Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 34

Episode 34

A shockwave passed through the butler, as well as the employees.

"Wh-what does that mean, Count!"

"The seal, the T-Tower's seal is coming undone!"

"That can't be! It's a seal that hasn't budged for over 500 years...!"

The shock and horror were plain on the faces of the people, who knew the legend of the monster sealed in the Hailey estate better than anyone.

They pleaded for the Count to deny it.

"It is exactly as you heard."

But what came from Adam's mouth was only cold resignation.

"The monster's thoughts, leaking through the seal's cracks, are already taking over the estate. The Imperial Palace has abandoned Hailey."

"H-how can that be!"

A few of the older servants collapsed to the floor, as if their legs had given out.

I got chills hearing this game's backstory for the first time.

'So that's why Kassel was detained at the Hailey estate.'

I just thought it was a basic setup to make the main characters meet.

The Emperor and the high-ranking nobles already knew the Hailey estate's seal was weakening, so they sent a time bomb.

Because this village was doomed to be annihilated someday, even without Kassel.

'That's really too much.'

This realistic story, something the higher-ups would totally do, gave me goosebumps.

If the Lord of Nightmares, who carries the curse of absolute evil, hadn't been here, the seal's weakening might have been delayed.

Besides, if I restore the greatsword later, the loosened barrier of the seal will become whole again...

"Aah, n-no, it can't be, it can't... For everyone, everyone in the world to drive us to our deaths...!"

The butler suddenly began to wail, pounding the ground as he shed black tears that looked like tears of blood.

I was bewildered watching him.

'I mean, I get that the Emperor is evil, but it's not like there's no solution. This is a bit much...'

Suddenly, my eyes met Adam's.

They were the same eyes I saw in his office this morning, like ruins, emptied of everything.

In that moment, a realization struck me like lightning.

'So... you're saying the Tower's seal is almost completely undone, with no time for the disaster, or restoring the greatsword, or anything?!'

If that wasn't the case, there was no reason for Adam to just give up and do nothing, just as the butler said.

If the seal breaks and the Tower's monster awakens, Kassel's curse will also manifest before anyone can react, due to the naturally strengthened demonic energy.

'Crazy, so that means I have to stop the disaster and the arch-monster whatever-it-is!'

But this was no time to be calmly sorting out my thoughts.

"So if you want to prolong those pathetic lives of yours even a little, you'd better quietly follow my orders!"

Screeeech!

The Adjutant, who had been holding his breath, seized the chance in the chaos to roughly snatch Serina's wheelchair, which was in front of the butler.

"Sir Kendlick! Wh-what is this!"

Serina's deeply sleeping body shook so violently it looked like she would fall out of the wheelchair.

Adam, as well as the knight who brought me and a few servants, turned pale and blocked his path.

"Let Lady Serina go, right now!"

"Shut up! From this moment on, I am the master of this estate!"

"Get a grip, Bill Kendlick!"

Shiiing!

Adam's nearby escorts drew their swords.

At that moment, I ran toward the panicking Head Maid.

"You haven't forgotten what I asked you, have you?"

When I grabbed her and spoke, Madam Lena thankfully regained her senses quickly and nodded.

In that time, the Adjutant and Adam faced off.

"I can no longer stand by and watch your tyranny, Bill Kendlick. Or should I call you the monster's thought-form?"

"Kekek... What can you do if you don't just stand by and watch, Adam Hailey?"

The bastard let out a vile laugh and fully released the demonic energy he had been hiding.

His eyes expanded, pitch black, consuming the whites like spreading ink.

Two antennae sprouted from his forehead, and centipede shells popped up all over his skin.

"A m-monster...! It's a monster!"

Just as someone shouted, the Adjutant had taken the complete form of a centipede monster.

Shing, Shiiing!

Following Adam, the few knights inside the estate quickly drew their swords and stood on guard against him.

However.

"Kk, wh-what are you doing, Ka-el! Mac!"

Even they were split in half.

