TL: Knight Errant
Dio recalled that he had obtained the Mercenary Badge from the “Tarot Temple,” a place related to the ancient Holy Kingdom, which had disappeared in the distant past.
‘The key to the update lies in the now-vanished ancient Holy Kingdom, and everything related to that area, including monsters and items, must have been affected.’
This was no coincidence.
Due to the patch, items related to the ancient Holy Kingdom had also changed.
This included the special use that was now available for the random Mercenary Badge he had previously obtained.
‘It was a quest item! A quest to solve the unresolved hints!’
She, as a Paladin, fell for some reason unknown to him.
Dio didn’t know what had happened at that time.
But a song filled with longing.
If her religion had been love instead of a god, all the pieces would fit together.
He had found the answer.
Now, all Dio had to do was quickly review the answer sheet to be submitted.
Becoming a Death Knight meant that she was cursed, but the specifics of the curse were not important right now.
What mattered was that Adelia, despite being cursed, had waited for salvation, for someone.
Something she wanted to wait for even in death.
What if it wasn’t a god, but love?
—————
[Old A-grade Mercenary Badge]
Contents: A badge that proves the bearer is a mercenary, surpassing a veteran and reaching the level of an expert.
The owner of this worn and damaged Mercenary Badge might have a story of a loved one waiting for a long time.
—————
It was a waste of time to ponder any longer.
Convinced that Adelia was waiting for love, Dio took out the Mercenary Badge.
As soon as Dio pulled out the badge, the Death Knight, no, presumably Adelia Darc, the first sword of the Holy Kingdom, reacted immediately.
[Aaaaah…….]
A chilling voice came from beneath the pitch-black helmet that obscured the Death Knight’s face.
Clang-
Because of the concealed helmet, it was impossible to see the Death Knight’s expression.
However, the way she trembled with both hands and even dropped her sword was a distinctly different reaction from before.
[The first wish of the Paladin has been fulfilled.]
[Adelia’s ‘waiting’ has been satisfied, granting you the qualification to reach the path of truth.]
The Death Knight removed her helmet as the system notification sounded.
Half of Adelia’s face was nothing but bones, the appearance of an undead.
Yet, the uncorrupted, decomposed exterior vaguely hinted at what she might have looked like in life.
Adelia’s mouth opened.
Was it the influence of the atmosphere? Dio no longer found her voice scary or chilling.
[I conquered the world beneath my feet. The new era was covered in oblivion.]
She had won.
In countless wars.
Fighting endlessly for her country, for her god, waiting.
[Would he still love me? Even if I hunger for blood, even as my skin rots away?]
“Uh… uh?”
Dio muttered nonsense, confused whether Adelia’s lines were directed at him or just her rambling.
[My life is stained with death, and only my sick soul remains.]
“Uh…”
Adelia, approaching Dio, who was just gaping dumbfoundedly, continued speaking.
‘How am I supposed to know? I’m not even the person involved!’
Faced with Adelia’s incomprehensible question, Dio muttered his response internally.
But now was the time to focus.
Dio judged that he had reached the heart of ‘the conversation.’
[Between light and darkness, you saved me.]
Adelia’s breath quickened, and her tone changed.
[Your soul, white like winter, thrilled me.]
Adelia spoke as if she had been waiting for Dio, like a lover.
What could Dio learn from Adelia’s changed tone and lines?
What was the most appropriate response at this timing?
Should he pretend to be the lover that Adelia longed for?
No. He shouldn’t.
Dio hadn’t forgotten.
The two wishes of Adelia.
Dio is currently acting as a messenger. The messenger and Adelia’s lover must not be conflated.
“I am not the one you have been waiting for.”
Upon hearing Dio’s words, the trembling of Adelia stopped.
“I am just…”
[I know.]
Adelia cut off Dio’s words.
Dio’s choice was correct.
She already knew.
That Dio was merely a soldier who had succeeded in his mission as a messenger.
And that he had only come to take care of her belongings.
[I know…]
Does she know that Dio is not her lover?
Or does it mean that she knows the person she’s been waiting for is already dead?
Either way, it doesn’t matter.
Dio was confident that he had successfully led the conversation by her acceptance of his words, without rejection.
No further conversation was necessary.
Dio clasped Adelia’s cold gauntlet.
The Mercenary Badge in her hand.
The best option Dio could provide now.
Simply to hand over the keepsake of the one she had been waiting for.
Although Adelia’s face was not intact, Dio could see it.
Her faintly smiling face.
Adelia knelt in front of Dio and looked up at the sky.
[Oh God. When I transcend death, please send my man to paradise.]
Adelia, praying, then turned to look at Dio again.
[He is my sun.]
Adelia’s voice softened.
[My flower.]
Adelia’s feet stiffened. Her body slowly petrifying.
Turning back into the same statue as before, Adelia uttered her last words.
[My…]
[Truth.]
Thud-
The Mercenary Badge she treasured fell to the ground.
Ding!
[You have completed the story of the Fallen Paladin.]
[Quest Complete!]
[Reward – Acquired the Wraith Sword of the Ancient Dead.]
[Hidden Achievement Achieved!]
[Reward – <Trait: Life’s Essence> acquired.]
[As new traits are added, the user’s status will be reconfigured.]
“What?”
Whoosh-!
A surge of red energy suddenly enveloped Dio, following the system message.
“Argh!?”
Dio, who had kept his guard up until the end.
However, unable to withstand the oppressive red energy, he soon lost consciousness.
