It was then.
It was at that very moment that I was scarred permanently.
From a moment that has long haunted me...6 years ago, the last memories of that very scenery were the screams of my mother, who did nothing but punch and desperately cling to my father.
Her tears soiled the floor, and her hands were trembling, as if she were doing her best to keep her calm amidst the turmoil that brewed that very moment.
And...I could remember that cold look my father had in his eyes.
With his ever-stern countenance, he stared directly at both me and my mother.
His eyes were both a shrouded haze of relief and an icy glare that bore right into me.
It was at that moment that I could tell that my father, the one who had raised me for 13 years...
And the one who has always reminded me to stay upright and true...
Was the same person who had broken my family in hopes of chasing another woman's arms.
It was a finality: a means to an end for what our family came to be.
I knew then that this action was ireedemable.
Young as I was: I knew the gravity of the situation.
At that very moment, he no longer wanted anything more to do with my mother.
Or me, his child, for that matter.
So, with a strong grip on his briefcase and a rough push on the woman he used to love dearly...he left our house to chase his "true dreams".
Leaving both my mother and me to fend for ourselves.
A barrage of tears and wails of cries echoed through the living room— an unforgettable scene witnessed by the 13-year-old me.
Since then, my mother has only commanded me to do one thing.
"Rodrick...Rodrick Leinart, never become like your father. Never become a bastard who would end up cheating on your partner."
And those very words were the first time my mother had ever declared me to follow her wishes.
Up until now and always, she has told me to live my life happily and make choices that befit my path, but that request of hers...
It was her sole plea.
The plea of my happy and quiet mother...
And also the plea of my destitute mother, whose back has arched and whose knees are bent.
Dutiful as I was, I promised her that I would never break that promise.
But if so, then why...
Why am I...
Why am I holding the VR Console Game "Charming Beauties"?!
You can argue that I'm desperate for something like a lover— but that would only be lies! That's not true in the slightest given my situation!
In fact, it doesn't even make sense that I would even hold this type of VR Game in the first place!
I've never had a girlfriend, and you're telling me that the priority of this game is to marry multiple women and create an army that would help you defeat beasts and monsters?!
It's absurd! How would I even go around my way of marrying one person when I have absolutely zero interest in my love life?!
But then again...this game is my only hope left since it is the ONLY available source of good income I have left in my arsenal.
The money I get from working part-time as a student will no longer cover the fees for my whole college tuition...
But that's not the problem here at all. Nada.
What's more important is...how can I even work part-time when there's no workplace available anymore?!
Yes! You heard me! No workplace!
The small shop near my house where I used to work as a nighttime cashier was just demolished two months ago!
And this just so COINCIDENTALLY happened after my senior high school life ended...the perfect time that I could have spent working to save some money!
...and as much as I would love to work elsewhere, it would be risky.
Especially if my mom finds out.
Goodness forbid what she would do if she did...
After all, I'm making money against my mother's wishes.
Told her I was hanging out with friends from afternoon until late at night...when in truth, I've been working my ass off.
Until now, she still doesn't know.
Goodness, truly, I'm an unfilial son...
So, the most logical option would be to just earn money from this game, right?
Especially when it's the game that most people are playing right now...a game that never faded through time despite its first release being a year ago?
I mean, take a look at most of the men playing the game...they splurge their money to obtain and marry all the women they want— or on gear and equipment to enjoy their power-trip adventures!
I mean, they gotta make use of the RPG features the game has, right?!
And from an opportunistic standpoint, let's not forget its most appealing part...the fact that you can do almost everything with the women in your harem.
Yes. Even that.
So, with that in mind, think of everything this game is made up of...
Yep, exactly— now you can already imagine how it's advertised.
It's a complete package of lewd degeneracy and nuanced adventure-like features.
I tell you, it's a type of madness!
...but it's also an opportunity! It's my only opportunity, so why the heck am I hesitating on something like this?
It's a possible lifeline. And this is all a win-win situation...I get to earn money, and my mom won't notice a thing.
...and so, with a sigh, I take a look at the VR console game with a look of annoyance and hesitation.
"There's no going back now," I whisper to myself abruptly while properly setting myself up for the game.
I just got to attach the helmet and the several connecting wires on my body...
