Copy 30

Prev | TOC I Next

Let’s take a moment to think about this person called Teresa. By the time the main scenario progresses in the game, she’s already deceased and only briefly mentioned in the background. She’s a peer of the Prince and Noel, a few years older than them. However, her battlefield experience is far richer, and she’s also the benefactor who took in Noel when she became an orphan, left with no relatives because of the war.

She significantly shaped Noel’s values and was practically her only family—a figure akin to her parent. She was also the one who taught her the abilities she uses, including the pure white aura and swordsmanship. Of course, in terms of capability, she has refined the theories she taught, and Noel is ultimately the one who perfected them, making her the stronger one.

“A ghost?”

In the current situation, though, that wasn’t the main issue. Noel’s voice was barely audible, but the emotion it carried was fiercer than any expression Aiden had ever seen from her. How could one even describe it? Grief, despair, confusion—none of which were helpful in overcoming the present situation. Glancing at her face beside him, Aiden could delve a bit deeper into her state. This wasn’t just about losing composure; she was nearing complete denial of reality, unable to fully comprehend what stood before her.

Regardless of who was weaker or stronger, Noel’s current state made her more of a liability than an asset in the fight—she couldn’t even manage to run away.

“Why… here—”

However, even Aiden could fully sympathize with her dazed muttering.

‘Why is this person…!?’

This person had never once shown up in the game like this. She was only ever mentioned, but never appeared as a resurrected spirit that needed to be fought.

Much less one who would lift a sword and aim a slash at Noel!

As Aiden gritted his teeth and lunged toward her, he collided with Noel, who was standing blankly, and they tumbled to the ground together.

‘I have no idea why this person is here…’

But there was a way to escape the situation. The rift, the source of the phenomenon causing the spirit to manifest in the physical realm, had already been sealed. Even though Teresa’s spirit had appeared suddenly, it couldn’t remain manifested for long. If they could just get out of the area and move beyond the spirit’s “combat range,” the immediate event would end.

The problem was…

‘I can’t get out…!’

Aiden’s physical abilities weren’t enough to escape from the spirit that could unleash such monstrous slashes. He needed someone’s help, no question about it.

“Lady Stella, can you move both me and Lady Noel at the same time—!”

“…It’s possible, but barely!”

Stella gritted her teeth as she gripped a nearby lamppost with one hand. The massive chunk of metal, held by a single human hand, shattered the concrete beneath it with a loud crack as it was ripped out. It was an unbelievable feat of strength that would leave any observer gaping, yet the person performing it kept her eyes fixed on Teresa’s ghost, filled with tension.

Her instincts were telling her—she could sense just how powerful ‘that thing’ was.

“We can’t just evade it! Lady Noel needs to snap out of it!” 

Stella said this as she hurled the streetlamp she had just uprooted like a spear. Watching the massive chunk of metal, larger than a human body, fly at such speed was terrifying enough, but seeing Teresa slice it cleanly in half with one swift stroke was even more absurd. 

Stella then drew her sword and charged toward the spirit. Clearly, she intended to buy time, not to win the fight. It was a signal for Aiden to somehow get Noel back to her senses.

Her intentions were admirable, but with Noel in her current state, it seemed almost impossible to either escape or bring her back to reality. Her eyes were unfocused as if staring into the distance, and her limbs hung limp as though she’d lost all strength. It seemed she was struggling to even process what had just happened.

“…Teresa…?”

Noel murmured the name, as if sobbing. It was clear she had no idea what she was saying. 

“Did she… attack? Me?”

“Lady Noel, get a hold of yourself!”

Aiden grabbed Noel by her collar, lifting her slightly to bring her face closer to his. 

“…Aiden…?”

“If we stay like this, we’ll all die! We have to get out of here!”

Though Aiden still had the Crown Prince’s skill replication ability, it was useless against Teresa. He needed a more efficient plan.

“Die…?”

Noel repeated the word weakly, her unfocused eyes struggling to process it.

“Teresa… wants to kill me?”

It was a voice detached from reality, a tone utterly unlike Noel’s usual self. It was as if she couldn’t comprehend what was happening around her.

Considering her relationship with Teresa, it was understandable—like hearing that a parent wants to kill their child. However, they had to find a way to bring her back to her senses somehow.

Just as Aiden was thinking that, blood suddenly trickled down his forehead. It must have been from when they rolled on the ground earlier, causing a cut.

As a droplet of blood fell onto Noel’s face, her pupils dilated, bringing focus back into her gaze. Her previously drifting consciousness seemed to return, as though she remembered what needed to be done.

