"Compared to the size of the flame when I cast this spell with the grimoire, this one is much smaller..." Arlo muttered, his brows furrowed.

"That's to be expected. You've just become a Tier 1 mage, after all. The amount of magic power you have is nothing compared to the magic stored in that book."

Arlo gazed at the flickering flame hovering before his outstretched hand, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Well, at least I can finally use magic... even if it's a little weak," he muttered. "I'm sure I can only manage casting a few intermediate spells at most, but that's fine for a start," he continued, glancing at Vielle.

The vampire girl nodded, her silver hair swaying gently in the breeze. "Yeah, for a Tier 1 mage, that's about the most you'll be able to do. Unless you use a staff to increase your magic power... although I'm sure your book will do a far better job than any staff you'd find on the market."

Arlo's eyes widened. "Is that what your staff does? Increases the amount of magic power you have?"

Vielle lifted her staff, waving it around before pointing it towards the sky, highlighting the magic crystal resting on its tip.

"Yeah, it amplifies the power of my spells," she explained, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Arlo stared at the crystal for a moment, his gaze then shifting to his grimoire.

"I see... Then, one last question. Now that I'm a Tier 1 mage, how do I move on to the next tier? I'm supposed to form another ring around my heart, right? Should I just do that now to get stronger?"

Vielle's expression grew serious, her crimson eyes locking with his. "That's right, you form another ring. But I wouldn't recommend doing that. It takes a lot more experience with controlling the mana within you before you're able to do something like that. You also need more magic power, but the grimoire will help on that end."

"Controlling the mana within me..." Arlo repeated, his gaze falling to his own body.

Despite Vielle's warning, Arlo couldn't help but feel the urge to try. He was desperate to become stronger as quickly as possible, driven by a burning desire to ease Sylvia's worries and to better their lives.

"What happens if I fail?" he asked.

Vielle's expression grew grim. "You could die, or if you're lucky, never use magic again."

Upon hearing this, Arlo quickly reconsidered. He was well aware that being too greedy could ultimately ruin things for him.

"Since that was your last question, it's finally my turn..." Vielle said, her eyes sparkling as she stared at him. "You're going to tell me about your world, right?"

Arlo glanced at her, his expression growing hesitant. "...About that..."

Vielle flinched, her voice rising in pitch. "I-It's too late to change your mind..!"

Arlo chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Rather than telling you, why don't I just show you?"

Vielle's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in surprise. "You don't mean..."

"Yeah, I'll bring you to the other world," Arlo confirmed. "As long as you promise to behave."

The vampire girl's expression grew worried, her brow furrowing in concern. "Are... are you sure?"

Arlo studied the girl standing before him, his mind racing as he considered what he knew about her. Based on their interactions, she didn't seem like someone who would harbor bad intentions or harm others without reason.

Not only had she helped him, but she had also shown him a breathtaking view that had brightened his mood considerably.

And most importantly...

'She's not someone I want to let go of. She holds a vast amount of knowledge not only about this world but also magic.' Arlo thought to himself.

He believed that it would be beneficial to have someone like her on his side in more ways than one.

"Yeah, besides, I don't think it's fair," Arlo said, his voice filled with conviction. "You've done a lot for me, on top of helping me develop a Mana Core. I'm also in a good mood, so yeah, I'll bring you. I'll even show you the best view that I know of there," he added, flashing her a bright smile.

He expected her to be overjoyed at his offer, however, much to his surprise, Vielle still seemed hesitant, as if something was bothering her. Her crimson eyes darted away from his, her hands fidgeting with the staff she held.

"I-I'm a Pureblood Vampire, you know..." Vielle muttered, staring at Arlo with a gloomy expression. "A-Are you sure you want to take someone like me there..?"

It was then that the realization dawned upon him. 'That reaction... Ah, I see. It seems Vampires have a bad reputation in this world, just like in my world too,' he concluded.

