Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 109

Episode 109

I thought the swill that arrived would be all food waste mixed together, but it looked more decent than I expected.

It was like a porridge made by boiling some leftover soup with vegetables and a few chunks of meat, and Ballakk shoveled it in like a madman with an ecstatic expression.

"Tsk. This hotel is no good. Do they not know what 'leftovers' means?"

"Even if it's 'leftovers', it's from ingredients that nobles eat, so of course it's only good stuff."

Elaine spoke with an unbothered face, as if he had already expected this.

That was also true, so I quickly accepted it.

"I'm going to go wash up for a bit."

Soon, I went to my room right next door and fully enjoyed a healing therapy session for the first time in a while.

"Ughh..."

As I filled the tub, added bath bombs, and stretched out, it felt like all my accumulated fatigue and stress were melting away.

"I don't want to go back..."

Just thinking about returning to the Temple made my vision darken already.

But I had to go. To escape this damn game for good, I had to hurry up and finish the quests and move on to the next thing.

After finishing my bath and rolling around on the bed, time flew by like an arrow.

As six o'clock, when the Temple locks its entrance, approached, I sluggishly raised myself up.

And I went to Elaine's room to say goodbye.

"I'm heading out, Green Mask."

"Already?"

"Yeah. The Temple gates close at six."

Am I Cinderella at six o'clock or something.

After grumbling inwardly for a moment, I quickly told him what I needed to.

"You know there are only four days left until the tournament, right? Keep working hard on squeezing out those juices."

"Juices?"

[Elaine Griselda feels a slight aversion to your words and actions.]

As if he didn't like my words, Elaine even brought up the system window, looking serious for a moment before speaking.

"Still, if I try just a little harder, I think 10 minutes might be possible."

"What. You said 20 seconds?"

"That was just to show you."

I was a little dumbfounded at his triumphant words, then burst out laughing.

Anyway, considering he stole the artifact even while captured by that bastard Ballakk, he really was one of a kind.

"But, what in the world did Lucy teach you that you were able to cry so quickly?"

Honestly, I couldn't imagine the current Elaine, who was always snickering and spouting weird nonsense, crying.

"Just..."

At my question, Elaine seemed embarrassed, hesitating a little before answering.

"I imagined that I did something wrong and all the people precious to me died."

"..."

"If I substitute people one by one into the image of my mom, who was torn to death by that bastard, it's easier than I thought."

Elaine gestured with his eyes toward the dressing room where Ballakk, having finished his meal, was probably holed up.

I was momentarily speechless at his method of crying, which was much heavier and more gruesome than I expected.

After being silent for a while, I finally murmured quietly.

"You don't need to go so far as to torture yourself like that."

"...I don't need to?"

"Right. If you can use it, it would be easy and convenient, of course, but there are other ways even if you don't."

It wasn't just empty words to console him, it was true.

According to the original scenario, Elaine only obtained Belisser's Eye after the tournament ended.

Therefore, him not being able to handle it right now didn't impede the quest.

At my words, Elaine's wheat-colored eyes wavered once with confusion.

"...You said I had to be able to use this to get first place in the tournament?"

"When did I say first place? I said you could easily get into the top ranks of the tournament."

After correcting the guy's exaggeration, I added.

"And now that I think about it, you don't even need to be in the top ranks."

Originally, the plan was to have him rank in the top, following the original story, to have him meet Kassel naturally.

But after running into Kassel at the Temple, that plan was completely revised.

Because Kassel would already know about Elaine, having seen him at the black market.

'He just needs to attract a moderate amount of attention.'

As of now, the thing the Male Lead bastard is probably most curious about is my true appearance.

In other words, the identity of the magic-using woman 'who came from a distant foreign country to protect the Empire' that I lied about.

But since I introduced Elaine as my best friend, he would naturally pay close attention to him participating in the tournament.

'If this goes well, he might even approach Elaine first.'

Thinking as positively as possible, he might even have Adam pull Elaine into Adam's party.

Then, without having to go through the trouble of the current plan, things would smoothly fall into place, right up to the formation of the main character party.

While I was spinning such happy circuits in my head, Elaine glared and shouted.

