Day 1(Issac)

“We’ll give each of you a hundred gold coins for the week,” the Queen announced from her throne, looking at Issac and his friends below. The nobles present in the throne room gasped.

“My Queen!” one of the nobles spoke up. Queen Veronica, as well as Issac and his friends, turned to look at him. A towering man with short black hair that looked like trimmed grass and an upturned nose. He looked like a rhino with beady black eyes that stared at the Queen with reverence and indignance. He continued, “If I may…?”

The Queen slightly nodded, gesturing for him to speak. Glancing at the five Otherworlders, he said with a gruff voice, “Your Highness, it is unwise to give out 500 gold coins just as an allowance. Those coins can be better spent somewhere else.”

The Queen’s cherry-red lips parted as she addressed him, “Marquis Rivaldo dé Monet.”

“Yes, your highness?” Rivaldo bowed slightly.

“I hope you will not forget their identities as 『Heroes』. Even if you are the Minister of Finance, I will not let such a comment slide the next time!” Her gentle voice sent shivers down his spine.

“I-I understand!” his bow deepened.

The Queen smiled and looked at the other nobles present. She spoke gently, “If you happen to feel that it is unfair for me to give out so much money to them, I would only like to remind you that they are 『Heroes』. Any investment we put into them, no matter how big, will be worth it if they can save humanity.” She stood up and straightened her back, “I hope all of you can understand.”

Any resistance the nobles wanted to put up was already suppressed. Issac clicked his tongue, “As expected, she really isn’t a queen for nothing.” She immediately nullified any and all excuses the nobles might have used. After all, if they still opposed her decision after she said all that, they would have been branded as a ‘traitor to humanity’ and executed.

However, now that Issac knew there was some ploy underneath the surface, he couldn’t help but think that this entire exchange was something the Queen arranged to get further into their good graces.

Issac sighed inwardly. Even if he knew, what could he do? Only he could see the various surveillance items scattered throughout the castle. “Sometimes knowledge is a burden….”

Afterward, the Queen ordered the servants to bring the money. Five manservants came into the throne room with five leather pouches full of coins. However, Ethan seemed to get restless seeing them.

Janet quietly nudged him and asked, “What’s rustling your jimmies?”

“Don’t you see? That pouch looks impossibly small to hold hundred gold coins.”

“Uh, I guess that’s not normal.”

“Yeah, it’s odd that they’d bring such a small pouch to hold a hundred gold coins into….”

“What if the gold coins are already inside?” Ray suddenly asked.

Without even hesitating, Ethan replied, “Impossible! It won’t conform to laws of physics!”

“But there’s magic here, isn’t there? Something that doesn’t conform to the laws of physics.”

“Isn’t that a stretch? Something as big as space reduction must be rare as hell to get!”

“Not as much as you think,” the Queen giggled on top of her throne. Her cute appearance now was a stark contrast to her ever-mature look. “It is true that if we tried to make one of those, it would take a high-leveled mage to do it; these were obtained from dungeons after hours of grinding.”

“Dungeons?” Ray and the other’s ears perked up.

The Queen froze and seemed to recall something, “Right, you don’t know what dungeons are.”

“No, no,” Ray hurriedly raised his hands to stop him, “if it’s what we think it is, then we all know what a dungeon is.”

“Really?” The Queen looked at Ray curiously, “are there dungeons back in your world?”

“No, but we have stories about dungeons.”

“Ah, I see.” The Queen smiled a sunny smile, “Your people are really creative!” Unknowingly, the Queen’s compliment made Ray’s heart swell with pride even though he had nothing to do with it.

After some small talk, the Queen finally let Issac and his friends out of the castle. But not before assigning each of them a guide under the guise of ‘teaching them about the rich culture and history of the Rasmodéus Kingdom.’

June also asked the Queen about the absence of guards, but the latter assured them with a mischievous smile that there were ‘people protecting them from the shadows.’

Issac sighed as he left the gates of the imperial palace. “‘Protecting from the shadows, ’ my ass. They’re probably there to keep an eye on us. As well as the guide….”

He looked at the guide. He previously introduced himself as Bayes. Issac smiled amiably and started a conversation, “So, Bayes? What do you normally do?”

“Ah, I’m one of the cartographers under the Minister of Communications and Transport. We often tour the kingdom to see if there have been any changes in the layout.”

“So, you’re saying you know this place like the back of your hand?”

