"I can't do this, I actually can't do this!" I worry, looking around at the unfamiliar streets and houses in front of me. It looked like a typical village you would see in those old-style medieval movies...concrete was nowhere to be found, and instead, the path was made up of mud and flat stones.
"But...I need to know about those harem settings somehow. I don't want to break an oath I made to my mother..." I think to myself, steeling my resolve with a determination to try again.
I walked towards the stone paths and looked around for any place that could give me a clue on what to do next, however...there was nothing to be found. I couldn't even go to any of the houses with the signs on them!
I mean, take a look at them!
"Marriage center? What use would that be for me when I'm not even married, to begin with? Armor shop? Equipment shop? Catelia's Blacksmith? What use would those shops be for me when I haven't even done this game's tutorial?" I complain inside my head, squinting hard at the shops with those names.
As I thought of quitting, I looked down-- finding out that the answer was at my fingertips all along.
My hands do have something that could help me, but I was just too overwhelmed with the situation to notice it! The bag that the goddess gave me surely must have something there...right?
I open the bag and try to look for anything inside, and to my avail, I find two things. One, being a dagger and a...a marriage ring?
I blink a few times, wondering if this was just the result of me being hysterical because of all the times I had to think about harem and harem and harem...but no. Apparently not? It was truly a marriage ring...
It was crude, wooden, and did not seem to have any sort of gem in the middle. Instead, what was there in the middle of the ring was a piece of stone that was shaped like a gem. Naturally, it was of bad quality.
I look at it again and rub my forehead. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Run to some random girl and propose to her?"
Thus, knowing better, and knowing that there is nothing to be gained from just looking around and not doing anything at all, I might as well log out and check the forums.
After all, what else do I know about Charming Beauties aside from the fact that it's a harem and RPG game?
"Log out," I think to myself, hoping I will be transported back to the title screen, but nothing happens.
Hah...this is nuts, so I have to log out myself via some...some item or device in the game? Well, since I don't even have a clue on what to do, I suppose asking some of the people here what to do.
"Excuse me," I tap the shoulder of a blonde-haired woman wearing leather armor. She seems experienced, so I thought it would be a good thing to ask her. However, she only looks at me horrified. I try to appease her worries, however, it ends with her tapping the shoulder of the guy beside her.
Looking at the guy, he seemed exactly like me...well, not looks-wise. He was pretty built with lean shoulders and a fit physique. And I...I looked like a twink.
Search that up...I only remember being described like that when I was in school.
Nonetheless, we had the same set of clothes, and we even had the same bag that the goddess gave me! The only difference was that he was wearing leather armor too, just like the woman beside him.
Not wanting to accidentally offend him, I tried to greet him, but he was already gripping his sword tightly. "Are you challenging me?" He scoffs, looking down at me with a sneer. Immediately, I respond to him defensively.
"N-no, I didn't-" I try to say, but he cuts me off with his next words. "You know what's at stake, bring out one of your women." At this point, he has already unscathed his sword from his scabbard.
What? Women? Why would I-
"I...I don't have any?" I looked at him puzzled, and he looked back at me with squinted eyes and frowned brow. "What do you mean you don't-" He asks again with an impatient tone, but he only ends up cutting his own words with a mirthy laugh after staring at me for a long time.
"Ah! You're one of the newbies! A weird one at that, I thought you would already know some of the stuff here!" He says merrily, tapping my shoulder with a soft grip. It's the complete opposite of the hostility he showed to me earlier. Without knowing what to do or say, I laugh back at him.
"I can see you're interested in my Andrea. She's pretty, isn't she? Her class is a warrior," He boasts pridefully, as the blonde woman beside him only smiles at me wryly.
It's still a mystery to me why he refers to her, a woman as if she's an item. It may be due to the nature of the game, but even so, is that really the norm here? Even for the NPCs? It's quite unusual...
"If you want a woman of your own, just ask around for anyone interested in your marriage ring...although, you might only capture a simple housewife or maid. Shouldn't be a problem though, many of them roam around the streets here," He says thoughtfully, placing his hands on his chin, making use of his knowledge knowing that I am still a newbie.
"Thank you, sir, but that's not what I meant to ask," I say with a sheepish and shy smile on my face, hoping he won't be mad at me. Thankfully, he isn't and only waits for me to ask my question.
"I was wondering...how do I log out of this game? And...what are the controls? Are there menus? Buttons?" I ask a barrage of questions, and at this point, he looks even more exasperated.
It seems like he's met not just a noob, but a super noob?...
"Log out? Just go to the center of the city," He points to a path. "You see that beam of light? That's where you'll find the center," He answers with a nod. "And as for the controls..." He hesitates, looking at me as if I'm an idiot. But I suppose that's deserved. I am.
"There are none? There's no menu or anything that keeps track of your progress," And with those words, a look of confusion also contorts my face.
"W-what?...there is no system or controls?!" I exclaim loudly, almost causing a fuss for everyone around us...but the man in front of me only laughs, amused at my naivety.
But still! What am I going to do if there are no system or controls?!