episode_0001

These days, it’s rare to see a heroine with a past of sexual abuse unless you’re playing an adults-only game, but just twenty years ago, there were cases where heroines with a history of sexual abuse appeared, even in games meant for all ages.

Of course, such scenes were not shown explicitly, and they were often glossed over with a simple “this character has a tragic past,” but looking back, it’s still a shocking setting to come across.

However, the character Claire Pegasus, while classified as a heroine, was not a heroine you could conquer. At least not in the series I played, there was no route to conquer her.

No, it’s not that she was difficult to conquer, it’s that she was a character you couldn’t save.

Although the series was twenty years old, the world in which the story takes place was established only five years ago. The 14th installment came out five years ago, and since then, a total of three more installments have been released.

And in the late 2010s, it was too late for characters like her to make an appearance.

Her character was intriguing… you could say that. With a character who can come from such a tragic past, there are certain character traits that come along with it.

Whether it’s pretending to be cheerful to hide a dark past, becoming more mature than her peers, resorting to villainy to appear strong, or finding redemption from a dark past and reconciling with a once-estranged younger sister—

—while these settings existed, in reality, such a dark past could have been created without the need for “villainy.”

Whether it was the preference of the production team or the fact that the scenario writer from twenty years ago continued to write the story, the controversial and stimulating settings surrounding the character of Claire hindered her popularity.

Moreover, while I’m not sure about Japan, within the country, there were a few users who continued to harass the character based on her past, further tarnishing her reputation.

Regardless of whether the production team was aware of these facts or if the character was originally intended for such a purpose, in the end, in the final series released, this character rejects the emperor’s title for the sake of his real daughter, the emperor’s true daughter, and sacrifices herself.

Despite the controversies and harassment that followed the character, her story remained unmatched. A character who, until her dying moment, suffered greatly but still achieved the ending she desired, is always popular.

“Hmm…”

If there is one issue, it’s that the Claire sitting in front of me right now has not yet earned the title of “Pegasus” and does not carry such a gloomy past.

Claire is a character sold by the orphanage director for money.

No, the orphanage itself had a special relationship with the red-light district. Pretending to be a normal orphanage, it was actually a place where orphans were selected and, whenever needed, one of the orphans from the red-light district would be broken down like a part and replaced.

…Perhaps, the child who was “adopted” recently was also sold off for that purpose.

Following the rules of the “special barrier,” they are bought and sold, so gender probably doesn’t matter.

The girl who used to roam the red-light district becomes the emperor’s daughter. It may seem unbelievable, but there is a story behind it.

It’s because this character, Claire, had talent.

In the midst of always being vilified, Claire eventually couldn’t bear it and exploded, killing the “guest” she was facing.

Holding the arteries of the stretcher bearers who ran after hearing the screams with a fork, I accidentally broke an oil lamp on my way out, resulting in a fire breaking out in the window.

In a world where the digestive system is not functioning properly and the right to life is not properly established, a fire that started in a shabby slum quickly turned into a devastating conflagration, causing numerous casualties.

Ironically, many nobles who were opposing the emperor were in the slums and ended up dying in the blaze, causing significant damage to the noble faction… that was the backstory.

While investigating the incident, the emperor learned of Claire’s existence and brought her in, adopting her as his daughter.

The many “children” under the emperor’s rule became loyal subjects to the emperor in order to fulfill his desires.

Of course, there is no right to succeed the throne. They are just cronies created by the emperor to fulfill his desires.

The true identity of Claire has not been revealed even in the latest work. There was a hint in the next work that her biological parents might appear, but that’s about it.

Anyway, she wasn’t the one who experienced such a horrific event as a “fangriffon” yet…

…On the contrary, it also meant that the place where I am now, the Igawon, is related to that insane window.

Yes. That meant not only her but also “I” could be sold.

The face I saw in the mirror was truly that of a mysterious girl.

If the content was for an adult male, how would it be? To the nobles who bought children to do such things, it would rather be seen as a form of entertainment.

“Shit.”

“Your clothes…?”

“Ah.”

Hearing my muttering, Claire followed suit.

And I grabbed her head when I saw Claire like that.

For the past month, I haven’t done anything.

Of course, it’s not that I haven’t thought about anything. I have considered escaping from Igawon somehow and fleeing to a proper place.

And I know a place where it’s possible.

The protagonist of this game is a very diligent and kind guy. Naturally, his parents are the same. He is a nobleman who has lived for generations in the capital, and to emphasize the setting of a good family, he operates a proper orphanage.

