WE TRIED TLS

Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer

Chapter 191 | If I Can Remain Here (7)

By now, the Inquisitor and Deathbringer probably heard what had happened. They’d probably heard all about how I’d cried.

Just recalling that matter made me nervously rub my eyes. I had no way of figuring out where exactly it all went wrong.

“Should I have taken the initiative…?”

Should I have asked them beforehand to keep the fact that I’d cried a secret?

But then again, it would have been kind of odd for me to ask for that when I didn’t even expect anyone to ask. And there was a child among them who could easily forget having promised something like that as well.

“Or maybe I should have gone back to the family before the others reached them…”

Should I have just rushed out the back door the moment those three left and paid them a visit first? Should I have perhaps told them that someone would come by sooner or later to ask about me and then requested they keep the fact that I cried a secret?

“…Ah, forget it. How could I have anticipated something like this?”

…Even my vivid imagination had its limits.

Rather than clinging to the impossible, I had no choice but to let it go. Even if I continued dwelling on this, I couldn’t turn back time or make that situation disappear as if it had never happened.

If it wasn’t something I could undo anyway, I’d rather face it with humble acceptance. That was far less stressful.

“…But still, I want to hold on to at least some hope.”

It was definitely a lot less stressful… but people’s minds weren’t so clear-cut.

I quietly allowed myself to believe in a small glimmer of hope.

In the unlikely event that I was that lucky.

They’d been such intelligent, considerate people.

What if they just left out the part about me crying…?

That was the kind of hope I held.

“As if that would ever happen.”

However, if you thought about it even a little, it’s pretty easy to predict that something like that wouldn’t happen.

Well, even if they hadn’t said it for fun, weren’t these the same people who’d shared their nephew’s tragic past with a total stranger? There was no way they’d forget to mention that I had cried.

All hope was now lost. All that remained was confusion.

“Surely they won’t think I’m the Demon again, right?”

The Demon Knight cried?! That guy only sheds blood, not tears! If he ever shed tears, it must have been the Demon’s doing! Crocodile tears, I say! Or something like that.

Or maybe that family would recount what I’d said in exact detail, to which those two would definitely say something like: He talked that much? Using honorifics and everything? That must have been the Demon! Or something like that.

I was terrified something like that might actually happen, especially since I’d have no way to respond.

“…A damn disaster, that’s what this is.”

I finally grew weary of this absurd development. I placed a hand over my eyes. Just thinking about the aftermath of this raised goosebumps all over my body.

“…Let’s just sleep.”

In the end, I resorted to my emergency measures.

I concluded that if I kept agonizing over this, my thoughts would become increasingly tangled and I would become even more frustrated. Therefore, it’d be better just to get some sleep and come up with something with a clear mind. There was no way that I could solve this right away, anyway.

And fortunately, I had something that made this quite easy.

If this were reality, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if I wanted to. Closing my eyes would only make me angrier, filling my head with thoughts like ‘No, but first I have to do this!’, but in this place, all I had to do to sleep like a baby was press a button.

I thought this every time I used this, but this sleep system was a literal godsend.

Thinking that if I could choose one ability to take with me to reality, it would definitely be this, I activated the system.

「 ▲ Sleep for 7 Hours 00 Minutes ▼ 」

Just then, I could hear a loud commotion from the tavern beyond the room’s door.

“Even though you’re such a lazy husband, I still love you, Cleor! And my darling daughter Clara, I love you too! Thanks for being born as my child!!”

“Wahahaha! Drinking right after finishing postpartum care!”

“Look at Cleor! He’s the real mother here, huh?! Who’s the real parent here, huh?”

“Ah, who cares! Let’s drink to celebrate Clara’s birth!”

At that moment, my vision was enveloped by darkness. Like raindrops pooling together, the dark slowly seeped in.

* * *

“Why does this thing keep…”

“I’m trying to…”

“Keep your voice down… or the kid’ll hear us…”

I could hear my parents’ voices through the slightly ajar door.

