Nurturing the Hero to Avoid Death

As I leave the room, I lose my way while descending to the lower floor.

The dining room should be downstairs. Wandering around, I encounter another maid who leads me. I’m saved.

Even the dining room is incredibly spacious. The table is as long as those seen on television.

Sitting in the seat of honor is a middle-aged man sipping coffee. He has his hair combed back and sports a fashionable mustache.

Well, this must be Lian’s father.

To his side is a woman with her makeup done perfectly, with jewels adorning her chest, fingers, and head. Is this Lian’s mother? She’s gorgeous, but the quirked brow and corners of her eyes make her seem nervous.

Facing opposite of the woman is a young man with green eyes and long silver hair. I guess this is Lian’s elder brother. At the sight of me, his whole face lights up into a smile and he beckons. The chair next to him is free. It seems he wants me to sit there.

Amazing.

This is such a splendid breakfast.

Somehow, it looks like the breakfast of a hotel. Scrambled eggs, ham, and salad are served on large, shiny, and white plates. Heaps of fruit. Fluffy bread. Baked pastries decorated with beauty in mind. And they’re presented buffet style.

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That being said, I’ve never eaten breakfast with a fork and knife before.

I’m so nervous.

My hand trembles, dropping the fork from the tension. How embarrassing. Not understanding the etiquette, I watch the hands of Lian’s elder brother who’s sitting next to me. Then he calls out my name with a smile.

Lian’s elder brother is extremely handsome. Just go explode already.

Judging from his looks, this elder brother is probably in high school.

“What is it, my cute Lian? Today you’re acting quite mature.”

“Eh, ah, r-really?”

“That’s right. Are you not feeling well? Will you be taking a break from school today?” As he questions me in the voice of a handsome guy, he strokes my head.

He caresses my cheeks. He goes on to caress my nape with graceful hands.

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For some reason, I feel tremors running down my spine, wanting to escape. I think it’s scary. Something tells me this instinctively.

“No, I’ll go to school!”

“Is that so? Too bad. I thought I could play with Lian the whole day today…”

He’s still stroking my cheeks, his face drawing near. I want him to release me immediately.

In my heart, I decide not to get too close to Lian’s elder brother.

I leave the mansion.

Standing by the gate are three children.

“Good morning! Lian-sama!”

“Good morning~, Lian-sama!”

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Good morning, Lian-sama!”

Gian and Jaiko… Well, since those are male trousers…A boy Jaiko? Mini Gian? Then, there is a mini Suneo.

The three of them line up, turning toward me to smile.

Oh, I remember.

These guys are the three bullies.

Also, they’re Lian’s underlings—I mean, my friends.

Right, currently I am Lian.

That’s why I need to act like him. Don’t let anyone be suspicious of me.

Lian’s personal preferences and traits…How do I imitate these?

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Ahh, what were they again? Remember. I have to remember.

Oh yeah, he’s kind of cheeky. Yes, that’s it. That’s right.

He has an audacious attitude and gives off the impression of disgust toward everything, the epitome of a rich young master.

In that case, I ought to act conceited… probably.

“G-good morning everyone.”

First of all, I turn toward them with a smile. Elegantly and full of grace.

The faces of the trio flush red.

“Y-yes!!”

“Ahh~ Lian-sama is also beautiful today!”

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“It’s beautiful!”

Is it really that beautiful? I think that to see true beauty you’d have to turn to Lian’s handsome elder brother. Yet, is Lian also on that level?

Well, since this village is so close to the frontier, the handsome guy standard may be rock-bottom low.

Besides, it’s in their character setting that the trio adore Lian.

As I’m watching them, their cheeks dye red.

I’m relieved.

For the moment, they aren’t suspecting me. It seems fine for now. Uh huh. Let’s do it like so in the future.

However.

Keeping up an act is pretty exhausting…

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I scan the area.

The scenery of the tranquil countryside stretches on.

