Chapter 7: Initiation Test (2)

“Who… who are you?”

There wasn’t any sign that someone had approached, no hint of presence. It was as if she had been standing there from the start. A shiver coursed through me at that realization, and the woman gave me a small smile.

Her azure hair was tied behind her, cascading down to a length that almost touched the floor.

Her bangs covered her right eye completely, and the rest of her hair flowed down to her collarbone. The left eye, uncovered, was the same shade of blue as her hair.

She was wearing a white sleeveless top just like Iris, but her notably large chest, nearly rivaling her head in size, defiantly announced its presence. The burdened top seemed to be crying out in terror under the enormous strain.

As if that wasn’t enough, the hem of her sleeveless top was rolled up, revealing her abdomen and sides. Although the size of her clothes seemed accurate, her chest was so ample that it had created this situation.

Moreover, the length of her dolphin shorts was extremely short. Compared to her robust thighs peeking out from under them, it was extraordinarily modest.

Her attire, a white sleeveless top like Iris’s and dolphin shorts in the color of her hair, suggested that she might be the commander of the Silver Dawn Knights.

“Hmm, quite handsome, aren’t you?”

Ignoring my question, the azure-haired woman circled around me, assessing me with a hum. The gaze she fixed on me was incredibly earnest.

“This is quite surprising. Did Iris also care about men’s looks? Hmm. Worth noting.”

“Wait, who are—”

“Not a bad physique either. Where did she find such an outstanding man?”

She prodded my chest with her index finger and proceeded to admire my arms, completely disregarding my words.

“Excuse me—”

“What are you doing to a stranger, sis?”

“Heh.”

The next moment, a red-haired woman who suddenly appeared from behind grasped the blue-haired woman by the back of her head and pulled her towards herself. Again, I failed to sense her approach.

The newly arrived red-haired woman was also dressed in a white sleeveless top and dolphin shorts.

Her hair was as red as fire, coiled and bunched up at the back of her neck, resembling a dumpling. Her sidelocks reached her collarbones, and her bangs almost fully covered her forehead. Beneath them were eyes of the same color as her hair, a fiery red.

The dolphin shorts she wore were also red. While she wore a white sleeveless top like the others, it seemed a bit loose compared to the blue-haired woman’s top.

To prevent exposing any skin, she tucked the hem into the shorts. The length of the shorts themselves didn’t even reach mid-thigh.

Above all, the two had starkly contrasting figures. The blue-haired woman boasted a chest size that made one worry if her clothes might burst, while the redhead had only modest curves.

Even as the blue-haired woman was being dragged away by the scruff of her neck, she pointed at me and incessantly grumbled.

“Don’t you wonder, Erika? Our little Iris brought a man! Iris, who we thought would live her whole life without touching a man! And you’re telling me you’re not curious? Are you even human?”

“That’s not for me to know. It’s none of your business either. What we should be aware of is the fact that you’re being rude to this person. Also, you’ve never held a man’s hand in your life either, so stop pretending you have some experience,” Erika, now addressed by her name, pulled her sister beside her and let go of her nape. The blue-haired woman grumbled under her breath, adjusting her disheveled clothes.

“On behalf of my sister’s rudeness, I apologize,” Erika bowed her head lightly.

“It’s fine since you stopped her. But, who are you?”

“Oh, right. We should have introduced ourselves first. But, someone’s rudeness made us forget.”

There was a subtle sharpness in her tone. Seeing the icy stare directed at her, Lize averted her eyes.

“Let me introduce us. My name is Erika, the 4th Knight Commander of the Silver Dawn Knights. And this is…well, she probably won’t introduce herself properly, so I’ll do it for her. Her name is Lize, my sister. She is the 3rd Knight Commander of the Silver Dawn Knights.”

The blue-haired one is Lize and the redhead is Erika. Just like Iris, these were names I had never heard of in the game. There might be NPCs that I could guess, but it’s best not to make assumptions without concrete evidence.

Their personalities were different, their appearances were different, even their actions were completely different. Ultimately, the only reliable evidence would be their magic, weapons, and dialogues – none of which I had ever encountered in the game before.

An NPC that approaches and assesses the player’s character as soon as they enter the Knight Order… If there were no mods, wouldn’t they have originally been male?

If such NPCs existed, I would have killed them first.

“So, why did you come here?”

