The favorability dropped so rapidly that a warning message appeared. It’s been a while. Andrea’s liking level was currently 33. Although not a low number but considering the frightening rate at which it dropped by 10 at a time, the situation was dangerous. What if it fell below 0? Andrea might end my life.
What would happen if I died? Would my life really end here? Or would I be automatically logged out and return to reality? It would be nice if it were the latter, but the probability seemed very low. There was no concrete evidence. I just had a vague yet firm belief that an easy and happy ending wouldn’t come my way.
At that moment, something glittered in Andrea’s tight embrace. Initially, I thought it was a gem. However, as soon as I realized it was the light reflected on a blade, my spine shivered. If I stayed like this, I would truly die! I had to do something. Anything to salvage this situation… It felt like my eyeballs were spinning uncontrollably.
“I-I…Oh amnesia! Amnesia! Shortly after my sister collapsed, I lost all my memories…
“Lie”
Andrea mercilessly cut off my remark. The black dagger that had been hiding in his arms came out a bit more.
“Losing memories should involve external factors. A significant shock to the head, brain damage from a high fever, or falling under a magic spell that turns you into an idiot. Of course, there could be psychological factors too. Having such a traumatic experience or suffering severe violence and wanting to forget it. However, Daffodil, you’ve been eating well, sleeping well, and waking up well, just like usual.”
“When I was locked up in the prison!…”
“Even then, it was a family’s underground prison, and you were treated humanely. There was a prisoner across from you who tried to approach you, but they said you blocked him by tearing down the iron bars. You weren’t hurt at all.”
The information level was like CCTV. He even knew about the elusive first possession event.
“Ice Prison, Temple, Aurora Forest, Royal Palace, Magic Tower. The most dangerous moments for you were when the chandelier almost fell on your head and when you fell in the Studdle Mountain Range. The chandelier never touched a single strand of your hair, and in the Studdle Mountain Range, you only broke your ankle. There was nothing wrong with your head.”
It sent shivers down my spine. Of course, one could know everything, but… No, could they? How could Andrea possibly know all this?
“Therefore, using memory loss as an excuse is a lie. That’s what I think.”
Andrea smiled beautifully. The scabbard was now completely out of his arms, pointing directly at me. It felt like the knife might stab my neck or chest at any moment.
“Are you really going to kill me? For real? In this game world? Regardless of my true identity, this body is that of the real Del Narcissus, isn’t it? Still, as a skilled assassin, you’d at least kill me painlessly, right? Please, at least do that… Amidst my scattered thoughts, he adjusted the sword. The blade had been held with the handle pointing upwards, but now he turned it downwards.
He’s seriously thinking of killing me. That bastard.
“Uwaaah! Wait! Just wait! I’ll tell the truth!”
I shouted while crossing my arms to shield my face. Words flowed out like a burst dam.
“This body is the real Del Narcissus. I’m possessed! I woke up one day, and I found myself in this body! It’s true! I didn’t say anything because I thought no one would believe me. I didn’t take over this body willingly. I want to go back to my real home, more than anyone else! I want to escape from here more than anyone else!”
Andrea remained silent. Outside the door, magicians were extinguishing fires and repairing the damaged tower, their shouts faintly audible. I lowered the hand that covered my face and looked closely at Andrea. There was no change in his expression. He just looked at me with a puzzled face that said he didn’t know what was going on.
“It sounds unbelievable, but this time, it’s not a lie.”
Finally, Andrea spoke. I didn’t know how he could detect lies, but since it was the truth, I desperately nodded.
“It’s true. I woke up, and I was in a prison. As soon as I opened my eyes, some old man told me to take off my pants, and I got kicked out to a place called Ice Prison… How terrifying it was… How much I wanted to get out of there… How much I wanted to escape from here… I hate the 19+ … The damn liking…”
The more I spoke, the more the bitterness welled up. They wanted me to enter this game world, it was so unfair. The system only gives me crappy choices, and I don’t even know a definite way to log out. I’ve been moving from one place to another, trying not to be taken advantage of by the male characters. As I continued to sob, Andrea seemed not to fully understand my words. With a perplexed and worried expression, he casually commented, “Oh, that must have been really tough,” while still holding the knife firmly. He couldn’t be anything but an abominable bastard.
“Alright. Let’s say you’ve been possessed… then, what’s your real name?”
“Me? Well, I…”
I tried to wipe away tears and snot with my sleeve as I attempted to say my name. However, my mind went blank. My name…? What’s my name, other than Del Narcissus?
I stared into empty space, lost in thought. Andrea sighed.
“You must not be a devil since you don’t say your real name right away.”
Devil? I shifted my blurred focus toward Andrea at the mention of that word. He shrugged.
“Devils usually tempt you by revealing their name and make a contract when their identity is exposed.”
Are there devils in this world? Or perhaps, this could be a classical tale in this world that I didn’t know about.
“I can’t remember my name. Why…?”
“Haha, asking me about that now?”
