After waking up early as usual, he searched for some trees with large leaves where morning dew collects so he could drink from them. He was no longer able to drink from the river since seeing how filthy it was. After quenching his thirst, he continued walking toward his goal, and after an hour of walking, he reached the edge of the forest, where all the trees had disappeared and only a nearly flat land full of half-grown crops remained.
In the distance, there was a large village. When Arthur saw it, he smiled happily and quickened his pace.
He increased his speed but still remained cautious of his surroundings, observing everything with a sense of discomfort. The crops nearby were in poor shape and disorganized, and more importantly, the grass looked sickly—even though it had been sufficiently watered by several man-made water channels that carried river water. What stood out the most, however, was how foul-smelling and backward the place was, which made his heart sink.
He was sure he had been transported to another world—but what kind of world? That question deeply bothered him. Suddenly, he started hesitating, afraid he would be treated badly once he reached that large village.
"There's no need to hesitate. I can't live the rest of my life in the forest without understanding my situation properly." He stored his sword in the dimensional box to avoid any misunderstanding, then continued walking. Within a few minutes, the village came clearly into view. The houses were old and worn out—most of them single-story, some two-stories. A gloomy atmosphere hung over the place, making it seem like an abandoned village. The only thing that stood out was a massive stone castle in a medieval design located at the end of the village. At the top of the highest tower, a foggy flag fluttered, its details unclear.
Upon seeing all that, his expression tightened and he thought, "Did I end up in a backward world still stuck in the Middle Ages? This is the worst." He didn't need any more proof—the architecture alone was enough, not to mention the foul stench that doubled the moment he reached the village, making him feel like vomiting. He barely managed to keep his composure.
The villagers were filthy-bodied, wearing disgusting, tattered linen clothes. As soon as they noticed his presence, they stopped what they were doing and cleared the way for him, staring at him with awe and fear.
[ I advise you to activate the Plot Savant ability ]
As soon as Arthur saw the system's advice, he activated the ability immediately. Dozens of blue screens appeared. Despite their number, they were well-organized and did not obstruct his vision.
[ Region: Thornsreach Barony – Thornsreach Town ]
[ Baronet's Castle ]
[ House ]
[ Citizen ( Hostile toward you ) ]
[ Citizen ( Hostile toward you ) ]
[ Citizen ( Hostile toward you ) ]
[ Citizen ( Afraid of you ) ]
'What the hell? Why do they hate me? They don't even know me.' He was stunned by what he saw, but then he suddenly realized something.
'Thornsreach Barony… Isn't this the place where the events of volume two of Rise of the Sword Sovereign took place?' He froze for a moment before shaking his head in denial. 'That's impossible.'
Because he stood there uncertainly, the villagers became more anxious—some backed away, others ran, and some even shielded the nearby women to prevent Arthur from seeing them.
Arthur noticed all of this, and his heart sank with discomfort. All the joy he felt at the thought of finding human settlement vanished. He even lost the desire to ask them where he was. After a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to leave.
'This doesn't feel safe. Should I keep following the river's course? Maybe I'll find a better human settlement. I'm afraid they'll kill me for no reason.'
He turned to leave, but suddenly, he heard the heavy sound of horse hooves and clashing metal. He quickly looked toward the wide street in the middle of the village, which was filled with mud and filth. There, he saw a group of armored knights approaching him rapidly. Within seconds, they reached him and surrounded him from all sides. Their bodies were large and tall, and the armored horse heads and their loud noises terrified Arthur, who was now trapped in the middle.
He froze in place, afraid of being stabbed or beaten without reason. A backward civilization like this could be extremely savage toward outsiders. But then he noticed a different kind of system screen above one of the knights—it contained much more information.
[ Low-level Soldier ]
[ Low-level Soldier ]
[ Sir Chadwick Beaumont ]
[ Rank: D ]
[ Class: Boundless Knight ]
[ Skills: Hardened Body (Rank D), Knight's Presence (Rank E), Swordsmanship (Rank D), Archery (Rank E), Horsemanship (Rank D) ]
[ Knight Chadwick is suspicious of you ]
"Who are you, stranger?"
While he was reading the information of the very familiar knight, he heard a voice loud as thunder beside his ear, accompanied by a suffocating pressure that terrified him. Instinctively, he opened his trembling mouth, ready to say everything he knew.
[ Knight Chadwick used Knight's Presence on you ]
[ Logical Analysis skill activated ]
[ Knight's Presence skill nullified ]
As soon as Arthur saw the system notification, he felt the hidden pressure around him disappear. His body calmed, and he was no longer as terrified. His clarity returned. Strangely, he lifted his head and looked into the eyes of Knight Chadwick in front of him. Now he was certain—he was inside the novel Rise of the Sword Sovereign. He had noticed the similarities before but couldn't believe it until he saw the familiar knight, exactly as described in the novel, with matching abilities and power type—not to mention the city whose details he remembered clearly.
"Answer me, damn you!" Chadwick drew his sword and pointed it at Arthur's neck. Arthur was too shocked to respond, his emotions in chaos after realizing the truth of where he was. In fact, his legs began to tremble, and he feared he might soil himself.
"I told you to answer!"
[ Knight Chadwick has directed killing intent towrd you. ]
But contrary to what Arthur expected, the stern expression on Chadwick's face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a look of shock and astonishment when he saw the raven pendant around Arthur's neck. Quickly, he sheathed his sword, dismounted his horse, and bowed his head in respect.
"Forgive me, my lord. I was ignorant of your greatness. Please forgive my rudeness."
The rest of the knights around Arthur stared at their commander in disbelief, then hurriedly dismounted their horses despite their confusion. Following their leader, they all bowed simultaneously with terrified expressions. Never before had they seen the accompanying knight Chadwick treat anyone this way, except for the Baronet and his son.
Arthur's eyes widened as he regained some of his composure. He looked at the soldiers bowing in submission, and thanks to the Logical Analysis skill, he immediately understood the reason—it was the pendant around his neck. It was the symbol of the Ravenshade family, rulers of the Ravenholde Duchy.
[ It seems your identity has been misunderstood. Will you correct the mistake? ]
Arthur cried internally. If he corrected them, they'd behead him on the spot. According to what he'd read in the novel, commoners were forbidden from bearing any noble emblems.
'Damn it, why this world of all worlds? And why this cursed place?' He was fully aware that this world was literally cursed, and that he would go through all kinds of disasters in the future—and now, he was already stuck in the middle of this chaos.
"I want to go home."