HACS 102

Regina Ciela’s route.

It is truly dreadful, frightening, and terrifying.

As I’ve said before, D/Z SAGA is a story where you choose a heroine, progress the story, defeat the enemies threatening Zefflin, grant the heroine’s wish, and become happy together.

For example, Eve’s story is about breaking out of her position and aiming one step higher—toward the throne.

Kelter, the Light Warrior, opens the eyes of Eve von Lohengrin, who had been narrow-minded, and the grown Eve walks toward the future together with Kelter—a classic royal road narrative.

Well, it’s the most royal road-like and ends cleanly. That’s why Eve’s popularity vote was 3rd place.

For a heroine featured on the main screen, it’s a somewhat subtle rank, but the fact that the main heroine’s popularity rank is 3rd place itself shows just how safe and unremarkable her story is.

Next is Regina Ciela’s route.

She is truly a redemption narrative.

Regina Ciela doesn’t get along well with Eve von Lohengrin.

Eve thinks of her as a third-rate whose mana is only worth acknowledging, and Regina is despairing and frustrated by the monster one grade below her, Eve—and is thoroughly frightened by a real monster whose mana and family power don’t work on.

Extreme misanthropy. Self-loathing.

The pressure that she can do anything but can be killed at any moment.

An outcast not accepted even by the elves. A hedgehog.

Taking Regina’s hand and walking toward the future together.

Just before graduation, Regina, who had opposed Eve, defeats Eve von Lohengrin in the final sparring match.

And traveling the world with Kelter to find her true self.

That is the gist of Regina Ciela’s route.

And I… surprisingly, I couldn’t empathize with this route even a little bit.

First of all, it’s the continent’s greatest merchant family, and her mana stat is 21.

And yet, being killed, not knowing who I am, a self-discovery ending—what is all that?

Are you kidding me? If I had even one hundred-millionth of your assets, I wouldn’t have lived that way!

From Lee Young-jin’s perspective, this Regina route was truly one I couldn’t empathize with at all, so even when actually playing the game, I think I came to this route about ten times.

And except for the first playthrough, I skipped all the story.

I did it for the achievements, not because I liked her.

…So even if the route has opened up now, there’s nothing I can do about it.

…I hope it hasn’t opened, to begin with.

“But let’s assume it has opened and think about how to play.”

My stomach already aches, but I’ll endure it somehow.

I’ll avoid raising Regina Ciela’s affinity as much as possible.

The problem is I don’t know the formula for raising her affinity. I just joined the Regina fan club group chat and never typed a single message.

As I was thinking that, before I knew it, Regina had sidled up and greeted me.

“His Highness Wolfram. How are you?”

“The young lady of the Ciela family. I’m fine, of course, but to be even finer, it would be better if you disappeared from my sight.”

“Oh my… fufu. I’ll do that. Then I’ll come see you again.”

Saying that, Regina withdrew. A bright smile was drawn on her lips.

I am the greatest veteran of this game, but I’ve finally realized that I too have a clear weakness.

Honestly.

To be honest.

I have absolutely no idea whether this conversation raised her affinity or lowered it.

…Save me.

—

Around the time when my head was throbbing because of Regina Ciela and I was beginning to realize that the pounding in my chest symbolized not just affection but also fear and despair—a customer came to the convenience store.

“Senpai! I’m here!”

“…Nefty. What brings you?”

“I came to drink something cold!”

Nefty had beads of sweat on her forehead.

“Did you come from exercising?”

“…Ah. There was a Royal Guard practical class. We practiced throwing ourselves to protect the Imperial family from assailants.”

“Such a class… exists. Right.”

I nodded.

I know what kind of class it is because Kelter also took Royal Guard training.

In short, it’s burpees. You know that exercise from planks to jumps, right?

But you have to do those burpees extremely fast.

To be honest, Royal Guards aren’t just bodyguards.

As you can tell from the fact that Kelter becomes a Royal Knight—a higher rank than Royal Guard—in Eve’s ending.

