Actions taken with good intentions had all backfired.
The deck of the Partner.
The wind was cold, but I'd stepped outside because staying cooped up in my room meant I'd only spiral deeper into my thoughts. Still, whether it was freezing or not, all I could think about was Olivia.
Luxion hovered beside me.
"You know, when you treated her like a pet, your behavior really did resemble how one dotes on a pet. The Master who once spoiled his favorite game character was rendered completely speechless, it seems."
"...Yeah."
That insufferable artificial intelligence offered no comfort whatsoever.
His words always cut right to the bone.
"She was probably weakened by the genuine malice directed at her at the academy. Her mental state has become unstable. I don't believe there's any need for you to worry about it."
"What do you think I am? I have feelings too, you know."
"Master's heart is made of specially reinforced bulletproof glass. A little thing like this won't leave so much as a scratch. You'll be fine."
"Sure."
I had experience from my previous life, after all. I had my own ways of coping.
But... Olivia's words kept stabbing at my heart in the strangest way.
I shook my head.
"This is how it should be. A mob reaching above his station and trying to get close to the heroine or a villainess noble was out of line. Good lesson learned."
"...I would suggest that withdrawing at this point is unwise?"
"You want me to see this through to the end? Stop joking around. It was the heroine herself who rejected being treated like a pet. I'll just wish her well in her future endeavors."
"You're sulking."
"...Shut up."
Being told I was sulking only made me more irritated. And getting irritated meant I was tacitly admitting it was true.
After a while, I spoke to Luxion.
"What was wrong with me?"
"Your biggest mistake was giving up your strategy too early. That's what led to you becoming entangled in the story you described. However, in this case... I believe the root cause was that you hindered Olivia's growth."
"Hindered her growth? Hey, don't be ridiculous. I was the one helping her! The dungeon at the academy, and everything else—"
Luxion refused to budge from his conclusion.
"She would have resolved all of those on her own. In the short term, your assistance was a success. But in the long term, it's become an obstacle to Olivia's psychological growth. Was she not right? Did you truly think of Olivia as a pet? She must have been your adorable little favorite, after all. After all, in this world, she's a rare girl who happens to be convenient for you."
"You little—!"
I punched Luxion, and the impact sent him slamming into the deck before bouncing back... and slowly drifting back to me.
"...Feel better?"
"I'd like to hit you again, but my fist hurts."
My face was burning with anger. I waited for the cold air outside to cool it down.
"I'll say it again. This is necessary for you. Despite having lived a previous life, you still have the emotional maturity of a child, Master. Psychological growth is essential."
"Psychological growth? I don't need that. Do you know the difference between an adult and a child?"
"If you don't mean it in a physical sense... self-discipline, perhaps?"
"No. The difference between an adult and a child is whether or not they adapt to society. I'm plenty adult enough — I'm living in this world without destroying it, despite having the power you represent."
Adapt for better or worse, and you're an adult.
"...The way you put it, what should be an inspiring story sounds like a joke coming from you."
"Does it now."
I sat down in a huff, and Brad came out onto the deck. He was holding a sword, and when he saw my face, he made a thoroughly disgusted expression.
Luxion hid inside my coat.
"Practicing your swordplay?"
Brad curtly said, "Lending me the deck," and began swinging in the cold. His form was, to put it generously, nothing impressive.
I was honestly better than him.
"Why not practice magic? That's your strong suit, isn't it?"
Brad broke into a sweat.
He was putting real effort into those swings.
"I know that already!"
"Way to overreact."
As Brad resumed swinging, he kept glancing at me, unable to focus.
"Do you do this every day?"
"Of course. It's a requirement for becoming a knight."
"It's really not a requirement."
"W-well, martial arts are a requirement!"
Being good with a sword alone wouldn't make you a knight. Unless you were outstanding enough to be called a sword saint, you couldn't become one without being proficient in everything.
Well, nobles could become knights automatically.
"You don't have to do all that to become a knight."
Brad swept his bangs back with a pretentious flick of his hand and declared:
"I'm doing this so I can beat you someday! Until that day, we've decided to give it our all."
