Rose and Rapier

This is not-

The rush I felt inside of me is the same as when I entered the Eternal Quest.

My body sent some adrenaline rush as I was too excited for this game.

I already imagined myself in my suit, elegantly wiped out my enemies with my beloved weapon.

I can feel my hands are moving around, as it was immersed in the digital world. My body felt light, but I have the full control of it. The bright, white light suddenly shone in front of me, and I knew it can only mean one thing.

I am almost there to the character's page!

I never felt excited since the last time when I played VR online games when I designed my first very character.

I hope the in-game design for this game better than the other games!

As I got near to the light, it was too bright, making me shielded my eyes with my hands. Though I felt like I might be blind after this, I do not care for it right now. 

Because all I care now is to play this new game!

The gravity slowly pulled me downwards as I felt my body began to sink. Few seconds after that, I finally landed on something, as my feet felt something thick underneath. When landed, I put down my arms slowly, and opened my eyes carefully, so that my eyes will not have that sudden changes. 

Before I opened it, my mind had been set to the highest expectations that I shall see when I open my eyes. 

The room might look like something in digital worlds, where all the lines been put in horizontal and vertical order. I supposed the one that helped me with the character's creation might be wearing something futuristic with goggles. Something that can analyze data of what suited me the best. Many hairstyles can choose from as it might come from the future concept.

Ah! It already excites me just by thinking of it!

I opened my eyes, slowly and worked on to look at my surroundings. Ah, it is much clearer now! 

Yet, when I looked around, my smile started to fade away.

This is not like what I am thinking of!

The character's room where I expected it to be like some futuristic concept, turned out to be like some medieval concept. 

Straight from Renaissance-era!

The view around the character creation's lounge looks like it was coming from some classic movies where the streets were made from brick rocks and sands, while the still using post lamp here. Some boxes served its purposes as a chair in that lounge while waiting for the player to finish their choices in creating their online character, or alter ego. 

And the room itself-

It looks like as if I were standing in the middle of the old town's road, waiting for my carriage to come.

I looked at my surroundings, disbelief with all of this.

Easy, Claire. Maybe Renaissance-era kind of timeline is not that bad.

And you may have new experiences with this kind of game, as long as it has fighting elements in it, right?

I tried to stay positive, though I had thought about what is waiting for me in this game.

But, if I do not play it, I never knew, right?

I stood there, waiting for any NPC to come and fetched me, or maybe showed me the way to the game's world. As I waited, I sat on the boxes that supposed to be a chair.

Turned out it was soft, like a real chair!

I turned to my left and right, to see if anyone would come to fetch me, but ended up, nobody came.

Is this game broken?

Suddenly, I remembered that Katherine had this kind of problem too when she first played Eternal Quest. 

Wait...

Don't tell me that this game is related to the previous one...

"Welcome."

I startled as I heard a voice nearby. I looked around to search for any figure nearby, but I cannot find any.

"Please don't be alarmed. I'm here to guide you."

Ah, a voice-like guide!

Interesting.

"Ah, h-hi? Um, so, what shall we do now?"

I waited for any response. Seconds later, the voice came back.

"Good. Let us set up your profile now."

Feeling confused, I decided to ask.

For some reason, I felt like, that the voice itself is not a programmed one, where programmer programmed it that way. Somehow, it sounded like, it was a real person who talked to me.

"I'm sorry, but shouldn't I be doing it by myself? I thought that since I can just swipe it all right here and-"

"This is our procedure. Please bear with us."

The voice quickly cut me up though I was still in the middle of my explanation. I nodded and agreed with it.

"Thank you for your cooperation. We will now begin the questioning for your character's identity."

Questions?

That is new.

I nodded softly, hoping that wherever the voice was, it can see me.

"Question 1: Do consider yourself as in a poor community or rich society?"

I did not see the link between the question and my character's design, so I chose what is the closest to me. 

The snob elitist rich people, duh!

"The rich."

I waited, and I heard some bell rang somewhere.

"Thank you. Next question: Are you a musketeer or damsel in distress?"

This question sounded dumb for some reason, but I answered it anyway.

"Musketeer."

Obviously, I am a musketeer!

I am not one of those who waits for help, okay!

The next ball rang, but it sounded different than before. Maybe, the sound changed based on my choice?

"Let us proceed. Which word will your friends describe you as: Saviour or Analyst?"

Uuh, this is a tough one! 

I mean, I can be both.

Like, I remembered when I play several tactics game like War of Titan or Kingdom's Rule, which required my analytical skills. I ended up won the tournament though I had no intention to participate it in the first place. Gerald always told me that a girl is too weak to play a game like that, so I silenced him by my winning trophy.

