have to go get it."
"The imperial palace? How do you plan to get in? I heard you've been missing for a long time."
"...That's... something I'll have to figure out now."
Lellia replied to Romeo's question with a small smile.
She couldn't very well say, 'I'm planning to knock out the guards with a potion I made using alchemy and then sneak in.'
Besides, if her friends found out about her alchemy, they might start suspecting her again.
"You mean you left it in that luxurious building you used to live in?"
"It wasn't... luxurious."
When Lellia tilted her head, Romeo mumbled an explanation.
'So Cedric and Damian fixed the tower.'
With a bitter expression, Lellia said she thought the tower she had lived in had collapsed.
"Fortunately, the thing I'm looking for isn't there."
"Should we go get it for you?"
"...No, I have to go myself."
That cabin was different from the small tower. It would still be there, just as it was back then.
After all, it was a place more precious to Emperor Perseus than anything else.
"Alright, here's the plan."
Calix waved his hand as if things were settled, drawing everyone's attention.
"Okay, Oscar and Griffith, you two go back to your home countries. Romeo, you'll help me and her."
The 'her' Calix pointed to was Lellia. Flustered, Lellia's eyes darted around.
Calix patted a bewildered Lellia on the head and said.
"You said you have to go to the imperial palace, right? Instead of avenging Leo, we'll honor his last wish. Your big brothers will help you."
"...I-I'm fine on my own…."
"Well, sounds good."
Regardless of Lellia's opinion, Romeo agreed and sealed the decision.
"Then I'll stop by again after I go home."
Griffith said. Oscar, on the other hand, just glared at Lellia without a word.
“...”
Lellia felt like the world was spinning.
All the plans she had made were falling apart.
Meeting her friends was her most important and ultimate goal. But it was a goal for *after* she had retrieved the holy relic and broken the Geas, not now.
'First… First, I need to calm down.'
Lellia mentally reviewed her plans.
To think that Calix and Romeo would butt into her first and most important plan: infiltrating the imperial palace…
Lellia watched Calix and Romeo, who, oblivious to her inner turmoil, were cheerfully gulping down their drinks.
Griffith watched Lellia's gaze, which held a mix of slight annoyance and exasperation, with keen interest.
