I smiled at the Headmaster, who had settled in somewhat awkwardly.
“Is there anything you would like, Veronica?”
“How did you know my name…?”
“The Boss told me. I’ve heard much about you—a true leader who genuinely cares for their students.”
“Oh, is that so? That rascal, telling such embarrassing stories…”
It was a lie.
I had never once exchanged such words with the Boss.
‘But why, then, did I know such things?’
‘Because, of course, she was a character from a game I used to enjoy.’
The Headmaster of the Academy.
A character canonically established as the strongest in the world, possessing power befitting her high position.
‘The reason I appended “canonically” was that she had, in fact, never once displayed such power.’
Players speculated that the story would simply cease to progress if she, a benevolent character aligned with the protagonist, were to ever truly intervene.
An NPC whose immense power existed solely in the game’s lore, as she was perpetually absent due to some vague circumstance whenever a major incident unfolded.
That was Veronica, the very being now before me, a small girl bashfully smiling.
“Is there a particular drink you’d like?”
“I don’t wish to get too intoxicated today. A gin and tonic, if you please.”
“Order received.”
Crafting cocktails was not particularly difficult.
After all, I had spent months here, perfecting drinks while awaiting her arrival.
As I deftly prepared and presented the drink, she offered her thanks and accepted the glass.
“By the way, I’m surprised. Are you a new employee?”
“Yes, well… something like that. I’m just working here temporarily.”
“That fellow said he had no plans to expand his staff recently…”
“…”
I flinched.
I gazed intently at her.
‘Had I been found out?’
‘I hadn’t even considered that the Boss might have been spreading such information.’
‘It would certainly raise suspicions if someone who claimed to have no plans for new hires suddenly brought on a part-timer.’
“Well, it doesn’t matter, I suppose. That fellow’s whims are quite common. So, how did you come to work here?”
“Ahaha, well… he took me in while I was wandering the back alleys.”
“That certainly sounds like him.”
Fearing she might question the Boss again, I spoke according to the hypnotic suggestion I had placed upon him, and she nodded, remarking that such an act was indeed characteristic of him.
‘Boss, it turns out you were the kind of person to do such a thing even without needing hypnosis.’
‘Indeed.’
‘That must be why he’s so close with Veronica.’
‘After all, if he had a bad disposition, she would never be so friendly with him.’
I stared intently at Veronica.
‘To think I would actually see a character from the game in person.’
Despite having spent months loitering here with the sole purpose of meeting her, actually seeing her in person was still utterly astounding.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Oh, I apologize. It’s just that I found it… quite remarkable.”
“Remarkable?”
“I was simply overwhelmed with emotion, meeting the renowned Veronica in person.”
“A-Ahem…!”
‘Even her personality was a perfect match.’
‘Just look at her, pretending not to enjoy the praise.’
‘Her established trait of being susceptible to flattery was also perfectly intact.’
‘Ah, but this isn’t what I should be doing.’
“Oh, your glass is already empty. Shall I prepare you another?”
“Oh? …Hmm, yes. One more, please.”
“Understood.”
I wasn’t entirely sure how I had ended up in this world.
It wasn’t as if I had speedrun it, become a seasoned veteran, cursed it relentlessly, or exploited every bug, as one might in the prologue of a web novel.
I had merely completed a renowned game recommended by a friend and was left basking in its lingering afterglow.
It was a game I had enjoyed as if entranced, despite never having been particularly fond of gaming.
The only thing was, the tragedies befalling the characters within that game were simply too heartbreaking.
While the characters the player chose to embody would somehow achieve their happy endings, many others, those left unchosen, did not.
As one progressed through each character’s unique storyline, it would occasionally be hinted at.
Tales would surface: of the Watcher being possessed by a demon, of the Princess Royal’s downfall after being ousted from the succession, or of some demon-possessed individual who had razed a small village and was now a wanted criminal, aimlessly wandering.
Characters who remained unchosen by the player would manifest as rumors, appearing before them and allowing their tragic ends to be inferred.
The only issue, however, was that these were invariably unhappy endings.
Perhaps for this very reason, there had been widespread demands for the game company to release a DLC that would allow every character to achieve a happy ending.
Given that such a DLC was unavailable even when I played, the outcome was quite obvious without needing further explanation.
At any rate, I was still immersed in the game’s lingering atmosphere after playing it, when…
…a peculiar message suddenly arrived.
‘What was it again?’
It was a message about a prank, or something to that effect.
Just as I dismissed it as a wrong number, my vision suddenly turned stark white.
