The Otherworlder picked one macaroon and fiddled with it in his hands. The sweets were the best part of being in a noble's estate.

The Otherworlder's eyes sparkled as he carefully took the macaroon towards his mouth. His lips spread apart and his tongue stretched out towards the macaroon.

He placed the macaroon in his mouth as his teeth sunk into the crunchy crust… and a wave of salty flavor flooded his mouth.

"Psst!!" The Otherworlder spat out whatever he had eaten as his face contorted in disgust. The Macaroon in his hand faded away and revealed the sight of salted caramel cookies. Salty deserts when he was expecting sweets, macaroons on that.

With rage-filled eyes, the Otherworlder turned towards Vera. "Why?"

"Hehe…" Vera's cheeks bloated as she covered her mouth with her hands. "Hehehe…."

"Pfft! Hahaha! You loser!!" Vera couldn't hold back anymore as she burst into a fit of laughter. "I even told you I am using illusion magic, oh my god! Hahaha!" She grabbed her stomach while turning from side to side as her legs kicked up and down.

"Y-you…!" The Otherworlder was played like a fiddle! He didn't mind that as much as her taking away his macaroons, though. "Give me the real ones! No, I'll take them myself."

The Otherworlder crawled on the bed as he reached towards the cart from over Vera. He took the real plate of the sugary delicacies, testing them with his fingers, and placed them on the bed. Picking one up, the Otherworlder placed it in his mouth and bit on the crunchy crust.

This time, the soft and sweet taste of the baked desserts alongside cream filling spread over his tongue. Yup, this was what he wanted. Exactly this.

"You really have quite the sweet tooth, don't you?" Vera asked.

"Shut it. I have many complaints." The Otherworlder clicked his tongue at his old friend. "Do you know how much trouble I get every day because of that siege robot thing? People call me weird nicknames because of you."

"Ahh, the spider? It must be a big thing for the people of that small town. Even so, calling you 'the destroyer' is going overboard." Vera giggled as she spoke. She already knew what the Otherworlder was being called and the rumors surrounding him. "And well, it isn't my fault, is it? You were the one who defeated that thing?"

"As if," the Otherworlder said. "Now speak. What did you bring me here for?" The Otherworlder asked.

"I just wanted to see you?" Vera answered. Her lustrous white hair swayed as she sat up and faced the Otherworlder. Her golden eyes peering deep into him.

"Enough games. Tell me now."

"Heh," Vera scoffed. "Then, I'll tell you…" Vera looked at the Otherworlder with a thin smile as she leaned towards him. She crept up on the Otherworlder as her lips moved closer to his ears.

At a distance where they could hear each other's breaths, Vera spoke.

"… The Hero has died."

As if he were splashed by a bucket filled with ice-cold water, the Otherworlder could feel his head cooling down.

The Hero was dead.

The same hero who was supposed to be in Andata.

The same hero who had set out to subdue Necromancer Shil.

And the same hero whose achievements he had blatantly stolen.

Vera raised her hand to caress the Otherworlder's cheeks. "You said you killed Shil, didn't you?"

Vera's words were enough to send chills down the Otherworlder's spine. He had never claimed that he was the one to have killed Necromancer Shil. In fact, he had outright denied it. But what mattered was not the truth, it was always what was being spread as the truth.

"I see now. Thanks for letting me know." The Otherworlder muttered. He did not bother to push Vera away since his head was running in full gear on his next moves and actions.

"Vera, shall we maybe study together?"

Vera smiled at the Otherworlder. "Sure. I'll teach you well."

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ ⟨ ⏣ ⟩ ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

The sun had gone down by the time the Otherworlder was back at the bookstore he had met Vera at. He had almost forgotten his coat. She luckily handed it to him on time though. Her teleportation magic needed pre-made magic circles to function, so she couldn't send the Otherworlder directly back to his home.

The Otherworlder yawned as he stacked the books on the table and re-shelved them. He then fixed the chairs and walked out of the library after waving bye to the old man.

Under the soft red light of the setting sun, the Otherworlder sighed as he passed by the cold stone streets.

The dark of the night slowly covered the skies as lamps and lights were turned. The classic candles of a few stores, paired with the neon signboards on the others, made for a surreal sight that the Otherworlder couldn't hope to see elsewhere.

The calm spirit of the morning was gone, replaced by the ecstatic essence of the night as young and old all gathered together in boisterous crowds.

The day had ended for the workers and the adventurers while peak hours were ticking closer for the peddlers and vendors. Dwarfs opened their beer stalls while nymphs and fairies slowly trickled into their pubs.

Humans and beastkin together danced around in joy, slightly intoxicated by their cigarettes and drinks after a long day of work, while bands of elves took to their harps and lutes, attracting crowds of spectators with their melodious voice.

The Otherworlder's mood rose from his cheerful surroundings. There was no point in being sad about things. People wouldn't just believe random rumors now, would they? He was sure that the kingdom wouldn't suspect him without knowing the truth.

In a better mood, the Otherworlder decided to get a little intoxicated himself before going back home. He also had to take some cash from the adventurer's guild for the magic crystals from the dungeon, and their pub had quite a good selection of drinks. It wasn't his usual spot, but he wanted to try it out once.

The Otherworlder went to the adventurer's guild, the sun just nigh from setting. The yellow lighting of the facility welcomed him, but the usual sounds were missing.

As he stepped inside, everyone once again stopped to turn at him. No one kicking a fuss, in the adventurer's guild, at night.

A terrifying premonition took hold of the Otherworlder's spine.

In the silent room with everyone staring at the Otherworlder, the greeter broke the silence as it rolled over to the new entrant and beeped in its robotic voice. "Hello and—"

"—Bye!" The Otherworlder said and turned back at breakneck speed.

"Stop!"

The Otherworlder begrudgingly stopped in his tracks.

"We are from the imperial knights. Turn around right now."

Slowly, the Otherworlder turned back. He couldn't back down here or he would become suspicious. As long as he acted like he had nothing to do with things, he would be fine. Not like they knew what he was doing in Andata, anyway. He was still fine.

Thinking so, the Otherworlder turned around to face the entourage of the Imperial Knights, all in shining white armor. In between the rows of knights was a young girl with familiar brown hair and a powerful gaze.

"Yes! This is him! He was the person I met in Andata."

His precautions didn't work. The girl he had saved was here.

'Fuck.'