For the past seven days, I knew Mukoda and his familiars would be leaving soon. I wanted to spend more time with him and just talk about his life and adventure.
So when morning came, Mukoda looked about ready to hit the road again.
He had that "man with too many errands" look: part adventurer, and now part small business owner.
We'd spent the last few days traveling together, talking about everything from Earth food to monster meat quality.
But now it was time to go our separate ways.
"Heading out already?" I asked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.
Mukoda nodded, checking over his gear.
"Yeah. I've decided to focus more on my merchant business for a while. Fel's fine with it as long as he gets fed regularly."
"Hmph," Fel grunted from under a nearby tree. "As if I'd tolerate starvation."
Tweety rolled his eyes.
"You'd survive a famine, wind dog."
"I'm a Fenrir," Fel corrected.
"Anyway," Mukoda continued, ignoring both divine beasts with the calm patience of a man used to this exact level of chaos, "before I go, I want to give you something."
He rummaged through his item box and pulled out two small metal plates, roughly the size of playing cards. They shimmered faintly with magic lines that glow blue and gold.
I blinked.
"Uh… what are those? Fancy coasters?"
He smiled faintly.
"Teleportation communicators. I found the pair in a dungeon near Dolan a while back. They were gathering dust, so… I think they'll suit you better."
"Teleportation… communicators?" I asked, trying not to sound like an idiot.
He nodded.
"They're linked together. Think of them like… magical mailboxes. Write a message, put it on the plate, and it'll transfer instantly to the other one."
My eyes widened.
"So… we can send each other letters?"
"Letters, notes, and- " his eyes gleamed just slightly. "orders."
"Oh. Ohh…" I said slowly. "You mean I can…?"
"Exactly," he said, smiling now like a man who just invented e-commerce. "If you want to buy something from my online store, write your order on paper and place it on the plate. It'll teleport to me instantly. I'll write the prices and send it back. Once you transfer the gold, I'll ship the goods right to your side."
I blinked at him.
"So basically… a magic instant shipping courier?"
"Yeah."
"This is amazing! Wait, you're serious? I can just… order stuff from you anywhere?"
"Yup."
"Even if you're halfway across the continent?"
"Still works."
I could've hugged him right then and there.
"Mukoda-san, you are an angel sent by the grocery gods."
He chuckled awkwardly.
"Ah… I wouldn't go that far."
Tweety fluttered beside me.
"Finally, something useful from your species."
"Excuse me," I said. "Human innovation built this deal."
Shiro flicked his tail.
"Will he send food?"
"Hopefully seasonings first," I said.
Mukoda smiled, handing me one of the plates. "It's simple to use. Just keep it safe. These things are rare. I tried selling one once, and the guild almost had a heart attack."
I took it carefully, the metal warm to the touch, faintly vibrating with mana.
It was heavier than I expected, but maybe that was just the weight of convenience.
"Thank you," I said sincerely. "Really. This means a lot."
He shrugged, smiling in that humble, down-to-earth way that somehow made him even more likable.
"Hey, it benefits me too. You buy, I earn. Everyone wins."
"Spoken like a true merchant."
He laughed. "Guess so. Just don't forget to actually write your orders clearly, okay? I never tried this, you're the first."
"It's an honor and I'll keep it neat," I promised.
Fel's deep voice rumbled from behind him.
"We're leaving, Mukoda."
Mukoda nodded, gathering his pack.
"Alright, alright. Well, I'll see you around, John. Don't get yourself killed."
"I'll try, but no promises," I said with a grin.
He chuckled, then waved once as he climbed onto Fel's back.
Sui popped out of his bag, waving a tiny tendril.
"Bye-bye~! John~! Shiro~! Birdy~!"
"Bye, Sui!" I called back, waving.
Fel snorted and started walking.
Tweety muttered under his breath,
"Windbag."
"I heard that," Fel said without looking back.
The two divine beasts glared briefly one last time, but then they were gone. Fel's silver fur disappearing into the morning light, Mukoda's calm voice fading down the trail.
I turned the metal plate in my hand, smiling.
"Guess this means we're business partners now."
Tweety glanced over.
"Does that mean more food?"
"Eventually," I said. "But first…" I held the communicator up toward the sun.
"…I think I got a fast seller delivery courier."
It has been hours since Mukoda and his familiars left. The forest was quiet again.
For once, there wasn't any shouting, divine flame, or monster shrieking in the distance. Just my familiar, breeze, and me staring at a shiny piece of metal that might as well have been the greatest invention since here.
The teleport plate sat on my lap, smooth and faintly glowing with mana. Tiny runes pulsed, slow and steady, almost soothing.
I grinned. "Alright, let's test this magic delivery service."
Tweety perched on my shoulder.
"Are you sure it won't explode?"
"I'm… mostly sure," I said.
Shiro sighed beside me.
"That means he's not sure."
"Shut up and let me try," I said, pulling out a scrap of parchment.
