A wooden sign hung outside of Roland's Workshop reading 'Sorry, we're closed.' The dark clouds and the sound of the pouring rain instilled a melancholy feeling in the air. Tetsuya hated the rain. Growing up in Tokyo and experiencing his share of rainy nights, he never understood why so many people romanticize such a thing. A rainy night in the city, a dark alleyway illuminated by flickering neon lights. It was all so trite and cheap. The Free City of Midgard wasn't bathed in neon lights. All the same, Tetsuya hated the rainy nights in his new home as well.

Tetsuya sat at the dinner table, fidgeting nervously in his seat. The boy glanced out the window and remembered how much he hated the rain. The dining area was small and quaint, Roland never had much reason to entertain visitors at his home. It was much easier to entertain your guests by taking them out to a pub or a restaurant, the Free City of Midgard had no shortages of either of those things. The table was big enough for Roland and Chelsea to share a meal together, though he did consider upgrading to a bigger table now that Tetsuya was living with them.

Tetsuya's eyes darted around the cramped room. Everyone was squeezed uncomfortably close together at the dinner table. All their eyes were staring patiently at him.

Chelsea sat beside him, the half-orc's eyes filled him with a quiet comfort that he couldn't explain. His life in this new world was a violent, raging tempest and she was the anchor that kept him from being washed away in its currents.

On his other side sat MacGregor. Though the lizardman's eyes were usually ferocious and terrifying, he always looked at Tetsuya with a gentle kindness, the way an older brother looks at his younger brother.

Beside MacGregor sat Frida. Though the eyes the dark elf showed to strangers were cold and distant, to those she considered her friends, the eyes she showed were filled with warmth and compassion. Tetsuya could feel that warmth.

Unlike Frida, Darcy's eyes were like an open book. The high elf's heart had an endless supply of kindness, and her eyes offered that kindness to everyone that she met, including Tetsuya.

Liam's eyes were mercurial. At times his eyes were flippant and easygoing, like the eyes of an idiotic friend who dragged you into all sorts of trouble. Other times, his eyes burned with unbridled intensity, like a fierce protector that would give his life for the ones that he loved.

Across the table from him sat Roland. His eyes were the most difficult to read. Hard as he tried, Tetsuya could never quite get a read on the grumpy dwarf.

These were Tetsuya's allies. And they were all waiting for him to speak.

"I don't even really know where to start," Tetsuya spoke softly.

Chelsea placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Maybe you should start from the beginning," she said.

"I'm not from around here," Tetsuya confessed. "I'm not a Farlander, like everyone seems to think I am. It's not like I meant to lie, it just seemed more convenient than trying to explain the truth. So, I always just sort of went along with it."

"The truth is," the boy hesitated for a moment. "I'm from another world."

The dam finally broke and the boy's confession came pouring out. "I'm from a country called Japan and it's nothing like this world," Tetsuya explained. "We don't have orcs or elves. We don't have magic or Adventurers' Guilds. We don't have dire wolves or minotaurs. We don't have Queensguard-"

He stopped to correct himself. "Well, technically I guess the United Kingdom does, but it's really not the same thing. But that's totally beside the point."

"Look, I'm not some kind of hero. I never have been," Tetsuya continued. "I'm just a normal high school kid. I go to school. I come home. I study. I read manga and I play video games in my spare time. That's about it. That's literally all I've ever done with my pathetic life."

"Then one day, on my way home from a grocery run, I got hit by a truck," the boy continued. "A truck is, uh. It's like a wagon made out of ten thousand pounds of metal that can move at eighty-five miles an hour. I should have died, or maybe I did die. I really don't know how that works. But that's when I woke up and I met Chelsea."

"I know it all sounds crazy," Tetsuya said, shaking his head. "But it's the truth."

"That's it?" Chelsea asked, tilting her head curiously.

"What do you mean 'that's it?'" Tetsuya asked, stunned by the lack of surprise coming from Chelsea. "I just told you that I'm from another world."

"I mean it does explain a lot of things," Chelsea said, thinking back to all the strange conversations she's had with the boy. "Like why you don't seem to know anything about this world at all."

"Or why you sometimes start to ramble about nonsense that nobody else understands!" Darcy chimed in cheerfully.

"Hmm..." MacGregor said, looking Tetsuya up and down. "Honestly, I thought you were just a little slow."

Tetsuya looked mortified. "You thought I was slow?"

MacGregor nodded. "That's why I've always looked out for you," the lizardman confessed. "Because I didn't want anybody to bully the slow kid."

