The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

"Am I being bullied right now?"

Lily Baker pondered this seriously.

Though she was technically a commoner, she had grown up in a rather well-off family and prided herself on her early-morning starts—earlier than most nobles, or so she believed.

Her parents ran a well-known bakery in the capital. If Lily hadn’t gone to the academy, she would have likely inherited the bakery herself, or perhaps her future husband would, whoever he might be. But as things stood, it was uncertain if she would take over the bakery. Her parents wished for her to aim higher, and Lily shared that ambition. With outstanding grades, a successful four years at the academy could make that possible.

Of course, the reckless decision she’d made to speak to the Princess—when she looked back, she wasn’t sure what she had been thinking—wasn’t motivated by ambition.

Lily’s teacher, Ada, had entrusted her with nearly all the tasks typically handled by a class representative. Informing classmates about schedules, collecting assignments, passing along unexpected announcements... though she wasn’t officially assigned the role, she had essentially become the de facto leader of Class C. Over time, her teacher, as well as her classmates, had come to accept her in that position.

Thus, though no one had asked her to, Lily had taken it upon herself to feel responsible.

Roti was somewhat isolated within their class.

After school, while the other classmates gathered in groups, she often spent time with Jake.

There were various rumors about their relationship, but few truly believed them. It seemed unthinkable that the heir of a ducal family would regard a colonist as a romantic interest. Generally, such rumors were used more as a pretext to disparage her than for anyone to take seriously.

Lily, for her part, wondered "what if," though she was certain that Roti’s position at Jake’s side was as a maid. Whether they had feelings for each other or not was something Lily could only speculate about, and she had no intention of asking them directly.

It was a personal matter, after all.

When Lily had approached the Princess, it hadn’t been due to any personal curiosity but rather an impulsive sense of duty.

There was a bit of guilt involved, too.

And the response she received—

“What... what should I do?”

Lily had managed to make a fair number of friends. Six months had proven to be enough time to get to know her peers. She couldn’t claim they were as close as her friends from home, but that would come with time.

Growing up in Lindborough, a land known for its resorts, she’d already made plans with a few friends for a visit there—

She imagined her parents’ faces, urging her to “Seize the opportunity!”

Not that it was any help.

“...Sigh.”

Pushing her slipping glasses back up, Lily muttered to herself.

Alright.

Even though she hadn’t trained with the noble class, she doubted her absence would cause them any major setbacks. All of them were skilled. She still remembered the mock battle led by Professor Jennifer.

The experience of watching one ally fall after another under well-aimed, unseen gunfire, even though it was just a simulation, had left a lasting impression.

While some murmured that Jennifer, a noble and teacher of the noble class, might be showing favoritism, seeing Princess Sylvia Fangryphon’s movements in action gradually silenced those voices.

Yes, that’s right.

Perhaps this was Princess Sylvia’s generosity.

By asking about Roti’s well-being, Lily had been granted a chance to check in on her.

So, if she decided to decline tomorrow morning, there wouldn’t be any issue—

—at least, that’s what she optimistically assumed.

Then, when someone knocked on her door at four in the morning, she reconsidered.

Wait... is this bullying?

*

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Clare, bright-eyed even at dawn, reassured her.

Since I had informed everyone the previous evening, they were quick to accept Lily Baker’s presence among us.

Considering that our group already included people like Sophia, who, although difficult to define as a commoner, was not entirely noble, as well as Roti, a commoner and colonist, there was no valid reason to reject Lily now.

Besides, her excuse of “having plans with friends”—

“So, you said you’re meeting them at ten in the morning, right? Then we can finish up early and let you meet them without a hitch!” Clare’s merciless logic shattered any resistance.

Alice and Charlotte, standing behind her, had expressions that plainly said, “Is she serious?” followed by “But knowing her, she probably is.”

Initially, Lily looked as though she couldn’t believe her ears, but seeing the faces of Alice and Charlotte, she began to doubt the entire situation.

She glanced in my direction, so I stared back at her with a neutral expression.

What? What is it?

You approached me first.

“Your name is Lily, right?”

When Leo, who was standing next to Clare, spoke, Lily’s face turned bright red.

Despite failing to live up to his harem protagonist reputation in our group because of me, Leo still had the looks—handsome, tall, with broad shoulders.

In short, the type of guy girls would find attractive.

“Nice to meet you.”

Leo extended his hand with a smile, and Lily hesitated, unsure whether to hold her skirt or take Leo’s hand.

It was rather amusing to watch.

In the original story, she had been swept up into the party by tagging along with Roti, after all.

...

Hmm.

Am I bullying her?

Well, it’s not like she’ll ever know.

I smiled inwardly, watching the two of them.

*

Anyway.

Returning to the issue of Roti and Jake, I had a plan in mind.

Of course, I wasn’t planning on putting it into action right away.

More accurately, there were a few things I wanted to confirm before moving forward with it.

“It’s certainly too large and heavy for practical use in combat,” I muttered, holding a rifle that was nearly as big as an anti-materiel sniper rifle.

It was definitely too large to shoot while standing. The anti-tank rifles I had seen were about the same size, but I had never fired one myself.

“But we’ve prepared the Marmaros rounds specifically for this,” Alice reminded me.

“That’s true.”

...Though I doubted I’d need to use it unless absolutely necessary. Still, it could probably set a carriage—and its occupants—ablaze in one shot.

“I’ll try it out for hunting first, then decide if it’s worth using in battle,” I said.

“Fair enough, it’s up to you to choose your weapon,” Alice shrugged.

But Jake, watching me sling the rifle over my shoulder, seemed less than enthusiastic about it.

Despite the lack of animal protection laws in this world, Jake seemed to have a soft spot for animals.

The reason soon became clear.

Bang!

The rifle’s blast was as powerful as its size suggested.

Even though I was lying down, the recoil pushed hard against my shoulder.

The weapon’s power lived up to its “express” name.

The problem, however, was that the power was excessive.

The elephant, which hadn’t even noticed us yet, collapsed with its skull shattered.

The bullet pierced right through its forehead, and it fell back before collapsing on its haunches, legs stretched out and quivering towards the sky.

...

Leo and Clare, who had bragged about hunting a rhino the day before, stood with their mouths agape.

All the nearby elephants fled, leaving only a few calves behind.

Even as we approached, the calves lingered around their fallen mother, only fleeing when we came within arm’s reach.

“Yesterday was about hunting a beast threatening civilians...” Leo muttered, and I began to understand why they seemed so unsettled.

“All we need are the tusks. The rest... the vultures will take care of it later, I guess.”

Ah.

Now I understood why Jake hadn’t been too thrilled about the “mission.”

Oh well.

At least I got to test the firepower.

Though, to make things go the way I want, I may need to reset time...