Chapter 82 – LV.Ten Paladin William – [Six]

Even after scouring the Rulebook, the doppelganger entry wasn’t easily found. This was because the existence of doppelgangers was only included in the 4th Edition and was deleted from subsequent Editions.

So, it could only be found in the old edition Rulebook that Oh Haengun had personally collected.

‘Doppelgangers are fundamentally monsters, not of the human race, but possess their own Level, not a Challenge Rating. They can transform by replicating the memories, Ability Scores, Race, and class of a humanoid target within ±2 Levels of the doppelganger’s Level. The more perfectly the doppelganger understands the target’s information, the more perfect the replication becomes. In the doppelganger’s second transformation, that transformation becomes permanent.

However, even if memories are replicated, the doppelganger’s innate Evil Alignment remains. Because of this, no matter how perfectly replicated, differences arise in behavior and ideology. Someone who knew the replicated target might immediately notice the doppelganger’s true identity…’

By this point, it was understandable why Mage Troll might have released a doppelganger into Happy Village. Troll, who wants to fill the position of a god, must be dissatisfied that there is only one Angel Race, which is advantageous for becoming a Goddess. He probably thought it would be good to create one more Angel.

But the Lesser Angel is a race that possesses Divinity from the start; is it possible for a mere monster like a doppelganger to replicate even that Divinity?

It seems possible. Because the Rulebook doesn’t have a rule stating it’s impossible. Doppelgangers are a race that disappeared from the 5th Edition onwards, and Lesser Angels are a race newly added in the 6th Edition, so they don’t interact rules-wise. And considering the Meteorite’s inflexible, even foolish, way of handling things, it seems likely it would allow replication without any deep consideration.

After that, the lore was written at great length. Things like doppelgangers have an innate ability for Detection Spells to understand their transformation target, or if another Mage examines a doppelganger with a Detection Spell, only the replicated race is revealed, not the doppelganger’s race, and so on.

Finally, it was also written that the moment a doppelganger replicates and transforms into someone, the doppelganger and the replicated target are engulfed by an intense compulsion to kill each other.

• Because the replicated target feels a threat to their identity upon seeing the doppelganger, who has become unpleasantly identical to them, and because the doppelganger feels an intense desire to take the other’s social position for itself, the two instinctively seek to eliminate each other.

After reading all those lines, Seo Yun thought. So, I could be killed by a doppelganger who transformed into me?

If I die, I die.

Ultimately, it seemed there was no particular issue worth noting.

‘However, the fact that the doppelganger remains Evil Alignment even after replicating someone else is concerning. Didn’t someone who will become a Goddess say that character is important, even for the sake of the people in the Mortal Realm… That bastard Troll probably has his own separate thoughts.’

Seo Yun decided not to worry about the existence of that doppelganger anymore. Also, since there was a possibility that Kim Rayeon wasn’t actually a doppelganger, she only gave Oh Haengun a slight hint and didn’t go around telling everyone her speculation.

Seo Yun, who returned the Rulebook, went out to do her own work.

She had to look after the NPC prisoners being held in the village. She went to the kitchen, cooked, and then went to the Prison with warm food.

“Eat.”

William now readily accepted and ate the food Seo Yun offered. There was an unspoken agreement to just consider the Mind Control Spell cast to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Also, for the past week, Seo Yun had been coming every two hours to cast a Weakening Spell that reduced William’s Strength Stat, and each time William didn’t resist. Because while the Weakening Spell’s duration was maintained, there was no worry of escape, so the restraints on his wrists could be removed. Thanks to that, he was now eating with his own hands.

William clearly knew this was also consideration for him. Seeing him lick the plate clean after eating and then say this proved it.

“I won’t forget this kindness even after I escape.”

“Can you escape?”

William nodded his head.

“Of course it’s possible. It would be much easier and faster if you helped.”

Seo Yun thought for a moment and then spoke.

“I might actually be able to let you go.”

“How?”

“The reason I can’t let you go even if I want to now is that if I send you back, that village might retaliate, saying our village joined hands with Vampires, right? But our village knows a powerful Mage. One who can use Geas… I don’t know if he’ll actually use it or not, but if he agrees to use it, then we could let you go after taking measures to ensure you never retaliate.”

