IPBT 03

Chapter 3

What?! No!

I grabbed the lid of the wooden chest.

It probably wouldn’t stop them from opening it, but I had nothing else to hold on to, so I was practically digging my fingernails into it!

Just then, another voice interrupted.

“Hey, you lot. If you don’t want the master to run you through with his sword, don’t open that.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sure thing~”

Fortunately, they carried the chest away without opening it.

Wait. Was that really fortunate? The owner of this mansion was the kind of guy who would draw his sword on his own servants if things didn’t go his way?

It felt like some enormous misfortune was waiting for me, but I decided to look on the bright side.

I hadn’t been discovered yet, so if I played my cards right, I might still get through this crisis.

Just as my thoughts were becoming increasingly tangled, the chest was set down on the floor.

THUD!

Perhaps it was the last item they needed to move, because after the sound of someone dusting off their hands, I heard the sounds of sweeping and wiping.

Whatever they intended to use it for, they’d clearly taken it out of storage for a reason. I needed to escape as quickly as possible.

Once those people leave, I’ll find somewhere else to hide. Fast.

After what felt like an eternity, the door finally closed.

The voices of the people outside gradually faded into the distance.

I silently sighed in relief, wiped away my cold sweat, and put my mask back on.

I wanted to jump out immediately, but I should wait about two minutes. Just to be safe.

Ah, damn it… I can’t wait.

With my nerves on edge, even two minutes felt too long.

I immediately raised my arms above my head and pushed with all my strength.

……Why wouldn’t it open?

I tried pushing with all my might again, but the lid didn’t budge.

Wow… I’m so screwed.

I was trapped inside the chest.

At this point, whether the quest continued was no longer the issue. My survival was. Whether I died trapped inside or got discovered and killed.

A wave of very real terror washed over me.

What do I do…?

—Exactly! What are you going to do?!

—This is bad! Really, really bad!

The mascot suddenly appeared, clutching its head with both hands as it flew around frantically.

What the hell? Didn’t you say you’d only be doing the tutorial for one day?

—I was going to, but they told me to stay with you until you finish Chapter 1!

There it was again. Talking as though someone else had ordered it to do everything.

Judging by its reaction, even that black-bean-headed bastard hadn’t expected me to get trapped.

It could’ve checked whether the lid would open from the inside when it helped me make sure the cloth covered the chest yesterday.

Can you get out of this chest? Go on, try.

—Mm-hmm!!

The mascot, apparently even more frantic than I was, immediately passed through the wall of the chest and emerged outside.

—Hey! It’s locked! When did that happen?!

—AAAAARGH!

Calm down. Just calm down and open it.

—Huh? I can’t affect this world in any way except through you!

Ugh…

In other words, it was completely useless.

—Hey! That’s harsh!

I ignored the mascot, which had returned inside the chest, and summoned the system window.

Is there anything I can use to break this thing?

I hadn’t expected to be staying in this mansion for ten whole days, so I hadn’t brought anything with me.

The only thing I could reasonably hope for was the system wardrobe.

However, none of the accessories or props were anything like weapons. I remembered every outfit I’d purchased, so I was sure of it.

Ah. My heels.

I took out a pair of high-heeled shoes that looked sturdy and solid, then started hammering the lid with them like a madwoman.

……This isn’t working.

I struck the lid as though I intended to smash the hinges and force open a gap, but it was no use. All I accomplished was making a racket and hurting my arms.

—Sob, sob. We’re doomed!

Doomed, my ass.

—Who would’ve thought getting inside a wooden chest was foreshadowing?!

If you’re just going to say crap like that, shut your mouth.

There was nothing else I could do. I’d have to give up on hiding and ask whoever entered the room to let me out.

Then, as soon as the lid opened, I’d make a run for it. Whether I got discovered or not, staying alive was all that mattered.

Just then, the door opened, accompanied by the sound of light footsteps.

Click.

Tap, tap, tap.

—Someone’s here!

Hey. Go outside and check.

—I’m scared!

Why are you scared?

Honestly, it did nothing but create chaos. It wasn’t helping at all.

The footsteps had sounded light, so whoever it was had to be a woman or, at the very least, someone who didn’t weigh much. If that was the case, I might be able to escape without getting caught.

“Excuse me…”

I gathered my courage and spoke. The sounds of movement immediately stopped.

“I’m sorry, but could you open this for me? I’m trapped inside.”

“……”

There was no response. It was so quiet that it felt as though nobody was there at all.

Did they go to get someone else? Or are they looking for a weapon? Either way, that would put me at a huge disadvantage.

Just then, the chest suddenly opened, and bright light poured down over my head.

Creeeeak.

I instinctively shielded my eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the light, but… something felt off.

A terrible premonition struck me. I opened my eyes and froze.

A sword…!

A long, straight sword was pointed at my neck.

