Chapter 2: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages

Let's Make Logging Out a Habit

A shabby hut.

A young girl sat on the bed with a blank expression.

The girl looked around for a moment, then pinched her cheeks several times.

Only when her cheeks, soft as rice cakes, turned bright red did she stop pinching.

"...What is this?"

She lowered her gaze.

A white dress. Short arms and legs.

"This is ridiculous."

The girl made a deflating sound and flopped back onto the bed.

"...I've never downloaded any loli games."

It seemed she had somehow entered a different game.

Experiencing an unexpected bug is not a pleasant thing. Especially for someone who has their first day of work tomorrow.

She sighed briefly and muttered:

"Logout."

...But no matter how much time passed, nothing changed.

"...Logout."

Calling out again made no difference.

"Menu."

"Status window."

"Skills."

"Call GM."

Getting increasingly concerned, she abruptly stood up.

The first thing that caught her eye was an old wooden table. Next to it was a small mirror.

She cautiously walked over and picked up the mirror to check her appearance.

The image of a young girl who looked about 6 years old met her eyes.

"......"

And next to it, a visible identification tag.

[ Cecilia ]

[ Born in the year 483 of Saint Michael ]

'...Another World?'

The familiar character name. Appearance. Even the birth year.

Except for being a bit younger, everything matched her character from Another World.

'But then again.'

There was no unpleasant field of view unique to Another World, nor did she feel the dull sensations compared to reality.

And the memories that came to mind.

The GM's words about a sequel to Another World coming out, and the gate.

'...So is this the sequel to Another World?'

It was the most plausible guess.

Especially since this happened right after that conversation.

Then why can't she log out?

"...Am I trapped in the game or something? Does that make sense?"

Cecilia instinctively denied it.

However, the tiny cracks etched into the old wooden planks of the hut.

The rough texture of the wood she felt with her hands had a level of detail she had never experienced in any VR game she could remember.

'It's too precise. Is there any need for it to be this realistic?'

This time, she kicked the edge of the bed with her foot. The rather heavy bed creaked and moved slightly. The weight and impact transmitted to her toes.

And a strange anxiety that gradually crept in.

'It feels so real...'

Suddenly wanting to check something, she walked to the wall.

She clenched her fist and punched it hard.

Thud!

An impact that was hard to believe coming from a child.

And pain that was hard to believe was from VR.

"...Ow. That really hurts."

Cecilia curled up into a ball, holding back the tears welling up in her eyes.

No matter how good VR games had become, there was no way they could simulate this kind of pain.

Then, a word naturally came to mind.

'Reality.'

It was hard to believe, but there was no other possibility.

Otherwise, this situation couldn't be explained.

"......"

This place was not a game, but reality.

The setting was probably a world based on Another World.

"No way."

The corners of Cecilia's mouth trembled.

-We'd really like to select you as a tester...

-There's no one else more suitable than you, user...

Is that what this is?

Was the GM she talked to earlier actually a real goddess, and that goddess sent her to this world?

A somewhat cliché plot for a novel these days.

In her mind, that goddess' calm and benevolent face instantly transformed into the most infuriating face in the world.

"Calm down, calm down..."

The problem is that if it's based on 'Another World', this world is hell itself.

To the point where there's no time to leisurely fall into panic.

'...I need to prepare. I have to survive first.'

Cecilia began to thoroughly search the room.

**

"So this is everything."

She gathered all the items in the hut and placed them on the table.

It was utterly bleak.

'All I have is some rock-hard bread and a knife. I guess I should be grateful I at least have a hut.'

Having a safe base was a big advantage.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about being eaten by wolves in the forest.

Trying to take the situation positively, Cecilia first picked up a piece of rock-hard bread and took a bite.

...It didn't taste good.

"How do I use the blessing?"

Cecilia clenched her fist and swung it through the air.

Whoosh-!

With a sharp air-cutting sound, her hair fluttered.

She spoke in a slightly relieved voice.

"The usage method is the same."

Blessings are the measure of power in 'Another World'.

Fortunately, this part remained the same. The attribute was also still the 'Blessing of Wind'.

'And that means I'm relatively strong for my level.'

This is where the difficulty of Another World comes from.

Unlike other games where skills are automatically activated just by saying their names, in Another World, players had to directly 'manifest' them through imagination.

Cecilia, who had reached rank 1, had an incredibly high level of manifestation.

So this could be seen as fortunate.

It meant she was guaranteed a certain level of combat ability.

"...Let's look around a bit."

Now that she was done organizing, it was time to move.

Cecilia stood awkwardly in front of the door.

Standing on tiptoe, she barely managed to open the door, revealing a lush forest swaying as if dancing.

The corners of Cecilia's mouth curled up slightly.

Even in this bleak situation, she was in a very good mood.

'My heart is racing.'

Her heartbeat quickened.

The thrill of a new world.

Confidence as a veteran player.

Escape from the tedious reality.

Not having to go to work tomorrow.

It wasn't just any of those things.

'So, when it officially launches, other people will be dragged here like me?'

It had been 10 years since she'd played the game without newbies.

