The Day the participants Entered the Scenario
"What the hell..."
Lumine muttered, baffled, as he stared at the butler uniform he was wearing. He studied his reflection in the mirror, housed in a cramped room furnished with nothing more than a single bed.
Just moments ago, heâd been somewhere elseâsomewhere strange. What he assumed was the legendary and enigmatic
soul realm
everyone spoke of. And now... he was here.
"Royal Revolution..."
That was the name of the scenario.
Scenario?
His brows furrowed.
What the hell even
was
a scenario?
Lumineâs face twisted in confusion.
All he remembered was standing at the afterparty of the auction, half-listening while some pompous guild master bombarded him with words he couldnât even begin to understand, trying to convince him to join their guild.
Then, the ground trembled violentlyâan earthquake?
People began to flee, rushing outside in a panic.
But before he could move, a blinding white light devoured everything.
And now... this.
Lumine stepped back and sank onto the creaking bed, the silence stretching around him like a fog. He lowered his gaze, thoughts spiraling.
I need to stay alive until the final night... prevent or ensure the fall of the royal family of Ismyr. I can also eliminate key revolutionaries or nobles. The fact that thereâs an optional condition means... thereâs a chance to be rewarded beyond mere survival.
But for how long?
The scenario had no defined duration.
Lumine clutched his head.
What the hell is all of this...
He remembered something elseâthe scenario had mentioned
roles
.
Then...
Is my role to be someoneâs butler?
As the thought crossed his mind, a sudden notification flashed across his vision.
[New Quest Issued!]
Lumineâs eyes widened.
The system...!
[QUEST TYPE] â Main Objective
⸠Title:
Nightmarish Enemy
⸠Objective(s):
â Defeat the plague
â Do not reveal you are the Son of Life in this scenario
⸠Reward(s):
â Continued survival
â +1 working health potion
â +1,000,000 SP
⸠Penalty for Failure:
â Death.
Lumine swallowed hard.
One million SP... thatâs insane.
But then again, it reflected just how insane this quest was.
Should I accept...?
Alsoâ
A
working
health potion?
Wait... did that mean most potions didnât work in this place?
His brows drew closer in concern.
He hesitated, finger twitching toward the invisible "accept" prompt.
But before he could chooseâ
[QUEST ACCEPTED]
"Huh?" he breathed, startled. His eyes shot wide.
The quest had accepted itself.
At that exact moment, a sharp knock echoed from the door.
Lumine jolted upright, coughed awkwardly, and called out, "Come in."
The door opened immediately.
"Yelena...?"
"Lumine...?" she echoed.
Yelena stood in the doorway, equally stunned, her eyes blinking rapidly as if trying to dispel a hallucination. She wore an elegant green dress, but her posture betrayed her tension.
"I thought... I thought my instincts were leading me to something dangerous," she said finally, exhaling a breath she hadnât realized sheâd been holding.
Her expression softened with visible relief, and she took a few steps toward him.
Then, Yelena asked the same question that had been echoing in Lumineâs mind.
"What the hell is going on?"
Lumine merely shook his head.
"I have no clue... but I did get a main quest."
Yelena blinked in surprise.
"Itâs been a while since youâve gotten a new one, hasnât it? You still have a bunch of quests you havenât even finished."
With a nervous laugh, Lumine scratched his cheek.
"Well, the thing is... this quest comes with some crazy rewards."
Yelena narrowed her eyes.
"What kind of rewards?"
Lumine looked away, lowering his voice.
"One million system points..."
Instantly, Yelenaâs expression shiftedâher features hardening like steel.
"Donât accept."
"What?"
"Donât accept it."
Lumine swallowed hard.
That was the problem.
It was already too late.
"...The quest accepted itself."
Her expression didnât just harden this timeâit darkened.
"We need to leave. Now."
Lumine stared at her, startled.
"Why?"
"If the quest accepted itself, that means itâs inevitable. Something is going to happenâsomething we canât stop. And I already have a terrible,
horrible
feeling about this mansion. Our safest option is to run. Right now. Donât look back, no matter what."
He bit his lip.
She was right.
Yelena was
always
right.
But still...
One million SP.
That kind of reward could let him buy half the shop. Even upgrade the shop itself...
"What if weâre overreacting?" he asked hesitantly.
Yelena turned to him with an unreadable expression.
"Whatâs the quest, exactly?"
Lumine hesitated before replying.
"We have to defeat something called âThe Plague.â Thatâs... basically it."
He didnât mention the other conditionânot revealing his identity as the Son of Life.
Even though Yelena already knew, something deep inside warned him not to say it aloud. It wasnât logic. It wasnât calculation.
It was instinct.
His wasnât as sharp as hers, but right now it screamed at him: Say it, and something terrible will happen.
"...What if itâs not a thing," Yelena murmured, "but a person? If itâs someoneâand strong enough to warrant that kind of rewardâthen thereâs no doubt this âPlagueâ will come to us. We stay here, and itâll find us."
She turned without another word.
"Letâs go."
Lumine hesitated, then let out a soft sigh and followed. Just as they stepped toward the door of the small room, the sharp sound of frantic footsteps echoed through the hallway, accompanied by shouting.
"Quickly! Find her!"
"Damn itâwe donât have much time left!"
"Where did she run off to?!"
Before either of them could react, a maid rounded the cornerâone Lumine didnât recognize. Her eyes landed on Yelena and immediately widened with relief.
"My lady!" she cried, rushing toward her. Her grip on Yelenaâs hands was tight, almost trembling.
"You need to leave immediately! A carriage is readyâwe have to go, now!"
"W-What!? Waitâwhat do you mean leave? Whatâs happening!?"
Yelena resisted her, her face paling, but the maid continued urgently.
"Thereâs no time, my lady! The lord is waiting for you at his estate in the Royal Capital!"
She was scared. That much was obvious.
Lumine could feel it radiating from herâpure fear, desperate and trembling.
The maid turned to him next.
"You too, kid. Thereâs no time. Save yourself. Run!"
"Weâre not leaving until you tell us whatâs going on," Lumine said firmly.
Yelena, strangely enough, remained silent, her face lowered, her lips pressed into a thin line.
The maid clenched her fists in frustration.
"The Revolutionary Army has decided to eliminate Count Horvixâs entire household. If her lady stays here, sheâll die!"
Lumineâs eyes narrowed.
Count? Revolutionary Army?
His thoughts spun rapidly as pieces started to fall into place.
"Shouldnât we have troops of our own?" he asked.
"We doâbut not enough! Nowhere near enough! Even the Royal Knights are only willing to assist with escorting. They wonât fight."
His heart began to pound harder in his chest.
"How many did they send?" he asked quietly.
The maidâs lips trembled. Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
"...Just one."
Lumine blinked. One?
"Who?" Yelena asked, lifting her head at last.
The maid swallowed hard.
"O-One of the Nine High Commanders..."
Her voice cracked.
"The Plague."