Arknights: I became an NPC in the online game

"Uwaaah—!"

Lemuel nearly jumped out of her skin when Felix suddenly stepped forward, stumbling back a few paces.

"Se–senpai? Why are you here?"

Her reaction wasn't exactly an overreaction—during her time at the church school, Lemuel had essentially developed Felix-related PTSD.

Why? Well, as a free-spirited, romantic Sankta, she had thoroughly enjoyed every day of her school life… at a certain cost.

The cost was: the principal losing hair by the handful, classmates picking up her bad habits, explosions echoing through the halls two or three times a week, and the construction crew basically living on campus year-round.

Whenever Lemuel got into trouble, the principal's routine was always the same: shove a few candies into her hand, then sigh like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"I really do miss him, you know."

"That Felix kid… smart, sensible. Became a Messenger while still so young, traveling across Terra."

"If only Felix were here, I'd have him mentor you. Maybe then you wouldn't be quite so… unrestrained."

Every time she messed up, Lemuel would apologize sincerely—only to make the same mistake again. The principal had more or less given up hope. If she didn't still have a year left at school, he might have filed for early retirement just to spend his days sunbathing.

This history had left her with a certain curiosity about the senpai she'd met only a few times. She had asked her sister, Lemuen, but even she couldn't say much—they had hardly interacted at school. Most of what Lemuel knew came second-hand from Mostima, who had plenty of stories about Felix.

Things like his hobbies, his school routines, and his work as a Messenger wandering the land. Enough to form a rough idea, but all just hazy impressions.

Now, standing face-to-face with the man himself, Lemuel couldn't help feeling nervous.

She studied him carefully. He didn't have the "big bad wolf" aura her sister's tone had once suggested. Instead, he had a balanced build, striking features, and those golden eyes that seemed to read people's thoughts. The slight curve of his lips lent him an air of intelligence and composure. For a moment, she wondered if he was actually a teacher at the church school.

But just as she was sizing him up, Felix was doing the same to her—this future Operator "Exusiai," one of the fan-favorite "wives" in the players' eyes.

He'd already heard the principal and Mostima mention her before. They'd met a few times back when he still felt powerless and kept his distance from others.

Still, her personality was undeniably appealing—cheerful, straightforward, the type who could treat a friend like a brother without hesitation. That kind of openness was rare among women.

Today she wore a thick Sankta-style winter coat over long pants, but—if he wasn't mistaken—those were black stockings with sneakers. It seemed to be a popular look among young Laterano women. Mostima hadn't been dressed like that earlier, but Felix had seen plenty of church school girls wearing the same outfit on his way here.

"Lemuel, here to see your sister?" Felix asked, glancing toward the Notarial Hall behind him. He tucked the papers back into his folder and turned to face her.

"Ah… yes." She nodded quickly, answering with the caution of a small animal caught doing something wrong. "Is she not back today? Or did she get a new assignment?"

The Lemuen-Lemuel sisters had lost their parents, relying on Laterano's subsidies to attend the church school. Now, Lemuen worked for the Notarial Hall, earning a generous salary that could comfortably support them—though pay was performance-based. Her squad's high mission completion rate meant solid bonuses on top of base pay.

Laterano could be quite pragmatic about such things.

"Mostima told me their squad had an urgent mission. Chances are, she won't be back tonight."

"I see…" Lemuel muttered softly.

"When Lemuen isn't home, you handle things yourself?"

"Mm… most of the time I cook for myself. Sometimes I order takeout too. The uncle downstairs came back from studying in Siracusa and opened a pizza shop—his pineapple pizza is amazing. Sweet and juicy."

The moment she mentioned sweets, her eyes lit up with dazzling excitement. A few seconds later, she seemed to realize Felix was still standing there, and scratched her head in mild embarrassment.

"Ah—sorry. Well, I should get going. See you later, senpai."

"If you haven't eaten yet, join me."

"Eh?"

"You're Lemuen's sister. I can't just watch you go home alone to make dinner, can I?" Felix glanced at his watch. "It's already this late. Let's grab a meal—unless you mind a few of my friends being there."

"Mind? Not at all! Making new friends is the best."

Grinning, Lemuel waved her hands and gave him a small, polite bow.

"Thank you for the invitation, senpai."

Her lively energy felt almost contagious. Felix himself felt recharged just being around her. The two boarded the tram and headed toward the artificial sea. Compared to Stivano District—home to the Notarial Hall, Central Hospital, and the Papal Chamber—this area was much more relaxed. Young men and women strolled along the streets, and while most were Sankta, there were also plenty of Liberi. The two races mingled without friction.

"Eh… isn't that restaurant famous?"

Lemuel eyed the bustling beachside place curiously. She lowered her voice.

"My sister only took me here once. I heard you have to reserve a table every night."

"They do great desserts—especially the ones after the main course."

"Then let's get dessert for sure. You order, okay?"

"Eh? Sure!"

She chuckled, following Felix into the restaurant. He told the waiter about his reservation, and after a polite bow, the waiter led them upstairs.

Lemuel felt a little wide-eyed. Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was Felix himself, but everything about him carried a sense of reliability and maturity. He was only a year older than her, yet his every move had a calm assurance she rarely saw in boys her own age.

At the end of the hallway, the waiter opened the door to a private room.

"Brother Felix!"

The first to greet him were Senomi and Mandragora, throwing their arms around him. He ruffled their hair, and when Rafaela joined in, he gave her the same affectionate head pats.

"All right, all right—you're not little kids anymore, you know. Still acting spoiled."

