The former Eastern Front Knight and current Bunny Princess, Cicel Yurensto. In three words: sister-in-law.
I knew her, but I couldn’t let it show.
After all, the fact that the mysterious slut Bunny Princes was actually Cicel Yurensto was a secret—one only Karen knew. Crazy Wizard didn’t know it.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
This tense standoff, accompanied by an odd silence, wasn’t mine to resolve—it was Cicel’s. She had been the one who acted like she knew me first.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯!”
Cicel, initially puzzled, probably wondering, ‘why is he acting like he doesn’t know me’ seemed to grasp the situation a little late. Her eyes wavered, and I could almost see the gears turning in her mind.
At last, after almost three minutes of heavy silence, the first words were spoken.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Cicel Yurensto, Mr. Crazy Wizard. I’m, uhm⋯⋯ Bunny. Did you get teleported here as well?”It was a classic case of this-is-about-someone-I-know meta. Meanwhile, she conspicuously dropped the “Princess” from her title, as if calling herself that was too much.
Knowing full well that only the Hero Candidates who participated in the tournament had been teleported, her words stirred a whirlwind of thoughts in my head.
“⋯⋯Ah, yes. I did. And I’ve heard a great deal about you. The famous singer, Bunny Princess, is quite popular in the Holy City.”
“It’s nice to meet you agai⋯⋯ hm, I mean, it’s nice to meet you for the first time. I came here as a minstrel. I heard you know about the story of Lukeln⋯⋯.”
Right. Her excuse wasn’t the main issue.
The real point was that this influential bunny-eared minstrel who was quite influential in this city, was showing interest in my story.
If I managed to pull her into the world of TRPG, wouldn’t that spread to the minstrels around her as well? That way, I wouldn’t have to promote it myself.
I rubbed my hands together, smacking my lips as I thought about it.
“Are you interested?”
“Yes, I’d like to hear about it, if possible.”
“Then you’ll have to take part in the traditional ceremony among storytellers. It’s called TRPG. Using this method, you can truly immerse yourself in the story.”
“⋯⋯a traditional ceremony.”
Yeah dude.
“Alright. I’ll participate.”
“A wise choice. Now then⋯⋯ let’s go in. The dice are already hot and ready.”
“Wait, Master! Help us!”
“⋯⋯Hmph, is alcohol truly the root of all evil⋯⋯?”
As I lured Cicel into the inn, the Warrior and the Thief were desperately looking my way asking for help. Ah, right. These two were here, too.
In short, they wanted to get out of the misunderstanding genre. Thanks to how the others kept pushing them to “draw their own conclusions” with barely concealed expectations⋯⋯it was too much for them. I could solve this problem easily.
People who wanted to believe something would cling to it, even if it was revealed to be a lie. And those who refused to believe wouldn’t change their minds, no matter how much evidence was presented.
But the punks gathered here weren’t looking for the truth. They were just looking for a story that would fatten their wallets.
Which meant I simply had to steer the narrative in a way that worked for everyone.
I raised my voice to address the assembled minstrels.
“Everyone! At the end of our journey, we made a solemn pledge with the Goblin Emperor! Before returning home, we vowed to relinquish all that we had gained in Lukeln!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”
“That includes our memories and abilities! We remember the adventure as if it was a dream—the important parts are blurry and unclear like a heat haze! Yet, for some reason, the one thing that remains crystal clear is that we cried after the adventure was over⋯⋯.”
The core concept was simple: we had saved the world, but as a condition for our return to our home world, our memories had been erased.
The minstrels exchanged murmurs before nodding, seemingly coming to their own conclusions.
“Aha! So that’s why the Detective Mercenaries didn’t notice when I bought bread from the bakery?”
“Then how do you still remember the incident with Goblin Min!”
“That was the Goblin Emperor’s final act of mercy. He allowed us to keep a glimpse of our first steps into the adventure! So, I ask you all—please help us keep the stories as past memories! At the very least, please refrain from describing our appearances!”
It was true that we had an amazing adventure, but now all of our stats had been reset. So do not bother us with requests to tell you about this and that.
“We don’t know what happened in the memories we’ve lost. But I think the brilliant minstrels here may be able to ‘deduce’ something from the fragments we do remember. Just be sure to present it as speculation at the end of the story!”
I was giving them free rein to spin stories using the IP of the Detective Mercenaries. I’d allow them to create derivative works, to profit from them even—but they had to acknowledge that their interpretations were just that: interpretations.
That should do the trick.
I turned to the Warrior and Thief, flashing them a reassuring thumbs-up.
“N-No⋯⋯ not like this! Just tell them it’s a game.”
“⋯⋯hmph, Or maybe we actually did live through such an adventure⋯⋯?”
“?”
This was enough.
Those two were the reason for such an odd rumor spreading in the first place. I had done my part.
More importantly, it was time for a Session.
