Chapter 16
“You’re propositioning me, right? Me, not Lucian.”
“Yes, I’m talking to you.”
Why me, who gets a critical hit just by being grazed? The one who actually propositioned me, Zephyros, looked at me as if to ask why I was looking for the hero. Ah, it seems he’s serious.
“Absolutely not.”
You want me to get involved with the sub-protagonist here too? No thanks!
“What’s your complaint? This is a chance to become a vassal of the Duke of Nevera, no less. Are you so stupid that you don’t know how many students approach me for that reason alone?”
Yeah, not interested. And who is this bastard calling stupid?
The most important thing for me right now was survival. If the system told me to become his vassal, that might be another story, but I would never, ever become a vassal of my own free will, even if I died!
“I’d rather die.”
“Why? Tell me the reason.”
I wonder if the persistent young master of Nevera will give up if I cuss him out to his face.
He won’t. From the beginning, it was a proposal that didn't consider rejection, and he didn't even understand why he was being rejected.
I wasn't unaware that there was no exaggeration in Zephyros’s words.
“I just don’t want to.”
“‘Just because’ can’t be a reason.”
The reason I call this guy the sub-protagonist is simple.
Part 3, which was scheduled to conclude on the 10th anniversary, was a story related to the Duchy of Nevera, to which Zephyros belonged.
Even with the conclusion of Part 3 approaching, almost no information about the Duchy of Nevera was released, so knowledge about the ducal family was extremely rare.
However, I could be sure of one thing.
The Duchy of Nevera, one of the most prominent ducal families on the continent, was an incredibly dysfunctional family.
And was it just any dysfunctional family? It was at a level where if you thought, ‘One bite should be okay,’ the moment you took a bite, bean powder would shoot out of your nose!
I’m a possessor who’s already having a hard enough time just hanging out with the protagonist, I can't sprinkle bean powder on top of this. Do I look like I’m injeolmi or something?
“Why are you propositioning someone who said no!”
“Because I can’t accept it.”
“Find someone else. There are plenty of people who want to do it besides me, anyway.”
“But they don’t have Count Lisitoel as a father, nor do they have outstanding skills.”
“I’ve never had outstanding skills!”
Alright, I’ll admit that my father is amazing. He’s the teacher who taught the emperor magic, the leader of the Lisitoel Count Family, and the most outstanding mage of the modern era.
But my father and I are strictly separate individuals, and I didn’t want to involve my father in my affairs if I could help it.
…My father dying while protecting me, that one time was enough.
“I’ll just say that propositioning me out of the blue is one of the reasons I dislike it.”
“If I build more of a friendship with you and then proposition you, will you accept?”
“No, I’ll still refuse.”
“Give me a valid reason.”
No, why is he so obsessed with a vassal? Did a writer with a serious X-piece disease write this scenario?
“I don’t like your persistence either. Are you even listening to me right now?”
“Shall we become friends first, then?”
Look, you’re not even listening with the back of your ears. In that case, I’d rather use Lucian as an excuse.
“One friend, Lucian, is already a handful.”
The number of incidents and accidents that guy will bring in the future is more than a truckload. There's a high probability that I, his only friend, will definitely get caught up in them.
“Right, if that’s the case… there’s no choice.”
Why is he suddenly backing down so meekly. Something about his attitude, like he’s already achieved his real goal, makes me strangely anxious.
“See you later, Theo Lisitoel.”
No, it’s fine! Before I could even refuse, Zephyros left leisurely with a broad smile.
Could it be that they’re called the ducal family of wind because they come like the wind and disappear like the wind?
“Ah, I don’t know.”
First, let’s go back to the dorm. I’ll rest well, eat, and then think about how to shake off the damn sub-protagonist.
“Koreans run on rice power.”
Even if I was possessed in another world. Anyway, once food goes in and my brain starts working, a sharp way to get rid of Zephyros will come to mind. …Probably.
* * *
Far from a sharp method coming to mind, it looks like he’s going to stick to me even more.
“This is delicious.”
Zephyros cut a large piece of steak to make it easy to eat, and then placed it on Lucian’s plate.
“Thank you.”
“We’re classmates of the same grade, why are you using honorifics? Just, speak comfortably.”
“Then, I’ll do that.”
Why on earth are the two of them having a friendly, lovey-dovey conversation in front of me?
Am I the only one who doesn’t understand this situation? Am I the only one who’s uncomfortable?
“Cian, why is the young master of Nevera here?”
First, I should at least point it out before moving on. Though Zephyros nonchalantly interjected.
