Chapter Twenty #3
“And what is that acronym supposed to mean?”
“Best Granny Ever. It was the community’s name for you.
You were actually one of the least liked characters on release.
Everyone thought you were too rough, that you put rookies in dangerous situations that might get them killed, they thought you were abusive and had a hobby of setting people up for failure to watch them die—but then it was revealed how you always had people following them to make sure they were okay.
Nobody was ever in real danger under you.
You cared about them, but were afraid of getting too attached, so you acted cold and cruel when your only intention was to help them become the best possible versions of themselves.
It’s just like your husband said: there are few women with a heart as big as yours.
That’s why you became everyone’s favorite, Best Granny Ever.
A lot of guys actually begged Seth to make you romanceable. ”
“… and here I thought you could not tell a more absurd story. Now you want me to believe men wanted to romance me? There is a limit to how much I am willing to believe.”
“Don’t underestimate GILF hunters.”
“… do I want to ask?”
“It means ‘Granny I’d Like to Fuck.’ Besides, you look like you’re in your fifties at the latest, and you’re objectively beautiful.
Between your kind nature, your confidence, and your looks, any guy would be lucky to have you.
Your husband had incredible taste.” But I wasn’t into grannies, so I wasn’t going to try.
Aurelia sighed and planted her face against her palm. “I can already tell you will cause no shortage of trouble in this city with its women.”
Rosie, Lupa, Stella, and Jeanne all nodded while saying variations of, “Right?” except for Lupa who simply did her usual, “Mm.”
“Girls,” Aurelia said, “give me a moment alone with him. Stella, take them to the break room and serve them some tea.”
Stella looked a little less intimidated after hearing everything I had to say about her boss. “Got it!”
Lupa was hesitant to leave my side, but Rosie dragged her away, leaving me alone with Aurelia.
“I’ll admit,” Aurelia said, “your existence is an uncomfortable one.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “I can’t blame you for that.”
“Did you know about my ring?”
“You weren’t playable, so I don’t know anything about your equipment.”
“I see.” Aurelia held her left hand out to me, which still had her wedding ring on, and waved her hand over it which prompted its system information to show up.
//An Honest Love
//Type: Accessory [Ring] (Custom)
//Requirements: Level 30
//You may always detect where the twin ring is. | You may see through all lies.
//“Now you can never accuse me of lying again, you troublesome woman. I love you, my Aurelia.”
“Ah. Sorry, I wouldn’t have brought up your personal past so much if I knew,” I said. “Still, that’s a beautiful ring.”
“It is,” Aurelia said. “It is thanks to this ring that I can still feel his presence after all these years. That being said, I would appreciate if you do not speak of me using information from that false world. I understand why you did, but let that be the last time.”
“Got it. Sorry.”
“Now, I have no doubt that those girls share this concern of mine. What is it that you plan on doing with all your knowledge of our world?”
“Clear all the dungeons, of course.”
“This is less about the dungeons and more about its peoples and troubles. That vampire is an example of what I mean. How many more ‘characters’ do you know of waiting to be rescued? How many are in need of saving? How many townsfolk and shop keepers have troubles waiting for your personal intervention? How many killers on the loose do you know of?”
“… right. Since this is a real world, I can’t just… wait for everyone to be ready for me to help when I get around to them.”
“And because this is a real world, you’ll exhaust yourself if you run around helping everyone as if you are a delivered savior. I doubt you want to be everyone’s personal hero as well.”
“It sounds nice, but that’s not my intention.
I just want to clear the dungeons with my friends, not that I mind helping people out every now and then.
But… yeah. Even with Jeanne… I didn’t go to her as soon as I could have, so she was left waiting longer for someone to become her family.
Then Valencia, and now Caeli and Seraphina, have been taken.
There are almost a hundred companions who could be recruited in the game, and even more random people who were important side characters or just simple quest givers.
Their lives all revolved around the player.
The conclusions of their stories were only possible because of the player. ”
“Is that the world you wish to live in? Do you want everyone to revolve around you?”
