The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 30
EP.30 First Impressions (5)
There was one thing I had firmly decided. I was going to stick with this concept to the very end. Sure, part of me wanted to blend into the main cast as a character, but on a deeper level, I realized it was far too late to hide my true nature—my otaku nature.
Then again, would people in this era even understand the concept of an otaku?
No, wait… Actually, this world already had a few famous characters. Not the ones that appear in this game, but characters that existed in the background setting.
Most of the old characters that are popular on 21st-century Earth actually originated in the early to mid-20th century. Many of these characters gained popularity through short animations, weekly, or daily comic strips that emerged with the development of printing and video technology, and their popularity has continued to this day.
Of course, since this world was set in 1901, some might question whether such characters could even exist here yet. However, even before then, there were characters like “The Yellow Kid,” who gained sensational popularity. This character was so famous that it became the origin of the term “yellow journalism,” and the comic strip featuring this character was serialized in the 1890s.
…This was something the developers mentioned in an interview to defend the game’s setting.
The setting in question involved a character that was quite popular in this world. It was a dog named Digger, the star of an in-universe comic called Digger the Dog. The story revolved around Digger, a dog who loved to dig, and the chaos that unfolded every time he dug the ground, depicted in short comic strips. The comic had gained massive popularity in the newspapers.
Since Yellow Kid had problematic elements like its racially charged content, it seemed like they had created Digger as an original character to avoid that. Even so, Digger had that bold line work that was typical of early 20th-century characters, with a style reminiscent of those old-fashioned Disney characters.
Last year, film and camera technology had finally debuted, and the movie industry was just starting to take shape. Short, three-to-five-minute silent animations were also starting to emerge, though everything was still in black and white.
So, what if I adopted this quirk of liking the Digger character?
“…”
It didn’t seem like a bad idea.
I originally liked watching cartoons. I wasn’t fanatically obsessed with Disney cartoons, but I had seen almost all the famous ones.
Since some rough-quality stuffed dolls were starting to be produced, maybe I could buy a few later. Of course, not right now. I’d do it later—maybe a year or two from now. Because if I did it now, it would be too embarrassing. It had already been mortifying enough turning back time, and I couldn’t imagine enduring that level of cringe in real-time. No matter how long I had lived as a girl, I still had those thirty years of life as a man before that.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Alice’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I looked up at her.
“You’re staring at the book, but your eyes aren’t moving at all.”
I heard Alice’s comment.
It was true, I hadn’t been fully focused. Then again, I didn’t really feel like concentrating anyway.
“I was just thinking about this morning’s sparring match.”
I replied.
“Sparring? Oh.”
Alice seemed to have drawn her own conclusions from my words.
“Were you evaluating the movements of our classmates?”
…I hadn’t been, but I decided to go along with her assumption. It fit my character better anyway.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I nodded as I answered.
Honestly, attending the academy was much more challenging than staying in the capital. If nothing else, maintaining my character was a lot harder than I had anticipated. And this was just the first day of classes.
Alice, embodying the idea that “a student’s duty is to study,” headed straight to the library after classes ended. She began reviewing today’s lessons, so I sat in front of her and pretended to read a book.
…I didn’t see much point in reviewing class material. Given my situation, I’d probably have to redo it multiple times anyway. It made more sense to cram when the exams came around. It might be cramming for everyone else, but I would have more than enough time.
“How was it?”
Alice put down her pen and asked. She seemed to be expecting my evaluation.
Although I hadn’t seen Alice’s fight in full, I could tell she wasn’t asking for an assessment of herself.
“Most were average.”
I spoke honestly.
Even among the main characters in the game, some had led lives that had nothing to do with fighting. The academy might serve as a military school, but not every student who graduated was aiming to become an officer.
So, even from my perspective—or rather, from the perspective of an ordinary person with no special training—most students had awkward movements.
“But there were a few exceptional ones.”
Alice nodded, as if she had felt the same.
Alice had won her duel against Charlotte. However, Alice believed she had won by a narrow margin. From the brief glimpse I had of Charlotte’s swordsmanship, I agreed. Although she hadn’t used sword energy, her refined swordsmanship alone was impressive.
As for Claire Grace, I’d already sparred with her directly, so I didn’t need to revisit that.
Leo Grace, too, performed admirably, especially considering his opponent was Jennifer. The fact that he held his own, even though Jennifer hadn’t used firearms, showed that his movements were at least on par with Claire’s. But then again, he was the protagonist, so it made sense.
And then… there was Mia Crowfield, the daughter of Count Crowfield—the man I had killed. Like me, she had black hair, but her bangs were so long that they almost completely covered her eyes, giving her a gloomy atmosphere.
