It’s More Fun Because of That.

3.

‘My thinking was naive.’

Lancel swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth, regretting the decade he had wasted without meaning.

Looking back, it was true.

Rodniss was a thriving metropolis, but not a world easy enough for a fifteen-year-old girl to live in alone.

The Spirit ‘Pina,’ visible only to her, would have been nothing more than a flying nag, unable to provide direct assistance.

His head throbbed. He would rather fail than waste ten years in such a meaningless way.

As he thought this, a familiar birthday spread was laid out before Lancel.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Lancel Dan—”

“I’m going to the Imperial Capital. I know you’ll try to stop me anyway, so just grab a sword and come outside. There’s no time.”

“Huh?”

He was in a hurry.

If he cut out unnecessary time, he could reduce the journey to the Imperial Capital to about fifteen days.

With only the fastest horse and one servant, Lancel arrived in the Imperial Capital as if he were being chased by something.

It was exactly the 19th day.

“It’s not here again?”

“Yes?”

The servant looked at Lancel, who was staring blankly into the air, with a puzzled expression.

The Game System Window did not appear before him this time either.

Another 10 years.

[Playtime: 0 years, 16 days]

—Marigold has died.

—No marriage partner.

—No achievements.

[Bad Ending 2: Poor Fallen Noble Lady Marigold]

—The ending has been added to the ‘Album of Memories.’

—Would you like to restart the game?

“This is driving me crazy.”

At this point, Lancel was certain.

The fact that the Game System Window didn’t appear when he first entered the Imperial Capital was proof enough that the ending had already been determined at that point. The game had already ended.

The death ending was a prime example.

What remained afterward was simply a world without the protagonist.

The Imperial Capital Rodniss was full of vibrant life and endless incidents every day, but Marigold, who was supposed to live in it, was already gone.

Well, if the protagonist, Marigold, was dead, it would be strange if the game system remained intact.

‘Huh.’

Honestly, it was shocking.

When he first opened his eyes as ‘Lancel Dante,’ he thought he was the protagonist.

Overconfidence?

Wouldn’t a person who had been transported from the 21st century to a medieval world of swords and magic be entitled to think that much?

‘But an extra? Me?’

What had he been living for these past 100 years?

From the beginning, he had no great mission to fulfill, no great evil to defeat. There was only Lancel Dante, who was nothing.

Because he was a supporting character.

Because he was an extra.

‘So that’s how it was. Yeah. That figures. I wondered why it was so strange. There was too little to do. So little to do that I even wrote a seafood travelogue.’

He felt relieved instead.

The endless regressions, the damned empire, the wretched royals, the war, the crime, the madness, the revelry, the famine, the tragedy, the anguish—none of it was his problem. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. It wasn’t his job to fix it.

Because the protagonist of this world was…

‘Marigold.’

What did she look like?

Even his memories were fading.

He’d know when he met her, right?

.

.

.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Lancel Dante! Why does your face look so unlucky on such a good day?”

“I inherited it from my parents.”

“Come to think of it, your mother had an affair once.”

“I heard it was with a eunuch.”

“…Did I say that?”

“I don’t know.”

Coincidentally, Lancel, who had witnessed the same death ending twice, wasn’t in a particular hurry. He wasn’t frustrated or disappointed.

He decided to take it easy, counting it as a stroke of bad luck. After all, his time was infinitely available.

‘And I’ve already died twice, surely it won’t happen again? Let’s just take it slow, slow.’

.

.

.

[Playtime: 0 years, 52 days]

—Marigold has died.

—No marriage partner.

—No achievements.

[Bad Ending 7: Overwork is Bad for Your Health, Marigold]

—The ending has been added to the ‘Album of Memories.’

—Would you like to restart the game?

“……”

Marigold, the 15-year-old girl.

Died again.

4.

Lancel Dante, back to being 18, asked the old gentleman in front of him.

“Butler, have you ever heard of the Marigold Family?”

“The Marigold Family…”

“The barony in the eastern part of the Empire that disappeared. The Marigold Family.”

On the darkening balcony of the mansion, Lancel was sharing a bottle of wine with the Dante Family’s butler.

“……”

The butler was silent for a moment at Lancel’s question, which he had casually thrown out with a flushed face.

“That’s a nostalgic name.”

When he opened his mouth again, there was a somewhat bitter smile on his face.

“Don’t be too curious about that family, young master. Just know that it was a noble family that disappeared in disgrace.”

“Disgrace?”

“Yes. Disgrace.”

Lancel opened his mouth, his eyes fixed on his glass.

“So it wasn’t just a family that burned down in the war.”

“That’s what the world knows.”

“How much do you know, Butler?”

