After concluding a negotiation that wasn’t quite a negotiation with the Baron of Balzac, we stepped outside.
We made our way to our lodging in the Barony of Balzac.
There were inns in the Barony of Balzac, of course.
However, since Yurha had practically strong-armed the Baron into granting us usage rights over a part of his territory, it was unreasonable to expect him to welcome us with open arms.
Thus, instead of staying in the guest rooms of the baron’s castle, we decided to stay at a regular inn.
“I feel like the carriage would be cozier.”
“I agree. At least this time, I’m on Senior Yurha’s side.”
“Should we just sleep in the carriage? As for washing… well, we can just use cleaning magic.”
That was the plan, at least.
However, the state of the inn was far worse than we had anticipated, so we turned away and headed for the carriage instead.
It was so bad that describing it would be unpleasant. Some of the beds even had bedbugs.
It reminded me of those cheap, run-down hostels you sometimes end up in while traveling abroad—where you feel like you just wasted your money and got nothing but suffering in return.
So, even though it was a bit cramped, we chose the better option: sleeping in our Golden Carriage.
“Hmm? What’s wrong? Did you actually want to stay at the inn?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Yunia asked me as I kept staring in the direction of the inn.
“If I were staying there alone, that’d be one thing, but I can’t make everyone else stay in a place like that.”
“Oh, wait. Are you uncomfortable sleeping in the same place as the girls?”
“No, it’s not that. We’ve already slept together like this plenty of times, haven’t we? That’s not the issue.”
“Then… does that inn hold some kind of special memory for you?”
“Memories, huh? Something like that, I suppose.”
Thinking about the game events that occurred in inns made me unconsciously considerate of the others.
In the game…
‘If you choose the wrong inn, you get a debuff. I didn’t expect that to be implemented like this.’
A proper sleeping environment is crucial.
A bad one ruins your sleep balance, and eventually, your body deteriorates.
Even though my current body was formed from mana, it was no exception.
Let alone the others, who were purely human.
“It really makes me realize how well I’ve been living lately.”
At the same time, I couldn’t help but reflect.
Both in reality and in-game, I had almost never stayed in such luxurious places.
When I used to send the protagonist to inns for event triggers, I never thought much about it.
But now that I was constantly experiencing accommodations far better than those inns, it felt strange.
“If I want to keep staying in good places like this, I’ll need to maintain my top standing at the Academy—and secure as many scholarships as possible.”
“You’re planning to rely solely on scholarships? Aren’t you already earning a lot from magic stone transactions?”
Yurha made a circle with her fingers.
“Besides, you’re the adopted son of Marchioness Ludvecia. And if you factor in the wealth you’ll accumulate from Magic Pants, you’ll rank quite high in financial status, won’t you?”
“That may be true, but… once you get used to luxury, the downgrade feels even worse.”
“Downgrade…?”
“It’s a real thing.”
What would happen to me when I returned to reality?
“How long can I continue enjoying this luxury? It’s only natural to wonder about that sometimes.”
Right now, I was traveling in a carriage with a standard comparable to a four-star hotel.
And whenever possible, I stayed in accommodations equivalent to five-star resorts.
“Sure, I’m living well now, but who knows what the future holds?”
Of course, my house in reality wasn’t as bad as the inns in Baron Balzac’s territory.
“But in the distant future, there may come a time when even those shabby inns feel like a luxury I should be grateful for.”
For the sake of nostalgia.
“…”
Suddenly, memories resurfaced.
– You know… why not just give up on going back to reality?
Back in the Demon World, Changyeom had said that to me.
– Sure, returning to reality would be ideal… But if we can eliminate the threats of this world—if we can reach a ‘Happy Ending’—wouldn’t this world be a decent place to live?
If I chose to remain in this world instead of returning to Earth…
Would it be beneficial to me? Or a misfortune?
For now, my priority was to fulfill my contract with Changyeom, restore order to this world, and return home.
I wanted to see every part of this world before leaving, to cherish these experiences as memories when I finally returned.
Even the inns of Baron Balzac would be part of that.
A dilemma.
‘It’s a tricky choice.’
Once everything was over, once the ending had been reached—
Would I return to reality?
