Otherworld TRPG Game Master-Chapter 258: Outerworlgly TRPG -4

Formerly a knight on the Eastern Front, now the Bunny Princess, Sissel Yurensto. If I were to summarize her in two characters: "sister-in-law."

I know her, but I mustn't acknowledge her first.

Why? Because the fact that the mysterious Bunny Princess is actually Sissel Yurensto is a secret only Karen knows. The crazy wizard is unaware.

"..."

"..."

So, it's not up to me to resolve this awkward, silent standoff—it's Sissel's job. She's the one who acknowledged me first.

"...!"

Sissel, who had been wondering why I wasn't acknowledging her, seemed to realize this belatedly. Her eyes flickered, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her head.

After three additional minutes of silence, she finally spoke.

"I’ve heard a lot about you from Sissel Yurensto, Mad Mage. I am, well... a rabbit. Were you also caught in an unexpected teleportation?"

She was using the "I'll tell you about someone I know" meta tactic. And perhaps finding it difficult to refer to herself as a princess, she dropped the last two syllables from her title of Bunny Princess.

Knowing that the teleportation was targeting candidates participating in the tournament, there were many things I wanted to say.

"...Ah, yes. I got caught up in it. I had heard of your reputation. The name Bunny Princess is quite famous in the Holy City, isn't it?"

"It’s a pleasure to meet you—um, to meet you for the first time. I’m here as a bard, having heard you know the stories of Lucerne..."

Right. Her clumsy excuse isn’t what’s important.

What matters is that a Bunny Girl bard with some influence in this city is showing interest in my story.

If I can get her hooked on TRPGs, won’t the other bards naturally follow suit? Then I won’t even have to lift a finger.

I rubbed my hands together eagerly and smacked my lips.

"Are you interested?"

"Yes. I would like to hear more if possible."

"In that case, you'll need to participate in our storytellers' traditional rite. We call it TRPG, and it allows you to experience the story more deeply."

"...A traditional rite?"

That’s right.

"Very well. I’ll participate."

"A wise decision. Now then... let's step inside. Fresh dice are waiting."

"Wait, Master! Save us!"

"...Hmph, was alcohol the root of all evil...?"

As I led Sissel inside the inn, the warrior and rogue looked at me, pleading for help. Oh, right, those two are still here.

Basically, they want out of the misunderstanding mess they’ve created. It’s tiring to deal with people expecting them to be "detectives." This can be resolved easily.

People who believe will continue to believe, even if you reveal the truth as a lie. Those who don’t believe won’t, no matter what explanation you give.

And these gathered folks? They’re after a story to fatten their wallets, not to find out whether it’s true or false.

So, let’s change the narrative so that it doesn’t matter either way.

I raised my voice and addressed the bards.

"Everyone! At the end of our journey, we made a pact with the Goblin Emperor! We agreed to leave behind everything we gained in Lucerne and return!"

"...?"

"Among those things were our memories and abilities! While we recall our adventure as if in a dream, the crucial details are as hazy as a mirage! All we clearly remember is that tears inexplicably fell when the adventure was over..."

The concept was that we erased our memories as the price for saving the world and returning to our original world.

The bards buzzed with conversation and seemed to accept it.

"Aha! So that’s why the detective mercenary group didn’t realize I bought bread at the bakery?"

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"Then how do you remember the incident with Goblin Min?"

"That was the Goblin Emperor’s final mercy. He allowed us to remember the first steps of our adventure, as a small concession! So, please, let the memories remain in the past! At least, don’t describe our appearance!"

Yes, we went on a great adventure, but our abilities were reset. So don’t bother asking us about everything.

"We don’t know what happened in our forgotten memories. But perhaps you bards, with your brilliant inspiration, can 'deduce' it. Just please, add 'this is speculation' at the end!"

Feel free to use the Detective Mercenary Group’s IP and create whatever stories you like. I grant permission for fan works. Make money, but remember to add a disclaimer.

That should settle things.

I gave the warrior and rogue a thumbs-up after organizing the situation.

"But—couldn't we just explain that it was a game...?"

"...Hmph, or maybe we really did have such an adventure...?"

"?

That should do it. Those two were responsible for the crazy rumors in the first place. I’ve upheld my part of the deal.

