The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

“This lady here is Charlotte, a person who merely bears a slight resemblance to the Charlotte we know. She is a completely different person.”

“...Sylvia.”

“Though the only difference appears to be that she’s not wearing her usual school uniform and has a wide-brimmed hat—”

“Sylvia, enough.”

Sensing that Charlotte might seriously get upset if I kept teasing her, I decided to stop there.

“Uh...”

As I dragged Charlotte out by the arm, Leo looked at the two of us with a slightly dumbfounded expression, as if silently asking, *Why are you here all of a sudden?*

“You didn’t notice us following you?”

“Huh? Not at all. How far back were you?”

“There was Sophia in between us, so we weren’t exactly close. Plus, there were so many people before you entered this place that it’s no wonder you didn’t notice.”

It’s not like Leo is particularly adept at sensing others. Sometimes, he doesn’t even realize Alice is tailing him.

...Though that’s because Alice has an unnervingly good knack for erasing her presence.

She didn’t follow us here, right?

Feeling slightly paranoid, I glanced back over my shoulder. A few people were visible, mostly peeking out of their windows after hearing that the “Saint of the Backstreets” had arrived. Thankfully, I didn’t see any golden hair gleaming in the sunlight.

Since Claire had said she’d be studying with Alice, it made sense that neither of them was here. When those two started studying, they’d stick to it for hours.

Claire had tried to drag me into studying with her, but I wasn’t particularly fond of academics and had quickly escaped. Alice, knowing my tendencies all too well, hadn’t bothered to stop me.

Studying during class time by rewinding and redoing lessons was more than enough for me. I wasn’t about to spend after-school hours doing more of what I avoided in the first place.

If Alice had been alone, I might’ve stayed, but...

...Thanks to that, Leo ended up alone.

Turning back to face the others, I noticed Leo, Charlotte, and even Sophia looking at me quizzically.

I decided against explaining myself.

“So,” I said, shifting my attention to Leo.

“When did you start doing this kind of activity?”

Having stopped shadowing Leo and Claire long ago, I wasn’t aware of Leo’s volunteer work.

It seemed unlikely that Claire was involved; if she had been, her personality would’ve made her tag along for sure.

“Ah, well...”

Leo scratched his head, giving a wry smile.

It was a self-deprecating smile. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but perhaps it was because most students spent their free time happily socializing, while he wandered alone.

Even if he wanted solitude, taking a carriage arranged by the academy wasn’t exclusive to him. No matter how much he wanted to explore alone, there would always be other students on the same route.

And that would only fuel the whispers.

In noble society, social connections are everything. Without “friends,” your influence dwindles. Even if you have female acquaintances, once they’re married off, meeting them freely becomes impossible, and even correspondence risks scandal.

His only male acquaintance, Jake, was undoubtedly spending time with Lottie.

“...”

Thinking about it made me feel bad for him.

Was this... my fault?

“Well, I guess... I just needed something to pass the time. And since I don’t really have much use for my allowance anymore, I figured, why not use it for this? I’ve already prepared all my equipment and materials for the semester, so I don’t have much else to spend money on. After stumbling into this alley one day, I thought it’d be a good way to use the leftovers.”

“That’s admirable,” Sophia said, nodding enthusiastically.

Her amethyst-like eyes sparkled, reflecting her obvious admiration for Leo.

From beside me, I heard Charlotte shifting uncomfortably. Glancing her way, I saw her darting glances between Sophia and me.

...Seriously, it’s not like that.

While I still saw Sophia as someone to keep an eye on, I had no intention of interfering if she and Leo genuinely liked each other. The Sophia standing before me wasn’t yet the twisted version I had grown to despise.

“Alright,” I said, turning to Leo.

“Would you mind if I joined you in this volunteer work?”

“Huh?”

Leo blinked up at me, wide-eyed.

Why?

Did I really look like the type who wouldn’t lift a finger to help?

...Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I did. Even in my previous life, I’d only done volunteer work because it was a school requirement.

“We’ve got plenty of time today anyway. Following you all the way here just to observe what you’re doing and then leaving would feel strange, wouldn’t it?”

I glanced at Charlotte as I spoke, noticing her wince slightly, as if my words hit a nerve.

“Consider it my apology for tailing you.”

“Oh, uh... sure, I guess?”

Leo seemed unable to fully process what I was saying.

Understandable.

If I were in his position and two classmates suddenly showed up, offering to help while claiming it was an apology for stalking me, I wouldn’t know how to react either.

But in situations like this, being shameless was sometimes the best way to move forward.

“...”

“...”

Feeling the gazes of Sophia and Charlotte on me, I couldn’t help but marvel at how thick-skinned I’d become.

---

There aren’t many people who dislike receiving free things. Sure, someone extremely principled, moral, or self-reliant might refuse charity outright. But generally, those people don’t need charity to survive.

It’s easy to turn down help when you’re capable of supporting yourself.

Such people are often artisans inheriting a family trade or nobles with ample resources.

“It’s quieter here than I expected,” Charlotte observed.

“Most of the residents are out working,” Leo explained.

“Even on a Sunday?”

Charlotte’s surprise was evident, to which Leo responded with a wry smile.

“Charlotte, are you part of the Goddess Church?”

“No, but...”

Charlotte glanced briefly at Sophia.

While the Goddess Church is unique to this world, its practices bear many similarities to Christianity. Just as the Goddess rested on the seventh day after creating the world, her followers consider that day sacred and take it as a day of rest.

Over time, this practice became an unspoken rule, extending even to non-believers.

Charlotte, familiar with this convention, had been startled by the exception.

Leo, of course, understood her reaction.

“The Empire has no official religion, which is why there aren’t designated holidays. Factory schedules vary. Some places give workers one day off a month, others two. And it’s not always Sunday.”

“I see...”

Compared to the Empire, Velbur was a more faith-oriented nation and hadn’t yet transitioned to an industry-centric economy.

That didn’t mean its people weren’t impoverished—poverty there simply looked different.

Village-based farming families led lives starkly different from those in urban slums, where individuals of all backgrounds crowded together. At least rural farmers might take a day off on weekends.

“Most people here still have families to care for, though. And this area has its own systems. The government doesn’t intervene, so the locals have created their own rules.”

Leo didn’t seem entirely comfortable as he said this.

Systems built on verbal agreements were inherently fragile and prone to corruption.

“...”

Despite the relative quiet, there were still children and elderly residents around.

We distributed bread and secondhand clothes to the children who approached us. Leo, having visited this area multiple times—evident from his nickname—seemed familiar with their family situations.

The supplies Leo brought were gone in less than an hour.

“Hey, big brother! Show us that thing again!”

Just as we were preparing to leave, a child ran up to Leo, shouting excitedly.

Both Charlotte and I were startled. Then again, thinking about it, Leo probably hadn’t revealed that he was a baron’s son.

“Alright, sure. I’ll show you.”

“Yay!”

Hearing this, more children began gathering around him.