At Seo Yun’s words, William’s expression turned serious.

“Forget it. I’d rather stay locked up.”

“You don’t want to go back?”

“Even so, there’s no need to cast some Spell on my mind. Understand?”

“Okay. If you really don’t want to, I’m sorry.”

Just as Seo Yun apologized, William let out a deep sigh and, after hesitating, spoke.

“I know you’re looking out for me in your own way. Thank you once again for your kindness.”

Seo Yun gazed blankly at William, who had tilted his head back, looking at the ceiling as if to avoid her gaze. Then she suddenly asked.

“But still, isn’t it stifling like this?”

“It is stifling. It’s stifling, but what can I do about it?”

Seo Yun glanced outside the Prison. She got up and left the Prison. Without closing the Prison door, she said.

“Then, come out.”

William’s eyes widened, and he hesitantly stepped out of the Prison.

“Is it okay to let me out?”

“For a little while. Anyway, there are a lot of people wandering around right now…”

Seo Yun took William and headed for the swordsmanship training school. She picked up two sparring swords that were available.

When she held out one of them to William, he took it with a dazed expression.

“You want me to swing this and escape on my own?”

“In your current state under the Weakening Spell, even if you cause a disturbance, you’ll be subdued quickly, right? So, don’t think about anything else for now… Just train me in swordsmanship.”

“Swordsmanship training?”

Seo Yun nodded her head with a solemn face.

“Becoming an Angel’s teacher. Consider it an honor.”

Seo Yun hadn’t requested swordsmanship training with any serious intent. She just thought that if that Paladin remained locked up, his body would deteriorate, so wouldn’t it be good to let him move his body a bit under the pretext of teaching swordsmanship?Moreover, I thought that perhaps the wounded pride from being treated like a caged animal could be restored by doing the superior work of teaching someone. And indeed, William, holding a sparring sword, was utterly serious. Seo Yun asked, looking at the face of a knight rather than a prisoner.

“It’s not like there’s some rule against teaching secret swordsmanship to outsiders or anything, right?”

“There’s no such specific regulation, but whether this is acceptable is a bit ambiguous. The Crusader doctrine says not to benefit the enemy.”

“Then think of it as teaching an angel, not an enemy. Or think of it not as teaching the enemy, but as beating them up.”

“Who cares if the enemy’s skills improve in the process?”

“Well, I suppose?”

William shrugged his shoulders. He pointed his sword at her and said.

“In that case. Let’s see what you’ve got, miss.”

And when she lost in the ensuing match, Seo Yun wasn’t surprised.

She already knew from their previous match that he was far more skilled. Even considering that Oh Haengun had assessed the Paladin’s Dexterity Stat at a mere 7 points, while she herself possessed a superior Dexterity of 8 points, it was the same.

A Dexterity of 8 points does not necessarily mean vastly superior swordsmanship skill. Dexterity represents talent, not technical proficiency.

In game terms, the Dexterity Stat determined the speed of skill acquisition and the skill grade cap. So, while high Dexterity often meant better skills, it wasn’t an absolute rule, and to learn skills commensurate with one’s Dexterity, one needed to find a Skill Trainer NPC separately.

However, Seo Yun’s own swordsmanship was just something she had learned from a sword enthusiast she’d met at a local club, amounting to barely two years of practice. Losing to a Paladin whose backstory included over a decade of swordsmanship training was inevitable.

‘Oh Haengun said this guy was probably Longsword Mastery grade 6.’

Besides, there was no need to stubbornly try to win, as it was also necessary to let him build up some confidence. Seo Yun charged in a few more times, lost a few more times, and was satisfied with receiving pointers on areas for improvement and some coaching.

She spent the day like that.

It must have been a fairly good day for that prisoner as well. After returning William to the prison, Seo Yun bowed her head.

“Sorry for making you teach me. And if you ever feel it’s better to escape, even with the Geas, just say the word.”

“Right, thanks again for your concern.”

“Can I come again to learn?”

It was a question meant to stroke his pride by emphasizing that since he was the teacher, the decision was his. But looking at William’s face as he answered, Seo Yun was surprised. On his face, tired from moving all day, there was, albeit awkwardly, a faint trace of a smile.

“If you wish.”

