The Afterlife of the Good Person (1)

The objects are being copied? What kind of convenient glitch is this?

I opened the pocket at my waist. Inside were exactly three coins. They were the money that the minor characters had left after drinking the free booze. I threw the coins outside the city wall. Soon after, I heard the faint clinking of metal, and six coins fell at my feet.

Once, twice, three times… It was like finding a gold mine. Before I knew it, the money pouch had grown heavy, even heavier than a stone, and was now at my feet. The stress I had unknowingly accumulated in this strange scenario world seemed to have evaporated a little, thanks to this financial therapy.

Yeah, business really needs strong startup capital.

It was almost dawn. I hummed a tune, dragging the heavy money pouch back to the inn. Just in time, the familiar letters flowed smoothly and appeared in my vision.

[Waiting time expired, a new scenario note has been assigned!]

Take 1. Tavern (Day/Inside).

The tavern owner scolds him. Leonardo is lifting a heavy sack of potatoes.

Leonardo: (Inner voice) "It's better to avoid the Ertinez family. If there's even a hint that I'm not 'Leonardo,' trouble's sure to follow. Even if that's not the case, being confined at home as punishment for running away would be a problem."

Take 2. Tavern (Night/Inside).

Leonardo is busily moving around. He seems deep in thought.

Leonardo: (Inner voice) "I want to deliver a verdict to Godric, but with this body, I can't do anything. I can't even prove myself. First, I need to train my body and gather information about my allies."

Take 3. Sinistra Plaza (Day/Outside).

Leonardo is working day and night to strengthen his weak body. At that moment, a rich carriage speeds toward a street child.

Leonardo rushes forward and throws himself into the path of the carriage. His body, weak and unfamiliar, can't handle the impact of the stunt and he gets injured. The noble scolds the child.

Noble: (Arrogantly and rudely) "This is why commoners are such a hassle!"

Leonardo brings the injured street child, Vittorio, to the tavern.

Main Characters: Leonardo, Street Child Vittorio

Scenario Clear Condition: [Leonardo saves Vittorio, the street child.]

[Viewing Personal Information]

Rank: Minor Character (Scenario Weight 2.00%)

Role: Suspicious Innkeeper of Sinistra

Script: [Bosses around Leonardo.], [Runs the tavern day and night.], [Takes care of the street child, Vittorio.]

Dialogue: "I really pick up the strangest things."!Warning! – If your scenario weight reaches 0.00%, your existence will be erased. (Main scenario failure)

'My role has the embellishment of being suspicious.'

It was a scenario that introduced a new role, one that had not appeared before—Vittorio, the street urchin. Glancing at the scenario note, I turned my body. Through the translucent letters, I saw a lively scene of Sinistra City, and it was hard to believe that this world was one big stage.

I was hungry. I took cheese, bacon, and eggs from the basement storage of the inn and made a simple breakfast. I curiously examined the pan with oil stains.

Until yesterday, even after serving drinks to all the guests from one barrel, the barrel still seemed full, and the cups left behind by the guests were tidied up as if they were brand new whenever I turned around. There had been some sort of error in physical laws or preservation phenomena.

Now that the world had stabilized after the dawn, the weight and quantity of ingredients reduced as I used them. It seemed like physical laws and the flow of time were properly applied.

Managing the inn from now on would be a job in itself. How was I supposed to increase the shop's revenue? The only relevant experience I had was playing shop management tycoon games.

Meanwhile, Leonardo came down with a disheveled look. I offered him some food. Leonardo sat at the table, alternating his gaze between the dimly lit scene outside the window and me.

"Did you manage to sleep?"

"I couldn't sleep. Eat, though."

"Do you have anything you want me to do…?"

I stared at Leonardo and smiled.

"First, eat. You need your strength if you're going to work. Make sure to eat well."

Time to put him to work, just as the script says. Leonardo nervously rolled his eyes. And then, just as the script had explicitly written, I started ordering him around. 

Thanks to the great power of the scenario, a cart loaded with groceries arrived, as if it had been trading with this inn for a long time. Leonardo, perhaps confused between his past self as Leovald and his current situation, attempted to move a heavy oak barrel but staggered badly. The porter gave his back a hearty slap.

"Haha! Young man, don't overdo it!"

I joined in and teased Leonardo.

"Yeah, don't push yourself too hard. You might hurt your back!"

Leonardo wore an empty expression, but there was also a look of deep frustration on his face. The look of someone suffering from involuntary muscle loss. All morning, while carrying heavy loads, he muttered angrily, "I'll fix this frail body of mine. I'll make it strong."

