“Get rid of everyone except her.”
Eliya said that and turned away.
“……”
The surroundings are chaotic.
So is my mind.
A knight helped me up.
For some reason, his touch has become cautious.
[You have completed the tutorial.]
It’s a phrase that adds confusion to confusion.
[You can view the status window. Would you like to open it?]
I unconsciously agreed.
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[Name: Judas Defecit]
[Age: 13]
[Origin: Slave]
[Health: 7.2]
[Strength: 5.1]
[Agility: 11.6]
[Traits: Stealthy Steps, Weaponization of Objects]
It’s a familiar status window.
I’ve played this game for over 8,000 hours, and now it has become reality.
I’ve started countless characters.
‘The stats and traits are similar to a thief-type character. I guess he lived roughly on the streets.’
I was reflexively interpreting the status window.
“Judas.”
A heavy voice snapped me back to reality.
It was Gawain.
He scratched his forehead, seemingly embarrassed.
“…You’ve passed the candidate selection. Follow me.”
I looked around without realizing it.
Dozens of applicants had been instantly eliminated, leaving me as the sole survivor.
‘How did this happen?’
I seriously don’t understand…
*
Following Gawain, I sorted out the current situation.
‘I have become a candidate for the escort knight of Eliya.’
In the future, she’ll be the notorious villainess who kills her entire family.
Once she conquers her house, she becomes a mad psychopath who commits atrocities and murder.
Eliya de Bevel.
She is the youngest daughter of the Bevel family.
The Bevel Principality is a well-known nation in this world.
Famous for the wrong reasons.
Both Eliya and her parents are insane villains.
And the principality they manage is influenced by them.
A place where people obsessed with power and money gather.
There are countless major crime groups headquartered here.
Aside from the major cities, security is terrible, but Eliya’s father, the Duke, doesn’t care.
He’s a man who knows how to use the dirty money of this underworld.
Some call him the Emperor with a Black Crown.
The current emperor rose to the throne through legitimate means and methods.
The Duke stands on the opposite side.
And Eliya inherits his personality intact.
No, she even transcends it.
At this point, it’s clear that she’s a highborn lady.
In other words, they don’t easily select escort knights.
There are several tests to pass.
Only those who pass the final hurdle can become Eliya’s escort knight.
‘There are quite a few formidable competitors.’
Even if she’s a villainess from a villainous family, they are global tycoons and power holders.
From the perspective of someone crawling at the bottom, it’s a filthy but promising path.
‘I know this is hell and the road to the afterlife.’
Somehow, I ended up being a candidate.
In the original selection process, Eliya would simply skim through without intervention.
It was supposed to be the knights filtering out successful candidates through simple tests.
As far as I remember.
‘Did I just fit her weird preference…?’
There’s still a chance to escape.
I just need to not perform well enough to become an escort knight.
I can voluntarily withdraw later on.
There’s no rule saying I must become Eliya’s escort knight.
I could become a soldier of the principality.
If I excel, I might even become the direct knight of the Duke’s house.
Just like the knights standing next to Gawain earlier.
‘It’s not a good choice. The best option is to escape from the Bevel Principality. One thing is certain: if I become Eliya’s escort knight, it’s 100% certain death.’
Can I go back?
I don’t know.
I’m right at the point where a noose is about to be put around my neck, and I can’t afford to consider it.
By the way, how old is Eliya now?
If I knew that, I could figure out how many years ago from the game’s timeline it was.
Are there already escort knights who have passed the final selection?
They wouldn’t only have one escort knight.
As I continued my thoughts, Gawain came to a stop.
“This is the dormitory where you’ll stay from now on. Starting today, you’ll be training in the same space as the other candidates. Do you understand?”
“…Yes.”
“Hmm. You seem like a slave who was forcibly brought here.”
I didn’t answer because I wasn’t sure.
Seems about right, though.
“There’s no way you wanted to come here. I understand. You must be dissatisfied and feel wronged. You might resent the world as well.”
He spoke surprisingly gently.
As if he understood me and was considerate.
Was he comforting me because my expression wasn’t good?
“But…”
That was an act.
His voice lowered significantly, becoming solemn.
“From this point on, as a formal candidate, you must behave properly in front of the lady. If I see the same demeanor again, I’ll ensure you’re not wronged for the rest of your life.”
