Haruki slowly opened his eyes. A vast blue sky stretched endlessly above him. Instead of the scent of burning and the roar of a storm, his nose was greeted by the refreshing smell of wet grass. A gentle breeze brushed against his face, bringing a sense of peace that felt unfamiliar. In the distance, he could faintly hear birds chirping and the creaking wheels of a caravan passing along a narrow dirt path.
What actually happened? Am I already dead? Or was I thrown into another place? his thoughts churned wildly.
"Yo! Haruki! You okay?"
A cheerful voice snapped him out of his daze. From behind a shady tree, a man appeared, wearing a complete tuxedo and a tall top hat, as if he had just stepped out of a circus stage.
"Where am I?" Haruki asked sharply, his face serious.
The man shrugged in an annoyingly relaxed manner. "No idea."
Sret!
Haruki's patience ran out. He lunged forward and grabbed the man's tuxedo collar hard.
"Oi, Izumi! Don't mess with me. Where am I right now, huh?!"
Izumi only let out a long sigh. With a movement that looked lazy yet incredibly precise, he easily released Haruki's grip, as if Haruki's strength meant nothing to him.
"I don't know where this place is either," Izumi said, his gaze suddenly serious. "But what matters is, you're safe."
Haruki froze. The word safe felt strangely unsettling to his ears.
"What do you mean by safe?"
"Actually, you already died, you know, Haruki," Izumi replied, leaning his back against the tree trunk.
"Died? How is that possible?" Haruki felt even more lost.
"If I hadn't witnessed your fight earlier, you would have already been reduced to ash by that giant lightning strike," Izumi said as he took out a cigarette from inside his coat.
"Why…" Haruki's voice dropped, almost a whisper.
"Because if I had only teleported you within that area to dodge it…" Izumi took a deep drag of his cigarette, thick smoke drifting between them. "…you would still have died."
Haruki fell completely silent. A crushing tightness struck his chest. He clenched his fists, angry at himself for not being strong enough to protect others. Suddenly, the image of a red-haired girl flashed through his mind.
"Tora?! What about Tora—"
"She's fine," Izumi cut him off calmly through the drifting smoke.
Hearing that, the heavy burden in Haruki's heart seemed to lift. He let out a breath of relief.
"Well, the point is, live happily here. Just think of it as getting a second chance," Izumi said as he began to walk away.
"Oi, Izumi! Will I—"
"Well, you're free to do whatever you want here. Including if you want to return to your original world."
Haruki flinched in shock.
"Wait! What do you mean? I can go back? How?!"
Izumi stopped, but did not turn around. He simply raised his thumb into the air, a silent answer that made the nerves in Haruki's head tighten in irritation.
"OI! IZUMI! DON'T BE SO VAGUE! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"
"Good luck!" Izumi called out casually. He opened a pitch-black gate in front of him and stepped inside, disappearing as he was swallowed by the darkness.
Haruki could only let out a long sigh, as if all his strength had been drained. He slumped down and leaned against the shady tree. His thoughts drifted, trying to process all this madness. But the caress of the wind across the wide grassland felt far too comfortable. Before he realized it, Haruki fell asleep.
Several hours passed, until a gentle voice woke him up.
"Hey, hey… are you okay?"
Haruki blinked his eyes. In front of him stood a man wearing priestly clothes. Strangely, both of his eyes were covered with a cloth. Haruki rubbed his face, trying to gather himself, then looked at the priest in confusion.
"Who… are you?" Haruki asked.
"Ah, my name is Mitsumoto Akira. I'm a priest, twenty-two years old," Akira introduced himself politely.
"Sorry, I caused you trouble," Haruki said while slightly bowing his head.
"It's fine, relax," Akira replied warmly.
"My name is Kumikaze Haruki."
Akira went silent for a moment, as if observing Haruki with senses other than sight.
"There's something I'd like to ask."
"What is it?"
"Well, judging from your appearance… are you a… samurai?" Akira asked hesitantly.
Haruki froze. A samurai? he thought. Does this world even have samurai? Is it because I'm carrying a katana?
"Well, you could say that," Haruki answered briefly.
"Have you registered with the Guild yet?" Akira asked again.
Haruki frowned. "Huh? There's a Guild here?"
Akira paused, then gave a thin smile.
"Ah, so you're not from this continent, huh. I see…"
Haruki was startled. How could he tell so quickly that I'm from another world?
"Huh, how do you know I'm not from here?"
"That? Well, when you asked 'Is there a Guild here?', that already explained everything. Everyone in Crossaria knows what a Guild is," Akira replied lightly.
