Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 113

Episode 113

But miserably, I had no choice but to hurriedly shout before that bastard could even finish counting to three.

"Hah..."

"We-we're not close. Not at all!"

I just received a ton of suspicion and a warning of surveillance, what 'closeness' is he talking about?

But despite my denial, Kassel's harsh expression didn't ease.

"Then why are you recklessly going in and out of another man's room? Especially at this late hour."

"Late hour... you say?"

"Yes, a late hour. What do you think passersby would think if they saw?"

It was just around dinnertime, too early to be called a 'late hour', so I was a bit bewildered.

And what's with this tone, like he's strangely blaming me?

'What is it? Is he mad that I had a conversation with his closest aide?'

This personality-defective bastard wouldn't care about the people around him that much already, but since he fundamentally hates and suspects me, it made sense he'd be in a bad mood.

I reluctantly opened my mouth and answered.

"...They'd probably just think, 'Oh, he must be sick and called the apothecary.' What else would they think?"

"So what if you're an apothecary? Does your gender change?"

"What does my gender have to do with visiting the Count's quarters?"

At my question, which showed I really didn't understand, Kassel spoke as if dumbfounded.

"Ha. Do you not know how dirty the rumors spread by the Temple are?"

Of course I don't.

But thanks to those words, I thought I could vaguely understand why he was reacting so sensitively.

Anyway, Kassel had suffered the humiliation of becoming a sinner due to a prophecy from the Temple, and because of that, he was in a direct confrontation with the Temple.

He seemed worried that the Temple would use untrustworthy me to spread more unpleasant rumors.

For example, the Crown Prince and his aide were taking turns summoning the apothecary hired exclusively for the Saintess, trying to dig up the Temple's secrets...

"...I will be more careful from now on."

The reality was completely different, but it wasn't like I couldn't understand his point, so I had no choice but to concede.

Nevertheless, Kassel still looked me over with suspicious eyes and said.

"Don't forget that Adam Hailey is a male bastard too."

"Yes, well..."

If Adam isn't a man, then what is he?

That question rose to the tip of my tongue, but I held it back.

It was for the sake of a quick departure.

I immediately bowed my head and tried to return to my room.

"Well then, I'll be..."

"What did you talk about?"

But these damn bastards took turns holding onto me, not letting me go easily.

"That is my personal..."

I was about to evade by mumbling vaguely, but I shut my mouth at the system windows that suddenly popped up in succession.

[Crown Prince Kassel Ludwig feels a certain level of irritation or more at your words and actions.]

[Crown Prince Kassel Ludwig harbors suspicion and wariness toward your actions.]

When I raised my head, I saw Kassel's face, truly filled with strong irritation.

'He's going to kill me, kill me if I don't talk!'

But since he was a bastard who might actually try to kill me, I quickly and obediently offered an answer.

"...We talked about the things that happened right after the disaster."

"And so."

"That's it."

After I finished speaking, one thing I had forgotten suddenly came to mind.

Judging from my conversation with Adam, it was the fact that Kassel hadn't told Adam everything exactly as it happened.

Of course, he also had to pretend he was the one who killed the Giga-Centipede, so he couldn't share everything.

But not mentioning the 'dual instigation' was unexpected.

"Come to think of it, you didn't tell him."

"What."

"What I... did at the tower."

"That you were dually instigated, splashed a sleeping potion on me, and bolted..."

"H-hey!"

At the sight of him spilling everything the moment I brought it up, I unconsciously ran up and clamped both my hands over that big mouth from hell.

"The soundproofing here is so bad...!"

I quickly looked back, worried it might have been heard inside Adam's room, and as I was reprimanding the bastard.

I suddenly met the red eyes that were looking down at me.

"..."

With his mouth covered by my hands, Kassel was staring at me with eyes swirling with an unreadable passion.

My heart dropped.

'You've finally gone crazy from wanting to be trapped in this game for four years.'

Turning pale, I screamed once internally, then quickly snatched my hands away, stepped back, and bowed my head low.

"...S-sorry. Please just spare my life."

As I muttered like a rapid-fire, I felt the guy reach his hand toward me.

'Damn it. It's either choking or, at minimum, headbanging...!'

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut, anticipating the punishment the bastard was about to unleash.

Tuk.

A heavy weight settled on top of my hood.

And then, a force that grabbed the fabric covering the crown of my head.

I braced for my hair to be yanked, but even as time passed, it didn't happen.

Unable to bear the silence, I opened my eyes to see Kassel, much closer, grabbing the edge of my hood and staring at me expressionlessly.

And then.

"If you want to live, refrain from recklessly going in and out of the Count's room from now on."

He loosened his grip and murmured lowly, tapping the crown of my head a couple of times as if patting it.

'Uh...'

His tone was like he was soothing a pet dog, so I could only stand there making a stupid sound.

Soon, the bastard retracted his hand without any headbanging or choking.

After standing blankly for a while, I barely collected myself and protested.

"B-but we can't have that kind of conversation standing in the hallway. What if someone passing by hears?"

"Then from now on, if you have something to say to the Count, come to me and say it."

"..."

"He's under my command anyway, so I'll relay it for you."

Does it work like that?

It made sense, but it also felt strangely illogical, so I was lost in thought.

This time, the bastard glared fiercely and pressed me.

"Are you not going to answer?"

"Yes, well..."

We've settled accounts anyway.