* * *
An unfamiliar tent came into view.
“Ugh…”
Dio groaned, opening his eyes and sitting up.
“Monte-nim!”
Dio, clutching his throbbing head at Clara’s worried high-pitched voice, quickly scanned his surroundings.
He must have been cared for by Clara inside a makeshift tent set up by the mercenaries.
“Everyone! Monte-nim has awakened!”
Clara, parting the tent and shouting.
Dio, overcoming the aching pain in his body and regaining consciousness, saw the mercenaries fully open the tent.
“You’re awake!”
“Hyung-ssi! We were worried!”
“It’s really a relief.”
“I believed in you! Monte-nim! To catch that monstrous creature alone!”
The mercenaries and Clara, crying, had survived the encounter with the terrifying Death Knight.
The second gimmick of the Death Knight was an event that took place in a special space, invisible from the outside.
Clara, who was knocked away by the initial shockwave, had relayed the last sight of Dio, about to confront the Death Knight, to the mercenaries, pacing anxiously.
All they could do was pray until the situation ended.
They eventually found Dio, who had fainted, and the Death Knight, who had returned to a statue.
Dio, groping for the mask he had briefly taken off for the quest, felt relieved.
‘They didn’t touch the mask, it seems.’
His memory was hazy, but it appears he had put it back on before collapsing.
His body felt drained of energy yet paradoxically full of vitality.
Dio furrowed his brows, trying to recall his last memory.
It seemed like he had seen something just before collapsing…
Struggling to recall his memories, Dio opened his mouth towards the noisy mercenaries.
“I’m fine. Could you please leave me alone for a while?”
“Ah! Yes! What are you guys doing! Make room!”
Upon Dio’s request, Raymond led Clara and the mercenaries away from the spot.
After confirming their departure, Dio immediately summoned his status window and expanded the notification list.
‘An item acquired?’
Spotting a new item indicator in the inventory, Dio promptly opened the window.
—————
[Wraith Sword of the Ancient Dead]
Bound Item
Level Restriction 350
Special Restriction ???
—————
‘I’ve never seen such an item… And why are there question marks in the special restriction?’
During the hundreds of iterations he had experienced, Dio had never heard or encountered a Death Knight dropping such a sword.
There were too many changes.
Even recalling the existing quests related to the ancient Holy Kingdom, Dio found it challenging to remember everything with the vast amount of data.
It was tough to search for information related to the Forgotten Temple right away.
‘But the key is the ancient Holy Kingdom. If there is something to be gained here…’
His head hurt from too much thinking, impairing his normal thought process.
“Damn it.”
Dio inadvertently let out a curse.
If unknown factors kept emerging like this, it was uncertain how far their effects would spread.
His advantage as a veteran player was fading, making the struggle for survival even tougher.
…But what can be done?
Having decided to live in this world, he must do his best.
The first task is to tackle the immediate challenge.
‘I’ve overcome the unexpected threat. But, the most important thing is yet to come.’
After clenching and unclenching his fists a few times, Dio completed his status check.
From what he heard, he had been unconscious for a whole day, causing the mission to be paused.
Stepping out of the tent, Dio gathered all the mercenaries to complete the halted mission.
“The priestess will lead the mercenaries to carry out their assigned mission.”
“What about you, Monte-nim?”
Clara asked in response to Dio’s statement, to which Dio smiled and replied.
“I have some things to wrap up.”
* * *
“Hmm… I don’t feel any energy. Although Monte-nim said he resolved it, I can’t understand why the Death Knight awakened with my abilities.”
Clara opened her mouth as she looked at the Death Knight statue, which had returned to its original state.
Afterwards, Clara began exploring various parts of the Forgotten Temple, with the mercenaries following and guarding her.
As the group moved away, Dio turned his gaze and started climbing the altar of the Forgotten Temple.
‘The Class Change Scroll is safely in place.’
The Class Change Scroll, which had reacted to the hidden quest, was now quietly sitting in Dio’s inventory.
Having confirmed this, Dio nodded his head and continued his thoughts.
‘Having dealt with the Guardian, there shouldn’t be any more problems.’
Even if there were any remaining issues, there’s no reason Dio, who even handled the Guardian, couldn’t overcome them.
Dio stood in front of the old altar, bearing the traces of long years.
The item that responded to the hidden quest.
Surely, he could obtain a hidden class at this altar.
No more hesitation or pondering.
Dio knelt in front of the altar and used the Class Change Scroll.
The scroll glowed blue.
“Argh!”
Dio groaned, feeling a burning pain in his chest.
Soon, a red energy began to emanate from Dio’s entire body.
The energy, tightly coalesced, formed the shape of the weapon ‘Wraith Sword of the Forgotten Dead’ that the Death Knight had used.
‘The energy that entered me when it struck me with the blade side was this.’
Whoosh-
The shape transformed through various forms – a longsword, dagger, bow, axe, hammer, spear, cube, sphere, rod, necklace, ring, staff – and finally turned into a key.
‘What?’
The shape, changing into various colors.
Dio, staring blankly at it, sweated from the burning pain as he watched the key slowly turn in the Class Change Scroll.
As the scroll, which had been glowing blue, gradually turned red, the notification sound rang.
[You have completed the class change.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
.
.
[You have leveled up.]
[Analyzing the most suitable job for the current player.]
[…Analysis complete.]
[You have changed class to ‘Forgotten Swordsman (Growth Type)-Common.’]
“…!!”