*** Real-world, Ian’s POV ***
Today wasn’t Ian’s finest day. He’d died. To a wasp. A wasp.
“This is just…” His voice broke as his hands clenched into fists. “How the hell does John-Charlie do it?” His rage boiled over, and he shot up from his capsule, kicking the edge so hard it scraped against the floor. The urge to destroy something consumed him. His eyes darted to the table in the corner, cluttered with empty bottles, crumpled papers, and the remnants of last night’s takeout.
With a yell, he swept his arm across it, sending everything crashing to the floor. Bottles clattered and rolled, papers scattered like fallen leaves, and the unmistakable stench of stale food filled the air. The chaos was oddly satisfying, but before he could revel in it, his phone buzzed to life, vibrating across the now-empty table.
He snatched it up, his voice sharp. “Speak.”
“Woah, woah, Ian!” Damon’s voice came through, cracked and tense, like he’d been yelling for hours. “I’ve been trying to reach you. Apparently, you’ve got answers for me. They docked my pay because of some princess. What’s up with that?”
Ian’s heart skipped, then thundered in his chest. This was it. The moment she had mentioned. The moment to set things into motion.
“Hey, Damon,” Ian said, forcing his voice into something that sounded apologetic. “Sorry, I was just finishing a session in Rimelion.” He paused for effect, letting the bait dangle. “Oh, that? Yeah, you haven’t heard…”
“Good for you,” Damon said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “No. I have not. Who’s this princess?”
A grin spread slowly across Ian’s face, sharp and predatory. Perfect. He took a breath, as if hesitant, then dropped the bomb. “John. Somehow, he’s… changed. Gender, I mean. Goes by Charlie now—or Princess in Rimelion.”
“John?!” Damon’s outrage was instant, his voice rising to a near shout. “What does that have to do with my job?”
Ian felt a surge of satisfaction. The seed was planted. Time to water it. “You know him—her—damnit. He’s always been an exploiter. If the AI’s coming after you, it’s because John probably said something like, ‘Oh, Damon told me!’ or ‘Damon’s debugging the game and tipped me off about this bug!’ Or—”
“Bastard!” Damon spat, his voice practically seething. “And I considered him a friend. What a hyena.”
Ian almost laughed. His new friends really came through and pushed Damon’s buttons, but Ian kept it together, playing the role of the reluctant informer. “Sorry, I can’t help you more. My hands are tied.” He paused, then added as though it were an afterthought, “Have you tried talking to Travis?”
“Yeah,” Damon acknowledged, though his tone hinted at doubt. “He’s been trying to protect me, but it won’t hold. I need to find a way to stop John.”
Ian’s grin returned as he leaned against the wall, his satisfaction nearly palpable. “Well, good luck with that,” he said casually, before hanging up.
The phone clicked off, leaving Ian standing amidst the wreckage of his tantrum. His grin lingered, knowing the first domino had just fallen.
The Duke’s strange look sent a shiver down my spine, but I dropped to one knee without hesitation. You never oppose the Duke. I had learned that lesson the hard way, and I wasn’t about to repeat it. His sword hissed free from its scabbard, the sharp metallic sound echoing in the rain. The pointed tip hovered menacingly, aimed straight at me.
“You disobeyed our order and used the secret weapon without permission. That is not the behavior of a soldier! A soldier must obey their superiors without question and adhere to every command, even if they believe it is wrong. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, lowering my head. Damn. It was a good run while it lasted. As the blade inched closer to my neck, the cold steel grazing the air near my skin, I held my breath. My mind raced. Well, at least I’ve still got the main quest in my pocket. After respawning, I’ll hoof it on foot. It’ll take a few days, but… whatever.
Then his tone shifted. “Only noble commanders may express their concerns. Therefore, I offer you the title of Baronetess, vassal of the Empire. Do you accept?”
No way. My head shot up, meeting his gaze. He was smiling—warmly, even. How… how is this possible?
It didn’t matter. A noble title was not an offer you refused. It was a prize you seized and never let go. “I do, my liege,” I said, bowing my head again.
A brilliant blue light filled the room, illuminating the crew gathered around us, casting long shadows across the metallic interior of the ship. Something cold and solid materialized on my finger—a silver signet ring adorned with the intricate engraving of a snowflake.
Wait… a snowflake? I frowned. Of all the symbols, why that? I’d imagined something grander—an elegant coat of arms, powerful and commanding. Instead, the system had slapped on this... frozen oddity. Bug or feature? With a resigned sigh, I turned my attention to the flood of system notices now streaming across my vision.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
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<td style="text-align: center; margin: 3px; padding: 5px; color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1)">[You received a reward for be: the first to defeat ‘World Boss’]
[Your title is now: baronetess (Empire)]
[Congratulations, you own a fief! Your path as noble can continue.]
[East Fortification has been set as a primary fief.]
