Reincarnated as the Final Boss of an Eroge, but I Just Want a Peaceful Life After the Game Ends - Chapter 16: Sophie Roa

Chapter 16: Sophie Roa

TLN: Changed [Multithreading★] to [Parallel Thought★]

I returned once more to East Hill Tower.

From my supply pouch, I took out the key and made my way down into the underground levels.

Last time I came here, I was nervous since my level was too low, but after some serious power leveling in Bahamul, it was a breeze.

The dungeon had five floors above ground and twenty below.

The dungeon boss was a level 60 Stone Golem.

Using [Mighty Guard], I held out against its powerful finishing move.

It didn’t take long to clear the fight, and I safely obtained the [Skill Crystal: Parallel Thought★].

On the way back up, I gave [Parallel Thought★] a try—and yeah, it was pretty great. Actually, it was really strong.

After that, I left the door to the underground levels unlocked and moved on to my next destination.

Over the next month, I explored various dungeons around the royal capital, collecting anything that looked useful.

Once I had gathered enough, I decided to return to the Bahamul Territory.

It had been just over two months since Karen and I left Bahamul together.

Now, I figured I could finally enjoy some peace and quiet.

That’s what I thought.

“Hello there. Welcome back.”

“Huh? Wha—Wait, what!?”

When I returned to the small, run-down estate that passed for a local lord’s mansion… waiting for me was Sophie Roa.

“Why are you here?”

“Well, I was a bit worried about you, Sir Tasuku. And since Bahamul doesn’t have an adventurers’ guild, I got curious about what kind of place it was. So… I came.”

She smiled at me with that gentle, soothing expression—completely unbothered.

But still… wait, why!?

You’re a main heroine! You’re not supposed to just show up here!

“Ah, by the way, Lady Ivelia and Lady Karen went into the forest. They’ll be gone for about a week. They asked me to greet you when you returned, so here I am.”

“Okay, I get that part. But what about the adventurers’ guild?”

“Oh, I quit the guild. Bahamul is such a lovely place. Lady Karen and I got really into a conversation about cooking, and the ingredients here are amazing—meat, fish, vegetables, everything tastes so fresh and delicious. I even got permission from Lady Ivelia, so I decided to stay here and help out.”

What is this—like a runaway train? Charging forward with zero warning?

Is this what people mean by “doing things at your own pace”?

Still, even putting that aside, the courage it must’ve taken for her to travel all the way to the edge of the Kingdom of Eternia by herself is no joke.

I mean, how did it even come to this?

“Also, I found out Sir Tasuku wasn’t your real name. The guild actually has magical tools that can detect lies and expose false identities during registration, but when you registered, it didn’t trigger at all. That’s seriously impressive. So what kind of person is the real you, Lord Sidol?”

Tasuku was my name from my previous life, so it’s kind of a gray area—but technically not a lie.

If the guild’s magic tool had flagged it, I would’ve just registered under Sidol instead.

But it didn’t.

“Well, a lot’s happened, I guess.”

“Adventurers tend to have complicated pasts, right? I understand. I won’t pry. I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side since I’ll be relying on you here.”

Sophie tilted her head, resting her right hand gently against her cheek.

Just looking at her felt healing…

“Anyway, no point in standing around outside. Come on in.”

She led me into the living room.

“Oh, and let me take your robe. If you’d like to change first, please go ahead.”

She was acting just like a wife welcoming her husband home.

It felt kind of awkward—I wasn’t used to being treated like this.

After I changed and returned to the living room, Sophie had already started preparing a meal.

“Sorry, I feel kind of bad. You’re a guest and you’re doing all this.”

“Not at all. I’m not a guest—I’m going to be working here. I’m a servant now, remember? Lady Ivelia gave me permission, and Lady Karen approved too.”

“So… the only one left to decide was me?”

“Pretty much. But Lady Karen said if Lady Ivelia gave her approval, then you’d definitely be fine with it too.”

“Well, you’re already here, so it’s not like I can just send you back now. Alright, you’re officially part of the staff then.”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

And just like that, Sophie Roa officially became a servant at the village estate in Bahamul Territory.

Leaving her to finish up in the kitchen, I returned to my room, cleaned my gear, and then headed back downstairs to the dining area.

A single serving of food had been neatly set out at my usual seat.

Sophie was still in the kitchen, working on something.

She was right there in my line of sight.

It felt kind of lonely eating by myself, especially when she must be hungry too.

We usually ate together around here, so I figured it’d be nice to do the same with Sophie.

“Miss Sophie, aren’t you going to eat?”

“I’m a servant, so I shouldn’t be dining with the master.”

“Really? Since I got here, everyone’s always eaten together. So why not join me this time?”

“Are you sure? From what I’ve heard, you were disinherited, but not officially cast out, right? That means you still have noble status… I just thought it might be improper.”

“Ivelia told me that, unlike the capital, in Bahamul people don’t bother with ranks or treat others differently because of their status. Besides, you’re a noble’s daughter yourself, aren’t you?”

“That’s true… They do say ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ after all… Alright. If you’re inviting me, then I’ll gladly eat with you, Lord Sidol.”

