I'm currently inside Rearo.

If you're wondering why I'm riding an NPC when things were going well, here's what happened. The Tower Master looked up at me and said:

"Hey... you know, would you like to go in together?"

From that moment, my heart started racing violently, and my mouth went dry. I couldn't contain my rising excitement.

I pretended not to understand and asked:

"Where to?"

Please be the simulation.

Please be TRPG.

Please be a session.

"Umm... like last time, with the 2nd Prince, you directly controlled someone during the climax? I wanted to try it too... is that okay?"

A newbie!!!

Never in my life had I heard such a romantic and sexy confession. Inwardly thanking every god I knew, I tried my best to calm my emotions.

Making a fuss now would ruin everything. Statistically, the more excited you act, the more dramatically your chances of success plummet. That's an eternal truth.

Stay calm. I need to respond casually, as if it's nothing special... like it's as trivial as my nose itching from a passing breeze...!

"D-do whatever you want. Hmph."

"...What kind of reaction is that?"

"Yahooo!!!"

Ah, no. I meant that I'm really happy about it.

"Did your thoughts and words get mixed up...?"

There was a slight emotional control mishap, but who cares? What matters is that the Tower Master and I are doing a session together. If I had to name the person I'm closest to among everyone I've met in this other world, it would undoubtedly be the Tower Master.

I was overjoyed that the Tower Master seemed interested in TRPG.

I was practically drooling at the thought of gently guiding a newbie. If she has a good experience here... we could do other things too. I had so many things I wanted to do. The evening twilight would be nice... Fiasco wouldn't be bad either...

For these reasons, the Tower Master and I jumped into a session to entertain the Princess.

Experience suggests it would be better to create a new character that I could fully immerse myself in, but the Thousand-Li Escape was approaching its climax. Adding a new face at this point would make the story messy.

Also, it was uncertain whether a new face would work. The 1st Princess didn't drop her suspicions even after being directly hit by my one-shot that drew out and blossomed my very soul... She's a formidable character who isn't easily led.

What I created with illusion magic was merely a sense of reality. Using hypnosis and brainwashing isn't TRPG. So moving the player's heart must be done by my hand alone.

So we ride existing characters.

I take Rearo.

And the Tower Master takes Pero.

In my case, it's no problem since practically all the NPCs are essentially me with a bit of exaggeration. The Tower Master seemed fine for Pero since they share a similar vibe. Aren't they both cute and a bit awkward?

I could cover any minor mistakes.

Let's bring up role theory here.

Every character is assigned a role. This applies both in the big picture and in smaller contexts. Some aspects remain constant, while others change depending on the situation.

Understanding your position and creating the right atmosphere accordingly—this can be one way to craft a good story.

Let me organize the current situation:

The protagonist (1st Princess) and heroine (Pero), who were enjoying a pure one-shot romance, were interrupted by a white-haired, squinty-eyed ruffian. The protagonist wants to extract information from Squinty.

To put it more bluntly:

Protagonist <= Extracts information / Is in a state of despair

So I need to "provide information" and "enhance the despair angle." That's my mission in this scene. To intensify the tension.

What about Pero?

Pero is a character hiding something. Although he feels attraction toward Elaine, his hesitation prevents him from revealing his secrets. "He wouldn't want Rearo to reveal the secret" and "ultimately, he would want Elaine's approval."

Pero had many options. He could try to stop Rearo from talking, thus piquing curiosity about the secret, or he could confess to the 1st Princess first and shake things up.

If it were me... if I were Pero, I would roleplay as someone who frets anxiously but ultimately fails to stop Rearo, then trembles like a rain-soaked puppy, fearing Elaine might abandon him after learning his secret.

What about the Tower Master? How will she interpret Pero's character, and what will she try to do?

This is a chance to see the Tower Master's instincts.

Sizzle, sizzle.

The three travelers were lost in thought, silently watching the properly cooking jerky.

Elaine appeared calm as she stared at the campfire, but I could see it. Her mind was crowded with various thoughts. The key point was that her gaze was fixed on the campfire.

She looked neither at Espero nor at Rearo. This meant she was still wavering, unable to make a decision. Simultaneously, it was a brilliant gaze treatment symbolizing her inability to face either "hope" or "reality."

What about Pero (Tower Master)? The small boy was glancing alternately at Elaine and Rearo. His expression showed anxiety and confusion—excellent acting. Good sense of eye movement too.

I—Rearo—was looking at Elaine. This gaze partly reflected the character setting of being somewhat lecherous, but it was also a metaphor that "reality" is always watching you. Can you ever be free from reality by escaping to the campfire?

