"human!... Human! Wake up! It's time to rise and shine, the sun has risen."
Riku forced me up because he was accustomed to opening his eyes as the sun rises up in the sky. This world definitely doesn't need a cockerel cooing or an alarm ringing in the morning, you basically have a man beast do that for you. It was basically 6 in the morning, an the sun had just risen up. Like what were you expecting me to do by waking up this early? For some reason he had a bit of excitement in his eyes. His face expressions were basically screaming"where are we going next?" Then again, an early wake up wasn't so bad at all, we just get to leave early. The mage deal was going to be complicated, and getting information out of the information guild was going to be complicated.
Normally in the worlds like these you would expect adventurer guilds and heroes, but those have simply become obsolete and run out of favour. People have different guilds according to their specialized professions, nothing in this world especially needs an adventure to fix things up. People just hire mercernaries if they need a guard, scout or maintenance of law and order. Common populace is not allowed to participate in monster extermination quests or search-the- herb like quests the government and specialized guilds deal them for themselves. The also have a doctor/ healer guilds which only runs for the medical purposes.
The first place was the Cardena mage tower, it had its own floor and section that only deals with magical tools like scrolls and spells. People who are not officially registered with the mage guild aren't allowed to enter the tower itself, however, the tower does run an official shop called the Aisner magic tools, equipments and resources that sells those magic tools created by mages. There are tons of other shops which sell these items too, but the official shop of the Cardena mage tower is the safest place to take goods from.
As we were walking through the streets, I looked at my only to be mentor and bodyguard. Riku was more fascinated as to seeing the sights as to where the roads went, and how different tools were appearing, just like a textbook caveman entering the civilized world. Tsunderes are supposed to be more arrogant and noisy, like " I don't want your help" or " I don't want to come along okay, but since you ask me I will go". Is he even tsundere to begin with? moreover, who the heck made him so buff without any gym/ hardwork/ whatsoever?
"What happened little human! Are I too handsome or good looking that you can't resist my face?" He said that with that arrogant douche smirk on his face. Which made me really cringe, ah! he is just like some textbook manga character!
" I was thinking about something else... Maybe you should stop thinking too highly of yourself sometimes"
And he turned red with embarrassment, he probably wasn't expect that
"A-Are you calling me arrogant?"
"Do I need to state the obvious?"
"This foul-mouthed little pipsqueak! I absolutely detest people like you."
"Who the heck are you calling a "pipsqueak!" you bear sized man child! Why don't you go your seperate ways? I didn't specifically ask you to come along, it was your decision from the start."
"Yes you ARE a pipsqueak. Moreover, I didn't want to come along with you either! It's not like I have a choice, just why did it have..."
"Can you please stop your lovers' quarrel and move forward, you are blocking the path." A stranger lady interrupted the conversation and it looked she was in a hurry.
We responded in unison " we aren't lovers!" And turned red together in embarrassment, like lover as in his lover? First of all, not just any ! Not just any 'man' but a caveman who has just barely seen the civilized world? This busy aunty is thinking way too far ahead!
She definitely wasn't bothered to hear anything else and moved forward, we didn't move for a movement until the other pedestrian asked the same. I guess we were really being rude for a moment. I think asking for that request of getting that training is going to be real tough. Although I want to avoid for war like situation, I would definitely have to hunt down or kill someone who tries to come for my life. This world is really lawless regarding these crimes.
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The Aisner shop looked really small from the outside, but soon transitioned into a massive store. The shopkeepers were all novice mages. a bit eccentric but polite.
The order was for a stacks of few emergency teleportation scrolls that transfer you to the location you know in sheer seconds of activation, the starting of two silvers was a bit high but the costs were cut as the purchases were in bulk. Another teleportation related tool was a teleportation device that opens a portal which would transfer you to a specific location, which is fixed and can't be changed. The time of usage is an year, after which you will need to buy a new Device. While the scroll delivers you at a location which comes to your mind, the Device is more specific on the location. The price was 50 gold coins, enough to buy a small, two storey mansion, with a few luxuries here. There goes all that precious gold. I needed a few more items like books and other Scrolls which which took a hefty sum of 1500 gold, enough to buy a castle like mansion without any luxuries.