It wasn’t a question for Andrea. I just couldn’t understand. Why did I forget my name? I remembered everything else – how I lived, what my personality was like, how I played this game – but why did I forget the letters of my name?
“Well, I understand for now.”
He sheathed the knife back into his embrace.
“You’re a ghost who doesn’t know your own name, and you’re currently possessing Del Narcissus’s body.”
No, I’m not a ghost.
“I’ve occasionally seen people possessed by demons receiving healing in temples. I’ve even received requests to kill such people. Well, you seem more like an ordinary soul than a devil.”
So, such things actually happen. Well, back in the reality I lived in, there were exorcists and shamans, so it’s possible they exist here too. Even if not, when you hear the word ‘possession,’ demons or ghosts would probably come to mind first. And with me unable to remember my original name, can I really guarantee that I’m not a real ghost? Instead of talking about the 19+ game or the five male protagonists, I kept my mouth shut and tried to organize my thoughts.
“Well then, This body must remain intact. Daffodil will need a body to come back. If there’s even a slight damage to his personality, I won’t let it slide quietly.”
Andrea, saying that, looked much more relaxed and happy than before. It seemed like he gained hope knowing that the person he liked hadn’t completely disappeared from this world, and he regained his composure.
“You said you want to go home? I’ll help you.”
“Help me…? How?”
“Well, what if we perform a ritual to send the soul inside you back to its original place?”
“So… how do we do that?”
In response to my question, Andrea smiled faintly.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Then, he raised his hand. The last thing I remembered was seeing his fingertips flying towards my back. I blacked out instantly.
Damn… my body…
***
Andrea didn’t easily trust others. Of course, he didn’t completely believe the possibility that some soul might have possessed Del Narcissus’ body. However, for an adult man, especially one who had lived through all sorts of shady situations as an alley-born assassin, it was hard to believe the claim of possession without solid evidence.
Still, instead of killing Del Narcissus (or whoever the man was), Andrea chose to carefully knock him out and lift him onto his back. This was to observe and judge directly after keeping him by his side. Whether it was a genuine possession, memory loss, or a mental breakdown, Andrea intended to personally look after Del. Del’s condition was far from normal, and leaving him alone or entrusting everything to guild members seemed impractical.
Moreover, the Magic Tower was a difficult place to infiltrate. It had tighter security than the Imperial Palace, and its limited number of people made it hard to bend in. Keeping Del here would be difficult to surveillance.
After lifting the man onto his back, Andrea leaped towards the window with a light movements. Soon, he disappeared into the darkness without a trace.
The favorability dropped so rapidly that a warning message appeared. It’s been a while. Andrea’s liking level was currently 33. Although not a low number but considering the frightening rate at which it dropped by 10 at a time, the situation was dangerous. What if it fell below 0? Andrea might end my life.
What would happen if I died? Would my life really end here? Or would I be automatically logged out and return to reality? It would be nice if it were the latter, but the probability seemed very low. There was no concrete evidence. I just had a vague yet firm belief that an easy and happy ending wouldn’t come my way.
At that moment, something glittered in Andrea’s tight embrace. Initially, I thought it was a gem. However, as soon as I realized it was the light reflected on a blade, my spine shivered. If I stayed like this, I would truly die! I had to do something. Anything to salvage this situation… It felt like my eyeballs were spinning uncontrollably.
“I-I…Oh amnesia! Amnesia! Shortly after my sister collapsed, I lost all my memories…
“Lie”
Andrea mercilessly cut off my remark. The black dagger that had been hiding in his arms came out a bit more.
“Losing memories should involve external factors. A significant shock to the head, brain damage from a high fever, or falling under a magic spell that turns you into an idiot. Of course, there could be psychological factors too. Having such a traumatic experience or suffering severe violence and wanting to forget it. However, Daffodil, you’ve been eating well, sleeping well, and waking up well, just like usual.”
“When I was locked up in the prison!…”
“Even then, it was a family’s underground prison, and you were treated humanely. There was a prisoner across from you who tried to approach you, but they said you blocked him by tearing down the iron bars. You weren’t hurt at all.”
The information level was like CCTV. He even knew about the elusive first possession event.
“Ice Prison, Temple, Aurora Forest, Royal Palace, Magic Tower. The most dangerous moments for you were when the chandelier almost fell on your head and when you fell in the Studdle Mountain Range. The chandelier never touched a single strand of your hair, and in the Studdle Mountain Range, you only broke your ankle. There was nothing wrong with your head.”
It sent shivers down my spine. Of course, one could know everything, but… No, could they? How could Andrea possibly know all this?
“Therefore, using memory loss as an excuse is a lie. That’s what I think.”
Andrea smiled beautifully. The scabbard was now completely out of his arms, pointing directly at me. It felt like the knife might stab my neck or chest at any moment.
“Are you really going to kill me? For real? In this game world? Regardless of my true identity, this body is that of the real Del Narcissus, isn’t it? Still, as a skilled assassin, you’d at least kill me painlessly, right? Please, at least do that… Amidst my scattered thoughts, he adjusted the sword. The blade had been held with the handle pointing upwards, but now he turned it downwards.
