Chapter 49
“What on earth are these guys doing.”
Reinhardt, the knight of Taton.
He stared at the community, trying to understand the situation.
“Irien, Evangeline, Fermil, all the characters that have appeared in my posts so far have shown up. They say the same thing about being possessed by the game, and their writing style is the same too……”
The number of possessed individuals had increased.
That is to say, the number of people claiming to be possessed had increased.
They had been dragged into the game, had become one of the main characters of Soul Calibur, and didn’t know what to do right now.
Posts like that were being uploaded one after another on the community.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re really possessed.”
There are times when you get that feeling while reading a post.
You can feel the sincerity contained in the writing.
But in their posts, there was no desperation. It was all too clear that they were contorting themselves to attract the interest of others.
“Does it even make sense to be dragged into a game? Even if you were dragged in, it doesn’t make sense to just adopt a concept and laugh and chat like that. You should show some emotion, whether it’s desperation or resignation……”
Reinhardt, who had been browsing the community, momentarily paused.
“……Is this how I looked to other people too?”
Perhaps it was.
Possessed as Reinhardt.
Looking at the content alone, it was an absurd claim.
It just looked like someone was playing around with a dedicated concept.
[Irien) What was the fastest way to get into the academy here?]
[I’ve learned a few spells for now. Though my mana runs out after using them once or twice…….]
└Anonymous1: Dude, learn from Reinhardt.
└Anonymous2: frㅋㅋ
└Anonymous3: No, you should be worried about making a living, what’s with the academyㅋㅋ
└Anonymous2: Not just anyone can pull off a concept lolㅋㅋㅋ
Reinhardt couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
This person who claimed to have become Irien in the game clearly didn’t understand the basic concept.
If they were really stuck in there, they should be asking for more fundamental help.
Like asking to be let out, to be saved, or posting a question to overcome the situation at hand.
‘Instead of asking about the process of entering the academy, they should have asked where to get food for today when they have none.’
But it wouldn't be easy.
Because it was a question one could only ask if they were truly in that situation.
The soul was not felt in the community Irien’s posts.
Neither was desperation, despair, nor the strong will to survive.
This alone could not elicit people’s empathy.
‘It’s not like I had great results either, but…….’
However, Reinhardt did have people who responded to him.
He was a forerunner, and in his own way, he had put desperation into his posts.
That’s what reality is.
It meant that as he moved to truly survive, the results naturally followed.
“So how should I take this situation……”
“Pit.”
“It is certainly strange. When you think about it with common sense.”
“Pitpit.”
Bitdori was also acting as if it were pondering, imitating Reinhardt.
It probably didn’t understand the situation properly.
It was just imitating, but that alone was a source of comfort for Reinhardt.
Then, suddenly.
At the end of his deliberation, Reinhardt came up with a hypothesis.
“……Wait a minute. Could this be, by any chance, that? Viral marketing?”
When he was first stuck in this world.
When he posted his first post, and cried out in the community for someone to help him since he had become Reinhardt.
What kind of comments were posted back then?
What was it that an anonymous person had scathingly shot at Reinhardt?
“They asked if it was viral marketing, didn’t they. To me too. There were also guys who asked if it was a newly released DLC.”
It was certainly like that.
There were people who just spat out insults and disappeared, but there were definitely people who raised such realistic questions.
“……Is it viral marketing? I think it is.”
Only then did Reinhardt attain enlightenment.
These people, that is, Irien, Evangeline, Fermil, etc., who claimed to be stuck in the game, were employees of the game development company.
Or employees of a PR agency that the developer had outsourced to.
“Because they’re employees, they’re playing the unreleased expansion pack. While taking screenshots of the process in between and uploading them.”
“Pit. Piit.”
“Right? It seems right, doesn’t it?”
“Pit.”
“Then the reason their advertising method is similar to the posts I uploaded is.”
Reinhardt moved on to the next question.
The poor employees of the developer were imitating Reinhardt.
“I unintentionally created an advertising effect. My posts.”
And also.
“But they haven’t been able to figure out who I am.”
They still hadn’t figured out Reinhardt’s true identity.
It was only natural.
If they had realized he was stuck in the game, they should have already taken action, whether it was trying to rescue him or something else.
“No, then do those people not know my situation either? Are they really just pure developers? Does that mean it’s not because of them that I’m stuck in the game?”
“Pit? Pi.”
“You think so?”
“Pit.”
“Right. That’s a high possibility. In the first place, this is an unconventional, unscientific situation, and if you seriously told a stranger about it, it wouldn’t be strange to be dragged to a mental hospital that very day.”
Reinhardt analyzed the situation as objectively as possible.
“Asking for help. That doesn’t make sense. They won’t respond. They won’t accept attempts to make contact by commenting either.”
He didn't know what they were thinking, but in any case, they would have no intention of getting directly involved with Reinhardt.
If they did, it would become difficult to maintain their concept.
“But if I go around shouting that those guys are running a viral marketing campaign, that would just make me look ridiculous.”
“Piit. Pit.”
Bitdori nodded its head as if in agreement.
Reinhardt looked at Bitdori and thought for a moment, then nodded his head.
“……Then I should aim to use those people as much as possible.”
There was no change in Reinhardt’s situation.
Unlike those fakes, he was really stuck in this world.
It was just that an external change had occurred.
This was a positive factor for Reinhardt. In any case, as the amount of attention focused on him increased, the possibility of ‘potential external help’ also increased.
“I just have to do as I’ve been doing. That’s the best way.”
In the end, stubbornly pushing forward was the best option.
As a person truly stuck in another world, by writing posts full of sincerity.
***
A few days passed.
