My 『Star Crusher』(Uppercut)  scores a direct hit on Vergil’s chin.

『Star Crusher』 is a quick move with formidable power, worthy of its high skill level requirement.

However, it’s challenging to use due to its extremely short range.

But in critical moments, 『Star Crusher』 has the destructive power to reverse the course of battle in a single blow.

Moreover, the attack abilities of the 【Martial Arts】 skill include an effect that adds the VIT value of your status and from the correction value of the each piece of armor equipped on the body that affects VIT to your STR.

In this case, the VIT correction of the 『Dragon King’s Gauntlet』 equipped on my arm, which is 【VIT correction +1000 against arm attacks】, is added to my STR.

In addition to this, thanks to 『Ability Release』 and 『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』, multipliers were applied to my STR and VIT, enhancing them.

It goes without saying how much power this has.

However, even though Vergil had lowered his waist in preparation for 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 there was a significant height difference between he and I.

Moreover, I was in a greatly unbalanced posture due to dodging the 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 at the last moment.

The 『Star Crusher』 I forced out from there lacked the usual momentum.

I launched 『Star Crusher』 at full arm’s length.

Judging from the shock transmitted to my fist, I figured that it was not enough to stun Vergil.

At the same time as the direct hit of the ability, I activated 『Shadow Flash』 and withdrew from the scene.

Vergil: “Heh, Heheheh…”

Arata: “…”

Blood drips from the corner of Vergil’s mouth as he chuckles.

Even if its power had decreased, the damage from 『Star Crusher』 should not be underestimated.

Moreover, he has been attacked on his chin, a vital point on the human body.

Yet Vergil’s fighting spirit was not diminished at all.

Vergil: “Your response to my 【Iaijutsu】, the high level of your 【Martial Arts】 skill, your instantaneous judgment… Wonderful! Wonderful, Arata!”

Arata: “I’m honored by your praise.”

Vergil exclaims in admiration at my efforts.

I respond with a quip.

But, contrary to my words, I was not at ease.

Further use of 『Ability Release』 and 『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』 would deplete my ST, so I had no choice but to deactivate them.

Moreover, these two abilities require a significant cooldown time before they can be reused.

I cannot use them again during this duel.

Now, how am I going to beat him…?

Vergil: “I must apologize. I have been serious until now, but not at my full strength.”

Arata: “I could say the same.”

Vergil: “Hehehe… Arata, you never cease to entertain me. From here on out, I will put my entire soul and all the power I possess into this!”

With Vergil’s roar, his red pupils split vertically.

Vergil: —『Dragonification』

An ability exclusive to the Dragon Newt tribe.

It enables a significant enhancement of the status, and the use of special abilities like 『Dragon’s Breath』 and 『Dragon’s Claw』.

His dragon scales on his arms and cheeks spread across his body, and the horns on his head and dragon wings on his back grow larger with a creaking sound.

It’s probably going to be tough to fight Vergil, who has used 『Dragonification』, without any buffs.

…I have no choice.

I take out the  『 Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』 from my inventory and take my stance—

Aya: “STOP! Stop it! The duel is over!”

Aya jumps in between Vergil and me.

Vergil: “Don’t stop me, Aya. It just about to get interesting.”

Aya: “What do you mean ‘fun’? Please consider the damage to the surroundings!”

Damage to the surroundings?

…Ah.

With a quick glance around, I understand what Aya is talking about.

The devastated state of the square.

There are multiple claw marks from 『Gale』 on the ground.

The armor that was set up as a magic target is knocked down or cleanly bisected, in a disastrous state.

As for the adventurers who had gathered as spectators, all of them, though to varying degrees, have some kind of injury.

Vergil, who seemed considerate of the surroundings at the beginning of the duel, seems to have neglected that consideration as he got carried away.

The Adventurer’s Guild has suffered the most.

All the window glasses facing the training field are shattered.

Probably, it was the impact of when I blocked Vergil’s 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 with 【Kurikara】.

Vergil: “…Well, it can’t be helped. Can we call the duel a draw?”

Arata: “Yes, let’s call it a draw.”

Vergil, looking slightly displeased, undoes his midway 『Dragonification』 and sheaths his large sword.

I also release my stance and put 【Kurikara】 back into my inventory.

A rather anticlimactic conclusion.

But, it may have been for the best.

If we had continued the duel, one of us would have been seriously injured, or even killed.

Vergil and I acknowledged each other’s efforts and left the training field.

 

The duel with Vergil-san began.

However, neither of us moved from our spots.

Vergil: “What’s wrong? The fact that you haven’t drawn your sword means it’s the perfect opportunity.”

Arata: “Don’t joke around. I’m not about to jump headlong into danger.”

Vergil-san emphasized that his great sword was still sheathed.

I didn’t rise to his provocation.

――NPC Vergil Sparda

He, with a level of 720, was slightly below the highest-ranking boss monsters and NPCs in terms of level.

However, among countless mobs and characters, 『Vergil Sparda』 had a place among the strongest.

The reason for that was his skill.

――Iaijutsu

This unique skill exclusively for him, 【Iaijutsu】 was impossibly strong and unique, and on top of that, players couldn’t acquire it.

Its short cooldown.

The fact that it can nullifies one’s attacks, abilities, even from bows, and magic, and then counterattacks.

And most of all, his 『Penetration Attribute』 that inflicts damage regardless of VIT, armor, or defensive abilities was extremely troublesome.

Because of this 『Penetration Attribute』, unless you use a parry or certain special effects or skills from some equipment, you’re almost certain to be defeated in one hit due to his high STR and Iaijutsu.

