Morning came with a thin mist hanging over the Western Territory.
Harry stood in front of the house, tying his shoelaces. Beside his feet was a cloth bag he had filled with a few empty containers that he would later use to carry food.
He stared at the long road ahead.
Today, for the first time since waking up in this strange world, he would be going to the city.
Dae-Dae.
The city's name came from Aria's memories. It was the largest trading center still fairly close to the Western Territory. If Harry wanted to survive, he needed food, clothes, medicine, and of course, information.
Especially information.
Harry sighed.
"All right."
He patted his own cheeks.
"Today's goals are simple."
He raised one finger.
"Buy food."
A second finger.
"Find out how much things cost."
A third finger.
"Learn what this world is really like."
He paused.
"And if possible..."
Harry touched the hilt of the dagger at his waist.
"...don't run into any monsters."
He gave a small smile.
"That sounds like a pretty difficult request."
Harry then locked the front door.
Before walking away, he glanced toward the forest.
For some reason, he still hadn't felt completely at ease since the previous night.
The image of that tall creature still lingered in his mind.
The sound of its claws scraping against the wall.
The knocking from inside the neighboring house.
And what troubled him most was the fact that the creature still hadn't shown itself.
It was still out there.
Watching.
Harry shook his head.
"Later."
He didn't want to think about it today.
He followed the dirt road toward the city.
The journey to Dae-Dae took almost two hours.
The farther Harry traveled from the Western Territory, the busier the road became.
At first, he only saw a few people carrying baskets.
Then merchants with carts appeared.
Then horse-drawn carriages.
There were even a few vehicles shaped unlike anything Harry had ever seen in his original world.
Harry stopped by the side of the road.
A four-wheeled vehicle passed him.
It wasn't pulled by a horse.
A small engine at the back gave off a thin trail of smoke.
Harry watched it with narrowed eyes.
"An engine?"
Aria's memories didn't provide much information about the technology of this world.
What he did know was that most people used simple technology combined with magic.
But that vehicle had clearly been powered by something resembling an engine.
Harry scratched his head.
"So this world isn't entirely like the Western medieval era."
He continued on his way.
A short while later, he passed an old merchant who was repairing the wheel of his cart.
The man looked at Harry.
"You from the West?"
Harry stopped.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Your shoes."
Harry looked down at his feet.
Aria's old shoes were indeed covered in dirt.
The man laughed.
"People from the West always walk around in shoes like that. The roads over there are terrible."
Harry smiled.
"I guess they are."
"Heading to Dae-Dae?"
"Yeah."
"Then be careful."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
The old man pointed ahead.
"The city market is crowded. Lots of pickpockets."
Harry nodded.
"Thanks for the warning."
The man went back to fixing his wheel.
Harry walked away.
He smiled to himself.
At least not everyone in this world was rude.
Before long, the walls of Dae-Dae came into view.
Tall stone walls surrounded the city.
Several watchtowers stood atop them.
Two guards stood in front of the gate.
"Stop."
Harry stopped.
One of the guards looked him over.
"Name?"
"Harry Vaughan."
"Purpose?"
"Shopping."
The guard looked at Harry's clothes.
Then he looked at the empty bag in Harry's hand.
"Shopping?"
"Yeah."
The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you from?"
Harry hesitated for a moment.
"The Western Territory."
The guard's expression immediately changed.
"The West?"
The guard beside him turned to look as well.
"He's from the West?"
Harry started to feel uneasy.
"Is there a problem?"
The first guard shook his head.
"No."
But his tone didn't sound very convincing.
"Go on in."
Harry walked through the gate.
Even after he had gone several yards inside, he could still feel both guards' eyes on him.
Harry muttered,
"Apparently, the Western Territory has a pretty bad reputation."
He sighed.
"Or maybe I'm just too suspicious."
Dae-Dae was far busier than Harry had imagined.
Merchants' voices filled the streets.
"Fresh vegetables!"
"Venison!"
"Healing herbs!"
"Top-quality weapons!"
"Leather shoes! Cheap!"
Harry stood in the middle of the street, looking a little confused.
So many voices.
