To Save My Favourite Character, I Decided To Destroy the Game’s Plot

We started interviewing customers on the condition that we would help Arjano's store, and only a few minutes later we found out what we wanted to know.

What? What has changed in the past year? Taxes, after all. guess The taxes have increased, the tax rate has gone up, and it's hard to make a living.

It seems that the policies that had been in place prior to the change of rulers had suddenly turned into one-sided taxation.

The fact that there were several voices bemoaning the increase in taxes shows that this is a serious problem.

　Furthermore---.

"And they don't even tell us what they are spending the tax money on. I understand that the aristocrats are powerful, but I wish they would think a little bit more about us."

Apparently, the use of the taxpayer's money is not fully made public.

Since O'Brien became the actual ruler, there has been no effective use of taxpayer money for public works projects.

If that is the case, it can be expected that most of it is in their bosom.

　After all, he seems to be a person who has a great deal of insecurity apart from being a brilliant person.

　Arthur, who had been listening to my investigation, also spoke up to criticize the current system.

"I have some bad things I could have done recently!"

'Really? What's going on?'

'Oh. Homelessness lately? There are more and more kids who don't have a place to live. It's good for those who can be picked up by Shisho like us, but what's the story with the homeless? There are so many kids that there are not enough orphanages.

"Really? That's all it takes?"

　You think they're taking money from the side to pay for it?

'Seriously. Shisho is giving these kids jobs in order".

"Hmm."

　I and Vasel looked at each other silently when we heard that.

　The store that Arjano seems to be running as a hobby, if Arthur is right, also serves to help orphans.

By making children who have no choice but to beg to work, she eliminates the time they waste, helps them learn to speak the bare minimum of the language, and even gives them money.

It is unbelievable that Argiano is helping the children who should be saved by the city's upper management instead.

　It's not exactly a compliment when you consider that behind the scenes, there is a logic that benefits the Ulgor evil cult.

'I see."

When I summarized the information obtained from the interviews in this way, I found that all of it was critical of the current system.

The citizens are probably suffering from the gap between what was decent before O'Brien became ruler and what was decent before he became ruler.

------ This is quite messy.

These people who are means to an end for the sake of wealth and prestige can lose sight of making rational decisions when things go wrong for them.

I don't know if this is true even for the former brilliant O'Brien, but it would be very bad to go into battle with an uncertain situation.

　Should we follow basic tactics, but be prepared to move on our own when the time comes?

　Well, Schneizel and the others have probably already thought about that.

　All I can do is to take the best course of action in the moment.

The best I can do in this situation is to either get something that will make me no longer trust O'Brien, or to investigate to the point of total unreliability and then make my own preparations.

Because if the current system in Ausstatt is deliberately designed for some purpose, then it could defend O'Brien, depending on the purpose.

--- though there is little possibility of such a thing.

"Well then, thank you very much."

"Thank you for your cooperation. Now if you'll excuse us".

　After we finished our investigation, we thanked Argiano and the others and parted ways with them.

"Nothing occurred, right?"

"Yes, nothing happened. We were prepared for the attacker from two years ago, who we thought would definitely try something."

After leaving Arjano's without a hitch, we breathed a sigh of relief and moved on to our next goal.

This time, we would hear from the nobility, especially the Marquess Strahl.

I don't know how much value there is in the information we can get from Strahl, but for now, I want to hear as much as I can...

With this in mind, we asked the Marquess Strahl herself again and also sought information from her close associates, but nothing that would change the current situation came from the former noblewoman and the nobles surrounding her.

　Is that to be expected?

There is too much of a difference in power between the old military men who have been fighting in the aristocratic society for decades, such as in political disputes over the Grand General, and just the noble daughters and their cronies.

It is difficult for us to even get information from them.

　So they would be at a loss.

If we took the trouble, we might be able to find out O'Brien's true intentions, but there was no time to spare to do so.

There is a war in sight, and we have to deal with it first.

So I decided to give up further investigation---in other words, I decided not to trust O'Brien and to be prepared for any crisis.

　The joint training would be a good opportunity to assess their capabilities. In case they were weak---what should I do?

　Huh?

If the army is left in O'Brien's hands, we, who are out of it, will never have much impact on the battlefield.

We can't just suddenly take over the command.

If that happens, what should I do?

　Run away? No, no, no way.

Arthur is in this city. If I can't protect him, I'll lose one of humanity's trump cards.

That would be a loss that can't be ignored.

　What? Wait...?

If O'Brien is not available, that means we'll have to do something on our own, right?

Ha-ha-ha.

　That's impossible.

In the past, I've been able to handle things, but that's because it was on a smaller scale. There is nothing much to do for me and my associates in a place where tens of thousands of people are fighting.

　No, but if we have to twist it out of the way when the time comes---no, wouldn't it be a solution if we took Arthur and ran away?

　But in Arcue, Arcadia won the war in Ausstadt.

If they lose and the reality drastically deviates from the history of the game, how in the world will it affect us?

The day of the joint training session arrives, leaving many uncertainties.