The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

Chapter 44

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 44

[This journal tells the story of my time as Camon. I intend to bury my regrettable life and name within this record and fulfill my responsibility. I pray that I can achieve my goal, even if it means becoming an anonymous corpse.]

—Whoa

—Anonymous corpse;

—Who is Camon?

—Is he part of Lia's family?

—There were more NPCs in Edlen than I thought;

The first page of the notebook began with a heavy and solemn introduction.

Hanbit slowly turned the next page.

Rustle-

[The man named Camon was an unfortunate human being. A hideous face, a hunched back, skin covered in burn scars. Adults and children alike avoided him with looks of disgust. This was his unchanging life for over 60 years.]

[One day, a person appeared who did not hate Camon. A little girl with blonde hair who happened to meet his eyes. Their first encounter was in the alley where his workshop was located, as she was sneaking around. The child, with not a shred of disgust in her gaze, introduced herself as Lia.]

[Lia visited him every day, saying she was being chased by a man named Cowen. Camon was bewildered, not knowing what to do, but as time passed, he found great comfort in her. It had been decades since he had such a conversation with anyone. Camon, with a grateful heart, presented the girl with a toy doll he had crafted with care.]

[One day, the child visited Camon with a man named William. He introduced himself as the girl's father and the mayor of Edlen. Their family name was Norton. The child's name was Liventia.]

—Liventia?

—Lia is Liventia?

—Didn't she say this was her room when she came in?

—Yeah, and ‘Liventia's Diary’ is right next to her.

—Then she's really from the Norton family?

—And even the former mayor's daughter. lol

—Gwanghwamun tteokbokki is here lol

Viewers reacted with surprise at the confirmed identity of Lia.

Hanbit turned his gaze to the back.

"Lia, come and look at this."

"...Okay."

Lia, who was fiddling with a toy, slowly got up.

"What is it?"

She stood next to Hanbit and looked at the two notebooks on the table.

And when she saw the titles, Lia's eyes widened.

"Huh...?"

Flustered, she quickly opened 'Liventia's Diary (Do Not Read)'.

[Today, I sneaked out to play in the streets. I liked that people gave me a lot of snacks. But I got caught by Cowen and had to go home early.]

[I met a grandpa named Camon who diligently hides his face. Is he shy? He was about to cry, so I shared one of my snacks with him.]

[Grandpa Camon is a good listener. But why does he keep saying thank you? He's so different from Cowen, it's funny.]

[I received so many birthday presents. There were a lot of toys, but the doll Grandpa Camon gave me was the prettiest. I should show it off to Dad. Oh, Cowen gave me a wooden sword as a present, so I'm a little upset.]

[Today, I went to see Grandpa Camon with Dad. It seemed like he wanted him to make something for our house. I hope we get a playground.]

—So cute.

—But Cowen knew Lia?

—Is it a person with the same name?

—Didn't they look for the guild leader when Flona disappeared?

—Do they even know that Lia is alive?

The childish diary entries continued.

And then, after a few years worth of entries, the atmosphere changed.

[Dad fought with Uncle Brook. My uncle is scary when he shouts. I wish he wouldn't come to our house.]

[Uncle Brook came to visit again. I asked Cowen to take me outside.]

[I went to play at Camon's workshop with Dad. But he kicked me out, saying he had something to talk about. I was a little sad that they were talking without me.]

"..."

The diary ended on that page.

Lia didn't say anything for a while.

Only her hands holding the notebook were trembling slightly.

"Look at this too. It's written by the person named Camon."

"...Camon?"

Hanbit handed over Camon's notebook.

Lia received it and looked at the contents with a somewhat puzzled expression.

[When I came to my senses, I, Camon, was in charge of renovating the Norton family mansion. It was the first time I had received such a large commission, so I was flustered. However, I was glad to be able to express my gratitude to the Norton mother and daughter, who treated me like a human being. Was their request to create a secret passage for their daughter's amusement?]

[Shortly after the mansion's renovation was completed, the Nortons visited my workshop. Mr. William sent Miss Liventia outside. Then, with a darkened face, he made a request. He asked me to create a space to preserve his daughter's memories, a place where no one could find. The sorrowful expression on the mayor's face was difficult to describe. I nodded, accepting the order.]

[A few days later, an official document was issued stating that William Norton and his relatives would be executed. The charge was subversion and treason. It was absurd. Shocked, I ran barefoot to the Norton mansion. But it was already too late.]

