Epilogue

Epilogue

 

CURTIS, ONE OF THE scholarship students at Holfort Academy, wandered into the men’s restroom. He intended to straighten his hair at the mirror, but someone else had beaten him to it.

“Oh, it’s you. You’re—”

The other man panicked, shoving something into his pocket. “N-no, it’s not what you think, I swear!”

Curtis chuckled, feeling relieved. “Hey, I would never blame another guy for good grooming.”

He assumed that the other man, Aaron, was here for the same reason that he was. But when Aaron started blushing, Curtis got the feeling that something was off.

It looked like he was just combing his hair, but his lips are all glossy.

Aaron wasn’t using lipstick, but his mouth did look shiny for a dude. His hairstyle was odd too. When Curtis had seen him previously, Aaron had gone for a more rough-and-tumble look, but now his hair looked carefully styled. Even his uniform was neat and perfectly buttoned. Aaron’s wild attitude hadn’t endeared him to Curtis in the past, but he looked more clean-cut and respectable now.

When Aaron realized that Curtis was staring at his lips, he panicked. “Th-this is just lip cream!”

“Lip cream?”

“You know, for dried lips? I was just slathering some on, that’s all.”

“O-oh, okay.” Curtis scrunched up his face, concerned. It’s not even winter and his lips still get chapped? Must be tough.

“S-sorry,” Aaron said, beating a retreat. “Toodle-loo!”

Toodaloo? Something about that word felt off. There was no rule against a guy saying it, but the way Aaron said it sounded weirdly feminine.

As Curtis watched Aaron leave, he heard something else that struck him as odd. “Hm?”

Aaron must have run into someone he knew outside.

“Aaron, you’re looking beautiful today.”

“I bet you say that to everyone.”

Question marks popped up over Curtis’s head.

Uh, what’s going on? Why does Aaron sound all buddy-buddy with this guy? He was only ever interested in skirt chasing before…

Curtis had seen him hanging with some other school delinquents, trying to hit on girls. Yeah, there was definitely something odd about Aaron’s current behavior.

Come to think of it, it seems like he only hangs out with dudes lately. Don’t tell me…

A shiver ran down his spine.

 

***

 

Despite the early hour, Marie’s estate was already noisy.

A drowsy Greg slumped across the table. “Is breakfast not ready yet?” he whined.

“It would be ready much faster if you helped us,” Kyle huffed.

“My specialty is eating food, not making it. Besides, why don’t you pick on Bartfort?”

I was lounging about waiting for breakfast, just like him.

Kyle shook his head. “The earl is a separate matter. He’s covering the cost of our meal.”

Don’t underestimate the power of money! Now Kyle can’t get mad at me for not helping.

As we waited in the dining hall, Julius and Jilk wandered in.

“Remind me,” said the prince, “what’s our schedule for today?”

“We have to visit the embassy for questioning. The kingdom has sent a team to investigate the incident.”

We hadn’t even eaten yet, and they were already talking about work.

Brad came down next, still on the mend. “What are we having this morning?” he asked as Carla carried in some plates.

She rounded on him. “Please don’t get in my way! All of you, to your seats!”

She and Kyle bustled in and out of the dining hall, and Marie and Noelle’s voices echoed from the kitchen.

“Noelle, please take care of that!”

“Gotcha!”

Despite her appearance, Noelle was actually pretty savvy with chores.

Guess this is what you’d call gap moe, huh?

As we bided our time, Chris waltzed in covered in sweat. “That was a good workout.”

Greg glanced over at him. “I feel overheated just lookin’ at you,” he scoffed. “Go take a shower.”

“What about you? You still look half-asleep. Why don’t you go wash your face instead of running your mouth?”

While the two of them bristled at each another, Brad simply shrugged. “Lively as always, I see. Guess it’s not surprising, coming from those two meatheads.”

But that only made him their target.

“Perhaps you should train a little more yourself.”

“You said it. Then maybe he wouldn’t have gotten so beaten up.”

Brad jabbed a finger at them. “Are you trying to say you two could have done any better?!”

As the dining hall erupted with noise, Marie scuttled in carrying a frying pan and a ladle. She banged them together to get everyone’s attention.

