Chapter 3: This Is Too Much
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: This Is Too Much
A knight’s armor is, by definition, top-tier equipment.
Gear is tailored to its user, and for knights—the cream of the crop of the Empire—anything less would be useless.
“And yet, look at the state of it.”
At Noel’s words, gesturing toward the completely crumpled armor, Aiden’s back began to grow damp with sweat. Even someone with no combat aptitude whatsoever could tell that the aura she was exuding was anything but ordinary.
“Do you know what this means?”
“…What does it mean?”
“It means that if not for his armor, Gale would have died instantly. From a single, sloppy punch you threw without even taking a proper stance.”
A faint smile played on Noel’s lips as she continued.
“It’s absurd. Someone of Gale’s caliber is a cut above the rest among ordinary combatants.”
“…”
“Even an ordained knight couldn’t produce such a result with a single, ridiculous strike.”
He wished she would stop praising him. His mouth was bone dry.
“Come to think of it, only one person comes to mind who could do the same thing.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Dame Noel’s smile widened slightly as her lips parted once more.
“Me.”
“…”
“Because the Pure White Qi you just drew from your body is the purest form of Qi. With that kind of output alone, such a feat is possible.”
“That’s—”
Aiden trailed off. To be honest, it was a difficult situation to explain.
Knights were a group where even so-called geniuses could barely stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their peers. This Pure White Qi was a power that the woman standing at the very pinnacle of that group had spent a lifetime refining.
Therefore, she was indirectly asking him:
How on earth is someone like you wielding the very essence of the technique I built?
“Explain yourself, Aiden Kellermain.”
The longer she spoke, the faster the cold sweat drenched Aiden’s back. Though Noel was smiling, her eyes were completely devoid of warmth.
“Just who are you?”
Suppressing the choking sensation in his throat, Aiden barely managed to squeeze out a reply.
“Didn’t you look at my records? I’m really just a nobody with—”
“You mean those records you fabricated to cover your tracks? Yes, I looked at them. I certainly did.”
Tap, tap—
Noel slowly tapped her arm with her fingers.
“…Excuse me?”
Records to cover his tracks? What on earth was she talking about?
As Aiden blinked blankly, Noel continued in a calm voice. “Why do you think I chose you, out of all the people out there?”
He had no idea why she was asking him that, as if he would know. Aiden himself wanted to know the answer more than anyone else in the world.
Fortunately, Noel wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.
“If you wanted to hide your identity properly, you should have left at least one blemish on your record. You have to make your act somewhat believable for me to buy it.”
“What do you—”
“Mr. Aiden. Even the most notorious criminals get caught eventually. No matter how lucky or skilled you are, you’re bound to slip up at least once. Even a sage who sees through all the world’s affairs can be stabbed in the back at any moment. That’s life. But—”
Noel’s gaze deepened.
“Here we have a man claiming to be a common, petty swindler, yet he hasn’t been investigated once, let alone arrested, in over ten years.”
“…”
“Looking at your past, you avoided anything involving major cases. The moment things looked even slightly dangerous, you pulled out beforehand.”
“…”
“Honestly, doesn’t this just mean you ‘knew’ about all the dangers and actively avoided them?”
Aiden’s mouth fell slightly open.
…Well, that’s true, but…
In reality, if you work outside the law, it’s only natural to get tangled up in major incidents eventually. And he had indeed done everything in his power to avoid dangerous situations. Of course, it was a stroke of luck made possible only because he possessed knowledge of the original work.
But simply running away to avoid danger shouldn’t have been a reason to hold him in such high regard.
“That’s why I brought you here.”
…The problem was that this woman held an entirely different perspective.
“In any case, whoever I put in the role of husband for this sham marriage would have a hard time pulling it off. At least, no one I know could do it.”
Noel set her teacup down with a sharp clack.
“Never failing means no one knows the limit of your capabilities. It means your ceiling is invisible. So, I brought you here with the mindset of buying a lottery ticket, but…”
No, I get it. It makes sense, but…
The reality behind those records was merely the result of his desperate struggles to avoid standing out and getting tangled in the main story. He never imagined it would backfire like this.
Talk about a generous interpretation.
Aiden tried to open his mouth to somehow make her understand. After all, he had plenty of experience in a profession that relied on smooth-talking. He could surely spin a plausible explanation…
“But seeing the ability you wield, it seems I’ve hit the jackpot.”
“…”
…if only it weren’t for that. Because he had just put on a display that absolutely did not match his claimed background.
Aiden’s mouth instantly snapped shut like a clam.
“Mr. Aiden. I would prefer to resolve this peacefully. The fact that you possess abilities beyond my expectations is actually good news for me.”
