The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Morphine was discovered in the early 1800s.

Well, considering that morphine is derived from opium, you could assume it appeared around that time without needing to research the historical background. Plus, in works set during World War I, morphine was often used as a painkiller for soldiers.

As one of the most powerful painkillers ever derived from natural plants, morphine’s effects were potent, and it acted quickly on the brain. This is why it was distributed so heavily to soldiers up until World War II.

However, it also caused severe problems for soldiers who survived both World Wars. After all, it’s a form of the infamous "opium."

Its addictive properties are so strong that even today, it's reserved as a last-resort painkiller when no other medications work.

Back then, they used it without fully understanding its side effects. Moreover, there weren’t many alternatives at the time.

And now, I had that morphine stored in my room.

"What is this...?"

"..."

That's right. It's not like people didn’t understand the dangers of opium in the past. After all, wasn’t the Opium War sparked when China, realizing the damage opium was causing to their country, tried to resist the British, who were pushing it on them?

Even in this world, they knew about its effects.

They knew, and they still used it.

And now, I was revealing the hidden locations of all the morphine I had stored in my room.

All because Alice was rummaging through every nook and cranny—under the bed, on top of the wardrobe, and everywhere in between.

"Princess."

"...No way, right?"

Alice asked, staring at the morphine on my bed.

It wasn’t a large amount. I didn’t need much in the first place. Just enough for one or two doses. I had three small bottles for emergencies.

But it was enough to arouse Alice’s suspicions.

"You’re not... addicted or anything, right?"

"Princess."

I called out calmly to Alice, who was looking at me with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

"Have I ever shown any symptoms of opium addiction?"

"..."

One of the most noticeable effects of morphine is pinpoint pupils. I had seen it myself several times, back in the Count’s territory a few years ago.

If I were truly addicted to morphine, it would have been impossible to hide. When you're high on morphine, you're barely in your right mind, and withdrawal symptoms are incredibly obvious—vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and so on.

But I was perfectly fine. I was constantly busy when needed, and not once had I shown any signs of withdrawal. I hadn’t even caught a simple cold.

"Then why do you have this?"

Alice glared at me as she asked.

"For emergencies."

"There are mages in the castle."

She was right.

This was a world where magic existed. Mages, who used magic through mana stones, were real.

They could heal damaged bodies without leaving a scar, and recently, there had even been reports of them successfully reattaching severed limbs.

"Healing through magic takes too much time."

"But during that time—!"

"And an unhealed body still feels pain, making it sluggish."

No matter how well-trained a person is, it’s impossible to move exactly the same after being injured. Sometimes, it’s necessary to trick the brain into ignoring pain so that the body can move quickly in emergencies.

...Honestly, it felt a bit unfair. I hadn’t even used the morphine yet.

But I planned to use it when necessary, experience the situation, and then turn back time.

Addiction to drugs stems from both mental and physical reasons, but the main issue is the effect on the body, especially on the brain and nervous system. Addiction isn’t just a matter of craving something out of habit. It’s as desperate as a starving person searching for food because the brain has been tricked into thinking it's essential.

But I could cancel out those changes in my brain and nervous system.

So, if I were in a situation where I was seriously injured, I could endure, see how the future unfolded, and then restart without relying on drugs.

"..."

Alice bit her lip.

"Is this because of me?"

"..."

Hmm...

It wasn’t just because of Alice. It was more of a contingency plan for all possible situations. In case, for example, I had to assassinate the Emperor.

The Emperor was one of the strongest individuals in this world. Even Lucas couldn’t defeat him in a sword fight, and the Emperor was likely stronger than anyone known as a Swordmaster in this world.

Still, being human, there had to be a tiny opening.

But that opening would be so small that finding and exploiting it might take thousands of attempts, down to the second.

So the morphine was simply a tool to make that process a little more efficient.

Seeing me remain silent, Alice reached out and grabbed me by the collar.

When it came to raw talent, Alice was far superior to me. She was, after all, the daughter of the Emperor. Her physical abilities were top-tier, and she was incredibly smart. Honestly, if I weren’t able to turn back time, I wouldn’t stand a chance against Alice in a one-on-one confrontation.

The same went for academics. I had read the same books dozens, even hundreds of times, attended hundreds of hours of lectures from tutors, and still needed extra time just to keep up... or to erase everything and focus on absorbing the knowledge. Without that, I wouldn’t have made it to the academy.

I probably wouldn’t even be alive.

So, yeah.

If she grabbed me by the collar suddenly like this, there was no way I could dodge. My face was now just a fist's distance away from hers.

...Should I turn back time?

I considered it for a moment but decided to wait and see how the situation unfolded.

After all, Alice was one of the characters I liked.

I didn’t want to erase the time we had spent together if I didn’t have to.

"Hey."

Oh no.

She was really mad.

"I’m going to ask you some questions now, and I want honest answers."

"..."

I was lucky I didn’t let my expression falter. The years of practice were paying off.

"What do you think of me? And what do you think of yourself?"

