Golden Experience-Chapter 217: “Knight of Justice”

I admire knights.

I’ve always admired the cool knights who protected the weak in works of fiction. The character name I chose, “Justiz”, was chosen with the nuance of justice in mind.

While old stories featuring famous knights often involved complicated plots with adultery and betrayal, that’s just a part of being human and not necessarily bad.

This game is based on a typical fantasy world, and of course, knights appear in the game. The first announcement before the closed beta test, in the form of a 3D video, featured a character resembling a knight swinging a sword. That’s what prompted me to apply.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it through the beta tester selection, but I was able to start playing the game on the official launch day.

From that day on, the knightly tale of Justiz’s chivalry would begin.

What was initially surprising was the absence of a job or class system as a game mechanic. Even if a person behaved like a knight, it would be a self-proclaimed title, not a genuine knight. Like a black market doctor. I didn’t aspire to be such an outlaw; I wanted to be recognized socially, essentially as a knight in a government position.

As Justiz, I chose the “Aural Kingdom” as my starting country. This country had relatively strong monsters within its borders, making its knight order formidable. I chose Aural based on the official website’s description of the nation. If I was going to be a knight, I wanted to be in a strong knight order.

Upon my first random spawn, I found myself near a solemn city dominated by an imposing castle. Its name was Hugelcup. I thought it might be the royal capital, but it was not. However, according to the NPC residents, it had a longer history than the royal capital, and a new lord had taken office rather recently, bringing vitality to the city.

It had a truly fantasy-world feel, and I considered myself fortunate to land in this city randomly.

Even though there was no formal job system, as I walked through the city, I often encountered NPCs who dressed and behaved like knights. Although the system didn’t recognize them as such, they had an established social status.

So, I decided to observe the behavior of these NPC knights.

Their tasks, personalities, behavior patterns, their daily lives, and the people they associated with. Were there any irregularities, and how much were they earning? While I couldn’t investigate their salaries at this point, it seemed that their basic living expenses were covered by the nation or the city. They used some kind of wooden tag to pay for meals at restaurants or even for public baths. The same applied to accessories; they signed on a paper-like document and received items without direct payment.

Despite the uncertainty about their salaries, I reminded myself that this wasn’t about finding a job. It was just a game after all, and being able to play the role of a knight was enough satisfaction for me.

The city’s quests mainly focused on maintaining public order, exterminating monsters that occasionally appeared in the outskirts, and capturing criminals – all suitable tasks for knights. The residents I interacted with seemed to be decent people, and I avoided the shady areas where potential troublemakers gathered.

Considering that living expenses were subsidized by the country, even in this somewhat limited game world, there was no dissatisfaction. In other words, being a knight was a fantastic job choice. Hooray for civil servants!

These knights also frequently visited the mercenary guild. It seemed they handled quests on behalf of mercenaries. In areas like Hugelcup, where monster territories were nearby, early-game players could find limited opportunities to gain experience points. Since defeating enemies for experience was challenging, players had to complete quests posted by the mercenary guild to receive experience points as rewards.

However, in this city, the early-game quests were mostly taken care of by the knights. If players expressed their desire to take on a quest, the knights would yield, but the residents knew the knights were handling the requests. Some even thought it might be faster to directly request help from the knight order instead of going through the guild.

Gradually, the number of quests decreased, new players dwindled, and the lack of mid-level players meant the city became unusually sparsely populated for a metropolis.

Despite this, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the city and continued investigating.

Next, I decided to befriend the knights to learn how they had become knights. However, asking directly would surely raise suspicion. I needed to increase their favorability gradually and lower the barriers around their hearts.

Fortunately, I was confident in this aspect. After all, I had cleared many games of this genre, especially those where knights were involved.

So, I gradually became friends with the knights, and at one point, I managed to obtain what seemed to be crucial information.

It was a rumor about the rise and fall of the neighboring country, Hiers.

Although it was referred to as a rumor, it came from the mouths of knights serving the country, so there was a certain level of credibility.

I immediately looked into it on the game’s official forum, and it appeared that the word “Hiers” was missing from the official website.

The information was accurate; indeed, the neighboring country, Hiers, had fallen.

However, for players who could access the official site, it seemed strange that at this point, and with the technological standards of the game world, such news of a neighboring country’s demise was known only to the knights on the periphery.

If there were spies from Hiers, perhaps it could be explained, but even then, it would be unlikely for such information to reach the knights. Moreover, the knights didn’t seem to be hiding anything; it was more like they answered when asked.

It raised questions at the time, but without the ability to investigate further, I eventually forgot about it.

Several days later, a coup erupted in the capital of the Aural Kingdom.

