Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 343



343 – Summer Frights – There’s Someone Inside Me – 1

Redburn Duchy’s office.

Decorated in red tones, the duke’s desk was designed on a raised platform, forcing visitors to look up at the duke, and feel intimidated.

And what about his own charisma? Duke Maximus Redburn, with his large physique, the heavy intimidation he exuded from that physique, and eyes like a lion, could dominate the very space itself.

『A Noose Carving Despair』, Duke Maximus Redburn was such a powerful man.

After a tumultuous return, Faceless had hoped his father, built like steel, would guide him.

He yearned for him to command with the unwavering firmness of someone who could control the world as he pleased, an unyieldingness that wouldn’t be scratched even by a nail.

However…

“…In this situation, where have you been wandering, Faceless? At this moment when all my plans are going awry and being painted over, what on earth have you been doing?”

“Father, that’s–“

“Don’t make excuses. Excuses are unnecessary.”

Redburn Duke pressed a hand to his forehead, then waved it away. Faceless could sense confusion, frustration, and a hint of fear emanating from the Duke. She was deeply shocked.

Not because she had been scolded. But because the Duke had said, ‘I won’t hear excuses.’ He was a man who, to use his power of oration, would listen to even the tiniest detail without missing a single thing.

And yet, he was telling her not to make excuses?

That… wasn’t a sign of disappointment. It was fear. Redburn Duke was unconsciously shifting the blame for his failure onto Faceless. For that to be the case, she had to be the one who screwed things up due to her negligence, not simply caught in an inevitable disaster.

Ugly. It was an ugly sight.

When everything was going well and the Duke was dominating the board, he wasn’t like this. *Crack.* A small fissure appeared in Faceless’s heart.

The Duke spoke.

” …’The Maiden’ is dead. ‘Corpse Flower’ has secluded herself, saying she needs to amend her magic, and ‘Lamb’ has gone half mad, completely out of her mind.”

” ……”

With ‘The Maiden’ who controlled the provincial nobles dead, their influence no longer reached the outskirts of the empire.

With ‘Lamb’, who supplied sacrificial offerings, now mad, a chronic shortage of materials would soon plague the black magic community.

With ‘Corpse Flower’, who should have been their deadly blow, in seclusion, they no longer had the manpower to face off against the empire’s strongholds.

Why, since when did everything begin to fall apart like this? The empire overthrow they black magic users had dreamed of was as precarious as a sandcastle. Ready to be swept away by a single gust of wind…

“There’s only me left. And even I am in danger. The Second Prince’s movements are unsettling. A single duchy can’t stand against the imperial family. So, Faceless, take responsibility for your negligence.”

“Yes, Duke. Should I assassinate the Imperial Princes?”

“You fool. I don’t have the strength to face the empire’s swordmaster right now! Faceless, you must target the black magic users. Subjugate them and bring them under ‘The Snare’.”

” ……”

Scattered groups of black magic users, their named leaders dead or insane, wandering aimlessly. Gathering them to gain power was Redburn Duke’s plan.

In other words, it was about uniting the black magic power that had been divided into four pieces.

“Yes, Duke. I will carry out your orders.”

“Don’t disappoint me this time.”

“……Of course, of course.”

“……You may leave.”

Faceless, still hunched over, scuttled backwards out of the room. It feels like everything is crumbling bit by bit. It’s incredibly unpleasant.

Right, time for a change of pace. While subjugating these dark mages, I can play with a few of them. And, I’ll need to replenish my supply of dolls on the way…

Raiding a village and turning all the villagers into meat puppets would be nice too. Listening to their screams should dull this unpleasantness, even if just a little.

She departed to carry out the duke’s mission.

Mooong.

–

A secret base of a certain dark mage group. Screams echo.

“aaagh, aaagh!”

“Kill, just kill meeeeek…!”

Muscle fibers twist and contort in bizarre ways. The cacophony of bones and organs misaligning always brings a sense of pleasure.

