NOVEL WEB Chapter 7
7. Runaway (1)
“Hoo…”
I had slipped out of the mansion right after packing.
There was always the chance that the Duke of the North would send someone after me…
So I decided to leave the northern region entirely.
To do that, I had to get to another region as quickly as possible—
Clatter. Clatter.
“Ugh.”
“Haha, sorry. The horses are a bit temperamental. First time on this route, you see.”
I hopped onto the fastest carriage heading out of the North.
It was thanks to an escort mission I took through the Adventurers’ Guild.
I had some connections with the guild from previous work, so I was able to accept the quest quickly.
My head’s throbbing…
Sitting in the back of a cluttered cart made my rear ache.
Thankfully, the emergency-grade potion I bought with my remaining funds had dulled the pain.
“…You look young. What brings you all the way to the East?”
The voice came from the coachman’s seat.
It was my client, Kate.
A merchant woman in her early to mid-thirties with a straightforward, relaxed personality.
Her blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, though it was barely visible under the full robe she wore.
It wasn’t exactly safe for women to travel alone in this world, so she was clearly trying not to stand out.
“…Just had some things to deal with.”
“Yeah? Looks more like you’re running away. Parents give you trouble?”
“…”
“Haha, it happens. We all grow up like that. Run away, sleep in the streets a bit, you know?”
Runaway, huh…
Well, I guess that’s not entirely wrong.
I left the Duke’s mansion—the only home I’d known—without a word.
But there was one major difference from your average runaway.
“There’s something I need to find in the East. That’s why I’m going.”
“The East, huh… What are you looking for? I know that region inside and out, you know.”
She’s digging a little too much…
She didn’t seem like she was fishing for intel.
More like… she just felt sympathy for someone who looked too young to be alone.
Well, there was no harm in telling her a little.
“There’s a famous temple in the East, right?”
“Oh, yeah. What was it called…”
“Temple of Trials.”
“Ah, the Temple of Trials. You must be heading to Heirin.”
My destination was Heirin, one of the East’s most iconic cities.
As the name implied, it was modeled after traditional Japanese cities.
A massive castle, reminiscent of Osaka Castle, stood at the center. Ninjas and samurai roamed the streets.
A classic Japan-inspired locale.
“So, what are you looking to get from the Temple of Trials?”
“…”
“Forget it. If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to.”
She stopped immediately when I didn’t answer.
For a merchant, she was surprisingly perceptive.
As silence returned to the cart, I quietly reached into my coat.
Time to check the ‘Status Report’ I had received a few days ago.
╭──────╮
Name: Waltz Schmitz
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Race: Human
╰──────╯
The familiar format of the paper rolled out from my pocket.
In Party to Savior, this report was akin to a status window.
It listed stats, skills, and gave a rough idea of one’s progression.
The main difference?
You couldn’t just pull it up with a hotkey.
You had to visit an appraisal center and get your stats inspected manually.
Some players found it annoying, but… I found it refreshing in a way.
As a seasoned player, I had most of my numbers memorized anyway.
Still, I was reviewing them now because the road to the Temple—and the trials inside—would involve combat.
When I got it checked a few days ago, I only skimmed it.
But with battles looming, I needed to know exactly how strong I was.
Next page… stats, huh?
╭──────╮
◈ Stats
Stamina: E+
Strength: E
Agility: D+
Magic: F+
Energy: D
Divinity: F
╰──────╯
The next page showed my stats laid out alphabetically.
The highlights were my ‘Agility’ and ‘Energy.’
My ideal combat style would likely be that of a swift assassin—hit hard and fast, then retreat.
Considering the background of my butler lineage, the Waltz family, that wasn’t surprising.
When someone became an obstacle to the Duke, the Waltz family handled “clean-up”—often through assassination.
I’d never been assigned such missions myself, but I was trained for it.
My current stats reflected that training.
With about five years before I entered the academy, I figured I’d make it into the lower class at least.
