I spent the entire morning and early afternoon filling out forms and signing documents at the Adventurers' Guild in the Royal Capital.

When I finally finished, I realized I still needed to eat lunch. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to wander through the city until I found somewhere to eat. Lori had gone out to run some errands for her adventuring party, and we were supposed to meet back at the inn.

"Excuse me miss..." A voice interrupted my thoughts.

A middle-aged Orcish-looking man wearing an official uniform approached me cautiously.. His hair was graying but cut neatly short and parted down the center. He wore a crisp white shirt under a brown leather vest over a blue tunic, which seemed quite fashionable compared to the raggedy outfits worn by most civilians. Despite looking quite old for a soldier, his physique remained strong.

He was tall enough that I needed to crane my neck to meet his gaze. After a few moments, he spoke again. "...are you Miss Alice?"

"Yup." I nodded politely. "What do you want?"

His eyes narrowed suspiciously but widened in surprise when he saw my Rank C insignia. "Oh! Congratulations on formalizing Rank C!"

"Yeah." I shrugged indifferently.

"I hope you won't mind answering a few questions," he began hesitantly. "First, may I ask where you hail from?"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ahh! Oh dear." He took a deep breath and straightened his spine. "I apologize. Of course I meant 'where are you currently living'. Please forgive my rudeness."

I chuckled lightly. I thought about it for a minute, but suddenly I remembered the signs I'd passed. "I umn, live in Halton, one of the capital's large suburban towns?"

"Halton!" He exclaimed delightedly. "Do you know Lord Garth Duskwain? He used to be the leader of our local branch of the Adventurer's Guild."

Garth Duskywind?

I shook my head. I knew next to nothing about this world or my body's existing relationships.

"I see." He frowned slightly. "In that case, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Colonel Garenna Rufus, commander of the Royal Army garrison stationed in Cheshire City. May I have a moment of your time?"

"Sure," I agreed noncommittally.

We briefly discussed my background, how long I'd lived in Halton, and whether or not I had any family members who were still alive back home. Then he asked if I wanted to join the military.

"Huh?" I blinked. "Why would I do that?"

Colonel Rufus smiled apologetically. "My apologies for asking such a bold question, but I assure you that joining the army as a commissioned adventurer will greatly improve your standing among the locals. You'll gain access to many privileges and benefits unavailable elsewhere."

"Like what?" I tilted my head curiously.

"For instance..." He glanced around furtively as though someone might overhear us. "If you choose to serve in the military, your rank and status will automatically increase to match that of an officer. If you are willing to become a soldier, you will receive additional pay and training to prepare you for combat against the looming demon invasion. In addition, you will be provided with housing, food, clothing, medical care, and even a stipend for travel expenses. On top of these perks, you will also earn respect from everyone else in society."

Wait, wait, wait, hold up, demon invasion ? What is going on? Is there a demon invasion going on in this world? Lori mentioned something about a Demon Lord, but...

"This is a very exciting opportunity for anyone interested in serving their country and protecting others," he enthused. "But I understand that not every person is suited for active duty. For those who wish to contribute without risking life and limb, we have several positions available. Our Intelligence Corps is always seeking volunteers with special skillsets and well. You can see I am here at the Adventurer's Guild searching for young talent personally. Members will be treated as reserves, and will be able to continue as active-duty adventurers."

I considered his offer carefully. It sounded interesting. Not only did it involve a lot less danger than combat, but I wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt anymore. Should I give it some consideration?

This guy really reminded me of all the US military recruiters at home and all the horror stories I'd remembered about people signing their lives and sanity away.

"I think I'll pass," I replied slowly.

Rufus bowed deeply. "Of course. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. My door is open anytime you change your mind."

He handed me a metal card stamped with the crest of the Royal Army, then turned and walked away briskly towards another group of soldiers waiting outside the building. As soon as they spotted him, they saluted and followed behind him.

I watched them go silently for a bit before turning my attention back to the cityscape around me. The Royal Capital of Cheshire looked pretty nice, actually.

Compared to Halton, the town I'd come from with Lori, it felt almost futuristic. Like, 1800s London.

Buildings were taller, cleaner, and brighter than anything I could remember seeing in the town. They weren't all built out of stone either; there were buildings with visible metal components and concrete, but most appeared to be constructed from brick or wood. There were some old-time 19th-century complexes, and the architecture was very reminiscent of European design from that time period, with a touch of Turkish influence.