“Iris had returned, so I went to welcome her. But then, I saw her carrying a man on her back? I followed because I was curious. And you were quite friendly with Iris, weren’t you? How could I simply watch this interesting situation? This is definitely not something to just pass by. Erika, you agree, right?”

“If you say that, it makes it seem like I was watching your behavior and doing nothing. I just got here. And no, I don’t agree. Why should I be treated the same as you?”

Undeterred by her sister’s icy glare, Lize, the blue-haired knight, walked towards me with a cheerful smile. Seeing this, Erika let out a deep sigh.

“Please, sis. Mind your manners. What on earth are you doing right out of our first meeting?”

“So what? I’m just stating the facts. And Erika, you’re genuinely curious too, aren’t you? You must be wondering about the guy that Iris brought along, right?”

‘Based on looks alone, it’s as if their personalities should be the opposite….’

If one were to judge based on appearance alone, Lize would strike as a calm, quiet figure with a dignified, cat-like aura. On the contrary, Erika would seem energetic and vibrant, like a playful, affectionate puppy.

Even their hair and eye colors starkly contrasted, enhancing this impression. Typically, cool hues suggest tranquility, and warm hues suggest vigor.

However, it was the complete opposite. Lize, with her icy blue hair and dignified, cat-like features, had an energetic personality, whereas Erika, with her fiery red hair and lively, puppy-like appearance, had a calm disposition.

It’s often said not to judge a book by its cover, and these two were the prime examples.

“What are you doing here, Lize?”

“Oh, you’re here, Iris?”

Perfect timing, as Iris strides out from the barn. Lize waves to her in greeting.

‘…Is that their standard Knight Order uniform?’

Iris, Lize, and Erika were all clad in white tank tops clinging to their bodies and dolphin shorts matching their hair colors. It was indeed a strange attire.

“As you see, you brought a man along. I can’t just stand by without checking him out.”

“I don’t quite get what you mean, but please refrain from making unnecessary speculations. He’s a newbie.”

“Huh? A newbie? Really?”

Surprised, Lize gazes at me with wide eyes.

“Technically, he’s a pre-member because he’s about to take the entrance exam. So, we were headed to the training grounds. He needs to take the admission test.”

Upon hearing the term ‘newbie’, Lize’s eyes sparkle. Erika also seems slightly surprised, her eyes mirroring those of a veteran player eyeing a newcomer.

‘I’m not used to this.’

I was usually the one giving such a look, not receiving it.

“Iris, can I oversee the newbie’s entrance exam? Now that you mention it, I’m even more curious about this guy.”

“Do as you wish. Just ensure you control your strength properly.”

“Got it, got it. I’m the Knight Commander, do you think I can’t handle that much?”

“It means be extra careful. He’s cursed by a witch.”

Hearing this, the gaze of Lize and Erika once again shifted. It was a blend of shock and pity. Well, considering my background setting, I understood their sympathetic looks.

‘The Witch’s Curse’ was a brief background setting gained by choosing a discarded character based on past deeds.

It stated that one has been cursed by a witch, causing their level and all stats to regress to 1. It was a feature that provided a reason for the character starting at level 1 with all stats at 1.

The individual was practically no different from a regular person, if not worse. It was quite surprising when he was suddenly brought in as a prospective member of the Knight Order.

For reference, one could genuinely encounter this ‘witch’ entity in the mid to late stages of the game. Upon meeting her, one could choose either to do nothing, fight and spare her, or fight and kill her.

Although it was feasible to encounter her regardless of one’s chosen past life, one needed to select ‘The Forsaken’ to have any significant interaction. With any other past life, it would only result in a single dialogue and that would be the end of it.

The ‘Curse of the Witch’ appeared to be rather infamous, as when Iris asked for my name and I claimed not to remember it due to the curse, she accepted it almost instantly.

“Uh… really? Can we accept someone like that as a new recruit?”

“Although it might be inappropriate to say this in front of the person in question, if they’re in such a state, won’t they be unable to last long in the Knight Order?”

Lize and Erika each voiced a sentence filled with worry and doubt. It was a natural concern, a natural question.

Unlike player characters, the other NPCs did not have the concept of gaining experience to increase their stats and levels. To increase their strength by one, they had to train earnestly.

Even that method had a clear limit. As the player character’s level increased, the experience needed to gain a single stat point also escalated.

However, Iris chuckled and dismissed the concerns of Lize and Erika with a single statement.

“Just set those worries aside. You’ll understand when you see.