Bayes’ chest puffed up with pride, “That I do.”

“Then I’ll be in your care,” Issac laughed.

They soon entered the city. Before exiting the last gate, Bayes speed-walked forward and grandly spread his hands, “Welcome to Auburn City, the capital of Rasmodéus!”

Bayes stepped aside, and Issac’s eyes fell on the sight before him. And it took his breath away. Cruck houses lined the roads, wattle and daub plastered together to create walls and held together by a wooden frame. The roads were paved with cobblestone. Carriages moved on the floor, making knocking noises on the road. Children played on the side while women talked. Men operated the various stores or put their wares on sheets on the side of the road and enthusiastically called out to the people walking on the road.

Like every fantasy manga ever, the streets were clean, unlike Earth’s medieval times. The people around him had a variety of expressions- some were laughing, some were frowning, and some got heated in their debates. But the thing in common in their expressions was a feeling of peace, as though their worries never transcended beyond the present. They never had to worry about their future because there would still be unending opportunities as long as they were alive.

Interestingly, there seemed to be a festive mood in the air. People can be seen decorating the outside of their homes with leaves and tinsels. The lantern posts had tinsels connecting one another. And he could see a tall tree standing in the distance, one he had never seen.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Bayes’ voice brought Issac back to reality.

He blinked, looked at Bayes, and nodded, “Very pretty.” But he paused and asked, “But isn’t this the commoners’ area of the capital? To my knowledge, around the imperial palace would be the noble’s mansions.”

“That’s only for the Libera Empire. The Queen asked us to guide you through the commoners’ area. If you want to tour the nobles’ area, you must ask the Queen first. And besides, the commoners’ area is to the left of the imperial palace, and the nobles’ area is to the right.” Bayes began to walk forward and gestured for Issac to follow him.

“I see…” Issac stroked his chin and followed Bayes. “I suppose it’s for political reasons that they’re not letting us in the nobles’ area. I mean, it could be something else, but I don’t want to suspect unnecessarily without any evidence.” While he said that, he actually meant that it simply hurt when he thought too much.

Bayes and Issac walked side by side as Bayes introduced various places in the city- the shops with the best products, the taverns with the best food, and the bars with the best booze.

As they came across a city square, they saw a fountain standing majestically amid water spraying gracefully. Well-trimmed bushes and hedges decorated the place. The city square was, in essence, a big park with lantern posts spread intermittently. People occupied the benches around, and children played merrily with their friends.

A sculpture stood in the middle of the pool that contained the fountains. The sculpture was carved out of gold and was made exquisitely enough so that Issac could see even the most minor details. It depicted a group of men and women. He could even see the individual strands of hair on their heads.

“It’s a sculpture in memory of the 『Second Generation Heroes』,” Bayes’ eyes were full of reverence as he spoke.

“Then we are the…?”

“『Seventh Generation Heroes』,” Bayes glanced at him and smiled.

“How in the fuck have we not defeated the Demon Lords with six generations of 『Heroes』 before us?” Issac muttered under his breath.

Bayes sighed, “Perhaps it is the work of the Goddess of Fate. She works in mysterious ways. The previous six generations of 『Heroes』 all died in the same manner; together with the 『Demon Lords』 in a fierce battle. Because both sides had lost their greatest support, they decided to retreat and grow their power to deal the finishing blow with the next generation of 『Heroes』 and 『Demon Lords』.

“This has been going on for six generations?” Issac stared at Bayes with a dumbfounded expression. His face had the question- “Is this motherfucker for real?”- written all over it.

Bayes smiled bitterly but said nothing. Issac sighed at his response before raising his head and staring at the sculpture again. The man at the lead had short spiky hair, a spear that seemed to be able to pierce everything, and a valiant expression on his face. He could never see himself that way.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Bayes spoke up and started walking. Issac walked beside him.

As they left the city square, Bayes started enthusiastically guiding again, “So, the commoners’ area is actually separated into different districts with the city square in the middle.”

“Uh…do we have different definitions of the word ‘district’? How are there districts inside cities?” Issac acted as if he understood despite his thoughts.

Bayes continued, “These are- the Market District, the Adventure District, the Magic District, the Finance District, and the Entertainment District. We entered the Market District after leaving the palace. So, where would you like to go?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Issac did not hesitate, “The Magic District. While we go there, tell me about it more.”

