While I stared blankly at the message about my debt, the redhead grinned with smug satisfaction. “You better watch out,” she said, her voice dripping with mockery. Then, with a wave of her hand, she yanked me out of the void and sent me hurtling back to the ship.
No explanation. No apology. Just gone.
I knew exactly what had happened—but damn it; I wanted her to admit it before I strangled her.
The ship was cruising along as if I’d never left. Leaning against the railing, I stared at the river below, its steady flow doing little to calm the storm in my chest. That woman—undoubtedly Damon’s boss—clearly had it out for me. Was it because I exploited the game? Come on, anyone could do it!
With a sharp kick to the wooden plank beneath the railing, I tried to shake the frustration. “That! She’s…” My words caught in my throat as I gritted my teeth, my fists balling up instinctively. No swearing. Not now.
Her interest in me meant one thing: I had to tread carefully. They’d flagged me for sure. It didn’t matter, though. My goals had already shifted.
First, with the help of Duke’s soldiers, I’d support Lisa in her fight against Dmitry. Afterward, I’d ask Katherine to join me in exploring the Forgotten City. That preparation would set me up perfectly for the main quest Duke had handed me: Irwen’s declaration of war.
“Let’s do it!” I declared, a grin spreading across my face. Kicking the plank again, I relished the satisfying thud it made beneath my high heel.
The monotonous sailing dragged on for two more hours until Village Number Seventeen appeared on the horizon. Leaning on the railings, I watched the bustling activity below as the captain’s booming voice echoed across the deck.
As the ship approached the port, it suddenly swayed, throwing me off balance. I stumbled, reaching desperately for the nearest yard, but my hand missed by inches, and I landed hard on the deck.
“Son of—gimme that!” the captain barked, shoving his subordinate aside and seizing the helm. With a powerful twist, he corrected the ship’s course. “Quickly, lass!” he shouted in my direction.
Not wanting to delay them any longer, I scrambled to my feet, dashed to the side, and leapt onto the dock. Waving back at the ship, I expected some acknowledgment, but they didn’t even glance my way as they sailed off without stopping. Well, that’s anticlimactic.
No matter. Clutching the document from the Duke, I straightened my posture and strode toward the center of the village, imagining a heroic sunset framing my silhouette. Wait… what? It’s already sunset? A quick glance at the sky confirmed it—four hours had passed.
Like every other elven village, this one looked identical to the rest. Magical lamps were already glowing faintly, their light casting a warm shimmer over the uniform rows of buildings. Lazy developers—or lazy elves? Either way, it seemed someone had copied and pasted the entire village design.
Even the names were uninspired. Village Number Seventeen, seriously? Then again, it made sense. The imperial officials loved to flaunt their control by forcing everyone to conform to the same rigid, “proper imperial” standards. Uniform villages, uniform names, uniform lives.
Well, except for the building in the center of the village. Every other structure was one or two stories high at most, but the guildhall towered above them, casting a shadow even over the two-story shop beside it.
Looking around, I noticed some players gawking at the massive building, their faces a mix of amazement and surprise. Hah, wait until you see the Tower of Eternity for the first time. Clutching the document tighter, I pressed forward. The steady stream of players heading inside made it easy to blend in, so I let the flow carry me.
Inside, over twenty counters lined the hall, all packed with workers furiously processing requests. Even with that many, the queues snaked around the spacious room, promising at least an hour’s wait. White columns, evenly spaced throughout, supported the ceiling and doubled as mounts for notice boards overflowing with quest papers.
Countless magical lamps cast a soft, yellowish glow over everything, making the chaotic hall feel oddly calming.
At the far end of the right wall, an inconspicuous door caught my eye. Without hesitation, I strode toward it, though the murmur of hundreds of players seemed to drown out my confident steps.
Getting there was another matter. I had to weave through the sea of motionless morons who seemed glued to their spots, refusing to move even an inch.
Finally, I reached the door, only to find a lone guard standing in front of it, blocking my way. Her medium armor clung tightly to her frame, but clearly, the devs had been more generous with her design than with mine—no cleavage on hers. Still, she had a mean look, and her hand rested on the hilt of her silvery sword as I approached.
