Derek was in a difficult spot, to say the least.

Why, you ask?

Was it because he’d been discovered, cornered, or surrounded by enemies?

…Honestly, he would have preferred that.

‘At least then I could find some peace of mind.’

As he let out a dry chuckle, a voice echoed in his ears.

[Are you even listening to me?!]

“Ah, y-yes, I am listening.”

[Then repeat what I just said!]

“Well, um…”

[I knew it! Derek, do you even realize how terrible you’re being right now? How could you forget the promise you made to me?!]

“…I wouldn’t say I forgot, per se. It’s more like it was a one-sided promise that you—”

[What was that?]

“…I mean, I’m totally at fault here. Please don’t be mad, Lady Karin.”

[Hmph!]

“Ugh…”

Derek sighed, feeling utterly helpless. What exactly was he doing here, in the depths of the tunnel?

If anyone saw this, they’d think it was some petty lover’s quarrel, the kind that would make anyone want to throw a punch. The only silver lining was that Ihan wasn’t around to witness this scene.

…Otherwise, Derek might have been on the receiving end of Ihan’s Disjointing the Muscles, Misaligning the Bones.

He was infinitely thankful for small mercies.

 

It goes without saying that there was no communication technology in this world.

So how was Derek having this “conversation”—if it could even be called that—with a noblewoman hundreds of kilometers away in the capital?

It was thanks to an artifact.

Specifically, the Bluebird’s Chirp, a unique accessory available through the academy. A pair of earrings that could only be used when split between a man and a woman, it was an event item Derek had obtained in advance, knowing its value.

Despite its odd gender-based restriction, its utility was undeniable.

Even in modern warfare, the ability to communicate could change the course of battles. As far as event items went, this one was practically overpowered.

But now…

[So, when are you coming back?]

“Ah, probably when the academy’s summer break ends…”

[You mean you’re going to wait until summer is over?! Are you saying you’re not going to keep your promise to visit my estate?]

“It’s not that…”

Reduced to placating an upset woman, Derek could only regret his earlier decision.

‘I never should have given it to her.’

He’d entrusted the artifact to Karin because she was the woman he trusted most. She was reliable, after all. But he hadn’t anticipated this… drawback.

Suppressing a sigh, Derek spoke carefully.

“Lady Karin—no, Karin, please forgive me this once. I’ll make it up to you when we meet again.”

[Hmm. I don’t know if I can trust that…]

“Just this once, please?”

[Fine! But only this time.]

“Th-thank you.”

For some reason, calling her by her name instead of her title seemed to appease her anger more often than not. Relieved that it worked again, Derek felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

‘Thank goodness.’

Compared to the previous time, when she’d stayed angry all day, this was a quick resolution.

As he exhaled deeply in relief, her voice cut through again.

[You must have called me first because you’re curious about the capital’s situation, right?]

“……”

[Honestly, you’re so shameless.]

“I-I’m sorry.”

[Hmph!]

As sharp as ever, Karin had quickly seen through him.

Derek couldn’t deny it. He had indeed contacted her to gather information about the capital. While he needed to focus on the tunnel, he couldn’t ignore the kingdom’s heart—especially with so many key players stationed there.

‘After all, Prince Roen and Lady Irene are in the capital right now.’

The original protagonist and the woman who was supposed to become the villainess… though now they seemed to have deviated from their destined roles.

According to Ihan’s deductions, they were likely a regressor and a transmigrator. Their presence was as unpredictable as the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings.

Naturally, Derek couldn’t help but stay curious about their movements.

[You know, using me as an informant is going to cost you a lot.]

“…I understand.”

[Well, for now, there’s nothing noteworthy happening in the capital. At least, not outwardly.]

“What do you mean by that?”

[Internally, there’s quite a lot going on. For example, Marquis Tristan officially adopted Lady Levi into his family.]

“What? Adopted? You mean he’s not just taking her in as a ward but giving her the Tristan name?”

[It seems Marquis Tristan is quite fond of Lady Levi. When this news spreads, the social circles will be buzzing for a while.]

“Wow…”

Life was full of surprises. Who could have imagined that a tragic hero like Levi would rise to such a status?

‘Is my information going to become completely useless at this rate?’

Derek felt overwhelmed. The ripple effects of these events were impossible to predict, and he could already feel a headache coming on.

But Karin wasn’t finished.

[Oh, and recently, there’s been news about an “illegal slave auction” run by a certain merchant group being exposed.]

“……”

[Apparently, the person who revealed its existence and freed the slaves was a black-haired swordsman. Seems he has no intention of hiding his identity.]

“…Prince Roen.”

[It’s almost certainly him. Thanks to that, people are now calling him a hero… though he continues to deny it.]

“I see.”

‘So he’s gone to rescue them.’

Hearing about Roen’s actions, Derek quickly realized which auction it was.

It was the one featured in Chapter 17 of the original story—a secret auction run by the underworld’s ruler. Its location was always a mystery, making it nearly impossible to track down.

But, as expected of someone presumed to be a regressor, Roen had managed to find it.

His likely goals were clear.

‘Take down Count Nolan, recruit talented individuals, and strengthen ties with the dwarves.’