“Alright,” Bayes nodded and started heading towards the Magic District with Issac in tow. Bayes began explaining the Magic District, “Like all the other districts, the name is just a general one for what you may find there. Be that as it may, you can find anything related to magic and mages here- grimoires, artifacts, mage-for-hires, magic artificers, you name it. They even have normal books!”

“Huh? Do ordinary books have anything to do with magic?”

“Not at all. Actually, the Magic District was supposed to be called the ‘Knowledge District’ because, due to the mages’ thirst for knowledge, the Magic District had and still has the second-largest collection of books after the Imperial Library. However, later the name was changed to what it is now.”

Issac asked eagerly, “Then, is there a library in the Magic District?”

“There are many,” Bayes laughed, “So much so that all of the libraries underwent a merger. The second largest library in the Rasmodéus Kingdom, the Library of Eòlas, is in the heart of the Magic District. Do you want to go there?”

“Absolutely.”

“Let’s go then.” As the two headed into the magic district, the atmosphere abruptly shifted. Unlike the loud and boisterous feel of the Market District, the Magic District was much quieter, even with all the people walking around. All of the people there wore mage robes except those who operated the carriages or those who might’ve come from the other districts. It seemed that even the children were mage apprentices here.

Many houses were shaped abnormally, with many additions attached to them by their inhabitants. In the four corners of the Magic district stood four towers with different colored tiled roofs.

Seeing Issac staring at them, Bayes introduced them to him, “Those are the four magic towers of the capital. The mages of each magic tower specialize in a different field.” Bayes pointed at the south corner. There stood a majestic tower made from red bricks with a red-tiled roof. It exuded passion and intent. He continued, “The mages of the Red Magic Tower, or simply, Red Mages specialize in Fire Magic, Lightning Magic, and battle tactics.”

He then pointed to the north towards a tower that seemed to be carved out of ice. It gave off a feeling of ease and chill. “That’s the Blue Magic Tower. Blue Mages specialize in Water and Ice Magic and Lifestyle Magic.”

Issac asked, “Lifestyle Magic?” This was a term he hadn’t heard before.

“Yeah, Lifestyle Magic. Just as its name suggests, these are magic you can use in your daily life. Almost all living beings are born with mana, differing only in their quantity and affinity. So, even normal people can use some magic. That’s Lifestyle Magic. With a low cost for mana, people can do their housework easily.”

“I see…” Issac nodded. “The idea seems novel. But I suppose what they regard as ‘Lifestyle Magic’ is easily achievable by modern tech back home.”

Bayes then pointed to the brown tower made of earth with a green-tiled roof at the west. It gave off a homey feeling. “That’s the Green Magic Tower. Green Mages specialize in Earth and Metal Magic as well as work in architecture.” He then pointed at the East, a yellow tower with a roof made out of transparent glass, “And finally, the Yellow Magic Tower. Yellow Mages specialize in Wind and Sound Magic as well as work in Communications. Some of their inventions have really helped us out.”

“Does one of their inventions send a message from one device to another that’s miles away?” Issac made a shot in the dark.

Bayes’ eyes glowed brightly, “Woah! How did you know? Does your world have phones as well?”

“Excuse me?” Issac was taken aback. “What did you say?”

“Uh…phones?” Bayes repeated. “T-That’s the name of the invention?”

“The previous 『Heroes』 were Otherworlders too, huh?” Issac had an inkling of this, but Bayes’ words basically confirmed it for him. Despite his thoughts, he nodded at Bayes, “Yeah, we do have those.”

“I knew it! How far can your voice travel? Ours have a limit of 125 miles.”

“Ours are region based.” Issac explained, “As long as you stay in a country, you can contact anyone there.”

“That’s awesome!” Bayes became visibly awestruck. As they walked through the streets of the Magic District and talked about phones, a mediocre yet well-maintained wooden house caught his eye. It looked much different than the other houses in the district; it looked normal. A signboard hung above the front door. It read- Magical Miscellany.

Issac stopped in his tracks, and so did Bayes. The latter asked him, “What’s the matter, Issac?”

“Do you happen to know that place?” Issac pointed at the shop. And contrary to his expectations, Bayes did not answer and started walking again. Taken aback, Issac rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder before turning him around.

Bayes did not seem angry at this gesture but instead looked at him with surprise and said, “Issac, what’s wrong? Why did you stop me?”

