Chapter 25
“Careful there, don’t damage it!”
“It’s an important clue—we need to move it in one piece if possible!”
A narrow alley in front of a secluded inn.
Having finished their long mission and descended from the snowy mountains, the knights of the Shadow Order hurriedly packed their belongings, preparing to return to the church.
Eric Ather. The notorious troublemaker of the Ather family killed a Named monster…
Behind them, Isabella silently looked up toward where the cave had been, recalling the Named’s eyes—ruthlessly gouged and crushed—while letting out a quiet sigh.
An “incompetent” had defeated not just an ordinary monster, but a Named.
Granted, the creature’s fur was scorched black and its hide blistered, as if it had already been weakened by magic.
Even so, a Named was not something a mere incompetent could bring down.
Was he never truly powerless? …No. He’s the current duke’s son and of imperial blood. They might exaggerate talent, but there’d be no reason to lower the family’s prestige by falsely claiming he had none.
Even among Named creatures, strength varied wildly by individual and species.
But even a mutant ratman—the weakest of the lot—was considered a formidable challenge for most knights.
Let alone a true monster-class Named?
Such things were prey only for seasoned heroes who had proven themselves countless times on the front lines against monsters.
So we’re really saying an incompetent finished off a Named…
It was unprecedented—since the founding of the Empire, no, since the goddess created this world.
Even after personally confirming the corpse, she struggled to believe it, the image replaying in her mind.
“Lady Isabella, you look troubled. Did something strike you as odd?”
Her brooding broke.
Having finished her preparations to return to the main order, Isabella slowly turned to the knight commander who addressed her.
“If it’s about that young lord, shall I assign someone to watch him?”
“Hmm…”
She narrowed her eyes, thoughtful.
When she first met him at the inn, her interest had been no more than casual curiosity.
But now that this “incompetent” had slain a Named, the situation was different.
“Is it only Sir Elior who’s posted to House Ather?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Eric Ather, second son of the duke.
Despite the rumors, he wasn’t simply a foolish wastrel, but it remained true that he was effectively out of the running for succession.
“The ducal household is vast… A man of his age can’t manage so many people alone, can he?”
Eric Ather.
Whether he would aid or hinder the goddess’s will across the continent was unclear.
But a mutation like this shouldn’t be eliminated outright—it should be placed where all eyes could watch it.
“It would be best to send some extra help.”
Yes.
Somewhere prominent, like a young noble competing for succession, where every move would draw attention.
“And while we’re at it, we can thank the young lord for his assistance.”
That way, even if he someday obstructed the church’s plans, they could easily observe and control him.
“Ugh…”
A pitch-dark cave.
After a long faint, Eric stirred at the rustling sounds, wincing at the stiffness in his body as he looked around.
Looks like… everything’s wrapped up. That was close.
In the game, this entire mountain range was already wiped off the map, so he’d never known exactly what lurked here.
But the moment he realized someone was manipulating an overcharged spirit, he’d suspected this wouldn’t be simple.
Even so, with Leona—whom few knights dared face—and Lillian, whose sheer magical firepower ranked among the greatest of Protect Humanity’s heroes, he hadn’t expected ordinary monsters to pose a threat.
Who would have thought there’d be not only dozens of Frost Wolves but even a Named? Even during the war arc of the game, you rarely saw such creatures. And I’ve already run into two of them since ending up in this pathetic body.
Dangerous, yes, but not without reward.
Ding—
[Your body adapts to torn muscles.]
[Strength +2]
[Your body adapts to explosive movement.]
[Agility +1]
[Your body adapts to its current limits.]
[Stamina +2]
[Your body adapts to intense mana.]
[Mana +1]
One battle, six stat increases.
If I’d tried to gain this much through training, even with Leona’s help, it would’ve taken at least two months.
<Eric Ather> Level: –99 Strength [7] Agility [6] Stamina [8] Mana [3] Traits: <Indomitable>, <Neurotoxin>
Checking his status window, Eric smiled in satisfaction at the now respectable numbers.
Of course, he was still no knight—barely equal to an average border soldier.
But compared to the miserable stats when he first arrived in this body, it was a huge improvement.
With traits like these, he could now pull his own weight without even leveling up.
“W-wow! So all of this came from the Named? Even a single small part of a Named is worth a fortune—Ah! Young lord!”
His thoughts broke off at the excited voice behind him.
