Gray and Eliza arrived at Rorin village as the sun began to set. The grasslands had turned into hilly plains, and those few groups of trees became vast swathes of forests. As for the village itself, it was on the outskirts of a large forest.
Gray took a look around at the entrance of the village. It was the typical sight of an RPG settlement, with straw roofs and wooden buildings. However, he had been expecting it to be filled with people. Yet, the village was empty, barren almost.
Although it was getting late in the day, it wasn't late enough that it should be completely quiet and empty.
"This place seems a bit deserted doesn't it?"
Eliza nodded. "It does seem a bit that way."
The layout of the village was small. There was a central plaza, and then it was surrounded on all sides by wooden log buildings, similar to cabins, with straw roofs. The only exception was a larger wooden building directly opposite of the main entrance and next to a road leading deeper into the forest. That building seemed to be more modern, and well designed. On the building was a banner with an infinity sign over a sword.
As Gray was looking around, Eliza continued. "The reason why it is so likely lies in what that red-haired man said. Frontier villages are a foothold for adventurers to explore the wilderness, but the appearance of a Divine Artifact would be enough to send them in search of it."
"Huh. So a Divine Artifact is that great?"
Gray frowned as he looked around. "Even so... this is a bit much, isn't it?"
Completely barren. Maybe it was because he wasn't from that world, but it was a bit weird to go all out for something that could be a flop. After all, just because it was said to be a Divine Artifact didn't mean that was the case.
Before Gray could ponder on the situation any further, someone called out to them.
"Howdy travelers!"
It was a girl with brown hair and a kind smile. She was average in appearance. Not too pretty when compared with Eliza, but she had the sort of appearance that could charm the few adventurers passing by the town.
She stepped out from a building not far from Gray and Eliza and waved them over. "A single room with bed and board for only a single copper! It'll be worth your while, definitely!"
Her voice was warm and cheerful. Her expression was also expectant, and the sort that would make you feel guilty for declining. Even so, Gray hesitated.
"That..."
A single copper sounded cheap, and for what seemed to be the entire package deal, was something that he would have paid for an a heartbeat. The problem was that he didn't have any sort of currency on him and Eliza, who was formerly captive, didn't have anything either.
In hindsight, that was a problem that he should have considered before having Eliza take them to a town.
Thankfully, Eliza seemed to have considered the problem ahead of hand.
She nodded to the girl with a smile and said, "We do not have any funds at the moment, but if you would reserve one in advance, we would appreciate it."
The girl nodded. "Ah, just returning from a hunt? That'll be fine. I'll have it set up for you by the time you get back from the guild hall."
With that said, the girl went back into the building and left the two alone.
Before Gray could ponder too much about the exchange, Eliza had already taken him by the hand and was leading him to the large wooden building.
"I'm assuming that's the guild hall we're heading to?" Gray asked.
Eliza nodded. "Yes, it is. Though not quite as large as the one in the capital, it should serve well enough to exchange supplies."
"...Right. And what exactly are we exchanging?"
He didn't remember having anything useful. While his bag and phone might serve as curios for exchange, he doubted it would be enough in the long run.
"Ah. I forgot to mention it to you. Here."
Eliza reached into her shirt and pulled out a handful of dull, gray rocks.
Needless to say, Gray had a few questions about that. Foremost was the question of where she was keeping all of that. But rationale won out over curiosity and he asked instead, "What are those?"
"These are magic stones. The condensed life force of monsters that comes from the accumulated energy they have gained throughout their lifetime is crystallized on the moment of death and returns to nature. These are a bit dull due to the low rank of the monsters they originate from, but the higher tier magic stones are brilliant enough to outshine even the most precious gemstone."
"...Right." Gray nodded, but couldn't help but be confused. No matter how much I look at them, aren't they just ordinary rocks?
They looked like stuff you could find on the side of the road rather than crystallized supernatural energy.
Eliza must have read the expression on Gray's face and said, "Ah. I had forgotten that you were a failure in terms of magical prowess. To you, these probably seem like simple rocks."
Gray twitched again at being called a failure, but nodded. "Yeah, I can't see anything different about them at all from regular rocks."
"That is to be expected. To the uninitiated, these are indeed simple stones. But to those with power..." Eliza clutched her hands and a myriad of rainbow colored lights began shimmering around them. "They are as valuable as air itself, serving as the means of strengthening their bodies, improving their skills, and even equipment." Eliza smiled and relaxed her hands, causing the lights to die down. "Of course, that will not be an issue for you while I am around. Even if you are a failure, I am sure that we can raise you to the level of a Braveheart in a few months."
