“There isn’t one after all… a route to save Weiss…”

I held my head in my hands in front of my computer. Even with the latest game update, it seems they haven’t implemented the feature I was hoping for.

The game I’m currently hooked on is a simulation RPG called “Valhara Tactics.” It’s a classic fantasy story where the protagonist, guided by the gods, saves an empire ruled by an evil deity. It’s a popular game with many unique characters.

The enemy characters in particular are also quite attractive, with “Aegis, the Bloodthirsty Villainess” and “Astacia, the Cold Hearted False Saint” being even more popular than the main heroine.

Also, depending on your choices, people’s loyalty can go up or down. If it gets too low, they might disobey orders or even revolt. But it’s not just about raising it blindly, as some characters will only join you if their loyalty is low. There are many elements to explore, making it quite a challenging game.

On the internet, it’s even called “the SRPG you learn by dying.”

In this game, I’m rooting for an enemy character named Weiss, who is defeated at the very beginning.

“He’s certainly a pushover character who gets taken out early, but there’s more to him than that…”

He’s the older brother of one of the heroines, a genius magic-user girl, and he’s a pitiful guy who’s been warped by the complex of being constantly compared to her. The story doesn’t delve too deep into his character, so he’s often called “a good-looking but rotten-to-the-core stepping-stone noble” online.

But I get it… I have a talented younger sister too… Being compared is tough… I can relate to his feelings of despair, and now I find myself searching for his doujinshi, reading fan fiction where he’s saved, and daydreaming about how I would rescue him.

Everyone has those thoughts, right? Thinking about how you would save a character who met a tragic end in the original story. That’s Weiss for me. I like these kinds of pushover characters.

“If it were me, I could definitely make him happy…”

“Then, why don’t you try it? Show me how you would save him.”

“Huh?”

There shouldn’t be anyone here. I looked around, but it must have been my imagination.

Maybe I’ve been playing too much, but I suddenly feel sleepy.

As I lay on my bed, I heard that voice again in my head.

“Alright, I’ll give you a special skill. Whether you can use it well is up to you… but it might come in handy in some situations. I hope you’ll make the predetermined board more interesting.”

And with that, my consciousness faded in darkness.

◇ ◇ ◇

And now it has come to this.

Yes, I don’t quite understand it, but it seems I have been reincarnated as Weiss.

However, the situation is quite dire. There are various bad statuses, but the most dangerous is people’s loyalty.

By the way, loyalty is maxed out at 100, and 10 is pretty bad. If it drops to 0, a rebellion by the people will occur and it will be game over.

If I mess up one more time, I’ll die!! The reason Weiss’s guards didn’t work properly was probably because of their low loyalty to Weiss.

As proof of that, I hardly get any visitors, and the best, only thing that’s been sent is a bouquet of flowers with tentacles like an octopus’s legs from her so-called best friend.

++Seriously, what is this? It’s really creepy!! Is this harassment?++

“And that’s not all!!”

I, having recovered from my injuries, held my head in my hands while looking at the documents that Rosalia had gathered for me in my office. Tax revenue has dropped significantly, and apparently crime within the territory has also increased due to the deterioration of public order.

Moreover, it has worsened rapidly since Weiss’s parents died in an accident and he became the lord. Isn’t this bad? Isn’t this a dead end? I’m starting to feel hopeless… or so a normal person would think!!

“Yes… because I am a reincarnated person. Leave it to me, Weiss!! My life of fantasizing about how to save you wasn’t wasted!! I’m managing somehow with the game knowledge that only I know!! I’ll spread the word about your greatness to everyone in this world!! This is my way of supporting my favorite character!!”

“Weiss-sama… I… I brought you some food, may I come in?”

It was Rosalia who came in with a cart of food after knocking. ++Oh no, I didn’t notice. She saw me muttering to myself while striking a pose. It’s so embarrassing.++

In the silence, the meat on the iron plate is still sizzling, enticing my hunger. There is also white bread, salad, soup, and it’s a full course meal. I guess even a rotten noble is still a noble.

“Thank you!! I’ll take it. It looks delicious.”

“Huh…? You’ll eat it? I’m so happy.”

