After two days of travel, the caravan finally passed through the Kona Fog safely.
Tamer, Anton, and Boris had set off in a separate wagon—carrying the three prisoners and the dangerous Kora Stones—following the decoy wagon plan they had agreed upon.
As for me… Ethan… I sat in another wagon, talking to my own mind as if I were breaking the fourth wall! It seems what happened to me is really starting to take a toll on my sanity.
I was riding in the wagon driven by Jon—that gruff, one-eyed man.
With me were Leo, Boris's fiery-tempered companion, and Lia, his cool counterpart. On the other side sat Zofia, the quiet girl with closed eyes, and finally Takashi—the tan boy with narrow eyes and mismatched irises.
We were seated in an arrangement where, on the left side from front to back: Leo, then Lia, then me. Directly across from us on the right side: Takashi sat right in front of me, and Zofia sat opposite Lia.
Zofia spoke, directing her calm tone toward Takashi:
"Lad. Takashi… Is your mother well? Didn't you object to staying with her?"
Takashi shook his head gently. "Thank you for asking. She said she wants to be alone for a while. I think she needs space."
His voice carried a faint note of sadness—but better than it had been over the past two days.
Zofia nodded understandingly. "I see. May the Creator grant her patience. But if she needs anything, please do ask."
Takashi nodded in agreement to Zofia's kind words.
He had lost his father in the previous attack on the caravan, and his mother had fallen into poor condition…
But I decided to stay silent—as an outsider.
A heavy silence filled the air, weighed down by memories of the attack and unhealed grief.
So I decided to break the ice…
"So… do you guys have any ideas for passing the time?"
*Please don't let me sound pathetic…*
Silence lasted a second…
*Did I just blow it?*
It seemed Zofia sensed my attempt to lighten the mood. Her face turned toward me…
*Is she actually looking at me, or just following my voice?*
I don't know. Is she like those anime characters who keep their eyes closed just for charisma? Or is she actually blind? Or… perhaps something else?
While I was pondering, she spoke again in her polite voice:
"I believe I'm interested in learning more about the world you came from, Lad. Ethan."
Also this…
I'd noticed something strange in their manner of address—they used Lad as a prefix when calling someone.
Lia had previously explained to me that although this term doesn't exist in English, it was the closest translation for the original prefix in their language, usually used for boys and teenage males.
As far as I understood, it was roughly similar in nuance to the Japanese "-kun" or Korean "-gun."
"Really? I don't think there's anything particularly interesting about my world…" I paused, thinking— for example…
How do I even describe Colorado?
It's just… in the middle of nowhere…
I thought for a bit…
And then—I found the solution!
I pulled my smartphone from my pocket. I'd forgotten the bandits had taken it, but Boris had returned it to me—and miraculously, it still held some charge!
Takashi looked at the phone in my hand as if searching for something to distract himself from his current gloomy state.
"What's this? Is it a Danalet? Or maybe an Optvis?" Takashi asked curiously.
"This is called a smartphone." I flipped the device in my hand and turned it on.
The screen lit up—my wallpaper showed a selfie of me and my dad, his shiny bald head and long beard unmistakable.
"Look…" I switched to the photo gallery and opened a picture of my dad's car parked in front of our house. "This is called a car."
The reactions were… unexpected.
Takashi leaned forward, his narrow eyes widening slightly… but that was all:
"Could this possibly be a Gwrel?! Oh, I've never seen one before! I hope I get to ride one someday…"
His voice wasn't filled with shock or amazement—just genuine interest.
My surprised expression prompted Lia to intervene in her flat tone:
"What you call a 'car,' 'phone,' and 'camera,' we have functional or visual equivalents for in this world. What's in your photo, we call a Gwrel. Your device resembles a Danalet, and what you call a camera is what we refer to as an Optvis."
I internally exploded right then and there…
*Are you telling me there's technology in this world?!*
This is the worst thing that could happen in an isekai!
I hate the mecha genre!
I expected magic and monsters—not competition with 'KamKong' and 'Pear' corporations!
