Trapped in a Game That Flopped Chapter 100

Episode 100

"B-But Your Holiness. That's…… That's a monster."

Liv said courageously, her voice trembling.

"It seed to listen to your oppa quite well."

But the Pope rely smiled benevolently, reaching out a still-damp hand to stroke Liv's head.

"It would be best to squeeze out a thod, whatever it is, before the tournant, my daughter."

"……"

"Otherwise…… how would anyone know that monster wasn't a pet monster you twins were controlling. I, too, feel my heart break at the thought of executing the witch who impersonated the Saintess for so long."

"……"

"But what choice is there. If you had shown a more certain quality of a Saintess and received the full support of the ignorant masses, this wouldn't have happened."

"……"

"If you must resent soone, resent the Crown Prince who dares to defy the will of the gods and oppress the temple."

At the quiet threat, the color drained from Liv's face.

"Well then, I'll assu you understand, so you may leave."

At the order to leave, she was ultimately unable to say anything and had to leave the Pope's office.

She did not return to her quarters, but headed once again to the Fourth Prayer Room.

The temple, shrouded in darkness, was silent and still.

She crossed the corridor, where not even the slightest presence could be felt, and finally opened the door to the small room, tucked away in the farthest corner.

Click, creeeak......

Along with the sound of old hinges, the nauseating stench of blood filled her nose again.

But she didn't feel that heart-sinking feeling from before at all.

Only an anxious and urgent feeling completely possessed Liv.

It was the sa even when she saw her only brother, lying face down in the middle of the room, bare-chested and in a terrible state.

Liv closed the door, hurriedly approached the fallen Nise, and took out the dagger she hadn't managed to pull out earlier.

And without delay, she cut her palm with the blade.

Sliice!

With the grueso sensation, the flesh split open, and black liquid trickled out.

She was in such a daze that she didn't even feel the pain.

No, perhaps it really didn't hurt.

She clenched her fist tightly and let the black blood flow down onto Nise's blood-soaked back.

This amount should have been more than enough to easily heal wounds torn by a whip.

Moreover, the holy, black, transparent liquid should have washed away the blood cleanly, as if purifying it.

"Heueut……"

But the more blood she shed, the more black, filth-like clumps fell, spotting Nise's back.

This wasn't purification; it was more like contamination.

As if to prove it, a foul stench began to emanate from sowhere.

"H-Heueu!"

Liv, terrified by the sight of Nise's back, now covered in the black liquid, stumbled backward and fell with a thud.

Looking back and forth between her own hand, which reeked of rot, and Nise's back, Liv burst into tears, as if having a seizure.

The Pope's words, calling her a witch, might actually be true.

Gush. Fear washed over her.

"O-Oppa……"

She crawled on all fours toward Nise, who was a short distance away.

And she shook the unconscious Nise, like a child who had lost its mother.

"Oppa. I, I…… My healing power isn't working at all."

Her healing power's efficacy had waned from ti to ti, but never before had such foul-slling, dirty blood co out.

Gagging at the awful rotten sll, Liv sobbed and begged.

"Oppa, hurry up and do sothing about , okay?"

"……"

"You made like this, oppa……!"

But when Nise didn't respond, no matter how much she shook him, her voice grew increasingly venomous.

Her hands, shaking the unconscious boy, also grew rougher.

"You saved , oppa! You made like this, oppa. You, oppa, you made a monster……!"

"……"

"So take responsibility! I said, take responsibility!"

"……Liv."

Just then. As if responding to her unreasonable tantrum, Nise's eyes fluttered open.

As always, he soothed his only little sister.

"……Don't worry. Oppa will take care of everything."

"Sob, really……?"

"Of course…… You don't have to worry about anything."

"You promise, right? You promised……?"

At those words, Liv slowly stopped crying and asked again, dragging out the end of her words like a child.

"Hm? Oppa?"

"……"

But no answer ca from the unconscious Nise.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Getting out was extrely easy, but returning to the temple presented a big problem.

Naly, the fact that the Teleport Scroll's destination was obviously not the temple roof.

When we arrived in the alley near the temple where I had taken Nise, I had been following Kassel without thinking, but I was disheartened to see the massive, closed entrance.

There were still about three hours left until six.

Kassel, who knew the way out, apparently also knew the way in, as he skillfully bypassed the entrance and went around the side.

'Damn it. I'm stuck sleeping outside……'

I stood there blankly, looking up at the still-dark sky.

If I waited in front of the temple and went in when the doors opened, I'd be caught for having been out all night. It was better to be sowhere else and sneak back in when the ti was right.

'……Should I go to the hotel?'

I briefly thought of the hotel where Elaine would be waiting, but quickly shook my head.

There were only three hours left, and I felt like if I went in, I wouldn't want to co back out.

Having no choice, I was trudging back to the alley, resigned to sleeping outside.

"Are you not following?"

Suddenly, an annoyed voice sounded.

I flinched and turned my head. Kassel, who I assud would have heartlessly left on his own, was standing at a distance, watching .

My brain stopped for a second, and I pointed at myself, asking foolishly.

"……? Sir?"

"Then just stay there all night."

"No!"

At the sight of him turning his back, I shouted hurriedly and ran, afraid to be left behind.

He, who had disappeared around the right corner of the temple building, had thankfully not gone far and was standing there, stopped.

The path led to the narrow ledge at the edge of the cliff I had seen when I climbed out the window earlier.

It seed that, except for the temple's entrance and the north side where the old temple was, the entire building bordered the cliff.

