Chapter 203

I was quite taken aback by Bolt’s words, “I’ve never cleared it even once.”

Luminor Academy? Never cleared it? Then how has he managed to progress this far without making any mistakes?

“What do you mean you’ve never cleared it?!”

“Keep your voice down. You’re going to let the whole dorm hear.”

“Anyway, if you’ve never cleared it, how did you get this far?”

“We agreed to take turns asking questions, didn’t we? I just answered, so it’s my turn now, right?”

“…Right. Go ahead, ask your question.”

While I was trying to wrap my head around the idea of a hero who had never cleared the game, Bolt posed his first question to me.

“What exactly happened with Ethan to make him change so drastically? Did the original Ethan get swapped out with someone else? Or did you apply some sort of ‘Ethan re-modeling’ mod?”

“I’m not really sure. He just changed gradually as I tried to avoid getting attacked by him.”

“How am I supposed to know anything with that kind of explanation? Surely there’s something specific you did.”

“…I got sick of watching him harass and do disgusting things, so I cursed him out a few times, and then he changed. I don’t know the exact mechanism behind it. This is my first time navigating the game world as Lillis, so how would I know?”

I didn’t bother mentioning that I nearly strangled him to death with laundry. If that were to slip out in the wrong context, it might come back to bite me later.

“Is that all it took to change Ethan? That doesn’t seem likely…”

“Whatever, it’s my turn to ask a question now.”

“…Alright, fine.”

“If you’ve never cleared the game, then how did you manage to get this far? The fake saintess plotline with Celesta and the twist with Sillena are only things you’d know on a second playthrough.”

“I didn’t clear it, but I played it ‘by the book’ up until now. I followed a walkthrough someone posted on LuaGal after playing the game 25 times. I just didn’t make it to the end, but I got as far as the final battle against the Demon King.”

“Oh, so you were following a guide. Guess I was worried for nothing.”

…If he had said that from the start, it would have saved me the trouble of getting confused.

For a moment, I felt like I had wasted a question.

‘…Wait a second, did he just say 25 playthroughs?’

“Can I ask my next question now?”

“Oh, yeah, go ahead.”

Before I could process the thought, Bolt hit me with his next question.

“You said you’re not sure how Ethan changed, so I’ll let that slide, but what do you think of Ethan now?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’ve been by his side the most, so you should have some idea. Do you think he’ll end up as a villain or a hero?”

“Oh, that… But what if he does turn out to be a villain?”

“It would be unsettling if someone you know became a villain, but if it’s necessary for clearing the game, I’ll do what I have to as the protagonist.”

…So if he’s not a villain, there’s no reason to fight him. While I didn’t like how Bolt’s tone made it sound like he’d casually dispose of Ethan for the sake of the game, it also showed he was serious about clearing it.

Honestly, I’d rather have someone who follows the standard playthrough. It means there are fewer variables I need to consider.

“…I can’t say for sure if he’ll be a hero, but he definitely won’t be a villain.”

“Are you sure?”

“In the original game, Ethan only became a villain because he… I mean, because he abused Lillis. Since there’s no abuse, there’s no reason for him to become a villain. Besides, Ethan’s storyline didn’t involve any connection to demons.”

“…That’s true. He doesn’t seem to be someone who’s been abused. In fact, it looks like he cares for you a lot.”

“Well, we are dating, after all.”

“…What?!”

“Keep your voice down. They’ll hear you inside.”

Bolt stared at me with wide eyes, clearly shocked by what I’d just said.

There was no reason to keep it a secret, so I told him the truth.

Besides, telling him about my relationship with Ethan could help build trust. It was also a more believable explanation for Ethan’s change in behavior than just saying he became a better person.

Anyone could see how much Ethan cared for me, so convincing Bolt wouldn’t be difficult.

“Wow… You’re dating Ethan after possessing Lillis? You’ve got some skills.”

“Just so you know, it’s not that Ethan is my type or anything. I’m not particularly into guys.”

“…What?”

“I’m dating him because he really likes me, and I owe him a lot. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“…What’s there to get wrong? It’s a relationship between a man and a woman, so if you want to date, just date.”