The thought of seeing soft newbies already excited her.

'Let's level up as much as possible before the official launch.'

A hint of madness flickered in Cecilia's eyes.

**

In the center of Theresia, the capital of the Lianen Kingdom.

There stood the Windsor Knights, protecting people from the threat of demons.

The main gate was wide open so anyone could request help, and it was bustling with knights and citizens.

But today, a slightly different scene unfolded there.

"I've come to become a knight."

As the clear voice rang out, the surroundings fell silent for a moment.

Knight Carl looked the girl up and down with an incredulous expression.

Silver hair flowing down to her waist, skin as pale as paper, and wrists so delicate they looked like they would break with a tap.

Her height barely reached his waist.

She was probably about 6 years old.

"Go away, kid."

Carl waved his hand dismissively. He was already stressed from weekend duty and had no intention of humoring a child.

"Where do I take the entrance test?"

However, Cecilia showed no signs of backing down.

Carl sighed deeply and tried speaking a bit more sternly.

"This isn't a place for kids to play around. Leave before I get angry."

"I figured it’d be like this."

Cecilia took a couple steps back with her hands clasped together.

Only then did Carl notice the dagger in the girl's hands, and he frowned.

"Why is a kid carrying something like that? Put it down right now."

"I'm sorry."

The girl suddenly bowed her head and apologized. Then, without raising her head, she spoke in a flat tone.

"I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"What?"

"Well then, here I go."

In that moment, a flash of silver hair swept across Carl's vision.

And suddenly, he found himself face to face with a sharply gleaming dagger.

Carl instinctively stepped back to avoid the dagger, but the next instant it was embedded in the wall.

Crash!

The impact and noise were enough to shake the wall.

"You- What are you doing!"

Carl shouted urgently. But the girl calmly replied as she pulled out the dagger.

"This is the fastest way."

Carl was half-frozen.

Just as he was about to speak, the girl's dagger came flying at him again.

"Wait! Hold on!"

Carl had no choice but to dodge left and right.

It wasn't because his opponent was a young child.

He 'had no other choice'.

The girl was fast, and her attacks came from almost unpredictable angles.

In short, dodging was all he could manage.

'This is impossible!'

Though he was filled with shock, a knight was still a knight. As Carl's startled mind stabilized, he gradually adapted to Cecilia's blade.

Cecilia lowered her dagger as she put some distance between them. A slight tremor could be felt in her small hand.

'As expected, this was too much. With this body, I can't even beat one knight right now.'

The most basic foundation of the game was rapid leveling up.

Farming in good hunting grounds was essential for that.

The problem was that this wasn't Another World.

Of course, there's no way the hunting grounds Cecilia knew before would exist here.

It meant she had to clear what seemed like quests that she had skipped before, gradually growing in a step-by-step manner.

That was a very tedious and boring process. Like the tutorial, that process needed to be 'skipped'.

The method was simple. If you don't want to climb stairs, take the elevator.

'I need to make them think. That it's too dangerous to just leave me be.'

She closed her eyes. And drew an image.

A technique only possible with the 'Blessing of Wind' that was barely visible to the eye.

The most 'threatening form of blessing' she could currently manifest.

'Overwhelm them.'

A sharp sound like tearing through the air enveloped the surroundings, and the wind emanating from the tip of the dagger writhed as if it was a living creature.

Soon, the wind gathered at the dagger's tip elongated and began to emit light.

"A sword aura...?"

The knight in front muttered in bewilderment.

Cecilia quietly smiled.

'Thank goodness. I managed to manifest it somehow with this tiny bit of mana.'

But her hands were already shaking, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down.

Knowing that maintaining the blessing any longer would damage herself, she gritted her teeth.

Just one more step. One more step and she could release this, securing her place in the knights' order for certain.

But.

'Something's off.'

The expression of the knight was strange.

His face had turned pale, but it didn't make sense for him to react like that just from seeing a sword aura.

A knight shouldn't die from one blast of sword aura.

Come to think of it, his gaze was directed slightly upward.

'Is there someone behind me?'

Before she could even turn her head, someone's hand gripped the back of her neck.

Cecilia was slowly lifted into the air.

It felt like she was standing on a high-rise building.

"Stop it. Your body can't handle any more."

A thick beard. A sturdy build.

And above all, the silver epaulets visible on his shoulders.

"If you had released that just now, it would have put a great strain on your body."

"C, Commander! How did you get here...!"

'The Commander of the Knights. My future boss.'

Cecilia subtly lowered her gaze, sizing him up.

She had been fishing with the mindset that anyone would do, but the biggest fish she could catch had taken the bait.

"And this is still far from enough. Anyone in this Order can use Sword Aura."

The Knight Commander's eyes, staring at her intently, were full of interest.

"But considering your age, there's potential. Who are you?"

Cecilia barely managed to open her mouth.

An immense drowsiness washed over her as a penalty for the excessive use of blessing.

"...I don't need a salary if you provide room and board."

"?"

"But, I must have an annual salary negotiation once a year..."

Leaving those last words, she fell asleep.

Everyone in the hall was left in utter disbelief.

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