And ta-da! It's done!
"...I won't be forced to marry many women, right?..." I question myself, hoping that at the very least, this option could be up to my predilection.
Thus, bracing myself for the awaited moment, I connect the plug of this weird contraption to the electrical socket.
"My savings...I've spent them all to play this game and buy the cheapest gear available," I remind myself, gritting my hand into a fist.
"I hope I make at least enough money this summer to last for one semester in college...maybe more if I'm lucky." I think hesitantly, hoping that this opportunity would bring me what I desire.
Thus, after 10 minutes, I started to see the loading screen boot up, instinctively making me sweat profusely.
The cheapest headgear for this specific game is something that will test your patience for sure.
However, it's beneficial to me since the faster the time flows, the worse it would be for me...and the title screen popping up just as I thought of it did not make it any better for my current situation!
Like sure, when you're seeing this now, it's a pretty logo that was made with the game's name in mind...
And sure, the fantasial engravings in the center brought more interest to the gameplay...
But it doesn't help shake off my nerves! Nada! I'm still nervous!
Nonetheless, it seems like it's still an RPG game at its core, despite the rather debaucherous advertisements I've seen of this game.
So that must be a good sign...haha.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this...please forgive me, mother..."
Thus, with a single tap of my finger, I get transported to some ethereal haven that's comparable to ones that are seen in mythologies and religions!
It seemed like I was floating on clouds with white, blue, and yellow hues. The air that was swirling around left a trail of misty scents that made me feel oddly comfortable despite the unfamiliarity of it all.
In fact, I didn't even have a chance to get too comfortable. Not when something interrupts me from my daze.
"Oh, an adventurer," A feminine voice remarked, her voice echoing in the vast medium of clouds. As a response to my own curiosity, I take a look around and try to look for the source of the sound...only to find a beautiful woman descending from above.
She had an ethereal and mystical cloak that draped down her body, covering not only the back portion of her body but also her visage. She was also wearing a white dress with a small slit, revealing her smooth, chocolate-colored skin.
Somehow, I could feel her sharp but elegant eyes boring down on me...and not even in a good way. She sighs, resembling the same displeasure I had when I thought about even entering the game.
Haha. At least there's someone here who doesn't want to interact in this game either...
"Welcome to the world...of Charming Beauties," The woman says...almost unwillingly. She lets out a scoff and summons a bag to hand to me. "Today marks an epic adventure, one that would signify the start of a hero and his harem of beauties," She speaks again.
This time, with a particular distaste for the word "harem".
I look at her, puzzled.
She seems...too real, as if she were to be developed not as a goddess who aids happily in the adventures of players as shown in other typical games, but as a goddess whose monotonous job is to welcome adventures.
However, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still hesitant about this...especially with how realistic the graphics and emotions felt by the beauties in here are.
I want to ask her questions about the marriage options in this world.
Do I even have a choice in choosing who I will be wed to? Or will girls just be given left and right when I accomplish certain quests? Do I even have a girl to be married to in the first place?
"You will be teleported to a random continent in the world of Belunia." The woman snaps her fingers, casting a spell that covers my body with a bright glow. "May you bring glory and honor to Belunia...hero." She says with annoyance, as I look at her, puzzled.
Glory and honor? So this truly was an RPG game despite its main appeal being harems.
Perhaps I thought too wrongly about this game? Maybe I can just abuse the RPG aspects of the game to get my money's worth and avoid the harem one...
So, I quickly reverted my confused expression into that of a neutral one.
I am in the presence of a goddess, so I have to maintain dignity and act properly.
And in just a few seconds after the glow of light was cast, I was teleported the second time today.
This time into a world I have never stepped into...
"So this is the world of Charming Beauties," I say to myself in a quiet tone, enraptured by the mystical scenery in front of me.
It's as if the mundane everyday things in life were revitalized to become this very scene in front of me— a medieval world comprised of a mix of beautiful colors and magical objects.
"Belunia looks beautiful...but what continent was I dispatched to? How many continents are there?" I whisper to myself as I think of exploring the world first before I start my journey.
But...the realization hits, and I forgot the most important thing to do before proceeding...
Shit! I'm an idiot!
How do I only toggle an option to have one wife instead of a harem?!