[Translator: Dawn]
[Proofreader: Karane]
The luxurious pearl-colored main stage of the social gathering suddenly turned into a colosseum.
Khea, who was playing the role of Arianne Marie, had already become a noble to the bone.
She spoke strongly against her and the people of the Akazit family who had insulted her.
As soon as I heard her words, I got on stage and looked around.
The NPCs were doing the same things as people living in real life would do to the point where it was hard to believe that this was the world in a game.
When the people of the Akazit family were mocking and insulting Marie, they stood by and enjoyed Marie's situation. Now that the situation is reversed, Marie was staring back at the people at the Akazit family the same way they were staring at Marie.
"As the first daughter of the Arianne family, I, Arianne Marie, challenge you to a duel between knights in order to restore the honor of my family!"
I could feel the strength in her shoulders as she stood up proudly and shouted.
On the other hand, the people of the Akazit family were showing only bewildered expressions as their momentum had just been stopped.
The woman wearing giant earrings stood up from her seat and shouted.
"Orph, my dear knight! Come forward and fight for our honor!"
A man wearing heavy armor, standing behind her, stomped out from the back.
"I am Orph, Knight of Akazit Rame. I shall fight for our family's honor!"
Words appeared the moment he introduced himself on top of his head.
His level was lower than mine.
However, levels do not indicate everything. There are variables such as the combat senses, strategies, how far he is willing to go in this fight, and how much grit and mental strength he possesses.
There were too many variables to consider in a fight within the world of virtual reality, unlike other games where one's stat number judges the result.
That was why I could not ever let my guard down.
Soon, small cheers erupted from all around, and everyone's attention was focused on us.
The handsome brown-haired guy who was watching from downstage started waving to the music troupe behind the stage.
"We cannot be missing music in this amazing showdown. Hey! Play the 'Varph's Battle Symphony'!"
The music troupe, who was holding their breath and watching the tense situation began to move busily at the man's words.
Soon, the strings of the violin, as colorful as the wings of a butterfly in the man standing in the very front line, began to tremble.
Then, lively music featuring a fast and fine tempo of the violin began to be played, and the surrounding nobles began to applaud to the beat.
I could even hear the chatting nobles from nearby.
"The Arianne family, who first appeared in the social gathering of Bing Caravan, is writing a new legend in this social gathering!"
"The key thing to watch here is if they can take the Akazit family down a peg or two."
Soon, Orph who was standing on the other side of me spurted his heavy feet and ferociously charged towards me.
I followed the direction of his blade and took a step back with my right leg.
Then I firmly grasped the hilt of my sword, which was a legendary item, sleeping on my waist.
I felt something fill up all over my body. It must be the bonus stats from the Attoria's Stigma applying to me.
And at that moment, I saw that the movement of zweihander in Orph's hands slowed down by a noticeable amount.
This was the result of the bonus stats raising my visual acuity.
I naturally lowered my body to dodge his attack and slapped his stomach area with the backside of my blade.
It was like hitting a flying baseball with a bat.
Klank!
The screaming sound of the metal buried the sound of the symphony playing in the background for a moment.
And Orph,
Was sent flying like a baseball. He was able to stop only after he had smashed into the wall behind him.
He soon helplessly fell to the ground with the rattling sound of his armor.
The silence visited momentarily after the screaming sound of his armor, and the violin sounds from the symphony came to people's ears as if it was slowly floating to the water.
"Woow!"
"Oh my!"
"He's really strong!"
Cheers began to burst out from everywhere. At this, the woman with red hair started shouting out loud.
"Longshell, my dear knight! Go take that piece of garbage out of here!"
A man with a slender body skillfully jumped onto the stage.
"I am the Knight of Wind, Longshell. I have taken my order from lady Akazit Korme to punish you here and now."
His level was probably revealed as he introduced himself, but I didn't really try to look at it at all. Because I was certain that I would be able to beat this person.
Soon after his introduction, he thrusted his rapier at me. It was a sword attack that shot from the top, mid, and bottom directions, like a sting from a bee. It would've been considered a skill if he was a player.
But sadly, the direction and speed of his blade were way too slow for my eyes.
Then I mixed one or two skills from Sworder's swordsmanship, which pursues the absolute limit of 'technique' using the strength in one's finger, and Attoria's swordsmanship, which instantly seals the enemy's space with big instinctive movements like a madman, to knock out all of my enemy's strikes through complex movements.
Then I smashed his wrist with the tip of the hilt and hit his shoulder, elbow, and knee with my blade in succession.
This series of strikes didn't even take five seconds.
Longshell collapsed to the floor, fainting, following Orph.
There was nothing from the nobles this time, no cheers, no shouts. Marie climbed to the main stage and stared down at the nobles.
"I, the first daughter of the Arianne family, am deeply disappointed in you and the social gathering you have hosted.
To show such an attitude to mock and despise a family far away from the capital! And the old-fashioned people who are still trapped in a racist mindset!"
The crowd, overwhelmed by her, looked up at her with their mouths shut.
