Chapter 2: Seriously?
"Capture the what?"
Sevi exclaimed, his disbelief growing. He stared at the screens, trying to make sense of the situation.
[In Vengeance in Progress v2, your goal is to form meaningful connections with the heroines. Successful relationships will influence the game's outcome.]
Sevi rubbed his eyes and looked around the room, still struggling to come to terms with his new reality.
"So, instead of fighting battles and seeking revenge, I'm supposed to... date people?"
[Correct. v1 focuses on fighting, but v2 emphasizes relationships and character development.]
Sevi sighed, glancing at the list of potential characters displayed on the screen.
Each character had a detailed profile, including likes, dislikes, and relationship potential.
"This can't be right," he muttered, scrolling through the list. "I clearly downloaded Version 1… the battle RPG, not some dating sim."
"It would make sense if I transmigrated to the battle RPG version 1," he grumbled, crossing his arms.
[The Administrator has deemed you worthy of completing Vengeance in Progress Version 2.]
"Complete it?" Sevi echoed. "What, was it unfinished or something?"
[Affirmative. Version 2 was discontinued due to excessive difficulty. While the capture targets were rated highly in appearance and personality, players struggled to progress.]
"Struggled how?" Sevi asked suspiciously.
[They were described as too independent and emotionally complex. Players failed to earn their affection or reach satisfactory endings.]
Sevi stared blankly at the glowing text.
"So… people quit because the capture targets had standards?"
[That is one interpretation.]
"You've got to be kidding me," Sevi groaned. "So I got stuck in a scrapped dating sim?"
Then a thought hit him.
"Wait… if this is Version 2, then the prince, the scrawny guy from the opening, he's the protagonist, right?"
[Correct. Prince Carion is the primary protagonist.]
Sevi blinked.
"But… I'm the young duke now. The bully who made his life miserable."
"Why am I the one completing the story when it's literally the protagonist's job to do that?"
[Because Version 2 was designed for extreme difficulty. The original protagonist repeatedly failed to win over any of the capture targets.]
[Therefore, you have been assigned to complete what he could not.]
Sevi frowned. "So you're telling me I have to steal the prince's love interests?"
[Affirmative. To fulfill the system's directive, you must succeed where the protagonist failed.]
"…Great," Sevi muttered, rubbing his temples. "I got isekai'd into a discontinued dating sim where I play the villain and seduce the prince's targets. Perfect."
[In v2, failing to establish meaningful relationships can lead to severe consequences.]
The screen shifted, displaying a more detailed breakdown of each character. A small icon next to each profile allowed Sevi to delve deeper into their backstories, preferences, and even a few suggested conversation starters.
"Great," Sevi muttered sarcastically. "A dating tutorial."
________________________________________
===== Heroine Profiles =====
1. Lady Cressida Everheart (Human)
Background: Lady Cressida is one of the princesses of the Everheart kingdom, known for its lush landscapes and vibrant culture. As a childhood friend of Sevi, Cressida shares a complicated history with him.
Likes: ???
Dislikes: ???
Relationship Potential: ???
Favorability: -50/100
2. Noemi Nightshade (Half human half beastman)
Background: Born of both human and beastman heritage, she possesses a unique blend of agility and strength.
Likes: ???
Dislikes: ???
Relationship Potential: ???
Favorability: ???
3. Isolde Winterborne (half elf, ???)
Background: Isolde Winterborne, a half-elf with a distinguished lineage, currently serves as the Vice President of the prestigious Celestial Academy.
Likes: ???
Dislikes: ???
Relationship Potential: ???
Favorability: ???
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???
7. ???
____________________________________
Sevi scrolled through the profiles and noticed the placeholders for some of the details. With a frown, he muttered, "What's with all the question marks?"
[The question marks indicate that some information about the heroines is yet to be fully revealed or updated. As you progress, these details will become clearer.]
Sevi's frustration grew as he reviewed the incomplete profiles.
"Is there any way to, you know, fight my way through this game instead of focusing on dating?"
[In v2, the focus is on developing relationships and character growth rather than combat. However, your previous skills in strategy and battles may still be useful in certain scenarios.]
Sevi grumbled in frustration, still not quite wrapping his head around the shift from battles to dating.
"Great. Just what I needed," he muttered, staring at the screen as if it would somehow change its mind.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The sound broke Sevi from his thoughts.
