NOVEL NEXT chapter 2
2. Something’s Wrong (1)
“Clear everything except him.”
After saying that, Elijah went back.
“… ….”
The surroundings are noisy.
It’s like that in my head too.
The article aroused me.
For some reason, the way he treated me became cautious.
[You have completed the tutorial.]
It is a phrase that adds confusion to confusion.
[You can view the status window. Would you like to read?]
I subconsciously agreed.
[Name: Judas Defecit]
[Age: 13]
[Origin: Slave]
[Health: 7.2]
[Strength: 5.1]
[Quickness: 11.6]
[Talents: Stealth Step, Object Weaponization]
This is the familiar status window.
I have played over 8,000 hours of this game, which is now a reality.
I started with countless characters.
‘The stats and characteristics are similar to those of a petty thief character. I must have lived a rough life on the street.’
I was interpreting the status window reflexively.
“Judas.”
A heavy voice awakened that spirit.
It was Gawain.
He scratched his forehead as if embarrassed.
“… Candidate selection is successful. Follow me.”
Involuntarily, I looked around.
Aside from me, dozens of applicants were eliminated in an instant.
‘Why did this happen?’
I really don’t know….
*
I followed Gawain and summarized the current situation.
‘I became a candidate for Elijah’s escort knight.’
A rare villain who later kills all of her parents and siblings.
A crazy psychopath who commits evil deeds and murders after conquering the family.
Elijah D. Bebel.
She is the youngest daughter in the direct line of the Duke of Bebel.
The Duchy of Bebel is a famous country in the world.
It’s famous for bad reasons.
As much as Elijah, her parents are insane and wicked.
And this principality they administer has been affected by it.
It is a place where people who are crazy about power and money flock.
I don’t know how many of the continent’s major criminal groups live here.
Policy is messy except for major cities, but Elijah’s father, the Archduke, doesn’t care.
He’s a man who knows how to use the dirty money of this underworld.
Someone calls him this.
An emperor wearing a black crown.
The emperor of the current empire ascended to the throne only through legitimate force and methods.
The Grand Duke is the person standing on the other side.
And it is Elijah who inherits that personality intact.
No, it transcends.
This or that means that she is a high-ranking lady.
In other words, escort knights are not easily recruited.
It goes through several tests.
Only those who have passed the final gateway can become Elijah’s escort knights.
‘There are too many competitors.’
Even if they are a villain or a villain, they are world-class rich and powerful.
From the point of view of crawling from below, even if it is dirty, it is the way to success.
‘I know this is a one-way road to hell, but.’
Somehow I became a candidate.
In the process of selecting candidates for bondi, Elijah simply scans and passes by.
Originally, the knight selects those who pass a simple test.
There is no intervention from Elijah.
As far as I remember.
‘Have I met her strange taste….’
There is still a chance to escape.
As a candidate, she doesn’t have to get good grades to become an escort knight.
You can voluntarily leave the hospital later.
It is not necessarily the only way to become Elijah’s escort knight.
You can become a soldier of the principality.
If you have excellent skills, you can become a knight under the direct command of the duchy.
Just like the knights standing next to Gawain.
‘Not a good option. The best thing to do is run away from the Duchy of Bebel. Anyway, one thing’s for sure: you can’t become Elijah’s escort. That’s 100% guaranteed death.’
Can I go back?
I don’t know.
I’m about to get a rope around my neck, but I can’t afford to find out.
Anyway, how old is Elijah now?
If you knew that, you could tell how many years it was from the time of the game.
I wonder if there are escort knights who have already passed the final exam?
Because you don’t have just one escort knight.
After thinking about this and that, Gawain stopped.
“This is the training camp where you will be staying from now on. From today, I will train and live in the same space as other jockeys. Do you understand?”
“… Yes.”
“Hmm. It looks like a slave who was forcibly sold.”
I didn’t answer because I didn’t know.
I think it’s probably right.
“You didn’t come because you wanted to. I understand. You will be dissatisfied and regretful. The world will be resentful.”
He spoke surprisingly softly.
As if you understand me and take care of me.
Is it comforting because my expression is not good?
“But.”
That was smoke.
His voice became much lower and solemn.
“From now on, you will have to act upright in front of the lady. If you show the same side again, I’ll make sure you won’t be unfair for the rest of your life.”
