After the shock of being called a name I'd never heard before, the guard simply waved me into the town. Just like that. No interrogation, no suspicious looks. Just a casual wave, as if I were a regular.
With a blank expression hiding the chaos in my head, I responded, "Well then, see you later," and walked through the gate.
Thoughts. Many thoughts. As they say, a person who thinks has nothing to think about—except, well, thoughts. And I was thinking a lot.
I caught up with the group and walked alongside them like I belonged. No one questioned me. Maybe I really was "Aidren" to them. One by one, the group began to split up, peeling off in different directions until only Dares and I were left.
He looked at me and said simply, "Well then."
I nodded silently.
And just like that, he was gone too.
I wanted to follow him, honestly. I had no idea where I was, or where I was supposed to be. But that name... Aidren... kept echoing in my mind. Who was he? Why did the guard recognize me as him? Why did it feel like a breadcrumb I wasn't ready to follow?
I was now alone, standing in the middle of a town that wasn't quite medieval, but not quite modern either. Somewhere in between. It felt like a place stuck in time—horse-drawn carts and cobblestone roads, but glass storefronts and strange hovering crystals in the distance.
With no idea what to do, I started walking. Following the road with the most people seemed like the safest bet. Alleys were a bad idea. Everyone who's seen anime knows alley equals heroine in distress—or worse, me in distress.
No thank you.
I walked in the flow of the crowd, trying to blend in, though I was painfully aware of every step I took. Around me were street vendors shouting prices, a couple of kids chasing each other with what looked like magically animated toys, and a street juggler tossing flaming pins like it was no big deal.
I tried to look casual, as if I was used to all this. But inside, I was lampooning in helplessness.
Was this even an isekai anymore? Or did I just time travel to some alternate 90s cosplay fair?
I started scanning everything like a confused undercover agent—people, signs, smells. There were shops with names like Magicka Brew and Rune & Needle, and people dressed in long coats, leather boots, and what looked like enchanted accessories. The vibes screamed "RPG," but with enough odd details that my brain was still buffering.
And then I saw them.
Horse-drawn carriages.
Nostalgic? A little. Smelly? Very.
People bustled past me in clothes that would be called "period accurate" if I were at a LARP festival. Some of the fashion even resembled 90s earth styles—suspenders, belts, vests. My brain was still unsure if I'd been sent through space, time, or a fever dream powered by fantasy logic.
Then I looked up—and saw them again.
Four planets.
Hovering in the sky like celestial spectators.
Yeah. That sealed the deal. This wasn't Earth. Not by a long shot. I mean, unless Elon Musk was hiding something really, really big.
Oh, and let's not forget the occasional fully armored guards patrolling the streets. Some had swords, others had spears with glowing blue tips. Magic tech? Energy weapons? Glorified cosplay?
The line between cool and terrifying was getting blurry.
And then—then I saw her.
Dog ears.
Yes, actual, fuzzy, twitching dog ears.
Attached to a girl. Not a dog. A person. A humanoid girl with caramel-colored fur ears perched on her head, swaying naturally with her steps.
Wait!! Dog-eared person?! OMG—was that cosplay? But it looked so real. Like, too real.
And then—it moved.
I mean, obviously she moved. But I mean the ears moved. Twitching independently, adjusting to sounds.
My brain short-circuited.
This was too much.
I mean, sure, I knew there'd be demi-humans in fantasy worlds. Beastkin, catgirls, elves—classic isekai buffet.
But seeing one in person?
Surreal.
I looked away quickly, because, well… I don't know if staring is racist here. Or would that be specist? Either way, I wasn't about to get cancelled on day one in a whole new dimension. I'd like to live at least a week before people throw metaphorical pitchforks my way.
And then, as if things weren't confusing enough, I noticed something else strange.
I could read the signs.
The signboards. The storefronts. Even the small handwritten tag on a fruit cart that read: "2 lumos per kilo."
I didn't just see the letters—I understood them. As if they were in English. As if I'd always known them.
Did this world come with automatic translation? Like Google Translate Premium Isekai Edition?
Or…
Wait.
Did I… possess a guy named Aidren? Did I somehow merge with him? And now his memories were just lying dormant, waiting to wake up and flood in?
No. That couldn't be.
I was still in my clothes. My jeans, my hoodie. I even had my phone in my pocket—though it hadn't turned on since I got here. And my wallet.
Speaking of wallet…
I pulled it out. Useless. Unless the local currency accepted this ... Yeah right , I was broke no matter how you look at it .
And that thought hit hard.
No money meant no food. No food meant starvation. And given my complete lack of combat ability, sleeping in the streets could mean I'd wake up in a barrel with one kidney and no pants.
I don't want to die like that. Especially not kidneyless and pantsless.
Okay, Eiden, I told myself, you need a plan. Find a place. Talk to someone. Maybe a job board? Adventurer's guild? Tavern with a shady quest-giver in the corner?
Just then, someone tapped my back.
I flinched.
No. I jumped like a cat sprayed with water.
Whipping around, I saw… a girl.
She looked maybe fifteen, sixteen at most. Small, cute, with a little baby fat still softening her cheeks. She had a satchel over one shoulder and watery eyes that sparkled like she was seconds away from bursting into tears.
"Uh... hello?" I managed.
Before I could say anything else, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me. Tight.
I froze.
Literally stood there like a statue with my arms in the air like I was being mugged by emotion.
Then, muffled against my chest, she sniffled and spoke.
"Where have you been all this time? I thought something unfortunate happened to you because you offended the Haruz gang."
Haruz gang? Who?
She clutched me tighter, ignoring my confusion, and continued, voice trembling, "Don't go anywhere without telling me where you are going. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. You're my only family left, and I don't want to lose you too, big brother."
"Whaaaa!!??"
To be continued...