Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 8

Episode 8

'What's this? Is it a quest?'

I tilted my head and looked closely at the chandelier.

For something that had 'Lost Its Light', the lamps were all properly lit.

What was a bit strange was that, unlike the game setting where main quest items are usually enchanted, real candles were lit one by one...

But I clearly remembered that the main quest item for Count Hailey's estate was not the chandelier.

I suddenly saw that blackout curtains were drawn over the huge picture window behind the chandelier.

No wonder the inside of the mansion felt exceptionally dark and stuffy.

The sun hadn't even set, but most of the windows in the mansion were covered with pitch-black curtains.

'Is the setting that becomes gloomy after being occupied by monsters?'

Just as I was thinking it was nothing, another thought crossed my mind.

'Come to think of it, that 'Lost Its Light' or whatever has a similar name to the main quest item.What was it?'

I couldn't just walk past it, because its level was quite high.

Was it because I had delayed too long.

"What are you doing there? Hurry up and follow. Low-class people are always..."

The adjutant, who was walking ahead down the hall, suddenly snapped impatiently.

He really was a petty bastard, just like he looked.

"Ah, yes, yes. I'm coming."

But I was just a lowly apothecary right now, so I had no choice but to bow my head and follow.

Following the hypersensitive boss adjutant, I finally arrived at the Count's office.

When I went inside, a young man with platinum blond hair was sitting at a rather wide desk.

"Count, I have brought the person you were looking for."

The man didn't even glance over, just kept looking at his documents, even though someone had entered.

I didn't realize it when I was watching from a distance, but the characters in this game had a common trait that was enough to make users lose their shit.

They had no manners.

"Hello, Count. I am the apothecary, Shari Azrael. I heard you were looking for me, so I came."

Although I was grinding my teeth inwardly at being ignored again, I offered a rather polite greeting.

Only then did he seem to acknowledge my presence, lifting his head to glance at me.

Clear blue eyes turned to me.

A gloomy expression, an arrogant and handsome face like a typical aristocrat.

Count Adam Hailey

He was one of the main characters who would help the Male Lead prevent the apocalypse, called the 'White Sword God' by users.

His blue eyes, which had been staring at me as if piercing through my robe, suddenly colored with suspicion.

"...Alone?"

"Yes. I am alone."

I answered, extremely tense.

All the characters in this game, excluding the users, were AIs.

Moreover, Adam Hailey was one of the more difficult ones, so I had to be careful not to get on his bad side.

You had to get on the main characters' good side so you could recruit them as party members when the protagonist eventually fought the final boss.

'He doesn't actually know, does he?'

According to the game scenario, the user who finished the potion-crafting quest is supposed to persuade the apothecary NPC in the count's domain and bring them here.

Meaning, there should have originally been at least two people.

But there's no way an in-game AI would know that.

I just assumed it was one of his many lines.

Just then, Adam, who had been sharply looking me up and down, spoke.

"Your attire looks like that of a wandering beggar or a witch."

"..."

"If you came here to commit fraud, it will be difficult to keep your life."

"Hey. Take off your robe and show your face to the Count!"

At that moment, a system window appeared in the air.

Adam Hailey holds a trace of suspicion toward you.

'There it is.'

This game let you see a portion of the main characters' feelings toward the user through a system window.

This was commonly called 'rapport-building'.

However, unlike other games, it wasn't expressed as a number.

... sends you strong trust.

... considers you a reliable ally.

... holds a very high level of affection and favorability toward you.

You could only look at the system window and make a vague guess.

The developers promoted it as being able to build an even more realistic relationship with the in-game characters, but 'realistic' my ass.

'My first impression is a beggar!'

Since Adam was one of the main characters, the system window popped up right away.

But less than one minute after thinking I had to be careful, a crisis arrived.

"What are you doing! Hurry up and reveal your identity!"

The adjutant fiercely berated me as I hesitated, not immediately removing my hood.

I was a bit flustered.This was because in the trial play, it just ended with bringing the apothecary NPC before the Count.

'Is this the AI variable that leads to hell difficulty?'

On the other hand, I felt a surge of anger at being seen as a beggar for wearing the 'shabby robe', an NPC-exclusive costume.

