The Tutorial Is Too Hard (1)
The festive mood had evaporated. The grand hall, once filled with resounding music, now looked like the site of a terrorist attack—everyone wore expressions as if the sky had fallen.
It was inevitable. The kingdom's fateful summoning ritual had just spectacularly failed!
"Ahaha."
Lydia walked through the crowd demanding explanations, laughing innocently.
"Worry not, my people—."
Having already expended most of her power, Lydia reached toward the Sacred Flame, now shrunken to the size of a grain of rice.
"The summoning was a success."
The flame reborn as a complex magic circle. That circle expanded to blanket the entire capital.
This was the queen's Great Barrier Spell. Though not as potent as the original Sacred Flame, it was sufficient to protect the city.
"However."
The queen gazed wistfully into the distance.
"The coordinates were just a bit... off."
'All that's left is to declare that reaching Terezia soil is the trial, and this is all the goddess's will.'
Of course, this was entirely Lydia's scheme. To suppress the summoned users' backlash and naturally pit them against the demon race.
Users who didn't fight demons wouldn't survive this trial anyway.
Naturally, Queen Lydia knew there were better ways than this cruel method.
But those required time and manpower.
'Once the truce ends, the demons will resume their assault. Time is short.'
The Liannen Kingdom had neither the luxury nor the reason for such delays. To Lydia, the people living in Liannen mattered more than otherworlders.
With a cold smile, she prepared to announce it.
But at that moment—
"I'll retrieve them right now."
Sisilia saluted sharply and vanished like the wind!
Lydia, who had planned a charismatic announcement to all, staggered from the fierce gust.
"As expected of a noble knight with a kind heart. A true daughter of Chiron Windsor."
Erterion, watching from the side, said proudly. But soon he looked worried.
"However, how will she rescue them from across this vast kingdom? They fell in all directions. The thought of her returning disappointed pains me."
Lydia stared at Erterion as if he were a ghost.
"Why, why look at me like that?"
His words were sympathetic, but Erterion's judgment was the worst of the worst. He always sounded wise, but rarely said anything correct. In truth, Lydia ignored most of his opinions. He shone best with someone else handling the brains.
More than that—
'Si, Sisilia might just gather every user across the capital. In an instant.'
She had that hunch. And in 300 years, it had never been wrong.
"Catch her."
"Pardon?"
"Sir Erterion! This is a royal command! Capture Sisilia Windsor at once!"
Erterion looked reluctant but obeyed the queen's order.
"As you command."
Sword Saint Erterion.
His Aura is Fate.
The moment he draws his sword, his opponent's fate is forcibly severed. Evasion, defense—even luck falls under his control, ensuring every strike lands true.
There is no counter. The first blow always succeeds—that is the Sword Saint's Aura.
Sisilia had no real counter to that either.
"Pervert. Molester. Forcible assault on a minor. Sentence: death."
"...Those are some tremendous accusations."
"Is it true?"
"As if! Sheathe your sword, Duke Chiron!"
And so—Sisilia was bound tight with special rope.
Beatrice felt an inexplicable emotion.
'Huh?'
A collar encircled the restrained Sisilia's neck. Beautiful like a choker, yet cruel like a beast's leash.
'Th-this is.'
Beatrice's face lit up.
'So satisfying!'
How much had she suffered under Sisilia? This version of her wasn't scary at all...
"Betty. Having fun?"
"Forgive me. Spare me in exchange for my life. Please, just not my family's annihilation."
Beatrice dropped to her knees, preparing seppuku.
Erterion blocked her sword, sweating coldly.
"Understand. It was the only way to catch you."
"...Untie me."
"Promise not to run."
"I swear on my honor."
Lydia pondered briefly, then sighed helplessly.
"Sir, release her."
"Yes. Don't struggle—stay still."
Freed while still bound, Sisilia immediately prepared to leap out the window.
"I'll go retrieve them."
"You swore on your honor!"
"Betty's honor has nothing to do with me!"
"...Lady Sisilia?"
But this time, Chiron blocked her.
"Sisilia, a knight keeps her sworn word. Even if it's her adjutant's honor."
Sisilia slumped, neck grabbed.
"I'll hold Sisilia. Proceed with the meeting."
Chiron said flatly, staring at Lydia.
From his bone-deep knightly perspective, this fiasco was hard to accept. He understood Sisilia's feelings all too well.
"No matter how much trouble, we need an explanation this time."
Lydia nodded and explained her prepared points.
The Windsor Knights listened gravely.
"...Thus, the trial ends when the users reach Terezia. This is the goddess's will—and my decision."
Lude asked.
"Can we know where they fell?"
"I don't know the coordinates. Could be the ocean depths, or perhaps they're already battling in some dungeon."
Lydia swallowed hard, glancing at Sisilia.