Whenever there’s a discussion among top players about who has the highest damage per second, everyone mentions him without fail.

Because of his strength, there were rumors spreading on message boards and introduction sites that it was possible to learn 【Iaijutsu】

If you carelessly engage, you’ll receive a painful counterattack.

Vergil: “If you won’t come, then I’ll have to make the first move.”

Arata: “Ah!”

Vergil-san unsheathed his great sword.

Could it be?

A bad premonition crossed my mind.

The next moment, it seemed like there was a flash from Vergil-san’s hand.

Swordsmanship skill, long-range attack ability 『Gale』

Why would Vergil, an NPC who had not used 『Gale』 in duels before, use it now?

No, there’s nothing strange about it.

In the system, 『Gale』 is an ability that can be used with almost all swordsmanship skills.

Considering game balance, it’s only natural that 『Vergil Sparda』, not the 『NPC Vergil Sparda』 who was restricted from long-range attacks, can use it now.

With a middle guard, I swept my 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』 sideways on the spot.

I felt a heavy resistance in both arms.

I managed to 『Parry』 the wave of Vergil-san’s 『Gale』 just in time.

However, his 『Gale』 was clearly held back.

At the level of his draw speed, of course, there’s no way to trace the slash’s shock wave with the eye.

Vergil: “Hmm, you could withstand this. Then, I’ll try a bit harder.”

Here it comes…!

The damage when a parry fails is frightening.

One of the special abilities of the 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』  『Knockback Nullification』 , only prevents you from being frozen when guarding.

If the power of the attack you’re guarding against is high, you’ll take damage and your ST will naturally decrease.

Just before the body of the great sword flashed again, I used 『Shrink』 to escape from that spot.

Immediately after, four lines were engraved in the square.

Four slashes in that instant.

The cooldown of his 『Gale』 is too short.

Even with the 【One-Handed Swordsmanship】 skill at the maximum skill level, it requires an 8-second cooldown.

He’s using abilities continuously almost without cooldown.

The abilities of 【Iaijutsu】 were supposed to have a cooldown of several seconds each, so does the cooldown reduction vary depending on the ability used?

Or is it because his 【Iaijutsu】 skill level is high?

A world liberated from the constraints of the “game.”

I thought intelligent monsters were the most troublesome enemies, but I’ve come to realize that high-level NPCs shouldn’t be underestimated either.

If I keep defending like this, I’ll run out of ST first.

Between 『Gale』 and 『Shrink』, the latter’s ST consumption is significantly lower.

But, Vergil-san, a high-level Dragon Newt, has an ST that’s beyond comparison with my stats.

I don’t have time to be delayed by 『Gale』

I need to make my move early.

――『Ability Release』

――『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』

『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』 is an ability that becomes available when the 『Physical Enhancement』 skill is raised to level 7.

The effect is 【All status increased by 200%】.

Adding 『Ability Release』 to that, during the effect time, buffs become 【STR increases by 400% and other statuses by 200%, ST reduction from ability use nullified】.

However, during the effect time, ST is consumed at a tremendous speed.

I haven’t used any skills or potions to suppress ST reduction, so the limit is just about ten seconds.

I’ll settle this within that time!

――『Shadow Flash』

Vergil: “What?!”

Vergil-san exclaimed in surprise.

In his eyes, my figure probably seemed to have vanished.

In the simultaneous use of 『Ability Release』 and 『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』 『Shrink』 transforms into a unique ability 『Shadow Flash』

Its effect is 【Short-range teleportation to a place within one’s field of view.】

Using 『Shadow Flash』 I teleported behind Vergil-san.

With this, I’ve caught Vergil-san off guard.

But that’s not enough.

I shoot level 1 【Earth Magic】 『Earth Shot』 at Vergil-san, who had lost sight of me.

A clod of earth about 10 centimeters in diameter rushes towards him.

At that moment, Vergil’s figure unnaturally blurs.

――『Void』

An ability with exceptional performance among the Iaijutsu skills that nullify all attacks from the enemy.

It nullifies attacks regardless of whether they are physical, long-range, magic, projectiles, or abilities.

And in the case of physical attacks, 『Void』 allows the potential to evolve into a counterattack.

Vergil, who should have been standing in the same spot, moved a step to the side.

The 『Earth Shot』 that hit his afterimage was sliced into countless grains of sand by his formidable large sword.

【Earth Magic】 is a skill with a 【Physical Attribute】 even amongst the magic skills.

This allows you to forcibly trigger the 【Counterattack】 of 『Void』.

And this 【Counterattack】 creates a few seconds of rigidity after it finishes.

Clutching 『Sharp Sword【Kurikara】』, I approached Vergil using 『Shadow Flash』――

――A sense of discomfort wells up

Is it really an opening?

When you play a single title game for a long time, occasionally, you can “somewhat” understand the behavior pattern of an enemy you encounter for the first time.

They become rigid after a triple biting motion.

Or they launch two strong strikes in a row instead of one.

Something like a “gut feeling” for the game kicks in, allowing you to intuitively predict the enemy’s next move.

I was experiencing the exact same thing right now.

Is Vergil in a state of rigidity after using 『Void』’s 【Counterattack】?

He’s a tactician.

He boosted my fighting spirit by announcing his name before the duel, planning to get me with a counter of his Iaijutsu while I was all fired up.

Was his astonished voice when he lost sight of me using 『Shadow Flash』 just part of his acting?

When we met at the guild, Vergil spoke highly of me.

Would he be surprised by something as simple as 『Shadow Flash』?

