< Episode 11. They look the same. >

Episode 11. They have the same appearance.

[The Shrine's Gloves]

As the name implies, an item suitable for use by an archer.

It was, in reality, an equipment for archers.

The bow was the least popular weapon in Winter War 3, where you could choose your weapon at will.

The bow was the sole long-range weapon available during Winter War 3.

The bow, on the other hand, was a weapon with more disadvantages than advantages.

Every time you shoot, you deal random damage based on probability. You also have extreme control and low utilisation in a small space.

It was one of the factors that contributed to the game's difficulty.

'I reworked it to demonstrate my abilities to old folks like myself.'

The shrine's glove is what makes a bow like this ideal for novices.

That was the end of it.

Each time an arrow strikes, it does random damage.

The ability of the shrine's gloves was the effect that fixed it to the maximum.

Simply put, it's a training wheel for a bow user's bicycle.

Of course, once he became a deceased person, even that became obsolete.

'Just like me in a prior life.'

But there was one thing he hadn't considered.

It had to be done while wearing the priest's gloves and wielding the apel.

Great Shrine gloves with no abilities other than chance stat adjustment.

The facts provided on the surface indicated no probabilistic ability in Appel.

What moron would pair these together?

Even if some folks wore nothing and played bare-chested because they couldn't get enough of it.

If you don't use a bow, most people wear cheap gloves that increase their defence by at least 1.

Even if he wasn't Pellas, he wouldn't have thought of the shrine's gloves if he hadn't discovered Apel's secret through his perceptive eyes.

Pellas took out and held the now-officially returning Apel.

[APEL]

Count DiMeo's family has passed down a famous sword from generation to generation.

- Strength gains 10 points.

-Increases Agility by a factor of ten.

When Leonil and Nelsong establish a party, this item offers the following bonus stats. (The quest has been finished.)

- Increases strength by 1-10%.

-Boosts agility by 1-15%.

-Additional stats vary at random within each attack's value.

That wasn't a poor skill any more.

However, it is arbitrary.

Pelas was irritated by that one.

What if the new ability's power is limited to 10%?

What if Agility is restricted to 15%?

If that's the case, it's worth more than Apel's weaponry.

And because it wasn't a game with numerous lives, there was no reason not to give it a shot.

* * *

"It's completely vacant."

These were Robben's words as he crossed the private house in Vatinova Castle.

But everyone in the room was of the same mind.

The private house here, he said, had a completely different atmosphere than the central area where the count's house was.

People didn't see much either.

According to Robben's explanation, the number of private houses was naturally limited to the Vatinova Knights' families.

People only began to show up after we reached the front lines of Vatinova.

Pelas tilted his head as he looked at them.

"They don't appear to be knights."

The guys here were not like the knights who had accompanied Pelas.

Light greaves and a chaotic atmosphere.

It appeared to be more akin to a band of mercenaries than knights.

The knights following Pelas, as well as the knights here, were looking at each other with disdain.

Even if a fight breaks out right away, the atmosphere does not appear strange.

The sensation of walking on ice was overwhelming.

Only when their leader appeared did the bloody snowball fight come to an end.

"Welcome. Pelas, Mr. I've been expecting you."

It was a middle-aged man with a face that resembled the leader of a mercenary group.

Her hair was cut short enough to be considered shaved, and her eyes were half-closed, as if she were sleeping.

At first glance, the line is thick and sharp, and the scar crosses the bridge of the nose for a long time.

"I'm a veteran," the expression seemed to say.

With a relaxed expression, he appeared to be attempting to overpower the steamer.

Pelas wiped the expression off his face so he wouldn't be stopped by him.

She then dismounted and stood in front of him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Count DiMeo's eldest son. Felice DiMeo is my name."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Barzan, and I'm the captain of the Vatinova knights."

The name Vatinova Castle was only a name here, but it was actually a guard post.

In other words, as knight commander, he was the general manager of this establishment.

As he said the greeting, Barzan smiled.

Pelas is about a head taller.

His eyes were downcast, his face sterner as a result of the scars.

I could sense the fear of those who face life and death every day.

Pelas did not blink an eye against him.

"I see. Please take excellent care of me."

Rather, it overflowed to the point where I extended my hand first and asked for a handshake.

In fact, I had to restrain myself from laughing.

The reason was straightforward.

'How can they be so identical?'

It was because their appearance matched that of the NPCs seen in the game.

With the exception of Leonil and Nelsong, everyone I've met so far has been non-game characters.

However, among the scenery seen here is the appearance of Barzan, the knights' leader.

Seeing everything in one view made him feel completely immersed in the game.

The Winter War series was my all-time favourite game.

But where does it fit in?

It gave me goosebumps as a fan of Winter War.

However, Barzan, who had no idea what Pelas was thinking, was taken aback.

