.｡.:✧ Chapter 18 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Suddenly receiving a request to help, Claudia was flustered and glanced nervously at Iris, who was emitting a fierce aura.

“…Let me hear it first. You’re not asking me to take your side or anything like that, right? If that’s the case, I absolutely can’t do it.”

“It’s not like that. You just need to listen to what I say and determine if it’s correct or not.”

“What do you want to ask?”

She had an expression wondering what I was trying to say.

“Do you remember how that horse-riding fellow attacked?”

“To some extent. But I can’t remember too much in detail. I just have a rough grasp of the major movements.”

“That’s enough.”

As the situation unfolded in this direction, Iris also crossed her arms under her chest, as if she was willing to listen to what I had to say for now. I was relieved, as I was worried she might not even try to hear me out.

“That monster you encountered, didn’t it rear up on its front legs and let out a loud cry as soon as you faced it, then immediately charged at you?”

The light pink hair bobbed up and down slightly, affirming my words.

“Right after charging, it swung its spear from left to right, then from right to left once each, and then thrust it down towards you. At first, it was holding the spear in its left hand, and after thrusting it down and stabbing it into the ground, it switched to holding it in its right hand.”

“Uh… Wait a moment. Now that I think about it, you’re right.”

“And then it pulled out the spear, spun it above its head a few times, swung it forward in a large arc, and then rode away on its horse again. Is this correct too?”

The movements I described were all the opening patterns that the ‘Headless Armored Cavalier’ that Claudia had encountered would perform with a 100% probability when starting the boss fight.

There were limitations in explaining it verbally rather than through video, but it seemed to convey the meaning relatively well.

Claudia pondered for a moment, recalling her memories, then suddenly looked surprised and nodded her head vigorously.

“That’s right. How did you know?”

“From here on, I’ll describe what I remember.”

“…It’s all correct.”

Her voice was trembling greatly.

Having finished my explanation, I inwardly thanked Claudia. She must have been completely focused on fighting the monster that her weapons couldn’t harm, yet she remembered quite a lot of the patterns.

I looked around. Lizé and Erica, of course, and even Iris had frozen with dumbfounded expressions. They were probably wondering what they had just heard.

Even the person who had directly faced it and returned alive was shocked to hear information about a monster they had encountered for the first time from a newcomer who had just joined the knighthood.

Silence lingered. No one could easily open their mouth. Even Iris, who had been vehemently opposing me until just now, had her mouth tightly shut with an expression that seemed to be deep in thought.

It was only after a long time had passed that she finally managed to squeeze out a word.

“How do you… know such things?”

It was a question that could be considered the most crucial curiosity: how did I know such things?

I couldn’t reveal the truth right away, but fortunately, I had a universal shield that I could use here.

“Some of my memories have returned.”

“What…!”

Iris gasped, and Lizé and Erica couldn’t hide their shock either.

Only Claudia, who still didn’t know exactly who I was and only knew me as a newcomer to the knighthood, had a question mark above her head.

“Is that true?!”

“It’s not perfect. It’s just a feeling that a very small part has been unlocked, so to speak.”

I didn’t miss the hesitation that briefly settled on her face and continued.

“I’ve told you everything I can say. You said it yourself, Iris. You can trust my skills, but you can’t push me into a battle against an enemy we’re encountering for the first time. But look. I already know that fellow very well. Then don’t you think it’s worth believing in me this one time?”

This time, the contemplation was much longer. The words she had said herself were being refuted by herself.

My skills could be trusted, but I couldn’t be pushed into a battle against an enemy we were encountering for the first time. But what if that thing wasn’t a monster I was encountering for the first time?

Naturally, the latter condition would disappear, leaving only the premise that my skills could be trusted.

“……”

Iris was silent for a long time. I understood her feelings well, so I waited quietly.

It was after more than 5 minutes had passed that her mouth opened again.

“…Alright. But take Lizé with you. Only then will I allow it.”

“Iris is right, newbie. I’ll go with you. No matter what, it’s too dangerous to let you go alone.”

“No, I have to go alone.”

I rejected that proposal outright.

I had to defeat the boss and immediately head to a nearby dungeon to find the bait to lure out the lord, so I couldn’t let her see that. The excuse of my memories returning was also important and should only be used once in a while, not too frequently, or it would only arouse suspicion.

If it was on the condition that I defeat the Headless Armored Cavalier without Lizé’s help, I had no problem with her accompanying me for the boss battle, but what came after that was a separate issue.

I couldn’t tell Lizé after the boss battle that I had something to do alone and ask her to return first. She would naturally try to stick by my side no matter what.

It was better not to take her from the beginning.

“Why do you want to go alone? Is there a reason?”

“There is a reason, but I don’t think I can tell you. Sorry.”