Sevi's grumbling was interrupted by a polite knock on the door. The maid, with a warm yet professional demeanor, entered the room and addressed him.
"Young master Sevi, it's dinnertime. Your mother has requested your presence in the dining hall."
Sevi sighed, glancing one last time at the screen.
"Alright, thanks. Lead the way."
He stood up and followed the maid down the grand corridor of his family's estate. The hall was adorned with tapestries and portraits. As he approached the dining hall, the aroma of a home-cooked meal began to waft through the air.
Entering the dining hall, he saw a beautiful silver-haired young woman already seated at the head of the long, elegantly set table. She looked up with a smile as he walked in.
'This is my mom? She's looked quite young..'
"Sevi, dear, come and join me," she said warmly.
Sevi's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.
'Can we actually finish this all..?'
The dining table was filled with an impressive amount of dishes; roast meats, fresh vegetables, warm bread, and desserts. The sheer volume of food was staggering, and his stomach grumbled in response to the tantalizing aromas.
He took his seat, feeling a mix of shock and hunger. As he looked at the spread, he couldn't help but think about the body he now possessed.
'The previous Sevi definitely is spoiled,'
"This is... a lot of food," Sevi said, trying to mask his surprise.
His mother looked at Sevi with a bemused expression.
"Oh, don't worry, Sevi. You can actually eat all of this in one sitting."
'Seriously...?' Sevi thought, quite mad at the indulgence of the old owner of the body that he possesses now.
Sevi nodded, a bit taken aback by his mother's casual assurance. He tried to maintain a neutral expression, not wanting to draw attention to his surprise or discomfort.
"Right. Well, it all looks really good."
While looking at the lavish food, Sevi suddenly found himself missing his old routine; the early morning protein shakes, the bland boiled eggs, the perfectly measured banana for post-workout carbs.
Now he was staring at enough calories to bulk an entire gym..
Suppressing a sigh, Sevi took his seat and focused on the meal in front of him. The aroma alone was almost enough to make him cave, but he kept his restraint while swearing in his thoughts about the previous owner's indulgence.
He decided to start with just a small portion, determined to avoid overdoing it.
As he ate, his mother chatted amiably, "Sevi, your father is scheduled to return in about two months. As you know, he's been busy on the monster subjugation mission."
Sevi looked up from his plate, his curiosity piqued by the mention of his father's return. "Two months huh..."
He decided to use the opportunity to get more information about his current situation.
With a focused thought, he addressed the system in his mind.
'Mind sharing some memories of the young duke and a description of my family? I could use a bit more context here.'
Almost immediately, a new screen popped up in front of Sevi, seemingly materializing out of thin air. The screen displayed various details: memories of the young duke's past interactions and brief descriptions of his family.
Sevi's eyes widened in surprise and a hint of embarrassment as the screen materialized before him. His heart raced slightly as he looked around, noticing that neither his mother nor the maids seemed to acknowledge the floating screen.
Sevi mentally scolded the system, his frustration boiling over.
' Couldn't you have given me a heads-up before popping this screen up?'
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as he continued to glance at the screen while keeping his composure.
The system's response was as impersonal as ever.
[Apologies for the inconvenience. The screen is only visible to you and will disappear once you have reviewed the necessary information.]
'Ohh.. my bad.'
Sevi took a deep breath and focused on the screen, quickly scanning through the memories and descriptions it displayed.
'So... the young duke is actually afraid of his father.' Sevi thought and continued reading.
[Sevi's fear of his father stems from the Duke's strict and harsh nature. Despite this fear, Sevi often finds himself repeating mistakes.]
[ Due to the immense stress, Sevi became overweight, turning to food for comfort from his father's expectations. The Duke was displeased with Sevi's appearance, seeing it as another failure. However, Sevi's mother remained unaware, as the Duke never scolded Sevi in her presence.]
The details helped him piece together a better understanding of his current situation.
As he was absorbed in the information, his mother's voice cut through his concentration.
"Sevi, dear, are you all right? I was just saying that Princess Cressida, Prince Carion, and Prince Croh will be arriving tomorrow."
Sevi snapped out of his thoughts, slightly disoriented. "Oh, right. Tomorrow."
Sevi felt a wave of fatigue at the thought of meeting the royal guests, but his mood shifted as soon as he heard the name Prince Carion.
"Prince Carion?" he repeated, his interest piqued.
'Isn't he the protagonist of this game?'
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