[https://i.imgur.com/tUhB8pl.png]

No large roads ran through most of the city proper, but instead, wide boulevards lined with trees. Gondolas floated down canals and rivers that ran through the entire city, and the water shimmered against the late-afternoon sun. Most buildings were multi-story affairs, but a few smaller shops were located on the ground floor. The Royal Capital was a port city by a gulf, so I could see boats that reminded me of Spanish galleons docked at a pier off in the harbor.

They had cannons mounted on their decks, but they also seemed to have ornate-looking anti-air ballistae pointed to the sky, which made me wonder just what the technological level of this world and country was at.

However, there was little traffic because everything was moving fast. People ran everywhere, carrying loads or pushing carts filled with goods. Spotted zebra-like horses pulled carriages loaded with passengers while other pedestrians rode odd-looking bicycles or those bird-horse-like creatures. I blinked as I saw something like a modern-day hoverboard zoom past me, powered by what looked like steam.

As far as I could tell, none of these things existed in my world with a direct, 1:1 comparison.

I wondered if I was looking into a mirror dimension where my own world had been transported. That would explain why I recognized the language spoken around me—but it didn't help answer the bigger mystery: how I ended up here in the first place.

After a few minutes, I noticed a small shop off the side. It was painted bright red, and its sign read "Café." Curious and hungry, I made my way over.

The inside was tiny, crowded with tables and chairs crammed together tightly. The walls were decorated with framed paintings depicting landscapes similar to the ones I'd seen in the castle town. One painting showed a waterfall surrounded by lush green forest, while another pictured rolling hills covered with colorful flowers. Another featured a field of white flowers stretching across the horizon.

There were lots of people walking around, too, dressed casually in whatever style they liked best. Some wore robes like mine, while others favored leather jackets or ...jeans? In any case, this looked less like a proper café than an art gallery serving coffee. Not a single baguette in sight.

I poked my head back out of the café and continued to walk around.

So many people were milling around that I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Wherever I stepped, people moved out of my way instinctively. At least half of them were women. Everyone was friendly and polite, smiling at me whenever we passed each other on the street. Even though I was new here, people kept giving me weird looks. Was it because of the outfit? Either way, I definitely wasn't comfortable yet.

My stomach grumbled in hunger again, and I frowned, rubbing it thoughtfully. I had been thrown for a loop since I'd woken up in this world. Lori was perfectly happy to just keep dragging me from place to place, from one situation involving dangerous criminals to another. Yet again, I was left hungry from official adventuring work and documentation. I grumbled, looking around as the sun began to set around me.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

After wandering aimlessly for a while longer, I ended up in front of a... large high fantasy shopping mall. I stopped to look inside and gawked at a four-story building in shock. It looked like a modern roadside shopping mall, but it was packed with all kinds of odds and ends.

A massive clock tower displayed the time in big numbers atop the roof over a glass ceiling. Like my original world, it was separated by twelve numbers and thirty-degree angles.

People milled everywhere, browsing racks and shelves full of clothes and accessories. Everything from jewelry to swords and shields hung on display, and the store clerks stood ready to assist customers with any questions. I looked around in wonder as I passed through the mall.

I was passing by a store full of various gemstones and jewelry when I heard a bell ringing somewhere overhead as an elf sales clerk beckoned to me excitedly.

"Hey! Hey, hey!" She waved enthusiastically at me. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders, tied in two neat pigtails. A red ribbon adorned the tips of both braids, and she wore a green dress underneath a matching jacket decorated with golden embroidery.

She smiled at me behind brilliant green eyes, and I felt the room light up in sparkles and happiness. Literally.

The girl was gorgeous, and I stared at her with a blush for a second.

"Um..." I cleared my throat nervously. "Can I help you?"

Her smile faltered slightly, but then she quickly regained her composure. "Oh yes, hello there. Are you lost, dear? Do you need directions?"

"No, um..." I stammered. "Actually, I'm looking for food. Can you direct me to somewhere nearby?"

She furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment before shaking herself free from whatever thoughts were occupying her mind.

"Oh! Right. Yes, sure thing." She pointed across the road at an eatery sign across the mall, about twenty yards away. "Over there, you can find anything you're hungry for."

"Thanks," I said gratefully, then turned and headed to an establishment that looked like a tavern in a mall.

I walked a few steps toward it, and I just...stared. My eyes darted left to right, trying desperately not to let the sheer amount of stuff get the better of me.

It was a tavern, but...the place was absolutely massive.

There's so much stuff here; I don't even know what half of it is. There were shelves full of weird-looking food: loaves of bread, vegetables, and even meat! Wait, is that chicken?