She raised a trembling hand and touched Aiden’s forehead, feeling the wet blood at her fingertips.

“…Are you hurt?”

“……”

“Are you hurt, Aiden?”

“Well, yes, but it’s nothing serious,” Aiden responded.

It was merely a scratch, not a serious injury. Yet, Noel’s eyes suddenly showed a glimmer of determination.

“How can you say it’s nothing? You’re bleeding!”

“……”

“For crying out loud…!”

Noel abruptly raised her voice, standing up. It felt like the sudden shock had snapped her out of her daze.

How far would she go to protect others?

While it was a relief that she’d come to her senses, Aiden’s feelings were still complicated.

Then, Noel turned her gaze toward the ghost of Teresa, who was engaged in combat with Stella, gritting her teeth. Regardless of the situation, it seemed she had realized what she needed to do now.

“Haa…”

With a sigh, Noel wrapped one arm around Aiden’s waist, pulling him close to her side. Aiden couldn’t help but wonder if Stella had been her inspiration for such a method of carrying someone.

In this stance, Noel crouched low and then launched herself forward with great force, leaving a crater where she had been standing. The impact caused the entire ground to tremble, as if a bomb had gone off.

In an instant, she reached Stella’s location and delivered a powerful kick to Teresa, using all the momentum she had built up.

-!

-!!

The impact alone sent Teresa flying, crashing into a building and demolishing part of it, like being struck by a battering ram. Unlike before, when she had been overpowering Stella, this time she didn’t even have a chance to react.

‘What the—!’

Aiden had thought it was impressive enough when Stella had ripped out a streetlamp with her bare hands, but compared to Noel’s sheer power, it seemed insignificant. As Aiden began to truly grasp the superhuman feats that knights with otherworldly abilities could achieve, Noel picked up Stella in the same way she had grabbed Aiden and said:

“Hold on tight.”

Then, with a loud cracking sound, she continued, 

“We’re getting out of here!”

With that, all three of them suddenly lifted off the ground. Of course, they weren’t literally flying; it only seemed that way because Noel had leapt so high into the air.

But even as she did that…

Noel’s gaze was locked on Teresa, who was glaring back from within the partially destroyed building. Her eyes stayed fixed on her, even as she disappeared from view. Until the very end.

—It was good that they managed to escape the situation for now, but Aiden was suffering from a splitting headache.

Quest Info  

The events listed here will incur massive penalties if failed!  

Main Quest  

Act 1: “Crack in the Capital”  

Chapter 1: “The Ghostly Knight Incident”  

▶ The ‘boss’ has not been defeated. The quest is still incomplete.  

▶ Partial failure has resulted in penalties.  

The boss becomes much stronger!  

The subjugation battle will soon resume.  

Failure of this subjugation will result in quest failure!

‘…Damn it.’

Aiden sighed internally at the floating quest window before him. He had expected this outcome. After all, letting the boss fight—the most crucial event—go unresolved was bound to come back to bite him. But the fact that the boss would now become even stronger was dizzying.

Even before, the boss seemed capable of keeping up with Noel in combat. If it was going to get “much stronger,” even combining the efforts of Noel and Katia might not be enough.

‘Oh, dear…’

While Aiden racked his brain for a solution, Noel, who had been wrapping a bandage around his forehead, finished up.

“That should do it.”

“…Anyone would think I’d been shot in the head,” Aiden muttered.

Before he could comment on the excessive reaction to a mere scratch, Noel continued without skipping a beat. 

“I’ve called for a specialist. It’s best to get checked, just in case.”

“That’s a bit—”

“Aiden.”

Noel interrupted with a bright smile, though her eyes were anything but cheerful. It was clear she wouldn’t accept any objections.

“Get checked.”

Aiden quietly nodded.

“You got this injury from contact with a spirit. We don’t know what kind of complications it could cause.”

“Well…”

Technically, getting roughed up by Meyer daily was probably more of a concern, but there was no need to mention that out loud.

But more importantly…

There was something else on his mind.

“…May I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Are you okay, Lady Noel?”

“My injuries are just scratches—”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Aiden hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“Are you really okay?”

Realizing he was referring to Teresa’s spirit, Noel clammed up.

“You may have to fight it again.”

“It seems you think that’s inevitable.”

“Yes.”

There was a solution, at least a rough “breakthrough” he’d come up with from observing the previous battle. However, whether Noel could handle it was another matter. When she briefly clashed with Teresa earlier, she showed unusual hesitation—almost as if she couldn’t bear to do it.

After a long silence, Noel let out a deep sigh.

“…I’m not okay.”

She admitted it plainly, her expression etched with the scars of past memories.

