Surviving as an Idiot in a Horror Game

Chapter 7

The entrance to the dungeon was eerie.

Like any cave, it was damp and dark inside. Though the city outside had been gloomy, at least it had been bright.

“Do you realize your mistake now?”

I spoke in a serious tone to Max as we walked further into the dungeon.

“Friends should get along well. You shouldn’t say bad things to your friends. Apologize quickly to Sir Sian.”

To be honest, both Max and Sian said harsh things.

The difference was that Sian said harsh things but was right, while Max said harsh things and was also wrong.

Because of what I said, everyone’s attention turned to Sian as well.

Since Sian was walking at the very back, keeping watch over the mechanical puppet outside, the entire group looked back.

It was when I accidentally looked outside the dungeon.

The path we didn’t take, the road leading to the city on the right, suddenly caved in.

‘See? I told you it was wrong.’

There had been a hidden trap.

The mechanical device was revealed, and under the gaping pit, sharp, blue spikes and rapidly spinning saw blades could be seen.

If we had gone that way, we would have immediately fallen into it, been shredded to pieces, and skewered to death.

Outside, the mechanical puppet boy creaked and rolled his eyes as if he were disappointed.

Everyone shuddered in fright.

Acting like I had noticed nothing about the trap outside, I spoke to Sian in an innocent tone.

“Sir Sian, you must have been very sad and upset, right?”

Sian looked at me with a strange gaze, as if he were bewildered.

‘Is he looking at me like that because he’s afraid I’ll grab his hair too?’

Sian soon asked.

“Why did you take my side earlier?”

“My side?”

I tilted my head.

“I thought you were supporting me unconditionally… No, never mind. In the future, please don’t hit anyone, especially not on my behalf.”

Is that something you should say to someone who stood up for you?

I was dumbfounded, but I reminded myself that I needed to raise the favorability of these people in my faction as much as possible.

“Why not?”

“That’s called common sense in this world. What if Sir Max demands compensation from the Sharon Marquesate? You shouldn’t act on a whim without a valid reason.”

“But Sir Sian was sad.”

According to my brother, April’s charm points were that she cared deeply for her friends, was bright, and possessed true friendship.

“If April hears something bad, she’ll go home and be upset. I’m not sure what you mean by a valid reason, but anyway, friends should protect each other.”

“Protect each other… you mean?”

The cold blue eyes of the strategist, Sian, wavered slightly.

“Yes!”

I replied brightly, looking up at Sian.

“I’ll protect you, Sir Sian, because you’re my friend.”

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has greatly increased!]

I should’ve read the story a bit more.

I think I now know how to act as April.

She was too pure to the point of being a nuisance, but she never abandoned her friends.

A character who would smile even when she died while trying to help the player.

While trying to build this image, I realized there was something in my hand, so I opened my palm.

“Huh?”

The clump of Max’s hair that I had been shaking around fell out of my hand.

“My hair!”

Max shouted as if he were about to faint.

“Why are you doing this? My lady… what is it that you want from me?”

“There’s no reason for a friend to be kind to a friend, right? Father said that friends should be treated dearly without any conditions.”

I smiled brightly at Sian.

I wanted to convey that, since I treated them as friends, I hoped they would also treat me, their friend, with the same care.

“…….”

Sian, who seemed briefly flustered, hardened his expression with a cold look.

“…I don’t need it. In the first place, wasn’t it you, my lady, who interfered on your own? I’ve never asked you to protect me or treat me dearly.”

The atmosphere quickly turned cold at Sian’s sharp response.

Yeniel watched us closely, as if ready to intervene at any moment. Even the Crown Prince and Max, who had been arguing with Sian just moments ago, were cautious.

But there was a reason I was the only one who remained calm among the group.

It was because.

‘As if I’d be scared by a slightly stern look.’

Despite Sian’s rejecting attitude, his status window kept updating.

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has greatly increased!]

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has slightly increased.]

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has greatly increased!]

The slightly confused look in his eyes and his earlobes, which had faintly turned red for just a moment.

It was amusing to see Sian being so harsh, without even realizing how his favorability window was being updated.

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has slightly increased.]

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has greatly increased!]

[Sian the Strategist’s favorability has slightly increased.]

Why was it going up and down like this?

***

The group arrived at a place that gave off a considerably dangerous atmosphere.

We had entered the true dungeon.

Unlike the natural stone of the cave, we saw walls that had clearly been constructed by someone. A chilling wind blew through.

Sian halted everyone.

“The flow of mana changes drastically from here. Up to this point, it seems we were in the dungeon lobby. We haven’t seen any monsters so far, so they must all be gathered beyond this point. Do not act recklessly. Especially you, Lady April…”

Sian’s favorability had been rising continuously along the way.

‘If my brother had seen this, he would’ve been jealous.’

During the first playthrough, he was so serious about the romance that he tried all sorts of things.

Due to Yeniel’s shocking behavior of crouching down to pick up food off the ground, she drew the suspicion of many people.

Suspicion level has increased by 40%! Current suspicion level 45%!

Yeniel’s deer-like dance to seduce the Crown Prince raised his suspicion!

Suspicion level has increased by 15%! Current suspicion level 60%!

Tip: Maintain at least the minimum dignity expected of a human being!

…Looking back, that was truly insane.

Anyway, if you manage to exceed 90% favorability through strategies and gift items, you can become lovers.

Whether the player confesses first or accepts a confession.

Player: Yeniel Genes (Nickname: Light-pril)

Health: ■■ / Mana: ■■

Trait: Memory Collection

Equipped Item: Necklace of Life

Status: Baroness’ daughter

Lover: Crown Prince (Azef Aquilium)

Favorability: Expand▼

– Crown Prince: 90% (Lover)

– Sian the Strategist: 57% (More than friends, less than a crush)

Suspicion: 65%

Health Condition: Health potion addiction

I wanted to follow Yeniel’s route. Once someone’s status was recorded in the status window, they would be accepted as a fixed member of the party. Like in a typical romance novel with eternal love, there’s no breakup option, so you could stay together forever.

However, it wasn’t something that could be achieved simply by wanting to increase Yeniel’s favorability.

Was it obvious that I was lost in my own thoughts? Sian, who had been nagging me, asked again.

“Did you understand?”

“Yes!”

I replied softly and continued speaking with an innocent tone.

I had to confidently say that I hadn’t heard a word he said.

“But, Sir Sian’s words were too long and complicated for me to understand. I think I ended up imagining four sheep because I got bored midway.”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“When people talk for too long, I count sheep to stay awake. I learned from Father to imagine sheep when I get bored or sleepy.”

Perhaps I was playing the perfect April because the Crown Prince and Yeniel were both at a loss for words.

[…….]

Whenever April spoke, there would be this awkward silence. That’s why her nickname was ‘Silence Generator.’

“Sigh. What’s the point of saying all this to Lady April, who doesn’t even understand… Haah.”

Sian sighed in exasperation and turned away from me.

Yeniel’s favorability has increased.

I had no idea why Yeniel’s favorability went up in this situation.

In the distance, the eerie growls of monsters echoed chillingly. The true dungeon interior had begun. The smell of blood wafted from inside.

“Stay alert. It will be dangerous.”

Sian warned softly.

We resumed our tense walk deeper into the dungeon.