Concealed behind the heavy door of the underground vault where Dandelion was interred, Noir watched the intruders with bated breath.
Three suspicious figures advanced towards Dandelion.
Among them were a man of considerable muscle, a woman with a mature physique, and a child of a similar build to Noir herself.
Their only shared characteristic was the white masks obscuring their faces, forming a truly bizarre ensemble.
Within its colossal glass case, Dandelion hummed with a low thrum, emanating waves of golden light.
The greatsword, radiating its solitary brilliance within the immense, otherwise empty chamber, possessed a majesty so profound it evoked the grandeur of ancient myths.
And now, the muscular man advanced towards this majestic divine artifact, the very symbol of the Leonhart family.
“Kh…!”
For a fleeting moment, Noir nearly lunged at him, but she forced her half-raised knee to still.
A surprise attack was simply not an option.
If this group of intruders, having successfully breached these defenses, were indeed accomplices of the terrorist, they would hardly be caught off guard by the clumsy ambush of an inexperienced Noir.
Even on the slimmest chance, a one-in-a-million shot, that her ambush succeeded in neutralizing one of them, she would still face a two-on-one battle.
In any scenario, Noir’s defeat seemed inevitable.
“Hoo… hoo…”
‘What on earth was I thinking, venturing here by myself?’
Initially, she had rushed here, driven by the conviction that it was simply her duty.
Yet, with the adversary now undeniably before her, her mind felt utterly paralyzed by a chilling fear.
Within the deep shadows, she leaned against the door, her hand instinctively gripping her chest.
–Thump, thump, thump, thump.
‘Stop, please stop.’
In stark contrast to her frozen mind, her heart, thrumming wildly with tension and terror, showed no sign of slowing.
No, no.
Calm down.
I must calm myself.
Noir desperately attempted to calm her racing heart, yet it brazenly defied her control, thrumming with even greater intensity.
Fearing that her frantic heartbeat might be audible to them, Noir cautiously extended her head to ascertain their positions, and
“Ugh…!”
She inadvertently made eye contact with the smallest of the figures, who was lagging behind the others.
While their face remained obscured by the white mask, the figure was undeniably gazing directly towards Noir’s hiding spot.
She had been discovered.
‘What should I do?’
‘Should I flee?’
‘Should I make my escape even now?’
‘Could I even manage to escape?’
‘What would become of Dandelion if I were to abandon it?’
“Haa, haa, haa….”
Fear, like a serpent coiling upon itself, swelled and expanded within her.
Her mind, which had ceased to function under the weight of overwhelming terror, soon began to affect her breathing, and her vision started to blur at the edges.
Noir desperately attempted to move her legs, but her trembling limbs, drained of all strength, merely gave way, causing her to stumble and fall.
‘I’m going to die.’
‘I might die.’
Noir, who had never before experienced or even truly comprehended the precipice of death, now, in this harrowing moment, finally grasped the true gravity of her situation.
‘This cannot stand.’
Yet, this profound, visceral fear of death unexpectedly became the catalyst for Noir’s newfound resolve.
It was, in any case, far too late to flee.
Therefore, she had no choice but to act.
Carefully, Noir used her greatsword to steady herself, pushing her trembling body upright.
****
“Alright, M. This time, it’s your turn!”
V, spreading her arms wide, let out a triumphant shout, reminiscent of a third-rate villain from an animated series.
‘That should undeniably be my line.’
‘I should be the one uttering that line, having defeated two members of the Journey, only to then fall by Noir’s hand…!’
‘Why, oh why, are you usurping my role?’
‘I have no desire to be a Nine, just do it yourself!’
Whether aware of my complex inner turmoil or utterly oblivious to it,
V approached me with deliberate slowness, incorporating gestures that struck me as rather exaggerated.
Click. Click. Click.
The steadily approaching footsteps of V resonated through the cavernous space, and then,
“Kuh!”
A colossal maelstrom of mana, originating from V’s very core, caused the entire cavern to tremble.
“Are you utterly mad?”
“Mad? Me? You’re the one who’s lost their mind. Not only did you bring that little rat all the way here, but you’re also going to the trouble of hiding them.”
Swoosh-!
The instant V stomped her foot with immense force, innumerable thorns erupted from the cavern floor.
I hastily flung myself backward, attempting to evade V’s assault, but her magic proved to be far from a singular attack.
Boom-!
Having anticipated my evasive maneuver, V instantly conjured a colossal arm fashioned from solid rock.
The moment my feet touched the ground, V swung the giant’s stony hand.
The colossal hand of the giant, hurtling towards me before I could even regain my footing, exuded an overwhelming sense of dread through its sheer size alone.
It was far too late to evade.
“Bokja!”
I hastily summoned Bokja, immediately concealing myself within their shadowy form.
Bokja, having enveloped me, swiftly crawled across the floor, dragging me out of V’s effective range.
“As I suspected, the little rat was indeed clinging to you.”
“Ah….”
