Chapter 3.

 Becoming the Lord (2)

She didn’t need the sound effects or the holographic window to know the skill had succeeded.

“Grrrr…!”

“Kyaaaagh!”

The beasts had begun tearing into themselves.

The demons in the back row were no exception.

“Hiiik! Hiiik! Kyaagh!”

They whipped themselves into a frenzy with barbed lashes, striking their own bodies over and over.

The consecutive brainwashing combo had worked.

Thankfully, combat mechanics and skill usage functioned exactly as she remembered from the game.

…Wait.

Faced with such a grotesque scene—blood and flesh flying everywhere—her only thought was,

Thank goodness it’s just like the game?

Come to think of it, it was strange that, even after finding herself inside the game, she’d simply accepted it with I’ve transmigrated.

She was unnaturally calm.

Don’t tell me…

She glanced at her Traits window.

Clear Mind

(Passive)

Grants complete immunity to all mental status effects.

It was an absurdly overpowered trait that drastically lowered the game’s difficulty, so she rarely chose it.

This time, however, she’d equipped it for a casual playthrough.

After all, it completely nullified the guilt debuff from dating multiple people and even prevented the “death from heartbreak” event that occurred after too many breakups.

It didn’t merely skip romance events.

As befitted such a broken trait, Clear Mind also blocked every mental debuff and status ailment.

If an ordinary modern person had suddenly been thrown into another world, they would naturally feel confusion, terror, or rage.

Those emotions could easily be classified as “mental status effects.”

And Clear Mind simply erased them.

I never imagined my skills would end up controlling not just my speech, but even my mental state…

It felt unsettling.

At the same time…

She was grateful to have it.

Without Clear Mind, she probably would have fainted, broken down crying, or completely lost her composure.

Then everyone would have branded her a fake Lord.

And she’d have been killed on the spot.

I refuse to end like that.

She had no idea why she’d ended up here.

But she had no intention of dying.

Nor did she want to stumble into one of the game’s Bad Endings.

The bad endings in Dark Tower weren’t merely tragic.

They were pure nightmares.

I have to stay focused.

Otherwise I’ll end up…

Watching the blood-soaked monsters collapse one after another, she steeled herself and called to the knight below.

“Lohengrin.”

“…Yes, my Lord.”

He answered a beat later.

When he turned around, his entire body looked tense.

That’s odd.

He wasn’t the type of character who’d be frightened by a few dead monsters.

Why was he reacting like this?

The answer came to her moments later.

Right.

Mental magic.

Perhaps because it was designed to manipulate people, NPCs were terrified simply by witnessing brainwashing spells.

If you were caught casting one on a companion, your reputation and affection would plummet instantly.

Sometimes they’d attack you outright.

That was precisely why the incredibly powerful late-game class Mind Sorcerer was often dismissed as either a joke class or a trap build.

Because the moment you use your powers… your entire party runs away.

Back when she’d planned this as a casual playthrough, that hadn’t mattered.

If no one found out, it was no different from an assassination—

Or romance.

Just brainwash them without getting caught.

If failing to conquer the Tower doomed the world?

Even better.

Romance was always more exciting when everything fell apart.

…Those were simpler times.

If even Lohengrin—whose loyalty and affection were notoriously difficult to lower—was reacting like this…

She didn’t even want to imagine how the other companions would respond.

Still…

The tutorial came first.

The monsters were dead.

She was about to tell Lohengrin they should leave—

When a bright red warning window suddenly appeared.

[You have remained in the “Wet” status for an extended period…]

[Entering Near-Death State.]

[Status Effect: Unconsciousness.]

Resistance Required: 10

“…Huh?”

Long-lasting status ailments could eventually escalate into unconsciousness, near death, or even death.

But this was just Wet.

Not severe bleeding.

Not multiple fractures.

…Damn it.

Vitality 6!

The absurdly low Vitality she’d sacrificed to maximize her Charisma had come back to haunt her.

When a stat dropped below 8, all related debuffs became twice as severe.

[Beginning Check!]

Regardless of her panic, the dice rolled on their own.

Dice Roll: 10

The die had actually rolled well.

Yet her face twisted in despair.

