Fyar's voice, though not loud, seemed to echo throughout the suddenly silent tavern. The other patrons, who had apparently been eavesdropping, now stared at Fyar with wide eyes. Hushed whispers spread from table to table. The strangely dressed man had just confessed to killing members of the most feared group of bandits.
So they've been eavesdropping all this time? Why are they reacting like this? Fyar calmly observed his surroundings.
"Y-you killed all four of them?" Rasie's voice grew louder, no longer curt, but filled with unconcealable shock. "How is that possible? Don't you lack magic?" She narrowed her eyes. "I can't even sense a shred of magical energy from you. Someone like you who... dresses so strangely?"
Wait a minute, is that a compliment or an insult? Pick one, damn woman. And who are you calling strangely dressed? Fyar could only curse in his mind.
On the other hand, Zaefal looked at Fyar with a completely different expression. A flash of understanding and calculation appeared in his eyes.
Who is he, really? I can't sense any magic from him, yet he was able to take out four members of the 000 organization? On top of that, he claims his power is sealed? This man... this is an opportunity. Approaching him was a good choice. Yes, I'll persuade him to join us. Zaefal's feelings were a mix of awe and a slight sense of dread.
"Fyar, do you not know who you've killed?" Illya asked. Her tone was gentle and calm, a stark contrast to the tension in the air.
Fyar simply shook his head, indicating that he indeed did not know.
Zaefal leaned forward, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "They are the most dangerous criminal organization in this world, Fyar. They often rob merchants on the roads. Rumor has it that even their weakest members, what you might call their grunts, are already at level fifteen. I fought one of them once, and it was an incredibly difficult battle. I almost died." He paused for a moment, his gaze sharp. "The bounty for one of their leaders can reach four hundred thousand gold coins. The organization's name is 000."
"How many members do they have?" Fyar asked, his curiosity piqued.
"No one knows for sure," Zaefal replied. "By the way, did you bring their bodies? Their heads can be exchanged for gold if there's a bounty on them."
"No, I left them there," Fyar answered flatly.
"A shame," Zaefal said with a small sigh.
"Then, how did you kill them? Did you use an artifact?" Illya asked again, her green eyes looking at Fyar with great interest.
Fyar nodded. "That's...."
"Heh! It seems I've underestimated you," Rasie muttered, more to herself than anyone else.
Fyar sighed, feeling he'd had enough of these questions. "Alright, my turn. What is your real purpose in approaching me and asking all this?"
Zaefal was silent for a moment, choosing his words. "We want you to join our party. The requirement to enter a level-ten dungeon is to have a squad of at least four members. I've searched all over the city, but everyone has refused. Then I happened to see you. Even though your clothes are strange, I could sense something powerful from you."
A party? A dungeon? But I don't have any powers. I was able to kill those bandits because of the element of surprise and my skill with a pistol. If they had seen me first, I might have been the one who died. No, this is too risky. I have to refuse, at least until I understand this world better and become stronger.
Fyar looked straight at Zaefal, his expression once again flat. "I refuse. I don't have any power right now. Besides, the artifact I use requires a special material called a bullet. It's made of iron and my supply is running low." Fyar sighed again. "On top of that, my identity and adventurer card are missing. I need that card to enter dungeons, right? Because of all those risks, I refuse."
"But you managed to kill four members of 000," Zaefal countered, unwilling to give up.
"That was because I had an advantageous position and was a little lucky. Other than this artifact, I have no other weapons. I also have very little money left," Fyar explained.
"Sir Fyar, I will cover all the costs," Illya suddenly interjected. "Tomorrow, you can go to the weapon shop not far from here and buy the equipment you need. You could also try ordering a custom model. It's possible the weaponsmiths here could craft what you call a bullet."
Custom-ordering bullets? I hadn't thought of that. It's a good idea, but it must be very expensive. Fyar looked at Illya doubtfully. "That will be very expensive. Are you sure?"
Illya smiled warmly. "It's no problem. I have enough money."
Is she showing off her wealth? Fyar scoffed internally.
"Then what about the problem with my adventurer card and identity?" Fyar raised another hurdle.
Illya chuckled softly. "I have a contact at the guild. You can get it sorted out tomorrow and your card will be ready in three days."
W-who is this woman, really? Could she be a princess or a noble? Fyar was genuinely shocked by the ease with which Illya offered solutions.
"And as for the matter of power," Zaefal added, "I'm willing to give you some artifacts and train you for the next week."
"We will also pay you," Illya said with a smile.
"Just accept it already! You have too many excuses!" Rasie exclaimed impatiently.
Fyar coughed lightly, trying to hide his surprise. He decided to test them. "What's the pay?"
"One hundred and fifty gold coins," Illya replied.
"Three hundred gold coins," Fyar doubled the offer, hoping they would refuse. "I'm in. Any less, and I'm out."
"You insolent...!" Rasie growled in annoyance, but Illya calmed her with a touch on the arm.
"Very well," Illya said, her tone still gentle. "Tomorrow I will take you to the weapon shop and the guild to sort out your card. On Wednesday, you can begin training with Zaefal and Rasie."
Wednesday? So the system of days here is the same as on Earth. That means it's Monday now. Alright, getting free weapons and bullets, plus an identity card, isn't a bad deal. But this feels strange. I just arrived in this world and I'm already joining an adventuring party. Oh well. Whatever will be, will be. Maybe this is fate.
Fyar turned his gaze to Zaefal. "By the way, why are you so desperate to go to the dungeon? Aren't there plenty of other places to adventure that you're willing to fund me this much?"
"It's for leveling up, specifically for Rasie," Zaefal explained. "Killing monsters in a dungeon speeds up level growth. The requirement to advance to level thirty is to kill four level-ten dungeon bosses in a single day. We want Rasie to reach that level as soon as possible. My level will also probably rise to twenty-eight after this."
"I see. Alright then," Fyar finally agreed.
"Thank you!" Zaefal said sincerely, clear relief on his face.
After the conversation ended, they left. Fyar returned to his room, collapsing onto the bed and staring at the wooden ceiling.
Today was truly insane. From completing a mission in my world, to being sent here, and now immediately joining a party. You really can't predict fate. Fine, if this is my path, I'll walk it. My short-term goal now is to gather money, maybe start a small business, and then live peacefully. Yeah, that doesn't sound bad.
He took out his money pouch and counted its contents. There were 207 gold coins in total. Feeling it was enough for now, he closed his eyes, preparing for the unpredictable day to come.
A few hours ago, in a kingdom named mythensan.
Inside a grand palace hall, a group of mages stood around an intricately drawn magic circle on the marble floor. After placing several artifacts at specific points, they began to chant an ancient spell in unison.
"I summon you, O hero from another world, come forth to save this world!" the lead mage shouted with a booming voice.
As the spell concluded, a blinding light erupted in the center of the room. A small tremor shook the palace pillars, accompanied by the sound of thunder and a plume of golden smoke. However, after a few moments, everything returned to normal. The hall was empty.
"Nothing?" one of the mages whispered.
"Nothing! Where is the hero? Did the ritual fail?" The King's voice, standing on a balcony above, trembled with panic. "What now? What! The world will be destroyed if he doesn't appear! What will become of this kingdom? Has our only hope of winning the war been extinguished?"
In the midst of the panic, one of the mages, dressed in all white, stepped forward. Her short white hair and green eyes looked up at the King calmly.
"The ritual did not fail, Your Majesty," she stated clearly. "However, it seems the hero was summoned to another location. We must not repeat the ritual, as it would cause an imbalance of power in this world. I suggest, Your Majesty, that you immediately begin the search to find the hero."