Reborn as an Overpowered Character in the Early Stages of the Game~ Realizing I’m Transferred to a Game World Only After Getting Involved in Prequel Events~

Alshade side(1):

My meeting with Rios wasn’t a dramatic one. After all, we were both bound by ropes and in complete darkness, unable to see each other’s faces.

I did talk to Rios partly because I wanted to be freed from the binds, but mostly to distract myself from constantly thinking about how Vivian betrayed me. 

I didn’t want to get close to him and cooperate only to have him betray me too.

 I tried to keep up a façade, but his intelligence shattered my plan much earlier than expected.

When he spoke politely, it created a mental barrier that made it hard for us to become friends.

 So, I decided to tell him the situation, and he asked, “So, there’s a traitor?” 

Thanks to him, though forcibly, I came to terms with the reality of our situation.

Even though we were both captured kids, I couldn’t trust him completely, but I managed to hide that fact from him.

Thanks to that incident, I became aware of our current situation, which I now think was for the best. 

When I used “Illuminate” to create light and saw Rios’ appearance, I was surprised.

His wild, unkempt black hair covered his eyes and ears, but it was alright.

However, he was dressed in shabby, dirty hemp clothes. 

Despite that, he still spoke respectfully, and I thought he must be well-educated, probably coming from a wealthy family.

But my assumptions were wrong; he looked like a kid from the slums. 

It threw me off a bit, but I saw that he was also looking at me with admiration, so I didn’t let him see through my act.

 At that time, I thought teasing him about magic would be a good distraction.

 Looking back, I regret it; he might have given me cute reactions or interesting responses if I had been more sincere.

Anyway, my guard towards him started to loosen after that one incident.

“Could you untie me first? I can’t move with my hands tied behind my back,” he asked with a serious face and tone.

That wasn’t the right moment for such a thing.

Well, I couldn’t see his eyes, but he had an air that reminded me of how Father would act when trying to look cool while speaking seriously

 But after agreeing to help and letting him roll over, I couldn’t help but laugh.

 No matter how many times he spun, his face stayed exactly the same. 

It was almost like he was obsessed with that appearance.

Because of that surreal sight, my tension snapped, and I laughed without considering the awkwardness of the situation or the possibility of offending Rios. 

If that was part of his plan, I’d be impressed. But judging from the embarrassment and the slight humiliation on his blushing face afterward, it probably wasn’t.

His subsequent blushing and the slight humiliation on his face when he realized what had happened still evoke indescribable sensations when I think back to it.

But no, no, I can’t let my thoughts wander. I am a noble and a lady. Yes, everything is fine.

Going back to the story, after we untied each other, I told him about the possibility of a secret passage and asked for his help in searching for it. 

Even though I hadn’t expected one to exist, his information made it more likely that there was one in the underground cellar where we were held captive, and that excitement got to me.

His proposal before the search was accurate, and at this point, I already had some trust in him.

We found the hidden passage surprisingly quickly, and it all went too smoothly, making me a bit nervous.

I would have never thought that my necklace, which I used for self-defense, would become the key. It seemed too good to be a coincidence, but I couldn’t find any explanation other than an unexpected stroke of luck.

Finally, after closing the entrance, we were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Once we entered the hidden passage, Rios commented that the ceiling blended so seamlessly with the walls that it was hard to distinguish.

I wanted to explain how my earth magic allowed me to blend the surrounding stones so flawlessly that there were no discernible gaps. The grains of sand I generate must be neither too many nor too few, and I have to pay attention to the pattern of the stones.

 But when I considered that he didn’t know anything about magic, let alone magical tools, I gave up on explaining.

Instead, I talked about the promised necklace while we descended the stairs. 

When we reached the end, I went ahead and waited. However, it seemed like Rios was lost in thought and accidentally missed a step on the stairs. He didn’t tumble down, but his face collided with the floor. It was such a silly sight that I couldn’t help but feel exasperated.

When I pushed aside his bangs to check for injuries, I was surprised to see his beautiful golden eyes. 

Those golden eyes indicated a high affinity for the rare and valuable attribute of lightning. 

Those skilled in lightning manipulation are highly sought-after individuals in royal circles, being employed as royal guards or court mages. That’s why I wanted him as a trustworthy ally in the future.

First, I provided him with an explanation that seemed to outweigh the benefits of the proposal with disadvantages.

 Naturally, I avoided mentioning the perks of being a royal guard or court mage. While my family wields significant power, it doesn’t compare to the royal family, let alone dukes and marquesses.

If he knew the full extent of the benefits, he might have chosen to go there instead, so I didn’t say anything about that.

Asking him to become a knight immediately felt strange, so I suggested he could be hired as a soldier, and he readily agreed without hesitation. 

Even though he expressed gratitude happily, I couldn’t help feeling guilty and disgusted with myself for betraying his trust. Still, I maintained my composure outwardly.

It was fortunate that the skeletons appeared just then, as fighting alongside him helped alleviate some of the guilt and disgust I felt.

However, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but dislike the idea of trying to win favors and calculating my actions like a future noble heir, even if it was the right thing to do.

Of course, I couldn’t let Rios realize I was thinking this way, so I teased and distracted him while fighting the undead. 

At one point, he mentioned recognizing someone who recently died and was thrown into a pit. I asserted that seeing a corpse wouldn’t disturb me.

Then, he said something completely unexpected. “That guy is probably naked. And lying on his back.” The mention of nudity made me lose my composure, and I let out a loud exclamation. I mean, I’ve never seen someone of the opposite sex naked before.

I could handle seeing someone topless, but full nudity was too much for me. 

Thankfully, Rios offered to carry me while covering my eyes. With my “Illumination” spell, we should have enough time to escape from the undead.

Feeling his warmth while being carried on his back, I experienced a brief moment of solace. 

Since the betrayal by Vivian, I’ve found it difficult to trust most people, including those I had trusted before. The fear that all the kindness shown to me might have been a lie haunted me.

My feelings toward Rios were no different.

 I still couldn’t fully trust or rely on him. 

But in that moment, carried on his back, I felt a sense of comfort. 

Even so, I realized I still desired someone I could truly trust and find peace with.

That’s why, sooner than planned, I decided to propose the idea of making him my knight before we emerged from the underground.

—

If you like this novel, Please leave ratings and review in NovelUpdates.>>HERE

 
If you’d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 5 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi: