Chapter 007: Just Leave It to Me, Developer
Finally stopping her tears, Lethe blew her nose loudly into a handkerchief.
“Edan. I’ve memorized all the choices and the entire story. Do I really need hints or gold?”
Looking at her dejected face, Edan replied indifferently.
“In this world, gold can be used to purchase Special Encounter Tickets and outfits.”
“There are Special Encounter Tickets?”
Lethe tilted her head. Such items hadn’t existed in the original game. It seemed the system didn’t operate in a completely identical fashion.
“The two hours provided by an Encounter Ticket allow for a meeting outside the fixed trajectory of the plot, free from system intervention.”
“That’s possible?”
“It is. It grants a degree of freedom to the speech and actions of the capture targets, not just the player.”
Lethe’s eyes widened, her blue pupils trembling. Edan didn’t recognize that specific look or the emotion behind it; such things weren’t embedded in his settings.
“Edan! Then, if I learn swordsmanship through quests… can I stop Cedric from getting hurt in Chapter Seven?”
Lethe sprang up, her voice thick with excitement.
Out of the fifteen chapters, the seventh was the most painful for her to play. It was the scene where Cedric saves Lethe just as she is about to die at the hands of those trying to ruin a royal event. While the event significantly boosts Cedric’s affection level in the game, it also means he gets gravely injured and emotionally shaken.
“No main leads die here—unless they are villains. You should know that, Lady Lethe.”
“I know. But I don’t want to see him get hurt. Can I prevent it?”
She asked desperately, but the answer wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“It is a fixed story point, so it is difficult to change. Unless, of course, you pay a price equivalent to altering the narrative.”
“A price?”
It wasn’t entirely impossible, then. Lethe stared at Edan with a glimmer of hope until he pointed toward a corner of the empty air.
“Don’t you have it? The thing most precious to humans.”
Lethe followed his finger. He was pointing at her status screen. Specifically, at the values displayed at the bottom.
Life: 10/10
Mental Strength: 80/100
“…Life?”
“It is a life within the game, so do not worry. However, if all ten lives are exhausted, a Dead Ending is confirmed, and you must restart the play from the very beginning.”
“Can I really stop Cedric’s injury with just one of these lives?”
“You speak as if it is nothing, but lives cannot be purchased with currency.”
“It’s fine. I only want Cedric to be happy in the world where I am the player.”
“……How strange. Isn’t a game a place to indulge one’s own desires?”
“I guess my desire is Cedric’s happiness. Thanks for telling me, Edan. Now, shall I go make some money?”
“Have you decided?”
“I have.”
Lethe skillfully opened the quest window and pressed a button. Edan’s eyebrows twitched as if her choice was unexpected.
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.”
[System] You have selected the ‘Martial Arts Training’ quest.
[System] Moving to the ‘Training Ground.’
There was only one reason. In Cedric’s settings, his ‘ideal type’ included someone strong.
Recognizing her intent, Edan shook his head.
“It is the same word, yet the meaning changes so drastically.”
Following Edan’s cryptic murmur, Lethe’s vision turned white. When she opened her eyes again, she saw—
“…Lethe?”
It was Cedric. And it was the base custom version of Cedric.
“Hic!”
Lethe quickly covered her eyes with both hands, desperately clutching the fraying threads of her sanity. Cedric appeared to have been practicing his swordsmanship; his hair and clothes were uncharacteristically disheveled, and sweat was dripping from his brow.
When I sweat, it’s damp. When my bias sweats, it’s dewy.
“Forgive me. I have shown you an unseemly sight.”
Cedric hurriedly covered his bare torso with a towel, his earlobes flushing a shy pink.
“I—I’m fine, except for my heart.”
Lethe instinctively touched her philtrum. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like she had a nosebleed. After a dizzying moment, she finally managed to regain her senses and look around. She had moved for a quest, but she couldn’t understand why a half-naked Cedric was here. Then, a flag caught her eye.
“Oh?”
