Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

Episode 336: If Only (22)

Daniel cleaned up the drinking party with Meister. The only thing I could handle was putting back the chair I brought from the next room, organizing the food, and putting it back in the trolley.

“I asked you to leave it here, right?”

“yes.”

If you leave it this way, the servants will take care of it. At least, that’s what Seongju said when offering the precious liquor.

“…I think it would be a good idea to leave a note.”

“why?”

“You’re sure to have a hard time tomorrow, right?”

Since there is a high chance that you will suffer from a hangover, it would be much better to just leave a note asking you to prepare a meal taking that into account. Although hangover food is not a panacea, it is at least better than nothing.

“hmm…?”

In the process, Daniel discovered three pictures. I found it while looking for a piece of paper or cloth with the intention of leaving a message. One was full of drawings that implied death, one was a portrait of a middle-aged couple with traces of wetness and drying, and one was inked beyond recognition.

“why?”

“no.”

This seems like something he shouldn’t see. Daniel turned the pictures over and put them down before the Meister’s gaze reached them. Anyway, there was more paper than that to write on.

“Let’s go.”

There is no reason it should take a long time to leave a short message. He wrote the sentence in a split second and placed it on the trolley.

“Ah, when are you going to the dorm? “I guess I should have taken it when I said I would be given a room.”

“That’s a bit…”

“Why? “Isn’t that better than being angry and annoying at night?”

Is that… like that? I do not know. Even though he was a Heresy Questioner, unless he was of the rank of captain, he had no business entering the castle where the castle lord resided.

“…Didn’t you first conclude that you would return and receive appropriate confirmation? “Don’t make any moves that deviate from the plan.”

Customers may return at night, so if all orders have been given, will overturning them only irritate Soseongju even more? Daniel mentioned it and Meister accepted it obediently.

As expected, the guards did not stop them as they headed toward the exit, as if they had received word.

“It’s so amazing.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s easy to get permission only for topics related to that guy. “To the extent that they even allow us, who don’t have much power, to come and go at night.”

“…Didn’t you make such a great contribution?”

“Still, I feel like this is a bit excessive…”

Meister frowned and suggested a sense of discomfort, but did not continue his sentence. Like a person who has a guess but is reluctant to say anything because there is no basis for it.

“Maybe I’ll stay in this city a little longer.”

“…?”

However, I didn’t quite understand the words given at the end. Who the heck is going to stay that long? Adventurer?

“Who are you talking about?”

Daniel asked a question, but he did not answer. “Goes.” Just follow the fork in the road and leave in the direction where his accommodation is.

Daniel decided not to bother arresting him and asking him questions.

“…Why are you there?”

However, during external support, when I found someone squatting in front of the camp where temple personnel stayed, I couldn’t help but ask. The person curled up pricked up his ears.

“…old man.”

I would have told you not to call me that. Daniel frowned, but when he saw the expression reflected in the lamp, he just sighed. Even though the adventurer’s treatment was decided to be better than expected, it was pitiful to see him becoming thinner.

And now that even a single piece of the adventurer’s thoughts has been discovered…

“…That’s it. Don’t stay too long. “I’m catching a cold.”

Judging from his expression, he doesn’t seem to have the mental capacity to answer, so is there any point in pressing for an answer? Daniel tried to pass him, stroking his warm neck and cheeks from the aftereffects of a few drinks.

“Hey old man.”

This time, I caught Daniel there.

“why.”

“….”

“If you catch someone, say something.”

However, the words themselves did not flow easily. Even with Daniel’s persistent patience, it was quite a long silence.

“…under.”

In the end, out of the two, he was the one who got lucky first. Even though I drank significantly less than I should have, the alcohol I ended up drinking may have fueled my urges.

“Do you know that’s a bad habit?”

The voice, a mixture of shallow irritation, patheticness, and regret, shot out like an arrow. It was something I always wanted to say.

“…yes?”

“I told you not to call me a kkondae, but you are calling me a kkondae.”

“No…”

“Of course, if I say this, you won’t care at all. I know very well that some people think it’s just an old bastard acting like an old bastard again. But I still have to say it.”

Daniel looked down at the person who was curled up like a child with his arms crossed. Kids with big bodies. I hate to admit it, but the description of the adventurer was accurate.

I don’t know much about the hero, but this young guy was definitely a kid.

“It is not good to confine people to the impression you have set and treat them that way until the end. “You can do that now because you’re young, but when you get older, no one will notice you anymore.”

However, if being foolish is a young person’s right, growing up is a duty.

“You are a smart person, and if not right away, you will understand this someday. I warn you, if you don’t realize it quickly, you will lose a lot or a little but something precious. “For sure.”

Also, if you don’t do your duty, then only two futures are left. Either you will remain an immature human being forever and be abandoned, or you will pay a great price for not realizing it earlier.