When I thanked her to cover up my embarrassment, she made a surprised face for a moment and then started serving with a big smile.

++Ah, that’s right. ++ The current Weiss is going through a rough time after his parents died in an accident and he became the lord, but things are not going well. But, that’s not okay. I understand that you’re going through a tough time, but… to survive from now on, you first need to eat and gain strength!!

“Then, I shall eat.”

As I put the knife into the steak, the juices overflow. And when I put it in my mouth with a fork, the flavor spreads. Oh my god, this is a taste I’ve never had before in my previous life!! It’s so delicious and tender!! Come to think of it, this was my first proper meal since becoming Weiss. During the treatment for my injuries, I only had disgusting potions and soup with herbs that smelled terrible. There was only alcohol and snacks in his room.

I was engrossed in my meal, but then I noticed Rosalia, who had been staring at me with a smile, and called out to her.

“Um… Rosalia…”

“Yes, what is it? Weiss-sama… Oh, I apologize for not being more attentive!”

For some reason, she came closer to me and gently wiped my mouth with a handkerchief she took out of her pocket. Her sweet scent tickles my nostrils for a moment. It’s great to be a lord, being taken care of by such a beautiful girl!! ++No, that’s not it…++

“Um… It’s just that when you stare at me like that, it makes me feel a bit uneasy!”

++Well, I am handsome, so I understand how you feel.++

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t help it… So, Weiss-sama, is the food delicious?”

“Yes, it’s incredibly delicious. It makes me think how happy I am to be able to eat such things every day.”

“Ufufu, I’m so happy to hear you say that after finally eating it. It was worth the effort to cook it. It really… was good…”

After saying that, she started shedding tears while looking at me and laughing, “Ehehe.” ++Huh? What’s wrong all of a sudden?++

“Ah, I’m sorry… to show you such a sight in front of Weiss-sama…”

“No, it’s okay. But why are you crying…?”

“It’s just that… Half a year ago, the previous lord passed away, and since I was entrusted with being the lord, Weiss-sama has become so down… Since then, you haven’t been eating properly… I’m just so happy that you finally ate and said it was delicious… I’m sorry, I know you’ve lost your parents and it must be hard for you to work as a lord, and I’m being a nuisance by crying like this.”

“Rosalia… No… Thank you for worrying about me like this.”

When I patted the head of the crying Rosalia, she flinched for a moment and then buried her face in my chest while sobbing.

Rosalia is truly worried about Weiss. Her loyalty is genuine. I know this from the conversations before I woke up and from the ending of the game. She fights alongside Weiss against the protagonist and is defeated, but she buys time for Weiss to escape and dies by blowing up the mansion.

Even as defeat becomes certain and subordinates leave one after another, she is the only one who tries to protect Weiss until the very end. I don’t know why she swore such loyalty to him. There must have been a story between just the two of them. In other words, she is a fellow Weiss supporter like me.

++And… I don’t want her, who tried to protect Weiss like that, to have such an ending. To prevent that, I have to do various things…++

“I’m sorry for making you worry until now. I think I’ll try my best as a lord from now on. So, will you support me like this?”

“Yes, of course!! But… I’m sorry, it’s not right for me, a mere servant, to be embraced by Weiss-sama…”

“No, I got a little carried away. I’m sorry.”

Embarrassed, we both blushed and distanced ourselves a little.

++It seems my theory was correct.++ It wasn’t revealed in the game or the materials, but the death of Weiss’s parents and the repeated failures after suddenly becoming a lord must have been the triggers for his major distortion.

Damn, he had an inferiority complex because of his excellent younger sister, and he was overwhelmed by being entrusted with the lord’s duties without any handover, which led him to become disheartened. But according to her words, it’s only been half a year since Weiss became the lord. If that’s the case, I can still turn things around. No… I became Weiss to turn things around

There are many things to do. I need to build up my physical strength, raise people’s royalty, improve the territory, and strengthen Weiss’s only special skill, magic. If things continue like this, he’ll be killed instantly on the battlefield.

But… it won’t be a hardship if I can save my favorite character!!

I was thinking about the future when the door was violently opened, and a stout man and a man who seemed to be his bodyguard entered. ++Who are these guys? And it’s too rude to enter the lord’s room without permission.++

“Mr. Gustav, I told you that Weiss-sama has just recovered from his injuries and cannot receive you.”

