Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 17: Knowledge is Power

A large table stood at the center of the spacious dining room. Beneath it, a plush carpet provided a soft landing for footsteps, while overhead, a shimmering chandelier cast an elegant glow, accentuating the allure of the food.

Daisuke sat poised at the table. Underneath his tailored tailcoat, he wore a crisp shirt and trousers, neatly tucked into tall boots. His knife and fork hovered over the leg quarter of a Horned Rabbit, ready to indulge in the feast before him, when Reginald’s voice called out from across the table.

“Where’s Aprilena?”

There wasn’t a pause in Daisuke’s response. “She’s still a bit shaken up about the whole ordeal.”

“Well, that’s perfectly understandable,” Reginald replied in a monotone, casting a brief glance at his butler which evidently held meaning. “She’s still just a child, after all. Winston, why don’t you ensure she gets something to eat.”

“Right away, My Lord.”

Daisuke watched as the man with sleek, permed hair straightened his bend before disposing himself to the task. Then Reginald began rehashing the tale about the king’s personal request, which—in hindsight, according to him—was quite ludicrous. The narrative continued as they climbed a flight of stairs leading to the man’s study.

A plush couch with a footrest beckoned, accompanied by a wooden table littered with a selection of worn books. It was an intimate space, and Daisuke paid particular attention to the filing cabinets.

Stepping from the study and through a curtain, they entered Reginald’s lab where a host of scientific wonders unfolded. Light radiated from the crystals set in the walls like torches. Shelves also lined the walls, each laden with an array of vials, flasks, and ancient tomes. The room was infused with the scent of different herbs, chemicals, and powders. A dark wooden desk took center stage, its surface a mosaic of notes, transmutation circles, sketches, and strange vats containing biological specimens in various stages of experimentation.

Reginald traced his finger along the glass tube contemplatively. “After being stripped of our wealth, honor, and prestige—the very pillars that defined the Percival name, my mother left soon after, my sister eloped with her lover, and my father eventually succumbed to his own despair and shame, taking his own life.

I alone remained.

I’ve been working alongside my father long enough to know that his work and re

“Yes? Who is it?”

“U-Umm… I-I don’t have a name.”

Daisuke sighed, feeling the tension deflate from him like a punctured balloon. He knew exactly what that meant—being nameless. Opening the door to a slight ajar revealed a lone girl, no older than ten. She had a pair of furry, sagging ears atop her head, and a tanuki tail drooped behind her.

“Um,” she murmured in a combination of embarrassment and fear, desperately pulling down at the hem of her chemise nightgown. “…I,” she couldn’t hold his gaze. “I was told to… stay here with you tonight.”