At the level of Royal Guard, you’re evaluated as someone who could even marry into the Imperial family.

A status equivalent to a central count. Social recognition. One chosen by the Imperial family.

Having obtained countless titles, it’s not uncommon for them to live as lifelong companions.

Surprisingly, Royal Guards with high intimacy sometimes even dine together, serving as secretaries or aides to the Imperial family.

So they train to sit and eat together, then immediately throw themselves into action when an assailant attacks.

To be honest, I feel a bit guilty.

“Wait a moment.”

“Something completely cold would be great!”

Saying that, Nefty sat down.

Someday, when I leave this academy, Nefty will become my Royal Guard.

That’s incredibly reassuring.

Nefty never betrays her comrades even once in the story. She believes in Kelter until the very end.

Even in the Knight Faculty route, when Nefty falls into combat incapability and withdraws, she falls worrying about her comrades.

In other words, to me, she is a symbol of faith and trust.

She’s the kind of person that the third-rate villain Wolfram designated as his first guard.

Having actually met her… aside from the added setting that she’s a bit fond of money, she was exactly the Nefty I knew.

I stared intently at the ingredients Lilia had given me.

**[Using Snowball imbued with the Snow Fairy’s Blessing.]**

**[Shining Pâtissier activated!]**

**[Making Blessing Snow Sherbet.]**

**[Crafting success rate is slim.]**

Slim.

This message finally appeared, huh.

When Dexterity goes above 13, success rate displays appear when crafting items.

Later on, it shows exact percentages.

But with low Dexterity right now, it says things like “slim” or “middling”—vaguely liberal-arts-like.

If I fail, I’ll just make it again.

I have plenty of snowballs.

**[Crafting succeeded!]**

Oh.

From experience, “slim” means about a 10% success rate.

Of course, with Ayla’s party effect, the actual probability is a bit higher, but even so, succeeding in one shot like this means I’m pretty lucky.

I drizzled syrup made from Strawberry Beans on top, added syrup made from Cream Beans as well—it’s closer to shaved ice than sherbet, really.

When I handed the sherbet to Nefty, her eyes sparkled as she scooped it up with a spoon and put it in her mouth.

And then, *thump*, Nefty’s body froze.

Come to think of it, from Shining Pâtissier onward, the eater’s review comes out verbally.

I’m a little curious what kind of review Nefty will spit out.

“Senpai.”

“Hm.”

“I actually have little interest in the status elevation that being a Royal Guard brings.”

“…?”

“An annual salary of 200 million lin. A mansion in the capital. Rising social status. Those are certainly incredibly attractive offers. But… the meaning that the word ‘Royal Guard’ holds for me was never just about such ‘status elevation.’”

No—

I asked for a review, why are you drifting here all of a sudden?

“The Royal Guard gave me a dream. Even if the entire salary goes to hiring mercenaries back home, that’s fine.”

She still hasn’t given up on that ambition, huh.

“I see. So?”

“It was the dream of protecting someone while also seeing a world I’d never seen before.”

“I see. So?”

“I will protect you, Senpai. So—”

“So?”

“If we travel the world together selling this snack! We can definitely become the best in the world!”

What.

So it was a review of the sherbet after all.

“That’s a good review…”

“Ah, aah… I, I just blurted it out without thinking.”

Saying that, Nefty went *eheh* and laughed with a red face.

“You certainly say such things well.”

“I was surprised too. Even though it’s such an embarrassing thing to say. Ehe…”

I know, right.

If I hadn’t known about Shining Pâtissier’s effect, those words would have made my heart flutter quite a bit.

But knowing it’s the effect of Shining Pâtissier, there’s no fluttering whatsoever.

“It’s the effect of my skill. It makes you say things you don’t even mean when you eat snacks. Understand.”

“Ah… It’s a skill effect. Hmm, but—things I don’t even mean?”

Nefty kept tilting her head.

—

The game became reality.

I thought I was adapting to reality fairly well, but inevitably, there are parts that still feel like a game.

