Ch.37Status Window-Viewing Princess (5)

# World Destruction Ending?

Someone other than Rahilt going insane and destroying everything? That gentle, sweet Rahilt…?

It was hard to believe. But when I recalled the original story’s narrative, I couldn’t completely dismiss it as implausible either.

‘The current Rahilt is definitely different from the original…’

In the original story, Rahilt was a broken male protagonist from the start. He was like a puppet with his self-esteem thoroughly trampled, and even his everyday psychological descriptions were filled with a sense of desolation. Not only that, but at Rashera’s request, he would commit even the most immoral acts without hesitation.

But what about the current Rahilt?

He firmly rejects unreasonable demands, and he’s so innocent that even the slightest advance makes his earlobes flush red with embarrassment. Despite my worries, he was living a surprisingly normal and happy life.

Strange.

Something must have happened. Something behind the scenes of the original story that I couldn’t observe.

Whatever it was probably came to light after I was hit by the reincarnation truck.

‘It seems like Narin unnie didn’t even want to get into it because the original work was so terrible…’

She had no reason to lie. There was nothing for her to gain, and if it were a lie, she wouldn’t have had a seizure at the banquet.

“Haah…”

I sighed.

I should know everything about my favorite character, but it turns out Narin unnie knows things about him that I don’t. That’s a bit unfair…

Ugh, I’m sitting here having thoughts like I’m looking at an ex-girlfriend.

Wait, how did Narin unnie recognize Rahilt in the first place? I voiced this question that had suddenly occurred to me.

“By the way, how did you recognize Rahilt? Even if the original ending was shocking, it doesn’t seem like a reason to faint for days…”

“Hmm, about that. This question overlaps with what you asked earlier… You asked how I became famous, right?”

I could recall it immediately.

[Wow… So you became famous in the kingdom just with your knowledge of the original work?]

[That’s… well… I was forced into it, I had no choice…]

It was a topic she had evaded after some hesitation. Unable to contain my curiosity, I pressed Narin unnie.

“What exactly happened?”

“Hmm… Rather than explaining, it might be faster if you see it for yourself?”

She said this, then with her plump, plum-colored lips, she uttered the classic cliché of history and tradition.

“Status window, open!”

“Are we suddenly getting fantasy novel elements here?!”

Even so, I couldn’t see any status window. But judging by how her eyes focused on empty space, there was definitely something there.

“Share mode.”

“Why are you mixing Korean and English?”

“I-I don’t know either…! It just has to be this way…”

Narin unnie touched the empty air and slid her finger toward me like a pantomime. Suddenly, a text message appeared in what had been transparent space before me.

[User: Kanarin Rupenter’s status window visibility mode sharing request!]

[Do you accept? Yes/No]

With a pounding heart, I touched the Yes option.

[Approval confirmed!]

[From this moment, the status window sha. ring. sha. public. ring. vi.vivivisi.bility…. .. …….]

The status window cut off mid-sentence. I laughed at this surprisingly human-like behavior.

“… Unnie, it’s lagging?”

“It’s not lag… Well, it is lag, but it’s not just that…”

“Was it working properly before?”

“Yes. This is the first time the status window has broken down. To be precise… it happened when I recognized that person.”

Could Rahilt have interfered with the status window somehow? Even if Rahilt was overpowered, he shouldn’t be able to mess with someone else’s status window…

“The status window works similar to what you might expect. It gives you experience points when you accomplish something… and you can use those to unlock skills or level up.”

“Wow… Why don’t I have such a cheat?”

“Maybe because the body and status you possess are already cheats?”

“Hmm! That’s true.”

Having the body of the male protagonist from the previous work and the position of imperial princess are definitely cheats. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

Narin unnie continued her explanation.

“True to the cliché, I have a skill called ‘Appraisal.’ It’s an overpowered skill that displays information about others on the status window.”

“Ooh… You’re really living the fantasy novel protagonist life.”

