Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Chapter 35

The sound of murmuring.

‘It’s noisy… Who’s making such a racket while someone’s sleeping?’

Adelian’s notoriety has decreased a lot. The maids are chattering in front of my room.

‘…That can’t be!’

I opened my eyes wide.

Feeling my eyes sting, I rubbed them with my hands and looked around to find an unfamiliar room.

It’s clean, but I’m not sure if it’s a shared room as there are beds here and there just big enough for one person to lie down. It looks like a hospital ward in a way.

“Is this a temple?”

But where are Luna and Kane?

I looked around and slowly checked my body.

My leg has been stopped from bleeding but not yet reattached, and my body has been changed into a white patient gown.

‘And the small subspace ring is gone.’

I wonder if Luna or Kane, who I had registered as users, might be holding it.

I guess they’d need a lot of money for treatment at the temple.

‘But why is my leg still severed?’

Feeling like my brain is still working slowly, perhaps due to lack of blood, I tapped my head and turned my attention to the murmuring outside.

“…Wait! We can’t…!”

“But… The priest… Dispatched…”

“…That’s sophistry.”

Those are Luna and Kane’s voices. Yes, I can hear them well.

“I’m awake.”

At my low, hoarse mutter, the door burst open as if it would break, and Luna rushed in.

“Young Master! Are you awake? Are you alright? Does your head hurt?”

Luna cupped my cheeks and turned my head this way and that. Behind her, I could see Kane grabbing a priest by the scruff of his neck and dragging him in as he struggled.

Sigh… He really looks like an excellent villain…

“L-let go of me! Violence against priests is forbidden!”

“I haven’t used any violence, but isn’t violence defined as rough and fierce force? I’m merely holding your clothes.”

Kane spoke coldly as he thrust the struggling priest in front of me.

I tried to put on a kind and gentle smile as I addressed the fuming priest.

“Ah, let’s talk to me first.”

Oh, was that arrogance instead of gentleness?

Judging by that terrified expression.

* * *

So, in other words.

“All the priests who can properly heal the leg have been dispatched. It’s not like we haven’t reattached it because we don’t want to do anything.”

The priest grumbles, seemingly wronged, as he adjusts his clothes. Luna and Kane’s glares at him are fierce.

Perhaps because of this, the priest’s complexion is pale as he turns his back on them and looks only at me.

“But you treated that person earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes, half of their body was severely burned, which is no less serious than a severed leg, if not more so.”

Oh, they look like they could kill with their eyes.

I smiled kindly again at the priest who was stuttering “That’s… That’s…” Unable to continue, as if to say don’t be afraid.

“Um… Are you perhaps a nobleman?”

Seeing him slowly trying to kneel at my smile, I felt a headache coming on.

“I guess that person was a nobleman?”

The priest carefully nodded at my words.

“I understand they covered all the gate costs.”

Well, I get it now. The high-ranking priest was dispatched elsewhere, so they couldn’t treat me. But the other person paid for the gate costs, so they returned from there to treat them and left.

“But since you’re here, couldn’t you look at me too?”

As I asked with a grin, the priest mumbled.

It was thoughtful of Kane and Luna to take my ring considering the treatment costs, but they still have a long way to go.

They should have considered not only the treatment costs but also money for lobbying.

Well, I know. Since it’s a joint temple of polytheism, there’s a lot of discord and political maneuvering, and all of that requires money.

While there are many priests who aren’t like that, I’m sure that priest who came briefly earlier definitely worships the god named Money.

“Call them.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, call them.”

Cha-rar-r―

As I twirled Kruger’s ring while speaking, the priest froze.

I raised my hand as if caressing the air, opening the subspace, and immediately gold poured onto my bed.

It filled the bed and rolled onto the floor.

“I’ll cover the gate costs, and add a donation on top of that, so call them right away.”

Ah, I mean someone other than that person from earlier.

* * *

The priest left as if fleeing, and silence fell.

Actually, it’s a thought that properly struck me when I saw Aish.

