Episode 54: Dream in the game becomes reality

17. Level up again (1)

Commoner 'Catherine Becky'.

She is an extremely ordinary woman who can be found anywhere.

Her fresh-faced appearance, a somewhat dark expression, and the fact that she sticks to long-sleeved clothes even on a hot day may be characteristic, but even if you happen to meet her on the street, she is the kind of person who would be forgotten after taking 10 steps.

"Catherine, where is the owner?"

"Father, please go to the bank for a moment... … ."

"Catherine?"

"Please speak."

"Hey, shouldn't you at least look at people when you talk? "Have you gotten over that habit yet?"

"… … ."

"done. Don't say anything. Anyway, tell the owner when he comes. "The shopping mall meeting has been postponed to 7pm tonight, so don't be late."

"yes."

"I heard you went to the Royal Academy, but I wonder why your personality is like that... … ."

Fortunately, Catherine's circumstances were not bad because her parents owned a grocery store.

However, due to her low social nature, she was still unable to escape from her parents' protection even though she was old enough to find her own job and become independent.

Thanks to this, the reputation of those around me was not that good.

Unless we were very close friends, I didn't try to find out what kind of life she had lived or why she had this kind of personality.

"Hey, Catherine! Catherine!"

That day too, Catherine was spending her days accumulating bad reviews as if accumulating mileage.

Her parents were away for a moment, and she was reluctantly manning the checkout counter at the grocery store. The owner of the hat shop she had just spoken bitterly at ran in with an expression as if she had seen a ghost and questioned her.

For her, who spends similar amounts of time every day, it was a slightly different situation than usual.

Maybe that's why I ended up staring at the white face of the hat shop owner, who spoke bitterly every time I saw him.

She averted her gaze again, but she didn't feel too bad.

The horrified expression on the hater's face was slightly amusing.

"What's going on?"

"Bar, outside! "That person outside!"

"yes?"

"That person is outside!?"

Should we at least do twenty questions?

Catherine didn't understand what he said.

however… … .

"Catherine! "Hey, Catherine!"

Her father, who had gone to the bank to do some work, came running to find her, looking exactly like the hat shop owner.

"What's going on?"

"Hey, he's outside! That person! "You, you!"

At this point, Catherine couldn't help but feel anxious.

Even though she was already quite small, the two people's actions were enough to scare Catherine.

Who is looking for him?

As her shoulders shrank in fear, her already small body looked even smaller.

"A nobleman!"

And when the word noble came out of her father's mouth, she felt the wound hidden under her long sleeves throbbing.

'I have to run away.'

That was the only thought in her mind.

But that lasts only a moment.

"Catherine Becky?"

When a noble young man came in with a bunch of knights in tow, he missed the moment to run away.

"Wrong!"

She didn't know what she had done wrong, but as a conditioned reflex, she knelt down and begged for her hands.

If you can't even see the faces of your acquaintances, how can you look at the faces of nobles?

I didn't know who the other person was, but I was certain they didn't have good intentions.

"Catherine… … ."

However, a warm yet somehow regretful voice penetrated into her ears.

Catherine, who had been in a panic, was able to come to her senses a little, and it occurred to her that perhaps the nobleman in front of her had not come for a bad purpose.

"I am so sorry."

As the apology, which no noble would ever hear, echoed through the grocery store, her stiff head slowly lifted up.

"ah… … ."

And the moment she saw the other person's face, various emotions appeared on Catherine's face.

Surprise, admiration, joy, regret, even resentment.

Catherine swallowed dry saliva and called the other person's name.

"Adrian?"

The moment I called his name, memories of the past that I had buried so hard came to life.

Adrian was always wearing bandages after being picked on by bad friends during his time at the Academy.

Adrian's noble attitude as he steadfastly did his job despite being assaulted and bullied.

However, the more stubborn Adrian was, the more severe the bullying became, and the bandages turned into casts and the bruises turned into blood.

Nevertheless, there was no change in Adrian's behavior.

He never bowed his head to the evildoers and looked forward steadfastly.

Catherine, who was in the same class as Adrian at the academy, thought Adrian was really cool.

