I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the voice of the young knight.
"A duel?"
Such words aren't to be taken lightly.
It may be cloaked in nobility, but it's a serious matter to fight with the readiness to take another's life.
And we've just met today; why treat each other like sworn enemies over a mere lady-in-waiting position?
[A quest has arisen!]
[Defeat the 'Knight Plaintiff' who has challenged you.]
[Reward: Progress in the Main Story]
Even the status window was making a big deal out of it.
A quest, really? These usually appear in dungeons or events. Why here?
'This is tricky.'
The reward was definitely tempting.
Progress in the Main Story, huh.
It seemed that defeating this guy would open the opportunity to meet Luciana.
Or perhaps it would significantly increase my favorability, which was already lower than low.
"Why are Westerners deaf too? Not drawing your sword and just standing there blankly?"
But what bothered me was…
"This kid is too arrogant."
"Ki-, kid?"
"Yeah. You call yourself a knight, but can't even muster a bit of mana. What kind of duel is that?"
Hans has cast a taunt!
I'm a foreigner here for the first time.
Can't start by making enemies.
I should just point out that duels should be fought by knights, and that the noble lady's name isn't something a nobody should carry. That's a perfect response by aristocratic standards.
'Even though I'm a foreigner, I can create an image of someone who respects the lady.'
Then.
The boy, briefly furious, exhaled sharply through his visor helmet. His sword shimmered with a transparent energy. Oh, this is serious.
A sense of urgency sharpened.
This is an… emergency mission.
'Damn, I should have realized when it said emergency combat! Or when the main story was the reward!'
A sweet reward always has its price.
In this game, an emergency mission is synonymous with a death flag.
[What would you do with this emergency mission? Accept or decline?]
[Absolutely accept the emergency mission.]
[The reward is awesome.]
In the game, these often led players down the so-called 'path of no return.'
I was certain.
Somewhat impetuous behavior and voice.
But familiar with the armor, and no hesitation in his sword-handling. Especially that wavering energy, like a heat haze!
The opponent wasn't just a simple knight aspirant, as the status window suggested.
At least, his skills were comparable to a knight.
In the game, I could reject missions, but in real life, there's no decline button!
Tension rose to my throat.
'He's practically a knight already, just by the way he's wrapped mana around his sword.'
"If you give up the duel now and return to the West, I won't pursue you."
"Worried too soon, aren't you? We haven't even started."
As if offering a sliver of mercy, the knight said so, but I couldn't back down.
I forced a relaxed face and scoffed.
The hostility towards foreigners seemed quite intense, but my situation was more desperate.
I drew my sword immediately.
[The Main Story is assigned to you. 'Meet with Luciana Speda.']
The status window popped up on my right.
To follow this main story set by this guy, I couldn't give up the position of the lady's attendant.
"Even your sword-holding posture shows it's your first time."
"Hmph. Earlier you said I didn't know how to wrap a sword with aura."
"Unfortunately, you lack talent for that."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't my first time.
In this body, that is, in Hans' memory, there was definitely experience in wielding a sword.
But he had absolutely no talent for swordsmanship.
And even with the ability to use aura, the mana was too weak to wrap even a small dagger, let alone a broadsword. The knight's voice was tinged with boredom.
"This is going to be a dull fight."
"Well, you never know how long or short it is until you face it."
"Anyone can talk. Prove it with action."
A few seconds later.
A sharp sword strike grazed past me.
With only experience in arguments with my sister and online insults, the original me couldn't have dodged such a blow.
But, couldn't have dodged that 'blow.
"…Huh?"
"Yikes! That was close."
The knight's impressive attempt ended in vain. Instead of hitting me, his target, he only sliced through the air, repeatedly.
I staggered clumsily, narrowly escaping each incoming strike.
"Wow… he really can't predict."
"Watch your words. It's not like he's going to lose. If the knight… I mean, if Sir Knight loses, that would be troublesome."
"It's too late already. The moment we put our charge in danger, a pay cut is certain. Let's just enjoy this duel."
The surrounding soldiers murmured among themselves.
It was a close shave, evading by the skin of my teeth – a feat of agility.
Of course, this unexpected performance was all thanks to my profession and skills.
'I did well to learn that secret technique.'
[Skill]
[S rank: Elusive as a Phantom]
[Exclusive skill for the Phantom Thief profession]
[The essence of a phantom thief is to outwit all kinds of guards with ghostly footsteps. This is a secret technique perfected over generations by the greatest phantom thieves.]
[Significantly reduces the chance of being detected during stealth actions]
[Greatly increases evasion probability against enemy attacks]
[Counterattack damage bonus based on agility during parrying]
My mana was minuscule, but it was enough to activate the skill.
With each sword thrust, the attack trajectory was clearly visible, shimmering faintly a step ahead.
The sensation was familiar, just like in the game. With everything in sight, evading was almost second nature.
Add to that the effect of a relic, and I was practically an evasion deity.
"...!"
"!! ·-· · · · ·!"
Amid the growing commotion.
I frowned and focused on my opponent.
Having dodged continuously, I started to recognize his swordsmanship.
'This is Northern Standard swordsmanship.'
