Aiden was strolling through the streets at dawn. The dock at the edge of the islands. A massive ship is visible cutting through the bluish dawn. Most weapons smuggled into the islands are brought in via ships traveling through the canals.
And this is the very place where today's incident is set to occur.
-Quest Info
▶ Failure to complete the incidents listed in this section will result in massive penalties!
◈ Life is Beautiful - Katya Heinkel Craven desperately desires something from you. Please do your utmost to help the target fully feel their 'senses'! - A related incident will occur soon. (D-Day!)
★ If you handle the incident wisely, the application of 'Weaver of Fate' to the target will change.
◈ Act 1, <Island Rift> - The frequency of contact with key figures in the scenario is increasing sufficiently. - Your presence will soon be officially incorporated into the scenario. The direction of the scenario will be determined by your actions! - A related incident will occur soon. (D-Day!)
♠ Main Quest
◈ Act 1, <Imperial Rift> - There is a gang smuggling weapons into the capital. Arrest them all. - Clear Condition: Do not cause civilian casualties. - If you fail the quest, you will die!
Wow. Seeing these incidents, which are set to explode simultaneously today, shoved right in my face, makes my heart suffocate. Especially seeing the phrase "Failure means death" so cleverly embedded in the main quest. Unlike the side quest I received once before, it feels like they are emphasizing in a very special way that I absolutely must succeed at all costs.
"It's exactly like what I saw in the game." Seeing this chilling phrase threatening me outright, "If you don't do this, I'll kill you," makes me realize once again that I am standing in a game world. Unlike a game where you can try again if you die, for him, it's over once he dies. Still, the only saving grace might be that today is the last time I have to pay attention to things like this. "Surely… …" Aiden ruminated on the 'progression' of the case in his mind.
No matter how secretly he smuggled it in, if he brought in enough to be linked to a coup, he was bound to get caught. The moment the Imperial Police caught wind of it and swarmed out to crack down was the very beginning of a 'scenario' that would sweep the entire world. 'He's right there.' And among that raiding party, Aiden's target was mixed in. Our savior, who would awaken his talents in the 'crisis' he would face today.
The protagonist of this world. At this point, was he merely a rookie in the Imperial Police? He didn't know what he looked like or what kind of person he was, but it was certain he would appear here today. No, he had to appear.
For the sake of the world's future, if only. 'So, take some of the things that fell on me, too.' Though his true intention was closer to that. And anyway, to take that first step, he would have to get the person he was supposed to meet to join him first. He had clearly said he would wait around here.
As he looked around, a face suddenly swooped down from above. It was Katya, hanging upside down like a bat, her legs hooked onto a nearby lamppost. … … My heart almost stopped. “Hi.” Watching Katya wave her hand with a big smile while flipped upside down in mid-air, my chest immediately felt heavy.
Although she looked like just a girl, the oppressive feeling of facing a giant beast gripped my entire body. It was a similar feeling when I saw Noel, but at least I wasn't certain he would harm me. Unlike me, who was like a ticking time bomb. “It’s strange.” That human-shaped beast said those words the moment she saw Aiden’s face.
“What?” “That you didn’t know anything until you were this close.” “…….” “Why can’t someone as great as me, capable of wielding the same divinity, handle something so simple?” “…….” “You seem to be expending a ton of power, but you don’t seem to know how to use it at all. I’m telling you, I want to take you to the Holy Kingdom right now and take a look inside you!” Hitting the nail on the head so abruptly like this must be playing a big part in that sense of pressure. That is absolutely true. While every single one of Aiden's supernatural abilities is incredibly powerful, he doesn't know the slightest bit about how to utilize them 'appropriately' in combat.
To Katya, who was raised as a true combatant, it must seem pathetic. "Well, it's fine." Katya continued, dropping down under the streetlamp. "As long as I keep my promise, those little things don't matter. So, what do I need to do first?" "I have someone to introduce you to.
Let's meet that person first." If it were our Lord, making Katya feel something right now would be no big deal. After all, wasn't the entire process of Katya becoming a 'companion' in the original story because she felt something from the protagonist during their first meeting? The start of the individual quest related to Katya is to break through her innate emotional numbness—however the method may be—and make her feel 'senses' of some kind shortly after meeting her. I vividly remembered the scenes where Katya had been following the protagonist around since that point.
Katya chuckled and replied, “I’m looking forward to that.” … … Although she was speaking cheerfully, it also sounded like a warning: if I couldn’t keep my promise, I’d have to deal with it myself.
▣
The raid site was boiling with intense heat. It wasn’t just a figure of speech; the temperature was genuinely high because bombs were exploding and bullets were flying. It was also incredibly noisy, with the police mobilizing loudspeakers to demand surrender, the criminal group’s profanity, and the tearing sounds of gunfire and explosions. It made me wonder why a crackdown on arms smuggling was being this massive.
'Still, I suppose it’s a relief that there are no casualties.' Even if they aren’t regular troops, the Imperial Police are clearly elites within law enforcement organizations. They aren’t the type to struggle with something like wiping out a criminal group. It seems there won’t be much of an issue with the clear condition of 'casualties occurring.' And, on the outskirts of that fierce battle.“Do we really have to stay this quiet?” While Aiden’s stress levels were skyrocketing just from being here, Katya, who had been hiding in the shadows watching him, grumbled. She seemed extremely dissatisfied that he wasn’t stepping forward—even if she didn’t know what was going to happen right now—just sitting here in a ‘boring’ manner.