Taking a deep breath, Arlo met Vielle's gaze, his eyes filled with sincerity. "It's fine, Vampire or not, I don't care about that. You seem like a good person, isn't that what matters the most?" he asked, extending his hand towards her. "So, what do you say? Will you be my first traveling companion?"

Vielle's cheeks reddened, and she quickly lowered her head to hide her expression, her hat obscuring her face as she hovered closer to Arlo, grabbing his hand.

"...You really are a weird person," she whispered, a faint smile peeking out from beneath the brim of her hat.

Arlo, having heard her clearly, frowned before looking away. "I don't want to hear that from someone who spies on a stranger they just met," he retorted.

"F-Fair point..." Vielle muttered, nervously glancing away. "M-More importantly, when are we going to go to the other world?" she asked, eager to change the subject.

"Ah, we'll head back now," Arlo replied. "My initial objective was just to develop a Mana Core and clear my mind a little. I've got some business to resolve back in the other world, so I'll be heading there now. Is that a problem?"

Vielle quickly shook her head, pulling out a small bag from beneath her robe. It was a regular leather bag, about the size of a basketball, with a magic circle adorned with unique inscriptions engraved on its surface.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Not at all. I have everything I need on me," she said, a confident smile spreading across her face.

Arlo stared at the small bag.

"In that small bag?" he asked, narrowing his eyes..

"Oh, it's a spatial bag," Vielle explained. "It looks small, but it has spatial magic applied to it. It carries a lot more than it looks."

"That sounds very useful... Where can I get one?" he asked.

Vielle paused for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "I don't know the market price since it was offered to me, but it's pretty expensive. Should be several gold coins, I think.”

Arlo placed his hand beneath his chin, his gaze fixed on the spatial bag. He wanted one for himself, but the harsh reality of his financial situation quickly set in. The meager collection of silver coins in his possession couldn't even amount to a single gold coin.

'Hm... I just got paid by the hunters' organization, so I should be able to afford a few things from my world to trade here... I might be able to strike a good deal and buy one of those bags too,' Arlo mused, nodding to himself as a plan began to form in his mind.

Having come to a conclusion, he turned his attention back to Vielle, who hovered beside him, her face still obscured by her hat.

"Alright... Let's head back," he said, his voice filled with determination.

Vielle raised her hat, revealing a nervous smile. "O-Okay," she replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"By the way, I don't know how close you have to be to me to be in the spell's range, but it's better to be as close as possible, just to be safe," he explained, gesturing for her to approach him.

Vielle, who had been hovering, slowly descended to the ground before approaching Arlo as instructed.

Arlo's heart raced as Vielle stood mere inches away from his chest, her hand grasping his, her crimson eyes shining with excitement as she looked up at him.

"Is this close enough?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Y-Yeah..." Arlo responded, glancing away.

"Good! Let's go," Vielle exclaimed, a dazzling smile spreading across her face.

Arlo hadn't considered it earlier, but being in such close proximity to such a beautiful girl was far more stimulating than he imagined, especially when she was acting so adorably.

'...That face and smile of hers is dangerous...' Arlo thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes. ‘I always made fun of characters in the novels I read for getting all bashful whenever they were close to a girl, but now that it’s actually happening to me, I can finally understand why.’

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Arlo began to chant the spell, his voice steady and clear as he focused on the incantation, making sure not to leave out a single word.

As the magic circle formed beneath their feet, its golden glow illuminating their faces, Arlo glanced down at Vielle who tightened her grasp over his hand.

“Heed my call… Divine-Class Dimension Magic: World Transportation.”

-

Arlo and Vielle opened their eyes, finding themselves standing in the middle of Arlo's dark, messy room.

"Looks like we've arrived safely," Arlo muttered, glancing around. "I was a little worried since it's my first time using the spell with another person."

Vielle, who had been surveying the surroundings, turned to Arlo. "Where are we?" she asked, her crimson eyes filled with curiosity.

"Oh, this is my room," Arlo replied.

Vielle blinked, taking another look around before commenting. "It's quite messy..."