As a trump card, how about a prosthetic leg… Wouldn’t that be okay?

If we commission alchemists or magicians, I think we could get a decent mechanical prosthetic leg.

If we add some functions and apply magic, wouldn’t it make a pretty good weapon or armor?

‘If I say that now, Kane and Luna look like they might send me back to the main house first.’

I sighed slightly at the rising regret, and at that sound, both of their faces quickly turned towards me.

“Is there pain?”

“Should we call the priest again?”

“No… There’s no need for that. The high-ranking priest will come by tonight.”

Instead of potions, whatever they fed me at the temple has left me not feeling hungry. Since I have some time, I should check the Trait window after a while.

I think I heard Luna’s Frenzy increasing…

‘While I’m at it, should I take care of everything at once?’

[Adelian Kruger Guardian―Owner of Immense Wealth]

Representative Traits: [Financial Power (SS+)] [Arrogance (S-)]

Hidden Traits: [Sense of Affluence (A-)] [User’s Eyes (SSS)]

‘I think Financial Power was A the last time I checked mine, but it’s gone up again.’

As expected of the cursed body of Adelian.

I’ve done a lot of things, but nothing new has been added.

And seeing Financial Power going up and down, I’m sure Caiman is pouring money somewhere.

Since Financial Power is literally the power of money, it’s very fluid, and seeing the Financial Power of the Kruger family change so drastically.

‘It seems they’re doing something incredible, is that why it was like that in the game….’

[Kane Raynare―The Advancer]

Representative Traits: [Immortality (SS)] [Genius (S)] [Appearance (S)] [Physique (S+)]

Hidden Traits: [Toughness (S)] [Jack of All Trades (B)] [Craving (C)]

No, is this protagonist crazy, really?

Even at a glance, it’s changed a lot, but if you look closely, it’s changed even more.

First, Appearance, Toughness, and Jack of All Trades have gone up, and Craving has appeared.

‘No… He’s getting all the good stuff, that guy.’

In the game, Jack of All Trades adds a bonus to proficiency, and Craving adds a bonus to experience points.

This isn’t a game and there are no experience points, so why did Craving appear, really? Isn’t this protagonist buff too much?

‘But he’s my companion. Sweet.’

I felt a surge of jealousy for a moment, but then I realized that Kane is the coin I’m riding, so what’s good for him is good for me.

And the important thing is…

‘Please, Luna. Please!’

[Luna Index―Beginner Adventurer]

Representative Traits: [Timidity (B-)] [Cuteness (A+)] [Leg Strength (A+)]

Hidden Traits: [Frenzy (C+)] [Six Demons (E)] [Follow (E)]

Oh. Seeing that Leg Strength has become a representative Trait from a hidden one, I guess Luna herself thinks she has quite a talent for leg techniques.

But the moment my eyes landed on Frenzy, I couldn’t help but sigh.

‘Ah, no!’

It’s good that Timidity has decreased, but Frenzy has gone up by one and a half levels? No, ah…

I shuddered as I recalled the Luna from the game who would ignore commands, drink potions on her own, skip turns, and charge at full HP monsters instead of the low HP ones I designated.

Perhaps because my complexion turned even paler, Luna quickly placed a fluffy pillow she had fluffed up behind my back, and I slowly opened my mouth as I leaned back.

“You need to rest more…”

“No, it’s fine. There’s nothing that hurts. Both of you, don’t just stand there, sit down. Let’s talk a bit.”

What’s increased can’t be helped…

I gestured for them to tell me what happened while I was unconscious, and they slowly began to speak about various things.

“Well, not much has passed if it’s just been a day. By the way, dispatched to the south?”

“Yes… They say a lot of people are dying in the border area these days. Especially along the water sources.”

Hmm, is the epidemic properly spreading now? That will continue sporadically even if they try to contain it.

The priests were probably dispatched due to lack of manpower for relief efforts, purifying water sources, and searching for the origin.

“And when we opened the box, there wasn’t much of note.”