Would he use 『Void』 for a surprise attack from behind?

Before I knew it, I had cancelled the ability I had prepared, and was holding the 『Sharp Sword【Kurikara】』, assuming a defensive stance.

The large sword that was supposed to be still in its downward swing suddenly begins to move.

――『Tsubame Gaeshi』

Iaijutsu often focuses on the first strike from the sheath, but there is something called a 【Second Sword Strike】.

If the first strike fails to finish the enemy, the following attack will definitely cut them off.

『Tsubame Gaeshi』 is not an official ability name, but it was recognized as the most frightening technique in the battle against Vergil.

The 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 triggers randomly after each attack.

However, as far as I can remember, he shouldn’t take the pattern of a 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 after a 『Void』 and 【Counterattack】, cancelling the lag.

If such reckless behavior was allowed, the event difficulty of the battle against Vergil would jump up a notch or two.

Had I simply not noticed that it was an existing behavior pattern he occasionally took?

Or was it something that Vergil, who must have been training in this world, had learned after a tremendous amount of effort?

The large sword that was coming right in front of me collided with 【Kurikara】.

――Heavy

An overwhelmingly heavy strike.

Sparks fly in abundance.

The pressure that assails both my arms is incomparable to when I parried the 『Gale』.

Clearly, 【Kurikara】’s  『Knockback Nullification』 is not working.

Facing a polished strike, it’s as if weapon characteristics don’t even matter.

【Kurikara】 should also have an effect of 『Reduced damage when guard is successful』, but at this rate, my HP gauge would likely be rapidly decreasing.

If things continue like this, I’ll be pushed back.

What should I do?

No, there’s no need to think about it.

I know the answer.

I don’t have to think about blocking the slash.

Naturally.

Yes, as if nothing had happened, I just need to guide the trajectory of the large sword.

Vergil: “――‼”

Vergil’s eyes open wide in astonishment.

I guide the trajectory of the large sword, which was to be swept away in a straight line, upwards.

At the same time, I move my right foot, which was stepping forward into the earth, out front as if to scrape the ground.

I lower my hips low and big, and finally use the guard of 【Kurikara】 to flick up the blade of the large sword as if parrying.

I dive under the slash.

A few strands of my hair, caught up in the wind pressure, dance in the air, but I managed to dodge the 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 without a problem.

I won’t have time to attack if I have to reset 【Kurikara】 from here.

Then the optimal solution is 【Martial Arts】.

I take one more step into Vergil’s territory with my left leg.

I store the obstructing 【Kurikara】in storage and make a fist with my now free right hand.

I set my left hand on my hip, transferring the twist of my upper body from my right shoulder to my arm and hand.

――『Star Crusher』

A striking attack ability that can be used by raising the 【Martial Arts】 skill to level 8.

The motion is a 『Close-Range Uppercut』.

Its power is no less than the abilities that can be acquired by raising sword skills to a high level.

My right fist captured Vergil’s chin――

 

I confront Vergil at the outdoor training ground behind the guild.

The training ground is a bit like a small square.

Its size is smaller than the courtyard of Rose’s mansion, roughly the size of a small park.

There’s not much here except for some worn-out metal armor, perhaps targets for magical training, propped up on armor stands.

Vergil’s weapon is a sword.

I wonder if it could be classified as an 『Odachi』 in terms of specific sword categories?

*Odachi: A large katana

This thing, which is slightly over a meter long, contrasts with the usual delicate image of a sword, seeming rough and filled with a sense of heaviness.

But when Vergil holds it, it looks like an average-sized katana.

Typically, Dragonutes are tall with excellent physiques.

Vergil is no exception, boasting a colossal frame that easily exceeds three meters.

He is wrapped in equipment that looks like a judogi.

—Samurai

Such an impression comes to mind.

Vergil, a Western-looking man with dragon scales on some parts of his skin, doesn’t make the word “Samurai” feel out of place.

It might be influenced by his equipped sword and judogi, but above all, it’s probably due to the warrior’s aura that he radiates, hardened by many battles.

Guild Staff: “Then, let the match between Grandmaster ‘Vergil’ and Challenger ‘Arata’ begin!”

Arata: “…What are you doing, Aya-san?”

Upon hearing a familiar voice, I look at the referee, and for some reason, Aya-san is standing there.

She’s wearing the guild uniform, a style like the blouse I often saw in the town of Loine.

Guild Staff => Aya: “Oh, isn’t this Arata-san who skipped our date without giving me proper notification?”

Arata: “That’s a bad way to put it. I regret what happened then, but I had my circumstances.”

The gallery of adventurers is noisy.

Obviously, they are reacting to the word “date” that Aya-san let slip.

Well, given her looks, which would generally be deemed 『cute』, it’s not surprising if she’s popular among the adventurers.

Vergil: “Do you know each other?”

Arata: “Uh, yeah.”

Vergil: “I see… well, let’s get started.”

Vergil places his hand on the sword at his waist.

In an instant, I have the illusion that the atmosphere has become hundreds of times more intense.

It seems like some of the people in the gallery have collapsed.

Were they of low level, unable to maintain consciousness under Vergil’s pressure?

Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of worrying about them.

The level of Vergil as an NPC, according to my memory, is 【720】.

Although STR was his most outstanding stat, it’s not like the other values like VIT and MD were low.

And what’s problematic in combat with him is the racial trait of the dragon newt.

Dragon newt, who have penalties concerning magic, cannot raise their MP status above zero, and are completely unable to use magic.

