Chapter 24

Chapter 24
I previously figured Daphne was simply a non-player character.

CHARACTER INSPECTION X
Name: Meursault’s Wife
Romance Route: Merry Bad Ending (Hayden)
Affiliated Zone: Cola
Equipped Item: Enchanting Violet Eyes

* Player using a different system version. Friend requests unavailable.

The bizarre handle Meursault’s Wife was strange enough by itself. Even more baffling was that her romance track led to the Merry Bad Ending involving Hayden. As a veteran gamer who had beaten every single zone, I had never even heard of such a route existing anywhere. What could a different version possibly signify?

At a minimum, it was evident that my operating system surpassed Daphne’s. I possessed the capability to inspect her character profile, whereas she seemingly lacked the means to view mine.

Hold on a moment. Daphne operated as a player utilizing a distinct version relative to my own. Luna Moon most likely functioned as a player as well, and both Daphne and Luna Moon were acquainted with each other. It stood to reason that Luna Moon originated from a different version too, matching the background of myself, Taejeong, HomebodyHubby, and Tibalom.

It was plausible that Daphne and Luna Moon represented consciousness-transfer players who manifested inside this digital realm around the exact same timeframe. Although the concept of consciousness transfer sounded somewhat absurd, it suddenly made numerous elements click into place if they had arrived ahead of us. Facts concerning Luna Moon that remained unknown to me, alongside Daphne’s unexpected actions that conflicted with my prior knowledge, suddenly made sense. Naturally, if they operated as actual players rather than scripted non-player characters, their behavioral patterns would deviate from the universe I recognized.

The real complication centered on why participants like them materialized as standard inhabitants inside Apocalypse: Safety Zone in the initial phase.

“Haydam?”

Caught off guard while staring blankly upward, I heard Daphne speak with a hint of skepticism coloring her tone.

“Why are you staring at me like that? It is as if some invisible object is hovering above my crown.”

Does a typical individual voice such a remark simply from being watched? Was she attempting to determine whether I could perceive the interface, or was she merely making casual conversation?

Now that the reality of Daphne being a gamer was established, every aspect of her demeanor aroused suspicion. I deliberated briefly on whether I should disclose my own identity as a player. However, disclosing this status to Daphne offered zero immediate benefits. She remained a seasoned veteran who had integrated into the world beforehand, securing a dominant position as the mistress of the region, and I still lacked full comprehension regarding what an alternate-version player entailed. Why would I carelessly reveal my cards to someone of her standing? Furthermore, if word eventually reached the commander through her channels revealing that I was not truly Luna Moon’s offspring but rather an outsider, complications would surely follow.

Consequently, how could I extract player-related details from Daphne without exposing my own status? Naturally, leveraging Luna Moon’s identity provided the ideal strategy.

Free from the psychological grip of the Enchanting Violet Eyes, I could clearly perceive the raw affection displayed plainly within Daphne’s gaze—a sentiment of pure, unadulterated goodwill. Yet, if she happened to be a participant holding such benevolent regard toward Luna Moon, she likely harbored no aversion whatsoever toward Luna Moon’s descendant, contrasting sharply with the dynamics portrayed in the game.

I inclined my head slightly in a gesture of regret.

“I apologize if my gaze caused you any unease. Observing people’s upper fields of vision is merely an eccentric trait passed down from my maternal figure.”

“A trait inherited from Luna Moon?”

“She frequently cast her gaze directly over my head and the heads of others from time to time.”

Daphne’s features shifted into a complex expression, as though she were mentally processing a heavy thought. I seized the opening without hesitation.

“The sole reason I approached you in such an unrefined manner stems from my need to convey my mother’s final testament.”

“Luna Moon’s… final words?”

The assertion that Luna Moon had bequeathed a message specifically for her caused Daphne’s violet eyes to quiver intensely. The reaction lacked any trace of dread or disgust; instead, a substantial degree of anticipation emanated visibly from her look. Seizing the opportunity, I pressed forward.

“Would you mind clearing the chamber? She insisted these instructions were intended exclusively for your ears, Lady Daphne.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Daphne turned and issued instructions to her attendants.

“Everyone, wait outside the estate grounds.”

“Lady Daphne!”

The staff members, who had been observing our standoff in helpless bewilderment, recoiled in shock at the utterance of Luna Moon’s gentle name, or rather, at Daphne’s immediate compliance with it.

“You are going to such lengths for a mere youth who scaled the outer wall entirely on his own authority?!”

“Even if he is just a boy, we cannot permit the two of you to remain unattended!”

“It is entirely fine. Depart.”

“Young Master Haydam! If your purpose here was not to insult Lady Daphne, withdraw immediately!”

“Request a proper audience and discuss the matter then!”

Formal meetings had already been requested ages ago, making their objections nonsensical. Daphne glanced back and forth between myself and the servants before letting out a subdued sigh.

“Considering that even all of you disregard my directives anymore… I can easily comprehend why this young visitor scaled the barrier. He must have deduced that a pathetic woman incapable of controlling her own household staff holds no ground to protest if he simply leaps the fence and walks inside.”

“N-no, Lady Daphne…!”

“That was never our underlying intention…!”

Exchanging frantic looks, the attendants concluded that retreating was their safest course of action, filing out of the grand hall in disciplined sequence after offering deep bows of respect to Daphne. Once the heavy doors closed behind the final servant, profound quiet enveloped the interior. This behavior hardly matched someone harboring hostility toward Luna Moon. Had she viewed me with genuine apprehension, she never would have emptied the entire manor to remain isolated with me, even considering my ten-year-old facade.