The same potential that helped me protect Arlot in the game—hopefully, it was still there.
Next… Skills…
╭──────╮
◈ Skills
▣ Passive
Butler of House Eral Lv. 1
Energy Growth Lv. 1
Dagger Affinity Lv. 1
▣ Active
Shadow Step Lv. 1
Dagger Throw Lv. 1
╰──────╯
A simple layout fitting for a background character.
Growth and affinity passives were pretty common.
Energy Growth increased stat gains for energy-type builds, and Dagger Affinity boosted damage with daggers.
But the key skill wasn’t either of those.
Butler of House Eral—a ridiculously powerful unique passive.
It would become the core of my combat style.
This passive allowed me to take initiative in combat even against opponents whose Agility was two tiers higher.
In a turn-based game like Party to Savior, being guaranteed the first strike was a massive advantage.
It had been essential for stopping early-game griefers who tried to kill Arlot.
In this world, combat wasn’t turn-based—but striking first was always useful for an assassin.
‘Shadow Step’ let me teleport behind an enemy and land a close-range strike. ‘Dagger Throw’ was for ranged pressure.
As I reviewed my combat kit and gathered my thoughts—
“Oh, right. You probably can’t get into the Temple right now. It’s the Trial of Flames season.”
“…Huh? What’s that?”
“You didn’t know? Yikes, rookie alert.”
Her sudden statement caught me off guard.
…That wasn’t a thing in the game.
The normal path was for the temple’s head monk to recognize the protagonist’s potential and guide them in.
“When does it end?”
“Hmm… Probably lasts a month. We’re only a week or two in.”
“Damn…”
I never planned to stay at the temple long.
I just wanted to get what I needed and return to the Duke’s mansion.
By then, Arlot would’ve cleared up the misunderstanding…
And the hidden piece from the Temple would heal her illness.
“Thanks for the info. I’ll head there anyway and figure it out.”
“Sure. If you get stuck, come to my trade guild on the outskirts of Heirin. Drop my name—they’ll find you something.”
“I appreciate the kindness.”
“No need to be so stiff! Just say, ‘Thanks, sis!’ Flash those baby eyes!”
…She really thought I was some runaway teen.
Well, since I’d spent almost all my money on potions, I couldn’t complain about a little generosity.
“It’s all for when we reach Heirin. Just don’t flake on your guard duty, all right?”
“Of course. You can count on me.”
I grinned and tapped the dagger on my belt.
She tousled my hair like she thought I was some overconfident kid.
Sure, it probably looked like bravado from a 15-year-old boy.
But I had my reasons.
According to my stats, I could handle the random low-level bandits in the area.
As long as I didn’t run into that rare encounter—the ‘Bandit Trio’—I’d be fine.
That was when it happened.
Thwip!
Something shot out from the bushes.
I barely deflected it with my dagger—an arrow, now snapped, tumbled to the ground.
Startled by the ambush, the horses neighed wildly, and the carriage skidded to a halt.
“…Damn it. We’re under attack?”
“I’ll check it out. Please stay in the cart.”
I leapt out immediately.
The arrow had clearly been aimed at me.
I moved toward the bushes in a guarded stance.
“Hey, why don’t we talk face to face?”
My stats weren’t just for show.
When the arrow flew, time seemed to slow—just enough for me to react.
If I could handle a projectile, I could probably manage other attacks too.
Maybe they sensed my confidence.
From the bushes, figures emerged.
“Heh heh, a kid and a young woman… mother and son, maybe? Heh, what a fine pair.”
“Boss, they passed through our turf without paying toll. We should just kill ’em and take everything—”
“Enough. They said they wanna talk.”
…Worst-case scenario.
Three armed men in ragged clothes appeared.
One held a bow, one a machete.
The one called “boss” held a massive greatsword with one hand.
The dreaded rare encounter of this region—
The Bandit Trio.