Chapter 27: Omens
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Omens
“Ugh…”
“Gaaah…”
“Haaah…”
“…”
Maybe I went a bit too far.
Aiden looked around with an awkward expression at the knights making inhuman groans around him.
Their limbs were bent at grotesque angles, broken ribs had punctured their lungs, and their spines were twisted. Either way, they were all suffering from injuries that would cripple even a superhuman.
Wow.
Honestly, he had been confident.
After all, the Knight of Dawn herself, a continent-class hero, had acknowledged that Aiden could “pull his own weight.” Even if his supernatural ability had weakened, if that woman guaranteed it, Aiden was sure he could hold his own in battle. But he had never imagined he would dominate them to this extent.
…It really is hardwired into me.
He could now deeply feel what she meant by earning “spare lives” for every time he had died. His body, already knowing that failing to act in a certain way would result in agonizing pain, instinctively sought out the most efficient movements. Combined with Mayer’s skill, which analyzed the opponent’s techniques in real-time, he had utterly crushed them, practically toying with them.
— System Message
▶ Combat has ended. The activation of ‘Skill: Analysis’ has concluded. The correction for analyzing the opponent’s weaknesses has ended.
▶ The correction for ‘Martial Paths: One Sword, One Strike’ has ended.
▶ Proficiency has been accumulated for low-importance swordsmanship schools.
▶ Cannot be copied as a skill. Points are being accumulated.
▶ The ‘Point Shop’ will open soon. Collect just a little more!
Nothing was copied…
Thanks to the effects of the Analysis skill, he could mimic the movements of the techniques the knights used, but they didn’t materialize into a distinct Martial Path. As always, it was likely because they belonged to characters of low “importance” in the main scenario.
Of course, he didn’t particularly mind. He already possessed Noel’s far more efficient Martial Path anyway, and the opening of the Point Shop was just around the corner.
I don’t know what kind of amazing things they’ve hidden to keep it locked for this long, but…
As Aiden scratched his cheek, lost in thought, a thunderous shout echoed from nearby.
“Aiden!”
It was Noel’s voice. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes since Aiden had requested backup, but she had already rushed over.
“Ah, Dame No—”
Aiden turned to greet her, but his sentence was cut short. The moment he saw Noel’s face as she ran toward him, he instinctively realized something.
…She was angry.
Like, incredibly angry.
Sure enough, the first thing Noel did upon reaching him in a single bound was grab both of his shoulders in a tight grip. A terrifying pressure squeezed them, as if they were clamped in an industrial vise.
He could almost swear he saw literal flames blazing in her eyes.
“What were you thinking, rushing in alone without backup?!”
“…”
Her booming voice made Aiden instinctively flinch.
“What if you had been hurt?! What if something even worse had happened to you?!”
“…If I had left them alone, Katya would have been in danger.”
“The probability of you dying is far, far higher than Her Highness’s!”
“…”
“Do you understand? You must never take such risks again! You are someone who should be thinking of abandoning me or Her Highness to save yourself instead—!”
…Wait.
Her aura was like a tiger about to devour its prey, but every single word coming out of her mouth was pure worry.
And though he felt bad for someone like that…
No, precisely because she was that kind of person.
“No.”
No matter how angry she was, he had to speak his mind.
Aiden blinked, but replied in a clear, firm voice.
“I can’t do that.”
“What on earth do you mean—!”
“If you were in that situation, Dame Noel, I would do the exact same thing.”
“…”
“What’s so wrong about helping when you or Katya are in danger?”
There was a massive difference between living a peaceful, easygoing life and living like a coward. And while Aiden wanted to live peacefully, he was no coward.
Katya was his friend, and Dame Noel, despite their rocky start, had consistently treated him with goodwill. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them his “people.”
And if the people inside his fence were threatened, he had always been the first to charge headfirst into that threat.
That was how he had lived, and how he would continue to live.
Even though he was the only one who knew of the future threats, the reason he had taken on the absurd karma of saving the world—a burden far too heavy for a single human—ultimately stemmed from this mindset. Aiden didn’t know if it was actually possible. Perhaps he would fail miserably halfway through, die, and the world would end.
Even so, the reason he took it upon himself…
…was, as always, very small but clear.
“If I’m just going to abandon everyone close to me and live well on my own, what’s the point of trying so hard?”
What value was there in living in this world all alone? What fun or meaning would that have?
It was fine if he was in a bit of danger. It was fine if he suffered a small loss. As long as the people close to him could gather together, get along, and laugh happily, that was enough.
And it was only right to crush, by any means necessary, those who dared to disrupt that idyllic peace.
Though he had become entangled with extraordinary people, gained incredible abilities, and somehow ended up with the destiny of saving the world… the trajectory of his life had never once strayed from that path.
Family. Friends. A regular citizen dreaming of a peaceful life with them.
And.
Someone prepared to do whatever it took to protect that.
“…”
As she listened to his words, the strength gradually drained from Noel’s grip.
Dropping her hands, Noel remained silent for a long time. In proportion to her silence, the color drained from Aiden’s face.
I shouldn’t have talked back…!
Isn’t she right on the verge of exploding?
Did I just try to act cool in front of an angry person only to get chewed out even harder…?!
Even if I had to say it, I should have put it more gently…!
“…You are a truly strange person, Aiden.”
It was as if… her eyes were on the verge of tears.
“Why are you only firm at times like this? When usually, you just want to live like an invisible man.”
…Uh.
Aiden blinked awkwardly.
No. Why is her mood like this?
He thought he was going to get scolded for talking back, but this felt…
Did I trigger some trauma?
