PMEVBO 3

“A system window, appearing out of nowhere…?”

In the original story, there were no such things as status windows; it was a traditional romance fantasy through and through.

…Well, I suppose it makes sense. I have already transmigrated into a book that lacked those tropes, so a status window is hardly the strangest thing anymore.

However, a different point was much more important.

“Clear all quests to reach the ending…?”

What a joke. Why on earth should I do that? Just send me home already!

Our household consisted of only two people. It was a simple home made up of just my brother and me. I could not simply vanish and leave my aging brother all alone.

“Hm? What is this?”

…There was a “Force Quit” icon.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again to ensure I had not misread it, but the icon remained. A red icon flickered in the top right corner of the status window, clearly labeled “Force Quit.”

Could pressing this return me to my original world? I swallowed dryly and pressed the icon.

A new window appeared over the character stats.

─────【 Force Quit 】─────

Would you like to force quit?

Yes / No

────────────────

Naturally, I expected the system to cling to me like this.

I was prepared for it, so I calmly selected “Yes”.

Suddenly, the status window began to glow with a pure white light. I marveled at the sight. Thinking back, the book that brought me here also threw a fit with its radiance. If the book used a “Possession Beam” to bring me in, perhaps this window was using a “Cancellation Beam” to take me back.

“Whatever. It was terrible meeting you, and let’s never see each other again.”

Just then, another window popped up.

─────【 Force Quit 】─────

A Reward (x1 Wish) is granted if the player reaches the ending. However, if you force quit now, the player will face death.

Would you like to forfeit the reward and embrace death?

Yes / No

────────────────

“…What?”

If I force quit, I die? Not return to my original world…?

“Why are you doing this to me…”

I clenched my teeth and reluctantly selected “No.” I could hardly choose “Yes” when it meant certain death.

“Well, I suppose all hope is not lost.”

The status window, which was more like a blackmail letter than a menu, had clearly stated one thing: A wish would be granted upon reaching the ending.

This meant my desire could be fulfilled if I finished the story. I had only one wish: to return home where my only family waited for me.

“I must reach the ending at all costs to go back.”

The way to reach that cursed ending was to clear every quest, but…

Main Quest: Loading…

Sub Quest: Loading…

“It won’t give me quests to reenact the original story just because I possessed the character, right?”

…I lacked the confidence for that.

Acting like a villain? You needs a certain temperament to pull that off. Every atrocity Lucariel committed in the original work was far beyond the bounds of human common sense. How could I ever imitate such extraordinary evil?

Ping!

At that moment, a sub-quest was generated.

────【 Sub Quest 】────

Give ‘Paf’ a compliment!

(0/1)

D-?

Reward: Skill Draw Ticket (x1)

────────────────

…What is wrong with this quest?

“A compliment? No, what on earth…”

I have seen many strange things, but this took the prize.

There was “Help” icon on the bottom right corner of the window. I decided to press it first.

────【 Help 】────

It is only considered a compliment if the target feels joy from the player’s words and actions.

────────────────

My current position required me to follow the system’s orders, but… seriously, what kind of nonsense was this?

Soon, a problem appeared in the sub-quest window.

D-?

D-0 (2h)

D-0 (1h 59m 59s)

A two-hour time attack had begun without warning.

I had a bad feeling about this. If I failed to clear it within the time limit, something unpleasant was likely to happen. Even if that were not the case…

Skills: None

As a man with zero skills, I found myself coveting the “Skill Draw Ticket” promised as a reward.

I had no idea what kind of skill I might get from a draw. However, whatever it was, it would be vital for reaching the ending. Otherwise, why would there be a dedicated category for skills?

“So, who exactly is ‘Paf’…?”

I needed to know who they were before I could offer a compliment.

Was there a character with this name in the original work? Not as far as I could remember.

“Could it be that the story has not started yet?”

If so, it would not be strange for the system to mention an unfamiliar figure. I quickly returned to the character status window.

“…I thought Lucariel looked far too young.”

It was indeed before the start of the original story. First of all, the class was strange.

Class: Priest

In the novel, Lucariel was once a promising clergyman, but he was defrocked after committing a heinous crime. Since the original story began after his dismissal, he was never referred to as a priest within the text.

Furthermore, the title was equally telling.

Title: The Scoundrel Who Assaulted a Cardinal Despite Being a Priest

This was far too mild for a title belonging to the original Lucariel. The novel begins after he commits his worst atrocities. Therefore, a cute title like “Assaulting a Cardinal” would have no place there. It should have been something like “The Cruel Butcher Who Murdered N People.”

The Hayut Massacre.

That was the name of the tragedy that claimed countless lives in a single night. Lucariel, while confined to House Hayut’s castle for reflection, suddenly went on an unprecedented killing spree. Isabelle Hayut, the heroine, lost her entire family in that living hell.

The original story officially began when the notorious madman Lucariel was imprisoned in “Hell,” a subterranean dungeon for the most violent criminals.

It seemed I had possessed him before the start of the novel. Specifically, before the original Lucariel committed the horrific crimes of the Hayut Massacre.

“Then Isabelle’s family must still be alive. That is a relief.”

I had enough of my own problems to worry about, so I pushed aside my concern for others. I needed to find Paf. Only one hour, forty minutes, and seven seconds remained.

“What should I do? Should I go outside and ask around?”

In reality, I already had a good idea of where I was. Lucariel did not become a world-renowned butcher overnight. Signs of his madness appeared long before the massacre. Even when he wasn’t killing, he was known for his constant, violent outbursts.

His brutal assault on a cardinal was a part of that pattern. After he beat the man half to death, the Pope ordered Lucariel to remain confined within the Hayut Castle to reflect on his sins.

As I recalled, this was the only time Lucariel received such a sentence. If this was the period between the assault and the massacre, the answer was clear.

“The Hayut Castle.”

The fact that the fox crest, the symbol of the Hayut family, was visible throughout the room made my theory more plausible.

As I scanned a fox statue on the table, I saw a single coin resting beside it. The coin, worn from passing through many hands, bore an inscription:

Paf.

A line from the original novel suddenly came to mind.

‘Mister, how much for one chicken skewer?’

‘That will be one paf, youngster!’

…Is it you? Is a coin the “Paf” I am supposed to compliment?

The system said the target had to feel joy for the task to count. How can a coin feel joy? It cannot even understand human speech.

“…”

No, wait. Perhaps it is a special coin with a consciousness of its own? This is a fantasy world, after all. Is it not common to speak with coins in such a setting? It seemed plausible.

I resolved to praise the coin and respectfully held it atop my joined palms. That part went well. The problem was that I could not think of a single appropriate compliment.

After much agonizing, I finally managed to speak.

“You are… really round?”

I managed to squeeze out about five different compliments, but the coin did not react.

Clang!

At that moment, the closed door swung wide open.

The uninvited guest who entered without knocking was a young girl wearing a maid’s uniform.

The moment her eyes met mine, a half-naked, crazy pervert apparently worshipping a coin, the color drained from her face.

Precisely one hour, thirty minutes, and two seconds remained until the time limit.