[I collapsed on the ground and wept. I truly loathed myself for not being able to do anything. At least I could have willingly given up this insignificant life. At that moment, a man named Barres approached.]

-Barres?

-Why are you here?

-Backstabbing GOAT

-We should have killed this bastard first.

Viewers expressed their anger at the appearance of Barres.

He was a powerful ally in the Edlen episode, but later becomes a villain who continuously hinders the players.

Despite this known information, the players had no choice but to follow Barres’s words.

No one had found evidence that he was the mastermind at this point.

"Barres...!"

The trembling in Lia 's hand intensified.

Clenching her teeth, she turned the page, trying to control her anger.

[Barres, who took me somewhere, introduced himself as a confidant of the new mayor, Brook. But for some reason, he relayed an order to build a temple of the Holy Nation in the underground waterway. Detailed blueprints were also included.]

[A simple threat to kill me if I didn't comply. I didn't value my own life. My only regret was not being able to help the Nortons. Even though it was too late, I had to fulfill the mayor's request.]

[The construction, which began that day, involved some dolls. Apparently, they were laborers created with the Holy Nation's technology. Although absurd, it was better for my plan to have no people involved.]

[There was no secret space in Edlen. In that case, the best option was to hide it within a new space. A space to preserve Miss Liventia's memories. It was the room in the mansion where she spent the most time.]

[The structure of all the rooms I had examined during the mansion renovation was vivid in my mind. Moreover, I also had the reference mateLials provided by the mayor. The key was the magic tool ring, one of the Norton family heirlooms. It was crucial to include an authentication process using it. It was an extremely complex object, but I managed to decipher it by obtaining ancient books from overseas.]

[And so, I created the space beneath the temple altar. I did my best to match every detail. I decorated the entrance wall with the young lady's playful doodles and placed an identical replica of the toy doll I had given her. And finally, I carefully placed Miss Liventia's diary, given to me by the mayor, on the table, along with this note containing my own story.]

[If anyone reaches this space through the ring, they must be someone related to the Norton family who followed the mayor. If you want to know the truth, if you want to judge the vile and filthy Brook and Barres, go to my workshop.]

The record, written from the author's perspective, ended there.

What remained was a hidden message on the back of the last page.

[Now, I leave these words from a father that will never reach his daughter.]

"...?"

Seeing that sentence, Lia slowly lowered her gaze.

There, in a completely different handwriting from the record, words were inscribed.

[To Liventia]

I'm so sorry this birthday present is late.

You can blame your incompetent father, and cry as much as you want.

My beloved daughter, Liventia.

May happy days be with you.

"Ah..."

Lia caressed her father's dearly missed handwriting.

Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. Her silent weeping spoke volumes about the life she had lived.

-???

-Brook, that bastard.

-Barres is the mastermind.

-They're all the same.

-Black Dragon, let's kill them all.

-This was the real main story all along;

-There's a player who progressed through the story without the main character?

-It's all Adventurer A's fault.

-I agree.

Viewers, empathizing with the situation, began to express their indignation.

The Edlen episode they experienced was only a small part of the whole story. It was absurd to proceed without Lia in the first place.

"Was this the real story?"

Yeonwoo, who had progressed the same way as other players, also had a bewildered reaction.

However, this was a place anyone could reach if they put in the time and effort.

Ding-!

[Main Quest #3 Completed.]

[Received 80,000 gold.]

[4 Stat Points awarded.]

[Experience increased by 40,000.]

[Level increased by 1.]

[1 Stat Point awarded.]

[Progress significantly increased.]

[Main Quest #4: Evidence]

You have discovered the Holy Nation's temple in the underground waterway and Liventia's hidden room within.

The name Cowen appeared in the diary and Camon's records.

He might know something.

Objective: Talk to Guild Master Cowen.

Reward: None

*Current Progress: 43 percent

-Is that progress for real? lol

-It increased by like 15 percent.

-It takes like 16 main quests to get to 40 percent.

-It's my fault for trusting the guidebook and the community.

-Newbies are not at fault.

Regardless of the familiar reactions from viewers, the playthrough progressed quickly.

Hanbit turned his gaze to Lia, who was silently crying.

"Lia, let's go outside for now. There might be Holy Nation guys around."

"...Okay."

Lia, wiping her tears with her sleeve, nodded.

They took the notes and went outside, closing the secret room behind them before heading out of the waterway.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]