“Quiet, all of you! Breakfast is coming, so you better eat it without any complaints!”

She looked like a daycare worker wrangling a bunch of unruly children. She and her helpers brought out corn soup and toast that looked oddly familiar.

“Ah, I know what this is,” I said, staring down at it.

It was a breakfast exactly how our mom used to make it, back in Japan. There was a fried egg and two slices of bacon, arranged exactly as I remembered. Nostalgia welled in my chest.

So Marie actually learned to cook just like our mom.

Noelle slid up beside me. “Here,” she said. “We have extra bacon.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yeah! It’s no big deal.”

I was the only one who got an extra slice, and that didn’t go unnoticed.

Julius bit into his toast, eyes filled with envy. “So only Bartfort gets special treatment? Wish I could get the same.”

It was pretty pathetic for a prince to whine over an extra slice of bacon.

“You must have eaten pretty well when you lived at the palace, right? You can suck it up for just one meal.”

“All of Marie’s cooking is new and inventive. Plus, it’s delicious!”

I was at a loss for how to respond to his gag-worthy praise.

I glanced at Marie as she returned from the kitchen with a fresh piece of toast, having already polished off her eggs and bacon. How did she manage to fit second helpings into that petite body?

“Ooooh! I can’t believe how smoothly this jam spreads,” she crooned. “And it was only a little more expensive than what we usually buy!” There were several jars on the table, and she had selected her favorite. “Ahh, nothing beats having jam options. This is true happiness.”

Okay, that made me want to cry. “If that’s what you call happiness, then just how bad has your life been here?”

Back in Japan, she’d extorted money from me before going off on a luxury trip overseas. She sure was easier to please now.

Carla clasped her hands. “Lady Marie, I’d like the orange jam!”

“Sure. Make sure to slather it on thick. We have plenty to go around!”

Kyle reached for the blueberry. “Yes, it truly is freeing not to have to worry about our next meal.”

Why did I always feel like sobbing whenever I ate with these guys?! I just need to turn off my mind and enjoy the food. It reminds me of home.

Noelle peered at me. “Leon, you have a bit of food on your face.”

“Yeah? It’s fine. I’ll wipe it off when I’m done.”

She dabbed at my mouth with a napkin. “Nuh-uh. You’re an earl. You need to act like one.”

Huh, she’s got a nurturing side. I like that. If I weren’t already engaged, I might have fallen for her.

“This toast is delicious,” Julius said in between bites. “But the crumbs get everywhere.”

Jilk nodded solemnly. “I must agree, Your Highness. Is there no cleaner way to go about this?”

Meanwhile, Greg scarfed his toast down without blinking an eye. “Don’t worry about it. Eat up!”

The breakfast table sure was lively this morning.

Noelle laughed.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I like it here. I used to eat breakfast with my sister, but I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

“Did something happen between you two?”

Noelle pursed her lips. “You know, this and that. Lelia’s just worried about me, that’s all.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant. They might have been twins, but I guessed they still had their differences, just like anyone else.

 

***

 

Marie’s mansion was luxurious, and it even came with a reception room for entertaining guests. The room was perfectly furnished, with a coffee table sandwiched between two sofas.

The embassy had arranged it all. It made sense, since the former crown prince was living here. They sure knew how to keep up appearances. Sure, my estate had some of the same stuff, but it wasn’t nearly as opulent.

I was currently in the aforementioned reception room, serving tea to our guest. “H-here you go,” I said.

“Wonderful. I was feeling a bit parched.”

The woman took a seat and reached gracefully for the cup, taking a sip. Anyone who didn’t know her would have assumed she was a pampered noble. This girl (or lady, perhaps, since she had already graduated from the academy) had blonde hair styled in ringlets that cascaded down her shoulders. Her name was Deirdre Fou Roseblade, and she was an acquaintance of mine.

“It’s been a while since you made tea for me. Have you improved a bit?”

It really must taste good. Flattery isn’t really her style.

“Perhaps it’s the tea leaves here in the republic?” I suggested.

“Indeed. In which case, I should consider taking some home with me,” she said, sipping happily.

But why is she here? I honestly had no idea. “Uh, so…are you here to sightsee?”

