episode_0001

“This day has come.”

Luke muttered as he looked around the massive building.

Students smiling brightly while wearing graduation caps.

People who came to congratulate them.

It was a new experience.

“4 years?”

It’s been four years since I fell into this world.

I was so confused at first.

Memories from four years ago naturally come back to me.

* * * * *

I just bought a voice simulation game.

[Raising a Princess]

A game where the goal is to become a tutor to a duke in a fantasy world and raise the princess to be a great woman.

Teach manners.

Choosing a dress to wear to a social party.

I thought it was a game that would educate you to become a noble princess in the future…

Crack!

-You can’t even do something like this properly. You’re a disgrace to our family.

A family head who abuses a 10-year-old girl by slapping her cheek in the name of discipline.

-How could something so ugly come out?

The wife, instead of helping, just shook her head and ignored him.

-Hey. Don’t pretend to know anything outside when you can’t even use 1st circle magic.

-Does that look good? Can I borrow some?

Brothers and sisters who are ignored and bullied on a daily basis.

In reality, it was a game with a crazy premise where the youngest daughter of a duke was being horribly abused.

Being talentless is like a disgrace to your family.

Elin Bertain.

That was why the youngest princess of Bertain was hated by everyone.

Well, yeah.

It’s a bit shocking, but it’s an understandable setting.

Because it’s more cathartic to start off in an unfortunate situation and then achieve great success.

Suppress your discomfort for a moment.

I did my best to take care of Elin, looking forward to seeing her as an adult.

I gave them a simple task and gave them a suitable reward.

-…Can I accept something like this?

Elin, unusually for a child of a duke, was delighted with even small rewards.

-Is it right to do it like this?

Small compliments, small rewards piled up.

A smile gradually returned to his colorless face.

-Teacher. What are you doing today?

Slowly, Ellen opened her heart.

-My birthday?

It was her birthday when I completely opened up to her.

-You’ve never taken care of something like that? It’s always just older siblings… .

As expected, I have never been blessed with a birthday.

So I prepared a birthday celebration right away.

I didn’t prepare anything grandiose.

Just a cake.

All we did was skip class and share some cake together.

I just did that simple thing.

-… Thank you, teacher. I don’t know how I can repay you… … .

Ellen shed tears quietly.

These were not tears shed because of pain, loneliness, or sadness.

It was tears of joy flowing out of my eyes.

At that moment, I was sure.

If we keep going like this, a happy ending will definitely await us.

“What the heck is this…!”

But the prediction was completely off the mark.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and looked at the monitor again.

I couldn’t believe it.

A square crowded with people.

A woman standing on the guillotine placed in the center.

-… I’m sorry. I really… … to you, teacher.

Before the woman could even finish her words, the icy blade fell.

Crunch-

The phrase [BAD END] that appeared on the screen announced the end of the game.

“… Huh.”

It was ridiculous.

The princess who was raised with love and affection was executed in vain.

[Elin never found her talent. Eventually, unable to withstand the pressure from her family, she turned to black magic.]

A short text came to mind as the reason for the bad ending.

“Sigh… .”

Clearly he tried to make Ellen happy.

But coming back to this ending?

Was it a mistake to always choose the option of being on my side, even though I wasn’t good at anything?

Perhaps I should have taken a variety of classes to find different talents instead.

Even if I touch it, it’s black magic… … .

I thought about the play carefully and then pressed restart.

The ogi has been activated.

It can’t end like this.

There will definitely be a happy ending.

That’s why I thought so and restarted the game several times.

I ended up seeing a total of 9 bad endings.

In other words, it means that Elin died 9 times.

Accused of being a witch and executed.

He was falsely accused and murdered.

Such as committing suicide when pushed to the limit.

In many ways, Elin met an unfortunate end.

“… Is there a happy ending?”

I had doubts.

In fact, isn’t it possible that the game only has bad endings because it was created by an evil developer who wanted to torment the poor girl?

Tiring-

Just as I was thinking that, a notification came.

[You have witnessed 9 bad endings!]

As I clicked on the notification with a dirty title, a series of messages came to mind.

[Congratulations! You have cleared all routes where Elin dies.]

[Hidden routes are now open.]

[As freedom increases, the player’s choices also increase significantly.]

[Do you want to play the game again?]

“Hidden root?”

This route only opens after you see the ending 9 times.

Can we finally see a happy ending?

A hopeful thought passes through my mind.

Now that I’ve come this far, I feel like I have to see Elin happy to feel better.

I clicked restart, thinking this was really the last time.

[Make her happy.]

I opened my eyes in an unknown space with unfamiliar phrases.

* * * * *

So I was possessed by the player character Luke Bucklin.

That too, 4 years before the start of the game.

Don’t you usually drop it at the starting point?

There was no point in having such thoughts.

The last phrase you saw.

[Make her happy.]

The developer hasn’t sent any messages since then.

It was Luke’s job to navigate the unfamiliar world.

“Sigh.”

As I was attending the academy and adapting to the new world, graduation ceremony came before I knew it.

“What? Why are you sighing on a nice day?”

Someone hit Luke on the back with a bang.

When I look back, I see a familiar face.

“Senior Lanian.”

“Congratulations on your graduation!”

Lanian Rochefort.