“Halt.” She stopped me with a rude gesture and pulled her sword slightly from its sheath. “Missy, this is a private guild area. Go back to the queue.”
My stomach churned, the weight of the enormous crowd pressing on my nerves. But I forced myself to smile, pulling every ounce of fake confidence into my voice. “No need!” I said, flashing my most charming smile as I presented her with my silver signet ring, the snowflake insignia glinting faintly. “I am Princess Charlie, Baronetess of the Empire. Let me through—I need to speak with the Guard Captain.”
The woman’s response wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped for. She threw her head back and laughed—a sharp, mocking sound that made my cheeks burn.
“Oh, really?” she said, drawing her sword fully and leveling its sharp tip just under my chin. Her gaze was stony and calculating, and her lips curled into a grin. “This is the guild. Even the Emperor himself has to wait in the queue—that’s the law!”
What? My mind scrambled for a response, but before I could say anything, she tilted her head, her eyes scanning me as though I were prey. “Try me, squeak,” she sneered, licking her lips as though savoring the confrontation.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. 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)">[Guild Guard Lv. 20]
Type: 2-uncommon | HP: 343/343</td>
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I frowned under the guard’s uncomfortable stare and shook my head, backing away slowly. “No need for violence.”
Stupid guard! Was all my work for nothing? Why couldn’t I even skip a queue? Her triumphant grin was like salt in the wound, but I swallowed my anger.
She wasn’t wrong. The guild was independent and hated politics, but the Mayor and Guard Captain had offices up there. So, not innocent. Why is everything out to get me? Why do I face so many setbacks?
With a sour expression, I trudged to the back of the long queue and moped over the stupid system.
“Charlie!”
A familiar voice snapped me out of my sulking. What, where? Why? My eyes darted around until I spotted the culprit. “Here!” Katherine waved at me enthusiastically, practically bouncing with joy. She was roughly halfway through the line.
Without a second thought, I darted toward her, pushing past the other players without a care for their grumbles.
As soon as I reached her, Katherine pulled me into a tight embrace. Her arms wrapped around me, and the tension I’d been carrying melted away. Damn, why is she so beautiful?
Still flustered, I glanced up to where her streamer icon should have been. No icon? “No recording?”
“Nope! ‘Cause tat’s boring!” She gestured wildly to the milling crowds around us. “I killed ‘em in three hours an’ finished ma quest! This worse than gettin’ streamers’ badge!”
“Badge?” My ears perked up. “I thought that was difficult.”
“Wat?” Her eyes widened in mock disbelief, and she playfully swatted her palm into my hair, laughing as she turned my carefully styled cut into a mess.
“Hey!” I frowned, trying to push her hand away, but she held firm. Her grip was much stronger, and in my struggles, she pressed down harder, making me stagger.
“No way! Just ask ‘em an’ ya get it!” she said, still laughing, her voice overflowing with delight.
Thanks to Katherine, the waiting wasn’t boring. Half an hour flew by in no time. Naturally, I only squeezed out a few words at a time during our conversation, but hey—progress!
Katherine turned in her quest, and now it was my turn. John, it’s just talking to a clerk. Nothing hard.
I placed my hands on the rough, white-wood counter, its surface still carrying the faint scent of fresh-cut forest, and smiled at the young Elven man sitting behind it.
“Hello!” I blurted, summoning the Duke’s message and practically tossing it at him. “I need to talk with the Guard Captain!”
He caught the document effortlessly, his movements smooth and practiced. Does this happen a lot?
“A minute, please.” Breaking the seal with a calm efficiency, he adjusted his glasses and leaned closer to examine the order. His eyes scanned the document with meticulous care. “We will do as ordered, miss.”
His quill moved across a fresh piece of parchment in elegant, perfect handwriting, the scratching sound almost soothing. After folding my message neatly, he tucked it away somewhere out of sight.
“Our forces will bolster your fortress, Baronetess. However,” he continued, adjusting his glasses again, “I am pleased to inform you that the Fire Tamer has already been defeated. Therefore, I am empowered to deny the request for additional reinforcements. Will that be all?”
I blinked, momentarily at a loss. The Fire Tamer? Already defeated? After Lisa’s desperate request, I’d half-expected this would be a race against time—but this?