Haruki felt a little foolish. He really was completely ignorant about this world. Akira then stood up and looked toward the sky, while Haruki followed suit and carefully observed their surroundings.
"Alright then, let's go to the Guild. It's not very far from here," Akira suggested.
Haruki adjusted the katana at his waist, his eyes sharpening once more.
"Okay. Besides… it seems I really am destined to become an adventurer."
If I am truly still alive…
then this time, I will not run away again.
I will return.
No matter what it takes.
The Guild's doors were slammed open, but the inside was already in chaos. A large man wearing heavy dark armor was raging in front of the reception counter.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SUPPOSED TO MEAN?! HUH?!" he roared, his voice shaking the entire hall.
"W-we really don't know anything, sir…" the receptionist replied in a trembling voice.
"HUH?! YOU DON'T KNOW?! THEN WHAT ARE YOU EVEN PAID FOR?! YOUR JOB IS JUST TO HAND OUT QUESTS AND SERVE US!"
When Haruki and Akira stepped inside, a disgusting scene unfolded before them. The armored man had grabbed the receptionist girl by the neck, lifting her up until her feet dangled in the air. Akira was about to step in, but a turquoise-green blur moved faster.
SWOOOSSSHHH!!!!!
Haruki was already there, gripping the man's wrist with enough force to crush wood.
"What do you want?" the armored man asked threateningly.
"Let her go," Haruki replied shortly, his gaze cold as ice.
Haruki tightened his grip. The man groaned in pain and was forced to release his victim. The receptionist girl was thrown backward, coughing violently as she struggled to breathe.
"You wanna die?!" the man challenged, his aura flaring violently.
Haruki snorted in disdain.
"Huh, I really hate adventurers who think they're strong just because they can bully the weak."
"Hah! What do you mean, samurai?" A pitch-black aura began to envelop the armored man.
"I mean… you're actually… weak," Haruki mocked him deliberately, drawing out the word.
The pressure in the air instantly became suffocating. The man's black aura clashed violently with Haruki's sharp turquoise-green aura. Other adventurers scattered in fear, leaving only Akira and a blonde elf girl who had just entered the hall.
"Hey, what's going on here?"
A firm feminine voice echoed from the second floor. A woman wearing a purple mage robe descended slowly, and the heated atmosphere cooled under her commanding presence. Haruki and the armored man both turned their faces away at the same time.
"Hmm, you there! Are you from the Central Church?" the woman asked Akira.
"Ah, yes. I am," Akira answered calmly.
"Then come to my office. Oh, you two and the elf girl there, come as well," she ordered while turning and heading upstairs.
They were now inside the Guild Master's private room. Akira sat calmly between the elf girl and the armored man. Meanwhile, Haruki chose to stand, lazily leaning against the bookshelf at the back.
"So, what brings the Head Priest of the Central Church all the way here?" the Guild Master asked bluntly.
Haruki was slightly surprised. Head Priest of the Central Church? So this blindfolded priest was an important figure?
"I actually came here to find a party," Akira said, pulling out a quest poster for hunting a Lizard marked with four skull stamps, a high-rank mission.
"A Lizard? For what?" the woman asked in confusion.
"I received a message from the Divine 'The Queen'… telling me that I must search for a 'Gate' together with my companions," Akira replied with a gentle smile. He looked around the room. "And I've already found the companions I was looking for."
Haruki had already guessed that Akira would join their party. His hunch was correct.
"Who are they?" the Guild Master asked.
"All of you are members of my party," Akira said casually.
"OI, OI! DON'T JOKE AROUND!" the armored man shouted, pointing at Haruki who was staring out the window. "Why do I have to be in the same team as this arrogant samurai?!"
"Hah, who's arrogant? Look at yourself in the mirror," Haruki shot back without turning around.
"You bastard!"
The armored man charged at Haruki. Haruki didn't back down. The two of them grabbed each other's collars, glaring at one another with veins bulging on their necks.
"Um… I-I… I'm not very good at adventuring yet. I'm still a beginner…" the elf girl squeaked timidly, her face turning red.
"It's okay, Alicia. Haruki and I are beginners too," Akira said calmly while patting the elf girl's shoulder.
"Oh, you haven't registered with the Guild yet?" the Guild Master asked.
"No," Akira answered simply.
"Perfect timing. You two! Stop fighting like children!" the Guild Master barked.
The armored man turned with a murderous glare. He released Haruki and walked quickly toward the Guild Master. Haruki sensed bad intent from his movement. Just as expected, the man threw a powerful punch straight at the woman's face.