Or, when the time I played Battle of the Dawn with Katherine when we were thirteen. Like she was almost got killed, thankfully, with her clumsiness, which making herself visible to enemies. Which made the enemies visible to me, then it got me to one-shot them for an instant kill.

So, yeah, I am practically both, but depends on the situation.

I gave the thoughts for this question for a few minutes. I could not decide which one suit me better.

"Sigh."

I looked around.

Did I just someone sigh?

"Have you made up your mind?"

The voice asked, and she sounded a bit impatient with me. I then narrowed to the thin air while thinking.

Is she is the one who sighs?

I then pretended to look on the ground, acting like I was thinking about the question. Yet, actually, I was trying to figure out the identity of the voice. 

For some reason, she sounded like a real human.

I looked around or at the thin air, with a smile on my face.

I need to trick her somehow.

That is what I thought, but not to the question.

"Um, excuse me, sir, voice?"

"Madam."

Ah hah!

"I'm sorry, are you an AI or a real person?"

I asked since this is quite interesting for me. Of all the games I had played, I never experienced once, where a real person guided you with your character's creation.

Silence.

I did not hear the voice said anything, after I asked her about it, as it was a long pause. I am not sure whether she was trying to make up something, or maybe, she just ran away after she was discovered.

"Impressive. Sharp as always, Miss Claire."

Suddenly, I heard the voice again. This time, it sounded one hundred per cent like a real person. I was alarmed and was ready to log out immediately. Yet, somehow my body forbade me from doing so, as I wanted to hear something from her.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

I heard she giggled, but it did not sound evil. Somewhat, she sounded fascinated by all of this.

"Trust me, you did not want to know me, but we met somehow. I'm E."

E?

Oh.

"Are you the one who gives me the package? What are you intended to do?"

"Simple. I need you to win this game. That's all I asked."

Feeling unsatisfied with her response, I pushed her for more.

"Be specific. Every game has its own requirement to win."

I heard E chuckled again. I did not know what so funny about it, but I began to grow restless.

"Aren't you the smart one, Miss Claire? I'm sure you will know one as you play the game."

She began to get into my nerves.

"After all, knowing how to defeat the game before you play it is not that interesting, isn't it?"

She does have a point.

"Now, shall we continue with the question? For your information, this is the game's requirement, not my personal gain."

My eyes widened as I heard her.

So this game does have its uniqueness.

I took a seat back on the box, waiting for E to continue.

"Very well."

"For the previous question, I shall put Analyst, since you had figured me out."

I rolled my eyes.

"Next question: Follow the order or being a rebel?"

I put my hand under my chin. All my life, I always do as I had been told. 

Going to extra classes to learn new things, which enhance my values.

Dressing suitably like a lady for every time Father had his annual party. 

Posing and behaving like a real lady, and mingle with elite society.

Somehow, it had been my habit to do that, even though no one has told me so.

However, that was not me.

I gritted my teeth.

"Rebel."

"Interesting, though I knew that you'd acted contradictorily."

"Shut up. Next, please."

E giggled.

"Though you act curt, you do say please. Like a fine lady, you were."

I did not laugh at her joke. Somewhat, I narrowed my eyes, though I did not see her.

"Last question: To win or to lose?"

I raised my eyebrow.

She did ask me to win this game, but she asked me this kind of question?

"What kind of question is that?"

"Not mine, obviously."

I sighed.

"Win."

E stayed silence for a moment. Then, I heard something, like a calculation had been made in that room.

"Calculating for your possible House..."

House?

"Your result: House of Zahradne."

"What?"

"Your name, please."

Somehow, the voice sounded artificial back. 

Is E gone already?

I wanted to ask, but at the moment, I was itching to go to the game's world right away, so I decided to give my character's name right away.

"Clara. Clara Courteney."

I supposed if I wanted to play in the Medieval's era, I should be like one.

"System identified. Clara Courteney, from House of Zahradne."

Suddenly, a bright light wrapped me around, and my body felt light.

"W-what happened?!"

My cloth suddenly changed. From modern clothes to a green, long gown, almost like a tunics. It was made with silk, as it was soft, added with stockings at the knee-high.

"W-wow!"

The dress looks fancy and vintage!

My hair was left loose and covered with a hat with a long veil.

Soon after, my body felt light, as it was ready to leave this place.

"Now, win for us. Please."

That was the last time I heard E's voice before I was finally teleported to the game's world.

The white light shined brightly, almost pierced my eyes, which I had to cover it with my hands.

The light that blinded my eyes faded away gradually. I opened my eyes slowly.

The first thing I saw shocked me.

Message from the System Prompt:

Welcome to Velentinia.