HTACS 83

Chapter 83

Before entering this world, when I lived as Lee Young-jin,

in online gaming, the word “run” didn’t mean “running”—it meant “grinding.”

Farming runs, leech runs, strength runs, and so on.

And naturally, D/Z SAGA also had a few runs.

The most famous was the Gauntlet Run in Act 2—killing Moss Men until you got gauntlets that suited your build.

Then there was the Farming Run—eating materials, checking options, discarding trash options, and filling your inventory with only high-option materials.

Next was the Emily Run—running Emily’s route ending to go to the next playthrough when your build was ruined.

I remember countless newbies asking, “What do I do if I mess up my first playthrough?” and I’d answer, “Level up cooking and go for Emily’s ending.”

Unlike other bad endings, Emily’s ending could be seen quickly and was counted as an official ending.

If you enter it the fastest, you could plant the flag as early as Act 1.

Anyway, I met Emily’s affection threshold and unlocked the field.

I didn’t intend to use Emily. Emily Hymelody would never be saved in the story if she couldn’t unlock this map.

If you ask if this is really salvation… well, I’m not sure. Let’s call it a win-win.

We both got a map where we can obtain materials by working together.

“…Thank you, Senior. I will never forget this kindness for life.”

“Hmm.”

“Ah, and… I still haven’t learned your ideas. May I visit you again?”

“Feel free.”

“Y-yes! Thank you! Truly, truly thank you. I’ll never forget you for life.”

With that, Emily bowed deeply.

This is a line Emily says only once if you enter her route.

‘Kelterus. I’ll never forget you for life.’

Well, there’s no way I actually entered her route.

I smashed every flag and only took the bonus—what route?

—

**【Heavenly Altitude】**

A sacred ground of ingredients prepared by the First Emperor for chefs who walk neither the path of the sword nor the path of magic.

The sea is calm, there are many fishing spots, and fruits and spices overflow. There are also plenty of edible animals.

“Hmm.”

Of course, the difficulty is correspondingly high.

Like the Fairy’s Paradise in Act 1, this is also a hidden map in a way.

Each act has one hidden map, and since the difficulty is quite high, it’s often more beneficial to only clear the early parts rather than tackling it immediately.

“…Hmm. That’s a shame.”

Of course, as a veteran, I have a completely different strategy.

You just grab the treasure chests placed in fixed positions on the map and immediately use the 5-tier escape magic 【Escape from Field】—it’s a kind of chest run. But if I tried that, I’d just die.

No, it’s not even that level. If I ran into a goblin while wandering around picking things up, I’d actually die.

Of course, Patrasche is with me, but there’s always the chance of encountering monsters strong enough to ignore even our combined efforts.

So, I’ll use a completely different method here!

“Master. Are you really going to take them this way…?”

“Hmm. There’s no other way.”

“……I see. Understood.”

I only push Patrasche through the portal, and use telekinesis to pull out only the necessary items.

If a monster inside the portal aggroes with a *ROAR*, I pull Patrasche back out.

Then the stupid monsters, unable to see outside the portal, float question marks above their heads and wander back.

“Go in, Patrasche.”

“…U-uh. Understood.”

This is the entrance camp-farm.

If you don’t have ability, you survive like this.

“…Is this really right, Master? With your pride on the line?”

“Hmm.”

“Even that silver-haired young lady—Emily—was prepared to fight near the entrance alone, but Master is…”

Well.

That’s Emily’s business.

What are you gonna do about it?

If I get hurt, who’s going to compensate me, huh?

—

By the time I brought countless ingredients into the store, the sun was already high in the sky.

Patrasche said something like “I can’t do this anymore, seriously” and wandered off, saying he’d go roam around. Fairies are so cold-hearted.

“…Hmm. It’s about time to organize things.”

Not skill grinding or stat grinding—it’s time to organize the episodes.

I spread out my notes and wrote down the timeline.

“I know who the Act 2 boss is, but…”

Act 2’s concept is “Fling-Fling Academy.” It’s just a fling-fest with the heroines.

From 2-1 to 2-4, Kelterus goes on adventures with heroines like Eve, Regina, and Isolde.

