The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

When I was able to use my powers fully, I felt confident that I could handle most situations.

No matter how things turned out, I could cancel the events and rewind to a more advantageous position. It was an incredible privilege. Honestly, even in other games or comics, it was rare to find a character with a power as useful as mine.

The problem was that I couldn’t use my ability right now.

The image I’d carefully maintained thanks to this ability was wavering, and, more importantly, I felt powerless against the situation unfolding before me.

Was that masked woman laughing at me from somewhere right now?

The thought made my insides churn with frustration, but, for the moment, it seemed she had no intent to kill me. If she was who I suspected she might be, then she probably wouldn’t try to kill me... or so I hoped.

Although I should be wary, given she had tried to attack Alice.

With that in mind, I was actually in a rather favorable position right now. If the masked woman came for me, I wasn’t sure what would happen, but if Lucas showed up, there were plenty of people around who would intervene. Individually, they might be slightly weaker than Lucas, but if they all attacked him at once, even he wouldn’t come out unscathed.

Of course, that didn’t mean the situation was entirely without problems.

“...So,”

Jaiden’s expression was one I rarely saw—he looked genuinely furious.

“You’re saying you spent the night with my little sister?”

“What? No, I mean...!”

“How could you jump to such a conclusion?” I interjected between Jaiden and Leo, preventing Jaiden from drawing his sword in a fit of rage.

“You were with that brat in the same place—”

“The Swordmaster was also with us, you know.”

“Right. Even I wouldn’t interpret the situation that way,” the Swordmaster said, his usual serious demeanor replaced by one of mild exasperation as he looked at Jaiden.

“But clearly, that rascal—”

“—Would you please stop emphasizing ‘spent the night’? Are you intentionally saying it to make it sound worse? O—”

I swallowed the word “older brother” that was almost out of my mouth.

“—Are you trying to sully my reputation with such accusations?”

“I mean, there’s no need to cut off your words like that,” Jaiden said with a disappointed look, and I couldn’t hold back from pressing my hand to my forehead.

“Let me clarify this.”

I spoke as calmly as possible, trying to keep my tone measured.

“Leo is a fellow student at the academy, a classmate, and a former student council member. I’m also acquainted with his sister, Claire, so naturally, Leo and I have a friendly relationship. Even beyond this year, we’ll likely be in contact for another three years, so that connection may deepen.”

“Exactly!” Jaiden exclaimed, clearly misunderstanding my point.

Seriously, he was acting like an elementary schooler teasing someone for holding hands during a field trip dance.

“Just because a man and a woman are together, it doesn’t automatically mean there’s a romantic relationship involved. Would you like it if every conversation you had with a noblewoman at a ball was turned into a scandalous rumor?”

“...”

Jaiden didn’t respond.

Oh, right.

Wasn’t he unpopular with women?

If Lucas was a character popular with women yet uninterested in romance, then Jaiden was someone who was interested in women but unfortunately not popular. Despite being described as handsome, there was just something about him that put women off...

Well, maybe it wasn’t a mystery. He was the type of character who, in conversations, would repeatedly talk about the specifications of standard swords or how he performed in various battlefields.

Essentially, he was the guy who talks about the military in front of women.

...Wasn’t there even a backstory that he’d never properly danced with a woman at a ball?

“Unless we’re in a cloistered church school, it’s natural for men and women to converse casually. There’s no need for you to interfere with every little interaction.”

I glanced over at Leo, who looked somewhat touched. For a baron’s son to face a direct reprimand from a prince must have been terrifying, so it made sense that he’d feel grateful if a princess stepped in to shield him.

“Have our conversations ever crossed into anything romantic or inappropriate?”

“Of course not, absolutely not!” Leo replied immediately.

“Not even in the Swordmaster’s cabin?”

“No, definitely not!” Claire nodded emphatically along with Leo’s response. Jaiden looked back at me, still skeptical.

“Is that really the case?”

“Yes, that’s exactly the case.”

Idiot. Of course, I didn’t say that out loud.

If I had my rewind ability right now, maybe I’d have risked saying it.

If I had it, I wouldn’t be in this mess, to begin with.

Jaiden finally lowered the hand he’d kept on the hilt of his sword. He dropped his arm in a defeated, slightly pathetic manner.

Not that I felt sorry for him.

“And, moreover.”

To drive the point home, Alice, who had been silently listening, chimed in.

“No matter whom Sylvia marries, it’s not your business. Would you react the same way if she introduced someone she liked?”

“Well, of course I’d—” Jaiden began, glancing my way before stopping mid-sentence.

My expression was blank, or so I’d intended.

Still, “blank” can be open to interpretation depending on the situation.

...At least he didn’t seem to fully understand my intentions yet, which was a relief.

---

And so, in this already chaotic situation, yet another figure appeared. Why did people keep showing up? Important people, too—the most important people in the Empire. It was starting to feel like a celebrity reunion.

“Oh dear, oh dear.”

Leo and Claire’s reaction to that voice was understandably one of shock. Even if they didn’t recognize that deep, resonant voice, few people in the Empire didn’t know the face of the Emperor.

“I apologize for not coming sooner to greet such an esteemed guest.”

The Emperor, addressing a man who looked almost twenty years his senior, was as imperial as one could imagine.

The Emperor’s gaze briefly flicked to me as he entered the training hall. The amused smile on his lips made it clear he suspected I was up to something.

Which, well, was true.

“Hoh,”

The Swordmaster, seeing the Emperor, also smiled faintly. He didn’t bow his head in the slightest; then again, he wasn’t the type to yield to authority or status, which was consistent with his character in the original story.

And then—

Bang!

The Emperor drew his sword and charged straight at the Swordmaster.

The clash of their blades resounded like an explosion.

Without even releasing sword energy, their strikes were enough to stir the air around them. Though it wasn’t a force strong enough to knock anything over, it made our hair and clothes flutter.

“...”

Silence.

Both the Emperor and the Swordmaster, having swung their swords, smiled at each other. Whether or not their smiles could really be called “smiles” was another matter, but it seemed they didn’t truly dislike each other.

“You’re still as sharp as ever, old man,” the Emperor said.

“And you, aren’t you always seated comfortably in your throne?”

...Huh?

Before I could fully process the exchange, they both sheathed their swords.

Then, they shook hands firmly.

Wait, what?

It seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that. Alice, Leo, Claire, and Jaiden were all staring in shock at the two men.

“Well, I never thought I’d see you again like this,” the Emperor said warmly.

“Nor did I expect to come down to such a bustling place,” the Swordmaster replied nonchalantly.

...They knew each other?

I’d half-expected it, but I didn’t anticipate them being so... friendly. I thought they’d acknowledge each other’s existence, like a celebrity and a president aware of one another, but that was about it.

“You should give your daughter credit. After all, I came down here because she lured me out.”

Ack.

As the Swordmaster spoke, everyone in the training hall simultaneously turned to look at me.

Oh, um...

Well, I mean, that’s what happened...

All I’d intended was to bring the Swordmaster over. I’d only wanted to bait Lucas a little to have a chat.

How did things escalate to this?

A rival reunion wasn’t part of my plan.

And yet, everyone looking at me had expressions that said, “She’s up to something big.”

...

Whether the masked woman is my future self or a close acquaintance doesn’t matter.

When I meet her again, I’m definitely going to make her cry.