Chapter 11: Silver Dawn Knights (1)

“To be honest, it was a bit unexpected.”

“What part?”

“Given that Iris brought you here, I figured you weren’t ordinary. But I never imagined you’d be this exceptional. Iris might seem light-hearted and easy-going, but she’s the commander of the Silver Dawn Knights. Her skills are not to be underestimated.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t brush it off so lightly, newbie.”

A pair of sharp eyes glared at me.

“Iris mentioned that you were cursed by a witch, right? That would make your physical abilities below average. Yet, in such a condition, you managed to face off with Lize. I think you should be more proud of that.”

“Lize took it easy on me. It wasn’t exactly a fair one-on-one.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say she went easy. And neither does she.” Erika quickly refuted.

“Besides, you seem to have a big misconception. Lize may look like she does things on a whim, but she’s not so careless as to neglect her duties. Regardless of her being lax, considering it was an entrance exam for the knights, her attacks would have been hard to counter for any ordinary person. Whether she went easy or not, a challenge is a challenge.”

I had to hold my tongue. Even if you only needed to reduce the boss to half health, it felt as if you were actually facing the boss.

There were plenty of people in the community who failed the knight entrance exam. Even if they chose a different path, they didn’t fare much better.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with Lize this time. Where on earth did Iris find someone like you?”

“Who knows? I’m not sure myself.”

“I’ll take that as you not wanting to answer,” Erika responded with a sly grin. With each step she took down the corridor, her red dolphin pants emphasized her hips – an effect from a mod, perhaps?

“I recall Iris mentioning that this castle used to belong to a lord.”

Attempting to divert my attention from her deliberate strides, I shifted the conversation. Noticing my efforts, Erika stopped and gazed at me, a hint of unease in her eyes.

“Yes, that’s true. This was once his place. And then he handed it over to us.”

“She also said that experiencing why he abandoned this place would be more telling than any story.”

“Iris doesn’t lie. Even if she told you, you wouldn’t believe it. It’s better to experience it firsthand. We’re almost there, so hold onto your curiosity just a little longer.”

With that, Erika continued forward, once again swaying with each step.

The castle’s interior was impeccable. Not a speck of dust could be seen in the corridors, and even the red carpets laid throughout were devoid of any footprints or dust.

Its extreme cleanliness almost made it feel eerie.

Despite being spacious enough to easily accommodate hundreds, not a single shadow of a person was visible. Yet, every corner was so meticulously clean, it seemed impossible without the help of some cleaning fairy working round the clock.

“Is the hallway being so clean also related to that experience?”

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. You’ll soon understand once you experience it,” Erika remarked, stopping in front of a particular door. It looked like any other wooden door, with similar ones aligned evenly along one side of the wall.

“Use this room. I chose the first one for easy distinction. Though, if it’s not to your liking, feel free to choose another. They’re all vacant anyway.”

Suddenly, the door swung open. As I glimpsed the room’s interior, I questioned my eyes.

“…?”

It wasn’t a medieval-styled room, reminiscent of what I’d seen in the game. Instead, it appeared modern, equipped with contemporary items that wouldn’t feel out of place in a regular apartment.

There was a metal-framed bed with a plush mattress, and atop it lay an ultra-soft quilt. The pillows followed a modern design, too.

The walls and ceiling were meticulously wallpapered, and a clear, transparent window was fitted with a sliding handle. Surprisingly, there was even a small balcony behind it.

Instead of candles or bulbs, fluorescent lights brightly lit the room. Even more astonishing was the presence of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner.

Furthermore, one side of the room featured a desk identical to those outside the game, complete with a swivel chair on wheels. Astonishingly, there was also a stand fan beside it.

I couldn’t grasp which mod was responsible for this scene.

As I stood baffled by the modern room, Erika effortlessly activated the air conditioner. She skillfully handled the remote as if she had done it numerous times before.

“The AC’s temperature can be adjusted to your liking. Over here is the bathroom. Need any items explained?”

“…No, I think I’m good.”

Not only were the bathroom’s walls and floor adorned with tiles, but it also boasted a modern metal shower and a bathtub. The tub was spacious enough for two.

Adjacent to it, neatly arranged toiletries like shampoos and body washes made me question the reality of it all.

Trying to mask my astonishment, I felt the bed and quilt with my hand. They were as soft as those outside the game, with no perceivable difference in quality.

“Is this… right?”

Who the hell made such a mod? I’m burning with curiosity to see their face.

“There’s no need for further explanation, then. Now, I’ll show you what you’ve been wondering about. Let’s step outside.”

I followed Erika out of the room. Once I was out, she conjured a flame in her hand. It slowly took the form of a sword, and the heat hit me.

As she swung the sword made of fire, half the room went up in flames with a deafening noise.

