Reincarnated into a Game as the Hero’s Friend - Chapter 13

A few days after that battle, the king called me for an audience. That’s why I’m here, kneeling in the direction of the throne, wearing a formal outfit.

I’m not alone. That indeed reduced the pressure, but how did things end up like this?

?

I heard that I had collapsed for a whole day after our victory. It was only because of fatigue, not an illness. But I still made my parents, the butlers, and the maids all worried.

It was to the point that the second they noticed I couldn’t make any voice after I woke up, they made me chug potions like crazy. After how much I shouted, it was obvious that this would happen.

I heard a messenger from the palace come to me while I was unconscious. My parents dealt with him. Let’s pretend I don’t know.

A day after I woke up, my parents, who had grasped the whole situation, scolded me, ‘It’s not good to buy all available oil in the market!’ Though the scolding was quite gentle and they praised me in the end.

As for why the demon’s movement became strange toward the end of the battle, as I expected, Mazell had killed the devil. Mazell also destroyed the crystal that controlled the outbreak.

Did that sort of crystal exist in the game? I can’t remember. The fragment of that crystal is still under investigation.

“I also found some black gems. I heard the researchers found that those gems are made up of some unknown material.”

“So because ‘the gems’ didn’t look like metal, they decided to just call them ‘gems’ despite not really knowing what those actually are.”

But gems are supposed to have value, while we still don’t know if those black gems have any value. What if they are imbued with curses instead? Maybe rather than ‘gems’, calling them something like ‘demon stone’, ‘evil stone’ or ‘wicked stone’ is better… Nope. Those names sound tacky. Giving things a good name is difficult.

“Anyway. When I heard about your deeds, I was more surprised than when I encountered a devil.”

“It’s just luck.”

Mazell and I are exchanging the latest information while sipping a black tea. Although my fatigue had already disappeared thanks to healing magic, I was still not allowed to go outside. ‘Just in case,’ or so my parents said. That’s why Mazell visited me instead.

The black tea we are currently sipping was brewed by one of the mansion’s maids who was famous for brewing great black tea. Some of my friends even came to the estate solely to taste this tea.

That maid is tall, quiet, and gentle. She’s someone with a big sister vibe and is pretty popular among my friends. Wait, why did I end up thinking a useless thing again?

Back to the topic, according to Mazell, my achievements that I unknowingly had gathered is currently a hot topic in the academy. Come to think of it, other noble students also participated in the war. However, some of them had their fathers participate instead.

I prefer not to talk about those things.

“They just love to exaggerate a story.”

“Even if it is, the fact that you become a hot topic among the students is already amazing.”

Mazell responded while laughing.

“I also heard that His Highness praised you up to heaven, saying that you have a keen eye for war. He told everyone about how you can crush the enemy’s trap and how you grasped the enemy’s moment of weakness and counterattacked.”

“Please stop…”

I wanted to hide my face by putting it on the table, but the prepared tea and snacks would go to the drain if I did that. Especially the cookies, they are delicious.

I managed to endure the urge and turned my eyes to Mazell.

“What about you? You defeated a devil, didn’t you?”

“Not that much different from you. That’s why I’m here to hide.”

“Seriously?”

Mazell, how can you say something like that while laughing? A bit later, though, Mazell put on a guilty expression. Then with a bitter smile, he said.

“I don’t have any choice. I’m a commoner, remember? How am I supposed to know a proper manner to reject conversation with nobles?”

“I guess you’re right.”

There’s nothing more annoying in this world than a noble’s manner. Maybe the developer never included any detailed event about the noble because the data about noble’s manner would take too much space?

The truth is, even without understanding a noble’s manner, Mazell can always use the excuse ‘I’m a student, so I need to study.’ to refuse any nobles’ attempt to converse. But this is Mazell, the typical kind protagonist. Even if he knew that method existed, he wouldn’t use it to avoid troubling the academy.

It’s not like he’s okay with troubling the Zeavert House either. Mazell only intends to ask me, his friend, for help. Coming here is probably the best way to avoid the nobles he could think of as a student.

I can’t refuse him. The fact that I even thought of ‘refusing him’ is probably the effect of spending 15 years living as a noble. I felt complicated, but I decided to help him. Abandoning him will be too cold after all.

I will help him, but I hope this won’t influence the game’s scenario.

“Other than that, I wanted to ask for your advice for tomorrow’s victory celebration and audience with the king.”

“First, you can just wear the academy’s uniform for clothing.”

“Really?”

“Uniform is also a ceremonial dress.”

According to my knowledge, school uniforms were originally used for ceremonial purposes in Japan. People who casually wear a school uniform are considered ‘someone who knows no shame.’ They are treated like fools.

Though most adults in my past life didn’t know this, they only said ‘it’s against the school’s rule’ when scolding students who wear their uniforms casually. As such, most students also didn’t know.

“It’s only an audience, not some international event. Nobles will understand your background, so there is no need to feel pressured. You will be fine as long as you know where to kneel and don’t talk to the king without permission.”

“Just by doing those two things?”

“The nobles won’t be too fussy with a student because other nobles will brand a person who nitpicks a student as an idiot. So as I said before, there’s no need for you to feel pressured.”

Unlike me, I barely swallowed those words. Nobles won’t be fussy except against other nobles.

Most nobles’ inner thoughts are roughly like this: ‘I, who know manners, am great, while commoners, who don’t, are lower than me.’

For those nobles, getting angry at a student is like ‘lowering oneself to the same level as a commoner.’ Those nobles will only fight against people ‘of the same level’. Not with a student, especially a student and a commoner. Even if Mazell messed up, the most he will get is a warning.

If the opponent is another noble, they will criticize every little thing. I’m barely safe because I’m also a student. But my father is the Minister of Ceremonies, so I must at least show an acceptable level of manners.

Ah.. this is really annoying.

“Mazell, did you contact your family?”

“Nope. Or rather, it’s impossible.”

After I told him several other things that Mazell needed to pay attention to in the audience, I changed the topic. To my question, Mazell answered with a sullen smile.

That’s to be expected. Mazell’s hometown is remote, cough, I mean a countryside far from the capital. Only the pilgrims on their way to the Great Temple Finnoi will come to that village to rest for a night. That Great Temple is located in the mountains. That’s just how rural Mazell’s hometown is.

In the game, I remember the hero traveled a lot. People here are similar to people in my past life in that most of them rarely travel far, so it will be difficult for even a messenger to go there unless that messenger has a few days to spare.

“Even if I contacted them, they won’t be able to come. My family is busy running the store after all.”

“I see.”

The store that he’s talking about is probably the inn that Mazell’s parents run together with his little sister. Mazell’s hometown Alea Village didn’t have any weapons or armor worth buying in the game, but since the village inn is Mazell’s house, staying there is free.

After clearing the Great Temple, the player will take advantage of that free inn to grind in the area around the Alea Village. Then after reaching a sufficient level, the player will go to clear the Counting Star Tower. That’s how the game went.

From what I remember, there was also a scene where his family said, ‘It’s been a while since you returned’ which means the game’s Mazell barely returned.

“How about I contact your family instead? With the Zeavert Household’s help, it will be easier.”

“Please don’t.”

Mazell’s expression became flustered as he waved his hand. I laughed. It’s a bit frustrating only to be able to get back for his earlier teasing like this.

Forget the ‘a bit’. It is frustrating, so let’s tell Mazell’s family that he defeated a devil! What? Childish, you say? Mind your own business!