So many scents.
And so many people.
For a while, he simply walked with the crowd.
Then his stomach growled.
Grrr...
Harry stopped.
Several people turned to look.
Harry smiled awkwardly.
"Looks like my body has an opinion of its own."
He quickly looked for the food market.
It didn't take long to find a meat stall.
A middle-aged woman stood behind the counter.
"Hey, kid! Want to buy some meat?"
Harry approached.
"How much is it?"
The woman named the price.
Harry immediately fell silent.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"That's expensive."
The woman laughed.
"If it's too expensive, don't buy it."
Harry picked up a piece of meat.
"Just this one."
"That one?"
"Yeah."
The woman wrapped it up.
"Ten copper coins."
Harry paid.
Then he moved on to another stall.
He bought bread.
Vegetables.
Salt.
A few spices.
And some simple medicine for wounds.
Once everything was inside the bag, Harry counted the money he had left.
Not much.
Very little.
He stared at the last coin.
"If I keep going like this..."
Harry sighed.
"...I'll really have to find a job."
He was beginning to understand something.
Living in a new world wasn't as simple as killing monsters and gaining power.
He still needed money.
He still needed food.
And he still needed a place to live.
"At least Aria's house is still there."
Harry walked through the market.
Then he saw a large sign.
INN — ROOMS AVAILABLE
Harry stopped.
"How much for a room?"
The innkeeper named the price.
Harry immediately walked away.
"My own house is cheaper."
After finishing his shopping, Harry decided to buy a cup of something warm before heading home.
He sat in a small shop on the edge of the market.
It wasn't too crowded.
Harry leaned back in his chair.
For the first time that day, he felt a little at ease.
He observed the people around him.
Merchants.
Adventurers.
Workers.
Some people even carried swords and magic staffs.
This world really was completely different.
Harry was watching an old mage when—
Thud!
Someone bumped into his shoulder.
Harry reflexively caught a basket that was about to fall.
"Sorry!"
A woman's voice.
Harry turned.
A girl stood in front of him.
Her long hair hung loose around her shoulders.
She wore simple, light-colored clothes.
There was no expensive jewelry.
No bodyguards.
Her face looked gentle.
And her expression...
looked a little panicked.
Harry handed the basket back.
"Here."
The girl took it.
"Thank you."
Harry nodded.
"You're welcome."
The girl looked at him for several seconds.
Then she smiled.
"You're not mad?"
"Why would I be?"
"I bumped into you."
"Nothing in your basket was damaged."
The girl looked at the contents of the basket.
Then she gave a small laugh.
"That's true."
Harry studied her face.
There was something strange about her.
Not anything bad.
Just...
far too calm.
This girl looked like someone who shouldn't be alone in a crowded place like this.
"What's your name?"
The girl hesitated.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Harry saw it.
"My name is..."
She smiled.
"Ela."
Harry nodded.
"Ela."
"And you?"
"Harry."
"Harry..."
The girl repeated his name.
For some reason, Harry felt that the way she said his name sounded slightly different.
As if she were remembering something.
Harry sat back down.
"Are you alone?"
Ela nodded.
"Yeah."
"That's pretty brave."
"Why?"
"A market like this is crowded."
Ela smiled.
"I can take care of myself."
Harry glanced at her body.
Then he looked at her face.
"Doesn't look like it."
Ela gave a small laugh.
"That's awfully mean."
"I'm just saying what I see."
"Then you should learn to see better."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
There was a certain tone in her voice.
But before he could ask—
Ela pointed at Harry's bag.
"You bought a lot of food."
Harry looked at his bag.
"Yeah."
"For your family?"
"No."
"Friends?"
"No."
"A girlfriend?"
Harry fell silent.
Ela held back a laugh.
"Why are you quiet?"
"I don't have a girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Really."
Ela smiled.
"What a shame."
Harry looked at her.
"Why is that a shame?"
Ela fell silent.
Her cheeks turned slightly red.
"I just..."
She looked away.
"...was talking without thinking."
Harry gave a small smile.
"I get it."
A few seconds passed.
Strangely, things between them didn't feel awkward.
