64 The Meeting

Letty's POV:

I ran a detailed investigation on the suspect, and sure enough, he was caught delivering a report to someone in the royal capital about our company's recent affairs.

And the funny thing is, he was using Mana-Comm to deliver his findings. By recording his call, we had all the proof we needed to apprehend him.

As I was reading the report, Aria nudged me and said, "Letty, Mom just called me. They are cutting their vacation short and returning home. Actually, she got a summons to the palace along with all the other nobles. Apparently, a sea-dragon is threatening the north-western coast of our kingdom, and they are forming a large subjugation party for it".

Sea Dragons, I've only seen them in books and other illustrations. It must be a big deal if Teacher has to return from her vacation to attend.

"A Sea Dragon! That's terrifying. But wait, does that mean that Teacher is going to participate in the subjugation? That's so dangerous", I asked.

"It is, but Dad always says to never underestimate her. She has never shown me her abilities. Heck, I don't even know what her class is; she always says that it's unimportant", she said. 

She used her skill Evasive Aura to form a semi transparent shield in front of her finders and said,

"But after I used that skill scroll for Evasive Aura, she told me in private that everyone from the Emperor's family is a monster in regards to fire power. The Crown Princess is said to defeat such sea-dragons alone, without any kind of aid. So if Mom has even half as much firepower as her, she'll be absolutely fine".

"Is she really that powerful? I've never seen her practice before. What if something bad happens? Is it really necessary for her to go?" I asked.

"So am I. But I just spoke to her, and she doesn't seem the least bit worried. She spoke about the sea-dragon as some wild animal running rogue instead of a monster running havoc. So she'll probably be fine", she said.

"I see. That's a relief".

"Is that the report about the spy in your hand? Show me", she said, looking at the document in my hand.

"As you can see, we had all the proof we needed thanks to your 'Recorder', so we apprehended him. He's currently being interrogated as we speak", I said.

"Wow, that was quick… Great job, Letty. A good girl needs to be rewarded", she said, sneakily pulling my waist closer to herself. 

Surprised, I half yelled, "Eep! Not now, wait till after we reach home", before quickly distancing myself from her.

"Mou~ We've both been so busy lately, and now Mom's gonna be back too", she said.

I kind of want to indulge her. But according to the knowledge I've gathered from Miss Bella's books, sometimes girls should play hard. And she should be focusing on her work anyway.

"Hehehe, all the maids are gossiping about finding us in various compromising positions. I'll be surprised if Teacher doesn't know about it already. Anyway, don't forget we have a meeting with Mr. Ethan this evening". I said as I made my way towards the door.

"Sigh, yes. And that reminded me that I also need to talk to you about something important tonight. So be prepared", she said.

Unlike the atmosphere a few seconds ago, she seemed somewhat tense. I wonder what she wants to talk about…

***

Aria's POV:

We made our way to the meeting destination to meet the protagonist.

Hah, let's hope all goes well. Given all the information I've heard about him so far, I can see this chat going one of these three ways: 

First, the protagonist has all those fancy skills and is genuinely concerned about Letty. 

Second, the protagonist is a reincarnator like myself; that's how he knows about Letty's slave status and wants to 'save' her. 

And lastly… he is a reincarnator and wants to possess my Letty. God forbid if that's the case, I'm going to blast my Taser gun at maximum output and have my shadow guards deal with him.

"We are here, Aria. Remember, we are under cover today, so try to maintain it", Letty reminded me.

"Yeah, I know. You don't need to worry about me".

Upon entering, I quickly recognized the protagonist as the young man surrounded by women on both sides. It feels more like a date than a meeting. This guy! Does he have no respect for nobles?

Appearance-wise, he looks somewhat handsome. If being squeezed by two women on the seat wasn't enough to draw everyone's attention, his massive sword resting beside the table sure does the job.

The sword looks unique, but I'm not surprised. As the protagonist, it's only natural that he is able to obtain such treasures with ease.

The two women noticed my gaze and got silent. The protagonist stood up and said, "Miss Letica, or should I call you Miss Lia? It's a pleasure to meet you again. And Miss Aria, you look lovely as always".

Tch, does he think I can't see him staring at my Letty?

"Letica would do", Letty replied.

Grr…

I whispered to her, "See Letty, he's up to no good. Look at how he's gawking at you"

"No, he's not. And stop growling at him. You are a lady of House Ernius. It doesn't suit you", she whispered back.