It’s not just an orphanage with a good appearance, but a real orphanage. A place that truly cares for and loves children, taking responsibility until they become adults.

I have achieved a platinum medal in all the console versions of “Azeruna Chronicles” that I have played so far, and even bought the Japanese version before the official release and cleared it while writing a walkthrough. So, I know the map of the capital. If this world is really the same as the one in the game I know, I should be able to find my way by looking at that map.

But the problem is the scale of the game.

Unless it’s a really wealthy Western studio, there are hardly any companies that can replicate an entire city in a game. For a small company with about 40 employees, it’s practically impossible.

Although they have detailed settings for certain areas, not all areas are densely packed together. Only the areas that are necessary or important in the game are selected and implemented. In terms of streets, it’s equivalent to about two or three blocks. Eight such areas appear in the game.

Everything else was outside the city, in battlefields, and naturally, as a JRPG, there were monsters and treasure chests in those fields, so there was no logical consistency. It had to be made as a dungeon, so it’s not strange that the outskirts of the city in this world are completely different.

Anyway, I had some knowledge of the city’s appearance, but I wasn’t proficient enough in navigation to find my way just by looking at maps and signs. The city was described as a complex place multiple times. Even if the main streets were well-maintained, the back alleys where illegally constructed shantytowns and centuries-old wooden houses were haphazardly mixed together wouldn’t be detailed on any map.

That’s why I had been dragging my feet until now.

“Sylvia unni, what’s wrong?”

The kids here followed me quite well.

Perhaps it was because the previous leader had disciplined the kids with his fists, so when the kids caused trouble, they took the punishment quietly instead of hitting back.

And yet, they didn’t hit me.

Maybe it was because of this pretty face.

…It might sound strange to say this about a child’s face, but it was indeed a face that would look pretty in the eyes of a child. From an adult’s perspective, it would be a face full of potential…

Perhaps it would be a face that a criminal would want to possess.

I don’t really know why I ended up in an orphanage with this kind of face.

If this were a web novel, I would probably end up saving the child in front of me, and the main story would unfold in a completely different way…

– How on earth?

I looked around at the other kids who were staring at me with curiosity.

For starters, the faces of these ‘products’ were quite diverse. I have no idea how they managed to pick only these kids from the back alleys.

…Maybe they’re not just ‘ordinary orphans’. Well, I don’t have a way to prove it right now.

Yes, it’s great to be born in a different world. It’s also great to come face to face with the childhood hero. Honestly, I was a little moved when I first realized it. Magic, flying ships, countless devices with unbelievable steam engines, things that stimulate the imagination.

The problem is, I seem to be destined to be sold, exploited, and die before I can enjoy those things.

Yes, maybe Sylvia Black is a character that already existed. Maybe she was someone Claire knew before becoming the emperor’s daughter. She just didn’t appear as a character who was sold and had an unknown fate before the main story started.

“….”

Frantically racking my brain, I couldn’t see a way out.

The usual status window didn’t appear, and there was no sudden guidance that only I could hear. Even after searching my mind, I didn’t seem to have any remarkable abilities.

“Unni?”

“….”

Even though it’s a language similar to English, there’s a distinct Japanese game-like atmosphere. It’s probably not just my imagination.

In fact, there’s a high possibility that my age and Claire’s age aren’t that different. At most, it would be a year or maybe just a few months of difference. Judging by our similar heights, that seems likely.

But maybe it’s because the old man said I was the oldest, all the kids here called me unni or nuna.

“….No, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

And I tried my best to be kind to those kids.

Because there was nothing else I could do.

I’m not the kind of person who empathizes with other people’s pain and tries to help the kids no matter what.

If it’s something I can’t do, I’ll just stand by and watch from a distance. That’s my position.

But even so.

I can at least give a kind word to the kids who are destined for a terrible future.

…Thinking about it again, maybe the reason the kids follow me well is because of that.

And then, the day of parting came quickly.

“Claire!”

And it came in the worst form possible.

“Someone has come to take you away! Come out happily!”

“……”

Normally, when children leave this place, they are a little happier. It’s only natural to be happy to escape from a place where there are only beings who hit and torment them.

Furthermore, the children don’t even know that they are being sold.

They just think they will be adopted into a wealthy family, where they will grow up warm and well-fed.

… The children still don’t know that nobles or aristocrats would never come to take children from such a shabby place.

But even so, Claire just looked up at me.

There was fear and regret in her eyes.

Did she feel some affection towards me in the meantime?

“Let’s go together to the front.”

I said as I got up, not knowing what would happen next. Claire smiled brightly at me.