During that time, each heroine’s charm is introduced, parties are formed, party skills are obtained, and in Eve’s expedition, you even get the party skill Heart Link.

And as I said, D/Z SAGA has a boss at the final chapter of each act, and there’s a clear strategy for the Act 2 boss.

Since it’s still early in the game, it’s not that difficult of a boss. It’s just a bit unpleasant.

However, this boss is a bit tricky from Wolfram’s perspective.

“It’s hard to time the boss fight. Who will it appear before?”

The problem is that the boss’s appearance trigger is strictly tied to Kelterus’s actions.

The boss appears before the heroine Kelterus has raised the most affection with, and he recognizes himself as a knight protecting her.

What if you fail to save her here, or your timing is off?

Nothing happens immediately.

But damage accumulates inside the heroine.

Eve loses her resolve, Regina loses her will to live, and Isolde goes mad.

No matter how hard you try, it’s a despair that can’t lead to a happy ending.

Of course, it’s not just because of this one boss—but starting from this one, a total of four bosses affect the heroines’ mental states.

“That’s Flag Breaker. The ending destroyer. D/Z SAGA’s darkness.”

And this crazy game throws that start at you from Act 2.

That’s what I mean by it’s completely insane.

“The boss is vile enough, but the problem is not knowing who the boss will appear before.”

*Click.* My pen stopped.

“I could just not worry about it. I could, but…”

Most of the people around me aren’t heroines from the original.

Nephti was un-romanceable, Rudika is the greatest assassin, Ayla was a boss, and Mille-feuille was an underachiever who got expelled in the original.

But among those by my side—just one person.

In the original, she’s the one who falls for this vile trap.

“…Tch.”

My family-register mate.

The one below me on Wolfram von Lohengrin’s family registry.

Smart but stupid, irritating to talk to, and a student council president who knows nothing of respect.

When I became Wolfram von Lohengrin,

survival was my top priority, and I had to walk on thin ice.

Now my relationship with Ayla has become friendly, and Nephti, Rudika, and the chicks visit often.

The unfinished convenience store manager.

The convenience store has only barely taken shape. There’s still a long way to go.

So Wolfram should just live for himself.

“Should I just worry about that stupid little sister?”

But leaving someone I can clearly save to fend for themselves—well, that seems like it’d give me bad dreams.

“If this body doesn’t get enough sleep, my low stamina makes mornings unbearable.”

Yeah. That’s what it is.

—

The next day.

I boarded the Black King and headed to the student council headquarters.

Carrying the neatly packed boxed lunches I’d prepared yesterday.

……

Do I really have to go this far?

What happens to her has nothing to do with me, really.

“U-uh, Wolfram-sama, hello.”

As soon as they saw me, other students started whispering.

Glancing around, they weren’t looking at my face—they were looking at the lunchbox in my hand.

A black three-tier lunchbox.

Inside it is a precious lunchbox made by an older brother for his little sister…

Ah, let’s stop. I’m really going to lose my mind.

“Isn’t that a lunchbox?”

“…That’s the proof of celebrity that only the Crew gets, right…”

“I’ve heard the rumors too. What’s actually inside?”

“I heard Princess Hymelody is following Wolfram-sama around…”

“The lunchbox that made the princess fall for him at first sight…”

Ah, seriously! Stop it!

I can’t hear exactly what they’re saying, but they sure love to gossip!

“Is Eve here?”

“Y-yes… She should be in the student council president’s office.”

“Understood. I’ll go in.”

“Yes!”

With that, I passed by the student council room.

On the way, I made eye contact with Silphia, but she said nothing.

Has she softened up too?

“Eve. Are you here?”

“What is it?”

In the office was Eve, looking bleary-eyed as she scribbled through documents.

Several top-grade mana potions were discarded beside her.

Even though Eve can convert mana to stamina, the efficiency is terrible.

If it were good, she could recover stamina, fill mana, and convert it back again—becoming a perpetual motion machine.

In other words, this is the penalty for D/Z SAGA’s most broken character, Eve—in her own way.

I’m not sure if I can call it a penalty, but Eve occasionally collapses from overwork in the story and wakes up in the infirmary.

Moved by that sight, Kelterus joins the student council, fights alongside Eve, realizes her loneliness, supports her from beside, and their bond deepens.

