I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents-Chapter 39: Escort (3)

[NPC – 4th-Rank Knight, Magrid]

A 4th-rank wasn’t exactly threatening yet.

"You know him?"

Karmin nodded.

"He’s a knight of Count Raphael’s house. I’ve seen him several times before."

The halberd-wielding knight gave a small nod.

"It’s been a while, Lady Karmin."

Then he spoke again.

"If you surrender quietly, I’ll do my best to ensure you don’t die."

I couldn’t help but laugh at Magrid’s solemn tone.

"That guy... I think he actually means what he says."

Apparently my words reached Magrid’s ears too.

"I do. Outsider. If you turn back now and disappear, I’ll pretend I never saw the murders you just committed."

He didn’t sound entirely like a villain.

But just because he wasn’t a villain didn’t mean I had the luxury of letting him live.

I had no intention of dragging this escort quest into a second attempt.

"Big guy, even if you do your best, can you guarantee Karmin won’t die?"

The bulky Magrid furrowed his brow but said nothing.

"Guess that’s my answer."

Magrid ignited red aura along his halberd.

He swung the massive weapon horizontally, and I parried it.

Clang! Crack!

Sparks flew in every direction.

Magrid roared as he kept his arms moving in a relentless rhythm.

This brute was fast.

That massive body moved with surprising speed.

Dragonslayer – Sword Technique Form 1: Libra.

I blocked the incoming barrage of strikes.

Then, Magrid launched himself into the air and, upon landing, brought both arms crashing down.

The halberd’s blade flashed, trailing crimson lightning as it struck.

[‘Giant Who Swallowed the Moon’ predicts you will take a direct hit to the head.]

[‘Saint Who Chases Light’ closes her eyes tight!]

Direct hit, my ass.

I ducked low.

White mana surged through my feet.

I stepped forward.

My shadow curved like a scythe along with my body.

I kicked upward with my right foot.

Flexible Fist Technique – Second Leg Form: Shadow-Crushing Kick (Jeolyeongak).

Crack!

"Guugh!"

Caught off guard, Magrid couldn’t react in time.

His head snapped sharply to the left—and I followed through with a direct sword strike.

Claaang!

He barely managed to raise his aura-covered halberd to block it.

Thunk!

I plunged the bloody dagger, held in reverse grip in my left hand, deep into his side.

Then I slashed across his neck with my sword.

Magrid clutched his throat and staggered backward.

His massive body crumpled to the ground.

[Your level has increased!]

[Lv. 26 → Lv. 27]

Nice. Level up.

[‘Sword Ghost of the Black Typhoon’ is impressed by your swordwork.]

[‘Blood Fiend’ twitches an eyebrow at your form.]

[‘Giant Who Swallowed the Moon’ scratches his shiny bald head.]

I stepped over Magrid’s cooling body and moved forward.

I checked Karmin’s expression.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be questioning my actions.

If she had said something like “Was it really necessary to kill him?” I would’ve been in a really foul mood.

"Run."

At my low command, Karmin broke into a sprint.

At the end of the bridge—

"Go down first."

Without hesitation, Karmin hurled herself down from the bridge.

I looked back, sword still in hand.

Whoever charges in next—I’ll cut them off here, break the encirclement, and get out.

BOOOOM!

Right before I jumped off the railing, I slammed my blade into the ground with a surge of sword energy and followed it with my body.

The blow was strong enough to nearly shatter the bridge.

The purpose, of course, was to disorient any pursuers.

Brushing off dust from the broken bricks, I moved into a dense thicket.

"Do you know how far we have to go?"

I intentionally matched my walking pace with Karmin’s.

She opened her mouth.

"Even by carriage, it takes three days."

Then she continued.

"I know a place where we can find a carriage. And I have a companion waiting there."

A companion.

The question was—can that companion be trusted?

I wasn’t sure, but for now, getting a carriage, just like Karmin said, was the top priority.

Getting to the academy with nothing on foot—it was too far.

"Lead the way."

"Yes!"

Only then did Karmin and I remove the robes and head down an alley.

After passing through the alley, a wide street opened up before us.

Karmin moved toward a stable filled with horses.

"Lady Everhart!"

A young man with brown hair ran toward us.

[NPC – 3rd-Rank Mercenary, Rengel]

"You’re safe!"

I watched Karmin’s face as she looked at the approaching Rengel.

"Rengel!"

Karmin’s face visibly brightened.

She turned to look at me.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“He’s a mercenary who often helped out our baronial house.”

By her standards, it seemed Rengel was someone she trusted.

With a faint smile, Karmin began speaking to him.

“I need to borrow a carriage. I can finally breathe a little easier.”