Arlo felt a pang of embarrassment pierce through him. Quickly, he grabbed Vielle by the shoulder and led her out into the hallway.

"I-I'll get it cleaned soon..." he mumbled, his cheeks reddening as he avoided her gaze.

Once in the hallway, Arlo closed the door behind them, and Vielle began to inspect her new surroundings.

"Is that powered by a magic crystal, Arlo?" she asked, pointing up at the light above their heads.

"No, that's a simple lamp powered by electricity," Arlo explained.

"Electricity..." Vielle muttered, her gaze fixed on the lamp, her mind trying to grasp the concept.

Suddenly, Arlo remembered something. "Hold on, I'll be back. I'm going to get my phone," he said, quickly disappearing into his room, leaving Vielle waiting in the hallway.

"Phone?" Vielle tilted her head to the side, a confused expression on her face as she waited by the door.

Moments later, Arlo returned, a smile on his face as he read the messages on his phone.

He had received a quick response from Argus, expressing his gladness that Arlo had received the correct amount of payment. Argus also mentioned that while they all hadn't received their compensation for the association’s mistake yet, it would undoubtedly arrive by the end of the day.

'He's asking if I want to go Labyrinth clearing with him and the others tomorrow...' Arlo mused, his brow furrowing in thought. 'Hm, I don't want to make clearing Labyrinths with them a habit. I can’t use my spells if they’re there after all.'

With that, Arlo decided to text Argus, informing him that he was busy. He also took the opportunity to ask if Argus knew of any ways for Arlo to enter a Labyrinth by himself to clear it.

As Arlo's fingers danced across the screen of his phone, Vielle watched with rapt attention, her eyes wide with wonder.

"What is that small thing, Arlo?" she asked, her voice filled with awe. "Is it some sort of magical tool?"

Arlo looked up from his phone, a grin spreading across his face. "This? No, it's not magic. It's a smartphone—a device that allows me to communicate with people far away, access information, and do all sorts of other things."

He held out the phone to Vielle, showing her the screen. "See? I was just sending a message to a friend of mine."

Vielle leaned in closer, her silver hair brushing against Arlo's shoulder as she studied the device. "Incredible… May I please inspect it?"

Arlo handed her the phone and explained how to use its basic functions while watching as she fidgeted with it, trying to learn more about the device.

Suddenly, Vielle's eyes widened, and she let out a startled yell.

"A-Arlo! This device is able to freeze time!" She held up the phone, showing him a picture of herself. "H-How is such a powerful spell contained in something like this?!"

Arlo struggled to hold back his laughter. "N-No, that's just a photo..." he managed to say, his voice quivering.

"P-Photo...?" Vielle repeated, her gaze turning to him.

"Yeah, a photo. It's an image captured by the camera, which is a part of the phone…" Arlo explained, his voice trailing off as he noticed Vielle's growing confusion. "Never mind, I'll explain it slowly with time. For now, let's head out," he said, taking her hand and leading her down the hallway and stairs.

As they made their way through the house, Arlo could hear his sister rummaging around, getting changed. She was probably getting ready for university, as it was still early in the morning.

'I can't let her spot Vielle, so I'll take her outside...' Arlo thought to himself, quickening his pace.

Vielle found herself constantly looking around, observing everything with wide, sparkling eyes as she let Arlo guide her along.

Arlo opened the front door, and they stepped outside into the crisp morning air. As Vielle took in the sight of the neighborhood, her eyes widened, her mouth falling open.

"Wow... the architecture... these buildings... this isn't a sight you'll find anywhere in the kingdom of Jarha…" she whispered.

The streets were lined with houses of various styles and sizes. Sleek, modern vehicles sat parked in driveways, their metal bodies gleaming in the early morning light. In the distance, towering skyscrapers pierced the sky, their glass and steel facades reflecting the sun's rays.

Arlo couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as he watched Vielle take in the sights, her crimson eyes filled with amazement.

‘She looks just like me when I arrived in her world…’ Arlo thought to himself before calling a cab. ‘I’ll show her around some more before taking her back…’