Kelterus plays the role of Eve’s savior well, but I don’t intend to go that far.

“Have you eaten? Let’s eat together. I have something to talk about.”

“…I don’t think I made an appointment with you?”

“Don’t be like that—just appreciate the sincerity I brought. I’m confident it’ll suit the tastes of Eve von Lohengrin, who enjoyed my cooking so much before.”

“…U-ugh. Who said…”

“Don’t you want it?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t.”

With that, Eve blushed with a look of indignation and clenched her fist.

Even if something happens to her, I don’t need to do what Kelterus would do.

Just in the way that suits Wolfram and Eve.

—

“Sandwiches again?”

“Don’t complain.”

“I never complained. …I’ll eat well.”

As Eve said, the meal was sandwiches again.

But they don’t fall apart when you move them, you can enjoy various flavors, the nutritional balance is good, and to make use of the ingredients from the Heavenly Altitude, sandwiches are the best.

“…Yeah. As expected, it’s a decent taste.”

Eve held the sandwich in both hands like a squirrel and nibbled at it.

She skipped the flavors she’d already tried and went for the others—clearly enjoying the meal.

That sight was detestable… no, it was amusing enough that I just chuckled.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing. Here’s some soup too.”

“…Thank you.”

With that, Eve drank the soup I made and finally let out a *hoo*.

“Word of mouth really does spread.”

“You flatter me.”

It really is flattery. If word had spread, the convenience store would be packed with customers.

“Hmm. Honestly, I really hate to admit it, but… it was a good taste. I ate well. I feel a bit lighter too.”

“It’s not your imagination—you really are lighter.”

“Pardon?”

“HP recovery and stamina boost, plus several stacked buffs. Since you ate all three kinds of sandwiches, you’ll definitely feel the effects.”

“…So this is magical food too? You’re always making strange things.”

“And.”

“?”

I paused there for a moment.

What should I say to Eve?

A disgusting boss is going to appear before you, so raise your mental resistance with my cooking for a while?

Or sleep well and get up so your mental health is solid—hold out for about two weeks?

Okay. So how do I explain that?

The Act 2 boss is a Black Flag executive—a subordinate of the guy at the deepest part of the Black Market! Should I just say that?

Then Eve would organize a search team and raid the Black Market, right? That’s highly likely.

But before that, she’d grill me on how I knew, wouldn’t she?

And when she grills me, she’ll find out I have a Black Market access badge and a Black Flag executive badge, right?

Then Wolfram’s neck would get grilled too, right?

What a wonderful ending!

“Say it properly. Why did you suddenly clam up?”

“……No, I was just choosing my words.”

Explaining everything seems difficult.

Then I have no choice but to convey it more directly.

“Eve von Lohengrin.”

“Yes? What is it?”

The Act 2 boss unleashes a powerful curse.

Then it stimulates the wounded heroine’s trauma.

In the original, Eve von Lohengrin’s trauma in Act 2 is ‘Wolfram, who died.’

“I am here. Wolfram von Lohengrin is here.”

“I know.”

“Yes.”

“I know you’re disgustingly there, and that you’ll keep doing useless things somewhere.”

“Right.”

“Yes. So how much can a person… You really have no idea…”

Eve’s muttering trailed off, replaced by the sound of sleeping breath.

“President Eve von Lohengrin… Ah.”

“Hmm. The president is sleeping for now. Would you leave her be?”

Immediately after, a student council officer came looking for Eve, and I stopped them.

“Ah, but… well…”

Seeing the flustered officer, I let out a small sigh.

“Is it urgent?”

“…There’s a discussion with Maestro after lunch. Everyone has had it reserved for a month with the expectation that Eve-sama would attend… What should we do?”

This girl, she really does that kind of thing too.

“Hmm. Then I’ll attend. If I explain the situation, and since I’m also an imperial grandchild, their pride should be preserved, right?”

“Pardon? …Yes. That’s right.”

I rose from my seat, and just as I was about to follow the officer, I heard a strange grumble mixed in with the gentle breathing behind me.

“…Idiot, Wolfraaam… really…”

“…Good grief.”

Well, well.

What a high-maintenance family-register mate.