Furniture.
As the name suggests, It refers to items like chairs, tables, or sofas. However, there is a distinct category called Moving Furniture—objects capable of movement and performing tasks, much like servants.
Upon death, your Body (그릇) and Source (우주) would be transformed into Furniture, doomed to remain in the Abandoned House forever.
This was the penalty for failing to clear the Sixth Fable.
It was a fate far more terrifying than simply dying.
"Oh my, it seems this one has broken."
"Let's take her to the Housekeepers for repairs."
"Yes, yes, she'll be fixed and good as new."
The other servants quickly noticed the situation and hurried to carry the still-laughing, bleeding maid out of the dining room, disappearing to some unknown destination.
They didn't even acknowledge our existence.
It was as if we were invisible in their eyes.
The rest of the group could only stare at them in silence, uncomfortable. Soo Jinyoung remained motionless, showing no reaction.
Ryu Yeji spoke first. He looked at me and asked:
"You referred to that woman as furniture. What did you mean by that?"
"Exactly as I said. She became furniture the moment she failed to clear the Fable. Didn't you see the penalty message on the Fable window?"
I replied, my tone flat.
"That's ridiculous. How can furniture walk and breathe? She's still alive, right?"
"No. To become furniture, you have to die. At least, that's what I believe. Considering the system's message at the time, I doubt this conclusion is wrong."
"So, if we fail... will we end up like that?"
His voice trembled slightly.
Moon Jiyeon interrupted. She spoke calmly:
"Calm down. Dwelling on thoughts like that will only weigh you down. Let it go for now."
"T-That..."
Ryu Yeji exhaled slowly, managing to regain some composure.
"Ah, sorry. How do you all stay so calm in a situation like this? Honestly, I'm envious."
"Good grief. How have you made it this far with such little restraint?"
"I guess I've just been lucky."
In this world, no one survives on luck alone. You're either a murderer, or you're already dead.
I turned my head and saw Soo Jinyoung already combing through the place, searching for that item. She really moves fast.
However, sometimes, It wasn't good to be too fast.
I stepped forward, approached the large table, and crouched down. My gaze swept across the surface until it landed on a small, glimmering object that resembled a shining ball.
It was a spiritual item that usually didn't take a physical form, but it wasn't completely unusual for it to do so.
As expected, it was here.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips. The moment I grasped the small spiritual ball, a system notification appeared.
[Collected Shattered Fragments: 1/???]
Shattered Fragments.
The broken remnants of Memories. The clear objective of the Sixth Fable was to collect all the shattered fragments and unravel the mystery of the Abandoned House.
Those broken fragments were scattered throughout the House for players to find and collect them. They weren't easy to spot, unless you knew exactly where to look.
I stood up, raised the spiritual item, and called out to capture the attention of the party members.
"Everyone, attention please!"
As their gazes turned toward me, I began to explain.
"This item I'm holding is a Shattered Fragment. The objective of the Fable is to gather these fragments and examine them in order to solve the mysteries of this Abandoned House."
Moon Jiyeon asked, curious.
"What exactly are Shattered Fragments?"
"I don't know the entire details, but but from what I understand, these fragments are broken pieces of memories, scattered throughout the house. Collecting them is important if we want to clear the Fable."
"Interesting. So they're like clues to what happened here?"
"Exactly."
"That's very much true, indeed. Have you seen his baby pictures? It's downright scary."
Adrian's face twisted into a mock pout as he turned to retort.
"Oh, come on! Are we seriously bringing up my baby photos now? And for the record, I look nothing like my damn old man! Honestly, I don't see how anyone could even make that comparison."
No matter how I viewed the scene, this seemed like nothing more than a typical family gathering.
There was nothing odd or out of the ordinary in this fragmented memory.
Could it truly be just a normal memory? But why were their faces concealed?
Perhaps we need to gather more memories before we can reach a conclusion.
How long was it now?
The shadows of the former residents continued conversing among themselves, discussing various trivial matters, while the party members observed the scene in silent contemplation.
This was the first time they had experienced a Memory Examination, so it was understandable.
Meanwhile, Soo Jinyoung leaned against the wall, arms folded, and observed the scene with an expression filled with a mix of boredom and intense focus.
If I remembered correctly, this was her first time encountering a Fable like this. She was more accustomed to fighting through Stories, but her detective skills were far from lacking.
Her Dragon Demon Eyes would be useful in this Fable.
Deciding to ignore her for now, I turned my attention back to the memory, focusing on the scene that unfolded after a maid with mature features entered the room, carrying a silver tray laden with dishes, and carefully arranged the food on the large table before retreating quietly.
First, I memorized all of their names from their conservation. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l'e-novelhall.net
The First Shadow was Julian Valemont, the Next Family Head and the First Son of the Family Head.
The Second Shadow was his wife, Victoria Valemont.
The Third Shadow was Dante Vermillion, the Father of Adrian Valemont.
The Fourth Shadow was Elena Valemont, the mother of Victor.
The Fifth Shadow was Isabella Valemont, the mother of the child shadow, Beatrice.
The Sixth Shadow was Iris Valemont, the daughter of Julian Valemont, and Victoria Valemont.
The Seventh Shadow was Victor Valemont.
The Eighth Shadow was Adrian Valemont.
The Nineth Shadow was Luna Valemont, the mother of Adrian, and the wife of Dante Valemont.
The Tenth Shadow was Beatrice Valemont.
The Eleventh Shadow was Simon Valemont, the father of George.
The Twelveth Shadow was Dr. Riccardo Falcone, the Family Head's personal physician.
From what I gathered, it seemed that not all of the individuals had lived in this house. The primary residents were the next Family Head, along with his wife and daughter, as well as the servants who maintained the household. Most of the others were based in different countries and cities. If I were to use Earth's timeline as a reference, this memory likely took place sometime around the 1980s.
Based on their accents and attire, I concluded that the house was located somewhere in England.
Aside from that, there was little else of significance, except for the fact that these individuals had gathered for their annual family meeting. However, the Family Head had refused to leave his chambers for some unknown reason.
At some point, the younger members—Adrian, Elena, Iris, and George—excused themselves from the dining room, leaving only the adults behind.
"?!"
The calm atmosphere suddenly grew tense, as if a heavy pressure had descended upon the room.
The adults' expressions shifted from calm to predatory in an instant, their eyes narrowing as they exchanged sharp, calculating glances.
It was as if the dining room had abruptly transformed into a battlefield.
I see. The previous conversation was merely a tactic to buy time. The real discussion was about to begin.
Julian Valemont scanned each person seated at the large table, with a sharp and calculated gaze, before leaning forward and finally speaking.
"Children these days... They grow up so quickly. It truly tugs at my heart."
"Indeed. They grow up so fast that I don't even recognise them anymore. Look at Adrian, I can't believe he had grown quite the remarkable young man."
Says Simon, while wiping a single tear.
"They have grown really fast, but I'm afraid we're not children anymore."
Says Elena.
"That's certainly true. Now that those little brats are out of the way, let's move on to the main topic of this meeting."
Dante said in a half-serious tone, adjusting his tie once again.
"Main topic? Whatever do you mean?"
"Don't act like you're unaware. Why drag this out any longer?"
Finally,
"Let's proceed with the intellectual discussion about the family inheritance."