At the tip of the blade stood a man wearing an arrogant, unhurried expression, the very man holding it.

—AAAAAAAH!

The mascot, which happened to be right beside me, saw the sword, jumped in fright, and promptly vanished.

……What the hell am I supposed to do now?

Who had said it earlier? If you don’t want the master to run you through with his sword…

Right. I hadn’t considered that the person who entered this room might be someone I couldn’t handle.

I cautiously tried to move away from the blade, but its gleaming edge immediately followed my movements.

……If I die here, will I respawn?

—No! You’ll just die!

I couldn’t see the mascot anymore, but I could still hear its voice.

—Hey! Try to stall him for a bit! I’ll see if I can do something!

That’s reassuring. I really feel like I can trust you…

Gulp.

I swallowed dryly as I tried to think of a way to get out of this on my own. Meanwhile, the man spoke.

His head was tilted slightly to one side, narrowing his eyes as he stared at me.

“This is the first time I’ve encountered such a careless assassin.”

“Well… that’s because I’m not an assassin?”

I slowly raised both hands to prove my innocence.

Fuck…

Whether it was my imagination or not, my hands were shaking like crazy.

My breathing had grown ragged, as though something were lodged in my throat.

To show him that I wasn’t hiding any weapons on my body either, I straightened my legs and turned around once in place.

Even as I stood there in stunned terror, my eyes frantically searched for an escape route.

The chest is right up against the wall. The door is all the way over there on the opposite wall. There’s nowhere to run.

When I turned back around, I met the man’s indifferent gaze once again.

“If you’re not an assassin, why did you sneak into my house?”

“……I can explain.”

“Oh, I’d really love to hear that.”

Unlike the owner of the house, who remained perfectly relaxed, the intruder who had blurted out that she could explain was frantically searching for an explanation she didn’t actually have…

But just then—

[Limited-Time Event Shop Open!]

The system window suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“……?”

—I’M BACK!!

What’s this all of a sudden? A shop?

The mascot reappeared and urged me to hurry.

—There’s no time to explain! Buy something! Hurry!

[Time Until Event Ends: 0:55]

Less than a minute?!

—That was the longest I could keep it open!

Watching the seconds tick away, I hurriedly checked the system window.

Three items were displayed, and judging by their prices, I could apparently afford them with the coins I’d collected last night.

One of them immediately caught my eye.

[(HOT!) Sneaky Step — Single-Use Ticket | 1 Coin]

You just opened this shop. How can it already be a hot item?

—Think of it as a recommended item!

The name alone gave me no clue what the item did, but I bought it first and read the description afterward.

[When used, automatically moves the user three steps away from their current location.]

Wouldn’t three steps from here put me right next to the owner?

My survival instincts screamed that I shouldn’t get any closer to that man, so I’d unconsciously taken a step backward…

WHOOSH!

“……?!”

Suddenly, I felt a rush of air beneath me.

Three steps backward… which meant I’d been transported outside the building!

Even as I fell through the air, I could see the owner’s face through the window. His sharp eyes had widened ever so slightly.

—Hey! He’s not the important thing right now!

The mascot was right.

I’d fallen from the second floor. At the very least, I was going to end up with a fracture if I landed like this.

Maybe I could try one of those breakfalls I’d seen in dramas.

Without thinking, I twisted my body in midair.

Then I closed my eyes in advance, bracing myself for the pain that was about to hit…

“Huh…?”

It didn’t hurt?

Apart from a few scrapes where I’d made contact with the ground, I was completely fine.

“What’s that person?”

“An intruder! Catch them!”

“Who the hell is that?!”

I could wonder what was going on later. For now, I had to run!

The knights of House Ainsworth rushed toward the intruder who had appeared out of nowhere.

However, the intruder dressed in black was much faster than they were and escaped by vaulting over the nearest wall.

“How could someone get over something that high…?”

The knights stopped chasing the intruder and stared in disbelief. Understandably so, considering that the walls surrounding the Grand Duke’s residence were well over two meters tall.

Leaving his distracted subordinates behind, one knight approached the window where his master stood.

“My lord. Please give the order. I’ll lead the knights in pursuit immediately.”

“……”

The Grand Duke, who had been standing at the open window and watching the direction in which the intruder had disappeared, replied leisurely after a moment.

“No need. Pay more attention to the security of the mansion.”

As he turned away, his murky blue eyes still seemed to hold a clear, sky-like shade of blue.

Meanwhile, the intruder, who had fled as fast as her legs could carry her, finally collapsed onto the ground after getting far, far away from the mansion.

“Wow… I… I almost died.”

She’d managed to escape without being killed, arrested, or suffering a single serious injury.

Under normal circumstances, she might have celebrated inwardly, but she was so exhausted that she didn’t have the energy.

“Haah… I’m dying. Gah…”

It was just that she felt like she might die from something else instead.