Several months had passed since then.
Efforts to amend Alfred's past misconduct continued unabated. As you might know, the reason behind this is to shatter the impending doom flags.
For my own self-preservation, it's beneficial to win over those outside the party as well. This is a tactic I honed during my previous life as a corporate worker.
First, as part of tidying up, I made a sincere effort to apologize to the ordinary people Alfred had wronged in the past.
The worst of it was his relationships with women.
While some, like Larisa, who was a casual fling, were dismissive with a "whatever" attitude, there were others who had been genuinely hurt. For these, I performed deep bows and offered compensation to seek their forgiveness.
I also made it a point to help anyone in need whenever possible. As a result, walking through the town now, I'm greeted with smiles and friendly conversations.
Recently, I have been volunteering in villages devastated by monster attacks, providing food and aid for recovery. I consulted with Priest Shannon, the holy maiden, and only called upon trustworthy senior members to participate.
Initially, Vice Leader Gaizen expressed concern, "Alf, what's going on with you? This isn't like you," but he joined in after recalling his wife and daughter left in his hometown. Rogue, too, was persuaded by Shannon and joined in, and Pearl, as always, readily supported me.
Thanks to these efforts, the reputation of the Sword of Heroes has risen, and I, Alfred, am now known as the "Free Sword Saber."
However, among some people, there are whispers calling the transformed Alfred a "hypocrite with some scheme up his sleeve."
Given Alfred's past behavior, it's understandable why some might think that. Still, I don't mind. As a former Japanese from a disaster-stricken country, I see voluntary aid as a virtue.
(Well, in my previous life, I was so worn out from working in a black company that I had no energy for supporting others, and I regretted it a lot.)
Despite this, I feel that my activities have brought me closer to Shannon. Lately, she often gives me warm smiles and seems to trust me more.
Normally, I should avoid interacting with the saintess as much as possible to prevent any romantic flags. Yet she is undeniably an attractive and kind-hearted girl.
Moreover, our charity work would not be possible without Shannon's cooperation. So, I've reconsidered and decided it's okay to treat her as a friend or ally.
During a meal with just the senior members, I encouraged everyone to focus on self-training.
"Pearl should improve her intelligence, and Gaizen should work on his agility. Shannon, I recommend training to enhance your magical power."
"Understood, Alf."
"Ugh, this is such a hassle... I've never done that before."
"If Alf-san says so, then we'll do it."
Everyone except the lazy Gaizen agreed.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Gaizen, clad in full armor.
"I'm saying this for your benefit, Gaizen. Regular effort and practice will never betray you. Relying solely on easy power will only lead to your downfall."
"...Alright, Alf. But you're starting to sound like a teacher. And I'm the older one here."
Sorry for being so nagging. But this is also a precaution against getting smacked down by fate.
It's a measure against the original author, Tanaka Daichi's oversight.
If Rogue's expulsion event occurs forcibly in some form, all the permanent enhancement buffs he's applied with his Ability Grant will be stripped away.
In such a case, not only would each individual's ability stats decrease, but the unique skills they currently possess would also become unusable.
Therefore, I've been diligently training in swordsmanship since my reincarnation, enhancing my abilities to a level where I can fight on my own even if I lose the buffs.
By the way, in this other world, while template statuses exist, only Rogue, with protagonist privilege, can view them. It's a typical oversight.
Hence, I need to keep Rogue in check too.
There's been suspicion that he has been applying unauthorized enhancement buffs during quests as an errand boy for the second-string members.
He always comes back with a refreshed sage-like expression.
Despite my repeated disapproval, it's hard not to believe he's been doing just that.
After the meal, I decided to call Rogue to my room for a private conversation.
"-Rogue. You've been applying enhancement buffs to the party members without permission, haven't you?"
"No, have I done something like that?"
This guy... Why is he acting so clueless? I've always been irritated by this kind of behavior from the original protagonist.
"Don't play dumb. I'm talking about your unique skill, Ability Grant."
"... So you remembered, huh? Is that why you've been stressing about it ever since the ancient ruins quest?"
"Yeah... I take responsibility for forgetting until now (though it's really Alfred's fault for the intelligence debuff). But I'm not saying you shouldn't use your enhancement spells as an enchanter... However, the issue is applying spells without informing the team."
"But isn't it alright if everyone becomes happy? That's how I see it."
"If it were a temporary enhancement magic buff that wears off after a short time, there wouldn't be a problem... but you clearly lack common sense. Moreover, Ability Grant provides a permanent enhancement buff. The party members, unaware of this, mistakenly believe they've become stronger on their own."
"What's wrong with that? I don't see any downside for the Sword of Heroes."
Rogue's feigned ignorance... or is he genuinely unaware?
Considering it, I'm not sure how much he understands his unique skill.
In the original story, after being expelled, Rogue experienced a significant level-up from the accumulated experience points of all the party members, including myself, and became an overpowered hero.
And he did it with a nonchalant attitude like, "Oh well, time to release it."
At this point, Rogue should be unaware of his impending expulsion.
So, he might be thinking that enhancing the entire party equals making his comrades happy.
That's not entirely wrong.
As long as Rogue stays with the Sword of Heroes, it's fine.
But I still can't trust Rogue.
He's a protagonist who rises through convenient plots, effortlessly overcoming challenges without real hardship, and acts like a virtuous hero. Especially in Tanaka Daichi's original story, it's hard to believe.
Yet, it feels unfair to make a judgment outright.
Rogue's intention to think of his comrades is evident.
"Alright... then, how about this: we explain Ability Grant to the party members. Let them decide whether to continue receiving the enhancement buffs or to stop."
"Alfred-san, what are you saying!? Please don't do that!"
Huh? Why is Rogue so furious?