The morning sun shone over the tense city of Rendalia as the city guards and soldiers marched into the forests.
Hearts heavy and steps tense, they moved in full armor under the watchful eyes of citizens and their families.
"Well... this is interesting." From the inn's window, Damon observed the guards leaving the city, scratching his chin, feeling awkward—knowing they wouldn't find a thing.
Being the source and reason behind the forest's destruction, Damon couldn't help but give a wry smile as he watched the commotion he had caused.
"Sigh…"
'Thankfully, I covered all traces… there should be nothing pointing toward me,' he thought with relief before turning away, leaving the room and the inn to start a brand new day.
Out on the streets, Damon stretched and wondered what to do next. Train with his weapons? Register as an adventurer?
There were plenty of things he needed to do, yet he didn't know where to begin. Looking around, Damon watched the people continuing with their daily lives.
The atmosphere was tense, but the townsfolk still went about their chores—opening their stalls and setting up for the day.
Turning his head, Damon glanced at the signs on the stalls, all written in the native language of this world. He sighed.
"Ah yes, language… I'm illiterate in this world." Damon muttered dejectedly, but quickly cheered himself up. "Okay, I know now what's the first thing I should do."
With that, he began asking a few residents for directions to the city library.
All major cities in Elfrieden were equipped with large libraries maintained by the royal family. Their establishment dated back years ago, following the Empire's decision to build public libraries and promote literacy.
Arriving at a large dome-shaped building near the city center, Damon approached the library. Still carrying an axe and dressed in new, decent clothes he had purchased the previous day, Damon strolled forward.
His upper body was bare, and his lower half was covered in brown leather pants—an outfit he was fortunate to find. He now looked like a typical adventurer, much more approachable than before.
"Halt! You can't carry weapons into this facility," the guard announced upon noticing Damon's approach before reciting the rules.
"If you wish to enter the library, you must leave your weapons behind. Entry fee is twenty-five bronze coins. If you harm any books, you shall be imprisoned and fined under royal decree."
'A fee for entering a public library? Well, their kingdom, their rules.' Damon complied, paid the fee, and handed over his axe before entering.
'…Twenty-five bronze coins for this?' he thought, unimpressed. The inside wasn't as grand as the exterior suggested—large bookshelves filled with yellowed pages, some covers old and loosely bound, others oddly colored.
Further inside, benches lined the area—many empty, a few occupied.
It wasn't the grand, majestic library one might expect from a fantasy world in novels or anime.
'Hah, what did I even expect?' Damon thought. This wasn't a world of fiction or anime; it was far more mundane and disappointing for someone like him.
He picked up the first book he saw—a rough red cover, old, with complex handwritten characters of the world's language.
'This world doesn't have printing presses, does it?' he mused. Printing technology hadn't been invented here yet. With literacy low and only nobles, royals, and merchants learning to read and write, most books were handwritten and treated as treasures.
Damon cleared his mind and focused on the book before him. Normally, you couldn't just learn to read and write by looking at foreign characters—normally.
> [Ability: Instantly learn and understand any language completely through exposure to its characters. Progress shown in percentage.]
It was an ability Damon had created on his way to the library. It allowed him to comprehend words just by focusing on them and gradually master the language.
Once the percentage reached one hundred, he would completely master the world's written language.
With a grin, Damon began reading line by line. At first, his eyes simply moved across the text, but gradually, he started recognizing the words.
Letters, words, and sentences began to take shape in his mind as his understanding deepened. Slowly, expressions and meanings registered clearly in his memory.
5%
Closing the book he had finished, Damon picked another from the shelves. One after another, he read them—boring stories, fairy tales, history books—all in pursuit of mastery.
The day passed into afternoon, then evening. The sun dipped beyond the horizon as Damon finally set down the book in his hands.
100%
"Finally."
Learning to read and write—complete.
---
Exiting the library and collecting his axe, Damon wandered through the city, enjoying the local delicacies.
He had accomplished his first goal—learning to read and write—and now his mind turned to the next.
"What should I do next? Let's register as an adventurer."
Adventurers were explorers and monster hunters who accepted all sorts of requests—escort missions, herb collection, subjugation quests, and more.
"…Wait a second. Should I really register as one, though?"
Though adventuring sounded fun, it also came with obligations—serving the kingdom in times of war, following restrictions, and obeying rules one couldn't easily abandon.
'Thinking about it now… it doesn't suit me well.'
Shaking his head, Damon wandered through the city, only to halt when he heard the sound of metal clashing and men shouting.
Following the noise, he arrived at a large open ground filled with people engaged in battle and training. Men and women of all races were exercising, sparring, and practicing magic.
It was a park adjacent to the Adventurer's Hall—a place where adventurers trained, tested their skills, and rested between quests.
Looking at the lively scene brimming with energy, Damon grinned and slowly made his way inside. Carrying his axe in one hand, his figure drew attention, yet no one approached him; everyone was focused on their own training.
Instead of immediately swinging his weapon, Damon walked around the area, observing others with a serious gaze—their movements, forms, weapon handling, and combat techniques.
With his physique and access to various weapons, neglecting to learn proper form and technique would be foolish. Damon harbored a deep desire to master his weapons and fight efficiently.
And now, it was time to begin.