The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 24
EP.24 Reunion? (5)
“Y-Your Highness, the Princess.”
Claire greeted me with the same posture she had just used for Alice.
It was an unbelievably awkward moment—one that made my mind almost go blank. Of course, I wasn’t literally losing my mind, just figuratively speaking.
Yes, I knew Claire. Although I had known her as a child, the Claire I truly recognized was not this innocent version before me. The Claire I knew was the one who had become a villain under the Emperor’s command.
As I’ve already mentioned several times before, in the game, Claire never had this pure and naive image. No matter what she said, she never backed down, and if her opponent annoyed her, she wasn’t shy about showing her displeasure. You would never catch her stuttering or faltering.
The only time she ever showed any emotion, whether flustered or angry, was when someone brought up one of her sisters—the one who had doted on her—but who, by the start of the main storyline, was already dead.
…Though, at this point in time, that sister was still alive. I wasn’t sure how she had survived, but I was certain that my existence had played a major role in it. After all, the only thing that had changed in this world was me.
Had the Emperor become more cautious?
It wasn’t a crucial issue at this moment. That sister, who was originally just a background character—the original owner of the sword Claire wielded—would become relevant later on. I didn’t need to worry about her now. After all, I had the ability to reset the time.
Next to Claire, Leo Grace, who had been standing stiffly, also lowered his head toward us.
The original protagonist, Leo Grace.
As fitting for the main character of this type of game, he was good-looking and decently skilled. Story-wise, he was a cheerful, expressive hero with some harem-like qualities typical of shonen manga protagonists.
In terms of gameplay, though, Leo was infamous for being weak in the early stages. But as the game progressed, his potential grew steeply, and he became a late-blooming powerhouse. His strength didn’t lie in raw stats but in his utility skills as a leader, which were overpowered. Though he lacked healing abilities, his “Morale Boost” skill temporarily increased the stats of his entire party, with the boost reaching up to 70%, depending on the setup. And it was an area-of-effect skill, no less.
On top of that, the skill centered around Leo himself and applied a self-buff as well. If used periodically, it could melt enemies even at the highest difficulty levels—assuming the rest of the party was properly equipped, of course.
That didn’t mean his individual stats were poor, either. In fact, by the end of the game, his stats ranked among the best in the final battle.
Because of this, Leo had a reputation as a character you had to grind relentlessly early on, as his key buff skills didn’t unlock until the mid-game.
It made me curious about how this character would survive in the real world.
After all, “Morale Boost” functioned as a literal attack buff in the game. But in reality, no amount of cheering would allow a person to exceed their physical limits.
In the game, this was just a way to express how much his words could inspire others, but that was purely a game mechanic.
Similarly, I was curious to see how some of the other characters would turn out in this world—like those touted as the “strongest mages in the world” or the “deadliest mercenary.” In the game, these guest characters or enemy bosses had strangely subpar combat abilities due to game balance adjustments. Would their performance here be based on their in-game stats or their lore?
Well, when you think about it, the game was turn-based and didn’t offer the kind of freedom you’d find in a Western RPG, so things would inevitably play out very differently here.
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Sylvia Fangriffon.”
“Sylvi…!”
At my words, Claire quickly looked up at me, then met Alice’s eyes and immediately bowed her head again.
It was the complete opposite of the original story.
No, it was more than that. In the original, Claire had always been superior to Alice in almost every way, but Alice had never bowed her head to Claire. At most, their dynamic had been that of sisters with a one-sided rivalry—Claire treated Alice like a younger sibling, but there had always been an undercurrent of tension between them.
Saying their relationship was bad might have been an understatement, but calling it merely strained wouldn’t have captured the full picture, either.
“Both of you.”
Alice, who had been quietly watching the two bowing, finally spoke.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Ah, um, that is…”
At Alice’s words, Claire bravely lifted her head again.
And she looked at me.
I was a bit startled by her gaze. Even under pressure, Claire’s eyes were intense as she looked directly at me, unflinching. There was something in her expression that reminded me of the Claire I had seen in the game, the one who never avoided a confrontation, even if her words were faltering now. But that was fine.
Claire had grown up well. Without experiencing a terrible past.
“S-Sylvia… Your Highness!”
“……”
I could sense that Claire had almost called me something else, a title or a word that wasn’t quite ‘Your Highness’. But at least she hadn’t called me sister. That would have been much worse.
Seeing her rush over like this, it was clear she was as close to Leo as a sibling. And in some ways, she might have grown even closer to him than Leo. Leo was born a noble, but Claire wasn’t.
“Yes. What is it?”
I replied to Claire half a beat late.
“Could it be…?”
Claire seemed about to ask me something but then gasped.
She had just realized that every pair of eyes in the vicinity was focused on us.
It had finally dawned on her that asking a “Princess” if she was from an orphanage in such a public setting would be disastrous.
Hmm.
Claire needed to learn to be more cautious. In the game, Claire had been portrayed as proud and sharp-witted, but in hindsight, it was clear she had survived her
circumstances by necessity. Quick thinking had been essential for her to navigate the challenges she faced.
