Chapter 07
Taeri was finding it increasingly difficult to anticipate what lay ahead. How many more hidden settings were buried in the back alleys of this game?
The information she had on Claude was straightforward: he was a war hero revered by the empire, the emperor’s nephew, and the dearly cherished youngest son of a duke.
Nothing weighed on his young shoulders yet, but soon, even the crown of Izaris would rest there.
And yet, here… he was simply a sexless man.
What the…
“If a guy’s handsome, he ought to at least live up to that face, right? That body, that face… and he’s a eunuch? That’s a disaster. A total disaster.”
Taeri couldn’t bring herself to say, I know from playing the game that’s not true, so she skirted the issue, defending Claude vaguely.
“That… probably isn’t true. He’s not actually… sexless or anything. There’s no evidence.”
“Not true? Did you sleep with him or what?”
But there was no way to filter Bridget’s unrelenting chatter.
“I tried a hundred times, each time he wouldn’t budge. I even clung on, asking if he just wasn’t attracted to women. Turns out… he’s just not interested in them?”
Bridget, spitting out words like bullets, claimed she had learned everything she needed to know.
“He doesn’t touch alcohol either, so no chance of knocking him out.”
She casually spoke of terrifying things as if breathing. Taeri wanted to say that attempting such acts—even unsuccessfully—would still be a crime, and men had rights too, but Bridget’s sharp voice raced ahead.
“Since then, every time he sees me, he just babbles on! Talkative, persistent, what a miserable guy. Even his tongue’s a disaster.”
Bridget cursed that he should live alone, growing old in lonely misery.
“He didn’t seem that bad…”
But Taeri still wanted to defend Claude.
This wasn’t a dating sim; in a traditional RPG, there’s no way the protagonist has time for romance. It was more practical to spend that time killing one more monster.
More importantly, Claude was the only one who could get her out of here. She wanted to spare him from this ridiculous rumor.
“He’s probably just shy. I talked to him briefly yesterday, and he said he’s not naturally warm-hearted, so please understand that.”
“Ha! Why should I understand that? Being cold is his problem. I’m naturally unfriendly too, but when selling tea, I fake being kind.”
“Still, there are many people with different personalities―”
“You count crazy as just a personality too?”
“Diversity―”
“He’s no ordinary lunatic, how can that be diversity?”
“You really do babble nonstop, don’t you?”
Bridget stomped her foot in frustration.
A guy who comes to swallow another country whole, acting arrogant and self-important… the moment an opportunity arises, he deserves a swift strike.
“If I leave it like this, this place will be his world. That eunuch will take my hometown, my land. I can’t bear to see that. He’s the biggest obstacle to my success. Ah, of course, you’re similar—but you’re second. He’s first.”
Taeri didn’t need to rank them to get the point.
“Fine, thanks for letting me be second in line to kill him.”
“Someday, if he’s murdered, no need to chase the culprit. I’ll strip naked and dance my confession myself.”
Exaggeration aside, Taeri was shocked to realize Claude was far more despised by wizards than she’d imagined.
Usually, protagonists get buffs and favoritism.
How on earth has this situation gone so wrong?
The protagonist’s approval rating was rock-bottom.
At this rate, when will I even see the ending and escape?
The game’s ending was supposed to conclude with Claude lifting the curse and becoming the new king of Izaris.
But his current support had plummeted to the underworld, compounded by deep regional prejudice and lack of admiration. Reaching the conclusion looked like an impossible uphill climb.
“Then why don’t we rebuild the Old City ourselves?”
Taeri decided to take matters into her own hands for now, helping him behind the scenes.
“I thought it’s better than just complaining endlessly while waiting. After all, this is still our land.”
“How?”
“Isn’t there anything of value left in the castle?”
The old royal castle in the Black Forest, now called the Ruined Castle. Surely, vast treasures collected over generations were still there.
Even if she became an heir, she couldn’t take the wealth with her. She resolved to gladly scatter it.
“In the castle? Well, there must be plenty.”
“Let’s start by emptying it out.”
“But we don’t have the key.”
“The key?”
When Taeri asked which key, Bridget smirked as if she’d forgotten to mention it.
“The couple who managed the treasure vault, the astrologers? The wife died trapped in the castle, but the husband survived. A greedy man. He took the key… actually, some kind of card.”
Taeri could already guess the rest.
“Too greedy, ran off with it.”
“Couldn’t resist, could he?”
“And you just let it go?”
“What for? No one can enter the castle anymore. It’s the origin of the curse. It’s filled with unimaginable monsters. Even with the key, it’d be useless.”
So even chasing him to check his pockets would be futile.
Still, Taeri didn’t change her mind.
“Where is the husband now?”
“Why?”
“I’m going to get the money.”
“You still can’t enter the castle.”
“That’s my problem, not yours.”
The castle’s closure was exactly as Bridget described. Only those strong enough or who cleared the linked quests could reach the later areas, eventually finding a way in.
The last gate inside—the royal library—was home to the final boss: a dragon.
From another angle, Taeri saw this as an opportunity.
If I can somehow bring Claude along, it’ll work out.
The game ends only after the boss is defeated. Helping Claude reach it sooner meant treasures, a faster ending, and a perfect plan benefiting everyone—wizards, the protagonist, and Taeri herself.
“Do you know where to find the husband?”
“Hmm, why? What for?”
“I’m going for the money.”
“I told you, you can’t enter the castle.”
“That’s my business.”
Bridget’s mention of the castle was clear: ordinary skills wouldn’t suffice. Clearing quests was required to even reach the final area.
Still, Taeri felt she could handle this responsibility. Recovering the treasure was a duty she might fulfill.
“All right, tell me. Where is he?”
Bridget stared blankly for a moment, then finally muttered as if letting go of a secret:
“I don’t know where he is right now.”
“That’s fine. I’ll find him myself.”
“No, wait! I said right now! I knew where he was before!”
“Where was he before?”
“I’ll tell you, but you owe me a favor in return. One thing each.”
Another conditional deal?
Taeri immediately refused. If it wasn’t the latest information, she didn’t need Bridget’s help.
“You’re brushing me off.”
“No, listen first, okay?”
“Fine. Just tell me. What’s the favor?”
Bridget launched into a rapid-fire explanation, talking nonstop.
“Remember that wine bar in the New City I mentioned? It’s not just a wine bar—it’s the hottest social spot right now. Influential people frequent it, a total hot place for Valorani nobles.”
“And?”
“I plan to cause a scene there. You come with me. That’s my condition.”
“…What?”
“Say it again.”
“I want to pour excrement on those nobles.”
“…Are you insane?”
Her “favor” was basically: help me wreak havoc in someone else’s establishment.
“You’re no ordinary lunatic,” Taeri muttered.
“Nothing much. You’ve had it since birth—your status! Go there and act like a princess. Let me bask in your princess glow. What can they do about it?”
Unbelievable. Even a friend’s demand could be this outrageous.
“That princess thing? That’s long gone.”
“Not yet. Your status still matters. You’re the only one in a position to deal with those jerks appropriately. Reputation’s ruined anyway, so who cares?”
Was Bridget seriously calling that “comfort”? That chatter…
