Disguised Identity
"Ah, so you're a friend of Eve's! Then I must upgrade your room! Hahaha!"
"...No need. What kind of friend discount is that supposed to be?"
I was sitting at the counter, drinking a mug of the local specialty beer Lucard had poured me.
Gulp, gulp.
"Ugh, this could really use a shot of soju."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"Nothing worth hearing."
The beer tasted just as terrible as it had been described in the original game, and my head was spinning with confusion.
Eve.
That was the real name of Igral, according to what High Priest Bamilo had told me.
And that's why I was baffled.
'That's a woman's name.'
When I first met "Igral," it had perfectly suited that dark, grim man.
But Eve—no matter how you looked at it—was a woman's name.
There was no way that hulking brute could possibly match a name like that.
And what made it even stranger—
'Eve from the Duchy of Wyler?'
The moment I heard that name, a face immediately came to mind.
Because I knew Eve Wyler very well.
She was an NPC.
[Character] — Also known as "The Genius Young Lady." The beautiful and brilliant granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Wyler.
During the main scenario "Crack in the Alliance," she is captured by a rival faction and goes missing.
There was no mistaking it.
Eve Wyler, the Grand Duke's granddaughter, was one of the most exceptional figures in the entire setting.
As the character description itself stated, she was an unparalleled beauty—strong, intelligent, and radiant.
But as the Duchy's storyline unfolded, she was fated to die.
'That's why she was always ranked #1 among the NPCs players wanted to save.'
Eve Wyler was caught up in the Duchy's internal political strife and became a victim—
much like Prince Gilroshan, the body I was currently inhabiting.
'Though the circumstances were a bit different.'
Gilroshan was an incompetent fool, framed and used as a pawn in the shadow war between the Empire and the revolutionaries.
Eve, on the other hand, was exiled because her jealous siblings conspired against her.
Despite her brilliance, the young lady had no power base to protect her.
That was why my expression turned grim.
'What the hell is going on?'
I had been certain Igral was a player character.
Because he'd been in the player's place!
It was the player's role to drive the carriage during the Third Prince assassination event, contact High Priest Bamilo, and deliver Gilroshan.
'And I'm sure you even got bonus experience for completing that sequence.'
Since Igral was the one doing that, I naturally assumed he was the player.
He even dropped hints himself, talking about "quests" during the black market escape!
'But now it turns out he was actually Eve Wyler?'
I couldn't make sense of it.
Why would a noble lady who was supposed to die in the Duchy suddenly be living in the mountains, kidnapping princes with the revolutionaries?
And besides, Eve was petite—dainty, even—for a noble girl.
'But Igral was huge!'
He was a head taller than me or Kals!
Standing still, he looked like a wild bear in tattered rags!
...Rags?
In that instant, an item flashed through my mind like lightning.
I set down my beer and turned to Lucard.
"Hold on, innkeeper. Let me ask you something."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Has the border garrison had any...trouble lately?"
"Trouble?"
"You know, like a thief breaking in, something valuable going missing...?"
I asked carefully. Lucard thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Ah, yes. Not recently, but a few months ago there was a burglary. The thief was never caught."
Apparently, it had become a cold case.
The border garrison had blamed the city guards for poor security,
and the guards had snapped back, asking how a bunch of trained soldiers could get robbed by a petty thief.
So that thief must have been...
'That guy.'
I could feel it.
I could feel it!
"So, nothing specific went missing?"
"Hmm, as I recall, they said a cloak disappeared. Something with a strange name... Bubble something?"
"...!"
Exactly as I thought.
I knew exactly what that cloak was—and what it did.
[Clothing] — A magical cloak crafted by a designer who attained demi-divine skill. When worn and infused with mana, it reshapes the body into any desired form, concealing the wearer's true identity.
So that's what she stole.
If she wore the Cloak of Bubbles, then transforming from a young lady into a giant man would be perfectly possible.
'Though I didn't know it could alter the voice too...'
Then again, that wasn't something I could have known.
In the original game, the player's lines were all text-based, and there was never any mention of how magic or items affected a character's voice.
So of course, I just assumed it was some big guy speaking through a muffled mask.
'No, but seriously—why is Eve Wyler in the player's role?'
She's an NPC!
And not just any NPC—one who's supposed to be dead!
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, an idea hit me like a hammer.
"Hmm? What now?" Lucard asked.
"Ah—nothing."
I shook my head and began thinking through the realization that had just surfaced.
An NPC who was supposed to die but didn't.
An NPC who survived and wandered into the wrong part of the story.
That applied to me, too—
and to Eve Wyler.
So then...
'Could it be... that she's like me?'
...Did she also possess the body of an NPC?
The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
It was an indescribable feeling—
the sense that maybe, I wasn't the only one dropped into this world.
And one more thing—
'Maybe she knows why we ended up in this world in the first place.'
If Eve Wyler had arrived here before me,
then she might know more about what was really going on.
'Yes, that makes sense.'