Noel’s eyes, which had been cast down, rose to lock directly with Aiden’s. That alone was overwhelming. If a gaze could possess physical force, he felt as though he would be sliced open just by making eye contact.
“However, I must ask for an explanation regarding what you just showed me. That Pure White Qi—I don’t know if you’re aware, but it carries quite a bit of history.”
“…”
Uh… well, it certainly seems that way.
— Skill Info
◈ Weaver of Fate
…
<Copied Skills>
【Noel Astria Seimurs】
◆ Pure White Heart
※ Unique – Only this character possesses this!
It has the highest efficiency among all Qi cultivation methods, requiring an extraordinary level of effort and talent to master. This is a characteristic of Qi obtained by refining to the absolute limit a cultivation method passed down exclusively to Dame Noel by her master.
Even Aiden himself would wonder what was going on if someone else suddenly started using a cultivation method passed down exclusively to a single disciple. He understood her feelings completely.
“So, you’d better speak up quickly. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to draw my sword.”
Let me correct myself.
I don’t understand her at all.
“…Why does it have to end like that?”
“Gale’s way of thinking isn’t always correct, but when it comes to the martial paths we have built, clashing swords makes everything clear. I can get a rough idea of how you learned it just from that.”
The moment Aiden saw Noel toy with the sword at her waist, the back of his neck, already damp with sweat, turned ice-cold. Though she was still smiling, the intent woven between her words was unmistakably genuine.
This woman was truly planning to draw her sword and cut him down if she didn’t get a convincing explanation.
“…”
No, but seriously. How am I supposed to explain this?
How could he possibly explain that he was someone who had possessed a character in a game and, as a perk, could somehow copy and use skills?
“May I interpret your continued silence as agreement?”
But he had to do something. Otherwise, he might actually die.
As he repeated that thought, a sharp click echoed in Aiden’s mind, like a button being pressed. It was the sound that always rang out whenever he dealt with a ‘client.’ The feeling of entering work mode.
Convincing her of his identity as a common swindler… that ship had already sailed. Better to give up on that cleanly. He couldn’t think of any explanation that would satisfy her right now anyway.
In that case, the only remaining option was…
To deceive her.
Wasn’t that his trade in the first place? Deceiving to survive.
Aiden’s brain began to spin rapidly. Knowledge of the ‘original work’ that could help in this situation flooded his mind. The essence of a swindle is deception, and the essence of deception is emotional manipulation.
Therefore…
Synthesizing all the information on Noel Astria Seimurs, he combed through his mind for the keyword that would shake her the most.
What popped out at the very end was…
“It seems…”
It was a sentence assembled more on instinct than reason.
“…you don’t remember the past?”
“Excuse me?”
“Like when you were young.”
He casually threw out the words, his tone laced with a hint of loneliness and disappointment. Even he wondered what on earth he was talking about. Of course she didn’t remember. He had never met her.
However, the moment Noel heard his words…
“—”
She froze. For a split second, her eyes flickered and her mask of composure cracked. Though she immediately recovered…
It was a mere crack that lingered at the edge of a split second, but Aiden’s eyes caught it perfectly.
This woman.
Considering the information from the game, she had lost a portion of her childhood memories due to a certain ‘incident.’ He didn’t know what the incident was; the game hadn’t gone that deep.
The important thing is…!
This woman had truly lost her memories, and she likely hadn’t revealed that fact to anyone. There would have been no reason to. So… if he could just insert himself into that private knowledge, it would be enough. Simply knowing something only she would know would drastically increase his credibility.
“…What do you mean by that, Mr. Aiden?”
The fact that she responded with a question meant to hide her agitation proved his ridiculous excuse had worked. It was a natural reaction, given that her secret had been poked. All sorts of hypotheses about his identity were probably swirling in her head right now, which served as an excellent shield.
In any case, he had to get out of here alive first.
All that was left was…
“No, it’s nothing. I just didn’t expect you to have actually forgotten.”
He trailed off, acting as if there was no point in talking about it if she didn’t already know.
And with just that, Dame Noel’s face stiffened. Her agitation was now impossible to hide.
“I’ll see you later, Dame Noel.”
In other words… it was the perfect time to act mysterious and make a run for it.
Aiden’s melancholy voice followed.
“…Next time we meet, I hope you’ll greet me a bit differently.”
Noel would never know what that meant.
Because—
I don’t know either…!
Even Aiden himself had no idea what kind of nonsense he was spouting. But to anyone watching, it was the perfect moment to slip out of the room.
Feeling Dame Noel’s blank gaze on his back, Aiden strode out.
* * *
That was just yesterday.
It had been an exhausting series of events, a turbulent period just one day after getting hired. Currently, he was holed up in his private room, refusing to see anyone.
— Skill Info
◈ Weaver of Fate
Only you know the truth of this world. Build bonds with key figures of the main story to obtain new rewards!