He’s seriously thinking of killing me. That bastard.
“Uwaaah! Wait! Just wait! I’ll tell the truth!”
I shouted while crossing my arms to shield my face. Words flowed out like a burst dam.
“This body is the real Del Narcissus. I’m possessed! I woke up one day, and I found myself in this body! It’s true! I didn’t say anything because I thought no one would believe me. I didn’t take over this body willingly. I want to go back to my real home, more than anyone else! I want to escape from here more than anyone else!”
Andrea remained silent. Outside the door, magicians were extinguishing fires and repairing the damaged tower, their shouts faintly audible. I lowered the hand that covered my face and looked closely at Andrea. There was no change in his expression. He just looked at me with a puzzled face that said he didn’t know what was going on.
“It sounds unbelievable, but this time, it’s not a lie.”
Finally, Andrea spoke. I didn’t know how he could detect lies, but since it was the truth, I desperately nodded.
“It’s true. I woke up, and I was in a prison. As soon as I opened my eyes, some old man told me to take off my pants, and I got kicked out to a place called Ice Prison… How terrifying it was… How much I wanted to get out of there… How much I wanted to escape from here… I hate the 19+ … The damn liking…”
The more I spoke, the more the bitterness welled up. They wanted me to enter this game world, it was so unfair. The system only gives me crappy choices, and I don’t even know a definite way to log out. I’ve been moving from one place to another, trying not to be taken advantage of by the male characters. As I continued to sob, Andrea seemed not to fully understand my words. With a perplexed and worried expression, he casually commented, “Oh, that must have been really tough,” while still holding the knife firmly. He couldn’t be anything but an abominable bastard.
“Alright. Let’s say you’ve been possessed… then, what’s your real name?”
“Me? Well, I…”
I tried to wipe away tears and snot with my sleeve as I attempted to say my name. However, my mind went blank. My name…? What’s my name, other than Del Narcissus?
I stared into empty space, lost in thought. Andrea sighed.
“You must not be a devil since you don’t say your real name right away.”
Devil? I shifted my blurred focus toward Andrea at the mention of that word. He shrugged.
“Devils usually tempt you by revealing their name and make a contract when their identity is exposed.”
Are there devils in this world? Or perhaps, this could be a classical tale in this world that I didn’t know about.
“I can’t remember my name. Why…?”
“Haha, asking me about that now?”
It wasn’t a question for Andrea. I just couldn’t understand. Why did I forget my name? I remembered everything else – how I lived, what my personality was like, how I played this game – but why did I forget the letters of my name?
“Well, I understand for now.”
He sheathed the knife back into his embrace.
“You’re a ghost who doesn’t know your own name, and you’re currently possessing Del Narcissus’s body.”
No, I’m not a ghost.
“I’ve occasionally seen people possessed by demons receiving healing in temples. I’ve even received requests to kill such people. Well, you seem more like an ordinary soul than a devil.”
So, such things actually happen. Well, back in the reality I lived in, there were exorcists and shamans, so it’s possible they exist here too. Even if not, when you hear the word ‘possession,’ demons or ghosts would probably come to mind first. And with me unable to remember my original name, can I really guarantee that I’m not a real ghost? Instead of talking about the 19+ game or the five male protagonists, I kept my mouth shut and tried to organize my thoughts.
“Well then, This body must remain intact. Daffodil will need a body to come back. If there’s even a slight damage to his personality, I won’t let it slide quietly.”
Andrea, saying that, looked much more relaxed and happy than before. It seemed like he gained hope knowing that the person he liked hadn’t completely disappeared from this world, and he regained his composure.
“You said you want to go home? I’ll help you.”
“Help me…? How?”
“Well, what if we perform a ritual to send the soul inside you back to its original place?”
“So… how do we do that?”
In response to my question, Andrea smiled faintly.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Then, he raised his hand. The last thing I remembered was seeing his fingertips flying towards my back. I blacked out instantly.
Damn… my body…
***
Andrea didn’t easily trust others. Of course, he didn’t completely believe the possibility that some soul might have possessed Del Narcissus’ body. However, for an adult man, especially one who had lived through all sorts of shady situations as an alley-born assassin, it was hard to believe the claim of possession without solid evidence.
Still, instead of killing Del Narcissus (or whoever the man was), Andrea chose to carefully knock him out and lift him onto his back. This was to observe and judge directly after keeping him by his side. Whether it was a genuine possession, memory loss, or a mental breakdown, Andrea intended to personally look after Del. Del’s condition was far from normal, and leaving him alone or entrusting everything to guild members seemed impractical.
Moreover, the Magic Tower was a difficult place to infiltrate. It had tighter security than the Imperial Palace, and its limited number of people made it hard to bend in. Keeping Del here would be difficult to surveillance.
After lifting the man onto his back, Andrea leaped towards the window with a light movements. Soon, he disappeared into the darkness without a trace.