Kane takes the ring off his finger and returns it to me. He must have put everything in here.

I put the ring on my finger and, as if reminiscing about my younger days, I roughly scanned through the memories spreading in my mind to see what was in the subspace.

‘The money has increased quite a bit, and there are attribute stones and magic stones. Well, that’s as expected. Found it. The Siren prototype. But what’s this?’

I took out two small, dumpling-like soft slime things and one hard egg-like thing from the subspace.

These soft slimes with black bean-like eyes are the Siren prototypes.

“What is this…?”

The egg, about the size of a human head, was smooth and milky white, wrapped in a slightly soft, leather-like shell.

It doesn’t look as hard as a snake egg, but when I press it, my fingers don’t sink in beyond a certain point, nor does the shell tear.

“At least, it doesn’t tear with a regular knife. I was thinking of using Aura, but it seemed like something I should show you and deal with, so I left it as is.”

No, you were trying to get rid of this without knowing what it is…

As I looked around, I noticed a small bloodstain in one corner of the egg.

It can’t be my blood, they must have opened the box after leaving me at the temple, right?

“That’s Kane’s blood.”

When I looked at Luna suspiciously, she quickly tattled, and my eyes moved to Kane.

“…There was just a small mistake when we were leaving in a hurry.”

Are you a bit ashamed?

“When we were going up from the middle level to the upper level, we suddenly got caught up in someone’s drive hunt…”

Luna explained defensively. But the shame didn’t leave Kane’s face.

Somehow feeling like that Kane had taken a hit, I grinned and decided to keep the egg as a memento for now.

“For now, I know what this is. Luna, step back a bit.”

Then I put the Siren prototype… ah, let’s just call it Siren No. 1, in Luna’s hand, and held the other Siren in my own hand and whispered softly.

“Ah, can you hear me, Luna? Luna, if you can hear me, say ‘over’.”

“Eek! Ek? O…Over?”

Because we’re close, the voices overlap. Luna’s voice spoken aloud is heard by the ear. The voice through the Siren feels more like telepathy.

Seeing our behavior, Kane had a look of incomprehension, so this time I passed the Siren to him.

“This is fascinating.”

“Now I’m thinking of having Aria listen to this and send it to Harlon.”

In my words, Kane and Luna muttered, “Another victim…” But I pretended not to hear as I took out paper and a quill pen to write a letter of recommendation for Aria, rolled it up, and stamped the Kruger ring seal at the bottom.

I wrote several letters, including one to Alkaido instructing him to research the Siren, and one to Harlon explaining how to use the Siren. I sealed them all with wax after stamping them, then reached out my hand.

“You have some money pouches left, right? I’m going to call this soft thing a Siren. I’m thinking of sending it to Harlon along with the Siren. That means we need to deliver it as soon as possible, right?”

I put the gate fee for Aria to use and some pocket money in the money pouch along with the letters, tied the pouch, and handed it to Luna.

“Make sure to persuade her properly and send her off. Understand?”

“If it’s what you want, Young Master… I can do it.”

With her anger and excitement gone, Luna whispers in her slightly hesitant old way of speaking, smiling broadly.

I patted her head and ears and sent her off, then turned to Kane sitting in front of me.

“You go and rest a bit too.”

Because I can read just a bit of fatigue on Kane’s face.

The dungeon I collapsed was between the lower and middle levels, so it must have taken ages to carry me out. And according to Luna’s words earlier, he was also injured.

Being in a temple, they probably healed his body, but they couldn’t relieve his mental fatigue.

“No, I plan to stay here.”

“This is a temple. Are you worried someone might attack? They said people who aren’t patients have to leave, so go back and sleep, then come tomorrow.”

Seeing him subtly shaking his head and about to open his mouth again, clearly with the intention to refuse, I preempted him.

“It’s an order. Tell Luna to rest too after sending Aria off, not to come back right away.”

Well, what are you going to do if you frown?

I waved my hand to send Kane off, then lay down spread-eagle to wait for the priest.