As the dark mage who was made an ‘example’ died horribly and painfully, the others naturally submitted. They prostrated themselves on the floor, making it clear with their whole bodies that they had no intention of resisting.

In the blood-soaked hallway, Faceless laughed. She had missed this sensation. The feeling of everyone looking up to her. The feeling of manipulating others at will.

“Ha, hahahahahahaha──!!”

She laughed heartily. Until she was a little breathless from lack of air.

Then, she stepped on the head of the prostrated dark mage and ordered,

“You’ve all been pricked once by my ‘Meat Mastery’. If you try to escape, you’ll end up like those who went before you. Now, clean this place up, and get me the best room to stay in.”

“Y-yes, understood. This way…”

Faceless was led to the best room. It was the room of the head black mage, who’d just died, his body twisted into knots. The moment she entered, a glitter of every kind of jewel winked back.

She frowned.

It was gaudily decorated with all sorts of ornaments, but without any unity or aesthetic, it just gave off a nouveau riche vibe. Tacky. And, thick with the unpleasant stench of a man.

“Air freshener.”

“We, we don’t have such things… But if you just command, I can fetch some righrrriight away.”

“*You’re* the air freshener.”

*Crack*. Twisted like removing a wine cork. And splattering blood lavishly into every corner of the room. Yes, that’s a bit better now.

She flopped onto the massive bed in the middle of the room.

Faceless quickly organized her tasks in her head. Increase the number of dolls, gather the black mage forces, and obtain information so the Duke can control them with the *‘Prophecy Lantern’*.

Just repeat those simple tasks.

This time she had to go herself because there were no spare meat dolls, but from now on, she could send just the dolls to handle the tasks. Perhaps even several at once.

While resting, she set the meat dolls as guards for safety. They would immediately attack anyone who entered the room besides Faceless.

And with that, Faceless dozed off…

–

*Blink blink*.

“Mooong.”

Whitey opened her eyes.

She’d been watching from the depths of her brain as the other version of herself, who had just suddenly awakened, went about her business. She’d been randomly harming people.

Whitey had learned that hurting others is bad.

It’s not only morally wrong, but it also increases your number of enemies, so it’s better to avoid it…that’s what she’d learned. But the other version of herself had done it anyway.

Even after hurting someone, he laughed. So shameful. Bragging about his ignorance. Why is the shame always mine?

Why is that? Faceless seems so much older than me. Why does he act like he doesn’t know things I do?

After a moment’s thought, I finally figured out why.

“He probably doesn’t know better ’cause he wasn’t raised right, mong.”

Pure Mom says ignorance isn’t a sin. Papa-Mom says it is, but when they fight, Pure Mom always wins. So, Pure Mom is right.

If someone doesn’t know, you have to teach them. It’d be great if there was someone like Grandpa Abraham here, but there isn’t.

So that means I have to be the teacher.

Teacher… what an inspiring word. A teacher has the very powerful, immense power to decide how many marshmallows a student gets when they answer a question right.

Hmm. To be a teacher, I need something. Intellectual glasses.

I put together a pair of finger-glasses with my thumb and index fingers and put them on.

Oh my gosh. I’m now ‘Ms. Kim Hayang.’ A sense of mission… something like that is making my heart thump.

I looked around for something to write with, but there weren’t any pens or pencils. It’s a little sad, but I’ll borrow blood. If I dab it and use it like paint, I can write.

In big Korean letters, I write it on the wall.

[You mustn’t kill people]

There. Faceless should understand now. Ms. Kim Hayang has done it. I lay back down on the bed, a satisfied look on my face.

Teaching people… it’s so rewarding!

–

“…W-what, what the hell?!”

Faceless, jolted awake from a short nap, stared in shock at some… bizarre inscription drawn largely on the wall. The oddly bent symbols seemed like random scribbles at first, but looking closer, there was a pattern.

Is it a curse or… a magic circle?

No, that’s not what’s important. What’s important is ‘how’.

The doll… is fine. There’s no sign of a fight inside the room. The bedclothes are a little disheveled, like someone briefly tossed and turned in their sleep, but that’s it.