“Wha-?” Seeing Bayes act as if nothing had happened, Issac was confused but decided to try again. He once again pointed at the shop, “Do you know that shop?”

And this time, he saw it! As Bayes laid eyes on the shop, a thin strand of smoke came out of the shop and entered his eyes. Bayes’ eyes turned opaque momentarily before returning to normal. And he once again began to walk away from the shop.

“…what the fuck?” Issac muttered under his breath. He again grabbed Bayes’ attention and told him to stay where he was before heading towards the shop. Pushing in the wooden door that was on the verge of rotting, he walked through.

“Woah…!” the inside was almost pitch-dark, and Issac stood still for a while, letting his eyes adjust to it. Once he was done, he looked around. The shop received barely any light, and the smell of damp wood wafted everywhere and a sweet aroma he couldn’t identify. There were rows upon rows of shelves lined along the walls. There was a gap among the shelves at the back of the shop, revealing a brand-new door that seemed incongruous with the look of the shop. There was also a counter in front of the backdoor.

Issac stepped further into the shop and closed the door behind him, depriving the shop of its last bit of light. However, as soon as the door closed, a lantern hung on the ceiling turned on. It dyed the store in a faint orange hue.

Issac walked to a nearby shelf- books, weirdly shaped items, lustrous gems; the shelf had many more things that Issac could not make sense of. Wanting to see what one of the books had, he reached out.

“Welcome~” the slight creaking of the backdoor made Issac flinch. He snapped back around to see a bony hand on the door, slowly opening it as the creaking became louder.

As the gap widened, an aged face appeared from within. A mix of black and white hair, a long flowing unkempt beard that was stained around his lips by something unknown, wrinkles that ran across his face as deep as trenches, and spots and moles on his face that looked like craters made him look more decrepit than any other older man Issac had seen back on Earth.

Issac, feeling a bit unnerved, took a step back. The elderly man hobbled towards the counter and looked at Issac. He made a toothy grin, revealing his yellow and broken teeth. “How do you do, stranger?” his voice that greeted Issac seemed gravelly like someone was rubbing sandpaper against gravel.

However, his decrepit look wasn’t what unnerved Issac. It was the fact that the senior figure that was in front of him was nothing but a curtain made of smoke. Behind the curtain lay a pair of slit eyes and a wide smile. He did not dare look further into it, afraid he would give himself away.

“It seems the visitor this time is a bit shy!” the ‘old man’ let out a creepy chuckle.

Issac sighed, resigning to his circumstances. His lips parted as he introduced himself, “I’m Issac. And you are?”

“It’s been a lo~ong time since anybody’s visited this old man. I reckon I’ve forgotten any name I might’ve had. So, don’t you worry your little head over that? Just call me ‘Owner.’”

“Alright, Owner. What do you sell here?”

“I don’t ‘sell,’-” The Owner stroked his beard. “-I give, and you buy.”

Issac was dumbfounded by that answer, “Owner, I got to say, that’s a shit business model.”

“It is what it is,” the Owner muttered to himself. “Maybe this is why I haven’t seen any sales for the past…” he frowned, unable to recollect how many years it had been.

“So, you give me something, and I buy it?” Issac asked again.

“Oh? Yes!” the Owner stopped reminiscing and focused his attention on Issac again.

“How does that work? You show me what you want to give me, and I pay for it.”

“No, you pay first, and then I give you the things.”

“Jesus Christ…” Issac felt a headache coming, but he persisted. Since he had already come this far with this charade, he should stay till the end. “Fine, fuck it. How much do I give you?” Issac took out the pouch and opened it.

“No, no!” the Owner stopped him. “I don’t take money. I require something…more.”

“Is it blood?”

“Woah, how did you know?”

“…fuck!”

The Owner threw a knife toward Issac, and it got stuck on the floor in front of him. Issac bent over and grabbed the handle before picking it up. Issac looked at the knife in his hands with trepidation. “I can’t believe I’m about to-”

Seemingly able to read minds, the Owner spoke up, “Lad, are you thinking of using your own blood?”

Issac, who was building his resolve up, did a double take. “Then whose blood do you want…?” as he said that, he looked at the knife and then back at the Owner. “Do you want to…?” he gestured at the Owner with the knife in his hands.

“Swarg in the sky, what the fuck is wrong with you, lad? Why would I want you to take my own blood? Don’t I have my own hands for that?”