But more importantly, there’s a session waiting. Leaving the warrior and rogue behind, I disappeared into the inn. It’s time for a new session.

Now.

I spread out the table, prepared paper and pens, and placed the dice. I then gave Sissel a brief explanation of TRPGs.

"Aha, so it’s role-playing. Then, the stories of Lucerne..."

"Yes, they’re fiction. Please make sure to explain that to the bards later."

"Understood. So... do we start by creating characters?"

"Yes. I’ll guide you through the tricky parts."

The participants were Sissel and Selvia. With fewer players, it’s easier to delve into deeper stories, so I prepared a slightly more serious scenario.

What kind of player would she be? Given she’s Yuna’s sister, she must have some similarities. But will she be the headstrong type?

Considering she brazenly walks around in a Bunny Princess costume, she probably won’t be awkward about it. Though, she doesn’t seem to share Yuna’s intellect.

My heart pounded with excitement. I was so happy!

It’s cold.

My chest feels like it’s frozen, about to shatter into pieces. If I looked in the mirror right now, I’d probably see winter reflected in the glass.

Selvia, too, was trembling with a pale face. Because the story had gone completely off the rails.

The atmosphere had long since gone south, but Sissel was the only one still brightly smiling.

"This TRPG hobby is really enjoyable!"

"..."

"..."

This is hell.

Yes, this is why I sometimes hate TRPGs. Forgotten nightmares tear open the locked doors of my memories and come crawling out. All the villains, human trash, and monsters you meet along the way!

Who would’ve thought Sissel Yurensto was one of those villains?

And she wasn’t just any villain—she was the worst kind, one who doesn’t even realize she’s doing something wrong, a troll purely driven by good intentions.

If she had been malevolent and passively aggressive, I could have just smacked her with the rulebook and kicked her out!

But she had no malice. She was simply enjoying TRPGs her own way.

There had been signs...

#1: Early in the adventure / Goblins attack the carriage.

Sissel Yurensto had stopped rolling the dice and asked.

"Given my character's backstory, where she’s a knight trained since childhood, why can’t she kill a goblin in one blow?"

"Huh? Well, because you rolled a 3..."

"But it doesn’t make sense for a trained knight to have a 4-in-20 chance of not killing a goblin. With this system, should I even have to roll to see if I’m breathing properly?"

She brought realism into the game.

The logic was that her character shouldn’t be unable to do something like this, given her background. If this had happened in the modern world, I could have retorted, "Have you ever trained as a knight yourself?"

But since she actually was a veteran knight, she calmly argued that this wasn’t historically accurate and that any knight who couldn’t one-shot a goblin wouldn’t have been knighted in the first place.

Of course, we tried to argue back—well, not me, but Selvia, who had snapped.

"Wait a minute, Bunny. Maybe your character is just... not that skilled? And maybe these goblins are tougher than usual, or you just got unlucky?"

"But the previous descriptions gave us an idea of what a Strength of 17 means. Given that my character lifted an iron gate earlier, someone with that level of physical prowess should be able to handle this without rolling—"

"And what do you do for a living?!"

"I don’t know why you’re angry, but if I’ve offended you, I apologize. However, from what I’ve heard from Sissel, I find it hard to understand..."

The ace knight of the Eastern Front... was citing herself as a reference.

Her argument wasn’t entirely unassailable. I’ve seen incompetent knights, and even a monkey falls from a tree—there’s a chance a goblin won’t be one-shot.

But the problem was Sissel Yurensto’s perception. She was a fully matured Enlightened user knocking on the door of transcendence—a true prodigy.

But having been compared and belittled all her life by her parents, with her sister already having transcended, she... thought she was average.

She believed anyone could reach her level if they just worked hard enough!

So, her question was a genuine, innocent inquiry about why a diligent knight couldn’t kill a goblin.

"...Ah, okay. The goblin is dead."

I patted Selvia on the shoulder and continued. This was something we could gradually adjust over time, to make her understand the implicit rules of the game.

That’s what I thought.

#2: Mid-adventure / The lord, who is the mastermind behind the incident, reveals his villainous side, setting up the final showdown.

"...We can’t do anything about the lord right now, so let’s pretend to go along with him for now and wait for the right moment. I’ll bow my head in frustration and..."

