The assassin died almost right away, with no final words, no dramatic interrogations.
Excitement from the attribute increase has passed. I stared at the smoking barrel of my Glock, realizing that this was the first time I had ever killed a human being.
My hands were shaking so violently I could barely keep my finger off the trigger.
But why is there an assassin? The question echoed in my mind, but Clara didn't give me time to process the trauma.
"It is too dangerous out here in the open," she said, her voice tight with urgency. "We need to get to the castle. Now."
Surrounded by a tight phalanx of heavily armored knights, we were swiftly escorted through the winding cobblestone streets and passed the massive iron portcullis of the local keep. Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of beeswax candles and cold stone.
Clara led me into a cavernous hall, and we took a seat at the corner of a massive oak dining table. She sat very close to me, close enough that I could catch that same faint, clean scent her body carried. It made my heart hammer against my ribs.
This is so surreal. Here I was, a nobody who worked part-time at a grocery store, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a breathtaking Countess.
"So... what was the deal with those assassins?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from cracking.
Clara let out a weary sigh and launched into a brief explanation of the kingdom's turbulent history, the warring factions, and her political enemies. She also tried to drop a barrage of complicated noble houses and geographic names that scrambled my brain.
Frankly, I zoned out halfway through. I couldn’t even remember the history in my own world; there was no way I’d memorize another world’s hundred years of drama.
She then continued to explain the mechanics of our crossing, why my modern handgun could materialize here, and how she was capable of bringing her magic into my world.
"Wait. Magic?" I blinked, suddenly paying attention. "That's badass. What kind of magic?"
"I have no intention of using any magic in your world," Clara said sternly. "I refuse to disrupt the natural order of another realm. Therefore, there’s no point for you to know.”
“Why?” I asked, “That’d be cool. You could really shake the whole world.”
“That’s exactly why. I fear it could alter the laws of your world and make our soul-binding even harder to break. You too. Until the court-witch figures out the exact mechanism of our curse, you are forbidden from using that weapon again, unless it is an urgent matter of life and death."
I gave her a reluctant nod. "Sure, whatever you say."
Internally, though, I scoffed. There was no way I was listening to that. Giving up my only means of self-defense in this kind of brutal medieval world? Yeah right… I’ve changed whatever this world was already, anyway.
Suddenly, a familiar blue prompt materialized in my vision.
[Knowledge increased to 5]
I blinked at the floating text on my palm. "Hey, can you see these floating panels and numbers too?"
Clara nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Yes. That is the Blessing of Agnesia."
My eyes widened. I thought this was some exclusive LitRPG cheat code just for me. "Is she your god? Wait, does that mean I'm a Chosen One?"
Clara looked at me with a mix of pity and amusement. "Everyone receives the generous Blessing of Agnesia at birth. It’s universal, not something exclusive to you."
"Oh." I deflated. "You made it sound so epic, puff... I thought I was special..."
"Blasphemy!" a booming voice interrupted. The heavily armored Guard Captain took a threatening step forward, his hand resting aggressively on the pommel of his broadsword.
"Stand down," Clara intervened smoothly, raising a hand. "He is an outlander who does not understand our customs or our faith."
“Yes… my lady.”
"Whoa, exactly, bro. Just chill," I said, putting my hands up defensively. “I’m sorry if I offend your god. It’s just how I talk.”
The Guard Captain said nothing, but was clearly annoyed.
"So, what should we do now?" I asked her. "Break the curse?"
"Precisely. And to do that, we must remain together at all times," Clara said. "From now on, you will be staying in my quarters. The servants have already prepared a bed for you."
I choked on my spit. "Your... your room? We gonna sleep together in the same room?"
"Yes," Clara said, her expression entirely pragmatic. "You saw what just happened. The situation is incredibly perilous right now."
"Uh..." I glanced at the Guard Captain, who looked like he wanted to throttle me. "Is that really appropriate in your world?"
"I hope the unbending Ordanis wouldn’t mind. Exceptional circumstances require exceptional measures," she replied calmly. "But you can rest easy. The people in my inner circle, including Richard, are completely trustworthy."
Ah... so the aggressively loyal captain's name was Richard. Good to know.
“And Ordanis? Also one of your gods?”
“Yes, the God of Justice and Order.” She stood up.
[Knowledge increased to 7]
"Do you think this unbinding process will take a long time?" I asked as I followed her up a grand, torch-lit spiral staircase.
