Fellow Traveler (2)

I couldn’t help but feel considerable surprise at Gyeotmwa Josyegigot’s statement that he’d “never cleared it even once.”

『Luminor Academy』-never cleared it even once? Then how did he manage to progress this far without making any mistakes?

“You’ve never cleared it even once?!”

“Lower your voice. If you’re not careful, they might hear you inside.”

“A-anyway, if you’ve never cleared it, how did you get this far?”

“We agreed to take turns asking questions, didn’t we? I just answered, so now it’s my turn, right?”

“…Right. Go ahead and ask.”

In the midst of my confusion over a hero who’d never cleared the game, Gyeotmwa Josyegigot posed his first question to me.

“What exactly happened with Ethan that made him change so drastically? Is the real Ethan somewhere else, and was he replaced by some other guy? Or did you install some kind of Ethan model-swapping mod?”

“I don’t know the details either. I just did whatever I could to avoid getting assaulted by him, and before I knew it, he’d changed like this.”

“How am I supposed to understand that? There must have been something specific you did.”

“…I couldn’t stand watching him sexually harass people and do disgusting things, so I cursed at him a few times, and he ended up like this. I don’t know the exact mechanics of how he changed. This is my first time wandering around inside the game as Lillith, and I’m not even the protagonist-how would I know?”

I deliberately omitted the part where I’d nearly strangled him to death with laundry. If that got out, there was a real chance someone might strangle me instead.

“Even so, just that much wouldn’t make Ethan change like this… That doesn’t seem right.”

“Whatever. It’s my turn now, so I’m asking the next question.”

“…Fine, whatever.”

“If you’ve never cleared the game, how the hell did you make it this far? The fake Saintess Celista plotline and the Silena plotline are things you’d only know about from the second playthrough onward.”

“I just never cleared it. Before that, I played ‘by the guide’ properly. I followed a 25-playthrough guide someone posted on Lua Gallery. I just never saw the ending-I made it all the way to right before the Demon King Subjugation Battle.”

“Oh, what? So you were just following a guide? Then I worried for nothing.”

…He should’ve said that from the start. He really had me confused there.

Just as the vague thought that I’d wasted a question crossed my mind-

‘…Huh? Wait, he just said a 25-playthrough guide…?’

“Can I ask you something this time?”

“Ah, yeah, sure.”

Before I could even fully process the question that had just popped into my head, Gyeotmwa Josyegigot’s next question came without pause.

“You said you don’t know the details of how Ethan changed, but what do you think happened to him?”

“Huh? What do you mean, what happened to him?”

“You’ve seen him the most up close, so you’d know. Can you predict whether he’ll become a villain or a hero in the future story?”

“Ah, that… But what if he does become a villain?”

“It might feel uncomfortable since he’s someone you know, but… if it’s necessary for clearing the game, then as the protagonist, I’ll do what I have to do.”

…Meaning he wouldn’t raise his sword unless Ethan became a villain.

I didn’t like his tone-as if he’d coldly dispose of Ethan’s life for the sake of clearing the game-but at the same time, it also meant he was serious about clearing it.

A player who stuck to the standard route was better than one who spouted half-baked idealism. If anything, this way required fewer variables to consider.

“…I can’t say if he’ll be a full-on hero, but he definitely won’t become a villain.”

“Can you be sure?”

“The only reason Ethan was a villain in the game was because he abused… I mean, abused Lillith. Since that abuse never happened, there’s no reason for him to become a villain. Plus, Ethan never had any storyline connections with the demons to begin with.”

“…Yeah, he definitely doesn’t look like someone who’s been abused. If anything, it seems like he’s really fond of you.”

“Well, we are dating, after all.”

“…W-what?!”

“Lower your voice. They might hear inside.”

The hero stared at me with wide, startled eyes, clearly taken aback by my sudden revelation.

There was no real reason to keep it a secret, so I’d decided to disclose it.

Plus, hearing it directly from me would likely help build trust between us. Saying Ethan had changed because he was protecting his lover sounded far more plausible than just claiming he’d magically become a better person.

In reality, Ethan’s affection for me was obvious enough that I didn’t even need to pay close attention to notice it, so convincing him wasn’t hard.

“Wow… So you possessed Lillith and started dating Ethan? That’s some skill.”

“Just so we’re clear, it’s not like Ethan’s my type or anything. I’m not really into guys.”

“…Huh?”

“Ethan just likes me a lot, and I owe him for a few things, so we’re dating. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Huh? What’s there to misunderstand? It’s just a guy-girl thing-if you want to date, you date.”