Miss Deirdre smiled. “Oh, pardon my manners. I’m actually here on business. His Majesty requested I visit to see how things are proceeding. Speaking of which, he entrusted me with a letter for you.”

I took the envelope, slit it open, and glanced over the contents.

 

You did a splendid job causing trouble in the republic, you rotten little brat. We already lack the manpower over here, so we’ve had to employ fresh graduates to carry some of the load. I hear you’re acquainted with the girl I’m sending. Hope you two get along! Just know that, if you cheat, I’ll be sure to tell Duke Redgrave what a two-timing snake you are.

Sincerely,

Your Amazing and Incredible King

 

My face betrayed no emotion as I tore the letter in half.

Miss Deirdre seemed to sense what was written in it. She grinned. “You two really are close, aren’t you?”

I laughed at the absurdity of that idea, but the emotion soon drained from my face. “Yes, we’re so close that we want to sock each other in the face.”

Man, I wish I could punch him right now.

At least that explained why Miss Deirdre was here—to aid in the investigation. Despite the issues with her personality, she seemed genuinely devoted to performing her task.

“I already got the gist of things from the embassy,” she said. “The son of one of the Six Great Houses provoked you, so you challenged him to a duel and gave him the beating of a lifetime. Ah, it makes my whole body tremble with excitement.” Her cheeks flushed, and she pressed her index finger to her lips.

Pervert.

“They don’t call you the Hero of Holfort for nothing. You put the Six Great Houses in their place and improved the kingdom’s status. A splendid contribution. My heart hasn’t fluttered like this in a while.”

I had no idea what to say to that. “Uh…so you just came here today to say hi?”

“Why, of course not. I brought you a gift. Surely you want to know how the republic is handling this matter, don’t you? I have exclusive information. Something that an exchange student like yourself would not normally be privy to.”

So she’s going to clue me in to what she learned since arriving here. I had Luxion gathering intel already, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I hope it’s something entertaining, at least,” I said.

“Holfort requested they hand over Pierre, since he put a curse on Prince Julius, but the republic rejected us outright.”

“His house is protecting him, huh?” That seemed the most likely reason.

Miss Deirdre snickered. “You have a good relationship with your family, don’t you? I can tell.”

“Huh? Not really. I’m definitely not close with my sisters. They’re—”

“Pierre was trying to kick out his older brother so he could inherit. When his brother learned of that, he was enraged.”

Now, in the republic’s terminology, Pierre was classified as Unprotected, and his peers scorned him for it. If he ever had any children, they wouldn’t receive the Sacred Tree’s blessing either. This effectively nullified his noble status. He couldn’t even enter into a political marriage. It was all just as I’d planned.

“Did they imprison him? Or are they claiming he’s ‘taken ill’ or something?”

Miss Deirdre averted her eyes and twisted a lock of hair between her fingers. “They claim he took his life to repent for his crimes. Given how enraged his family was, I suspect they’re actually torturing him in their basement.”

“The nobles here don’t even show mercy to their own families.”

“Holfort is no better.”

She had to be referring to the nobility’s darker side. I wanted no part of that.

“You knew what would happen to him, didn’t you?” Deirdre asked.

I would have been lying if I said I didn’t feel a little guilty, but ultimately, the responsibility fell on Pierre. “He brought it on himself, right? He messed with our idiot prince, so we had to get even. He was the one who started all this.”

Miss Deirdre was a noble herself, and she was pleased with my answer. “Good. If you’d said that you never meant for things to go so far, I would have slapped you.”

Livia, on the other hand…she’d probably be pissed at me.

“It seems the academy schedule will resume without issue,” Miss Deirdre went on. “You and the others will continue to attend, as before. Though I would advise caution.”

“I’m sure you’re not directing that at me.”

“There’s no one else here. Of course I’m directing it at you. Once I’ve given my report to the kingdom, I’ll be coming right back. Although, someone else will be employed for the real negotiations.”

That made sense. This was an international issue and required a proper official. My negotiations with the Six Great Houses were purely personal.