The dishes laid out on the table were surprisingly well-prepared.

Some of them were clearly recipes Sophie had learned from Karen, while others felt more like Sophie’s own home-style cooking.

After finishing with the plating, Sophie sat down directly across from me.

Her large chest softly rested on the table as she leaned forward.

Big really is… something else.

“Let’s eat.”

With that, we began our meal.

In front of me was a barley risotto cooked with milk and cheese.

The main dish was a river fish roasted with herbs, served with a side of vegetables and a simple soup.

I took a bite of each.

They were all delicious.

I was already spoiled by Karen’s cooking, so it wasn’t mind-blowingly good—but it was still very tasty.

The flavors were honest and down-to-earth.

You could call it a cozy, home-cooked kind of meal.

As I savored the food, I noticed Sophie staring at me with a serious look in her eyes

“How does it taste?”

“It’s good. Very comforting, if I had to put it into words.”

Sophie let out a small breath of relief and finally started eating as well.

“I’m so glad to hear that. Compared to Lady Karen’s cooking, mine doesn’t even stand a chance.”

“I don’t know about that. I think your food’s great in its own way.”

If I had to describe it, Karen’s cooking was the kind that energized you.

Sophie’s, on the other hand, was warm and soothing.

Her cooking matched her gentle aura—healing and kind.

Absolutely wonderful.

“By the way, Lord Sidol… there’s something I’d like to ask, if that’s alright?”

After we’d settled down from the meal, Sophie brought up a question.

The way she asked made it sound like this was going to be a long one.

“Sure, go ahead.”

…For some reason, whenever I talk to Sophie, I end up slipping into polite speech too.

“First off, I’d heard that you had… passed away. But no body was ever found. We did get word about your appointment to Bahamul, but after that, there was no information at all.”

“Yeah, about that—when I left the capital, I was targeted by an assassin. So I’ve been keeping a low profile while acting as the lord’s stand-in here.”

“I see… I’d heard there was an incident at the academy involving Saintess Hanna and Sir Ars, the squire of House Faustler’s military forces. But the Lord Sidol I heard about from those stories… and the Lord Sidol I’m seeing now—they just feel like two completely different people. It was hard to believe either version. But after meeting you as Lord Tasuku at the guild, things started to make sense. You’re nothing like the rumors made you out to be.”

“Well… thank you, I guess…”

“And one more thing—about Lady Ivelia. How is she still alive?”

“There were belongings recovered, and she was declared dead, you know? But when I asked her, she said you saved her. She also said that you stole nearly every ounce of her maiden heart… Did you do something to her, Lord Sidol?”

Oh wow…

Lady Ivelia, just what exactly did you tell her?

“I found Ivelia collapsed and brought her back to safety. She wasn’t waking up, so I brought her here to Bahamul. I guess… you could call it a kind of abduction?”

“For something like that, she sure seems happy about it, doesn’t she?”

“If that’s the case, then I’m glad.”

“But—How did you save her exactly? I mean, this is just a guess… but do you happen to have a skill that lets you suddenly appear or disappear? Or something that makes you harder to detect? Because otherwise, how would you have carried her out of that crowded arena without anyone noticing?”

Wow…

Sophie really was sharp.

And she wasn’t wrong—

It was all thanks to one of my skills.

But she didn’t know that she herself had skills on the level of unique abilities.

“If you can promise to keep what I say strictly confidential—including things about you—then I’ll explain everything without holding anything back. Can you make that promise?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I left the adventurers’ guild and came all the way out here to this remote place, remember? Isn’t that proof enough?”

“Alright then. Let’s agree to keep this between us.”

“Yes, of course.”

Sophie smiled sweetly and tilted her head.

Her large chest swayed gently—truly a beautiful sight.

And so, I told her everything.

No lies. No secrets.

“I see… so that’s what happened. Now it all makes sense. Still, you even took care of Lady Ivelia’s… more personal needs? That basically makes you her husband already! Of course she’d say you stole her maiden heart. You really need to take responsibility, you know?”

Coming from Sophie, that sounded oddly convincing.

Well, I had already made peace with that part.

I saved someone who was supposed to die, and brought her back with me.

I was already prepared to take responsibility for that.

While I was thinking about it, Sophie continued.

“So, what did you mean about me earlier?”

“I meant your skills. I have [Appraisal★], so…”

I went on to explain her status, including her class and all the ★-rated skills she had.

“…That actually explains a lot. I always wondered why I was so good at sensing things or running away. Now I get it.”

Unlike in the game, where you could just check the main heroine’s status from the party menu, people here didn’t seem to know how to check their own stats at all.

“Are you really okay trusting me that easily? I mean, I’m that Sidol Meltrix. The arrogant, creepy, ugly, weakest piece of trash—Sidol Meltrix.”

“To me, you’re the Lord Tasuku who cleared quests fast, rose through the ranks quickly, and single-handedly wiped out a clan of Gold-ranked adventurers.”

To Sophie, I wasn’t Sidol Meltrix—I was Tasuku.

That impression had taken over completely.