[East Fortification has reached the rank of fortified position, the further development has been unlocked.]</td>
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What an unexpected boon. The speed at which Lucas ranked up the fortress was ten times as fast as his drinking speed! Did he use some exploits? My heart fluttered with an excitement, a strange mix of pride and anticipation swirling in my chest. I couldn’t help but smile, the corners of my lips tugging upward despite the tension in the air.
Istvan’s piercing gaze cut through my moment of joy like a blade. It bore down on me, cold and unrelenting, as if death itself stared me in the face a dozen times over. My smile faltered, but didn’t fade entirely. He might actually kill me with his bare hands. What a turn of events, my old commander.
After a while, the raging storm slowly settled, and the last fights died down. An uncomfortable silence fell on us, the adrenalin clouding our pains faded away, and our grief for fallen soldiers and friends settled in. A smug smile played on my lips as I took it in. First battle, huh, young soldiers?
It was then that a message popped up. The username was gray—an admin, probably.
<table style="background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 75, 122, 0.93); margin: 10px auto; width: 90%; border: none; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; padding: 0">
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<td style="margin: 3px; padding: 5px; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); color: rgba(218, 213, 206, 1) !important; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; text-align: left">[Unknown] Hi John.
[Princess] Who’s this?
[Unknown] Ian. Spoke to Damon.
[Princess] Okay, what’s wrong? I don’t need to debug.
[Unknown] What if you do? Remember password?
[Princess] You are right. Oupsie.
[Unknown] One month long, enlo-57945
[Princess] Thanks Ian! This can save me. You are a lifesaver!
[Unknown] What I would not do for a friend.</td>
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Ian. He was always there when I needed him. I let my grin show even deeper.
Back on the ship, the Duke stood amidst the aftermath, his gaze fixed on the battlefield. He visibly shivered at the sight of his fallen soldiers. As I approached, he asked, “Is there anything I can do for you as a reward, Baronetess Princess?”
Yeah, it sounds ridiculous—I agree. What happens if I actually get that title? Are they going to call me Princess Princess?
“Thank you, my liege,” I replied, keeping my tone surprisingly polite—so much so that it even startled me. They used to call me the rude knight for my lack of decorum around nobles. Look at me now, Lucy. “When I met Master Teorn in the village, he entrusted me with a quest. With rumors of strange happenings swirling around the Island of the Dead, he sent me to investigate. For that, I’ll need transportation—a sailboat.”
The Duke’s expression tightened, and he twirled a strand of his short hair anxiously. “You say there are problems? Could it have something to do with my aunt, Queen Irwen? She’s been resting there, sealed in her tomb, for hundreds of years.” His voice carried a flicker of unease as he rushed to the edge of the ship, his eyes scanning the horizon as if the island might appear before him.
I hesitated before following him. Comforting someone like him felt alien to me. I am a warrior. “It might, my lord. Was she involved in the rebellion? Did she fight on the royalist side?”
Should I touch his shoulder, the way I’d seen some people at the bar comfort their friends? Or maybe give him a playful punch, like Lucas used to? Even with all my combined lives’ experience, I was utterly lost. Human contact… my eternal weakness.
“Yes, I fought on the wrong side,” the Duke admitted, his voice trembling under the weight of old pain. “But the loss was inevitable; humans were stronger than us. It’s been three centuries, yet if someone is trying to awaken her… it would explain the stirred floaters.” His gaze turned distant, as though reliving a memory he wished to forget.
I leaned against the railing beside him, letting the silence settle for a moment as we both stared into the horizon. “I’ll investigate it with my knight, my liege. These incidents may be unrelated.”
“You do that,” he said, his tone firm once more, his composure restored. “We need to regroup and recuperate on the shore. We’ll await your return there. Take the ship you sailed with.”
When I returned to my ship, I found Don alive and well, snoring peacefully in the corner. Despite the heavy losses and the ship’s extensive damage, the sailors were professionals to the core. They greeted me with cheers, and the captain met me at the gangway with a grin wide enough to split his face.
“Welcome back!” he roared, lunging toward me with open arms. I quickly dodged his bear hug, waving at him with a smirk.
“I saw you slay that monstrosity,” he said, his voice booming with admiration. “You were as magnificent as the heroes of legend! And now you’re a noble, right? Should I bow?” Without waiting for an answer, he bent so low his forehead almost touched the deck.
Laughter erupted from the crew, ringing through the air, and for the first time, I felt something unexpected from human interaction—a warmth near my heart. A strange sense of belonging, of camaraderie with these sailors I’d fought alongside. Nonsense, I told myself. I’ve battled armies and the most dangerous dragons, and I felt nothing like this. Why now?
“Captain,” I said, shaking off the feeling. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I have orders.”
He waved my words away with a sweep of his massive hand. “I know. You’ve got an important mission on that cursed island everyone avoids. Hear me, you lazy bastards!” His voice thundered as he turned to the crew. “We’re sailing with a princess here! Be gentle as you can and show some respect. A hero needs her ship to sail smoothly!”