I paused for a second, feeling overwhelmed, then I took a few steps back turned back to stare at the elf.

The elf behind the counter looked at me curiously but offered no input. She didn't seem too bothered by my confusion, either.

Oh right. What kind of store was this anyway? I could see a lot of books here....were those magic wands?

The elf girl spoke up with a smile as if reading my mind. "What can I help you with today, miss?"

"I'm..." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes briefly. "Erm, what kind of store is this, anyway?"

She blinked in surprise. "A... store for magical reagents?"

I looked around again. The shop's interior had a lot in common with other places I'd been inside recently, but there was one crucial difference. Maybe I could stop feeling so helpless with the goods here?

"Yes, that's correct. We specialize in gemstone catalysts."

I tilted my head quizzically. "Gemstone?"

The elf looked back at me questioningly. "You know of these gems that some people use in sorcery and artificery?"

I thought about it. Magic, sorcerers... sorcery... Well, I'm supposed to be a magic user, but I don't exactly have my memory. It could have been anything. I shrugged and tried another approach. "So are these gemstones the kind I need to practice with?"

She gave me a confused frown. "No. They're very expensive. Only for very advanced practitioners. Even this garnet catalyst would run you 20 gold pieces. They're used for holding spell formulae, usually with the intention of multi-casting or in artificery."

I gawked in surprise, running through the numbers in my head. If 6 silvers could purchase a whole night's worth of room and board for one person at a trading town. That's well over two thousand dollars of purchasing power!

She noticed my expression and hurriedly explained. "You wouldn't be able to learn how to use it effectively without years of guidance from expert mages. Etched gemstones often take more mana to charge than it would take to cast a spell on its own."

It seemed like the price would get much worse the more complex the spells and the intended goal of the reagents. "So umn. Do you have any beginner's magic books here?"

Her expression lit up in relief. "Of course!" She grabbed one from a shelf behind her, and I saw it was about 3 inches thick. It looked cumbersome too. "Here, try this. 'An Introduction to Household Utility Spells' - the price of this book is eight silvers."

I accepted the book with gratitude. I had money to spare with my cut of 100 gold in the bank, and the elf started to read aloud as she demonstrated a basic spell.

"This spell allows you to levitate objects around you that aren't resisting. Memorize these runes, then visualize them in your head in your mindspace. Then, orient the frame of your mind towards your intent and channel your mana through the rune path."

She reached behind the counter and withdrew a black wand. "Here, use this. Vocalizing your intent after helps you channel the core mana focus. I wouldn't expect you to get it on the first try, though. If you're a beginner, your body won't be used to channeling and wielding mana."

I closed the book after she finished demonstrating the chant. I closed my eyes and tried to do as she instructed, focusing on myself. The next thing I knew, I was hovering above the ground. The sensation made me nervous. It wasn't exactly fun, feeling myself falling helplessly towards the floor. I flailed my short, stubby limbs out.

"Whoa there. You should always move slowly when learning new spells, and definitely don't use it on yourself!" the elf reprimanded me. "But good job! You definitely didn't look like a beginner there!"

She helped steady my descent, then took her hand back.

The elf smiled proudly. "All done. Now, try it again!"

This time, I put the wand down and concentrated harder. This spell looked simple enough that even someone who couldn't remember what sorcery was supposed to be could still cast it. All I had to do was picture a bunch of magic symbols floating into the air around me, trace the flow of mana, then, focus on someone or something.

But it still didn't work.

I opened my eyes with a start. "What? Oh no!"

"Oh, it didn't work did it?"

"It's just..." I looked around me. I felt dizzy and lightheaded for some reason.

She sighed, looking disappointed. "You have to visualize the mana pathways of the spell, that is, the abstractions through your spiritual core provided by the symbols perfectly to properly channel mana into it. Mages use catalysts like wands to give them a much wider margin of error. There can be recoil for failed attempts, sometimes."

"Woah!" I gasped, suddenly understanding. My head was spinning again. "But that means... Oh no! That means I can't cast spells wandlessly unless I understand exactly how they work!"

Her smile wilted as she nodded solemnly. "That's right. I've heard rumors of highly talented mages such as a recent young, prodigious graduate of the Royal Academy using high level magic without a staff or wand, but they're extremely rare. Staves are engineered to allow a mage to focus more mana into a spell though, and they allow for even faster casting and increased mana output. Some individuals have affinities for certain schools, such as illusionism, conjuration, evocation, or even specific elements."