Sounds like you’re going to kill me.
Or, using a hand close to death.
Both are similar.
“… I will keep that in mind.”
“You may be arrogant, but you are a quick-witted guy. Well, think good. Wouldn’t that be a chance for you too? I dared to take the opportunity to become an escort for Lady Elijah.”
You sound very comfortable.
It’s because you don’t know his future.
“I don’t know what the lady likes about you. That confident and cheeky momentum is not bad. A harsh life awaits you from now on.”
The escort knight selection ceremony is a bloody competition.
Every test is fierce.
In other words, it means that the war of nerves between the same candidates is fierce.
Gawain opened the door to the camp.
It is a rectangular building with nothing special.
4 Stories.
It’s just neat.
I walked through the front door and followed him.
“Room number 13. This 12-person room is your room.”
He pushed me on the back.
Six bunk beds lined up on the left and right.
Two candidates stood in front of him.
An angular, alert posture.
A gaze that does not carelessly look at this side.
‘What…. Is it like an army…. Ah.’
“Attention.”
Let Gawain speak.
“Attention!”
Several candidates shouted along loudly.
“I am Yuda Defacet, a 13th class student who became a candidate today. I’m a colleague who will be with you in the future, so please get along well.”
“Yes!”
“The class president?”
“Yes! 6Th generation Dylan!”
“Guide me through the basics.”
“Yes! All right!”
Gawain spoke quietly in my ear.
“Welcome to the Bebel family.”
Somehow, that sounded like a death sentence.
*
Gawain left the room.
The room was dead quiet until the sound of his footsteps died away.
Everyone in Room 13 watched me with their mouths closed.
A hard expression and a tenacious gaze.
The pressure is considerable.
I stared straight ahead with a firm posture.
I looked at the face with a side view.
‘There are different ages.’
From a young man who looked about 18 years old to a child who seemed to be the same age as me.
Dylan, the class president, belonged to the youth.
It was a good time to talk to them, but they didn’t.
Continued to keep silence and gaze.
I’m used to it. Situation like this.
I’m trying to get the head start on our first meeting.
As if to show off that this is not an easy place.
There is a proverb that goes through in the military.
‘Don’t stand out.’
For both good and bad, if you stand out, only trouble will happen.
If the total number of people is 10, 4th place is appropriate.
In fact, not in the military, but in quite a few group lives, it all works.
It is best not to stand out unless there is a special reason.
Of course I couldn’t keep it.
I even tried to slander the senior who absurdly beats the successors and extorts money.
I also looked down on college seniors who called juniors and made them fool around for unfair reasons and beat them.
I don’t think you have a naturally quiet personality.
Aside from that reason, I had the confidence to protect myself at the time.
It’s different now.
At least 13 years old. Young and skinny.
I’m confident that if I get hit by that guy named Dylan, I’ll go back.
Besides, common sense is different.
A world familiar with murder and violence.
The world’s most vicious Principality of Bevel’s escort knights volunteers.
If you make a mistake, you could be killed by them.
‘Let’s live now.’
A long time has passed.
“It’s quite good.”
Dylan chuckled.
“This is the first time I have ever seen such a confident newcomer. Are you really the only one who passed the 13th class?”
It was a big deal.
A candidate who passed all the other contestants and passed alone.
This is a condition that cannot be avoided.
“The 13th class leader, Dylan from the 6th class.”
“This is Yuda from the 13th generation.”
“You’ve got your posture. Is that the reason why I fell in your eyes?”
I don’t know either.
As far as I know, Elijah doesn’t like people who go against him.
“First of all….”
Dylan looked me up and down.
“I think I need to wash up.”
I think the same thing.
Clothes that are no better than rags.
My body smelled like I hadn’t washed for a long time.
“Let me tell you about the bathroom. Follow me.”
*
Unlike the military, the washing time seems to be set.
That’s fortunate.
Twice in life is enough to get your life under control.
Army. And the corps camp.
The shared bathroom was clean.
Smooth floors and walls. Slightly moist air.
High windows.
I turned on the shower and looked in the mirror.
This is the first face I see after coming here.
Unmanageable black hair.
Beastly golden eyes.
Maybe he grew up rough in a back alley, but he has a dirty impression for a young child.
The skinny body had prominent ribs.
I realize it belatedly.
I have been dragged into a strange world.