‘Seriously… …’ Since there was no physical sensation to feel, Katya enjoyed committing all sorts of bizarre acts to feel something, if only mentally. “Just hang in there a little longer. There’s nothing to gain even if you get involved.” “I’ve made things this boring; if it ends with such a trivial conclusion, are you really going to get angry?” “…….” It was baffling to see this lunatic speaking so lightly about being bored while bullets and explosives were flying right before his eyes. But if this guy were to get angry, it would be a harbinger of a catastrophe with casualties ranging from double digits to over triple digits.
It wasn’t something to be taken lightly. ‘He should be here by now… …’ Fortunately, before Katya could grumble any further, the incident Aiden remembered was unfolding right before his eyes. “Everyone back off!” Right. Aiden nodded inwardly as he watched one of the cornered criminals emerge carrying a box that looked dangerous at first glance.
“...A hellfire bomb?” It was so shocking that even Katya, who had been watching the scene nonchalantly until now, let out a whistle. “Wasn’t that expensive and rarely used even during the Alliance War? Why is something like that rolling around in back alleys?” As he muttered such nonsense, the pale faces of the Imperial Police officers came into view one by one. They must have instinctively realized that if that thing were to explode, it wouldn’t be surprising if the entire area were blown up.
“-Wait, calm down-” “Put your weapons down! If you don’t put them all down on the ground, I’ll detonate them right there!” Ah, I can even feel a sense of nostalgia. Isn't this the very first cutscene that plays after the tutorial ends? And, right here.
The grand story begins when our great Lord Protagonist appears and instantly subdues the petty criminal threatening to blow up the whole area. Right, soon. One. Two.
Three. “......Team Leader, what should we do?” “Don’t provoke him right now. Can you see that bastard’s eyes are rolling back?” “Hey, what are you whispering about! I said put your weapon down on the ground!” “Wait, calm down.
Huh? I’m telling you. I’ll put it down. I’ll put it down.” “.......” He should be coming out.
No. He should have come out, but… …? Aiden stared at the situation before him, which showed 'no change whatsoever,' with a chill running down his spine. His fingertips and toes grew cold.
Of course. Because the guy who should obviously be here is nowhere to be seen. 'He’s not here?' At this timing, there absolutely must be someone. In the midst of this chaotic situation, there must be at least one human being who steps forward first and displays 'courage.' But... there isn't.
Everyone is merely watching the situation, wary that they might lose their lives. Here, there are only ordinary people. The shining human who will shoulder the fate of the world. The 'protagonist' whom Aiden had tried to cast off the burden imposed upon him.
Right now, he is nowhere to be found here. “.......” Aiden squeezed his eyes shut. In the end. Just like that, the 'worst-case scenario' he had so desperately wanted to avoid was materializing right before his eyes.
“Hey.” And. Before he could sort out all those thoughts, a chilling voice flew in from beside him. “So, who is the person you’re going to arrange for us to meet?” “.......” “Surely you aren’t saying it’s among those pathetic fools over there, are you?” It wasn't the right atmosphere to honestly say he didn't have one. Clearly, if he did, it wouldn't be surprising if Aiden's head were to be chopped off right here.
No, considering Katya's usual disposition, that would actually be the norm. “—” Again. A switch clicks in his mind. His unique survival instinct, which kicks in whenever he faces an extreme situation.
“Mr. Aiden, what is your answer?” Katya, whose smile—usually worn like a mask—was beginning to fade, dropped that sentence once again. It was practically an ultimatum. As if saying, “Did you really waste my time on something like this?” And in the meantime, an estimate was being churned out of Aiden's head at a terrifying speed.
'The immediate priority is… …'. What he had to resolve right here was to somehow ‘pain’ this monster princess sitting beside him. If he couldn't pierce through all the ‘divinity’ Katya held and shove ‘sensation’ of any sort into her, he would die right here. '—That is the premise.' And I have outlined the method to achieve that goal once before.
All I have to do is deliver a 'single blow' powerful enough to pierce through all the divinity I possess. What he currently has is a single revolver kept for 'self-defense' and various half-baked abilities that he 'holds' without knowing how to use, just as Katya pointed out. A shabby weapon, and abilities that are akin to putting a pearl necklace on a pig. With these things.
I must deliver a 'single blow' that surpasses the output of a monster comparable to Noel. “-” Then, indeed. Is it possible? Is there a way?
The calculations were quick, and the conclusion was even faster. “Are you deaf? I am asking you—” “Shut up, for a moment.” There is. Just one.
Although I have concluded this before. A method I absolutely do not want to use. A method I really, really do not want to use. “I.” "To do that, first of all, there is someone you need to call." Saying this, Aiden reached into his bosom and pressed down firmly on something.
"I told you to wait." One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Counting straight through, ten seconds.
After such a brief silence, the anomaly struck immediately. "—What is it?" someone quick-witted at the dock blurted out. It was likely because they instinctively sensed that the surroundings had changed. Although invisible to the eye, anyone with good intuition would have realized that a violent 'air current' was forming nearby.
Starting with a faint movement, it turned into wind, then a storm, and finally a typhoon that seemed to flutter even the heaviest things. And then, from the sky, a 'human' enveloped in pure white mist descended like a meteor. —!!-!!!!!!!!! Along with a violent explosion that couldn't even compare to the ear-splitting noise of the fight just moments ago, almost everyone nearby screamed. That is to say, along with Katya, whose eyes were sparkling.
Except for Aiden, who had 'called' this person. “Phew—” Noel, adjusting her hat which had been slightly disheveled by the violent landing, lifted her head slightly to look around. “Ah.” Soon, she spotted Aiden and smiled faintly. “—Did you call me?” It was a greeting that was completely calm, unbefitting of her terrifying entrance.
“.......” Aiden looked at Noel in bewilderment, fiddling with a switch he had tucked into his pocket. It was the signal device he had given her earlier, telling her to press if she was in danger. '… … that she would rush over in a flash if I were in danger.' It wasn't a lie.