I slumped against the wall and pouted down at my feet. "I guess it's time to start with the basics, huh?"

She gave me an awkward shrug. "Well, we have all kinds of books on basic spellcasting here. Why don't you start there? I suggest finding a good teacher to teach you how to use magic though."

I thought about that for a moment. "So then why would I need a wand? Isn't it better for beginners to focus on getting used to the concept first?"

"It depends entirely on the person, of course. But wands are generally easier to handle and less prone to error." She pointed at the shelves, where various types of wands were lined up along the walls. "We have some basic wands available for beginner-level magic users. If you're starting out, it's best not to tax your mana reserves heavily."

I looked over at a small display of wand-like objects. Each one was about 10 inches long, made of wood with a simple design.

I was pretty sure whatever Alice had blew theirs out of the water. My bag back at the inn had a wand, staff, a bunch of scrolls, and gemstones in them as it was.

I shrugged, "I think I'll take the book....and this 'Introduction to Self-Defense Spellcraft' book. I'll be back for sure Miss...?"

She nodded. "Just call me Elenor, dear."

I gave her a curt nod, then left the shop with my purchases in my traveling bag.

There were more shops than I expected nearby, but they seemed like they sold little of interest to me. My stomach growled, so I decided to try the tavern-like eatery across from the store.

The eatery itself had two main rooms. A large dining hall at the front and another smaller dining room on the opposite side. I could see several people eating from both. There were also quite a few tables lining the hallway to my right. There was a lot of raucous noise coming from inside, too.

"What the hell is going on here?" I muttered as I approached the window.

The entire place was filled with all kinds of weird-looking people, some dressed like they were heading into the wilderness while others were wearing full suits. Some had armor, and some weren't even carrying any weapons at all.

This is like an old-fashioned inn. Or like...an adventuring tavern! It's got the same kind of decor and smells similar to the one at Halton.

The smell of food made my stomach grumble in anticipation, but there was something else I couldn't quite put my finger on...

A young girl was sitting at the bar in the corner. She looked a bit like a waitress, wearing a red apron over her... schoolgirl uniform with matching red hair and red eyes?

She was looking straight at me, then furrowed her brow as I stared at her blankly.

Her expression was curious but pleasant. And I was confident that the voice was familiar. "Who are you?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm Suzuki. The one who certified your magical proficiency last month? Anyway, welcome to the Waystop Tavern. My father runs this establishment."

She came over and sat next to me. Her outfit wasn't quite so strange when she sat down. "Do you want something to drink or something? We have tea, coffee, juice, soda, milk..."

"No thank you," I replied. "Are there any seats inside? I just want something hot and savory right now. I'm faaamished."

I opened the door and followed her into the dining room. Two people were sharing a table in the back. I walked over to them. "Excuse me, may I take the seat here?" I asked politely.

They seemed to be eating a large amount of meat, but they smiled pleasantly at me as they waved for me to sit.

I sat down across from them and ordered some breaded steak sandwiches. I couldn't help but listen to the conversation next to me as I waited for food.

The two were clearly adventurers, judging by their outfits and equipment.

One was an elf with silver hair and brown eyes, and the other was an orc with brown hair and green eyes.

"So what's been going on?" Silver-Hair asked.

Green-Eyes shook his head. "Not much. It hasn't been too hard to find work."

Silver-Hair nodded, looking down at his empty plate. "I've seen quite a few people with weird stuff going on around town." He paused for a moment, then added, "Well, we all know that Cheshire City is full of people with unusual abilities yeah?"

"Mmhm," Green-Eyes agreed.

Silver-Hair looked down at his own empty plate again, then glanced up. "There's something that's been bothering me... Have you guys heard about all the disappearances lately?"

"Yes..." the silver-haired adventurer replied quietly.

"Disappearances?" I asked, "Like women and children?"

"No," Green Eyes responded, "A bunch of pretty reputable C rank and B rank adventurers just...fell off the grid."

They both went quiet, and then Green-Eyes continued eating as he spoke. "I had a party member get killed by a group of thugs recently too. They took out his legs before he could fight back.

Silver-Hair looked down at his food and sighed deeply.

I frowned, shivering at the grisly thought. But then I perked up as my sandwiches arrived. It smelled so good, and I finally dug into my food.

My mind wandered back to what they were talking about.

These kidnappings didn't have any connection to the stuff at Rivershire Crossing, did they?

Nah, that was too big of a stretch.

...At least, I hoped so.