The Male Protagonist is Broke - Chapter 3 (Part 1)

Chapter 3 – Tutorial is over! Time for the Real Quest

The system blinked as if the quest wasn’t over yet.

[What to do? Our hero, Archduke Cassis Luwin, has gone bankrupt. It seems that the bankrupt Grand Duke will focus more on his family than on the situation on the continent or the survival of the empire. That’s right! The empire, and by extension the continent, is currently on the verge of destruction!]

Ha…

[Currently, the only hope for the Empire is the player ‘Irina Sheik.’]

Ha……

No matter how desperate you are, don’t mess with the original story.

In many other romance novels, when they touch on the original work, the male lead falls in love with the possessed person. Why is the male lead going bankrupt?

[‘Irina Sheik’. Pay off the debt of Cassis Luwin, the hero of the empire, and save the empire from destruction! The main quest, ‘Preventing the Fall of the Empire’, will be carried out simultaneously with the linked quest ‘Repaying the debt of the Archduke Luwin’s family.’
Would you like to accept the quest?
<Accept> <Reject>]

‘……’

‘You can even say no?’

If I don’t take part in the ‘Prevent Destruction’ quest, won’t someone else do it for me and prevent the destruction of the empire?

Whatever, screw it. I’m enjoying my life until I fall.

[No! Aaaah! No!]

[Wait for a moment! Nooo! Irina, no!]

As expected, the system went into chaos.

‘Oh, why? I won’t do it. I won’t pay off the debt!’

No, I can’t pay it back!

Debt can also be paid off with inheritance, so why do I have to pay off someone else’s debt?
I wonder if the fall of the empire should be solved by the male protagonist sitting over there, and not me.

[That, that. The destruction will be resolved by the male protagonist.]

[Our Irina just needs to pay off Cassis’ debt so that the male protagonist can solve the destruction~]

[It’s so easy, isn’t it?]

‘Are you kidding?’

[The words have become shorter.]

[I’m scared.]

The amount I had paid back was by no means a small amount.

‘What happens when I press ‘Reject’?’

[What happens? Everything, including the chain quests, will be destroyed, and we will be on our way to destruction.]

‘Sh1t.’

Destruction. Destruction!

Why should a small citizen like me be responsible for the fate of the empire?

The system was silent for a long time due to my swearing, then continued.

[… …]

[I understand. That’s how I feel too. How did this beautiful world come to destruction?]

I didn’t even care to wonder why it is going into ruins.

Why was it me? A feeling of unfairness rose from below me.

But whether I felt wronged or not, the system continued to speak.

[But what can we do? Click ‘Yes’!]

[Okay? Irina! Hurry!!]

I shook my head at the system’s words full of exclamation marks.

Instead, I tried to check the second main quest, ‘Repay the debt of Archduke Luwin’s family.’

[The quest ‘Repaying the debt of the Archduke Luwin’s family’ is carried out in conjunction with ‘Preventing the fall of the empire.’]

[If you accept the ‘Prevent the Fall of the Empire’ quest, the second quest will be automatically accepted.]

[Once accepted, a quest cannot be stopped nor cancelled.]

However, only these obvious details were provided, and no other details were given.

I was very anxious because they didn’t tell me exactly how much he owed. After hesitating for a while, the system spoke again.

[What are you worrying about? We will help you this time too.]

[That’s right. Believe in oppa, Irina. Ah, ah! !*Of?1 Isms?!?!?!]

I shook my head at the seemingly broken writing.

‘What on earth are you, System people?’

What on earth is it that makes the words look garbled every time you try to say something that reveals a little about yourself?

[That’s a secret for now.]

[If you ‘accept’ the quest, maybe that information will be unlocked?]

Is it important to know about the identity of the system?

What matters is the debt. Debt.

‘I will not.’

I just turned off all system windows.

When I turned my head back to the living room, I saw Ijin in a strangely calm mood.

Why?

When I turned my head, Cassis was also there in a similar state.

The Count Sheikh’s drawing room may look shabby on the outside, but it was a warm and cozy space. It was always like that.

There had been a breath-taking silence in this space from the moment Cassis entered.

I wanted to lighten the mood somehow, but I also couldn’t return to the light mood that had subsided due to the return of a new debt quest.

I just glanced at Cassis Luwin’s face and kept repeating these two thoughts, ‘He’s handsome’ and ‘How did he end up in debt?’

[He looks good, right?]

‘Yes.’

As a male lead, he had a very handsome appearance. A pure white face, jet black hair, and red eyes. His appearance alone was amazing, but the gloomy atmosphere surrounding him made him even more decadent.

Was the original male lead like that?

[Is it not possible?]

[Just close your eyes and help.]

Irina lowered the system window that had risen arbitrarily and clapped her hands to attract everyone’s attention.

Rather than staying like this for hours, I thought it would be better to send Cassis to his room.

“Well, then, since His Highness must be tired, would you like to go in and rest first? William will guide you to your room.”

“Please excuse me first.”

“Then take a good rest.”

“I will message you again later in the evening.”

Even though the dinner would be very simple given our circumstances. When I asked him a question, he nodded.

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