Chapter 2
"Who are you?
And what are you doing here?!"**
Kim Seojun turned around slowly.
Standing before him was a man dressed in elegant attire. He bowed deeply—far too deeply—his movements precise, his voice carrying a carefully practiced tone of loyalty and submission.
"Your loyal servant…
in service to Duke Leonard von Reichen."
Leonard von Reichen (레오나르트 폰 라이헨)
Kim's blood froze.
Leonard von Reichen…?!
The duke who was accused of treason.
The duke who was exiled from the kingdom.
The duke who should not be here.
So why is he here?
And why am I here?!
Before his thoughts could fully form—
"My lord… Duke Leonard von Reichen, why did you leave the caravan?!"
The servant's voice was filled with clear concern.
"Hm… ah—"
A sound escaped before the lie could be shaped.
"I was… resting here for a moment."
The servant studied him with suspicion, then let out a quiet sigh.
"Very well. We must return to the caravan. We will be late if we linger any longer."
A caravan…?
Kim's brows tightened.
"A caravan?
Where are we going?"
The servant raised his head, surprised.
"Have you forgotten, my lord? We are heading to answer the summons of Princess Eleanora Valentine."
Eleanora…?
Princess Eleanora?!
Silence fell—but inside his mind, everything was screaming.
I remember now…
This is exactly where I stopped in the novel.
Princess Eleanora—
arrogant, calculating,
famous for her gentle smile and hidden poisons.
She was the one who sent the letter to Duke Leonard von Reichen, inviting him to a banquet at the royal palace.
An invitation…
That was, in truth, a trap.
The purpose was never the banquet itself,
but to turn him into a spy within the kingdom.
And when his role was exposed…
She placed the entire blame on him.
He was supposed to be executed.
If not for the intervention of this servant—
Han Beijin—
who presented evidence that reduced the sentence,
turning the execution into exile.
I must be careful of her…
Or my fate will end the same way Leonard's did.
"My lord… my lord… we will be late. Please, let us go."
He swallowed.
"Alright… I'm coming."
This can't be real.
My mind refuses to accept it.
On the Road to the Kingdom
"My lord! Duke Leonard!
Bandits ahead!"
A large man stepped forward, a sword resting on his shoulder, a greedy grin spread across his face.
"Hand over your belongings and weapons…
and we might let you live."
The servant stepped forward immediately.
"Do you know whose caravan this is?
This is Duke Leonard von Reichen,
Lord of the Duchy of Waldheim,
and a Master of the Sword."
The bandit leader burst into mocking laughter.
"Then I challenge him to a duel.
If he wins, we leave.
If he loses… you know how this ends."
Tension spread through the caravan.
What have you done, Han Beijin…
My story is going to end before it even begins.
Were the events this fast in the novel?!
No… calm down.
I'm in the body of a Sword Master.
And he's just a bandit… I should be able to defeat him easily.
A confident smile appeared on his face.
But—
The first strike clashed violently with the bandit's blade.
What—?!
I can't move the sword the way I want!
Retreat… evade—
But the body refused to follow the mind.
Only instinct and flexibility were keeping him alive.
At this rate—I'll lose!
A deceptive strike from the bandit leader shattered his balance, and his body slammed hard into the ground.
How is this possible?!
A sword descended—
And stopped.
His eyes widened.
Another blade had intercepted the killing blow.
"Enough."
A calm voice…
Steady.
Powerful.
"You can't even defeat a mere bandit?"
This voice…
The Sword Saint.
It was Arin von Kreitz,
the duke's closest friend,
one of the kingdom's greatest heroes.
Why is he here?!
Arin smiled faintly and turned to the bandit leader.
"I'm your opponent now.
Do you wish to continue?"
The man stepped back, laughing darkly.
"We'll meet again… soon."
He saved me now…
But in the future, he'll stab me in the back.
Him… and the princess.
Arin laughed and patted the duke on the shoulder.
"Where are you heading, Duke?
You look exhausted.
To struggle against a weak bandit like that, hahaha."
"I received an invitation from Princess Eleanora,
and I'm heading to the kingdom to attend the banquet."
Arin's smile widened.
"What a coincidence.
I received an invitation as well.
I'll accompany you."
The Road to the Kingdom
The wheels roll onward.
The sky shifts.
And the towering walls appear on the horizon.
Will I continue?
Can I continue?
Even after being transported to another world…
I'm still that useless, lazy failure.
When will I change?
But—
Now… I possess one power.
A power greater than any sword.
The power of the sole reader.
I was never the hero.
The world never promised me salvation.
All I have is the story—
I read it to understand,
to resist,
to survive.
The reader is not merely a witness,
but the memory of the world when it collapses.
"My lord… my lord…"
He raised his head—
"…We have arrived