She was the childhood friend who was supposed to die in the original game's combat tutorial.
And, beyond all expectations, she was a Jester.
Still... I didn’t remember her being such a ridiculous character.
Well, whatever. Childhood friends are sacred, so I decided to stop overthinking it.
There are people out there who claim childhood friends are destined to be "losing heroines," but they’re dead wrong. The win rate for childhood friends is actually quite high.
In reality, most men aren't that desperate when it comes to romance. They aren't constantly trying to pluck the "unreachable flower" on the mountaintop, nor are they tripping over "flags" with every new woman they meet. Usually, a man just wants the woman who already has her flags raised all the way to the goalpost from the very start.
In short, if a girl radiates a "love-love" aura from day one, victory is basically guaranteed. That’s just how the world works!
Because of that, I came to a firm resolution. I would do everything in my power to prevent any NTR. I would never, ever forgive such a thing. I was going to be that supportive older guy standing in the background with his arms crossed, watching over them with a satisfied nod as the childhood friends finally got together.
The protagonist’s childhood friend was named Alyssa. She had no surname, largely because the inhabitants of colony planets weren't considered part of the citizen class. Royalty and nobility were treated as commissioned officers of their respective territories and held citizenship, which was why they were allowed surnames.
While the protagonist also started the story without a family name, he would be granted one the moment he enrolled in the Imperial Officer Academy.
The two of them were currently boarding our transport craft. We were moving the protagonist and his childhood friend first, while the other five candidates were scheduled to be transported by the students on a separate ship.
I offered a greeting before we departed.
"I’m Leo Kamishiro. Our boss is that girl over there."
"I am Veronica," she said.
"I’m Claire."
"Melissa!"
"And I’m Ren."
Not a single one of them shared their family name. I felt like a complete moron for being the only formal one.
Then, Alyssa spoke up. "Um... Lord Emissary?"
"You are an Emissary as well," Veronica replied. "There is no need for such formalities."
"Uh, okay... then, Veronica-chan! It’s nice to meet you! Um, you’re about the same age as a younger sister, right?"
My wife’s expression went stone-cold.
Alyssa clearly meant no harm, but her words had struck my wife’s deepest insecurity with the precision of a heat-seeking missile. I could see the strain on her face as she desperately tried to suppress her rage.
"...I am seventeen," Veronica said flatly.
"Eh?"
"I am seventeen years old. I am older than you, Alyssa."
Since it was one year before enrollment, she had been fourteen when she registered as a citizen. Age management for colony planet residents was notoriously lax, so there was a chance she was off by a few years, but that wasn't the point.
The point was my wife. She was deathly worried about the fact that she didn’t look her age. However, since she claimed to be the "best woman in the universe," she was doing her best to endure the slight.
I decided to jump in with some damage control. "Alyssa, my wife is trapped in a child’s form because of a curse."
"Oh! I’m so sorry! I had no idea!"
I figured explaining it in terms that fit their local worldview would be best. She realized the "mistake" immediately and apologized. I really was a capable man.
Still... it was just a hunch, but I was sensing a certain aura from her. A "clumsy girl" vibe. Could she actually be a clumsy-type Jester?
Next, I turned to the other one: the silent protagonist, Edge.
"Looking forward to working with you!" I gave him an energetic greeting, to which he responded with a silent, simple nod.
A silent protagonist... encountering the real thing made me realize how difficult it was to actually communicate with one. I found myself at a loss for words, unable to even attempt my usual machine-gun chatter.
In times like these, the person to rely on was the woman who completely ignored the atmosphere. Melissa stepped forward.
"Edge, I heard you’re good with a blade. I’m a specialist myself."
"I’ve been swinging a sword since I was a child."
"Can I see yours? This one here is my Katana."
Melissa handed over her weapon, and Edge reciprocated by offering his own.
"A straight sword," Melissa noted. "High-quality iron. You’ve got a good arm for forging."
"Thank you."
