Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 2

Kidnapping (2)

People always said that changes in life came without warning, violently and all at once.

Even so, a change of this magnitude arriving overnight felt a bit too much.

Today was the very day I had been dragged here with the declaration that we would be living together “starting today,” as if I had no right whatsoever to refuse the request to pretend to be a husband.

There had been a subtle threat that if I didn’t come along, she would hand over all the collected evidence of my crimes to the police.

All sorts of resistance and attempts to escape had been thoroughly sunk by Noel’s impenetrable, gentle smile, and in the end, the last mercy I had been granted was being allowed to leave behind a single letter telling my family that I’d be away for a while…

“From today on, you will be using this room.”

Inside, the knight assigned as my guide clattered in silver armor as she continued in a businesslike tone.

I had heard her name was Dame Stella. She was said to be Noel’s closest aide.

She was one of the only two people who knew about the sham marriage I had been forced into, along with Noel herself.

“We will station an orderly outside the door, so if you need anything, you may inform them, and it will be prepared without delay.”

“…Alright.”

“Before long, you will likely be entering the Imperial Palace. Please make sure you are well prepared.”

The sentences drifted through my dazed mind, tangled and jumbled, but I somehow managed to latch onto at least one thing to ask.

“…The Imperial Palace?”

“Lady Noel is a national hero who symbolizes the Imperial military. His Majesty the Emperor is always highly attentive to any rumors regarding her betrothal, so having an audience is unavoidable.”

“Is that really necessary—”

I fell silent when I saw Dame Stella’s expression.

Thinking about it, if they were going to let me refuse so easily, they wouldn’t have dragged me here without asking my opinion in the first place.

Instead, I decided to voice a slightly different doubt.

“Is it really alright to entrust something this important to me?”

It was a question that also contained the suspicion of whether it made any sense at all to request this insane charade of a sham marriage from someone like me.

“It is what Lady Noel has decided. There is no way it could not be alright.”

“….”

“Lady Noel has never once made a misguided decision.”

At those words, steeped in a trust so absolute it bordered on blind faith, I closed my mouth.

It felt as though she was rebuking me for even daring to question Noel’s judgment.

The thought that followed came to me quite naturally.

‘Is she insane?’

She possessed the makings of a madwoman.

If Noel claimed the sun rose in the west, she looked like the sort who would scold the sunrise the next morning for not appearing in the west.

“Well then, please rest comfortably.”

With those words, Dame Stella closed the door behind her and left the room. Soon after, I let out a quiet sigh.

Everything had happened so suddenly, but first things first—I needed to sort out the situation.

I sat in the chair and stared into empty space. As always, a window appeared before my eyes in response to my thoughts.

-Skill Info

◈ Weaver of Fate

Only you know the truth of this world. Build bonds with important figures in the main story to gain new rewards!

【 Noel Astrea Simus 】

 Bond: Level 1

 You may copy one skill.

I was speechless.

Setting aside the grandiose name of Weaver of Fate or whatever.

‘A Level 1 Bond with Noel?’

What kind of damned bond could there possibly be between someone who kidnapped me asking me to pretend to be her husband and the hostage who was dragged along against his will?

Even if I had any desire to cultivate a Stockholm syndrome, we hadn’t even had the bare minimum of interaction for that. We had only exchanged a handful of words.

Still, beneath that absurd term, there was at least one part that seemed worth looking at positively.

‘Skill copy…’

This meant I could perfectly mimic one of Noel’s abilities.

Considering Noel’s standing in this world, just having something like that at my disposal would be a tremendous advantage.

Because.

-Quest Info

▶ If you fail the events listed in this section, you will incur severe penalties!

◈ Sham Marriage

 You have been selected as Lady Noel’s spouse. Maintain this contract until the end!

 Additional information will be updated as incidents related to the main story approach!

I narrowed my eyes and glared at those windows.

Even just reading the words “sham marriage” made my stomach churn, but the bigger problem was the content written beneath that.

What exactly was this “main story”?

A fierce battle against the forces of evil that threatened the world.

A maelstrom of plots and schemes among countless warlords, brimming with the dangers of all-out war across the continent.

The grand tales of extraordinary people.

Which meant, in other words—

‘If I get involved, I’ll die.’

The problem was that whether I liked it or not, I was already entangled in it.

What should I do?

More precisely, how could I throw all of this away and run for it right now?

While I was wrestling with that thought, I suddenly heard the door burst open, the sound striking my ears.

Stella had said she would station an orderly outside. This must be them.

I quickly straightened my posture and schooled my expression.

Anyway, as long as I was stuck here, I had to play the part of Noel’s spouse.

“Nice to meet you. I am—”

Bang—!

Before I could finish my greeting, the person who had barged in spat out coldly.

“I am Gale Osron, Lady Noel’s longtime friend and the heir to the Osron Marquessate. Draw your sword.”

“….”

What the hell was this guy talking about?

No matter how I looked at it, this was definitely not something an orderly would say, and in fact, the man who had entered didn’t look like any orderly at all.

