Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The Jebit Dating Sim Scandal
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Somewhere in the capital stood the mansion of Count Popos.
One day, a discreet parcel arrived there.
It was a box small enough to hold in one hand.
The sender was the Illusion Tower.
Count Popos carried it to his room and began opening it with utmost care.
"Ooooh... Uwwoooooh...!!!"
Inside was a small statue of Jebit rendered as an adorable character.
At a glance, it looked just like standard Jebit merchandise.
But this little statue was crafted from a massive quantity of high-grade mana stones and slathered with illusion magic—an authentic artifact.
The design had been dictated by Count Popos's request.
Rye had initially wanted to make it resemble a plain rock.
That way, no one else would suspect anything if they saw it.
But that clashed with Count Popos's convictions.
He wanted at least one heroine's face immortalized on it.
After much agonizing, they settled on the current Jebit statue design.
If anyone saw it, they'd just assume it was Jebit merch, nothing suspicious.
And he could claim to have scored a rare heroine figurine. Perfect.
Count Popos was a total Jebit otaku, after all.
"Je... Jebit-saaaan... Hoo... Hooo..."
Of course, he knew Jebit's true identity.
But Jebit and Rikal were distinct entities in his mind.
It was like fans who adored a character separately from the actor portraying them.
Rye and Rikal could never wrap their heads around that mindset, but that was Popos for you.
"P-Puh... Hehng... Alright, time to give it a whirl...! Hoo hoo... So exciting..."
Face flushed with excitement, Count Popos lay down on his bed.
He clutched the Jebit-statue artifact tightly in both hands and placed it on his chest.
His overheated body dripped with... well, sweat.
And for some reason, blood was rushing to his lower half.
"He... Here goes...! Jebit-saaan...!"
Count Popos dove into the illusionary world.
Using the artifact, he entered the dating sim crafted by the Illusion Tower: Heart-Pounding Academy!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Viscount Persig visited Count Popos's home one day.
He was the count's cousin and one of the few people he still associated with.
"The count said he'll be back after finishing some errands. Please wait a moment."
"Sure, no problem. I'll head to his room."
"But the count's room..."
"It's fine. This isn't my first or second time."
Lately, Popos had been strict about keeping people out of his room.
The head butler tried ushering Viscount Persig to the drawing room, but the viscount went straight to the bedroom.
The count and viscount were close enough that they'd always chatted there before.
Knowing this, the butler simply nodded.
"Haa... No wonder he can't get married."
The viscount sighed at the count's messy, unorganized room.
An unidentified funky smell permeated the air.
The room overflowed with Jebit merch, beautiful girl posters, and steamy novels.
That explained why he was still single and dateless.
"This is new merch I've never seen."
Glancing around, the viscount spotted a corner piled high with Jebit goods.
Among them sat an unfamiliar Jebit statue that didn't look ordinary.
"An artifact?"
It wasn't just any statue—it was an artifact.
Curiosity piqued, Viscount Persig activated it.
And got sucked straight into the illusionary world.
Thirty minutes later...
"Wha-wha-what the hell are you doing?!"
Count Popos returned from his errands to find the viscount sprawled on the floor. His cheeks wobbled as he bellowed.
He frantically logged out, but the viscount had already played Heart-Pounding Academy!
"C-Count, this... Jebit was just here a moment ago..."
"N-No, th-th-this... th-this...!"
The count had sworn secrecy to the Illusion Tower.
He begged Viscount Persig to keep it under wraps.
But soon after...
Rumors spread from the palace: "There's a game where you can date Jebit."
The gossip exploded overnight, drawing massive attention.
Count Popos, outed as the game's owner, took extended leave and vanished.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hoo... Hooo... Today's the day I finally see the first ending...!"
On extended leave and in hiding, Count Popos had taken the scandalous "Jebit Dating Sim" with him.
"I-I don't know anything!" he'd fled proclaiming.
Pretending ignorance of the uproar, he dove into conquering Heart-Pounding Academy!
Playing nonstop, he'd reached the end of the Miko route.
Today, he'd get the ending.
Count Popos logged into Heart-Pounding Academy!
⚙ GAME NARRATION ⚙ [Today is finally the day to confess to Miko. After class, you agreed to talk behind the building.] The narration rang out.
After class ended, the count headed behind the building.
Between the main structure, lined with storage sheds, and the gym.
There, in front of the gym equipment shed, he and Miko were set to meet.
"Hoo... Hooo... Miko-saaan... Wait for me."
The count arrived at the shed, panting with excitement.
Miko hadn't shown up yet.
"Wh-when's she coming...? Hooo...! Did they mess up the game...?!"
Miko didn't appear even as time dragged on.
Growing irritated, Count Popos paced and muttered.
-...Nngh...... Ahhn...
Then came a lewd moan from somewhere.
It vaguely sounded like Miko's voice.
"Miko-chan?"
Count Popos looked around, but Miko was nowhere.