There it was again, that weird terminology. Failure, Braveheart... Gray was getting fed up at the random jargon and said, "Alright, I think it's about time we cleared this up. Just why do you keep calling me a failure? I might be weak, but I'm not that bad. I killed that large slime by myself, didn't I?"
Eliza came to a halt and turned to face Gray.
He did the same and crossed his arms, facing her with irritation.
The two were silent for a while and then Eliza tilted her head and said, "...Can it be that you do not know of it?"
"Know of what?"
Eliza frowned. "You had said that you were not from around here, but to think that you do not even know the fundamental rating system..."
Gray stilled. Right. He didn't know even the most basic knowledge of this world. He had gotten along fine so far, but that was because Eliza had humored him. To that point, it could have been thought of as an eccentric traveler roaming the land, but it seemed like this was something as obvious as breathing to them.
For a moment, Eliza looked at Gray as if seeing him for the first time... no, as if looking right through him.
He couldn't meet her eyes and opened his mouth to make an excuse, but Eliza shook her head and said, "No matter. Your secrets may remain your own. This explanation may take a while, however..." Eliza took a look around and gestured towards an open table and chair.
"There. That place will do. Then, shall we?"
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Gray and Eliza were seated at a wooden table in the middle of a forest village. The sun was slowly setting, and light fixtures, reminiscent of lampposts but powered by magic, were already lit.
While it was still important for them to go to the Guild Hall in order to gain resources they would need for traveling, something else more important had come up.
That was, the ranking system of this world.
Eliza stared at Gray with her crimson eyes. It was a curious gaze, and one that seemed both curious and skeptical.
Gray felt the urge to avert his gaze, but refused to do so and met her eyes with his own.
After a while, Eliza sighed and said, "Well, where should I begin?"
Gray had a multitude of questions to ask, but he decided to begin with the most obvious. "...Why do you keep calling me a failure?"
"Ah, that." Eliza nodded and then said, "It is because that is your ranking. Or rather, it was... somehow, you seem to have grown stronger?" She tilted her head and looked at his body again, her eyes shimmering with a strange light. "...Yes. Your physique is at the Entrant level now. Are you sure nothing happened while I was gone back at the plains, Gray?"
Gray didn't respond and instead fell into silent contemplation. Improved physique? ...Could it be that?
He surely didn't imagine his body dissolving apart while in that slime. The only way he could have lived from that... perhaps leveling up? In some games, it fully restored your health and mana. Maybe that had happened to him?
"...In any case," Eliza continued. "The reason for my calling you that is the 'Rank' that you possessed."
"Rank?"
Eliza nodded. "Everything in this world can be scaled from F-A, with A as the highest and F as the lowest. For aspects such as physique, skills, and ability, these ranks also have an additional name to help understand the levels they represent."
"I see... then I guess F is short for failure?"
Eliza nodded. "That's right. It goes Failure, Entrant, Dabbler, Champion, Braveheart, and Almighty."
"...Those names are a bit off, aren't they?"
The first three and the last three went together well, but Dabbler and Champion didn't seem to be very matching.
"That is because of the 'wall'. Most of the population will never surpass the Dabbler level in any aspect. Only those who climb over the threshold to the Champion level will become noteworthy. This division is essentially heaven and earth. To put it into perspective, a normal infant has a ranking of 'F' in physique and magical prowess and an average adult human has a ranking of 'D'. Those of the Champion level, however..." Eliza paused to gather her thoughts and then said, "Would it be clear if I explained that a person of the Champion level in physique can shatter an entire castle with a punch?"
"...You're joking."
"I am not. Furthermore, those of the Braveheart level are the elite from a realm's special forces, capable of erasing entire kingdoms with a flick of their wrist. I have heard that the current Braveheart in the Human Realm was once sent quell a surge of monsters that even an army of a hundred thousand could not defeat. In less than a minute, they had all been slain, and with but a single slash from his blade."
"...I see."
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A power Gray could only barely comprehend. And then he had a sudden thought. "...Wait. You said that I needed to reach the Braveheart level in order to use Space magic. Does that mean I have to be someone at that level?"
"That is correct."
"...Just how long does it take for someone to get to that level?"
Eliza was quiet. "...For most, an entire lifetime. Of course, once you reach that level, time becomes inconsequential. All those who reach the Braveheart level through their own efforts are able to ignore the weathering of time and decay."
An entire lifetime.
"And what about the Almighty level?"
The response for this was immediate. "Never. To put it into perspective, since the beginning of time, there have only ever been three to reach the Almighty level. One is the Demon King, ruler of the Demon Realm. Another is the Eternal King, ruler of the Human Realm. And the last was the hero who established the system of magic itself."
"Is it that hard?"