In exchange, their ST is incredibly high, and their race-specific ability “Dragonization” provides effects such as significant stat boosts and the ability to fly.

There are three things where I have the upper hand over Vergil.

The fact that I know his combat style.

I have experience in person-to-person combat.

And—

Vergil: “Ho… An excellent weapon.”

Arata: “You can allow a handicap of this level, right?”

Vergil: “Of course. To begin with, there should be no such thing as fairness or cowardice in a battle.”

The difference in weapon specs.

The sword I take out from my inventory is the one I received in the 『The Cannibal’s Den』for training with Rose.

I never thought I would use it before training.

—Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】

Kurikara is the name of a dragon.

That dragon is considered an incarnation of the immovable king.

The 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』 is a weapon modeled after the sword of the immovable king.

Vergil’s sword, if converted into a weapon rank, would be equivalent to rank 10.

However, it has no special abilities whatsoever.

In contrast, the 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』 comes with special abilities like 『Knockback Nullification』.

Furthermore, I equip the 『Dragon King’s Gauntlet』, which I also received in the 『The Cannibal’s Den』, from my inventory.

It is arm equipment with effects like  『Ability Enhancement』 and 『Ability Cooldown Reduction』.

Cheating?

I’m not in a position to say such nonsense right now.

Rather, it’s probably just the right handicap for Vergil.

When comparing my stats with his, there is at least a six-fold difference in STR alone.

The 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』 and the 『Dragon King’s Gauntlet』.

The required stats to equip these two are 【STR: 1000】, 【VIT: 1000】 and 【MD: 1500】.

In addition, to duel with Vergil, I have leveled up several skills.

This has consumed almost all the skill points added by both the Stampede award and the ones I filled in while accompanying Rose in training yesterday.

Even so, my stats are still far inferior to Vergil’s.

I don’t have the luxury of hesitating to use my inventory in public.

If I bring out all the power I have at this point, I can hold my own against Vergil.

Vergil: “It’s been a while since I’ve had such an exhilarating match.”

Arata: “It’ll be even more fun once we start, right?”

Vergil: “You say pleasant things.”

Vergil wears a ferocious grin.

His smile is contagious, and I find my cheeks involuntarily loosening.

Vergil: “Vergil Spada, the Grandmaster of the Promaris Kingdom Adventurer’s Guild! — I will accept your challenge strike with this body‼”

Arata: “B-Rank Adventurer Arata—will face you.”

 

As of this morning, the seventh prince’s consciousness has yet to return.

It’s been a whole day since I rescued the prince from kidnapping.

According to my appraisal, there was a significant decrease in his HP and ST.

Presumably, the chemicals used during the kidnapping were of poor quality.

When I administered the healing potions and status recovery potions that were always available at Rose-san’s mansion, he calmed down and the results of the appraisal returned to normal.

However, it seems that it will take time for his physical strength to recover, and I think it will be a while before he regains consciousness.

Ideally, we should explain the situation to the royal palace and have him recuperate there.

However, there are still questions about the circumstances in which the prince was protected.

Why was the prince in a dangerous slum without any guards?

If some plot is the cause, spreading information carelessly could exacerbate the situation.

In the worst-case scenario, the prince could be exposed to the risk of assassination.

In fact, in the game that likely took place in the future of this world, the seventh prince was dead.

And in the game’s storyline, the player corrects the kingdom, which is under tyranny by the second prince.

It would be too presumptuous to assert that the second prince is the mastermind, but we should not rule out the possibility of the seventh prince’s death.

However, it is a fact that the security at Rose-san’s mansion is currently insufficient.

While Rose-san and some of the servants have combat experience, they have no experience in protecting VIPs.

I know how to protect myself from PK, but I’m not good at protecting NPCs.

Besides, the most likely opponent is a professional assassin.

Taking more than enough measures will result in a loss.

Hence, I visited the adventurer’s guild in the royal capital.

Get an organization that is on par with the national power on your side.

Power against power.

Authority against authority.

In the royal capitals of the eight countries, the leaders who oversee the adventurers’ guilds of their respective countries are stationed.

They are called “Grandmasters” and play important roles in the story and have things like high combat abilities.

However, due to their high status, events that allow contact with them usually do not occur unless you are an adventurer rank A or above.

Fortunately, it was easy to meet this place’s (Promaris Kingdom) Grandmaster.

When I crossed the threshold of the guild, I was exposed to multiple gazes.

They have various meanings.

Those who show hostility towards strangers.

Those who are interested in the visit of an unknown person.

Also, those who turn their faces away with an unamused look.

Ignoring all of them, I head to the reception.

Guild Receptionist: “What can I do for you today?”

Arata: “I came to see the Grandmaster.”

The moment I uttered those words, the atmosphere in the guild changed.

A meeting with the Grandmaster.

The words mean “duel”.

The duel system can be performed against certain NPCs.

In the case of the Grandmaster of the Kingdom, if you are rank B or higher, you could initiate a duel by speaking to the receptionist at the far left of the adventurers’ guild.

Adventurer: “Hey, that guy…”

Adventurer: “Once in a while, there’s a guy who doesn’t know his place.”

Adventurer: “Who are you betting on?”

Adventurer: “You dumbass. That ain’t something to bet on.”

The adventurers who didn’t bother to hide their snide laughter.

I love this kind of atmosphere.

Admittedly, it would be difficult for me to fight the Grandmaster with my current status.

However, only when you win a game that everyone thinks you will lose, does that victory have meaning and value.

Unknown: “—It’s noisy.”

One phrase.