He was properly equipped with both a sword and armor, unmistakably the appearance of someone who had come fully prepared for a fight.

And on top of that, he was radiating a killing intent he didn’t even bother to conceal.

I barely managed to keep my cheeks from trembling as I forced myself to speak.

“Sorry, but I don’t quite—”

“I heard you’re Lady Noel’s betrothed. I’d like to see your skills.”

“…Why?”

No, seriously.

Why?

Were there only people like this gathered around Noel?

“I have never once heard anything about you from Lady Noel. Only today did I hear that she suddenly decided on this engagement.”

As he said that, Gale Osron drew his longsword with a sharp scraping sound.

“If my friend is going to accept someone as her spouse, I can’t be at ease without testing what kind of person he is myself. And when you cross blades with someone, you can see their true nature. Come at me.”

“….”

There was at least one fact I could clearly grasp.

There really were an awful lot of lunatics around Lady Noel.

Seeing the knight actually draw his sword and stride toward me, my gaze darted desperately back to the system window.

If I just stood here, I really might get stabbed. I had to do something—anything!

-System Message

▶ Activating the skill copy ability of ‘Skill: Weaver of Fate.’

▶ Analyzing the skill list of target ‘Noel Astrea Simus.’

▶ Displaying the most valuable skills in order from the top—

I picked the very first one without even looking. I didn’t care what it was, I just needed something to get me out of this situation right now!

-System Message

▶ Copying ‘Unique Ability: Heart of Pure White.’

▶ This is an ability possessed only by this individual in the entire world.

▶ Target ‘Noel’ may become more interested in you!

Some ominous phrase flitted across my vision, but I had no time to pay attention to it.

“I will take the first move.”

“….”

Where had he sold off his chivalry?

Shouldn’t he at least offer me the first strike?

“Stand properly and show me your skill!”

With those words, as the blade came crashing down on me, I squeezed my eyes shut.

▣

“How does he look?”

At the gentle voice that posed the question, Stella barely suppressed the sigh that threatened to spill out.

She couldn’t commit such a discourtesy in front of the esteemed Lady Noel.

“He seems utterly terrified.”

“To what extent?”

“It’s clear on his face that he feels he’s been dragged into something he can’t handle. He looks like a puppy left out in the rain.”

At the string of curt remarks, Noel couldn’t hold back a laugh that burst out from her lips.

It must have been quite amusing to her—she even set down the wooden practice sword she had been lightly swinging around.

“That’s perfectly natural, Stella. If he had actually adapted to all this right away, I think I would’ve been more unsettled.”

“….”

Noel Astrea Simus—or the Lionhearted, as she was called—held a position within the military that was nothing short of absolute.

Stella herself was also someone who contributed to that overwhelming atmosphere, but seeing this attitude, she couldn’t help questioning it.

“May I ask you one thing?”

“Speak.”

“Why, of all people, did you choose that man?”

Noel’s red eyes, glinting as she wiped sweat from her brow, slowly turned toward Stella.

They held no emotion or intention, and yet, the moment Stella met that transparent gaze, she had to struggle to steady the breath that nearly caught in her throat.

Even just sharing the same space was enough to make the difference in presence impossible to ignore.

As if—

As if the entire world had been designed to revolve around this woman.

So it was only inevitable that the voice she managed to raise next came out slightly choked.

“…When it comes to marriage candidates, there were plenty of others. Anyone would have been better than that man—”

“Don’t joke.”

But before the question could go any further, Noel cut her off mid-sentence with a firm voice.

“In this situation, no matter who I married, it would cause an uproar. You know that as well as I do, don’t you, Stella?”

Indeed, that was true.

It had only been a year since the allied war—which had plunged the entire continent into a pit of conflict for decades—had finally come to an end.

In such circumstances—

If a national hero, second in prestige only to the Emperor himself, aligned herself with any particular faction through marriage, it would almost certainly spark a butterfly effect that could shatter the fragile peace holding everything together.

“Then wouldn’t it be simpler to just reject everyone outright?”

“Well, that would be fine in every other case. But when His Highness the Prince is personally pressing the matter, even I can’t just push back.”

At that, Stella could only fall silent.

No matter how renowned Noel was as a knight who had etched her name into imperial history, she was still ultimately a soldier under the Imperial military. If a direct member of the imperial family took the lead in forcing a betrothal, it was a situation so dizzying that it was unbearable to even imagine.

Especially for anyone who knew the rumors about the prince who had ended up as a candidate.

“Right. That sort of marriage is something I refuse as well. So, this is the alternative.”

As Stella’s face turned pale, Noel gave a wry chuckle and continued.

“An outsider with no political backing whatsoever, who appeared out of nowhere. If I just say we fell in love and decided to marry, even His Highness the Prince wouldn’t be able to nitpick to the end, would he?”

“…Even within that category, there still must have been plenty of replacements for that man named Aiden.”

At Stella’s words, still spoken in her stiff tone, Noel tilted her head at an angle.