"No," she said with absolute certainty. "Otherwise, do you honestly think I would let a strange man share my bedchamber?"
"Fair point."
"But seriously, why do these people want to kill you so badly? Aren’t they a little bit too obsessive?" I was curious. "What did you do?"
Richard's voice rang out from behind: "This answer is not yours to pursue. Guard your own steps and attend to your own duties."
"Alright, alright," I surrendered. "I can tell you're a pretty big deal around here."
She led me to the highest point of the castle. Stepping out onto the balcony, I was met with a spectacular view. The town below was massive, far larger and more prosperous than I had imagined, sprawling out into the horizon. It was already dusk, and the streets were dark with no lanterns. Only the torches of Guards were dotting the darkness.
As we walked along the parapet, Clara mentioned that people would be going to sleep soon. The inhabitants of this world slept for very long periods. Unlike people in my modern world who stayed up late into the night, folks here prepared for bed almost as soon as the sun went down.
"Doesn't that mean your waking hours are super short?" I asked.
"Yes. What of it?"
I kept the thought to myself, but it made perfect sense. No wonder this world is such a medieval shithole.
A guardsman rushed up to make his report to Richard, after which the knight requested permission to leave.
Clara nodded.
We stood there by the wall in silence for a moment, letting the cool evening breeze wash over us.
"Hey... thanks for everything you did today. I really appreciate it," I said softly.
Suddenly, the blue panel flickered to life right between us.
[Clara Affection increased to 40]
[Charisma increased to 11]
"Wait... what? forty?" I stared at the floating text, then looked at Clara. "I can even see that? You... you have feelings for me? We just met a few hours ago..."
Clara's pale cheeks instantly flushed crimson. "It's not... no!" she stammered, looking away. "I know what you're looking at. That merely indicates my first impression of you. It does not mean I... fancy you in that way."
"Oh really? Then can you see my affection level for you too?"
"Yes."
"And what does it say?"
"I have no desire to tell you," Clara said, her fluster turning into a defensive huff as she turned and marched back inside.
"Hey, where are you going?" I called out, feeling a bit stung.
What was so wrong with liking me? Out of billions of people across two different dimensions, our souls got bound together. There had to be a cosmic reason for that, right? Sure, I was a bit broke and useless in the modern world, but hey, I had a Glock in this one. Maybe I should figure out whether the phone and other technologies will work here too…?
"Follow me," she commanded without looking back.
She led me into her quarters. It was a massive, opulent bedchamber, beautifully furnished. But then I noticed a decorative wooden partition, behind which a pile of dry straw had been laid out on the stone floor. I guessed that was my spot.
I let out a groan. "Please don't tell me that's my bed."
"I am sorry. I know beds in your world are much softer," Clara said. "But I had them lay down the thickest layer of straw possible here. Besides, I doubt you will even need it."
"Won't need it? I'll have you know I'm a very picky sleeper. What if I can't fall asleep? How am I supposed to get back to my world?"
"You will see in a moment."
I stared at her luxurious canopy bed, feeling a bit indignant. Still, I didn't have the guts to invade a Countess's personal space. Whatever. Straw it was.
"Starting today, you will be my valet," Clara announced.
"Huh?"
"In name only," she clarified quickly. "I hope you don't mind."
"So... do I actually have to do any servant stuff?"
"You don't have to do anything. Just stay close to me and stay safe."
"Well, that sounds easy enough." I leaned against the wall, a sudden thought crossing my mind. "Hey, do you think there's anyone in the real world who might want to assassinate you, too?"
"Do you think there are?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
"If the person who cast this spell on us is that powerful, who knows?"
A cloud of worry passed over her beautiful features. "Fine. We will discuss this further when we are back in your world."
"Wait, how are we supposed to do that?"
"Sorry. Just bear with it," Clara said. Suddenly, she raised her hand, and a swirling ring of bright light began to gather in her palm.
"Whoa, what are you doing?"
"Again, sorry for this."
Before I could react, she thrust her hand forward. The beam of light struck me squarely in the chest. A wave of overwhelming force washed over my brain, and my consciousness was instantly snuffed out.
As everything went black, the last things I saw were two lines of text floating in the void:
[Magic Resistance increased to 5]
[Pain Tolerance increased to 2]
Oh fuck... not again!