Chapter 56

▶ You have entered the Caution Zone! ◀

[Time Limit: 30 minutes]

The timer suddenly activated.

I instinctively knew the time had come.

“Though it’s a bit earlier, it wasn’t odd for it to happen anytime.”

In the training hall, Carsein is generally viewed with unfavorable eyes. This is the basic setup. There was an incident in the past by the old guy.

Considering their feelings, you could think this system message appearing is a natural flow.

However, if you think about it more deeply, you can immediately raise doubts.

Why didn’t this message appear from the beginning?

If they disliked Carsein, this message should have appeared when entering the training hall.

Back then, Mark’s affinity was showing as gray, at -25%. The other knights were worse, not better.

I chuckled thinking of the fact I first noticed this while playing the game.

“When you meet the guy, a Dead Flag appears. That was the message.”

Even if everyone dislikes him, it might seem meaningless, but isn’t that ironic?

It was also strange how a dangerous area would reappear.

Reality wasn’t much different.

There are some differences from the game, but it’s still the same.

Yes. These are all hints.

Hints pointing to the ‘real threat’ within the episode I’ve been missing.

If you pay close attention and recall what action you took today, you can find the answer.

“The malice must be Bruce. His head was also cursed, so he’s surely seething with anger.”

Today, while handling the mess, I snatched a towel from Arina to confront the guy who tried to steal her stuff, revealing his past and throwing a tackle.

Afterwards, I got scolded for touching Arina’s belongings, and his image among the trainee knights plummeted because of my testimony.

Do I need to explain further?

By now, he must be full of thoughts of revenge on me.

Missing this would mean heading straight for a bad ending.

I slowly counted on my fingers the points to be careful of when receiving someone’s wrath.

“I need to finish laundry by now. Avoid dinner time between 5:30 PM and 6:30 PM. Also, avoid situations where we’re alone together…”

My plan was coming together.

Since he already knows everything, I’ll act in a way that avoids trouble unless it’s unavoidable.

But there is one problem: the timing is a bit early.

Since this window opened now instead of on the fifth night, I need to take action.

“…Then I need to meet Radiel right now.”

Originally, I was supposed to go on the fifth night, but given how quickly the warning popped up, there’s a chance Radiel has already heard this news.

▶ Sub Episode. Mark and Radiel are ongoing! ◀

This sub episode needs to be cleared now.

***

A single small action can drastically change events, background, and environment in the main episode.

Sub episodes serve as a collection of information or breakthroughs to clear the main episode.

But remember:

This game can’t perform sub episodes unless certain conditions are met, and if missed, they can become toxic.

They provide hints for correct choices or warnings about dangers, but if conditions aren’t met, penalties are mercilessly applied, or like the main episode, severe punishments are enforced.

Just like with Mark and Radiel’s episode.

You can only proceed after raising Mark’s affinity from negative, but once started, Mark’s affinity freezes.

While it said no penalty would apply upon failure…

Actually, a Dead Trigger activates due to leaving Radiel alone.

“It’s funny. Not even a main episode, but failing a sub episode changes the main episode content, leading back to a Dead Flag choice.”

What can you do? It’s how the creator made it.

I had no choice but to move to complete that episode.

“Eh, I’m full. I need to head to the marketplace for a bit.”

“Brat. Why don’t you just say you have a date?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re hiding it. I know you’ve been meeting a maid from the Duke’s house.”

“Eh, eh?!”

The knight trying to hide something drops the toothpick stuck between his teeth.

His companion next to him giggles seeing this.

And then.

I approached them and threw out a line.

“If you see that maid, it’d be better to go later.”

“What? Who… huh?”

“Master?”

“Hey.”

The knight called “master” gets jabbed in the side by his companion.

“Don’t you think it’s okay now since training’s over?”

“Still, you never know when you might hear something.”

Yes, I’m not the master.

Here, I am Carsein the trainee.

“Speaking of which, Carsein the trainee. What did you mean by going later?”

I grinned and replied.

“She rushes around putting on makeup.”

“Rushes around putting on makeup? What does that mean?”

“The maid from the Duke’s house. She always rushes to meet time, but she’s always late, so she complains about not having enough time to prepare. Even though she’s rushed, she still sweats every time she meets me.”