Certainly, here is the starting village unmistakably. Without a doubt.

The game is composed of two parts.

The village arc of the beginning and the main story.

Even if you do a speed run of the beginning’s village arc, it takes more than five hours to complete it.

There are various things, such as long cutscenes, in the beginning. So, players actually start playing the game once the main character is twelve years old.

In other words.

By chronological order, I wonder at which part it is now? Currently, how old am I?

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They said I’m in school.

The village’s school.

There, primary education continues until the student graduates at twelve years of age.

So, that means I’m about twelve right now.

I’m pretty sure students ages thirteen to sixteen attend middle school at a neighboring town.

At the age of seventeen, Lian will return to his village, learning the lord’s tasks while helping his father. The main character will be helping out in the church and orphanage and working at the ranch. He will also continue to deliver milk in the morning. What a hard worker. This elder brother is about to have tears flowing out.

That means…

I calculate at least six years until he’s eighteen years old.

Woah! Seriously?

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No way! I have to stay in this world for six years?!

This isn’t just at the level of “too long” anymore.

I’m about ready to faint.

It’s too cruel, goddess!

I’ll sue you for a fraudulent job description!

“L-Lian-sama?! Your face is blue. Are you not feeling well?!”

“T-the color of your face…”

“A-are you okay?!”

“N-no, I’m fine. My consciousness was just jumping a bit—I mean I’m just dizzy. I’m okay. Thank you for your concern.”

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For the time being, I’ll just keep smiling. A smile costs zero yen. Feast your eyes on this.

As long as I have to accompany them, I’ll have to build as good of a friendship as possible.

The trio’s cheeks flush once more.

What the heck.

Is Lian’s smile that handy?

Perhaps it only works on these three, or something.

At present, I still don’t understand.

For now, let’s aim to do things with elegance, like a refined member of the upper class.

Careful not to show my shameful side.

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I can’t relax…

Ahh, so tiring… But I must persevere.

I don’t want to be killed by magical beasts.

“So, everyone. Shall we go to school?”

“Yes!”

“Yes~!”

“Yess!”

Since I don’t know the way to school, I just line up with and follow them nonchalantly.

After all, unlike in the game, in reality there are many paths both wide and narrow. The amount of private houses and buildings are increased remarkably.

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Well, of course.

Though I memorized the map of the village from the game, it’s not very useful. Thus, I don’t know the way at all.

Walking for a while, I can see the church beside the idyllic road, where the houses and shops are arranged bit by bit.

T-that over there is…!!

I hold my breath.

It’s a familiar moss-covered and dilapidated church made of stone.

Within the church resides an orphanage, where a kind old nun takes in and raises children who have no relatives.

The main character is also one of those children.

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“Ah!”

I witness the figure of a boy trying to enter the church.

It’s him!!

That’s the main character, the future Hero!

No, well, it’s only natural that he’s here, but.

Though it’s only natural!

Seriously?

Do I really have to nurture him splendidly until he’s eighteen?

I swallow my spit thoroughly.

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Can I do this?

Even if I don’t like this, I must.

I can do it. I can do it.

I can be Lian.

I am Lian. Lian. I can do it. I’m going to do it.

Even so, a small handsome guy is still a handsome guy after all. He’s a miniature hottie.

Shiny blond hair.

Clear blue eyes.

A healthy skin tone.

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Too bad his face has no expression… or is it called expressionless…and there’s an impression of coldness.

When he grows up, he’ll surely become a popular guy.

I’m not jealous of him. I’m not.

He’s the main character and the future Hero.

However, currently as a child he’s still shorter than me by one head.

On his shoulder hangs a light brown bag.

I wonder if he’s returning home from his part-time job in the morning.

The church takes care of around ten children, so its economic situation should be quite dire.

To help out, even the children have part-time jobs in the morning and evening.

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In this world, there are no laws regarding working standards.