"I think that you're bullying me right now," Tetsuya said sheepishly.

"I mean it's not completely unheard of to travel to another world," Liam thought out loud. "It would require a ridiculous amount of mana control and total mastery of spatial magic. I'm talking about Forbidden Arts territory here. But yeah. It's not like it's impossible or anything."

"So, you're saying there's a chance with can send Miyazaki back to his own world?" MacGregor asked.

"In theory," Liam replied.

Chelsea quietly clutched at her chest. Hearing them speak those words felt like daggers were being driven into her heart. Just thinking about the possibility that one day Tetsuya might not be standing by her side filled her heart with a numbing sense of emptiness.

"No!" Tetsuya protested. Their eyes all turned towards the boy. "There's nothing left for me back in that world."

"Don't you have friends? Family?" Frida asked, curious to learn more about the boy. "Surely they must miss you."

"No," Tetsuya answered, shaking his head. "I've never been good at making friends. And my family... My mother died shortly after I was born. My father, we've never really had much of a relationship. He's always been so busy at work. We live in the same house but we might as well be strangers."

"The truth is," Tetsuya looked around at the people that surrounded him. "The truth is, that you guys are the only friends and family that I've ever really had."

The night wore on, but the downpour did not stop.

"Look, I understand that you're from another world," MacGregor spoke. "But that doesn't explain how you can do the things that you do. I've seen you fight. Most of the time you look like a total novice, barely able to hold your own against a wild boar. Tripping over your own two feet. Swinging your sword like a drunken idiot."

"Okay," Tetsuya said. "I think I get the picture."

"Other times..." MacGregor's eyes turned gravely serious.

"Other times," Liam interjected. "Other times you look like a monster." At that moment, thunder roared ominously as if to punctuate his words.

A hush fell on the room. Tetsuya looked into the eyes of all his friends. He could tell that they all agreed that the words Liam spoke were true.

"The way you fight is absolutely flawless," MacGregor further explained. "You evade attacks that you shouldn't see coming. You find openings that you shouldn't be able to find."

"I think the first time I really noticed it," Chelsea spoke up. "Was that day that I found you training with Lord Edward at Galanis' Village."

“I guess what I’m trying to say,” Tetsuya closed his eyes as Lord Edward brought his blade down in a wrath cut. It had the same speed and killing intent as his earlier attack.

“Is that I want to join the Queensguard!” Tetsuya opened his eyes and instinctively parried the attack again with a perfect plow guard.

Without thinking, the boy quickly followed up with a forward thrust, stopping the point of his blade an inch away from Lord Edward’s throat. "Because my dream is to stand beside her when her dreams come true!”

"I didn't think much of it back then," Chelsea said. "I thought maybe it was just a case of beginners luck. But thinking about it now, there was no way a novice swordsman like you should have been able to get the better of a master swordsman like Lord Edward."

"I don't know what happened either," Tetsuya replied, trying to recall every bit of detail of that moment that he could. "I wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I didn't have to think, it's like my body just moved on its own. It just felt like... Like..."

"Like something you've always known?" Liam asked.

Tetsuya nodded his head.

"I think I understand what you're trying to say," MacGregor said. "It's like when your hand touches an open flame. Nobody has to teach you to pull your hand away. You just do it out of instinct."

"Self-preservation," Frida added on. "The protection of oneself from harm. A basic instinct ingrained in almost every living thing."

"That sounds about right," Tetsuya replied.

MacGregor slugged Tetsuya hard across the face with a vicious right hook that sent the boy reeling.

"What are you doing!?" Chelsea glared angrily at MacGregor.

"I just wanted to test out our little theory," MacGregor replied. "Sorry, Miyazaki," he apologized to the boy nervously.

"It's fine," Tetsuya laughed, still wincing in pain.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked, running her hand gently across the boy's swollen face.

Tetsuya nodded. The boy's face was flushed red.

"Look!" Chelsea frowned at MacGregor. "His face is turning red!"

"Yeah..." Liam said with a sly grin. "I don't think his face is turning red because MacGregor slugged him.

Frida and Darcy covered their mouths, trying to hold back their laughter.

"So, why didn't you self-preserve just now?" MacGregor asked the boy.

Tetsuya shrugged. "I don't know," the boy replied. "I don't think I use it every time that I fight."

"Like with the giant rats in the sewers," Tetsuya recalled.

