Chapter 4: I Became a Trash Character in a Gacha Game (4)
Chapter 4: I Became a Trash Character in a Gacha Game (4)
Prince Archive Order—P.A.O. for short—is a mobile gacha game.
However, the place I am in right now is not a game.
The proof?
"Status Window!"
Nothing appeared.
If this were a game world and I had stats or some kind of system, a blue screen would have popped up the moment I shouted those words. Or at the very least, a tutorial fairy would have appeared to give me some guidance.
But there was nothing.
The language spoken here is the continent’s common tongue, yet it is automatically translated in my head, and the voices sound exactly like the voice actors from the original game.
Yes, if I had to give this language a name, I’d call it "Duktin."
Just as Latin was once used as the common language across the European continent, otaku have their own means of communication that only they understand.
—Kokoro o moyasu...!!
...Of course, the actual language of this world is entirely different, but fortunately, I can use the continental tongue fluently.
I’ve read about people who get possessed and suffer because of language barriers. I’m glad that’s not the case for me.
It truly was a relief.
What if a person who could think normally suddenly lost their ability to speak and their memories?
—That brat is acting strange. Are there any other Fermaton bloodlines left?
—Is it amnesia? Rather than leaving things to him, it would be better to find another clever Fermaton.
—Found one. Let’s replace him!
While I was busy trying to learn the language, Akamond, Hernandez, or some other Fermaton would have appeared and driven a blade straight into my solar plexus.
It was a stroke of immense luck that things didn't turn out that way.
Therefore...
"Are... are you saying you’re going to get married? Truly?"
"Yes. If something were to happen to me, the Fermaton family would be finished. And it wouldn't just be the family; everyone connected to this Labyrinth City would lose their jobs and their livelihoods."
The Infinite Labyrinth is effectively responsible for the Fermaton economy—for everything, really.
And is it just Fermaton?
All sorts of resources from the Infinite Labyrinth are spread across the continent. It is virtually the only stable trading partner in the entire world that can regularly supply Magic Stones and monster remains.
There is a reason the Kingdom and the Empire cannot touch this place lightly. There is a reason a mere County has gained enough power to act like a kingdom of its own.
"As one who carries the blood of Fermaton, I have a duty to ensure the Infinite Labyrinth is passed down to future generations."
"But you... you refused to accept the title of Count and insisted on remaining the Young Lord...?"
"I’ve had my fill of fun."
The scoundrel Ruji was now dead.
"Though I cannot inherit the title immediately since I haven't found a marriage partner yet, it is time for me to become the Count of Fermaton and find the woman who will stand beside me as my Countess."
"......"
Zenith looked like she had something to say, but she was merely observing me with a clear sense of wariness.
"Do I suddenly look like a different person to you?"
In times like this, a preemptive strike is the best defense.
"My days of wandering are over. From this moment on, I am a man reborn. Consider the old me dead and look upon me with fresh eyes."
"......What is it you want?"
"The survival of Fermaton."
And the preservation of my own life.
"I am satisfied with the current situation. Even if I transition from Young Lord to Border Count, the environment surrounding Fermaton will not change much. It will continue through my generation and the ones after. ...Especially considering our position between the borders of the Kingdom and the Empire."
Fermaton.
Geopolitically, it sits within the Kingdom, but it is so close to the Empire that one could cross the border just by hopping over a single mountain.
"The Empire is constantly looking for an opportunity to make Fermaton theirs. Fermaton has been a County of the Kingdom for centuries, but it has now reached a position where it could snap the tense thread of peace between the two nations."
What if the Count of Fermaton sought the Empire's protection?
It would mean war.
And after the war was won?
They would leave only one person with Fermaton blood alive and plug them into a life-support system of limb-severing, kidnapping, imprisonment, and infinite healing.
"I want Fermaton to continue to stand tall as Fermaton. I’m almost at the point where I want to establish the Kingdom of Fermaton."
"You...!"
"I know. That would be treason against the royal family. And if that happened, we would end up at war with the Empire as well. I am not so foolish as to turn two countries into enemies just for the sake of the Infinite Labyrinth. It was... merely a figure of speech."
That was a lie.
In the main story, the protagonist founds a new nation centered around the Labyrinth City.
"However, there are many ways to obtain power equal to a royal family. Even today, the Labyrinth City is filled with adventurers seeking to conquer the labyrinth."
How is that possible?
Because the Player has superhumans at their disposal.
