Copy Skills with Affinity! - Chapter 27

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Copy Skills with Affinity! ◈

Chapter 27: Omen

──────

Ughhh...

Gaaah...

Haaah...

“...”

That might have been a bit much.

Aiden looked around awkwardly at the knights making sounds that barely seemed human.

Limbs bent at unnatural angles, broken ribs piercing lungs, twisted spines.

Every one of them had injuries that even superhumans could not endure.

‘Wow.’

To be honest, he had been confident.

The Dawn Knight, a hero renowned across the continent, had acknowledged that Aiden could at least pull his own weight.

Even if his ability had weakened, Aiden had thought that if the Dawn Knight could vouch for him, he would be able to keep fighting. Still, he had not imagined that he would overwhelm them this completely.

‘... My body has learned it.’

Now he understood, deep in his bones, what the Dawn Knight had meant about earning “spare lives” for every death.

His body already knew that failing to move this way here would bring terrible pain, so it instinctively found the most efficient movements.

Combined with Meyer’s skill, which analyzed the opponent’s techniques exactly as they were used, it had let him crush them as if he were toying with them.

- System Message

▶ Combat has ended. The activation of ‘Skill: Analysis’ has ended. The bonus to analyzing your opponent’s weaknesses has ended.

▶ The bonus from ‘Combat Path: One Sword, One Arrival’ has ended.

▶ You have gained proficiency in low-importance schools.

▶ It will not be copied as a skill. Points are accumulated.

▶ The ‘Point Shop’ will open soon. Gather just a little more!

‘Nothing was copied...’

The Analysis skill had allowed him to imitate the movements behind the knights’ techniques, but they had not solidified into another Combat Path.

As always, it was probably because they belonged to people with little importance in the main scenario.

Of course, that was not particularly disappointing. He already possessed Noel’s Combat Path, which was far more efficient, and the Point Shop was about to open.

‘I have no idea what incredible things it has been hiding that it still won’t open...’

As Aiden scratched his cheek at the thought, someone nearby let out a thunderous shout.

“Aiden!”

It was Noel’s voice. It had not even been a few minutes since he asked for support, yet she had already rushed over.

“Ah, Lady No-”

The moment he turned to greet her, the rest of his sentence died away.

The instant he saw Noel running toward him, Aiden understood something instinctively.

... She was angry.

Very, very angry.

Sure enough, the first thing Noel did after charging over was seize both his shoulders.

Terrifying pressure bore down on them, as if he had been caught in an industrial vice.

He could almost see flames blazing in Noel’s eyes...

“What were you thinking, running off alone without support?!”

“...”

Aiden flinched at her booming voice.

“What if you had been hurt? What if something truly terrible had happened to you?”

“... Katia was in danger if I left her alone.”

“Your chance of dying was far, far higher than Her Highness’s!”

“...”

“Do you understand? You must never take such a risk again! You should be thinking of leaving me or Her Highness behind and running away yourself...!”

... No.

She looked like a tiger about to devour its prey, but every word she spoke was full of concern for him.

He felt sorry to say it to someone like that.

No, precisely because she was someone like that.

“No.”

Even if she was angry, he had to say what he had to say.

Aiden blinked, but answered in a clear voice.

“I can’t do that.”

“What do you mean, you can’t...?!”

“If Lady Noel were in that situation, I’d do the same thing.”

“...”

“What is wrong with helping Katia or you when you’re in danger?”

There was a vast difference between living peacefully with others and living like a coward.

Aiden wanted to live peacefully, but he was not a coward.

Katia was his friend, and Lady Noel had treated him kindly all along, even if their start had been bad.

It would not be a stretch to call them people close to him.

And whenever people within his circle were threatened, he had always stepped forward and rammed his head into the threat. That was how he had lived until now, and that was how he would continue to live.

He might be the only one who knew about the threats yet to come, but even taking on the impossible burden of saving the world came from that same mindset.

Aiden did not know whether he could truly do it. Perhaps he would fail miserably along the way, die, and the world would perish.

Even so, the reason he had taken it on was, as always, something small but clear.

“If I’m going to abandon everyone close to me and live well alone, what is the point of trying so hard?”

What value was there in living through the world alone? What fun or meaning could that possibly have?

It was fine if Aiden was in a little danger. It was fine if he lost out a little.

If the people close to him could stay together, laugh together, and live peacefully, that was enough.

And anyone who disrupted that pastoral life ought to be crushed by any means necessary.

He had become entangled with extraordinary people, gained incredible abilities, and somehow ended up fated to save the world.

But the path he had lived had never strayed from that course.

Family. Friends. An ordinary person who dreamed of a peaceful life with them.

And someone ready to do anything to protect them.

“...”

As Noel listened to him, the strength gradually drained from her grip.

She lowered her hands and stood silent for a long time.

And in proportion to the length of her silence, the color drained from Aiden’s face.

‘I shouldn’t have talked back...!’

