Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 80

Episode 80

'He'd stolen all their weapons...'

He had sought out parties that were just about to clear a dungeon, snuck in, and, while the heroes were resting, stolen every single one of their weapons.

Then, while they were in disarray, he'd caught the boss.

In other words, he'd been kill-stealing the monsters they had all but finished off.

'...You sly bastard.'

He'd almost been killed when he was caught trying to pull the same stunt on Adam's party, but in any case.

Elaine had used that method to rack up points at a frightening pace and enter the rankings.

There was no one else who had acted so unscrupulously and despicably, so it was only natural that he caught Kassel's eye.

'Anyway... He's a hell of a guy, that's for sure.'

He'd even managed to snag the position of the Male Lead's left-hand man through that incident, so perhaps it was a fortunate turn of events for him.

I looked again, with a new perspective, at Elaine, who was still giggling with Lucy.

"Okay, I've decided. To first place for the World's Strongest Black Pink Gold Party!"

"To fiwst place!"

"Why, noona? If 'World's Strongest' isn't good, should I change it to 'Invincible'?"

I couldn't believe that this scatterbrained guy, asking me things like that, could become so ruthless.

I shook my head and walked toward the shop's back door.

"Where's that bastard?"

"That bastard? Ah."

When I asked, looking around the herb garden that the elves had been tending to so diligently, Elaine immediately understood and pointed to one side.

Unlike the elves, who were gathered in a cluster in the shade of a tree as if it were break time, a portly middle-aged man was tilling the field, alone, sweating profusely.

It was Ballakk, the former leader of the Dark Syndicate.

"Go get him."

At my words, Elaine made a puzzled face but didn't question it, walking over to Ballakk.

"Huk, huk... I tilled the field just as you said. Please, just a sip of water..."

After being worked hard as a farm serf for a few days, the bastard, who seemed to have lost some weight, acted quite submissively, his malice seemingly faded.

I glanced at Elaine, who had a firm grip on the bastard's scruff, and took a teleport scroll from my pocket.

By now, the elves, who must have heard the news from Lucy who had trotted over, began to gather around us one by one.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yes. I don't think we'll see you for about two weeks."

"Be careful, Elaine. You too, Shari."

Elena added, gazing at Elaine with worried eyes.

"Listen to what Shari says. And try to keep your mouth shut, got it? You get distracted easily, so please..."

"Ah! Noona, do you think I'm a kid?"

Accepting the warm farewells from the elves, I took Elaine's hand.

He was acting like it was nothing, but his fingertips were damp, as if he was nervous.

Seeing things like this, he seemed just like a kid his age, which made me feel strange.

"Well then, goodbye!"

Shhhk.

The familiar scenery of the herb garden blurred.

And soon, we arrived in front of the hotel in the center of the capital, where we had stayed four days ago.

"It's a good thing I paid for the long-term stay in advance."

The suite, still comfortable and quiet, brought about a different feeling from the bustling Dover Village.

I wanted to hurry back to my room and enjoy some healing therapy in the spacious bathtub.

"Just stay stuffed in there quietly, got it?"

"Urk! Y, you little bastard with no respect!"

Elaine, having shoved Ballakk into the dressing room just as he had before, walked out with a relieved look on his face.

"Are you going, noona?"

"Yeah. Don't come looking for me unless you have to. You just rest comfortably, too. You don't have anything to do for a while anyway."

"Then why did you bring me..."

I heard him mumble in dissatisfaction.

Then he suddenly looked at me and tilted his head.

"But noona, why are you always wearing your hood like that, even indoors? You were like that at the house all the time, too."

"This is comfortable for me."

"Take it off. Lucy said noona's hair color is like cherry blossoms and sparkly."

"I am pretty, I know. That's why I cover it. So you and other people don't go blind."

"..."

When I retorted like that, Elaine stared at me as if he were looking at something bizarre.

[Elaine Griselda doubts your mental health.]

'That little...'

I was annoyed, but it wasn't like I was going to show him my face, so I just ignored it and walked toward the door.

I had only taken my robe off in the black market because it was an unavoidable situation, pretending to be a noble.

But, of all times, Kassel had seen my face then.

"I was just checking if you were the one I knew."

I shivered, recalling Kassel, who had unnervingly probed me with his terrifying intuition. And I made a vow.

'From now on, no matter what happens, I'm not taking this robe off!'

It was just as I reached the door and grabbed the handle.

"Ah."

Remembering something belatedly, I paused and turned around.

"...You're not going to ask?"

"About what?"

"That bastard. Why did I bring him."

It must have been an unexpected question, because Elaine's eyes went wide.

For the past four days, he had diligently worked Ballakk as a slave. And he seemed quite satisfied with it.

'Is it because this is before his corruption?'

It was a far more lenient revenge than I had expected, but in any case, Ballakk's master right now was Elaine.

It suddenly occurred to me that I had just dragged him along without asking for his consent, and I belatedly felt a pang of guilt.

However, Elaine, far from showing any sign of displeasure, just shrugged his shoulders as if to say, 'so what?'

"Noona must have brought him to use him for something nefarious, right?"