Miss Deirdre lifted herself out of her seat. “Sadly, I am a busy woman, so I will have to excuse myself. Oh! I nearly forgot.” She pulled out two letters and passed them to me. “Make sure to contact those two. They were worried sick about you.”

 

***

 

Mr. Leon, are you doing well? I hope you’re not hurt or sick. Are you eating okay?

 

Tears pricked at my eyes as I read Livia’s letter. The one from Angie was just as moving. She asked me to run straight back home if anything bad happened. That came as a surprise—most nobles would be more concerned with appearances than my well-being.

Luxion peered over, looking almost apologetic. “I will not be able to field any correspondence for a time.”

While his ship had straddled the border between the two countries, we had been able to trade messages with the kingdom. But now that he’d moved closer, the mana was so dense here that it disrupted his signal.

“Such is life. But since you brought it up, when will you be able to move back?”

“Depends on how things play out here. I remain on standby to service and resupply the Einhorn and Arroganz.”

“Guess I should write another letter by hand,” I said. “And send them a souvenir while I’m at it.”

“I believe that would be wise.”

I plopped down in my chair and stared up at the ceiling.

“Concerned about Pierre?” Luxion asked.

“Nah, he made his bed. Now he gets to lie in it.”

All the evil he’d sowed was coming back to haunt him. I had no sympathy for that jerk, though I couldn’t deny I’d driven him into his current predicament.

“Master, to be honest, there is one thing that’s weighing on—”

Before he could finish, Marie burst through the door. “Big Brooooo!”

I glared at her. “Learn to knock.”

“No worries. I have no interest in whatever you do in your alone time. Uh, anyway! Y-you have a guest!”

“Seriously? Again?” I frowned. Who could it be this time?

Marie flailed her arms around. “It’s Lelia! And get this: She reincarnated here too!”

I stared at her blankly, unable to process what she was saying. “She what?”

 

***

 

I arrived in the reception room to find Noelle waiting.

“Oh, Leon.”

Whatever she and Lelia had been talking about moments before, it couldn’t have been good. Noelle’s expression was clouded over, and Lelia was glaring at us. It wasn’t until she spotted Luxion hovering over my shoulder that her eyes widened. Judging by how she kept her guard up, she knew exactly what he was.

“Noelle,” I said. “Do you mind if we talk to your little sister for a bit?”

“No, go for it.”

She glanced at Lelia, who folded her arms and crossed her legs as if this was what she’d been waiting for.

“There’s plenty I’d like to discuss with you, as well,” said Lelia. “It seems you’ve been taking good care of my older sister.”

“Okay,” Noelle warned her twin before she left the room. “But be nice.”

Marie pulled a face as she glanced between Lelia and me.

“So, you reincarnated here?” I asked.

“That’s right,” said Lelia. “As the protagonist’s twin sister. I had everything planned out too. Until you made a mess of it all.”

I sank down onto the couch, and Marie took her spot beside me. “I apologize for that.”

Luxion stared at Lelia. “Well? What did you come here for?”

She peered at him for a moment before turning to me. “Why do you have a cheat item?”

“Because I worked hard to retrieve it.”

“Well, whatever. Doesn’t matter.” She frowned and then moved on to her real reason for coming. “I’d like my sister back, along with the sapling.”

“Come again?” Marie scoffed. She was even more pissed off than I was. “And why should we take orders from you?”

“The sapling will wilt without my sister, since she’s the one with the aptitude to become Priestess. Don’t you even know that much? If that sapling dies, it’ll screw up the whole story line!”

As much as that bothered Lelia, I couldn’t have cared less. Well, except that there was one thing that ate at me. “Hold on a sec. Don’t you have the aptitude too?”

Lelia sniffed. “No. Only Noelle.”

A cold sweat ran down Marie’s forehead. “Wait, wait. But you’re twins, right? Shouldn’t you be just as qualified? You could split it evenly, you know, like how each of you has a side ponytail instead of one Lespinasse heir with twintails.”

“Our hair has nothing to do with this!” Lelia snapped. “Before House Lespinasse fell, our parents told us that only Noelle could become Priestess. She’s the protagonist, not me.”

I glanced over at Luxion.

“The information I have obtained from the Six Great Houses states that the Priestess is chosen by her bloodline,” he said.

