Chapter 9: Chapter 9

I know I shouldn’t think too much about my current situation but I can’t help it. There are lots of questions I have in my mind that no one can answer and one of them is if it is possible for a game character to have dark eye bags. I mean, I am more or less a stray dog in this game. The developers have no control over me so how is it possible that a sentient being like me can have these dark eye bags just because I stayed up all night? Did they also include a thorough health system of the player in the game and it stuck with me when I got separated from the game? Is this a survival fantasy game?

Hah~ I really can’t sleep last night after Trevor vanished. There’s definitely more than just being separated from the game character ‘Leonora’.

Gasp!

“E-eurk! Guuh!” I feel like I swallowed a fly! Shouldn’t have gasped!

What if this game is actually a reality and those things that popped up when I arrived here are all an illusion? Hmm, that sounds plausible. But who would play such tricks on Leonora, the only Archduke of Aswain? Besides, I was really controlled by someone at that time.

*Nods.*

That idea is debunked. Into the trash!

There’s also another thought. What happened to the ‘Leonora’ that the player used? Did she disappear from the game? Or was her code deleted leaving her body empty that’s why I was able to possess her? This is more acceptable than the first idea I had.

Well, whatever. I’ll try not to overthink the logic of this game. Whatever happens, happens.

“How long are you going to stand there, Lyra?” She’s been inside my room since earlier while I was having an internal dialogue.

“Madame, I heard from Mr. Adam that the king invited you to the palace.”

Ah, yeah. I saw the letter yesterday. He even emphasized the word ‘immediately’.

“What of it?”

She gasped and coughed afterward. There’s probably an invisible fly in this room.

“Madame! You have no dresses to wear! You burned them all last month!”

Huh?

“Like burned burn?”

“What? Yes! You said it’s because those dresses are suffocating and we’ve yet to summon a tailor since.”

“Why can’t I just wear whatever I have in my closet?”

Her eyebrows raised in confusion.

“Most certainly not. And even should we summon a tailor today, the gown will not arrive in time.”

What a huge, huge problem we are facing, huh? It’s bigger than the world problem.

“Let’s go shopping then. That shouldn’t be a problem.”

She hesitated a bit before agreeing to my suggestion. What now?

“This is only because you have nothing else to wear, Madame. We should get you a tailor tomorrow to make you new sets of dresses.”

I changed my pajamas into comfortable clothing that I have in my closet. That Leonora is nuts. Burning all of her dresses? She could redesign it or whatever. Doesn’t she know that burning textiles is harmful? Meh, of course she wouldn’t. If not because she is stupid, it might be because she is inside the game, which doesn’t matter. Global warming? Air pollution? What is that?

Gah! It was only a moment ago that I said I wouldn’t overthink this game!

“Let’s go, Lyra.”

*Ding!*

“Welcome to our boutique! Is there anything we can help—”

“Madame needs a new dress. Show us anything available.” Lyra cut the woman’s greeting. She raised her head and gasped in shock.

“Your Grace?! Oh, I apologize! Where’s my manners!” She immediately curtsied, so I nodded my head and looked around her shop. The other customers also looked our way and curtsied from afar to which I only respond with a nod. These NPC’s are well trained, aren’t they?

“It’s what she said. I need a dress appropriate enough to enter the palace.”

The woman’s eyes widen and nodded.

“Follow me to the next room, Your Grace. We have dresses that we just finished making last night.”

We followed her to the said room and when we entered, my eyes had a feast. The dresses. It’s beyond gorgeous.

“Are these dresses imbued with magic?” I joked. The designs are magnificent, and all of them look comfortable to wear because they can be worn without a corset.

“Who made these? I want them to be the ones making my dresses from now on.”

Her face flushed and fidgeted with her hands before answering.

“T-That… it was me, Madame. With the help of my assistants, we were able to finish the designs I thought of.” Oh? I found a gem.

I held her hand in excitement. “Brilliant! Has anyone contacted you about your designs already? If not, let’s sign a contract now!”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I can sense her excitement, nervousness, and panic through her expressions. What a fun lad. Her nose started bleeding, making her panic more.

They even added nose-bleeding to show how overwhelmed a character felt? Damn, how thorough. This stuff doesn’t happen in real life, but hey—it’s fiction. Fair game.

I turned to Lyra and shrugs. “Do you have a handkerchief? I forgot to bring mine.”

After she calmed down, we signed a contract stating that her boutique would be the one making my dresses. They even went as far as suggesting to close their shop for me and I did not want that so I told them that instead of closing it, they may continue doing what they’ve done except that they wouldn’t disclose the designs they made for me to other people.

“Very well then, Miss Adelaide. Let’s consider this contract as proof of our relationship. So, were the dresses imbued with magic?” I asked again. It can’t be just normal glitters! Some of them shined even without the light hitting them directly.

“Yes, Your Grace. It may have died down in this era but I am from the lineage of fairies so I can use a bit of my power, Truth to be told, it is my first time putting some of my magic in the dress.”

“Oh! So I am lucky!”

Fairies, huh? I wonder if there’s a specific lineage that Leonora is from. I better check the family archives later. Geez, I feel like I am the only game character who doesn’t have a status board that will appear in a snap. Anyway, seeing how I haven’t met any players yet, is this a role play game that has no co-op system or something? Is that why the developers were not so keen on eliminating me because there’s no other players close to me? They did send Trevor but how do I say this… hmmm…

“Pack this dress and send them to the manor. Let’s get going, Lyra. I have something to check.”