I dramatically slapped my palm to my forehead, feeling as if the apocalypse had just befallen me.
Lia looked at me with that calm, piercing gaze that made you feel like your brain was laid bare before her.
For a split second… my brain kicked into gear!
"Why aren't things translated into English terms I already know? Shouldn't they automatically become English?"
I noticed how odd that was.
Lia sighed and said, "It appears you have a cognitive capacity higher than that of rats—you noticed the inconsistency."
She said it coldly, as if ticking off an item on a checklist.
"The reason you hear these terms instead of their English equivalents is simple. The foundation of the English language I shared with you wasn't built on your personal dictionary or cultural knowledge, but on accumulated knowledge from multiple sources. English from different worlds—not just yours—was processed and merged. So, whenever there's no direct and complete match, the original term as known in this reality appears, because the words you know are just alternative vocabulary that isn't widely used."
"What?" My mind struggled to process what she'd said.
*Does she even need to breathe?!*
"In short," she continued, "there are terms in this world radically different from what you know, and you'll hear them repeatedly…" She paused, as if carefully choosing her words.
"Also, technology based on electronics, programming, and machines isn't available or practical here in the same way. In fact, it's not something biological beings can freely or widely use."
"What do you mean?" I asked, confusion washing over me. "Does it cause some kind of illness?"
"Because of a phenomenon we call Obtra," she explained, though her voice carried a subtle hint that this was a complex topic. "It's… a phenomenon that occurs when someone dies under specific conditions. It's extremely difficult to explain it to you right now in fully understandable terms, especially given your current limited knowledge."
She paused, looking at me.
*Does she think I'm a monkey incapable of understanding human speech or what?!*
Then she added:
"But as a very simplified summary: the core issue for basic electronics begins with 'Obtra Semiconductors.' Very simply, a person died—and as a result of the Obtra created by their death, a chain of events unfolded that now causes biological beings to face difficulty in directly interacting with or stably using electronic chips, electrical circuits, and digital communication networks. This is basic knowledge."
"But cars don't fully rely on electronics…" I mused quietly…
At least, I understood that much about cars.
"The Gwrel is slightly different in its specifics," she concluded, "but it stems from the same root cause—another Obtra, called 'Obtra Engines.'"
Ah, I see. So this isn't a mecha world in the traditional sense! I didn't understand everything—barely half—but I felt a wave of relief.
At least I wouldn't have to face armies of robots or economic competition with lineages of tech geniuses.
I decided to set my curiosity aside for now and deal with this overwhelming information later—piece by piece.
Right after Lia finished speaking—and as I was trying to process what she'd said about Obtra—Jon, from the driver's seat, broke the tense silence. He'd been listening quietly to our conversation, and now his rough voice cut through the air:
"Where do you get all this precise knowledge—from MISFITS and their worlds? Your talk about them isn't common knowledge."
Lia wasn't surprised. She slowly turned her head toward him:
"I've read the MISFIT Lexicon."
A brief silence fell—even Takashi and Zofia seemed aware of the weight of that name.
"The Lexicon?" Jon muttered, his single eye widening slightly. "That huge book?"
"Yes. The forty-first edition, to this day. It contains 2,467 pages in its complete volume."
I whistled loudly: "Two thousand four hundred and sixty-seven pages?!... About people like me?"
Heh… I felt a bit paranoid… just a little.
Lia nodded, as if explaining something obvious:
"That Lexicon isn't just a list of names. It's a comprehensive encyclopedia containing summaries of over 400 recorded MISFITs throughout known history, with analyses of their transition circumstances, ability patterns, world impacts, and attempts to explain the phenomenon. There are entire chapters on linguistic and cultural transmissions, including explanations of linguistic differences and similarities between their worlds."
Zofia spoke softly, full of respect:
"I once heard my father speak of it. It's said to be a massive work—years are needed just to study it, and it's still ongoing even now."
"Exactly," Lia confirmed.
I felt dizzy.
2,467 pages!