“Teresa has been with me since I was too young to remember. She’s like a big sister to me.”

She continued, her voice heavy with pain. 

“…It’s hard enough to even think about her. How could I possibly be okay with fighting something that resembles her?”

Of course.

Given her state, it was clear that avoiding a confrontation next time might be the better choice.

“But…”

Cutting through his thoughts, Noel spoke with resolve.

“If you try to handle this without me, I’ll be angry.”

“…What?”

“I’m the one who got you involved in this.”

Before he could respond, Noel placed a hand on Aiden’s shoulder, a faint smile tugging at her lips. It was a lighthearted expression, but it carried a strong sense of sincerity.

“Besides, there’s no definite proof that it’s really Teresa’s spirit. Even if it is, no matter what happens, I’ll make sure you get back safely to your family.”

Just like yesterday, when the incident occurred. Even if it meant crossing swords with something resembling her sister’s spirit, she was determined to protect Aiden to the end.

“Please, don’t worry about my situation. Your safety is the top priority.”

For a moment, Aiden was at a loss for words, simply staring at Noel.

‘…Now I see.’

He let out a soft chuckle and rubbed his face. Noel had often told him she’d protect him, but he never realized how sincere she was. Even with Teresa involved, she prioritized his safety over her own.

“Why that expression, Aiden?”

“I’m… a bit embarrassed.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m starting to see you a bit differently, Lady Noel.”

How could he put it? He had never disliked her, but now he genuinely felt closer to her—not in a romantic sense, but certainly in a positive way. This was… a big deal.

At those words, Noel awkwardly stepped back.

“Why would you say that… now?”

“Sorry?”

“Aiden, I don’t dislike you either, but this isn’t exactly the right time to flirt…”

No, that wasn’t what he meant.

‘I need to change the topic.’

“More importantly, what’s that?”

Aiden gestured toward a newspaper on Noel’s desk. He was curious since he’d never seen her read one before. But as soon as he mentioned it, Noel’s expression darkened.

“Ah, that…”

Seeing her hesitation, Aiden leaned forward to get a better look. His expression also shifted when he read the headline.

“The Ghost of Teresa Appears in the Capital… What Really Happened During the Allied War?”

“It seems yesterday’s events have caused quite a stir.”

As Noel forced a bitter smile, Aiden read the article with a hardened expression. For a spirit to materialize in the physical realm, certain conditions must be met—something evident from Meyer’s case. One must have achieved a highly refined spiritual state, or retain an intense, unresolved “regret” so powerful that even death cannot suppress it.

“…Teresa died because of Lady Noel, and he came back for revenge because of that grudge?”

If one considered these conditions, the sudden appearance of Teresa’s spirit last night could be construed in such a way. The article cleverly deflected responsibility from its own writers, but it essentially treated these assumptions as established facts. If it were merely tabloid journalism, it might have been dismissible. However, this was from one of the most reputable media outlets in the capital—a publication that was openly attacking the empire’s hero, the “Lionheart.”

And yet…

…Regardless of everything, it’s too fast.

The incident had only occurred last night. The fact that such an article had already been published—less than half a day later—suggested clear signs of malicious “pressure” behind the scenes. As for who was responsible, well…

The Crown Prince.

No one else was hostile enough toward Noel to exert this kind of pressure.

“Well,” Noel said with a bitter smile still on her face, “it doesn’t really matter what they say. It’s their right to think whatever they want.”

“I’m not particularly bothered by it. I don’t really ca—”

Noel abruptly stopped mid-sentence. Aiden had walked up to her and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.

“Noel.”

“…Yes?”

“We haven’t known each other long, but there’s one thing I know for sure.”

He pressed gently but firmly on her shoulders as he spoke.

“I don’t think you’d ever do such a thing.”

Noel remained silent, meeting Aiden’s gaze.

“You don’t have to explain in detail, but let me ask you: did you do it?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if the nonsense this article is spewing is actually true. Did you really do any of that?”

Noel blinked, looking up at Aiden with a stunned expression. She seemed both surprised and confused by his question. Her usual, slightly weary expression was still there, but there was something different in her eyes—something that suggested she was on the brink of making a significant decision.

“…Of course not. Teresa is my benefactor.”

The moment Noel said this, Aiden nodded and released her shoulders.

“Good. Then let’s go.”

“Huh? Go where? Where are you going?”

“We’re going to bash the heads of the people who spread these lies.”

“……”

“The Crown Prince—where is he right now, and what is he doing?”

Just as Noel had spoken to Aiden moments ago, there was a clear sign that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

[Skill Replication with Favorability!]

Prev | TOC I Next