【Noel Astria Seimurs】
— Bond: Level 2
— You can copy 1 additional skill.
<Copied Skills>
◆ Pure White Heart
…
This was a good thing. Of course, it was a good thing. Since what he did yesterday worked so well, a free skill copy ticket had basically fallen into his lap. No matter how he looked at it, there was no loss.
◈ 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.
…Except for this.
What on earth is a ‘related event’?
He frowned, glaring at the window. No matter how he looked at it, those words didn’t give him a good feeling. It felt like another threat to his personal safety was looming.
…Should I gather more abilities?
Honestly, he preferred to avoid fights, but if the system was openly telling him that something bad was about to happen, sitting idly by would be foolish.
But from whom?
He couldn’t exactly go back to Dame Noel to take another skill. After what happened yesterday, it would be awkward to even look her in the eye.
Is there no suitable candidate? As he was mulling it over…
The surroundings suddenly became very bustling.
“His Highness Daniel is arriving shortly!”
“Everyone, finish tidying up and clear out! Don’t stand out for no reason!”
Peeking his head out into the hallway at the sudden commotion, it seemed some high-ranking noble was visiting. The Imperial Capital Command was the central nervous system of the Imperial Military, a place where all sorts of people came and went. Even so, royalty from another nation was undoubtedly a guest of rare status.
As the prince walked majestically down the hallway, the Imperial Capital Command staff quickly cleared a path for him.
Watching this, Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly.
If he’s royalty from the Holy Kingdom…
Aiden rummaged through the game’s lore in his head. The supernatural ability wielded by the people of the Empire was Qi, blessed by Carva, while the ability wielded by the people of the Holy Kingdom was Divine Power, which channeled the authority of Shea, the Goddess of Purification. And those who wielded it best were their royalty, the ones closest to the source of Divine Power.
…Should I give it a try?
If copying skills required building a bond, wouldn’t it be beneficial to get acquainted with someone like that? If a good bond was formed, great; if not, whatever. Since he held the title of Dame Noel’s spouse, a brief greeting shouldn’t be too much of a breach of etiquette.
With that thought, he spotted the prince walking down the hallway with his chest puffed out and naturally stepped forward to meet him.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I am…”
The moment he reached out his hand while speaking…
With a sharp slap, his hand was roughly swatted away.
A voice laced with disgust, as if looking at a cockroach, followed. “Get that away from me. Lowborn filth.”
“…”
…Life really is tough.
Aiden chewed on that sentiment once again as he looked at the man who had slapped his hand away. He was a slick-looking young man, with arrogance and entitlement etched into every line of his face.
…So that’s why everyone was scrambling to get away before he arrived.
With a temper like that, their reaction made perfect sense.
“One must show respect to royalty by dropping to one knee. Why is an ignorant peasant who doesn’t even know that here?”
“…”
Wasn’t that a custom that had died out ages ago? In this day and age, demanding such a thing would usually get even royalty socially ostracized.
“I am the Seventh Royal Prince of the Craven Holy Kingdom. My name is—”
Slick.
There was no need to remember his real name. This guy was just ‘Slick.’ Aiden mentally cut off the sentence he had just heard, his expression deadpan.
Judging by the words that followed, it was clearly the right call.
“—and seeing your vulgar, street-rat behavior, there is no need to even ask about your lineage.”
“…”
Good grief. Watching him reveal the sheer depth of his terrible personality in just a few seconds, Aiden’s temples began to throb.
“…Your Highness. I believe it would be wise to reconsider treating this man so lightly.”
It was so bad that even the fully armored guard beside the prince stepped up to dissuade him. Of course, Slick’s face immediately crumpled in annoyance.
“Silence. Who told you to butt in?”
“But he is—”
Hearing the guard whisper quietly beside him, a crooked smirk spread across Slick’s face.
“—Ah.”
It was a sneer of disbelief, as if he had just heard an absurd joke.
“The one she brought in this time? For that Lionheart?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At the guard’s reply, Slick’s obnoxious gaze swept up and down Aiden.
“This guy?”
“…”
“She didn’t even pretend to listen to my request, yet she chose a guy like this as her spouse?”
…Hearing him talk, it was clear this guy had been massively interested in the position of Dame Noel’s spouse.
Only then did a faint realization dawn on Aiden.
◈ 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.
“…”
This ‘related event’… wasn’t it obviously going to revolve around the tyrannical royal standing right in front of him? And he had walked right out to prepare for it, only to ram his head straight into the source.
Ah.
Aiden Kellermain. Day two on the job.
On day one, his spouse’s friend drew a sword and charged at him. On day two, he got into a fight with foreign royalty.
Ah.
There was nothing else to let out but that sigh.