The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 61
EP.61 Forced Training (4)
“…So, you’re telling me you approached us just to get rid of the other girls?”
Alice spoke with a confused expression, unsure whether to laugh or get angry.
We were currently sitting in a nearby restaurant. After some back-and-forth arguing while walking, Jake finally ended up sticking with our group. Because of him, we now needed a table big enough for all seven of us, so we found ourselves seated around a large round table. The distance between us was quite far, but honestly, I thought it worked out for the better. It felt a little less uncomfortable this way.
“To be honest, yeah.”
Jake had barely managed to sit down after revealing his true intentions, trying to ease the tension between Charlotte and Alice. He sat between me and Leo since the other girls didn’t want to sit next to him. It seemed like Jake’s delinquent-like persona didn’t quite match with the other girls, who were all naturally diligent. Even though Jake was actually a top student and trained diligently every day, no one would notice unless they paid close attention.
By the way, the thing Lottie hated the most was people belittling Jake. Lottie knew better than anyone how hard Jake trained when no one was watching, so she couldn’t stand people dismissing his efforts. She was always expressionless and calm, but that didn’t mean her emotions were impossible to read.
“The moment we stepped off the train, those girls were all over me.”
Jake sighed.
Although we weren’t in the capital, it wasn’t like our classmates were absent. Then again, we didn’t see any of them inside the restaurant.
“Well, you are the son of a duke. And with the way you carry yourself, you do seem like someone who might be easy to win over.”
Alice remarked.
“That’s a bit harsh.”
Jake responded to Alice’s evaluation, though he didn’t seem particularly upset by it. Jake was a character full of self-confidence—not in an arrogant way, but rather in the sense that he was sure of his actions and plans.
And Jake’s plans always revolved around Lottie. Jake’s ultimate goal was to cut through all the outside noise and live happily with her. That’s what Jake wanted more than anything.
“Hey, don’t be too hard on him.”
Leo said, chiming in after listening to the conversation.
“I’m sure Jake has his own struggles, too.”
“And how would you know about his struggles?”
Claire immediately retorted, leaving Leo momentarily speechless.
Even though Leo had just been called out by Claire, it didn’t mean the group held a bad image of him. Despite being the only guy among the girls (aside from Jake), no one in the group seemed to find Leo’s presence awkward or uncomfortable. In a way, you could almost say this was like the setup of a harem story.
“So, you approached Sylvia?”
Alice asked Jake.
Somehow, Alice had the uncanny ability to read my expressions, despite how hard I tried to hide them. At least she seemed certain that I wasn’t smitten with Jake.
“Yeah. Sylvia doesn’t have other noble girls clinging to her.”
It wasn’t just male nobles that the girls tried to cozy up to. By now, three weeks into the school term, two distinct groups had already formed within our class. Even with only fifteen students, factions had naturally developed. This was inevitable. Nobles gravitated toward dukes, and the dukes, in turn, gathered their own power by forming alliances.
Though the Emperor wielded absolute power for now, it wasn’t enough for anyone to survive on their own if they wanted to either reap the benefits of the Emperor’s power or snatch that power for themselves.
Their options were either to align themselves with the Emperor or to depend on influential dukes. And the best way to do that was by establishing connections from a young age, starting with school.
That’s why the daughters of dukes became popular figure at school. Whether or not the affection was genuine was up to each individual, but politics played a large part in the dynamics.
And by that logic, Sylvia Fangriffon should have been one of the most sought-after students in the academy, standing at the pinnacle of power. But… there were always rumors surrounding her. No girl actively tried to approach me either.
Thinking about this made me a little envious of Jake. Whether I was a guy or a girl, I never seemed to be popular with women.
…Well, let’s set aside those depressing thoughts for now.
“No matter how you look at it, using someone for that kind of purpose…”
Alice trailed off, clearly displeased with the idea of using a friend for political gain.
Honestly, I felt a little touched by her reaction. I hadn’t done much since entering the academy—just tagging along and eating meals with them. Still, it was heartwarming that they considered me part of the group. Especially since these were characters I had admired from the game.
Even Charlotte, who hadn’t been all that fond of me initially, was starting to treat me as part of the team.
“It’s okay.”
I said to Charlotte.
“It didn’t cause any harm, so I don’t mind.”
“See?”
Jake couldn’t resist adding a final remark, earning some glares from the others.
“That’s—”
Alice began to say to Jake.
“Your meals are here.”
But the waiter interrupted.
Hearing the rather stiff voice of the waiter, Alice stopped mid-sentence.
“……”
Clink, clink. Several waiters placed our ordered meals in front of us.
The clinking of plates filled the brief silence as several waiters moved between us, placing the meals we ordered on the table. There wasn’t a menu to choose from; the restaurant seemed to offer set meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It made sense, considering it also functioned as an inn for business travelers.
“……”
Everyone, including Charlotte and Alice, sat silently around the table, suddenly unsure of what to say.
“Enjoy your meal.”
The waiter said politely, unaffected by our expressions, and then walked back toward the counter.
“Uh…”
Even Jake, who had been speaking so nonchalantly moments before, seemed at a loss for words as he stared at the meal in front of him.
“Well, this is…”
I glanced down at my plate, following the others’ lead.
The dish looked like an oversized sausage at first glance, though it was closer to a ball in shape. It wasn’t entirely out of place, as sausages were a local delicacy in the Empire, but this one was… different.
“This is haggis.”
I said, breaking the silence.
Everyone turned to look at me, then back at the food. It was a dish I recognized from my knowledge of British cuisine before I ended up here. Haggis had a reputation as an unusual or even bizarre food to some Europeans, but it was well-known.
While the world we were in wasn’t rooted in any specific geography, the creators of this fantasy setting had clearly taken some inspiration from real-world regional dishes. This country, with its northern region, seemed to have drawn inspiration from Scotland.
As the others silently stared at their food, I picked up my fork and knife.
Though I’d never tried haggis before, I’d heard it described as a bit like blood sausage. Haggis was supposedly one of those dishes that, while not necessarily appealing at first glance, was edible enough for someone with Korean tastes, much like black pudding.
I couldn’t help but think that maybe I’d finally found a taste of home.
*
“So…”
I ended up enjoying my meal. Alice, Claire, and Leo managed to finish theirs, though Jake and Mia left a bit on their plates. Charlotte, on the other hand, barely touched half of hers.
“Are most northern dishes like this?”
Charlotte asked, carefully avoiding any direct criticism of the food, especially since she saw me eating it so enthusiastically.
While she could poke fun at the Empire’s notoriously bad bread, this was an entirely different type of cuisine, with no overlapping dishes. Being royalty, Charlotte knew better than to openly disparage the local fare—it would be impolite and foolish.
“There’s bread in the north too.”
I answered.
“Well, thank goodness for that…”
Charlotte sighed deeply, genuinely relieved.
Normally, she would’ve scrunched up her face at the thought of bad imperial bread, but at least she preferred that to haggis.
Considering the northern kingdom’s inspiration from France and Belgium, it made sense. Though, I had heard that there’s a sausage that smells like poop in France too, but I didn’t think there’s any need to point that out here.