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Right after she said that, Rengel spoke again.

“You’re in danger, aren’t you?”

Karmin sighed.

“Yeah... at this rate, I might really die.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, Rengel spoke once more.

“I’ll help you.”

Third-rank mercenary.

I couldn’t help but be suspicious of this Rengel guy. He showed up way too conveniently.

I’d only climbed to the 5th floor, but even so, my instincts told me that people who show up mid-quest like this were rarely pure allies.

Maybe I’d developed a case of over-paranoia. Still.

“What’s your destination, my lady?”

I expected Karmin to hesitate a bit before answering, but she spoke even more easily than I’d anticipated.

“Ventura Academy. I think I’ll be safe once I’m officially enrolled.”

She must really trust this guy.

“If we go through the Monteum Forest, we can get to Ventura Academy more safely and quickly.”

At Rengel’s suggestion, Karmin curved her lips in a light smile.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll take the reins myself and escort you all the way to the Academy.”

Rengel pulled out a map from inside his coat and unfolded it with a snap.

The map had a highly detailed layout of the surrounding terrain, and I could make sense of it too.

Going through the forest by carriage did indeed appear to be the fastest and safest option right now.

Which only made me more suspicious.

People who show up exactly when you need something, carrying exactly what you need...

Those are the hardest to trust.

I looked toward the stable.

Across from the carriage stood a group of horses.

I pulled out the Formation Talisman and channeled mana into its reverse side.

I had already confirmed that the “Veil of Secrets” worked before opening the Stage 5 gate.

Rengel and Karmin began walking toward the carriage.

I followed close behind, staying alert—ready to slice Rengel’s neck at any moment.

In my left hand, I held the Formation Talisman.

Archmage: The Constellations can’t see you in first-person. I asked an administrator on a higher floor to be sure. So the talisman the Shrine Maiden gave you—the “Veil of Secrets” on its reverse—should absolutely be effective.

If the Archmage says so, it’s trustworthy.

Slide...

I activated the veil, distorting the space around me, and pulled out the Transcendent Gallery terminal.

Karmin and Rengel didn’t show any signs of noticing the visual distortion around me.

Just like NPCs and other players I’d met during the exchanges couldn’t see the terminal,

the Constellations probably couldn’t recognize the gallery clearly either—but it was better to prepare for every variable.

[‘Saint Who Chases Light’ displays a question mark above her head!]

[‘Blood Fiend’ tells you to remove what’s blocking his view.]

[‘Judge with a Thousand Eyes’ notices the sudden distortion in front of you and furrows his brow.]

I turned off the notification window so the Constellation pop-ups wouldn’t clutter my view.

Then I posted on the gallery via terminal.

Title: I don’t know how to ride a horse—do I just get on?

Author: ㅇㅇ*

- So it’s confirmed—I need to escort the target to Ventura Academy. Also, some guy just showed up acting like a support character. Can I trust him? Or is this one of those quest setups where you’re supposed to be suspicious and eliminate them?

ㄴReply: You should definitely be suspicious.

ㄴIce Queen: Frozen! You must suspect them!

ㄴAnother: Riding a horse is a skill, but you’ll probably adapt quickly, climber.

ㄴSword of Light: Riding is all about bonding with the horse. If someone feels suspicious, keep doubting them.

ㄴArchmage: Horses make me sick... I’d rather fly.

ㄴArchmage: And yeah, in quest-type stages, sometimes you get stuck in a mystery plot totally unrelated to combat. If it’s an escort mission, assume everyone except the escort target is suspicious.

ㄴㅇㅇ*: Got it.

ㄴA mystery plot, huh.

ㄴWhy would that kind of thing show up here...

ㄴAbsolute Lord: Think of your horse as your comrade.

ㄴSpear King: Or your lover.

ㄴReply: That’s creepy, Spear King.

ㄴReply: Hey, Spear King, you ever had a lover?

ㄴSpear King: I’m married.

ㄴReply: 🤢

ㄴShrine Maiden: Hawa~ [N O V E L I G H T] With six stars of difficulty, there’s a high chance of encountering unexpectedly strong enemies, so be cautious!

ㄴㅇㅇ*: Got it. The Formation Talisman worked well. The Veil of Secrets seems effective against Constellations too—they don’t seem to be able to see me using the gallery.

ㄴShrine Maiden: Hawaawa!! The Shrine Maiden’s talisman is top-notch!

ㄴㅇㅇ*: I’m off.

ㄴGutter Swordsman: If your suspicion turns out to be right, don’t hesitate—cut them down. If you hesitate, you’ll be the one cut.

ㄴㅇㅇ*: Understood.

I carved Gutter Swordsman's advice into my mind—and closed the gallery.