POTC - Chapter 47

With the information window and illustration gone, only a heavy silence settled over the rice.

"..."

Presepe stared blankly at the empty space where the illustration had been just moments ago.

What did I just see?

Whose hand was it?

And the notification window, which was broken just like when she checked the case log...

"G-Guidance..."

Presepe swallowed hard and parted her lips in a tight voice.

“Show me the map.”

[?? : ??? ??? ???? ?]

It was the same whether it was the case log or looking back on past memories. Now, she can't even figure out what the notification window means.

It displayed nothing but a non-existent question mark and failed to perform any other functions whatsoever. Not a single one.

"The first time a question mark appeared was..."

When choosing a strange option during the conversation with Attar Hanan.

"Even after that, whenever a bug occurred, it was always displayed as a question mark..."

Attar, Noah, Dietrich, and the church statue that had been mercilessly shattered. Everything had turned into a question mark.

"But what if that was just the beginning...?"

What if, as the bugs keep piling up like that, the system itself stops working altogether?

Presepe, who had been muttering to himself in a daze, suddenly froze.

It was because she realized it.

The fact that the system, <Presepe in the Cage> itself, was gradually collapsing

"The fact that I was even able to see the illustration just now was only possible because it was right before it collapsed..."

Just as a virus devours and infects everything, aren't bugs eating away at this game in the same way?

Furthermore, all the characters who chose the bug option regained their memories of past playthroughs. This included not only the process of Presepe being brutally killed after failing to complete the route, but even the ending.

What happens if everyone regains their memories and develops a sense of self?

...Was this really just a simple bug?

"No. Even if it is a game full of bugs... there is no way there could have been endless options like that..."

Presepe hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly pulled her lips away.

"Show me the Book of Memories."

[Calling the Book of Memories.]

[Notice: Summoning the Book of Memories.]

[Notice: You have viewed the Book of Memories.]

Unlike when checking other functions, the information window was perfectly fine. Not even the slightest error appeared.

Is this really a coincidence?

Of all things, she couldn't use the crucial function that allowed her to access everything, and it was the only one where no bug appeared.

...Does that make sense?

She couldn't figure out anything.

"Well, for now, what can be done...”

On the old bed, Presepe's tightly clenched fist trembled slightly. Then, taking a slow, deep breath, she recalled the scenes she had just seen and what Ivan had told her.

Two hands clasped tightly together. One must surely be hers. There is no way to know yet who the owner of the other hand is. Nor does she have any memories of it.

If another medium arises that allows her to reflect on the past, perhaps only then will she be able to recall it. Just like how she revived a forgotten memory after watching the very first scene of the tutorial just now.

And the notebook that fell into the lake with a splash in the forest full of dense trees. Perhaps it contained Yoon Ju-yeon's goal, which she cannot remember now.

Ivan said that Presepe's mother, Vanessa, lived near the western forest. And they said it was also found there...

All the clues were pointing to one place.

West of Ateloia, the Forbidden Forest.

"..."

She had to get there somehow. By any means necessary.

Of course, even now, nothing was clearly understood, but it was incomparable to the time when she knew nothing.

Eventually, Presepe slowly rose from the bed with a face full of determination. She stared blankly at the empty bowl, then began to stagger away.

***

The founding festival began in the late afternoon.

Befitting the title of the largest event in Ateloia, all collateral branches of the royal family and numerous nobles filled the banquet hall.

Of course, in between were people she didn't even want to see.

First, Dietrich was sitting on the throne.

Dietrich seemed... somewhat gaunt since she last saw him. She heard he had been bedridden; could that be the reason?

'It's the first time I've seen you in pain.'

She had repeated the Dietrich route countless times, but she had never seen him like that. It seems he was in really, really bad pain.

And far away, Ivan was leaning against a pillar and staring intently at this place.

A white bandage was wrapped around Ivan's neck.

'What's wrong with that bastard's neck?'

She didn't know how it happened, but she hoped he ended up like that after getting beaten up badly by someone. Presepe genuinely thought that.

