Chapter 34

"I couldn't possibly, thinking about my rudeness towards you earlier'."

"...."

"The informant group's top priority is the trust between them and the customers. If I were to erase your memories, then I'll have to erase everything, including you sending us a request, but I do not wish for that."

I frowned when he said 'erase your memories'.

I almost had to attend parties to pretend to find him. Thank goodness that didn't happen.

"So. What is it that you want to tell me?"

"Please keep what you saw today in that space as a secret."

"...."

"In return, I will provide you with anything you want to know about that person you are seeking if I can."

I was surprised at his offering.

Just what's so important about that place that he goes this far?

"What is so important about the kids in there? Are they like, the descendants of the traitors?"

"They are the rescued imprisoned and abused orphans of the semi-magic organization."

"Semi-magic organization...?"

'Were there such an abstract setting to this game?'

I wet through my memories but couldn't remember anything like that.

Vinter explained in a somewhat bitter tone.

"At around the time when the magic started being commercialized, people who pretense of being faithful Christians started to strongly suppress the sorcerers. Saying that it was secretly dark magic that went against and messed up the doctrine."

"...."

"The royals' culture is also linked with the divine messages from the god so the way people treat on the sorcerers is getting harsh these days."

Vinter paused for a moment then continued.

"There are some heathen groups announcing a false statement that: only when the time comes to when all the existences which cast those kinds of magic will the true emperor that the god chooses will be born."

"...."

"The lady probably knows that the remnants from the Reila's new country, which lost in the war that was lead by the crowned prince not too long ago, are making many troubles these days, right?"

"Of course."

Nope. Not at all.

But even so, I nodded my head, pretending that I knew it all.

"It is such a false statement that nobody would agree to, but surprisingly, there are many nobles who thinks the same."

"The nobles...? Why are they doing that kind of thing?"

"Usually they are the nobles who operate a business with magical tools. Sure, they use the sorcerers to produce magical tools, but they do need to erase their existence if they wanted to monopolize all the markets that use magic."

While playing the game, I didn't understand why Vinter hid the fact that he was a sorcerer.

'I just thought it was 'just because'....'

I didn't know there was this kind of reason behind it.

I thought it was just some simple story setting but the crowned prince's along with Vinter's background held the reason behind everything about them.

The more I stayed in this world, the more I came to compare this to the game.

"I plead to you, lady."

Vinter bowed his head as he pleaded again.

"The children's life depends on this."

The [Interest 6%] above his head shined as he worried about the children.

I realized immediately.

That Vinter's interest will rise or fall depending on how I answer him here.

I opened my mouth to say that I will keep it a secret.

'But wait....'

I felt like something was out of place.

'How is the interest related to this?'

Everything happened so suddenly today. Especially the hidden quest.

'Requesting something to the White Rabbit informant group wasn't something that happened in the game in the first place....'

Then a light sparked in my eyes. It was because I've found a big error in my thinking.

The story setting I knew so well was when the game was set as a normal mode.

'...I don't know Vinter in the hard mode.'

Vinter was decent and a person with good nature in the game. He would help out poor people and would take care of the orphans.

[The sorcerer who was walking in the slums to help people there, meets the real gong-nyuh who was adopted and was being raised by one poor commoner.

The kind heroine, who was able to come back to the mansion with the sorcerer's help, started to donate her things generously and take care of the unfortunate children along with him.]

A question came into my mind while thinking of the story setting.

'But why did kind and good-natured Vinter bring the heroine to Penelope's coming-of-age ceremony?'

The time where the fake gong-nyuh gets the most attention.

No matter how much I try to think of some other reasons, nothing came up in my mind except that he may have wanted to piss Penelope off.

"...lady?"

Vinter called me when no answer came back from me. Something was strange.

The hidden quest that appeared out of nowhere. The downfall of Vinter's interest.

I, who didn't know too well about the hard mode storyline, have been twisting the story from how it was supposed to flow while trying to avoide my death.

'...But what if all of my actions were one of the route included in the hard mode, only that I didn't notice?'

I held onto my quivering hands and turned on the 'choices' that has been off for a while now.

'...Choices ON.'

I needed to check, now.

A white box immediately appeared in front of me.

Would you like to [ON] the choices?

[Yes. / No.]

I clicked on [Yes.]. Then the choices appeared in front of me.

1. Why do I have to?

2. I wonder... I don't think that's a good deal. Don't you have some rare gems?

3. And what if I go on, telling everyone about the kids here? Then what are you going to do?

'Ah....'

I sighed mentally. Why are my bad feelings always right?

These sorts of situation were everywhere in Penelope's life. She was the one who was hated by all the capture targets in normal mode, too.

I chose one of the three with my shaking hands.

"...And what if I go on, telling everyone about the kids here? Then what are you going to do?"

It's been a long time since my mouth moved on its own.

As soon as my sentence ended, the eyes visible through the holes on the mask stiffened.

The aura coming from him was now totally different from before.

"Then even your trival noble rank will be at risk, dear customer."

He whispered in a shrewd tone about by identity.

It wasn't him asking for a favor just because he had his head shook. It was a warning.

'So he knows.'

No wonder. There's no way he wouldn't know who I am as long as I told him that I got the white rabbit from him.

Penelope in the normal mode thoughtlessly babbled about everything despite Vinter's warning.

'Choices OFF.'

I turned the choices off and spoke, this time, with my wills.

"...I'll make sure to watch my mouth."

His deathly aura disappeared after hearing my answer. And.

[Interest 8%]

The decreased interest rose to close to where it was before.

I felt so miserable to feel relieved about this.

I stood up from the spot.

"Are we finished with the conversation? I need to get going now. It's gettig too late."

I was too tired on doing a masquerade party on my own.

I wouldn't have come with a mask on if I knew this was going to happen.

Vinter stood up, following after me, and looked at me curiously.

"What about the information about the person that lady is finding...."

"I don't need it anymore."

I raised my hand to stop his sentence. I coldly spoke, already done deciding in such a short time.

"I know who it is thanks to the other informant."

He flinched and stiffened. It was probably an unexpected blow to him.

But that wasn't refreshing to me.

He was fairly normal comparing him to the other capture targets, but my plan to raise his interest in case something goes wrong was a fail.

It was because of that damn system that I was forced to know his secret and because of that, everything got twisted.

And at that, Vinter was going to find the normal mode heroine soon.

A lovely lady who he meets every once a week at a ghetto (somewhat like a slum) and the crazy bitch from the duke family who has his weakness.

Now I couldn't even aim for Vinter's 'kindness' that I've had hopes on.

'I'd rather go for capturing other capture targets who has yet to meet the heroine and won't for a longer time.'

I gave up to care about how he sees me now. I coldly ignored the [Interest 8%] as I walked passed him.

"Ah."

Then I remembered something.

"You guys offer an information in return for keeping something a secret, if I am correct."

Then I walked back to the spot I was at a moment ago and took something out of the pocket of the robe.

"I don't need any information but instead, give these to that person. Since the reason for coming here was to add a request."

I set the white handkerchief and the old-fashioned velvet box by the teapot.

"What message should I deliver these with?"

"Reciprocate, is all he needs to understand."

The ultramarine blue eyes slightly widened.

At that moment.

[Interest 13%]

~~~~~