Over 400 people like me!
It reminded me once again: I'm not unique… not at all.
Unconsciously, the words slipped out:
"Just another number, huh?"
That brought back some damn memories…
Lia looked directly at me—her silver eyes showed no pity, only stark realism:
"From the perspective of the phenomenon, yes. You're just another MISFIT in this world. But from the perspective of your individuality, no. Every newcomer carries a unique world and different details. The Lexicon documents patterns—not personalities. Even within those patterns, there were people who came from the same world yet achieved radically different things."
I felt… as if nothing had changed, whether here or back on Earth…
After a short silence settled over the wagon…
It seemed Zofia noticed the quiet, so she spoke again in her gentle voice, returning to the earlier topic:
"Sorry, but I can't see the 'car' you're showing, Lad. Ethan. Due to my condition… I'm sorry."
Her way of speaking suggested she was accustomed to gracefully avoiding awkward situations.
"No, no, it's perfectly alright, Miss Zofia."
I still wasn't entirely sure what Zofia "saw"—through her senses or whatever means she used to perceive the world.
Maybe she perceived the phone as some kind of shape or mass, but fine visual details were beyond her reach? Or maybe she really was just blind?
My attention shifted to Takashi—his eyes were still fixed on my phone with interest, but they kept glancing toward Zofia every now and then.
He genuinely wanted to see more, but didn't want to ask or show eagerness while Zofia couldn't participate visually. He was trying to be kind—or empathetic.
Then an idea struck me.
"Well…" I said, trying to break the mood. "Would you like me to show something everyone can perceive?"
Everyone looked at me—even Leo, who'd been watching the forest with bored indifference, showed a flicker of interest.
I grabbed the phone and opened the voice recorder app:
"This is a voice recorder. I have different nature sounds—I can describe the scenery while you listen."
I pressed play and began telling them about the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, trying my best to describe a sunset with as much auditory detail as possible.
Zofia smiled. "That's a fun way."
I felt happy—I'd done well today. As my dad always used to say:
*"Do one good deed a day—even if it's just one."*
Anyway, we continued like this for a while—exchanging brief words, but staying silent more than speaking—until boredom began to creep in.
Suddenly, I burst out with long-suppressed curiosity:
"Ah! I've had a question for a while… How old are you guys?"
I stared at them, trying to guess from eye expressions and vocal tones.
They all seemed old enough to be around my age—or maybe slightly younger.
"I'm twelve," Takashi said clearly, though drowsiness was evident in his voice. "I'll turn thirteen this year."
"And I'll turn twelve next month," Zofia added, her closed eyes tilting slightly away.
…Huh?
My heart froze for a moment.
"What?! You don't look that young at all!" I cried, eyes wide as I stared at them.
"I thought you were fifteen, like me! Could I really be older than all of you?!"
Oh god… am I the old guy among them?!
Takashi looked at me, eyebrows furrowed in the same astonishment I felt:
"That's strange… I thought you were exactly my age."
"This makes no sense… at all!"
Suddenly, Lia opened her mouth, leaning lazily against Leo's sleeping shoulder as if using him as a pillow:
"It's because of the difference in year length."
I stared at her, speechless.
She sighed slowly, then lifted her eyes—that indifferent gaze that made you feel like a speck of dust—and asked:
"How many months are there in your world, Ethan?"
"Uh… twelve," I said hesitantly.
"And how many days in a year?" she asked with the same expression.
"Three hundred and sixty-five… I think," I replied, tension creeping back into my voice.
She nodded like someone explaining to a beginner why the sky is blue:
"Here's the difference. In our world, a year has 420 days, divided into fifteen months—each exactly 28 days long."
Ohhh… that makes perfect sense. Yeah, totally no big deal…
Whoa! I never expected such a huge difference!
"Wait!" I whispered, then practically lunged forward as if I'd uncovered the secret of the universe—maybe I had?
"Does that mean everyone here enters adolescence and reaches adulthood before fifteen?!"
