Vielle sighed, her body floating upside down in the air, her silver hair shimmering in the sunlight as she watched a district in the town. She'd lost track of how long she'd spent staring at that spot, weeks passing by without a sign of the person she sought.

"Did I choose the wrong spot?" Vielle muttered, frowning. "I'm certain that when I first saw him, he appeared here... Or could it be that he won't show up here anymore?"

Realizing the possibility, she let out another sigh, her frustration growing.

"I guess I should give up... That's a shame, I really wanted to ask him about that spell—"

Vielle's voice cut off abruptly, her eyes widening as she spotted a mysterious figure appearing in the area she had been observing.

It was a young man with curly black hair and orange eyes, wearing an orange tracksuit while a gloomy expression resting on his face.

"Finally~" Vielle muttered, a smile spreading across her face.

-

"Looks like I'm really back," Arlo mumbled as he walked along the capital city's streets, clutching a bag of silver coins he had acquired from the adventurer's guild during his previous visit to this otherworld. Despite the wealth at his disposal, he showed little interest in making any purchases.

Arlo's mind was focused on a different priority: finding a way to obtain a 'Mana Core.' However, he had no idea where to begin his search.

'It'd be nice if that vampire girl from before could show up. She definitely knows what it is... although I doubt she'd still be here after so long.'

Arlo knew that Vielle was an adventurer, and based on his understanding, adventurers were constantly on the move. There was a good chance she had already left the city.

With this realization weighing heavily on his mind, Arlo lowered his head dejectedly as he began to stroll through the city streets. His gaze fixed upon the ground, a grim expression resting on his face as he walked, lost in thought.

"I need to get stronger... so much stronger that nobody ever has to worry about me getting hurt or dying as a hunter..." he muttered, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Although, even if I become the strongest, I'm sure she'll still worry about me..."

Taking a deep breath to steel his resolve, Arlo raised his head and quickly approached the next person he spotted.

It was a tall young man with short, slicked-back blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Dressed in fancy attire, he exuded an air of nobility.

"Um, excuse me, do you by any chance know what a 'Mana Core' is?" Arlo asked, mustering the most polite smile he could manage.

The young man looked over at him, his expression quickly souring as he scowled.

"What do you want, commoner?" he asked, visibly irritated.

Seeing his reaction, Arlo's polite smile began to twitch as he continued.

'He called me a commoner, so he must be a noble in this kingdom... someone who holds significant power. I'll just have to bear with it,' Arlo thought to himself.

"I was just wondering if you knew what a 'Mana Core' is. I'm trying to figure out a way to obtain one," Arlo said, his voice steady despite the nobleman's disdain.

Hearing this seemed to darken the young man's mood even further, as he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Another commoner who wants to learn to use magic. You think I, Garner Milot, the eldest son of Viscount Milot, would help you? Get out of my sight and go figure it out yourself, before I call my guards."

Upon hearing this, veins began to bulge on Arlo's forehead and neck as he stared at the noble. He spotted the guards watching him from behind the carriage, but they didn't scare him in the slightest.

"...U-Understood. I-I'll leave your sight at once..." Arlo muttered, his voice stammering as he trembled. But it wasn't from fear or nerves. It was from the sheer effort of holding his anger back.

Without another word, Arlo turned and walked away, trembling with every step as he fought to control his rage.

Once he was far enough, Arlo sighed, still clearly annoyed by his interaction with the arrogant nobleman.

'What an irritating guy. Of course, the first noble I speak to has to have that attitude. I expected nothing less from another world,' he thought to himself. 'I almost lost it and punched him...'

Normally, such an encounter wouldn't bother him, but Arlo was already feeling down due to his recent interaction with Sylvia.

'Still, it was good that I managed to control myself. I don't know much about the laws of this kingdom, but I'd assume a commoner attacking a noble would be a grave crime. Unfortunately, my transportation spell is set to this city, meaning I should behave as well as I can while I'm here.'

Arlo knew that if he ended up becoming a criminal, he might not be able to return to this otherworld—a consequence he had to avoid at all costs.

"Let's just ask someone else..." he muttered, scanning the bustling road.

As always, the town was alive with activity, a diverse mix of people, from demi-humans to humans to traders, going about their daily lives.

'None of them seem to be using magic, but they might have some useful information... I should have just asked them first,' Arlo concluded as he made his way over to the crowd.

After asking as many people as his social battery would allow, Arlo walked away, his head lowered in dejection.

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

Among the crowd he'd questioned, not a single person was a magician, and the most they knew was that a Mana Core was a core in one's body that magicians needed to develop in order to use magic. But that was the extent of everyone's knowledge, leaving Arlo feeling as though he had merely tired himself out.

"I need to find out how to acquire a 'Mana Core' and learn more about it, somehow..." he sighed, wandering down the roads.

Just as he was about to search for another person to ask, a familiar voice suddenly called out to him from behind.

"You want to acquire a Mana Core? I can help with that, Arlo."

Arlo halted on the spot and quickly turned to the source, his expression lighting up when he saw who it was.

There, standing before him with a mischievous smile on her face, was none other than Vielle, the petite vampire girl he had encountered during his previous visit to this world.

She was dressed the same way as before, wearing her long black robe with her pointed hat. In her right hand, she still held a long wooden staff with a large red mana crystal at the end of it.

"Vielle!" Arlo called out to her with a smile, his voice filled with genuine warmth.

Vielle looked up at him, a confused expression on her face. She hadn't expected such a positive reaction to her presence.

