NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
Ornika.
She is a character from the Valdeon Saga and the captain of the 3rd division of the “Guardian Knights.”
I never imagined I would encounter Ornika in a place like this.
“You cowardly assassin…!”
She glanced at me, furrowing her brows harshly.
The short-haired girl, with a pale complexion, raised both hands.
“Wait! I surrender! I will definitely surrender!”
“Surrender, you say?”
“Yes! If you spare me, I’ll tell you who ordered the assassination!”
Even with the short-haired girl’s tearful plea…
“…Get lost. Compromising with villains is against the knight’s code.”
Without any hesitation, Ornika unleashed her sword technique.
A red magical power surged around the sword.
The blade sliced through the air, leaving a bright red trail.
[Red Moon Technique]
Her signature sword technique was beautifully displayed.
Swish!
The neatly severed head of the short-haired girl rolled across the ground.
“Wow.”
Seeing the Red Moon Technique in action, something I had only observed on a monitor, was more astounding than I expected.
I was painfully reminded that this place was indeed part of the Valdeon Saga.
“…Ugh.”
I had to swallow my nausea as I gazed at the splattered blood and the two corpses.
As this was a world of such nature, I had to adapt, but it was still a bit much right now.
I averted my eyes, only for Ornika, having sheathed her sword, to slowly approach me.
“Ornika.”
In an instant, her image from the Valdeon Saga flashed through my mind.
After countless cycles, my one-line summary of Ornika is:
“A heroine who is nearly impossible to capture.”
Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
I had succeeded in capturing her during the 78th cycle, where I became her childhood friend and graduated alongside her in the knight order, as well as the 102nd cycle, where everything was destroyed and just the protagonist and Ornika were left.
“For her to cross over, a world-ending catastrophe is usually a must if there isn’t a prior connection.”
However, that doesn’t mean Ornika was an entirely worthless character.
In fact, in cycles where one was building a swordmaster, she was someone you had to befriend without fail.
Her [Red Moon Technique] is a sword technique that remains useful from the early to mid-game, and if used carefully, even in the late game.
Thus, building intimacy with her and learning the [Red Moon Technique] is the early-game standard.
“Are you okay?”
She glanced at me frequently as she asked.
For some reason, she wasn’t looking directly at me.
“Ah… Yes. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”
“…That’s a relief. I’m glad it wasn’t too late.”
I stood up awkwardly, and Ornika began to fidget with her legs as if anxious.
“What’s this? Why is she acting like that?”
She had just sliced through two people in front of me.
Now, she resembles a nervous puppy caught in the act.
“I-I will guide you, but… um…”
“Yes?”
“Y-Your clothes, um…”
No way.
Did I even lose my pants?
Half in shock, I looked down to see that my lower half was securely protected by my pants.
Only my upper clothing was gone.
Glancing at her, I noticed she still couldn’t look me straight in the eye.
“Ugh…”
What’s so fascinating about a man’s chest that she looks so uneasy?
“Actually, my upper body is bare right now. It’s soaked in blood…”
My shirt was drenched in the blood of the brown-haired woman whom Ornika had stabbed.
I didn’t exactly blame her, but I didn’t want to wear blood-soaked clothes.
“W-Then how about this…?”
She took off her cape and wrapped it around me.
“…A man shouldn’t walk around exposing his bare skin.”
…?
“Excuse me?”
*Ahem…! Then I’ll guide you to a safe place.”
*
Following her, I eventually reached a small base camp.
Though it was roughly made of tents and wood, it had everything necessary.
“O! Captain~ I knew I could count on you~.”
As soon as we arrived, a girl with curly hair came out of the tent, waving her hands.
Being curly-haired, she had one sword on each side of her waist.
“…Where are the others?”
“They went on patrol after receiving orders from the captain. They’ll probably be a while.”
“Erina, what were you doing here?”
“One must firmly guard the base! So that other comrades can rest easy and conserve strength… Ack!”
“You’re just trying to slack off again…”
Ornika smacked the head of the girl called Erina.
Then she turned to look at me, and her expression quickly turned chaotic.
“…Captain? Who is that pretty person behind you?”
“She is someone who was captured by our targets. I escorted her here in a hurry.”
“Oh my~! Is that so!”
Flap!
Before I knew it, Erina narrowed the distance and grabbed my hand.
Then, giving me an overly flirtatious gaze, she said:
“Hello! I am Erina, a member of the ‘Guardian Knights’ 3rd division, and Captain Ornika’s loyal right hand! You can come to me anytime you need help! For reference, my tent is the second one on the right….”
Whack!
“Ahhhh! You hit me again!”