However, I learned about it through the forum, and by the time I knew, it was already settling down.

What surprised me was not the coup itself, but the person who played a crucial role, perhaps even the main collaborator of the instigator.

That person turned out to be none other than the lord of Hugelcup, the city where I was based.

Maybe the rumors about the fall of Hiers were spread to divert the attention of the capital’s authorities towards the neighboring country, easing surveillance on internal matters. It was surprising that an NPC character would have such thoughts.

I now wanted to see that lord, and the newly crowned queen of the kingdom of Aural.

The royal capital was quite a distance away, but luckily, during the event period, there was a limited teleportation service allowing movement to a neighboring city once a day.

Using the event-limited teleportation service, I managed to slip into the Aural Kingdom’s capital the next day and witness the coronation ceremony of the new queen.

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At that moment, the fully armored knight standing next to the new queen was none other than the lord of Hugelcup.

From the physique, it was clear the lord was a woman. This was the first time I learned of this fact. Reflecting on my single-minded focus on researching knights, I realized I hadn’t investigated about the person I would serve, which was actually crucial.

The armor worn by the lord reflected the sunlight, gleaming in gold, and her majestic posture seemed like a painting.

Even during the ceremony, her helmet remained on, and the visor wasn’t raised. She was probably wary of potential assassins from the whole ordeal with the previous king. Despite the successful coup, the former king was still alive, kept for some purpose. If the new queen were assassinated by the former king’s faction, things would go back to square one.

It was a mindset suitable for a constant battlefield. Despite her high position as a lord, I couldn’t help but think there might not be a knight greater than her.

By this time, I was aware that, according to the game’s mechanics, professional knights could only serve as [Subordinates] under the noble class. Once becoming a subordinate, one could no longer gain experience points independently. However, there was no loss of experience points upon death.

It was a system with pros and cons, but for me, it wasn’t a crucial matter. Considering I could gain experience points as a salary, it was a system that felt quite fitting.

I thought.

I really wanted to become a subordinate and retainer of the lord of Hugelcup.

I stayed in the royal capital for a while, and eventually returned to Hugelcup to coincide with the lord’s return.

*

After several weeks had passed…

During the third event, the invasion of angels, I was summoned to the Hugelcup Castle.

On that day, as usual, I went to the Knight Order’s headquarters and submitted the cloudy gems I had, proof of my subjugation of the angels.

Based on what is posted on the forum, it seems that such a practice doesn’t exist in other countries, but here in Aural, the cloudy gems dropped by these angels, referred to as [Pure Hearts], are collected by the Knight Order and guards at their headquarters. The more gems you submit, the higher the contribution to the country, leading to more rewards. To prevent fraud during submission, a handwritten signature is required, and I complied every time.

Perhaps due to this system, there seemed to be a slight increase in players coming to Aural during this event.

In Hiers, a merchants’ association has been formed, and it seems they buy the Pure Hearts. According to the information gathered from the city’s residents, hearts have no other useful purpose. Essentially, the purpose is similar to Aural: they want more mercenaries to defeat angels.

Since Hiers no longer has a national government, the merchant association has risen as the representative of the remaining citizens.

In the Wells Kingdom, an NPC called the “Saint” has appeared, fighting angels and monsters to protect the people, mainly in the capital.

This Saint is said to be exceptionally beautiful, and this, too, attracts players who are interested in her.

Considering these situations, I thought that the game operators might be deliberately promoting these three nations to focus on protecting the humans that are relatively weaker as a race. NPCs like those actively working and defending players contribute to this effort.

Regardless, I submitted pure hearts and signed as usual. During this routine, a knight working directly under the lord, whom I rarely saw, approached me.

According to the knight, in Aural, where knights and soldiers are excellent, the foreigners—a designation for players—are as active as the knights, and the name of one of them had caught the attention of the lord. In other words, the knight was asking if I would be interested in serving as a knight of Hugelcup.

I was so overjoyed that I jumped up and down.

Players submitted hearts just for the rewards, but I was different. The aspect of contributing to the country mattered more to me.

If they were measuring players’ contributions from their side, or if they just happened to see that I was working hard at it, maybe that could open up the path to becoming a knight.

With that intention in mind, I put a lot of effort into the event.

The offer from the knight was the result of those thoughts bearing fruit.

The signing during submission was not only for preventing fraud but also, presumably, to create a ranking of submitters on the lord’s side. Perhaps that’s how I ranked high.

Escorted by the knight, I entered the castle, and the interior was as splendid and impressive as seen from the outside.

Not overly extravagant, the furnishings all seemed seasoned, with a sense of cherishing the old.

