The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent-Chapter 429

[Gyaaaah!]

[You’re ending it here? You’re ending it here??]

[I’ve been holding off playing just to watch this!!]

“There’s probably at least two hours of epilogue content left. You really think I can keep going now?”

But to those comments in chat, I gave a calm reply:

“I’m not sure if I’ll continue playing tomorrow, but I will finish it eventually. So don’t worry too much. At the very least, I’ll wrap it up before the end of this year.”

Thankfully, most of the people watching this stream had already played the game themselves. Probably more than half of them had finished it before I even returned to this world.

I said a few closing remarks and ended the stream.

When I checked the time, it had just passed midnight.

It was already the tail end of November.

“You could’ve just watched the rest of the story and slept in a little tomorrow...” Claire mumbled wistfully.

“There’s something I need to check.”

I replied seriously, then headed into the room Claire and Alice shared. Honestly, calling it a “room” was generous at this point. No one really lived in it anymore; it just kept filling up with our stuff. It was more like a storage space now.

We’d placed the Relic somewhere easily visible. Just in case an outsider ever came in, we wanted to be able to hide it before anyone noticed.

We always had to be ready to go back at a moment’s notice.

...Not that that hasn’t been the plan for months now.

The Relic’s glow was... definitely brighter than last time.

“The speed at which it’s brightening has clearly slowed. When it was just the three of us, it got noticeably brighter with just a little exposure. But now...”

As I spoke, the four others tilted their heads in thought.

“...Could it be,” Mia was the first to speak, “that people are recognizing us too clearly now? At first, it all seemed so unbelievable. But now we just live our lives and stream like it’s normal.”

“And we even went to an event in full cosplay,” Alice added with a serious expression.

“So the more comfortable we get here, the more we’re playing into the goddess’s hand,” Charlotte said, her face just as serious.

“...It’s complicated.”

Yeah.

“We need to take a more proactive approach. We have to disrupt the goddess’s attempt to fully assimilate us into this world.”

I said it with complete seriousness.

Our discussions with the broadcasting network hadn’t ended yet. Honestly, things were dragging.

We’d asked them not to mention our names or hometowns—it was too personal. So the network couldn't use it unless we gave express permission. But when I exchanged emails with the writers, it seemed like the higher-ups thought those details were exactly the kind of story they wanted to tell.

And let’s be honest, just showing us living our normal lives didn’t mean much. Viewers would think, “Oh look, they’re on TV now.” People seeing us for the first time would just be mildly intrigued.

What we needed was to appear truly strange—to stand out.

“But we can’t reveal our place of birth.”

Not only would no one believe it’s a real place from a game, they might suspect we’re using forged documents.

Getting caught up in legal trouble is the last thing we want. And probably the last thing the goddess wants too.

“...What about overseas media?” Claire spoke up cautiously.

When we all looked at her, she continued, her expression serious.

“The game we’re from—it’s not made in this country. If we spoke to people from that country, wouldn’t they find it fascinating?”

Hmm.

It might just end up being a one-time feature. We’re not foreigners living in Japan, after all. We don’t intend to live there, and we wouldn’t even know how. Apparently, you can’t get a visa just from doing internet streams.

And even if we tried targeting a Japanese audience with Japanese-language content, that’d just be a headache of its own.

“What if we didn’t follow the game, but said that our names have always been like this? Target it globally from that angle.”

“...It’s an idea worth considering.”

I nodded.

“Let’s finish the local TV appearance first and then brainstorm more.”

Claire beamed immediately after my compliment.

Sometimes I honestly wonder if we’re really the same age.

Then again, Mia’s technically the same age too.

*

Before the cameras arrived, the TV crew came to our house first.

“Your decorations are... unique,” said the female producer we met at the café previously, glancing around the room.

Our house still had both Christmas and Halloween decorations up. A Christma—ween—mas theme, if you will.

“Seasonal traditions are more fun when you fully enjoy them,” Claire answered immediately.

“Who’s responsible for these?” the producer asked, pointing to the lineup of figurines in front of the TV.

“M-Me.”

“Me too.”

Charlotte and Alice answered practically in sync.

Charlotte had been a little embarrassed unboxing them, but I hadn’t expected Alice to act shy. I thought she still saw them as sculptures, like the busts in the imperial palace.

Had she been learning things online lately?

Well, whatever.

We also showed them our rooms. Aside from a few new posters, not much had changed.

“That’s my goal figure,” Claire said proudly, striking a pose with her hands on her hips.

“I-I just like those kinds of things...” Mia explained shyly, clearly embarrassed.

“So when you sleep,” the producer asked, “do you each go to your own rooms at different times?”

We exchanged glances, then looked back at her.

“No,” we all answered in unison.

The producer looked a bit taken aback.

“We lay out bedding in the living room and sleep together. Sure, we’re often doing our own things around the house, but when we go out, the five of us always go together.”

“I see...”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“You all seem very close. You're not... all sisters, right?”

She looked like she was mentally running through our names, trying to remember.

I turned to look behind me.

Everyone was looking back at me with soft smiles.

They looked like they didn’t care what I said—that they'd back me up no matter what.

So I looked back at the producer and replied:

“Maybe we’re not related by blood, but yes—we live as sisters.”

“I see.”

She seemed satisfied with the answer. Maybe she already imagined an entire narrative in her head.

“Oh, and one more thing,” I added.

“Yes?”

The producer paused her typing on her phone and looked up.

“A little scripted content is fine. But we’d rather not show us fighting with each other.”

She smiled softly and nodded.

“Understood.”

She typed a few more words into her phone, then slipped it into her pocket.

“Well then, we’ll fine-tune the schedule from here. Do any of you plan to go out of town soon?”

Makes sense. They can’t just show up to film whenever they want. And even after filming, it probably won’t air immediately.

“Got it.”

I nodded and walked her out.

*

“Hmmmm...”

“What? Thinking about going on a trip?”

“Huh? How’d you know?”

Alice and Claire had clearly gotten closer. She could read Claire’s intentions just from a hum.

Then again, Alice had always been able to read my expressionless face. Guess Claire’s far more expressive self was even easier to figure out.

“Shall we make some plans, then? The TV crew gave us the shooting date, after all.”

They were scheduled for the first week of December. As long as we didn’t overlap with that, we were free.

“Won’t it affect the stream?” Alice asked.

“It’s fine to take a few days off.”

If I hadn’t won the lottery, I might’ve taken that question seriously. Back when every little donation mattered, I couldn’t have afforded to miss a day.

But money’s not the issue anymore.

“I’ve been streaming consistently and on time. As long as I post an announcement, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Then it’s settled!” Alice said cheerfully.

I smiled and nodded.

“What about Charlotte and Mia?”

“I’m fine with it,” Charlotte replied first.

“As long as it’s not camping in this weather...” Mia added.

Even I wouldn’t suggest something that {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} crazy.

“Then let’s take our time deciding where to go. We’ve got plenty of time left.”

I said it lightly, feeling pretty relaxed.