Partners

Merleen had a sparkling look on her face as she continued staring at the window. Under normal circumstances, these NPCs did not and will not have the system. Since the system boosts the player's abilities, the game developers limited the spread of the power.

However, despite having the system, I still considered myself a worthless hero. Even the slimes found in these areas were stronger than my current self.

"Can Merleen have that too?" Merleen asked, as she stared at the screen in front of her.

I actually did not expect that wizard girl would perceive the system. But this scene proved me wrong, considering the reaction covering Merleen's face.

"If I could, I would. But right now, I don't know how to share the system with you," I confessed, and scratched my chin. "Maybe there's something I could do. If I added you to my party, the system might read you as a player."

"Can Arthur really do that?" Merleen asked once more. "And what do you mean by adding Merleen in your party?"

With that glittering look on her face, I couldn't say no. "I will explain everything late. And we could always try."

As soon as I found the party setting, the system immediately added Merleen as my partner. She was still my partner. But there was a special slot designated to her name.

It was my first time seeing such a thing.

"What did it say?" Merleen tilted her head and queried a question.

I, who also looked dumbfounded, gave her a vague answer. "Maybe it worked… I think. Surely it worked, right?"

Despite my mumbling, Merleen never changed her interested look painted on her face as she continued watching me. Within a few seconds, runes covered her body with a new notification, alerting my mind. The inscribed texts had a brilliant light that shone on her figure.

[Congratulations! You added Merleen as your Partner and a Party Member!]

[You need at least TWO members to complete the party set-up!]

[Arthur Wyllt- Leader (Knight)]

[Merleen Sylvestris- Partner (Mage?)]

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Those boxes projected at our front explained everything we needed to know, especially the party-set up. The game "Magique" requires every player to team up with players and form a party of four members. Although having two and three members could still work as a team, the party benefits would not activate.

The system would grant advantages to parties that have four or more members in the team. If the members do not complete the requirements, those players would better wait for next time.

That information was the one I knew. I did not learn about partnerships of some sort in the feature.

'Was it a new version of the game? And why would this place still be a game if I got stuck inside!' I thought, but no answer came inside my head.

There was no point in thinking about that trivial matter. So I went to Merleen and told her everything I understood, including the benefits we could receive.

"That thing that you saw was the power of my system. You don't have this power….yet," I paused, thinking if I had the right to say such things.

After pondering for a while, I resumed my explanation. "You should have yours around… now!"

"Oh, you're right! Merleen could see something!"

As I had expected, the system appeared before Merleen. If the system included her in my party, it would mean that the system considered her as a player, not an NPCs.

Non-player characters did not have the right to include themselves in a party. Hence, these scripted people could only join the players as mercenaries. They did not level up or gain anything that players could.

Despite the boxes popping out at our fore, I could not see her status power or status points. It was as if those numbers did not exist... yet.

'Well, who cares about that for now?' The voices in my head mumbled, as I stared at Merleen.

"Merleen,"

"Yes!" she answered.

"From this day onward, you will be my part-... a member of my party. Let's have some fun while helping others, okay?" I said, and curved up a smile.

I also learned my lesson, especially after experiencing the death of Aferous. My mind got fixated on my goal to kill the demon lord and snatch Excalibur… No, it wasn't just that.

I wanted to become a hero no matter what it takes. With that mindset, I lost my way and became a villain. If only I protected Aferous and Rain, their father would not have died because of me.

"Merleen likes the first one better… partner!"

"Wait! Who told you to decide on your own?!" Merleen's voice snapped me back to reality.

The girl in front of me always had the leisure to save me, even if she did not intend to do it. I could always return to the village, but facing the villagers right now was not my aim. Since I already eradicated the monster horde, there was no point in staying in the town.

And right now, there was one thing I was sure about myself… I wanted to protect Merleen. She had gone to the same track in the village. I did not want to abandon her in the wild.

"The power to protect the weak even if you're afraid… Maybe I became a proper hero now, right, Roger?"

"Hmm? What did Arthur say? Merleen wasn't paying attention!" Merleen pounced behind my back, tumbling me on the ground. My lips kissed the ground, instead of Merleen, who rested on top of me.

"N-Nothing… I told you to get off my back!"

"B-But, Merleen wants to stay on top of you!"

"C-C-Cut that out! What you said is dangerous, you know… Ah, who cares. Let's just get to our goal, Merleen."

Merleen gave me a nod and got off my body. I dusted the soil from my clothes and went ahead on the uncharted road. Although I knew the map of the village, this area remained oblivious to me.

There was no landmark that I could recognise, or people that Merleen and I could ask.

"For starters; Why don't we get out of this forest!"

"Yes!"

After our exchange, we headed out from the forest and tried navigating our surroundings. The scorching sun reminded us we had limited time exploring the place, so the two of us should make the most out of it.

However, throughout our journey, I realised something. It was not my shortcomings, considering that I did not have time to think about that, but Merleen's.

When I first arrived in this world, the three family members guided and sheltered me in their shacks. Although the disappearance of players shocked me, I still held an intense goal of getting my revenge on the demon lord to become a hero.

I only had myself every time I thought about that goal.

Now that I went past the part, Merleen joined my party. However, the pavement looked narrowed and wobbly.

Merleen couldn't access her magical abilities… or feel frightened every time she tried using them. If we planned to get the sword from the demon lord-one of the strongest bosses in the game, we had to use all of our trump cards.

It was what Merleen had mentioned earlier. She would pull me down if she couldn't change that attitude. But I also learned my lesson. There was no way I would force someone, especially a girl, to do things that would irritate her.

As a changed man, I wanted the best for Merleen, despite only meeting her for approximately three days or fewer.

"Hmmm? Are you mumbling about something, Arthur? Merleen's curious!" The wizard girl asked, as she nudged herself beside me.

I did not mind, since having an adorable-looking girl by my side eased my stress. But the thought kept pestering me to tell her.

"Merleen, I-..."

"Hmm?"

I shook my head and cut off my sentence. "Nothing. Ah, I remember now! The map of this place!"

I did not want to pressure her for anything I wanted. All of us had our own pace to solve our troubling matter. Even in this world, I wanted to become a better person. If I were the Arthur from before, I would have told Merleen my problems.

But like ladders glaring upwards, we needed to take one step at a time before climbing the apex.

And the map's appearance became the key for the drifting course of our conversation.

By looking at my surroundings, my juggling brain recalled the area. Since I fell from the cliff, the lake might have brought me somewhere near Camelot. If I remembered it correctly, the village of Cornwall had a lake that would lead closer to the kingdom of Camelot.

That kingdom was the game's principal city. It was the heart of human civilization.

Just as I blurted that out, my system gave me a new notification. As I slid my fingers to the side, my map on my right view expanded, showing the landmarks that we missed and the terrains we have yet to venture into.