Copy Skills with Affinity! - Chapter 1

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

◈ Copy Skills with Affinity! ◈

Chapter 1: Kidnapping

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If you got mixed up in something beyond your station, you were bound to come to harm.

That was what Aiden's father, an unremarkable back-alley petty thief who was always quick-witted and shrewd, had drilled into him.

"You're not cut out for big things, son."

"Why not?"

"Because you're good at nothing except using little tricks to pull modest scams."

"Why would you judge your own flesh and blood like that?"

"Live within your means. Don't make trouble trying to swim in bigger waters. At our level, being back-alley petty criminals suits us just fine."

"Could you at least say something encouraging to your son?"

"I am."

"…That counts?"

At some point, even Aiden himself had come to agree. He really was not particularly good at anything.

Average. Plus or minus zero.

An ordinary man, hardly worth remembering except for the occasional petty, irritating scam he pulled to survive.

Ah, but never a big scam. Only the sort that was petty and irritating to the victim, too.

Even criminals had lines they had to observe.

That side of him had probably shown clearly in an exchange he once had with his younger sister.

"You're still a criminal, so why are you trying to save face?"

"If you commit a big crime, you'll draw attention and suffer big consequences. Even if I run into a victim, I should only fleece them enough that a thorough beating is the worst I risk."

"…"

"Just enough to feed the family, take care of myself, and never make anyone hold a grudge. That's how you live a long time."

Aiden Kellermain's life was just that. He was an ordinary, insignificant con man.

Even after the bizarre event in which he hit his head hard on the floor and awakened memories of a past life lived in a place called Earth, that fact did not change much.

- Status Info

< Aiden Kellermain >

▶ You cannot view your status because you do not meet the requirements for system access!

▶ Your influence on the main story is extremely low!

▶ Meet key figures to unlock special abilities!

Even after a white rectangular box bearing those words had appeared before his eyes, and he realized that he was a character living inside a game world.

After considering it carefully for several days, he reached the following conclusion.

"Do I really need to live my life doing great things?"

Main story. Special abilities. Phrases that people who wanted to stand out would have loved.

But great deeds made it easier to face great dangers. If you lived safely, nothing happened, but you did not become endangered either.

So Aiden decided to remain where he was.

The pettiest of petty crooks, committing only crimes so insignificant that even the authorities had no reason to act, crimes that made his victims see him as pathetic rather than resent him.

And when you lived that sort of life, there were people you could be certain you would never cross paths with.

[- Lady Noel is entering through the triumphal arch!]

[All citizens of the Empire, please welcome her with thunderous cheers!]

Like the woman currently appearing on his old television.

"Oh, wow."

The sight of the woman riding through the triumphal arch deserved that reaction, even through a screen.

Hair like obsidian that seemed to swallow the surrounding light, snow-white skin in contrast to it, and crimson eyes holding such brilliant light that calling them dazzling would not be an exaggeration.

Some even called her the incarnation of Karba, the Empire's chief deity and Goddess of Strife.

She was not merely beautiful. She possessed an aura.

'…A Goddess of Strife does suit her, doesn't it?'

Noel Astria Seamus.

A warrior regarded as the greatest since the Empire's founding.

The four lion-head medals pinned to her chest provided more than enough proof of that.

The Lionhearted Medal. It was the highest honorary medal that could be awarded by the Imperial Military.

Considering what one normally had to do to receive an honorary medal, having received the highest one four times meant that she was a human-shaped monster capable of turning the tide of war alone.

Even among knights, superhumans who could shatter boulders with their fists, fly through the sky unaided, and breach a fortress alone if armed, she stood at the very peak.

A once-in-a-thousand-years talent who had rewritten every record in the Imperial Military.

She had simply been born different.

For someone ordinary like Aiden, she was the sort of person he might speak to once in his entire life, if he was lucky.

And Aiden alone could add one more note to that assessment.

'So she's one of the leads.'

That woman was one of the important figures in this world, this fantasy game where he now lived.

One of those fated to overcome hardship and, alongside the game's "protagonist," lead a continent facing an unprecedented crisis to salvation.

And among them, Noel had one especially obvious trait.

[There are rumors that high society is in an uproar over Lady Noel's marriage prospects.]

[Just looking at the list of candidates is said to be overwhelming.]

Right. Marriage.

One of the most important turning points, one that would determine Noel's fate and the central axis of the main scenario.

[Well, whoever she marries, may the Pantheon bless Lady Noel's future!]

Aiden gave a dry laugh at the announcer's comment during the triumph ceremony.

'It doesn't sound like her future will be full of blessings.'

According to the game he knew, Lady Noel's life would become severely tangled the moment she married. That was also when the main story began descending into chaos.

At this point, Noel herself would not want to get close to any of those people.

Was her setting around this time that she would do anything to avoid marriage?

And honestly, that information did not matter to Aiden.

Stories of marriages between people he would never meet in his life were for gossipmongers to chatter about.

Whether they saved the world or got married, that was the leads' business, not his.

Yes, that was certainly what he had thought.

Until a few days ago.

"Are you awake?"

"…?"

Now,

"So you are awake."

Lady Noel stood before him with a faint smile.

Close enough that they could count the blemishes on each other's faces.

"…??"

Aiden looked around in a daze.

It was unmistakably unfamiliar.

At the very least, he had no memory of falling asleep in a dark basement with his arms tied to a chair.

While he blinked stupidly, she slipped the fluttering stack of papers into a clip and continued speaking.

A glance revealed that the documents, stamped with the Imperial Military's watermark, contained all his personal information and a list of his "customers."

Apparently, every last detail about him had already been uncovered.

"Aiden Kellermain. I hear you've been a con man for a long time. Nice to meet you."

"…Lady Noel?"

"Yes. I am Noel Astria Seamus. There is something I would especially like to hire you for."

Her emotionless voice came steadily as he still struggled to wake properly.

Why was this person here? Why him? What did she want?

Before he could fully form those questions, his mouth was already muttering a reply.

It had to be an occupational habit. He always had to react keenly to what others said.

"…Did you say you wanted to hire me?"

"Yes. A con man is someone whose job is to deceive others. You are an experienced con man, and I need to deceive someone too."

Aiden was not sure his skills were impressive enough to call him experienced.

"I don't like beating around the bush, so shall I be direct?"