Trapped in game - 07

Unlike other noble families that inherit wealth and influence through generations, the Hale family was originally just a regular knight family that was later elevated to honorary nobility with the title of Marquiss, thanks to their remarkable services. But what sets them apart is their unique legacy of a mysterious aura that only some of their descendants possess. This aura gives them extraordinary abilities in swordsmanship, making them respected swordmasters. That aura might also be the origin of the name Hale, which sounds bold and reflects the strength they possess.

"I just found out," Lucian muttered, his fingers flipping through the pages of the document he was reading, then he remembered his own status, "My magic point is really low, so clearly not a mage. My strength isn't that impressive either, so I guess I'm not a swordmaster. Hahaha... But that doesn't make sense. The Hale family is famous for their sword experts. The real Lucian should have inherited that talent, right? Unless... something's wrong. Or... maybe he's adopted?" Lucian started analyzing the information he had, his mind racing, looking for more clues.

[Notification; Your assumption is way off.]

Lucian slammed his hand on the bookshelves, making the books around him shake a bit. "WHY DOES THIS NOTIFICATION KEEP POPPING UP OUT OF NOWHERE?! IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the quiet room. He pointed at the notification board, "And why is there so little info about me?! I don't even know what my face looks like! Damn it! I haven't even had a chance to look in a mirror since I got into this world! Are mirrors here some kind of antique?! This is ridiculous!" He raked his hair in frustration. His anger was boiling over.

[Notification; We only need to inform the Playable Character (PC), as most players check the information of the playable character (PC) before rolling.]

"What the heck is that?" He was still staring at the notification board, his frustration evident from his clenched jaw. His eyebrows were raised and his eyes narrowed, radiating a strong vibe of dislike. He seemed unable to hold back, but his emotions were clearly visible.

[Notification; This is one of the marketing techniques, didn't you know about that?]

[Notification; (⁠ʘ⁠ᗩ⁠ʘ⁠'⁠)]

"Damn, emoticons again. Hey, you guys are trying to hide something again, huh?" Lucian stared at the notification while raising his eyebrows, his determination to unravel the mystery behind the system grew stronger.

Silence enveloped the room. It's heavy, it's pressing, like a weight on Lucian's chest. He sighed. "Huh, I should be used to this capitalist system," he muttered, his voice like a barely audible whisper.

"By the way, from that document earlier, it seems that this family is very influential, but why isn't there a single playable character from this family? It's so strange..." He scratched his head, frustrated. He tried various ways to provoke the system, asking provocative questions, and even statements that were supposed to trigger a response.

However, the system remains silent. The silence is chilling, like a noose tightening. Lucian feels like he's talking to a cold stone wall. He sighs again. Despair starts to creep in, like a cold snake wrapping around his heart.

"Well, that's all I got today," said Lucian, his voice flat, but his eyes were still scanning the books around him, looking for more clues. He returned the document he had read earlier to the shelf, curiosity still burning inside him. Suddenly, THUD! A loud sound like a heavy object falling came from behind the bookshelf. Lucian frowned, his curiosity overcoming his fear. He carefully set the book down, then slowly approached the sound.

"Who's there?" Lucian asked, his voice cautious. A young maid, with dark green hair like moss growing on old stone walls, slumped on the floor. Her eyes, a bright lime green, flickered like a small flame. "Ow, my head...." The maid groaned, her voice weak, holding her head which seemed to have hit one of the bookshelves.

Lucian frowned. He seemed to recognize the maid, "You...?" he asked, his voice flat, but his eyes keenly observing every detail of the maid.

The maid looked shocked to hear Lucian's voice. "Young Master Lucian?!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling. She realized that Lucian was standing in front of her without a mask—something that rarely happened, as everyone in the mansion knew Lucian's habit of always covering half his face. "No, I saw his eyes," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "I'm definitely going to be done for..." She curled up tighter, fear radiating from her entire body.

