TFWSDW 27

Chapter 27

Gidme understood the way monsters looked at people before killing them.

As a rule, real weapons were not allowed inside the Pope Candidates’ training area.

So the guardians all entered carrying only standard wooden swords.

Even knowing you couldn’t die from a wooden sword, Gidme gritted his teeth as he looked at the dusty table.

“Did you just attack a Pope Candidate?”

Gidme’s guardian, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward angrily.

“After spending so long locked up in the underground prayer room, you must have forgotten basic common sense, Derrick.”

Derrick, still holding Nemesia, didn’t even look at the guardian.

“If I had really attacked, would you still be alive?”

At Derrick’s words, even the children who had been secretly enjoying the situation closed their mouths.

The room’s temperature seemed to drop by several degrees.

“So, are we going to fight, Sir Gerik?”

Gidme’s guardian, called Gerik, ground his teeth and stepped back.

“Wow…”

Another candidate’s guardian let out a low whistle.

‘Things are getting interesting.’

The former Church hero “Derrick,” who was said to have lost his glory, pride, and even his personality after being confined…

He had supposedly returned after losing all his subordinates to a Taumiel-class evil god’s monster and becoming a corrupted Holy Knight himself.

But right now…

‘He looks just like he did in the old days.’

The onlookers were fascinated.

Meanwhile, Nemesia was sniffling with tears in her eyes, clinging tightly to Derrick.

To anyone watching, she just looked like a young child.

A strange atmosphere filled the room.

‘They’re all probably thinking: What kind of ability does she have to pass the Labyrinth?’

I thought calmly while pretending to wipe my tears in Dad’s arms.

‘This should be enough of a display.’

No matter how many times you played the game, there would always be someone like “Sudme”—or was it Gidme—picking a fight.

The problem was if you stood out too much, you’d be ruined, but if you acted too weak, they’d look down on you.

‘The best balance is to look scared but still speak up like I did just now.’

But surprisingly…

I hadn’t expected Dad to step in so perfectly.

‘And to end it without a fight…’

I had thought I’d be forced to watch guardians fighting each other.

As expected of a former hero.

‘He’s probably dealt with every kind of troublemaker before.’

I secretly gave Dad a thumbs up so only he could see.

He glanced at it and whispered so quietly only I could hear:

“…I was scared.”

I was speechless.

‘…You fought really well for someone who was scared, Dad.’

[Show affection to your hardworking ‘Dad’!]
[Sing him a song!]

‘What the hell… sing? Are you crazy? Here?!’

And if I succeeded and used my purification ability, that would be a straight ticket to the bad ending.

Still in Dad’s arms, I finally looked around the room like I’d only just gotten the chance.

Huh, my eyes were so wide they started tearing up, and tears streamed down.

Thanks to that, every child whose eyes met mine had strange, curious, or shocked expressions.

Then my gaze stopped.

Or rather, it stopped on a pair.

A Pope Candidate and their guardian were one unit, one team.

A child with noticeable light purple hair, looking a little fragile but with sharp eyes.

He was probably eight years old.

His defining feature was…

[Faction: Royal Spies]

‘Oh, here they are.’

The villains who made up one of the main pillars of this game—the royal spies.

They had even managed to push one of their children into the list of Pope Candidates.

Then what about the guardian?

‘Ugh.’

I had to try hard not to frown when I saw them.

Behind the child stood a slim figure with bandages wrapped around their eyes, hands clasped behind their back.

Dressed in priest robes.

A priest.

Of course…

[Faction: Royal Spies]

‘This one’s a spy too.’

‘Let’s not get involved with them.’

It felt like our eyes met, but I looked away, pretending not to notice.

There were plenty of other suspicious people too:

• A black-haired girl with a strange vibe.

• An angelic-looking candidate with a shifty Holy Knight guardian who kept his eyes closed.

There were plenty of people who looked like they’d cause trouble, but…

I couldn’t focus.

‘…What the hell is this?’

Because ever since a moment ago, I could feel a presence I couldn’t ignore.

“Everyone seems so friendly. Don’t you think so, my candidate?”

“Huh? Y-yes?”

A familiar voice.

“…Ah, y-yes…!”

Next to a very ordinary-looking Pope Candidate stood an extremely extraordinary-looking guardian.

“Oh dear, you should only answer once.”

Gray hair, shining eyes.

“This will be fun!”

It was Usher.

‘…Why is that bastard here?!’

I couldn’t close my mouth.

On the outside, I just clung tightly to Dad’s clothes, pretending to be scared.

But in reality, I was holding on out of anger.

There was a curse among gamers…

Game Category [Post][Chat]

Title: (Update) The Curse of “Again-Usher”.. WTF

“Guys, is this a bug???”
Even if you take the first test! Even if you go to the secret base! Even in Chapter 3!! Usher still shows up, I’m going crazy!!”

 119 Likes
Comments:

 Savior 1: “The Again-Usher Curse strikes again…”
└ Savior 2: “Welcome to the club, victim… 22”

 OP: “Is this seriously a bug???”
└ Savior 1: “Nope… it’s just that Usher loves you…”
└ Savior 2: sings “The love I’ve been hiding…”

OP: “I’m serious, stop joking around!!!”
└ Savior 3: “Speedrun-wekon: Rare, but it happens… If you check the code, Usher’s affinity is probably maxed out. Blame your fate or reset your account. The devs confirmed it’s not a bug.”
└ Savior 2: “Exactly, sometimes he just stalks the player, so it’s called the ‘Again-Usher Curse.’”

Savior 4: “To the one loved by the evil god..!”
└ Savior 2: “Evil god! Evil god! Evil god!!”

‘Am I in the “Again-Usher” curse state?!’

It was a reasonable assumption, and my head started to hurt.

‘Right, it was already weird when he showed up in my room that time…’

That had been the sign.

The developers confirmed it wasn’t a bug.

‘Apparently, even characters you don’t pick as guardians have affinity points.’

What a useless setting.

Usher met my eyes.

He waved happily, and I ignored him.

That bastard had somehow managed to take a “guardian” spot.

The extra Pope Candidates and their guardians were randomized each run.

But there was a loose pattern.

The child next to Usher looked so timid and fragile that it was painful to watch.

‘Damn it.’

I could already imagine that child’s future, and my head pounded.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I’ll tell you later…”

Dad seemed to have noticed where I was looking even though I didn’t say it.

‘Wow, that look in his eyes.’

His face darkened, and it was scary enough to make me hiccup. At least I wouldn’t need to fake being scared now.

‘Dad, please, we can’t cause trouble here…’

SMACK.

“…Nemesia?”

I held Dad’s face with both hands and gently pulled it toward me.

“I’m scared… stay with me.”

“Ah… s-sorry!”

Dad hugged me tightly, panicking. The other guardians looked weirded out, but who cared?

I just needed to protect my image here.

‘This is stressful…’

The thought of how most of these kids would die as the tests went on made me dizzy.

‘And why is that guy over there staring at us like that?’

It was Gidme… or rather, his guardian.

The huge knight was glaring at us with terrifying eyes, full of hatred—especially at Dad.

“Dad…”

‘Did you borrow money from that guy or something?’