The youngest daughter of the Rochefort family, a renowned magician, she is a genius magician who has shown talent since childhood.

“So, you really have no intention of going to graduate school?”

And there was this vicious woman who was always on the lookout for a chance to get Luke into graduate school.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Huh? No, why?”

“But why do you say such harsh things to people?”

“Huh? That’s harsh. Graduate school life is so great. You know how much of a blessing it is to be able to study magic all day long?”

“That’s a blessing only for someone like you, senior.”

I looked at the dark circles covering half of Lanian’s face.

Is this a person or a panda?

“Are you sleeping well these days?”

“I told you last time. Sleep is a luxury! You should move as much as you can while you’re young!”

“… Is that so?”

I gave up on talking any further.

Lanian’s crazy love of magic is known to everyone at the Academy.

“So what will our valedictorian be doing in the future?”

Lanian looks at Luke with eyes dripping with infatuation.

If I had the chance, I would have kidnapped him to graduate school right away.

“Private tutor.”

“… Huh? What kind of tutor is this?”

“I applied because the Bertain Dukes were hiring a tutor for their youngest daughter.”

He showed me a notice with the Bertain seal on it.

Lanian frowned.

“Did our junior like kids?”

“I don’t like it.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever been interested in teaching anyone.”

“Yes, nothing in particular.”

“Then why? You are more than qualified to be a researcher, but you are going to teach a kid?”

It was a face that I truly did not understand.

Of course, other people would react the same way if they saw it.

A wizard who graduated at the top of his class from the academy.

That’s because the specs are so overwhelming that the magic towers are all competing to take it.

To be honest, there were times when I worried.

It’s already been 4 years since I played the game.

I knew I was in a game from the surrounding scenery and the terminology used.

But I never saw Elin.

And Luke turned out to be more talented at magic than you might think.

Enough to graduate from the academy at the top of his class.

I was thinking of going into the magic tower and finding a way to return to the original world.

“I saw the youngest princess of Bertain a while ago.”

I saw it in passing.

Elin Bertain.

A princess who is very skinny and her scars are revealed whenever her clothes flap.

As soon as I discovered her, a message appeared before my eyes.

[Make her happy.]

Without even giving a status window, the phrase floated before Luke’s eyes.

As if that was the mission given.

Only then did Luke face the truth he had been ignoring for four years.

While attending the academy, Elin was continually abused by her family.

The nightmare-like daily life will continue.

In the end, you will meet an unfortunate end.

Luke was the only one who knew that fact.

“Have you actually seen the youngest princess? I don’t know much about her.”

“I saw it by chance last time.”

Perhaps he came out to run an errand for his older sister or brother.

They often used Elin to do the work when their maids or butlers were busy.

Elin, who didn’t know how to rebel, dragged her small body out into the streets.

“She seems talented. If I teach her, she will definitely become a great wizard.”

Everyone says Elin has no talent.

Only Luke knew of Elin’s talent.

“Uhhhh… Yeah. I don’t know why, but it looks really solid.”

Lannian continued speaking, her lips pursed.

“Well… You’ll definitely pass. Then how much do you plan on tutoring?”

“I think it will be there until the princess becomes an adult.”

The game begins on Elin’s 13th birthday.

When the bad ending credits roll, it’s always before the adulthood.

So the thing to do is simple.

What keeps Elin from dying even after she becomes an adult?

That was the primary goal.

“Really? Then I can call you after you become an adult?”

“Yes?”

“I will probably be at the Magic Tower by then… You can come to the Magic Tower right away too.”

Why are you telling the story in such a selfish way?

“I haven’t said a word yet about living as a researcher.”

“Then where are you going to waste that talent?”

Lanian grabbed Luke’s shoulder.

Her brown eyes were so bright that it was annoying.

“Shall I be honest? Even if you build a magic tower right now, there are probably dozens of wizards who would want to enter?”

“No way.”

“Should I go in first?”

It was a look in her eyes that did not reveal even an inch of falsehood.

If that’s acting, then I should give up being a magician and join a theater company.

“Anyway, it’s a story about 7 years later. It’s really absurd that there are no wizards like you in the academic world. It’s so regrettable to future generations. Think about it for a moment when your senior says this. Okay?”

Words pouring out endlessly.

Lanian’s voice grew louder and louder, and the attention of those around her began to gather.

Luke, conscious of his surroundings, pulled away from Lanian’s hand.

“Okay, just step away.”

Since you are speaking so earnestly, let’s respond at least once.

Isn’t it because Lanian acknowledges Luke’s abilities that he’s clinging to him like this?

And we need to find a way to return to the original world.

I guess the condition is to make Elin happy.

You never know, right?

If that’s not the right answer, you’ll have to research it separately later.

If you want to do research, it would be best to do it at the Magic Tower.

“Really? You promised? You can’t ignore my letters later?”

Lanian’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes, I will contact you later.”

“Yeah! But when is the interview?”

“Now.”

“…? Right now? Right after graduation?”

“That’s how it happened.”

I didn’t mean to.

Somehow, time passed like this.

Luke checked his watch and waved at the dumbfounded Lanian.

“Then take care, senior.”

The steps toward the Duke’s house were light.

If things go the same way as the game, Luke will be the only applicant anyway.