It seemed I still hadn’t gotten rid of this habit from when I’d lived alone and didn’t need to close my doors properly. Now that I was back home, I should really fix that.

“Did you find it?”

“Hold on. This, erm, so… Is that the right one…?”

“Are you sure you’re doing it right?”

On another note, I wondered what those two were up to…

Usually, when they had a problem with something, they’d come and ask me for help. But today, it seemed like they didn’t intend to do that.

I just quietly stood near the door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

My concentration was already broken anyway. I figured I might as well watch how things unfolded, whether they would call me for help, and if they didn’t, how they would handle this.

“But aren’t scripts and scenarios usually similar to this?”

“…When do you ever even look at scripts, let alone things like these?”

“Urgh.”

“Ahem. Still, it seems I got it right this time. Look.”

“Are you sure this is really it…?”

But seriously, what were they doing?

I opened the door a little more. Luckily, neither of them seemed to have noticed.

“No, but it does say webtoon there. Web. Toon. So it has to be the right place, right?”

“That seems to be the case… but are all these really manhwa?”

Webtoon…? Why were they talking about webtoons?

I was baffled. I never thought the thing I considered my new career path would pop out here all of a sudden. Especially since neither of them had ever shown even the slightest interest in manhwa and the like.

“There are so many…”

“Right.”

Why were these two, who’d never had any interest in manhwa, suddenly acting like that?

I couldn’t hide my curiosity and kept on focusing on their conversation.

“Which one’s the most popular?”

“Erm… There are so many, so…”

“Let’s just pick one from the top.”

“Okay, just a moment…”

After some time, the two of them somehow decided on a popular one to read. I couldn’t see the screen, but from their conversation, I could tell they’d just chosen one of the manhwa at the top of the list.

“Let’s read this one.”

“Hold on…”

Why were they doing this, though? Were they curious because I told them I was planning on making webtoons?

“…Hm.”

“…Hmm.”

I slightly shifted my body, wondering which one they were reading.

However, judging from how they furrowed their brows more and more, it seemed they’d picked one they didn’t particularly like.

“…Am I just too old for this?”

“I know young people like… erm, well, provocative things… but this is just…”

Seriously, which one did they pick? Did they choose an R-rated one or something?

I scratched my head, lamenting whether I’d have to check their browser history later.

“…Erm, honey.”

“Yes? Go ahead.”

“I want to support everything he wants to do, but… no matter what, this is just… shouldn’t we try to stop him?”

Wait just a second there. It was then I realized the path I’d finally found for myself might be in jeopardy. A chill ran down my spine.

“…Hmm. But he really wants to do this…”

“But still… this content is just a little…”

“I mean, even I’ve been in a few crime movies. Just as movies differ based on genre, wouldn’t there also be different kinds of manhwa?”

“But those are censored, right? This one doesn’t even have any age restrictions. It’s far too easy to access, as well…”

“Let’s just wait and see. Besides… you know, right? There’s no way our kid would ever draw something like this.”

“…Right?”

Fortunately, my father came to the rescue. Of course, hearing him say, ‘There’s no way our kid would ever draw something like this,’ made me feel quite disappointed, but anyway.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“But just in case… should we ask him about this?”

“Yes, yes. That would be for the best.”

Then, after hearing those words, I hurriedly closed the door. Of course, I was very careful not to make any sounds, as I didn’t want them to find out that I’d been eavesdropping.

Once I’d properly closed the door, I quickly ran to my chair. The reference materials for my croquis practice I’d laid out were pushed to one side, and a half-finished drawing I’d been working on was instantly placed on my desk.

Knock, knock.

Right then, I heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

I pretended to set down the pencil I was holding and spun my chair around. That was when my mother and father opened the door and came in.

“Son, I have something to ask you…”

“Yes?”

“By any chance… the job you want to do… it doesn’t have anything to do with drawing… violent things like this, right?”

