I didn’t know what happened.

It was a normal day. I was walking with friends to school, casually chatting around, doing a bit of studying with the teacher watching over our heads. We weren’t exactly the best of students, that’s been clear from our grades. Nevertheless, the three of us continue to have the time of our lives.

That was … until this one day, where we were forced to take shelter under the roof from the rain.

“Sorry everyone, I forgot to bring an umbrella …,” Chiho looked downcast.

“Don’t blame yourself,” I said. “Look, I didn’t even bring my umbrella either!”

“When have you ever?” Sayuri rolled her eyes.

“Sayuri-chan, don’t be like that,” Chiho pouted. “Also where’s your umbrella?”

Sayuri’s eyes swayed to the left, “That’s, uh …”

It was clear as day that neither of them brought an umbrella. Normally we would’ve waited for the rain to settle, but considering how it was getting stronger and the fact that no store on the streets seemed to be open, there really was no choice.

“Come on, we’re five blocks away from my apartment,” I placed my bag over my head. “We should be able to make it if we run.”

“With this weather? Are you stupid? We might as well be blown away by the storm!” Sayuri bellowed.

“Akari-chan, maybe we can just go back,” Chiho added. “The convenience store is not far from here.”

“No, Chiho-chan. If anything it’s much farther to go back than to go forward,” I countered, and before Sayuri could argue, I continued on. “Look. Here me out. The convenience store is indeed technically closer, but we’ll have to take two turns in order to get there. My house is only straight ahead and isn’t it faster to run in a straight line?”

“Your argument has a lot of holes,” Sayuri said, however, I already anticipated it.

“Certainly so, but there is something that my house does have that a convenience store hasn't, and that is … a hot shower!”

Both Sayuri and Chiho shot a stern look and a long awkward silence followed.

“What?” I asked, unable to stand the quietness.

“Nothing,” Sayuri said. “Anyway, you won’t budge no matter what, right? Alright then. Let’s go to your house.”

“Same,” Chiho added. “I think I finally get what you’re saying, Sayuri-chan.”

“That our friend here is an idiot?”

“Yes. Yes indeed.”

“Oi! I may be an idiot, but I just want to have fun with you guys alright?”

“She admits it,” Chiho said.

“I can’t believe she really did,” Sayuri said.

“Okay then let’s just go back to my house.”

I turned around, bag over my head, and readied my feet. With a single leap, I broke into a sprint. Raindrops touched the surface of my uniform, quickly bringing it to a soak, but I didn’t care.

The feeling of the winds brushing through my wet hair and the splashes of puddles rippling on the floor made my heartbeat race as if nothing else mattered. This world full of dull shapes could not stop the colors splattering out of my mind, painting the grays and black, turning everything into the wonders I yearned to see and have my friends see as well.

“Chiho-chan, Sayuri-chan, how is it? Doesn’t this feel very fun?”

There were no responses, so I stopped and turned around.

“Come on now, don’t be quiet all of a sudden. I’m sure you guys are—”

I opened my eyes and saw only the blue sky and the golden wheat field where I was now standing upon. Several eyes stared at me, from people wearing rags stitched up together as clothes. They looked to be farmers currently harvesting the wheat with their sickles.

My uniform also somehow got dried up and seeing what they were all wearing made me feel kind of out of place, as I laughed to make the awkward feeling go away.

But still, how did I end up in the countryside? Was I knocked out and got kidnapped by some goons? If so, then wouldn’t it make more sense to instead sell me as human goods instead of sending me to the middle of nowhere.

No matter. For now, I should ask a local and see where I am.

And thus, I approached one of the farmers, but upon seeing their faces, I realized that he and everyone else was a foreigner. They didn’t look Japanese at all.

Can this really work? I wasn’t confident in my English, but considering the situation, I went ahead with it and hoped I didn’t butcher any words. “Uh … sorry, but … where is this place?”

“We’re in New Tavia?” he replied, looking puzzled, yet shockingly in fluent Japanese.

But more importantly, where the hell was New Tavia? I never heard of such a place. It sounded European, so maybe it was a city there, but then how did I end up on a continent halfway around the world?

“Can you be more specific?” I now asked in Japanese. “Like what country this is.”

“Are you kidding me? Did someone knock your head or something?” he said, looking aggravated.

“That’s the thing, I really want to know how I end up here.”

“You suddenly appeared right here in our fields just when we were about to get ready for harvest. Should we be the one to ask you where you come from?”

He had a point there. In their eyes, I was the stranger around here. I racked up my mind in order to form a response, but having no clue about my circumstances rendered my options limited.

“Shut up Wynn!” another farmer came in from behind, covering the first farmer’s mouth. “Don’t you see those clothes? Do you honestly think some girl could appear right here all of a sudden?”

The farmer named Wynn then began inspecting me, particularly my uniform. His face fell to immediate dread, as his farmer friend quickly had him and himself bowing at her feet.