And recently, one more thing has started to feel “really game-like”—and that’s this, which I do right past midnight.

“Here’s a cream bun.”

**[Wow! Wolf! You’re really a good guy! Here’s a gift!]**

Right—giving Lilia cooking and receiving materials in return.

Isn’t that literally a daily quest?

And as a rule, daily quests should be done right after reset.

Today too, I handed bread to Lilia and received materials.

Four out of five were snowballs. Ma Dong-seok’s freezer is already full of snowballs, so I was even considering making ice cream out of them and selling it.

“I need to somehow clear out this inventory.”

As I was shrugging my shoulders thinking that, someone knocked on the convenience store door.

“Wolfram. Are you there?”

“…I’m here.”

When I answered, the person who opened the creaking door and came in was the small, gray-haired grim reaper.

It was Professor Rudika Hassan Shadow, the assassin.

“Sorry. At this late hour.”

“Is that so.”

Holding a dagger in one hand, she emanated a scent of blood. Looking closely at her clothes, there were a few droplets of blood near her pure white shoes.

I see. Ah, I completely understand.

Wolfram von Lohengrin dies here.

In my current situation, is there any way to defeat Rudika? Not a single one. No, really.

When unprepared, she’s the god of assassination who can even slice up Eve in one strike, you know?

I told you, didn’t I? The first emperor could move even that giant snowy mountain, and Eve is comparable to that first emperor—and even Eve dies.

So what am I supposed to do?

There’s only one thing I can do.

“The secret base is in the north. Please spare my life. I will reveal all the information I have.”

Please save me.

“…? What are you talking about?”

“Hm?”

Rudika tilted her head, then went *aha* and sheathed her dagger. Then she smiled brightly as usual.

“There’s no way Rudika would kill Wolfram. Wolfram is a good person.”

“…”

“Sorry. If an assassin comes in the middle of the night, anyone would be on guard… Rudika will go back.”

“No. Sit down.”

“Eh?”

“Convenience stores are supposed to be open 24 hours. I’ll at least give you a light snack.”

I’m partly at fault for misunderstanding… and also. How should I put this.

Rudika—was she always that small?

Rudika has no sensation throughout her body, so she feels almost nothing except pain—her strongest sense.

That’s why her Critical and Will, which represents mental strength, are 20.

In that state, when she uses the Hassan-style ultimate technique, her Dexterity, normally maintained at 20, is adjusted to 22.

Anyway, to such a Rudika, other food is just solid matter—chewing and swallowing is all it is… but spiciness is the one flavor she can properly taste.

So what I make for Rudika is…

“Here. Great Hot Spicy Sherbet.”

“…?”

It was spicy shaved ice.

To be precise, it’s nothing more than freezing spicy sauce together with fairy snowballs and grinding it up.

Sorry.

Honestly, I think it’s a bizarre food too, but since it was made with Shining Pâtissier, she should at least be able to swallow it.

“Great Hot Spicy… A spicy snack?”

“Snacks are supposed to be sweet, but… I thought it wouldn’t suit you, so I made this. I don’t really know what it’ll taste like either.”

“Aha… What an interesting idea. Rudika likes Wolfram’s cooking.”

Saying that, Rudika took a bite. She put the bizarre shaved ice into her mouth and went *ah*… then nodded.

…Surely.

She’s not going to say something like “Making something like this—you villain. I’ll kill you,” is she?

“Mm. It’s an interesting flavor. Really… a truly interesting flavor. Fufu. Aha. What is this, but a flavor that shows consideration… Mm. It’s pretty good, isn’t it?”

“…”

“In return for this consideration, I’ll protect you.”

“…”

No.

I mean…

Her language center is really broken, isn’t it?

Where did your concept go?

“Is that how you normally talk?”

“…Ah? Ah, ugh. Ugh. …A-ah, no. Uh. Uuuugh! Ugh!!”

Rudika looked at me, her face turning red, then started stomping her feet.

This is entertaining.

“Well. Let’s just count it as a fun memory.”