Perhaps it was a voice that could have been drowned out by the ridicule spreading in the guild and not heard by anyone.

But that word radiated enough pressure and dignity to instantly silence the room.

A dragon newt man appeared from the back room.

The dragon newt are a race that possess characteristics such as dragon scales, dragon wings, and dragon tails.

There’s a classification of beastmen called Lizardmen, but their appearance is just like a bipedal lizard, and it’s easy to distinguish them from dragon newt, where humans are the base.

As a racial trait of dragon newt, their status is generally high.

On the other hand, they cannot use magic at all, so they are often used as a muscle-brain race, mainly focusing on close combat.

Perhaps their high physical strength also affects their bodies, the man in front of me has a physique that clearly indicates he is a warrior.

–Vergil Spada.

The man with scales reminiscent of blood is the Grandmaster who governs the adventurer’s guild of the kingdom.

Vergil’s sharp gaze catches me.

Vergil: “Ho… I perceive that you are quite skilled.”

Arata: “I have a bit of confidence in the sword.”

Vergil: “You’re too modest.”

Whether he was pleased with the response or not, the corners of Vergil’s mouth rose.

Peeping from there, his white, sharp fangs were filled with delight as if he had found prey.

Arata: “I ask for a duel.”

Vergil: “Rather, I would ask from my side.”

 

Rose: “――Huh!?”

Arata: “Did you wake up?”

A potion to recover from unconsciousness is poured on Rose, who fell on her back.

The potion worked wonders. Rose, who had been stunned and dizzy, quickly got up.

Rose: “Huh? I was…”

Arata: “Is your head okay?”

Rose: “My head?… Ah!”

Arata: “You seem to be okay.”

Rose: “I lost, didn’t I?”

Rose, who was confused as soon as she woke up, seemed to quickly realize why she had been sleeping.

The direction of 『Shrink』 is forward, backward, left, and right in relation to the player’s orientation.

There is no point in using 『Shrink』 to the left or right at the beginning of a mock battle.

You could use it behind you and then apply buffs or debuffs, but there’s no way Rose would think of doing something that complicated.

It was obvious that she was going to approach.

So, all you have to do is prepare an attack that could inflict damage after the invincibility period of 『Shrink』 is over.

Arata: “You rely too much on abilities.”

Rose: “Ugh.”

Indeed, abilities are powerful.

Because they move according to pre-set motions, they are faster than normal attacks.

Moreover, attack-type abilities have a multiplier, so depending on your stats and skill level, they can have tens of times the power of normal attacks.

That’s why beginners are quick to latch on to them.

Arata: “I’m not saying don’t use abilities. Think about their range and effect, and then decide when to use them.”

Rose: “…Yes.”

If you just use abilities, you’re a beginner.

You can call yourself an intermediate player when you understand the effects and weaknesses of abilities and can use them according to the situation.

Arata: “Next, let’s talk about skill composition.”

Player skill is not something that can be acquired overnight, and there are individual differences.

In that case, the quickest way to bridge the gap is through skill composition.

Rose: “How many skill points do you have left?”

Arata: “None, I’ve poured them all into skills.”

…I didn’t expect to stumble at the first step.

Rose spoke proudly.

I’m driven by an urge to ram a 『Kick Strike』 into her face without holding back.

Arata: “You probably took advice from your listeners, but…that was a mistake.”

Rose: “…Eh?”

I don’t know what skills she’s poured her SP into, but I think she should have allocated them to her stats.

Rose is almost an intermediate level player in terms of her level, but her play skill is still a beginner.

It’s more efficient to just raise your stats and focus on stability.

Certainly, raising skill levels gives you a bonus to your stats and expands your play options.

However, many skills only start to give bonuses from level 5, and the bonus values are only around 『STR＋10』 or 『AGI＋30』.

There are skills that give multipliers as you level up, but it’s safe to say that there’s little benefit to having multiple low-level skills.

And in Rose’s case, instead of bringing multiple skill levels up to 5, she should have raised the levels of her main skills and allocated the rest to her stats.

Arata: “What are your skill levels for 【Martial Arts】 and 【Physical Enhancement】?”

Rose: “Um… 【Martial Arts】 is level 5 and 【Physical Enhancement】 is level 3.”

*Body Enhancement => Physical Enhancement

【Martial Arts】 allows you to gain abilities like 『Kick Strike』 that have quick activation time and decent power, as well as evasion abilities like 『Shrink』.

And 【Physical Enhancement】 gives you access to endurance and ability enhancing abilities, and also gives you resistance bonuses by raising skill levels.

Both are essential skills.

Arata: “Do you have the 【Smithing】 and 【Alchemy】 skills?”

Rose: “Yes. Both are level 2 though.”

Level 2.

【Smithing】 and 【Alchemy】 are skills you’ll want if you’re handling melee weapons.

By raising both skills to level 6 or higher, you can unlock the 『Equipment Repair』 ability.

『Equipment Repair』 is an ability that can reduce the decrease in equipment durability and recover durability using ST.

In this world, high-ranking equipment and items are hard to come by.

Rose’s 『Orichalcum Rapier』 a weapon that “can be obtained with a little effort,” is considered a “national treasure-level weapon” in this world.

Naturally, repairing damaged items is difficult.

Arata: “For the reasons above, you should prioritize 【Martial Arts】 and 【Physical Enhancement】, and then raise 【Smithing】 and 【Alchemy】 to unlock the 『Equipment Repair』  ability.”

Rose: “But, about the skill points…”

Arata: “You can accumulate skill points by obtaining awards.”