“You can just call me Zephyros comfortably too.”
I seriously feel like I'm going to get indigestion. For now, I lightly ignored Zephyros’s suggestion and looked at Lucian as if demanding an answer.
“I met him at the training ground earlier.”
“Training ground?”
“Yeah, he said he’d teach me swordsmanship.”
Zephyros is going to teach Lucian swordsmanship?
Wasn’t the first incident where they got involved the midterm practical exam?
Many users remembered the subtle rivalry sparking between Lucian and Zephyros. If so, then this is─
“The damn butterfly effect.”
I interfered with the original story again and something changed.
The general picture was drawn. He wanted to become friends with Lucian to recruit me as a vassal, and he decided to teach Lucian the ‘swordsmanship’ he needs most right now.
Yes, this was definitely a future I had changed. The dramatic scene of a rival appearing in the midterm exam was gone with this.
One famous scene, bye, bye! Sob.
“Damn it.”
I put my hand on my forehead and muttered in a small voice. Everyone, you are enjoying a real-time view of a possessor’s frustration exploding.
“If you’re the heir of the Duchy of Nevera, being good with a sword is also a basic skill.”
I’ve never even seen him use a sword in the original story, though. Ugh, as I was groaning, Zephyros declared confidently.
“A friend of a friend is also a friend.”
Your intentions are impure! Are you okay with a friend who approaches you with such impure intentions?!
I glared at Lucian as if I was going to eat him. Lucian, who noticed my question, answered with a gentle face.
“He said he wants to be friends with you, so shouldn’t it be okay?”
Damn it! This guy was a character whose flaw was being too nice and pure!!
There's no way I can argue with him while facing those pure eyes.
Right, the bad one isn’t Lucian, but Zephyros Nevera who is using that sweet potato. You shameless bastard!
“Honestly, if you’re going to make someone your vassal, wouldn’t Cian be better than me? For me, all I have is the magic I learned from my father, but Cian is the master of the holy sword.”
A protagonist with a bright future and a weakest extra NPC. Anyone can see that recruiting Lucian makes more sense than recruiting me.
“It’s true that Lucian is amazing.”
“Right? It’s Lucian rather than me, right?”
“The moment I take Lucian, who wields the holy sword, as a vassal, it could be considered treason, so he’s out at that point.”
Zephyros muttered monotonously and swallowed the well-cut meat.
That’s true. My attempt to slyly pass off the troublesome proposal to Lucian failed. Well, Zephyros isn't stupid enough not to know this.
Our sweet potato protagonist, however, asked if that was really true, looking back and forth between me and Zephyros.
“They won’t make an issue out of a normal friendship. We’re classmates attending the Academy, after all.”
“Is it okay to talk about such political matters so openly in front of the person concerned?”
Don’t people usually not talk about it in front of the person concerned? Lucian might feel uncomfortable.
“I think it would be more unpleasant to hide it.”
This was the reaction of the person concerned, though.
What, am I the only one being sensitive? …I feel awkward.
But, Lucian’s words weren’t wrong. More than anything, I should say what I have to say.
“Even if I become friends with you, I’ll never become your vassal, so wake up.”
“That’s the final goal. Well, it would have been great if you had accepted when I first proposed─ but my purpose was to build a friendship first.”
Damn it, I knew I was tricked somehow. So his real purpose from the beginning was to become friends with us, is that it?
“So, was I tricked?”
“You could say that?”
His confident smile made me want to punch him in the face.
Even if I did take action, I wouldn’t even be able to leave a scratch. Rather, wouldn’t my hand be the one to get smashed?
“Do you dislike it so much that you can’t even accept a proposal to become friends?”
“It’s not that, but….”
In the first place, there wasn't a single playable character I disliked.
To pull Zephyros, who was released for the 7th anniversary, I tried a whopping thirty times.
More than anything, there was a saying that affection comes from performance. Zephyros was so good that he was called a character you had no human rights without. Which means, even if you had no affection, it would grow abundantly when you saw his performance. Despite the dysfunctional family drama that was hinted at throughout Part 3’s story.
“Damn it.”
Right, have things ever gone my way since I was possessed into Lapidemy? If that were the case, I wouldn’t be eating with the protagonist right now.
As I spat out a curse in resignation, the guy with the winner’s smile placed a large piece of meat on my plate as well.
“Thanks, Theo.”
When did I ever give you permission to call me by my name.
Damn it, because of that bastard Lucian, I’m about to get involved with the golden spoon young master of a dysfunctional family.
It was very clear that I was roped in and that all sorts of problems would arise in the future.