With that answer, Seo Yun parted ways with William.

And seeing the girl waiting in front of her tent, she sighed inwardly.

“Hi?”

“Yeah, hi.”

It was Kim Rayeon. This girl had already marveled at Seo Yun’s Ability Scores before, and since then, she visited daily to admire things like the Dexterity 8 or Agility 7.

Seo Yun guessed that for this Doppelganger girl, admiring the stats that might one day become her own was a genuinely enjoyable pastime.

Even now, Kim Rayeon was looking at Seo Yun’s face (probably while checking her stats) and marveling. Then she muttered.

“Every time I see it, your stats are insane… Huh?”

Kim Rayeon tilted her head, and Seo Yun asked.

“Did something get on me?”

“No, it’s not that. Something’s changed.”

“Changed?”

“Seo Yun, you, in your skills section, Longsword Mastery grade 5 appeared? It wasn’t there until just recently, why did it suddenly show up?”

Seo Yun blinked for a moment. A skill that didn’t exist had appeared?

She had a good idea why such a change occurred. She needed to verify that guess.

The next day, Seo Yun dragged Han Siwoo and the Chimpanzee along. William was taken aback, saying he hadn’t agreed to bringing friends, but he didn’t refuse the instruction.

And upon hearing the Chimpanzee was a Martial Artist, he criticized in a very NPC-like manner, not understanding class-based weapon restrictions, “There seem to be plenty of weapons in this village, why insist on fighting with hands and feet? Is he lacking in brains?” Still, William was a medieval knight proficient not only in swordsmanship but also in wrestling and bare-handed combat. He had the ability to teach even the Chimpanzee’s less evolved behaviors.

In the end, that day, Han Siwoo gained Swordsmanship Mastery grade 1, and the Chimpanzee gained Martial Arts Mastery grade 2.

It was a boon not only for those two but for the entire village. It proved that the Paladin was a Trainer NPC capable of teaching skills.

For the Paladin’s better standing, and for the sake of the entire village, Seo Yun actively spread the rumor. And it worked as intended.

A month had passed since William was captured and brought to this village.

William still refused, as a Paladin, to divulge Crusader secrets or use the Sun God’s holy Spells for a village ruled by Vampires. However, he did not refuse to thoroughly beat the village Warriors who came to him with sparring swords. The logic was that this wasn’t benefiting the enemy but defeating and shaming the heretical foes.

Afterward, these heretics who had been soundly beaten by his sword would rejoice for some incomprehensible reason, like gaining some mastery or other, and they would leave after giving gifts of food and words of thanks.

Perhaps because he was now even treated as a master by the village Warriors? William found his prisoner life much more comfortable than expected.

Which, in turn, made him feel conflicted.

‘It would have been better if I had been tortured.’

Although they had committed the eccentric act of putting him in an animal pen for tens of minutes in this village, William had, over the past two years interrogating Vampires, implemented every torture method known to exist in the world. Holding a grudge over something so trivial was embarrassing.

And he wished he had something to hold a grudge over. Because the Crusaders would come to rescue him.

The Crusaders would punish this village.

He didn’t know when that would be, but the fact itself was certain. The fact that this village was a location distant from the Crusader main force would not prevent the Sun Ship from arriving here.There are many, far too many ways to locate an evil lair whose whereabouts are unknown. Revelation, Oracle, the Sign spell inscribed inside a Paladin’s Armor… There is no way to hide under the sun. Even in a world where the sun is obscured by gray ash.

William thought about what he should say to his fellow Paladins on the day they would extract him from this Prison.

He should first tell them that an Angel had treated him well. And that the hospitality of the heretics wasn’t so bad either… Then they probably wouldn’t execute them all on the spot.

In the middle of his thoughts, William frowned.

‘Boooooooooooooooo…’ The sound of a Horn Trumpet echoed from outside the prison. Likely the gathering signal for this place.

He soon recognized the rough voice that followed as belonging to the Orc Vampire. Despite his Race and ferocious appearance, he was a fellow respected by the humans of the village.

That Orc was speaking to the people here in a voice so loud it could be heard even inside the prison.

“Everyone knows that French Village, right? The ones living there are trapped in that snowy field, living a pitiful existence! Today, we go to save them!”