There was no point in lying. “I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t sound nice, but no. I just… want to be a part of this world like everyone else is.”
“But that will be impossible when weighed down with knowledge equivalent to a god’s.
You know things nobody else knows, nor should know.
You know the troubles of hearts. You know the status of history’s villains.
You know what waits beyond the farthest lands we have ever explored.
Will you be able to enjoy this world feeling so much responsibility? ”
“I… don’t know.” If all I had to do was clear dungeons, the answer was undeniably yes. But there was more to the world than that. Even when it came to the dungeons, I didn’t understand what was happening with Otto.
“If you know someone is in trouble, but you do nothing to save them, would you consider yourself responsible?”
“… yeah.”
“I figured.” Aurelia pulled out her desk’s drawer, took out a notepad and pen, and placed them in front of me.
“Get writing. If you can think of anyone who might immediately need help, write their name and appearance down, tell me where they can be found, and what potential dangers there are. I have no problem with you coming to our world, but I will not have us depend on you to fix all of our problems.”
“I don’t mind. I mean, I even decided I would take Priest as my secondary so that I can heal people who might—”
Aurelia jammed her finger down against the notepad. “Write.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She knew how to give an order, that was for sure.
“You’re just like that man was. Always eager to help others, taking all the responsibility onto himself, all while wearing a smile and loving it.
The more weights he piled onto his back, the less everyone else suffered, the happier he was.
The wear and tear never showed in his personality, even at the end, but it showed in his body.
I’ll have learned nothing from his sacrifice if I allow you to play everyone’s personal hero. ”
“I still want to help as much as I can as thanks for this world existing.”
“That’s fine, but no taking everything onto yourself. Help those in need when you come across them, but do not dedicate all your time to seeking them out. Even if all you do is help out those who conveniently cross your path, you will be doing far more to help others than most.”
“Is it really alright do to that little?”
“It is. I’ll handle the rest, so you won’t have anything to worry about.”
Aurelia proved that she was BGE for a reason.
So, I wrote down the names of everyone I could think of who were in pressing need of help at the beginning of the game as well as everything I knew about the various criminals and killers on the loose who were mentioned in the game.
I also wrote down people who needed help who weren’t available at the start of the game, but who might already be available.
The types of people who were only really locked behind obligatory game progress, nothing more realistic.
“Thank you,” Aurelia said. “Me and my best will check on them immediately.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “Should I also write down notes about bosses and other dangers? If it could help more people stay alive when fighting monsters for the first time, then—”
“My husband would have said yes, but I won’t accept that.
There are enough dungeons that have been fully cleared and memorized with guides published on them for career adventurers to make comfortable money.
For the rest of the dungeons out there, the few adventurers remaining who adventure for its own sake would hate knowing there is nothing left to be discovered.
And again, I won’t have us depend on you for all the answers.
That being said, if you wish to publish everything you know, I won’t stop you.
But going by how you talked about this world as a game—I think you wish you could forget everything yourself. ”
“The curse of knowledge. I’ll never get to experience these dungeons for the first time again… though, between what Seth told me and the effect from that skill we got from defeating Lycoris, I’m sure there are plenty of discoveries waiting for me.”
“Good. I’m sure you love that feeling of discovery, so don’t take it away from others.”
“I think I will write down a few dungeons to probably send scouts to watch, though. Like Azala and Dracula are both waiting at the end of their respective dungeons plotting to someday either burn or conquer the world. Watching—”
Aurelia slammed her hands against the table. “Dracula is one thing, but Azala?!” I never heard her with so much emotion in her voice before.
“Yeah.”
Aurelia slumped back in her chair and let out a long sigh. “Your knowledge is terrifying, but… yes. When it comes to world-ending threats, I would appreciate knowing about them so we can keep an eye on the situation.”
“If it makes you feel any better, out of the dozens of endgame and post-endgame dungeons, I’d say… probably only twenty aspire to actually leave their dungeons to take over the world or to destroy everything.”
“And their levels?”
“For the endgame and post-endgame? They were all 200.”
“The three heroes of legend only made it to the 70s.”