“I’m so sorry for my friend’s rudeness, my lady. We wish not to incur your wrath, so please forgive us!”

I was so confused and became even more so when everyone else too started bowing at her.

“Please, raise your heads. You don’t need to do that. I really didn’t mind at all.”

“Ah, I see … then please make it quick. If I can make a request, I would prefer to be decapitated than hanged.”

“Me too. Please, my lady, I beg you.”

“What are you talking—I don’t want anyone decapitated.”

“Then please allow us to say our farewells to our families before we depart for our exile.”

“Also, please spare them. They have nothing to do with this!”

“Again, what are you guys talking about? No one is going to be exiled and no one is going to be spared.”

“We won't be spared …,” their faces fell to despair.

“No, I mean, I won’t spare you because there’s no need to spare anyone. Everyone gets to live!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

The farmers then protracted toward her, all of them saying in unison, “O dear Wenna, thank you. And thank you as well for your humble mercy, my lady.”

I have no idea what was going on anymore. This was all too much. Her brain felt as if it was going to implode at any time now. However, people shouldn’t be prostrating to a nobody like her. It wasn’t as if she had achieved anything to gain anyone’s respect. But the situation had been strange from the very beginning.

They referred to me as ‘my lady’ and saw my uniform as something worth to behold upon, as if it was an expensive piece of clothing neither of them had ever seen.

Then there was this ‘Wenna’ person, whom they uttered. This must be someone of high importance, so much so that they were willing to say their name in a position of reverence.

After that was their level of technology. Granted, I never once went to the countryside, but I expected there to at least be tractors or some kind of harvesting machine, but here they were using ordinary sickles and transported the wheat by hand.

And lastly, there was this weird sign that had been popping up above each and everyone of the farmer’s heads. For example, Wynn’s last name was Wilmar and below his name was the line [Farmer] as if to signify his occupation. The guy next to him was Renn Wilmar and had the same [Farmer] occupation, and while both had the same name, they didn’t look like anything alike.

The same went for the rest, who also shared the same last name. Maybe Wilmar was the name of their town due to traditions? And while everyone had the same [Farmer] occupation, there was this one guy, who, apart from having a scar crossing over his right eye, curiously bore the title of [Swordsman] despite clearly working as a farmer, being the carrier of a massive amount of wheat.

What the heck are these things? I squinted my eyes, when suddenly a panel showed up stating her name and listing all these weird symbols.

=====================================

Name : Akari Takebayashi

Age : 15

Race : Human

Class : [Mage]

Titles : [Hero], [World Traveler]

HP : 50

MP : 80

STR : 6

DEF : 3

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

AGI : 7

INT : 14

WIS : 6

CHA : 7

LCK : 6

Skills : [Appraisal C] [Translator EX]

=====================================

After taking a thorough read, I finally knew what happened. I had fallen ill due to the rain and was now sleeping in my room, dreaming of this wonderful-looking place, and currently being taken care of by Sayuri and Chiho. Yes, that must be the case.

With that in mind, I must’ve entered a vivid dreaming state. Everything looked and felt so real that it was difficult to distinguish between factual and falsehoods, kind of like a hallucination. Now, all I had got to do was to just enjoy my time in this dreamscape. However, being mean and carefree around people really didn’t sit well with her, even if they were part of the dream.

Got to act like a tourist! I thought, then said, “Please, don’t be like that. I really am not like who you think I am. I’m a humble traveler from the east.”

“Is my lady a noble of the Aeryn Kingdom?”

Damn, my brain is so good at making up names. Another thought came, as I tried to come up with a good bluff. “No, I came from further east, as far across the sea. There’s this land where everyone wears the same type of clothing, so I really don’t get why you call me a lady. Please call me by my name, Takebayashi Akari.”

The farmer seemed hesitant, but nevertheless did as she requested.

Wynn stood up and started, “Then Miss Takebayashi …”

“Takebayashi-san.”

“Where did the ‘san’ come from?”

“Oh, we have something called honorifics … actually, nevermind. No need for that. Just Takebayashi is fine.”

“Then … Takebayashi,” Wynn called, to which I nodded happily. “If you’re a traveler, then why have you come to this humble village of ours? We don’t really have anything to offer for visitors.”

“It’s fine. I’m only here to go sightseeing.”

“Still, for a young woman such as yourself to go traveling alone …,” Renn showed a face of concern. “It must’ve been really difficult.”

“Thank you, but really, there’s no need to worry. This isn’t my first time going on a trip alone. I’ve once crossed seven kilometers by bus, alone, just to get specific material for my science project.”

“Kilometers?”

“Distance. It’s how my people measure distance, we use units like meters and kilometers. What do you guys use?”