In addition to awards that you can get by defeating a certain number of monsters, there are many others.

For example, 『Hit the center of a target from a distance of 10 meters or more with an arrow』 and 『Unlocking the recipe for a difficult-to-make dish』.

Arata: “With such a large courtyard, you should be able to perform most actions. Plus, if you ask for the help of your servants, I think you can easily get skill-related awards.”

Rose: “I see!”

Arata: “Then, let’s start right away. As a start… let’s work on 『100 consecutive successful parries』.”

Rose: “….Heh?”

Arata: “It’s an award that lets you acquire skill points and improve your play skills at the same time. Shall we start?”

Rose: “Wait, noooo!”

For the next few hours, as we worked on getting the award, Rose’s screams echoed through the courtyard.

I think she deserves this kind of teasing for recklessly acquiring skills without thinking.

 

From what I remember, King James was a ruthless man who shoved aside his brothers to seize the throne.

The way he became king involved such dark deeds as murdering not only his brothers but also relatives with distant succession rights, to the point where he was one of the most hated characters in the game.

Arata: “If this world is indeed in the past compared to the game, there’s a high chance that the seventh prince will meet his death in the future.”

Rose: “What?!”

Well, it’s just a high probability.

It’s not entirely confirmed that this world is in the past.

We can’t deny the possibility of a parallel world scenario, and a change in the second prince’s mindset could possibly avert the bloody future.

In conclusion…

Arata: “You might need to make a decision. Whether to continue as the captain of the second knight’s order, or to quit.”

Rose: “…”

 

＊＊＊

 

Morning came, and I was in the mansion’s courtyard.

True to form for a mansion built on prime real estate in the aristocratic district, its vastness was breathtaking.

The space, comparable to a sports stadium, felt more like a ground than a courtyard.

While I was being astonished by the size of the courtyard, Rose-san arrived a bit late.

Rose: “I apologize for the wait.”

Arata: “…”

Rose: “Is something wrong?”

… Well, how should I put it…

Arata: “What’s with that outfit?”

Rose: “Is something off?”

Something’s definitely off.

We’re about to start training, so why are you dressed in easy to move in shirt and jeans?

Are you about to do sports or something?

For now, I’ll have Rose-san change into armor supplied by the country, which wouldn’t matter if it gets damaged, and try again.

Arata: “Shall we get started then?”

We both took up our weapons, standing about 10 meters apart.

For starters, a gentle approach would do.

I readied my usual iron sword.

Rose-san’s weapon of choice was the rank 7 Orichalcum rapier she used back at the restaurant.

Rose: “How shall we signal the start?”

Arata: “Let’s toss a coin. When it hits the ground, we start.”

Rose: “Understood.”

I took out an old copper coin from my pocket and placed it on my thumb.

Comparing the simple ranks of our weapons, there’s a gap of five ranks.

Checking my level shortly before, it had increased to 84 – perhaps the restaurant incident counted as a mock battle.

Still, there’s nearly a 400-level difference.

Is that why?

Rose: “Aren’t you going to use the new sword you acquired?”

Rose-san blurted out such a thing.

I couldn’t help but sigh.

Arata: “What a shame.”

Rose: “What is–”

Arata: “Do you truly think you can win?”

Rose: “What?!”

I flicked the copper coin on my thumb.

Rose-san’s comment was extremely misguided.

Because at the moment, the chances of her inflicting damage on me are practically one in a million.

The moment the coin hit the ground; Rose-san disappeared.

An approach by 『Shrink』.

In a battle against another person, it’s standard to employ a hit-and-run tactic using 『Dash』 or 『Shrink』.

I’m not an expert so I can’t feasibly engage in a back-and-forth offense and defense in a closed up situation – it’s near impossible.

However, this tactic doesn’t work against opponents of a certain level or higher.

In fact, it can leave a huge opening.

The moment Rose-san disappeared.

I threw my iron sword right in front of me.

The greatest weakness of movement abilities.

That is, if you’re hit during the activation of an ability, it results in a stun.

The motion of 『Shrink』 takes 1.0 second.

There’s 0.6 seconds of invincibility during the activation of the ability, but if you’re hit by an attack in the 0.2 seconds at the beginning or end of the ability, you get stunned.

After a beat, Rose-san reappeared in front of me.

However, my iron sword, which I had thrown a few moments earlier, was right there.

Rose: “What?!”

The iron sword made a direct hit, and Rose-san went down.

The ability she was about to use was forcibly cancelled, leaving her in a defenseless state on her knees.

Immediately, I unleashed the level 2 ability 『Kick Strike』 from my 【Martial Arts】 skill.

*【Body Technique】=> 【Martial Arts】

The 『Kick Strike』, unleashed like a roundhouse kick, caught Rose-san on the left side of her head, sending her flying far away…

 

Rose: “Welcome back. You’re quite late, aren’t you?”

Arata: “I had a bit of trouble.”

When I returned to the mansion, dinner was ready.

At the dining table, where I was led after freshening up, my hostess, Rose-san, greeted me.

Unlike yesterday, when she was crushed by despair, she seems to be eating dinner today.

Unused dishes are lined up on the table.

It seems she was waiting for me to return.

She could have eaten first, but she’s surprisingly conscientious.

The butler pulls out a chair for me, and I sit down.

It’s directly across from Rose-san.

Rose: “Were you able to buy the weapons?”

Arata: “Yes, I got some good ones.”

Rose: “I see.”

While the food is being served, we talk about the spoils of war.

Rose-san seems interested in what kind of weapons I bought.

But this is a dinner table.