They actually felt comfortable.
Harry didn't know why.
After all, they had just met.
He usually didn't trust strangers easily.
But this girl named Ela...
was different.
Harry picked up his cup.
"Do you live in Dae-Dae?"
Ela nodded.
"For now."
"For now?"
"Yeah."
"So you're leaving?"
"Maybe."
Harry nodded.
"Where to?"
Ela smiled mysteriously.
"Somewhere far away."
Harry gave a small laugh.
"That's a very clear answer."
"I like keeping people curious."
"Dangerous."
"Why?"
"Because curiosity can make people follow you."
Ela stared at Harry.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"If you were curious, would you follow me?"
Harry was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Maybe."
Ela smiled too.
Their eyes met.
Only for a few seconds.
But for some reason, Harry's heart began beating a little faster.
He quickly looked away.
Strange.
Very strange.
He didn't even know this girl yet.
After talking for a few minutes, Harry finally stood.
"I have to go home."
Ela stood as well.
"To the West?"
Harry nodded.
"Yeah."
Ela's expression changed slightly.
"The Western Territory?"
"Why does everyone look surprised when I say that?"
Ela smiled.
"It's nothing."
She then gave him a small smile.
"I hope you have a safe trip."
"Thanks."
Harry walked a few steps.
Then he stopped.
He turned around.
"Ela."
The girl looked at him.
"Yes?"
"It was nice meeting you."
Ela's smile grew gentler.
"You too, Harry."
Harry turned around.
He walked away from the city.
But without realizing it, Ela remained standing there.
Her eyes followed Harry's back until he disappeared into the crowd.
Her smile slowly faded.
The gentle look in her eyes changed.
It became sharp.
Very sharp.
"Harry Vaughan..."
She whispered.
"So you really are here."
Meanwhile, Harry was already outside the city.
The sky began to change color.
The sun was slowly sinking.
Harry quickened his pace.
He wanted to reach home before nightfall.
But after walking for only about half an hour—
Harry stopped.
His nose caught a scent.
Blood.
The smell of blood was incredibly strong.
Harry immediately lowered his bag.
His hand moved toward his dagger.
"Over there..."
He followed the scent into a small forest beside the road.
The farther he went, the stronger the smell of blood became.
Then he saw someone.
A man was sprawled on the ground.
His clothes were torn.
Blood flowed from his shoulder.
Harry immediately crouched down.
"Hey."
There was no answer.
Harry checked his pulse.
He was still alive.
"It's a serious wound."
He opened his bag and took out a piece of cloth.
He pressed it against the man's wound.
A few seconds later, the man opened his eyes.
His gaze was filled with fear.
"Don't..."
Harry frowned.
"Relax."
"Don't..."
The man grabbed Harry's hand.
"They..."
"Who?"
"They're coming."
Harry looked around.
There was no one there.
But his instincts told him that something bad was about to happen.
"Who's chasing you?"
The man tried to speak.
But blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"They... from..."
Crack.
A branch snapped.
Harry immediately stood.
His hand gripped the dagger.
His senses went on alert.
One.
Two.
Three.
There were several people surrounding them.
Harry narrowed his eyes.
A voice came from behind the trees.
"Hand over the man."
Harry didn't answer.
The voice came again.
"He has nothing to do with you."
Harry looked at the wounded man behind him.
Then he looked into the forest.
He smiled faintly.
"Unfortunately..."
Harry tightened his grip on the dagger.
"...he's my problem now."
The mist slowly descended.
Several shadows began to appear between the trees.
Harry didn't yet know who they were.
He also didn't yet know that the man he had just saved carried a secret connected to the Kingdom of Calista.
And more importantly—
Harry didn't know that meeting the girl named Ela in Dae-Dae was no coincidence.
Because that girl was actually someone far more important than he imagined.
Someone with another name.
Someone with power Harry had never even seen before.
And someone who, one day...
would stand right beside him when the entire world began hunting him.
Harry lifted his face.
His eyes turned sharp.
"All right."
He drew a breath.
"If you want trouble..."
The shadows drew closer.
Harry smiled.
"...come and get it."