I scribbled my test message quickly:
"Hey Mukoda, testing this thing! If you can read this, send me something cool.
—John"
I placed the note on the glowing plate.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then, with a soft whim, the light flared bright gold, swallowing the paper completely.
Tweety leaned closer, feathers ruffling from the static.
"Did it work?"
"Hold on-"
Before I could finish, the plate glowed again, even brighter this time. A faint shimmer filled the air, and with a quiet fwip, something appeared on the surface, a rolled scroll tied neatly with string, along with a small folded note.
My jaw dropped.
"...It worked. Holy dough, it worked!"
Tweety blinked.
"It did not explode. Impressive."
Shiro flicked his tail.
"He has improved."
"Guys," I said, clutching the scroll reverently, "this is historic. This is day one of magical postal service."
Tweety peered at the note sitting beside the scroll.
"What does it say?"
I unfolded it and read aloud:
> "P.S. You'll be needing this.
— Mukoda"
My curiosity doubled. I quickly untied the scroll and spread it out on the ground.
Inside was a map, beautifully inked and detailed, showing mountain ranges, forests, trade routes, and a dozen cities across the continent.
And there, near the top corner, was a small mark labeled Rayseer Kingdom circled neatly in red ink. It's the nearest route to where I am.
My breath caught.
"Rayseer Kingdom… huh."
The first proper name I'd seen on paper in this world was not some vague "north of Dolern" nonsense, but an actual point on a map.
I traced the ink lines with a finger, smiling.
"Thanks, Mukoda."
He didn't have to send this. He'd probably raided the whole continent to find something this detailed.
Tweety tilted his head.
"A map? Convenient."
"More than convenient," I said softly. "It's like… a start."
Since arriving in this world, I felt like I wasn't just wandering aimlessly anymore.
And now it's decided..I folded the map carefully and tucked it into my item box.
The sun filtered through the trees, warm and steady.
"Alright," I said, standing up and stretching. "New city, new recipes, new trouble waiting to happen."
Tweety ruffled his feathers.
"Rayseer, then?"
"Yeah." I grinned. "Let's see what kind of mess I can make next."
The road to Rayseer was long, sunny, and surprisingly peaceful if you ignored the bird on my shoulder and the small white tiger padding beside me.
After a few days of travel, the kingdom finally came into view. It had tall stone walls, silver gates, and a long line of people stretching halfway down the road. Merchants, adventurers, farmers… Everyone was waiting patiently to get in.
We joined the end of the line, me quietly humming to myself while Tweety dozed and Shiro sniffed at passing wagons.
It was all going smoothly. Yeah for about thirty seconds.
Then the whispers started.
At first, I thought it was just normal curiosity, you know, "who's the guy with the weird pets?" kind of curiosity. But then I started catching words.
"Hey, did you hear? The Forest Purge last week?"
"Yeah, fire and wind wiped everything clean! Not even ashes left."
"Some say the orcs vanished too. A whole colony has just gone."
I froze.
Tweety cracked one eye open.
"They are speaking of us," he said, speaking directly in my mind.
I was shocked and looked at him.
"W-what was that?"
Tweety rolled his eyes.
"Since we made a pact, your familiars and you will be able to talk through what we call mindlink."
"You mean we can gossip without everyone hearing us though our lips don't move?'
"Yes."
"Wow, cool! And I know they're speaking of us," I hissed quietly. "Please don't confirm it out loud."
Shiro tilted his head.
"Is it illegal?" he said, joining in our mindlink.
"No, but it's definitely suspicious!"
More voices rippled through the crowd.
"I heard a Phoenix was spotted!"
"And Fenrir, too! They say two divine beasts fought there!"
"Someone saw them with a human!"
Every head in line slowly turned toward me.
I smiled weakly, giving a little wave.
"Heh. Crazy rumors, huh? Can't believe people just… make stuff up like that."
One merchant leaned on his friend.
"That guy looks exactly like the description…"
"Wha-no, no, no," I said quickly. "Total coincidence. You're thinking of someone else. Probably taller. More majestic. Definitely less covered in soot."
Tweety fluttered his wings lazily.
"John, you are still carrying scorch marks in your clothes."
"Shh!"
A pair of adventurers a few spots ahead were talking now.
"I heard Fenrir and another beast nearly leveled half the forest!"
"And the human between them just… walked away?"
"'Walked away'? I barely survived!" I muttered under my breath.
Shiro purred quietly, clearly amused.
"You are famous."
"I'm wanted, not famous!" I hissed. "They'll think I started it!"
The guard at the gate finally motioned for us to step forward..I plastered on my best innocent smile and gave him my adventurer Identification.
"Morning, officer! Beautiful weather today, huh?"
The guard squinted, glancing at Tweety and Shiro.
"…Those are your familiars?"
"Yes!" I said quickly. "Completely tame! Very polite! I promise."
Tweety made a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.
