[So we can just walk through and we’re allowed to visit or live here? This town’s immigration system is way too lenient.] (Yuki)

[It’s not quite like that. You need some kind of identification. Like a guild card, farmer’s license, school ID, etc.] (Aster)

[Still pretty lenient. A guild card is easily obtainable.] (Yuki)

[Stop criticizing the rules and move. There’s people other than us waiting to enter.] (Axilia)

We were currently standing in line, waiting to get to the entrance of Haran, a small town right on the border between Trinant and Rilu, the beastman country. It took us a little over three days to get here, which was shorter than we had originally planned, there were no delays.

[I need a nap~] (Yuki)

[Hang on for a bit, it’s almost our turn.] (Axilia)

A few seconds after Axilia says that, it’s our turn. We hand our adventurer’s cards to the guard standing by the entrance, or rather, gate.

[Here. You may go.] (Guard)

[Thanks.] (Axilia)

[Oh, by the way, there’s a tournament happening. If you want to participate in it, feel free to.] (Guard)

[Ah, Ok. Thanks again.] (Axilia)

We walk through the gate and do a bit of sightseeing, before we spot a tavern and Axilia starts to tell us something.

[Neshe asked me to drop something off for the guild leader she’s acquainted with. It’ll only take a little while, so we should head there now.] (Axilia)

[Alright.] (Aster)

[Sure.] (Yuki)

We enter the tavern and walk up to the reception counter. Some guys are drunk, as well as rude, but we don’t let it bother us. Axilia pulls out a small blue envelope with red wax on it.

[Can you please call the leader? I need to give him a letter from Neshe.] (Axilia)

[Of course. It’ll be just a minute or two. In the meantime, you can just have a seat.] (Receptionist]

[Thank you.] (Axilia)

The receptionist nods and talks to someone, who takes over for her, then she enters a door in the very back of the room. Soon after she enters, she comes back out with a young man with brown eyes and an ever-smiling expression on his face. He has a cheerful demeanor and walks in a near-skipping way. He looks like he’s in his early twenties or even late teens.

[Axi! Long time no see!] (leader)

[Ah, leader. Yeah, it’s been awhile.] (Axilia)

[Oh? And I see you have people with you.] (leader)

Axilia points at each of us.

[Yes. This is Yuki and this is Aster.] (Axilia)

[Nice to meet you both! I’m Xen. You can call me that or leader if you want.] (Xen)

[Of course.] (Aster)

[Yeah.] (Yuki)

Axilia hands Xen the letter and he looks over it. He looks surprised, then serious, then cheerful again.

[You three, follow me.] (Xen)

[Why?] (Axilia)

[Just come. You’ll see.] (Xen)

We all follow him to the back room the receptionist walked into earlier, and immediately a miniature arena-type thing comes into view. It’s a training area.

[Wait. Wait. Wait. What’re we doing here?] (Yuki)

Xen points to me.

[I just wanna test you! It’s no big deal.] (Xen)

[Wait...me?! Why?] (Yuki)

[I’ll tell you after~ Stand back guys~ Oh, and don’t die!] (Xen)

Axilia steps back and drags Aster along with her, for who knows what reason and Xen then pulls out a sword the size of his body (if not bigger) then lunges at me.

[I’ve barely been here a week and I’ve been attacked three times already. Care to explain?] (Yuki)

I say that as I dodge his swing then he smiles and replies.

[I wouldn’t know that~ I guess you just have a very attackable face?] (Xen)

[What does that even mean?] (Yuki)

Xen pauses then pulls one of the many other swords he has on him from his back. He tosses it at me then begins to speak.

[I just realized it isn’t really fair to fight you if you’re unharmed. Don’t break it now. I quite like that sword.] (Xen)

[How about you just not fight me then? It’ll save us both a lot of trouble.] (Yuki)

[Haha, no can do.] (Xen)

Once I catch the sword, Xen almost immediately attacks again. I try my best to block him, but I’ve never held a sword before, so I have a hard time holding him off. Surprisingly though, I manage to do it, thanks to how fast I’ve become since coming to this world. Actually, other than being fast and knowing one spell, I don’t know what else I can do. I guess I could try out some stuff now.