Knights who had seemed fine just moments ago now had the same gruesome eyes as the Adjutant and were pointing their swords at their own comrades.

That wasn't all. People with blackened eyes began to pop up from among the employees as well.

They naturally moved to the Adjutant's side and formed a line.

The remaining employees were, of course, terrified and at a loss.

'There are 25 of them?!'

In the midst of that chaos, I quickly moved to the central staircase, counting the number of hosts.

The seal had clearly weakened a lot; the number was far greater than the 99 Essences of Darkness needed to complete the greatsword restoration quest.

There were more non-hosts, so a fight was possible, but they couldn't attack easily.

This was because the monster-controlled employees were surrounding the Adjutant and Serina, as if to protect them.

"Hahaha! How's that, my power! Thanks to you stupidly groveling for this one wench, it was even easier to plant my clones!"

The Adjutant, now a monster completely consumed by the leader, cackled mockingly.

Naturally, Adam's expression darkened rapidly.

This, too, was the monster's cunning trick, digging into his weakened state.

It was meant to instill guilt in Adam for failing to protect anything, while simultaneously sowing distrust among the employees.

The atmosphere was spiraling further and further toward catastrophe.

'Stop digging your grave and look over here, you bastard!'

Having secretly climbed the central staircase and finished all my preparations, I desperately tried to make eye contact with Adam.

The moment the thoroughly provoked Adjutant finally brought Serina out as a hostage was the moment I was supposed to attack.

But no matter how many signals I sent, Adam didn't even look at me. He remained motionless, his sword still aimed at the Adjutant.

He asked the Adjutant, his face dark and sunken.

"I've wanted to ask you something for a while."

"Hmph! You still don't grasp the situation, do you? If you think I'm going to answer you, you're sorely mis..."

"What is your reason for doing this, going so far as to offer your body and soul to the Darkness-Eating Centipede?"

This was not the time to be curious about that crap.

'Stop provoking him! Stop!'

The Adjutant had already been provoked enough.

For Serina's safety, we needed to suppress those 25 bug-like bastards right now.

But Adam, for whatever reason, wouldn't stop running his mouth.

"I believe the Hailey family has shown you sufficient kindness until now."

"Ha! Kindness! Kindness, you say..."

The Adjutant snorted loudly, repeating Adam's word.

"Kindness? Don't give me that bullshit!"

Then, he suddenly twisted his expression like a demon.

"You may have forgotten, but the Kendlick family was once a prestigious family in the East! But a single mistake put us on the verge of losing everything!"

"..."

"My father swallowed his pride and tried to borrow money from your father, with whom he was acquainted."

"..."

"But your father coldly turned us away! Even when we begged, saying our family would be ruined and our relatives scattered!"

At first glance, it was a tear-jerking story.

"Let me correct you."

Before Adam acted like a clueless robot, without batting an eye.

"Your father, Viscount Norbert Kendlick, did not come to borrow money to save the family. He came to borrow gambling money."

"Wh-what... Hrk!"

"And, did the former Count not fulfill his duty to his friend sufficiently just by accepting you as my adjutant?"

"Shut up!"

Even though his appearance had changed into a monster's, it was clear the Adjutant's face was flushed as if it would explode.

The Adjutant panted, looking like he would charge and tear Adam to pieces at any moment.

It was understandable.

He was holding onto a bald eagle that was agitated and about to charge, picking apart every single right and wrong...

"If I'd just had that money! I, the eldest son of the Kendlick family, would never have ended up cleaning up the messes of a little brat so much younger than me!"

"..."

"A little prick who's still wet behind the ears, calling himself a Count, always holding his head high and ordering people around..."

'Didn't they say the leader is someone with a strong desire?'

I had no interest in the route where the Adjutant becomes the leader, so I didn't know at all. I deflated, 'pshh,' at the surprisingly petty reason.

"Enough. If you don't want to see this wench die an early death, bring me the family seal right now!"

In that time, the Adjutant's tyranny had reached its peak.

