Chapter 11: Knight's Token
"Ugh..."
Indeed, the expression on Priscilla's face became even more of a sight to see.
But it was only for a brief moment.
From the intimidating presence that overwhelmed a Low-Rank Administrator to knowing about the 'Knight's Token'.
It was impossible to think of him as an ordinary human.
'...There's something more to him.'
Priscilla was certain of it.
"If I were to give you the Knight's Token... what could you do for me? I'll tell you beforehand, I won't be moved by just anything."
'She took the bait.'
Yohan struggled to calm the twitching corners of his mouth.
Mindlessly snatching the prey that has taken the bait is what newbies do.
The realm of a veteran is to send that bait back to its habitat and catch its entire family and all its relatives.
From now on.
It was time to lay the groundwork to have not just Priscilla, but all the Low-Rank Administrators, in the palm of his hand.
"I'll give you Divine Spirit Grass."
"Eh, what? Just some Divine Spirit... what? D-Divine Spirit Grass!!?? Don't tell me, are you talking about the one I know?"
"Yes. That one."
Those belonging to the Low-Rank Administrators, like Priscilla, had to eat the special, mana-imbued Divine Spirit Grass once a month.
Just as water and air are essential to humans, it meant it was a necessity for survival.
However.
The Mid-Rank Administrator, the White Leader, used that as leverage to work the Low-Rank Administrators like slaves.
It was to the point where they would only give them a minuscule amount right before they were on the verge of fainting.
Thanks to that, Priscilla was always desperate for Divine Spirit Grass.
And.
Yohan was proposing the very thing Priscilla wanted most.
"Of course, I can't give it to you right now. However, I can get it and hand it over within a month. As for the amount, I'll give you 400, no, 500g."
That was enough to last for at least five months.
'Seeing her drool, I don't even need to hear her answer.'
"You... really promise?"
"I'm not foolish enough to lie about a contract with a Low-Rank Administrator. I hate the idea of taking on a penalty before the episode even starts."
"Seeing as you know about the contracts, this probably isn't a lie."
"Then, do we have an agreement?"
Yohan extended his hand toward the small fairy.
Priscilla carefully clasped his hand.
[Priscilla activates 'Administrator's Deal'!]
[The 'Knight's Token' is being imprinted!]
Tssssk!
A golden embroidery seeped into his flesh.
He had finally obtained the mark that would only appear under specific conditions.
'Good.'
'With this, the first task is complete.'
"You should be grateful. Only a very small number of people get that."
"Yeah. Thanks."
Yohan smiled faintly as he looked at the star-cross-shaped mark engraved on the back of his hand.
"When my other colleagues gave this to humans, they would cheer and even shed tears, so why did I have to run into a block of wood like this..."
Priscilla's grumbling grew louder.
'She's really trying to make a big deal out of this.'
Still, it was an undeniable fact that it was the most efficient way to proceed through the early parts.
Above all, he needed this to be able to create that event with 'him' in the fourth episode.
Of course, there was a catch.
The longer one held the Knight's Token, the more it turned into a double-edged sword.
'Well, that's a story for later anyway.'
For now, it was time to fully enjoy the fortuitous encounter he had just obtained.
'I know all the details, but still, it's my first gain, so should I check it out?'
[Knight's Token]
Description
You can select one of the traits obtainable before Episode (3).
When facing Warrior-types, Attack Power and Defense will each increase by +5.
Affinity with Holy-types will increase by +5.
The letters appeared clearly in his head.
It was content so familiar he could recite it in his sleep.
But, of course, the first time bonus is always better.
Yohan viewed the detailed information of the Knight's Token he had received.
[Knight's Token]
Description
You can select one of the traits obtainable before Episode (5).
When facing Warrior-types, Attack Power and Defense will each increase by +10.
Holy Power will increase by +10.
[Price: Obtain 'Divine Spirit Grass' and hand it over to the Low-Rank Administrator Priscilla within one month.]
"Good heavens..."
Yohan let out an exclamation without even realizing it.
Because the contents written on the Knight's Token had completely caught him off guard.
＊＊＊
'Let's think.'
'Why are the contents different from what I knew?'
One hypothesis was that a butterfly effect had occurred due to his existence.
However.
Right now, the apocalypse hadn't even properly started yet.
To conclude that such a thing had happened just by meeting a Low-Rank Administrator was too much of a leap in logic.
The probability that the clueless Priscilla in front of him had played a prank of her own discretion was even lower.
'There's definitely something more to this.'
Yohan's mind raced.
From the very beginning until now.
He chewed over every single step he had taken, retracing them to see if he had missed any minor clues.
However, no matter how much he pondered, no brilliant reason came to mind.
He could only surmise that something wanted him to become stronger.
"Why are you spacing out like that? Is it because it's so much better than you thought? Then again, you've faced monsters now, so you must have a rough idea of how great it is to claim a Skill or Trait first, right?"
Priscilla approached, smiling bashfully.
Her being nosy was just a bonus.
"A Skill is a unique ability that each class has. On the other hand, a Trait is an ability you can get regardless of your class."
While Skills could lead to higher-tier authorities by following a skill tree, their scope was limited by class.
It meant that while a mage could learn Fireball and later use Hellfire, they couldn't suddenly start sword dancing or assassinating someone.
On the other hand, while Traits were highly versatile, the number one could possess was limited.