"You are the future Empress of the Empire, and I am here to assist you in that role."

"As Father instructed?"

"..."

No, this was my own will.

If Alice hadn’t been here, I would have run away. I’d have gone to Claire or one of the other heroines or protagonists, or even one of the male characters I wasn’t particularly fond of, to ask for help. Anywhere but the Republic.

I’m not sure what Alice thought of my silence, but she glared at me and said,

"Let me ask you this instead. What if Father names you as the Crown Princess instead of me?"

"That would never—"

"If you think Father wouldn’t do something like that, you’re sorely mistaken."

...Hmm.

I felt like Alice was the one who was mistaken, but now wasn’t the time to say that.

"If that were to happen, I would do my best to ensure that the rightful power is restored to its proper place."

"Even if that’s Father’s command?"

"Yes. Because it’s the right thing to do."

That part was sincere.

I had no intention of becoming Emperor. In fact, based on how the story had progressed so far, I wasn’t even sure the Emperor would be able to maintain power. After all, wasn’t it obvious? The Emperor was the leader of the evil empire.

In the end, the protagonist would be victorious, supported by their heroine and male companions, as well as countless other allies.

Although the story hadn’t concluded yet, most players speculated that the ending would involve a democratic revolution.

Alice might not inherit the throne, but she could still become a hero to the people. That would probably be a much better future for her. Despite its real-world inspiration, it was still a game. Knowing the developer, they probably wouldn’t have the entire royal family beheaded.

"Even if it ruins your body?"

Alice’s eyes darted to the morphine bottles on the bed.

I nodded.

"Yes, that’s right."

Of course, I didn’t plan to use it in the end, but I couldn’t say that outright. If I did, there’d be no reason for me to keep the morphine around in the first place, so I used it as an excuse.

"..."

Alice stared at me for a while before releasing her grip on my collar. I did my best not to stumble. Fortunately, my years of practice paid off once again, and I managed to avoid looking awkward.

"I’m taking this."

"..."

Alice grabbed the morphine from the bed.

Then, looking at me, she said,

"Don’t worry. I won’t use it. A ‘princess of a nation’ can’t afford to be addicted to morphine, after all."

And that comment was aimed at me as much as it was about herself.

"..."

"And I’ll make sure that something like this won’t ever be available in the Imperial Palace again. From now on, only professionals who can assess whether it's absolutely necessary will have access to such substances. Not a ‘dignified princess.’ Understood?"

"Understood."

It was only after I said this that Alice gave a firm nod, her expression still hard, before turning on her heel and leaving my room.

"..."

After counting to about thirty, I let out a long sigh.

She’s definitely the Emperor’s daughter. Her spirit is no joke. I thought I was going to get crushed the whole time she had me by the collar.

Thankfully, I managed to keep my composure, so I didn’t have to turn back time.

Earlier, when I chased after Alice, the Emperor was already gone. Whether meeting him would have resolved things or not, I’ll never know. But it was clear that Alice’s temper had been ignited by the fact that she didn’t even get the chance to try.

Fuming, Alice had stormed back to my room, and in her frustration, she started tearing through my things.

At first, I didn’t know what she was doing, but then she found the morphine in my bag, and that’s how this whole mess started.

"...Hmm."

Honestly, even if Alice confiscated the morphine, I could easily get more. This world was full of opium dens hidden in the corners of cities. Sure, it was illegal, but the Empire didn’t really care about the suffering of the lower classes.

Opium use was even somewhat trendy among the nobility. And catching nobles was far harder than catching commoners. The Count had continued his habit openly until the day he was assassinated.

...Still, bringing morphine back into the palace would be dangerous.

If Alice caught me again, she might actually suspect I was addicted and have me forcibly committed to a sanitarium. The mental institutions of this era... well, they were barbaric, to say the least. I definitely didn’t want to end up there.

"Hmm..."

If not morphine...

There were a few other options I could think of. While not painkillers, there were substances that could dramatically increase my chances of success in my attempts.

For example, there was something newly released in this era that hadn’t yet been fully understood for its dangers and side effects.

A drug that could exponentially increase focus, allowing someone to work twice as fast with more precision. It wasn’t some magical potion, either. It existed in the real world.

Methamphetamine.

In reality, it was once marketed as a legitimate pharmaceutical product.

The commercial name of this drug was "Philopon."

Since the company that made it was Japanese, the drug became commonly known as "Hiropon."

Of course, like all drugs, it severely damaged the body. I think it permanently damages dopamine receptors? Dopamine is essential for producing positive emotions in humans. So, if you took it, you’d never be able to experience normal happiness again—unless you kept taking the drug.

I could always reset and fix that, though.

"...Maybe I shouldn’t."

If morphine could be used to explore possibilities, methamphetamine was strictly a tool for producing results. Any outcomes achieved using it would be tainted.

Even if I succeeded in an assassination while on methamphetamine, I’d be left with only two choices: live as an addict for the rest of my life, unable to enjoy anything without drugs, or turn back time and try again without the drugs.

Nothing is ever simple.

I sighed deeply again.