"Hmph"

"Good evening. It seems you are busy with your… dates?" Letty said.

"W-We are just friends. I-It's not like that between us. We are just here to accompany him", the girl on the left timidly said.

Suree, you are just friends..

"Hehe, Miss Bella told me that you wanted to meet me. Please have a seat. And as I promised her, I won't use any of my skills, so it won't be like last time", he raised his hands up and then offered us the opposite seats.

It's good that he knows his place. I've ordered the shadow guards to attack him in case he tries to use any skills on us. Now I need to establish one thing before we start.

I looked at the protagonist and said, "So, Ethan, have you ever had an uncontrollable urge to Google something that doesn't exist here?"

He visibly flinched and then burst out laughing, "Hahaha, I knew it. You are like me too!".

So I was correct.

He asked his party members to sit across another table to give us some privacy, while looking at me expectantly as if asking Letty to follow the suite.

"No need; she knows everything", I said.

"Wow, no way! It seems the situation is weirder than expected. As much as I want to talk to you about Earth right now, just know that I won't let you manipulate Miss Letica as you please. I will not let her be treated like that! But I'll hear you out at least".

"It's not like that! You've got the wrong idea. In fact, we are going to be engaged soon", Letty said.

"Please, Miss Letica, let me help you. You're so kind-hearted that you don't even know how she's manipulating you. She has probably laid down some complex set of rules on you, making you feel as if you like her. Please clear your head and try your best to resist the control", he said.

'Hear me out' my foot. He's already made up his mind about me, there is no use arguing with him.

"Enough of your bullshit! I am only saying this once, so listen carefully. I love Letty, and she loves me back. I would not tolerate any remarks undermining our relationship. And for your doubts regarding manipulation, I don't see the need for me to justify my innocence or the integrity of our relationship. Your baseless accusations are unfounded and insulting to both of us." I said.

He looked at Letty, then at me, and said, "Alright, I admit that I was mistaken here. The truth might or might not be as you say. But the fact remains that I was rude to you, and for that, I sincerely apologize", he bowed his head.

Without waiting for me to respond he said, "That being said, I can't let go of this matter until I am absolutely sure that Miss Letica is safe".

What a prick! How dare he talk to me that way?! How can Letty be unsafe with me?! Grr- now he's done it! I don't want to see his face ever again.

"Stop being such a self-righteous prick. You know nothing about me or Letty and yet you are insulting us willy-nilly. And then you apologize whenever it's convenient to you. I don't accept your apology. Seeing that this conversation is going nowhere, we will take our leave. Don't approach me or Letty ever again", I said, preparing to leave.

"Please wait, don't leave. I admit that I was wrong. We got off on the wrong foot, so let me make it up to you", he said, half panicking.

I looked at Letty, and she nodded, so I stayed.

"I understand that you can't trust me, so let me earn that trust by telling both of you about my biggest secret. This might make me sound like a lunatic, but please bear with me", he paused, looked at our reactions, and continued.

"This world as we know it is from a book that I wrote in some of the darkest years of my previous life. I don't know if you've read the novel, but it was a multi-part series named- you know what?- I'm too embarrassed to say the name out loud. But in the novel, the protagonist, who happens to be me right now, faces adversaries after adversaries while growing his power and harem".

I wonder how bored I must have been to read such a novel. But damn, to think the author himself was reincarnated as the main character, he must be living his dream right now.

I suppose I was needlessly worried about stealing his treasures, he probably knows way more about the novel than me. But I only remember reading a single book that had a happy ending. There might be more to the plot that I have no idea about.

"Judging from your reactions, I assume you already knew about it. If so, thanks for purchasing my novel. I was desperate for money during that time, and you saved me. Anyway, I died in my previous world and opened my eyes in this one as a baby. It's safe to say that I know more about this world than anyone else. And it is due to that knowledge that I know about Miss Letica's class. From part two onwards, Miss Letica was the most popular heroine due to fanservice scenes such as- OUCH!" Sensing the words he was going to say, I kicked him hard from under the table.

"I'm sorry, what I wanted to say was that her class also makes her a very overpowered support character after leveling up. And because I know all this and I know how she levels up, I also know how horrifying the effects of her class are. After all, an A-grade Talent in pretty much any field is nothing to be scoffed at", he said.