“…Ah, r-right. Yeah, I guess so…”

…Come to think of it, he still doesn’t know I was a guy in my past life.

If he thinks I’m a girl who possessed another girl, his reaction makes sense.

Objectively speaking, Ethan was handsome, came from a prestigious family, and was an exceptional swordsman-pretty much the perfect guy.

If he was under the impression I was a girl, it was easier to just let him believe that. Even if Ethan was just a temporary boyfriend, admitting I was a guy in my past life and now dating a guy made me feel like something inside me was being chipped away.

“Anyway, it’s my turn now, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s your goal as the protagonist? Is clearing the game itself your goal? After clearing it, will you marry Seraphine and ascend as emperor? Or are you building a harem with the girls? Or is there something else?”

If nothing else, this was something I needed to clarify.

I’d already guessed that his main objective was clearing the game, but I needed to know what came after that.

『Luminor Academy』 allowed players to make a final wish to the goddess after defeating the Demon King, choosing one of several ending branches.

You could become a national hero and obtain wealth and fame, or if the attention got too much, you could settle down in a quiet village with your harem member(s)-a decent ending in its own right.

Let me reiterate: I didn’t care if the hero chose a harem or a pure love ending. …As long as he didn’t try to include me in the Demon King Subjugation Force or his harem, that is.

“Defeat the Demon King and clear the game. …Then return to Earth.”

“Huh?”

“The original game doesn’t have a return option, but since any wish is granted, it shouldn’t be impossible.”

“Seriously? You’re aiming to go back? Wouldn’t staying here be way more fun than returning to reality after just defeating the Demon King? Plus, you already have three girls following you around…”

“…Some might think that way, but I’ve been playing with the sole intention of returning to my original world. I never even properly cleared the game-just followed guides before getting isekai’d. Isn’t it weird not to have any lingering attachments to my original world?”

“…Can’t argue with that.”

Honestly, I could understand where Gyeotmwa Josyegigot was coming from.

For me, 『Luminor Academy』 was my favorite game in my past life, so just being in this world was exciting at first.

I’d even thought that if I could live a second life here, I wouldn’t mind the gender change. …Though I’d have preferred not possessing Lillith.

And since I’d clearly died in my past life before being isekai’d, I couldn’t afford to have lingering attachments. But maybe, in his case, his original body was still intact back in reality.

If he’d left a lot behind, it made sense he’d want to return. His desire to go back to his original world was perfectly reasonable.

“Well, if that’s your choice, I won’t say anything against it.”

“The way you say that makes it sound like you don’t have any attachments to reality.”

“I already died once in my past life, and 『Luminor Academy』 was my favorite game back then. Honestly, even if they offered to send me back for free, I wouldn’t want to go.”

“I’ll respect your choice. Everyone has different values.”

That was the moment I understood the difference in how we viewed this world.

At the same time, some of his actions that had previously confused me started making sense.

He’d probably chosen a random nickname to clearly separate this world as just a game.

If he planned to return to reality, it made more sense to draw a clear line rather than grow attached.

His adherence to the standard playthrough also made sense now. The things he’d left behind in reality must have been that important to him.

This conversation was invaluable-confirming what I’d only guessed at and clearing up misunderstandings that had built up over time.

Who would’ve thought it’d take nearly a year and a half just to have this short talk? It felt both futile and, in a way, like a relief.

At the very least, thanks to this meeting at his suggestion, the possibility of Ethan and the hero fighting to the death was effectively gone.

As we exchanged questions and answers, the ten minutes flew by in the blink of an eye. I quietly decided it’d be safest to wrap things up with just one or two more questions.

“We’re almost out of time, so let’s wrap up with your last question for today.”

“…Sure. We’ll have plenty of chances to talk more since we’ll be working together until the Machart situation is resolved.”

“Anything you’re curious about? Don’t let my looks fool you-in my past life, I played 『Luminor Academy』 like a demon. I saw 24 endings and even posted guides on the gallery, so I can tell you pretty much anything.”

“Hmm. I’ve read most of the guides on Lua Gallery. By the way, 24 clears? That’s almost on par with Lilgirlchang, isn’t it?”

“……”

-Flinch.

“……Huh?”

My body stiffened momentarily at hearing my old community nickname after so long. The hero gave me a suspicious look at my awkward reaction.

Don’t tell me… the guide he mentioned from Lua Gallery was the one I posted…

“Hey, you.”

“…What?”

“Are you… Lilgirlchang?”