“Your adventurer ID listed your origin as the Bahamul Territory, and that got me curious, so I did some digging. The adventurers’ guild usually has a branch in every town and city across the territories, but Bahamul doesn’t have a single one. Then I started wondering how someone like Lord Tasuku could gain the power to single-handedly take down a Gold-rank adventurer clan without killing a single person. So I left the royal capital’s guild to find out for myself.”

Still, she was a heroine from the game—one of the main heroines in Eternia III and IV.

And on top of that, one of the rare big-breasted characters.

Ars liked big boobs, didn’t he?

Was this going to be okay?

“And another reason I quit the guild was because of a boy around your age who became an adventurer last year—his name is Ars, from Umiberi Village. He had such a sleazy, creepy stare. He’d always bring girls with him, but then just sit there with his mouth half open, ogling their chests the whole time. I really didn’t want to be at the counter when he was around. And when I had to deal with him, something would stab into my head—like this intense, painful pressure. It started happening a few months ago, and he’s been hovering around ever since. I got so fed up that I wanted a clean break. So I figured, if I was going to start fresh, I might as well go to the furthest frontier from the capital—Bahamul, the place where Lord Tasuku came from.”

So it seemed she had her own reasons for coming here too.

Still… Ars… what the hell are you even doing?

“And then when I got here, I found out that Lady Ivelia—who was supposed to be dead—was alive. I asked around for someone named Lord Tasuku, but no one knew the name. Then I was told it was actually Lord Sidol. And when I asked, ‘Wait, Lord Sidol? As in that Lord Sidol—the awful one?’ Lady Ivelia almost killed me on the spot! Thankfully, Lady Karen stepped in and calmed things down, so I survived… but it was seriously rough. You lied to me with a fake name and everything, so now you have to take responsibility, okay?”

Sophie… was she always this bold?

In the game, her stats were low and she wasn’t very effective in battle, so most players just saw her as a “special event” character and left her out of their party.

But to me—my past self, Tasuku Takamura—she was my favorite.

She had the ideal face and body type, and she was my number-one heroine.

That’s why I always included her in my party.

“Thanks again for all your help back then.”

Those words almost slipped out of my mouth.

That’s how much I liked her in my past life.

Even though she wasn’t much help in combat and was a hard character to use,

In Violation of Eternia IV, they at least gave her a unique bonus: having her in the party increased your movement speed.

“I understand your situation now, Miss Sophie. Sounds like things were really tough for you.”

“My chest draws attention from women too, not just men, so I’ve just given up on that part… But being followed around or aggressively hit on—that’s still scary, no matter what.”

Sitting across from me, Sophie suddenly lifted her breasts with both hands, emphasizing their size.

Is there a man alive who wouldn’t get glued to that sight?

I wanted to say something like you have my sympathy, but bringing up breasts in a situation like this—where it’s just the two of us—felt way too awkward.

Once she lowered her hands again, she continued speaking.

“This place may be in the middle of nowhere, but for some reason, there are a lot of young women around. It feels safe. It’s a really nice village. The security’s good too—Oh! Right, the dungeon! Why is there a dungeon here!? It hasn’t even been officially reported, has it?”

She was talking about the dungeon deep within the Bahamul Forest—the one we just casually called Bahamul Forest.

It had already been explored up to around the 90th floor.

But it was an unreported dungeon, meaning the kingdom didn’t even know about it.

Normally, once a dungeon is discovered, it’s required by law to be reported through the adventurers’ guild.

But since Bahamul had no guild, I’d used that as an excuse to skip reporting it altogether.

Apparently, Sophie had figured that out too.

“I discovered it not long after I arrived here. But since there’s no adventurers’ guild in Bahamul, I concluded that there was no obligation to report it… so I left it alone.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Still, why doesn’t Bahamul have an adventurers’ guild branch?”

That was something both Ivelia and I had wondered too.

Bahamul Territory was land granted to a baron and sealed off as a frontier settlement.

That’s the official explanation.

But in reality, it probably just meant they were trying to quietly push us out of the kingdom.

Since the area had no real prospects for growth, the adventurer’s guild never bothered to build a branch here.

That was likely the reason.

“Well, if there’s no guild, then there’s no way to file a report. The rule is that you report it to the nearest guild in the territory, and they forward it to the kingdom. But if there’s no guild in the territory, then technically there’s no obligation. So you’re right.”

“Glad you understand. Can I ask you to keep quiet about the dungeon for a while?”

“Of course! Honestly, without a guild here, there’s no one who can even act on it. So it’s only natural!”

With Sophie giving me her full support, it seemed like leaving the dungeon as-is wouldn’t be a problem.

Reporting it might only attract reckless adventurers.

And with how high-leveled the monsters were inside, that would just lead to more danger.

Anyone coming in from the outside would already be struggling just to get through the forest, let alone reach the dungeon.

Satisfied with our conversation, Sophie cheerfully returned to her housework.

For the next few days—until Ivelia and Karen returned—it was just the two of us in the house.

But nothing lewd happened at all.

Even though she was one of the main heroines, unless you followed the proper event path, nothing spicy ever happened.

That realization… actually put me at ease.