Degenbrecher and Carnelian, on the other hand, looked past him curiously at the red-haired Sankta girl he'd brought along, clearly wondering where he'd picked her up.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Lemuel."

She showed no trace of shyness in the warm atmosphere—though she was admittedly a bit surprised by the number of "friends" Felix had mentioned. A few had somehow turned into more than she could count on one hand.

That was just who she was—bright, sunny, naturally at ease with strangers. And when she flashed that cool, confident smile, it was hard for anyone's first impression of her to be anything but positive.

"Miss Lemuel, right? Please, have a seat."

Muelsyse stood up to greet her. In Lemuel's eyes, she was a beautiful woman with the air of an older-sister type—though compared to her own sister, she seemed more energetic. The small beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a subtle, alluring touch.

"Ah, hello, hello."

Lemuel sat down beside Muelsyse without hesitation, oblivious to the faintly probing, assessing look in the other woman's eyes.

When it came time to order, Felix let Lemuel take the lead. She had been here before, so she knew the menu well. She thoughtfully asked if anyone had dietary restrictions, then went around the table checking everyone's preferences for meat, vegetables, and so on.

While Lemuel chatted with Senomi about ingredients, Felix turned to the adults at the table—Degenbrecher, Carnelian, and Muelsyse—and made introductions.

"She's my junior from church school… the younger sister of a comrade I know. Lively by nature."

"I can tell," Degenbrecher said with a faint smile. She was already fond of this self-assured, approachable girl. Her presence alone brightened the room, the sort who could instantly warm up the atmosphere.

It was hard to dislike Lemuel at first glance. Maybe it was her looks, maybe her personality, or perhaps the combination—the kind of personal charm that simply drew people in.

Muelsyse murmured under her breath, "I see… a girl like this really is…"

"?"

Felix shot her a warning look, but she returned it with an innocent smile before shifting her gaze toward Lemuel, who had just finished ordering.

The younger ones talked among themselves about sights to see in Laterano. Degenbrecher and Carnelian discussed the upcoming itinerary for Tomorrow's Development after their time here. Meanwhile, Muelsyse struck up a conversation with Lemuel.

"Mind if I call you Lemuel?"

"Sure~ And how should I address you?"

"Just call me Muelsyse."

Lemuel nodded with a smile. "Your name's beautiful."

"Thanks." Muelsyse pressed her lips together slightly, then asked quietly, "So, how exactly did you and Felix meet?"

"Hmm…"

Lemuel paused to think. Strictly speaking, their very first encounter had been at the opening ceremony of church school. But that was little more than a fleeting glance—no words exchanged, just a passing moment. Their first real interaction came later, during a firearms class, when they exchanged a few casual words.

"It was back in church school. Felix-senpai helped me out a lot back then." She smiled a little sheepishly and glanced at him before looking away. "After that, I mostly heard about him from my sister and some senior classmates."

"I see. Sounds almost like something out of a drama."

Muelsyse propped her chin in her hand, musing aloud.

"It wasn't that dramatic, really. But Felix-senpai was amazing back then—teachers always mentioned his name. I even visited his workshop once. One of my teachers said he might be the most outstanding gunsmith the school had ever admitted."

"Felix was that impressive even back then?" Muelsyse looked at him with interest. He crossed his arms and turned away, avoiding her slightly teasing gaze. She let out a quiet chuckle. "Mm, and what else did he do back then? Care to tell me?"

Lemuel thought for a moment. "Oh—he also became the youngest person ever to join the Notarial Hall. The day he left school for the job, the campus threw a huge party. Tons of alumni came."

Felix vaguely recalled something like that. At the time, he'd been too focused on getting out and seeing the world to pay much attention. Hearing her mention it now brought the memory back.

"Wasn't there an explosion during that party? I remember one whole wall of the school building collapsing… and several statues in front of the main gate falling over too…"

"That was absolutely not me!" Lemuel raised both hands in an 'X' gesture. She coughed twice, and her tone dropped a little. "Ahem… the statues weren't my doing… but the wall—yeah, that one I did blow up…"

Muelsyse stared, dumbfounded. She had never imagined that such a bright, sunny, and adorable junior could have such… an explosive side. Was this how she managed to catch Felix's attention?

Muelsyse pressed on, "So… Lemuel, with Felix always away these past years, have you ever missed him?"

"Mhm." Lemuel nodded. "Since the teachers always mentioned his name, I'd find myself wondering—where's Felix-senpai now? What fun things is he up to? Sometimes I even thought about graduating early, like him, to go out and see the world… but, well, my grades aren't good enough, so I can only imagine it."

"Of course, I still hear bits and pieces about him from my sister and senior classmates," she added, "but it's mostly about where he's been seen—not much in the way of details."

Muelsyse glanced at Felix. "You've been away so long. You should've written her once in a while to keep in touch."

Felix blinked. "Huh?"

"Little Lemuel misses you. You can't just leave her worrying," Muelsyse said gently, running her fingers through Lemuel's hair. "She's so sweet and sunny—she might not say it out loud, but I'm sure she's been thinking about you."

"Hehe, not really~" Lemuel laughed, scratching her head. "Though I am curious about what Felix-senpai's been doing all this time. If, after I graduate, I could join him in traveling the world, that'd be great."

"We'll talk about it when you graduate—if you're still interested," Felix replied. "But only with your sister's approval."

On that point, he was firm. The sisters only had each other, and he had no intention of causing a rift between them because of him.

Hearing that, Muelsyse nodded in satisfaction. "Now that's taking responsibility."