The revelation was astonishing—and a little terrifying. Imagine someone telling you they're 14 and already an adult—maybe even married—according to this world's culture… weird…
But Lia, in her usual manner, doused my burning confusion with icy calmness:
"Not exactly. Puberty begins at nine—sometimes earlier—and continues until twenty. But a person is considered legally adult and reaches maturity at twelve."
So adolescence itself isn't that different from ours… still weird.
As if reading my thoughts, she continued:
"You might think biology here resembles your world… and that's somewhat true. But the creatures here are different from us—they live longer."
I laughed lightly and made a dramatic gesture, pointing at her with my fingers:
"And you said—*you knew all this from the MISFIT Lexicon!*"
That was my best performance of the day!
Silence… silence…
Zofia showed no reaction—just a faint smile.
*Does she pity me…?*
Please, that wasn't the point…
"Pfft!" I'm sure I heard a chuckle from the front!
Was Jon laughing at the joke? Or mocking me?!
As for Lia… as always, she completely ignored me and closed her eyes.
A few seconds of silence passed—until Zofia gently parted her lips:
"That was… interesting. I never imagined the differences between worlds would be this profound."
Nooo! Please don't try to change the subject like you're saving my dignity…
"Nor did I…" I whispered in the end. *Just act like nothing happened!*
I quickly mumbled: "Um… so tell me about history. What's this world's calendar based on?"
Am I a fool?! That's the most boring question ever!
Just kill me, please…
Zofia turned toward Takashi…
But Takashi? He'd fallen asleep… the traitor.
Zofia gave a faint smile—one only visible at the corners of her lips—then turned to me.
"It seems the conversation… was too heavy for him," she explained Takashi's sleep.
Nooo! Please stop trying to save my face—it's more embarrassing!
She cleared her throat softly, then spoke:
"The calendar is based on an event called *New World Discovered*—referring to the discovery of the continent Unitium, which we're on now, along with its surroundings, known as the Eastern World. It was named the 'New World' because it was discovered after crossing oceans no one had ever set foot on before."
She coughed slightly, as if sensing her words might overwhelm me further, and softened her tone:
"Today is the 16th of the second month, Suntzu, year 1897. The names of the fifteen months are inspired by the continent's discoverers—like Suntzu… except for three months, added in honor of three individuals who had significant influence during the Age of Exploration."
"Enough!" I said, massaging my temples with a tired hand.
"This is way too much for someone who falls asleep five minutes after opening a history book. Please, stop—for the sake of my mental health!"
A new world…
Strange dates…
Longer years…
No, I don't like complexity.
I wish I'd fallen into a simpler world—one that sells coffee and doesn't ask how many days are in your year!
But… no use crying over spilled milk.
Let's look at the bright side…
At least I've found the main character—and maybe a handful of side characters.
Suddenly, Jon intervened, his heavy voice cutting through the noise:
"Believe me, boy—knowledge matters. Whether you're a fighter, an adventurer, or even a writer… knowledge is always both your shield and your weapon."
"Wow… I didn't expect those words from you, Mr. Jon!" I couldn't hold back my comment.
"Haaah?!" His face suddenly twisted, and he glared at me as if I'd insulted him. "What do you mean by that, boy?!"
"N-nothing! I didn't mean anything, Mr. Jon!"
He kept staring at me a moment longer—as if calculating how much physical torture he'd inflict—then turned away with a menacing grunt:
"Tch!"
That was…
terrifying…
At that moment, I heard Zofia whisper softly—more in response to Jon than to me:
"Perhaps he meant… that your words come from a heart your face doesn't show, Mr. Jon."
"Whatever…" Jon replied.
What's this bias?! Just because she's a girl, his response is completely different!
Then, after a brief hesitation, Zofia turned to me with a warm smile despite her closed eyes:
"And you, Lad. Ethan… don't fear complexity. Sometimes, details are what make the difference between being lost… and discovery."
Miss Zofia…
What was that?!
Are you a history teacher trying to convince students to love history?
How cliche.
But… I'm worried she might be right.