And when I opened my eyes, this was the predicament I found myself in.
I had been transformed into a woman.
My mind was filled with fundamental knowledge of this world, along with an understanding of my newfound abilities.
To be honest, I was incredibly confused and disoriented at first, wandering aimlessly, but then…
…a sudden thought struck me.
‘If this truly was the world of the game, perhaps I could guide all those unfortunate characters toward a happy ending.’
Such was the thought.
“Here, please have more.”
“Mmm, thank you… but…”
“You needn’t concern yourself with the cost. This is a personal gift for someone I deeply respect.”
“I-If that’s the case…”
And so, I spent my time here, harboring a mixture of hope and doubt.
The thought was that if this truly were the game world, Veronica would eventually appear.
And if she truly did arrive, I might be able to erase the suffering of those very children.
The outcome was now undeniably before me.
Veronica, her face flushed crimson, had been unable to refuse the drinks I offered, consuming each one as soon as it was presented.
With her by my side, I could easily gain entry into the Academy.
Of course, I could infiltrate the Academy even without resorting to hypnosis on her.
For hypnosis was an exceptionally potent ability.
However, Veronica, even in this state of mild intoxication, was not so disoriented as to fall for a shallow trick like hypnosis.
If I were to be discovered, there was no telling what consequences might ensue.
Thus, the simplest solution was to get her completely drunk, then manipulate her as I pleased.
A pang of guilt arose, but it was unavoidable.
‘After all, this was all for the sake of world peace, wasn’t it?’
‘If I considered the tragedies those children would inevitably cause, the world would surely descend into chaos.’
“Ugh, my, my head…”
“Here, Veronica. This one, too…”
“I-I apologize. I can’t… anymore…”
Success.
To think that I could manipulate the strongest being in this world, even in her guard-down, intoxicated state, was astonishing.
Tense with the implications of the situation, I whispered to her.
“Veronica, you truly care for your students, don’t you…?”
“…Yes.”
Veronica loved her students.
Here lay my opening.
She bustled about for her students, yet paradoxically, she couldn’t truly help them.
To arrange conveniences for them or to invite renowned professors, she spent far more time outside the school than within it.
Whenever she was truly needed, she was often away on a business trip.
Thus, players had developed a superstition: checking Veronica’s whereabouts, believing that if she was absent, something was bound to happen.
Even though that wasn’t always the case.
I whispered to her, her gaze unfocused and lost in thought.
“But Veronica, have you ever considered your students’ mental health…?”
“Mental health…?”
“Yes, mental health. The minor concerns like academic stress, family discord, romantic troubles, or conflicts between friends…”
She gently shook her head.
I had anticipated this. Even in the game, while there were school nurses and teachers who led classes, there were no teachers specializing in counseling.
“Such things accumulate, and students struggle under their weight…”
“T-That can’t be…”
“Exactly. With that in mind, I believe you should invite a counseling teacher to the Academy…”
“…”
“And the bartender you unexpectedly encountered at your regular bar happened to be a master psychological counselor, specializing in psychiatry… Indeed, that is precisely right…”
It was a lie.
I had never once considered becoming a psychological counselor, let alone specializing in psychiatry.
However, since I possessed the power to turn this lie into reality, perhaps calling myself a master psychological counselor wasn’t entirely inaccurate.
“Until you fall asleep, you were persistently urging the bartender before you to become a teacher…”
Therefore, my entry into the Academy would not be a bad choice for her.
****
“…Ronica, Ve…Veronica!”
“…Huh? Oh, oh?!”
“I’m sorry, Veronica. I seem to have given you too much to drink. Are you tired?”
Suddenly opening my eyes, I saw the bartender, with whom I had been speaking moments before, looking at me with concern.
“Oh? W-Was I asleep?”
“Yes. Soundly.”
“Th-That’s embarrassing, I apologize.”
How strange. Did I really pass out after just a few drinks?
That couldn’t be right.
My pace was a bit faster than usual, but surely not enough for this…?
Hmm, perhaps I was truly exhausted.
And we were discussing something important, too.
“I apologize. Hmm, it’s a bit awkward to ask again in this situation… but won’t you reconsider? It’s for the sake of young students.”
“…”
“D-Don’t worry! I’ll provide as much support as you need! For the mental well-being of the students, I’ll give you as much money as you desire!”
“I suppose there’s no helping it…”
I rejoiced at the bartender’s sigh, feigning resignation.
Finally, I had found a counseling teacher for the Academy students.
They also smiled at me, as if equally pleased.
