Chapter 40 – The Youngest Daughter of the Count’s Family (3)
[Chapter 3 – Verse 2] Not the Protagonist?
Out of habit, I reached into my pocket to check my belongings.
‘Ugh…’
My clothes were the same, but my smartphone, a modern necessity, was gone.
Did I fall asleep with it on the table while drinking tropical juice?
“Hm. Doesn’t really matter.”
It’d be useless without calls or internet anyway. Even if I took photos, I couldn’t bring them to reality.
Step, step.
I couldn’t just stay on this grassy plain, so I started walking toward the distant village.
‘Will I understand their language…?’
I worried before even meeting anyone, but there was no helping it.
This was a completely different world.
No doubt about it. The round, jelly-like creatures scattered among the grass didn’t exist on Earth.
“Malang?”
A translucent pink jelly, shaped like a steamed bun, wobbled.
“What’s your name?”
“Malang!”
“…Sorry. Dumb question.”
Wouldn’t it be bizarre if a creature without a mouth answered? It didn’t even have ears, so I wasn’t sure it understood me.
“…”
“Malang.”
“…What’re you doing?”
“Malang?”
The mysterious alien creature following me was getting on my nerves.
“Geez.”
Bored from walking aimlessly, I reached out toward it.
‘It won’t melt my hand or swallow it the moment I touch it, right…?’
Slightly anxious, I mustered courage, thinking if I died, I’d just escape this place.
“Malang~”
“Oh! It’s really soft!”
The texture was so pleasant I could play with it all day without getting bored.
I carefully held the alien creature and kept—
Whoosh!
Pure luck.
Drip…
Blood trickled down my cheek from my right ear after a deafening sound passed.
‘An arrow!’
No time to assess or think.
It nearly pierced my head!
I ducked as low as I could and ran.
“Gasp?!”
Arrows rained down in a parabolic arc.
Dodging them all seemed impossible, so I—
“Malang?!”
“Sorry!”
I lifted the creature I was holding to shield my head.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Pain surged as my shoulder and back burned, but I had no time to check the damage.
‘This is bad.’
If I kept running, I’d eventually get hit.
But without a decent weapon, there was nothing I could do.
“Malang malang!”
“…Please!”
“Malang?!”
I threw the creature I’d been using as a head shield straight up into the sky.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The attackers’ arrows reacted to it.
‘Over there.’
I pinpointed their position from the direction the arrows came.
Catch.
“Malang…!”
“Sorry.”
Catching the falling creature to shield my head again, I ran in the opposite direction from the attackers.
It took me slightly farther from the village, but I couldn’t just let myself get killed by unknowns, right?
I had one thing I trusted.
‘If it’s stamina, I’m confident!’
My blood left a trail, so hiding to shake them off was impossible.
I had to make them give up by outlasting them.
But…
“What?!”
A variable appeared.
A dirt road cut through the bushes hiding me!
Crossing it was easy, but I’d be exposed until I reached the bushes on the other side.
‘Gotta go anyway.’
No time to hesitate, right?
Compared to the Magic Boy, where escape was impossible, these guys just shooting arrows from afar were much easier.
I braced for death and stepped forward—
“Gasp!”
I stopped, sucking in a breath.
Clatter, clatter.
A group of this world’s natives began passing by, blocking my path.
They seemed to be escorting a luxurious carriage in the middle…
‘Should I ask for help?’
Then, a man who met my eyes pulled the reins of his white horse, turning toward me.
His black hair contrasted with pale skin, and his sturdy build and chiseled jawline would make anyone call him handsome.
Clatter, clatter.
Riding up to me, he spoke.
“Who’s attacking you?”
“Huh?”
My native language?
I’d expected an incomprehensible alien tongue, so this was welcome news.
One less thing to worry about.
“No need to worry now. I am from the Chimac Count’s family…”
Misinterpreting my relieved expression, he began introducing himself, but—
“Captain! Ambush!”
“Raise your shields! Gather around the carriage!”
“Form a line!”
Arrows rained down like a storm toward the carriage and its escorting soldiers.
Clang, clang, clang…
Most were blocked by iron shields and armor, but the horses pulling the carriage weren’t so lucky.
“Neigh~?!”
“Neigh~?!”
Innocent animals fell one after another, struck by arrows.