'But where did Siegfried go?'

He was the Grand Master and one of the few who enjoyed Dietrich's trust. That is why it didn't make sense. Of all things, to be absent from a position like this?

Furthermore, if things had gone according to plan, they should have already had a conversation at Dietrich's celebration, but because she left the Imperial Palace and the game got messed up, she hadn't been able to properly meet Siegfried until now.

'Hmm... no. It’s better for me if we don’t meet.'

Not long ago. If she recalled the buggy option that popped up when she first met Ivan, she felt like she would be grateful if they just remained strangers forever.

Also, Siegfried was the only one who hadn't experienced a bug yet, and if even Siegfried had an error, there was no way to know what would happen.

"..."

Even as she continued to think, she could feel the two people's gazes constantly scanning her.

So sick and tired of those relentlessly persistent stares, Presepe reflexively hid behind Fenrir's broad back.

"..."

Fenrir turned his head and looked down at Presepe's face, which was standing close to him. Then, he lowered his head slightly and whispered in a low voice into her ear.

“Shall we go out?”

"Yes?"

"If you just say the word, I can escort you out right away."

The Emperor's speech was about to begin. It was unclear whether to call it disrespectful or to be grateful for him saying such things, considering he was a close aide to the Emperor himself.

However, one thing was clear: she didn't dislike his consideration.

Because whenever the time comes when she wants to run away, when she wants to escape... It feels like he could take her anywhere, no matter the situation.

"But the coachman must be resting, too."

Presepe answered with a smirk.

"All I have to do is put you on a horse and escort you."

"Even the Grand Duke didn't bring a horse today."

"Then shall I carry you?"

Fenrir's expression as he said those words was so utterly nonchalant that Presepe felt embarrassed all by herself.

"If we did that, the Grand Duke's back might break. I am indebted to you for now, but I am a man with a conscience in my own way."

This time, Fenrir laughed softly.

"It is nice to see you smiling like that. I was worried earlier, thinking something might be wrong."

After coming out of the tower, she tried to hide her expression, but did he see it?

"No, nothing happened. You don't need to worry."

"Even so, please feel free to speak to me anytime. I am confident in driving the carriage, in finding the horses, and in carrying them."

Grand Duke Fenrir probably doesn't know any of this, does he?

How much comfort and strength those every single word brings him.

However, since she had promised not to say thank you, she had nothing to say. So Presepe decided to give a different answer.

“Yes. I will believe it.”

"..."

"Sincerely."

"That sounds much better than saying thank you."

Fenrir gave a brief smile and firmly blocked Presepe's path. Then he glared at Ivan, who was visible in the distance.

Given that an incident had occurred at the celebratory banquet just a short while ago, it was obvious that security for today's founding festival would be much tighter than it was then. Outside the banquet hall, there were also knights hiding here and there, watching the situation unfold.

That much was something she had already expected.

However, the fact that many people gathered also meant that it was not easy to move around, but... opposite. It also meant that one could naturally blend in with the crowd.

Furthermore, Fenrir was the one who knew the geography of the Imperial Palace better than anyone else.

'If given even a brief chance...'

Fenrir's plan was not that complicated.

Just as she did with Attar, she would attack him the moment an opening appeared. It won't take that long, and Ivan won't be able to put up any resistance against him. Just like last time.

However, that didn't mean he intended to recklessly take unreasonable risks.

Because he went with Presepe today.

He hoped that she wouldn't witness it, even by the slightest chance.

He didn't want to show his true self to her.

If he did that, she would get scared.

And she would try to run away in fear. With the same feelings she had toward those guys.

That was the thing Fenrir wanted the least.

"..."

Meanwhile, Dietrich, who had been sitting quietly on the throne, slowly rose.

Dietrich, who had walked forward, looked down at the nobles with a gaunt face.

To be precise, he stared at Presepe, who was looking at him while hiding behind Fenrir...

At the same time, Ivan, who had been glaring at Fenrir, twisted his lips into an ominous arc.

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