Give it our all? Laughable.
Wait, you guys actually thought I'd fight you again?
"Are you stupid? I'm not fighting you guys ever again. You'll be losers for life."
Brad made a frustrated face and started swinging again.
"...You're not going to argue back?"
"If I had time for that, I'd rather spend it getting in another swing. I'm... the weakest of the five."
...I scratched my head.
Brad was the magic-type character.
You could say he had no talent outside of magic. That was why the game had made him suffer so much. Weak yet always charging to the front, and on top of that, going down immediately. How many times had I wished he'd just stop charging in?
"Just stick to what you're good at, then."
"I'm already trying my best at that! But... I don't want to lose."
Brad opened up.
"...I want Marie to look at me."
"What do you guys even see in her? She's flat as a board and tiny."
"It's not about looks! It's about what's inside!"
I wanted to tell him that what's inside is terrible too. But he wouldn't listen anyway.
Just then, a floating robot drifted over from inside the ship. It was carrying two wooden swords, which it handed to me and Brad before floating away.
Brad looked unnerved.
"Wh-what the hell is that hunk of metal?"
He was backing away, his legs trembling. Come to think of it, this guy was a coward. I don't think he'd encountered the robots inside the ship yet, because he was clearly terrified.
But conveniently, there were exactly two wooden swords.
Brad pointed his wooden sword at me.
"Let's duel, Bartfort!"
"No way. It's freezing."
Brad stomped his foot in frustration.
But he kept glancing at me while practicing, so I decided to humor him with one match since I knew he wouldn't back down.
Brad beamed.
"Come on!"
"Why are you happy about fighting in the one area you're worst at? Are you an idiot?"
"My test scores are better than yours, at least! Anyway, as long as I get to challenge you, that's enough."
He settled into a stance — and for someone who'd been practicing, his form was actually decent.
I stepped in and struck downward; he easily dodged back, losing his balance. There was no talent to speak of.
"See? What was that?"
Strike after strike, and Brad was stumbling all over the place.
But just once — Brad lunged forward with a wide left upward slash. The blade came in from below at an angle, and with more force than I expected, it knocked me off balance.
"—!"
I chalked it up to simple carelessness.
Brad, feeling confident, pressed forward.
"Keep the pressure—guh!"
I closed the distance while he overextended, and rapped him on the head with the hilt. He crumpled to the ground.
"...You really are stupid."
"D-damn it... I thought I had you there."
I honestly thought he'd have more talent with a spear. During our duel, he'd delivered some sharp thrusts.
Brad stood up, and apparently done with practice, headed back inside.
"Next... next time for sure."
Holding his head, Brad limped away. I looked down at my own wooden sword.
Gave it a few swings. It had been a while.
"Wow, I've really lost my touch. Come to think of it, I haven't touched one since coming to the academy, aside from class."
Before leaving home, I'd been forced to practice swings, but once I got to the academy, I'd slacked off.
Luxion, who'd been hiding, reappeared.
"You seem to be having fun."
"You went through all the trouble of... having a robot bring us wooden swords, didn't you?"
"Yes."
I pointed the tip of the wooden sword toward the night sky, and the stars were shining beautifully.
"...They're all thinking about things too, huh."
◇
The next morning arrived without any answers, and it was the worst.
Greg shoveling food from the table, Brad eating gracefully...
"It's so manly from the moment I wake up."
Olivia was holed up in her room, so Luxion had been bringing her meals.
Greg wiped his mouth.
"I don't want to see your face first thing in the morning either. More importantly, what are we going to do next? The main body of the sky pirates is still out there, right?"
The pirates were still around, and they were asking whether we'd hunt them down or run.
From a game standpoint, I could wait until year two, but since I'd already gotten involved, I'd rather wipe them out now. They'd be a real pain during the war arc.
Strike when you can. That's my way.
"I've already pinpointed their location. We just need to wait a little longer before we move in—"
Just then, Luxion reported:
"Master, it appears the sky pirates are attacking first."
I stood up and looked out the window. Both Greg and Brad were looking at me with tense expressions.
"They moved faster than expected."
