Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 87

Episode 87

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In the end, I gave up my room and went to sleep in Elaine's room.

Of course, I, the one paying, slept on the bed, and Elaine slept on the sofa. Ballakk, stuffed in the dressing room, was a given.

She didn't look it, but Nise was surprisingly adaptable.

She had washed up and passed out last night, and only after thoroughly mooching breakfast, and even lunch, did she finally mumble with an anxious face.

"I, I think I have to go now..."

I was so baffled, a dry laugh escaped.

But I didn't let it show, worried she might get pouty like yesterday.

GM Ari: Shari-nim, the Saintess's party has just arrived at the Grand Temple!

A summons had just come from the developers, too, so I nodded and got up from my seat.

"Alright, let's go."

I awkwardly took out a teleport scroll and held out my hand to her, but the person who'd said she had to go was the one who asked in surprise.

"A, are you really not going to do anything?"

"What else would I do?"

I retorted indifferently.

If she hadn't fainted, I wouldn't have had the slightest thought of bringing her here.

Nise still looked dazed, as if she was confused.

"I, is it really okay to just let me go... I, if this was all, why did you kidnap me?"

"I told you. I spread the allergens to ruin the Saintess's procession, and I was sorry that you got caught up in it."

I told her the truth, holding nothing back.

Foolishly, I hadn't even considered Nise's existence when I spread the mushroom spores.

Even though I knew she would be in that spot to control the gargoyles.

Her sister, the Saintess, wasn't an important consideration, since I planned to just play the apothecary immediately if she went into shock.

I was just so blinded by the thought of somehow infiltrating the Grand Temple as the Saintess's apothecary that I just...

'Is this not a bad result?'

After all, the whole reason I did that stunt was to make contact with Nise.

I met her clear, silver eyes and continued stoically.

"...I was just taking responsibility."

As if finding it difficult to hold my gaze for long, Nise quickly lowered her eyes.

For some reason, the tips of her ears were flushed red.

"Y, you said you're not a heretic, either."

"Yeah."

"Why... did you try to ruin the procession?"

"That was... for a job, should I say?"

"A job...?"

Nise blankly repeated my words, not understanding, but I just shrugged.

Because that really was all there was to it.

My face was covered by the hood, so she couldn't see it anyway.

She kept glancing at the area around my face, then finally mumbled as if whispering.

"A, anyway, thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me the remedy, and the delicious food... a, and for letting me sleep at the hotel."

"Ha. Look at this kid."

I was dumbfounded by the sudden words of thanks.

When I finally let out a dry laugh, Nise looked up at me with round, rabbit-like eyes.

Because the quest wasn't finished yet, the title floating clearly above her head was unchanged.

[The One Forsaken by God]

If so, wouldn't you have to be about as nefarious as Ballakk to deserve it?

It felt like too undeserved a title for such a naive person.

I gave an empty smile, looking at this foolish human who was thanking her kidnapper for giving her a place to sleep and food.

"You really... wouldn't even know if a robber swindled you right under your nose."

"H, how do they cut off your nose... w, with a knife...?"

"Nevermind."

She had a tendency to spout nonsense just like Elaine if left alone, so I quickly cut her off and continued.

"If you're really grateful, just keep what I did a secret."

Honestly, I wasn't very worried about Nise going around talking about my crime.

She didn't seem to have the guts, and even if she did.

It was a very apologetic thing to say to her, but it seemed unlikely anyone at the Grand Temple would listen seriously and believe her words.

"And if we meet again, don't act like you know me."

"Th, then... we can meet again?"

"Well, if the opportunity arises."

"..."

I didn't say it would be soon.

Likewise, Nise didn't give me a firm answer that she wouldn't act like she knew me.

However.

[The One Forsaken by God now holds a slight affection for you.]

I made an ambiguous expression at the system window that suddenly popped up.

'It's not a bad thing, but...'

Isn't this too easy?

I had seen countless times in reality, too, how quickly mental sunfish, who bet their all on nothing, collapse.

It was just as I was looking with uneasy eyes at Nise's affection level, which was just like a tower built on a sandcastle.

"L, let's go. I, I think I'll be late."

Nise finally got up from her seat. Then she stealthily took my hand.

I nodded and tore the teleport scroll.

Shhhk.

The space immediately distorted, and Nise and I soon arrived in an alleyway with a view of a large, grand stone building.

"Goodbye."

I had to move to Berun Village again after this, so I said goodbye without any lingering attachment and turned my back.

But suddenly, I couldn't move forward because of a tug on my clothes.

When I turned my head, I saw Nise holding onto me with a dazed face.

"What?"

I was asking why she was holding on instead of going, but she said something completely unexpected.

"Your name..."

"What?"

"C, can't you tell me your name?"

What's with the introductions now? I immediately answered firmly.

"No."

"Wh, why?"

"Because I'm a kidnapper."

"Ah..."

When I answered indifferently, Nise ducked her head low.

However, despite my off-putting attitude, she didn't back down and asked another silly question.

"Y, your face... why do you keep it covered?"

"Have you ever seen a kidnapper walk around with their face exposed? What if you see my face and point me out as the kidnapper?"

"That's..."

It must have been a reasonable point, because she shut her mouth with a sullen face.

[The One Forsaken by God now holds a trace of disappointment toward you.]

At the system window that popped up, I became certain of what I had vaguely suspected.

"By any chance... do you not want to go?"

I asked, observing Nise, who was still hesitating.

Because her random questions were not at all the kind of conversation a kidnapper and hostage would have right before parting ways.

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to."

I said it as lightly as possible, hoping she wouldn't feel pressured.

She'd just be treated like an unwanted guest and be used if she went back to the Grand Temple anyway.

If she just said she'd stay with me, that would be less work for me and a good thing.

I didn't care about the game scenario or plot. As long as I got to the ending, any path was fine.

As I stared at her, as if waiting for an answer, Nise's face suddenly distorted into something between a smile and a cry.

"N, no. It's not that..."

Her voice, trailing off, trembled pitifully.

"M, my sister is waiting..."

"Why are you covering up?"

I felt like I was about to make the kid burst into tears, so I quickly changed the subject.

"Your face. I already saw it all when you fainted, so what's the point of covering it with your hair?"

Nise was still pulling her long hair forward, covering her pretty face entirely.

As if she hadn't expected such a question, the silver eyes visible through her hair widened.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally answered in a thin voice.

"S, so that... you don't get the wrong idea."

"About what?"

"C, can I have your hand... just for a moment?"

I was puzzled by the incomprehensible words, but only for a moment.

"B, both hands."

At Nise's random request, I obediently held out both hands.

At that, she gathered my two hands and held them, then abruptly bowed her head...

And, smack, didn't she just kiss them?

A soft, tender feeling brushed the back of my hand.

"Wh, what..."

Due to The One Forsaken by God's unique skill, the health reduction penalty from the black magic's curse has been removed.

I widened my eyes at the system window that popped up while I was flustered.

"N, now we're accomplices."

For the first time, Nise showed me a bright smile.

"Th, then I'll be going!"

Finally, her face flushed red, she quickly turned her back and disappeared out of the alley.

Only after her small figure had climbed the white steps and completely vanished into the Grand Temple did I come to my senses.

With a dazed expression, I looked down at the backs of my hands, where the warmth still lingered.

Even if it was a measly penalty of one HP per hour, it was still a joyous thing that it disappeared without a forced summons.

But, for some reason, I felt...

"...What was that?"

About two years and three months after getting trapped in this damn game.

I received a kiss on the hand from the Female Lead.