Lelia shook her head. “The Priestess acts as a link between the people and the Sacred Tree. My mother was the previous Priestess, and my father was the Guardian. They said that isn’t how it works, and if anyone would know, it’s them. Simple as that.”

Marie and I both held our heads.

“This can’t be. Our plan just went right out the window.”

“Luxion, you lying jerk!”

Lelia scowled at us. “Do you have any idea how much effort went into my plan? My house was destroyed in a fire when I was a child, and I was chased out of my home. I’ve spent all these years looking after my sister until we got to the academy. It was exhausting. I thought the world would be safe once I set her up with Loic.”

Well, that raised a few red flags.

“Hold up. Don’t tell me you’ve been riling up Loic?”

“I did. He’s vital to the true ending. They’re fated for each other.”

By true ending, I assumed she meant the canonical end of the game. So that involved Loic pairing up with Noelle?

I pulled a face.

“What?” Lelia asked. “Got a problem?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Noelle hates Loic’s guts.”

I shot Marie a look, wanting her to back me up.

“Yeah. Loic’s not even a possibility,” she agreed. “I mean, she really hates him. Like, we’re talking viscerally disgusted. She can’t even stomach the idea. I don’t think you’re going to have any luck pairing those two together.”

Oof. If someone I liked told me they were “viscerally disgusted” by me, I’d probably hole up in my room for three days. Surely Lelia could understand where her sister was coming from.

“B-but in the game, my sister and Loic—”

“If this world followed the script perfectly,” Marie said, sounding pained, “none of us would have to suffer.”

She knew about that firsthand. I did feel for a her a little.

“Yeah, you went through a lot,” I agreed. “Mainly because you went down the reverse harem route and failed spectacularly.”

Marie wiped her tears on her sleeve. “Don’t remind me. I already regret it.”

Lelia wrinkled her nose. “Seriously? You actually tried for the reverse harem route? Ugh. What a loser. Who even does that?”

“Oh, shut up!” Marie snapped. “It’s human nature to seize happiness when you see it just lying around. Besides, you’re the one who went for Easy-Pick Emile! You can’t judge me!”

“Excuse me? My intentions were sincere. I only chose one guy!”

“Hah! Don’t make me laugh. You chose him because he’s rich and comes from a nice family, right? Sincere my butt.”

This was turning into a cat fight.

“Well, at least I didn’t take all the love interests for myself!”

“Oh, please! You may have targeted a single guy, but you’re doing the same thing!”

“Don’t compare us!”

It quickly escalated. The two of them hopped out of their seats and grabbed at each other’s clothes and hair, hurling insults back and forth.

I shook my head. “Yikes.”

“I am afraid I must echo the sentiment,” said Luxion.

When the girls were exhausted and gasping for air, I saw an opportunity to end it.

“Well, anyway…we basically all want to avoid the end of the world. So, why don’t we cooperate?”

Lelia was in the same boat as us. Since we’d all reincarnated here, it made sense to work together.

Lelia huffed, combing her hair back down and adjusting her clothes as she and Marie returned to their seats.

“You want to ‘cooperate’? You’re the one who ruined Pierre’s event and split my sister and Loic apart!”

“Sorry,” I said with a shrug, completely insincere. “But he started it. I have my own honor to uphold. As for Loic, his actions were getting dangerous. I thought it best to stop him.”

“Loic is simply a little possessive, that’s all. It’s part of his charm. I’m sure he’ll cool it once he and Noelle are together.”

A little? She thought that was a little?! Clearly women have a different definition of “a little possessive.”

“Anyway,” Lelia continued. “The big problem is that you ruined Pierre’s event scene! And who backs someone into a corner the way you did?! Emile says that Pierre is in some serious hot water!”

Guess she saw our duel. I shrugged. “It’s his fault for picking a fight. I may have backed him into a corner, but he set himself up by being a scumbag. You can’t put that on me. He shouldn’t have been stupid enough to fall into my trap.”

Lelia glared at me. “You really are a pig.”

Marie shot out of her seat. “Pierre hardly seems worthy of empathy! Besides, you really should cooperate with us.”

