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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Gatekeeper
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Once a game that swept the indie market.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Medieval Fantasy: Raising a Gatekeeper]
A screening simulation game where you inspect the documents and belongings of entrants.
A game where you encounter all sorts of people—workers, criminals, other races, hero parties, and more.
The key to its massive success was the ability to choose the protagonist's status.
Your status determined your perspective, branching endings, and goals.
That created endless variety, drawing in tons of players hooked on the charm.
The most popular choices were noble or soldier.
As a noble, you mass-produced gatekeepers with your starting capital. As a soldier, you seized the throne through intel gathering and a coup.
But the one I played the most was 'Slave'.
Slave had heavy restrictions early on.
Perfect for players who loved a challenge, and ironically, it offered one of the highest degrees of freedom. Late-game, you could become anything.
"Still, this is too much."
⚔ STATUS ⚔⚔ Status: Slave💰 No Salary: Cannot earn money normally.🛡️ Rights Deprived: Cannot leave the gate.
"I never said I wanted to be a real slave..."
At some point, I'd been possessed as the gatekeeper in the game.
Sure, I enjoyed playing slave in the game, but turning a perfectly normal person into one? No thanks.
In my past life, I was a money-grinding machine like a slave. Now they want me to be a real one?
Overnight, I was out on the streets.
The only way a slave could get money was through bribes.
But even taking bribes didn't change much.
I couldn't leave the gate, so I couldn't head to town to buy items.
You might wonder why I played slave so much if you couldn't earn money or leave.
Because slaves had abilities worth the risk.
⚔ STATUS ⚔✨ Ability: True Appearance💬 Trust/affinity: Rises during conversations.🔍 Body Search: Discomfort reduced.🤝 Negotiation: Success rate increases.
The core was [Body Search discomfort reduction].
For reference, Body Search meant tentacle search—physically patting down the body.
For women, discomfort spiked during Body Search, but True Appearance let you extend the search time.
Slaves' biggest perk.
"Without this, who'd play slave."
It was also an essential stat booster no other class could get.
For a slave who couldn't earn money or buy items, inspections were the only way to survive.
After sorting things out in my head, I looked around.
A fixed desk.
Two chairs facing it.
And a rusty iron axe behind me—that was the whole rundown shack.
"Nothing here at all."
As expected, slaves started with nothing but basics.
You had to get by on the occasional bread scraps.
I opened the shack door and stepped out.
Behind me stood the village entrance, guarded by two soldiers.
"This is really the game world."
I hadn't felt it inside, but now it hit me.
"Hey, slave! What're you doing out here?"
While I was spacing out, a soldier in iron armor approached.
"Just getting some air."
"Snap out of it and get back inside, punk. Don't even think about running."
The soldier jabbed my chest with his fist, gruff as ever.
His punch felt like a rock even though it was light.
Just a quick step out, and he lays into me.
Looks like [Rights Deprived] made leaving the shack a hassle.
I shut the door and sat on the wooden chair, closing my eyes to think.
That soldier was definitely Kyle.
Kyle was an NPC in the tutorial village.
From the game lore, he'd been an imperial knight, got caught groping women while drunk, and was exiled to this backwater.
How you screwed with Kyle changed the game's direction entirely, making him super popular.
💬 Comments— Anon (131.121)"Married Kabung off to the innkeeper's shota this run lololol"— Anon (1.123)"Poor Kabung got sold to a heavyweight lady today"— Anon (12.223)"Accidentally killed Kyle right at the start—can I revive him? (Noble)"
Just off the top of my head, tons of community posts came to mind.
Kyle was mostly an extortion target for players, so the forums called him "Kabung" and memed him relentlessly for it.
Seeing Kyle gave me hope, though.
This was the tutorial village—low traffic.
First things first, I had to ditch this slave status ASAP.
⚔ STATUS ⚔⚔ Slave📜 Liberation Conditions1. Emancipation Writ: 1,000,000G2. ?????3. ?????
The surefire way was saving bribes for an Emancipation Writ from the military.
But scraping together a million gold in bribes? Not easy.
Fine if I wanted to slave away for 10 years, but...
So, find the two hidden methods.
"I'll figure that out step by step."
Conditions changed per playthrough, so no rush.
One year.
My goal: free from slave status in one year.
For that, before starting inspections, I needed a wardrobe change first.
I checked my reflection in the glass window.
True to slave life—ragged sackcloth, body filthy like I hadn't showered properly.
"Need clothes."
Decision made, I opened the shack door again.
A familiar glare hit me moments later.
"You little shit. Didn't I tell you to stay put? Why're you out again?"
Kyle approached once more.
"I want to make a deal."
"A deal?"
"Straight to business: I need a uniform."
I led with the point.
Uniform was essential for later events. No uniform meant instant game over, so change ASAP.
"Slave's gone mad."
Kyle grabbed my collar like it was ridiculous.
"What does a slave have to offer in a deal? Did some noble slip you pocket change?"
He shook my collar aggressively, laughing.
Too bad I had nothing as a slave.
"Sorry. As a slave, I own nothing. And I'm not owned by any noble."
"What?"
Kyle dropped his hand, face turning beet red.
-Thwack.
"Urk..."
His fist slammed into my gut. The earlier chest taps were child's play—this was real pain, unlike anything I'd felt.
Didn't expect a full punch right away.
As I retched on the ground, Kyle approached again.
"Ha... Fucking unbelievable. Wasting away in this shithole village is bad enough, now the slave's mocking me."
He huffed, grabbed my hair, and yanked me up.
What?
This wasn't right.
Ah, probably that.
"S-sorry. May I ask your name, sir?"
"It's Kyle. Yeah, slave boy. If you wanna deal, ask the man's name first. So, what makes you think you can deal?"
Luckily, Kyle had calmed a bit and showed interest in the deal again.
Leading with business was the issue.
He was stuck on the "Kabung" stereotype and hadn't grasped my status properly.
This was medieval. He was a soldier.
I was a slave.
Forgot that.
"Sir Kyle, any women in the village catch your eye?"
"How'd you know?"
"Saw you eyeing a lady who passed by earlier."
"Hah."
Kyle snorted in disbelief.
Of course, that was a lie.
But at this point, Kyle was into the innkeeper's daughter.
He'd spent all day pondering how to woo her.
Kyle never ignored woman bait.
"Fine, what can you do?"
"I'll find her weakness for you."
"Weakness?"
"Yes."
Sure enough, his eyebrows twitched at "weakness."
Exiled for women, now peeking at asses all day.
Offer a woman's weakness? He'd bite.
"A slave can do that?"
"I'm also the gatekeeper."
Gatekeeper before slave. Our position meant even slaves could snag dirt on a woman easy with soldier backup.
"Alright. Innkeeper's daughter. Get her dirt. Uniform's yours."
"Sir Kyle, but my plan needs the uniform now."
He offered it later, but Kyle wasn't the promise-keeping type.
Had to stress I needed it immediately.
"Hmph... Fine. Uniform first. Fail, and I finish what I started. Got it?"
"Thank you."
"You already have a plan, huh. Anything else?"
Kyle bit the hook.
Suddenly convinced, he switched to asking for more demands.
What a maniac.
This the same guy who was about to kill me?
"I'd like to wash up."
"I'll have someone bring water later."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Still, ask for what I need.
"Ahem... Yeah."
Kyle was already fantasizing about the inn.
Grinning like he pictured rolling in bed with the innkeeper's daughter.
Idiot.
Lucky bastard, Kabung.
Won't touch another woman, but I'll get you promoted.
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