The lights shattered, the bed was set ablaze, and the desk and chair melted and twisted out of shape. The smell of charred wallpaper filled the air, and the entire room seemed to burn down in an instant.

Before I could grasp what just happened, Erika, with a nonchalant expression, closed the door and immediately opened it again.

“…Huh?”

In that split second, everything in the room was immaculate.

“You saw that, right?”

I blinked in disbelief. The lingering smell of burn, the charred walls and ceiling, the burnt bed, the melted fan – everything had returned to its original state.

It felt like the room’s burning was a lie. Erika glanced at my stunned face and gave a small smile.

“It’s because of this.”

“Do you know why it’s happening?”

“We don’t. We don’t know if it’s some form of magic, a curse, or something else entirely.”

“Why not bring in a magician to investigate?”

“We tried, but they all declined. It seems clear that the lord had a hand in this and somehow dumped the problem on our Silver Dawn Knights. But we don’t have evidence, so we can’t confront him outright.”

This time, she threw a wooden sword into the room, quickly closed the door and then reopened it.

The wooden sword was gone.

“The sword…?”

“It vanished. Precisely speaking, when the room reverted, it seemed to ‘erase’ items that weren’t originally there.”

“To where?”

“We don’t know. And we can’t find out.”

Now I understood why she didn’t explain this verbally. A room that resets whenever you open or close the door? Nobody would believe such a tale.

“Is the game system manifested through magic?”

I had my suspicions.

In the game, unless an object was designed to remain destroyed, whether a player wreaks havoc with a sword or uses magic, it all resets if you just step outside and return.

It seemed like this game characteristic might have been realized through some unknown form of magic. But that was merely my conjecture. The truth remained elusive.

Especially when Erika didn’t seem to take this anomaly for granted. She believed that the lord had done something. If it were just the effect of a mod, they would have deemed it as ordinary, just like their altered attire.

In the story, there was no mention of the NPCs from the Silver Dawn Knights blaming these peculiarities on the lord.

“So, let me explain the precautions. You must listen carefully and memorize them. Especially if you don’t want to lose that weapon forever.”

Erika pointed to the Bloodstained Sword hanging on my hip.

“First rule: never leave items inside a room and exit. You saw what just happened, right? The moment the door closes, items inside disappear. Once they vanish, it’s unknown where they go, and you can’t retrieve them. There’s an external storage shed for storing items. It’s enchanted for protection, so use that.”

Losing the Bloodstained Sword was a terrifying thought, so I made sure to remember her words.

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Second rule: wear only one piece of clothing when you sleep. Whether you sleep in just underwear or in clothes without underwear, only one piece of clothing should touch your bare skin.”

“…Why?”

“You don’t recall? It’s connected to the first rule: never leave anything in the room and exit.”

“But that’s about leaving, and this is about sleeping. How are they related?”

“The precise condition for the room to revert is ‘when it’s out of human sight.'”

“When it’s out of human sight?”

Upon hearing my question, Erika nodded.

“Even if you’re inside, if you’re asleep, it seems like anything out of your direct view disappears. To be precise, the moment you fall asleep. Hence, except for the piece of clothing closest to your skin, everything else vanishes.”

“That’s ridiculously complicated.”

“Even we think so. Probably why that darn lord passed the castle to us. Maybe he wanted to give us a taste of his troubles.”

Considering even Erika constantly bad-mouthed the lord, he must have been really unbearable. It’s reassuring to know that when the time comes to get rid of him in the game, I won’t feel guilty about it.

“I once tested it: if you sleep wearing both underwear and clothes, only the underwear remains the next day. If you sleep without underwear but wear clothes, the clothes remain intact. Hence, that’s the established rule.”

It felt slightly embarrassing to discuss sleeping attire so openly, but Erika seemed unfazed, so I let it pass.

“That’s all from my end. Any questions?”

“As long as I’m in the room, except when sleeping, things won’t disappear, right?”

“Correct. As I mentioned earlier, merely closing your eyes won’t trigger the disappearance. It only happens when you’re asleep or unconscious.”

“Alright… got it.”

Erika said she’d come to fetch me for dinner later, leaving me alone. I leaned the Bloodstained Sword against the wall and sat down on a chair.

I can’t risk items disappearing if I accidentally fall asleep. Although I’m not tired, it’s better to be cautious.

“Newbie, you in there? I know you’re there, so you don’t have to answer!”

“…Huh?”

Just as I settled into my chair, I heard a knock from outside. I quickly rose to my feet.

“Lize? Why are you here?”

“I heard you got assigned quarters, so I came to visit! Hurry up and open the door! If you don’t, I might just break in.”

Knowing Lize, she’d genuinely break the door down, so I hurriedly opened it.

Standing at the door was a blue-haired knightess, wearing a sleeveless top that exposed her midriff, almost like a crop top, paired with extremely short blue dolphin shorts.

Lize grinned and waved.

“How have you been, newbie?”