We shared the same objective, so surely we could work together. Lelia seemed displeased, but she didn’t refuse. “For now, just give me the sapling and my sister.”

I pulled out the case with the sapling and set it on the table. I figured it would be pivotal to our discussion, so I’d brought it with me. “You don’t have to worry about that. I put it in a special case, so it won’t be drying up for—hey, wait a sec.”

The back of my right hand had lit up. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it looked like the sapling was glowing too.

“Your hand!” Marie gasped.

There was a seal etched onto my skin. “What the hell?! Hey, someone explain this!”

Lelia gawked in disbelief. “Wh-why do you have the Guardian’s crest?!”

“Oh? The Sacred Tree has a good eye for people,” said Luxion. “It has selected you as its Guardian.”

“Meeeee?!”

Even though the sapling had yet to choose its Priestess, somehow I was its Guardian? That position was meant to go to the protagonist’s love interest. Why had it picked me?

This was definitely not how any of us had pictured this turning out.

Crap! What happens now?!

 

***

 

Back in Holfort Kingdom, Livia and Angie sipped their tea solemnly while Cleare floated nearby.

“That sourpuss Luxion still hasn’t contacted us.”

Livia frowned, staring down into her lap as she prayed for Leon’s safety. “I wonder if our letters reached him.”

Angie calmly sipped her tea. She was concerned too. “If nothing else, Deirdre is a woman of her word. She will see he gets them.”

Assuming Deirdre was in a position to hand the letters over. The two of them had no idea what the situation was in the republic or what was going on with Leon. They wanted to rush over there and find out, but they’d been ordered to stay put.

“The letters should be with him by now.”

The emails Luxion had sent were instantaneous. Unfortunately, regular communication took a little longer.

“Everything will be fine,” Cleare assured them. “Master is made of tough stuff, and I can’t imagine there’s an enemy that Luxion can’t beat. I am sure they’re just busy cleaning up the mess.”

Livia nodded. “I hope you’re right.”

Angie sighed. “The problem is that Leon can be rash. I wonder what has happened over there.”

“If you’re that worried,” Cleare said, “I’ll look into it!”

Livia lifted her head. “You can do that?”

“Yes! I’ve sent out a relay communicator. Granted, it’s not very effective, and it basically amounts to hacking, which Luxion hates.”

Angie’s calm facade went right out the window. “We’ll take whatever we can get! Whatever you can tell us about Leon, we want to know as soon as possible.”

“It’ll be fragmented, but I can do it.”

“That’s fine,” said Livia. “As long as Leon is safe.”

Angie pressed her hands to her chest, praying that he was well.

Cleare proceeded to hack into Luxion. Her blue lens lit up. “All right, let’s see what I can find. Luxion’s main body is currently located…”

Livia clasped her hands together. “Please let Mr. Leon be safe.”

Angie threw an arm around her, squeezing. “It will be okay. Leon is tough.”

“Eeeek!” Cleare screeched.

Livia leaped to her feet. “What is it?!”

Angie grabbed Cleare with both hands. “Tell us! Is Leon okay?!”

“Um, I only got my hands on Luxion’s logs. Nothing too important.”

“A-and?!” Livia leaned closer.

Cleare hesitated, knowing that the truth would only heighten their anxiety. “So, uh, Master is fine. Luxion is with him. Rie and the others are safe too.”

Angie and Livia turned to each other, clasping hands. Their enormous breasts squeezed together.

“What a relief, he’s safe!”

“Oh, Angie, I’m so glad!”

Angie and Livia smiled at one another. Neither of them made any mention of Marie or the boys.

“B-but, uh, you see… Master’s actually kinda staying…in the same place as Rie and the others.”

The girls’ faces darkened.

“I’m sure he must have some reason for staying with them,” said Livia. “Right?”

Angie pulled a face. “Yes, I’m sure. The embassy must not have been able to prepare his own place. That’s the only explanation. There’s no other possible reason why he’d stay in the same house as—”

“I can’t be sure,” Cleare interrupted. “Since the information I collected was fragmented, but I did pick up something that Luxion was muttering. Uh, he said, ‘This is what they call two-timing.’”

All light left the girls’ eyes, and emotion drained from their faces.