Was she not about to explode?

Had he made her even angrier by talking back to someone who was already furious...?

He should have said it more gently, even if he had something to say...!

“... You really are a strange person, Aiden.”

Her eyes looked as though she might cry.

“Why are you only resolute at times like this? Usually, you want to live like an invisible man.”

... Huh.

Aiden blinked awkwardly.

No.

Why was she acting like this?

He had expected to be scolded for talking back, but this felt like...

‘Did I trigger some trauma?’

Sure enough, the atmosphere was similar to when he had once asked why she was called the Butcher.

As she listened to him, it was as if he had caught her off guard.

As if she were seeing something she did not want to remember in him.

Before long, Noel pulled her hat low over her face. It was something she often did when she did not want anyone to see her expression.

“Please return to headquarters with Her Highness. I will handle things here.”

“...”

But unlike before, it did not seem as if he would get an explanation this time.

▣

“He’s a good one.”

With their hands bound behind their back, Sir Levant let out a dry laugh.

“You’ve found yourself a fine husband, Noel. Looks like you have a good eye for people.”

“...”

“That’s why I think I understand. Why you keep your distance from him.”

“...”

“He resembles Teresa quite a bit, though they’re of different sexes. Don’t you think?”

“... Sir Levant.”

After a brief pause, Noel spoke.

“What made you do something like this?”

“I don’t think we’re close enough to worry about one another.”

“We were comrades in the Coalition War.”

“We were, until Teresa died because of you.”

“...”

Noel stopped moving. Sir Levant spoke slowly.

“Noel Astria Seamus. Listen carefully.”

Their voice held not only accusation, but regret and sorrow as well.

“You should have been the one who stayed until the end back then, not Teresa. It should have been the Lord Protector, not you, who returned in triumph as a hero who saved the nation.”

“...”

Noel did not answer. She only continued binding them, as if those words were a burden she had to bear.

Watching silently as they were tied up, Sir Levant gave another dry laugh.

“You’ve changed, Lionheart.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your eyes used to go wild whenever you heard Teresa’s name. You seem calmer now.”

“...”

At Sir Levant’s words, Noel gave a bitter smile.

Well.

That certainly had been true until recently.

Why was that?

“Married life must agree with you.”

“...”

“You two must be sickeningly happy newlyweds. I hope one of you has a grand affair...”

Instead of answering, Noel struck the back of their neck and knocked them unconscious.

... It was a merciless blow.

▣

It had been an eventful day.

The moment Katia returned to headquarters, she seemed lost in thought and shut herself in her room. Aiden had also had such a long day that he practically buried his face in his bed.

‘Those knights...’

Apparently, they would be sent straight to trial. That was what Lady Noel had said after having them detained and handed over to the prosecutors.

They would probably face severe punishment.

“...”

There was no evidence anywhere that could trace who had ordered them to do it.

But he had a strong suspicion.

- Skill Info

◈ Weaver of Fate

⧾ Arden Brimstone Lionel

- Malice: Level 1

- You can imitate one skill.

※ It is impossible to build a ‘Bond’ with this target. The skill’s effect differs from the original!

There was only one person openly harboring malice toward him.

The ambush could only have been meant to put Aiden in a difficult position.

‘... In that case.’

Aiden narrowed his eyes at the window.

If he was going to openly act hostile, he had no intention of sitting still and taking it.

He would have to prepare a countermeasure.

Of course, there was something more urgent right now.

- Quest Info

♠ Main Quest

◈ Act 1, < Imperial Capital Rift >

▶ Chapter 1 will begin soon!

▶ A related event will begin soon. (D-1)

◈ Fake Marriage

- You have been chosen as Lady Noel’s spouse. Maintain your contract with the other party until the end!

- A related event will begin soon. (D-1)

“Hmm.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed further as he examined the window before him. They narrowed so much that wrinkles nearly formed between his brows.

There was only one day left.

The Main Quest had been written there from the beginning, so that was one thing. But what was this about an event involving Noel happening at the same time?

‘I’ve prepared thoroughly.’

He did not know what would happen, but he felt no shame in saying that.

It was disappointing that he had not opened the Point Shop, but he had already copied more than enough skills. Based on the difficulty of the original story as he remembered it, he should be able to get through this without much trouble.

But there was one rule that had always kept him from relaxing.

‘Nothing has gone according to the original story.’

This was a world without its protagonist. It made no sense to assume that everything would follow the original course.

Something unexpected was certain to happen.

In that case, he should put one piece of insurance in place.

Separate from building up his strength, there was at least one thing he could do that would directly help with the event.

“Hmm.”

Aiden let out a breath through his nose and stepped into the hallway.

Most people had already gone home, even Noel, that workaholic. But there was always one person who left even later.

Once he reached his destination, Aiden knocked on the office door.

“Come in.”

Hearing the exhausted voice, Aiden quietly opened the door and entered.