“…What do you know!”

“Yes, I don’t know. “There’s no way I would know the type of relationship between you and that person, since I’ve never even seen it.”

If you feel pity, you feel pity. If you feel frustrated, you feel very frustrated. Daniel sighed again as he stood up in exasperation.

“But I know that his patience is running out.”

What is the ‘thing I wish I could stop doing’ that the adventurer mentioned?

“…! “What are you saying now?”

“…Why is this surprising? Did you think he would accept you forever? “Did you think he would stay that way forever because he was someone who would never break down?”

Maybe that’s blindness?

A fanatic who expresses shock rather than sympathy at the fact that tears were shed. A blind faith that imagines that he will not collapse until the end. My eyes are blinded by longing and I can never see what lies beneath.

“…I don’t think the faith you give him is wrong. But if you ask me if that belief is correct, I don’t want to nod my head. This is especially true considering the name given to your relationship.”

Of course, absolute trust is precious. However, if it blinds us and causes us to diverge, wouldn’t it be right to try to be different rather than stubborn?

“Remember. Parents, children, guardians, and wards… their relationships are usually not equal and require one-sided dedication and patience from one side. “Only in a relationship where we continue to interact on equal footing can we give names such as lover, friend, colleague, etc.”

Daniel hoped that this young child would understand the true meaning of these words. This was the best advice he could give.

* * *

“…I’m going to die.”

I got drunk. A combination of headaches, heartburn, and nausea hit me right after I woke up.

“Ugh…”

This is why I tried not to drink. I remembered how I quit drinking. I didn’t know I would repeat it again, but anyway, the world was something to live and see.

“system.”

But yesterday I really had no choice but to drink it. Instead of clinging to something meaningless even though I regret it, I called on my sleep system to escape this crappy feeling.

After all, regardless of whether this world is real or not, shouldn’t we use everything we have? And now that I can’t sleep due to a headache, the sleep system is perfect.

[I’m sorry, but the kid in charge is sleeping so I can’t use that.]

“…was he in charge?”

[To be exact, it’s a collaboration and division between me and him… Anyway, the sleep system can’t work without the kid.]

So, I can’t sleep and I have to suffer from this hangover? This isn’t going to work even with pain relief, so I just have to endure it…

“You can never do it alone, right?”

[The principle of the sleep system is to temporarily shock the body by touching the link between the body and your soul, but according to the contract, the child’s permission is required to touch your soul. This is not possible even with your permission.]

“Ha…”

I don’t know anything else, but I tried to take care of my own well-being. Although it’s causing me some trouble right now.

I sank down on the bed, feeling Faust’s efforts. I felt like I was going to die.

[…If you’re really in pain, why don’t you come inside?]

“You make it sound like things will be different when you go to the world of images.”

[After all, a hangover is just one of the symptoms that occurs when alcohol enters the body. In the world of images that are semi-disconnected from the physical senses, there is nothing to feel unless you want to.]

…Really?

I entered the world of images with a restless mind. It was a bit difficult to concentrate due to the headache, but fortunately I succeeded.

My body, which had been heavy like water-soaked cotton, became light, and the nausea and dizziness disappeared. All that remained was the afterimage. Even this is an afterimage that will disappear over time.

“It’s true.”

[I don’t lie.]

What bullshit. Without realizing it, my eyes looked with contempt at the anger and then looked away again. My intention was to find Faust.

“Oh, I said I was sleeping.”

But as Anger said, Faust was still sleeping.

I crossed my arms as I watched the boy sleeping peacefully inside the cabin. As the hangover disappears, all kinds of stains are appearing on my clear mind again.

“Hmm…”

But is that unpleasant? Well, that’s fine. Does venting while drunk count as letting go of one’s emotions? Or maybe the child’s situation, which I heard about yesterday, really stimulated my sympathy.

Rather than feeling dirty, I just felt sad. This was even more so because the dam collapsed several times and the remaining waterway was diluted through the process of sleeping.

After the flood and storm passed, only a small amount of land remained. This is good soil for sprouts of any name to take root easily.

“under.”

Well, if you’re not careful, too much water may cause the roots to rot. Because that’s not something I can do.

[Why are you sighing, Gretchen?]

“Why should I rest?”

[Just throw away your virginity. It’s easier then.]

Instead, I looked back at the anger that never came closer than a certain distance. That tone of voice that never admits that one is the cause. I always think of him as an amazing personality.

“A thought occurred to me just now.”

At the same time, a few things I had forgotten came to mind. These were tasks that were so important and had to be done that I don’t know why I only remembered them now.

“I guess I haven’t had much time to spare.”

[…?]

“Isolating the perpetrator and the victim is the number one priority, but I forgot about this.”

[Now wait a minute.]

I think it’s kind of nice to have the initiative. I imagined a wall to contain my anger. In the process, the prison was made a little smaller, probably due to some extraneous thoughts, but it was a success in its own way.

