The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

The concept of an “NPC marathon” isn’t exclusive to Azerna Chronicles.

Regardless of culture, most RPGs emphasize the “role-playing” aspect—essentially, the joy of immersing yourself in a character and becoming one of the cast members within the world created by the developers. In some ways, interacting with the various characters can be more crucial than the strength of your own character.

In well-crafted Western RPGs, it’s often possible to finish a storyline without combat, relying entirely on persuasion stats. When it comes to the importance of “conversation” as content, Western RPGs arguably surpass linear stories like Azerna Chronicles. Yet, strangely, I’ve never been compelled to run marathons in those games.

Maybe it’s because I’m more drawn to JRPGs with their abundance of beautiful girls and boys. Or maybe it’s that open-world Western RPGs, with their vast fields, feel overwhelming to explore thoroughly.

But there’s no point dwelling on it now. In this world, “video games” as I know them won’t exist for at least another fifty years. A century, if we’re being realistic, considering the current state of “computers” here. Perhaps they’ll never exist.

And as much as I’d love to design a board game or TRPG system and pitch it to my friends, well... that feels like an uphill battle.

Lately, I’ve been entertaining such thoughts, probably because I’ve encountered a few game-like devices in this world. Additionally, in the original work, it was customary to have conversations with all the major characters before the final battle. This tradition carried over to every sequel in the series.

What I was doing now was essentially the same thing.

Walking down a long hallway, I stopped before a large door and knocked twice.

“Mia, are you there?”

The door was thick, but it seemed my voice carried through. She was likely alone inside.

After a brief pause, the door opened, revealing Mia’s face.

As always, her bangs slightly obscured her eyes. Initially, I found her hairstyle rather gloomy—both in the original work and in this world—but now I noticed it had a certain charm. Perhaps it made her look younger.

Hairstyles like this can appear different depending on the reactions they elicit. In real life, this look takes immense courage to pull off. While the original work’s 3D model based on 2D illustrations could pass it off as “unmanaged hair,” in reality, her neatly trimmed bangs and glossy straight hair hinted at deliberate maintenance. No one could claim it was accidental.

Should I suggest she try a different style someday?

That thought crossed my mind because I no longer associated Mia with her “gloomy image.”

“Ah, hello...”

Her voice was tense.

Considering she might think I was here to discuss upcoming events, her nervousness was understandable.

The Crowfield name wasn’t exactly well-regarded in the kingdom. And with Mia having ventured into Lutetia’s underground and poised to get involved in politically sensitive matters, her anxiety was only natural.

That’s precisely why I was here. Without a conversation, our fragile relationship could shatter at any moment.

“Could we talk for a bit?”

“O-Of course, please.”

Mia hesitated briefly but stepped aside, allowing me into the room.

Though Mia was staying here, the room wasn’t hers. It was a guest room the kingdom had provided for our temporary stay.

The Lutetia Palace wasn’t a hotel. While it had rooms for visiting dignitaries, they weren’t clustered like a hotel’s. Most students were housed in a separate annex, but those who had ventured into Lutetia’s underground were scattered across various areas of the palace, presumably due to their perceived risk.

Even so, no one stopped me from entering her room—unlike Charlotte’s, perhaps.

However, the “maid” silently stationed by the door didn’t strike me as an ordinary one.

Like Alice’s quarters, there was no overt surveillance in Mia’s room. Not that I cared if anyone listened in.

Mia and I each took a seat by the small table in the room.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

I looked directly at Mia.

“If we head to the Holy Nation, will you come with us?”

“...”

Mia hesitated for a moment, then glanced up at me and nodded.

“Yes, I’ll come.”

“Following me won’t grant you any political advantage. In fact, it might worsen the kingdom’s and the Emperor’s impression of you.”

To be honest, it wasn’t just a possibility—it was practically a given. The Crowfield name would become even more entangled in irritating political disputes. While the kingdom wouldn’t outright attack the Empire to reclaim Crowfield’s territory, the old wounds and trade routes connecting Crowfield to the kingdom would remain contentious.

“B-But I still want to go.”

Mia’s response was firm.

“You want to go?”

“Yes.”

So, it was a decision based on emotion rather than practicality.

“May I ask why?”

Was it because of me?

In the original work, Mia was a romanceable heroine. She harbored a deep resentment toward Alice, knowing the Emperor had killed her father. Leo, caught between Alice and Mia, often found himself in trouble.

Ultimately, Leo was the reason Alice and Mia reconciled.

It was only natural both characters fell for him.

But in this world... that event was entirely derailed by my presence. By the time the original story began, Alice had already matured significantly, and for Mia, I—not Alice—was the tangible target of her vengeance.

Naturally, the resolution of that issue had to come from me.

Though it wasn’t something I actively intended to solve—it just turned out that way.

If, through that process, Mia came to see me as a “true friend,” I’d be thrilled.

After all, most of the original game’s characters were ones I liked. I’d even played multiple runs pairing Mia and Leo together, so it was impossible not to feel attached.

“Well...”

Mia hesitated before speaking again.

“I want to see how this story ends.”

Her answer was far more profound than I had expected.

“The story’s end?”

I couldn’t help but ask.

“Um...”

Mia glanced around, as if searching for the right words.

“It’s awkward to bring up now, but I... once tried to kill you, Sylvia.”

“That’s true.”

I wasn’t sure when her hostility had faded, but at some point, Mia stopped openly showing animosity toward me.

I thought it might have been after I barged into her room uninvited. She realized I could kill her anytime, so she became wary. Over time, those murderous thoughts must have completely disappeared.

“Well... even after learning the truth, I considered it a few times.”

What?

Mia’s words were more shocking than I had anticipated.

“Ah, no! Of course, I didn’t seriously plan on killing you! I just... wondered how I could defeat you in a fight!”

Wait, isn’t there a big difference between wanting to “defeat” someone and planning to kill them?

Granted, I’ve considered whether I’d need to kill the Emperor if necessary.

But there’s a stark difference between targeting someone and being targeted. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“To be honest, I could never understand how someone who barely uses magic could fight like that.”

Mia quickly explained, as if eager to move past the subject.