Newbie Despair (Part 3)
“Um……”
Ruby stood there with her hands behind her back, her face slightly flushed. The noble, captivated by her beautiful figure, exclaimed,
“Ooh, what a stunning beauty you are. Do you have something to say to me?”
“……Wanna go somewhere quiet for a bit? I have something to tell you.”
In the ballroom, when a beautiful woman suggested being alone together, it meant one thing. The noble nodded his head five times over.
“No one will come to this terrace. Lady, what you have to say to me is……?”
The noble rubbed his hands together, his anticipation obvious.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Ooh! Please, tell me what it is!”
“Will you grant any request?”
“Of course!”
Ruby spoke shyly. Perhaps due to the lighting, her eyes seemed oddly red around the edges.
“Then, please die.”
“……?”
As the noble faltered in confusion, Ruby slashed his throat with the longsword she’d hidden behind her back. It happened in an instant. The noble turned to ash with an incredulous look on his face.
“Haa.”
Ruby let out a sigh of relief.
‘Status window.’
For some reason, the regression had occurred. But no one knew if it would happen again. At first, Ruby moved cautiously. But by the time half the nobles in the ballroom were left, the knights appeared on their own.
‘……The knights’ appearance condition is reports from the nobles.’
The knights showed up if you killed too openly, or if too many died and the surviving nobles reported it. In other words, the structure ensured knights would always appear no matter what.
Whenever the knights appeared, Ruby died without fail—
“From here on, we won’t intervene.”
And regressed without fail.
‘……At first I thought I was the only one regressing, but since people’s actions change every time, that’s not it. This regression must be a feature of the dungeon.’
Ruby, a middle school dropout, had somehow figured it out thanks to the intelligence boost from the Windsor Robe Armor. Dying and getting another chance was a huge merit, but it didn’t change much overall.
The problem was the knights. Unlike the insignificant nobles, the knights were incredibly strong.
Ruby devised a simple plan.
‘Level up by killing tons of nobles, and eventually I’ll win!’
And so, right now, Ruby was hunting diligently. At first, she lured them one by one like before, but realizing it wasn’t necessary, she started a massacre show against the ballroom nobles.
“Ahaha!”
‘This is weird.’
Memories of the past surfaced. This thrilling sensation in her hands. Yes, this was it. The taste that blew away the stress of trainee life!
‘This is fun!’
“Protect the guests!”
“Eliminate the intruder!”
Clang! The barrier shattered once more. But even in the darkening vision, the message made Ruby smile.
Meanwhile, on the ballroom ceiling—
Two knights sat on a pillar, watching the scene.
“How’s my attachment newbie tasting?”
Sisilia shrugged. Beatrice trembled.
“Wh-what on earth did you do……? Why is she turning more like you bit by bit?”
“Th-that cute?”
“…….”
It was already the 6th loop. People’s tendencies varied, but even the timid newbies were starting to act more aggressively.
Sisilia beamed innocently. Things were going as planned—no, even better. The newbies were pushing hard. Especially Ruby. Her expression when killing monsters…… simply delicious!
“Beatrice should pick an attachment newbie quick too.”
“……People aren’t dolls.”
But she got what Sisilia meant. Users’ talents were still unknown. What was certain was that under the Windsor Knights’ guidance, they’d grow faster than anyone.
But they couldn’t guide every user. Windsor knights were busy.
……Except for one.
Anyway.
“So, pick the promising ones and focus on raising those users?”
“Every newbie has potential, but.”
Sisilia gazed warmly at their enthusiasm and said,
“One newbie per Windsor is a brilliant idea—”
[Sisilia is pleased with your performance.]
“Huh? She’s watching?”
Ruby glanced around at the sudden status window.
“Yeah, we could definitely mentor one or so somehow.”
“Right? So Betty should pick one this time too.”
“……But.”
Beatrice hung her head gloomily.
“Can I even do it?”
“Huh?”
“I can barely take care of myself.”
She didn’t think she was worthy. How could she? She’d been sheltered under Sisilia’s massive shadow all this time.
“What are you talking about.”
Sisilia stroked Beatrice’s head.
“Betty’s a full-fledged Windsor knight. You’re handling your role just fine.”
“……!”
Sometimes, Sisilia said things like that—cool things. She was petite and three years younger. But in moments like this, she felt like a senior in life.
“I’m always grateful. You’re a huge help to me.”
Beatrice, moved, replied,
“Then, once this is over, will you handle some work?”
Sisilia smiled brightly. A dumb grin like a flower blooming on her head.
“Of course.”
‘She’s totally lying, this person.’
Beatrice’s eyes cooled sharply.
“So? Who’s Betty picking?”
“……Me, this one.”
Beatrice cautiously pointed to someone.
“Siu?”
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
Sisilia tilted her head.
“He looks super timid, and he’s got dirty thoughts about my attachment newbie. Total perv.”
“……Just.”
Beatrice glanced at Siu, who watched Ruby with admiring eyes, and murmured softly.
“He looks like me.”
[Beatrice Windsor cheers you on.]
‘……What’s this?’
