Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

“I didn’t do anything.”

I quickly answered while putting out my cigarette. Meister, who’d taken the item from me, softened his gaze.

“Yeah, I guess so. You wouldn’t have had the time or reason to.”

I briefly thought it strange that he trusted me, but he’d probably just reached a logical conclusion using that sharp mind of his.

That was actually a lot easier for me to handle. Trust was much too burdensome for me.

“…But why did it activate?”

While I was interpreting Meister’s words, he was already lost in another line of thought.

As someone with no idea what was going on, I had no choice but to watch him blankly.

So, was that brick-like thing not supposed to light up just then?

How should I describe this scene? He looked like a programmer wondering, “Why the hell is it working?” because an incorrectly written piece of code suddenly ran correctly. Yeah, that was exactly it.

I could immediately understand his confusion.

“You saw that just now, right?”

Why did he even bother asking me? I just gave him a quick glance. “The glowing just now, I mean,” Meister added, clearly frustrated.

“I saw it.”

If it were my character, he usually wouldn’t have answered…

But I nodded slightly upon seeing the look in Meister’s eyes. Not only had he given me a cigarette, in a way, but his desperate attitude was quite pitiful. More importantly, it didn’t seem he would be joining our party either.

I mean, who would join us after hearing a certain someone shout, “What the hell is wrong with that guy?!” loud enough to pierce through even the soundproofing magic?

Meister definitely heard that. He’d just laughed it off, but still.

“You saw it too, huh? Ah, did you notice anything else?”

Anyway, if this was going to be the last time we interacted, it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more candid with him. I mean, I’d been burned by that mindset multiple times before, but this time I was certain.

To be honest… even if Meister joined our party, he didn’t seem the type to just tell the others about our conversation. Yeah, there was no way he would. Absolutely.

“…It was already vibrating and glowing before I picked it up.”

So I willingly, if a little curtly, answered his questions. After a long period of serious self-justification, I ended up having a normal conversation for the first time in a while.

Even though it was entirely business-like, it was one of those rare moments where interacting with someone made me feel better about myself.

“And?”

“The vibrations got weaker when I was about to hand it to you. I’m not sure.”

“…Alright. Anything else?”

“Not really.”

“Did it feel warm, or did you feel wind gathering around it?”

“It didn’t really feel… warm. I also felt no wind…”

After that, I answered each and every question Meister asked me.

Of course, there wasn’t much I could give him. It had been too brief, and I hadn’t gotten many clues.

“Okay, got it. If you don’t know more, that’s fine.”

However, even those meager clues made Meister’s eyes light up. His usually calm and prickly purple eyes now gleamed with the brightness of a dreaming youth.

“Thanks.”

I still had no clue what all this was about, but… if I had managed to help him, that was enough for me. I returned to the lab, letting Meister’s joyfulness partially alleviate my gloominess.

“What’s with that face? Did something good happen?”

“Ah, absolutely. Looks like we’ll get to see Sage Karl crawling around the Magic Tower on his knees. That’s a good thing, don’t you agree?”

“…What? Did you succeed?”

“Feeling nervous?”

But as soon as he entered the lab, Meister unleashed his entire attitude on Sage Karl.

If it were me, I’d probably be especially kind to the people around me due to all the joy inside me. Obviously, Meister wasn’t that type of person.

Or maybe those two were just too close for this sort of thing to matter.

“So, you got any results yet?”

“…No.”

“Ah, really? So, in the end, the magic you put all your faith in turned out to be useless, huh?”

“Urgh, you bastard.”

But judging from Karl’s expression, the latter seemed more likely.

Looking back, Meister never treated my “character” like that before. Perhaps it was because there was the medium that was my equipment between us, maintaining a certain boundary.

In any case, I quietly watched these two people happily teasing each other and just remained where I was.

Before long, it was dinner time. Time for me to leave.

“No, the research still isn’t done!!”

There was just one person still clutching my pant leg, but that didn’t change the fact that I had to go.

“What? You’re also going there?”

Meister ended up accompanying me all the way back to my inn from the Tower. There wasn’t any special reason behind it. Our paths just happened to overlap.

“Do you have any business with me?”

“I should be the one asking. I’m just going there because the food is delicious. And you?”

“… It’s my lodging.”

“Got it.”

While we were at it, we also shared a meal at the restaurant. Neither of us suggested it, but it just happened.

“Are you two together?”

“No, we’re separate.”

“Ah… But there’s only one table left. If you don’t want to wait, you’ll have to share it…”

“Then there’s nothing we can do about it. No need to waste time. Should we share the table?”