Eliza nodded. "It is. Even in the past 100 million years, there have only been three true Almighty. While there have been some that have grown close or others that have similar strength due to Runes or Divine Artifacts, there has yet to be another since the last."
Gray was quiet.
"Well... that is that." Eliza got up and brushed her clothes. That done, she cast a sidelong glance at Gray. "Does it seem overwhelming?"
"...To be honest, yeah, it does."
The Braveheart level. Eliza had mentioned it earlier, but he only now realized just how high of a level that was.
Braveheart... if he remembered correctly, it was what the Japanese word 'Yuusha' essentially translated to. In order to go home, he had to reach an equivalent level.
Him, a person sent to another world with no advantages, had to figure out a way to reach that level before he could go home. Even then...
Gray was drawn out of his thoughts by Eliza leaning close to his face and letting out a bright smile. "Do not worry. I told you, did I not? With me here, something like that will be trivial." She leaned back and said, "Even if you might not believe it to be possible, I will make it so. Even if..." Eliza shook her head. "In any case, we should hurry to the Guild Hall before it closes." Eliza offered her hand towards Gray.
She was smiling. A brilliant and sincere emotion.
Gray couldn't understand why she was doing so. To go so far for him, to trust him this extent... it couldn't simply be due to him rescuing her.
It was a sincere smile, warm words.
Yet, somewhere inside of him, all Gray could think was-
Are you going to betray her too?
----------------------------------------
Eliza continued explaining things to Gray. Terminology, the common sense of people around the place. After that, they headed towards the Guild Hall.
Eliza took the lead, and Gray followed.
He was surprised by her actions. Unlike her usual quiet self, Eliza strode through the doors with confidence, staring straight ahead and not bothering to look around. A sort of bravado that Gray wouldn’t have had a chance of imitating.
Because he couldn’t imitate it, he kept closely at her heel, taking the time instead to look around.
Gray had prepared himself to be greeted by a bunch of unruly adventurers, brawny warriors, and exuberant fantasy characters. But when the doors swung open, there was nothing of the sort.
Like with the rest of the village, the guild hall was mostly empty. It also was far from the boisterous image he had in mind of a Guild Hall, or rather an Adventurer’s gather ground he envisioned.
“This is the guild exchange hall?”
It was surprisingly modern. The outside of the building was wooden and fit seamlessly into the fantasy world that Gray had found himself in. Like the quaint forested village, the place seemed to be just another unassuming and seamless part of the backdrop. Yet, as if to challenge his perspective of the world yet again, it was completely unlike it.
First of all, the area wasn’t cramped. The room they walked in, what Gray assumed to be the lobby, was large and spacious. Even if there were adventurers visiting it at the same time in the number he imagined, it wouldn’t be full.
Furthermore, it wasn’t primitive. While the furnishings were mostly leather and wooden, there were a lot of things that seemed out of place for a fantasy world. Off to the side, there was an area with lounge chairs and recliners. In the corner of that room and against the wall, there was a machine that dispensed water into styrofoam cups. The type you would see around the commercial offices.
“Gray?” Eliza turned around to look at him. He shook his head and followed after her.
She smiled when he got close and said, “There’s no need to stare. We’ll have plenty of time to look around later if you want. For now, we need to make some exchanges so that we can prepare for our journey.”
Eliza quickly strode forward, and Gray followed her.
There was only a single person at the counter when they walked in. He was a distinguished looking gentleman in a blue suit, with gray hair and sunglasses. Seeing Gray and Eliza approach, he smiled and said, "Welcome to the adventurer guild's exchange hall, young travelers. Here to exchange some monster parts? Or is it magic stones?"
"The latter," Eliza said. After saying that, she put a bag of stones on the countertop. A bag of stones that Gray could have sworn she wasn’t holding just seconds before.
Unlike Gray, however, the gentleman didn’t seem surprised. He simply nodded and took the bag from her. After that, he dumped its contents in a bin behind him.
When the contents entered the bin, the sound of gear whirring and a distinct humming began. It was the sign of machinery, another unexpected experience. Then, a display showing a list of numbers appeared, one rapidly increasing. At the speed it was going, it looked like a while before it would stop.
"So," the gentleman said. "What brings you two to the exchange hall at this late hour? Shouldn't you be out with the other adventurers looking for the Divine Artifact?"
Before Eliza could interrupt, Gray said, "What is this 'Divine Artifact' that people keep talking about?"
"Hm? Ah, it seems you haven't heard. Well then. As the sole adventurer guild representative at the moment, allow me to explain."
Eliza nodded, adding, "That would be appreciated."