If I start talking about weapons, I could talk for hours.

That would make the food cold, which would be rude to the person who made it.

So, I dodge the question by saying I’ll explain in detail about the weapons during training tomorrow.

Arata: “I didn’t use the money, so I’ll return it.”

Rose: “Oh, really?”

I hand the money I had been holding to a maid who was standing by.

She tries to remain calm, but Rose-san seems somewhat pleased.

Despite her title as the captain of the Second Knights, she is strict with money.

She might seem greedy, but there’s a reason for her character.

It’s largely influenced by her previous life, where she had to work multiple part-time jobs before she became famous.

So, she often received hand-me-downs from her seniors for equipment.

Her hobby, she says, is saving money.

She says she can’t rest easy unless her monthly balance is in the black.

After a while, the food is served.

Since oil is used, I wonder if today’s menu is Italian?

I take a bite of something like a marinade that was served as an appetizer.

Rose: “By the way, you said you had some trouble?”

Arata: “Yes, to be exact—”

Before I could mention the details of the trouble, one of the maids standing by whispers something to Rose-san.

But the timing was bad.

Rose-san, who was drinking an aperitif, ends up choking.

It seems impossible to have dinner with her today as well.

 

＊＊＊

 

After dinner, we set up a meeting in the guest room.

Even within the mansion, it’s not something to be heard by many people.

Among Rose-san’s servants, we decided to keep the matter of the seventh prince confidential.

Rose: “So, how did you end up picking up the prince?”

Arata: “Well—”

I explain the circumstances in detail to Rose-san.

It feels like being interrogated by the police.

Well, she is a member of the Knights, so that’s not entirely wrong.

Rose: “The prince in the slums…”

Arata: “Please ask him directly about why he was walking around outside the castle, especially the slums.”

However, it’s a big problem that the prince was walking around without a guard.

There are many soldiers and knights stationed in the castle, so it’s hard to believe that the prince slipped past their eyes.

It’s a vague idea, but there’s a high chance that something unpleasant is happening.

Arata: “Let’s put the prince’s issue aside for now.”

Rose: “No, it’s not something we can sideste…”

Arata: “In the end, it’s a local issue.”

Rose: “I’m a knight of this country, you know?”

Arata: “Let’s forget about that for now. …From here on, it’s about us, who reincarnated.”

“!”

Rose-san wants to settle the issue of the prince’s treatment, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

I forcibly change the flow of the conversation and switch the topic.

Arata: “—The seventh prince. Don’t you find it strange?”

Rose: “? What do you mean?”

Arata: “…”

Ah, I forgot.

She didn’t progress the story.

Most of her streams were battles with monsters.

She often ignored NPC conversations, and it wasn’t unusual for her to ignore important lines and head to the next town.

Arata: “…The setting was that King 『James William Graham Promaris』 of the Promaris Kingdom has five princes.”

Rose: “Five? Not seven?”

Arata: “There’s no mistake.”

There are not five, but seven princes.

I asked the servants about the names of the princes.

Arata: “Rose-san, can you name the princes of this country?”

Rose: “I can’t.”

Arata: “…You do realize you’re a knight of this country, right?”

Rose: “Well, I can’t help it! I’ve only been the captain for half a year!”

Is that okay, Second Knights?

And Promaris Kingdom.

No matter how strong Rose-san is, isn’t it a mistake to put her in charge?

Arata: “When I asked the servants for the names of the princes, the second prince’s name was James.”

Rose: “Eh, that means—”

Arata: “This world is set in a time earlier than the game.”

 

Seeking the Sword -3

Unknown: “I’ve been waiting for you, you bastard.”

A hoarse, low voice.

A reddish-purple robe covering his head casts a shadow on the man’s face.

I can’t see his appearance at all, but only his eyes, staring at me, are eerily glowing.

Unknown: “Even though I gave so many hints, nobody came. You’re the third one to make it this far.”

The eerie man standing at the counter shakes his head in boredom.

However, his tone reveals his barely concealed delight at the arrival of a customer.

–The Cannibal’s Den

A store that sells various items such as weapons, potions, materials, and interiors.

If it’s a general store that sells a variety of items, they also operate in the commercial district.

However, 『The Cannibal’s Den』 has a much wider variety of products compared to those stores.

Normally, the rarity of items is divided into stages from rank 【1】 to 【12】.

Of these, items up to rank 【6】 can be purchased at stores operated by NPCs.

If it’s more than that, the only way is to make it yourself or ask another player to make it for you.

But 『The Cannibal’s Den』 sells items up to the highest rank of 【12】.

Of course, the prices are high to match the rank of the items, so if you’re not careful, you could go bankrupt.

Arata: “May I see the swords?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Huh? Did you ask someone who knows about this place?”

Damn it.

I accidentally ordered out of habit.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Well, I don’t care about that. I’ve got the entrance fee, so I won’t say anything as uncouth as telling you to leave.”

Saying that, the man takes out a gold coin from his sleeve and plays with it in his palm.

That’s a relief.

The products here are all useful for conquering, so it would be a waste to be banned from here.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Well, if it’s a sword that suits you… it’s here.”

The man takes out a bunch of keys with a lot of keys from his pocket.

Then, with practiced movements, he unlocks the door and leads me to the room behind it.

Arata: “May I look?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Yeah, go ahead. Feel free to touch and find one that fits your hand.”

With the man’s permission, I pick up a sword.

–Bloody Bringer

A weapon in the rank 【5】 one-handed sword category.

The slender blade is a startling red, and it inflicts a bleeding continuous damage debuff on the opponent it slashes.