"Adventurers are strong. They grow powerful without knowing limits. Why else would adventurers from other nations come to this Labyrinth City to grow stronger? It’s because it’s easy to level up here."
If a 3-Star character just hits their level cap, they become what is commonly referred to in fantasy as a 'Sword Master.' And if you push them to 5-Star through limit breaks, they reach the pinnacle of human strength.
"Furthermore, with the power of the various Magic Stones and treasures coming out of the Infinite Labyrinth, it’s possible for someone to emerge who transcends humanity. Just as the Emperor of the Empire once did."
If one were to obtain something like a 'Mythstone,' they could essentially become a god.
"If they become retainers of our house, it is possible. We can enjoy the same prestige as a kingdom without calling ourselves one.
If this world were a game, I would have maxed out my own character, Ruji, to 5-Star and fed him every Mythstone available to turn him into a living god.
"Mother. You can put your mind at ease. I am merely seeking a status equal to the Kingdom, not trying to become one. I am simply gathering retainers. And..."
This world is not a game.
"If I take the strongest woman in the world as my wife—or if I raise a woman who looks like she’ll bear children well into the strongest wife in the world—the Fermaton family will shine forever."
Therefore.
"Do you know of any women who would be good for me to impregnate?"
If I could take a maxed-out 5-Star female character as my wife...
I could enjoy this power for the rest of my life.
* * *
Zenith hurried back to her room.
It seemed she needed time to process the shock of my sudden transformation.
Well, I can’t blame her.
If I, who was nothing more than a loathsome villain, suddenly said I was going to grab any woman and get her pregnant, it was only natural for her to feel disgusted.
But I am not Ruji.
I have Ruji’s cock, but I am not the loser destined for defeat.
I need an image change.
Ruji lived his life as a 'total scoundrel,' just as he did in the original work.
To break away from that image, my future conduct would be important, but I needed a way to appeal to people right now.
A drastic measure to show everyone a completely different me.
What would be best?
There’s nothing better than that, after all.
Tinkle, tinkle.
I rang the bell beside me.
It wasn't an ordinary bell, but a magic item imbued with a spell—a call bell that summoned the waiting attendants.
"Did you call, my Lord?"
"Yes."
The woman who entered was Amy.
Today’s panties were black.
I wondered if she would wear different ones tomorrow. Or if she would even change them at all.
"Tomorrow morning, I will be going out on a street patrol."
"...Pardon?"
"I’m just going to look around. I have something I’m personally planning."
If I spotted a 3-Star female character while passing by, I’d pick her up immediately.
Need gems?
I have the authority to open the treasury of Fermaton.
No matter the price, no one can easily refuse in the face of overwhelming gold.
"Are you truly going on patrol? If so, I shall inform the knights."
"Mm, good. Do that. Ah, and one more thing."
There was something I had to do before the patrol.
"Who among the maids is best at styling hair?"
"...T-That would be me."
"You?"
"Yes. I have been handling the Young Lord’s hair..."
"Then I’ll ask you to tidy it up later."
Snip.
I picked up a pair of scissors and cut my hair in one go.
Blond locks, at least 15cm long, fluttered to the floor, but I didn't stop the blades.
Snip, snip, snip.
With every cut, hair fell in heaps, and Amy’s jaw dropped in horror.
"Y-Young Lord?!"
"Bring me paper and a quill. I’ll show you how I want it trimmed."
I might have ended up looking like a shorn poodle for a moment, but the rest could be left to a professional.
"Style my hair like this. Make it look like what I’ve drawn."
No matter if this was a world of medieval fantasy and magic, I refused to keep a poodle cut like the French aristocrat Louis XIV.
"Make it a Regent style."
* * *
At that same time.
At the gates of Fermaton Castle, many people were entering and leaving under the inspection of the guards.
"You there, stop!"
A guard blocked the path of someone draped in a white robe.
"Remove your hood. And present your identification."
"Will this do?"
A clear, feminine voice.
From beneath the white robe emerged a wooden seal of the 'Adventurer's Guild.'
"An adventurer? A rookie?"
"Yes."
"Where are your companions?"
"Uh... I’m planning to make some here!"
The woman burst into a bright smile as she pulled back her hood.
"This is the city of dreams and hope, the Labyrinth City of Fermaton, right?"
Blond hair that seemed to hold the radiance of the sun.
Golden eyes, as if stars had settled within them, sparkled with anticipation.