Wait, A-grade? Is he mistaken or…

"So you are the one who created all the novel's mechanics, is that right?" he nodded, "So, is there any grade stronger than A? You know how in games there are S, SS, and SSS ranks above A?" I asked.

"Hmm, not really. I wanted to keep things simple, so the maximum grade of Talent, Equipment, and Monsters is A", he replied.

So did my reincarnation, and whatever explanation that System gave me somehow affected her Talent's grade? I suppose it's a good thing.

"Actually, I knew you were a reincarnator too when I first heard about you in the newspapers. The young genius who invented a freaking telephone in this world. I must commend you! How you managed to pull that off is beyond my comprehension. Anyway, going back to the topic, I know the horrifying effects of Miss Letica's class. And I feel responsible for it. So, I must right my wrongs and make sure she is safe. That's the least I could do. And also, I know a secret that very few people in this kingdom know, even you might not know about this, but…", he wrote something on a piece of paper and passed it to me.

The paper said, 'Your mother, Lady Martha Ernius, is the Princess of Bregonia Kingdom'.

I quickly disposed of the paper and looked at him, "Now do you trust that I'm the author?" he asked.

If he is openly revealing all of this, he must be telling the truth.

"Well yeah, I know firsthand how dangerous her class could be. But I don't know how to reassure you that I've never once misused my powers, let alone manipulating her preferences", I said.

"I also want to believe what you are saying is true, and Miss Letica is being treated well. And if it's not too much to ask, please order her to override any previous rules that might be present and tell the truth. Is she truly safe? I promise I'll do as you say once I'm sure that she's safe. I beg you", he bowed his head again.

Sigh, is this the only way? I mean, given how pretty Letty is, it's hard not to give into the temptation and do all sorts of stuff with her. So his doubts aren't entirely unfounded. But still…

An order to prove that I'm not misusing my orders… Haah…

I looked over at Letty, and she smiled reassuringly.

Here it goes, "Letty, I order you to forget any other orders or rules that might be present and only speak the truth".

Now then, "Did I somehow manipulate you into liking or following me?", I asked.

"No, I chose to follow you of my own accord", she resolutely said.

"Do you love me the same way I love you?" I asked.

"No. Hehe, I obviously love you more than you love me", she teasingly said.

As if… 

"Oh, shut up. I am (mentally) older than you, so I love you more", I said.

"What logic is that, genius?", she teased and then coyly whispered, "And I just used Perception, do you want me to pin you down and kiss you that badly? Hehe, at least wait till we get home, dear".

My face reddened after hearing her accurately describe my desire again. God, I can't get used to her skill, it's so dangerous. I must look like a pervert in her eyes by now.

"You! Shut up! I want to pin you down, not the other way around!" I said, fighting my embarrassment.

"Suree"

"Cough-cough, it seems my worries were unfounded. I am truly happy to hear that you are treating her right. And again, Miss Aria and Miss Letica, I apologize for my past behavior. As I promised, you can ask me anything you want. Although you have heavily altered the flow of the novel by introducing Mana-Comm, I'm sure I can be useful in various ways. As a fellow reincarnator, I want to establish a friendly relationship with you", he said.

"Yeah, sure, but first, can you do something about your girlfriends over there? They have been glaring at us nonstop", I said.

"Hehe, I'm sorry. They are a little sensitive, but they mean no harm. And I know the theme of the novel, but they are really not my girlfriends, we are all just a close group of friends. I have made extra efforts to not let anyone cross that line", he said.

"Now that this misunderstanding is clear, we should have another chat later. Come meet me at my company later, I'll tell the guards to let you in".

"Okay, and thank you for today. I can finally let go of the guilt about Miss Letica's class. But please don't tell your mother, Lady Martha about how I treated you. I would much rather avoid that part of the plot, as you must know. Hahaha…" he said.

What is he talking about? Come to think of it, according to the original book, this should be about the same time period when my character died. But I don't remember any plot about Mom. Is there some sort of revenge arc in the later parts of the story?

I better ask him about this later. It's getting late, we should be heading back now.

"We'll be taking our leave now. Let's meet again soon", I said as we made our way back to the mansion.

Now that that's done, I hope Letty takes it well when I tell her about my decision tonight.

***

AN: It's been a while! I hope you are all doing great. This chapter turned out larger than expected, so please do notify me of any mistakes/inconsistencies.