Chapter 9: The Cost of Expectations

I am someone who knows my place well.

Although I’m a hero candidate, I know very well that I’m not actually a hero.

Even if I were to become a hero, I know that I wouldn’t be the only hero in existence, and I also know that there are a few characters in the position of a saint.

According to Siwoo, the performance of a character is not determined by whether they are a hero or not.

Rather, it’s more important whether the character’s performance is well-designed or not.

Even I, for example—well, even the Lira in the game—was a 1-star character at first, and my performance was literally that of a 1-star character.

But when I raised my star count with awakening stones and equipped special gear, I was often chosen.

The problem was that “awakening stones” didn’t exist in this world.

It was just a term used for currency in the game, and it seems it doesn’t actually exist in this world.

“No answer.”

Before leaving the room in the morning, I muttered to myself.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, just thinking. If awakening stones don’t exist, then maybe the star count isn’t that important after all.”

Since there’s no status window, we can’t see our stats, so the star count doesn’t really matter, and all the preparations I made might have been unnecessary.

In fact, we had thought about this too.

So, we thought that if we just followed the character story that opens up every time we awaken, we could make it work—

“…But in the end, the story flows based on our actions, doesn’t it? Just one small mistake and we could veer off the main story completely.”

It seems like it has already gone off course, just thinking about Chloe’s story alone.

“We haven’t even reached the academy yet, so we probably don’t need to worry just yet.”

“Feels kind of like when I graduated from college.”

The sense of feeling overwhelmed, knowing that my future is entirely in my own hands, and realizing that I have to feed myself—that kind of overwhelming feeling.

“We’re just going to enroll.”

“I know that.”

I let out a long sigh.

“…We’re not just learning swordsmanship at the academy, right?”

“Well, no. We’ll also learn social knowledge and military stuff.”

“In the original, I was the last in class.”

Siwoo didn’t respond to that.

Once again, I know my place well.

My brain is definitely not better than others.

If I had to divide it into upper and lower halves, I’d probably be closer to the bottom.

Even in college, I graduated from a school that was on the verge of closing down, and the job I got was far from my major.

But now, I’m about to go to the place where all the elites from across the empire gather, and I’m doubtful if I can maintain an average grade there.

“If I work hard, maybe I can manage somehow.”

“I really hope so.”

Seeing Siwoo smile bitterly at the corner of his mouth, I let out another deep sigh.

“Did both of you have a good night?”

“Yeah, well.”

“Did you sleep well, Chloe?”

After finishing the preparations to leave, we went downstairs to the first floor, where Chloe, who had been waiting in the dining area, greeted us with a smile.

When we first left the village, Chloe had a worried expression, but as we got closer to the academy, her expression brightened.

She had two letters of introduction from the lord and the bishop, and most importantly, since she had become a candidate for the saint, the academy would never reject her.

If she was the right age, they would even let her transfer in.

It seemed that the story progressed in a way where new students joined when the academic year advanced, and characters had to be consistently added to keep the content going.

“Oh my, oh my.”

Chloe made that sound, covering her mouth with her hand as she watched us sit down.

“…Why?”

“No, it’s just that both of you look a little tired. Since we’re not in a rush, how about spending a bit more time together before we head down?”

It seemed she imagined the tiredness on my face in a “that way.”

“Are you, a nun, allowed to say such things?”

“The goddess wishes for people to love each other and for the world to prosper.”

I looked at Siwoo.

Siwoo smiled bitterly and scratched his cheek.

“Certainly, if the birth rate gets too low, it’s bad for the empire too.”

“Why would you say something like that…”

“Anyway, that’s not the reason I’m tired.”

“Then is there another reason?”

Don’t say it as if there’s nothing.

No matter what, Siwoo would probably want to date someone a bit more feminine than me.

“I’m just a bit worried.”

As I sat down and raised my hand, the waitress, who had been standing over there, came over.

At least in this kind of inn, breakfast is predetermined.

Without needing to look at a menu, the waitress immediately brought a thin soup on a tray.

Looking at the soup placed in front of the three of us, I felt a little disconnected.