Conversely, there was nothing new.

It probably meant that since the change of lords, no unnecessary new furniture had been purchased.

From such aspects, the lord’s personality, a knight’s simple and sturdy nature, could be inferred.

Passing through several corridors, going up stairs, and turning corners, they were led to a room resembling an office.

Inside the room, shelves of well-used books and a desk were placed, and the woman presumed to be the lord seemed to be working on some paperwork.

A gentle beauty with long black hair flowing down her back without being tied up.

Perhaps due to not wearing armor, her appearance was quite different from what I had seen before, but there was no way another person would pose as the lord inside the lord’s own office.

The clothing she wore had a refined design suitable for nobility, not overly extravagant, with a functional aspect. It was similar to the image of the castle thus far.

Having confirmed that the knight and I were allowed to enter, the lord stood up and walked toward me.

“So you are Justiz. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re said to be an exceptionally talented fellow. Not only that, you are very active in protecting the city, which is unusual for a foreigner. Oh, sorry, it’s not my intention to discriminate against foreigners.”

“Oh no! it’s true that there are many self-centered people out there!”

It was something unavoidable for players. Even so, it’s better for NPC residents to have a high favorability if you plan to make the city your base.

Players who find all this troublesome can opt to play as a monster, or play as outlaws like gangs or thieves.

“You may have heard this already, but I invited you to meet me today to see if you would be interested in becoming my knight. Of course, even if you decline, I won’t do anything special to you, and I’ll still give you your deserved reward for all the work you have done so far. I don’t know how it is for you foreigners, as I have not yet heard of any precedent, but for us, officially becoming someone’s subordinate is a lifelong issue. You may take the time you need to think about the matter.”

Time to think is not necessary for this.

“It’s fine! Thank you very much! Please make me your knight!”

《Do you wish to apply to become a subordinate of [Individual Name: Lyrienne Hugelcup]?》

In response to my plea, a confirmation request message arrived from the system. Of course, the answer is yes.

Before that, I couldn’t get her name, but this Lyrienne must be the lord. The surname is attached to the city.

” ── ! …I see then. Is it okay? If your feelings are true, I could appoint you right now.”

“It’s okay! My feelings are true!”

“…Your reaction resembles someone I know, a bit. Well, if you say so. Then I will allow it. You are now my subordinate. I will be relying on you from now on.”

《You have become a [Subordinate] of [Individual Name: Lyrienne Hugelcup]》

《Please refer to the help section for specifications when the player becomes a [Subordinate]》

There’s no need to refer to that. I’ve read and learned that specification since I found out about it.

“Normally, I would hold a simple investiture ceremony, but I hope you will forgive me, as this is a time of emergency.”

I suppose the emergency means that we are in the middle of the third official event. There was no way they could be holding a ceremony in the midst of the angels’ attacks.

“Don’t worry about it!”

“…That’s very kind of you to say. So first of all, the supplies. If you want to purchase additional equipment, please use this base sheet. There’s a disposable copy of the paper between them, so when you sign, just give the signed one to the store and the copy to the accountant. You can ask Kirkus, the knight who escorted you here, for the location of the accountant later. The copy has two sides, so make sure you don’t make a mistake. And then──”

“Um, excuse me, what sheet?”

“Oops, my apologies. I’ve recently started importing items from a nearby city. Look, this is what I mean… It’s a thin sheet of paper with a special coating on one side. If you put it between the pieces of paper you want to write on and write on a hard table like this, you can write…”

Lord Lyrienne signed three sheets of paper on her office desk.

Then, the signature, which should have been written only on the first sheet, was copied on the third sheet of paper in exactly the same handwriting.

“What is this? Scanning? Is it a scan or a copy? Is this some kind of magic item?” (T/N: he doesn’t know carbon paper lol)

“No, you see this piece of black paper on one side that I put between here and there? It’s thanks to this. When you write on it, the black paint is transferred to the paper facing you by the pressure of the brush. So you have to make sure that the black side of the paper is facing down when you put it between them. Be careful.”

I was surprised that it was possible to copy signatures not by magic or skill, but by pure industrial technology. However, it is said that the creation of the paint itself requires skills such as [Medicine Preparation] and [Blacksmithing].

I have never seen such an item in reality. In fact, there is no such thing as a handwritten signature, and in this day and age when it is possible to make not only a copy of a signature, but a copy of anything made of common materials, whether paper, metal, or synthetic resin, it’s a completely unnecessary technology.

It would be a special technological system specialized for sign copying, like a so-called ‘Galapagos evolution’.