"Hmm. I’ll draw my sword. And point it at the lord."

"Wait, wait a second. You’re drawing your sword? The lord has dozens of troops around him, as just described. That’s a clear sign not to fight."

"But if I tolerate injustice, I am no longer a knight. I will attack the lord. Of course, my character is likely to die here, but that sacrifice will have meaning."

It was essentially a suicide declaration.

Even in games, final bosses sometimes reveal themselves early! This scene was one of those moments. It was obvious that this wasn’t the time to strike!

I seriously wondered if this was her passive-aggressively saying, "I hate your story, so I’d rather die."

But Sissel’s eyes were filled only with bright and clear determination. I asked again, this time with desperation.

"...Are you sure you want to do that?"

In the GM lexicon, this phrase has two meanings. First, it’s a warning that you’re going to die, and second, it’s a plea for the player to reconsider.

This time, it was the latter.

But Sissel remained resolute. She was unwavering.

"To risk one’s life meaninglessly... that’s the wrong answer. I know that. My friend told me so. But if there is a clear cause and goal, it’s different."

"..."

"My character has steeled herself. She cannot overlook injustice, and even if it costs her life, she will achieve her grand cause. And who knows... perhaps a miracle will occur in this dire battle."

"Let’s achieve that grand cause after retreating and preparing a bit more, shall we?!"

Selvia twisted in frustration, but Sissel remained unmoved. She seemed to be thinking of Karen.

Had I done something wrong? Should I have set up the build-up differently? Was it a mistake to change Sissel’s worldview and instill a new resolve in her...?

I...

I couldn’t just kill off everyone here...

"F-Fine. Let’s proceed. The lord then becomes furious and..."

Tearfully, I had to pull out the final battle stats I had reserved and secretly nerf them repeatedly so that Sissel and Selvia could win.

"Evil shall fall!"

"C-Curse you...!"

As the lord’s head was severed, the scenario I had prepared died with him.

Two NPCs didn’t get to appear, a side story about the lord’s weakness was quietly buried, and the true final boss’s plot thread was cut short.

Selvia quietly patted my back.

It’s okay. The ending came a bit sooner than expected, and there were quite a few unresolved plot points, but wrapping it up here wasn’t the worst thing.

"Y-Your adventure ends there..."

"Now, shall we go after the one called 'Shadow Hand'? We heard something about him at the tavern, didn’t we?"

"Huh? Uh, what?"

What are you talking about?

"As long as there are villains left, the journey isn’t over, is it?"

"..."

She... she wants to continue the session. Even after she herself split the main story in half, and now wants to keep going...?

Please. Please let there be malice.

Sissel, just realize I’m Karen, and you’re doing this to torment me, my dear sister-in-law!

But in her clear eyes... there was no malice. She was kind and good-hearted. She was just a bit clueless and bad at understanding TRPGs.

With a heavy heart, I closed my eyes. Selvia, too, looked utterly exhausted.

Goddess of the dice, I won’t touch a TRPG for a while, so please forgive me...

Someone. Someone save me, save us.

Someone, please!

Knock, knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door. Then a voice. It was the innkeeper.

"Excuse me, a person named Bennet is looking for you downstairs. Do you know him?"

"Bennet?!"

"Thank the gods!"

Our savior had arrived!

Selvia and I jumped to our feet.

"Unfortunately, we’ll have to end the session here. Something very urgent seems to have come up. Right, Selvia?"

"Yes, yes. Bennet wouldn’t have come all this way for nothing. It must be something serious and urgent. Games are great, but reality always comes first!"

Sissel spoke with regret.

"Oh, I see. That’s unfortunate... Could we continue after the matter is resolved?"

"..."

"...If the time and place are right, yes. Selvia, let’s go."

"Yes, big brother. Let’s go right away."

We grabbed each other’s hands and made a hasty escape to reality.

"Let’s cut to the chase. We’re being hunted by an Elf Ranger."

"..."

After weighing the hellish session we just endured against facing an Elf Ranger, I decided the latter might be easier to stomach.

I sat down at the table, adjusted my posture, and looked at Bennet, who had a crow perched on his shoulder.

"Could you tell me more about that?"