The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

“Run away with Pia or something…”
“Mary!”

At Marigold’s words, the Third Princess clasped her hands together, moved with gratitude.
But Ransell immediately interrupted, making his earlier statement about leaving the decision to her meaningless.
“If you run away, won’t they label you as pirates without mercy? They kill people, kidnap, sell them, and plunder.”
“That’s… truly bad people!”

Ah. She realized it, Marigold.
Pirates are inherently bad people.
For reference, even the pirates here had originally planned to do some unspeakable things to Marigold.

Ransell still carried that in his heart.
And above all—
===============
[Game Guide]

※ Features of the ‘Pirate Route.’
Many evil deeds achievements.
Many undiscovered endings exist.
Can develop into a ‘Corruption Route.’

Morality score decreases in the next game!
Very high chance of karma score rising.
※ What are the penalties for karma scores?

Minus 10 points or more: Initial travel funds are stolen.
Minus 50 points or more: Start from a dangerous area.
Minus 100 points or more: Start with a weak constitution.

Minus 200 points or more: Permanent physical disability.
Minus 500 points or more: Permanent time limit (terminal condition).
Minus 1000 points or more: RE-START.

Minus 3000 points or more: GAME OVER.
※ How to lower karma scores?
Faith achievements.

Reputation achievements.
Villain eradication.
===============
Ransell stared at the part that suddenly appeared: the ‘karma score penalty.’

“Karma! That absolutely can’t happen!”
He shuddered as if a trauma was being revived.
Why did my sister make something like this?
“This was supposed to be a romance fantasy game, wasn’t it?”

Again, the genre of this game is romance fantasy and a women-oriented life love simulation.
The fact that it was made into such a harsh game was purely his sister’s fault. Damn it. He should have grabbed her by the collar during the test play and stopped her.
“Terminal condition? Restart? Game over? What the hell is this?”

Because the explanation was so brief, it was hard to understand fully, but one thing was clear:
If he slipped up, a very big problem would occur.
One he might not be able to handle.

A very big problem.
Ransell recalled the events on the archipelago with blind Marigold.
“Absolutely no. Even 200 points was a nightmare. Pirate route is canceled.”

It wasn’t just anyone — it was Marigold.
What if this terrible possibility’s ultimate child became a pirate?
No doubt it wouldn’t end normally.

Becoming a great pirate who roams the seas wouldn’t be a simple matter.
That was entirely possible with Marigold.
Maybe even accumulating over 500 karma points in one shot wouldn’t be impossible. After all, she once accumulated 200 points at once; why couldn’t she do 500?

“Ransell-nim? Why are you sweating so much…?”
Marigold, flustered, took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead.
Ransell calmed his pounding heart and looked at Marigold.

“Think… think carefully once more. Being a pirate might not suit you, you know?”
“Calm down, Ransell-nim. I didn’t think I’d become a pirate either.”
“Why not, Mary! You finally became a pirate boss, why not just live big together?”
“No, Pia. How can I live doing bad things? I’m a proud navy of the archipelago. Without me, the naval base wouldn’t run.”
Marigold dismissed the Third Princess’s complaints and turned to Ransell.
“When I said ‘run away,’ I didn’t mean that, Ransell-nim. We just need to hide Pia somewhere safely, right?”
“Hide?”
“Yes! Hide her tightly until the safe time comes, and when the empire calms down and becomes peaceful… then we can think again, right?”

Marigold wracked her brain and stammered out her answer.
“What do you think, Ransell-nim? This is all I could come up with…”

She blinked, looking for his reaction.

‘It’s not a perfect solution for now.’
It was merely a temporary measure.
But for Ransell and Marigold, it wasn’t entirely unfavorable.

Just stash her somewhere quiet and have her live as quietly as a mouse. The archipelago, for better or worse, was an area lightly watched.
If it became too dangerous, just pack her up nicely and return her to the capital.
-“Here’s the Third Princess you were looking for.”
-“That’s definitely the Third Princess I was looking for.”

Even in the worst case, if the Third Princess or Ransell took responsibility, it would be fine.
There was no way a mere naval private Marigold would get into trouble.
‘Well, dying is the only other option.’

No lingering regrets. After all, this loop was meant to be a vacation.
If the Third Princess wants to be protected now, Ransell would simply listen to that.
That was all.

Looking back, the three years drifting on the uninhabited island were also good days for him. No worries or concerns.
He just had to eat and sleep.
This would count as one of the more fulfilling vacations in his life.

The original purpose of taking the vacation was already achieved. Yes. That’s it. Let it be that way.
“Princess… I—”
“No! Call me Pia, Mary.”
“Pi-Pia is fine, right?”
“Yeah! I only trust Mary and Ransell. Now, my only friends and family are you two.”
Marigold still seemed confused between Pia and Princess.

Meanwhile, the red coral parrot, who seemed to know nothing, was nodding its head inside the cage.
“When the day comes that I regain my dignity as a princess, I will never regret protecting the current me. Mary, Ransell.”
“...Yes…”
Why did it feel so unbelievable?