Lucian frowned. There was something strange about the maid's reaction. "Calm down, you're okay, right?" he asked, his voice soft, but his eyes remained sharp as he observed her.

The maid shook her head in panic. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She kept repeating those words, her voice getting louder, filled with immense fear. "I, this lowly one, shouldn't be looking at your face!" She bowed deeply, her body shaking violently. "I'm sorry..."

"Calm down," Lucian said, his voice gentle, trying to soothe the frightened maid. "Hikk!!! I'm sorry!!!" The maid was still sobbing, her body shaking violently. She curled up on the floor, covering her face with both hands.

Lucian's patience was running thin. "I told you to calm down!" his voice rose, his eyes blazing sharp like a flash of lightning in the night sky. It felt just like when the librarian showed up again, stronger and more intense.

The maid suddenly went silent. Her crying stopped. Her body tensed, but she looked calmer than before. "Yes," she said, her voice flat and calm, like a robot that had been turned off.

Lucian was a bit confused by the maid's sudden change, from hysterical crying to instant calm. He watched her closely, trying to understand what had just happened. There was something strange and mysterious about this maid. He sighed and then asked, "Huh, so what's your name?"

"My name is Natty," the maid replied, her voice flat and monotonous, without any intonation. She stared at Lucian with a blank look, like a doll being controlled by someone.

The name, simple and ordinary, but for Lucian right now, it resonated with a very deep meaning. Natty. The name instantly brought back such a clear memory of the game that had now become the world he inhabited.

He remembered the quest in the main story The Luminous Hero of Avandor, where the Player meets Natty, a maid who helps the player complete that quest. He even still remembered the small details, like how Natty helped the player defeat the first monster, and how the player received the Natty card as a reward.

The character card system in The Luminous Hero of Avandor is a complex system, with various card levels, from R to SSR. Even though the Natty card you get at the start of the game is only R level, it has some really useful buffs early on, boosting the Player's stats at the beginning of the main story.

"Why is Natty here? Shouldn't she be in the capital, working at the Guild?" Lucian wondered to himself, his voice sounding like a whisper. He still felt confused and a bit scared. He couldn't understand how Natty, a character from the game The Luminous Hero of Avandor, could be in this real world. He looked at Natty with a questioning gaze.

Suddenly, Natty was back to how she was before, her crying broke out again, her body shaking violently. Her expression changed from blank to filled with fear and panic. Lucian was taken aback. He didn't understand what was happening.

He tries to calm Natty down, but he realizes that he can't do anything. "I won't punish you," he said, his voice sounding soft, but firm. "Leave before I change my mind."

"Y-Yes!" Natty replied, her voice still trembling. He got up in a hurry, then walked away from Lucian with a staggered step.

After Natty left, Lucian let out a deep sigh. "As far as I remember he's not that kind of character?" he muttered, his voice sounding full of confusion. He tries to recall details about Natty in The Luminous Hero of Avandor, but can't find a plausible explanation. "Well, there's no point in thinking about it either," he said, then walked out of the room. However, he was stopped by a librarian he had previously met. The librarian stood in front of the door, his face looking cold and serious.

"As far as I remember," the librarian began, his voice formal and stiff, without the slightest hint of friendliness, "I don't get orders to let you into the library." He looked at Lucian with a cold and suspicious gaze, his dark eyes as if piercing into Lucian's soul. "How did you get into there?" He emphasized the word "sana" in a slightly threatening tone.

Lucian frowned, a sense of discomfort began to appear in his heart. "You forgot, huh? Didn't you let me?" he asked, his voice slightly raised, showing disbelief and a hint of annoyance. He remembered clearly how the librarian had let him in, but this librarian acted as if it had never happened.

The librarian shook his head slowly, his movements seemed mechanical and emotionless. "Looks like your memory is starting to fade, Young Master," he said, his voice sounding cold and merciless. "Get out quickly, or I will report this to the Great Master." The threat was implied in every word he said, and Lucian realized that he was facing something much more complicated than he had imagined.