Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Quest?
Why is there another quest?
I just paid off all my debt.
Wasn’t that supposed to be the end?
[SYSTEM | A new quest has arrived. Please check it!]
I froze at the system’s predictable words.
[Irina… It seems like you should check it, haha.]
[…We really didn’t want this either. But we had no choice.]
‘What is this?’
[You’ll see when you look.]
‘Ah, what is it? Can’t I refuse?’
[No, you can’t~]
[You can’t~]
‘Damn it.’
The system that had helped me pay off my debt wasn’t just an entity that gave quests.
At first, I thought it was a system that gave quests and skills like in a game.
But even a system needs someone to operate it.
I guess there are about two operators, and they would speak to me in this quirky way while giving me quests regularly.
[Quirky?]
[Did you think we were quirky?]
‘Honestly, you’re not exactly elegant.’
[…..]
[Irina is sad now, so let’s let it slide.]
[We’ll let it slide. Just you wait.]
They would talk to me almost daily, not just occasionally, and even chat among themselves.
At first, it was awkward, and I wondered who they were, but now I’ve decided to just accept it.
I’ve already possessed someone, so why not have a system like this too?
Right.
Besides, after living with them for about 5 years, it felt like chatting with friends on messenger, which wasn’t bad.
I’ve grown fond of them.
[Oh my~ Irina, you’ve grown fond of us?]
‘I’ve grown fond of you, and we’ve even become friends, so honestly, can’t you cancel this quest?’
[Because we’ve grown fond of you and become friends, you have to do this quest too…..]
So now, the important thing was the quest given by my quirky system.
Trembling, I checked the newly arrived quest.
‘Check.’
The arrived quest was shocking from the first sentence.
[SYSTEM | Main Quest “Prevent the Empire’s Destruction” has arrived.]
Huh…?
Why do I have to prevent the empire’s destruction?
In the original story, the empire’s destruction was something the female and male leads resolved.
So why has this come to me?
I’m just a debt-paying slave.
Before I could calm my confused mind, another quest arrived.
[SYSTEM | Sub Quest “Repay the Grand Duke Luwin Family’s Debt” has arrived.]
[SYSTEM | The second main quest will proceed in conjunction with the main quest “Prevent the Empire’s Destruction”.]
“…Conjunction?”
The system, oblivious to my feelings, chimed in annoyingly.
[Ahem! It means the main quest and sub quest are connected!]
[You’ll have to complete the sub quest to progress the main quest!]
‘Wait a moment. I want to check the details.’
[SYSTEM | Ah! Please wait a moment! We’re organizing the details.]
[SYSTEM | We’re organizing the details of the main quest “Prevent the Empire’s Destruction”.]
The details weren’t even updated yet.
Judging from the titles of the two quests, it seemed that to prevent the empire’s destruction, I needed to repay the Grand Duke Luwin family’s debt.
No, f*ck.
What the hell is this?
The Grand Duke Luwin family is the male protagonist’s family.
But why does this family have debt?
And what does this debt have to do with the empire’s destruction?
I could feel my hands trembling.
As I slowly raised my head, I saw Cassis sitting on the couch with a slightly tired expression, sipping tea more elegantly than anyone else.
The tremendous downpour that had hit the southern part of the empire for the first time in years was still pouring.
Even though it was midday, we had to turn on lights indoors.
In this weather, I couldn’t throw out Cassis, the male lead, so I had no choice but to invite him in.
So while waiting for him to finish bathing, Ijin and I sat side by side, holding our heads, trembling in fear, wondering why a Grand Duke would appear in such a state in the southern part of the empire.
Cassis still had that cool expression that looked like it would cut you if you touched it.
Is it because of today’s bad weather?
He looked quite tired from the side, and a bit worn out too.
“Thank you for letting me stay.”
“It’s an honor.”
At my response, he slightly curled the corners of his mouth in a perfunctory manner, then relaxed them again.
Having just bathed and feeling fresh, and perhaps with his tension eased a bit in the warm indoor environment, he slightly relaxed his previously rigid posture and tilted his head to the side.
‘….’
What was the male lead like in the original story?
He was a typical arrogant and cold-hearted noble.
Capable, looking down on incompetence, not easily letting others close.
Always keeping himself guarded behind a mask.
‘No. That’s wrong. I think the Duke is mistaken.’
The female lead could be who she was because she stood by the male lead’s side no matter the situation.
But the Cassis sitting in front of me was completely different.
If he had turned into a debauched playboy instead, I wouldn’t have been this shocked.
And I think that would have been better.
Because the person in front of me…
[Something seems to have changed a lot, right?]
[I know. Cassis wasn’t originally like this.]
As always, despite the noisy systems, I quietly observed Cassis.
Since when did male leads have such tired expressions?
Shouldn’t a male lead always stand firm, never falling, as if without a single weak point?
[Right, right. You know what I mean.]
‘Yes, you know what I mean, right?’
[Of course. But the truth is, he has his own traumas and weaknesses too.]
[So now the female lead needs to recognize those weaknesses.]
[So the female lead should say lines like ‘Why are you having such a hard time?’ to the male lead.]
The systems seem to have watched a lot of romance fantasy.
How do they know all this?
They started to chat more excitedly among themselves.
[That’s right!]
[And then the male lead denies it at first, but starts to care about the female lead, and that’s how!]
‘That’s how?’
[They fall in love.]
Right.
That’s how the male lead is, someone who has everything but always feels empty inside somewhere.
Our Cassis should only show such a vulnerable face to the female lead.
Not to strangers like me and Ijin.
So I couldn’t help but wonder.
What on earth happened to him?
What happened that I got such an absurd quest?
The male lead who should be saying things like “From here to here, I’ll pay in full” with the female lead at the empire’s best dress shop is in front of me in such a miserable state.
The quest still showed that it was being updated.
Tired of waiting, I finally spoke.
In times like these, it’s best to ask the person directly.
“So, Your Grace. May I ask what brings you here?”
“…”
“Of course, if it’s rude, you don’t have to answer. I’m just asking out of curiosity.”
After a moment of silence, I hastily said it was okay, but Cassis shook his head.
“It’s alright. My destination was the Viscount Keilak’s territory.”
The Viscount Keilak family is right next to Seike.
They are incredibly wealthy, on a different scale from the declining Seike family.
But why would the Grand Duke Luwin come to Keilak without any attendants?
However, the Duke answered that question next.
“The debt repayment date is next week.”
“…”
“…”
Ah. Debt.
F*ck.
It seems the quest is correct after all.
The male protagonist of this world has debt.
Why? What on earth happened…?
“It seemed difficult to meet the payment deadline, so I came down to the south personally.”
Just how much debt is there that the Grand Duke himself had to come down to the south because he couldn’t repay it?
And why does the person who should have the most money in the empire have debt in the first place?
[…Irina, do you really not know?]
[We told you not to carelessly use the information you know.]
‘…Please tell me it’s not true.’
[Okay, it’s not.]
Ding-!
[SYSTEM | The details of the main quest “Prevent the Empire’s Destruction” have been updated!]
The quest was updated with perfect timing.
Hurriedly checking the quest, what unfolded was a festival of madness.
[SYSTEM | Main Quest “Prevent the Empire’s Destruction”]
[200 years ago, monsters first appeared in what is called the boundary of the world.
The ruler of the continent, the Allis Empire, embarked on a large-scale monster subjugation.
At first, the damage was great, but the empire eventually won the war against the monsters, and thus entered a golden age while continuing to manage the monsters well.
Oh my!
The monsters’ behavior has been suspicious for the past 15 years.
The appearance of powerful large monsters incomparable to before!
At this rate, the empire’s destruction seems not far off!]
Why is this damn system talking so cheerfully about this?
‘Did this happen because I messed up the original story…?’
[You could say that.]
As I carefully recalled what I had done here, I eventually made a sad face.
Although I occasionally meddled with the original story, I really only touched trivial things.
The quest wasn’t over.
[But don’t worry!
The hero who will save the empire from destruction, Cassis Dimitri El Del La Luwin, the master of the Luwin Duchy and the world’s greatest knight.
We have the Grand Duke Luwin!]
I raised my head and glanced at the man across from me.
He was wearing Ijin’s clothes, sunk deep into the deflated couch, sipping the warm tea we had brought out.
Right.
The Grand Duke Luwin who will save the world.
He went bankrupt because of me.
Damn it.
Torryy
Can they please at least answer HOW because of the FL the ML got bankrupt? They’re just glossing over it without giving any details. It’s quite frustrating.