Gripping the weekly report in his grasp, Count Riber couldn't help but notice the unique texture of the paper in this world. It was both leathery and silken, smoother and less dry than any paper he had ever encountered before.
As he delved deeper into his inspection, he suspected that the price of paper in this world was probably quite steep.
This assumption was further reinforced by the numerous books littering his chambers.
Being a wealthy count, Riber couldn't help but feel that the books were out of place among the valuable treasures that adorned his chambers.
Unless, of course, the books themselves were treasures or were once something Riber cherished. But upon closer examination, he realized that most of the books were brand new, with very few signs of having been read.
Thus, compared to hobbies, Riber concluded that those books were more likely to exist as collector's items.
Unfurling the newspaper, the first thing that caught Riber's eye was a photograph of a stunning woman singing on a black and white stage-like setting.
The headline on the front page read about the concert held by the Silver Songstress last Saturday at the Kingdom Theater.
After briefly skimming through the article, Riber couldn't help but scoff internally. He thought to himself that to be printed on such costly paper, with only one issue published a week, and probably only subscribed to by the aristocracy, the headline news was about a concert?
Didn't they have anything else to report on?
Has this world already entered the Era of Internet?
However, despite his complaints, Riber couldn't help but gaze a little longer at the photograph of the Silver Songstress because she was truly breathtaking. But upon closer inspection, Riber was immediately stunned.
It wasn't that he was also captivated by the renowned songstress, but rather he realized that he had a deep impression of this woman and that he had definitely seen her before.
Immediately, the familiar face appeared in his mind, as well as the face of the glowing maid from earlier.
Riber's mind made the connection, and he finally remembered where he had seen all three of them, including himself.
GALGAME, "The Witch is crying"!
That cursed game that had been hyped up for years, was the reason why he had impatiently ran out of his house to buy it as soon as it was released, ultimately leading to his current predicament.
Whether it was the Silver Songstress, himself, or the glowing maid, they were all characters in the game.
Specifically speaking, the Silver Songstress, Antoinette, was not only one of the game's main female characters, but also the main character in the promotional animation.
Riber could still recall the PV of Antoinette, gracefully twirling her silver hair, dressed in a revealing backless formal gown, singing a song with an ethereal voice.
As for himself and the glowing maid, his impression of them was not as deep. They were probably just minor characters in various promotional animations or were on the cover of the game packaging.
The reason why Riber only remembered now was because the difference between the 2D and 3D versions of the characters was too great and the art styles were also significantly different. If Antoinette hadn't been featured in the newspaper as a 2D character, he may not have even realized his current situation.
"How could it be so..."
Lord Riber let out a soft sigh as he furrowed his brow. At first, he believed that he had been transported to a medieval Western world, but soon discovered that he had stumbled into the realm of a GALGAME. The land of "The Witch is crying" was a place of beauty on the surface, yet danger lurked around every corner. This was a world where gods and demons walked among mortals, and the use of powerful magic and mysterious abilities was commonplace.
Besides, he had been struck by a truck while on his way home to play the game, meaning he had never played "The Witch is crying" and had no knowledge of its plot, losing the advantage of being a prophet with a golden finger.
Well...
Perhaps there was nothing to be worried about then.
Hence, after careful consideration, he realized that being in the world of a GALGAME may even be safer for him. After all, in an otome game, the protagonist rarely meets their demise. And, with his striking appearance and wealth, he was like a beacon in the darkness. Therefore, he could not think of any other identity for himself, aside from being the protagonist.
…
Meanwhile, apart from some unfashionable headlines,the newspaper known as the Feingold Weekly still carries many significant events.
For instance, a rare mythical creature has been discovered, an impregnable labyrinth has been conquered, and a large-scale magical incident has occurred, among others.
Despite many of the articles containing numerous technical terms that Riber finds difficult to comprehend, they still pique his interest.
Among these articles, one report about the "Church of Damnation" particularly catches his attention.
The report states that the Church of Damnation is a secret organization that worships evil gods and uses various unsavory dark arts. The organization is characterized by its members bearing a specific symbol on a certain part of their bodies.
This symbol was also featured in the newspaper, which is simply described as a cube-like object.
Setting aside whether the symbol is authentic or not, the fact that a secret organization's exclusive symbol can be published in a newspaper is quite an Incredulous sight.
The report also lists the various atrocities that the Church of Damnation has committed. The list alone takes up almost an entire page, and the contents are nothing short of murder, arson, and fraud.
Additionally, the newspaper also includes a reward. Anyone who provides information about a member of the Church of Damnation, even just their whereabouts, to the Royal Knights will receive a reward of at least five gold coins.
While Riber is not quite sure what five gold coins mean, from the tone of the article, it is likely a substantial amount.
Of course, what caught Riber's attention is not the reward for the Church of Damnation, but rather his own impressions of this secret organization.
This secret organization is highly likely to be the antagonistic organization in the promotional animation of "The Witch is crying", opposite the protagonist, who is similar to Riber.
Hence, they can be considered as Riber's top enemy.
"I hope you don't act recklessly. Opposing the protagonist is a death sentence in less than three episodes."
With a stone cold expression on his face, Riber, for some reason, directed his meaningless threats towards the newspaper.
With the realization that he is likely the protagonist and has been transported to the world of a GALGAME, his mood has improved significantly and the suppressions from the unknown have dissipated by a large margin.
Truck-kun, Thank You.
As a count in a different world, with a vast fortune and many high-quality human girls such as the Silver Songstress waiting for me to conquer.
Don't ask why I am so certain, just by experiencing some inevitable hardships, I can easily become a winner in life, with two football teams and offspring to spare.
It is related to benefits, those who understand will understand, those who don't will not understand even if I explain.
It's a secret...
The only unfortunate thing is that Riber's innate stone cold face cannot share the joy with his soaring inner self.
And there is also a mysterious reason for his passing that surrounds him.
And this cause of death may be a blessing in disguise.
At the end of the day, with Riber's GALGAME-savvy mindset, he has already imagined a route of a female assassin who was assigned to kill him but found that Riber who was supposed to be dead is still alive and kicking. Therefore, she developed a 12-point interest in him and approached him in various ways, ultimately falling in love with him unconsciously...and so on.
Such a level of plot is almost too easy to come up with.
Riber firmly believes that the reason he couldn't make a GALGAME in his past life is because he meets an early end.
…
As Lord Riber sat lost in thought, envisioning his future, Sebas, his butler who went to the kitchen, approached, pushing a cart beside him.