My lady takes the lead.
We're in the eastern part of the Kingdom, known as the Azurite Territory. This region faces the farthest east of the continent and serves as a protective barrier for the human realm against the multitude of monsters that inhabit this wild land.
After leaving the academy, we spent hours swaying in the carriages until we reached our destination: a forest. The carriages, with students on board, came to a stop one by one.
Although not too far from the capital, this area already belonged to the Kingdom's eastern territory, where many monsters roamed freely. The atmosphere here felt tense.
Milady, the first to jump out of the crowded carriage, vented her frustration by slamming the cushion she had used during the journey onto the ground.
"Good grief, Why do I have to go through all this trouble!" she exclaimed.
The carriages owned by the academy were far less comfortable than the ones we usually used from the Duke's household. To make matters worse, the bumpy roads and the long journey had taken a toll on Milady's comfort, leaving her with a sore bottom.
"With this many people, it's not practical for the academy to arrange a carriage just for Milady. Besides, this training, including the journey, is part of the curriculum, right?" I responded calmly, picking up the discarded cushion and brushing off the dirt. However, it appeared that my response didn't sit well with Milady.
"I'm not asking for that kind of explanation!"
In the first place, this training involved all three school years. Since Milady was a second-year student, she should have participated in it last year as well. So, this situation shouldn't have come as a surprise.
"Everyone, gather over here once you've gotten off the carriages!"
"Come on, Milady. Let's go."
"Hmph..."
In response to the teacher's call, students started to assemble, and as they did, Milady, with tense shoulders, went off on her own.
"Oh boy..."
Seeing this, I shrugged my shoulders, stashed the cushion in a pocket of space, and immediately followed after Milady.
"As I explained beforehand, from here on, you will be heading through the forest where these monsters reside to reach the town on the opposite side. You have three days to make it there. Naturally, failing to arrive within that time will result in deductions, but I don't want you to push yourselves too hard because of that. If, for any reason such as injuries, you find it impossible to continue the training along the way, use magic to signal us in the sky. We teachers are scattered throughout the forest, so we'll come to your aid promptly. Are there any questions up to this point?"
"Yes, yes!"
The teacher scanned the students, and a girl with distinctive pink hair raised her hand enthusiastically.
"Ah, if I remember correctly, you're Maria, a second-year, right? What is it?"
"Yes! If we defeat a lot of monsters, will it positively affect our grades?"
"Yeah, that's right. It's true that taking down small fry won't get you much, but if you manage to defeat a big one, we might consider it. However, don't rush for achievements and do something reckless. The main goal here is to safely pass through the forest. Any other questions? If not, start your departure from each group as soon as you're ready!"
When the teacher gave the command, the students scattered to their respective groups.
(How did it come to this...)
Maria couldn't help but sigh.
In my previous life, I reincarnated as the protagonist of the beloved otome game "Jewel Princess" often called "Jewel Pri." My goal was to prepare and navigate my school life to achieve a reverse harem ending, and things were progressing quite well.
Raising the favorability of the six capture targets while simultaneously improving my own stats was challenging, but armed with knowledge from my past life, where I had played the game multiple times, it was not an insurmountable task. Thanks to this, I was successfully progressing through the favorability events for each hero.
However, an unexpected situation for Maria is currently unfolding.
"What did you just say?"
"Didn't you hear? I said Maria has me as her guardian, so that should be sufficient. Aren't you originally supposed to be the prince's protector?"
"Can I entrust Maria to a weakling like you? You should be busy dealing with the low-level monsters in the vicinity!"
"You, on the other hand, have nothing but sword skills. You should dive into the horde of monsters and play the role of a decoy."
"What did you say!?"
"Are you up for it?"
Sparks flew between Leon, the son of the knight commander, and Julius, the son of the prime minister. Both of them were members of Maria's reverse harem, and they used to get along well. However, recently, they've been clashing like this more often. Moreover, it wasn't just them; the relationships between the other members, excluding Prince Albert, were becoming strained as well.
"Wait, wait! Can you both please stop fighting?"
"Hmph, looks like you got lucky."
"You should be glad your glasses didn't get shattered."
By stepping in between them, I managed to prevent a potential fight. However, both of them turned away and went their separate ways.
"Sigh... This never used to happen before."
I let out another sigh. Lately, I've found myself playing the role of mediator among the capture targets more often. While I could manage it for now, I knew I'd have to come up with a solution eventually.
I had initially thought that with my knowledge of the game, things would go smoothly. However, it wasn't turning out as I had hoped.
And Maria's troubles didn't end with the discord among the capture targets.
There were also the hidden capture targets.
Crow, Isabella's loyal butler.
Dietrich, the incognito imperial prince who had enrolled in the academy.
Progress with these two hidden characters had been painfully slow.
These two are hidden characters, so their capture methods are a bit unique.
To capture Crow, you need to complete all of Isabella's harassment events, and to capture Dietrich, you must raise all of Maria's stats to a certain level, triggering special events that set the capture flags.
However, even though both conditions should have already been met, the crucial events aren't happening. I wondered if I might have overlooked some flags, so I made every effort to increase their favor. But as we approach the last event of the first semester, the expedition training, neither of them has shown any interest in Maria.
(Maybe it's because I acted independently, causing the scenario to change? Ugh, and both of them were my favorite characters...)