Come to think of it, he was supposed to have forged that sword himself. There was a blacksmith route in the game, after all.
Then it was Edge's turn to evaluate. "A curved sword. I’ve never seen this material before. Is it curved because your main focus is anti-personnel combat?"
"Lately it’s been all Zorks," Melissa replied. "I use a much bigger one when I’m fighting them."
Edge gave a small nod of understanding. Then, he pointed at me.
"The strongest."
"My weapon? Well, it changes depending on the situation..."
"Show me your hands."
I did as I was told and held them out.
"Fractures, cuts, burns... these are the hands of someone who has survived one continuous battle after another."
I was stunned. I had been receiving treatment with nanomachines this whole time. How could he tell?
"Alyssa," Edge said, turning to his friend. "Leo can be trusted... I think."
"If Edge says so, it must be true. You see, Edge has a mysterious ability—he can tell whether or not a person is trustworthy."
Ah... ESP, then. The Merchant-type and Hero-type characters could both use it. Was this a Hero ability?
"Well then, shall we get going?"
With that, I took my place in the pilot’s seat. I had a license, after all!
"Edge, look... it’s really floating..."
"Alyssa, just like the King said... it’s the ship that crosses the heavens."
In the original story, the Officer Academy was supposed to come and pick them up, but I had jumped the gun and recruited them personally. But hey, it was fine, right?
From here on out, I planned to be the "Advice Big Brother" who appeared out of nowhere to shout "Fuhahaha!" from the branches of a tree. I’d show up whenever the protagonist was in a pinch, offer some cryptic guidance, and then disappear. I intended to dump every single troublesome task onto Edge’s shoulders.
I'd let Edge handle the final battle, too. I fully intended to return to being the "Gadabout" of the Hero's party—the unit that just sits around at the inn and waits.
"Fuhahahahahahahaha!"
"Hey, Edge... can we really trust this guy?"
"We can. He’s the type who tries to run away the moment things get annoying, but he’s ultimately incapable of actually escaping."
...Please stop. That analysis was far too accurate.
"He’s hit the nail on the head," my wife added.
Cut it out, Veronica.
"Gyahaha! That’s him in a nutshell!"
Stop it, Melissa.
"It’s an unfortunately precise description," Claire said.
Claire-san, please, have a little mercy.
"Leo-kun is... well, that’s just one of his better qualities, you see..."
Ren, don't say it so apologetically! That just makes it hurt more!
"The Lord Groom is quite easy to read, after all."
"Wifey, you're being cruel!"
Amidst our brain-dead banter, we broke through the atmosphere.
"So this is... the world of the Emissaries."
Alyssa was staring out the window, completely dazed by the view. In contrast, Edge’s expression remained unreadable, though he watched the stars intently.
He spoke to me in a voice so low that Alyssa couldn't hear. "Leo... san?"
"Just Leo is fine, Edge."
"Leo. What is it I need to do?"
"First, you’re going to enter the Officer Academy. Though, since the learning system collapsed along with the school buildings, you'll be trained by me and the veterans of the Imperial Guard. Also, I’ll need you to spar with me. And I’ll need Alyssa’s help collecting data as a Jester."
"Is Alyssa the key to all this?"
"I don't know for sure. But the enemy might have been after her."
Honestly, there was no strategic reason for the Zorks to attack a colony planet. If they wanted to cause real damage, they should have just wiped out the Imperial Capital. They could have come back to trample the colonies later. The fact that they were here suggested a specific objective. Like Jester hunting.
"I understand."
A flicker of iron will settled in Edge’s eyes. My biggest concern was finally put to rest. In the original timeline, Edge only set out on his journey to seek revenge for Alyssa. Since that tragedy hadn't happened here, I was worried he might lack motivation.
It turned out to be a needless worry.
"I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Alyssa."
"What a coincidence," I replied. "I’ll do whatever it takes for my wife, too."
I had a feeling we were going to get along just fine.