GR Chapter 12: Destination

IT has been almost three weeks since the summon. Many things have happened and I felt like I have changed either for better or worse. Instead of being summoned in our first year of high school, we were summoned to Edea in our second year of middle school, not to mention the Yamada cousins and Chizu-senpai are also here with us. I wonder if this is really the game world “Grimoire Knights”, things are different yet similar. Same because both Shelton and Enri still have their own set of female followers. Different because we can return to our world in 5 years time, and because I am now leaving them to find my tutor Shawn who were falsely accused because of me and to avoid my death flag.

*sigh* Even if I wanted to find him, I have practically no clue at all. He didn’t tell me where he was going for his sudden mission and I don’t know anyone who might know anything about it. Considering almost every acquaintance I knew in the castle are in cohorts to chase me away, I think it is wiser to not seek them for help.

In this foreign world, all I have is my knowledge from the game I used to play. Even with this knowledge, I am painfully aware that I am weak. I may have been trained for almost a month but it was a very hasty effort. I think I am only a bit stronger than this world’s normal adult man, and all I can count on is my mediocre water magic as well as my intermediate alchemy.

THAT is why my goal now is to get stronger! I will get as strong as any decent B-rank adventurer, and open my own alchemist shop! This is my best option to live my life peacefully in the next five years unless some other unnecessary variables pop up.

After I have opened my shop and secured a stable livelihood, I will try to find out more about Shawn-san’s case.

Now that I got everything set out in my mind, let me explain my current situation. Presently, I am walking inside the West main street of the capital’s middle district with a getup of this world’s normal amateur adventurer: a leather armored top above my khaki cotton shirt, a sword strap on my back holding my short sword, a waist belt with knife holes and a space bag on my back waist, long fitted black pants, and a leather military-like boots. Adding a long cloak with a hood, I can now easily blend in the crowd with my now potion-dyed-chocolate brown hair and caramel eyes. In this human-led Esteral, people usually have very colorful hair and eyes colors. As in most fantasy worlds, black hair and eyes is like super duper rare in this world’s culture. Some abhor them as taboo child, some worship them as the chosen ones though it is more known that other worlders’ aka heroes usually have them. Long story short, you would stand out like a sore thumb if you are a blackie. I definitely doesn't want that, so I'm just gonna stay as low key as possible.

Ahem, moving on about my present situation, I have been wandering around this middle district for over two hours now. Going into as many different shops and inns as possible. I know I might be overly paranoid but I am trying to confuse anyone who might be following me just in case. *sigh* I'm tired. This is stupid. I'm starting to feel stupid after all this running around.

Turning around another mid-sized alley, I spotted a small inn with a slightly rundown sign saying “Cyclops Pops”. Considering it is almost 5 pm right now (in this world's time), I hesitated a bit before deciding to step in for a room to spend the night.

“Welcome to the Cyclops!” I was immediately greeted by a waitress wearing an apron and holding a tray.

I was slightly taken aback with the very rowdy sight of over ten tables packed with people around the place with a bar like counter in the right corner in front of what seemed to be a kitchen. Wow, I never would have guessed from the small entrance that this inn was so popular.

“Excuse me, how may I help you?” The same waitress who welcomed me asked with a smile, shaking me from my daze. I turned my head to find a slightly tall girl with moss colored hair and eyes.

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“Ah, I would like a room for two nights and meals, please.”

“Oh, that will be thirty coppers, but only two meals will be provided since we have a different menu for dinners, so you will have to separately pay for your dinners.” The girl then led me to a table further in the rowdy hall to take out a key for the room.

“Sure but...umm… would you happen to have a place where I can wash up?” After all that walking around, I feel so sweaty that I desperately need a shower to relax my tense body.

“There is a bathroom on the first floor, but you would have to get the water by yourself from the well in the backyard.” The girl gave me a knowing look and smiled after looking at me up and down. I guess I do look a bit messy just like a rookie adventurer who had just got them back from a mission.

“That's great. Here” Giving her an embarrassed smile, I rummaged around my waist bag for the coppers and handed them to her.

“Oh, payment accepted. Again welcome to the Cyclops inn, I'm Riley by the way. I hope you have a nice stay here.” The girl gave me another friendly smile after telling me where my room was.

“Nice to meet you, Riley.”

“Me too. You're new here, right?” The waitress asked.

“Yeah.” I gave her a nod.

“I knew it! I'd know if a cutie like you moved here.” Riley jokingly winked, earning a raised eyebrow from me. Wait, wait...Did she just flirt with me?

“Ooi, guys check it out! Riley's flirting again!” A man who seemed to be observing our conversation shouted.

“Hahaha, Riley's at it again?” Another echoed.

“D*mn Riley, you won't even let a kid off the hook eh?”

“Shut up! Mind your own business! A girl is even cuter when unripe ya know!” The subject of their boo-ing responded while I slowly took a few steps away with cold sweat flowing down my back and a few terms keep popping up on my mind such as **mo, **do., and so on. For my safety, I think I should just skip dinner and escape to my room as soon as possible.

“What do you mean unripe is better? Obviously, a ripe one with curves is the best.”

“Huh?! Wrong, an unripe one with minimum curves is infinitely better!”

Somehow, I feel this conversation is getting weirder and weirder by the minute as the men including Riley broke into a heated fight about ripe and unripe whatever it is that I don't want to explain.

I was already about half way stealthily reaching the stairs when I suddenly jumped backwards on instinct. Before…

*Booom* *Crashhh*

A resounding boom resounded and the kitchen wall exploded blowing away a few men who was eating on the counter.

“Rileyyy!!!” A horrifying howl resounded from the shadow as the dust faded showing the silhouette of a giant of a man.

“I said the order is ready, you Dimwit!!” The giant man wearing an eye patch growled, and I felt the illusion as if the building itself is collapsing just by his shout.

“O-Oh, B-Boss…” I creakingly turned my head to see a completely pale Riley and the guys who was arguing with her sweating a river of cold sweat while fixing their posture sitting as upright as a noble lady while some others who were eating clicked their tongue and went to help the few who got blown away.

“*Tsk*, I told ya not to sit on the counter, didn't I? These sh*tty new chicks.”

“You just had to make me break this wall again, Riley!” The giant glared everyone around the room as his eyes finally fell on me.

*Gulp* I suddenly regretted stepping in the door so much that I wished I could turn back time and the fact that I couldn't made me automatically break into curse words in my mind.

F**ck! What kind of sh*tty inn did I get myself into now?

AFTer the surprise of a lifetime yesterday in the form of the Cyclops inn's welcome, I, against all odds, spent the night peacefully and slept like a log. As intimidating as the boss of the inn might look, Carlos-san was actually very nice. Last night, he scolded Riley a lot for scaring me, and even gifted me a free dinner. Well, the man sure has one hell of a presence though. A glare from him almost made my soul fly out of my body. I instantly found out why the inn is dubbed the Cyclops inn. Well, Riley apologized profusely that she was only messing with me after the scolding from Carlos-san. I found out later though through the regulars there that Riley was serious when she admitted her preference.

*sweat* No way right? Haha...ha*cold sweat*

Anyway, I got a lot of help from them as I asked recommendations for shops selling travelling necessities. I got a lot of bargain prices due to that.

Now that I have everything I need, tomorrow I will set off to my next destination, Arćhi, the town of beginning. The town where I can get one of the hidden piece “The G.E.M”.