But the conclusion was already made.
‘Can’t be helped. Let’s hide her.’
No matter what fate had been in the past, thinking about the bond built over three years together as the red coral parrot...

“Bond?”
-Bzzzzt!
-Stop pecking, I’m not gonna steal your food.
-Bzzzzzt!
-Ugh, what a disgusting glutton.
-Bzzzt! Bzzzzt!
-Do I get hives if you touch me?
-Bzzzt! Cheep! Bzzzzt! Bzzzzzt!
-Okay. Tonight’s dinner is you. Come here!
‘Hmm.’

Bond… right?
Thud—!
It was then.

Thud! Thud! Thud!
Loud drum sounds awakened the pirate base.
“Who’s there!”
“Surprise attack!”
“The navy’s landed on the island!”
“Of all times… Damn it, run!”

Chaos coming from outside.
“Na-Navy, navy! They’re coming for me! Hiiiii!”
And the Third Princess burying her head in Marigold’s arms, trembling.

‘…Should I just hand her in right now?’
Ransell hesitated for a moment.
23

“To think they built a base in a place like this, these rat-like bastards.”
Rocks Ruin grimaced while looking at the pirate base that became visible as the jungle thickened.
The bamboo huts painstakingly built over the past six months looked like battle achievements in his eyes.

Just clearing a pirate base of this scale was already worthy of recognition.
“Kill all the men. Bring the women to headquarters. Carefully capture anyone who might be Her Highness the Princess.”
It was a secret base housing hundreds at least.

The strange thing was that in a base of this size, no warriors could be seen.
If there were any, they were broken, wounded, and groaning.
“P-Please spare me…!”
“Die!”
“Run! Everyone run to the ship!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

The pirates could not resist the navy’s ruthless assault and died without a single rebellion.
“Gah!”
Blood splattered here and there. Crossbow bolts pierced fleeing pirates’ backs. Those hiding in the jungle were dragged out and had their throats slit.

“Heh heh.”
Among screams and roars, Rocks Ruin hummed a tune.
To him, the pirates’ screams sounded like a symphony.

“Ah! Your Highness the Princess! This Rocks Ruin has arrived. Please come out and receive my protection, Your Highness! I have crossed distant seas and found this remote island to rescue you!”
Above, pirate corpses crashed down with a loud crash.
The navy climbing the bamboo huts was literally butchering pirates.

“This is Rocks Ruin, heir of the Count Ruin family! Your Highness the Princess!”
Amidst the chaos, Rocks Ruin drew his rapier.
“Step aside.”

He slashed his blade diagonally at the man in front of him.
Kaaang-!
“Hm?”

Rocks Ruin felt a stinging sensation and met his opponent’s gaze.
A tall man. Black cloak. Wrappings of bandages around exposed skin.
A thick beard covered the lower half of his face under his hood.

“Oh. For a pirate, you have quite the spirit. I, Rocks Ruin, will specially ask your name. Consider it an honor.”
“…Name…”
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“Beard.”
“What?”
“Black beard.”

Rocks Ruin’s face twisted.
“…To be so insolent as to speak a nickname despite me personally asking your name. Yes. It is my fault for expecting chivalry from a mere pirate.”
Rocks Ruin twisted his mouth and raised his blade upright.

“No second luck. Go to hell.”
Like lightning, his blade flew forward, piercing the chest of the man called Black Beard in one stroke.
Or so he thought.

“…!”
Kaang-!
Rocks Ruin’s blade was cleanly deflected.

He looked at the weapon held in Black Beard’s hand with disbelief.
It was not a sword.
It wasn’t even a weapon.

“A, a stone axe?”
A polished stone axe flew swiftly toward his face.
.
.

.
“What the hell is going on…!”
By the time the navy who followed Rocks Ruin arrived at the island, a whole day had already passed.

The path to the pirate base hidden deep in the jungle wasn’t too difficult to find.
The trail of bodies emitting a foul stench was scattered leading all the way to the pirate lair.
However, the scene inside left them speechless.

“What are you staring at? Hurry and get us down!”
Rocks Ruin’s impatient voice shouted down from above. Where he was was overhead.
All the naval vanguard were tied up and dangling from an aerial prison.

Nearly dozens of navy men were all tied up in there.
“How, how did this happen?”
Those who arrived later had a hard time understanding the scene.

All the bodies they saw on the way here were pirates. Yet the fact that the navy men were captured alive felt strange.
“Sir Rocks Ruin! Did the pirates defeat you?”
“…It was the work of a guy called Black Beard.”
“Black Beard? Could it be that Black Beard from the archipelago sea legends?”
“That can’t be! He’s just a pirate who knows how to use a sword. Hurry up and get us down!”
Rocks Ruin yelled loudly, and the accompanying navy frowned.

 
After settling the events on the deserted island,
and on the way back to the archipelago with the help of pirates,
Ransell, asleep on the ship, suddenly realized the scenery before him wasn’t real.

‘A dream.’
Ransell realized once ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) again inside the dream.
A familiar dream with a large full moon visible outside the window.

—Ransell.
There was Marigold there.
Yes.

The one-horned Marigold.
‘…Again…?’