The two of them made their request.
Greg spoke to me:
"Bartfort — the damaged Armor will do. Lend it to us."
Brad had a serious look on his face too.
"I found an Armor that should work within the day."
What were they planning to do with damaged Armor?
"No. I'm not letting you ride in defective machines. You two need to think about your positions—"
Greg lowered his head.
"Please! I know we're a burden to you. But I can't just stand by and watch."
Brad bowed to me as well.
"I know it's a lot to ask. I understand — the broken Armor is yours. But even for a little while. Please, lend it to us."
I was about to refuse, but their straightforward gazes and sincerity made me look away.
"I'll run a check on them first. After that, do whatever you want."
"I owe you one!"
"This time, I'll prove I'm useful!"
Luxion didn't even wait for me to finish:
"Then I'll begin resupply and maintenance."
...What an infuriating person. He complains constantly but is so competent it makes me angry.
How am I supposed to stay mad at that?
◇
Things got noisy outside.
Olivia, who'd been sitting on the floor, stood up and looked out the window.
"The Partner is moving..."
The dazed Olivia felt the ship rock and gradually regained awareness.
Through her swollen, tear-stained eyes, she saw Leon fighting aboard the Arrogance high in the sky.
"Leon?"
Outside the window, she could see airships just like yesterday's pirates closing in.
There were five of them.
The largest airship was about three hundred meters long.
Its broadside cannons fired, and shell after shell rained down upon the Partner.
"Ahh!"
She curled up with her hands over her head, but the Partner was enveloped in a pale light and took no damage.
"I-it's incredible."
While Olivia watched the scene outside, Leon charged toward the enemy flagship.
He was destroying the masts of the sail-shaped airships.
Olivia felt relief at the sight — and then her heart sank.
(What have I done to Leon? But I'm...)
She wavered in anguish, but when she saw Leon get blasted away by armor that emerged from an enemy airship, she rushed outside.
She flew out of her room and sprinted down the corridor leading to the deck.
The Partner was a massive ship, and the path to the outside was quite a distance.
Floating robots she passed along the way tried to stop her, but—
"Sorry, get out of my way!"
—when Olivia said that, the robots froze for an instant.
By the time they rebooted and gave chase, they couldn't catch her.
When she burst onto the deck, the violent sounds of battle that she couldn't hear from inside the ship struck her ears like a physical blow.
The roar of gunpowder explosions.
The crack of magic colliding.
Turbulent shaking, blasts, and smoke from gunpowder — the battlefield was dominated by all of it.
Olivia moved away from the door, searching for Leon. Not to be useful or useless — she just needed to know he was safe.
"Leon! Leon!"
Then, a massive suit of armor landed right before her.
She looked up — it wasn't the gray Arrogance. This one bore a skull emblem.
"...Huh?"
The armor was as heavily armored as the Arrogance, but it was spiky and screamed "sky pirate." It carried a weapon like a massive cleaver, and the pilot reached for Olivia.
A hand large enough to envelop her entire head closed in, and just as Olivia froze in terror, robots with arms like pillars wedged themselves between her and the armor.
A muffled voice came from inside the armor.
"Tch — what is this junk?"
A rough, masculine voice.
The pirate punched the robots aside and reached for Olivia once more—
"Not on my watch!"
Brad, piloting a suit of armor seized from the pirates, rammed into the enemy.
But the enemy only skidded back slightly on the deck.
It looked like a child trying to push an adult out of the way — there was no way it was going to work.
As event after event unfolded before her eyes, Olivia held her breath in shock. The pirate then hurled Brad aside.
"Don't get cocky, kid!"
Brad's armor tumbled across the deck.
He scrambled to his feet and was about to charge again when Greg's armor barreled in, swinging his spear as he charged the pirate.
"Get out of my waaaay!"
Greg's spear stabbed into the pirate's armor but was stopped by the thick plating, unable to pierce through.
"Tough."
The pirate grabbed the spear and ripped it free. Then, spear in hand, he slammed Greg's armor against the deck.
While Olivia stood frozen, Brad stepped in front of her.
"What are you doing? Get back!"