As he paced, her moan echoed again.
From inside the gym shed.
-...Ahh... Haa... Renton......
"...Renton?"
Renton was the thug antagonist in the game.
Sensing disaster, Count Popos yanked at the shed door.
Rattle— Rattle—
"U-Uwooh...! Why won't it open...!"
The door refused to budge, just rattling uselessly.
He fetched tools to bash it, but it neither broke nor opened.
"Miko-saaaaaan—!!"
Miko's voice continued, joined by Renton's.
Realizing what was happening, Count Popos pounded the door like a madman.
For some reason, the rarely used pain mechanic kicked in, his hands throbbing vividly.
"N-No... Why..."
His strength faded, and he slumped to the ground.
Moments later, the door opened. Miko and Renton emerged.
The shed reeked of steamy heat, Renton's hand on Miko's shoulder.
"Yo— Popos! What're you doing here?"
"Y-You...!"
Miko's face was flushed.
Renton smirked down at the count smugly.
He hadn't even been hit, yet agony wracked him.
His chest tore apart in excruciating pain and torment.
"Uoooh... Uoooooooh—!"
Fury ignited, Count Popos lunged at Renton.
But one kick from Renton sent him flying.
"Why... Why Miko-chan!!!"
"Miko. Looks like Popos has something to say."
"U-Uh... Let's go, Renton."
Miko shot Popos a glare and melted into Renton's arms as they left.
Popos wailed at their backs, throat raw.
"Why... Why are you doing this, Miko-saaan!!!"
An incomprehensible betrayal. Things had been fine yesterday.
Why had this happened?
Coughing blood from his screams, Count Popos blacked out and logged out.
"Kuhk... Keheuk..."
He suffered days of torment without food, his heart shattered.
When he finally recovered, he tried other heroine routes.
Same results.
"Eugh... Euuuugh...!!! Keheuk..."
In endless agony, the count's leave dragged on.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Rikal had no natural gifts.
From childhood, he was scatterbrained, unable to focus in lessons, showing no aptitude for rulership.
He wasn't politically savvy or cunning enough to survive court intrigue.
Then, the year Rikal turned ten.
"Oh dear..."
"C-rank, and illusion affinity to boot..."
"No magic talent either. How unfortunate..."
Rikal underwent his Attribute Constitution test.
A lowly C-rank sub-attribute of the illusion line.
A talent useless in every way.
Even a C-rank in another element might have some use.
But illusion? Utterly scorned.
Still, he was born into privilege.
A scion of the exalted imperial bloodline.
Some might say that's plenty.
But Rikal had nothing else.
That imperial title became poison to him.
"The third prince is hopeless."
"At least the first prince is sharp. That's something, right?"
"Even so, an imperial so incompetent... He's been like that since childhood. No need to guess how he'll turn out."
Whispers dogged the incompetent boy.
Young and innocent, child Rikal remained oblivious.
But as years passed and his mind sharpened...
He noticed the stares aimed his way.
The worthless prince.
Learning that evaluation crushed his innocence.
The one thing he enjoyed was swinging a sword.
Alone, he practiced daily in a corner of the training grounds.
Interest in Rikal waned.
No one minded if he skipped meals.
Nobles stopped approaching him first, flocking to crown prince Leo instead.
Instead, fake-friendly nobles sidled up.
The spoiled brat offspring of nobility, so-called delinquents.
"Try it, Your Highness. It'll be hilarious. Heh."
"Yeah, only you could pull off a prank like this."
They egged him into mischief.
Rikal hesitated at first but soon gave in.
"Kyaaah—!"
"His Majesty's prized sculpture...!"
"Who did this?!"
Rikal smashed a statue displayed in a palace hallway.
The emperor, naturally furious, scolded the boy.
"...Haa. Enough. Get out."
An act warranting execution for others.
But Rikal got off with a scolding.
No father could kill his son, after all.
Most would learn their lesson.
Not young Rikal.
He kept causing incidents big and small.
Soon, the entire palace—imperials and staff alike—gossiped about him.
He hated the treatment, naturally.
Yet he persisted.
'...Because no one pays attention to me otherwise.'
This way, he got notice.
In the vast, glittering palace...
Where no one spared him a glance—that hollow, terrifying void.
Forgotten for his incompetence? Better this than indifference.
Humans are social creatures, after all.
The worst fear is apathy.
Thus, Rikal devolved into a full-fledged delinquent.
Endlessly committing senseless acts, forgetting why he'd started.
Becoming the delinquent prince he was today.
"Hah... That bastard...!"
Rikal irritably hurled the newspaper.
Articles about the Jebit dating sim flooded it.
"I told him to be careful. Exposed? What the hell was he doing..."
Should've never trusted that idiot pig count.
And now Popos had taken leave and vanished amid the chaos.
"Should've just killed him back then..."
Rikal regretted sparing Count Popos.
The next day, a letter arrived from the Illusion Tower. Rikal headed to Trinity.