That sounded like he would kill me.
Or at least, be very close to death.
Either way, it’s similar.
“…I will keep that in mind.”
“You’re a surprisingly quick learner for being so cocky. Well, think of it positively. This is an opportunity for you, isn’t it? You’ve earned the chance to be Eliya’s escort knight.”
What a relaxed statement.
He doesn’t know what that kid’s future holds.
“I don’t know what she saw in you, but that boldness and cockiness aren’t bad. But you should expect a harsh life from now on.”
The selection of escort knights is a bloody competition.
Every test is fierce.
That means the psychological warfare among candidates will be intense.
Gawain opened the dormitory door.
It was a plain rectangular building.
Four stories tall.
Just neat.
I walked after him, passing through the main entrance.
“Room number 13. This dormitory with 12 beds will be your space.”
He pushed me slightly from behind.
Six two-layered beds lined up on either side.
Two candidates stood in front of each bed.
Perfectly standing at attention.
Eyes that didn’t dare to look this way.
‘What… this feels like the military… argh.’
“Attention.”
When Gawain spoke,
“Attention!”
The candidates loudly echoed.
“This is the 13th candidate, Judas Defecit. He will be a companion from now on, so treat him well.”
“Yes!”
“Class Representative?”
“Yes! 6th Candidate Dillon!”
“Guide him through the basics.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Gawain leaned closer and whispered in my ear.
“Welcome to the Bevel family.”
Somehow, that felt like a death sentence.
*
Gawain left the room.
Once his footsteps faded away, the room fell eerily silent.
Everyone in Room 13 kept their mouths shut, watching me.
Rigid expressions and piercing gazes.
The pressure was significant.
I maintained a stiff posture, staring straight ahead.
I scanned the faces around me.
‘They’re of various ages.’
From a young man who looked about 18 to kids who seemed around my age.
The class representative, Dillon, was one of the young men.
It seemed like a good time to say something, but they didn’t.
They continued to tighten their silence and gaze.
I was familiar with this kind of situation.
They were trying to establish dominance during our first meeting.
Showing that this place isn’t to be taken lightly.
There’s a saying that goes around in the military.
‘Don’t stand out.’
Whether for good or bad, being noticeable only leads to trouble.
If there are ten people, being around fourth place is just fine.
In fact, this applies not only to the military but also to most group living situations.
Staying low-key is usually the best.
Of course, I failed to do that.
I had rebelled against seniors who abused their power and extorted money from newcomers.
I’ve even fought against university seniors who unjustly picked on juniors.
I guess I’m just not the kind of person to sit still by nature.
Besides, at that time, I had the confidence to protect just my own body.
Now it’s different.
I’m only 13. Young and skinny.
I feel like one hit from that Dillon guy would send my jaw flying.
Moreover, common sense would be different, right?
It’s a world where murder and violence are the norms.
This is the kind of place where I could easily die from messing up.
‘Just hold it together for now.’
A considerable time passed.
“Not bad.”
Dillon smirked.
“I’ve never seen a newcomer so bold before. So you really are the only one who passed as a 13th candidate.”
This is bad.
Being the sole survivor among all participants is a condition that makes it impossible not to stand out.
“Class Representative of Room 13, 6th Candidate Dillon.”
“13th Candidate Judas.”
“Your posture is good. Is that why you caught the lady’s eye?”
I don’t know.
As far as I know, Eliya doesn’t like people who stand up to her.
“First of all…”
Dillon scanned me from head to toe.
“You could use a wash.”
I’m thinking the same thing.
My clothes are practically rags.
And I probably stink since I hadn’t showered in a while.
“I’ll show you the bathroom. Follow me.”
*
Unlike the military, there doesn’t seem to be a set time for bathing.
That was a relief.
I’ve had enough of life being controlled, thank you very much.
The shared bathroom was clean.
Shiny floor and walls. A bit of humid air.
High windows.
I turned on the shower and looked at the mirror.
It was the first time seeing my face since coming here.
Unkempt black hair from lack of care.
Beast-like golden eyes.
With a dirty impression for a kid, it seems like I had grown up roughly in a back alley.
My bony body was showing ribs prominently.
I finally realized.
I had been dragged into a strange world.
This isn’t Korea.
“How messed up is this…”
I realized one more thing.