“I mean…why do you have to say everything so vaguely?” Issac’s voice became meeker and meeker.

“Just…-” The Owner sighed. “-open the door and thrust the knife in front of you with all your strength.”

“That’s an odd request….” Issac stroked his chin. “If I…” Issac paused for a second and looked at the door. He continued, “open the door and do what you say. Will I find a person at the end of it?”

The Owner’s eyes shifted, “…No.”

“Bitch! You’re just trying to get me to murder someone, aren’t you?”

“N-No, why would you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Because a fucking corpse wants me to pay for his items with blood, and surprisingly, it’s not mine!”

“You really say some hurtful things….” The Owner sulked.

“I swear to God….”

“Come on, just do it!” the Owner stubbornly insisted, “There’s no one there! Why do you have to question everything I say?”

“I’m not questioning it; it’s just a fact!”

“Oh, really? Seeing how you were able to see my dingy shop, I doubt you’re someone simple. So-” he pointed at the door, “-why don’t you look beyond the door to see if I’m lying or not?”

“In the first place, how are you so sur-”

“Just do it.”

“Fine!” Issac threw his hands up and turned around. His eyes focused on the door, but there were no changes. “There’s nothing….” He could not finish his words as the sight before he changed. The view of the rotting door and frail walls changed as they became more transparent. At one point, only faint outlines remained as proof that there was a door and walls here. The scenery outside the door became visible to Issac. An unconscious sound of amazement leaked from his lips.

But just as the Owner said, there really was no one in front of the door. He saw mages in colored robes walking on the opposite side of the street, merchants, and ordinary people walking to and fro from stores. But once again, no one was standing in front of the store’s doors.

“See, what did I tell you?” the Owner smirked. “And there you doubted me.”

Issac looked again and again in disbelief and hesitation. His eyes had gotten him where he was now, but those eyes were telling him that no one was there. He couldn’t believe that the Owner really did not pull the wool over his eyes. But the proof was there to see. After a while, Issac hung his head and exhaled deeply.

“…you were right. There really is no one there.”

“Now, you believe me?” the Owner laughed. His beady eyes then shifted to the knife in his hand, and he smiled mysteriously, “Then why don’t we get on with our transaction?”

Issac looked at the knife and then the door and back at the Owner, who slightly nodded his head and gestured for him to go ahead. Issac loosened his shoulders and went over to the door. His hands reached out and grabbed the handle, but he did not open the door. His expression was still full of hesitation.

“There really isn’t someone there! There really isn’t someone there! There really isn’t someone there!” riling himself up, his eyes gradually cleared, and his hands moved. He swung the door open with his eyes shut tight and thrust the knife forward.

A knife seemed to hit nothing for a while before abruptly stopping. The feeling he experienced the last few moments before the stop was akin to stabbing a fork into a piece of steak, but it all felt much smoother.

Something grabbed Issac’s wrist, making his eyes shoot open. And what stood before him horrified him to no end. A man in a balaclava stared at him wide-eyed as he desperately struggled to move Issac’s hand, which was holding on to a knife. It had pierced him straight in the throat, and warm blood gushed out from it, wetting the black balaclava.

The man sputtered. Blood came out from his mouth and onto the cloth over his mouth. The blood splattered onto Issac’s hand.

With a jerk, Issac let go of the knife and staggered backward in shock. His face became pale as he was unable to process what he had just done. As the man staggered backward and lost clarity in his eyes, the Owner came behind Issac and clapped his hands excitedly, “Man, you got the jugular and carotid in one go!” He patted Issac on the chest, “You’re a born killer!”

The Owner reached out and grabbed the dying man before taking him inside. Issac stood rooted in place with a shadow cast on his face. The Owner threw the man into the backroom and closed the door behind him. Going behind the counter once again, he clapped his hands to get Issac’s attention, “I have received the payment, and now, it’s time for us to complete the transaction.”

The Owner’s calm smile seemed to swallow him whole. Issac felt a strong sense of unease; guilt and disgust rose deep inside him. He clasped his mouth shut as a mix of bile and mushy bits of the food he had eaten earlier at breakfast gushed out from the gaps of his fingers. His legs lost strength, and he fell to his hands, still vomiting.

“Don’t worry, that happens to everyone the first time,” the Owner ‘consoled’ him. Issac looked at him once he had nothing left to vomit out. Yet no amount of consolation would make him forget that he had killed a man.”