The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 30.1

The reward of tragedy.

A bad event that is bound to happens.

A certain future revealed by the status window, Eliza was strangling me.

My thoughts stop.

I accept it belatedly.

‘…As expected, this is happening.’

Eliza is skilled at understanding and striking at people’s emotions.

On the other hand, she can’t feel those emotions herself.

She was like that even as an adult.

It doesn’t seem different now.

‘Fate…’

It’s not a word I like.

I didn’t want to live as predetermined.

That’s why I struggled and rebelled so much.

A person’s nature doesn’t change easily.

Actually, I don’t really like this saying either.

Because it confines people within a set frame.

It’s no different from Fate.

I just had no choice but to accept it.

Believing that a person is defined not by what they were born as, but by how they live.

Whether I believe it or just want to believe it.

Moreover, Eliza is someone else.

Changing oneself and changing another person are entirely different matters.

You don’t change others, you hope they change.

People only change when they want to change.

If you ask if I secretly hoped, honestly, it’s a lie.

The unfamiliar sides she showed me.

Sometimes I held hope from those strange aspects.

What if Eliza doesn’t kill me?

There’s no reason to leave this safe training center.

I frequently encountered, though it’s a game, how powerless and penniless kids live outside.

Begging. Stealing. Pickpocketing.

Then fighting with other kids.

Or getting stabbed and killed by adult gangsters, or being sold off somewhere.

So training to become a knight here is an extremely safe and ideal thing.

If only Eliza doesn’t kill me.

‘…I don’t know if wanting something means I can achieve it.’

Should I escape.

That resolve never changed.

***

One thing is fortunate.

I don’t have to run away right now.

Looking closely at the future scene, Eliza and I have different builds compared to now.

‘It’s blurry, but… it’s not now at least.’

In other words, Eliza strangling me is in the future.

I don’t know how far or close that future is.

The scene I received is not clear.

“Still, Eliza and I seem quite tall. It must not be a very recent moment. And since we’re dressed, it can’t be another situation either…”

The future shown by tragedy is inevitable.

In other words, Eliza won’t kill me until she’s strangling my neck.

…probably.

“But what are the circumstances before and after this scene?”

Me, lying down.

Eliza, strangling my neck.

It’s impossible for Eliza to overpower me physically.

If she were to straddle me to strangle me, I wouldn’t just stay still.

“Magic… maybe a type of magic that interferes with the mind.”

Brainwashing, suggestion, fainting, sensory deprivation, etc.

However, all magic that interferes with the mind is prohibited.

After being sealed in the underground prison jointly owned by the imperial family and the magic tower, it is strictly monitored.

Regardless of one’s skill, it’s impossible to learn it legally.

“There are illegal routes. Even for Eliza, it’s not an easy path to access…”

If she wanted to, she might be able to. Because she’s Eliza.

“If that’s the case, isn’t using fire more certain…?”

Why did Eliza choose strangulation?

Suddenly, I think of Sardis.

His magic disappeared as soon as it touched my body.

“In the game, Moon attribute items were resistant to fire.”

However, even a character wearing Moon attribute armor couldn’t withstand Eliza’s insane fire.

I know because I’ve tested it.

They burned cleanly to death.

“Is the Moon attribute imbued in my body and magic special?”

It’s not something I can experiment with.

Maybe after strangling me, she plans to use fire magic.

Or she might have already set fire to my insides.

Eliza can ignite a fire from inside a person’s body.

Without it being visible on the outside.

“I wish the information guild would contact me soon.”

I need to move the plan forward a bit.

To be able to escape anytime.

Barak is there, but the information guild will have a way.

The status window that arrived when I decided to take the test.

In it, I saw Eliza strangling my neck.

As if the decision to take the test led to that future.

But I know.

This future is a predetermined fate.

Whether I take the test or not.

Whether I pass or fail. It will inevitably happen.

Even so, I want to run away.

Even if tragedy is Fate.

***

“You’ll take the first test, right?”

Gawain said, hanging the wooden sword on the stand.

I struggled to answer, lying on the floor.

“Yes…”

My whole body hurts.

I feel like I’m going to die.

I was famous for not holding back against others, but this person went beyond that.

Is this karma?

“Hm.”

He looked down at me while slowly stroking his chin as if contemplating something.

“It seems you won’t be eliminated. Don’t get eliminated.”

“Yes, well… I’ll do my best.”

“I’d be disappointed if you were eliminated.”

“Pardon?”

Without answering my question, he left the training ground as he pleased.

I stared blankly at the door he had exited through for a moment.

‘…What was that?’

So, he’s saying he’d be disappointed if I, his student, were eliminated?

“Oh my.”

I was speechless.