Even though he was always covered in scars and didn't decorate himself, he looked more noble than any other noble.

So, even though she knew she had to turn away, her true feelings were revealed without her knowledge.

'are you okay?'

Catherine's one word question to Adrian.

With that one word, her life changed.

For asking Adrian how he was doing, Catherine was beaten in front of him.

Very harsh and persistent.

The wound at that time was so severe that even potions could not completely erase it.

She ran away from the academy to survive, and later became a person who covered her wounds with long sleeves and watched the people around her.

"Catherine!"

Catherine, who was reminiscing about the past, came to her senses when her father shouted.

"How dare you make fun of His Excellency's name!"

This was something she should not have done considering her status.

A commoner just calls the name of one of the ten most powerful people in this country.

Catherine's father was startled and yelled at her.

The voice was so loud that she fell flat.

"It's done. "Friends can also call each other by their first names."

"Chi, friend?"

"friend? Cheap Catherine's… … ."

"What did you say just now?"

"omg!"

"What Catherine?"

"Ugh! sorry! dismissal!"

-visor!

"Lord, I have sinned to death! dismissal!"

In the moment she was unconscious, something incredible happened.

The hat shop owner was making fun of his mouth as usual, incurring Adrian's anger, and the loyal knight of the Marquis Lawrence drew his sword.

The hat shop owner apologized for his sins in an extremely servile manner.

"Shut your mouth."

"Hi!"

Adrian gave him a cold look, then turned his head and held out his hand to Catherine.

"catch."

"uh? uh? Ah yes… … ."

"You can speak informally."

"How can you do that?"

She reflexively took his hand, but then looked around to see if she was worried about what would happen next.

But no one took issue with her actions.

"Did you hear the news?"

"Which news?"

"News from Yeongjijeon."

"ah… … ."

Even she was not completely ignorant of the news of the world.

Catherine had seen an article saying that when Adrian became a marquis, he applied for a land battle to four families with whom he had a bad relationship.

So she was secretly rooting for Adrian.

"I won."

"Chu, congratulations."

Won a territory war against four viscountries?

Baron Danseung is also a being in the sky, but to wipe out four viscounts from the lordly family at the same time... … .

It felt like he, who was known to have been abandoned even by his family, was now a being from a completely different world.

"So I brought it here."

"yes?"

-Just right.

Adrian snapped his fingers, and the knights came dragging four figures tied together like sausages.

"oh my god… … ."

Princess Viscount Parma, Princess Doherty, Viscountess Karma, and Princess Ronye.

Four people, who would never wear anything other than clothes made of the highest quality fabric, appeared in front of Catherine looking guilty and shabby in their naked clothes.

And as soon as they found Catherine, they fell to their knees and burst into tears.

"Hey, Catherine! No, Catherine! We were wrong! "Please save me!"

"Huh! sorry!"

"Please, please forgive me…" … ."

"sorry! sorry! Catherine!"

A sincere apology full of sincerity.

However, she could feel that the biggest part of the emotions on their faces was fear.

It was an apology from the people who were secretly resenting and fearing, but perhaps because they were crying and crying so much, they were completely out of their minds.

"Take it out."

"Ahh! Marquis Lawrence! sorry!"

"Hey Catherine! "Forgive me!"

As they were dragged out of the store, it was only then that it became clear why Adrian had come here.

He felt responsible for Catherine's past.

"I plan to make Isabella Caskvel and Philo Brooks apologize as well. However, for political reasons, the two need some time. Understand me."

"You don't have to do this."

"You can't do that. "You don't know it, but you are my benefactor."

She tilted her head at the word benefactor.

"Let me see."

However, she was shocked by Adrian's subsequent actions.

This is because he revealed the wounds that were always hidden under long sleeves.

But then.

"Recovery."

Warm golden light enveloped Catherine, and the wounds that had bound her like shackles disappeared as if evaporating.

"What about this?"

"Because the scars were created because of me. "We have to get rid of it."

Was this going to disappear this easily?

Catherine burst into tears.

However, it was different from before in that the emotion contained in those tears was not sadness.

