As a Reincarnated NPC, I Want to Live a Peaceful Life - Chapter 20

A small hand wrapped around the guard’s neck, then gave a sharp twist. With a sickening crack, I leapt through the window, leaving a corpse behind in the room…

The body would soon shatter and vanish. Before more guards arrived, I had to leave the city quickly and find Alec and the others in 【Feltro】. This world was full of wonders—even that guard’s armor was enchanted with 【Anti-Magic】, rendering my spells useless. Who knows what other advanced countermeasures existed?

As soon as I hit the streets, I ran straight into a patrol. What a coincidence—had they already responded to the signal flare?

“Kid, why is there blood on your clothes?” The player leading the guard squad pointed at the stains on my clothes—evidence of my careless earlier actions. His other hand slowly moved toward the sword at his waist.

His intentions were clear enough.

I didn’t answer. The alley ahead was crowded with thugs, and behind me was the open 【Central Plaza】. I clicked my tongue and made a reckless decision—

I couldn’t kill in public, and I couldn’t kill without reason. Holding to those principles, I tensed my limbs and charged straight at the squad.

“Hey! What are you doing? Stop right there, or I’ll— Ugh!”

At the last possible moment, I pushed off the ground, launching myself into the air. I traced a semi-arc like a compass needle before landing lightly behind the squad.

Without hesitation, I dropped low and sprinted forward like a track athlete.

I still had energy; my muscles wouldn’t tire. Those ordinary players could never catch up—thanks to the warning from the South Gate, the streets were nearly empty, letting me run freely. Not that it would’ve mattered; the guards would’ve fallen behind anyway. Besides, my actions could easily be seen as self-defense. A little girl having high speed stats was unusual, but not impossible.

Well, it seemed they were determined to chase me. The blood on my clothes and my suspicious behavior had definitely raised some flags.

Ha, I really am an idiot. I should’ve realized that earlier.

But regretting it now was pointless. I had to get out of the city, no matter what.

“Those beastmen are much weaker without the full moon’s blessing.”

“Yeah, I’ve almost run out of holy magic power just taking down those aerial beasts.”

“Heh… I’m nearly exhausted too. We’re lucky we made it to daytime.”

“Prince Lyle’s 【Earth Collapse】 still seems a bit rough. Is it a skill you just learned at the academy? Everyone knows you’re still a student, after all.”

“Don’t tease me. They’re making changes over at 【Kroof】 these days… Hm?”

“Prince Lyle… Greetings, Lord Winter. Your Highness, we’ve received word that a criminal fled the scene after committing violence at the teleportation station.”

“What? Let’s go! In that case, Alec and the others might…”

“The suspect is a 13-year-old girl with sky-blue hair, wearing a sweater… She possesses unknown magical abilities and was last seen active on 【Central Avenue】.”

“What?! A little girl with blue hair?… Didn’t she leave with Mr. Alec already?”

“Oh? Prince Lyle, you seem to have urgent business.”

“That’s right, Winter. You’re a good friend, and I trust you… Please help me find the girl matching this description. She’s the adopted daughter of my friend… I’m counting on you.”

“Since you ask so sincerely, how could I refuse?”

Just like last time, I dashed through the familiar maze of alleyways. But this place felt different—winding paths intersecting like a labyrinth. It might not slow down guards who knew the city well, but it would buy me some time.

I could still hear their footsteps close behind, so I kept running, trying to shake them off. But my body and soul weren’t fully in sync. In my memory, I should’ve reached the corner in two or three steps, but now it took four or five.

Was I pushing myself too hard? My strides were naturally shorter than an adult’s, and these girl’s sandals weren’t exactly made for sprinting…

Suddenly, I slapped my cheeks lightly. I remembered I still had magic to escape this mess. Even if 【Time Stop】 was discovered, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Seeing a straight path ahead with no thugs in sight, I turned back, stretched out my hand, and focused on a strange yet familiar presence… 【Orange · Courage】… It wasn’t a spell so much as something innate to my soul. I didn’t need incantations to wield it.

Several glowing white orbs materialized behind me—adjustable “bombs” that would detonate at my will.

I set the intensity to moderate, then clenched my fist.

They exploded.

“Aahhh—! An explosion!”

The deafening blast echoed through the alley. Coughing from the smoke, I looked back at the rubble now blocking the path, feeling a little pleased with myself. But then it hit me—

I’d just used a spell they’d never seen before, all to stop some guards. Wasn’t I just asking for more trouble?

Ugh, I didn’t even think before acting. There were other ways I could’ve handled that.

I really am a fool. Did I really think I could live a peaceful life? Where did all that wisdom from planning Alec’s itinerary this morning go?

“Wait, where am I now?” I stared blankly at the narrow, lightless alley around me. Just a moment ago, it was a wide, intersecting maze—now it was just a cramped pathway?

And shouldn’t there be some light? Instead, it felt like a moonless night. I looked up—no stars, no moon, just an overcast sky. And the buildings… the buildings?

I suddenly realized the walls on either side had vanished. The streets, lampposts, everything—gone. Only vast, empty ground remained.

Staring in confusion, I swallowed hard. This didn’t feel right.