At this point in time, everyone could have a maximum of three.
"Are you a complete newbie, so you don't know which Trait to pick? To give you a hint, that Episode (3) is a kind of sequence."
"Episode (3), you say?"
"Yep. Isn't that what's displayed for you?"
'(3)...'
'So that's how it is.'
"Yes. You're right. It was just a bit confusing because it's unfamiliar."
With this, he had confirmed one more piece of information.
The Low-Rank Administrator couldn't see the upgraded rewards.
"I'll take my time choosing."
There was no need to show her that he was picking a Trait from Episode (5).
While he had half a leash on her, it wasn't a relationship he could trust yet.
'In the first place, you can't easily trust the Low-Rank Administrators.'
They were cogs that moved according to the rules of the episode. They could change in an instant, especially if a Mid-Rank Administrator intervened.
"I was curious what you would pick, but it can't be helped if you're disappointed. I get it. Take your time and choose when you have a moment."
"More importantly, can you tell me who the other humans who received the Knight's Token are?"
"Huh? That... I can't. No, it's not that I don't want to tell you. I can't say. Why would I lie when I'm supposed to be getting Divine Spirit Grass from you?"
'So there's a restriction on it.'
'Then again, they wouldn't let a single Low-Rank Administrator ruin an important event that reaches much higher up the chain of command.'
If he could have identified everyone who had a Knight's Token, he could have guided the future in a much more advantageous direction.
That part was a little disappointing.
Still.
'What I've gained is unbelievable.'
The +10 to Attack Power and Defense in the early game was a merit that would let him hold his own against someone at least one rank higher.
But the real prize was the Holy Power.
It didn't just give him Affinity; it gave him Holy Power itself.
Considering a novice priest who has just joined an order gets 10 Holy Power after a full year of training, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had just been handed an equivalent advantage for free.
"I understand. I'll take it from here. You must be busy, so don't worry about me and get going."
The 'Withered Garden' wasn't the only area Priscilla was in charge of.
Since she was responsible for nearly half of Gangdong-gu, she had to move around as much as possible to find the next candidate.
"Hehe. How considerate. Ah! I'll give you one more piece of advice, for the most promising prospect."
Priscilla, who had been flying up into the air, added one more word.
"You'd be fine, I'm sure, but don't get too greedy here. Just get the boss and get out. If by some chance, at the very bottom... Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!"
Priscilla barely managed to peel off the large piece of white tape that had been stuck to her mouth.
"Puhaa! I almost suffocated to death. Anyway, please keep this in mind. If you, the one who received the Knight's Token from me, die, my performance review will be a total disaster!"
Vacation! Rewards! Divine Spirit Grass! And so on.
It meant a major red flag would be raised for her future as a Low-Rank Administrator.
Of course, Yohan knew what Priscilla was trying to say.
That it wasn't about the 12-star boss monster that was here.
The real thing was in the deepest part of this garden.
She was probably trying to warn him about that being, before she was sanctioned.
But.
'Too bad.'
'My ultimate goal for coming here is to meet that very being.'
'She probably planned to hold onto her golden rope and watch from the sidelines before heading off to some nice summer resort.'
'Not a chance.'
'Whether her vacation gets cut or all her rewards disappear...'
'Let her sweat bullets and watch.'
Yohan flashed a wicked smile.
And with that, he had secured one of the core fortuitous encounters he absolutely had to obtain here.
His heart began to pound pleasantly.
And why wouldn't it?
Wasn't this the one week he had wanted so desperately?
The fact that he could gain fortuitous encounters here, grow stronger, and prepare for the future was a thrill that couldn't be compared to anything else.
Now that he had crossed the first mountain, it was time to move on to the next.
Soon, it would be the fourth day.
Normally, by the fourth day, it was the time when all the gateways to the boss would have been cleared.
'Up to the 999th playthrough, it was always finished within 4 days at the shortest, 5 at the longest.'
If so, the main force of the raid parties should be at the 'Greenhouse', the center of the garden, by now.
Yohan fumbled through his memories and gauged the approximate location.
If he moved quickly, it was a distance he could cover in a few hours.
[The 'Sapphire Rattlesnake of the Mirror Cave' activates 'Prey Detection'!]
As the snake's tongue flickered, a faint wave spread out.
An ability that could detect enemies within a 300-meter radius.
Since there was no need to hunt monsters, finding a safe path like this was the best course of action.
[Blood Art 'Lowest-Rank Vampire Bat' is summoned!]
"Kyut!"
Of course, he had also placed an eye in the sky.
'It would be easier to fly, but if there's a witness, it'll become a headache.'
A cloudless sky.
Flying was not a good option.
After packing a few necessary items, Yohan moved quickly.
How long had he been moving?
Yohan glanced sideways toward the empty air.
'At this point, there's no way Priscilla is still peeking.'
He was just walking, continuously avoiding monsters without doing anything special.
From a Low-Rank Administrator's perspective, it would feel like watching a documentary with zero stimulation.
It meant that even if she had stuck around thinking 'what if?', she would have long since gone to another candidate by now.
Finally...
The opportunity to choose the benefit he had gained through the 'Knight's Token' had arrived.
[Traits selectable before Episode (5) will now be listed!]
[Please select one of the 512 traits.]
'Now then, which one should I pick?'