I didn’t want to laugh, but a chuckle escaped.

My whole body ached whenever I laughed.

[Hidden Quest, ‘First Teacher’ has been completed.]

‘Huh?’

[Please choose your reward.]

[1. Increase Stamina (+5)]

[2. Sword and Shield Skill (+1)]

[3. Survival Expert]

[4. Increase Magic Power (+3)]

First teacher, huh.

Come to think of it, there was something like this.

It’s a quest that gets completed when you form a teacher-student relationship with a specific person.

So, it means Gawain acknowledges me as his disciple.

He acts like he doesn’t care at all on the surface, though.

‘What an unusual guy. A real tsundere.’

Anyway, it was a good thing for me.

The list of rewards was generally good.

The increase in stats is quite significant.

The sword and shield skill increase is just by 1, but it’s not easy to level up a skill attribute.

Even a single point is valuable.

But the Survival Expert…

That’s the attribute I need right now.

It sends a ‘warning’ when my ‘survival’ is actually threatened.

For instance, if someone decides to kill me and starts choking me.

‘With this attribute, I might be able to avoid that tragedy.’

Of course, evading the threat depends on my own abilities.

If I detect the warning too late to avoid it, I’d end up dead.

‘Still, having it is better than not. It’s much better than not having it.’

There’s an additional effect too.

True to its name, the Survival Expert helps me ‘survive’ in any situation.

It provides survival knowledge as needed.

There’s no guarantee that I’ll leave this place safely.

I might need to leave in a hurry, or I might even have to live a fugitive life.

So, the Survival Expert is useful as it gives me an edge in any survival situation.

‘By obtaining such attributes, I might be able to avoid or overcome tragedies.’

Most of this game’s progress is determined by choices.

Naturally, there were many times when the choices I wanted weren’t available.

Especially when dealing with Eliza.

On the other hand, I can move, judge, and act on my own.

Maybe, just maybe, it might be possible to avoid or overcome tragedy.

[The trait ‘Survival Expert’ has been added.]

The first test is coming soon.

***

“Go and kill them all.”

Richard encouraged me with a pat on the shoulder.

It was just like him.

Dylan, who was next to him, also gave advice.

“…This first test is not a combat category. Anyway, don’t feel discouraged if you fail, so there’s no need to feel pressured. It’s better to safely preserve yourself and aim for the next test rather than get hurt by pushing yourself too hard….”

“Oh, nagging….”

Richard scolded from the side.

Dylan bit his lip and spoke in a subdued voice.

“I was just giving objective advice.”

“Yes, yes. I’m sure you were.”

“And Judas grows faster than other newcomers. And he has produced results accordingly. If he fails this time, he will be even more discouraged….”

“Oh, yes, yes. Our leader is always right.”

“…Can I hit him once?”

“If you do, it will immediately be insubordination.”

Dylan only clenched his fist tightly but didn’t hit Richard.

Anyway, both of them were encouraging me for my sake.

Richard, who was somewhat optimistic, and Dylan, who was rational and realistic.

Both were right and helpful.

“I will do my best.”

The other members also gave me a few words.

Cheer up, don’t get hurt, and such greetings.

It felt like a lie that they were wary of me on the first day.

There was the power of cookies and chocolates, but we also gradually became closer through other matters.

Anyway, I had to stay here for a while.

There was no harm in getting along.

I wasn’t the only one participating from our room.

Lindel, whom I fought with, was also coming along.

And there was also a friend named Felin.

He is 14 years old. He is in the 11th batch.

He is tall and thin for his age, with many freckles on his face.

Somehow, he looks like a scarecrow and is a passive friend.

He is also the one who cut my hair.

“The seniors said they took this test before, right?”

While moving together, I asked Lindel and Felin.

Both nodded at the same time.

Felin scratched his cheek, seeming awkward.

“I failed, but, well.”

On the other hand, Lindel was quite confident.

“Everyone fails at first. So, like Dylan senior said, there’s no need to feel down or anything if you fail.”

Lindel also cares about me quite a bit.

Especially, he seems to have a sense of guilt.

He openly disliked me and even hit me, but during our duel, I helped him up and later forgave him.

He seems to feel sorry for that.

‘In the end, he wasn’t a bad guy to the core.’

“Thank you. But still, I’ll do my best.”

“Sure.”

“What kind of test is it? But is it the same test every time?”

This time it was Felin who answered.

“The content is the same, but the location changes. It’s a survival test…. How should I explain it, um….”

Neither Lindel nor Felin, despite being seniors, were fluent or detailed in their speech.

They tried their best to explain, which I found admirable and listened to earnestly.

Just from that, I could roughly understand what kind of test it was.