Considering that her once kind and caring father had been brutally murdered, it made sense she would seem so withdrawn. People had said the largest piece of his body they found was a finger. The rest? Bone fragments and flesh. They had identified the count’s remains based on the scraps of clothing clinging to them.
Though Mia Crowfield hadn’t seen her father’s corpse herself, she must have heard the story. And in all likelihood, she had also caught wind of the rumor that the Emperor was behind the assassination of Count Crowfield, just like in the original story.
The staff Mia Crowfield wielded during class was nothing more than a dummy. It could cast minor spells but nothing lethal. The staff even had a magic power gauge resembling a thermometer, showing how much mana a spell would require. When Mia tried to use magic with the dummy staff, the gauge shattered completely. Jennifer declared Mia the victor right on the spot, with a pleased expression on her face.
…In the original game, Mia had cast a powerful spell that pierced her opponent with a large ice spike.
Mia hadn’t made eye contact with me even once. But if she ever learned that I was the one who killed her father, how would she react? She barely spoke to me now, likely because of my status as a princess. If she knew the truth, she might actually try to kill me. After all, in the original story, she had reacted the same way once Claire’s true actions were revealed. That thought sent a chill down my spine.
In the game, the injuries were just visual effects—no real wounds, no blood. But in reality, a giant hole would be punched through the body. In the game, getting slashed by a sword or shot by a gun only reduced HP, and most characters stood there unfazed. It was an accepted game mechanic, and players didn’t question it. People who nitpicked about such things were considered odd. In FPS games, there were those who pointed out how characters recovered after a few seconds of rest after being shot.
I didn’t see any way Mia and I could become friends. And even if we didn’t get along, it wouldn’t be a big problem. The Crowfield family’s storyline progressed independently of mine. There was no need for me to intervene. Leo was there, after all.
“Well, at least we’re not surrounded by complete nobodies. There’s definitely something to learn here.”
Alice remarked with a satisfied smile, picking up her pen again.
I knew that her smile wasn’t just because there was something to learn. It was likely because she had found new friends, like Charlotte.
I hoped that smile would never fade.
And I would make sure of that.
*
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Leo, Claire’s sibling—although he insisted he was her older brother despite being younger—asked her. The two were seated together at an outdoor café. It was mid-April, and the warm sunlight, a sign that winter had fully passed, bathed the area. Claire believed it would be foolish to let such sunshine go to waste.
The buildings near the academy used the most modern boilers available. Though smoke still rose from the chimneys, it was white, not black. Instead of thick smog, it was just steam.
Many in the Empire viewed black smoke as a symbol of modernization, something to be proud of, but Claire did not agree. Coming to the academy had opened her eyes to how different the world could be. What did those people see in black smoke anyway? Let them clean the chimneys themselves if they were so proud of it.
Of course, the world seemed different for reasons beyond the clear skies and clean air.
“It’s a secret.”
Claire replied.
However, Claire couldn’t reveal the reason to Leo.
She cherished him as family, but despite having known Leo far longer than Sylvia, Claire still felt closer to Sylvia. Perhaps it was because Sylvia had been the first “protector” Claire had ever known, despite not being an adult herself. She had been more mature than any adult around her.
Being separated from one’s biological parents at a young age didn’t erase the bond. Children often remember their parents for years and shed tears of joy when reunited. Sylvia wasn’t old enough to be Claire’s parent, of course, but from the looks of things, they appeared to be the same age.
In truth, Claire had wanted to go out to a place like this with Sylvia and have tea together. She wanted to talk about what had happened, how they had been. But Sylvia must have her own stories. After all, she had gone from being an orphan, almost lost in the back alleys, to living in the imperial palace as a princess.
“…”
As a child, Sylvia used to smile often. She had never been the kind to laugh loudly, but she would offer quiet smiles to the children, sharing food and telling old stories. Those memories, though distant, were ones Claire could never forget—they were the first “memories” she had ever cherished.
Now, Sylvia spoke formally even to those her own age and was filled with secrets.
What had happened to her during her time in the imperial palace?
It was clear that whatever it was, it wasn’t the kind of thing one could simply laugh off as a fond memory.
“Actually… Never mind. I feel like asking more would only cause trouble.”
Leo mumbled. He had been about to ask something when he noticed Claire’s sudden change in expression and decided to stay quiet.
Even if he had asked, Claire couldn’t have answered—Sylvia had asked her to keep quiet, after all.
But that was fine. They would continue seeing each other in the future anyway.
Considering how many times Claire had hoped and been disappointed over the past ten years, she knew there would be plenty of opportunities to bring back Sylvia’s smile.
“Now you’re smiling again.”
Ignoring Leo’s muttered comment, Claire took a sip of her milk tea, which was loaded with sugar and milk.