NOVEL WEB Chapter 2
Day 1 of being trapped.
– Check Writer… Ahem. Zech, is there anything you need?
A voice, presumably from a servant, came from outside asking if I needed anything.
“I want to go outside.”
– Ahem, I’ll bring dinner to your room on time.
They just brushed that off.
Well, fine. I wasn’t exactly expecting much either.
After all, the Emperor threw me in here; what could a mere servant possibly do?
I might as well give up and write something.
Day 2 of being trapped.
– Knock, knock.
A knock followed by the servant’s voice broke my morning silence.
– Breakfast is ready…
“Could you come check on my rough draft for my next work?”
– Bang!
“What an honor!”
She immediately responded when I mentioned my next project.
The maid with navy blue hair excitedly entered the room.
“This time, it’s not a hero party but an adventurer party…”
“Huff… huff…”
“Just read it. You’ll figure it out as you go.”
“Thank you!”
“Sit down and read it, sit down.”
No matter how thrilled she was, did she really have to stand? After pulling out a chair for her, she thanked me again and started reading.
***
“…Why.”
“Huh?”
The maid had been absorbed in the story for ten minutes.
“Why does it end here?!”
Having apparently finished reading, she set the manuscript down and suddenly started tearing at her hair.
“What the heck?!”
I panicked and stopped her, barely calming her down.
After regaining her breath, she glared at me with resentment.
“Wow, I think I might get a mental scar from that look.”
“That’s still not fair! How can the author just stop it here?!”
“Why not? A good story should leave a cliffhanger at a critical moment.”
“But, but this is just too short!”
“Aren’t you just stating the obvious?”
I used to serialize my work weekly; did she really think I could write an entire volume in a single day?
“If I could write a volume in a day, I’d be a dragon, not a human!”
“Ugh… You’re truly evil!”
“Wow, can a maid say that to a noble?”
“Well, I am also a Count’s daughter!”
“Oh.”
I didn’t know that.
Thinking about it, palace maids must have fairly high status.
“…What a shame. Anyway, now that you’ve read it, could you share your thoughts?”
“It’s horrible!”
“What?”
For a moment, I was so taken aback that I couldn’t say anything, and sensing my confusion, she quickly clarified.
“It’s horrible that something so entertaining was abruptly cut off! The content itself was the most fun I’ve read in a while!”
“Phew, you scared me there.”
I wasn’t hoping she’d be sick of my writing; I just didn’t want my work to be awful.
“Anyway, the character of Marcus is really fresh. Skills in color, cooking, persuasion, negotiation, and combat support… It may not stand out during battles, but losing him would create a big gap in the party.”
She looked at me with gleaming eyes.
“What made you think of such a role?!”
“Well… a creativity fueled by lots of information?”
“I see!”
Not entirely wrong.
I had read some books in this world, and the adventurer parties seemed quite similar to those I’d seen in anime.
This world I was in was certainly one where capable characters weren’t entirely impossible, though they didn’t stand out much.
“The judgments of the party members were kind of rational, but they underestimated Marcus’s value, which led to their foolish decision.”
“Exactly.”
If a member of the party wasn’t helpful, it would make sense to cut them off based on their contributions.
After all, adventurers gamble their lives for money.
But…
“If Marcus actually helped with absolutely nothing, the party’s decision would have been justified, but the problem arose because they took his little assists for granted.”
“Yes. When goodwill is extended too long, people start to see it as a right.”
“Oh… the insights from Check Writer are truly exceptional!”
“Thanks.”
I might have blurted some random stuff in between, but I think I managed to say it pretty cool.
“So, about going outside…”
“Keep writing!”
– Bang!
…And just like that, she left before I could finish my sentence.
For the record, I can’t get out that door.
I already tried yesterday; during the day, knights in golden armor told me to go back for security reasons, and at night, an invisible barrier surrounded the door, preventing me from going outside.
With a guard and a mage blocking the way, there was no choice but for this mere writer to give up on leaving.
“Is there anyone who could kidnap me?”
I lay on the bed, staring out over the terrace.