“…Oh, well, yeah, I guess that’s true…”

…Come to think of it, he doesn’t know that I was a guy in my previous life.

If he thinks a woman has possessed another woman’s body, then his reaction makes sense.

From an objective standpoint, Ethan is a perfect man—handsome, from a good family, and a skilled swordsman.

It’s easier to let him continue thinking I’m a woman. Even if this is just a temporary relationship, revealing that I was a man in my past life would feel like I was chipping away at something in my soul.

“Anyway, it’s my turn, right?”

“Yeah.”

“As the protagonist, what’s your goal? Is it just to clear the game? Are you planning to marry Seraphine and become emperor? Or are you aiming to build a harem? Or is there something else?”

This was something I needed to know.

I had a hunch he was focused on clearing the game, but I wasn’t sure what his ultimate goal was.

In Luminor Academy, after defeating the Demon King, you can make a final wish to the goddess and choose one of the possible endings.

You could become a hero of the nation, gaining wealth and fame, or, if you’re tired of all the attention, settle down in a quiet village with your harem members. Both were viable options.

Just to be clear, I didn’t care if Bolt wanted to build a harem or go for a true love ending. …As long as he didn’t try to drag me into the Demon King’s battle or make me part of his harem.

“Defeat the Demon King and clear the game… and return to Earth.”

“Huh?”

“I know there isn’t a return option among the original game’s choices… but the goddess said she’d grant any wish, so it’s not impossible.”

“Really? You think you can go back? Life here would be a lot more fun after defeating the Demon King, wouldn’t it? Besides, you already have three girls following you around…”

“…Some might think that, but I’ve been focused on returning to my original world from the start. I didn’t get to clear the game before I got stuck here, so it’s only natural to want to go back.”

“…I guess that makes sense.” S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I could understand Bolt’s reasoning.

In my case, Luminor Academy was my favorite game, so there was a time when I was thrilled to find myself in this world.

I even thought that living a second life in this world would be great, regardless of gender… though being reincarnated as Lillis wasn’t ideal.

And since I died in my previous life, I had nothing to go back to, but Bolt might still have a physical body in the real world.

If he has things he left behind, it makes sense that he’d want to go back.

“Well, if that’s your choice, I can’t argue with it.”

“From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you don’t have any attachment to the real world.”

“I already died once in my past life, and Luminor Academy was my favorite game. Honestly, even if I could go back for free, I wouldn’t want to.”

“I respect your choice. People have different values.”

In that moment, we both confirmed our differing views on this world.

At the same time, I started to understand some of the actions that had confused me about him until now.

He probably gave himself a casual nickname because he wanted to keep a clear distinction between this world and the real one.

If he was planning to return to reality, it made sense to draw a line and avoid getting too attached here.

And now I understood why he was so determined to follow the standard playthrough. Reality held more value to him.

This short conversation gave me the certainty I needed and helped clear up some unspoken misunderstandings.

It’s ironic that it took almost a year and a half to have a conversation like this. It feels both a bit anticlimactic and somewhat of a relief.

Thanks to Bolt’s quick thinking, the chance of a deadly showdown between Ethan and the hero was effectively eliminated.

As we continued our back-and-forth questions, ten minutes passed quickly. I quietly decided it would be safest to wrap up after one or two more questions.

“We’re almost out of time, so let’s wrap up with your last question for today.”

“…Sure. We’ll have more chances to talk while we deal with McHart anyway.”

“Is there anything you’re curious about? I played Luminor Academy obsessively in my past life, you know? I cleared it 24 times and even wrote guides on the gallery, so I can tell you almost anything.”

“Not really. I read most of the guides on LuaGal. But 24 clears… That’s almost on par with ‘LilGirlBlade.’”

“……”

Flinch –

“……What?”

When I heard my old community username after so long, my body froze for a moment, and Bolt gave me a suspicious look.

Could it be that the guide he mentioned reading on LuaGal was the one I wrote…?

“Hey, you…”

“……What?”

“Are you… ‘LilGirlBlade’?”