Morning sunlight shines through a slightly opened window and hits my face. I rub my eyes and raise my hand to block the light. I take a breath and slowly sit up. Then I stand, grab a wooden cup, and cast a water spell to fill it. I drink, then put on my dark-blue cloak.
I walk to the door, step outside, turn right, and head down the stairs. Once outside, I leave the inn and go straight to a stall selling apples. I place a gold coin on the counter.
"I'd like five apples."
The vendor nods and hands me a bag labeled "Fruit is healthy—come again soon." I take the bag and leave the rest of the money as a tip.
I head outside the capital and turn left, planning to train in a different forest than yesterday.
"Right… I could register at a guild too," I think as I approach the woods.
I reach the forest's edge, step inside—and immediately a monster attacks. I snap my fingers, set it ablaze, and turn it to ash. I jump high and use my Invisible Slash, cutting through the entire forest to kill multiple monsters at once. On the way, I pass more than a hundred monster corpses, and even simple plants at the edges are sliced cleanly.
I walk further and further, but find nothing—no monsters, nothing at all. I turn around, snap my fingers, glow, and disappear. Four milliseconds later, I reappear in a flash in front of the forest. I look around and see two adventurers at the edge, staring at the long-cut pathway. I quietly slip away, hoping they don't notice me.
A bit farther from the capital, I see a carriage and three men who look like guards. They're fighting S-rank monsters, while five guards lie on the ground near the carriage, badly wounded. On the carriage is an emblem: two fir trees and a crown.
"Wait—that's the royal family's crest!" I say quickly.
I sprint toward them with Boost and cut down the monsters in an instant.
"Why am I even helping them? I get nothing out of this," I think as I fight the last one.
The Orc King charges at me, trying to cut me in half. I catch his giant sword between two fingers and fling him back. Then I dash forward and pierce him. Blood sprays from the wound. I walk to the carriage and cast a wide-range healing spell. I'm about to open the carriage door when the guards I just healed step in front of it.
"Stop! Who are you?" three of them shout at once.
I groan quietly and simply slip through a small gap between them. Then I open the door. Inside is a beautiful girl with blonde hair and violet eyes. I offer her my hand, and she takes it hesitantly, her eyes sparkling.
"Thank you for saving me."
I nod and help her out of the carriage. I step back and bow, but the princess shakes her head and gestures for me to stand up again.
"I'm Kantara."
I smile slightly while she scolds her guards for treating me like an enemy even though I just saved all of them. Well, I don't really mind. I'm about to leave when the princess grabs me.
"Where are you going? I want to thank you somehow!"
I shake my head and wave it off, but she insists.
"I, Princess Su, want to thank you!"
I sigh and nod after a short moment. Su happily hops up and down while I just stand there.
"Okay, how do you want to thank me?"
"I know—come with me! I'll introduce you to Father!"
I nod reluctantly—only so she won't keep bugging me about it. Honestly, I just want to live without attention. Su points at the carriage, signaling me to get in. I climb in immediately, and Su follows.
She looks at me.
"Wait… those features and that strength—are you the hero from the legend?"
"No, I'm not. At least, I don't think so."
Su gives me a questioning look but drops the subject. I sigh and look around the carriage. Su sits right next to me, even though there's plenty of space on the opposite side. The carriage is nicely decorated, but not safe at all. We start moving, and it rattles like crazy. I look outside and see some people heading into the Beginner's Forest—the one where I killed the Ice Dragon.
"Oh shit, right—I sliced that thing up."
"Uh… Su? Why are you sitting so close? There's space over there."
I look at Su, who's turning red, nervously fidgeting with her fingers, tapping her legs, then her arms—she gets redder by the second.
"Well… um… it's just… nicer here."
I chuckle softly.
"She's cute when she's nervous," I think while looking at her. Then I glance forward again. We're passing through the city gate. People outside stop and stare at us. I sit back properly. After ten minutes, we arrive at the royal palace.
I stand, open the door, step out, and offer Su my hand. She takes it gently and climbs down.
"By the way—how were you able to kill those monsters so easily?"
I give her a puzzled look and think for a moment.
"I'd say… because they were weaker than me."
Su accepts the answer and nods. She heads toward the palace entrance—a massive wooden door with golden framing. The castle has four floors and is white with gold and silver accents. I follow behind her, eventually walking beside her.
The great door opens in front of us, and two guards step out. They see me and try to stop me, but the princess raises her hand.
"Halt, guards!"
They freeze and kneel before the princess, but stare at me in confusion.
"But who is this boy?" one guard asks.
I step closer and glance at Su.
"I saved Su from the S-rank monsters."
The guards go stiff—not only because of the S-rank monsters, but because I called the princess by her first name.
"Thank you for saving her, but why do you address the princess so casually, you lowly peasant?!"
I shrug, and Su signals them to stand aside, then continues walking. I wave at the guards before they return to their posts.
I glance at Su from time to time.
"She's cute," I think, then shake my head. I should stop thinking like that—I won't see her again after today anyway.
We arrive at a door through which you can see the hall where the king and several nobles are standing.
"Moments like this always come way too fast," I think as we walk inside.
The king looks at me—and so do the nobles.