“Do as you like.”

That was how we ended up eating at the same table… Nothing more, nothing less.

It was something brought about by the fantastic collaboration between two people who had no affinity for each other nor any interest in others. My character and Meister fit surprisingly well together.

This was probably only possible because neither of us really cared about the other.

“What would you like to order?”

“Porridge will do.”

“The menu.”

“Well, we have porridge, bean soup, and potato soup. For the main course, there’s boiled meat… Oh, we can also grill it for you. And then…”

“Vegetable stew.”

“Erm… I think we can do that too. Would you like that?”

Ah, but we ordered our food separately, obviously. Just because we were sitting at the same table didn’t mean we were part of the same group.

“That’s quite a lot. Looks like you’ve got a lot of money.”

As a result, Meister’s order was practically the pinnacle of simplicity, while mine was the complete opposite.

Regardless of the price range of the food or the ingredients used, the difference in our dishes was clear. There was a whole four-plate difference: Meister had ordered one, and I had ordered five.

“Well, to maintain that physique, you’d need to eat that much, huh?”

Still, I couldn’t understand why Meister had only ordered the bare minimum.

He said he’d come here because the food was delicious, so it shouldn’t be that the meal was bad. He’d also eaten a whole ton yesterday, so it couldn’t be that he usually only ate that much.

So, the only conclusion I could come to was that it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to order more, but he couldn’t…

Was he broke?

“…”

“…”

…Well, considering how he’d conducted his research earlier, that may be the case.

He seemed to be getting a considerable number of requests, but he also seemed to be just pouring all his earnings back into his research, which kept failing.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t have anything left to spend on things like food.

Thinking back, he’d been about to skip dinner yesterday until I offered to pay for it, so my theory was entirely plausible.

“…Waiter.”

What could I do? As a Korean, I simply couldn’t ignore such a pitiful gaze.

“One more of the same.”

“Yes!”

“…?”

Sure, I’d gotten more accustomed to stubborn stares thanks to my party members, but… those guys looked at me like that because they wanted to talk to me, not because they were hungry and desperate to eat.

So I couldn’t just ignore him. This pitiful, starving gaze differed greatly from the bright, pleading eyes of those two seeking my attention.

“…You.”

Of course, thinking about it now, if my party members were actually starving, I would still have to ignore them. Not that I could ever imagine them starving, though.

“You didn’t have to do this, but thank you.”

As Meister realized the meaning behind my actions, he expressed his gratitude in a reserved manner.

However, those unnecessary words before me irritated me a little.

“Why do you think it’s for you?”

“…!”

However, that irritation immediately disappeared when I saw his face stiffen after I teased him a little.

As I had thought yesterday, this guy really reminded me of my friend.

The way he shamelessly took advantage of me, the moments when he became unbearably irritating to me, and the expression he made when I used his shamelessness to prank him.

They were so similar that it made me want to cry.

“… I’m joking. Go ahead.”

“Do you think I have no pride?”

“Then throw it away.”

“… That’s a waste of money and the cook’s effort. Completely inefficient.”

“Not my problem.”

I set down my spoon as this meaningless argument ensued. A wave of loneliness overcame me.

“… I’m only eating this because I don’t want it to go to waste, got it?”

Ah. I should have just ignored him. I should have pretended not to notice him staring at my food. At that moment, my head was filled with nothing but regret.

“You got that?

I wanted to see my friends.

“Tsk. If my research had succeeded, I wouldn’t need to accept these handouts…”

The friends who’d waited for me when I was at my lowest, almost rotting away, and helped me get back on my feet.

“… I’ll come see you in the morning.”

“Do whatever you want.”

I forced down the rest of the food and got up from the table. Meister, looking a bit sulky, didn’t even bother looking up as I left.

Well, he wouldn’t have acted any differently even if he wasn’t irritated, so I didn’t particularly mind. I didn’t really want to think about Meister right now.

* * *

“Sia, one more drink!”

“I wrote you a whole fairy tale!”

“Eliiiise! I love you!”

“One, two, cheers!”

I fixed up my disheveled appearance on my way out. My feet continued to move as I did, the tavern growing more and more distant behind me.

If you were wondering why I was heading out so late when it was time to sleep, I would call this a nighttime walk before bed. I needed to check on Frederick.

Horses were quite precious, after all.

“Are you here to see your horse?”

“Yes.”

I walked to the stables near the inn.

Since horses were pretty expensive, keepers guarded the stable in shifts. The one currently on duty welcomed me warmly.

“Just a moment… Your horse, Sir Knight… Right, he’s here.”

