[The Painless Player] Chapter 4

“…Gasp! Uh, I-I… um…”

My avatar opened her eyes, realizing she was resting on Serena's lap. Startled, I shot up instantly.

Flustered, I clutched the hem of my clothes, unsure what to do.

The trembling hands and rabbit-like expression of fear perfectly fit the pitiful heroine concept.

Why were all the choices in this playthrough like this?

Thanks to this, my initial sharp reaction was forcibly rebranded into a “wounded girl” narrative.

“I-I’m sorry…”

I delivered the final blow to the visibly confused Serena and Adel.

Serena looked completely at a loss.

[Adel’s affection level increases by 1.]

At least it was the right choice, though I felt bad for making things so awkward for Serena.

“Anastasia.”

Serena reached out toward me but withdrew her hand when she saw my avatar shrink back. Her fingers hovered uncertainly in the air for a moment.

“…Let’s head to the dining hall.”

With that, I suddenly found myself standing inside the dining hall.

***

“I hope the food suits your taste.”

It was time for a pleasant meal. Normally, we’d sit at opposite ends of the table, but Serena sat right next to me.

“Here.”

Curious, I realized she was cutting up my steak and handing it to me. Starting with an affection level of 57 really changed things.

In later chapters, private meals with Serena were rare, so this felt strangely fresh.

“...Thank you.”

I wasn’t about to refuse. I stabbed the sizable piece of steak with my fork. Rich juices spilt out, accompanied by a faint glow of magical energy.

[Chapter 1: The Wizard’s Tower]

This was Serena’s reinforcement period immediately following the prologue.

While it seemed like a dull and straightforward section, the first chapter had significant influence later on.

[You consume the wizard’s food.]

[Magic energy imbues your body.]

Though *Raison d’être* was a dating sim, it had plenty of action elements. Characters didn’t have detailed stats, but their combat traits were distinct.

Following the classic hero genre, the player’s default class was a swordsman.

In Chapter 2, I’d be chosen as the Hero of the Sacred Sword, and the amount of magic accumulated beforehand would determine my permanent awakening abilities.

The easiest way to gather magic was by eating meals in the Magic Tower.

For smooth gameplay, it was best to eat as much as possible in Chapter 1.

Thanks to Serena’s high affection, today’s meal looked even better than usual.

[Warning! HP has dropped to the yellow zone.]

Wait, what?

A sudden warning window popped up just as I was about to stand.

“Urgh, ugh!”

Black blood spilt from my mouth.

Dumbfounded, I opened the status window. As the warning indicated, my HP, which should have been in the green, had dropped dangerously close to the yellow zone.

What was going on?

“Anastasia!”

All I’d eaten was a single piece of steak.

While the Magic Tower’s food was infused with magic, for the Neon Clan, magic was a remedy, not poison.

The system didn’t show a “poisoned” status effect, so the food couldn’t have contained actual toxins.

This completely violated the game’s established rules.

Was this a bug? Or was this part of the “Full Ending Clear” patch?

If the difficulty increased, my competitive spirit would kick in, but this was entirely unexpected…

“Anastasia! Stay with me!”

“Gah!”

Serena's urgent cry snapped me out of my thoughts. As the status window automatically closed, Serena came into focus.

“What should I—? A healer, no, a priest—”

Serena, pale as a sheet, clung to me. Her voice, fragmented and desperate, poured out like shattered glass.

*Serena…*

Whenever I was seriously injured or died in the game, Serena was always like this. There wasn’t anyone in real life who would worry about me like that.

Not just Serena—under the premise of high affection, every character in *Raison d’être* would willingly lay down their life for me.

Even Illya had said as much in the previous run.

I couldn’t help but find them all endearing again. Gently, I held Serena’s trembling hands and spoke in a soft voice.

“Serena, calm down.”

“How can I possibly stay calm?”

“I’m fine.”

It wasn’t just empty words—I really was fine. Even if the game had bugs or my avatar got injured or died, it had no effect on my real body.

Pain and other negative sensations were blocked in advance, so I was always okay in the game.

“But… the blood…”

To Serena, however, this world was her reality. Her concern was only natural.

I wanted to ease her worries, even just a little. While it felt nice to be cared for, the protagonist’s suffering was always the most pointless thing in these games.

Avoiding her gaze slightly, I said, “It’s a common occurrence. And it doesn’t hurt.”