Chapter 100

Chapter 99

If the savior of life were to come back to life, he should come to greet us right away. Why hasn't he even shown his face?

Just as I was about to click my tongue in disapproval, the seats erupted into chaos the moment Clyde was mentioned.

[The seats that support the 'Clyde' route strongly wish to meet him in person.]

Ding!

[Seat 'Clyde's House' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Please go see Clyde ㅠ]

This was followed by repeated donations expressing a desire to see Clyde, to see his handsome face, and to wonder about a reunion in this world.

It seemed the aftermath of the dungeon was significant.

"Wait a minute, 'this world'? The dungeon isn't like the afterlife, you know."

Considering the cost and labor that went into creating different dungeons.

I grumbled as I left the dormitory.

I knew exactly where Clyde's dormitory was.

"Should be around here."

His dormitory was located in a particularly deep and secluded area.

Knock knock.

After knocking and waiting for a moment, a tall man came out.

"Huh?"

I was taken aback by the unexpected meeting and greeted him.

"Ah, hello, Zachary."

Zachary was a man with dark skin, a muscular build, faded caramel blonde hair, and striking light gray eyes.

Ding!

[Seat 'Face Inspector' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Not as handsome as Raul, but he's good-looking? Doesn't seem like a typical side character]

I almost let out a sigh.

'Why is Raul the comparison?'

Of course, Raul's appearance was quite impressive, given that he fathered Tereza and Giuseppe, who resembled him.

Zachary bowed to me.

"Hello, Miss Squire."

He was Clyde's closest and most trusted retainer, who had been taking care of him for a long time.

At least, on the surface.

Zachary was a 'Celestial' who had infiltrated the human world to monitor demons.

'And he's an antagonist.'

While he was a righteous character in terms of his cause, he was a death variable that could kill the female or male lead depending on the player's actions.

That's why he was classified as an antagonist.

'I almost forgot about him because he hardly appears during the game.'

I calmed my surprised heart and asked.

"Is Clyde inside?"

"The young master has left to conquer the dungeon."

"What? How long has it been since he came out of the dungeon, and he's going again?"

Zachary looked at me silently.

"Ahahaha... I'll be on my way then."

"I will escort you."

"No, no! I usually wander around alone. Go inside, quickly."

I opened the door and pushed Zachary into the dormitory.

Zachary looked at me strangely and entered the entrance reluctantly.

"Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, of course."

Celestials, who are as unfriendly to humans as demons, are scary and uncomfortable.

No, demons at least try to manipulate humans for their own purposes, but celestials don't care if humans are exterminated.

'It's not for nothing that Ilya treats humans like bugs.'

Celestials are extreme racial discriminators.

I laughed awkwardly and hurried away from Clyde's dormitory.

"Phew, I won't go to that dormitory again."

[The seats express their doubts.]

I told the seats about Zachary being a celestial and an antagonist while walking back to my dormitory.

Ding!

[Seat 'Question Mark Killer' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[But it seems like the other noble dormitories are empty?]

"They are actually empty. Nobles don't use dormitories."

That's why, perhaps? The overgrown trees, quiet paths, and the eerie atmosphere of the empty houses made me feel uneasy even in the middle of the day.

"Ugh, ugh."

I hummed a tune to myself and tried hard not to look inside the empty dormitory windows by accident.

There were no scenarios like ghosts appearing or something hiding, but my imagination kept being stimulated in a scary direction.

As I hurried back to the dormitory, the sound of galloping hooves came from the opposite direction.

'What is it? Riding horses here is prohibited. Besides, that direction is where my dormitory is...'

I widened my eyes.

Someone leaped off the horse like a daredevil.

"Clyde!"

Clyde approached me, panting, and then stopped abruptly.

He looked quite gaunt after a few days of absence.

His sharp jawline was more pronounced, and his furrowed brows made him look sensitive and irritable.

I expected him to be angry.

"...What, are you crying?"

But he wasn't.

Clyde suddenly covered his face with one hand and his shoulders trembled slightly.

Tears rolled down his thin cheeks and sharp jawline.

I was very taken aback.