Maybe it was because we had just had a luxurious meal at a top-tier inn.

I didn’t even mention that I was a hero candidate because I felt pressured by being called a “hero,” and this place wasn’t in the middle of a lord’s castle, but rather somewhere between the lord’s castle and another one.

It was more like a rest stop or a US-style motel, so the food quality was probably not going to be great.

The waitress was a little younger, but not particularly friendly.

“Are you worried about living at the academy?”

I picked up the wooden spoon and stirred the soup, lifting the vegetables that had sunk to the bottom. Chloe asked.

“Yeah, well, that’s true. I’m not particularly good at studying.”

“Right.”

“Since I have a status, I won’t be expelled for bad grades, but still, being at the bottom would be a bit embarrassing, right?”

“…Now that you mention it, I guess that’ll happen to me too.”

Chloe said with a slightly worried expression.

“I’ve learned a bit when I was at the convent, but most of it was related to the church. So, if I mix in with the nobles and take classes, I’ll…”

“You don’t need to worry too much.”

Siwoo encouraged us, just like he had done with me earlier.

“If you work hard, you’ll be fine.”

“Right. We’ll have to work hard to live up to the expectations of the people in the village!”

Chloe clenched her fist.

It’s good that she’s so positive.

In the original story, she was probably a bit darker, right?

After all, she went through a lot.

Still, I was relieved that my early actions hadn’t ruined the story entirely.

“Yeah, we’ll try as hard as we can.”

After finishing a bland breakfast with the tasteless soup, we went outside.

“Does that even make sense!?”

And right after stepping out, I heard that peculiar way of speaking.

“Do you think it’s reasonable to pay 30 silver coins for just a night at an inn!? You even have to buy breakfast separately here!!”

With her arms flailing wildly above her head, stomping the ground with one foot as she shouted, a pair of rather large ears popped out from her head.

Of course, those ears weren’t human ears.

In a cute girl game like this, there’s no way such an eye-catching visual would exist.

The ears on her head were large, cat-like ears, sticking up straight as if she was very angry.

If you looked closely, her black bobbed hair seemed to be standing up as well.

Her speech was a bit unusual, so I guess she was a beastkin.

“Meow!”

And standing next to her was a bear.

Well, it didn’t exactly look like just a bear. If it were, there’s no way they would have let it stay at this inn.

Both the cat-eared girl and the bear were wearing armor.

The cat-eared girl’s outfit looked like some sturdy leather armor, but the tight leather pants left a bit of her hip exposed, and it seemed like the top part of her outfit was a leotard.

On her back, she carried a round shield, and on both sides of her waist, stiletto blades were hanging in their scabbards.

Her height was even shorter than Chloe’s… not quite a little kid, but definitely on the smaller side, the kind of size that would likely have a demand in a game like this.

As for the bear, it was wearing full plate armor.

It didn’t seem like it was just being dragged around as a pet.

From the way it was shouting alongside the cat-eared girl, it looked like it was considered a companion.

So, is that bear also a beastkin?

“Eh?”

I felt a tap on my side, and when I turned to look, Siwoo quietly spoke to me.

He was looking up at me with a slightly serious expression, so they seemed to be characters from the game too.

Honestly, I had my suspicions. I’d heard that the game had at least one character that was some sort of beast, after all.

If that bear is the character from the game, then I can probably guess who the other one is too.

…Once again, they’re both 1-star characters with awkward balance in terms of performance.

Since Chloe is already part of the party, I can’t really afford to take in another character with questionable performance.

I thought about it for a moment, but then decided to ignore it.

The reason the protagonist was able to come to the academy without encountering these characters must have been because that situation was something they could have solved somehow.

I’d think about it again when I meet them at the academy.

“Hey, you two. Do you even have any conscience?”

But just as I was about to turn my body, I heard someone say that.

“Don’t expect to be treated the same as everyone else just because you’re the descendants of those who sided with the Demon King during the last war. And you, aren’t you beasts after all? Be grateful that we even let you stay in an inn and not the stable.”

Standing in front of the stable, the innkeeper was saying that to the two of them, and I slowly turned to look back.