One of them then handed me an e-notebook, on which was a manhwa that had narrowly avoided the 18+ rating.

It was a morally questionable story mainly centered around the hedonistic violence of the young protagonist.

While those used to seeing such things might have some understanding of it, this content was quite provocative to these two who’d had no prior contact with manhwa, especially my mother, who was deeply interested in promoting children’s rights.

“…Not all manhwa are like that. Don’t worry.”

There were plenty of slice-of-life or romance manhwa out there, so how had they managed to come across this one…

I burst out laughing and reassured them. Only when I showed them examples of other types of manhwa did their serious expressions seem to ease.

“Right?”

“Ahem… Yes. That’s good, then.”

It really had been an absurd day.

…Except for the minor issue that the genre I was trying to get into was fantasy crime drama.

“I’m sorry for barging in all of a sudden and saying something like this.”

“It’s fine.”

Scratching the back of my neck, I slowly began to ponder… whether I should hide what story I wanted to draw.

“Son.”

After my mother left the room first, my father spoke to me before following her out. His face, which had only grown more dignified with age, carried a faint smile.

“No matter what she says… if you truly want to pursue this, your mother will be the first to support you. You know that, right?”

“…Of course.”

“But still, don't just draw overtly violent things. If it’s just violent and provocative without any proper narrative or meaning…”

“It won’t be art, just something that evokes shock and nothing more. I know.”

“Yes. I thought you’d understand.”

But was it just my imagination, or were his features a little blurred around the edges?

“Hang in there. As I said before, Dad will always support you. Mom, as well. We’re always on your side.”

Even so, faced with that kindness that felt as deep as the ocean…

“Yes.”

I reluctantly smiled.

Because I couldn’t bear to cry when receiving so much love.

* * *

WE TRIED TLS

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* * *

“Ah.”

Why did I always wake up feeling so unsettled? It was the same thing yesterday, and it was the same thing waking up today.

I had this strange feeling, like I had dreamed about something but wasn’t entirely sure of it. Since today was the day we’d be departing for the next city, I had no time to just sit here and procrastinate.

Swish. My hand unconsciously went up to my eyes, wiping away some tears.

“Let’s go.”

Neigh!

I didn’t really feel like eating anything. I checked out as planned and went to pick up Frederick, who’d woken early in the morning and had quite the shiny coat thanks to the stable hand’s care.

“Thank you! Please come again!”

Leaving behind the stable hand, who was quite happy with the tip he’d received, I headed toward our agreed-upon meeting spot.

By the way, this would be my first time meeting the group since that night. No one had come to visit me since the matter with that inquisitor and his family, so I assumed everything had been resolved.

“I’m sorry for what happened back then.”

Ah, I should take back the part about there being no visits. None of the party had come to me, but the inquisitor from that time had.

Although I had no idea how he knew I’d be leaving at this time. Maybe he’d heard from the party?

“I also want to apologize for delaying it so much. Thanks to others, I was able to remove the things covering my eyes… but I still needed some time to think. I’m deeply ashamed. I’m truly sorry.

But what’s done was done. Instead of wondering how he’d found out, I had to focus on his apology. It was rather strange hearing that from him.

After what happened, I didn't really expect to receive an apology from him. In his position, I’d have probably acted similarly.

“There’s no need for an apology.”

“…Even if it isn’t, I still want to apologize. That’s the right thing to do.”

So even though I had been quite dumbfounded by that insane coincidence, I’d already forgotten this inquisitor’s display of malice toward me…

I had already let go of my last remaining complaints, thinking all inquisitors might just harbor this much stubbornness. It actually felt quite pleasant.

Snort.

“Be patient.”

Well… It seemed Frederick didn’t feel the same way. He appeared to recognize the person who’d tried to attack me. How smart.

“Erm… This is a small token of my apology.”

Noticing Frederick was still wary of him, the inquisitor carefully held something out to me. It was a round wooden container.