Though I had narrowly evaded V’s surprise assault, Noir’s form, previously shrouded in the deeper shadows, was inevitably revealed.
Was it perhaps due to the sudden disappearance of the shadows that had offered her concealment?
Noir’s eyes, now wide and desolate, darted between V and me, but this was hardly the moment to gently explain the unfolding chaos to her.
Swish-
V, who had been smiling ominously at Noir, conjured a massive spear of rock and hurled it with devastating force towards her.
Whoosh-!
Noir hastily adjusted her stance, unleashing a torrent of colossal white flames.
The flames radiated such intense heat that they threatened to melt even the stone floor, yet they proved insufficient to withstand the full force of V’s strike.
The immense rock spear tore through the barrier of white flames, closing in on Noir.
Just as the colossal spear was about to impale Noir, I snatched her by the scruff of her neck, yanking her out of the spear’s deadly trajectory.
The rock spear ripped through the corridor wall where Noir had just stood, unleashing a shockwave that reverberated throughout the entire underground arena.
I attempted to conceal myself within the smoke billowing from the shattered wall, but V’s thorn magic relentlessly denied me cover.
Conjuring daggers from shadows, I tried my utmost to deflect the barrage of rock thorns, yet it was impossible to block every single one of the hundreds of spikes in that furious storm.
Fragments of the thorns tore through my flesh, embedding themselves and etching small, numerous wounds across my body.
“I recognize that little rat’s face. She’s undeniably the young lady of the Leonhart family, isn’t she? Not only did you permit her to follow us and conceal her with your shadows, but now you’re actively protecting her. Are you truly contemplating betraying the Journey?”
Faced with V’s pointed question, I found myself utterly speechless.
From the outset, I had intended to abandon the Journey, just as V had inferred, and at this juncture, having covertly shielded Noir, anything I might utter would ring hollow, nothing more than a flimsy excuse.
–Thud!
Interpreting my silence as an affirmative, V actually wore a delighted expression as she swung the giant’s arm once more.
I seized Noir once more, fleeing far from the trajectory of V’s renewed assault.
“Why, despite knowing of my betrayal, did you kill B without informing him? You could have easily launched a pincer attack on me with his assistance.”
“A foolish question. I have no earthly reason to offer explanations to an enemy such as yourself!”
That was undeniably true.
The world I inhabited might have been a game world, yet that did not, by any stretch, transform my life into a mere game.
The year I had spent living as Unnamed had been reality, not a game, and in reality, there existed no benevolent adversaries who would kindly articulate their every move.
“There’s no need for you to elaborate. I believe I can already surmise your reasoning.”
Most likely, V had eliminated B first because B was a warrior who prided himself on his exceptional physical prowess.
Though he had perished from a single, swift ambush by V, had B not been caught unawares and instead confronted V directly, the situation would undoubtedly have unfolded quite differently.
Wouldn’t he have been shattering every one of V’s rock bombardments, relentlessly pressuring her?
While B’s precise abilities remained unknown to me, the mere fact that he had qualified to ascend to the Numbers strongly suggested he was a warrior of considerable skill.
Even if I enjoyed a high appraisal from Won, V must have concluded that I, an assassin, would be an easier opponent to confront directly than B, a warrior.
And, irritatingly, that assessment proved to be entirely accurate.
While assassins typically hold an advantage against mages, this only holds true in situations where the assassin can effectively close the distance.
Given that V had been wary of me from the very beginning, and was an earth-attribute mage capable of manipulating the terrain, I, as an assassin, was forced into a profoundly disadvantageous battle.
Furthermore, the golden waves radiating from Dandelion created the absolute worst combat environment imaginable for an assassin, who relied on the cover of darkness for concealment.
‘Oh, this is truly infuriating.’
‘I never realized that villains in games could be so strategically astute.’
‘No, wait, am I simply foolish for having stumbled into such a predicament?’
“…”
Hmm… even under these trying circumstances, that couldn’t possibly be true.
The notion of me, destined to become the world’s most perfect maid, being unintelligent, was nothing short of a cruel jest.
“Hmph!”
“Tch!”
While I was momentarily lost in thought, V seized the opportunity, hurtling a spear of solid rock towards me.
Though I managed to deflect the spear’s trajectory using shadows, the rock spear still grazed my face, shattering the mask I wore.
****
Noir found herself utterly unable to comprehend the unfolding situation.
Abruptly, the intruders had turned on each other, and, to her astonishment, one of them had come to her aid.
‘How was she supposed to process this?’
‘Should she question why they had helped her, or should she simply offer her gratitude?’
Noir gazed at the back of the girl who was now protecting her.
Witnessing the numerous wounds covering the girl’s body, sustained in the act of protecting her, Noir felt only a surge of anger at her own profound incompetence.
‘What on earth could this person possibly be thinking?’
From the brief exchange between the two figures just moments ago, it had been revealed that this person had betrayed their organization.
‘Could they, then, be an ally?’