"First, allow me to introduce myself,” the gentleman said. “I am Alain. On a usual day, I would be simply nothing more than a teller, but with even the guild leader in search of the Divine Artifact, I can be considered the acting guild leader."
Eliza frowned at that. "Is the recent Divine Artifact so great?"
"Of course," Alain said. He let out a distant look in his eyes. "Divine Artifacts. Remnants of the gods, possessing the power to instantly bring someone to the Almighty level... what adventurer- no, what human would think to ignore that?"
"Hm?" Gray said. "You're still here though, aren't you?"
Alain let out a long laugh and then took off his glasses. "My, it seems that you've chosen quite an ignorant companion, my dear kinsman."
Eliza let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yes. Gray unfortunately is not the most studied of individuals... though he has saved my life."
"Aaah. I see." Alain nodded before taking a look at Eliza's hair. "Then I assume that-"
"Yes."
"Hm..."
Gray looked back at forth at the exchange between Eliza and Alain before saying, "Wait, wait, wait. Kinsman? Are you two related or something?"
Alain laughed. "Truly ignorant! To not even know that- Well, I suppose this is good in its own way. Such naivety is quite charming."
Gray frowned and said, “What are you talking about?”
Alain shook his head. "Well, young man. Since you are so curious, I might as well tell you.” He reached for his sunglasses and then took them off. “Do you see these eyes of mine? Tell me, what is different about them?"
Gray looked into Alain’s eyes and noticed that they were the same shade of red as Eliza's. "What? Are you two related just because you have red eyes? Lots of people have red eyes though."
Granted, they were mostly albino or stayed up too late for studying, but that was irrelevant.
Alain laughed again. "That may be true where you are from, young man... indeed, you are quite fortunate to have grown up in such a welcoming environment be that the case. However, possessing crimson eyes in the Newark Domain has a distinct meaning behind it."
"And what would that be?"
"Gray..." Eliza said. "That-"
"Demons." Alain cut in before Eliza could finish. "Here, crimson eyes are a mark of a person belonging to the Demon race."
"...Demons?" Gray frowned and looked back between Eliza and Alain. The only trait that stuck out among the two were their beauty, on Eliza's part, and handsomeness, on Alain's part. "...Really? Is that all? You two don't look any different that regular people though. Other than being unfairly attractive for some reason..."
Eliza let out a relieved sigh at Gray's words.
Alain smiled. "Yes, yes. That can be considered another trait of the Demon race. It has been quite a source of contention in the past. Though it is not quite why the Demon race is so infamous. Rather-"
"Alain." Eliza shook her head.
"...Ah. Well, you'll find out in your own time young man. As for the Divine Artifact, I've heard that this one is a rune. A particularly powerful one at that."
Gray frowned at the change in conversation topic, but decided to let it be seeing Eliza's discomfort.
"A rune?"
Alain nodded, his smiling face becoming serious. "Yes. From what I have heard transmitted, it appears that the princess herself received word of this rune. It is said that whoever brings it successfully back to the Eternal Kingdom will be granted immediate nobility, as well as other Divine Artifacts to compensate."
Eliza frowned. "The kingdom is willing to go that far?"
"Of course. After all, the rune is 'Hero'."
Eliza's eyes widened.
While Gray didn't understand all of what Alain said, he understood enough to see how big a deal that was. "...Wait. Isn't the kingdom just looking to draw in the hero then?"
"You've got it in one, young man. Seems like you aren't too dull." Alain smiled for a moment before shaking his head. "But yes. You can think of this as the kingdom drawing in the newly chosen 'Hero'. Should that be the case... it might not be long before they attempt 'that' again."
"That?"
Alain nodded. "Invasion of the Demon Land."
"Is the Demon Lord that bad…?" Gray muttered.
"No," Alain said. "Our Lord is not terrible... in fact, it can be said that the reigning Demon Lord is quite amiable, albeit eccentric. The issue is our King."
"King?"
"Allow me, Gray." Eliza spoke up.
Gray nodded.
"The Demon King is the one who controls all of Demonkind, holding the life and death of Demons are in his hands. He is the one whom we demons owe our lives to, since time immemorial. Something we all know at birth."
"...Is that a bad thing?"
"No. In fact, because of his control, he has managed to save Demonkind many times and-" Eliza shook her head. "Suffice to say, our king is not a malevolent individual. In fact, he is the one who singlehandedly created the rainbow bridge, connecting the demon land with the rest of the world in order to allow us to widen our horizon and live a life beyond our isolated country."
Gray's frown deepened. He doesn't seem like the typical demon lord... or demon king. So why...?
Seeing Gray's confusion, Eliza said, "The reason why the Eternal Kingdom wants to invade the Demon Land is simple."