[Even if you can’t do it, let me straighten my back! This is too narrow!]

“Okay, cheer up.”

[Grethen…!!]

It was just a joke, I locked him up temporarily and then built a proper prison next to him.

It was a prison with windows that could not be opened, doors that could only be opened from the outside, and all that was inside was a cot and a table.

[…I told you how to apply it for no reason.]

“Do you think it would have been any better if I hadn’t told you?”

I picked up the entire box-shaped prison that contained my anger and placed it in a proper prison. Sweet. As soon as the door was locked, I broke the box… The anger that had caused me to do exactly that was staring at me through the window.

[This doesn’t stop my conversation with that guy.]

“I know.”

Could this wall possibly be the answer to everything? But I want to believe that it is better than nothing.

I lowered the blinds hanging outside the window. I felt a little more relieved because I could no longer see anything visually. [You will regret it.] As for the voice I heard… Our conversation wasn’t done through sound, so I had no choice but to accept it.

“The urgent matters have been taken care of…”

I saw a world where nothing existed other than the cabin and prison I had built.

Until now, I didn’t feel like it was bothersome, but after staying in the world of images for a while – that is, at least until I sobered up – I thought it was a very empty and eerie world.

It felt even more so because the reality outside of the image was filled with various colors.

“Can’t we at least add some color?”

After thinking about it for a bit, I imagined a suitable field and forest. I decided that it would be better to have natural scenery, since streets without people are just boring.

“Oh, that’s okay.”

Fortunately, the reason the world is white is simply because no one thought of adding color. I was excited for no reason looking at the lush green plain.

After all, who wouldn’t be excited when the world changes just by imagining it? It was very fun because I felt like I was a god.

“I’ll plant some flowers…”

Since I’m not a botanist, it would be difficult to describe thousands of species of plants. However, by implementing the brushes that I used when working on the web as much as possible, I was able to grow many species of flowers and plants. That alone made it a quite believable sight.

“It would be weird to just have grass, so I added some water…”

I looked at the beautiful flower field and imagined the river that flows around the flower field and the streams that branch out from it.

Slurp. The stream was deep enough for a child to take off his shoes and dip his feet in the water if he ever wanted to explore this place.

Suddenly, suddenly.

I plucked a few flowers with my hands. No, I think I ripped off a little too much.

I headed to the cabin holding a bunch of flowers that had already grown into a flower. The cabin, which had not yet been painted, was the only blemish on the plain, along with the prison.

So I breathed life into that place too. The cabin seemed to bring back bad memories, so the design was chosen to be as unrealistic and cozy as possible.

A cabin that was close to a brick house turned into a huge apple tree.

Squeak.

I carefully opened the creaking door and looked inside. Even as vines growing from the outside inward covered the walls, the boy showed no sign of waking up.

I opened a large circular cross window next to the bed where Faust lay and placed the flowers I had picked. If the child wakes up like this, these will be the first things he sees.

“…Sorry.”

Of course, these won’t heal all of your child’s wounds.

“I wish I had been a better adult.”

Still, it won’t mean anything to my best efforts. I hope so. With that thought in mind, I patted the child and fell asleep.

“…You are already a good adult.”

I felt like I vaguely heard a voice before I fell into mental sleep.

smart.

“…!”

Sleep didn’t last long. I woke up almost instinctively at the sound of a knock on the door. It felt like someone had pushed me back to reality.

“Who are you?”

Did he reflexively hold Ratel in the shape of a sword and dilate his pupils? The person outside the door introduced himself. “That’s me.” It was Soseongju.

“Ah… just wait a moment.”

I put down the ratel and washed my face dry for a while. Sweet. The door was opened after clearing up the bare minimum. Even though I couldn’t wash my hair and couldn’t get it to stick to my head.

“So why did you come here?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special…”

Did you come here to get an answer on whether you were going to stay or not? But I haven’t decided on that yet….

Crack, tap, tap!

“…?”

While I was perplexed about the question I was asked, I heard footsteps to support me. It was a sound that rang so vividly in the hallway that even Soseongju, an ordinary person, could hear it.

“Wait a minute…”

However, even in a castle where etiquette is strict, jumping around like this is highly likely to be an urgent matter.

So Seong-ju asked for my understanding and I willingly agreed to wait.

“It would be better to stop there.”

“yes?”

Shake!

Of course, it was impossible for So Seong-ju to leave the place to handle urgent matters. It wasn’t a big deal, it was because Soseongju opened the door and came in faster than him leaving.

“Lord So Soseong.”

And through the open door, a messenger with a face like a sheet of paper appeared. This is a serious matter. Me and Soseongju sensed it.

“The news is that Daeshinjeon has fallen and communication with the three cities has been lost.”

But I didn’t think it would be this serious.