“Stella, didn’t you ever look into that man’s background?”

“I recall there was nothing remarkable about it.”

A swindler from the back alleys. A petty criminal who’d never been involved in any major cases.

So utterly unremarkable that he hadn’t even been arrested by the authorities a single time.

Perhaps they’d never even felt it was worth the trouble.

“Exactly. That’s what matters.”

As Stella was recalling that thought, Noel’s voice dropped gently into the silence.

“How do you think he managed to avoid every single ‘remarkable point’?”

“…Pardon?”

Stella looked blankly at her, and Noel answered with a soft smile.

“That man is almost impressively ordinary. As an occupation, I mean.”

He was a con artist—a profession that should be one of the easiest to spot.

And yet he hadn’t once been arrested, or even properly investigated.

He was, quite literally, a thoroughly small-time criminal.

Yes, thoroughly.

To the point it almost felt artificial.

“…I’m not sure I understand what you’re implying.”

“Mmm—well, it’s something I’ll have the chance to explain soon enough.”

Saying that, Noel lifted the wooden sword upright once more.

“I’m simply sure of one thing—he seems like quite an interesting person.”

“….”

Even thinking of this man called Aiden, it was, by Stella’s standards, a suspiciously high opinion.

But that doubt quickly slid back down her throat and vanished.

Because she could feel it—the flow of Qi coursing through Noel’s body as she gripped the wooden sword.

Qi.

A blessing granted to the Empire by Karva, the Goddess of Struggle and supreme deity of the Imperial faith.

The superhuman strength wielded by Imperial knights was rooted in refining the energy within their bodies through training techniques and releasing it outward.

The measure of mastery lay in the color of the Qi.

The most famous example was the “Knight of Dawn,” the one who first devised the forms and techniques to harness Qi in combat.

The first knight—a monster who, with a single blade, was said to cleave mountains and split the sky itself. A figure revered as the “Saint of the Sword.”

Even he could compress the Qi rising within him into no more than two colors: silver and blue.

And here, before her eyes—

There was a genius who made even those legends seem like relics of a bygone age.

“-”

The moment Noel let out a deep exhale, Qi bloomed from her body like pale mist.

Pure White.

Stella reflexively swallowed a dry gulp.

Noel’s Qi was immaculate white, without a single speck of impurity.

Purer than anyone’s.

Simpler than anyone’s.

More distinct than anyone’s.

Across the Empire’s entire ancient history—among the countless talents as numerous as grains of sand by the sea—

Noel Kellermain was the only knight to have compressed her Qi into a single color.

“-Lady Noel. Lady Noel!”

And the instant Stella heard the soldier’s voice intruding upon such an awe-inspiring spectacle, her face twisted in fierce irritation.

To interrupt a moment this solemn—if it was over some trivial matter, she would never forgi—

“The eldest son of the Osron Marquessate has entered the betrothed’s chambers—!”

—forgive it.

But that was urgent enough.

Stella’s and Noel’s faces stiffened at the same time.

Gale Osron. Noel’s longtime friend.

He wasn’t a bad person. He really wasn’t a bad person, but…

“That idiot with muscles for brains—what the hell is he trying to pull this time—!”

“Stella. Your language is getting a little too harsh.”

Noel, letting out a wry smile as she tried to calm her down, didn’t actually deny the substance of the accusation.

Just seeing how quickly she threw on her coat made it clear she had decided she needed to intervene personally before Gale did something disastrous.

Given Gale’s personality, he had probably barged in, decided to “test the man’s character,” and immediately drawn a sword—

which could end up being quite a serious problem.

Though he wasn’t a knight formally conferred rank through official investiture, as the eldest son of the Marquessate, he was still someone who had received extensive combat training for years.

If you tossed him among common soldiers, he would be like a lion set loose among sheep.

‘-If we don’t get there fast, something truly awful might happen.’

To make it worse, Aiden’s presumed capabilities were even below that of a common soldier. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if something terrible had already happened.

Noel took a deep breath and steadied her legs. She must have been preparing to leap straight to where Aiden was in a single bound.

She’d probably end up smashing the window on the way in, but what choice was there? There was no time to spare.

That was what she had been thinking—

—Clatter!

“AAAAAAAGH—!”

Right up until the moment someone let out a scream and fell in free fall from the very window she was about to smash open herself.

The person’s armor looked as though it had been struck by the fist of a giant, caved in all over.

“….”

Was that—

Gale?

Just from the fully armored silhouette, she could tell it was the same man she knew.

And then, as he crashed to the ground, another figure hurriedly leaned out of the broken window after him.

“Hey, hey! Are you alright?!”

Pouring out through the shattered frame was Aiden Kellermain, completely uninjured.

“…?”

And winding around his body—

Was pure white Qi.

Exactly the same as the immaculate Qi Noel herself had been wielding just moments before.

“…What?”

It was unmistakable.

Even Noel herself couldn’t help but let out a dazed voice at the sight.