I wouldn't have to meet with Adam alone for a while, so I spat out an answer as if pushed.

At that, Kassel, finally looking satisfied, suddenly asked.

"I guess you don't need to go out to gather potion ingredients today?"

Come to think of it, dinnertime was almost over. I didn't know why Kassel had left his room.

"Are you going for another walk, Your Highness?"

I asked just in case, and he nodded his head.

"I've received intelligence that the Pope plans to gather his lackeys today and hold an all-night service."

"Lackeys..."

I was frowning at the bastard's vulgar words and actions, when a thought struck me.

"For that, isn't it... too early?"

"It just needs to be empty around the Goddess Statue. I don't know what kind of bullshit he'll pull next, so if I want to screw him over, I need to make my move in advance."

It suddenly made sense why the priests were in such a hurry to close the Temple gates and busily disappeared when I was on my way back earlier.

And just as he said, it seemed like Kassel would find a way to slip out, regardless of whether it was day or night.

'He might not even care if people are around and just climb the Goddess Statue...'

Realizing my brief worry was an extravagance, I bowed my head and said farewell once again.

"Well then, I'll be..."

"Together..."

At that moment, the bastard's mouth moved at the same time as mine.

Because our words overlapped, I didn't quite hear what he said.

"What did you say?"

I asked back immediately, but only a cold reaction returned.

"...I said, if you understood, then scram to your room."

I could only stare blankly as the bastard suddenly snapped at me like that and brushed past.

[Crown Prince Kassel Ludwig feels strong irritation toward you.]

A system window popped up along with his retreating back.

'His personality is really weird.'

I just couldn't understand that psycho bastard at all, so I just felt wronged.

Dalkak.

Finally back in my room, I laid my exhausted body on the sofa.

"Hah... I didn't even do much, so why does the day feel so long?"

As I sighed, I soon realized the reason.

I didn't do much, but it was because I had dealt with a whopping three of this game's crazy main characters, including the Male Lead.

"From now on, I'm never running into more than two of them in one day. No, one... No, no one at all..."

But that vow was useless.

Because I was planning to go find Nise soon.

In that case, I would have essentially dealt with all the main characters in a single day.

'Horrifying...'

After shuddering and lamenting my fate, I finally opened the chat window.

Me: Where's Nise?

A user might have searched the Temple all night looking for Nise, but I had no intention of going through such hell.

Thankfully, a reply came back quickly.

GM Ari: He is currently moving from the 4th Prayer Room to the Old Temple with the priests.

Me: What, you should have told me sooner!

GM Ari: Because Shari-nim only asked a bunch of questions about Nise's gender... ㅠ

That was also true, so I had nothing to say.

Earlier, I was so shocked by the fact that Nise wasn't a girl that I didn't even think to ask for his location.

"But where is this 4th Prayer Room?"

I tilted my head at the name of a place I'd never heard before.

Then, an unexpected answer came back.

GM Jinu: It's the place you tried to open earlier.

Me: What?!

If it's the place I tried to open earlier...

The door I found while looking around for Nise after meeting the Saintess.

He was talking about the small door in the farthest corner of the hallway.

"No, if I got that close, you should have at least pinged me or something!"

I felt a surge of anger at the developer bastards who just watched.

Me: Ah, you should have told me that sooner too!!!!

Me: I could have rescued him earlier and finished the quest!

Me: --

GM Jinu: No no, you couldn't have gone in anyway.

GM Jinu: There's a setting that only people related to the Temple can enter.

"What kind of setting is that?"

I was furious, but thinking about it, I'd never seen anyone on the community forums talk about finding and rescuing Nise from there.

Since it was already in the past, I calmed my anger and asked urgently.

Me: Anyway, so I can meet him if I go to the Old Temple now, right?

Me: Rescue Nise, kill the Pope, and the Temple quest is over?

GM Ari: Unfortunately, it seems impossible as the main quest progression has already begun, Shari-nim ㅠㅠ

Me: ? What's that supposed to mean?

GM Ari: (Typing...)

Ari started being frustrating again.

Thankfully, before he could type a chat full of 'X's, Sera tactfully answered instead.

GM Sera: It means you cannot make contact with Nise-gun until the final boss, the Dregs Monster, appears, hoobae.

GM Sera: In the settings, the Pope and priests have cast a sacred barrier on the way to the Old Temple that outsiders cannot touch.

"No, fuck! Why?!"

But at the reply, I couldn't hold back my cursing any longer.

I stirred up the Saintess just to stop him from getting that far, so why are things proceeding like this?

Me: You said he appears at the tournament opening ceremony!

Me: Isn't there still time left?

I naturally thought that the quest would be resolved if I just rescued Nise before the opening ceremony.

But only words I couldn't quite understand came back from the developers.

GM Jinu: It's the route that stupid bastard chose himself, so nothing can be done.

GM Ari: Jinu-nim, your words are too harsh.

GM Ari: Even so, calling him a stupid bastard. ㅠ

GM Jinu: Then is he not stupid, when he interprets things like dogsht every time?

Me: Stop, stop! Is that stupid bastard Nise?

And.

I was furiously typing, 'Is this really the time for you guys to be fighting amongst yourselves?'

Knock, knock.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through my quiet room.

I was startled and turned my head to the door.

"...Shari, it's me. Please open the door, quickly. Please."

An urgent voice echoed like a whisper.

It was Liv.