I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 27

<The Pope’s Secret>

• The Pope had a younger sister whom he was separated from during childhood.
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A younger sister….

Lying on my bed, I stared at the floating system window displaying new information.

A younger sister?

Most of the information about the Pope was straightforward and easy to understand. But what was this?

I recalled Haniel’s appearance, something I hadn’t paid much attention to before. Her radiant golden hair, flowing down over the bed, was the exact same shade as the Pope’s.

Though her eyes were a deep blue, unlike the Pope’s amber-gold eyes, her golden hair was undeniably distinct in this game. I was certain mine was the only true golden hair in this world.

In The Saintess Is a Spy!, the only customizable player options were age and height. The default appearance couldn’t be changed, not even by spending money. Many players had complained, asking for an option to modify appearances, no matter the cost.

But what if this limitation was tied to “The Pope’s Secret?”

Surely not… I couldn’t possibly be the younger sister, could I?

No way. There’s no way the game would include incestuous elements…

Wait. This is really suspicious!

I shot upright in bed, and the system window rose to align with my line of sight.

The system window displaying “The Pope’s Secret” felt undeniably suspicious. In a place where the only female character was Haniel, could the developers really have created a separate character with such an important connection to the Pope as a “younger sister”?

I fell deep into thought.

This is a reverse harem game. A dark one, at that. And…

“An R-rated game.”

An incestuous twist in a grim reverse harem game? That’d be perfect! There were already suspicions among players that the Pope’s route was less tragic compared to the game’s overall tone. If the Pope and the player were secretly siblings, that would immediately heighten the depravity.

The more I thought about it, the more plausible it seemed that the Pope and the player were siblings. Considering this, other peculiar elements in the game started making sense.

Why was the Pope still a romance option at the very end? Why, in an R-19 game, did his route only involve using instruments until the player could adapt? Until now, I had assumed the Pope just liked instruments, but perhaps there was a deeper, hidden reason.

Ah, but still, this… this is a bit much, isn’t it? A story about siblings separated in childhood… this is such a third-rate plot!

Even if I’m not actually Haniel, I couldn’t shake off the discomfort. Letting out a groan, I ruffled my hair in frustration while lying on the bed.

“Ugh, what kind of setting is this…? Does the Pope know who his sister is?”

The question popped into my mind suddenly, and I clutched my head, muttering aloud.

Did he designate me as the Saintess because he knew who I was? The questions were endless.

My departure for the Empire was scheduled for tomorrow. After that, the Pope and Ardal’s roles in the story would diminish significantly. If I had any questions, I needed to resolve them today.

Closing the system window, I got out of bed.

“I’ll just go and ask the Pope.”

If you’re curious, just ask directly.

***

I headed straight for the Pope’s office. Ardal, who had been standing outside my door with a dark expression, watching the garden, tried to follow me, but I declined his company.

It felt like nothing good would come of him overhearing my conversation with the Pope. I couldn’t risk disrupting the route, so this time, I had to leave Ardal behind.

“The night air is chilly. Please take a coat with you.”

“Thank you, Ardal. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yes. I’ll wait here for you.”

Ardal draped a thick coat over my shoulders, his gaze lingering on me with a hint of disappointment. Leaving him behind, I walked calmly down the dim corridors of the temple.

As the player, or rather Haniel, nothing about her past was ever revealed. The game’s premise was simple: one day, Haniel was chosen as the Saintess and sent to the Empire to act as a spy. There was no explanation of her previous life or how she became the Saintess.

Being a game, it wasn’t surprising for there to be gaps in the backstory. I hadn’t been particularly curious about the protagonist’s past, either. After all, even if the game included it, an R-19 theme wouldn’t delve into anything especially profound.

But Orias’s past intrigued me.

Orias, who became the Pope after being separated from his family in childhood. Haniel, who lived alone in a doll-like, idyllic house. There had to be a hidden connection between the two characters.

Certainly.

Would discovering this make me the first player to uncover the Pope’s past? No, probably not. Someone might have figured it out before me.