While these two are hidden characters, you can still achieve the reverse harem end without them. However, since I've taken on the role of the "heroine" it's only natural to want to capture all of them, right?
(Don't worry. There's still time, so just make sure to capture them before the scenario ends. At the very least, I should free Crow from that nasty, arrogant girl.)
"Whoa!?"
"Kyaa...!"
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly collided with someone from behind, causing me to lose my balance.
"Maria!? Hey, you there, what are you doing?!"
"I-I'm sorry! I was distracted... I'm truly sorry!"
"This guy was talking to me, so I didn't notice. Please, forgive us!"
Prince Albert, who was nearby, rushed over to Maria and confronted the two boys who had accidentally bumped into her.
Seeing this, Maria remembered something about the upcoming event.
"Albert, they didn't mean any harm, so forgive them. I'm not bothered by it."
"If Maria, who was bumped into, says so, then I guess there's no helping it. You two should be grateful for Maria's kindness. You can go."
"Yes, we're very sorry!"
Under Albert's stern gaze, the two boys quickly ran away.
(...It's all set up nicely.)
After watching them leave, Maria discreetly checked the contents of her belongings. Among the numerous recovery potions and survival tools, she found a "bag" she didn't remember placing there. A small smile formed on Maria's face.
"Lady Isabella, we've just returned."
After the teacher's explanation concluded, as we waited for our group members to gather like the other teams, two male students hurried over to Milady.
"Oh, how did it go?"
"No problems at all. We've prepared everything as instructed."
"Good, then. You may step back."
Milady briefly spoke with the boys before dismissing them.
In their place, I approached to inform her that our team had finished the confirmation work.
"Milady, what was that just now?"
"It's nothing significant, really. More importantly, are all our team members present?"
Based on my previous experiences, she was likely planning something, but I couldn't force her to reveal anything if she wasn't willing to share. Instead, I quickly reported on the status of our team.
In normal circumstances, the seniors from the third year should have been leading our group. However, it was only natural that Milady took charge of everything.
Considering her strong aversion to being ordered around by anyone, this arrangement made perfect sense.
"No, they haven't all arrived yet. About four more members are missing."
"They dare keep me waiting? Who exactly hasn't shown up yet?"
"Well, it's..."
"Oh dear, looks like we're the very last ones."
Milady didn't mind making others wait, but she despised being kept waiting herself. As I considered how to calm her down, it seemed the remaining team members had finally arrived.
"Wait, isn't that..."
"They're from the Empire, aren't they..."
Other members started murmuring when they saw the newcomers. Among them was the young man who had previously tried to recruit me, if I remember correctly—Dixon, was it? They were exchange students from the Empire.
Seeing them, the Kingdom's members became more cautious. Despite the improved relations between the Kingdom and the Empire, not too long ago, they had been arch-enemies engaged in brutal warfare.
Although the war between the two nations had ended by the time these students were born, many of their relatives and friends had lost their lives at the hands of the Empire. It would be unreasonable to expect them not to be wary of Dixon and the others.
"You're late! Honestly, you've wasted my precious time!"
"I apologize. My master's preparations took longer than expected."
"I'm not talking to you!"
"Now, now, let's all calm down..."
Despite the tense atmosphere, Milady confronted the male student who was identified as Dixon's master. Dixon tried to intervene, but it was futile against Milady's determination.
"Lady Isabella, these people are from the Empire! I strongly oppose traveling with them!"
"Y-yes, they've caused significant damage to our country... Lady Isabella, surely you're aware!"
Other members imprudently voiced their opinions to Milady. While their concerns were understandable, it was unwise to make such judgments in this situation.
"Silence!"
"Ugh!"
Milady, already stressed, shouted, and her released magical power silenced everyone present involuntarily.
"I was the one who allowed them to join my team. Do you have any complaints about that?"
"But..."
Despite the intense confrontation, someone still dared to voice their opinion to Milady. Perhaps they weren't thinking clearly, but it was quite remarkable. While normally deserving of praise, the timing was far from ideal for Milady's mental well-being. They needed to stay quiet for now.
"Who do you think you are!? Don't interfere!"
As I stood in front of the student determined to voice their opinion, they tried to intimidate me with shouts and magic, but compared to Milady's pre//sence, it was like a gentle breeze.
"Milady's decision is absolute. Do you intend to defy the daughter of the Duke?"
"N-No! That's not what I meant... I'm sorry."
As soon as they realized their mistake, their face turned pale, and they hastily backed down. Seeing no further issues, I turned back to face Milady.
"Milady, the other teams have already begun. Shall we depart?"
"Yes... Is everyone ready? Team Four, let's go!"
With Milady's command, the students gathered, armed themselves, and ventured into the forest.
"Well, well, Crow, you saved me back there. Let me express my gratitude."
As we ventured deeper into the forest, Dixon tapped me on the shoulder. Despite our previous confrontation, which almost led to bloodshed, this man continued to approach me casually, making it difficult to discern his true intentions. His decision to accompany Milady remained a mystery, and it was wise to remain cautious.
"I merely follow Milady's orders. Regardless of who you all are, if Milady approves, I accept it."
"Heh, you're still as cold as ever. Well, I'll be counting on you this time."
"If you truly think so, then perhaps you should refrain from drawing unnecessary attention to us in this situation."
"Alright, alright. Got it."
It's only just begun, but is this casual attitude truly appropriate? As I looked at Dixon walking away, my only hope was for this training to conclude safely.
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