Indeed, the atmosphere was similar to when he had asked her why she was called “The Butcher.” Listening to his words, she looked as if she had been caught completely off guard. It felt as though she was overlapping him with something she didn’t want to remember.
Soon, Noel pulled her hat down low, a habit of hers whenever she didn’t want her expression to be seen.
“Please return to the headquarters with Her Highness. I will handle the cleanup here.”
“…”
But unlike before… getting an explanation for this seemed utterly out of reach.
* * *
“He’s a catch, that guy,” Sir Levant said with a chuckle as his hands were bound behind his back. “You snagged a decent husband, Noel. Seems you have a good eye for people.”
“…”
“Which makes it even clearer. Why you’re keeping your distance from him.”
“…”
“Different genders, but he’s quite similar to Theresa, isn’t he?”
“…Sir Levant,” Noel spoke after a brief pause. “What possessed you to do such a thing?”
“I didn’t think we were close enough to worry about each other like this.”
“We were comrades in the Alliance War.”
“We were, until Theresa died because of you.”
“…”
Toward Noel, who had frozen in place, Sir Levant slowly let his words fall.
“Noel Astria Seimurs. Listen well.” His voice carried a mix of regret and sorrow, making it more than just a simple accusation. “Back then, the one who should have remained until the very end was you, not Theresa. The one who should have returned in glory as the hero of the nation was the Lord Protector, not you.”
“…”
Noel didn’t reply, silently continuing to bind them. It was as if she accepted such words as a burden she had to bear.
Watching her as he was quietly bound, Sir Levant chuckled again and continued.
“You’ve changed, Lionheart.”
“In what way?”
“In the past, you’d fly into a rage the moment Theresa was mentioned. But now, you seem to have some composure?”
“…”
At Levant’s words, Noel smiled bitterly.
Well. Indeed, I would have until not too long ago.
Why was that?
“I guess married life suits you?”
“…”
“You’re newlyweds, so you must be head over heels, but I hope he goes and has an af—”
Instead of answering, Noel struck the back of his neck, knocking him out.
…It was a merciless blow.
* * *
It had been an eventful day.
Upon returning to the headquarters, Katya immediately shut herself in her room, seemingly lost in deep thought. Aiden, meanwhile, had so much to deal with that he collapsed face-first onto his bed.
Those knights…
…would be put on trial immediately. That was what Dame Noel had said after arresting them and handing them over to the prosecution. They would likely face severe punishment.
“…”
Although there was no evidence to trace who had ordered such a thing… he had his suspicions.
— Skill Info
◈ Weaver of Fate
⧾ Arden Brimstone Lionel
— Malice: Level 1
— Can imitate 1 skill.
※ This target is incapable of forming a ‘Bond Relationship’. The skill’s effect will differ from the original!
He was the only one who openly harbored ‘Malice’ toward him. The attack itself pointed to only one conclusion: an attempt to put Aiden in a difficult position.
…In that case.
Aiden stared at the system window with narrowed eyes. If they were going to be openly hostile, he had no intention of sitting back and taking it. He had to establish a countermeasure.
Of course, there was something more urgent than that right now.
— Quest Info
♠ Main Quest
◈ Act 1, <Imperial Capital Rift>
▶ Chapter 1 will begin soon!
▶ Related event will begin soon. (D-1)
◈ Sham Marriage
— You have been chosen as Dame Noel’s spouse. Maintain the contract with your partner until the end!
— A related event will occur soon. (D-1)
“Hmm.”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed even further as he examined the window floating before him, squinting so hard that his eyes crinkled.
With only a day left.
The Main Quest was already there, so he could let that slide, but he wondered what on earth was going on with the Noel-related event happening at the same time.
I’ve prepared diligently.
He didn’t know what would happen, but he felt absolutely no shame in saying he was prepared. It was a pity he couldn’t open the Point Shop yet, but he had already copied more than enough skills. Based on the difficulty of the original work he remembered, he should be able to get through this without much trouble.
However, he couldn’t let his guard down due to a single rule that had held true until now.
Nothing has ever gone according to the original work.
This was a world without a protagonist in the first place. Jumping to the conclusion that everything would proceed as originally intended was utterly absurd. Without a doubt, something unexpected would happen.
In that case, he needed to set up at least one ‘insurance policy.’ Aside from gathering strength, there was at least one action he could take that would directly help with the situation.
“Hmm.”
Letting out a breath, Aiden immediately walked out into the hallway.
It was a time when most people, even that workaholic Noel, had already gone home, but there was bound to be at least one person who stayed even later.
Arriving at his destination, Aiden knocked on the office door.
“Come in.”
Hearing a voice dripping with exhaustion, Aiden quietly opened the door and stepped inside. He saw Dame Stella, who was still tapping away at her typewriter with mechanical precision despite being buried under a mountain of work.
“Aiden? What brings you here at this hour?”
Since they had rarely interacted privately like this, Dame Stella asked, her eyebrows arching in curiosity. It was certainly an odd picture. Even more so considering what he was about to say to her.
“Dame Stella.”
“Yes. What is it?”
“Would you like to go out with me?”
“…”
Dame Stella frowned and looked out the window. Dusk had fallen long ago. It was the dead of night.
…No matter how one looked at it, it was a strange request to make of a woman at this hour.
“…It seems a bit too late to be going out, don’t you think?”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“I’m glad you realize that. If it’s an urgent matter, you should report it to Dame Noel and have her assign the appropriate personnel—”
“No, it has to be you, Dame Stella.”
“…”
“I’d like it to be just the two of us.”
Dame Stella spectacularly spat out the coffee she was drinking.