"...Ah..."
Facing the clash of massive armors, Olivia was paralyzed by fear.
◇
High in the sky.
Having been blown away, I channeled my frustration into the nearest pirate.
"Out of my way!"
I grabbed the pirate's armor and smashed it into an airship.
Looking around, I was surrounded by pirates.
My breathing was ragged.
Inside the narrow cockpit, I could see drones deployed all around me.
"Don't kill them. Capture everyone alive."
Luxion grumbled at my orders.
"That's easier said than done, especially when you're making it harder for everyone."
The pirates, rifles raised, were shouting something. *Monster!* *What the hell is this guy?* *It's deflecting all our bullets — here he comes!* I let their cries wash over me as I recalled what had just happened.
...The pirate leader.
The man on the bounty list, riding an enormous suit of armor.
Normally, the trend in armor design was sleek and streamlined. Most of the pirates attacked me in suits like that.
Yet the boss was riding a massive, heavily-armored suit on par with the Arrogance.
"I need to capture that guy quickly."
As I grew impatient, Luxion offered his warning:
"Master, your reaction speed has dropped below normal. Your piloting technique and everything else has deteriorated from last time."
...He was right. I'd been slacking on practice.
"Sorry about that. I've been busy."
"No — I believe it's a psychological issue."
The gray armor — the heavy Arrogance — soared through the sky.
The pirates' bullets bounced off my armor, and my speed and power dwarfed everything else on the field. There was no doubt I was in the strongest suit here.
Yet despite piloting the most powerful armor, I was struggling.
...I had completely underestimated my opponent.
The pirate boss was having his subordinates fight me while avoiding a direct confrontation himself.
I caught an approaching enemy and crushed its head in my grip. Through the gap in the armor, the pilot — a pirate — stared at me with a terrified expression.
"I'll crush you quickly. You think I have time to keep playing around?"
"Master, a man believed to be the sky pirate leader has landed on the Partner's deck. Also, Olivia has gone out onto the deck."
"What?!"
While I was distracted, the pirate airships turned their cannons toward me and opened fire.
My Arrogance was hit and caught in the explosions.
I berated Luxion inside the armor.
"Why did you let her out?!"
"I apologize. The maintenance robots went down temporarily. There must have been some cause—"
"Enough! I'm going back to help—"
The display before me showed Brad and Greg engaging the pirate boss.
"Deploying them was the right call. Right now, they're fighting to protect Olivia."
Their figures — protecting Olivia — burned into my eyes as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It was exactly the scene I'd seen countless times in the game: the heroine guarded by the capture targets.
I let out a small laugh.
"...This is how it should be. Yeah, this is how it should've been from the start."
"Master?"
I took a deep breath, gripped the control stick, shut off the surrounding displays, and focused on what was in front of me. No need to think about anything else.
That's right — I had my own role to play.
After all, wasn't I just a mob?
Wouldn't it be presumptuous of me to stand at Olivia's side?
"Increase output. Use the thing from container four."
"...Understood."
Luxion seemed to sense my mood, because he stopped making his usual quips. Hey, what happened? Say something... It's lonely not hearing your complaints.
Two axes, dispensed from the containers, were gripped in each hand of the Arrogance.
With a massive battle axe in each hand, I lowered my head for a moment, then slowly raised it.
"...Time to crush them."
◇
Olivia collapsed to her knees.
Before her, both Brad and Greg lay fallen before the pirate boss's armor.
"D-damn it..."
"How the hell does something that size put out that kind of power?"
Both were alive. But they clearly couldn't stand up anymore.
The pirate boss slung his massive cleaver over his shoulder and extended his left hand toward Olivia.
"You made me work for it, girl. You're going to be my hostage against him."
Realizing the pirate intended to use her as leverage against Leon, Olivia tried to flee — but the boss drove his cleaver into Brad's armor.
"Guh!"
Brad let out a strangled cry and writhed in pain.
"Brad!"
The pirate boss spoke from inside his armor in a muffled voice:
"Run, and I kill these two. Now get over here."