In this world, the damage from bleeding is increased, and the pain that comes with it makes it a very effective weapon against many opponents.

–Sword Breaker

A weapon in the rank 【6】 dagger category.

The Sword Breaker can greatly reduce the durability of the opponent’s swords by successfully guarding or parrying.

However, guarding or parrying with a dagger also greatly consumes our durability.

But this Sword Breaker is made of adamantite.

Weapons made with adamantite have the characteristic of having corrections applied to durability, guard, and parry.

All of them can be said to be first-class items.

But…

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “What, you’re not satisfied with the swords here?”

Arata: “Well, can I see a sword that’s one step higher?”

Unless the rank 【5】 or 【6】 swords are particularly easy to use, I won’t continue to use them.

In that case, it’s faster to either use a slightly lower rank sword or stretch and take a higher rank sword.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Stop it, vanity will ruin you.”

Arata: “I’m not aiming for the top out of stubbornness. It’s just that the swords here are hard to use.”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “…Are you trying to find fault with my eyes?”

The lapis lazuli eyes that remind me of a blazing flame glare at me as if to shoot me dead.

Currently, it is unclear whether there are rank 【12】 items here.

However, at least the existence of rank 【6】 weapons can be confirmed.

What this fact indicates is that the man who runs the store is a powerful person.

The murderous aura that overflows from him–no, the murderous intent is the purest and at the same time the most profound I have felt since I came to this world.

After a while, the man unexpectedly averts his gaze.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “You win. You’ve got quite a backbone, don’t you?”

Arata: “Thank you.”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Huh, am I getting old? It’s the first time I’ve misjudged a customer’s strength.”

A sound like breaking glass.

At the same time, the scenery around me changes.

This is also a warehouse where the same weapons are displayed, but the rank of the items lined up is clearly different.

If the average rank of the warehouse until now was 【6】, the items here are at least solid rank 【10】.

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Take whatever you like. Everything here is a masterpiece.”

Arata: “Is that okay?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “Yeah. It would be uncouth to charge you after I misjudged you, so go ahead.”

Arata: “In that case, can I also see the gauntlets?”

The Cannibal’s Den Shopkeeper: “…Ha, you’re more suited to be a scam artist than me!”

The castle town of the royal capital.

It is divided into five major sections.

— The Nobility District

This includes the area where Rose-san’s mansion is located.

The mansions of the nobility and some senior knights line up surrounding the royal castle.

–The Commercial District

A row of shops including restaurants and apparel stores.

Most of the weapons and items needed for adventures can be purchased in this area.

–The Residential District

As the name suggests, the area where the residents of the royal capital live.

It’s a place visited for adventurer’s requests, but I, who was solely focused on conquering, have never been there.

So, I only recognize it as a place where houses line up.

But it might be worth walking around the residential district for sightseeing purposes.

–The Artisan District

A section where artisans who make furniture, tools for adventures, and weapons gather.

If you want ready-made products, go to the commercial district, but if you want to make original weapons with your own materials, you ask the artisans here.

And finally,

The section I’m in now is the slum district.

Commonly known as the slums.

A section prone to poor public order and a hotbed of crime.

In adventurer’s requests, there are also requests to subdue thief groups or criminal organizations hiding in this section.

Also, compared to other areas, this section has a slightly special characteristic.

【Even if you commit murder in the area, it is not judged as PK】

Therefore, the method of PKing players coming here to subdue criminals was rampant.

It’s a section I’ve also occasionally taken advantage of.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, I put on a dirty robe before coming here.

Normally, I would welcome trouble, but there was also what happened yesterday.

I have nothing but bad premonitions.

I proceed through the back alleys of the slum.

Many houses are on the verge of collapse.

On the roadside, people dressed in rags are sleeping or sitting tiredly.

A scene that was part of the background production in the game.

However, here in reality, people who are struggling to live today are overflowing.

–Help

That option does not exist in me.

For example, suppose I give food to a person hugging their knees in front of me.

That person would be delighted with my charity.

However, the next moment, that joy will turn into resentment.

Because the people around will fight each other for food.

Of course, the person who had the food will be killed.

Knowing that I have money, I would probably be targeted as well.

There is nothing more foolish than easy goodwill.

If you’re going to help, you should be prepared.

Either abandon everything or save everything.

The choices are one of two.

So, I abandon thought.

I turn my eyes away from the scene in front of me.

Because I, who am powerless now, don’t even have the right to make a choice.

To reach the place I’m headed to, you need to proceed through the multi-forked slum while following a certain rule.

You can start from anywhere.

First, one of the three-forked roads.

Proceed in the direction where the decayed sword is propped up.

After that, choose the correct path at the crossroads, such as a dirty gauntlet at the crossroads, a spear at the five-forked road, and so on.

I proceed through the alleyways intertwined like a spider’s web, relying on faint memories.

If you repeat this up to the twelve-forked road, you will finally hit a dead end.

Of course, my intended destination is not here.

I take out a gold coin from my pocket.

This is the entrance fee.

One gold coin is 1 million R.

If you don’t know the gimmick, you wouldn’t think of taking out such a large sum of money in such a place.

I confirm that there are no people around.

Then, I toss the gold coin into the air.

The golden glow drawing a parabola reflects the sunlight and sparkles.

Before I know it, I’ve arrived at my destination.

The silent interior of the shop.

The sun of the slum was high, but here it was a dark night without a single star showing its face.

The apologetically weak light released from the light fixture is the only source of brightness here.

Unknown: “–I’ve been waiting for you, you bastard.”