Chapter 14: A Distance Better Left Unbridged, and Yet...

Men who lived by violence.

The moment I saw them, that was my intuition.

It seemed Elise felt the same.

"...Was it you? Are you the ones who hurt these children?"

Her cold voice crackled with a burning passion.

But the men facing her didn't flinch at all.

"Haha, what a beauty."

"I think I’ll take this one today."

"I wonder how much she’ll make us if we put her to work in a brothel? I’m looking forward to finding out."

The burly men looked her up and down as if licking her body. In the next moment—

"You bastards...! Do you commit such outrages knowing this place is under the protection of the House of Lucifor!?"

She wasn't enraged by the vulgar desires directed at her, but by the fact that those she was meant to protect had been harmed. Her stance was the very definition of noble.

Yet, even before her fury, the men kept smirking.

"Hah! Who gives a damn about a Duke’s house!?"

"We’ve got a Princess backing us!"

Elise raised an eyebrow at that.

"A Princess, you say?"

"That’s right. Her Highness, First Princess Sierra. She’s the one who wants this. All the land around here... especially the land this orphanage sits on."

"Yeah, yeah. So, you’re the ones in the wrong here."

I see. These guys are underworld types, and the First Princess is behind them.

...Between Clarice’s situation and this, she’s really becoming a nuisance.

"Listen here, little lady. I don't care if you're from a Duke's family or whatever, but if you get in our way..."

"You’ll be picking a fight with the Princess. You sure you want that~?"

Most people would have buckled there. After all, the opponent was the First Princess—first in line for the throne and essentially the ruler of the country. Standing against her would be the height of irrationality.

But Elise...

"—I don't care. Go ahead and bring Princess Sierra here."

She stood tall, without a hint of hesitation.

She chose her own justice.

"Hah? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You’re really gonna defy the Princess’s will?"

The men looked irritated; Elise’s choice was clearly outside their expectations. To guys like them... her next words must have been the ultimate shock.

"This place is under the protection of my house; peace has been promised here. Therefore, I will not allow this pact to be violated, no matter who the opponent is. Even if it is the First Princess herself... if she dares to ravage this place, I shall strike her down."

Sacrilege. Absolute sacrilege.

No matter how high-ranking a Duke's daughter might be, such a statement was a punishable offense.

In other words... the thugs in front of us had just been handed a "just cause."

"Heh, you’ve gone and done it now, lady."

"Doesn't matter if you’re a Duke’s daughter anymore."

"Since you’re defying Lady Sierra... we won't have any problems hauling you away, right?"

Despite the men's obvious intent to attack, Elise didn't flinch. Instead, she puffed out her chest and declared:

"There is not a single cloud of doubt in my conviction or my justice. —Come, you lowlifes."

Ah, yeah.

She really is hopeless.

Elise is irrational. That much was depicted in the original game too... but in this world, her irrationality is on a whole different level.

The best thing to do is just ignore someone like her.

I want a peaceful, uneventful life, so I shouldn't get involved in such a major incident. I should just slip away quietly and pretend I have nothing to do with this. If I do that, my position will surely remain exactly where I want it to be.

Rationality dictated that this was the optimal solution—and yet.

"Hah? Who the hell are you?"

If I were the kind of person who could prioritize rationality at a time like this—

I wouldn't have met such a terrible end in my old world.

"...Alvart?"

I stepped in front of Elise.

And, following my impulse, I threw rationality to the wind.

"From this day forward, the House of Zesphiria shall also... protect this land."

Ahhh.

I’ve done it now.

I shouldn't have done this.

I shouldn't have gotten involved in something so incredibly troublesome.

But... I just don't like these guys. I dislike them so much I can't stand it.

"I’m not trying to play the saint or anything. But... I just can't forgive pieces of shit like you who can hurt children and laugh about it."

Morality versus rationality. Whenever I put them on the scale, it always tips toward the former. That’s why I am currently engaged in what is essentially a suicidal act.

"I am Alvart. Alvart Zesphiria. If you do not fear my name... then come at me all at once."

The Zesphirias are the family that rules the shadows of the kingdom. Naturally, everyone in the underworld knows the name. Even low-level punks like these were no exception.

"Tch...!"

"...This is more than we can handle, boss."

Their attitude was completely different from when they faced Elise.

It was only natural. Elise is soft, in the end. That kindness shows in her fighting spirit.

But here, there wasn't a trace of such things.

Evil as it may be, I am Alvart Zesphiria. The bloodlust I radiated carried that horrific, charnel-house scent unique to those born into my family.

And thus.

"We’re backing off for now. ...But we’ll pay you back for this someday."

"The Zellarid Family doesn't forgive those who mess with their street cred."

Leaving behind those cliché parting shots, the thugs scurried away.

The moment they were out of sight—

"—I knew it! You truly are a man worthy of being my husband! Alvart!"

Elise hugged me from behind.

...The softness of those massive breasts against my back felt hollow and depressing right now.

"That was cool, Alvart-kun. You really are a capable man."

Cecil’s affection seemed to be skyrocketing along with Elise’s, but... that wasn't the important part right now.

"Let’s protect the children’s peace together from now on!"

Noooo... I don't want toooo...

"Thank you, Onii-sama Alvart!"

"I don't know why, but I feel like I don't have to be scared of anything anymore!"

"Go beat those guys up!"

Stop it... Please don't look at me with those sparkling eyes...

"Anyway... let’s change the mood! Let’s have some fun!"

From then on, it was "playtime" with the children, but naturally, I didn't have any fun at all.

I’ve really stuck my nose into something troublesome...

Yet, the reason my regret was surprisingly weak was likely because—

"Hahahaha! Catch me if you can!"

Elise was laughing innocently with the children.

I realized then that I was conscious of her.

Actually, Elise is the ideal woman. She isn't just beautiful; her inner self is likely far more beautiful than her appearance. Seeing her stand up to those thugs had solidified that conviction in me.

That’s why...

In the evening, on the way back to the dorms after leaving the orphanage, I couldn't deny her words.

"To be honest... I hadn't quite grasped the form of the justice I wanted to achieve. ...Not until I met you, Alvart."

She told me that until now, her sense of justice had been something vague and fuzzy.

"A world without darkness. A pure, white world... Looking back, it felt particularly ethereal. In a way, I was lost."

But now.

"The classless society you spoke of... That must be what I should strive for. In that sense... I am grateful to you, Alvart."

Grateful that her cloud-like ideal had finally taken shape, Elise continued.

"I... I want to destroy this irrational destiny at its very roots."

To that end, she rejected the current society.

"In this country, birth is everything. If you are born weak, you are forced to walk the path of the weak. If you are born strong, the path of the strong. You are forced to walk it."

Elise declared that she hated that.

"The children at the orphanage are, of course, classified as the weak. The choices available to them are far too few. ...Alvart, I want to change their reality. At the very least... I want to give them the freedom of choice."

Currently, they don't even have the right to dream. Elise wanted to provide them with options.

"To let them know they have potential. That they can become anything they want to be. If I can give them that hope... then that would be the moment of my greatest triumph."

"Isn't that right, Alvart?"

I affirmed her words.

To my dismay.

Not just my words, but my heart was in full agreement with her.

It’s not like I’d had a change of heart, though. I still wanted a peaceful life and intended to eliminate anything that stood in its way... That will hadn't changed a bit.

"B-by the way, Alvart. Since we are a couple who have sworn our futures to each other... i-is it not time! That you stop using such formal speech with me!?"

...Maybe.

Maybe I can change my policy just a little bit.

And so—

"Alright. I'll try, Elise."

—Toward a path I shouldn't take.

I took that first step anyway.