0.
Was this a kind of arrogance?
Lancel seemed too accustomed to rejecting suitors. He’d even turned down a princess’s proposal—what more was there to say?
His attitude toward Marigold was no different. He’d always tried to keep her affection from growing too strong.
Even now, that hasn't changed. Marrying Marigold was practically a bad ending—repeating it would only add another bitter memory.
Yet…
“Sir Lancel, please step back. You’re too close.”
“…”
Did he hear her correctly?
Lancel was struck with shock.
Her demeanor on the train was completely different from her past life. She turned away, subtly distancing herself, and it was clear as day to him.
‘No way!’
This was a first since meeting Marigold in this iteration. Lancel was always the one to pull back, not her.
Now, it was the opposite.
“We’re together for the mission, so please don’t get too close. I hope you understand.”
“Oh, right.”
Lancel wiped cold sweat. Even across centuries of life, he hadn’t been this flustered in ages.
“Ahem…”
Marigold, perhaps feeling warm, fanned herself with her hem, avoiding his gaze.
“…”
Still reeling, Lancel had to step back slightly. She asked for space—what else could he do?
It was true they’d gotten too close too fast. Not out of ulterior motives—it was purely out of joy. Seeing Marigold in a “normal” state was so thrilling. That was the only reason why he’d acted that way.
It was no wonder.
Before coming here, Lancel had encountered a Marigold unlike any in previous cycles—overwhelmingly abnormal.
.
.
.
“Human!”
“…Mary…?”
After Regressor Marigold’s death, Lancel failed to find her for four years in the next cycle.
He naturally assumed she was dead. Marigold was always too close to death, after all.
However, she was alive.
And very much intact.
“Hand over the food, human!”
“…Is this for real?”
Excessively healthy, even.
“Hurry! Now!”
Finding Marigold in the Empire’s southern forest was pure luck.
Rumors of a “blonde female beast” sporadically robbing food in the forest—something unheard of in centuries of memory—prompted a skeptical visit that hit the mark.
“Give me the fruit in your bag! Then I’ll let you go!”
“Whoa, put down the spear. It’s dangerous.”
“You’ve got two! Just give me one!”
“How do you know I have two?”
“I can smell them!”
“You’ve got quite the nose.”
Clad in animal hides barely covering her chest and lower body, spear in hand, leading nine wolves.
It was the wild woman Marigold.
‘What kind of life have you lived, Marigold!’
Lancel briefly closed his eyes in dismay, then regained his composure.
He had to do what needed to be done.
“Just leave them?”
“Yeah!”
“I’ll leave both.”
“Human… could you be a good human?!”
“…”
The mental blow struck hard, but he’d found Marigold again.
“I’m here.”
From the next day, Lancel visited her regularly.
“Human! You eating that?”
“Sure, I’ll leave it.”
Then, one day…
“You came again! I wasn’t waiting, but I’m glad, human!”
“You’re human too. Here you go.”
Two days.
“Where do you get so much fruit? Tell me your secret!”
“Huh? I bought them at the market.”
“Eek! The market! Scary!”
“…?”
One week.
“Thanks, human. You’re the best human.”
“I said, you’re human too.”
One month.
“Human, can’t you stay with me instead of leaving?”
“If you live in the city, I can do that.”
“N-no city! I want to live in nature, human.”
“What happened to you in the city?”
Wild woman Marigold let out a whining sound.
One year.
“Ugh, just have kids with me!”
“…”
“Ahh, don’t run!”
Three years.
“Human, I built a house for you. It was tough getting back when it rained suddenly, right? Now you can sleep here. Look, it’s spacious and nice. There’s even a wool bed. What do you think?”
And so, ten years passed.
.
.
.
[Playtime: 10 years, 0 days]
—Marigold turned 25.
—No marriage partner.
—No achievements.
[Normal Ending 98: Barbarian Marigold of the Cabin]
—This ending was added to the “Album of Memories.”
—Album opening.
.
.
.
“I’ll handle hunting, farming, foraging—everything. Human, just stay by my side. You don’t need to do anything.”
Once wary of humans and fleeing to the forest, Marigold’s guard soon melted away like snow.