The silence had lasted long enough. The suspense was deliciously built.

I (Rearo) licked my lips. Starting lightly.

"Perhaps you could tell me a story? While sitting in silence has its charm, personally... I'm curious about what adventures you've had with Espero."

"..."

The 1st Princess remained silent. It didn't matter whether she answered or not. This question was meant to make her mentally revisit their journey so far.

While silence isn't bad since it can draw out delicious monologues... I don't like when conversation flow breaks. Would Pero (Tower Master) pick it up?

Pero blushed and fidgeted. Yes, that response was excellent! It meant the small boy was recalling the numerous lucky pervert moments from their journey. Rearo wouldn't miss such nonverbal cues—

I (Rearo) made a troubled expression and spoke in a subtle tone:

"...Well, it seems you've had quite different adventures than I expected. Haha..."

I shot a carefully crafted glance implying, "So you've been having that kind of time with this tiny shota on your so-called journey." The response was immediate.

"It's not like that, so you'd better watch your gaze, Rearo."

"I wonder what kind of gaze you think I gave... no, please put down your fist."

One segment cleanly concluded. With the refresher done, it was time to start the main engine.

"I... don't particularly like silence. I hope you'll understand. After experiencing a ruined village where no one answers when you call the names of friends and neighbors... Somehow, my body gets itchy when it's quiet."

This was setting up "Pero did it!"

"..."

"So I'll be the storyteller. The jerky seems well-cooked now. Please listen comfortably while you eat."

The implication was: listen uncomfortably while Pero tells the story of how he destroyed his hometown.

I gave Pero (Tower Master) a cold stare. It was appropriately chilling, as if looking at the enemy of the village, but it was also asking the Tower Master, "What are you going to do now?"

Pero, with a face clouded by confusion, inadvertently looked at the 1st Princess and raised his voice:

"...E-Elaine, I!"

"..."

The boy's mouth opened and closed as if trying to say something, but ultimately he couldn't utter a word. Staggering, he spoke in a gloomy voice:

"I, I'll... go look around."

"...You don't really need to look around. I told you the plains are safe, Pero."

"...Better safe than sorry. We did encounter that giant mutant..."

Despite Elaine trying to stop him using the plains as an excuse, Pero left, mumbling excuses. I mentally gave a standing ovation. How could someone doing TRPG for the first time choose only actions that were so perfect?

Tower Master, are you saying you're a genius not just in magic, seduction, and cuteness, but in TRPG too?!

Since Pero (Tower Master) had left to give Elaine space to worry, I should focus on giving Elaine something to worry about. Though the scene was brief, the Tower Master and I seemed to work well together.

This is truly enjoyable...!

Purple Tower Master Yuna was genuinely surprised.

Her plan had been this: Before "The Thing's" progress increased further, Yuna wanted to take measures against him.

The measure was to exploit the session's narration.

It was a magical attempt to have him narrate himself, observe "The Thing" dwelling within him, and separate it. Once the observation rate reached 100%, he would be able to face the curse residing within himself.

She had urgently pushed this forward thinking there wasn't much time left before he was consumed, after seeing his despair angle in the 1st Princess's session...

But he was... more normal than expected.

He was "playing" while thinking through each aspect of the TRPG game structure, which meant there was quite a bit of time left. For both Yuna and him.

That was fortunate. She could gradually increase the observation rate each time he ran a session. If she did that, it wouldn't be too late. Good.

However, what surprised her was something else.

After realizing that the urgent matter wasn't actually urgent, Yuna, now with some breathing room, decided to enjoy this TRPG in her own way. By creating a happy ending!

She felt sorry for Elaine, who couldn't trust people due to trauma, and for Pero, who was similarly on the run. The conflicts, suspicions, and misunderstandings between them seemed... very trivial to Yuna.

If just one person—either one would do—

If they just confessed outright, everything would be resolved!

She wondered if he would be angry if she forced a happy ending with a confession attack... but she wanted Elaine to be happy... After brief consideration, Yuna decided to go for the confession.

She had planned to convey Pero's feelings with "I love you" before he could spill everything through Rearo's body.

But the words wouldn't come out.

It seemed as if Pero's body, which Yuna was occupying, was resisting.

As if saying, "That's something I must say myself."

In the darkness beyond the campfire's light, having escaped under the pretext of scouting, Tower Master Yuna carefully murmured:

"...Are you alive, Pero...? Are you... in here right now?"

Pero answered with a heartbeat.