Had I walked right into a trap? Did the guards anticipate I’d flee into the alleys and set up some kind of barrier? But my magic still worked…

Then, out of nowhere, came a faint clinking sound. I flinched before recognizing it—chains. Thin but long. Whoever was using them couldn’t be that strong—

Suddenly, a chain shot out and wrapped around my left arm, yanking me forward. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and fell.

The chain felt unnaturally heavy, as if my arm had turned into a solid iron weight. An ordinary person wouldn’t have been able to lift it.

Of course, I wasn’t ordinary. My strength stat was no joke.

Steadying myself, I saw the chain emerged from an unnatural patch of shadow—darker than its surroundings, floating midair. Another question arose: with no light in this darkness, how could I see so clearly? Could my eyes see without light? (Doge)

I activated 【Soul Vision】 and saw a half-blue, half-white soul within the shadow. Without hesitation, I yanked the chain backward, trying to drag whoever it was out. I could feel resistance—they clearly hadn’t expected their prey to fight back.

My strength was too much. It felt almost like fishing—the chain was the line, and they were the fish.

Soon, I dragged a figure out of the shadows. It was a young girl wearing a familiar dress. I pulled her up from the ground, ignoring whether she was conscious—and froze.

Wasn’t this Nasu’s older sister? Had she come back to life? No, her soul was vibrant and alive. Had she been pretending to be dead all along?

Her features were sharp and unmistakable. This was the same girl who’d become a corpse—now here to settle a score with me. But… I didn’t owe her or Nasu anything. Nasu left willingly (probably).

“Hello, can you hear me?”

“…Mobility restricted. The 【Bearer of Seven Souls】 exceeds expectations. Attempting counterattack to obtain blood sample.” Her limbs flailed weakly as she tried to get up.

I wasn’t about to let her cause more trouble. I pinned her spine to the ground, restraining her. Then I noticed she was still clutching a medium-length, gleaming axe. Chills ran down my spine.

I never expected Nasu’s sister to be so fierce. Chains and an axe didn’t exactly fit the image of a princess. And that strength earlier—I could handle it easily, but an ordinary person would’ve been slaughtered.

So this is what a battle princess is like.

“Counterattack failed. Surrendering.” After muttering to herself, she dropped the chain and axe and raised her empty hands in surrender.

I stared blankly for a moment, then took in her cold expression. I stood up, unwound the chain from my arm, set it aside, and sat down facing her.

She really was a royal princess. Like Nasu, her skin was well cared for—delicate collarbones, a high nose bridge, the same jet-black hair, and small, naturally shaped lips… Not that I was interested in someone like her. No matter how high your 【Charm】 stat is, it won’t work on me. (PS: That’s the truth.)

“Hello, can you hear me?”

“Of course. Did you think my ears were just for show?” Her monotone reply felt like a mockery. I could only forced smile and accept it.

“You’re her older sister, right? How is Nasu?”

“…Yes, I am indeed Nasu St. Roya’s older sister. She is fine. You need not worry about her.”

“That’s good to hear… Now, back to the matter at hand.”

My tone shifted sharply from light to serious.

This dark place wasn’t something a minor spell could create. It had to be a barrier, like the one Alec had used.

(—It’s so dark here… Mom, Dad, where are you?)

For a moment, I thought I saw a young boy wandering nearby, holding a pair of craft scissors, looking utterly lost.

(—Why is the floor so red…)

I shook my head hard, trying to clear my mind, but the voice kept echoing.

(—Oh, right. Mom and Dad are apart now.)

I clenched my fists, pressing against the ground. My chest felt like it had been stabbed.

(—With these scissors… and that sewing machine… the needle and thread were so useful.)

My eyes trembled. I covered my throbbing head, my breathing growing ragged.

(—Your face… want to… play together?)

(—I’ll always be your friend… when you’re lying on the sewing table, don’t forget me.)

I coughed violently, my throat dry and itchy, unable to hold back the urge—until I slapped myself hard across the face. The sting brought me back to reality.

There was no time to dwell on pointless memories. I… I had more important things to do.

“Hurry up and lift this barrier. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you stay buried in the ground forever.”

The girl paused for a few seconds, placed her hands on the ground, and murmured something. A large purple magic circle appeared beneath her, then shrank into a purple ring in her hand.

I looked around—the alley had returned to normal, and the weightless feeling was gone.

When I turned back, the girl had already used the chain to climb onto the rooftop.

“Tch… Why did the wound on my left arm reopen?” I stared at the fresh, bleeding puncture, feeling annoyed.

No pain, no idea what even caused it. My left arm had suddenly developed a perforation wound. Under normal circumstances, I’d at least get a damage notification like players do.

But this was different—an attack I hadn’t even felt, with no system alert. What was going on?

Ah, I’ve been talking to myself for too long. Realizing I’d wasted precious time, I moistened my dry throat and soon turned out of the alley.

【Feltro】—I needed to find out where it was. Alec and the others would realize the same thing and take the fastest route to meet me.

But what if we missed each other?

That… probably wouldn’t happen. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

Name: Yuetsu Jūrō
Status: 【Wanted · Identity Exposed】
Form: BOSS
——————
Attack: ??
Speed: ??
Magic: ???
Strength: ??
Growth: ∞
Precision: A
Spirit: A+
Airheaded: D+ / Wisdom: A+
——————
Skill Changes:
【Soul Vision】LV.3 ▶▶ LV.4