“Hmm, I certainly heard that, but I thought I had to talk to Weiss-sama now. Rather, you should be grateful as I’m saying this out of goodwill.”

“Grateful…? What exactly is it that you want?”

When I looked at him suspiciously, the man called Gustav smiled wryly and signaled to his bodyguard, who then handed me a piece of paper. And I was speechless after seeing its contents.

“Yes, I would like you to repay the debt that our company loaned with the territory as collateral. Of course, we can accept payment in kind, but can you pay by tomorrow, which is the due date?”

“Rosalia… our savings…”

“Well… due to the famine and other things, we’re almost completely broke.”

“Huh? Then, this luxurious meal…”

“I wanted Weiss-sama to get better, so… I used my savings…”

When I whispered to Rosalia so that Gustav couldn’t hear, I got an unexpected answer. ++No, no, what should I do? The amount of debt is quite alarming, and above all, the due date is tomorrow, isn’t this a dead end…?++

++And Rosalia is such an angel that I can’t raise my head… Why did Weiss become disheartened when he had such a girl?++

“Well… I’m very sorry, but I will definitely pay it back soon. So, could you please extend the repayment deadline a little longer?” “

“I… I’m very sorry, but I’ll definitely pay you back soon. So, could you please extend the deadline a little longer?”

“Well, we’re a business, you know. And we have the documents…”

“Please, could you reconsider…”

“Hmm… well…”

As I humbled myself, Gustav smirked and leered at Rosalia. His gaze made me feel disgusted.

“If you lend me your maid for one night, I’ll extend the deadline. It’s not a bad deal, is it?”

“What?”

His words were as expected, but I felt an immense disgust towards the man in front of me. ++Rosalia is a maid, not an object…++ And at the same time, I felt an immense anger welling up inside me.

++This feeling… that’s right… She’s important to Weiss.++ The relationship between these two isn’t one-sided. Weiss also trusts and cherishes her.

“…I understand. For Weiss-sama, I’ll…”

“Fufu, you’re a smart maid, you catch on quickly.”

When Gustav reached out to touch Rosalia, I stepped in to protect her. Gustav’s expression became irritated at being interrupted.

“Weiss-sama…?”

“Sorry, but I can’t allow that. I won’t allow you to do anything unreasonable to her.”

“Oh… then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll have you pay me back in full by tomorrow. Let’s go!!”

With that, Gustav stomped off in a huff, his footsteps expressing his displeasure, and his guards hurriedly followed.

Watching him retreat, I took a deep breath. ++Phew… I was so nervous. That perverted old man was seriously pissed.++

You might think that as a lord, I should stand up to a merchant, but if I acted irrationally, the people’s loyalty would drop and it’d be game over.

“Weiss-sama, why? If I had just sacrificed myself…”

“Rosalia, that’s not an option. From now on, take care of yourself above all else.”

I cut Rosalia off and told her firmly. No one wants that. Not me, and certainly not Weiss.

“But then Weiss-sama will…”

“The lord’s position is important to me, but having you by my side is even more important, Rosalia.”

“Weiss-sama…”

Rosalia’s eyes widened in disbelief at my words. ++Ah, that’s right… you cared for her but were too embarrassed to say it directly. And because of that, she didn’t know how much Weiss cared for her and thought she had to sacrifice herself… That’s not okay. So I’m going to be straightforward!++

“That… your feelings are appreciated, but… how are you going to get that much money? And by tomorrow… it’s impossible without heirlooms or hidden treasures. We’ve used up almost all of our money.”

“It’s okay, I’ll manage somehow. I have a secret plan.”

I smiled at Rosalia, who was looking at me with concern.I don’t know why I became Weiss, but it must be for this reason.

Selling Rosalia to buy time was never an option. Because if I did that, both Rosalia and Weiss would be sad. I want my favorite character to be happy.

“I’m going to do some research.”

Moreover, I have knowledge of the game. There are secrets in this mansion that Weiss didn’t know about. First, I need to make sure the game knowledge matches reality. If it does, I should be able to get enough money to pay off the debt and have some left over.

!next

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