The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

[Did the other two gang up on the one in the middle or something? Why do you look so worn out?]

Get out.

Someone started spewing nonsense the moment the stream began, so I banned them on the spot.

“From now on, anyone saying inappropriate things will be immediately banned.”

[🤨❓🤨❓]

[Knew that guy was gonna get banned eventually]

[Still, saying that to sisters is a bit much]

[But are they really sisters though?]

I silently banned the last idiot too.

If we say we’re sisters, then we’re sisters. Why do you people talk so much?

“What’s going on?”

Alice, who had been watching my hand movements from the side, asked.

“Nothing much. Just someone saying something rude.”

“Mm, I see.”

While I was turning on the console, Alice kept watching the chat and then said,

“Wouldn’t it be better if the two of us learned how to read this country’s writing?”

“......”

Honestly, I didn’t want to pressure them like that.

But who knows how long they’ll be living here? It might really be better if they learned to read.

Even when Claire checked the relic she was carrying, the brightness of the light it emitted hadn’t changed much.

“That might be a good idea.”

“Me! Me!”

Claire shot her hand up excitedly.

“Claire.”

“I can already read a little. I’ve been comparing everything you read out loud with what was on screen every time.”

That probably meant she could match my spoken Korean to the words she saw on the screen. She likely didn’t know the pronunciation. After all, I read everything aloud in Korean without any translations.

But maybe that didn’t really matter. Even if she gets the details wrong, the words she reads would probably be interpreted and understood naturally by others.

Actually, maybe even the pronunciation would be adjusted automatically. Since the Goddess of Order turned us into Koreans, it’d only make sense for her to handle something like that. For the sake of ‘order,’ that kind of adjustment seems more logical.

“Well, I tried to put in some effort too, watching from the side,” Alice added. “Like Claire said, I think I can read a bit now. But if I want to be confident in it, I’ll probably need to study properly.”

When Alice said that, I shrugged lightly.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Then starting tomorrow, let’s learn how to read. Once you two can read, you’ll be able to help with some of the things I do alone, and that’ll make everything a lot easier.”

Both of them nodded happily at that.

[They speak Korean so fluently but can’t read it?]

“...These two learned Korean from dramas and movies.”

[😰😰😰😰]

[Is it really possible to speak Korean that well just from watching TV?]

I didn’t bother responding to that.

From our perspective, the more these people question our situation, the better.

*

The fact that the story was repeating must’ve bothered Millennium Studio at least a little, because after introducing the character Sylvia Fangryphon in the early part of the game, the plot suddenly picked up speed.

And that plot was strikingly similar to the things we had experienced.

Just like how I, knowing the future, had resolved several years’ worth of events in under a year, the Sylvia in the game was doing the same.

Then, in between the major story events, came a brief moment of downtime.

“You’re not going to make up with Sylvia?”

“Yeah.”

Ignoring Alice’s attempts to stop me, I was in the middle of pursuing her route.

Not every character’s relationship event is available at all times. Depending on how in-game time progresses, some become available, others don’t. That’s only natural. If every character just stood around waiting for Leo to talk to them all the time, it would look ridiculous.

In this case, since Sylvia wasn’t selectable and I didn’t want to waste relationship points, I chose another character—and fortunately, Alice was available.

This was the kind of conversation Leo and Alice were having:

“Can I ask why?”

“It’s a reason you don’t need to know.”

“...That may be true, but keeping things bottled up only makes it harder. Sometimes it’s easier to let your thoughts out.”

“And I’m supposed to tell you?”

“Sylvia, and you too, are both my friends now.”

In the original version of the first game, Leo still spoke formally to Alice even well into the middle of the story, constantly stumbling over his words. But now, he was speaking casually like this.

And from that, I became certain—this world had already gone through a rewind.

The Leo I saw in that illusion had also stopped speaking formally to us, unlike at the beginning. Just like the Leo I was watching now, in the game.

“......”

Alice stood frozen, mouth agape at ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Leo’s words.

And rather awkwardly, the background music that had been flowing so smoothly suddenly cut off, creating a moment of silence.

“H-haha...”

Then Alice in the game suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ahahahaha!”

She laughed for a while, holding her stomach in a somewhat stiff animation, before finally letting out a long breath.

But that sigh wasn’t one of annoyance. If anything, it was the kind of sigh you let out when you’ve finally released something heavy from your chest.

“What are you even saying to a princess like me?”

“......”

When Alice teased him like that, Leo looked away and scratched his cheek.

“...Haa, well, fine. If you really want to know that badly. But don’t tell anyone else... actually, don’t even tell Sylvia herself. I don’t want people thinking I’d go around telling others my sister’s secrets.”

“I swear.”

“......”

Alice hesitated again, then finally said:

“I found morphine in Sylvia’s room.”

“Morphine?”

Leo’s face showed clear surprise. Alice nodded, her expression heavy.

“Yeah. Of course, it’s not like Sylvia was actually using it. She doesn’t show any signs of someone addicted to that kind of drug. You’d know too, right?”

Leo nodded, and Alice continued, her face serious.

“I don’t know what Sylvia’s thinking, but it’s something. You know what we are—we’re princesses. Even if we go into battle, there’ll always be healers and mages with us. So why would she ever need morphine? What kind of fights would require that? Sylvia... Sylvia sometimes acts like she already knows the future, so she must have something in mind, but I just don’t get what it is.”

“......”

“...We never really got along that well, but even so, if something’s going on, I wish she’d talk to me about it. Even if she doesn’t rely on me, like you said... it’s better to share what’s on your mind.”

“Then don’t you think that’s even more reason to make up with her?”

“I know, I know that too. I should. But I don’t know how to bring it up. And honestly... even while saying all this, I can’t say I fully trust Sylvia. That’s what makes it complicated. I don’t really know how I feel. It’s frustrating.”

“I get it.”

“Yeah... still, thanks to you, I feel a little better. Alright. I guess I should at least try.”

“I’ll help however I can if I learn anything.”

“Thanks... that means a lot.”

Alice gave Leo a faint, teasing smile as she said it.

*

And the real Alice, sitting next to me, was now glaring daggers at me with narrowed eyes.

As for me, I’d never brought any drugs to school after that first time I was caught, so this was the first I’d even heard of it.

“I’ve never done drugs.”

“Really? Not even once? Not even during the fights?”

“If I had, I’d already be addicted by now. Since coming to this world, have you seen me go through withdrawal even once?”

“...Well, no.”

But Alice’s eyes were still suspiciously narrow, so I continued speaking, suppressing a sigh.

“And no, I didn’t use time travel to sneak in drug use either. Come on, do you think I’d be hiding something like that from you, Alice?”

“...Well.”

I stared her straight in the eye as I said it, and Alice, looking a bit embarrassed, averted her gaze.

“But the possibility was there, right?”

Claire sounded a bit shaken.

“...That possibility was already crushed, thanks to Alice. So there’s no need to worry.”

When I said that, Claire looked at Alice.

“Thanks for protecting our sister.”

“It’s an older sister’s job to protect her younger siblings.”

“Bleh.”

Claire’s face soured instantly at Alice’s line, the emotional mood totally ruined.

[You three really look close. It’s sweet to watch.]

[You really seem like real sisters.]

Well, we are.

Honestly, if I were dealing with all this by myself, I’d feel like my mental health was slowly being chipped away day by day. But with these two at my side—people I get to spend time with every day—I could endure this, even enjoy it.

[Uwooo wwww is this turning into sister yuri wwwww]

Out you go.

I banned the clueless idiot spouting nonsense without hesitation.