The Baron and Baroness Grace were renowned for their justice and kindness. They had raised Claire with no distinction between her and Leo, even though she had been adopted.
Claire had grown up as a loved child.
There was no chance she would grow to secretly envy Alice for having a biological father.
“Could it be?”
When I echoed her question, Claire’s face turned pale as she stammered.
“C-Could you, p-please accept my greeting!?”
“…”
The atmosphere grew awkward once again.
Alice’s expression had shifted from rigid to one of utter bewilderment. Initially, she had thought Claire had some ulterior motive when she approached and didn’t greet me. But now, she couldn’t understand what on earth Claire was trying to say.
“If it’s a greeting, I’ve already accepted it.”
Claire’s face turned bright red at my words, while Leo, standing beside her, seemed to grow even paler. If he became any paler, his face might match the color of his hair.
“Before that, why don’t you introduce yourself properly?”
When I asked this, Claire’s face turned even redder.
“I… I am Claire Grace, the daughter of Baron Grace.”
However, Claire’s voice was steady and did not stutter as she bowed her head.
“I see.”
“The Grace Barony is not far from the capital.”
Alice said, as if searching her memory.
She then took a sweeping glance around us, as if to make a point. While there were still students surrounding us, the ones closest to us didn’t seem too pleased to be there. Judging from their expressions, it looked like they were stuck at the front of the crowd, unable to retreat due to the pressure of the students behind them.
“…Keep this in mind, as long as we attend this academy, we are students just like you. The title of princess is a status outside the academy; inside, we are all here to learn, whether a noble or a commoner.”
That’s right.
This wasn’t just about the hierarchy between students. It also involved the relationships between students and teachers. While the headmaster was a duke, many of the teachers came from baron or count families, and some were even commoners. If the status system were enforced here, it would lead to absurd situations where teachers would have to bow deeply and speak formally to their students.
The academy’s rule of “no social hierarchy within the academy” was established to prevent such situations. While it sometimes felt like an empty rule, it still held significance. It allowed friendships between nobles and commoners and sometimes led to talented commoners being valued after graduation. It had also played a part in breaking down prejudices.
“So, there’s no need for you to show me that level of formality here. Of course, I’m not forcing you to follow my words. But if you choose to treat me that way, I’ll treat you like a subordinate, as a princess would. If that’s what you want, feel free to continue.”
“……”
There was no verbal response, but a faint murmur spread through the distant part of the crowd.
Not all the students gathered here were first-years. Since this corridor led to the first-year classrooms in the main building, second- through fourth-years were likely present as well. Alice’s words weren’t just for Claire and Leo—they applied to everyone who could hear them.
After glancing around again, Alice refocused her gaze on Claire and Leo in front of her, her expression calm yet firm.
“How will you proceed?”
It became clear why Alice had refused to bow before the headmaster. That had likely been her non-negotiable stance—something she couldn’t back down from. Despite the academy’s rules, she believed that as the Emperor’s daughter, she shouldn’t apply them in certain situations. However, outside of those moments, it seemed she was willing to follow the academy’s regulations.
Now, I understood why Alice had been so formal with Claire earlier. Since Claire treated her as a “princess,” Alice, in turn, treated Claire like a subordinate.
“Ah…”
Claire looked a bit dazed for a moment, then quickly brightened up with a smile. Straightening her slightly bowed back, Claire walked directly up to Alice. She extended her hand and spoke.
“I’m Claire. Claire Grace.”
There was an audible gasp from the crowd around us. Maybe Leo, who was standing further back, had also let out a breath of surprise.
Alice stared at Claire for a moment before extending her hand to lightly shake Claire’s. Her expression wasn’t particularly cheerful, but it didn’t look entirely displeased either.
Unlike the original Alice, this version was incredibly calm…
Wait a minute. Was she copying my expression?
“I’m Alice. Alice Fangriffon.”
“Alice.”
Claire smiled brightly at the expressionless Alice and then released her hand. Alice let go without hesitation.
Then, Claire turned towards me. The earlier confusion seemed to have vanished, replaced by a refreshing smile.
That smile… It was reminiscent of the one Claire had in the original story, right before she sacrificed herself for Alice.
This confident expression, I realized, must have been Claire’s true self. The twisted attitude she had shown throughout the game was likely a result of her tragic circumstances.
“I’m Claire.”
She said again, reintroducing herself, this time directly to me. With an assertive posture, she extended her hand towards me as well.
“Claire Grace.”
She declared her name confidently.
“…”
I glanced down at her hand briefly. Her white skin was marred with a few calluses—likely from the rigorous sword training she had undergone.
I reached out and lightly grasped Claire’s hand.
“My name is Sylvia Fangriffon.”
Maintaining my stern expression, I said that, causing Claire’s eyes to waver slightly.
But she quickly smiled and gently shook my hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
Claire’s hand was a bit warm.
Was it the same in the original story?