Facing the outstretched hand of the pirate's armor, Olivia stepped forward on trembling legs through her tears. She glanced at Brad — he was in pain, but alive.
(I'm a burden. I'm causing trouble for everyone.)
Tears of frustration streaming down her face, she watched as the pirate boss's armor that had been looming before her was blasted away.
A gust of wind whipped Olivia's hair and clothes as the gray armor shot past.
"Leon!"
Olivia cried out joyfully, but her expression clouded immediately.
"...Huh?"
The Arrogance, Leon's armor, now wielded a massive battle axe in each hand. It had severed both arms of the enemy's armor.
Back during the duel with Julius, the Arrogance had held a shovel and possessed a certain goofy charm. But the armor standing before her now looked utterly menacing.
Before the overwhelming presence of the Arrogance fulfilling its true purpose — built for war — Olivia's smile turned to horror.
"Don't! Leon, stop!"
Leon swung both axes alternately, tearing into the pirate boss's armor. Bit by bit, he stripped it apart as the boss screamed in terror.
"H-help me! I surrender! I surrender!"
Leon was laughing.
"Surrender? Come on, a famous sky pirate saying that? That's no fun at all. Show me you'll fight to the end. Come on — I'll teach you who you picked a fight with!"
He stomped down. Again and again, he crushed the armor beneath his feet as the pirate boss wept and begged for his life.
"Please help me! I'm begging you, let me go!"
"You caused all that destruction and now you're asking for mercy? The first thing you should do is order your men to surrender. Hurry up, or you're going to die."
The pirate boss, who had fought Brad and Greg moments ago, was being treated like nothing more than cannon fodder.
On the boss's orders, the pirates declared their surrender. But Leon kept tearing the armor apart. The Arrogance stripped away the armor plating and ripped apart the critical framework beneath.
Seeing this, Olivia felt, quite simply, afraid.
Then the Arrogance reached into the abdomen of the enemy armor and pulled something out.
Leon stared at it with a grin.
"Found~ it."
The pirate boss screamed in anguish.
"G-give that back! That's important—"
"Like I care. It wasn't yours to begin with. From today on, it's mine."
The Arrogance seemed to have lost all interest in the pirate's armor, kicking it aside to roll across the deck.
Looking around, the pirate airships were belching black smoke — whether from Leon's doing or not. They were barely staying afloat, and some pirates were climbing into small boats to escape.
Most of the armor suits had been downed and were floating on the ocean. Each one had been fitted with flotation devices for exactly this purpose — they deployed on impact, keeping the suits afloat.
Pirates climbing out of their armor, faces hanging in despair as they contemplated what came next, or staring up at the sky...
Olivia remembered Brad was injured and rushed to his armor to check his wounds.
"I'll... I'll heal you right away."
Brad, sticking his head out of the armor, was drenched in cold sweat and clearly in pain.
But seeing Olivia, he forced a smile.
"Th-thank you."
"No, this is my fault — you got hurt because of—"
"That's not true."
"Huh?"
"Greg and I both made our peace with it. We fought to protect you. After all, we're aiming to become knights. A knight must be kind to women — oh, that hurts!"
Olivia treated Brad's arm wound, and the soft glow of healing magic spread across the injury. Watching the wound close cleanly, Brad let out a sigh of relief.
"You're good at healing magic, just like Marie. That really helped."
At those words, Olivia asked:
"Marie can use healing magic too?"
Mages who could wield healing magic were rare, and those who could use it well were even rarer. They were truly valuable people.
Brad beamed with pride.
"Yeah, she's our goddess. No matter the wound, if Marie's there, you'll be fine..."
And with that, Brad lost consciousness.
As Olivia dabbed at his wounds with a handkerchief, Leon emerged from the Arrogance and looked down at the scene.
"—Leon. Um, I..."
Before Olivia could say anything, Leon smiled.
But to Olivia, it looked sorrowful.
"It suits you. Everything does have a way of ending up where it belongs, doesn't it?"
What did he mean?
As Olivia started to stand, Leon moved toward Greg. He helped him out of the armor, confirmed he was uninjured, and spoke:
"Good work. Turns out you're not half bad."