“No one, including me, knows. More than what I just told you… including that it’s better not to know more.”

It sounded like there were many omissions, but Lancel chose to believe the butler. He wasn’t the kind of person to lie about something like this.

“I just asked because I was curious. Let’s pretend I didn’t ask.”

“Of course, young master.”

Lancel erased the thought of pressing further and tilted his glass.

‘Well, that’s probably right. The circumstances of the Marigold Family weren’t even detailed in the game settings.’

Aside from the memories of her childhood that Lady Marigold occasionally recalled, it was information that didn’t appear much even in ‘Fallen Noble Lady Simulation.’

Except for the fact that it was a prosperous baronial family in the eastern part of the Empire and that it was destroyed by a single war.

Lancel put down his glass.

“I’m heading to the Imperial Capital tomorrow.”

“The head of the family will object.”

“No problem. I beat him up in the training grounds, and he gave me permission.”

“…I’ll tell them to prepare for your departure.”

“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m going?”

“Every great knight dreams of a life in Rodniss.”

The butler, who had been smiling affably, added.

“As it happens, a train to the Imperial Capital will pass through this area in two days. It’ll be a bit of a detour, but if you’re not in a hurry, you might want to board it.”

“A train… How long will it take to get to the Imperial Capital?”

“If it’s the train that’s coming now, it’ll take about four months, wouldn’t you say?”

“Four months.”

Of course, he was in a hurry. Because of the glass-cannon lady who could die at any moment, there was no harm in going early.

But perhaps because of his experience of being disappointed so many times, Lancel was extremely relaxed.

It seemed to be a learned helplessness due to the three experiences that hadn’t changed at all, whether he hurried or took his time.

“A train would be convenient.”

“I’ll look into the cabins. Just leave it to me.”

5.

The train to the Imperial Capital entered the station set up in the field.

It was a bit of an advanced product of civilization to be in a medieval setting, but after seeing it often, it didn’t feel particularly strange.

The sister who made the game had dismissed the issue of historical accuracy, saying, ‘A train or two could be in a romance fantasy!’ and she wasn’t actually wrong. If it’s there, it’s there. Yeah, that’s how it is.

“Did you wait long?”

A man in a uniform got off the first car of the train. He was a middle-aged man with an impressive mustache.

“I’m Baron Lockt of the Imperial Railway Project. I heard that the Dante Family has a son who just came of age, and he looks sturdy.”

“I’m Lancel Dante.”

“Lancel, a good name. It’s a long way to go. Get on quickly. The second room in the second car is your room. If anything happens, tell the train security immediately. They’ll grant you almost any request.”

What he pointed to was a sleeper car reserved for nobles.

Inside, there were luxurious decorations, alcohol, fruit, and a bedroom space that was luxurious enough for one person to live in.

For various reasons, it was a slower means of transportation than a horse, but it was certainly comfortable.

“It’s nice.”

Lancel roughly unpacked his luggage and threw himself on the bed. It was a good facility, but he had to spend as much as four months here. He would have to spend a long time eating boring meals, so at some point, it would become a chore.

‘At this rate, I’ll only learn how to waste time. I have plenty of time, but…’

He closed his eyes on the bed.

He could feel the train leaving the station.

==========

—Imperial Calendar 816, June 21. Weather: Sunny.

—Moving event in progress. ‘I’ll go with you for a while!’

==========

“……!”

Lancel felt his whole body stiffen.

What was going on? Had his ability to waste time reached such a superhuman level that four months had passed while he closed his eyes for a moment?

That couldn’t be.

Lancel held his breath at the sight that soon came to mind.

———

[Fallen Noble Lady Simulation]

Create the schedule for the 3rd week of June.

Mon – Find work on the train.

Tue – Find work on the train.

Wed – Find work on the train.

Thu – Find work on the train.

Fri – Find work on the train.

Sat – Rest (train).

Sun – Rest (train).

※105 days left until arrival in Rodniss.

※Pocket money is insufficient. Let’s find a part-time job.

———

‘She’s here.’

His hair stood on end.

Marigold. He didn’t know why she was on the train to the Imperial Capital. What was certain was that she was definitely here.

30 years.

A full 30 years.

The time it took to witness this screen, the time it took to be in the same place as Marigold.

Lancel reflexively jumped up from his seat. He left the room.

Marigold would probably be a commoner now. In other words, she would definitely be riding in the general car.

“Sir Lancel? Is there anything you need…”

“Get out of my way.”

“Oh! Yes, yes…”

Pushing aside the guards who were trying to stop him, Lancel fearlessly squeezed into the train car.

“Sir Lancel, from here on out, it’s not for nobles only areas…”

“Don’t disturb me.”

Without hesitation, he opened the door to the general cabin.