“Simple?"
Eliza nodded. "Yes. After all, our king is not a Demon, but a human."
"...Wait. What?!"
Eliza shrugged. "What's there to be surprised about?"
"But... you said that Demonkind owes their lives to the Demon King since time immemorial..."
Eliza nodded. "That's right."
"Then doesn't that mean-"
"Yes. Our King is immortal. And it is precisely that the Eternal Kingdom seeks to invade. Runes may be passed down on after the death of the owner, and it is our King's Rune that grants him both immortality and control over Demonkind. The draw of such power is too much for the kingdom to ignore... even though they have failed countless times in the past."
"They've failed?"
Eliza smiled, though that expression carried a hint of danger to it. "Of course they have. And they will this time as well. Try as they might, there is no way our King will fall. And that is not a matter of hubris."
"Hoh?" Alain let out an exclamation. "You know quite a bit there, young miss."
Eliza said, "I could say the same to you, old man. To live as long as you have... you've quite the power behind you as well, do you not?"
Gray tilted his head in confusion.
Alain laughed. "You've seen through me quite well. Though, I suppose it can't be helped for one possessing those eyes. In any case, young man. The reason why the kingdom will fail, even with the Rune of a 'Hero' is because of our King's ability."
"And what's that?"
"Ah, you are misunderstanding. When I say 'ability', I do not mean a special trait. I mean ability in the sense of pure capability. Due to our King's age and potential, he has long since surpassed the boundaries of this world. I assume you roughly know the levels of power?"
Gray nodded.
"Well, as you know, normally the highest level attainable for individuals is the 'Almighty' level. It's to the extent where they can destroy a country in a single blow. As for our king... while no one has ever seen his full power, the kingdom's last attempt to invade the Demon Land ended… poorly to say the least."
"What happened?"
"Well, the kingdom had gathered three of their greatest warriors, along with the past bearer of the Hero Rune. They were all equipped with Divine Artifacts that the Eternal Kingdom scoured the world to procure. Their fighting strength at that point was enough that the Elven and Anima kingdoms threatened war the moment the kingdom's heroes tried anything other than invading the demon land. To put it into perspective... it would not be a stretch to say those four could have caused the end of the world should they have desired."
"Hm..."
"However," Alain continued. "The moment those four stepped onto our Land, our King appeared to meet them. What do you think happened?"
"...The demon king won?"
Alain laughed. "He didn't just 'win'. He slaughtered them. The Almighty warriors gathered by the Eternal Kingdom, the Divine Artifacts procured from around the world, legendary equipment blessed by the gods and capable of destroying the continent... they were naught but sticks beneath our King's feet. The demons who were present at the time have recorded that in but a breath's time, our King had slain half of the heroes with his magic. The hero and his lover at the time had survived the initial blow, but fell easily beneath our king's sword, shattering even the Goddess's protection upon them both."
"That's..."
Gray frowned. Something about that story seemed familiar to him, and not just because it fit the usual RPG tropes.
"In any case, you can imagine how foolish attempting an invasion of the Demon Land is. After that last attempt, no one has dared even to harbor such a notion for fear of the Demon King realizing it from even beyond the great seas."
"Wait. Then why is everyone looking for the Rune?"
Alain laughed. "Isn't it obvious? For the nobility and Divine Artifacts. No one would be foolish enough to actually play the role of a hero in the kingdom's foolhardy endeavor."
"Then-“
A small chime interrupted Gray. The machinery from the bin behind Alain had come to a stop, along with the counter on its display.
"Well,” Alain said. “I've kept you two long enough with my rambling." The gentleman turned around and pulled out a bag from the bin.
After seeing that, Gray blinked and realized that the sun outside had already set, and night had fallen.
"Here you are. 2 silver coins and some loose change. A little extra for keeping you two longer than expected."
Eliza took the bag with a bow. "Thank you, sir Alain."
Alain waved her off. "It's nothing. Thank you for showing this old man some amusement. Though..." he frowned. "You-"
Eliza shook her head.
"I see." With that, Alain stared at Gray and said ,"You take good care of the young miss now, you hear? If she comes running over here crying or I hear you haven't treated her right-"
An ominous aura. A sensation that the world was fading away. A pressure that threatened to tear everything apart, draw everything together, sever, bind, stab, burn, freeze-
Unprepared, Gray found himself rooted to the spot. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished.
"Sir Alain." Eliza cut him off.
"Hoho, well, I've said my piece. Have a good night, Eliza, Gray."
Still shocked by the sudden event, Gray absently followed Eliza as she pulled him out of the hall.
It was only later that he realized neither of them had told Alain their names.