And as for me,
“Argh?!”
“Malang?!”
I ran, shielding myself with the alien creature in my hands.
The silver lining? The arrows were focused on the carriage, so the farther I got, the less—
Rumble!
With the ground-shaking sound of hooves, a suspicious group of cavalry approached rapidly, kicking up dust.
“This is insane!”
“Malang!”
Sure, I’m called a nuclear submarine for my stamina, but I’m not faster than horses.
If they caught up, I was dead!
Those blades in their hands weren’t decorations.
Whoosh.
I immediately turned and ran toward the carriage.
“Help!”
“Malang!”
I vowed to learn self-defense if I made it back to reality.
“Come this way!”
The man who spoke to me earlier pointed under the carriage.
He meant for me to hide there.
“Give me a weapon, and I’ll fight with you!”
“I appreciate the spirit, but hide quickly.”
“…Okay.”
I wasn’t reckless enough to argue with my life on the line, so I hid under the carriage as told.
“Come over here.”
“Hello?”
A coachman who’d been driving the carriage was already there.
“Goodness! You’re bleeding a lot. Can you handle it?”
“I’m dizzy.”
“Don’t worry, just hold on a bit. The valiant knights and soldiers of the Chimac Count’s family will handle this!”
“Okay.”
Hiding under the carriage, I felt pathetic.
“Malang…”
“Worried about me? I’m fine.”
“Malang malang~”
Being protected by the law in a civilized country isn’t shameful.
I’m not a soldier. I don’t need to know how to fight.
I never intended to enter a dangerous dream world…
‘I let my guard down thinking it was autism.’
I never imagined I’d enter the dream of a patient who wasn’t asleep.
…That sounds a bit odd.
While I was regretting, the two groups finally clashed.
“Protect the carriage!”
“For the Chimac Count’s family!”
“Chimac forever!”
“Chimac! Chimac! Chimac!”
Boom! Crash!
Hiding under the carriage, I couldn’t see the battle, but the sight of people collapsing in the dusty road gave me chills.
“Argh?!”
“Ack~?!”
Severed limbs sprayed blood, and crushed heads hit the ground.
‘Too realistic!’
The battle was so brutal it was hard to believe it was a dream.
Unlike commercial movies that hide overly gruesome scenes, dreams weren’t so considerate.
The silver lining?
“Retreat! Retreat!”
“They’re stronger than we thought…”
“Run— Urk?!”
The attackers, losing their will to fight, retreated, and the battle ended quickly.
“Hoorah!”
“Long live the Chimac Count’s family!”
“We won!”
Judging it safe, I crawled out from under the carriage.
“Oh…”
And I regretted it.
‘This is the victor’s scene?’
Behind the joyful cheers of victory lurked relief at surviving.
“Quiet! Gather the bodies in one place and quickly rescue the survivors!”
“Yes!”
Under the commanders’ swift orders, things were organized rapidly.
Allied bodies were respectfully buried after collecting their belongings, while enemies’ heads were severed, their bodies carelessly tossed into the bushes.
Why the heads?
The coachman, noticing my confusion, explained.
“To identify those who dared challenge the Chimac Count’s family for retaliation.”
“But they’re already dead?”
“They have parents who birthed them, don’t they?”
“…”
His casual tone about wiping out entire families sent shivers down my spine.
“Show me your wounds.”
“Okay.”
I didn’t hesitate to reveal the arrow wounds.
“Goodness… The wounds widened from running with the arrows embedded. Didn’t it hurt?”
“I can still manage.”
“Your endurance is impressive. It must hurt like hell.”
“…”
Having died before, I know it’s not that bad.
“Bite this stick. And don’t look.”
“…I’m nervous.”
“I’m going to pull out the arrow now. Bear with it.”
“Ugh… Argh?!”
The coachman removed the arrowhead embedded in my flesh with a dagger, disinfected the wound with alcohol, and tightly bandaged it.
‘Wow!’
This time, the pain was so intense I broke out in a cold sweat.
“No anesthesia, and not a single scream…”
“It really hurt!”
I spat out the stick I’d been biting and protested.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah…”
Fatigue washed over me. I questioned why I was going through this.
“Ride beside me. I’ll take you to the nearest village.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s the knight’s orders. Since you were attacked by those targeting us, we should at least do this.”
