Another failure.
The one inhabiting August Vale groaned.
As the familiar beautiful voice rang, he sat silently.
In his mind, one crucial truth was deepening his frustration.
The Prologue.
It was a hurdle of the story he had little to no knowledge of.
A small event that was only mentioned in passing by the author.
The poisoning of Aurelia Everblade.
It set forth the course of the story.
As Aurelia is the main female lead of the novel, The Hero's Curtain Call.
She was integral to the cast of the main party.
But before the main character meets her, she is poisoned.
And by a very special poison at that.
Vilethorn Blood.
It has no immediate effects on the user, causing it to seem almost harmless.
However, over a long period, it burns away a victim's mana pool.
If not treated properly, it removes the victim's ability to manipulate mana.
Disabling them for life.
In the novel, the poison is treated early enough, and Aurelia Everblade recovers with the help of the protagonist later on in the story.
Problem solved.
What the man inhabiting August Vale didn't anticipate were the changes made to the world.
Someone or something was interfering with the original flow of the story.
The moment he entered this world, he understood that.
As his possession of August Vale, blessing, and goal are all the result of it.
[Prologue - Untainting The Rose with Thorns.]
[Oh no~! Our main female lead is in danger! Her older sibling has thrown the use of Vilethron blood out the window and called forth an assassin, sealing her fate!]
[Objective: Prevent the early death of Princess Aurelia.]
[Time Remaining: 7 Days]
[Warning! A penalty will apply to the user if information about this objective is leaked!]
August's frustrated eyes stared at the floating window.
It was a quest window.
The same he's seen hundreds of times in other stories and games.
But in The Hero's Curtain Call, there was no such thing as a quest window or even those status windows he saw all the time.
It was a blessing unique to him and his circumstances.
In this world, he was special.
Or at least he should be.
August relived the same week twice already.
Death isn't something a human is supposed to experience more than once.
And yet he's died three times.
He's failed three times.
The pain from each of them further wore him thin.
He was thankful that death didn't signify the end.
But the odds felt stacked against him.
The assassin he was up against was a foe too powerful for a story's prologue.
Their name is Lysander.
Although only a minor threat to the protagonist when he first meets him in the story, Lysander is also introduced at a much later point.
When they met, the protagonist's abilities had well surpassed the strength of instructors like Professor Boyden.
Lysander is an assassin secretly working under Thalia, the oldest daughter of King Casimir.
August had no means of winning against Lysander.
Sure, there were a few hidden pieces right at the start of the story.
And if he were to obtain an ancient power or relic, he might stand a chance.
However, all of the options available to him had run their course.
First, deep in Sylvanvale's gardens, there exists a secret path.
Following it takes you to a sanctuary of spirits.
If you follow the correct steps, you can form a contract with a spirit.
That's how the kindhearted commoner, Amara Wikes, became one of the most powerful magicians in Sylvanvale.
Unfortunately, that one failed.
His next option was the masochistic training dummy.
Beating it to oblivion would grant the disturbing soul the pleasure it desires to ascend.
August grabbed his face in embarrassment.
Just thinking back on it made him cringe.
Due to his weak physique and lack of a proper weapon, he was forced to endure hours of morainic moaning.
It was all to obtain a relic.
The Vambrace of Self-torture.
They provide the user with an extraordinary boost to their five senses.
Although with a few drawbacks, it was remarkably useful.
But no matter how much August swung his sword.
He couldn't obtain it.
Every loop.
Each time with different attempts to ascend the corrupted soul.
He failed again and again.
Only one option remained at this point.
Get the help of others.
However, he'd already tried that.
Mackenzie Everblade.
Although a child of King Casimir, he was only introduced once.
Mackenzie's presence wasn't noteworthy.
'A bastard child of the king exists within the common folk. He hides in wait for a moment destined to never arrive.'
It was the only mention of him in the entire novel.
His existence confused August.
Such a character in these types of stories usually incites new development.
With a revenge arc.
Or even maybe a dethroning arc.
But no such thing happened in The Hero's Curtain Call.
The protagonist never encountered Mackenzie.
The plot moved forward without his involvement.
And his character was quickly forgotten by readers.
It's not an uncommon thing in stories.
The man behind August Vale knew.
Mackenzie Everblade was not the help he needed.
As it was, August Vale referred to the scumiest noble in Sylvanvale Academy.
A small villain character for the protagonist to prevail against.
A hurdle.
Mackenzie Everblade was considered a background character who was worth even less than him.
Not even a hurdle.
Just a person mentioned in passing.
Why such a character approached him, he didn't know.
However, they were now intertwined by the whims of the gods.
And until they save the princess, it will continue to stay that way.
Their strategies needed to change.
August's determined gaze met the unmoved stare of Mackenzie.
This was only the beginning of his journey.
The man behind August wasn't going to give up now.
As long as he puts in enough planning and effort, he'll get to save the day.
But.
Sometimes effort and planning won't always change the outcome.
The fourth loop came and went.
Trying again to obtain the vambraces or spirit magic.
He failed.
Trying again to earn the trust of Aurelia Everblade, and use her blessing.
He failed.
Mackenzie tried getting the help of another professor.
Professor Grimrose.
An instructor proficient in magical studies.
But it was meaningless.
Lysander was able to easily dispose of them.
August died again, with his intestines torn out and thrown to the floor.
The fifth loop came and went.
This time, August went all in on learning Princess Aurelia's patterns.
He figured out her school schedule, training schedule, and even the time she spent alone in the library.
Finding time to insert himself in her life for a week.
Trying to earn her trust where he could.
But again, it was all made meaningless.
Aurelia would agree to use her blessing.
Each and every time August earned her trust, she'd say yes.
However, the defining moment never came.
In the presence of the assassin, she wouldn't use it.
Even when he'd scream for help, she'd falter.
The dagger of Lysander met his throat quicker than ever.
Ending the fifth loop.
Their plans weren't working.
His mind went back to the drawing board.
But.
The sixth loop came and went.
August's anxieties began to eat away at his mind.
The seventh loop came and went.
The goals of August began to change.
The eighth loop came and went.
He no longer desired to save Princess Everblade.
August only wished for an escape from this infinite loop of death.
From this hell hole, he was trapped in.
On the ninth loop, August turned his head yet again.
To the man who had been stuck in this eternal nightmare with him.
His striking red hair and violet eyes were always there behind him, every time he died and returned to class.
The number of conversations they held lessened as the loops went on.
August thought to himself.
Wondering how the two of them ended up in such a horrible situation.
'Right... the oath.'
A grimacing smile crossed his face.
He regretted his choice to pull another character into his story.
To force a horrible fate upon a character he deemed more worthless than himself.
But.
The expression on the red-haired boy was anything but finished.
Unlike August, the boy had yet to give up.
He could see it in his eyes.
'I won't let it end here.'