A chilly night breeze seeped through my clothes, sending shivers down my arms. I rubbed my arms to warm myself as I arrived at Orias’s office.

Whether it was because it was late at night or just today, the surroundings of the office were unusually quiet, with not a single guard in sight.

Ah, at this hour, the Pope would probably be in his room, not his office.

Realizing how late it was, I sighed and turned around.

Just as I was about to head to the Pope’s quarters, I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. Turning toward the source of light spilling out, I saw the Pope looking at me with a warm smile.

“Haniel, what brings you here at this hour? Is it because it’s the last night and you can’t sleep?”

Facing his beautiful, smiling face, he extended a hand toward me.

“If you can’t sleep, let’s have some warm tea together.”

I stared at his large hand, palm open toward me. Instead of taking it, I slowly opened my mouth. Though his face was kind, the cold night breeze made my lips feel dry.

Strangely dry.

“Orias.”

Just saying his name sent a shiver down my spine.

At my somber tone, Orias’s expression shifted slightly. Meeting his concerned gaze, I finally asked the question I’d been holding back.

“The younger sister you mentioned before… is she about my age?”

The moment my question left my lips, a fierce wind slammed the door to the Pope’s office. Before I could even register my shock, Orias grabbed my wrist like a hook and pulled me inside. The sharp gust accompanied me as I was dragged into the office.

With a loud bang, the door shut firmly behind us. The distinct sound of a lock clicking into place followed. It was the sound of being trapped, ensuring I couldn’t escape.

The sharp, sensitive wind howled, ringing in my ears. My chest heaved as my heart pounded wildly. Startled by its irregular rhythm, I inhaled deeply and lifted my head. As I looked up, Orias’s eyes glinted ominously, fixed on me.

“Yes, Haniel.”

“Ah…”

“She was. My one and only younger sister.”

Gripping my chin roughly, Orias spoke with a piercing intensity.

“My beloved sister. Have you finally remembered?”

<Warning! Approaching the Pope (Orias)’s Confinement Ending: ‘Night of Despair.’>

• Failure to evade will result in the ‘Night of Despair’ ending.
• Failure to evade will automatically destroy Ardal’s route.
• Failure to evade will result in Ardal’s death.
• Entering the confinement ending will cause permanent physical damage to the player.
• Death is impossible in the confinement ending.

<Route: ‘The Pope’s Abyss’>

• Progress: 70%
• Entering the ‘Night of Despair’ ending will destroy the ‘The Pope’s Abyss’ route.

<Approaching the ‘Night of Despair’ Ending>

P-permanent physical damage?

I couldn’t even react to the pain from the hand gripping my chin tightly. Gasping sharply, I read the red system window that had appeared before me.

Meeting Orias’s ominous, lightless eyes, I thought to myself.

This secret… this isn’t the kind of thing I should be uncovering right now.

***

The grip on my chin tightened steadily.

“Ugh…”

“Oh dear, does it hurt?”

“O-Orias….”

“You’ve remembered something, haven’t you, Haniel?”

As I let out a groan of pain, he spoke gently, loosening his grip.

This wasn’t right. Even if I were truly Orias’s sister, revealing that I knew this now would only ensure I wouldn’t make it to the Empire and instead trigger the confinement ending.

Judging by Ardal’s death mentioned in the warning, it seemed likely that the captured Ardal would die trying to rescue me from the Pope.

“Haniel. Answer me.”

“I-I…”

He leaned closer, aligning his gaze with mine.

“Go on, say something. What came to mind?”

“Am I… your younger sister?”

I stammered, voicing my thoughts aloud. Hearing my answer, Orias tilted his lips into a crooked smile and patted my head.

“You already knew the answer. So, do you resent me now?”

“What? What are you talking about? Why would I resent you?”

This was genuine. If Haniel really were Orias’s sister, what reason would she have to resent him?

If anything, wouldn’t she feel grateful to the one who made her a Saintess?