“……”

Iris let out a deep sigh. I fully understood her feelings of wondering why I was doing this. But I couldn’t back down here either.

“In that case…”

The silver eyes were filled with a final determination.

“If there’s a knight commander who agrees with your solo action, I’ll allow it. It doesn’t have to be many. If even one of us agrees, that’s enough. For now, I’m absolutely against it.”

“…I’m also against it. I’m sorry, Mr. Newbie. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but my concern for you is greater than that, so please understand that I’m opposing it for that reason.”

“Uh… I’m not against it, but I’m not agreeing to it either. I don’t know much about you, you know? I met you for the first time today. So it’s a bit difficult for me to say anything thoughtlessly.”

Iris and Erica were against it, and Claudia was essentially against it too. Then the only remaining knight commander was Lizé. I turned to look at Lizé, who was still tightly holding my fingers.

Her blue eyes were trembling slightly. It was obvious what answer she would give. I took the lead before Lizé could give her answer.

“Ne-newbie. I’m sorry, but I alsoㅡ”

“Lizé.”

“Huh? Yes?”

“Do you remember what you said just before using Frost Storm Assault in our previous duel?”

“What I said before using that technique? Uh… W-wait a minute. Don’t tell me?”

Lizé pondered for a moment to recall, then made a shocked expression as if she had realized what favor I was about to ask.

“Yeah, that’s right. Those words you said about granting any wish, I need to use them now. Support me.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Do you think I’m lying?”

I smiled slightly. Lizé, who had been put in a position where she couldn’t do anything, fidgeted her feet, but the result was obvious. Iris let out an even deeper sigh than before, as if sensing the future.

“…Alright. I’ll agree. Come back safely, newbie.”

After hesitating for a long time, Lizé finally took my side.

The situation was over.

Claudia went into the castle for treatment with a word of encouragement, “Since it’s come to this, do well and come back,” and Erica also followed Claudia after giving a brief greeting, “I wish you good luck.”

Iris left with eyes filled with all sorts of mixed emotions, leaving a request that sounded more like an order, “Absolutely do not die. That’s an order.”

Lizé was sticking close to my side, preparing all sorts of items for me. Not only did she pack plenty of food, but she also tried to provide me with health potions, spare weapons, and even armor.

Of course, I refused the armor, saying I didn’t need it. It was because my endurance stat was only 1, so my equipment weight limit was annoyingly low.

Even with just the Blood-Stained Sword, rolling at the 1st stage was barely possible, so if I wore any kind of armor, whether light or heavy, rolling would likely become impossible.

Besides, even if I wore it, I would still get one-shot by the boss anyway.

When I said I wouldn’t take the armor, Lizé jumped up and down, asking if that made sense, but when I stubbornly insisted, she gave up on persuading me and just stared at me with puffed cheeks.

If she didn’t know my circumstances, it was a natural concern to have, so I didn’t find these trivial naggings bothersome at all.

Rather, I was grateful, thinking that she cared about me to this extent.

“Have a safe trip, newbie.”

Lizé was the only one seeing me off as I left.

“……”

…Or so I thought, but in the distance, Iris was peeking her head out from behind a wall, looking at me.

When our eyes met, she quickly hid behind the wall, and in less than a second, she peeked out again with one eye and stared at me.

What was she doing?

Regardless of what Iris and I were doing, Lizé spoke in an unusually serious tone.

“And don’t die. Absolutely not. If you feel your life is in danger, just abandon everything and run away. Even if you have to crawl on the ground to escape, make sure to come back alive no matter what. Don’t spout nonsense about protecting your honor or whatever. Got it?”

“I absolutely won’t do that. I’m someone who knows the value of my own life in the first place.”

“Someone who knows the value of their life wouldn’t do such a reckless thing?!”

Lizé pulled my cheek.

As a strange groan escaped my mouth, she chuckled and immediately let go. It didn’t hurt at all. It seemed to be Lizé’s light-hearted way of playing around.

As I finished my farewells and was about to mount the horse, Lizé stopped me.

“And one more thing. Lend me your ear for a moment.”

“Hmm?”

Thinking she still had something to say, I leaned in. Her cherry-colored lips approached my ear and whispered softly.

“If you come back alive, I’ll grant you one wish. Alright? Anything is possible this time too, so think carefully.”

Then she smiled brightly, tapped my cheek with her finger, turned around, and left. I pondered for a moment about what Lizé had just said, then laughed and mounted the horse.

“Of course I will.”

No matter how much the Darkest Light Mod was applied, as someone with 30,000 hours of playtime, there was no way I could die to just the first boss.

‘Ah, wait a minute. This is a death flag.’

Trying to suppress the sudden chill running down my spine, I grabbed the reins and set off.

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