Turning, he saw Lillian running over after marveling at the heap of materials around the massive Named corpse.
“Sir Leona told me! While I was unconscious, you finished off the Named yourself?”
Her sparkling eyes met his, and Eric scratched his head awkwardly.
Technically true, but not something to boast about.
Without the two of them, he wouldn’t even have approached the beast, let alone killed it.
“I only dealt the final blow to a dying creature. Even then, it managed to nick me with a claw and—huh?”
Gesturing to his injured shoulder, Eric noticed the shredded sleeve and dried blood but an unmarked shoulder beneath.
What? That wound wasn’t shallow…
The torn clothing and blood proved the attack was real, yet not even a scar remained.
Strange.
“Young lord.”
“Ah, Dame Leona. Did something happen…?”
Just as he was about to ask what occurred while he was unconscious, Leona hesitated, looking troubled.
“…My apologies. The spirit was taken.”
“What? Taken? By who?”
Eric frowned in confusion.
Looking around, he saw only the Named’s huge corpse and the charred Frost Wolves.
The overcharged spirit was nowhere.
Taken? That means someone else entered while I was out?
Who had come here, and why take only the spirit, leaving the wolves and the giant Named?
“…The inn.”
“Pardon?”
“The people who yielded their room to us at the inn.”
Puzzled, Eric’s eyes widened at her answer.
The inn… Isabella and the Shadow Order?
So the church was involved in this incident?
In the game’s story, even after this mountain range vanished from the map, both Isabella and the Order survived unscathed.
He’d assumed they were just travelers stranded by an avalanche.
Then the ones who hid an overcharged spirit to blow up an entire mountain range were…
The thought of those inn guests made cold sweat trickle down his back.
These monsters—the Named and the Frost Wolves—shouldn’t even exist here.
Someone must have smuggled them across the border.
No. If the church had orchestrated all this, that insane inquisitor would never have let us live.
He quickly shook his head at the notion.
Whatever the church’s true goal in seizing the spirit, if their plan had been to erase this mountain range, Isabella would have killed them for interfering.
An inquisitor like her would have fabricated charges if necessary to remove future trouble.
“Young lord…”
Perhaps his grim silence looked alarming.
Leona watched him nervously, voice small.
“Enough.”
Thump.
“No need to blame yourself. A dozen of them must have come. What could you have done alone? I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”
Eric glanced at her, then gently patted her shoulder as if to say it was fine.
“Losing the spirit is a bit disappointing… but it was already drained of mana. It wasn’t worth much.”
It wasn’t a total loss.
The spirit was merely proof of merit, and after recharging Lillian’s magic, its value was negligible.
The Named corpse was worth far more.
Besides…
[Giant Killing!]
[An incomprehensible achievement has been earned. A reward is granted.]
[Choose one of the following traits:]
<Frost Hide>, <Frost Step>
A message lingered at the edge of his vision.
For defeating the Named, Fruhna, this was his prize.
Compared to that, any official credit meant little.
He could earn prestige elsewhere.
Ding—
[Select trait <Frost Step>?]
[Y / N]
<Frost Step> —Frost forms around your footsteps.
Without hesitation he chose <Frost Step>, smiling with satisfaction.
He’d have to test its full power later, but if <Neurotoxin> from the ratman Named was any example, it wouldn’t be weak even in the hands of an “incompetent.”
“Young lord.”
“Hm? What is it, Dame Leona? Another problem?”
As he finished packing the harvested materials that Leona had neatly gathered while he was unconscious, she approached cautiously.
“Well, regarding your credit…”
“The Order will report your accomplishments to the duke personally, so please don’t worry.”
Before Eric could respond, an unfamiliar voice echoed from the cave entrance.
Click—clack—
Footsteps broke the stillness.
“Young master Eric Ather, second son of the ducal house, correct?”
“Who… oh?”
He swallowed dryly at the sound calling his name, then blinked in surprise as a woman stepped into the torchlight, its glow tinged red.
Any Protect Humanity player would know that face instantly.
“Malefica Beatrix. By Lady Isabella’s order, I’ve been assigned to the ducal house as of today.”
A pristine black habit, snow-white hair.
Her lips curved in a gentle smile, but her eyes measured him coolly.
“I look forward to working with you, young lord.”
Malefica.
The little witch of the Goddess.
Among all the many heroes of Protect Humanity, she was infamous—an agent of the church most responsible for game-over screens.