It seems even the national hero wasn't happy with the frail body of 'Leonardo Ertinez'.

By late morning, after all the loading was done, Leonardo sat down, drenched in sweat. Anyone could tell he was going to be sore tomorrow. I, his lifeline and temporary employer, teasingly took a jab at him.

"Do you want to rest a bit before continuing? There's still a lot to do. Just thinking about it, we could be busy all day—wiping down tables, oiling the floor with cloths, applying dough to the window frames to keep out drafts, tidying up the rooms, washing dishes, and prepping the ingredients we got today…"

"…I can do it. This is part of my training."

"Wow, sounds just like the noble young master raised in a swordsmanship family. Well then, I'll leave it to you."

As I stood up, Leonardo's gaze followed me.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going out for a bit, to attract some customers and do a little market research."

"Is it alright to leave the shop with a stranger?"

"Who's a stranger here? All I see are my employees."

At that, Leonardo gave me a confused look. He acted like he hadn't expected that response. Maybe he was a bit naive or, like someone seeing an unexpected turn of events. If he's going to be a compelling supporting character, he should be the type who gets caught off guard like this sometimes. I laughed cheerfully and gave him a little encouragement.

"Listing all those tasks earlier was half a joke. You probably haven't done any of this before, so you'll be a bit lost. That's natural. So for today, try doing what you can handle. If something's too difficult or needs instructions, just sort it out and ask me. I'll be back by lunchtime."

I slipped out of the inn, knowing that survival meant staying quick on my feet.

The early morning silence of Sinistra had been nothing but a lie, as the city was now brimming with energy. I figured this too must be some effect of the scenario, so I made a point to speak to as many people as I could.

"Hello, those apples look fresh."

"Of course! Just brought them in today. Want one?"

"I'll take a basket. And a basket of plums as well."

"The plums are from Rilke. I'll give you a special discount on those."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out some coins. Thanks to the duplication glitch, I had more money than I could ever need, so there was no need to be stingy with my spending.

[Viewing information.]

Rank – Extra (Scenario weight 0.05%)

Role – Fruit vendor of Sinistra

Script – [Operates a stall.]

Dialogue – None

As I continued to walk around the market, I memorized the faces and names of the extras, picking up a good amount of food along the way. Thanks to the scenario area's stabilization overnight, the extras and supporting roles now seemed like real people, engaging in conversations and interactions as if they were genuinely alive. The world felt far more realistic than before, almost like an actual living, breathing place.

While I wandered through the market, my hands grew heavy with the items I had collected. A small cart would have been handy. I wondered where I could find one.

I leisurely made my way toward a quiet alley. As I walked aimlessly, I saw a few ragtag kids gathered near the bakery's back door, helping to move sacks of flour and getting paid for their work. One child was delivering newspapers, while another wandered the streets with a broom in one hand and a cleaning bucket in the other.

[Viewing information]

Rank – Extra (Scenario weight 0.02%)

Role – Beggar of Sinistra

Script – [Lives on the streets]

Dialogue – None

I stopped and watched the children for a moment. The children gathered their wages and bought large, hard rye bread. Found them, my precious potential customers.

The children twisted and turned through the alleys, heading to a more secluded, deserted area. I moved my feet again and followed them, eventually reaching a makeshift hideout made from wooden planks. The children, all about the same size, had gathered there. With the insight of the innkeeper, I quickly realized they were all extras or minor roles in the "street urchin" cast.

Small and powerless creatures often band together to survive. Humans, too, evolved this way in the early stages of prehistory, didn't they? Since humans are just animals, it's only natural that we follow the same survival rules as other creatures, banding together in groups.

This was the sanctuary for the lost children of Sinistra, their hidden haven.

I quietly crept along, following the children holding rye bread, making my way into the heart of the city. Not long after turning into an alley, someone shouted in a sharp voice:

"Who's that? You brought an outsider!"

[Viewing information]

Rank – Extra (Scenario weight: 0.85%)

Role – Street Urchin of Sinistra

Script – [Follows Vittorio around]

Dialogue – None

A small boy with chestnut-coloured red hair was glaring at me with fierce eyes.

"What's going on?"

A lower, rougher, but still boyish voice interrupted, and my purpose for being here became clear.

[Accessing information on the specified entity.][The entity's rank is higher than the caster, so some information is excluded from view.][Viewing information.]

Rank – Supporting Character (Scenario weight: ■■.■%)

Role – Street urchin Vittorio

Script – [Regards Leonardo as a benefactor and follows him.]

[Leads a group of street urchins.], [Learned swordsmanship from Leonardo…]

Dialogue – "■■■..."