“Well then…”
Was it the blood loss? Or the tension fading?
Sudden drowsiness hit me.
“Don’t fall off the carriage.”
“Okay.”
The carriage, patched up with the attackers’ horses, started moving again.
***
I thought it was a village, but I must’ve overestimated the medieval era.
‘This is a city?’
According to the proud coachman, it wasn’t just any city.
It was the heart of the region, home to the grand estate of the Chimac Count, one of the top five noble families in this country!
Think of it as a metropolitan city where a governor resides.
“Halt. We’ll tidy up here.”
“Yes, Sir Knight.”
“Stop the carriage.”
The handsome man who first spoke to me was the eldest son of a knight family protecting the Chimac Count’s household.
He’s said to be the strongest in the area.
‘Why stop?’
Instead of wondering alone, I asked the coachman.
“What are we tidying up?”
“Look at us. We’d scare the citizens.”
“Oh…”
We’d won a fierce battle, but covered in blood and dust, we looked like defeated soldiers.
“Wait a moment.”
The coachman pulled a towel and clean clothes from his bag.
One set, two sets.
No mistake.
“Huh? For me too?”
“Yes, change into these.”
“But I don’t have money…”
I felt uneasy, like I was being forced to buy.
“We don’t charge someone who lost their belongings while fleeing. The Chimac Count’s family isn’t that stingy. It’s not expensive clothing either.”
“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
Changing in the open without a screen was a bit uncomfortable, but the mood wasn’t right for complaints.
Plus,
‘Wow, what bodies…’
Hidden by armor, I hadn’t noticed, but everyone looked like they could take down a bear barehanded.
The coachman was the only one at a normal level.
…Me?
Despite being a swimmer, I barely had any muscle.
“Hm.”
“What?”
“Are you a noble?”
I quickly waved off the coachman’s misunderstanding as he scrutinized my underwear.
“No way. Would a noble wander alone so dangerously?”
“My apologies.”
After tidying our appearance, we resumed moving.
Clatter, clatter.
With the Chimac Count’s flag, adorned with a roaring rooster, fluttering, the carriage passed through the city’s walls, streets, and a wide plaza.
‘Is that it?’
A tall stone building stood at the city’s center, divided by a river.
Compared to modern skyscrapers, it was cute, but it was the grandest structure I’d seen here.
“The honorable Lady Angelina Chimac, fourth daughter of the great Chimac Count’s family, has returned! Open the gates.”
Creak—
We passed through the grand estate’s gates and a beautiful garden.
‘Am I allowed in?’
Caught up in curiosity, I ended up tagging along.
Clunk.
The carriage stopped at the estate’s entrance, and a silver-haired girl in a voluminous white dress stepped out.
Silver curls, pale skin, doe-like eyes, a refined nose, plump pink lips…
“Oh!”
I’d never seen her before, yet I instantly knew who she was.
‘The girl from the cover!’
The heroine of ‘I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family’, the novel the autistic girl clutched like a treasure.
There was some difference between the 2D illustration and the 3D reality, but I recognized her immediately.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Don’t stare too much. The gentlemen vying for Lady Angelina are all formidable.”
“Got it.”
The coachman’s advice was unnecessary.
She’s pretty, sure, but I wouldn’t fall for a fictional woman who’d vanish when I woke up.
No time for that either.
I was in serious trouble.
‘If she’s not the youngest daughter of the count’s family, where is she?’
Like Choi Kang-min transforming into a Magic Boy to save the world, I thought she’d be the heroine.
But her appearance was completely different!
Could I find the autistic patient in this vast world?
The thought alone made my vision go dark.
_____________________________________________
TL Note — Regular chapters will be updated 5 chapters per week on the site.
If you want to read ahead, join my Patreon for early access:
Plus Tier: 7 chapters/week per novel (21 total)
Premium Tier: Includes all Plus benefits + 9 chapters/week per novel (27 total)
You don’t need to pay extra for my other novels —
• Poseidon Doesn’t Like Greek and Roman Mythology
• The Genius Shut-In Writer — they’re included in the same tiers.
Link — https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls?utm_source=search
If you want to read this novel, just check the collection under “Shaman: The Breaker of Dreams.”
_____________________________________________