Chapter 92

“Hey, Harold, is that...?”

“They certainly match the description of the people you two were looking for.”

“Well, that was solved quickly.”

“……”

Harold remained silent. He felt like cursing fate for its impeccable, wretched timing.

Appearing before Rainer and his party in a place like this was the absolute worst possible development. He desperately searched for a way to vanish on the spot.

The thought crossed his mind, but had he actually had the presence of mind for it, he probably should have just turned tail and fled regardless of how it looked. In the end, however, the other group noticed them before he could take a single step.

“Ah, Brother. You’re just in time—”

The one who started to speak, only to freeze the moment she laid eyes on Harold, was none other than Erika. It appeared she had been the one attending to Rainer’s group at the front gate. Harold began to wonder if some god or supernatural entity was actively trying to kill him. Then again, considering he had possessed Harold Stokes—a man practically married to his death flags—it was a bit late to be complaining about that.

Drawn by Erika’s reaction, Rainer and the others turned around. After a brief, stunned silence, they called out Harold’s name with faces full of joy.

“Harolllld!”

Rainer, the source of the shout, came running over while waving his hand enthusiastically.

Ignoring the approach, Harold leaned in to give Lifa a quiet instruction that only she could hear.

“Lifa.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you dare tell those idiots a single word about my life expectancy.”

“……Fine.”

Though she looked dissatisfied, Lifa agreed. As long as she kept her word, he could prevent any unnecessary information from leaking through her.

The real problem was the current lineup: Erika, Colette, and himself were all in the same place. He had to operate on the assumption that Rainer knew about the past connection between him and Colette. It would be catastrophic if either of them told Erika that Harold was the one who had saved the Amageer family. While he had sworn them to secrecy, that was eight years ago, and there was always the risk that Rainer might let it slip.

Furthermore, while Hugo hadn't seen his face, he had certainly heard Harold's voice. Above all, Harold's signature foul-mouthed arrogance was not something people easily forgot. There was a genuine danger that Hugo might realize the robed man from the Hybar Ruins and Harold were the same person. If Rainer found out Harold had been masquerading as a robed thief, things would get needlessly complicated.

A positive misunderstanding would be one thing, but there was a chance they might see through his little farce. If that happened, they would be on a fast track to a hostile relationship.

In an instant, the Sumeragi Mansion had transformed into a demon's den—a hellish web of interpersonal relationships for Harold to navigate. His spirit felt like it was on the verge of breaking just contemplating how to survive this.

“You lot, what are you doing in a place like this?”

“We’ve been chasing those guys, but there’s a restriction on the area and we can’t get over the mountain. We came here to ask for direct permission, but…”

Hiding his inner turmoil behind a mask of indifference, Harold first confirmed Rainer’s movements. As expected, it followed the Original Story: they were pursuing the trio in robes but had hit a dead end because of the Miasma Restricted Area.

Since this wasn't a game where an invisible wall blocked the way, they could technically bypass the mountain, but that would mean a detour of a month or more. He could understand why Rainer was desperate to find a way through.

“It sounds like a rather troubling situation. Mind if I hear the details as well?”

“Um, and you are…?”

“My name is Itsuki. I’m Erika’s older brother and, effectively, the second-highest-ranking person in this house.”

“Th-then, will you let us through?!”

“I’ll need to hear the story before I can make that judgment. Come, let’s go inside.”

At Itsuki’s invitation, Rainer and his group were ushered into the mansion. It was a total of eight people—seven of whom, Harold included, were major characters from the Original Story. It was a dream scenario for a fan, but for Harold, it was an absolute nightmare. Still, the attention had shifted away from him slightly, and since this meeting was necessary for the future anyway, he didn't voice any complaints.

He felt a lingering, meaningful gaze from Erika, but he chose to ignore it for now.

They were led to a spacious Japanese-style room, roughly twenty mats in size—the very place where Harold had first met Erika eight years ago.

Itsuki took the seat of honor at the head of a wooden table. To his right sat Erika, Harold, Lifa, and Francis. Opposite them were Rainer, Colette, and Hugo. Once the tea brewed by Yuno had been served to everyone, Itsuki took a sip to moisten his throat and opened the floor.

“Now then, let's start with introductions. I am Itsuki Sumeragi. I am the next head of House Sumeragi and have been a friend of Harold’s for ten years.”

Rainer and Colette let out a soft "Ohh" of admiration. Beside Harold, Lifa let out a shocked murmur of, “No way...” Both reactions were directed at the claim that he was Harold’s friend.

How do you people view me? Harold wanted to snap, but objectively speaking, their shock was perfectly natural.

“……I am Erika, Itsuki’s younger sister.”

“And also Harold’s fiancée.”

Itsuki ruthlessly blurted out the information Erika had clearly intended to omit. Harold felt a literal chill radiating from Erika’s direction. He wanted to object as well, but the sheer weight of the pressure coming from the girl sitting to his left was so heavy that he lost the will to speak up.

The atmosphere had become incredibly tense. Desperate to move away from this topic, Harold attempted his own introduction, even though he felt it was redundant given the company.

“Harold Stokes.”

And that was it. Saying anything else would only lead to trouble, and since he was already acquainted with almost everyone there, the gesture was largely meaningless. They knew him well enough that no one complained about the perfunctory greeting.

Hugo, the only one who officially hadn't met him, wore a suspicious expression. He likely recognized the voice and tone. Harold decided it was best to keep his mouth shut as much as possible.

Sensing that Harold wouldn't say another word, Lifa immediately picked up the slack.

“I’m Lifa Goodridge. I’m here as Harold’s companion.”

“Companion?”