Approaching him with my hands flailing like someone cutting through rough waters, I said,

"Hey, hey... Don't cry suddenly. It's making me uncomfortable..."

Ding!

[Seat 'Cider Pass' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Your speech is so cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Ding!

[Seat 'Romance Pass' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Is he a psychopath? ㅠ]

Ding!

[Seat 'Insider Detection' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Speaking like a friend]

Both the seats and Clyde found my words amusing, as he lowered his hand from his face and glared at me.

His eyes looked genuinely annoyed...

I awkwardly took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped away his tears.

"So, what I mean is, seeing you cry makes me feel bad..."

Clyde, despite his large build, couldn't stop crying.

He just stood there as I wiped away his tears.

It seemed my death had a significant impact on him.

'Thinking about it, I feel a bit guilty.'

And honestly, I was touched.

I never thought Clyde, who had treated me like a mouse to be caught, would cry.

My heart warmed.

"Have you eaten? Want to go get a sandwich? Of course, you're paying. I did save your life, after all. Debts must be repaid."

Clyde, with a stressed expression, clenched his teeth and warned,

"Please shut up."

But his fierce gaze wasn't as scary as before.

I burst out laughing and hugged his shoulder to share the joy of our reunion.

He was startled and awkwardly returned the hug.

The system wasn't fully restored yet, but I had a good idea of what Clyde's heart gauge looked like.

"Are we good friends now?"

"Not at all."

"But our families don't get along, so let's not act too friendly. Still, our friendship will remain unchanged."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Clyde's affection level was definitely two red hearts.

He had come to find me and was relieved to see me alive.

* * *

In the control room, screens filled with noise and skull symbols floated endlessly.

Oswald sat with his legs crossed on the table, staring at the screen in front of him.

The screen showed Tereza hugging Clyde's shoulder and laughing brightly.

Clyde's ears had been red since the beginning, but his expression looked more pained than excited.

"Hmm."

His indifferent gaze moved to another screen.

It was the character information window for Clyde.

[Affection: ♥♥♥♡♡]

Tereza, unaware, had increased Clyde's red hearts from 2 to 3 in an instant.

At that moment, David approached and looked at the screen.

"Tereze was analyzed as a difficult character to approach, yet she filled the first three red hearts."

"Indeed. It went against expectations."

The Oswald Stream analysis team had predicted that Ilya or Damian would be the first to fill three red hearts.

"Is this acceptable?"

In response to David's question, Oswald uncrossed his legs and replied,

"It doesn't matter. Small details aren't that important."

In a reverse harem game, is there anything more important than the changes in the characters' affection levels?

David tried to gauge what Oswald was thinking and hoping for, but it was like trying to see beyond a fog—impossible to grasp.

He decided not to delve into a field outside his expertise and asked about his reason for being there.

"When do you plan to restore the system?"

"Let's wait for a more dramatic moment."

"Will the Broadcasting Committee notice the manipulation?"

Broadcast manipulation was considered a serious crime in Panteon.

However, both Oswald and David, who were committing this serious crime, showed no concern.

Especially Oswald, who seemed to have forgotten about it, only said, "Ah," as if realizing something.

"It doesn't matter. After all, it's impossible for a channel manager to manipulate the broadcasting system. It's unlikely they'll predict this."

Saying that, it would be wise to take some precautions.

"I should go to the committee chairman's office."

Oswald waved his cane to open a portal to the top floor of the Broadcasting Committee and stepped inside.

Thud. Thud.

The top floor of the Broadcasting Committee contained only the offices of the seven chairmen.

Alpha. Beta. Gamma. Delta. Epsilon. Zeta. Eta.

Alpha held the highest rank, and the authority decreased in order down to Eta.

The seven chairmen rarely showed themselves to the public.

The higher the rank, the more severe this tendency, with Alpha, the first chairman with the strongest authority, having no known information other than his appearance.

Since their work was conducted through the Panteon system, there were no major issues.

And currently, the office Oswald entered was Alpha's.

Alpha recognized him and stood up to greet him politely.

"Welcome, Mr. Oswald."

Oswald smiled.

"Yes, it's been a while."