The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

No matter how much I considered everyone around me as "my friends," the thoughts of these "friends" were naturally different from one another. Even if they seemed close on the surface, sharing jokes and conversations when I was around, they would often fall silent the moment I left the scene.

It wasn’t because they had bad relationships with one another, but because their connections had been forged through me. What they knew about each other came solely from what they had learned through me. In such cases, people instinctively become cautious about their words, avoiding unnecessary conflicts that could strain their relationships with me.

This kind of awkwardness wouldn’t disappear until they genuinely considered themselves friends without my mediation.

Of course, not every situation was like this.

"Why were you following the princess?"

"I told you, I wasn’t following her."

Sometimes, people could dislike each other for no apparent reason, or misunderstandings could sour a relationship from the start.

And in such cases, the most inconvenienced person was me. If one of them made an irredeemable mistake, I could simply cut ties. But when their falling out stemmed from something trivial, I found myself uncomfortably stuck in the middle.

Luckily, Jake and Lottie weren’t part of such a pre-existing conflict before I got to know them.

After finishing my conversation with Jake and Lottie, I hadn’t gone far from the terrace when I found Sophia and Lena bickering.

Sophia, at least "officially," was a noble from Belvur, with an established status. Lena, on the other hand, hailed from a far-off land compared to Belvur’s position in the empire. While not directly across the empire, Belvur was in the east, and Lena’s homeland, the Ricland Autonomous State, was in the north. The distance was far from insignificant.

The autonomous state wasn’t a country with a grand monarchy or a long history. As the name "autonomous state" implied, it didn’t have much of a voice on the international stage, likely serving as a puppet for the empire’s interests.

Lena had come to the academy to observe me and the empire’s movements. However, since Lena herself seemed friendly toward me, Belvur regarded her as a suspicious outsider, no different from any other imperial citizen.

There was even a servant standing in the corridor, probably to keep an eye on her. Though the servant didn’t interfere in their argument, their presence spoke volumes.

"I hear my name being mentioned. What’s going on here?"

Since I had planned to talk to both of them anyway, I approached them directly and asked. Sophia’s expression briefly flashed with unease at my voice, while Lena continued glaring at her.

"This one here has been following the princess."

"I told you it wasn’t following...."

Sophia repeated her defense, but the sharpness in her voice had diminished slightly, likely due to my presence.

So, she was following me.

That was the conclusion I reached in my mind, though I didn’t let it show on my face.

Honestly, Sophia wasn’t the only one I suspected of following me. Lena wouldn’t have run into Sophia like this if she hadn’t been trailing me too.

Keeping my expression neutral, I said, "Well, this works out nicely. I was planning to meet both of you anyway."

At that, both of their gazes turned to me. Sophia’s unease flickered again, while Lena’s expressionless face betrayed a faint sparkle in her eyes.

Lena’s admiration for me hadn’t waned. If anything, it seemed to deepen as time went on. And why wouldn’t it? Every time she saw me in action, enemies would fall like dominoes.

Sophia likely felt the same. While she could undoubtedly defeat me in a straightforward duel, she had witnessed me take down an entire squad of knights the previous night. Even if my victory relied on time manipulation, the outcome was undeniable. Her wariness was understandable.

"Both of you, follow me."

I spoke before either could voice any objections, eager to avoid the hassle of arranging separate meetings with them.

There was no need to go to either of their rooms. Those weren’t their usual quarters, so visiting them wouldn’t reveal anything noteworthy.

I started walking without waiting for a response, and after a brief pause, I heard footsteps following me. Judging by the timing, Sophia’s steps were likely the later ones.

The walk to my room was long enough to sort my thoughts.

*

"Neither of you are citizens of the empire."

There was no response to my opening statement.

I had gone through the trouble of brewing tea and setting a cup before each of them, but neither seemed in the mood to drink. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Sophia sat stiffly, visibly tense since the moment she entered the room. Lena, on the other hand, exuded a sharp energy, as if she were keeping a close watch on Sophia.

I considered addressing their attitudes but decided against it. Better to let the conversation smooth things over naturally—or so I hoped.

...It turned out that hope was overly optimistic.

"So, there’s no need for either of you to do me any favors. While you may hold the status of academy students and have been treated as cadets of the empire until now, I can’t ask you to abandon your identities or beliefs."

Neither of them responded, but their eyes were fixed on me.

"Lena, you came here as an exchange student from the autonomous state. It might have been a mistake to involve you so deeply in imperial matters. As a mere student, you’ve been dragged into things far beyond your scope."

Lena’s expression suggested she wanted to say something, but I quickly continued to preempt her.

"Given your position as a student and your parents’ standing, it’s clear that your nation has certain expectations of you. However, I must ask you to keep what happens next confidential. Doing so may even go against your nation’s interests."

"..."

Hearing this, Lena seemed hesitant to give the immediate agreement I was looking for.

Whether her parents had explicitly told her to monitor me or not was unclear. But the very fact that she had been sent to study in the empire suggested their intent. Maybe they subtly probed her during school breaks, or perhaps they outright instructed her to report on me.

Lena was earnest and loyal, but I couldn’t be sure she’d defy her parents’ orders. Unlike the main characters of the original game, I didn’t have the luxury of seeing what Lena did when I wasn’t looking. She was an original character who never appeared in the game.

Still, my intention wasn’t to say, I can’t bring you because secrecy is too important.

"I need strength, and the people who provide that strength must be those I can trust. Lena, you are someone I trust. This is an unreasonable request, but will you help me?"

Lena’s abilities were unquestionably reliable. She wasn’t just playing a role—she had observed my combat style up close and adapted it into her own.

Having her support in battle would be invaluable.

If possible, I wanted her by my side in the final moments.

Besides, even if she shared the emperor’s plans with others, would it really matter?

The nobles of Belvur already had a general understanding of the situation. And even if the autonomous state learned about it, they wouldn’t be able to act militarily against the empire—not after witnessing the bombardments along the border.

Could the emperor have planned all this with that in mind?

I couldn’t dismiss the possibility.