"I flew a long way, hoping that I could learn the culture of Bing Caravan by interacting with the people of various families. I dare say that this social gathering has a very poor standard!"
Some nobles were furious at Marie's words, but when they saw me walking in front of Marie, they shut their mouths.
"I hope this social gathering can warmly welcome nobles from other countries in the future. Unlike other countries, Bing Caravan is a place where all cultures in the world come to communicate and exchange. I hope you can bear in mind what I just said. This was Marie from the Arianne family speaking. Thank you."
Marie walked down from the stage after saying that, and the nobles who were watching her speak suddenly began to applaud loudly with cheers and whistles.
And then, Marie began to bow her head to the Akazit four sisters showing a very different gentle expression than before.
"The ladies of the ever-famous Akazit family, I hope you will forgive the rude behavior of this noble lady. I have made a mistake in a worry of possible damage to the honor of my family in a conversation that happened a moment ago."
The ladies who were surprised at Marie's sudden change of attitude were just blinking their eyes in astonishment.
Soon after, the nobles around started cheering for Marie, and the applause and cheering only got louder and louder. And the Akazit sisters who decided to ride on with the crowd said,
"Th-that's right. We were being a little too mean, weren't we?"
Making eye contact with each other, confirmed that there was nobody on their side in this room, and lowered their tails.
And then, women in extravagant embellishments grouped around me.
"Did you say your name is Maxim?"
"Your armor is quite beautiful. It must be a work of a noble artist!"
"It suits your name as the Knight of Flowers!"
"Your blades moved in such a beautiful yet critical way."
I felt so grateful that I was wearing a helmet, that I had considered it a burden, at this moment, as I received the burdensome gaze of the ladies.
In contrast to my situation, men started to gather around Marie.
"I never knew how great the Arianne family truly was."
"I must confess that this is my first time ever hearing your family, however now I think I can remember the two names, 'Arianne' and 'Marie' until the day I die."
"You see. You would need to pass a few formal rites in order to sign up for this social gathering, however, I will make sure to sign you up for our gathering without having to go through such bothersome processes."
"We can help you experience the tradition of Bing Caravan."
"You can't miss out on the auction in Bing Caravan!"
"If you become a member of our social gathering, you can enter the auction without having to go through any process."
After listening to what the men gathered around Marie said, I finally started to understand why she wanted to participate in this social gathering.
The content of the letter must have said to become a member of this social gathering through any methods necessary.
And she managed to complete this mission in her own way.
If I were to receive that role, would I have been able to complete it as she did?
If I could act that perfectly, then I would've become an actor a long time ago.
Marie and I received so much attention that we were able to get out after staying for a long time.
She was holding a card with a jewel engraved on it which authenticates her as a member of the social gathering and I had a countless amount of faint lip marks on my gauntlet.
***
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Dawn]
[Proofreader – Karane]
Join our Discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics
***
She kicked the high heels she was wearing off her feet as she came back to the inn.
"Now the real game begins. We earned the entrance ticket to the auction that has 'Eulicine's Rhapsody' registered for sale."
She laid herself on the bed and began to stretch out loudly.
"Anyways, you were really good at acting back there."
I carefully asked her a question. Then she said,
"Well, I am experienced in this, so."
She answered me in her normal form as Khea.
The roleplay was finished for now. Realizing that swept the burden that had settled in the corner of my heart away in an instant.
"Wait, Khea. Does that mean you were a noble once? What do you mean you're experienced?"
"You think that a half-elf can be a noble? Really?"
She talked to me as if I said something funny.
"This only worked because we were in Bing Caravan which is a multicultural state. If this was anywhere else, I would've been captured and arrested on the spot."
She told me as she sat up in the bed, tying her hair tightly.
"I've worked for nobles as a slave before. That's why I know how they act or think better than anyone."
She revealed her past as if it were nothing. My heart felt like it sank for a moment. She smiled as she looked at me and said,
"Honestly, when those Akazits said things about half-elf and slave market, I wanted to cut their heads off."
She said with melancholic eyes,
"Because I was so angry about the blood that flows in me and its destiny. But I thought about it a moment, then realized that I wasn't a half-elf. I was a Sworder."
"And so?"
"So I ignored any other thoughts because I decided to act as a 'Sworder'. I was a little girl who suffered through life because of race as a half-elf am no more."
She said, trying to sound as blunt as she could.
I couldn't even imagine the pain and suffering she received from her past or the misfortune she had to persevere through at her young age.
All I could do was nod my head as she continued to speak calmly.
"The bidding starts tomorrow. Let's get this mission done, and return to the Sanctuary. Master told me that we will be getting a pretty lengthy free time after this mission."
"Really?"
She smiled slightly at my question. She seemed to have laughed at my response since I reacted with a springing action at the word 'free time'.
"Truth be asked only to the blade."
She put on her blanket after answering me. As for me, I swallowed the bitterness from listening to her past and also said,
"Truth be asked only to the blade."
And left the room, closing the door behind me.
The smile she showed me, despite her dark past,
It was enough to convince me that she was strong.
She is strong.
And she is reliable.
____
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