He stood up once more, set his eyes on another target, and lunged at it. He felt himself losing balance once again, but he committed to finishing the attack. He skewered the rat with his blade, killing it. Tetsuya found himself face down in the sewer sludge. He was elated and finally making his first kill. He didn't even notice Chelsea and Roland watching him, grinning at him, proud of him for pushing through.

"Or the giant wasps outside of Galanis' Village," the boy recalled.

The giant wasps launched their attack. Tetsuya brought his blade down in an over cut, slicing a giant wasp in half. Another giant wasp came for him on his left side. He bashed it with his shield and struck it down with a high cut. He screamed in pain as a stinger struck his leg from behind. Tetsuya could feel his leg quickly going limp. Two more giant wasps pierced his other leg. The boy dropped to the ground, both of his legs completely immobilized. He rolled himself on his back, gripping his sword and shield tightly in his hands. A giant wasp swooped down to attack him, but the boy struck it down with his buckler with every ounce of strength that he had. Even with both of his legs immobilized, he had every intention to keep fighting until his very last breath.

"Yeah," Chelsea confirmed. "I don't remember him moving strangely at all during those particular fights."

"What about at the Battle of Galanis' Village?" Liam asked.

Tetsuya thought for a moment, trying his best to remember every detail that he could.

He thrust his sword into the eye of the orc in front of him, then shoved his body out of the way. As if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. The boy cut down an orc to his right with his sword, bashed the skull of an orc to his left with his shield. He slowly began to move forward through the sea of orcs, fighting for every single inch that he could get.

"When I broke formation and rushed at Dubaku the Butcher," the boy replied. "I think it felt the same way as when I was training with Lord Edward."

"I think that's the first time I saw you fight like that," Liam said. "Your self-preservation thing, I think you were definitely using it back then."

"What about when you reached Dubaku?" Darcy asked.

Dubaku smirked, palming a dagger he had hidden in his back. In one swift motion, the orc warchief dodged the boy's thrust and plunged the dagger into his stomach.

"Tetsuya!" Chelsea screamed, fighting her way to the boy.

The boy's arms fell limp as blood poured from his mouth. His sword and shield falling to the ground.

"What did you think would happen?" Dubaku laughed, twisting the dagger. "That you would kill me and end this battle? That you would end up being the big hero?"

Tetsuya reached his left arm forward, shoving his palm right into Dubaku's face. On his ring finger, the fire artifact gleamed in the moonlight. The boy activated his fire magic, blasting the orc warchief in the face at point-blank range.

"I remember that part more clearly," Tetsuya replied. "I think at that point everything I did, I did on my own."

"I agree," MacGregor said. "It was like night and day. You fought flawlessly to get to Dubaku. But when you finally got to him, you went back to fighting like a novice. Maybe there's a limit to how long you can keep it up."

"But at the Labyrinth of Knossos," Liam said. "It looked like you were using it the entire fight. It was pretty hard not to notice."

"Yeah," Tetsuya admitted. "I don't remember thinking much about what I was doing back then. It felt like my body was just moving on it's own the entire fight while I spaced out. Next thing I know, the battle was over."

"So, do you think this power of yours, this self-preservation thing," Chelsea asked. "Is somehow evolving?"

Tetsuya closed his eyes tightly. "Yeah," he replied.

Thunder roared ominously once again.

His eyes shot open. "But into what, I wonder."

Liam sat in silence with his arms crossed. The high elf hesitated to speak, for he understood the grave implications of what he wanted to say.

"I think Lord Edward was testing you," Liam postulated. "When he came at you with that attack, that attack that made you think he was going to kill you. I think he might have been testing you the same way MacGregor tried to test you earlier."

A chill ran down Tetsuya's spine.

"I think the Queensguard saw something in you," Liam explained. "Something that no one else could see yet. Something that made them want to keep an eye on you."

"Think about it for a minute," Liam continued. "The Kingdom of Alfheim has some of the finest craftsmen in the world. Maybe there's a reason why they chose Roland's Workshop to supply them with the equipment for Galanis' Village."

"I have come here to purchase a cache of weapons, enough to arm their whole village." the princess explained.

"Your grace," Chelsea spoke humbly. "Surely the weaponsmiths of your kingdom can craft far better weapons than what our humble shop has to offer."

Roland scoffed indignantly.

Princess Deirdre smiled at the young half-orc woman. "It was Lady Astrid's suggestion," the princess replied with a smile. "I trust her judgment."