BHAM-BOOM!
A loud explosion shook the room. Violent wind scattered the documents everywhere. However, the punch never landed. Haruki's hand was already there, stopping the massive fist with a single hand.
"Oi, let go of my hand," the man growled.
"I already told you. Don't cause trouble here," Haruki warned, tightening his grip until the sound of bones grinding against each other could be heard.
"That's enough, Haruki. Let him go," Akira intervened.
Haruki flung the man's hand away. Dust filled the room, revealing a large hole in the wall behind the Guild Master.
The mage woman glanced at the destroyed wall, then looked at Haruki and the armored man with renewed interest.
"You two, what are your names?"
"Haruki. Kumikaze Haruki," Haruki said while rubbing his neck.
"I'm Shuji. Sakazuki Shuji. A Dark Knight," the armored man growled.
"Nice to meet you, Haruki, Shuji. My name is Shiroyuki Nanami, a Dark Magician and the Guild Master here," Nanami said with a wide smile.
The elf girl introduced herself shyly as well.
"M-my name is Alicia N. Torbion. A beginner archer."
Haruki let out a sigh. His first party in this world was truly a group of weirdos. But there was one thing bothering him.
"Hey, Nanami. I don't have a Guild card yet. What should I do?"
"That's easy. We'll make it after you finish this hunt," Nanami replied, raising the quest poster.
The five of them left the room. As they went down the stairs, the Guild suddenly fell silent before erupting into whispers.
"Isn't that Guild Master Nanami?"
"She's so beautiful…"
"She's not just beautiful, she can even subdue two monsters at once!"
Nanami walked to the reception desk and approached a man named Sato.
"Sato, I'm going out to hunt a Lizard."
"Wow, it's rare for you to go personally, Guild Master. So you'll be gone until this afternoon?" Sato asked with a smile.
After whispering something suspicious to Sato, Nanami suddenly jumped onto the table and shouted loudly,
"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! WHILE I'M GONE, DRINKS ARE ON ME FOR ALL OF YOU HERE!!!"
WOOOOOOOAAAHHHH!!!
The hall exploded in cheers.
"BUT THERE'S A CONDITION!" Nanami raised her beer mug high.
"TOMORROW, YOU ALL HAVE TO HUNT THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS USUAL!"
She downed her beer in one go, while her party members could only stare in disbelief. Haruki, Shuji, Akira, and Alicia looked at Nanami as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. This woman was completely insane.
"GUILD MASTER NANAMI IS THE BEST!!!" the adventurers shouted behind them as the five of them walked out toward their first unexpected adventure.
Two hours had passed since the strange group left the city gate. Their destination was a steep valley, the nest of four-skull-ranked Lizards. However, the silence of the journey was disturbed by the heated atmosphere radiating from one person: Shuji.
All along the way, Shuji looked extremely irritated. To him, every breath Haruki took felt like an insult.
"Oi, you brat. Why do you even have to come along, huh?!" Shuji snapped, breaking the silence.
Haruki glanced at him lazily.
"Didn't you hear what was said in the room earlier? What are those ears for, decoration?"
"To hear, damn it!"
"Well, at least you know. So you're not deaf yet," Haruki mocked lightly.
The childish argument flared up again. Nanami could only massage her temples, while Akira shook his head at the two men's behavior.
"Alright, alright. Usually people like this end up getting along later, you know," Nanami tried to calm them down.
"HAH?! GET ALONG WITH THIS GUY?! I'D RATHER DIE!" Haruki and Shuji shouted at the same time.
Akira chuckled quietly behind his blindfold.
"See? You're in sync."
"NO, WE'RE NOT!!!" they yelled again in unison.
Alicia, the elf girl who had been quietly watching all this time, finally gathered the courage to ask innocently,
"Um… are you two… brothers?"
The question was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
"WHAT?! WHO'S BROTHERS WITH WHO?!"
"Heh, I'd never want to be related to this guy. I'd rather be related to a Goblin!" Shuji snapped while shoving Haruki's shoulder.
Haruki snorted.
"If I had to choose a sibling, I'd pick a Wyvern. I'd be afraid your face would rub off on me."
"What's wrong with my face, huh?! Got a problem?!" Shuji's voice rose.
"Yeah, it's a problem. If we were blood-related, my face would turn into a Goblin's too. No thanks," Haruki said as he quickened his steps, leaving Shuji behind, his face burning red with anger.
Fuming, Shuji grumbled loudly. He spotted the wreckage of an old cart by the roadside and, without thinking, kicked it hard to the left to vent his anger.
CRAAAAAKKKKK!