The atmosphere in the community was the same as ever, and Reinhardt’s daily life was also no different from before.
He goes on patrol as soon as he opens his eyes in the morning.
By now, it was hard to find a native criminal in Serigel even if you looked with a fine-toothed comb, but fortunately, this was a gateway city.
“The discipline of the gate guards seems to have loosened. He’s an outsider. Investigate and deal with him.”
“Thank you, Sir Reinhardt!”
Captain Jerad of the Guard was now acting as if he were addressing a superior.
Reinhardt handed over the foreign criminal he had caught somewhere in the back alleys and left the guard headquarters.
‘There’s just no end to it.’
Due to the nature of a gateway city, there were more than one or two humans flowing in and out.
Because of the constant circulation, there were also quite a few humans of poor quality to be seen.
They were Reinhardt’s main source of sustenance.
After all, if he caught about 200 of them, he would see some results.
‘It’s about time I posted the next serial post.’
Reinhardt was constantly monitoring the trends in the community.
The game company’s marketing was still going on.
The comment reactions were not very good, but in any case, they were stubbornly pushing their concept.
[When is Reinhardt coming?]
[idkㅋㅋ]
[He didn’t post often originally. He’d come by sometimes, drop something, and leave]
[That’s the weight of life fr]
[He’s busy making a living, when does he have time to write postsㅋㅋㅋ]
There were not a few people waiting for Reinhardt’s serial posts.
It had even reached the point where posts saying that the community’s Irien was awkward, or that Fermil wasn’t Fermil-like, could be seen frequently.
‘……I feel strangely good about this.’
He felt as if he had been acknowledged somehow.
Thanks to the appearance of a shoddy comparison target, Reinhardt’s acting skills were being highly evaluated.
It was at that moment.
“Good day, Sir Reinhardt.”
“Ah, Bishop Dalton.”
The young bishop of the Truma Order greeted him with a gentle smile.
‘He’s a potion vending machine.’
He was a person who tried to give him something whenever he had the chance.
Reinhardt would refuse moderately, but sometimes, if it seemed like a valuable gift, he would gladly accept it.
They were mostly holy water or potions personally consecrated by the order.
“You are the same as ever today. It is truly admirable.”
“I am only doing what I must as a knight. Just as you are doing what you must, Bishop.”
“That is indeed so. I too am only fulfilling my duty as a staff of Truma.”
Bishop Dalton laughed heartily and nodded his head.
Reinhardt waited for a moment, wondering if he would give him something today as well.
The more high-quality potions he had, the better.
It was at that moment.
Whoosh.
Bitdori instantly flew towards Bishop Dalton’s head.
Reinhardt tensed for a moment and brought his right hand to his scabbard, but after confirming the ensuing situation, he relaxed.
“Pit, piii……”
Bitdori was patting Bishop Dalton’s shoulder.
Reinhardt let out a breath at the gesture, which seemed like it was comforting him.
“Hmm?”
Dalton tilted his head.
“Is something the matter?”
“No. It seems I was mistaken. It appears Truma has comforted me. For a moment, I felt a warm touch.”
“……I see. Is there some problem with the order?”
“In truth, the situation cannot be said to be good. However, it is not a problem that only our order is experiencing.”
At the bishop’s reaction, Reinhardt had a gut feeling.
If he dug any deeper here, he would surely be saddled with a troublesome burden.
“I don’t know what the problem is, but I hope it gets resolved well.”
“Yes, Sir Reinhardt. Your words alone are a great…… hmm, uum.”
Dalton, in the middle of speaking, flinched.
The cause was Bitdori.
The creature was stroking Dalton’s head as if to comfort him, and was now pulling at his right hand with a struggle.
‘……No. You can’t do that.’
Reinhardt said with his expression. He sent a signal to Bitdori to stop immediately and return to its spot.
But the telepathy did not reach.
Bitdori continued to struggle with an expression of complete ignorance.
‘Why has it gotten so strong? Wasn’t it at a level where it couldn’t use physical force at all unless it was a human related to a demon?’
As far as Reinhardt remembered, that was the case.
But the current Bitdori was different. It was clearly exerting a force that a human could feel.
“Bishop Dalton?”
“Yes? Yes. Ah, this is……”
“Bishop.”
Dalton looked confused.
His right hand was being pulled up into the air, trembling. His index finger straightened and pointed at Reinhardt.
“This is truly a surprising event.”
Reinhardt looked at Dalton with eyes that feigned ignorance.
“Perhaps I have come to know what Truma desires.”
“Wasn’t the will of God something that could only be heard in a temple?”
“As far as I know, that is correct. Everyone in the order would think so, but, well.”
Bishop Dalton’s expression was as if he had heard the voice of God.
It was Bitdori’s will, not Truma’s, but there was no way to inform Bishop Dalton of that fact.
“……What did you say?”
“Truma comforted me. And now, he is pointing at Sir Reinhardt. This action is not of my own will.”
Thud, Dalton’s arm dropped.
Only then did Bitdori return with a satisfied expression. It sat nonchalantly on Reinhardt’s shoulder and looked at Dalton.
“Sir Reinhardt. Could you help us?”
“Is that what Truma desires?”
“In my opinion, although of course a mere human cannot dare to understand the will of God, if I may dare to think, it seems Truma desires your help, sir.”
Dalton, as he said that, was staring intently at Reinhardt.
“So you’re saying the sun god Truma desires the help of the human Reinhardt.”
“Yes, Sir Reinhardt. That is exactly right.”
Now, a hint of madness was even visible in Dalton’s eyes.
To the point where it was obvious what would happen if he were to refuse outright.