Or would I accept this world as my own and continue living here?
‘Living like this… If I can just prevent the Apocalypse, maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad after all.’
After spending half a year at Esdinas Academy, living as the only male among a group of stunning women…
It was hard to say that this world was unpleasant.
‘Whichever I choose, I still want to collect the 200 billion they owe me…’
If I chose to abandon the idea of returning to Earth—
Even if I decided to remain in this world, I would never let those game company bastards get away with throwing me into this world without compensating me for the 200 billion I was owed.
It was a matter of pride.
And as a gamer, it was a rightful reward for my achievements as a gamer.
If this world were to compensate me with 200 billion, maybe I’d reconsider.
But just shrugging it off with an “Oh well, I guess I’ll just take this as payment for living here” was impossible.
It was simply too much money to dismiss like that.
So.
“Sometimes, I just get sentimental. That’s all. No need to worry.”
Even if I was lost in thought, there was no reason for them to be so concerned over it.
“Phoenix.”
“Yes, Instructor Esta?”
“Come. Walk with me for a moment?”
It was an obvious signal for me to step outside, but I accepted her offer without hesitation.
* * *
While Phoenix followed Instructor Esta outside.
“…Phoenix wouldn’t have said something like that without a reason, would he?”
A serious discussion had begun.
“Maybe he just wanted some alone time?”
“Evangeline?”
“He hasn’t exactly been alone for long stretches, and guys need some time to themselves every now and then.”
Evangeline mimicked grabbing an invisible pillar with both hands and made a short up-and-down motion.
“Like this, maybe?”
“Evangeline. There are two errors in your assumption. First—”
Ludmila adjusted Evangeline’s hands to a wider position.
“If we’re talking about your hands, the proper width should be about this much.”
“…Have you actually held them before?”
“No. Just estimating.”
Despite Evangeline’s sharp glare, Ludmila remained unfazed, extending two fingers.
“And second, no matter how much he wants personal time, he wouldn’t stay in that kind of inn. The first thing Phoenix did upon entering the Old School Building was clean it. He’s someone who cares a great deal about hygiene.”
“…Even when he could just use Cleaning Magic, he still prefers to shower and take his time there.”
Yunia seemed to recall something before she shook her head vigorously.
“No, I shouldn’t think about that. No.”
“Think about what? Yunia, did you… happen to see him showering or something?”
“N-no, that’s not it!”
She almost answered instinctively.
“I-I just… It’s just that seeing how he enjoys good accommodations and sleeps in proper places, it feels like he’s trying to make the most of it while he still can, as if he’s afraid he won’t be able to live comfortably in the future.”
That was the excuse she managed to come up with.
“…Huh?”
Yet, at that moment, a chilling thought struck her.
“…Wait, is that actually true?”
“Why do you sound like you just had an epiphany after saying it yourself?”
“…If that really is the case, what do we do?”
At Yunia’s question, Ludmila, Evangeline, and even Yurha, who had been silently listening, stiffened.
“If he doesn’t know what the future holds… If there comes a time when even the inns of the Barony of Balzac feel like a luxury to be grateful for….”
“If such a future is coming, then we have to do everything in our power to stop it.”
Yurha’s firm declaration made Yunia swallow nervously.
“Even if the world crumbles, Phoenix will always try to find a way through it. But at the very least, he’s not the type to show that burden to us. Yet the fact that he reacted this way means…”
“Means?”
“…Maybe he was just disgusted by the condition of the inn?”
“That’s… a fair point as well.”
“Hmm….”
Despite their differing perspectives, there was one thing they all agreed on.
“Senior Yurha. About the carriage—could we make it bigger?”
“A space where we can all stay together would be ideal, but Phoenix also might need a separate area to be alone.”
“Instead of a carriage, what if we expanded it to train size? With the amount of money Phoenix earns, it should be possible.”
Building something larger than a carriage.
“…That’s actually a good idea. We could turn it into a mobile five-star hotel.”
Yurha licked her lips as she began calculating the costs in her head.
“A harem train for Phoenix.”
“…Huh?”
“Oh, I was joking. …Half joking.”