"Hey, Arlo. It's been a while. How have you been?" she asked.

Arlo quickly retrieved a silver coin from the pouch in his pocket as he approached her. "I've been good, thank you for helping me last time," he said, handing her the silver coin. "This is to pay you back."

Vielle appeared troubled as she handed the coin back to him. "It's fine, I told you that you paid me back with the information you gave me. Besides, I only gave you ten copper coins. A silver coin is worth a lot more."

Undeterred, Arlo handed the coin back to her, his smile never wavering. "No, no, I insist. Please take this silver coin. Speaking of information, I am indeed interested in acquiring a Mana Core. If you can help me with that, I am more than happy to pay more."

Vielle returned the coin once more, her expression growing more serious. "Actually, about that, there was some information that I wanted from you. Instead of exchanging money, why don't we just exchange information, instead?" she proposed.

"Information that you want from me...?" Arlo asked, staring at her with a puzzled look while holding the coin she had returned.

"Yeah, that's right... so how about it, are you interested?" Vielle asked, her eyes searching his face for a response.

Arlo gazed at her for a few seconds, suspicion creeping into his expression. 'To refuse money, is she still interested in the grimoire? Hmm… I was happy to see her since she definitely knows what a Mana core is but…'

"It depends. What are you interested in knowing?" he asked, his voice cautious.

Vielle glanced around, taking note of the bustling morning crowds that filled the roads around them. It wasn't the right place to discuss the sensitive topics she had in mind.

"Give me your hand. Let's talk about it somewhere else," Vielle said, extending her hand towards him.

Arlo hesitated for a moment before grasping her hand. The instant their fingers touched, Vielle tapped the bottom end of her staff on the ground, and a purple magic circle formed beneath them.

Arlo's eyes widened in astonishment. 'Did... did she just summon a magic circle without an incantation?! How—'

His thoughts were abruptly cut off as they ascended into the air, soaring upward at breathtaking speeds.

As they climbed higher and higher, Arlo's hands began to tremble, his grip on Vielle's hand tightening. Fear raced through his mind, his heart sinking with each passing second.

'H-H-Holy shit, we're flying!' he yelled inwardly, watching as the ground grew more distant with every moment.

The thought of falling from such a height struck terror into Arlo's very being, causing him to subconsciously close his eyes. Although he didn't typically have a fear of heights, being at such a high altitude was enough to make his blood run cold.

'If I fall from this height, would my barrier even be able to save me?!' Arlo wondered, feeling the wind brushing against his skin.

"V-Vielle, where are you taking me?" he asked, his voice stammering from the fear that gripped him.

"Just south of the city, where the fields are. There's a good spot there where we'll be able to help you acquire your Mana Core, although I guess 'develop' would be a more appropriate term," she explained. "Also, why are your eyes closed?"

"B-Because I'm scared of falling!" Arlo responded, his voice trembling.

"Hmm~ that's a shame. I find the view from up here really beautiful, after all..." Vielle mused. "I promise not to drop you, so how about opening your eyes for a bit?"

Arlo knew that a single promise alone wasn't enough to quell his fear, but his curiosity about the view from this vantage point began to grow.

Slowly, he began to open his eyes, and as he did so, they widened in awe. Just as Vielle had said, the sight before him was breathtaking.

Arlo could see the entire city sprawled out before him, with its various districts and the imposing castle at its very center.

To the north, a lush forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, its canopy swaying gently in the breeze. The western horizon was dominated by the stunning mountain ranges.

To the east and south where they were heading, the fields glimmered in the sunlight with vibrant colours of greens and golds.

"It's... it’s amazing." Arlo muttered, his eyes wide with wonder. “It’s just like I saw on the map…”

"Isn't it?" Vielle asked, flashing him a bright smile, her fangs peeking out in the process. "I love this view... Whenever I'm feeling stressed, I come up here, and it makes me feel a little better."

As he continued to stare at the city from above, a slight smile tugged at the corners of Arlo's mouth. "Yeah... I see what you mean..."

Despite his earlier gloom, the magnificent view seemed to have a calming effect on Arlo, helping to ease his troubled mind.

"Does that mean you're also feeling a bit better? You looked a little gloomy when you arrived," Vielle remarked.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better..." Arlo's voice trailed off as he looked up at Vielle, a sudden realization dawning on him. "Wait, how did you know I looked gloomy when I arrived?"

Vielle nervously glanced away, her voice low as she muttered, "Uhm... I'll tell you after we arrive at our destination."

Arlo narrowed his eyes, a look of suspicion crossing his face before he nodded. "Alright."

Without further conversation, the two continued to fly towards the southern fields, admiring the scenery below. Arlo could sense a barrier around them, separate from his own. He surmised that it was likely Vielle's barrier, kept active to prevent any accidental collisions with birds or other obstacles during their flight.

After a few minutes of flying, they finally reached their destination, landing in a remote area away from the fields. The area was devoid of any carriages or trails, with only a few trees swaying in the strong breeze that swept through the landscape.

"This place should be good enough. There's no one around," Vielle said, surveying the area. "We could have spoken back in the city with a sound obstruction spell, but it's safer to speak freely here."

She turned to face Arlo, who was still adjusting to being back on solid ground. As their eyes met, he spoke up.

"So, are you going to tell me how you knew I was gloomy when I arrived, and what information you wanted from me?"

Vielle smiled, nodding in response.

"Ah right. I suppose I should get to that, but before that…” She began, her voice low as she stared right at him. “You can travel to another world, can't you?"