NOVEL WEB Chapter 15
<15 - Entry Restricted, Young Lady>
After the A set meal filled with anger and disappointment.
I hadn’t even talked to Jonnas for a few days.
“Did you have a fight with your Butler?”
“It’s not that.”
“You don’t seem very happy.”
Even Riff could tell.
No, if I had been so obvious in ignoring it, it would have been unmissable.
Looking back on the past few days, I realized how immaturely emotional I had been.
“I felt hurt.”
Saying it out loud made the feeling even more real.
“I guess I was hoping Jonnas would at least lie and say he would stay by my side.”
“Lady….”
“I know. Adults have their reasons. Being unreasonable just makes things tougher for Jonnas.”
Perhaps there was a bit of truth to that.
These last few days, I had been solely focused on training.
Would he leave me too?
Like he was asking if I could really leave.
Of course not.
In the game, a Butler is a bound item.
They must never leave the side of the player.
The fact that such a Butler isn’t forever on my side fills me with an anxiety beyond mere disappointment.
“Riff feels the same, right?”
“That’s correct. I too was employed by my master to serve you, Young Lady. Should my master call upon me, I must return to the Main House.”
“Of course….”
I really have no allies.
Like my real-life relationships that turned blank in an instant.
The relationships in the game could turn blank just as quickly.
“What does that matter?”
“Does Riff not care?”
“When flowers bloom, they naturally wither away, and when money runs out, servants find new employers. Though it may be cruel, that is the way of the world.”
“…I hate Riff.”
“Thus, I hope Oknodie doesn’t fail. There’s nobody who can hide in every nook and cranny like you and pretend that bad candy is delicious.”
Even if life is harsh, the desire for ongoing relationships doesn’t simply fade away.
“Look at this candy basket.”
“I saw it.”
“How many candies are left?”
One, two, three…
“Quite a lot?”
“I won’t leave your side until you’ve finished all this candy.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Even if they tell you to come back to the Main House?”
“Even if I’m ordered to be reassigned, if no instructions are conveyed, that will be the end of it.”
That’s quite a stretch.
Knowing how unreasonable that was made me all the more grateful and sorry.
“The fact that I said I hated Riff was actually a lie. I’m really happy that Riff is my Maid.”
Riff’s usual cold expression transformed into a gentle smile.
“Then will you patch things up with the Butler?”
“Hm… Ugh, it’s a mood! But just because I saw Riff’s face, I’ll let it slide this once.”
*
Let’s make amends.
I decided to buy Jonnas an A set evening full course.
Although I resolved to do it, spending real money felt burdensome.
So, I had no choice but to use the money duplication event.
“Riff, take me to the Gambling Den!”
Ding ding ding – Entering the ‘Gambling Den.’
In the game, the gambling den conveniently allowed time to automatically skip by one hour with each use.
As long as you pulled levers in front of the cheapest slot machines, time would fly by in no time. Players relishing that convenience often fell into such temptations.
What if I get lucky and duplicate money?
Maybe I’m feeling a bit lucky today?
Of course, the fates of those seeking a one-time windfall are all too predictable.
Most likely, they’ve ended up losing badly.
Yet, for a minuscule number of veterans, they just might have a strategy to combat luck.
Take me, for instance. In the previous ticket exam, I surpassed luck with my strategy called [Special Menu] to designate certain exam categories, just like there are loopholes for guaranteed money duplication in casinos.
“Our Gambling Den is unable to permit entry for customers under 15 years of age or those below 150cm tall, to prevent gambling addiction among children and to cultivate healthy gambling habits.”
I didn’t expect to be barred due to a height restriction.
“This is fraud! How can there be such a law!”
“It is our casino’s operating policy. We apologize, but we would appreciate if you could visit us again after you’ve grown taller.”
“I can gamble too!! I can grow taller just by standing on my tiptoes!!”
I tried to lift my heels with all my might, but the casino staff simply pressed my head down with their hand, forcing my heels to the ground and marking my height on the measurement board.
<133cm>
Riff objected with a blank expression.
“Though my Young Lady may be short, she is mature enough to aim for admission to the Academy.”
“Sir, did you know the average height of a 9-year-old is 132.6cm? No matter how accommodating the academy is of those under 20, a 9-year-old new student is unlikely.”
“No! I’m not a child!”
“Is that so? What business does a non-child customer have in a gambling den?”
The staff spoke with a face that seemed to say they were amused to death.