Siu dismissed the incomprehensible status window and looked back at someone. The woman with an unreal beauty swinging her sword. Ruby.
‘Her name’s probably fake. Anyone can tell that’s Han Chaeyeon.’
Anyone from the 22nd century would recognize her instantly. Turn on the TV, your phone, walk outside—her face was everywhere. A legendary idol who’d conquered the entertainment world, no exaggeration.
Siu had been a longtime fan.
‘How could Chaeyeon bully someone? Logically, with her packed schedule, where’s the time? Even during scandals, deep down I believed she wasn’t that kind of person.’
“Ahaha!”
Because Ruby was bright to everyone’s eyes, kind even to trash like him. But he……
‘It’s okay.’
‘…….’
‘Everyone was scared back then, right?’
He’d promised to protect her, but abandoned her and ran. Screaming pathetically. He’d apologized later, but.
“Pathetic bastard.”
No matter what, the fact he ran didn’t change. Siu couldn’t stand how pathetic he was.
‘Is that person…… a user like me?’
‘Ah, you mean Ruby? Yeah. She’s working super hard. Maid work isn’t easy.’
He’d actually learned about Ruby a while back. After being saved by Sisilia in Londinium, he’d come to the capital and was adapting with royal support. But Ruby had been summoned much earlier, already fully adapted.
And unlike him, with all that support—
She’d done it purely on her own strength, honorably.
‘What am I even here for—’
Ruby was an idol. She probably had little time for games. He’d wanted to get strong, protect her. And get close to the object of his admiration.
But reality was just him running away pathetically. Siu hated himself so much.
“K-Knights! Knights are here!”
“Damn, ends here again.”
“Didn’t even get many……”
The knights swarmed in. Everyone fled, but Ruby, panting, assumed a stance against the approaching knights.
‘……How can an idol do that?’
He’d thought that deep down. Idols just get born pretty and talented, right? Wrong. Even under the same conditions, Siu couldn’t be like Ruby. Even if he changed his life, he couldn’t live like her.
“Astral Lance—!”
Stab—!
“It worked!”
The way to use Blessings. A scene anyone who’d played Another World a bit would know.
‘……She already mastered it?’
But not just anyone could do it. In the game’s somewhat forgiving world, vague imagination sufficed. This wasn’t the game. Manifesting exact imagery that came alive was insanely hard.
Ruby had pulled it off.
‘Amazing, really. I tried till I died and couldn’t. Guess I’m just hopeless?’
But the power was lacking, naturally. Ruby was only level 16. She couldn’t one-shot a level 48 knight. Still, attempting it—proving she could—was incredible.
Admiration. That’s what Siu felt for Ruby now. He wanted to be like her. And stand beside her as an equal.
[Beatrice Windsor, unable to hold back, blesses you.]
[Your courage surges dramatically.]
‘Wh-what’s this?’
As Siu felt bewildered, a sudden thought struck him.
‘……How long are you gonna sit here like a pathetic loser?’
The moment the knight’s sword moved—
Siu’s body moved on its own.
“Watch out!”
He couldn’t block the knight’s sword. Siu chose to grab Ruby and roll aside.
“Wh-whoa, that startled me. Hi?”
Ruby greeted brightly even in this situation.
……Dopamine, maybe. She didn’t seem sane. Anyway, Siu urgently asked,
“Th-that thing just now. Can you use it one more time?”
“Y……? Yeah. Once more, somehow.”
‘She hasn’t used the ring yet. It can block one knight attack. Then.’
A plan flashed in Siu’s mind.
“I’ll draw attention. Use that skill again on my signal.”
“Y-yes?”
Ruby blinked in confusion. But no time. Siu charged the knight sword-first.
“Useless!”
The knight tried to parry. But Siu dropped his sword.
“Dropping your sword! Don’t you have even basic honor!?”
“Who cares!”
Siu tackled the knight with all his might. In that instant, the knight’s sword sliced his throat.
But.
Clang!
Barrier countered it. Without hesitation, Siu hugged the knight’s body tight.
‘I can’t use my Blessing.’
He couldn’t form a clear image no matter what. All he could do was read others’ status windows.
His Blessing’s nature made vivid imagination too hard.
But maybe something basic.
‘Imagine it.’
Exhale Blessing like smoke to blind the enemy. And believe all attacks within that smoke grow stronger.
“Dark Veil!”
Black mist erupted from Siu’s body. Visibility zero, but Ruby remembered the signal and shouted,
“Astral Lance—!”
In that moment, status windows appeared for Ruby and Siu.
“Wooow!”
Sisilia, watching live, sparkled with excitement.
“Did you see that? Betty’s attachment newbie has the Shadow Blessing! And great instincts too!”
Sisilia cheered like a kid. Seeing a side of her she’d never witnessed, Beatrice pouted.
“I could do that much too.”
“……Well, Betty could, sure.”
“And if I hadn’t buffed at the end, they couldn’t have pulled it off.”
“R-right.”
“Got it? You get it, right?”
Beatrice’s cheeks puffed out. Sisilia broke into a cold sweat and tilted her head.
Did I mess up again?