I barely stopped myself from flipping back my hood right then and there, as if to say, 'What do you know?'

It wouldn't be difficult to get out of the situation by showing my face here.

However, now that I had decided to play the game, it was better to keep this costume, which was useful in many ways.

Besides, 'My beauty is too eye-catching.'

It wasn't narcissism; it was true.

Since Adam Hailey was the main character, it was highly likely we'd keep running into each other, and it would be troublesome if he fell for me.

After a brief moment of thought, I took about 20 potion bottles from my pocket and set them down on the Count's desk with a 'clack'.

"Isn't this what you need right now, Count?"

"What is this...!"

"They are awakening potions that induce insomnia. If you can't trust me because of my appearance, I will leave these without compensation and go."

"...What?"

Both the adjutant, who had tried to stop my sudden action, and Adam turned to look at me at the same time, dumbfounded.

Normally, the user would have to persuade Adam Hailey well to receive permission to stay at the Count's estate, for the sake of rewards and achievements.

But I didn't need rewards or achievements or anything.

'And sure, I'm an NPC, but there's no user, so I don't really need to be the one force-feeding him potions, right?'

At Count Hailey's estate, the user had to proceed with the main quest, 'Stop the Disaster', while simultaneously doing sub-quests to build rapport with Adam.

In other words, they had to run around nonstop.

However, while focusing on sub-quests, it was possible to neglect the most important main quest.

That would lead to the terrible situation of an immediate game over.

Therefore, the strategy was to have the apothecary NPC brought by the user administer the Insomnia Potions to the Lord of Nightmares to prevent the disaster after the initial phase.

But I was neither a proper NPC nor a user.

I especially hated the idea of taking the lead and playing the game.

'Right!If I give him all the potions and leave, Adam will probably administer them himself and stop this disaster. Maybe I'm a genius...?'

My admiration for my own quick thinking and coping skills, which allowed me to sneakily pull out, was brief.

My wishful thinking came to an empty end with Adam's next reply.

"I seem to recall ordering you to find an apothecary who could solve insomnia."

Adam Hailey temporarily retracts the suspicion he held toward you.

'Why on earth is he convinced?'

The dialogue returned to its normal track.

His cool blue eyes landed on the potion bottles I had set down.

The plant-type monsters in the field near Count Hailey's estate could be used to craft two types of potions.

Sleeping potions and Insomnia Potions.

The tutorial clearly shows how to stop the Lord of Nightmares, but there are always users who inevitably 'skip' it.

Not an Insomnia Potion to keep the Lord of Nightmares from sleeping, but a sleeping potion to solve insomnia... Adam's words were a small trick to fool them and make them waste their efforts.

At this point, a normal user would have proven their usefulness by presenting the 'Defeat 100 Mid-grade Monsters' quest achievement...

Unfortunately, since I'm an NPC, I can't acquire achievements or titles, so I can't really prove my usefulness.

I had no choice but to try and piece together my words well.

Faced with his suspicious gaze, I reluctantly opened my mouth.

"After the prisoner you were personally escorting passed by, a horde of monsters attacked our village, and many people died or were injured."

"...And?"

"Right before that, I was watching the procession and happened to hear the knights saying they had to wake the prisoner by any means necessary."

"..."

"I am not strong enough to fight monsters, but I can make potions that can minimize the casualties. That is the extent of my usefulness."

Adam Hailey trusted just and good-natured people.

When I pieced together a response that was close to the standard answer floating around the community, the suspicion in his blue eyes thankfully dissipated.

"You were the one who threw the potion then."

And 'Dover Village Apothecary Shari's Special Healing Potion★!

The answer that users who obtained it usually heard came back.

At the same time, a system window popped up.

Adam Hailey feels a faint favorability toward you.

I felt a little strange and nodded a step too late.

"I thought that even if he is a prisoner, there was no need to inflict unnecessary injuries just to wake him."

"Hah, ridiculous. Does throwing a potion bottle prevent injury?"

When I said the same answer all users usually gave, Adam suddenly scoffed.

Adam Hailey feels slight displeasure at your words.