Thinking about it again, I find it a dreadful world. I tremble.

It doesn’t matter the age; as long as one can move, as long as one can find a job, one can work.

Whether that’s good or bad depends on the time and situation.

I think the main character is delivering milk in the morning for a job. He should be.

He’s a working boy. He has very good roots.

Do your best. I’ll cheer for you within my heart!

Survive the starting village arc somehow, and become a splendid Hero. I am requesting this of you. Everything rests on your shoulders.

I’m begging you.

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Oh but, I’ll do as much as I can as backup. Since I can’t act publicly, I will in the shadows. As an adult, I can’t possibly entrust everything to the children and let them be.

Now, I should look forward to talking to him soon.

What was the main character’s name again?

The start of the story.

I just remembered.

Ahhhh?! I remember now!

This is the starting scene of the game!

Where the player can finally move the main character with his own hands!

I also played this game four times, so I remember most of Lian’s lines.

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Alright. Is it acting time?

I am Lian. Lian.

Say something impertinent. I will become him.

Should I cross my arms and raise and tilt my head a bit? I wonder. Do I seem cocky?

Alright. L-let’s go. For now, I should just go ahead.

I take a deep breath in my heart.

I know the main character’s name. It’s Alfred.

“G-good morning, Alfred. Are you working in the morning today too? Poor people sure have it hard.”

Clear sky-blue eyes look over this way.

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Expressionlessly.

Jade aka Gian, Jain aka mini Gian, and the mini Suneo Snay stampede in front of the future Hero Alfred, blocking his way.

“Hehehe. Poor people are pitiful!”

“Pitiful!”

“Poor thing!”

Ah, what brats.

Jade shoves Alfred’s chest.

Alfred, whose body is thinner and shorter than mine, goes down like a piece of cake.

How awful.

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Ah but, I must not help the main character.

I’m Lian now.

Ugh. My stomach hurts already.

I stand near Alfred’s head, folding my arms and looking down.

“Y-you’re weak. Short and emaciated, withered branch-kun. Isn’t it better to eat more?”

Yes, you should eat more.

Those three disagreeable brats repeat the words “withered branch-kun.” Brats.

“Just a slight push from Jade and he’s already down. Even though he’s a guy, he’s pitiable. So slender. Looks just like a girl!”

Looks just like a girl! Those three repeat these words. It’s said in beautiful harmony.

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You guys should form a unit. You’d probably be popular.

The color of Alfred’s eyes changes.

The clear, blue pigment sinks into an indigo color that is reminiscent of the night sky, golden star-like grains of sand blending with and scattering through the entirety of the irises.

His gaze becomes sharp.

He appears angry.

That’s right, get mad.

Get even more mad.

Anger can become strength.

“H-hmph. If you’re mortified, then why don’t you get big enough so you won’t fall down miserably even when shoved? Hm, withered branch-chan?”

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I try my hand at snorting. Even if I say so myself, I’m an unpleasant guy.

The gold blends with the indigo tones, his eyes narrowing and sharpening. They shoot

Woaahh. Scaaarryyyy.

H-he’s just a child but he already has such a strong glare! But I mustn’t back down here. I can’t let him look down on me.

While experiencing a cold sweat in my heart, I narrow my eyes and laugh back.

Surely, this should be fine. This is fine, right? Right?

“Well, we’re going ahead. You shouldn’t be late either. Now, let’s go everyone.”

“Yes!”

“Yes~!”

“Yess!”

I turn my back to Alfred and begin walking. From behind me, the three of them chase after my shadow.

Woww…I’m exhausted!!

But the first contact with the main character has been made!

Somehow, it went successfully. I think. Yeah.

The first story should follow the game’s to a T.

There’s no mistaking it. It should be… maybe.

Since I can’t ask anyone, I’ll have to make a judgement by myself.

Somehow or another I didn’t expose my shameful side. I wipe the cold sweat, patting my chest in relief.