Leaving the Warrior and Thief behind, I disappeared into the inn. A new Session was waiting for me.
Alright.
I set up the table, placed a sheet of paper and a pen before me, and set a die on top. Then, I began explaining the basics of TRPG to Cicel.
“Aha, so⋯⋯ it’s role-playing. That means the Lukeln story, too—”
“Yes, it’s fiction. Please make sure to explain that properly to the minstrels later.”
“Got it. Hmm⋯⋯ do we have to create the character first?”
“Yes! Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through the difficult parts slowly.”
The players this time were Cicel and Selvier. With fewer participants, it would be easier to weave a deeper story, so I had prepared a slightly more serious scenario.
What kind of player would Cicel be?
She was Yuna’s younger sister, so would she be aggressive?
Then again, considering how shamelessly she paraded around in that Bunny Princess outfit, she probably wasn’t the type to feel awkward easily.
Though, judging by her behavior so far, her brain didn’t seem to operate quite like Yuna’s⋯⋯
Still, my heart raced in excitement. I was so happy!
===============================================================
It was chilling.
My heart felt like it had frozen solid, as if it might shatter at any moment. If I looked in a mirror right now, I was sure I’d see winter itself reflected in my expression.
Selvier also sat pale-faced, shivering beside me.
Because the story had been fucking ruined.
The atmosphere had been steadily deteriorating for a while now, yet Cicel was the only one still smiling brightly.
“This hobby called TRPG is really fun!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
This was hell.
Right—this was exactly why I sometimes hated TRPG.
Nightmares I had long buried clawed their way out from behind locked doors in my memory. All the villains I had met, the problematic players, the absolute monsters⋯⋯!
I hadn’t expected Cicel Yurensto to be one of the villains.
And to make matters worse, she was the worst kind of TRPG villain—the type who thought she hasn’t done anything wrong at all, a well-intentioned troll.
If she had been playing with malicious intent and showed 120% passive aggression, I could have just smacked her over the head with the rule book and kicked her out.
But there was no malice here.
She was just… genuinely enjoying TRPG in her own way.
I should have seen the warning signs⋯⋯.
#1 : Early in the adventure / A goblin attacks the carriage.
Rolling the dice, Cicel glanced at me and asked,
“According to my character’s backstory, she’s trained as a knight since childhood. So why can’t she kill the goblin in one strike?”
“Pardon? Well… because you rolled a 3⋯⋯.”
“But it doesn’t make sense for a trained knight to struggle with a goblin when I have a four-twentieth chance of succeeding. If that’s the case, do I also need to roll just to determine whether I’m breathing properly?”
She was applying real-world logic to the game.
Since her character was a trained knight, she reasoned that there was no way she could fail to kill a goblin. If this had happened back on Earth, I would have just told her, ‘Well, have you trained in knightly swordsmanship yourself?’
But here… she was an actual veteran knight. She wasn’t arguing to be difficult either—she genuinely believed that failing to kill a goblin in one strike meant she wouldn’t even qualify as a knight.
Naturally, we tried to argue back. Well, the pissed-off Selvier did, not me.
“Wait, Miss Bunny. Don’t you think maybe⋯⋯ your character just isn’t that skilled as a knight? Maybe the goblins in this world are stronger than you’re expecting. Or maybe you’re just unlucky.”
“But based on the descriptions so far⋯⋯ I think I was able to guess her muscle strength at age 17 from the part where she lifted an iron gate. Someone with that level of strength should definitely be able to──”
“What do you do that makes you like this?!”
“I’m not sure why you’re angry, but if I was rude, I apologize. I just don’t understand, based on what I’ve heard from Cicel⋯⋯.
Yes. The Eastern Front’s ace knight⋯⋯ was now citing herself as a source of authority.
I had seen my fair share of incompetent knights. Even Homer occasionally nodded off—sometimes, failure happened. It was possible to miss killing a Goblin in one shot.
But the real issue was Cicel Yurensto’s perception.
She was a peak-level Metamorphosis user, standing at the threshold of Sublimation. She was someone massively talented.
Yet, thanks to a lifetime of being compared to others, to parents who underestimated her, and to an older sister who had already reached Sublimation and was doing a good job⋯⋯ this punk believed that she was average.
That anyone else could do just as well—if they simply worked hard enough!
So, in all seriousness, she had asked:
“Why wouldn’t a hard-working knight be able to kill a goblin? ”
“⋯⋯Ah. Right. Okay. The Goblin died.”
I continued, giving Selvier a reassuring pat on the shoulder. I just needed to ease her into this gradually, step by step, until she understood the importance of shared consensus.
At least, that was what I had believed.
#2: Mid-Adventure / The Confrontation
It was a crucial moment. The mastermind behind the entire incident—the Lord—was finally revealing his true villainy in the lead-up to the final showdown.