Who do they think they’re fooling?
“I’m going to duplicate money! Are you scared? Are you scared of getting robbed by a child?”
I barked back.
And the result?
I got kicked out miserably.
“My Lady really lacks persuasion skills,” Riff observed.
“Pff. I wanted to repay a favor after finally making some money.”
“Could you please wait in a secure place for a moment? I will figure something out.”
“Really?”
“You must trust me fully.”
Despite Riff’s cold expression, there was something oddly reassuring about them.
“I trust you, Riff!”
“Then please wait quietly here.”
“Riff?”
“I must go now.”
“Riff! Hey, you mischievous maid!”
Riff left me behind.
[Children Only Kids Zone]
[Entry Allowed for Those Under 140cm]
This was an area that the muscular male characters I had played before had never set foot in.
It was the Kids Zone.
‘This is unbelievable.’
I loitered at the entrance, knowing that if Jonnas or Jezel, or even the Monkey Humanoid spotted me, I would be embarrassed to the point of kicking my blanket off my bed for months.
With no desire to renew my black history, I reluctantly stepped into the Kids Zone.
Little did I know there were traps like this in Non-fair Flight.
Having always played as a massive muscular male character, I had no idea.
Once I stepped in, the player’s curiosity started to bubble up.
This was uncharted territory I had never been to before.
What awaited me in the unknown Kids Zone?
“Waaaaaaah!”
“Daddy babababababa.”
“Ki-hah-hah-hah! Kyaaaaaaa!”
Children were waiting.
I don’t want to be here. I want to go out.
*
Riff asked the staff.
“I will take responsibility and accompany my Young Lady as her Guardian. Is that still not allowed?”
“Hmm, as you well know, Young Ladies from noble families or the wealthy do not tend to follow the commands of their attendants very well.”
“Our Young Lady is different.”
“Our Young Lady is nice, our dog doesn’t bite, that’s all we hear. Nice Young Ladies have flipped tables, and their dogs made me sew sixteen stitches.”
Staff members had their own circumstances.
They had strict internal policies due to past incidents that occurred when they warmly allowed entry.
Even if Riff knows about Oknodie, these employees do not.
It’s impossible to convince them even if I think, “Our Young Lady is truly different.”
‘We need to find a loophole.’
Riff pondered internally.
Should I leave the Young Lady in the Kids Zone a little longer?
When left alone, the Young Lady would…
Crouch in the deepest, darkest corners of the room, hiding away.
Smoking out bees just to earn the title of Honey Slayer after accidentally finding a beehive.
Accepting unfamiliar candies offered by strangers that she’d never tasted and chewing on them.
…Honestly, I felt a bit worried.
No, that’s a lie.
To be frank, I’m extremely worried.
‘I must finish this as quickly as I can.’
Riff quickened their pace.
*
“Kids are so annoying.”
“Eww, I’ve got drool on my pants.”
“Oh, my hair! So annoying.”
At the center of the Kids Zone, a small ball pit filled the play area.
Two mature kids, around 10 years old, were left behind in the Kids Zone to look after their younger siblings, sitting on a bench like they had just seen the world’s end and sighed dramatically.
“Max, your brother’s entering the Academy this time, right?”
“I don’t know. We’ll only find out if he passes.”
“If you can get in at 15, that’d be amazing.”
“You’d hear he’s a prodigy.”
The Gift Academy’s entrance exam is open to anyone under 20 years old.
As expected, the probability of passing increases the closer one is to age 20, when physical abilities develop, and skills mature.
Thus, students entering at a young age are often referred to as gifted or prodigies.
“Is there anyone our age who makes it through?”
“Fat chance. Jessie, you believe those wild rumors too easily.”
“Why? I’d love it if your brother is a prodigy. Handsome and smart.”
“Gross. Stop it. What’s good about that loser?”
“Pff, he’s a hundred times better than you. Who do you think you are to insult my brother?”
“Your brother? He’s my brother too! Well, not really. Just take him away already.”
“Hmph!”
In frustration, Jessie kicked the ball pit and sent balls scattering.
Amidst the flying balls, she locked eyes with a girl hiding within.
“Ahhhhh!”
“What, what’s wrong?!”
“A person? A person? No, why?!”
Emerging from the pile of balls was a girl with long blonde hair.
The girl who startled Jessie was none other than the Oknodie, the one who had realized that the playground was surprisingly great for hiding, the hiding master in the Kids Zone.