Until now, I’ve been speaking in a completely different language from Korean.
The curse I just spat out was the first Korean I’ve spoken here.
So natural that I didn’t even realize.
“Ugh…”
I washed my face and exhaled deeply.
Can I go back?
I don’t know.
No matter how long I’ve experienced this world as a game, I have no idea how to return to Korea.
‘First, let’s just survive.’
If I have to live in this place, then I should at least try.
There’s no other way to go.
First, I need to escape Eliya’s grasp.
And from the Bevel Principality as well.
There are plenty of places in this world that aren’t harsh like Bevel.
‘As much as possible, let’s not stay in the Bevel Principality.’
I washed up and changed my clothes a bit.
Now, I looked more like a human.
When I stepped out of the shower room, I felt a sense of unease.
The atmosphere in the dormitory was so quiet it felt like it had frozen.
Dillon, who should have been waiting outside, was also gone.
‘…Where did he go?’
I decided to head to Room 13 first.
As I walked while shaking off my wet hair, I quickly found the cause of my unease.
All candidates from the dormitory were outside, lined up against the wall.
A knight in uniform stood in front of each of them, watching over the candidates.
They shut their mouths tight as if a sword was pointed at their necks.
They just stared intensely at me as I moved around.
Even the managing knight was like that.
‘What the hell is going on…?’
I soon found out the reason.
In front of Room 13.
Like in other rooms, everyone was outside in a line.
Dillon was with them.
And in front of them…
“I see you’ve arrived.”
Eliya stood there.
Still dressed in the magnificent outfit I’d seen earlier.
The candidates didn’t dare raise their gaze, keeping their eyes down in front of Eliya.
I was so flustered that I was stuck, unable to react.
‘It seems like she came looking for me… but why?’
Eliya didn’t bother to ease my confusion.
“Follow me.”
She simply ordered that.
Without even checking if I was following, she started walking somewhere.
As she turned her body, the candidates who were staring off into space all glared at me in unison.
It felt like they were asking what was going on.
‘How should I know…?’
*
Eliya headed outside the dormitory.
She brought me to the reception room of a charming building.
“Sit.”
As she sat on a chair provided by a maid, Eliya commanded me.
The chair was so luxurious that I felt guilty just sitting on it.
I carefully sat on the chair opposite her.
Eliya stared at me blankly.
“I meant for you to sit on the floor.”
“……”
“It’s interesting. I never thought someone would want to sit facing me.”
She spoke as if she were observing a rare animal doing something peculiar.
I tried to discreetly get up from the chair.
“Forget it. Just stay there.”
Looks like she’s as headstrong as she was when she was a child.
Soon, a maid brought warm tea and snacks.
“Eat.”
Eliya said flatly.
‘With you staring at me like that, would you eat? Especially with so many servants behind you?’
But I ate.
I’m not the type to care about such things.
More importantly, this Judas is as skinny as can be, and boy, was I hungry.
“Thank you.”
I warmed my insides with the warm tea.
“…So you’re really eating.”
I’m not that oblivious.
There must be a reason she called me.
Putting my teacup down, I asked.
“So, what do you need me for?”
“Well…”
Ah.
This selfish way of speaking.
Just like when she was little; nothing has changed.
I really want to slap her.
But I have to endure.
Right now, she’s the master, and I’m the servant.
If she adds that she just wants to kill me, it means I’m as good as dead.
“You could have sent someone without waiting for me.”
“Just.”
Eliya glanced out the window.
“It’s interesting to me that someone is waiting for me.”
No. You just decided to wait.
Did I make you wait?
I wanted to argue but restrained myself and apologized.
After all, I shouldn’t keep a noble lady waiting.
In this world, that’s a crime.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah… Actually, I still haven’t decided how to deal with you.”
I almost bit my tongue off instead of the snacks.
“You dare to sit in front of me without bowing, and you arrogantly look me in the eye.”
Eliya said clearly.
She spoke as though scolding me, her tone devoid of emotion or inflection.
Like a talking doll.
“I’m still unsure whether to kill you or let you live since you sit at the same eye level as me.”
I barely swallowed the snack I had in my mouth.
Thank goodness it didn’t get stuck in my throat.
At the very end, Eliya broke into a soft smile.
“What should I do?”
The future notorious villainess, who will shake the continent, asked as she held my life in her hands.
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