“You’re already distressed, so stop pestering and get inside.”
“…Tch. The captain’s hogging everything…”
“Still not hit enough, huh?”
“Y-Yeah, I got it!”
Erina winked at me one last time before disappearing into the tent.
Hmm, what to say.
Being the recipient of such active flirting from a cute girl isn’t so bad.
But it feels strange all of a sudden.
You know, when a pretty girl talks to you while you’re just passing by, it feels like some sort of cult recruitment.
If I didn’t know the ‘Guardian Knights’ or Ornika, I might have found it suspicious.
“She’s not a bad person, so don’t be too angry. …But I wouldn’t recommend visiting her tent.”
“That’s okay. I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Ornika, was it? Thank you so much for saving me, even if it’s a bit late.”
I bowed my head in gratitude.
After all, I had managed to escape a near incident of being raped thanks to her.
* “Ahem. It was nothing. It’s only natural for a knight to protect good people.”
Ornika’s demeanor changed as she glanced away and cleared her throat.
‘Her reaction to a simple thank you was unexpected.’
Somehow, she felt somewhat different from the Ornika I knew.
Typically, she would have said something like, ‘Next time, make sure to protect yourself’ or ‘Getting rescued is not a good experience. Train yourself.’
“By the way, may I ask your name? As soon as our members return, we’ll escort you home.”
“My name is… Alben. Alben.”
I didn’t bother sharing my last name.
Since I was already exiled, if I returned, I would just be kicked out again.
“Alben… That’s a beautiful name.”
Ornika smiled gently.
Then she quickly became flustered and waved her hands.
“No, wait! If that displeased you, I’m sorry! It was just a thought that slipped out…”
“Um… No, it’s really fine.”
“Whew, I’m relieved… No, that’s good to hear.”
What is it.
What is going on?
What about the name ‘Alben’ is beautiful?
And why are you blushing?
Before I could resolve my confusion, Ornika continued with her next question.
“Then, may I ask where you’re from?”
“…….”
“Alben?”
“…Aagh. My head… it hurts.”
“Alben?! Are you alright?!”
“Ugh. My head. Memories… Aagh!”
Amnesiac 특) Memory loss mode activated.
*
Leaving Alben, who was gently asleep in the corner of the tent, the knight order held an urgent meeting.
“…So.”
A woman adorned with a rapier, who had just returned from patrol, was the first to speak.
“Corin.”
“I brought a man who’s suffering from memory loss.”
“Uh-huh.”
“…Huh. Didn’t expect the captain to have such a side to her.”
“I have no ulterior motives. I’m simply doing my best to rescue and protect him per the code of chivalry.”
“Come on~ It’s common knowledge that the captain’s never had any history with men, so stop hiding!”
“Erina, do you want to get hit again?”
“Ugh.”
Erina took a step back, covering her head with her hands.
“A man, huh. Our squad has been a field of flowers with too many women. Having a guy around makes the ambiance brighter, doesn’t it? I can already smell the flower fragrance.”
The warrior with red hair, wielding a great sword, let out a hearty laugh.
“If you’ve got time to talk like that, Galley, think of a way to treat his memory loss.”
“Is it really memory loss? You know, those, uh… beautiful tricks. Nowadays, there are many assassin groups that employ such cunning.”
As Corin brought that up, the four of them turned their sights toward the sleeping Alben.
“Whoa…”
“Yeah, he’s pretty…”
“Oh~ I’d love to take him as a beau. I want him to cook soup for me every morning.”
“Hmm….”
Alben was indeed handsome.
Particularly for Ornika, who had seen his naked physique, her feelings were more complicated.
He had a soft body that looked devoid of muscle.
His face was delicate and radiant, resembling that of a florist.
“…He’s not one of the ‘suspicious’ folks. He didn’t even seem to have held a weapon before.”
Even if he were sent by an assassin group, with that body, it would be impossible for him to be a threat.
“So, let’s put those concerns aside. Do any of you have suggestions on what to do with Alben?”
“Why not take him to a nearby village? If he was wandering around here, he could be a villager.”
“That’s questionable. Given the traces, it looks like he’d been lost in the mountains for quite a while.”
“Even if he’s a villager, it doesn’t guarantee his safety. The villagers may have caused him trouble, leading to his memory loss and subsequent expulsion.”
Four mouths intertwined, exchanging a myriad of words.
After a long while, the conclusion they reached was this.
“Then… is everyone in agreement?”
“Agreed~! Agreed! Agreed~!”
“I won’t oppose it either.”
“Haha! Naturally, I’m in favor as well!”
That night seemed particularly long.