“And this is a discount coupon for things like meals and such. Don’t lose it. A counterpart to this ticket is distributed at every restaurant in the city. These tickets have a special magic spell on them, and the letters on them light up when they are paired with their counterparts. If you give this ticket, you can eat at almost any restaurant around. The castle’s accounting department will pay the entire bill, so you don’t have to worry about it. The same goes for bathhouses.”

Normally, I would not be able to remember all of this if it were explained to me all at once, but after stalking the knights and studying their behavior all this time, it is all natural. I already know a lot of the details, so remembering this is not tough.

“For now, this is all I have to explain. I will have another knight show you to your dormitory later. It is strictly forbidden to use the opposite gender’s, so Kirkus cannot guide you to the women’s dormitory.

We are aware that foreigners sometimes sleep irregularly and for long periods of time, so rest assured that we will make it known that, as a rule, no one will be allowed in your room.”

That would be honestly helpful.

The fact that they are so conscientious about a player’s situation suggests that the event of becoming a knight of the lord may be a special event that can take place as long as certain conditions are fulfilled.

If this information is shared online, it may increase my number of player colleagues, but it would feel a bit regrettable.

I usually don’t post much in chat threads, but I do check the forum and social media.

In main event threads, and threads of various countries, there are usually one or two players who talk about experiences they’ve had and that make it seem like they are the main characters of the game.

For example, there’s a player named Wayne in the neighboring country, Hiers.

His encounter rate with event bosses is abnormally high. Perhaps due to being at the forefront during the event that triggered Hiers’ downfall, it seems he’s even recognized by NPC event bosses. Party members have mentioned being addressed with things like “Are you him?”

Honestly, I envy that.

I want to experience something special like that.

In Aural, the well-known players are Yoichi and Monkey-something, but they are more of a comedy duo or a special category. They weren’t directly involved in the coup in the capital.

Since that’s the case, maybe we can decide the “protagonist” of Aural Kingdom is here.

And when it comes to a protagonist, it has to be an adventurer or a knight. Not a strange person like someone in a nurse outfit.

“Next, I’ll supply you with some equipment. It’s a set of armor. A special piece with the lord’s emblem engraved on the chest and shield. Not that you are a foreigner, but I will give you something that has a matching design but is made of a different material than the rest of the knights. We need to field test some new equipment ideas. Well, I’d like you to try one out as part of your first mission.”

Lord Lyrienne guided me herself to a cold room in the basement of the castle.

The hallway was dimly lit, but the room was bright. If you looked up, you could see magical lights generously installed.

Speaking of magical lights, they’re not cheap. Considering that, it’s an extravagance unheard of in the city.

But judging from the image of the castle and the character of the lord, it doesn’t seem like they’re wasting money.

It’s likely that they’ve created the best environment for storing the equipment of the knights protecting the city.

“This is it. I don’t know if you’re aware, but two types of metal are used in this armor. The platinum-colored part, which serves as the base, is made of Mithril, a light and magic-friendly metal. Its strength isn’t that high, but of course, it’s stronger than iron or magic iron. And the black metal present alongside the Mithril, called Adamas, has low magic affinity, but it’s extremely tough, making it very durable. It has high defensive performance against physical and magical attacks.”

In this game, I haven’t heard much about them, but both are famous fantasy metals. I heard that someone received Mithril as a reward for the previous event, but Adamas is completely new to me. Even though it’s famous, if I haven’t heard of it, it might be a very rare and high-rank material.

“Then, the sword and shield. They’re made of the same material. Especially the sword, it was made using a unique technique that uses Mithril as the core and Adamas for the skin. This is the first complete product created after numerous trials and errors. I’d like you to test it and use it to improve it in the future.”

“Um, isn’t this, like, an incredibly valuable item?”

“Fufu. No need to be so nervous. The manufacturing technique itself has already been established. With the right materials, we can make as many as we want. All we have to do is brush it up and perfect it.”

Wow. Maybe this is a first clear bonus for a special event, or something like that…

No, it has to be.

If people find out, I might be targeted by PKs.

If it was just me, I wouldn’t mind, but I would lose face with the lord who trusted me with this equipment.

I can’t leak information about any of this to other players.

“Also, um, there’s something a little sweet from the armor? Like it has a certain smell──”

“…Ah. Well, some parts are reused from equipment I previously used before. Sorry about that.”

“No! Not at all! Thank you very much!”

“?? Well, never mind then. Now, as you might have guessed, what I’m looking for in you is what you could call a magic swordsman. You could see it as an all-rounder, a versatile warrior with high proficiency in both swordsmanship and magic. I believe this equipment will be necessary for that. Of course, I’ll prepare other things, like a teacher or support staff. I’m also thinking of quests that will help you grow. For example…”

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