Since Frederick was quite the exceptional steed, I’d given the stable hand a lot of money and strict instructions to take good care of him.

Was it because of that? Or had I perhaps left quite the impression?

The stable hand didn’t even bother checking for some manner of ID and immediately guided me inside. I couldn’t tell whether to take this as excellent service or feel uneasy over this complete lack of caution. It hadn’t been like this in the other cities I’d been to before.

“Geez, your horse is seriously picky… No, I mean, he has quite refined tastes. But rest assured, there were no major problems.”

Neigh.

Still, it seemed my horse had been well cared for. He gave off an air that suggested he felt slightly uneasy but was otherwise okay. Seeing him like that, I opened my Inventory.

“I’ll be counting on you from now on as well.”

“Rest assured!”

The stable hand nearly snorted at the generous tip I handed him.

Creak.

I opened the stable door and left. The stable had been completely silent from the moment I’d entered, aside from the sounds of the horses’ breathing and the confused mutterings of the stable hand I’d left behind.

Clang.

And the moment I opened the last door and went outside, I met someone very much unexpected.

“You’re finally out, huh?”

It was Berserk.

“The Archmage said she has something to discuss, yaaaawn. She sent me here to tell you.”

Yawning, Berserk tried to relay a message to me. Knowing she’d woken up very early, I wasn’t bothered much by her yawning.

“Berserk isn’t so great at remembering things, so I brought a note.”

However, the question was why she was the one who came here.

Did she think sending the Inquisitor or Deathbringer might cause problems?

“Here you go.”

Well, from my perspective, this was pretty good.

While Berserk was walking pretty close to the line, she never actually tried to cross it like the others.

Rustle.

Alright, let’s see what’s written on that note. If it said we were departing soon, I would have to reply that I wouldn’t be going.

“I’ll check it.”

But it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

Rather than providing a specific date, the note only consistedof sentences like “It seems our departure will be delayed” and “It’ll take at least two weeks at the earliest.”After reading it,I folded the paper back up.

At this point, I might end up receiving the letter I was waiting for long before we left.

“Demon Knight.”

But just as I nodded in confirmation and began to turn away, Berserk grabbed me.

Was she trying to pull a fast one on me, just like the Archmage had? I felt fairly uneasy for a moment.

“As a Norda warrior, I would like to formally request an honorable duel with you.”

But what came out of her mouth was something entirely different.

“Will you accept my challenge?”

Her usual cheerfulness, boldness, and light-heartedness were nowhere to be found as she looked at me solemnly.

Her gaze, slightly higher than mine, resembled that of a carved falcon—or maybe it was more like the glow of molten gold just before it hardened.

Intensely hot, but still metal; valuable, yet unfinished.

“If you refuse, I will also step down.”

This was Berserk’s essence, hidden beneath all the layers of bravado she wrapped herself in.

To be honest, this essence reminded me of Weapon Master, whom I’d only met a few times, rather than Berserk, whom I’d consistently observed.

“I understand.”

That’s why I accepted her challenge.

It was just a whim.

Had it been the Inquisitor or Deathbringer, I might have refused. But Berserk wasn’t someone who would suddenly try to get closer to me after just one duel.

I also sensed that Berserk wasn’t trying to get closer to me, but she genuinely only wanted to spar.

Also, I remembered sparring with her being… fun. So… I thought it would be okay to do it one time, just once. That was an excuse I could live with.

“The time.”

“The one challenged has the right to set the time.”

So she was leaving the time up to me? That made things easier.

“In that case, tomorrow at 4 a.m., the coming dawn.”

I made my decision without hesitation. Delaying this kind of thing wasn’t really my style, so I chose the earliest possible time.

By the way, the reason I didn’t choose morning or afternoon was because of the equipment research. We wouldn’t be able to duel in the workshop after all.

Also… fighting at dawn would probably draw less suspicion from the party. Berserk usually went out to train around four in the morning.

“Where?”

“Outside the city. Near the gate we entered through.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

It was just a fight—a sparring match—so no lives were at stake. So I ignored Berserk’s thanks and headed back to the inn.

Despite the late hour, the tavern was still rather lively. It wasn’t until I laid down on my bed and set my sleep timer that it began to bother me.

「 ▲ Sleep for 7 Hours 00 Minutes ▼ 」

Ah. If I had nothing to do at the workshop tomorrow, I would probably sleep there, too.

Since there was no wind or rain right now, the only place that was warm and protected was probably the city.

‘I’m going to drown in sadness. Damn it.’

My eyes slowly closed, my consciousness flickering out.

____

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