Amid the dizzying haze of alcohol, a cold spring of clarity bubbled up inside me.
If that was true, then I needed to prepare.
She had warned me that we'd meet again soon.
I didn't yet know what form that encounter would take.
But one thing was certain—
we couldn't trust each other.
For now, we were under the same roof only by circumstance...
'But that woman tried to kidnap and kill Gilroshan without hesitation.'
Eve Wyler was, at her core, an NPC with strong anti-imperialist convictions.
She was someone who firmly believed that the Duchy of Wyler should one day gain independence from the Empire.
And knowing that, I couldn't possibly trust her just because she'd revealed her identity.
…Wait a second.
'What if that's not it? What if, like me, she's a separate consciousness—independent from the original NPC?'
Would that mean she thinks completely differently from the Eve I remember?
Or does her core ideology still align with the original Eve's?
"...I have no idea."
As I shook my head, Lucard chuckled heartily.
"Haha, you look like you've got a lot on your mind. In times like that, have another drink."
Without being asked, he poured me another mug of that tasteless beer.
Completely flavorless—but hey, it was on the house.
"Thanks. I'll drink it gratefully."
Lucard tilted his head with a crooked grin.
"Huh? What are you talking about? That'll be one silver coin."
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
So he was just a bandit with a menu, huh?
For a moment, I considered hurling the mug at him, but—
Gulp, gulp.
I downed it in one go instead.
Bland, but refreshingly cold.
It reminded me of the cheap beer I used to drink outside my old dorm convenience store.
Setting down the mug, I organized my thoughts.
'Whoever that person is, whatever they're thinking—it doesn't matter.'
In this world, my survival depends on me.
And I need to grow stronger as fast as possible.
"Here, two silvers."
I slapped the coins on the counter and looked at the innkeeper.
Then, resting my chin on the table, I spoke casually.
"Oh, come to think of it—another one of my friends knows you."
"Hm? Someone else? Hah! My popularity's through the roof today!"
Yeah, I know.
You know it, too.
Everyone who's played this game even a little knows that name.
"Chero."
Lucard's eyes changed instantly.
"Chero? Did you just say Chero?"
I nodded.
"Met him yesterday. Said he was a card dealer or something. Sounded too ridiculous, so I didn't buy it."
That was only partly true.
Because that guy does deal with cards—
Specifically, the Fate Cards used by players.
"What—yesterday, you say? Where was he?! If I ever get my hands on that bastard, I'll— I'll—!"
"Huh? What's the matter?"
"Chero owes me enough in bar tabs to buy a whole damn house!"
I feigned ignorance while Lucard waved his fists furiously.
What an exaggeration.
No way a single tab could cost that much.
'He probably got conned through cards.'
That was, after all, Chero's official NPC description.
He's a swindler—
but one who deals in Fate Cards.
"Unlocking the Fate Card Upgrade Function."
That was the benefit he provided to players.
Among the NPCs of this world, players' "Fate Cards" are referred to in many ways:
Cards of the Gods.
Cursed Cards.
Cards of the Cosmos.
It's how they interpreted the power granted exclusively to players.
Anyway—
"Find that bastard Chero and bring him to me! I'll reward you handsomely!"
Lucard's eyes blazed with fury.
And right then, a system message appeared.
[Quest: "Card-Cheater Chero" has been given.]
...What a sense of humor.
The side quest "Card-Cheater Chero" was, of course, about tracking Chero down and learning what he actually does.
It was a quest I'd have to complete eventually anyway.
'Because in the mid-to-late game, you absolutely need higher-tier cards.'
So I'd have to unlock the card upgrade function through him sooner or later.
But I decided to trigger the quest right now—
because I needed it immediately.
'It's about time to use that D-rank card draw ticket.'
Besides, I was almost level 10.
That meant it was nearly time for my second random draw.
'Finally, time to escape F-rank.'
Goodbye, trash-tier gladiator!
I cheered inwardly, though on the surface I only scratched my chin with a troubled look.
"Hm, really? I didn't know Chero was that kind of guy... Still, it feels wrong to hand over a friend."
You always had to play it this way when dealing with NPCs.
Lucard shouted desperately,
"Ahh, right! The beastkin are said to value friendship deeply, but that guy's a wicked conman! Not the kind of person you want as a friend!"
"Hmm, even so..."
"I'll make sure the reward is worth your while if you catch him!"
"Worth my while, you say…?"
"I'll give you a sword I used myself! How about that?"
"Deal! Thanks, thanks!"
Lucard's face twisted in regret, but I was already standing up.
[You have successfully negotiated with a friendly NPC.]
[The quest "Card-Cheater Chero" reward has been updated: 'The Retired Knight's Sword' added.]
"I'll bring Chero to you by tomorrow."
In truth, I could find him by tonight.
Because I already knew exactly where he'd be.
But before that, I needed to plan my approach carefully.
This time, I had to secure a proper card.
I intended to use Chero to make the most of my card draw.
'At least a C-rank card—preferably higher!'