Though slumped and helpless, her eyes blazed fiercely. She looked ready to sneak out at dawn.
"B-but. We'll dispatch the royal knights separately for minimal aid. Meeting them is a skill in itself."
It was a major concession. Thankfully, Sisilia softened a bit.
Lydia, somewhat relieved, said,
"Do you understand, Sisilia?"
"Yes. I understand completely."
"Good then..."
"Issue me the retrieval order. I'll save them faster than anyone."
'She didn't understand at all!'
But Queen Lydia, with 300 years of wisdom, quickly regained composure.
"No. The truce with demons ends soon. It's time to prepare. Sisilia, you'd be a massive waste of manpower. Besides, this is the goddess's intent. Even if our kingdom follows rather than worships her, some things must be obeyed."
'No justification. She'll refuse no matter what.'
True or false, with the invincible goddess card played, even the Sword Princess had no retort.
Sisilia closed her eyes.
Newbies were out there. Breathing this very air.
...Kinda hot.
Sisilia blushed. But soon worried.
'How long can newbies survive?'
If they'd played Another World, maybe a chance. Otherwise, hopeless. Security on the capital's outskirts was abysmal. Miss the timing, and you'd find newbies in slave markets.
But dismantling the queen's logic wasn't easy. From the big picture, her decision was sound. If they couldn't clear even the tutorial, surviving this world was impossible.
'No choice.'
Sisilia deployed her ultimate weapon.
"Just."
Everyone tensed, eyeing Sisilia. Unpredictable as ever—what stunt now?
"Just let me go, please...? Sniff, sob."
"...?"
Sisilia started crying!
"Everyone hates me."
And the killer line.
"I'll turn twisted."
"!"
"...?!"
"I won't kill demons anymore! Give them back, gimme newbies, waaah—!!"
The room filled with shock. Childish tantrum, sure. But from the genius Sword Princess? A hero nearly chosen as humanity's proxy? The youngest Windsor vice-captain?
The impact defied imagination.
"Your Majesty. She's begging this earnestly—perhaps grant it."
"A, a short time should be fine. No demon movement yet."
'That's it.'
Sisilia sniffled, shooting Lydia a creepy side-eye.
But she underestimated Lydia. The ability to skip processes and hit the right answer. Her 300-year unerring instinct.
"...No helping it then."
Lydia eyed Sisilia like a cat.
"Users matter, but none rival you, Sisilia. Can't defy the goddess, so shall I send them all back?"
"...?"
"Next summoning was scheduled—guess I'll cancel."
Sisilia's tears stopped dead.
"...Next summoning?"
"Oh, you didn't know? This was the first wave. About 50 came."
Sisilia fell silent.
"But if you'll turn twisted, no choice. Return them to zero?"
"...?"
Sisilia's eyes darted, then she saluted blankly.
"I've had zero doubts in Your Majesty's words from the start. Betty, stop babbling and get up. Time to work for the kingdom."
Sisilia departed, silver hair fluttering dramatically.
Silence blanketed the meeting room.
Edward pondered gravely.
'That's... our vice-captain...?'
The kingdom's future looked dim.
* * *
While Edward fretted over the kingdom's future.
Here, about ten people sat in chilly silence.
"Dunno what's up, but send us back? Report due today."
A med student from a top university, facing five lawsuits.
"What is this? Docu? You extras? Sigh, you punks—stealing a citizen's time? ...So, daily rate?"
A debt-ridden day laborer uncle, handsome though.
"Yo, who's that old dude? Vibe's intense."
"Actor? Never seen him."
"Uncle, wanna do somethin' fun?"
"Yeah? Rate?"
"No—you pay me."
Delinquent high school girl duo, living day-to-day.
"Excuse me, LovePink Chaeyeon?"
"...Wrong person."
A scandal-plagued active idol on the verge of retirement.
Others from various fields gathered here. Confused, calmly assessing, raging, terrified and crying—reactions varied.
But then, a quiet man stood and shouted.
"This isn't the time!"
He was an unemployed NEET.
But here, he might have more merit than anyone.
He'd actually noticed something.
Reactions were cold.
"Who’s this loser?"
"Bossing us?"
"You know what's happening?"
"Waaah! Scary! Send me back!"
"Where are we?!"
The barely contained exploded.
The man faltered amid the chaos, then bellowed.
"Quiet—!!"
Stunned by the volume.
Riding the momentum, he yelled.
"I've played this game before!"
Dead silence.
One blouse-shortened high schooler spoke.
"Squid Game? Hilarious."
"...What ancient drama?"
These modern folk, enjoying peaceful lives, had been summoned to a small dungeon in a remote Liannen territory.
Meanwhile—the dungeon lord.
"Ah."
Fern realized humans had entered her dungeon and grinned grotesquely.
"Lucky! I was hungry."