"That a dig at me? ...Sorry, I wrecked the borrowed armor."
"It's fine. You more than earned it. Now, help me get Brad out of his."
"Is he okay?"
"Fine. 'Ms. Olivia' already healed his injuries."
Olivia clenched the hand she'd pressed against her chest.
—It hurt. So badly.
Her heart ached as if someone had seized it in a fist.
She tried to stand and call out, but no sound came. Leon walked past her without even meeting her eyes.
Together, he and Greg extracted Brad from the armor, and robots arrived with a stretcher to carry him away.
The three of them headed back inside the ship, and Olivia began to cry.
"Why? ...Please, call me Olivia."
She crumpled to the ground and wept.
◇
The pirates' treasure lay before me, but I couldn't muster any interest.
In one of the Partner's cargo holds, I'd tossed in the spoils from the pirates.
Among the gold, silver, and jewels, I found some nostalgic items, but I picked them up and put them right back.
"So this is how much they managed to hoard."
Luxion hovered beside me, watching my behavior.
"You won't receive a reward from the Wayne household, but the annihilation of the pirate fleet and the bounty on their leader should amount to a considerable sum. A small fortune, really."
I couldn't care less.
What was I supposed to do with that kind of money?
...It all seemed so pointless.
"Maybe I'll buy a tea set. As for the rest..."
What came to mind was the sight of Greg and Brad protecting Olivia. That was how things were supposed to be. My heart felt inexplicably restless.
I looked at Luxion.
"Hey — did you find any evidence connecting the Viscount's family to the pirates?"
"Yes. I discovered several documents showing their correspondence. It may not be sufficient as definitive proof."
"I'll report it to the royal palace then. After that, it's the Redgrave Ducal Family. A rival faction's scandal makes for a nice gift."
"It's less a scandal and more a clear vulnerability. The Viscount's family might come after the pirates to retrieve their losses."
"—Then we just crush them."
What had I been doing all this time?
I had this kind of power and wasn't using it? Was I an idiot?
Yeah... I was an idiot.
I'd been a fool.
"If trash like them disappears, the kingdom might improve a little. Nah, forget it — the kingdom itself is trash. Actually... isn't the whole otome game trash?"
Luxion watched me rambling with fewer barbs than usual.
"Are you quite sure? I have no qualms about destroying the kingdom — this world. Say the word and I'll carry it out immediately. After that, I can create a world that's convenient for you."
...A world that's convenient for me?
Sounds amazing!
"Sure, why not? Surround myself with women and build a harem? Elves and cat-eared beastkin would be nice too. This time, let's make a world where women are the trash!"
...Even as the words left my mouth, I realized.
Oh — all I'd done was flip the genders.
"...What the hell, I'm the same as the girls at the academy."
"It seems you've found your own answer, and that's what matters. Did venting your frustration on the pirates help clear your head?"
...It absolutely did not.
A murky restlessness churned in my gut.
I wanted to expel it immediately, but I had no idea how.
Luxion spoke to me:
"Olivia hasn't come to hate you, Master. She's simply in an unstable mental state—"
"I know. Because I didn't do what she wanted. Because I caused her trouble. Did you really think I'd be angry about that?"
"Yes."
"...What do you think of me?"
When she first came outside, I admit I thought, *What the hell are you doing, you idiot?* But ironically, that was what let me see the manliness of Brad and Greg.
I also saw the heroine and the capture targets as they were meant to be.
I'd call that a big harvest. Yeah... this was for the best. My role as their stand-in was over. It was time to go back to being a mob.
I pulled the sacred pendant from my pocket.
"So then, how do I go about giving this back?"
Rather than me giving it as a present, if one of them — Brad or Greg — woke up and got together with Olivia, things would be easy.
If I could get them to present it to her, that would be the best possible outcome.
I wanted them to try their hardest.
"...I've decided what to do with the treasure."
Having reached my conclusion alone, I stuffed the pendant back into my pocket.
Luxion reported:
"Master, it appears the Viscount's fleet is heading this way. At the same time — the Redgrave Ducal Family's airships are also approaching."
...What a noisy bunch.