The guard frowned, looking from me to the line behind, where people were still whispering.
"Name?"
"John Avery," I said, trying to sound as boring as possible. "Traveler, cook, totally normal human being."
He scribbled something on his logbook, gave me one last skeptical look, then waved me through.
"...Try not to cause trouble."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, bowing slightly before practically speed-walking past the gate.
Once we were inside the city, I let out a long breath.
"Okay. So maybe we slightly overdid the fireworks last week."
"Slightly," Tweety agreed.
"Understatement," Shiro added.
I groaned, running a hand down my face.
"Great. First week in a new kingdom, and I'm already a walking rumor."
Tweety perched on my shoulder again, looking smug.
"At least they speak of you with awe."
"Yeah," I said, deadpan. "Because nothing says 'awe-inspiring' like a guy with slightly burnt pants."
Rayseer was loud in the best way possible. Merchants shouted prices from their stalls, adventurers laughed over mugs of ale, and the smell of roasted meat and spices filled the streets.
For once, I almost forgot I'd been part of a natural disaster a week ago.
Almost.
I adjusted my pack and looked around for the Adventurer Guild sign. "Alright, Tweety, Shiro, first stop, registration update. Then we will find a place to stay."
"Finally, civilization," Tweety murmured, currently shrunk down small enough to perch beside my collar.
"I liked the forest better," Shiro grumbled from atop my head. "Less noise."
"Yeah, well, I like roofs and not sleeping next to suspicious bugs, so this is happening."
I was halfway down the main street when someone stepped into my path.
Actually, two someones.
One was an older man, maybe mid-thirties, with neatly combed gray hair and the kind of posture that screamed "professional servant."
The other was a boy, no older than eighteen wearing embroidered velvet, jeweled cuffs, and an expression that said I have never heard the word no.
The servant bowed slightly.
"Good day, traveler."
"Uh… morning?" I said, blinking.
His eyes flicked up to my shoulder, where Tweety sat perfectly still, feathers gleaming faintly in the sunlight. Then to Shiro, who was currently loafing on my head like a very relaxed hat.
"Ah," the servant said. "As I suspected."
That never means good news.
Behind him, the fancy kid smirked.
"I am Prince Freckles of Rayseer," he announced proudly, brushing invisible dust off his sleeve.
I blinked.
"...Prince what?"
"Freckles," he said again, as if that explained everything.
I bit my lip. Don't laugh. Do not laugh at the royal.
The servant cleared his throat.
"His Highness requests to speak with you regarding your… companions."
Tweety's tail feathers twitched.
"Companions?" he muttered. "That's one way to say it."
"Ah," I said slowly, "sure, Your Highness. What about them?"
The prince smiled, a little too smugly for my comfort.
"I want them."
I blinked.
"...Come again?"
"Your bird and your cat," he said, gesturing lazily. "They're beautiful. I want them for my personal menagerie."
"Menagerie?" I repeated, looking up at Shiro. "You hear that? Congratulations, you're collectible."
"He can try," Shiro said flatly.
The servant stepped forward smoothly.
"His Highness is prepared to make a generous offer. Two thousand gold coins for the pair."
I whistled.
"That's… wow. A lot of zeroes."
Tweety puffed his chest slightly.
"At least they understand quality."
"Not helping."
Then I smiled politely.
"That's very kind, but they're not for sale. They're my familiars."
The prince's smirk vanished.
"Familiars? You mean you own them?"
"Uh, it's more of a mutual contract thing-"
He cut me off with a wave.
"That doesn't matter. I'm offering more than they're worth. Take the gold."
Tweety's feathers flared slightly, heat radiating from my shoulder.
"He's lucky I have restraint," he murmured.
Shiro's tail flicked once.
"I vote we eat him."
I forced a laugh.
"Hahaha,.funny story, see, when divine beasts get cranky, they have a tendency to melt royal palaces."
The servant's polite smile didn't waver, but I could see his eyes twitch.
"Perhaps, traveler, you misunderstand the generosity of this offer."
"Oh no, I get it," I said cheerfully. "But I'd rather not end up a crispy legend in Rayseer's history books."
The prince frowned.
"You dare refuse me?"
"Yup."
"You'll regret it!" he snapped, face red now. "No one denies the royal family!"
I smiled again, the kind of strained, customer-service smile I'd perfected back on Earth.
"Well, Your Highness, there's a first time for everything."
Then I bowed politely, stepped around them, and walked off toward the guild like the responsible adult I definitely wasn't.
Behind me, I heard the prince huff loudly.
"Father will hear of this!"
Tweety snorted.
"Ah yes, the ancient royal phrase of defeat."
Shiro chuckled softly from my head.
"I could have scared him for free."
"Yeah," I sighed, "and then we'd be banned from another city. Let's not repeat the Dolern's forest incident."
"That was one time," Tweety protested.
"Exactly," I said, pushing open the Adventurer Guild door.
"Once was plenty."