Chapter 36: Emelly’s Overtures and Unsettling Thoughts

“Hello, Sayoreinne.”

“…?”

“Just a casual greeting. Aren’t you going to return it?”

“…Hello, Emelly.”

Emelly greeted her with a smile and a friendly tone, then walked away, seemingly satisfied.

Sayoreinne was bewildered. Why was Emelly suddenly acting so friendly? They had talked briefly over the weekend, but it hadn’t been the kind of conversation that would warrant this level of familiarity.

Emelly hadn’t been unfriendly during their encounter, but… there had been nothing in their brief exchange that would have suddenly sparked a positive change in her attitude towards Sayoreinne. This sudden friendliness was unexpected and unsettling.

‘Perhaps she’s trying to…’

Sayoreinne watched Emelly walk away, joining Sowol, who was looking rather disgruntled. Emelly, as the protagonist and a playable character, was harder to read than the other girls. While Nell and Euru, though different from their game counterparts, still retained some of their original personality traits, making them somewhat predictable, Emelly’s personality had been customizable in the game.

The default Emelly, the one Sayoreinne had initially encountered, was exactly as Sayoreinne had described her before: a two-faced, competitive, and ruthless “mean girl” hiding behind a mask of innocence.

However, as befitting a protagonist, she was also fundamentally kind, perhaps even a bit naive.

In any case, the game had allowed players to customize Emelly’s personality, making her timid like Nell, confident like Euru, cool like Sowol, eccentric like Leia, or even cruel like the old Sayoreinne. The developers had boasted about the dozens of personality variations available, but…

Those variations had been largely superficial, affecting mostly the character’s stats and occasionally influencing dialogue options. The dialogue patterns themselves had been limited to four or five basic types, with minimal variations. Most players, after experimenting with the customization options, had realized their limited impact and hadn’t bothered with them. The feature seemed designed solely for roleplaying purposes, allowing players to project their own interpretations onto the character. Sayoreinne herself had only used the default settings after a brief experimentation.

Therefore, she didn’t really know the real Emelly. She had clashed with Emelly several times during the first semester, but back then, she hadn’t been interested in understanding or even acknowledging Emelly’s perspective. She had simply vented her frustrations, picking fights. And when Emelly hadn’t reacted as she expected, Sayoreinne had lost interest.

During the second semester, they had had a brief confrontation early on, but after that, there had been no interaction between them.

Emelly hadn’t seemed particularly introverted or emotionally repressed. She had seemed similar to the default Emelly, so Sayoreinne hadn’t questioned it. But her behavior over the weekend, and now this… it felt different. While she could rationalize it as a change brought about by the game becoming reality, as with Nell and Euru, knowing about Emelly’s customizable personality made her apprehensive.

It might seem trivial, but…

‘What if she’s hiding her true nature, like I used to, pretending to be kind while secretly plotting something cruel?’ Considering their history of animosity, it was a valid concern. She didn’t want to become an enemy of Emelly, the protagonist, one of the strongest characters in the game, if not the strongest. She wanted to be friends with her. She cursed her past self for making things so difficult. ‘Should I try to make amends, to apologize for my past behavior?’

The thought made her feel pathetic, but she couldn’t help her fear. She just wanted to live a peaceful, quiet life, free from unexpected complications.

“You were so lost in thought, you didn’t even notice us.”

“You look a little… pale.”

“Hmm, perhaps you’re thinking about the magical beasts from last time?”

“But I’m sure you’ll overcome it, Sayoreinne!”

Nell, Euru, Soine, and Miner had approached her unnoticed, their voices filled with concern.

“Ah, you’re here. Sorry. I was just lost in thought. Thank you for your concern.”

Sayoreinne offered them a genuine smile, a smile that now came easily. She felt a warmth spread through her chest, surrounded by people who cared about her, who genuinely liked her. She felt like she could face anything with them by her side. Her anxieties faded, replaced by a sense of calm and contentment.

She appreciated all of them, but Euru…

Despite having given up so much to come to the academy, Euru still carried herself with the dignity and confidence of a princess. Her height, over 5’7″, her broad shoulders, her generous spirit… Sayoreinne found herself drawn to her, not just romantically, but also for the sense of security and stability she offered.

‘Soft, smells nice… comforting…’ Perhaps emboldened by Nell and Euru’s usual boldness, Sayoreinne, convinced that this level of physical contact was acceptable between girls, acted without hesitation.

Euru, momentarily flustered by Sayoreinne’s sudden embrace, glanced at Nell, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips, then wrapped her arm around Sayoreinne’s waist.

Nell, her face impassive, her body trembling slightly, returned Euru’s challenging smile with a neutral expression. All she could do was tighten her grip on Sayoreinne’s hand, their fingers intertwined.

Soine and Miner watched the scene unfold with amusement, whispering to each other.

“As you know from your studies, Sayoreinne, the only way to deal with magical beasts is to expose yourself to them repeatedly, building up your resistance. I had the royal scholars look into it, but so far, no other methods have been discovered. The rate at which your resistance develops varies from person to person, but according to the records, there have been cases of people who initially couldn’t even bear to look at a low-level magical beast eventually becoming capable of fighting high-level monsters without any adverse effects.”

It was true that the game had allowed players to deliberately lower their characters’ sanity by repeatedly engaging with magical beasts, then grinding it back up, but… the thought of intentionally subjecting herself to those dark, unsettling emotions and sensations was horrifying. The prospect of deliberately repeating that experience filled her with dread.

The conversation, which had begun with lighthearted banter during lunch, had somehow shifted to the topic of the previous training exercise and magical beasts, then inevitably, to Sayoreinne’s reaction.

“…So, that’s the only way? I know it’s a long shot, but I was hoping for a shortcut, an easier way…” She had been hoping for a magic tool or a potion with minimal side effects, but reality was rarely so convenient.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. We’ll work hard together. I’m sure you’ll be able to overcome it,” Nell reassured her.

“Of course, I’ll do everything I can to help as well,” Euru added.

While it was the kind of challenge she had to overcome on her own, their words were still comforting. This feeling, this warmth spreading through her chest… was this what it felt like to be loved? Lately, just thinking about Ahrin, Nell, Euru, Soine, and Miner brought her joy.

She had been so overwhelmed and distressed during the training exercise, but remembering how they had comforted and supported her brought a smile to her face. The thought of being able to experience that care and concern again, under the guise of “mental training,” filled her with a strange sense of happiness.

‘They have no idea what I’m really thinking…’

It felt a little… manipulative. But she wanted to hold onto that feeling of happiness, of being cared for. And it wasn’t as if she was asking for their sympathy for no reason. She was simply seeking comfort while facing a legitimate challenge.

‘Why am I suddenly so sentimental?’ Having experienced genuine care and affection from others for the first time, beyond her mother, she seemed to have become more emotionally sensitive.

Still, she was happy.

Lost in thought, Sayoreinne closed her eyes, resting her head against someone’s shoulder.