From noble mtl dot com

Did a malfunction occur in the meat doll? Did its senses become dull?

A cold chill runs down my spine. If someone could sneak in this silently, it means they could have killed Faceless.

“Who is it, what… what kind of b*stard?!”

I throw open the door and rush outside. Outside, the black mages, now subjugated by Faceless, were tidying up. They flinched and watched me fearfully, looking like they were going to explode with anger.

“Did anyone approach my room?”

“Huh? No, no one went near it from among us. No one…”

“………”

“Guh, Gugh! Wh-why…!?”

Crack, crunch.

Faceless turned five more black mages into meat dolls on the spot. It felt it needed more soldiers to protect itself.

And it fled from there as if running away. Next, let’s go to the next group of black mages. I don’t know what the hell happened, but if I defend myself well, it’ll be okay.

After subjugating three more groups of black mages, Faceless ‘borrowed’ an entire small slash-and-burn village.

All of the villagers were turned into meat dolls and made to patrol, and Faceless itself set up a bedroom on the top floor of the village chief’s mansion. Of course, the inside of the mansion was also packed with watchmen.

It had completely seized an entire village. This way, even if there was someone trying to take its life, they would have no choice but to give up and turn back.

“………”

I’ve used Metaphor too much. Using the Metaphor ability brings fatigue, so I need to sleep. With a strange unease in my heart, I fell asleep once more.

–

Can’t you read?

Kim Hayang puffed out her cheeks. Never in her wildest dreams did she think they couldn’t read. Faceless was even more…ignorant than she thought.

Then she’d have to show them with pictures.

Hayang drew on the wall. Killing people is bad, so an X, and if people are alive, that’s great, so a smiley face.

“Perfectmong…”

Finished. This is on par with a century’s worth of art. Hayang puffed out her chest, proud. With this, her intentions would get through. Even a moron could understand it.

But still, what if, even after this, they keep doing bad things.

-Hayang, Dae-soo and I are righteous magical girls! We defeat evil and do good. And some bad guys don’t change. In that case! A fist!

-In that case, use a rapier.

Yup.

Her mom-mom’s and dad-mom’s maxims are engraved in her heart. And the direction of horror movies is etched in her mind. For villains who won’t change…they will receive a severe ‘punishment’.

–

Why.

“Just, what kind of b*stard is it! Show yourself! I said, show yourself──!!”

Why. Why. Why.

“What’s the intention?! Are you trying to kill me? Then go ahead, try it, do it yourself!”

The entire village was guarded. Not a single person could get in, the windows and doors were blocked with meat dolls. And yet, *that someone* had entered her room.

And left a mark, on that wall.

What does it imply?

She doesn’t know. She doesn’t even want to understand. Faceless just wants to feel safe. She just wants to have a comfortable sleep.

She went berserk, smashing and ripping at the wall.

“You don’t have the guts to fight, do you?! You can’t win in a head-on battle, so you keep resorting to this petty bullshit. I won’t let you die an easy death. I’ll make you beg for it──!!”

However, the village was eerily silent──.

⋯⋯⋯⋯.

From that day on, various strange phenomena followed Faceless. The phenomena grew stronger day by day, and the fear intensified.

The corpse of a dead rat placed by her pillow when she opened her eyes.

Text written in an unintelligible language, and drawings hinting at death.

Choke marks she’d notice when she woke and looked in the mirror, marks she didn’t know when she’d gotten.

It grew stronger every time Faceless killed someone. As if the vengeful spirits of the dead were seizing her ankles.

She kidnapped a priest and tried to force him to resolve the bizarre phenomena, and she even used powerful narcotics. But nothing worked.

No matter how many guards she set, even if she slept inside an iron coffin, when she woke up, bizarre drawings would be etched on the inside walls of the coffin.

After a long period of suffering, Faceless finally reached a conclusion. If someone keeps coming into a space where no one can enter, that means…they didn’t come in. They were already there from the start.

In other words.

Just as Faceless had hidden herself inside the body of the elf girl.

Someone is inside me.