Chapter 44 44: Fictional Equilibrium

For the remainder of the lunch break, Lucretia went to one of the academy's many beautifully-maintained gardens. Needless to say, as her temporary attendant and bodyguard, I was with her. Here, in this quiet place isolated from the rest of the academy, the noble young lady took her seat on a bench, simply wooden yet somehow still far-too-elegant, and closed her eyes. Considering the large amount of stress she must be feeling from bearing the duty of saving the Empire, I did feel bad for what's been going on with idiots like those two. After all, even if she was someone with the grand title of archduchess, as well as the designated Antagonist of the story, she was still just a young girl at the end of the day. Even if I'm also here, the responsibility of the empire's future was surely immeasurable. Of course, she wasn't aware that it wasn't just the Empire but the entire world that was at risk, but her knowing that fact wouldn't help at all. There was only so much pressure one person could handle. Even if it was someone used to withstanding a lot like I'm sure she was, with many problems stacked on top of each other, it didn't take long to crack. 'She must be tired... Thanks to my sudden appearance last night, she probably didn't get much sleep, either.' That's why, even though I was here to help, my presence undoubtedly played a role in her exhaustion. 'I am sorry about that, but there also isn't anything I can really do about it.' After all, I was here for both her and her world's sake. Even if it was draining, she doesn't have a choice but to stick it out and endure until the end. Live. Survive. Ultimately, that's all the Antagonist has to do. For me to complete the Contract, I'll do just fine even if I'm on my own. Because I believe I can manage somehow, no matter the circumstances, all I need is for my 'client' as it were, to stay safe. When you think about it, all of these Contracts are the same in that regard. There will never be a Contract where the Antagonist will kill the Protagonist. Obviously. If that were the case, there would be no need for the Contract in the first place, right? At least, that's how it makes sense to me. Something like that happening would go against the plot in a way that would break the concept, at least in cases without my interference. That's why, the only Antagonists I'll meet will be those who actually need me. 'Doesn't that make me sort of like someone who works at a helpline...?' It was a little funny when I thought about it, but the more I did just that, the more I realised... As I just said, I am really here to help the 'clients' who need me. But, that wasn't all. Not every story has an Antagonist. Hell, not every story even has a Protagonist. Even I―who didn't really read much, be it physical paper books or virtual novels published online―could understand that much. Sure, a lot of stories are based on a premise of 'good versus evil', but not all of them―in fact, most of them are probably not that simple. The side of 'good', and the side of 'bad'... doesn't it just depend on whose lens through which you're viewing the story? The same held true for this world. Even if she was strict and someone who held both herself and others to a high standard, it's not like Lucretia was a bad or evil person for that, and from what I could tell thus far, I felt confident in that belief. Her aim was to save the empire, so how could she be evil? However, there was an important distinction that had to be made. A line to be drawn. Would there ever be a Contract that was just a simple high school romance? Of course not. A story like that doesn't have an Antagonist, after all. Neither does it have a Protagonist. Because there's never only one main character in a romance story. If there is, then can it really be called a 'romance'? You can't have romance with only one character, at least not by any definition of it that I knew. Romance, by its very nature, requires a minimum of two objects to exist in adjacency, and perhaps, in union. There is never a single 'Protagonist' in that sort of romance; there are only two 'main characters', or maybe even more if you get freaky with it. Likewise, there is no single 'Antagonist' in a romance. Because the real 'Antagonist' in a romance story is none other than 'the element of romance itself'. Rather, would it be more accurate to call 'life' the Antagonist? According to the Librarian, a Protagonist's existence disrupts World Stability. On the other hand, an Antagonist's existence maintains World Stability. Thus, when there is no Protagonist, there is no need for an Antagonist. And when there are neither of those two, consequently, there is no need for me. It was all a simple balancing act. Not every story is good versus evil, that's right. But, at least in my opinion, a story needs to have both a good and an evil to be 'real'. Even if it isn't necessarily 'good versus evil', but more specifically, a similar sort of conflict. There needs to be such conflicting forces for it to "exist", for it to be compelling. That is, a conflict in the form of a person or another physical obstacle to be overcome―rather than simple events of life that are bound to arise regardless. Is that because life itself also does not exist without at least a minimum level of conflict? I don't know. That was my theory, anyway. Could it be the true element that determines which stories become mimicked and turn into Illusory Worlds? Who knows. All I could do right now was spout such inconclusive conjecture, but one day I might figure it out. Well, I also think that, unless the essence of the story is something like a 'slice-of-life', those kinds of slow-burn things are rather boring, but that's simple preference. In any case, perhaps that is exactly why a romance story like this Contract is able to exist. It meets the basic requirements to balance out each side of the story―the good and the bad―and it accomplishes so with a physical conflict to the Protagonist's love, I suppose in the form of Lucretia... though there was still something missing there. At the same time, however, it doesn't have multiple Protagonists to outweigh one side of the scale, and on the other hand, it doesn't have an Antagonist that is too overwhelming for the Protagonist to overcome. There is only one 'main' character, and that is Ayla Tichá. There is no 'secondary main' character―a dedicated love interest―because of the nature of the setting. It's a romance game, yes, but above all else it's a 'dating game'; all of the love interests are 'secondary' characters, and because of that, there is no 'secondary main' character. After all, it's entirely up to the player's choice who the 'secondary main' character is. Well, if the Librarian's words are right, then this isn't a game, but a physical world that exists in some form of reality. Even though that might be the case, there is still a 'player' in the form of the Protagonist. Thus, it's reasonable to assume that she could designate a 'secondary main' herself. At the end of the day, the best way to complete this Contract is also to-- "...Enki." In the midst of my musing, Lucretia's cool, mellow voice pierced through. Turning my attention towards her, I pushed all other thoughts aside. "We do not have the time presently, but later on, I shall inform you of that woman's threat as you requested this morning." Glancing over at her, I find her eyes to once again be open, gazing at my own as if trying to penetrate into my soul. "I said I would let you discover through our daily schedule, but my impatience is beginning to slowly climb, so I will tell you myself once the day is over. Today... was not a very good day. Nevertheless, I do appreciate you supporting me for this time." Her words reminded me. Although I knew the Protagonist's type as a Beloved, I still wasn't entirely sure of how she was a danger to this world and to Lucretia. Was it really so simple that, should the Protagonist achieve her goal of love, Lucretia will die? I thought that was utterly ridiculous, but I also couldn't be too sure. The only clue I had as of the moment was the #HidingTruePower Tag, but since I had no information other than that, I couldn't make any judgments. However, when I reflected on the previous three Contracts, I realised how little sense it made for those Protagonists to destroy their respective worlds, too. A Hero who was supposed to save everyone and the world. A Chosen One who goes through an eventful school life and becomes someone great. An Avenger who only yearned to save her family from slavery. Was it truly so simple that their existence would destroy the world should enough time pass? Or was there another kind of event that preceded the end of it all, perhaps one unique for each? Of course, if Lucretia herself knew the reason and told me, then that made my job a whole lot easier, but I just couldn't help but feel something wasn't right about it for whatever reason. "I understand." I replied with that and Lucretia nodded, returning to face forward. From over her shoulder, I watched her close her eyes once again as a gentle breeze brushed through the area. Internally, I sighed. There was, all of a sudden, much to consider.