I Don’t Want To Be the Main Character

108. Giraffe (3)

1.

“You know, Rashill.”

“Yeah? Talk freely, talk freely. I don’t mind.”

“What do you mean, talk comfortably! And what the hell are you talking about!”

“Eek, I’m mad.”

As soon as Ludrick got angry, Rasil smiled playfully and pretended to back away.

It is true that at first, when he heard the story, he was momentarily taken aback. However, Rasil soon went through a process of accepting it.

For example, let’s say there are a million gold coins. There is a one-fifth chance that you can take all the gold coins, but if everyone agrees, you can split them into two hundred thousand coins. Most people would rather compromise and choose the option that benefits everyone than risk everything on a gamble with a low probability.

In fact, this was a bit different. Ludrick had already declared that there was no such thing as a gamble with a one-fifth chance. So the only option left was to naturally accept it.

‘If I don’t do it, I’ll be the only one who loses.’

In a situation where someone had already agreed with Ludrick, he came to the conclusion that it would only be a loss for him to resist, and soon Rasil also simply agreed.

“When did I say that? Who are you? The one who spreads such rumors!”

“His Highness the Grand Duke said so?”

Rasil answered sarcastically without even licking his lips.

Of course, it was a lie that would not work considering Eileen’s usual appearance, so Ludrick grabbed Rasil and shook him like a dehydrator.

“That’s not what I meant, is it? This guy keeps saying things that will cause trouble.”

“Ahaha, okay, okay. I surrender, I surrender. I won’t joke about that.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that, even as a joke. If you do, I’ll just be trash.”

“Okay, I told you to be careful. But did you tell Her Highness the Princess?”

“Oh, of course……”

Ludrick, who was about to answer, trailed off. The biggest obstacle to this plan, which he thought was nonsensical, was Elena. In fact, there was something that made him hesitate even more because he was still certain that Elena would not accept it.

“I haven’t said it yet.”

“I knew it. Given Her Highness’s personality, it would probably be hard for Her to accept it. She has such high self-esteem. She even started a civil war once because she was more capable but couldn’t become the emperor, so it’s especially difficult.”

“I’m starting to feel uneasy that it might happen again this time…….”

“Really? Actually, I wasn’t that worried.”

Rasil shrugged his shoulders and brought his face close to Ludrick, who was looking at him with a puzzled look. He lowered his posture and added in a quiet voice into his ear.

“Well, you’re here. So I’m not worried at all.”

“…Because I’m here?”

“Her Highness the Princess has probably gone through quite a few changes of heart. We all have.”

Rasil, who had been speaking in a whisper, quickly resumed speaking with his usual playful expression.

“I can guarantee you that. On the contrary, Her Highness the Princess will not do it because she has already tried it once and failed miserably.”

“……?”

“Is it because you don’t have enough experience yet that you don’t understand? Well, then I’ll explain in detail. First of all, we all regressed, right?”

“……Right?”

Ludrick nodded with a look of not quite understanding.

In fact, if you think about it rationally, Rasil’s words actually make more sense in that he has the merit of knowing the future because he has experienced regression.

From Elena’s perspective, this was a civil war she had already fought once. After a fierce battle, she emerged victorious and sat on a bloody throne.

If there was a record of victory already, it was obvious that it would be much easier to win now that they knew the future. If there was a civil war, Elena, who was in the second round, knew exactly how the Crown Princess would react.

“Rather, since you’ve regressed, you know the future. So, of course, even if a civil war breaks out, you’ll win unconditionally, so wouldn’t it be normal to keep that in mind more?”

“That would be the case for any normal person. But, Ludrick, think carefully. The person you’re dealing with is the Crown Princess, right?”

Ludrick’s question was valid, but Rasil shook his head as if it was not true. The face that had been smiling faintly and slyly just a moment ago was now very serious.

“In fact, to ordinary, ordinary people, power is like a drug. Imagine being supported by those around you and being able to rule this great empire as you wish. It may not make sense because you’ve never experienced it, but it’s an incredible thrill to actually wear that hat.”

“……Is that so?”

“That would be the case for most people. Even if they say no, if you tell them to do it, there will be many who will do it. But Your Highness the Princess has already done it once. And before that, she was living a life that was the envy of the royal family, wasn’t she?”

