I didn’t know at that time but I was starting a long long trip back to home. However, I did know it was going to take some time so I decided to start as soon as possible.

I picked up my things and left the dark cave I previously used to hide from the dragon.

It was morning already. The birds were singing and the forest produced a relaxing sensation that helped me recover from those awful news I received.

I was finally able to feel good again and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Let’s go!” I enthusiastically said.

With that said, I started my journey to the academy and also started to think how I could get accepted there.

“There should be some kind of admission process or something” I thought while walking down the road.

I was very worried with this matter because there wasn’t a way to understand the language of this world, every word seemed like nonsense figures to me. What I had to do was clear enough: ask people to get the information.

Unfortunately I’ve always been afraid of social interactions.

I’ve always been terrible at talking to people, especially young people. For some reason I don’t have a problem with kids and elders but when it comes to talk to people of my age well… nothing goes well. I don’t know what to do and I always end up ruining conversations and possible friendships. That’s why I’ve always liked games, they make you escape reality.

Suddenly I stopped walking and said to myself: “Wait a minute.”

“This ain’t real life, this is just a game.”

“Holy cow. The incredibly real simulation I’m stuck in, actually made me think this was real life.”

“What a great game it is! Even though I almost got killed…”

Every single detail of the game was precisely created to make it look like real life. I just couldn’t stop praising the developers for this thing. I was doubting if there was actually a computer powerful enough to run this game.

“Well, now that I remembered this is just a game and not real life, why do I have to behave the way I do in the other world? I can be whoever I want to be now! Anyway there are just NPCs and a couple of players here; no one will laugh at me.”

Having realized that, I started walking in a much more manly way and with a face that emanated confidence.

I was trying to walk in the coolest way possible and then I saw a young woman lying down on the floor and crying. That was my chance.

I smiled and headed to the previously mentioned girl to see what was wrong.

“A beautiful girl like you should not be dropping her tears like this. What happened?”

“Nhh, nhh, I… My… Help me…”

“Calm down. I’m here with you, don’t worry. Tell me what happened and I’ll do my best to make you feel happy again.

Calm down.”

“Nhh, my little sister, nhh, got captured by a monster. I was going to rescue her but the monster broke my ankle and I can’t do anything! Please help me!”

“I’ll do what I can. Where did he go?”

“In that direction, following the trail.”

“Ok, just stay here and I promise I’ll come back with your sister ok?”

I just said that but I don’t know how strong the monster is. I’ll do what I can.

Having said that I left the place and headed to the direction she told me.

Suddenly the menu opened and a window with the name of the quest appeared.

“A girl in troubles: A young lady lost her sister, if you find her then maybe you’ll get a reward later ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)”

With the name of that quest I learned something new about the game: the quests are generated randomly throughout the map. I know this because the names of the quests are also generated by the AI. You can tell by reading the names of the quests.

Let me explain, artificial intelligence has advanced a lot during the recent years. It has advanced to a point where it is interested in making jokes and even flirting. What it’s funny is that it got more interest in sexual jokes and references than on any other kind of gag.

“I got to say that’s amazing.” One compliment more to the geniuses behind this game.

I stopped thinking on these things once I found the nest of the monster I was looking for.

The little girl was there trembling in fear until she saw me. Her eyes radiated hope and salvation.

“Don’t be so happy yet, I don’t if I can defeat that thing.” I said in low voice.

I opened the menu to check the level of the monster.

I quickly pointed my sight to the superior right corner of the screen.

“Level 5 huh? What’s my level?”

I asked Maid-chan and she told me that I was in level 7.

“Wow level 7 already! It must’ve been because of the big amount of monsters I defeated.”

“Well, I have nothing to fear now. Let’s go!”

I first attracted the monsters attention by throwing a rock to it.

The monster turned around and I noticed that it wasn’t alone.

It, or more like a she, had behind her back 3 little monsters apparently ready to eat.

“Now I see why she took the girl!”

“I’m sorry babies but you can’t eat her!”

It was a big monster, not as big as the dragon but it was pretty robust.

It had the size of a gorilla and had a similar posture. Apart from that it didn’t have something similar to any animal. It was a weird-looking monster with claws in its hands and a red color that transmitted aggression and provoked fear.

Fortunately I was in a better level than it. Because of that I was confident enough to not be scared however, I was still cautious.

The monster ran at me furiously and started its attacks.

A burst of attacks coming from the beast’s big claws began and tried to reach me as fast as possible; I could do nothing but dodge them by going backwards.

While doing so, I analyzed the situation very carefully.

“She’s big and very heavy so speed should not be her strong point. Also, she seems to have a very good balance.

Throwing all those attacks and not losing balance should be very hard to do.”

She kept attacking me so I decided to do something different. Right after I dodged one of her attacks, I ran to my right and tried to circle her to reach her back and attack.

Like if she knew what I was going to do, she quickly turned around and threw a punch at me.

I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to dodge so I parried with my sword. The impact threw me and my sword got almost broken.