'Don't tell we're going to sidestep along the wall all the way to the window?'

A jolt of anxiety shot through .

Recalling the location of my room and Kassel's, at the very end of the long corridor, made my vision swim.

'I was going to get auto-summoned precisely because I didn't want to do that…… This won't work.'

I wasn't confident I could make it to the window without falling off the cliff, so I just decided to sleep outside.

"I'll just……"

"Get on my back."

But just as I opened my mouth, Kassel turned his back to and bent over.

For a second, I thought I'd misheard and asked again.

"……Pardon?"

"Get on my back."

"What……"

"What then, you want to climb the cliff like you were about to?"

"N-No. But……"

Am I dreaming?

If not, there was no way this personality-shattered bastard would show his back and tell to get on.

With wavering eyes, I kept staring at Kassel's broad back.

I was scared that if I got on, he'd try to strangle , asking, 'How dare soone like you touch my royal body?'

However,

"If you're not on by the count of three, I'm going ahead. Three, two……"

"Aah! I'm getting on, I'm getting on!"

With no ti to grasp his intentions, the countdown was already shrinking, so I scrambled onto his back.

Kassel, now carrying , straightened up easily without the slightest sign of effort.

"Am I not heav- Uwaah!"

The mont I belatedly worried and asked if I was heavy, he leaped up and began to scale the wall without hesitation.

My center of gravity shifted back suddenly, and I yelped, throwing my arms around his neck.

Kassel scaled the wall skillfully, as if he had done it many tis.

Strangely, everywhere he grabbed and stepped, bricks or structures protruded slightly, or there were crevices to grip.

As expected of the Male Lead, he moved quickly and nimbly, carrying on his back without even breathing heavily.

The problem was .

'How is this any different from sidestepping along the edge of a cliff……!'

My head spun and my heart pounded every ti I looked at the dizzying drop below.

"Ughh……"

Was it because I was letting out groans of terror without realizing it?

Kassel suddenly asked irritably.

"Why are you making such a strange noise?"

"……B-Because I'm scared."

"It's annoying, so stop whimpering in my ear. It makes want to throw you off."

He definitely can't throw off!

Sobered by his words, I clamped my mouth shut.

But it wasn't long before a strong gust of wind howled, and I squeezed my eyes shut and trembled all over again.

"Ugh……"

"Hoo……"

Kassel let out a deep sigh, and I finally ca to my senses and apologized timidly.

"……Sorry. I'm just not used to this kind of thing."

"You're scared of all sorts of things. Scared of goblins, scared of climbing a wall while getting a piggyback ride. Aren't you scared of ?"

'Of course, you're number one.'

But I couldn't say that, so I asked indirectly.

"Aren't you scared of this, Your Highness? What if we fall?"

"Like I said, when you repeat sothing hundreds of tis, you get numb to it. And if you're unlucky enough to fall and die…… Oof."

Kassel suddenly stopped talking with a low grunt.

While I was trembling with fear of falling, we had already reached the top of the temple.

He grabbed a protruding roof structure and lifted his body with incredible arm strength.

The movent jolted my body.

I clung to him even more desperately and squeezed my eyes shut.

"You just vow never to repeat such a ridiculous mistake again."

"……"

"Get off."

At the cold command, I slowly opened my eyes.

As if dangling from the wall monts before had been a dream, Kassel and I had arrived safely on the temple roof.

Even if he hadn't ordered it, the strength left my arms, and I slid off his back.

"……Thank you, Your Highness."

I muttered, still scared out of my wits.

No matter what terrible thod we used to get up, this ti it was really thanks to him, so I didn't forget to offer sothing in return.

"I will repay this kindness soon with Sleep-Inducing Potions……"

"That won't be necessary. I don't need them anymore."

My carefully offered repaynt was rendered aningless by his imdiate refusal.

He had pestered to hand them over, and now he suddenly didn't need them.

"Pardon? Why……"

I was naturally bewildered by his sudden change of mind.

But then, saying sothing incomprehensible, Kassel laughed cheerfully.

"I was just pretending to be asleep. I was trying to ss with that sly old man with a testimony that I was actually awake. Well, it seems to have gone pretty much as planned."

It was the first ti I had ever seen him with such a bright expression, even including all the forums.

I stared at him, montarily srized.

"If you're really grateful, and anyone asks if you prescribed sleep potions, tell them the truth: that you didn't."

"……"

"What are you standing there so stupidly for?"

"Ah, yes. That…… I'll do that."

Only after he scolded did I snap back to my senses and hurriedly nod.

After that, we went back down the sa way we ca, climbing down the goddess statue's head.

In the middle, a 'Ding-dong' sounded, another incomprehensible summons from Ari, but I ignored it.

By the ti we passed through the long corridor of the east wing and finally arrived safely at our rooms, my body, stiff with tension, began to relax.

I gave a polite bow to Kassel as he headed straight for his room.

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

"You too."

I thought he would ignore , but he glanced back and returned the sentint.

Moreover,

"Ah. Did you say you don't sleep because of so apothecary's duty or whatever?"

He mocked again with another cheerful laugh.

Because of that, I remained lost in a strange feeling until he had completely disappeared into his room.

Creeeak, click.

Finally, when he was beyond his door, and I had also entered my room.

A sudden realization struck .

"Ah, the gloves."

The fact that despite our prolonged contact without wearing the presence-blocking gloves, Kassel hadn't tried to kill .

My heart felt a little... unsettled, until the morning dawned.