"Nefarious?"

My face hardened.

There's a limit to slandering someone. How could he say 'nefarious' to someone as nice and as much of a pushover as me?

However, even at my cold reaction, Elaine didn't back down, just grinned and corrected himself.

"Ah, then vicious? Or maybe cruel? Ah, are you planning to wreck him until he loses a limb or two this time?"

"You little. When did I ever do that?"

"You said it last time, noona. That as long as you leave them breathing, you can just patch them up with potions..."

"Hwaaa, save me! I did everything you said! Save me!"

Ballakk's scream suddenly rang out.

He must have been eavesdropping on our conversation while holding his breath in the closet, because the bastard sobbed and begged for his life.

Hearing that, Elaine burst into cheerful laughter.

"Ha."

While I let out a dry laugh at the psycho-like bastard's reaction, I was relieved at the system window that popped up.

Elaine Griselda feels joy in the conversation with you.

For the first time, I felt like I had done the right thing by saving Elaine in advance.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The Temple was thrown into chaos.

The crown prince, who had been deposed and exiled, had regained his status and taken control of the Imperial Palace just four days after his return.

The Pope, who had intended to solidify the Temple's position while the imperial authority was weak, was greatly angered.

The procession schedule was hastily moved up, and with the situation progressing so urgently, it was only natural that Liv sought out Nise.

"Nise. Just this once, please? Just help me this one time! The procession is tomorrow!"

Liv, dressed in splendid clothes, sat down in front of her twin brother, who looked shabby and pitifully small in comparison, and begged as if throwing a tantrum.

"B, but Liv... th, that's, it's d, difficult to do in such a, a short time. It, it's too dangerous, too..."

"But you can do it! Do you want me to be humiliated in front of everyone? Huh?!"

"N, no. Of course not. I, I'm just worried about you..."

"Worried about what! What good is it if someone like you worries about me!"

Liv grabbed Nise's shoulders with a brutish grip, unbelievable for a delicate woman's strength, and shrieked.

Because of that, Nise's dry, long, silver hair fluttered in the air.

"Should I just die, Nise? If I hang myself right in front of you and just die, will that make you feel better?"

"O, of course not, Liv! Wh, why would you say something like that. I, I'm your only..."

"That's right! You're my only flesh and blood! And I'm your only sister!"

Liv cut off Nise's stuttering words and burst out shouting.

"And your sister is now the Empire's one and only Saintess!"

In an instant, the beautiful face of the Saintess, called the incarnation of the chief god Nisea-Liv, contorted as if possessed by a demon.

But that, too, was brief. Liv quickly returned to her usual gentle face and began to sob at Nise.

"Please help me, Nise... I, I don't want to go back to how things were before..."

Nise stared blankly at his sister's form, visible through his long hair that covered his face.

Liv cried sorrowfully, fat tears dripping from her large eyes.

It was impossible to tell if she was crying out of fear that she might be kicked out of her position as Saintess.

Or if it was because of the terror of perhaps returning to the slums.

It had already been six years since the twins, who had lost their mother early and grown up being abused by their gambler widower father, had been rescued by the hands of the church.

A lot had happened in that time.

They, who had been nameless, were given the names Nise and Liv, after the chief god Nisea-Liv.

His younger sister, who had been smaller and more delicate than Nise, had grown up to be unrecognizably beautiful.

And now, she had become a proper Saintess, helping the Pope, receiving praise from many, and her fame was spreading by the day.

Compared to that, he was...

He was nothing.

Unlike Liv, who possessed a sacred power that healed people as if washing them clean, Nise, who possessed a cursed power, was in a position of barely clinging to life, hiding beneath his sister's halo.

It was a bit gloomy to reflect on, but Nise objectively understood his own position.

It was then.

...In this world... a blessing... to someone...

The path... will be... at the end...

Along with a ringing in his ears that felt like it would tear his eardrums, that strange sound echoed in his ears again.

"Ugh...!"

Nise frowned without realizing it and reflexively covered his ears.

"...Nise? Nise!"

The auditory hallucinations, which had been getting worse recently, gradually subsided at the rough shake of his shoulders.

Liv looked Nise up and down with a very suspicious gaze and said.

"...Are you sick? You're not faking it because you don't want to listen to me, are you?"

"N, no. O, of course not..."

"Then you'll do as I say. Right?"

"..."

Nise looked dumbfounded at Liv's attitude, as she pressed for an answer even in this situation.

He didn't know when his beloved sister had changed to be so persistent and frightening.

"Why aren't you answering? You'll do it, right, Nise? Huh?"

"...O, okay."

But Nise was far too exhausted to argue about it now.

Yes, just too exhausted.

"I'll try to do something, Liv."

Nise, his face as dry and brittle as a walking corpse, gave her the answer she wanted.

His gloomy gaze landed on the high-quality scarf wrapped around Liv's neck.

Even though it was clearly covered by cloth, Nise's face distorted slightly, as if he could vividly see what was beyond it.

After Liv finally left, Nise curled his body up tightly, hiding from the auditory hallucinations that were returning again.