This is not Korea.
“That sucks….”
I realized one more thing.
Until now, I was speaking in a language completely different from Korean.
The swear word I just spat out was the first Korean I spoke here.
I had no idea it was so natural.
“Whoa….”
I took a deep breath as I washed my face.
Can I go back?
I don’t know.
No matter how long I’ve experienced this world as a game, I don’t know how to go back to Korea.
‘Let’s survive for now.’
If I had to live here, I’d have to mess with it.
There is no other way.
First of all, we must get out of Elijah’s clutches.
And also from the Duchy of Bebel.
In this world, there are not only harsh areas like Bevel.
There are many nice and peaceful places to live.
‘If possible, let’s not stay in the Principality of Bebel.’
I washed and changed my clothes.
Now I’ve become a human being.
When I got out of the shower, I felt a strange feeling.
The entire air in the camp was cold and quiet, as if frozen.
There was no Dylan who should have waited outside.
‘… Where did you go?’
First, I went to Room 13.
As I walked while brushing my wet hair, I immediately identified the cause of the discomfort.
All the dormitory candidates came out and lined up against the wall.
The knights dressed in uniform stood in front of them one by one and watched the candidates.
As if a knife had been thrust into their throats, they kept their mouths shut.
They just stared at me as I moved alone.
Even the manager, the article, was like that.
‘What the hell….’
I soon found out why.
In front of Room 13.
Like the other rooms, everyone here was outside and standing in a line.
Dylan was also there.
And before that.
“I’m here.”
There was Elijah.
It was the same as the fancy dress I saw earlier.
The candidates held her gaze high, not daring to look at Elijah.
I was embarrassed and couldn’t do this or that.
‘Looks like you came to see me….’
Why?
Elijah did not consider my questions.
“Follow me.”
That’s just what I ordered.
Walking somewhere without even looking to see if I’m following you.
As she turned her body around, her candidates, who were watching her in the air, glared at me in unison.
You seem to be asking what the hell happened.
‘I don’t know….’
*
The place Elijah headed was outside the camp.
He brought me to the drawing room of a small building.
“Sit down.”
As Elijah commanded, he sat down on the chair the maid gave him.
It was a luxurious chair to the point of being guilty.
I cautiously sat down on the opposite chair.
Elijah looked at me blankly.
“I meant to sit on the floor.”
“… ….”
“It’s amazing. I can’t believe there are people who would like to sit face to face with me.”
You speak as if you are watching a rare animal do a rare thing.
I slowly tried to get off the chair.
“Okay. Just stay here.”
It’s the same when you’re young.
The maid soon brought hot tea and refreshments.
“Eat.”
Elijah said calmly.
‘I’m looking at you with such an upright attitude, would you like to eat? There are even a lot of servants at the back.’
But I eat.
I’m the kind of person who doesn’t care about things like that.
Above all, this guy named Judas was as hungry as his skinny body.
“Thank you.”
First, I warmed up my insides with warm tea.
“… I really eat.”
Still, I’m not blind.
There must be a reason for calling me.
I put down the teacup and asked.
“By the way, what did you find?”
“Okay.”
Ah.
This selfish way of speaking.
It’s the same now as it was when I grew up.
It’s really just the end of the night.
Still, you have to be patient.
Now he is the lord and I am the servant.
If he adds ‘I just want to kill’, it means that I’m just a body that has to die.
“I could have sent someone without waiting.”
“Just.”
Elijah glanced out of her window.
“Because it’s strange that someone keeps me waiting.”
No. You just waited
Did I keep you waiting?
I wanted to argue, but I held back and apologized.
I didn’t make the noble lady wait.
In this world, that’s a sin.
“Sorry.”
“Yes…. Actually, I haven’t decided what to do with you yet.”
I almost chewed my tongue instead of snacks.
“You don’t even dare to kneel in front of me, you presumptuously look me straight in the eyes.”
Elijah spoke clearly.
She said it as if scolding her, but her voice had no emotion or high pitch.
It’s like a talking doll.
“You who are sitting face to face at the same eye level as me. Kill or save I wasn’t sure.”
She swallowed the sweets in her mouth with difficulty.
I’m glad it didn’t get stuck in my throat.
At the end, Elijah grinned.
“What should I do?”
A rare evil woman who will shake the continent in the future, asked with my life in her hands.