“Yeah, it seems right. She always seemed sweaty when I met her.”

“So if you go a bit later, she’ll have time to prepare properly.”

“Yes.”

I know this for sure. I saw it myself, and she was rewarded by me in the game too.

“Damn. Moving so hurriedly makes her side busy too, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t ask me. How would I know?”

“Didn’t you notice? If you have feelings, how could you miss something like this?”

“…Making fun of my dating experience, huh?”

The two knights exchanged a few words, and when their gaze returned to me, the gray affinity box shrank a bit.

“Hmm, thank… No, thanks, Master. But why tell me this?”

“Hey.”

“Master is right. As a trainee, you’re still learning, so ignoring you seems wrong.”

“…Yeah, I agree.”

The knight who had been looking forward to meeting the maid thanked me.

Using polite language and calling me “Master,” both seemed to relax their guard, making it the right moment to get information.

“Who’s in the restaurant? I want to eat too.”

“Now? A few people are there.”

Knight names I’m familiar with but you’re not started to ring in my ears.

At least, I learned one thing: Bruce isn’t there.

Suddenly, they both looked at me with concern.

“Master, when I was a trainee, I ate alone except for this guy. Keep it up.”

“…What?”

“The second menu is delicious today. Even if you have no company, eating something good helps.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

These guys think I’m pitiful because I have no friends and am a stubborn trainee.

“Pretending.”

“Come on, fighting spirit!”

No.

That’s not what you think.

.

.

.

The restaurant is a place that suddenly disappears after completing a sub episode, revealing Radiel’s location.

[Order List]

Names of knights written on a paper as big as a bulletin board caught my eye.

One name was blank.

[Radiel Grupein] []

‘Is she not here yet?’

Even if she’s the captain, she’s still a knight.

What does it mean that someone who trains daily hasn’t eaten until now?

So I guessed roughly.

I turned around and went to look for Radiel.

***

Clack! Clang!

The wooden sword hitting the wooden figure echoed in the empty place.

“Cough…!”

The woman wielding the wooden sword bit her lip.

The sound of her sword was dull, not a clean hit.

Her arm wasn’t listening, lacking strength.

Due to the wrong balance, the proper strike couldn’t be made.

The body remembers.

This is wrong.

Radiel dropped the sword in frustration.

Ever since that day, her arm wouldn’t listen properly.

“I can’t… I can’t do this for Master Carsein…”

The unfortunate young master gave up.

After that day, he stopped visiting the training hall and didn’t come looking for her.

He didn’t send a single word.

After the communication was cut off, she only heard rumors of him being confined in his room.

Becoming the troublemaker of the training hall.

Becoming a disgrace to the Duke’s house.

Taking all the blame, becoming the enemy of the knights in the training hall.

But somehow, the ban was lifted, and he came back.

Despite the training hall being the worst place for him, he returned.

It was the last chance.

She knew she couldn’t prove his innocence, but at least she had to bring real criminals and punish them.

But…

This arm won’t do.

With this broken body, she couldn’t even punish the real criminals.

“Why won’t you listen! It’s just a scratch, not a cut!”

Radiel sat down, hitting her arm with her other hand, cursing and cursing again.

Why can’t she even avenge the young master?

Just then,

A shadow fell over her sitting form.

Radiel quickly wiped away her tears.

“What? Mark. You said you’d be late.”

Wiping away the traces of her tears as best she could.

She naturally thought it was Mark. Despite saying the young master had no guilt, he wouldn’t understand and kept blaming her.

She expected him to nag.

Telling her to stop starving herself and swinging that wooden sword with a body that can’t listen properly.

To stop it, admit his mistake, and step down from his position as captain.

But unfortunately, the person in front of her was not Mark.

“I’m sorry if you were waiting for Mark.”

“…”

She couldn’t believe her ears.

Whose voice did she just hear?

“This voice… Could it be?”

She thought it was impossible.

She heard he visited the First Knight Order training hall after that day, but he wouldn’t visit just to see her face.

Of course, because she caused him to wear a bigger misunderstanding.

But when she raised her head,

Through the bright light, even though the shadow was blinding,

She realized the face overlapping with the boy from the past.

Radiel finally understood.

“Mas…ter…?”

Realizing the person in front of her was the one who had been so angry at her, Carsein.