We then visited the information guild to ask information about the Pernum forest, but the information was just as little as Alistair originally knew. Aside from that, There were a few rumours regarding a possible dungeon being located, some were even more unbelievable like a demonic beast being located, but those are only rumours as priests and other civilians don't sense any demonic mana from the forest. The info is too little, but currently, it's my best bet. I don't want to get captured by that third rate drama family before I can even get to see this world.
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It was almost the noon by now, and guess what, I hadn't eaten yet. I was basically so engrossed in thinking about what to do next that I skipped meals, which is definitely not healthy. Basically all the food in this kingdom and probably the rest of the world only has proper meals, and lacks in the snacks and lighter food compartment. The onion soup I had back then was also prepared as a complete meal.
To quench that hunger, we searched for a few restraunts, which are scattered all over the place, and not organized into a district only for food. The people's attitude towards food here is very different. They see it as a necessity first, and then comes the taste, so sometimes it tastes like crap. So we sat down at a restraunt in the city, which had a larger menu. The food tasted a bit off. Too much spices were used, which hid the traditional flavour of ingredients.
Growing up, I had a really special connection with food. Back in my previous world, I had been raised mostly raised by my older sister. I didn't get that well along with my parents, mostly because they were almost never at home due to work. Whenever they would be at home, they would only bicker, nag and scold us, which is why I really hated them. My anee-san* had mostly been serving as a parent in their stead.
We always got along really well due to our same interests, we used to cook food and make various cosmetics and other crafts together. Like any normal siblings, we fought too but the fights didn't last that long. She had always been really supportive of whatever I did. I went to her place occasionally whenever I fought with my parents.
We had eventually drifted a bit apart as she married and I became independent, and started meeting less and less. She was still one of my best friends back at earth and probably one of the few people whom I'd really miss if I died. To say that I don't miss my previous world is wrong to say the least. On a deep thought, I had a few people that I really cared for back there, despite being alone. I am basically surrounded by strangers and taking on the identity of a stranger myself, the situation is quite scary. To be honest, I wouldn't know when I would begin to feel guilty, empty or out of the place, he would probably be feeling the same by now. But as a grown up, 29 year old, I need to accept my situation and move on, a part of me wished for this too right? I also feel a bit worried about Alistair at the same time, he would have been forced to become and act as a fully grown adult, all of a sudden. Riku probably noticed that I was tearing up
" You crying? Little Human, if you want to say something, you can tell me. I am here for that purpose." whoa! I definitely didn't expect that from him.
" Ah no! I wasn't crying it's just... with the food... Thank you for asking"
"Human... You are definitely lying. You sure okay?"
"I am OKAY! I said.." I made him flinch with my rude tone. Our table had attracted unnecessary attention of everyone else in the restraunt. I guess I got really emotional and melodramatic, all of a sudden. Like experiencing puberty again after all these years.
I felt really awkward talking again about it. Even more, apologizing about it. Especially when your apology gets a "do you say sorry for that?" That lightened my mood up a bit.
I had mixed thoughts as we left the city for the Pernum forest. The journey wasn't going to be that long, it wouldn't be that short either. I was sure excited to see what awaited for me in the forest. I just hope that my plans are not interrupted by some cartoonish villain.
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~~oi oi,(bakugou reference) Minna San!
Ogenki desu ka?~~
°^°
Edit: It's kinda weird... How deep the plot hole ran through. I wanted to add one more scene here, but it would have gotten too overwhelming and oversaturated.
With this chapter, I basically wanted to go deeper with our little MC's previous life and his relationship with people there. 10 chapters and we still don't know a bit about his life in the previous world... So I basically decided to do it now.
*Anee-San is an old fashioned way of saying older sister in Japanese. It is not used that commonly as onee San. I used it here to align it with the character, for indicating endearment and personal connection.
Please let me know your thoughts and suggestions down in the comments.
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