"If you do, I'll grant my mercy and take this wench as my wife instead of killing her! I'll take far better care of the Hailey family than you ever..."

"Stop!"

Just before Adam, sword in hand, lost his reason and ruined the entire plan, I hurriedly spoke.

"That's enough. It's too disgusting to listen to anymore."

"Apothecary? Why are you...!"

My appearance, standing silently at the top of the landing, must have been quite a mystery, as bewilderment filled everyone's eyes.

Having successfully drawn their attention, I snapped my fingers in the air.

Tak. At the same time, all the lights in the estate went out.

"Wh-what did you do!"

At the sudden situation, the Adjutant, and everyone else in the lobby, looked around at the darkened surroundings.

The estate was plunged into darkness for only an instant.

The next moment, the Head Maid, who had been hiding behind me, threw open all the blackout curtains.

Pwa!

The large, floor-to-ceiling window, which had been covered ever since I came to the estate, was revealed.

Beyond the window, a large, magnificent, full moon hung brightly.

As if unfitting for the current situation, brilliant moonlight poured in through the window and focused precisely on the giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

At that moment, Vwoooooom.

With a strange vibrating sound, the extinguished lights began to turn back on, one by one.

"Wh-what is..."

"Heok! That's not light! That's...!"

"Bugs! They're bugs!"

Vwoooooom!

People were horrified when they realized that what was inside the glass lamps wasn't candles, but pitch-black bugs.

But that, too, was brief, as a soft light emanated from the bugs' tails, filling the giant chandelier.

Lv1. Moonlight-fire

A bug-type monster that, like a firefly, glows when it receives moonlight.

Me: For a light-attribute weapon, the light doesn't necessarily have to be sunlight, right?

GM Jinu: That's right. But if you're using potions, it has to be sunlight.

Because of Serina, who couldn't be exposed to sunlight, I needed an alternative light source to activate the chandelier.

Fortunately, Moonlight-fires inhabited most areas with swamps.

That was why I had frantically dug through the foul-smelling mud this morning.

"Wh-what is this, Apothecary! How stupid! Do you really think you can do anything to me with measly monsters like that!"

I lightly ignored the Adjutant, who was shouting lines like a third-rate villain, and stared at the NPC who alone wore an indifferent expression...

No, I stared at Adam.

"All the employees are gathered in the lobby, right?"

For an instant, his calm blue eyes wavered.

I had confidently declared I could solve it and set things in motion, but Adam, not knowing exactly what I was about to do, seemed to find me thoroughly untrustworthy.

In any case, now that I had provoked the leader like this, there was no turning back.

After seeming to hesitate for a moment, he finally gave a quiet nod.

"Ahem, then I'll start right away."

The inside of the estate was pitch black, except for the spot under the chandelier where I was standing.

I felt strangely embarrassed, as if I were standing alone in a spotlight on a stage.

But this was nothing.

Because there was something even cringier left.

"D-day...!"

"I asked what you are doing, Apothecary!"

The moment I spat out the first syllable, the Adjutant, who had been shrieking, tossed Serina aside and started running toward me.

My sudden, bizarre actions must have seemed quite unsettling.

Or, the leader inside his body might have instinctively sensed the danger.

It was a relief, really.

I thought I'd die from the cringe just trying to say it, but seeing the bastard's balding head as he ran up to the central staircase in one go...

"In the west, where the darkness of day descends, the dazzling sunlight shall always be present."

It was more bearable to recite than I thought.

I mean, that chuunibyou line that the crazy developer bastard made.

"O, thou place where the sword is planted, which cuts down evil and fills the fields of despair with light and bounty. There, the glory of Hailey shall surely be as well."

"Stop! Sh-shut your mouth! I don't know what you're doing, but if you stop right now, your life...!"

"I, Sepitraon Hailey, shall become a star and protect this place for all eternity."

Looking down at the staircase below, which had fallen silent, I intoned softly.

"...Lightning Spear."