"Doing business with Roland meant bringing them closer to Chelsea, which in turn would bring them closer to Tetsuya," Liam explained. "Lady Astrid knows that Chelsea dreams about joining the Queensguard someday. She knew Chelsea would jump at a chance to work with a member of the Queenguard like Lord Edward. To train with him and absorb his wisdom and knowledge. And where Chelsea goes, Tetsuya wouldn't be too far behind."

Chelsea looked crestfallen.

"I want to be someone he can be proud of," Chelsea said. "I don't want him to regret all the sacrifices he made for me."

"Is that why you want to be a Queensguard?" Lady Astrid asked.

"How did you know that I-" Chelsea wondered.

"It's written on your face," Lady Astrid replied. "You couldn't make it any more obvious."

"That's right," Chelsea declared. "I want to become a member of the Queensguard. I want to prove that I'm one of the best warriors in this world. And I want to bring honor to the man who has sacrificed so much for me."

"Hone your skills, keep pushing forward, let nothing stop you from achieving your goal," Lady Astrid said.

"I wonder how much of what she said was true," Chelsea mused. "Did she have any faith in me at all? Or was it all a ploy to get closer to Tetsuya?"

"I believe in you," Tetsuya blurted out. "I know those words don't mean as much coming from me as they would if a Queensguard spoke them to you. But I believe in you."

Chelsea smiled warmly at the boy. Her moment of self-doubt was completely erased. "Tetsuya..."

MacGregor, Liam, Frida, and Darcy simultaneously leaned forward, glaring at Tetsuya and Chelsea intently.

Tetsuya looked around at his friends. "W-what?" the boy asked.

"Nothing," the four friends replied in unison. "Nothing at all."

"This whole thing just sounds pretty crazy," Tetsuya shook his head in disbelief. "The idea that the Queensguard has been monitoring me this whole time because they think I might be some kind of a threat."

"Is it really that crazy though? I mean, you just told as you came here from another world." Liam retorted with a laugh.

"And you did kill fifty enemies back at the Labyrinth of Knossos without even realizing what you were doing," MacGregor added. "I think we've passed the point where you 'might be just some kind of threat.'"

"What do you think they plan to do to me?" Tetsuya hesitated. "Do you think they're going to kill me?"

"If the Queensguard wanted you dead then you would be dead," Frida reassured him. "If they saw you as a threat to the Royal Family, or the Kingdom of Alfheim, they would kill you without hesitation."

"Unless Princess Deirdre is protecting you," Darcy said. "Princess Deirdre has always been kind and merciful person. Some say that she is kind and merciful to a fault. If the Queensguard sees you as a threat and has chosen to keep you alive, then it is most likely that they are under the strict orders of Princess Deirdre to do so."

"Unfortunately, Queen Siobhan is not as kind nor as merciful as her daughter," Frida added. "If she saw you as a threat, not even Princess Deirdre would be able to protect you."

"Fuck the Queensguard," Liam said, slamming his fists on the table. "If they come after you, I'll stand by your side." It sounded like such an empty boast. But knowing Liam for as long as they have, his friends knew he was boasting and when he meant every single word.

"I told you before didn't I?" MacGregor said. "That dog tag you're wearing around your neck means that we're family. And family always looks after each other. I'll stand with you, Miyazaki."

"I'd like to avoid making an enemy of the Queensguard if possible," Frida said. "But if it came down to it, I will gladly fight by your side. After all, I am a dark elf, what more reason do I need to fight against the Queensguard?"

"I will stand beside you as well," Darcy proclaimed. "I feel it in my bones that my god wills it!"

Everyone's eyes turned towards Chelsea.

"How about it Chelsea?" Liam asked with a grin. "You up to kick some Queensguard ass?"

"Hey now," MacGregor interrupted. "She's spent her life idolizing the Queensguard. Are you really asking her to potentially pick a fight against her childhood idols?"

"I wanted to join the Queensguard to prove to a certain dwarf that rescuing me wasn't a mistake," Chelsea confessed. "I thought that joining the Queensguard would be proof that I grew up to be a woman he could be proud of raising. If I turned my back on a friend, then I don't think I would be someone that dwarf would be proud of. I don't think I'd be someone that I would be proud of."

Chelsea turned to Tetsuya and held his hand in hers. "I'll stand beside you, Tetsuya," she said.

"You bunch are so goddamn dramatic," Roland scoffed. "The Queensguard are probably keeping an eye on these two because they think they have the potential to be Queensguard candidates you fucking idiots! That's all!"

"Now get the fuck out of my workshop!" Roland yelled from across the table. "It's late! Go the fuck back to your own homes!"