“I… see. Thank you,” I managed, biting back my frustration. Arguing would be pointless. I learned that the hard way with the angel-managers.
“Could you at least post a quest to help defend us?” I asked, forcing a polite smile.
“Naturally,” the clerk replied with a small nod. “We need your…”
It took me twenty minutes just to post a quest. Bureaucracy at its finest. That meant there was a new hero—and it was Dmitry. Same as in my previous life. Nothing changed. Per usual.
“Wat now?” Katherine’s voice jolted me from my spiraling thoughts.
Wait… her voice? When have I left the guild? I blinked and realized I was standing just outside, next to her waiting form. “You said somethin’ ‘bout Lisa?” she asked, her excitement bubbling over.
Lisa. That poor girl. “I did, didn’t I?” My voice wavered, sadness creeping in. “What can we even do now? Dmitry is strong. Very strong.”
“Tat’s jus’ na?ve, Charlie!” she scolded, giving me a firm pat on the back. Her touch sent pleasant shivers through my skin, making it even harder to focus. “Ya know ‘tat!”
Quickly stepping away before I started purring, I sighed. Dmitry’s gameplay videos were legendary, and no one could argue against his skill. Sure, there was an endless debate about whether supporting demons was ethical, but his expertise? Unquestionable.
Still, Lisa needed help. One day of leveling could wait in exchange for her friendship. “Let’s go there anyway,” I said, determination hardening my voice.
“Walkin’...” Katherine groaned, patting her exposed thighs—thank you, devs—before adding with a dramatic sigh, “Tat’s tedious! Slow!”
Blushing, I averted my gaze and tried to focus on where we were. Lately, I’d been so unfocused, more reactive than deliberate. Where was my level-headed, analytical warrior? Instead of strategizing, I was thinking about why I wasn’t level-headed anymore. Charlie, get it together!
Looking around, I realized we were still standing outside the guild, amid the constant stream of players. NPCs had set up their stalls here, hawking wares like bread and trinkets, while a few players tried their luck selling wolf pelts. Nearby, horse-drawn carts rattled along the stone-paved road.
Wait. A thought struck me. “Hey, Katherine, let’s catch a ride there!”
“A ride? Like no walkin’?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she grabbed my shoulders. “Do ya hav’ a quest?”
What is she doing? My stupid body wasn’t equipped to handle this level of contact. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I shook my head. “Oh,” she said, deflated, her shoulders slumping. “Teasin’ like ‘tat…”
“No teasing,” I blurted. “We can just ask for a ride.”
“Ask?” she echoed, her eyes boring into mine. Feeling self-conscious, I grabbed her hand and led her down the bustling main street. Players like her still don’t know… NPCs were almost alive. Here, hitchhiking was an actual possibility. In our world, catching a ride like this was a thing of the past, but here?
Sadly, hitchhiking turned out to be harder than I’d expected. Almost no one wanted to travel toward the barren lands crawling with fire monsters.
After what felt like a hundred tries, though, one farmer finally agreed. His cart was nothing special—clunky and haphazardly nailed together with sharp points sticking out everywhere—but hey, don’t look a whiskey in the bottleneck.
We squeezed into the cart, dodging sacks of wheat and other smelly goods that shifted wildly as the farmer cracked his whip. A fellow whip user. Respect.
Katherine, meanwhile, grinned at me like we’d just won the lottery. “Wau, ‘tis like real!” she repeated gleefully, over and over, until I silenced her with a pointed look.
The evening wind stung our cheeks as the cart wobbled through the countryside. The stars above glittered like tiny beacons in the vast, dark sky. Moments like this were where the game truly shone—riding under the stars on a creaky cart, with Katherine beside me, heading toward a fight with a dangerous enemy.
“Katherine—”
“Just Kit, please.”
No, no. Don’t ask that. Change of subject… “Okay, Kit. What do you want to select when you hit level ten?”
She tilted her head thoughtfully, resting it against a sack. “Dunno. I was—”
Suddenly, the cart jolted violently. I lost my balance and crashed into a protruding nail, losing ten hit points. Before I could curse the driver, a deep howl pierced the night.
“Wulfs are attackin’!” Katherine shouted, already reaching for her weapon.