"What are you talking about? If I do it, it's first place, guaranteed! I won't lose to those Empire bastards."

"You're an outcast, so you'll have to clear dungeons alone without a party. How are you going to manage that?"

"That's..."

He looked crestfallen at my reality-based point.

He pouted his lips like a duckling and grumbled sulkily.

"Ah, anyway, noona, you don't need to worry. Whether it's 10 minutes or 20 minutes, I'll figure out how to squeeze out the juices and win."

"The point is, don't do it to the extent of using your trauma. Try to find another way."

I let out a short sigh and brought the slightly derailed topic back to the main point.

"That's how people are. You might be fine if you stop thinking about it now, but the more you think bad thoughts, the easier it is to be captured by negative emotions."

"..."

"What if those things you're imagining actually happen in reality? Can you handle it then?"

"..."

"You need to know how to protect yourself, Green Mask. That includes your mind, not just your body. It's written in our contract, so read it."

I shut down his ridiculous behavior, perhaps to the point of seeming somewhat cold.

I didn't know if the guy would pop up another system window, complaining he was hurt or something, but it couldn't be helped.

If he, the main character, went crazy while eating away at his own mind just to shed tears, it would be my loss alone.

For the sake of a stable and quick ending, that absolutely could not be allowed to happen.

"..."

Elaine was silent for a while.

I figured he must have understood what I was saying by then.

Until he finally opened his mouth and spouted some nonsense.

"...If I said noona was also included in that imagination, are you going to hit me?"

"Ha."

I let out a dry laugh, finding his words absurd.

My, what an imagination.

How could he possibly imagine me being torn to death by Ballakk?

"Does that make sense? I'm strong, I'll never lose to a weak bastard like that. Did you not see what happened back then?"

"Ugh...!"

A faint presence was felt from the dressing room, but no one paid it any mind.

After saying it, I felt a rush of embarrassment, as it somehow sounded similar to how that guy Elaine talks.

I hurriedly wrapped up the conversation.

"Anyway, I'm saying you don't need to work yourself to death like that because there's another way. Got it?"

At that, Elaine stared at me with a strange expression and muttered.

"Noona, you're really... weird but kind, and cold but warm."

[Elaine Griselda feels rebellious toward your words.]

[Elaine Griselda feels a certain level of affection or more for you.]

'Cold but warm? What is this, a hot iced americano?'

Just as I reached a state of enlightenment, staring with hazy eyes at the crazy guy's added words and the contradictory system window.

"I'll look for another way during these four days."

For once, Elaine said something I liked.

"Good. I'm going then. See you at the tournament opening ceremony."

Finally finishing my farewell to him, I teleported straight to the Temple.

When I reached the alley, the teleport scroll point, the sun was already setting.

'Agh... because of that guy.'

I'd delayed quite a bit talking with Elaine.

With only about five minutes left until six o'clock, I bounded up the stairs to the Temple entrance, taking two or three steps at a time.

"Wait! It's not six o'clock yet! And I'm an employee here too!"

I barely made it, squeezing my way through the priests who were just about to close the doors.

'Sigh, my life...'

I wondered if I really had to go to these lengths to return, but I had no choice.

Not only did I have to find Nise, but if the Male Lead bastard found out I was gone, he'd throw a fit, saying I'd run away again.

I trudged my feet toward the East Wing, where my quarters were.

Before entering the corridor, I tensed up, wary of running into them again, but thankfully, the corridor was empty.

Hoping that Kassel had taken Adam and gone to dinner with the Pope or something, I hurried to my room.

I crossed the long corridor and was just rounding the corner where my room and the Crown Prince's room were.

Beolkeok, a door was heard opening from behind.

And a familiar voice greeted me.

"You didn't run away this time."

"..."

"Are you just returning now?"

I turned my creaking body with effort to check.

[Count Adam Hailey]

The man with brilliant blond hair and blue eyes was standing in front of the room opposite the Crown Prince's, staring intently at me.

And the system window that popped up.

[Adam Hailey feels slightly offended by you.]

From beginning to end, it was a perfectly ruined day.