'I assumed he was just a timid and noble boy because he resembled a parasitic brother, but is that Dimeo blood? There's a lot of momentum.'

It was Barzan's intention to scare him a little, play with him, and send him back properly.

He was, however, intrigued by Pelas' unexpected reaction.

"Now. You must have had a difficult time getting here, so let's eat inside for the time being. But it's not bad."

"Eggplant, yes."

* * *

Pelas unpacked his belongings when he arrived at the inn.

There wasn't much to do because Havertz did almost everything himself.

Pelas took a map from one of his suitcases and unfolded it.

flutter.

This was Vatinova's map.

Havertz gave Pelas a brief explanation after confirming that he was looking at the map.

"The Vatinova Forest is the massive forest drawn to the north of this Vatinova Castle."

"It's not a small thing."

"Yes. Since ancient times, many monsters have taken root in Batinova Forest. There were a lot of monsters in the past as a result of this."

"Isn't it already?"

Havertz indicated an area not depicted on the map.

"The Kingdom of Quate can be found a little further up from here. The Kingdom of Quate's power has recently grown significantly, and they are now facing up and down the Vatinova Forest."

Pelas quietly nodded.

The Kingdom of Quate.

It was a location that was not featured in Winter War 3.

An area that only exists as a setting and is only mentioned in passing.

Pelas concentrated on Havertz's words because he knew nothing about that location.

"In the end, the Vatinova Forest monsters were trapped up and down."

"Are you talking about the border between the two countries?"

"Yes. Armies from both kingdoms are stationed along the border. The current state of affairs makes it difficult for monsters to thrive."

"I see. Even if you only leave the forest for a moment, you'll be cut by knights from both countries."

"You're right."

"That's why you didn't show up for the successor test."

The successor test was not difficult.

Each successor candidate leads the knights who follow him and defeats the monsters who disrupt the territory's peace.

That was the end of the test.

A simple rule that the side that has hunted more and stronger monsters wins.

But what if there are not as many monsters as here?

Of course, tracking down the prey would consume a lot of stamina, so the efficiency wouldn't be good.

Here, Havertz added a little more explanation.

"There may be a little more reason."

"Another reason?"

"As you can see and know, the clothes of the knights here are a little different, aren't they?"

Pelas recalled what they had seen on the way back.

"That's right. Rather than being knights...more like a group of mercenaries."

"You saw it correctly. That's right. The knights here in Vatinova are knights with little support from the state. So they're not well prepared for the successor exam."

"Why? If you look at the map, isn't it rather a strategic point? If there is a war, the enemy country will be the first to collide."

"That's because. The troops here are just knights who were created to be the first to hit and break."

Pelas' brow furrowed.

"What are you on about?"

"As you can see from the way you are coming, the road to Vatinova is quite rough. Thanks to that, it is not easy to provide troops, let alone supplies."

"Then you're saying there's no support."

"Yes. This place has only one role. It's like a bell that tells you that the enemy has started a war."

"While the troops here are dying, prepare to fight back a little more?"

"That's right. That's the strategy of our Elian Kingdom."

"Now I understand. Why did the knights here look so sad towards us?"

Havertz nodded.

"They know, too. The meaning of being here as a knight is that the state has abandoned the expendables."

"It would be a headache to move together."

Havertz smiled bitterly and softened his words a bit.

"I won't open my heart easily."

"I understand. Why do they have that face, why are they dressed that way."

"Yes. Fighting the enemy is the same as dying anyway, and in the end, dealing with monsters has become similar to mercenaries. Both the outfit and the personality."

"Roben, a knight born in heaven, must be really bad here."

"Well, not necessarily."

The meaning of Havertz's incomprehensible smile, Pellas soon learned.

* * *

"Really? Ha ha ha ha!"

"Crazy guy. Kwuckwheat!"

The Knight Commander's Office in Vatinova Castle.

There, a chattering party between two men, Robben and Barzan, was taking place.

To the point where I didn't even know Fellas had come in.

It seemed that Havertz' words that the two were quite close were true.

Robben, who spotted Fellas first, jumped up from his seat.

"Bocchan! Are you here?"

Contrary to Robben's attitude, Barzan stood up slowly.

Even so, he was the one who replaced the greeting with a slight nod of the head.

Robben noticed and tapped Barzan's chest with his thick palm.

However, Barzan shrugged his shoulders with an expression saying, "What can I do?"

Pelas' expression darkened slightly at his insincere attitude.

'I have no intention of being the captain here, and I came here to quietly adjust tomorrow's schedule. This won't work.'

Even though Barzan was a stagnant stone, and he was a stone that rolled in, he was the top when it comes to ranking up and down here.

Pelas thought it was necessary to remind him a little of that here.

His tongue warmed up silently.

The shitty grinding skill of the senior, which he had suffered during his time as a private, was wriggling back in his memory.

< Episode 11. They look the same. >

end