“⋯⋯There’s nothing we can do against the Lord for now. Let’s pretend to listen obediently for now and wait for the right opportunity. I hung my head with an angry expression⋯⋯”
“Hm. I’m going to draw out my sword. Then I point it at the Lord and shout.”
“W-Wait. You’re drawing your sword? We just established that he’s surrounded by dozens of guards. That means fighting isn’t an option.”
“But a knight who turns a blind eye to injustice is no true knight. I’ll attack the Lord. My character will probably die here, but her sacrifice will not be in vain.”
It was basically a declaration of suicide.
Even in games, final bosses sometimes made an appearance before the climax. This was one of those moments. It was obvious that now wasn’t the time to defeat him!
For a second, I seriously wondered if this was her way of passive-aggressively saying, GM, I hate your story, so I’d rather die.
But Cicel’s eyes were full of bright and clear determination. I desperately asked her again.
“⋯⋯are you really going to do that?”
In the unspoken language of Game Masters, that sentence had two meanings. First, it served as a warning: You will die if you proceed. Second, it was a plea: Please cancel that action .
I had meant it in the latter sense.
But Cicel didn’t give in. She was determined.
“Throwing your life away meaninglessly⋯⋯ that’s wrong. I know that. My friend taught me that. But when there’s a clear purpose—when there’s something worth fighting for—it’s different.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“My character in the story is determined. Even if she has to burn away her life, she’ll achieve something great. And who knows⋯⋯ maybe, against all odds, a miracle might happen in this unfavorable fight.”
“I’m saying we should, please, achieve that great purpose after retreating and regrouping?!”
Selvier twisted her body in frustration but Cicel was firm.
Was this my fault? Should I have structured the build up of the story differently? Was it a mistake to change Cicel’s Metamorphosis and ignite a newfound determination within her⋯⋯?
I⋯⋯.
I couldn’t just let a situation where everyone got massacred be the ending⋯⋯.
“A-alright. Let’s keep going. So, the Lord became very angry⋯⋯.”
Gritting my teeth, I used the battle data originally reserved for the final confrontation. I discreetly adjusted the scenario without the players noticing, ensuring that Cicel and Selvier would win.
“Evil shall fall!”
“K-keuaaak⋯⋯.”
With the Lord’s decapitation, the scenario I had painstakingly prepared crumbled.
Two NPCs who had yet to make an appearance were now irrelevant. The side story that was supposed to be inserted during the search for the Lord’s weakness was buried quietly, and the theories about the final boss’s inevitable defeat were also abruptly cut short.
Selvier quietly patted my back.
Right. It was fine. We had reached the ending sooner than anticipated. There were still numerous unresolved theories, but ending things here wasn’t necessarily a bad choice.
“Y-your adventure ends like this⋯⋯.”
“Alright, now shall we go hunt down the『Shadow Hand』? I’m pretty sure I heard about them at the pub.”
“Excuse me? Uh… what?”
What was she saying?
“The journey doesn’t end as long as there’s a villain left!”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
T-this… Was she telling me to continue this Session? Right from this point? After she had single-handedly torn the main story in two⋯⋯?
Please. Please let this be ill-intentioned.
Please tell me you’re doing this because you know I’m actually Karen and just want to put me in pain, Cicel! My sister in law⋯⋯!
But no matter how hard I looked⋯⋯ I couldn’t detect a shred of malice in her clear, innocent eyes. She was pure-hearted—just somewhat oblivious, utterly clueless about the game, and, frankly, absolutely fucking bad at TRPG.
I squeezed my eyes shut in despair. Selvier, too, looked exhausted.
Oh, Goddess of Dice, I swear I won’t even look at a TRPG for a while, so please… have mercy on me⋯⋯.
Somebody. Somebody please, save me, save us.
Somebody please!
Knock knock knock.
Somebody knocked on the door. A voice followed—it was the innkeeper.
“Guest, there’s someone downstairs looking for you. A man called Bennett. Do you know him?”
“Bennett?!”
“Oh my God!”
The Hero had come to rescue me!
Selvier and I sprang to our feet.
“Unfortunately, we have to end the Session here. Because I think something very urgent has come up. Right Selvier?”
“Yes! Exactly. Bennett wouldn’t come all this way for nothing. It must be something very serious and urgent. No matter how fun the game is, reality always comes first!”
Cicel looked disappointed as she said,.
“Ah, I see. Too bad⋯⋯ then, can we continue after you’re done?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯.W-When the time and place are right, sure. Let’s go, Selvier”
“Y-Ys Oppa. Let’s head down right away.”
Hand in hand, we hurriedly escaped into reality.
===============================================================
“I’ll get to the point. I’m being chased by the Elf Ranger.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Weighing my options—suffering through another grueling Session or facing the Elf Ranger—I considered my choices. And honestly, the latter seemed like the more peaceful option.
Settling into my chair, I glanced at Bennett, who had a crow perched on his shoulder.
“Tell me everything in detail.”
***
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