“D*mn it, I should have expected that.”

I quickly grabbed my sword again and I got back to the point I was before: dodging her attacks and going nowhere.

I remembered that I wasn’t alone so I yelled at the little girl: “Hey kid! Would you do something for me?”

“Wh… what?” She said that with a trembling voice. She was obviously scared.

“Please… ah… throw a rock to… to one of the baby monsters in the nest… eh…”

“After that… run to that tree over there… ah… and hide.”

Trying to avoid attacks and speak is really difficult…

“Ok!”

She obediently did what I told her to do and the rock hit one of the babies in the enormous nest.

The growl was heard throughout the forest and the mother beast was the first one to notice.

She immediately turned around and with a raging gaze ran directly to the little girl.

I ran behind it to stop it. I was faster than the monster but somehow she got an abnormal speed that made the things harder for me.

When I was about to reach it, I jumped towards it and with my sword in the air I aimed her back.

The feeling of having pierced meat appeared and without wasting time I cut deeper and made a more serious wound to make sure she was dead.

The monster stopped groaning and I could finally breathe in peace.

“Are you ok?” I asked to the little girl which had her eyes closed.

“I think I am…”

“Thank goodness. You know? Your sister is waiting for us. What do you think if we go and make her know that you’re alright?”

“That sounds good! Thank you my knight!”

“Hahaha. Oh, by the way; would you mind if you close your eyes again for a bit? I need to do something.”

“Ok!”

“D*mn she’s so cute!” I said to myself while I started looting the monster.

“Ok, I’m done. Let’s go!”

We headed to where her older sister was.

I had to carry her in my back while she told me a lot of different stories of her father and older brother. I just listened to those fantastic stories while smiling.

It felt like nothing when we finally saw the girl on the distance. She got off my back and happily ran to see her sister.

“Sister, sister! This young knight over here saved me!”

They both seemed so happy that I could do nothing but smile.

Brother’s love is something I had never experienced. I lived my childhood alone, not only because I didn’t have friends but because I was an only child. Well, I used to think that but apparently my father had a daughter that I didn’t know. I was actually going to meet her the next week but as I’m trapped here, I think that won’t be possible at least now.

“You seem alright now.”

Not forgetting my new attitude, I talked with a deep and seductive voice to the beautiful girl that I just helped.

She reminded me a lot to Liv actually. She had a similar face and the same skin tone. She also had green eyes but hers were darker than Liv’s.

“Thank you a lot stranger!” She said while hugging me.

“You’re not only her knight but mine too.”

After that phrase she gave me a soft kiss in the cheek.

I got all blushed and nervously said: “Ah… well… It’s my duty to save a princess in distress…”

“Thank you a lot. How can I pay you?”

She didn’t say that with the flirty tone of before but with a more serious one.

“Uhm, oh yeah! Do you know where the academy is?

“I think you refer to the Academia. you’re lucky, I was heading there now, I can get you there.”

“Great! Also, how do I get admitted?”

“Once a month they make tests to see who can get in. I was heading there because there’s an exam today and I really want to enter.”

“So we should hurry up right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go then!”

“Wait a minute!”

Her cute female voice sounded a bit angry for a minute.

“What happened?”

“I can’t walk! Remember? God, what an impolite knight you are!”

I remembered that I was trying to act in a manly way so I made my voice deep again and answered: “I’m sorry m’lady, I shall take you on my back.”

“Please! I would appreciate. By the way, you should drop that act of yours; I think the facet of a cute and shy guy suits you more.”

My face again got all blushed and I didn’t know what to answer.

“Also, haven’t you thought that you’re clothes doesn’t match the clothes of a chivalrous knight?”

I looked down and then realized that I still had those horrendous clothes of the beginning. I seemed more like a homeless than an adventurer.

“Hahaha I think you’re right.”

That was the ice breaker between the two of us. From that point on, I was able to be myself with her.

“Don’t start flirting with MY knight sister! Remember he’s mine!” said the little girl with a very cute expression.

“Haha don’t worry he’s all yours!” said her older sister.

“Hehe… Well we should get going or we’re gonna be late.”

“You’re right, let’s go.”

She then proceeded to mount in my back and we started walking.

We kept talking and laughing while heading to the academy. After a while, I discovered what a lovely person she was and how good I felt by her side. To be honest, having her in my back was the best feeling ever.

“Oh I almost forgot, you haven’t told me your name yet stranger.”

“Oh you’re right. My name is Shiro Kurokawa nice to meet you!”

“Shiro? That’s a weird name.”

Again I forgot that I was in a game. I wanted to make me call in a cooler way but I think that wasn’t possible anymore.

“My parents like strange names haha…”

“I don’t mind, it’s a cute name. Mine is Lilynda, but you can call me Lily. Nice to meet you too.”

“No last name?”

“For now not.”

“Well, I hope we can get along well Lily.”

“I hope so too.”

After that we kept talking until we eventually reached our destination: the academy.