Noticing my sincere confusion, his expression softened as he observed me. I quickly added, “Orias, no matter what happens, I won’t resent you.”

“…How peculiar.”

“I told you I would be someone who belongs to you.”

“Such blatant lies… but sweet ones.”

<Route ‘Night of Despair’ Successfully Evaded!>

<Route: ‘The Pope’s Abyss’>

• Progress: 80%

“Quite the saintly thing to say.”

Orias chuckled weakly, as though all strength had left him. As he slumped down, he clung to my shoulders, embracing me as if he were seeking solace.

“Orias, are you alright?”

“…Haniel, do you want to go to the Empire?”

“What?”

“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”

What was with this sudden shift?

Shaking off his hands clutching my shoulders, I managed to create some distance between us.

If I didn’t go to the Empire, how was I supposed to log out? Of course, I had to go.

Grabbing his face, I firmly declared, “I want to go.”

“You won’t be treated kindly there. People will look down on you like you’re insignificant. If you stay here, you won’t be treated as a Saintess anymore, but Ardal will still look after you, and I… this time…”

“I’ll leave as planned tomorrow morning.”

When I resolutely rejected Orias’s offer, he knelt in place, staring at me blankly.

I needed to go to the Empire to log out and capture the remaining characters.

“I’ll bring back what you want from the Empire. Just wait for me.”

If I said I wanted to stay, I’d be locked into the Pope’s single route. But no matter how I thought about it, the Pope wasn’t my type. At this point, having already captured Ardal, there was no reason to switch to Orias’s route.

As I spoke decisively to Orias, who was staring at me with a serious expression, his eyelids fluttered as if he were mesmerized.

Fixated on my face, he tilted his head and leaned in to kiss me. Unlike his usual relaxed demeanor, his kiss was rough and intense.

<Affection Levels>

Pope (Orias): ♥♥♥♥♥ (Maximum affection level reached)

• Once the maximum affection level is reached, the level will not decrease.

<Route: ‘The Pope’s Abyss’>

• Progress: 100%

<The probability of entering the Reverse Harem Ending has increased!>

• Captured Characters: (2/6)

<Charm Increased by (+30)>

• Current Charm: 90
• Higher charm levels make capturing characters easier.

Standing before the door, Orias hastily removed my coat and sacred garments. Matching his urgency, I wrapped my arms around his back.

Breaking the kiss, he supported my thighs and lifted me into the air. As I clung to him, I gasped for breath, struggling to calm my pounding heart.

Grasping a handful of my hair, Orias exposed my ear and whispered softly, “If you ever change your mind, contact me anytime. I’ll have a place prepared for you to return to.”

Before I could respond, he tightened his grip on my hair and bit my lips roughly.

***

[Pope (Orias) Captured!] Character Information Unlocked

Capture Target 2: Orias [The Pope]

• [Disposition: Evil++]

<Gameplay Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆>

• With no Dead Endings, the gameplay difficulty is low.

<Capture Difficulty: ★★★★★>

• While the gameplay itself isn’t hard, capturing Orias is extremely challenging because he is the player’s sibling.

***

Capture Method: “Stimulate Guilt Toward the Player”

• To capture Orias, whose disposition leans heavily toward Evil, it is necessary to invoke memories of the past, causing him to feel guilt toward the player.
• Affection < Guilt: Reverse Harem Ending possible.
• Guilt < Affection: Reverse Harem Ending impossible; enters individual route.

Preferred Traits: None

[S] Playstyle Preference: Technique, Respect, Restraint

***

Revealed Events

1. ‘The Pope’s Investigation’: A three-part event series:

1). Seducing Ardal

2). Evading the Pope’s Suspicion

3). Investigating the Pope

[Orias Endings]

Happy Endings:

1. [Information Hidden] (Perfect Ending)
2. ‘The Pope’s True Intentions’ (True Ending)
3. ‘The Pope’s Abyss’ (Reverse Harem Happy Ending)

Bad Ending:

1. ‘Night of Despair’