"Hmm, and have you found a job? Actually, my fiancee needs a trustworthy dedicated maid. As the count's dedicated maid, she received the title of baronet and a large salary... … ."

"I will do it. No, I will. "Please just leave it to me."

"Haha, good. Then my mind will be at ease."

It was an ironic suggestion for Adrian, who did not know that Catherine had once had feelings for him, but she did not like him because she wanted to feel like a lover.

In the first place, not only was there a huge difference in social status, but the feelings she was harboring were closer to admiration than love.

"From now on, let's live with a smile."

"yes!"

From that day on, Catherine lost the habit of avoiding other people's gaze.

However, as she regained her original self, only Arcia became bothersome, because, unfortunately, Catherine was a nagging person.

* * *

[The Marquis of Lawrence VS the Territory Battle of the Four Characters, which ended in just half a day] [At first, everyone expressed concern over the unreasonable application for the Territory Battle, but the subsequent response was unexpected.] [Calculated meticulously from one to ten. Revenge that was meant to be. Will the tip of the Marquis Lawrence's sword once again point towards someone else?] [The moment Marquis Arrian Lawrence was given proper military power, victory or defeat was virtually decided. Some nobles raised concerns with the royal family, saying that permission for this territory war may have been a bit excessive... … .] [It was over in an instant, but a territory war is a territory war. What will happen to the defeated territory in the future?]-The rebellion of the poisoned gold spoon!

└The analogy is amazing haha

└I usually really dislike nobles, but strangely, I thought this person was okay, but maybe it was because he was a poisonous gold spoon? lol

- Wow, I'm enjoying seeing Adrian these days.

└Really refreshing. Vicarious satisfaction haha

-What about the Marquis of Lawrence? Is it worth moving?

└It hasn't changed much since the days of the King. I think you couldn't pay attention because of the Territory War.

└But Adrian said that. We will create the best territory for commoners to live in in the Kingdom of Reinharts.

└There are many companies that Youngju has acquired this time. Job growth can also be expected.

└For some reason, it seems like a lot of free people will come here. I have never seen a noble communicate like this with commoners.

"I think I've never seen a noble so popular with commoners."

"I may be a bit of a fanatic."

Crown Prince Michael van Reinharts, who was looking at online articles on his terminal, let out a low laugh and put down the teacup he was holding.

And he praised me with an expression reminiscent of a fox's narrow-eyed characteristic.

"At first, I was taken aback by the officer's sudden behavior. But in the end, everything worked out in our favor. "Honestly, I was impressed."

"I feel fortunate that things worked out the way I wanted."

The reason the Crown Prince reacts this way is simple.

The three families that were my targets this time, the 'Viscount Parma', 'Viscount Doherty', 'Viscount Karma', and 'Viscount Ronye', were the forces that supported the second prince.

The disappearance of three viscounts is equivalent to the disappearance of one count, which means that the power of the second prince has weakened.

Yes.

It was said that the request for a territory war, which was somewhat unreasonable, was for revenge, but it also included the purpose of strengthening the power of the crown prince's faction.

Even if it is not something that will affect the general trend, it is something that cannot be ignored as it accumulates.

"In the process, we also erased a family that supported the crown prince."

"It can't be helped. They committed a crime against you, right? Then you have to pay for your sins."

In addition, he was able to refill the treasury that had been depleted through territory warfare, and he built an image as a fearsome figure even among the nobility.

This means that the war gained a lot.

"But Prince Luke didn't say anything?"

"You did sound bitter. "Even if it was just for revenge, why did you have to do that to a noble from the same camp?"

"So?"

"The Earl of Brooks and the Margrave of Caskvel have committed the same sins as the four viscounts, and the Margrave of Raven, who is their enemy, should also be disposed of, but they said they were holding back for the sake of the Second Prince. Then, after being silent for a while, he said he would overlook this matter."

"ha ha ha!"

Philo Brooks and Isabella Caskbell were also the ones who bullied me terribly during my time at the Academy.

However, the blade of revenge aimed at them would be the second prince's seizure button, so he had no choice but to put it off for a while along with the Raven Margrave.

Well, even if it's not necessarily a war, there are many ways to harass them, so I'll have to endure that for a while.