“And that’s why I wanted to invite you to the kingdom. The original female protagonist falling from grace before the story even begins? I suspected intervention from either the princess or someone close to you… and if there was another transmigrator like me, I wanted them to stay in the kingdom for a while.”

“Your suspicion was right.”

“Otherwise, I was planning to just awkwardly say hello and leave.”

We exchanged slightly embarrassed laughs. I was just grateful to have benefited from her bold decision.

“After I confirmed you were a transmigrator, I appraised your partner… and that’s where the trouble started.”

“Rahilt? But he wouldn’t have done anything…”

“Again, it might be easier if you see it yourself. To be honest, I’m not sure how to explain this in words.”

She manipulated the status window. She pressed the [Menu] button, and various options appeared in a row. Then her slender finger gently touched an option labeled [Memory Link].

Ding!

[User: Kanarin Rupenter invites sharer: Seriniel Literion to her memory.]

[Do you accept? Yes/No]

I cautiously selected Yes.

Whoosh!

As soon as I made my choice, the world distorted and all light vanished. A new landscape was painted onto the darkened world, and it soon transformed into a completely different space.

‘What is this…?’

My limbs weren’t free. My hands and feet moved completely independently of my will, and my vision was similarly affected. It was as if I had entered someone else’s body and was only sharing their vision…

‘Ah!’

I realized it then.

This was a world reconstructed through the Memory Link function. In other words, part of an event Narin unnie had experienced. So the body I had entered was Narin unnie’s…!

My deduction was soon confirmed by the two people I encountered.

The person this body was approaching was me and Rahilt.

Just as Narin unnie had said, this body confirmed I was a transmigrator by appraising me. Items describing me appeared on the status window in my field of vision.

Ding!

<Appraisal Information>

[Name: Seriniel Literion(???)]

[Race: Human]

[Gender: Female]

[Title: Imperial Princess]

[Skills: Status Ailment Immunity(SSS), Dragon’s Physical Body(EX)]

.

.

.

Though I was seeing this appraisal information for the first time, I got the gist of it. The (???) next to my name was probably where my Korean name would go. That’s how Narin unnie had confirmed I was a transmigrator.

Then her gaze turned to Rahilt.

She was attempting to use the Appraisal skill on him. But this turned out to be a terrible mistake.

“First, I’d like to have a private conversation… just the two of us… ugh, kheuk…?!”

Ding!

[Not possible.]

Ding!

[Intrusion not allowed.]

Ding!

[Reverse appraisal from external source detected! Protecting user: Kanarin Rupenter.]

Ding!

[Response system activated.]

…

……

Ding!

[Impossible. Impos. sible. Im. Im. possible. Pos. Impossible. sible.]

Ding!

<Appraisal Information>

[Name: Rahilt(XXXXXX)]

[Race:]

[Gender:]

[Title: Child of the Deposed Emperor]

[Skills:]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX – XX – XXXXXX

This window was clearly different from my appraisal information.

The symbols next to the name were different, and the race, gender, and skills sections were completely blank.

Crack, crackle!

Immediately after, the status window began to fill with noise, and the text shattered into pieces. As I witnessed the status window breaking apart like an actual window, the world went dark again.

… No, that was an illusion.

It wasn’t darkness; the world had turned monochrome. Everything around was a strange mixture of black and white.

‘Ugh?’

There was a smell. A terribly foul stench.

I looked around again.

The structure of the world had completely changed.

There were rows of houses barely held together with boards, and alleys crawling with insects made for a miserable space. It was more like a muddy hiding place for rats than somewhere people would live.

Faced with this inexplicable phenomenon, my vision whirled around. Of course, this was due to Narin unnie’s will. Then her gaze fixed on one spot. She had discovered something unusual.

‘A woman…?’

She was a woman who seemed to have been sculpted by meticulously gathering the concept of enchantment.

Hair as black as night flowing like silk.

Skin so white it was the only thing emitting light in this monochrome world.

Eyes so bewitching they seemed unreal for a human.