“Oh, so you’re saying that Elena wouldn’t do it because she wouldn’t gain much from ascending to the throne but would lose something?”

“Different, but similar. It’s difficult to calculate it in terms of loss and gain, though.”

At first, even a new stimulus will become dull if repeated.

That was the gist of what Rasil was saying. There are cases where people become addicted to the pleasure that power gives and crave it, but there are also cases where people who initially accept it as a new kind of stimulation, but soon find that the pleasure that power gives weakens and becomes dull if it is repeated.

Elena belonged to the latter group.

Rasil spoke confidently, seeing that Ludrick still did not believe his words.

“You can believe it. After about three years, Her Highness the Princess would get sick of it and grumble that she should have just let her older sister do it.”

“……Really? I can’t imagine that kind of image.”

“Well, that’s basically what I said. Even if you had ordered your older sister, the country would have run just fine. Instead, you ascended to the throne, and all you do is develop the country. That’s why I asked you if it was a simulation game.”

“ah.”

When he heard the words he had used in Ludrick’s past life, he couldn’t help but believe them. When Ludrick nodded as if he understood immediately, Rasil asked.

“So what are simulation games?”

“Yes, there is something like that. I think I know roughly how Elena felt. There’s nothing to do in the latter half of the game.”

Ludrick nodded and added with a sigh of relief.

“Anyway, I guess I can take a breather. I was worried that something might go wrong and cause a civil war.”

“If my memory serves me right, His Majesty will pass away soon. Well, there won’t be a civil war, so don’t worry.”

Rashil boasted.

And just as Rasil finished speaking, someone knocked on the door of the lab.

“Go in.”

After a short knock, the one who entered the lab without asking permission was Elena. Ludrick flinched as even a tiger would come if called, and Elena, who had been looking around the lab, opened her mouth.

“I didn’t know the Admiral would be here. Were you guys gathered here without me, talking about something interesting? This is a bit disappointing.”

In her hand was a wine glass filled with wine. Elena’s eyes sparkled as she held the glass and swept her waist-length hair back with an elegant motion. As if something interesting had happened.

And Ludrick, who had been hesitant at the appearance of Elena, who had been the topic of conversation until just now, met Rasil’s eyes.

‘They say you can pull out a bull’s horn in one go, so should we just give it a try here?’

‘I don’t think Her Highness the Princess will react very positively… … Is that okay?’

‘If you say so, then say so. Do you think you would be so shocked that you would run away from home?’

‘… … Well, that’s true.’

A conversation exchanged through eyes… … was not a conversation, but rather a conversation using telepathic magic that was activated instantly without a chant, thanks to the fact that using magic had now become as natural as breathing. It was a scene that showed just how high Ludrick’s magic had reached, in that he could instantly activate such a high-level magic without Elena even noticing it.

Ludrick, who had been using such advanced magic simply as a means to exchange words, soon opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“Elena.”

“What a surprise. It’s unusual for Kyung to call me by my name with such a determined expression.”

Ludrick gestured towards Rasil. Elena’s curiosity doubled as Rasil, who understood what he meant, quietly left the lab.

And then Ludrick, who had hesitated for a moment, opened his mouth.

“Elena, actually, I’ve already finished talking with everyone except Elena…?”

“Are you done talking?”

Elena’s expression began to harden as if she sensed something ominous in Ludrick’s words. The conversation ended with the other four people, except for Elena. This one sentence alone was enough for Elena to sense something ominous.

“Actually, I thought about it carefully and came to a conclusion.”

“If you were to conclude…?”

“There’s no need to choose one out of five, right?”

“……for a moment.”

Elena stopped Ludrick.

Her brilliant mind came to a conclusion from just that short sentence.

You don’t have to choose one of the five, and the conversation is over with the other four.

If that was the case, then there was no way that the remaining four could have reached an amicable agreement if the content was ‘I’d rather not choose anyone’. Naturally, after eliminating it by elimination, there was only one conclusion left. Elena asked cautiously, feeling that it might not be that.

“……Then, could it be that the story of Kyung-i has ended?”

“I decided to just pick them all instead of just one.”

Clang.

As soon as Ludrick finished speaking, the wine glass in Elena’s hand fell to the floor.