The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 74
EP.74 Back to Normal? (1)
The dawn operation was something I chose to participate in. Although the promise I made with Jennifer had been erased when I turned back time, I still remembered it. While I might be willing to break promises with others, I didn’t want to break promises with characters I liked.
As a result, by the time I returned, it was already late morning.
“……If you want a reward, I’ll give you anything. Winterfield does not forget its debts.”
Jennifer said on the way back in the car.
“I merely settled an old debt.”
I replied.
Saying that filled me with a slight sense of pride.
Sure, I had smelled blood and gunpowder that dawn. And the memories of that battlefield probably wouldn’t fade so easily. I’d heard stories about PTSD and such, so those memories might end up affecting me greatly.
But still, when I thought about it as something I had to do, I felt much better.
War, after all, was like that. If we didn’t fight, people on our side would die. Those mercenaries had already committed heinous crimes, practically war crimes. Maybe some of the people I fought against had normal mindsets, but… a battlefield is a place where lives are at stake, and I couldn’t afford to let them go.
They had aimed their guns at me. Had I been hit and killed, perhaps the situation would be different. If I’d been shot in the arm or leg and incapacitated without turning back time, I would have been in serious trouble in the hands of that disorganized group of mercenaries.
And it wasn’t the first time I’d killed someone.
The battle itself had been optimized after repeating the same path several times by resetting time. Though there was a day’s difference, the outcome was ultimately the same.
“Debt?”
Jennifer asked back, but I didn’t bother to explain.
“……”
When I didn’t respond, Jennifer didn’t push for answers. Instead, she seemed to sink into deep thought and remained silent throughout the car ride. Thanks to that, I could stare blankly out the window until we returned to Winterfield Castle.
The distant mountain range was beautiful. The Sword Saint was probably still somewhere along those mountain slopes.
*
When we arrived at Winterfield Castle, Alice, who had been waiting in the castle lobby, rushed out and hugged me tightly.
She must have smelled the gunpowder clinging to me, as she immediately shot a glare at Jennifer.
“……”
Jennifer had nothing to say in response.
Jennifer didn’t know that I could reset time. So, seeing me fight like that on the battlefield must have shocked her in a different way. She likely hadn’t had any time to mentally prepare herself.
“Did… Father…?”
Alice spoke up right away.
“Did Father order you to do this?”
Hmm.
I seriously contemplated the situation. The Emperor hadn’t ordered me to do this… to be precise, he had intended to.
So, wouldn’t it be okay to just say it was?
Technically, it was something I wanted to do.
“……”
I decided to go with that. Explaining it would be a hassle. Honestly, trying to explain while hiding my ability would inevitably leave gaps in the story, leading to unnecessary suspicion. If I lied, questions like “What about that time…?” could arise when my ability was eventually revealed.
So, I chose to “plausibly remain silent.”
Alice seemed to take my silence as an affirmation and looked at me with her lips tightly pressed together.
“I told you, you don’t have to follow Father’s orders.”
“……”
Alice, who had lightly hugged me, took a step back and held my hand.
“……Well, I guess you couldn’t easily refuse such an order.”
I hadn’t actually received any orders.
…Hopefully, she wouldn’t run straight to the Emperor and say something.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I decided to change the subject.
“Did you carry out the request well?”
“Request? Oh.”
Alice glanced at the other kids who had been waiting behind her, then looked back at me.
“Yes, thanks to you.”
I shifted my gaze slightly to look for Mia Crowfield. The other kids had been here for only a short while, and their clothes were slightly damp at the hems, stained with mud likely from melted snow.
The staff in Mia Crowfield’s hand was glowing with a blue marmaros. I had left it on the desk in my room before leaving, along with a note instructing them to give it to Mia Crowfield. It seemed the kids had followed my instructions precisely.
“Thanks to the Marmaros, the hunt went much smoother.”
Charlotte, who had been watching us, stepped forward and spoke. Her expression was as complex as Alice’s. She seemed conflicted about whether she should be wary of me after returning from the battlefield or simply express her gratitude for the kindness in this moment.
“Th-thank you.”
Mia Crowfield said, her voice slightly trembling.
“Sister… are you okay?”
Claire, who had been watching me from a distance, approached and asked.
“I’m fine.”
In reality, I felt much better than I had expected. Perhaps seeing similar sights repeatedly had made me accustomed to them, allowing me to prepare mentally. Plus, I had some justification for my actions.
I looked over at Leo and Jake, who were still standing a bit farther away. Surprisingly, Leo didn’t seem pale or terrified at all. For a brief moment, I wondered if he had reached a state of calm from being too frightened. But upon closer inspection, his expression seemed contemplative instead.
Had his opinions of me changed a bit?
Jake’s reaction was similar. His usual carefree, cocky demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was watching me intently with an unusually serious expression. When our eyes met, however, he quickly flashed his usual sly grin and walked over to me.
“Come on, standing around like this isn’t helping. Let’s all go grab something to eat. I’m starving here.”
“You…”
Alice shot Jake a sideways glance, but then, as if remembering something, she turned to look at me. Reading something from my expression, she quickly chuckled and spoke.
“Yeah, well, you’re right. We’ve all been working hard all morning. It’s about time we got hungry.”
…How does she manage to read my face so easily?
*
“Are you sure about this? You can rest this afternoon if you need to.”
That afternoon, as I came out equipped to complete another request, Alice looked at me with concern.
“I’m fine.”
I was glad I had learned the art of meditation. Even though I hadn’t gotten much sleep, just as Claire had mentioned before, meditation helped stabilize my body and mind. It wasn’t the same as being fully rested, but after washing up and meditating in my room for a while, I felt a surge of energy, as if I’d had a caffeine boost. It didn’t erase my tiredness completely, but it helped.
“Are you sure you’re really okay?”
Claire asked from beside me, but I nodded once more.
“There’s work to be done, and it affects my grades—”
“No.”
Before I could finish, Jennifer, who had appeared nearby, cut me off.
“I will give you full marks. You may not have completed the official request, but you accomplished something no soldier could.”
“……”
Jennifer’s face, though, looked conflicted.
When I had told her I would take down the enemy commander, she had worn a similar uncertain expression. It was different from the cool and composed look she had when she first gave me a request at the Sword Saint’s cabin. Perhaps she hadn’t actually believed I could do it.
That seemed likely, given she was the type to teach not to seek honor on the battlefield.
“So, you can rest this afternoon… no, take tomorrow off as well. I’ll take responsibility and explain everything to the Academy.”
Abraham would probably understand.
“If that’s the case, then I’m doing this because I want to.”
When I said that, the already quiet atmosphere around me grew even more still.
“Sylvia?”
Alice’s eyes widened as she looked at me.
“…Sister?”
Claire finally let the word slip out.
“…I see.”
Hearing my response, Jennifer closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and then let it out softly.
“If that’s what you want as a student, there’s nothing I can do. All I can say is… thank you. This is a thank you from the soldiers as well.”
Jennifer bowed her head deeply.
“…I see.”
Not sure how to respond, I decided to leave it at that.