―What’s wrong with your expression?
[The vengeful spirit is beginning to feel displeased with you.]
[Quickly improve the spirit’s mood.]
I lightly touched her stomach as though I were terribly worried.
“It just looks like it hurts so much……”
If we’re talking empathy, I’m unbeatable.
Squelch.
The instant my hand touched her stomach, the raw texture transferred directly into my palm.
I bit the inside of my mouth raw trying not to gag.
―Why…… are you crying?
[The spirit is puzzled by your tears. It suspects that you find her disgusting. You must calm the spirit’s gradually increasing anger.
➤What should you say?
- (Looking at the liver in disgust) Is this the large intestine?]
Probably not.
[2. (Bury your face in her stomach) Mumble mumble mumble…….]
Why are you doing this to me?
Seriously……
―……You’re crying even more?
I’m sorry!
I’m sorry for crying!
I’m just thinking sad thoughts!
Please ignore me!
[3. (Using a saw from inside the laboratory to rummage through the abdomen) What did you hide in here? Tell me.]
……Is there actually a correct answer?
There is, right?
―Hey……. You promised to check my stomach. Did you forget? Did you forget? Did you forget? Did you forget? Did you forget?
You only need to say it once, ma’am.
Check inside her stomach……
Then the answer had to be number 2.
But someone reading this is definitely wondering why I’m hesitating instead of pressing it.
Think about it.
I have to bury my face somewhere with completely exposed organs and mumble……
And I have to keep my eyes open to see what’s inside.
Tears poured down at the immense suffering awaiting me.
I used to be relatively good with gore.
But the sheer realism here, completely different from viewing it through a game screen, destroyed my confidence.
―…….
[The vengeful spirit’s patience has reached its limit.]
[10 seconds until your throat is cut.]
[9 seconds.]
……I’ll say it again.
My will to live is extremely strong!
“I’ll check right now.”
I pressed option 2 firmly.
If it lets me survive……
Inside a basement where I knew absolutely nothing, this might be the most peaceful option available.
The system shoved the back of my head down.
My face plunged straight into the spirit’s stomach.
“Mmph.”
―…….
“Mumble mumble mumble……”
I still had no idea why I needed to mumble.
But I carefully opened my eyes.
They widened.
……Why do you have the night sky installed inside your abdomen?
Past the organs spread around my face was an enormous black space like a black hole.
I quickly moved my eyes around.
Even if it was some alternate dimension, I didn’t want to keep my face buried in there like a lunatic.
While searching the inside—
I saw something round floating.
What is that?
I hesitated.
Then squeezed my eyes shut and shoved one hand between the organs.
Squelch.
My hand pushed through raw flesh.
I stretched farther.
Ugh.
I can’t reach……
Trying to grab the object, I forced more of my body inside.
Squish!
My shoulder pressed into the spirit’s soft organs.
Every vivid sensation made the hairs on my body stand straight up.
Tears blocked my vision.
Still, after forcing myself even farther inside—
I finally caught it.
“Got it!”
My voice echoed inside her stomach.
The sound itself scared me.
I hurriedly pulled back out.
[Sub Quest <A Warm Hand Is the Best Medicine for a Child’s Stomachache!> Complete!]
“Um……”
I held out the thing I had found.
She didn’t even look at it.
―Ahh…… It doesn’t hurt anymore……
“Inside your stomach……”
―It doesn’t hurt……. Take care of yourself, dear……
A kind spirit worrying about my wellbeing……
―Because next time, I might eat you. Kyahahahaha!
Do you have multiple personalities?
Why does everyone here treat me like this?
I couldn’t bring myself to flip off the retreating spirit.
So I raised my index finger instead.
Then sniffled and walked away.
I’m terrified.
The quest reward was a hammer.
I swung it pointlessly through the air while wandering around.
Then I found an office and immediately went inside.
I remembered to check the ceiling too.
Fortunately, compared with the first laboratory, the office was fairly clean.
There were bloodstains here and there.
But no terrifying torture or surgical tools.
I sat on the sofa and exhaled deeply.
The moment I put down the hammer and lamp—
my entire body began trembling like an aspen tree.
I clasped my hands together.
Something hard pressed between them.
“Ah, this……”
The thing I had pulled out of the spirit’s stomach.
I opened the small round pouch and removed what was inside.
“A brooch……?”
That jewel in the center looks really familiar……
Is that taaffeite?
The brooch, carved around the taaffeite set in its center, was extremely elaborate.
Serpent shapes curved around both sides.
A halo-like ornament resembling the sun decorated the top.
Every individual piece was made from expensive jewels.
“I’ve seen this pattern somewhere.”
Taaffeite was especially precious.
And because it represented the Empire, only the imperial family used it.
After the first Emperor monopolized it, all taaffeite belonged exclusively to the Balone imperial family.
My eyes widened.
“That’s right. This is the imperial crest……!”
A brooch carrying the imperial crest.
I remembered where I’d seen it.
That idiot Prince once showed off a brooch he’d received.
Only those of imperial blood could own something like this……
“Then……. The person colluding with the black mage wasn’t the ancestor of the Empress’s family, but the Emperor of the Balone Empire?”