“My dream now is to build a kingdom. Starting today, I’ll add houses one by one, build a village, and fill the forest with a loving family. This wooden house is the starting point. What do you think, human? Huh? Where will I get all those people? What do you mean, human?”
Great Barbarian Marigold’s eyes gradually turn wild.
“Don’t you get what I mean by making them?”
[Normal Ending 98: Barbarian Marigold of the Cabin - FIN.]
—Would you like to restart the game?
.
.
.
“…”
Lancel shuddered.
The fierce gaze of wild woman Marigold lingered vividly in his memory.
How could he not be thrilled? Marigold, not just human-like but with a proper job.
At the Imperial Central Administration, arguably the top workplace for a commoner.
1.
Meeting this cycle’s Marigold wasn’t exactly easy for Lancel.
First, she wasn’t visible on the capital’s streets. Second, she was far more upright than Lancel expected.
============
—Congratulations! Marigold has been selected as the top graduate of the Academy’s Administrative Records Department!
============
‘The Academy?’
No wonder she was nowhere to be found.
Not swordsmanship or magic—Administrative Records. A field covering the Empire’s administration, laws, records, geography, management, and history; it was the starting point for the so-called “Imperial Official Route.”
Marigold had become the top graduate on her own merit, exactly three years into this current lifetime, the year she turned eighteen.
‘Well, that’s good.’
He didn’t know the exact conditions for a happy ending, but one thing was clear.
‘Nothing is as straightforward as material wealth.’
Lancel immediately sought Marigold at the Academy.
“Uh, Lancel? The thing is, Lady Mary… is refusing all personal sponsorships…”
“Huh?”
Lancel, arriving with bags of gold, tilted his head. Refusing money? Who? Marigold?
For Lancel, who vividly recalled her money-grubbing ways in the merchant route, the Academy official’s words were unexpected.
“We’ve told her to accept reasonable offers, but she doesn’t seem to want to owe any noble personal favors, so it’s hard to persuade her.”
“It’s rare for an Academy student to refuse sponsorship.”
“Maybe Lady Mary has big dreams?”
“She wants to be an official?”
“If not, there’s no reason not to build noble connections.”
There were two main paths for Imperial officials:
Attach to a noble and transfer to a provincial official.
Climb the ranks as an imperial official to reach high office.
Most officials took the first path.
It was easier, more comfortable, and more lucrative.
Officials typically served 20 years in the capital before joining provincial nobles for a cushy life. The Empire used this to legally grind through personnel for at least 20 years.
But Marigold didn’t want that. What could be the reason for that?
“If Lady Mary changes her mind, let me know.”
“Yes, Sir Lancel.”
He tried contacting her a few more times, but Marigold’s resolve was unshakable. Lancel couldn’t guess how far her ambitions reached this time.
Lancel finally got a chance to meet Marigold three months after she graduated from the Academy and became an official.
============
—Regular event! Marigold begins her first task as an Imperial official. Recruitment for an escort to accompany her on administrative duties starts today. Hopefully, it’s someone nice.
============
“Now?”
“…Huh? Sir Lancel?”
Lancel leapt up, ignoring Baron Ibil Shen’s puzzled look as they shared tea.
An official’s escort was typically a mercenary recommended by the Empire. For a knight like Lancel, it was far beneath his station.
“What? An escort? You, Sir Lancel?”
Of course, that didn’t matter to Lancel.
“This is usually a mercenary’s job. Why would someone like you, Sir Lancel…?”
“Do I need to satisfy your curiosity too?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Then just do as you’re told.”
Ignoring it was enough.
Lancel easily joined as Marigold’s escort.
Only a brief rumor circulated among officials about a strange knight willingly taking on the grueling task of escorting a rookie.
“Pleased to meet you! I heard you’ll be helping with my work. I’m Mary, the records officer of the Imperial Central Administration.”
Through this complex and eventful process, Lancel reunited with Marigold today, carrying some hopeful expectations.
Yet, now…
.
.
.
“After work, we’ll part ways until the next morning. Naturally, we’ll use separate rooms.”
“…I’m fine with it, but are you sure? What if you’re attacked while sleeping?”
“It’s fine. I won’t be traveling to dangerous areas. I appreciate the concern.”
“…”
‘Why on earth…?’
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