The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

I also liked the character Roti. She wasn’t a character I could romance, but whenever Jake and Roti appeared in the game, they would usually have little exchanges like this. It wasn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but it was heartwarming.

"So, what kind of information can you provide?"

The fact that Jake wanted to talk to me alone was probably not sincere. He was likely just trying to make a joke because Roti was standing next to him.

When he first spoke to me, it was probably just a remark he made out of frustration, reflecting Roti’s words.

He was a character who generally kept a neutral expression, hiding his emotions. But that didn’t mean he was emotionless—he had simply grown accustomed to hiding his feelings since childhood.

Jake felt pity for Roti because of that.

"What information can you give me?"

"Hmm."

Jake fell into a moment of thought before speaking.

"Well, it's still warm down there, even at this time of year."

Since it bordered a desert.

The Empire controlled most of the western part of the continent, and the northern region of the southern continent was one of its colonies.

The Lindbergh family had been at the forefront when the Empire first invaded the southern continent. They had recruited pirates before the Empire even had a proper parliament and had conquered and occupied a region, slowly absorbing it into their territory over about a century.

As a result, the Lindbergh estate was split into two, with the sea separating the northern and southern parts.

The northern estate, across from the sea, was peaceful and unremarkable. It was large, but there were no notable special products.

Most of the Lindbergh family’s wealth came from their holdings in the southern continent. They controlled the fertile areas of the northern part of the southern continent, and their trade with colonies beyond the desert made up the majority of their income.

Before the standing army was disbanded, they had set up naval bases and rented them out to the Imperial Army for a tidy sum.

Additionally, like the Winterfield family, they maintained some private soldiers because they were situated near the borderlands.

"Maybe it wouldn’t be a problem to play by the seaside? The swimwear trend has been popular in the estates recently."

"......."

Upon hearing Jake’s words, Roti made a face that seemed like she was trying to suppress something.

If we followed historical accuracy, swimwear in the early 20th century was just baggy clothing, especially for women.

However... considering the world we were in, what kind of world was it? A world created by a Japanese game company at the forefront of otaku subculture.

Naturally, the swimwear looked quite similar to the ones from my world.

It was a bit absurd to even bother pointing this out, especially considering that casinos in this world had bunny girls.

"And, well... I could tell you about local specialties and such, but honestly, it’s not really related to what we’re doing there, is it?"

"That’s true."

Even if Jake knew important secrets about the estate, he wasn’t the type to blurt them out carelessly.

"Well, at least it’s good news—means we can stay warm for a few more days. I had a hard time adjusting after spending the vacation in a warm place and coming here to the cold."

"You might catch a cold if the temperature suddenly changes. You should be worried about your health, sir. You’re traveling back and forth twice this month."

"Don’t worry, Roti. I’m tougher than I look. And speaking of which, shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself, being a woman?"

"I..."

Roti seemed about to say something, but then shut her mouth, probably feeling like, ‘What’s the point?’ I had to hold back a bitter smile.

*

Most other territories didn’t need to cross a vast ocean, so even if each group went separately, it wasn’t a big deal, but the Lindbergh estate was different.

Going to the northern Lindbergh estate wasn’t particularly educational, so naturally, the practical field exercises were in the southern part.

The southern continent colonies were incredibly important to the Empire. The reason the Empire could call itself an Empire was because of its numerous colonies.

Many people believed that the Empire was truly completed when the Emperor declared, “I am the emperor of two continents,” after conquering them all.

Though, even during the era of the first Emperor, Fangriphon, the term "Empire" had been used confidently, but calling a nation an Empire rather than just a country made it easier for other nations to accept the Empire’s imperialistic claims.

The reason the Empire could be called a true Empire.

That was also why the academy sent students here at least once.

Moreover, since the academy often had foreign students, it was a good opportunity to flaunt the Empire’s prestige.

Sending students by airship, not just by boat, had practical and imperialist reasons for showing off the Empire’s status.

"The Empire claims that this vast sea is all within its territorial waters," Rena said.

"Since the Empire’s territory spans both the top and bottom," Alice added.

Strictly speaking, under international law, no sea could be entirely considered territorial waters.

However, the Empire had applied its laws to all the islands and reefs it had occupied, effectively claiming half of the Mediterranean as its own territorial waters.

With the Empire’s powerful navy, no nation had the means to contest it. After all, they were a country that could float battleships in the air—who could say they couldn’t control the sea?

"Velbourne hardly uses this sea anyway, since it's located in the northern continent."

"...There’s a saying that the prices of goods coming across this sea are inflated."

"It’s not because the Empire treats it like its own sea. It’s more because the Lindbergh family takes a lot of cuts. In fact, that’s why goods from the Empire aren’t much cheaper than those from foreign countries. And if you really want to buy something, you could just trade with the Ivelia Kingdom."

Alice responded somewhat harshly, possibly because of the comment about the country she might inherit.

Despite Alice’s reaction, Charlotte didn’t seem fazed. After all, they had been friends even before they were princesses.

"The Ivelia Kingdom has almost no colonies in the southern continent. It’s only been unified for 20 years. In that time, the Empire has taken all the prime land in the southern continent."

"That’s because they’ve been fighting amongst themselves for centuries."

...

Hmm.

In the original work, I don’t remember hearing about this. I mean, I knew about the settings, but I had never heard the characters discuss such political topics. When political discussions came up, they were usually about direct conflicts between the Empire and the Kingdom.

Then again, these two characters were from an era when 20th-century imperialism and nationalism were spreading. Their pride in their countries was growing, and that pride was, of course, based on the power they had over their colonies and nations.

Well, that would probably break down soon enough.

I turned my gaze towards Roti.

All first-year students from Rondarium Academy were on the airship, but those in the scenic observation deck were mostly noble students.

Noble students typically claimed the best spots, and commoners rarely moved when they saw the nobles settled in.

However, among them, one student stood out.

No, rather than the student standing out, it was the way people around the student were looking at them.

It was Roti.

Roti, standing next to Jake.

Jake probably hadn’t dragged her here against her will. Even Jake, no matter how mischievous, wouldn’t want others to look down on Roti. After all, she was the girl he liked.

Roti was probably here by her own choice, pretending to be standing there to "assist the young master" as a maid.

In truth, she probably just wanted to be with him.

When I turned my gaze towards Roti, our eyes met for a brief moment. Roti quickly turned her gaze back to the window, but she was clearly paying attention to our conversation.

It made sense. Roti was from a colony.

Though she had grown up in the Lindbergh estate, she was discriminated against openly because of her appearance. The conversation between the two, talking so casually about the discrimination she faced, must have caught her attention.

But there was no anger or frustration visible on her face.

It seemed more like resignation.

She was a character caught between two worlds—an Empire-born with mixed blood, unable to fully belong to either side.

Even before she got together with Jake, and even after, she had been the subject of gossip among the nobles.

"..."

At first, I hadn’t paid much attention to it, but now, with the reality of it sinking in, it felt far more pitiful than when I saw it in the game.