IDNJH 06

Chapter 06

I nearly lost my balance and made a fool of myself falling over, but I managed to brace myself against a nearby tree.

From the crack in the split earth, an energy that didn’t belong to this world oozed out.

Soon, a large, vicious foot with rough, patchy skin emerged.

Beyond the foot resting on the ground, a nine-headed dragon—with rotting flesh that occasionally revealed bone beneath—slowly revealed itself.

Kamotheus, the Death God. Thousands of years ago, it had ravaged this world, turning it into a barren wasteland where not even a single plant could sprout, until it was subdued by the gods and sealed deep underground.

*’……Why was its seal broken?’*

The dark magic circle I drew couldn’t summon a sealed monster.

So how in the world had that thing been summoned?

Had the sealing barrier already lost its power, allowing it to dig its way up from the core?

Or was this the system’s doing—thinking it had to grant my wish, and since my affection had dropped, it needed to kill me quickly?

As I stared blankly at the creature I’d only ever seen in books, Kamotheus, now fully revealed, let out a massive roar.

It was a sound I’d never heard before—grotesque, ear-splitting, and utterly indescribable in human language.

Kamotheus rolled its eyes, which looked ready to drip down at any moment, scanning the ant-like crowd of people below. Even its gaze alone was terrifying.

“What the hell……. What have you done……?”

How would I know…….

I answered Felix’s question inwardly, sweating cold.

Overwhelmed, my legs trembled like they were doing a jig, but I held my ground with sheer bravado. My dress, which was usually just cumbersome, actually helped in this situation.

Kairos had already collapsed to the ground, his legs seemingly giving out.

Then, a black wave rippled from Kamotheus’s mouth. The wave surged and grew larger and larger.

The aura of death pierced through my entire body.

Looks like I’m going to die to that monster dragon this time.

*’But what would the cause of death be? An accident? But I caused this accident, didn’t I?’*

As I entertained useless thoughts, I squeezed my eyes shut the moment the massive wave left Kamotheus’s mouth.

I just hope it doesn’t hurt too much.

Suddenly, I felt someone shielding me. Before I could even check who it was, searing pain engulfed my entire body—but only for a moment.

As all my senses flickered, the familiar darkness came.

It was my 54th death.

—

**2.**

—

With my shrunken body, I lay sprawled out on the soft bed, staring blankly at the white ceiling.

The corset that had been squeezing my waist until moments ago was gone, replaced by soft, loose pajamas.

“Hah……”

I let out a sigh and closed my eyes.

I thought the last round would be my final one, but in the end, I died again and returned to being nine years old.

Hard as it is to believe, surprisingly, dying did have its advantages.

Because after dying, I always became calm.

In the early rounds, I felt like I was going insane, but once I accepted that no matter how many times I died, I’d come back, each failure became an opportunity to reflect and make amends.

Thanks to that, I could organize my thoughts with a much clearer head compared to before my death.

First, about that damned wish ticket that had now been blown to pieces.

When I wished to be sent back to my original world, the system didn’t say ‘impossible’—it said, *’You must state a wish that can be processed within the system’s capabilities.’*

*’Then that means it wasn’t the system that threw me into this damned world, doesn’t it?’*

Until now, I’d naturally assumed the system had brought me here, but now the possibility arose that some other transcendent being had pulled me here.

“I’m losing my mind……. To only realize this after 55 rounds.”

If I had to make an excuse, there was truly no way I could have known.

*’But if that’s the case, then what exactly is the system?’*

I thought it was omnipotent, but it couldn’t even send me back to my original world—and even the world’s destruction was ultimately achieved by my power…… no, by the monster’s power, wasn’t it?

What the hell is this thing supposed to do? I have no idea.

Still, I don’t think the system—which seems to govern the world’s time—is completely unrelated to the being that brought me here.

Moreover, the reward I saw before dying—’Someone’s Memory Fragment.’

The ‘someone’ and the ‘memory’ must be significant, otherwise they wouldn’t be offered as a reward. Rewards always had some mysterious power imbued in them.

*’Maybe, just maybe, there’s another case like mine somewhere.’*

If it’s that person’s memory, it’s worth looking into.

In the end, the only way to find a clue was to steadily complete the quests again.

“Ah, crap. I was so focused on the wish ticket that I didn’t clear the miscellaneous quests afterward—I’m lacking strategy info.”

I wondered when I’d ever finish them all, figure out the system and whoever brought me here, find them, threaten them…… no, have a conversation with them.

*’……I miss Dad.’*

Overwhelmed by the bleakness, my longing for him surfaced involuntarily.

For a moment, I felt like a wave was pulling me down into the deep sea.

*’No! Now more than ever, I have to keep my mind together!’*

I shook my head vigorously and widened my eyes.

To snap out of it, I bit down hard on the tender flesh inside my mouth. The taste of blood brought my focus back.

“Think positively. It didn’t say it was impossible, right?”

Clenching my fist, I steadied my mind with a muttered affirmation.

Although the long years spent living through 54 rebirths hadn’t been a waste—thanks to them, I now knew how to handle these family members, so that was enough. I’d just consider the long prologue finally over.

I had more than enough time.

Last round, I’d managed to raise affection past 70 and survive until my eighteenth birthday, so if I did at least as well this time, things would go smoothly.

Let’s see who gives out first, you mysterious bastards.

*’But no matter how I think about it, I need to get a grasp on that synchronization quest first.’*

The problem was that I had absolutely no clue about it.

“Quest window.”

*Ding!*

—

**[Hidden Route Conditions Have Been Met]**

One hidden route will be opened for this round.

—

“Huh?”

A startled sound escaped me.

What were the conditions for the hidden route, and when and how had they been met? Was the condition world destruction?

No, more importantly—there had been a hidden route?

“This is ridiculous……”

As expected, this system was the epitome of unhelpfulness. If this were a game, I’d want to give it a rating bomb.

*Knock, knock.*

As I was grumbling, someone knocked on my door.

Without even asking, I knew it was my personal maid, Rain Dolenti.

In the early rounds, Rain had blatantly shown she didn’t want to work and slacked off like a paycheck thief. But the moment my family’s perception of me shifted even slightly positive, she’d miraculously catch the vibe and become fawning.

However, her innate laziness meant she often botched her duties, and she always ended up getting fired around the time Gwyneth’s affection rose.

Still, I never personally fired Rain. Changing maids every time was a hassle, and it was my small way of thanking her for being my maid in the early rounds.

Not many people wanted to be the maid of a noble who was publicly known as the family’s burden—even if she was a duke’s daughter.

*’Because there’s nothing to mooch off.’*

Of course, since it was working at the Duke’s estate, the pay was among the highest in the empire, next to the wealthiest family, Chervil. And as the personal maid of the young lady, her salary would be noticeably higher than other maids.

But few noble daughters entered the Duke’s household just for the money. They wanted the side benefits that would come their way—but I had no ability to provide those.

Working at the Barderia Duchy was enviable, but being assigned to the young lady made people uncomfortable.

If I couldn’t get proper treatment anywhere, there was no way my maid could either. She’d just have to endure veiled sarcasm and ridicule from noble ladies.

*’Come to think of it, Rain is pretty impressive too.’*

Even if it was due to pressure from the greedy Dolenti couple, she endured it all.

*Knock, knock!*

Unable to wait while I was lost in thought, Rain knocked again—this time with a bit more force.

As always, I summoned every last bit of kindness left in me and spoke, adding a touch of timidness to match my current personality.

This small, stuffy voice would have to be my basic passive skill for at least the next year.

“Yeah, come in.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Rain flung the door open and strode in, carrying a tray with a washbasin and a water pitcher.