Because now the trait modifiers would kick in…

Vitality 6: -2

Sorcerer: -1

Nephilim: -2

Goddess’s Fortune: …

.

.

.

Result: 1 / 20

[Critical Failure!]

[Remarkable Achievement!]

Ugh… this garbage build!

She could glare all she wanted at the mocking red hologram.

It didn’t stop her swaying body from collapsing.

Her vision darkened.

Through the fading darkness, she saw Lohengrin sprinting toward her.

“My Lord!”

That was the last thing she remembered.

Then…

Everything went black.

When she opened her eyes again…

The first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.

Well…

More accurately, it was a ceiling she’d stared at countless times in the game—

But had never seen in real life.

The Lord’s bedroom…

At least she’d somehow escaped the reincarnation chamber.

Still, realizing several events had apparently been skipped left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Wasn’t there an event that triggered if you fainted during the tutorial…?

She struggled to remember through the pounding in her head.

A cool hand gently touched her forehead.

Then came a voice filled with concern.

“Please don’t overexert yourself, my Lord.”

Her eyes instinctively followed the sound.

The speaker was a man wrapped in flowing robes.

An unbelievably beautiful man.

His black hair shone like raven feathers.

His crimson eyes sparkled brighter than the finest rubies.

But the feature that truly completed his appearance…

…was the tiny red beauty mark beneath his slightly drooping eye.

Shaped like a butterfly.

Every time he blinked, it seemed to flutter gently.

The effect was strangely mesmerizing.

Wow… he’s ridiculously handsome.

He’d already looked incredible in the game.

In person…

It wasn’t even comparable.

She knew exactly who he was.

Jehar al-Rashid.

The number one mage companion.

First place in the overall companion popularity rankings.

The undisputed number one romance option for five consecutive years.

A character who had swept all three popularity polls.

His popularity transcended genres.

His fanbase was notoriously fanatical.

“Isn’t every romance besides Jehar technically cheating? I mean, that’s just the truth.”

“Dark Tower without Jehar equals zero. Want a passionate romance with the black-haired guy from the cinematics? Buy the game at full price.”

Even male players said ridiculous things like that.

“It’s not that I fell in love with a male character… I fell in love with Jehar.”

“What the hell is wrong with this guy? Why is he making my character gay against my will?”

(Edited) “Jehar did nothing wrong. I’m the terrible husband who cheated on my wife. Gotta earn money for Jehar’s DLC outfit. No questions.”

“Never abandon your true love. Listen to your older brother.”

His abilities.

His appearance.

His backstory.

Everything about him was perfect.

Even she—someone who had always prioritized conquering the Tower over romance—had once collected every ending involving Jehar.

I never imagined I’d actually meet him…

“…My Lord?”

Ah.

She’d been staring too long.

Regaining her composure, she asked in the dignified tone expected of a Lord.

“How much time has passed since I collapsed?”

“About half a day.”

He withdrew his hand from her forehead.

“It hasn’t been very long.”

“I heard everything from Sir Eschen.”

“There were… complications during the ritual.”

“There were.”

“So your body… and your powers… are no longer what they once were?”

There was no point hiding it.

“There were.”

He hesitated briefly before asking carefully,

“Have your memories been affected as well?”

“…”

Whatever he interpreted from her silence…

His voice became even gentler.

“You needn’t worry, my Lord.”

“No matter what happens…”

“I will always stand by your side.”

His moist crimson eyes gazed straight into hers.

Joy.

Affection.

Sincerity.

Every one of those emotions shone within them.

“Even if you’ve lost your memories…”

“Even if you never recover them…”

“So long as your soul remains within that body…”

“I shall remain your mage for all eternity.”

“So… you may trust me, at least.”

With utmost care, the mage lifted her cold hand…

And softly kissed the back of it.

Incidentally…

Not a single word of that was a lie.

Jehar was one of the very few companions who remained loyal to the Lord in every single ending.

However…

Like every character in Dark Tower, he had one fatal flaw.

Those same beautiful hands…

Were also the hands that had nailed the previous Lord’s body to the crimson monument.

Wondering what that means?

This bastard…

Was the mastermind behind everything.