It was a black flag embroidered with a magnificent golden hawk. That was the symbol of the Duchy of Edwin. While Lethe’s gaze was fixed on the flag, Cedric approached, now wearing a shirt.
“Lethe. I apologize. No women ever come here, so I committed a discourtesy.”
“Isn’t this a blessing rather than a discourtesy……?”
Lethe spoke as if possessed, her mind elsewhere, before she suddenly froze.
“Pardon?”
“Pardon?”
After a dreadfully awkward silence, Lethe gathered her courage to speak first.
“Well, I heard that noble ladies these days learn swordsmanship or archery for refinement. Haha.”
“Is that so?”
Cedric looked like this was news to him. Of course it was; she was lying. Why on earth did the system drop me at the Edwin training ground instead of the Etoile one? Lethe glared at the empty sky. There weren’t supposed to be capture targets or episodes during quests!
“Anyway, I’ll practice over there so I won’t be in the way. Don’t mind me and continue your training!”
“Wait, Lethe—”
Cedric tried to call her back, but the Edwin Knight Commander approached from a distance. He gave Cedric a slight nod and stopped in front of Lethe.
“My Lady! You’ve come. You mentioned you wanted to learn swordsmanship from me, correct?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes! Haha, I think I might have! Haha!”
‘What is he talking about? I have no memory of this!’
Lethe screamed internally, looking around frantically. Why was she here for a repeatable quest? If it was a training ground, shouldn’t it be the Etoile one?
“There must be people in the Etoile family who could teach you, so I am honored that you asked me.”
“Ahaha.”
Lethe wanted to ask when she had ever made such a request, but she held back. In this setting, she didn’t want to risk sounding insane. Fortunately, the Commander didn’t push for more conversation and got straight to the point.
“I will teach you slowly, starting from the basics today.”
The Commander grinned and handed Lethe a wooden sword. Seeing as it was the perfect size for her, it seemed he had prepared it in advance.
“Thank you. Um, well,”
“Haha. Please call me Fritz.”
Realizing Lethe was struggling with how to address him, Fritz laughed heartily and held out his hand.
“Yes, Fritz. Thank you for being so considerate. You’ve helped me relax.”
Lethe shook his hand without hesitation. Fritz was a loyal figure who stayed by Cedric’s side until the end. As a fan of Cedric, it was natural for Lethe to like him. Above all, since he was a supporting character with his own in-game illustration, his face and voice were familiar.
“Then, let’s go train.”
“I thought you’d start with physical conditioning.”
“Do you know what the most important thing in training is? Interest. It’s interest.”
Despite it being their first meeting, they exchanged conversation as if they had known each other for a long time. Cedric watched them silently, his gaze dropping to their still-joined hands. He felt an obligation to feel a certain emotion, but he couldn’t quite identify what it was.
“How do you like the Edwin training ground? Isn’t it wonderful?”
Fritz asked proudly, gesturing around as they moved to an area prepared for sword practice. It was indeed a facility worthy of a family known for the sword.
“It’s great, but… isn’t this Lord Cedric’s private training ground?”
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s a training ground, yet it’s so neat and clean. There’s no way a place used by thousands would look like this.”
“Aha! My disciple seems to have a very sharp eye.”
At Fritz’s playful remark, Lethe burst into laughter and countered mischievously.
“I will strive to live up to your expectations, Master.”
“Now then, let’s grip the sword.”
Unfortunately, there were no “transmigration perks” to be found; Lethe’s posture as she held the sword was purely that of a beginner. Fritz reached out to correct her shoulders and arms—until a hand suddenly intervened.
“Wait.”
“Lord Cedric?”
The hand blocked the space between them.
“May I be the one to teach her, Lethe?”
Lethe stared at Cedric, slightly flustered. It was strange. His expression and tone were kind and soft, yet his golden eyes were shining so intensely that she felt like she was being targeted by a predator.
“Lord Cedric. Are you angry?”
“Cedric.”
“……?”
“It is not ‘Lord Cedric,’ it is just ‘Cedric,’ Lethe.”
In that moment, a thought occurred to her.
Is this really the Cedric I know?