The broken cart crashed into something hidden behind the bushes. The next second, a low growl that shook the ground echoed out.
THUD! THUD!
Shuji's breath hitched at the sound of heavy, rhythmic thumping. From the shadows of the forest, a Velgora stepped into view. Belonging to the lesser dragon kin, these creatures were notorious for their elemental diversities. This particular specimen glared at him, its glowing red eyes brimming with fury—no doubt a reaction to the heavy impact it had just sustained from the cart
Without a single word, Shuji turned around and ran for his life, abandoning the party without warning. Haruki sensed something wrong and looked back. His eyes widened.
"Akira! Run!!" Haruki shouted.
Without wasting time, Haruki grabbed Alicia and Nanami, lifting both of them onto his shoulders as he sprinted forward.
"WHY?!" Akira asked in confusion.
"LOOK BEHIND YOU, IDIOT!"
Akira turned around. The Velgora was charging straight at him at full speed. In an instant, the priest ran with all his might. Out of sheer fear, his speed even surpassed Shuji and Haruki.
They were chased until they were cornered at a cliff filled with cave holes.
"OI! THERE ARE A LOT OF HOLES OVER THERE! SPLIT UP!!" Shuji shouted as he jumped into one of the crevices.
Haruki made a quick decision. He threw Nanami and Alicia toward a safe hole.
"I'LL DRAW ITS ATTENTION! YOU GUYS FIND THE LIZARD!"
Haruki dashed in the opposite direction, successfully luring the monster away. The strategy worked. The Velgora chased the samurai, giving the others a chance to leave their hiding spots.
"Shuji! What did you do?!" Nanami shouted after they regrouped.
"Huh? What? Me?" Shuji replied innocently.
"Why did the Velgora chase us?! We're lucky it was just a baby Velgora!" Nanami snapped angrily.
"A baby? Even at that size, it's still a baby?" Alicia asked with a pale face.
"Well, judging by its size, it is still young. It seems to be an earth-type," Akira explained calmly.
"I just kicked an old cart earlier," Shuji muttered.
"And it hit its head, didn't it?" Nanami stared sharply. Shuji only nodded weakly, making Nanami let out a resigned sigh. She sat down on a fallen tree trunk, trying to calm herself.
"I hope Haruki is okay…"
WHOOOOSSS—SHLK!
Suddenly, a large object fell from the sky and stabbed into the ground right in front of Shuji's feet. Shuji flinched, his legs shaking instantly.
"That's… the Velgora's horn from earlier, isn't it?" Nanami murmured as she touched the still-warm surface.
SHLK! SHLK! SHLK!
Three more horns dropped from above, nearly killing Shuji if he hadn't dodged clumsily.
"OI!! WHO'S THROWING HORNS, HUH?!" Shuji shouted furiously.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. I thought no one was down there," a relaxed voice answered from above the cliff.
A young man leaped down acrobatically, dragging four monster corpses at once. It was Haruki. He looked a bit dirty and his clothes were slightly torn, but he appeared perfectly fine.
"Yo, I'm back," Haruki greeted casually.
Everyone stared in shock. He defeated the Velgora alone? And there were even other high-tier monsters in that pile?
"H-Haruki… how did you defeat that Velgora by yourself?" Nanami asked in disbelief.
"Oh, this? I just made use of the cliff," Haruki replied simply.
"Made use of… the cliff?" Nanami was even more confused.
Suddenly, Shuji rushed forward and grabbed Haruki by the collar, slamming his back against the cliff wall.
"Made use of the cliff, you say?! Don't joke around!"
Haruki stared at Shuji flatly.
"Of course. That's why you use your brain, not just your emotions all the time."
BAM!
Haruki kicked Shuji in the chest, pushing the Dark Knight back several steps. When Shuji tried to retaliate, Akira stood between them with an extremely serious aura, forcing Shuji to back down. Haruki rolled his eyes and walked toward the nearby river, dragging his spoils behind him.
Nanami decided to take a short rest. She noticed Haruki plucking feathers from a Raven Dove by the riverside and approached him.
"Hey… are you really okay?" Nanami asked softly.
"Yeah, just a little sore," Haruki replied without looking up from his work.
"I know you're strong, Haruki. But don't push yourself too hard. It affects teamwork. It's rare to find a samurai with potential like yours in this region," Nanami said sincerely.
Haruki only nodded lightly, still focused on the bird in his hands. As Nanami was about to leave, Haruki called out to her.
"Oi, Nanami. This bird meat… can we eat it?"
Nanami paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Yes. It's very delicious."