While she couldn’t say for certain, one undeniable fact remained: for this immediate moment, this person had undeniably saved her.
‘In that case, at the very least, I must not be a hindrance.’
Noir gripped her greatsword with renewed resolve, attempting to steady her trembling stance.
Yet, her body, still thoroughly dominated by terror, refused to obey her will.
Both hands clutched the greatsword, trembling uncontrollably, and her breathing remained ragged and uneven.
–Thud!
The colossal rock spear that had been launched at Noir just moments prior now hurtled towards the two of them once again.
Before a terrified Noir could even react to the approaching spear, a shadow lunged forth from beneath it, deftly twisting the projectile’s trajectory.
The rock spear whizzed past the two figures, narrowly missing them.
However, because the attack could not be entirely parried, the mask the girl wore shattered into pieces.
“Ah…”
Through the fractured remnants of the mask, a cascade of previously hidden silver hair unfurled, rippling like a wave in the air.
Her skin, flawlessly smooth without a single blemish, and her two eyes, burning a fierce red amidst the swirling smoke.
Even amidst such dire circumstances, Noir found herself gazing at the girl, unable to suppress the thought of her profound beauty.
“Wait, you. Are you the one from yesterday?”
How could there possibly be two individuals possessing such a distinctive appearance?
Gazingo at the beautifully cascading silver hair, Noir became utterly convinced that this was the same girl she had encountered the previous day.
“For now, concentrate on the battle.”
The girl did not explicitly respond to Noir’s question, yet neither did she offer a denial.
It was, in effect, an affirmation.
–Slap!
Having confirmed the identity of the mysterious figure, Noir slapped her own cheek, determined to regain her composure.
She had already received numerous assists, and now she was even proving to be a hindrance.
This simply wouldn’t do.
If she persisted in this manner, what difference would there be between her and the ‘cancer character’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term for a character who is annoying or detrimental to the plot or other characters, often causing frustration for the audience.) often found in the entertainment novels she devoured—a character who only serves to hinder the protagonist without offering any genuine assistance?
Just like most readers, Noir had always felt a profound sense of anger and exasperation whenever such characters appeared in her novels; she simply could not allow herself to become the very archetype she so vehemently despised.
“Can you fight?”
“Yes.”
Noir was undeniably terrified of this life-or-death struggle, a harrowing experience unlike any she had faced before.
She feared the hands of the woman who had murdered her own comrade, she feared the giant’s arm soaring through the sky behind that woman, and she feared the rock spears that relentlessly flew towards her.
Yet, upon seeing the silver-haired girl, who appeared to be of a similar age but aided her without a hint of fear, Noir felt an unprecedented surge of courage blossoming within her chest.
This could not be a mere illusion. It was said that people became cowards when isolated, but found courage when a trustworthy companion stood by their side.
“Hah…”
Noir found her own inherent weakness, the need for someone beside her to muster courage, truly laughable.
This entire situation, where she found herself experiencing an inexplicable sense of relief towards a girl whose name she didn’t even know, was equally ridiculous.
‘What on earth has become of me?’
Noble or not, this current display was nothing short of pathetic.
Yet, precisely because of this, she felt as though a guiding light, leading to a clear path, had suddenly appeared within the vast, bewildering meadow where she had been aimlessly wandering.
‘What truly defines a noble?’
‘What constitutes a noble worthy of the title?’
It was, indeed, a profoundly foolish question.
If she intended to harbor such profound questions, she ought to have known that she must become the kind of person capable of not only posing those questions but also actively seeking out their answers.
How could a young foal, solely dependent on others, ever hope to find its own way?
There was nothing quite as foolish as merely seeking answers without ever contemplating the path, or expending the effort, to discover it for oneself.
It was not about aimlessly wandering or merely treading a path laid out by another.
She would find her own way, and she would forge her own path.
And it would be none other than herself who would imbue the path she created with meaning.
Yes, she would not simply be a noble by birth.
She would become the person she aspired to be.
Only then would she overlay that identity with the true meaning of ‘noble.’
‘So, who is it that I truly wish to become?’
One thing was unequivocally certain: it would not be this pathetic, laughable version of herself.
“In that case, would you be willing to lend me your strength?”
Her previously frozen mind began to whir back to life.
Her wildly pounding heart gradually settled, and her blurred vision slowly sharpened.
‘I want to become.’
Not the weak, laughable version of herself, lost and wandering, but a person who forges their own destiny, much like a protagonist in a novel.
A person as strong and resolute as the girl standing before her.
‘I want to know.’
‘Who this girl is.’
‘What her name is, and what her true identity might be.’
To achieve that, she first needed to clear away the obstacles obstructing her path.
“Yes, by all means!”
From this moment forward, I am no longer a ‘cancer character’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term for a character who is annoying or detrimental to the plot or other characters, often causing frustration for the audience.) who merely drags others down.
I will overcome adversity and forge my own path, becoming the true protagonist of this story.