“I haven't heard the details myself, so I'm in the dark. Though I was apparently about to be put to work helping him find you guys.”

Lifa replied to Rainer’s question with a shrug. Harold appreciated her not saying anything unnecessary, but since they hadn't had time to coordinate, he had to rely entirely on her discretion.

The introductions continued with Francis.

“I am Francis J. Arclight! A true-blue prince with a legitimate claim to the throne!”

“Though you are thirty-seventh in the line of succession, aren't you?”

“You didn’t have to mention that part!”

Itsuki delivered the retort without mercy. Between this and the comment to Erika, it was clear he was a habitual offender. He wasn't failing to read the room; he was reading it perfectly and choosing to cause chaos anyway. Only he knew what his goal was.

“Thirty-seventh means that unless a literal cataclysm occurs, I’ll never see the throne.”

(The thing is, it’s about to happen…)

Harold sighed internally. The entire continent was at risk of sinking, after all.

Of course, if that happened, the line of succession wouldn't matter anymore, so Francis still wouldn't end up as king. Still, while the man took pride in his royal blood, he wasn't obsessed with power, so he likely didn't mind as much as he let on.

“Next, how about you?”

Itsuki brushed off Francis’s protests and turned his attention to Rainer.

“I’m Rainer Griffith! I’m Harold’s friend, but I guess he’s also my goal, in a way…”

“That is quite a high bar you’ve set for yourself.”

“Catching up to this man is no ordinary feat. It would take more than just hard work.”

Ignoring Harold entirely, Itsuki and Francis—both well aware of his absurd combat prowess—nodded in solemn agreement.

Harold actually wanted Rainer to become as strong as him, but he knew that was a tall order. Putting aside character base stats, Harold’s current strength was a combination of his refined techniques from his time as a player and his meta-knowledge. It wasn't a gap that could be bridged in a day.

The three of them seemed ready to geek out over Harold’s strength, but Erika stepped in to stop them, shifting the focus to Colette.

“I-I am Colette Amageer. I’m Rainer’s childhood friend, and, um…”

Colette’s eyes darted around. She looked toward Harold for a moment, then shifted her gaze to Erika.

Harold understood the look she gave him. She was silently signaling that she had no intention of revealing their past. She was a terrible liar, and it was painfully obvious she was hiding something, but Harold felt a sense of relief knowing she was trying to respect his wishes.

The problem was the meaningful look she gave Erika. Since this was supposed to be their first meeting, there shouldn't have been any history between them. Or so Harold thought, until he heard something he couldn't ignore.

“I am… a friend of Lady Erika’s.”

Colette spoke timidly. Harold’s eyes went wide.

Suppressing the urge to demand an explanation, Harold looked at Erika. She wore an expression that was a complicated mix of awkwardness and resignation.

It was rare to see her look like that, but more importantly, he could tell she hadn't wanted Colette to say that.

However, the "why" didn't matter as much as the "what." The fact that Erika and Colette were already acquainted was a massive problem.

When, where, and how? He had no idea, and the worst-case scenario flashed through his mind. Did Erika already know about his history with Colette? He suspected as much for a split second before forcing himself to stop.

(No… I don’t think so. Probably.)

He couldn't be certain, but if Erika knew about his past good deeds, the current status quo wouldn't exist. It was a bit of circular logic, but given her personality, he could assume his secret was safe as long as she still hated him.

Furthermore, based on Colette’s earlier glance, she wouldn't have given up the secret easily. Taking the bait and reacting now would only be counterproductive. Harold took a slow, deep breath to regain his cool.

“……It has been a long time, Miss Colette.”

“Oh, don’t call me 'Miss'! Just Colette is fine!”

“Then how about Colette-san?”

“Y-yes! That works!”

Erika’s previous expression vanished, replaced by a soft, captivating smile. Her ability to switch masks was truly impressive.

Still, for "friends," Colette seemed incredibly stiff. They clearly weren't meeting for the first time, but given that they were still hung up on honorifics, they likely hadn't spent much time together. How they had become friends remained a mystery.

“Guess I’m last. I’m Hugo Grafton, an adventurer. Being with Rainer and the others is… well, just a matter of circumstance.”

“As an adventurer, surely you understand the danger of entering a restricted area?”

“Of course I do… but honestly, I can’t exactly give you a straight answer on that one.”

Hugo scratched his head awkwardly, likely remembering his blunder at the Hybar Ruins. Harold didn't miss the way Hugo stole a quick glance at him.

Perhaps he had already figured out Harold was the robed man. The list of concerns was growing exponentially. Harold’s mental fatigue was peaking, and he could feel a dull ache starting in his stomach.

In this room, the tea Yuno had brewed was his only comfort.

“I see. It sounds like everyone has their reasons. By the way, Harold.”

“……What?”

“Why were you looking for Rainer’s group? Since you already know each other, do you happen to know the details of their situation?”

Itsuki’s intuition was often sharp, but this time, it was a logical conclusion for anyone to reach. The timing of their encounter was simply too perfect.

“Yeah, I know.”

At this point, Harold intended to disclose as much information as possible. This moment would be the turning point—solving the miasma crisis, forming the Original Party, and exposing the existence of the root of all evil, Justus Freund.

He had to prepare them for the desperate, all-out war that would arrive in a few months.

He felt a pang of fear knowing that this choice, which would drastically deviate from the Original Story, might change the fate of the entire world.

Even so, Harold believed this was a necessary step for his own survival, and he took it.

“And beyond that, I’ll show you the most efficient way to settle this. Itsuki.”

“What is it?”

“The miasma plaguing the Sumeragi territory. If I told you I could stop it permanently, what would you do?”