“There’s no need—”

“My aunt and uncle told me I absolutely had to deliver this to you. Even if you don’t want to accept my apology, please accept this as their gift.”

Did he seriously just play the “no chance to refuse” card?

“…If I return with this, my little cousin will also be really disappointed.”

And adding that on top as well?

Scowling, I snatched what the inquisitor offered me out of his hand. Although it was wrapped in leather, I could still feel the warmth of the wooden container.

“It’s a lunch box. Even if you’ve already had breakfast, you can still have it for lunch.”

I’d already stocked up on lunch boxes, but… I guess today’s lunch had already been decided for me. I stored the container in my Inventory.

The person before me raised his eyebrows when he noticed the box suddenly disappeared. As if he’d just realized I might have used some kind of spell, his expression soon relaxed again.

“Is there anything else you need?”

Rather, why hadn’t he left yet? I’d already accepted his apology, so what else did he have to say to me?

“…I heard you specialize in hunting Demons. I also heard that you’ve taken down quite a few.”

The inquisitor was speaking quite cautiously, watching my reaction. Was he about to pick a fight with me again about being a Demon or whatever? My eyes sharpened.

“A Demon that wields black flames and has a young-sounding voice…”

But it seemed that wasn’t his intention.

The inquisitor shut his eyes tightly as he talked.

“Have you ever encountered a Demon who speaks as if it is two different people?”

That was quite a sudden question. At least, it would have been had I not overheard a certain something a few days ago.

“…Not that I recall.”

It seemed he was looking for his parents’ murderer, so I wanted to answer him as honestly as I could. However, I wasn’t sure whether the Demon Knight had encountered such a Demon before I possessed him.

So, I gave him a vague answer that technically wasn’t a lie. His expression became slightly hollow. “I see…” However, that hollowness didn’t stay for long.

“If you ever… happen to encounter a Demon with such traits… If you happen to kill it, could you please keep some sort of proof and send it to me?”

This might sound a little rude considering his tragic circumstances, but… no matter how I looked at it, this sounded like a Quest.

“I know it’s an unreasonable request. But… please. Even if I can’t avenge my parents with my own hands, I’d still like some sort of proof that their murderer is dead.”

No, I shouldn’t joke about this under these circumstances.

Suppressing the urge to slap myself on the forehead out of guilt and self-loathing, I focused on the person before me instead.

“I’d prefer to kill it myself, but I can’t just ask you to spare a Demon because of that… Ah, of course, if you don’t want to, please forget I said anything. I’m not forcing you or anything.”

Okay, fine, I had to do this. Even if it was because I felt sorry for him, I wanted to do this.

Moreover, I could accept this request while still staying in character. It would have been different if he simply had no will to fight, but despite very much wanting to avenge his parents himself, the inquisitor asked this of me after accounting for the possibility that I might fulfill his revenge before him.

It wasn’t a kind of request that harmed me in any way, and it was also something I’d be able to grant.

“Leave, if you have nothing more to say.”

However, that didn’t mean I’d offer him kind words or the like. Leading Frederick by the reins, I moved forward.

The inquisitor parted his lips slightly before simply bowing in my direction and offering a farewell.

“Once again, I apologize… May the blessings of God follow you on your journey, adventurer.”

Compared to our first meeting, this was a pretty good farewell.

I exited the inn, my legs feeling lighter, and headed to the designated meeting place.

“Demon Knight!”

And when I got there, a new problem arose.

“I’ll… I’ll work harder! So that you can rely on me, Demon Knight! I’ll get stronger so you won’t have to bear all this sorrow alone! Please look forward to it!”

Right… Of course, they wouldn't have left out the fact that I’d cried. That was obviously why she was telling me this.

“I’ll never give up!”

As such, I also steeled my own resolve.

From here on out, I would stick to my character setting perfectly, even with passersby. From now on, I would never, ever cry again. Got that, me?

____

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