"If I was given a choice on what to plant on an empty land, I would definitely plant a healing herb bed," Chuck said. "Not only would I be able to save up on healing potions, I could sell it for money as well."
Chuck gave Alex a winning smile, confident that his answer was perfect.
However, reality was quite different from his expectations, and also more cruel.
"From now on, you’re dead to me," Alex declared while doing his best to stop himself from hacking his roommate to pieces.
"O-Oi! What are you doing?!" Chuck felt genuine fear because Alex had summoned his sword and was holding it with both hands. "What’s wrong man?! I just answered your question honestly!"
"Hah... You bastard, you plan to take away my Queen, huh?" Alex asked coldly. "Demon Slaying Arts First Form..."
Purple flames coated the young man’s sword. The sight was impressive but also undeniably eerie.
Chuck shuddered. He had inadvertently given the answer that would trigger Fran’s Romance Route. Those words had filled Alex with a strong urge to eliminate the troublemaker once and for all.
"C-Calm down, Alex!" Chuck raised both of his hands in surrender. "What’s wrong? Talk to me! Did I make a mistake? Did I answer wrongly?! At least tell me what I did wrong!"
For a brief moment, Alex hesitated. His rattled roommate let out a sigh of relief, naively believing the worst to be over.
However, what Chuck didn’t know was that Alex was only thinking of what to cut off first.
Chuck’s head, or Chuck’s lower head.
"Okay, I’ll just make you an eunuch," Alex decided. "That is fine."
"Heeeelp!" Chuck hurriedly created a barrier before leaving the room in haste. "Murder!"
He was not experienced enough to know that what he had sensed from his roommate was true killing intent. However, his survival instincts told him that if he stayed inside the room for even a moment longer, he would definitely end up an eunuch.
Chuck might not be as clever as Nessia, but he knew lower heads generally didn’t regenerate after getting sliced off.
After Chuck had made a successful escape from the room, Alex sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose.
The purple flames in his sword also vanished as he retracted the power of the Demon Slaying Arts.
’I’m feeling unstable because of what has happened today,’ Alex realized. ’I went too far.’
On a whim, he had just asked Chuck Fran’s question.
However, he hadn’t expected that Chuck would give the answer needed to unlock Fran’s Route.
The moment those words had left Chuck’s lips, Alex had suddenly felt a strong urge of eliminating this potential love rival to prevent any future problems from arising.
After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Alex collapsed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, his sword now resting harmlessly by his side.
"...Damn it," Alex muttered.
It wasn’t really Chuck’s fault. The guy just liked money and efficiency.
Healing herbs were the logical choice. A good one, even.
And maybe that was what pissed Alex off more than anything else.
Fran hadn’t told him it was a test.
But back then her eyes had that quiet weight in them. It was the kind of look someone gave when they wanted to know if the person they were talking to was someone that they could get along well with.
He had frozen back then.
Not because he hadn’t known the answer, but because giving the correct answer had felt like cheating.
Like lying to win someone’s heart.
He couldn’t do that. Not to Fran. Not to himself.
So, he gave his own answer. An answer that was not part of the multiple choices that were presented to the player in the game.
And she smiled at him when he gave that answer.
She didn’t do it because she thought that his answer was the right answer.
She had smiled simply because it was unexpected.
"I’m a mess." Alex sighed. "I should say sorry to Chuck later. He didn’t do anything wrong."
Just as he was thinking of apologizing to his roommate, the door of his room opened. Chuck timidly reappeared, but he wasn’t alone.
Fran entered the room behind him. Dim Dim was perched on top of her head.
Seeing the two of them together, Alex again reached for his sword.
’On second thought, maybe it’s time to eliminate this troublemaker once and for all.’ Alex rose up from the bed while holding the sword, sending Chuck into a panic once more.
"See?!" Chuck looked at Dim Dim. "I told you that Alex had gone crazy!"
Dim Dim studied Alex, eyeing him from head to toe, before a dawn of realization descended upon it.
"What do you mean you’ll put flowers on my grave, Dim Dim? Whose side are you on?!"
"My side, obviously," Alex commented before keeping his sword back inside his storage ring. "Thank you for returning Dim Dim safely to the Dormitory, Fran."
"You’re welcome," Fran replied before glancing at Chuck, who was hiding behind her.
Obviously, this didn’t work because Chuck was taller than her, so it was impossible for him to hide behind her.
"Don’t worry, Chuck," Alex assured. "I won’t kill you... yet."
"What do you mean ’yet?’!" Chuck complained. "Don’t just kill off people without telling them the reason you fool!"
Fran looked quite amused at the exchange the two were having.
Even Dim Dim, who was still on top of her head, chuckled because it, too, was finding this exchange quite hilarious.
"Well then, I will return to my room before an issue arises," Fran said. "Come visit the farm whenever you’re free, Dim Dim. Everyone seems to like you."
"Ahem!" Dim Dim raised its body proudly before promising Fran that it would do just that whenever it had time to spare.
After bidding goodbye to Alex and Chuck, Fran returned to the East Wing, where the girls’ rooms were located.
"I see... So that’s it." Chuck slammed his fist on the palm of his hand, as if finally understanding the situation.
The teenage boy then smiled mischievously before patting Alex’s shoulder.
"Don’t worry, Alex, I understand perfectly!" Chuck said. "Although I am more handsome and cooler than you, I have no intention of stealing the apple of your eye. In fact, I can even be your wingman. So, you like Fran huh? Just say the word, and this love expert will help with the matchmaking."
"You don’t have to do anything," Alex said before heaving a deep sigh. "Sorry, Chuck. I just got carried away earlier. You did nothing wrong."
"No." Chuck shook his head. "I know that you got jealous because you thought that I’d steal your crush. You have every reason to be worried because I am such an amazing, dashing, charismatic, and devastatingly good-looking man."
He flipped his hair back, despite it being completely unstyled.
"I mean, who wouldn’t fall for this face?" Chuck asked, pointing at himself. "My jawline could cut steel, my eyes sparkle like twin suns, and this smile? Bro, this smile could end wars."
Alex and Dim Dim stared at the teenage boy blankly, wondering what kind of herbs Chuck was smoking.
However, the troublemaker wasn’t done praising himself.
"My presence alone can make flowers bloom, birds sing, and low-level mobs surrender before the fight even begins," Chuck added. "Children cheer when I pass by. Dogs bark less. I’m basically a living, breathing natural phenomenon."
"I even have perfect skin, Alex. Perfect. You think healing herbs are impressive? I am the herb."
Chuck grinned, not minding Alex’s exasperated gaze. "I forgive you, bro. Jealousy makes people do crazy things. But don’t you worry. This legendary wingman has your back. Operation ’Get Fran to Notice You More Than She Notices Me’ is now underway!"
Alex groaned and covered his face with a pillow.
Dim Dim chuckled because it was really entertained by how things were playing out. It was quite happy because Alex’s best friend truly looked out for him.
As for how things would play out?
Many people believed that Gods were omnipotent and omniscient.
However, this wasn’t really the case.
Even Gods had things that were outside of their control, and those were the things that made life a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs.
However, more than anything else, Dim Dim wanted Alex to live his life to the fullest, and enjoy his brand new adventure in a world where his story was just beginning.
The future was unclear.
Romance routes were never guaranteed in real life.
Last, but not the least, Alex was trying to shape his own destiny, using his own choices that weren’t available in the game.
For Dim Dim, that was enough.
Everybody wanted happiness, nobody wanted pain, but you couldn’t have a rainbow without a little rain.