Designed for piercing through the tough hides of monsters, emphasizing burst power.
A typical technique from the Northern region.
However, it sacrifices speed and isn't very effective in one-on-one combat.
Even Northern knights use it only as a basic technique.
"…You're not just all talk."
"The West is as dangerous as the North. One needs to have a trick or two to survive, right?"
"Big words. As if you could do anything to me."
'Touched a nerve there.'
The kid was right. His sword never even grazed me, but due to my poor swordsmanship, all my clumsy strikes were easily parried.
Being undertrained, I was quickly running out of breath.
Then.
The sword that had been flying at me took a cunning twist.
"You'll tire of dodging eventually. If this goes on, victory is mine."
"Gah?!"
"You dodged that too. Let's see how long you can keep it up."
'The brat changed his sword technique!'
I hastily kicked off the ground and lunged to the right.
The knight, who had suddenly charged, had abandoned his greatsword. The swift swordplay he now displayed was clearly specialized for dueling.
'...!'
To make matters worse, a tingling sensation crept up the back of my head.
A phenomenon often referred to as mana draining.
It was just a tingling for now, but if this continued, my mana would be depleted first, leaving me rolling on the ground.
No choice but to take a gamble.
I clenched my teeth and charged towards the knight.
"What?!"
He was initially surprised but quickly regained his composure, readying his sword.
But it was too late.
Instead of a sword, I extended a small golden rod.
The moment it touched the helmet, the power of the mana-filled tute was fully unleashed.
If he specialized in dueling techniques, then I had to counter with a dueling relic, right?
We were now so close I could hear his breathing.
-Clunk.
The visor protecting his face was the first to give way.
Then the leather strap around the jaw loosened, and the helmet fell to the snowy ground.
The face concealed behind the helmet and the hidden silver hair were now revealed.
"Uh?"
"Uh?"
Bewildered voices overlapped.
The questions of the watching soldiers.
The raw, fine voice freed from the steel helmet.
But most surprised of all was me.
"What, what? Why is Lady Luciana here?"
[Emergency Quest Complete]
[Reward Granted]
[Meeting condition with 'Luciana Speda' satisfied]
That was the reward!
Right after encountering my favorite character.
Overwhelmed by an unexpected reward, I had no time to gather my thoughts before a flood of information poured in from the status window.
[Entering the Main Story.]
['The Hero' and 'The Calamity' begin their activities.]
[As an exclusive attendant, assist the key character, 'Luciana Speda,' until she enters the Academy.]
'The Calamity begins its activity?'
Yes, that was possible.
I had braced myself for this the moment I became aware of the Main Story.
But what followed was the real issue.
[If 'Luciana Speda,' the person you're assisting, dies, the player also dies.]
[Luciana's Doom Progress will be updated in the status window.]
"This isn't good…"
* *
Meanwhile, as one man despaired over his fate, anomalies were occurring around the world.
"Your Holiness, why have you summoned us at this hour?"
In the sacred city of Saleranto, where the Goddess Nephisa is worshipped.
The bishops, called unexpectedly in the middle of the night, were more perplexed than annoyed.
It had been decades since the Pope had made such a public move.
"This old man has inconvenienced you all. But the matter is urgent."
Despite the Pope's kind smile, the bishops were uneasy.
They hadn't ascended to their positions by playing marbles. Devotion was a factor, but so was political savvy.
They couldn't help but notice the heavy shadow behind the Pope's smile.
"We must release the faithful."
"Your Holiness? What do you mean by that…"
The bishops were shocked, looking at the Pope in disbelief.
'Don't use faith for personal gain.' A warning against corruption within the church, passed down since the first Pope. It was even written in the Bible.
The bishops were utterly confused to hear the most devout figure, the Pope, speak against this.
But the Pope declared without hesitation.
"We must find a woman with blonde hair, light eyes, and the mark of the Goddess on her wrist."
"An… a prophecy?"
"Yes. The only one who can confront the Calamity that will destroy the world has been born. She will be a symbol of our religion, so we must find her quickly."
Saint.
The word uttered by the Pope plunged the bishops into chaos once again.
But this time, there was an odd fervor in the air. Meanwhile, in the territory of the demons, the Evildon Empire.
"The time has come."
A change was happening.
The internal wars, already unceasing, had intensified recently. At the center was a demon.
"Let's start with uniting Evildon. Then, the lands of humans! A united, mighty demon race will rule the world!"
An incredibly arrogant declaration.
But he had the right to make it.
For demons, power is authority, and he stood at the apex.
"Lord True Dragon, as expected, the other races have rejected our proposal."
"Fools. There's no one who can stand against me. How dare they think to resist."
The demon, called True Dragon, sneered.
How base and foolish they all were.
Annoying vampires like pesky flies, cowardly gargoyles hiding in their shells, and the rest of the insignificant races that revered power but knew nothing of their place.
"Crush those who resist, spare only the submissive. Install puppet leaders and control the entire race."
"As the True Dragon wills."
What else could be done? In typical demon fashion, force was used to subjugate.
But for Hans…
[Luciana's Doom Progress is updated in the status window.]
[Current Progress: 30%]
Death was looming close.
Despair was knocking at the door, right outside his home