Ah, the weather is pretty nice.
…
“Wait a minute.”
I found it.
My way out.
***
“Well then, I’ll take my leave now. Zech.”
“Yes, yes.”
After a satisfying meal, I lied on the bed with a happy smile.
‘The sun has already set.’
Since there were no telephone poles like on Earth here, it was still dark outside, even though it wasn’t even 7 PM yet.
“Hehe…”
Shall I start my project?
I stepped out onto the terrace and looked down.
At about the height of a four-story apartment.
I may be from this world, but I’ve got physical abilities that are off the charts compared to Earth.
This height should be a safe bet.
‘Just manipulate the scene and jump right off—’
– Knock, knock, knock.
“!! Who, who is it?”
Just as I was planning something crucial, the sudden knock made me quickly step away from the terrace and approach the door.
– Zech, it’s me.
“S-S-Second Princess?!”
I opened the door in shock.
When I opened the door, the Second Princess, Eve, smiled at me. She looked more mature than the last time I saw her.
“Ah, it’s been a while since the Academy, Second Princess.”
With her typical golden hair and deep pink eyes, she seemed just as she did three years ago when we last met at the academy, but her hair was longer, and her demeanor was more mature.
Seeing Eve, who used to act like a puppet following orders, now smile at me like an adult felt strange.
“Come in.”
After ushering Eve inside, I closed the door.
“I remember you liked chamomile tea, but have your preferences changed?”
“No, my tastes have remained the same since then.”
“I understand.”
Skillfully brewing chamomile, I served it at the table in front of Eve.
I also sat down across from her, savoring the aroma of the chamomile tea.
“Mmm… Ahh, the scent is wonderful.”
Back on Earth, I wouldn’t have even looked at tea, just downing sodas and alcohol.
But after being reincarnated, I found I quite liked tea.
“Heh heh, that funny attitude hasn’t changed.”
“Cough?! S-Sorry! I was too rude, cough!”
During tea, Eve’s comment snapped me back to attention.
Right, even though we had been friends at the Academy, now we were officially outside of that context.
Having ended up being engaged to her by chance, any slip-up could cost me my head.
“Oh no, I didn’t mean to surprise you. I just meant it’s nice that you’re just like before.”
“Ah… I see?”
“Yes. I wish you would go back to using casual speech with me.”
Just as I was about to feel relieved, she mischievously grinned and urged me to speak informally.
“I-I feel bad about that too.”
Recalling how rude I had been to her in the past, my face turned hot in embarrassment.
“Hehe, you were the first one to tell me, ‘Move aside, you brat, or you’ll die,’ on our first meeting as a princess.”
“N-No…”
I was left speechless.
“Ahem, let’s end the past stories here.”
“Hmm… I want to talk more about it, but if you say so, I’ll agree.”
Eve took a sip of tea and seductively crossed her legs.
“Zech, you know that we’re engaged, right?”
“Yes.”
“That means I’m going to be your wife?”
“That… is not incorrect. But if you think about it, I feel more like the supporting character here…”
She is the Second Princess, while I’m just a mere author son who writes a bit.
“Don’t say that, Zech. Your writing as ‘The Betrayed Hero Does Not Return’ can overshadow any title or class you have.”
Setting down her teacup, Eve immediately reached out and placed her hand over mine.
“…Your Highness?!”
“Zech, your hand has more value than anything in the Empire.”
Her pink eyes gazed at my hand as if it were some precious treasure.
“So as a princess and a reader, I want you to keep writing. I don’t want to regret losing you like the women in the Betrayer Hero.”
Eve smiled brightly at me, seeing me stiff in place, unable to respond to her sticky hand.
“Will you write for me? Zech. Or should I say, Check Writer?”
For some reason, her gaze seemed to shine pinker than usual.
And just after this world-altering encounter with the princess, the next day came.
“Zech!!! Check Writer just fell off the terrace!”
“His condition is serious! It looks like both legs are broken, and his right arm is sprained!”
“Damn it, get the cleric! Get the cleric!”
Unfortunately, my body could not withstand the fall from the height of the fourth floor.