Just as Narin unnie had discovered her, she too had noticed Narin unnie.

[My, I wondered who was trying to peek at this child… and it’s such a cute young lady.]

Step, step.

She approached. Even while walking through streets full of garbage and filth, she scattered sounds like treading on fresh snow.

Meanwhile, Narin unnie didn’t move. Or rather, her movement had been sealed.

The woman, now right in front of her, smiled sweetly.

[Since it doesn’t seem like you have bad intentions… shall I end it here this time?]

She hooked her index finger over her thumb. What would happen next was clear.

Flick!

It was a forehead flick. A very light one at that. But the impact was enough to make one scream, and it felt like consciousness would be cut off.

Crackle- crackle-!

Ding!

[System recovery function activated.]

[User protection function activated.]

[Entering temporary sleep mode for smooth function performance.]

Beep!

As the status window forcibly shut down, Narin unnie fainted. And so our brief memory sharing came to an end.

[Memory Link terminated.]

Whoosh!

In an instant, the world returned to its original form. It was the bedroom where Narin unnie and I had been talking. After experiencing the world changing several times, the boundary between reality and virtual felt blurred.

While I was in a daze, Narin unnie spoke first.

“Did you see everything?”

“Yes…”

“That’s why the status window broke down. It should be properly restored soon… but it was very shocking.”

“For me too.”

Setting aside Rahilt’s appraisal information, the identity of the woman who suddenly appeared was suspicious. Although it was through Narin unnie’s eyes, the overwhelming presence the woman exuded felt like it was constricting my soul.

Who on earth was she?

“Hmm… Ah?”

After pondering deeply, I recalled an even more important question.

“By the way… in the end, did you call me all the way here just because you wanted to meet another transmigrator?”

If she was that curious, it would have been more efficient to come see for herself, without going through the trouble of making me an ambassador.

To this, she shook her head.

“Of course not. There’s a kingdom matter I needed to consult with another transmigrator about.”

“A kingdom matter? What kind?”

“Things are pretty messed up here too. Similar to ‘Taming the Child of the Deposed Emperor,’ this place also has a destruction ending route.”

“Since when do novels have routes?”

It’s not a dating simulation game. Besides, wasn’t the original work already completed and firmly closed?

“I told you, right? I transmigrated into an extra. So… the kingdom’s crisis and all that should ultimately be the responsibility of the female and male protagonists. That’s how it should be, but…”

The truth she revealed next was shocking.

“The female protagonist is dead.”

“What?!”

“The introduction of the novel was about how the female protagonist accidentally found a puppy that turned out to be a divine beast. But both the female protagonist and the baby divine beast… were murdered overnight.”

“That’s impossible…! I know it’s rude to ask, but could it be the butterfly effect caused by you…?”

“I can’t completely rule that out. But on the surface, I didn’t do anything that would connect to the female protagonist…”

Well, trying to trace back how fate got twisted from where is futile. If we’re talking about the butterfly effect, my actions might have killed the female protagonist over there too…

Narin unnie continued her story.

“That’s when it started. When the status window appeared.”

Until the female protagonist died, she had been a young lady of a fallen noble family. She basically lived a life where she didn’t starve, but couldn’t even dream of attending balls.

The life of this fallen duchess changed dramatically with the appearance of the status window.

“The suddenly appeared status window forced quests on me.”

“Quests… you say?”

“Yes, threatening quests that said I would pay a terrible price if I didn’t complete them. Somehow managing to accomplish them is how I ended up here.”

Main Quest: Path of the Female Protagonist – This was the name of the quest Narin unnie had received.

It was a quest with the purpose of saving the kingdom by following the exact route the female protagonist would have taken.

“So was the second prince the original male protagonist?”

“No, he was an extra who gets assassinated before the original story begins.”

“Ah, that’s quite a common cliché.”

“You know, where the transmigrator coincidentally becomes friends with someone at the palace who turns out to be a prince with no presence?”

“Exactly that.”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Then where is the original male protagonist?”