We strolled around the town and I bought some cookies I can nibble on later when I check the archives. We only headed back when it was lunchtime.

“Adam, what’s your lineage?”

He stopped writing and looked at me.

“This is the first time that you asked me of this. I am from the lineage of elves.” Elves? Now that I look at him…

“That explains your obsession with elegant things.”

“I am not that obsessed, Madame.” He said as he fixed his monocle. Yeah, sure.

“Why do you suddenly ask, Madame?”

“Because I met a fairy today and even made a contract with her. I bet Lyra already told you about that. She’s a little gossip.”

He chuckled. Even he can’t deny it.

Anyway, the Stryker family is said to be from the lineage of dragons. Freaking basic. It’d be a whole lot nicer if I had the blood of a sphinx running through me. Then again, it isn’t that surprising. Who the heck would marry their cousin to maintain their wealth if not the greedy people? Ah, I am reminded of that again. Can anyone prepare a new body for me to possess?

I flinched when I felt a wave of pain in my stomach. I ate just an hour ago. It can’t be that I’m hungry again? Well, that happens sometimes. Hmmm… Is my stomach acidic, or is the cause an entirely differe- wait a minute.

I haven’t taken a shit since I arrived on this game! It’s no wonder that my stomach feels bloated all of the time.

I left the office and looked for Lyra. I haven’t figured out the layout of this palace yet, so I have no idea where the comfort room is.

“Lyra!” She put down the basket she was holding and turned to me.

“Madame?”

“Where’s the comfort room?”

“Huh? What is that?”

“A bathroom, or- or a restroom.”

She looked at me with confusion and the realization hit me.

Oh fuck off! The setting of this game is in the medieval era! Toilets are yet to exist! Why are the game designers so thorough in adding these details?! Crap!

I returned to the office and dropped my head on the table. How many days I’ve been here? Oh no, what if it’ll be the reason for my death here? Heh~ so dramatic, Leonora. There’s a river nearby where you can relieve your shit.

“Madame, why do you keep pulling your hair these days? You’ll go bald if you don’t stop that.”

I turned my head to Adam. “Have you taken a shit ever since you arrive here?” I asked. Adam’s eyebrows furrowed, making me sigh in frustration.

“Never mind.” Does the food disintegrate into thin air as soon as I swallow it?

I squished my stomach and sighed again. Can’t be. Look at all this shit.

*Snap!*

That’s right!

“Adam, let’s make a toilet!”

“Toilet?”

“Yes!”

“What is that?”

“People sit on it to take a shit”

“Shit? Can madame explain what are we talking about right now?”

You never cease to amaze me every waking day, developers. Just how limited are their vocabulary?

“Toilet is a thing used for defecation or urination and we are going to make it, NOW.”

Look at his confused expression. Ah, so I have to explain every detail huh?

“Toiletsarebasicallymagicalchairswherethepoopdisappearsintothevoidandyouneverhavetothinkaboutitagainunlessitsclogged.It'sawonderfullittlethroneyougettositonwhenyourstomachdecidesit'stimeforjudgmentdayandhonestlywhydoweputsofacushionsonchairsbutnotonthesacredtoilet? sometimesyoujustsittheirpretendingyou'repoopingjusttoavoidresponsibilitiesbecauseit'stheonlyroomwherenobodyasksyouquestionsunlessyouhavepets.” Huff! Huff! I talked wayyy too fast.

Did he get it?

“That sounds great! However, how do you know about that and how do we make it?”

Oh thank heavens he did.

“You could thank my limitless knowledge. Pass me the quill and paper.”

I sketched the toilet design that I remembered and indicated its parts.

“We will make a molder first to make it possible. As for the materials, we will make use of the volcanic ash below. It’ll be a lot of work but the results would be satisfactory.”

He clapped his hands and looked at me with excitement.

“I do not know how such ideas come to you, Madame, but I shall begin preparations at once to see it done swiftly! Now then, let us think- we will need a good number of workers, that much is certain. Tell me, Madame, would a hundred seem reasonable to you?”

I passed the paper to him. A hundred?

“That’s too much. Twenty is enough.” He gasped to express his shock. Dramatic.

“Twenty?! That’s not enough!”

“It is more than enough if you pick the right man to do the job. The real problem here is if there’s a way to get down.”

“Well, there is. We can just use the teleportation scroll.”

Oh right. He also mentioned that scroll when the earl was throwing his tantrums the other day.

“Is there something we should consider when using the scroll?”

He stopped looking at my sketches to think.

“There is. The only notable concern we know of is the distance it can cover. If we are only going to the ground below, then it isn’t a problem.”

“Sweet! Then, gather ten men, for now, to go with me below and help me collect the materials. Get them ready in an hour.”

He nodded and left the office. His reactions made me wonder how they relieved their business when health systems are added in the game. Do they just throw it under? Ugh. I’d rather not know then.

Ah, really. What am I doing right now? Making toilets inside the video game? What a joke. But since there is nothing I can do at the moment, let’s turn this whole place upside down and throw the developers in confusion! That doesn’t sound bad! Ha-ha!

Tch. I wouldn’t have done any of this if they only added a toilet in the game. What a cheapskate.