Count Nolan, the underworld’s ruler, was a troublesome adversary even in Chapter 30 of the original story. Now was the perfect time to deal with him, given the heightened awareness of crime in the capital after the recent terror attacks.

Moreover, Nolan’s hidden wealth was enough to sustain an army of ten thousand for half a year. Securing it would be a significant boon.

However, the real rewards of dismantling the auction weren’t just financial.

‘The twin half-bloods are probably there. If he recruits them, he’ll gain first-tier talent.’

They had the potential to grow to Level 7—heroes that money and power couldn’t easily buy.

Additionally, among the captives was likely a dwarf, a mysterious race known for their craftsmanship and vast knowledge. Establishing ties with them would be invaluable.

‘Roen just secured himself fame, wealth, talent, and connections… all at once.’

It was the epitome of a regressor’s privilege, executed flawlessly.

But Derek didn’t resent Roen for it.

‘At least he’s doing the right thing.’

Though he didn’t know Roen well, the fact that he had chosen to dismantle the auction—a hidden piece that involved saving countless lives—earned him credit in Derek’s book.

‘He could have targeted a dungeon for personal gain, but he chose the auction instead. He doesn’t seem like a bad person.’

Derek found himself reevaluating Roen.

“…Karin, if it’s not too much trouble, could you keep me updated on Prince Roen’s movements? Just surface-level information is fine.”

[You have your doubts about him, don’t you?]

“…Haha.”

As expected, it was impossible to hide anything from someone as sharp as Karin.

[Fine. I was curious about him too.]

“?”

[But don’t get the wrong idea! I’m not interested in him romantically or anything! I prefer men who are cautious and look pitiful, like a wet puppy. Got it?]

“…Sure?”

Derek couldn’t help but wonder if such a person even existed.

 

Derek suppressed a chuckle at Karin’s peculiar taste in men. Who preferred cautious and miserable guys, let alone ones who looked like wet puppies?

Still, it wasn’t his place to comment, so he wisely kept his thoughts to himself, simply respecting her unusual preference.

However, before he could dwell on it further, Karin brought up another name.

[Oh, and about Lady Irene.]

“…….”

The mention of Irene caught Derek’s full attention.

Irene Windler. A girl Derek strongly suspected of being a transmigrator. Unlike Roen, who seemed to wield foreknowledge, Irene appeared to lack any significant understanding of the world she had been thrust into.

From what he’d observed, she rarely acted on her own initiative, making her seem like a stereotypical romance novel heroine.

And, true to form…

[It seems she’s been attracting a lot of attention from prominent figures. Of course, being Galahad’s adopted daughter plays a role, but her incredible display of magic the other day was the real trigger. Because of it, the heir to the Imperial Magic Tower has expressed interest in meeting her personally. Oh, and the Sultan from the Western Continent is planning to visit the kingdom because of her water magic. Can you believe that?]

“……What?”

The Magic Tower’s heir, the sole successor to a continental institution, and the Sultan of the West were coming to see her?

‘This is starting to feel like a heroine's plotline transplanted directly onto Irene….’

Originally, the story wasn’t supposed to fully kick off until the next year, during Derek’s second year at the academy. But with how much the narrative had deviated, it seemed like events meant for later were happening far too early.

Derek could only sigh.

‘This is a disaster….’

He felt like more than 70% of his knowledge about the original story was becoming useless. And if even he was struggling, then the presumed regressor, Roen, was likely dealing with the same frustrations.

‘This is why too many cooks spoil the broth.’

The plot was spiraling so far out of control it was as if the proverbial ship wasn’t just off-course but headed for the skies.

 

[Why the sudden sigh?]

“Ah, sorry, Karin. I just… have a lot on my mind.”

[Don’t overthink things too much. You’re not alone in this, after all. You’ve got people to help you—me included.]

“……”

[I’m saying you don’t have to shoulder everything by yourself, got it? Honestly, why do you always have to make me spell it out?]

“…I understand. Thank you, Karin. I feel much better now.”

[Just ‘better’?]

“No, I mean… a lot better. A whole lot better.”

[That’s more like it.]

“…Haha.”

Despite her blunt demeanor, Karin’s words did lift his spirits. Maybe it was because she was so confident and positive—a stark contrast to his own worries.

‘Karin really is a good person.’

She had a way of grounding him, helping him regain focus when he needed it most.

She was right. There was no point in worrying about things beyond his control.

‘Focus on what’s in front of you.’

Rather than lament how the story had changed, he decided to look at it positively. Instead of losing control, he now had two unpredictable forces—Roen and Irene—handling things in his stead.

‘They’ll deal with their messes themselves.’

With renewed determination, Derek wrapped up his conversation with Karin and returned to his allies. He was eager to share the information he had learned and help resolve the situation in the tunnel.

Or so he thought.

“Hey, you’re back.”

“…?”

“Oh, that? Don’t worry about it. Just think of it as decoration.”

“…….”

“Right, I’ve uncovered something. Looks like those fake cultists are planning something weird.”

“…Huh? Excuse me?”

“So let’s wrap this up and head home. I think we can finish this quickly.”

“???”

For a moment, Derek felt an unexpected pang of uselessness.

‘I guess he doesn’t even need me….’

The thought left him feeling strangely bitter.