“He’s a minor baron from a warrior family, but he’s being controlled by the mastermind.”

“That’s crazy. Everything is completely twisted.”

“That’s why I’m so exhausted. I don’t want to engage in social power struggles with others, and I’m scared of wielding a sword while wearing a mask…”

No wonder she placed her hopes in another transmigrator. Just having someone to share the same worries and cooperate with would be a great comfort.

Narin unnie desperately grabbed both my hands.

“Please… could you stay in the kingdom and help me? As an ambassador from the empire with the princess’s status and formidable strength… I’d get on my knees to keep you here if I had to. I’ll do anything I can. So please… okay?”

“I…”

◇

In the glass greenhouse located on the duke’s estate.

He picked up a teacup in the garden where flowers bloomed brightly with smiling faces.

“…”

“…”

I could tell.

The inner thoughts of this man – the second prince – who was pretending to be calm and composed.

The painful inner struggle of desperately trying to hide how awkward he felt.

I wasn’t uncomfortable with silence, but I knew most people weren’t like that. However, as a mere guard without even a title, it was difficult for me to speak freely to the second prince. Even if I did speak, I would have to carefully craft an innocuous response.

The fact that I was wearing a mask, making it impossible for him to read my mood, probably contributed to the awkwardness.

Nevertheless, the second prince tried to find something to say.

“So… does Sir Rihart have a special reason for wearing a mask?”

“My face might cause discomfort to many people.”

“…”

“…”

“I-I’m sorry, Sir Rihart. I didn’t know about such circumstances…”

“It’s of no concern.”

“…”

“…”

I found the second prince’s facial acrobatics quite interesting as he squinted his eyes and clenched his teeth. What was causing his face to contort so strangely?

“W-well. Being here reminds me of old times. I once played hide-and-seek here with the duchess. I hid diligently, but she couldn’t find me even after two hours. I felt proud thinking I had hidden extremely well, but it was quite troublesome when she didn’t find me until dusk. Later I found out that Kanarin had been reading a book in her room since noon.”

“I see.”

What a mysterious game. Did children of that age feel proud when abandoned by their friends?

“Do you remember what you did when you were young, Sir Rihart?”

“I have clear memories from around the age of five.”

“You have quite a good memory? Does that mean you had an impressive childhood?”

“At least the memories of being chased were impressive.”

I was slammed against a wall by the scabbard of the Ruslet Knight Commander who was following imperial orders. I don’t think there was ever a time when I ran for my life more desperately. Other people who targeted me were too weak to be a threat.

“Oh, you mean playing tag?”

“From a broad perspective, that’s not incorrect.”

It’s probably a game of tag that continues to this day.

“Come to think of it, you seemed quite close with the princess… may I ask how you became acquainted?”

“That’s…”

She was kidnapped by my subordinate.

Unable to tell the straightforward truth, I covered it with a lie.

“It’s a special experience I’d rather not share. I apologize.”

“Oh, there’s absolutely no need to apologize! Hmm! A special experience, I see.”

I was relieved that he seemed to accept it on his own terms. He continued speaking more actively, as if encouraged.

“Anyway, Sir Rihart, you become more intriguing the more I see you. As I just heard, I’m curious about your childhood?”

“If you wish, I’ll tell you what I remember.”

“Great, finally a day when my mouth gets to rest. Let’s hear it then?”

His face was filled with excitement.

I began the prologue of my story to the expectant second prince.

“After being driven out of my home, I wandered around and assaulted a would-be child kidnapper.”

“… Huh?”

“From then on, the would-be child kidnapper became my guardian. And following my guardian’s advice, I dismantled a criminal cartel. Probably until I was twelve.”

“S-sir…?”

“I wanted to earn money.”

“…”

By the time my condensed story ended, the second prince’s lips were pressed together as if they had been sewn shut.

I find him to be an interesting person, though not as much as Serin.

Afterward, until we went to find Serin in the duchess’s bedroom, we savored a long silence.