A leaf rustled, and wooden sticks snapped beneath hurried footsteps. A girl ran through the forest, her noble appearance marred by torn clothes.
"Haaa…" She gasped, clutching her chest, sweat dripping from her face. Exhaustion and terror weighed her down. "I need to hurry!"
Tears blurred her vision. "…Guys…" Memories flickered through her mind, but she pushed them aside and ran on, deeper into the forest where even sunlight struggled to penetrate.
After breakfast, I studied my plan, recalling the events from the game. I donned my Ashborn crest full armor, grasped the sword reserved for the head of the family, and stepped outside when Rein called me.
"We are the knights of Ashborn! We dedicate our lives to protecting what must be protected!"
The voice rang out across the courtyard, carrying to the thirty knights assembled, all clad in lion-crest armor, banners of House Ashborn fluttering behind them.
A tense silence followed, as though the world itself had paused.
Rein stepped forward, his posture unwavering. "I, Rein, and these thirty knights, are chosen to follow you, my lord."
Slowly, the knights kneeled. In perfect unison, their voices rose:
"We follow you till death!"
My mind swirled with confusion. So this is how they treat the Marquis before he became a villain…
Even though I was usually uneasy in crowds, I instinctively mirrored the noble bearing of Marquis Von Ashborn.
I raised my hand and spoke, my voice steady and commanding.
"We of House Ashborn do not allow threats to go unanswered. We march to Angunth to protect its people."
The words left my mouth with the confidence of a true noble, my posture firm and unyielding. The knights answered with a thunderous cheer:
"Ha!"
Rein rose slowly, a smile hidden beneath his helmet. "We follow you, my lord."
I nodded, eyes sharp with purpose. "Let us march to the village of Angunth before night falls."
Inwardly, my thoughts diverged from my words: Let's hurry and control the situation there… and claim the meta-class.
The thirty knights mounted their horses. A noble carriage rode at the center, where I sat, sword clenched tightly in hand.
"I… can't see the level?" I whispered, sweat beading on my forehead. What if this isn't the game I played before?
Doubt crept in again. The equipment in the storage lacked levels—something that had always been visible in the game. My hands gripped my face, a mixture of frustration and fear.
"What if I fail… again?" I muttered.
Then I remembered my past lives. I forced myself to calm down. I've already failed before. Why fear failure now?
A knock came at the window. I opened it to see Rein, fully armored with the lion crest gleaming.
"My lord, we are close to the forest near Angunth," he reported.
I nodded, scanning the dark line of trees. "A large monster will appear as soon as we enter. Be ready to defend."
He nodded, his expression serious beneath his helmet. "Be careful, my lord. If things go awry, we will retreat."
"I will not falter," I replied. "Even at the cost of our lives, we must reach Angunth and save its people."
Rein said nothing, only watched, a small, unreadable smile beneath his helmet.
A knight shouted, rallying the others. "We are entering the Angunth Forest! Prepare your weapons and shields!"
The sun dipped low as we entered the forest. Darkness loomed like a predator, but my knowledge of the game guided us.
I called Rein. "Yes, my lord?" he answered. I whispered instructions to leave the horses and continue on foot.
Rein relayed the order: "Halt! Lord Marquis requests all knights proceed on foot!"
Some knights frowned, dismounting reluctantly. "Why on foot? The road is clear."
Others muttered among themselves, "We can't reach Angunth on foot… the monsters might ambush us."
Rein's voice cut sharply through their doubt. "Do you question our lord?!"
I quickly intervened. "I know some of you are skeptical. Ahead lies a swarm of monsters. We are taking a shortcut to Angunth."
Surprise rippled through the group. Some still hesitated, but Rein turned to them, resolute:
"We follow our lord. Prepare the map!"
The knights gathered closely as I instructed them, pointing out the safest, fastest route to Angunth on the map. I traced the line carefully with a brush.
A knight raised his hand hesitantly. "This path… even the archaeologists never dared to tread here."
I smiled faintly. That's because only those familiar with Angunth's secrets know the passage.
A tense silence fell, but Rein broke it:
"We are the knights of Ashborn! Stronger than any noble family!"
The remaining doubts faded beneath the weight of his voice. Each knight gripped their sword and raised it high.
"We march where our lord points!"
Night swallowed us as we advanced along the secret road, torches lighting our path.
Suddenly, the forest trembled. Growls echoed, claws scraped the underbrush, and monsters of all shapes and sizes emerged from the darkness.
On the walls of the village, a knight held a torch, his companion frozen in alarm.
"This isn't good," one muttered.
"We have to report this to the general—" the other stammered, noticing something deeper in the forest.
A pale light shimmered through the darkness. One knight whispered, voice tight with fear, "Is this… reinforcements?"
The knight holding the torch stayed calm, carefully controlling his emotions. "We hope it's not the enemy…"
The forest fell silent around them, the light flickering against the swarm of motionless monsters.