Although the exact dynamic shared between Luna Moon and Daphne remained unclear, the probability of them acting as comrades was exceptionally high if both were indeed players. Even so, Daphne had chosen to conceal herself rather than seek out the boy recognized as Luna Moon’s offspring. Why would she harbor warm sentiments and wait for Luna Moon while failing to track down her child? Examining her expression closely, I detected a faint undertone of guilt. She had evidently wronged Luna Moon in some capacity.

Once that piece clicked into place, Daphne’s lingering guilt toward me made complete logical sense. Within the original narrative framework, Luna Moon occupied the role of Hayden’s romantic partner. However, Hayden ultimately wed Daphne instead, and from Daphne’s perspective, that exact decision relegated me, Luna Moon’s child, to a life of hardship within the slums. The underlying narrative evidently resembled a scenario where she pushed out a fellow player, Luna Moon, and married Hayden personally in order to clear the region.

“My maternal figure stated…”

Keeping my focus locked onto those violet irises, I tracked every microscopic shift in her reaction as I proceeded.

“…That she offers her full forgiveness… and understands the circumstances were beyond your control.”

Daphne staggered backward heavily upon hearing those words.

“…That is a fabrication.”

Thus, she had desperately hoped to hear precisely that affirmation, even if initial disbelief held her back.

“You invented that statement merely to win my favor, did you not?”

Her voice trembled visibly. I responded with a level of unwavering composure that surprised even myself.

“Certainly not. What led you to that conclusion?”

“Because that girl would never have granted forgiveness so readily.”

Frowning deeply, Daphne bit down on her lower lip.

“Even when I explained that the route left me with no alternative and that the outcome was unintended, she refused to believe me. And when I turned to her seeking assistance, she was the one who turned her back with cold indifference!”

“Mother anticipated you might struggle to accept the truth. She instructed me to mention a specific phrase if doubt arose.”

Dropping such a bizarre reference into the dialogue felt absurd, but I calculated that nothing else would carry equal weight.

“Meursault’s Wife.”

“Th-that phrase—!”

Daphne’s complexion flushed entirely crimson, resembling someone whose deeply buried secrets had been abruptly dragged into daylight. If I ever managed to return to the real world, I resolved never to select an arbitrary username carelessly ever again.

“J-just how much did Luna Moon disclose to you…? Surely you do not mean to suggest you comprehend our true nature as well…?”

This confirmed that Luna Moon and Daphne indeed originated from the exact same version of the experience. Suppressing a victorious smile, I adopted a polite demeanor.

“In truth… Mother passed away while the explanation remained incomplete, leaving me without the full context. Therefore, if you would be so kind…”

Allowing the final words to drop with deliberate pacing, I continued.

“…Explain the truth regarding the players.”

Having dismissed every servant from the residence, Daphne personally attended to the preparation of refreshments. Despite operating as a transferred consciousness within the game world, she clearly invested considerable time adapting to her environment, executing the tasks of heating water and steeping leaves with practiced, natural efficiency. She filled a cup and handed it to me before letting out a soft sigh.

“I sincerely hope the revelation does not weigh too heavily upon you once everything is brought to light. Your mother held a profound affection for Hayden, and your existence stems from that genuine bond. You represent the offspring of a romance that spanned across dimensions.”

Naturally, I was not the product of any such romance, merely an impostor masquerading under false pretenses. Nevertheless, desiring further insight left me with no alternative other than nodding quietly.

Wait a moment. For a short while now, the ring belonging to Luna Moon had begun radiating an unusual heat. The sensation differed entirely from the warmth emitted when encountering Commander Hayden, where the band felt reluctant to part and joyful at the reunion. Currently, the artifact felt stimulated, carrying a tense, almost excited pulse.

“Where ought I to commence this explanation…”

Leaning back against the antique couch adorned with gleaming gold-leaf floral patterns, Daphne muttered quietly to herself.

“To begin with, a player constitutes… a possessor.”

“A possessor?”

Consciousness transferred directly inside a virtual construct. These individuals had likewise been engaged in a gaming system before being pulled inward. Pausing briefly, Daphne observed my facial expressions with intense scrutiny.

“…You harbor doubts, do you not? Finding it hard to accept that your reality exists inside a simulation.”

She apparently interpreted my silence as psychological shock stemming from the realization of the world’s artificial nature. In reality, my curiosity centered on an entirely different query: precisely which title had served as the hosting framework for Luna Moon and Daphne? Daphne had experienced consciousness transfer as well, yet her operating version diverged from ours. Had she entered through an earlier installment of the Safety Zone franchise?

Safety Zone boasted an extensive history, originating roughly a decade prior as a pixel-based release before expanding across console and online platforms. My own experience involved the latest online iteration, Apocalypse: Safety Zone.

“Which title was it?”

“Beg pardon?”

“If the reality I inhabit is housed within a digital platform, I am naturally curious which specific title served as the origin.”

Daphne remained entirely silent for an extended duration, appearing deeply reluctant to name the software in question. Yet identifying the exact game represented a crucial piece of the puzzle. If the source material fell outside the Safety Zone franchise entirely, the implication was that other outsiders might have entered through completely unrelated digital environments.

“Does the name evoke memories too terrible to voice aloud?”

“Ah… negative. The reality is simply… somewhat mortifying to acknowledge…”

Mortifying? The Safety Zone franchise hardly constituted some shameful otaku release requiring embarrassment.

Hesitating until the very last possible moment, Daphne squeezed her eyes shut as if resigning herself to an unavoidable fate and forced the words out.

“…A romance simulation featuring handsome middle-aged men…”

“…Pardon me?”

A romance simulation involving middle-aged men… what?