\lmao Now? - Hi-Chan\

[...] (Yuki)

[.......] (Yuki)

[..............] (Yuki)

[What’s with that?] (Xen)

[Sorry, it’s just… sorry.] (Yuki)

While Xen continuously attacks me, I rack my brain for something. For anything. I run really far away from Xen and then close my eyes and think. Remembering something I was told a little while back, I call out to someone. I call out to Auna, the goddess who apparently blessed me or whatever.

(Hey. Heeeey. Heeeeeeey. Heeee-) (Yuki)

(Could you not?) (Auna)

(Ah. You answered.) (Yuki)

(Yeah, how could I not with you bothering me?)

(Cool, so what skills do I have. I honestly might die if I don’t do anything.) (Yuki)

(How rude. You didn’t even ask my how my day was or anything.) (Auna)

(Well, you better be quick, Xen’ll catch up with me and I really don’t want to die.) (Yuki)

(No worries. I stopped time for a bit.) (Auna)

(Really? Nice. Ok, so skills? I’m sorry if asking is bothering you, but all my skills except for one are question marks in my status.) (Yuki)

(Weird. I’ll only tell you one though. You have to figure the rest out yourself.) (Auna)

(Why?) (Yuki)

(It’s a hassle to tell you all of them.) (Auna)

(Wait, then do I have a lot?) (Yuki)

(Pfft. No, you have like five. Anyway, the one I’ll show you is called ‘Tempest’. It’s your standard lightning spell, classified under light magic. Just say it in your head or out loud, you pervert, and it should work.) (Auna)

(Did you just call me a pervert? What did I even do?) (Yuki)

(Nothing, I just like throwing that word around. Well, I gotta go. You were kinda disturbing my date so, bye. Please don’t call me again.) (Auna)

After I can’t hear Auna anymore, I open my eyes to find Xen coming at me at an extremely fast pace. If I had opened my eyes a second later, I would probably have been done for.

He thrusts his sword at me and I immediately say “Tempest” in my head, while reaching my hand out. A bright flash of lightning comes from my hand and directions itself towards Xen. He puts his sword out in front of him guarding the lighting somehow with the thin blade. He keeps getting pushed back and then he smiles.

[Hahahahahahaha! Oh wow! Ok, ok! I give, I give!] (Xen)

I stop the magic and pull my hand down.

[Are we done?] (Yuki)

[Yep, yep. We’re done. You’re pretty strong for… I actually don’t know where I was going with that. Anyway, well done!] (Xen)

Axilia fast walks over to us along with Aster.

[What was the whole point of that little battle?] (Axilia)

[Ah, Neshe said she felt something weird about you, so she wanted me to check you out. Oh, but not in that way.] (Xen)

[Why did you even have to clarify that?] (Yuki)

[No idea. I can’t really tell you the rest. If you want to know, you have to ask Neshe. The most I can say is that there was a situation similar to yours a few years back.] (Xen)

I don’t know how, but he knows about me. I decide not to ask how though, as he probably won’t answer.

[How many years ago exactly?] (Aster)

[I think Neshe said a hundred or so.] (Xen)

[A few…? Wait, how does she know?] (Axilia)

[Wait, wait, wait. You don’t know that she was the previous guild leader? And that she’s a half-elf?] (Xen)

[N-no?] (Axilia)

[Strange. Well, since I’m done here. I need to go and tend to my leader-ly duties. Feel free to ask for me any time while you’re here. Bye!] (Xen)

We all nod.

[He’s quite the eccentric person.] (Yuki)

[He can be way worse.] (Axilia)

[I don’t think I would enjoy seeing that.] (Aster)

[No, I don’t think you would.] (Axilia)