Chapter 3

“If only you hadn’t come down with tuberculosis…”

The Viscountess of Porleng couldn’t finish her sentence. The Viscount pressed a hand to his forehead.

“The fate of House Porleng, and your fate, Sennia… they would have been so different.”

They were genuinely regretful about it. Then the Viscountess asked cautiously.

“Did the knights stand out that much?”

“Yes.”

Stand out? They were impossible to miss. Forty pure DPS knights—jackpot.

“Then, will you pick up a sword after all this time?”

A sword? I glanced at my pitiful HP bar reading [8/10].

Then I looked back at the Viscountess.

“That’s…”

If I swung it and broke my arm, it’d be a dungeon fail, right?

I trailed off, and the Viscountess’s shoulders slumped again.

No, don’t look so disappointed! I’ll get to it someday!

Someday… like when my HP hits over 1,000? When I escape trash-tier civilian status?

Ah, thinking about that “trash-tier” label pisses me off all over again.

My ears and eyes were used to hearing nothing but S-rank and special-rank talk. Having “trash-tier” slapped on me was a whole new level of shock.

A shock I desperately wanted to overcome.

Was the system just screwing with me?

“Don’t rush her, dear.”

The Viscount patted his wife’s shoulder.

Kikal’s second brother, Rikas de Porleng, chimed in from nearby.

“She’s right, Mother. Besides… the ‘succession rite’ is already over. Even if Sennia’s illness clears up now…”

His own shoulders sagged.

Succession rite? What’s that?

Whoa, quick on the draw. I quickly scanned the quest window.

Wow, ten times my current full HP! Killer reward!

So without the TB, Sennia would’ve been the heir?

Did she have sword talent?

But the rite’s already done, right?

I raised an eyebrow.

And sure enough, at the very bottom in tiny print—like the fine print after an insurance ad—there was a warning.

What the hell am I supposed to do now???

Shin Yuli Hunter’s brain has logged out!

Already over—now what?

In the meantime, the stairs at the end of the corridor loomed into view.

And already my stamina had dipped, blurring my vision. Even with support, it was like this.

“Let’s rest here a moment.”

Going down those stairs like this meant death!

I raised a hand, and the maids sprang into action.

In seconds, a chair appeared—complete with fluffy cushion and blanket.

Luckily, the cushion was soft enough that the chair didn’t drain any more stamina.

Whoa! Thank you! Fifty minutes to full HP!

That’s when it happened.

“Ah, you’re out, miss!”

A portly chef came rushing over from afar, practically sprinting.

Steaming soup bowl in hand.

The maids swiftly set up a table before me.

Soup placed down, followed by… some kind of pudding skewer?

Hmm, even ramen tastes new on the house balcony.

Eating on the landing with the window open? Not bad.

And right before my eyes: the glorious sight of forty pure DPS knights drilling in formation.

Perfect for munching while watching—

“…Could someone close the window?”

My family’s expressions soured again.

“Right, it’s still too much for you to watch the knights train. Of course.”

They nodded sympathetically.

No, that’s not it at all! You have no idea the agony of a 10-HP max!

“At least try eating this.”

The Viscountess personally placed a spoon in my hand.

The soup had cooled to the perfect temperature.

Good—no burning my palate and losing HP.

I habitually checked the soup’s info—and nearly popped my eyes out.

I didn’t even register the last line.

The helpful localization tooltip above had my jaw on the floor.

Insane! Making soup out of dungeon spirit mushrooms!

Those were god-tier items that expanded your FULL HP cap—rare as hell, with even a 3cm cap fetching billions.

But they had to be eaten whole to work. Sliced up like this? Just fancy mushrooms.

“Go on, eat up.”

The Viscountess gripped my spoon-holding hand tight.

Fine… already sliced.

I shoveled in a bite worth an apartment—and forgot all about real estate.

“…!”

This texture. This flavor.

The soup’s silky embrace around my tongue.

The salty savoriness hit me like a shiver after so long without. And that melt-in-your-mouth chew of the golden spirit mushroom…

“…Delicious.”

The words slipped out unbidden.

Whoa! Leveling specs is easy!

That’s when the hunter chat pinged.

The imperial prince type, Shin Jae-hoon. As I went to reply—

Shin Jae-hoon, usually all jokes, sounding this serious? Must be bad.

Makes sense. RP dungeons hit high-spec possessions with tough personal quests.

“?”

I blinked. Not just imperial—emperor?

Emperor backing acquired. But he kept going.

His messages piled up.

Total steal!

Perfect timing with that heir quest.

Vassal or whatever—an emperor ruling nobles could probably force a redo on a house succession rite, right?

Just as I thought things were falling into place—

Joo Yian’s voice came through, dead serious.

His voice was killer—always top five among “star-quality S-rank hunters.”

Nutyube even had a “Joo Yian ASMR” sleep channel compiling his interviews.

That baritone soothed the soul or whatever.

Of course, tell him that and his face goes beet red as he covers it with both hands.

‘Hunter Shin Yuli… please, no embarrassing stories like that…’

Handsome guy with light brown hair blushing and hiding his face? Killer every time.

And when he takes off his ever-present monocle to rub his face dry? Total meltdown material…

What now? I blinked.

I could picture him hesitating.

“?”

I gaped, family be damned.

Emperor backing story, followed by pope backing story.

But pick one? Who designed this dungeon?

I set down my spoon and buried my face in my hands.

Backings were the best for clearing RP dungeons—but these two were set to clash.

My last hope: Soyeri the hunter.

Tower Lord! Figure something out!

And that’s how we learned the Karman Empire was an animal kingdom where the imperial family, church, and mage tower viciously checked each other—that afternoon.