According to history books, the founding Emperor had been a warmonger.
He was so greedy that he couldn’t stand not possessing everything he wanted.
Taaffeite itself had been one of those things.
The first Emperor had been extremely capable.
And historical texts described the imperial authority of that era as absolute.
Most of the surviving writing praised him.
Understandable.
He had been the first person to rule the entire continent.
Of course, that happened a thousand years ago.
Things were very different now.
“The first Emperor who couldn’t tolerate not having everything……”
An imperial brooch suddenly appearing.
An arrogant manner of speaking.
Threatening others as naturally as breathing.
Someone capable of buying an entire island and gathering humans there without attracting suspicion.
“……The Emperor. It was definitely the Emperor.”
The Emperor created this island!
The great Emperor who founded Balone.
Behind all the glorious history—
he had been doing this.
The Emperor had joined hands with the black mage and summoned demons.
And if my guess was correct—
that might explain why Suriel tried so desperately to kill Cynthia.
They had summoned demons—
then sealed them on the island.
Their hatred toward the imperial family would naturally be extreme.
Then Cynthia appeared carrying imperial blood.
Of course some of that rage would be directed at her.
“I should keep this brooch.”
Just as I tried putting it away—
[Obtained ‘Remaining Footprint (1)’!]
[Remaining Footprint (1)
Feature: A precious brooch belonging to someone. The owner of the lost brooch can roughly sense the location of whoever picked it up. Return the item to its owner, and they will be extremely grateful to you.]
Hmm……
Then this isn’t the Emperor’s?
Could it belong to the Prince?
The Empress?
Cynthia?
No.
Not the Prince.
The crest resembled the one I had seen, but the design was subtly different.
And he had never entered this place.
He couldn’t have dropped it here.
Then Cynthia?
It could belong to the first Emperor……
But a dead person can’t exactly come searching for me.
No.
In this place, I can’t confidently rule that out.
He could come as a ghost.
It says he’ll be grateful if I return it.
Maybe once I give it back, he’ll peacefully pass on by himself.
‘No. That would piss me off too. He committed all those crimes and gets to pass peacefully?’
I’d rather it belong to Cynthia.
To avoid losing it, I securely fastened the brooch inside my cardigan.
Showing it to someone might complicate things.
“Now I need to get out of the basement.”
But I still couldn’t find a path upstairs.
Maybe because I’d spent so much time with Holloway—
his absence felt especially large.
He was irritating.
Yet without realizing it, I had apparently begun relying on him emotionally.
Ah, seriously……
Once you get used to being with someone, being alone becomes twice as frightening.
That was exactly why I had tried so hard to remain alone before.
“Haa……”
I lowered my head for a moment.
Then lifted it again.
I didn’t need long to think.
There was only one way to break through this situation.
Escape the basement!
It wouldn’t be easy.
But what could I do?
I had been told to do it.
Despite the person who had declared that so confidently—
I opened the door only a tiny crack.
Creeeak……
Every rusty sound from the old door made me hold my breath.
“…….”
The outside was quiet.
Whew.
After calming my breathing, I stepped out.
If only the system would give me some kind of hint for finding the way upstairs.
[Main Quest Triggered!]
……?
A main quest?
Now?
I asked for a hint.
I did not ask for a main quest.
[Main Quest <Don’t Be Sad>
Objective: Complete all remaining hidden stories.
Reward: Hints regarding the escape gate. (One hint will be given whenever you complete one story.)
If you collect all stories, one additional hint will be given.
Failure: Escape fails.]
So if I wanted to escape, I had to collect every story.
Hints about the escape gate……
I absolutely had to do this.
It was still better than wandering blindly.
I tried rationalizing everything as positively as possible.
I didn’t have the slightest clue where the escape gate was.
A hint about it was basically the only light in the darkness.
[Story Collection (1/7)]
[Each story will open when every demon’s feelings toward you reach approximately ‘Maybe it would be nice if Evelyn survived?’
Further details will be provided later.]
……You want me to raise demon affection?
I need to view the past—
and now I have to raise their affection too?
Are these the five demons’ pasts?
But there were six stories left.
Maybe it simply meant I needed to raise everyone’s favorability……
More importantly—
how the hell am I supposed to raise Sellir’s?!
[A story belonging to the brooch’s owner, ‘????’s ????’, can now be collected!]
[To view the past, avoid the vengeful spirits and reach ‘Laboratory 44.’]
Can I really get to Laboratory 44 safely while avoiding the spirits?
If I can’t escape this place anyway, I’m dead.
My legs are doing some kind of trembling dance.
But I’m fine.
I’m really fine.
Tremble-tremble-tremble……
After desperately calming my shaking legs, I finally opened the door.
The laboratory number over there was probably 19.
The one I needed was 44……
That way is eighteen……
Naturally, the numbers increased the farther in I went.
“……Let’s go.”
Fuck it.
I’ll dig up every damn secret.
I boldly took one step.
Krrk.
Kagagagak……
―Sniff. Sniff-sniff……. Kaaaaagh……!
There must be some reason you’re doing this, right?
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