“I don’t believe we don’t have one. Most of what you said sounds like something that came from the capital,” said Wynn. “Ah, if you don’t know, our village is part of the Pylfur Kingdom, completely on the outskirts. You’ll never find a noble anywhere except during tax collection day.”

“Nobles …,” I muttered, never expecting to have my own dream be set in medieval times. Since I had already established myself as a traveler, it would be wise to not be roped up in noble affairs, otherwise I’d be questioned about the credibility of my status.

Moreover, this [Hero] title worried me. Was I supposed to be a savior of something? And what could the other title, [World Traveler], mean? This really was the most bizarre dream I ever had.

“Takebayashi,” another older farmer came, whose name was Stuart Wilmar and appeared to be the leader of the farmers, seeing as everyone showed a semblance of respect toward him. “While we welcome all visitors that come here, recently there have been bandits roaming around, seeking to steal and destroy our crops.”

“How terrible …”

“Yes, so please cooperate and place your hands on this,” Stuart took out a clay slab with an eye symbol carved on top of it. “Seeing your expression, it appears you do not know what this is. Well, it’s an appraisal device. It’ll show us your name and class, so that we can feel a lot safer knowing you’re in the clear.”

“But can’t you see it through this panel?”

“What panel?” he looked bewildered.

So, they can’t see it. I shook my head. “Nevermind, let's proceed with it.”

I didn’t know what I was expecting with this archaic-looking thing. Maybe there would be a reaction caused by me touching it, with the results then indicating what kind of profession I had, which would mean this [Mage] class. Whatever that meant …

Pressing my hand on the slab, a white glow emanated from the eye symbol, followed by strange symbols suddenly appearing on the back of my palm.

======================

Akari Takebayashi — Mage

======================

And thus, my name and class was told to the world, yet what surprised me most was the fact that I could read it. Could this be the effects of the [Translator EX] skill that was listed in the panel? If so, the [Appraisal C] must be the thing that allowed me to see other people’s names and classes!

The letters next to them must be the grading system, with higher grades equal to greater effects. Looks like I got myself a very strong ability.

Right when I was in the middle of my self-boasting, the farmers looked at me with wonders and adoration. They reminded me of Chiho whenever this smart guy came, who always took the number one spot back at school.

But now those gazes were pointed to me … why?

“Oh my, now it all makes sense,” Stuart smiled. “Takebayashi, you must’ve gotten an invitation to the magic tower.”

“The what now?” I stared, puzzled.

“Don’t mind us. We won’t get in your way. See that road ahead, just go straight and you’ll come into a small town called Mirinhall. Once you get there, you can take a wagon and have the coachman take you to Castria, the Magic City. If you could, maybe stop or work here once you finished your magic training. Our village could one against the monsters.”

“Wait hold on a second—”

“I can’t believe I got the honor to see a mage,” one said.

“I never thought a wizard could hail from a far away island,” another said.

“So, you’re a mage?” Wynn bowed his head. “I’m sorry for my rudeness.”

The farmers started bickering about me and praising me, and I didn’t know how to feel about that. It felt nice, but at the same time undeserving. Was [mage] a rare desirable class to own?

Also, what was this ‘magic’ Stuart mentioned? It sounded like a word a kid would make up, yet it seemed to be a real word here.

“I reckon she teleported here,” someone said. “Teleportation is a rare skill and for her to attain it so young, she must be a one-of-a-kind prodigy.”

“Huh? No, no, no! I’m not a prodigy, really. I’m just an ordinary girl. Also what is this ‘magic’ you’re talking about?”

“Come on, no need to joke with us,” Renn patted my back, as I then cast a look of bewilderment toward him. “Wait, you really don’t know? Does your island ban mages or something?”

“Like I said, I don’t know. I’m just a traveler. I truly don’t get what you guys are talking about.”

The more I said, the more perplexed the farmers looked at me, as if they truly couldn’t comprehend the context I was asking about and vice versa.

Then, the farmer named Glen Wilmar, who had the [Swordsman] class approached me and asked eye-to-eye, “Do you really not know what magic is?”

I replied, “No, I don’t.”

Glen retreated to a small shack built along the dirt path. He placed the what inside and took a weapon lying next to it, a sword. He unsheathed it and a fine blade of metal shined upon the blazing sun.

“Pay attention,” Glen said, as he pointed the sword straight ahead and uttered, “Fire imbuement.”

Suddenly, the metal blade became engulfed by raging fire, moving not toward the sky, but toward the direction the sword was pointing at. The flames vanished seconds later and the sword returned into its sheath.

“That is magic. Now do you understand?”

No, I didn’t understand. I couldn’t. This was … something I couldn’t possibly think up in dreams. Fire that appeared out of nowhere and persisted upon the surface of a non-combustible material?

There must be a trick. There had to be. I mean, what Glen just showed me was no short of an impossibility.

Based on the theory designed by the overseers, dreams were defined by a series of thoughts, images, and emotions during sleep, but how could it process a thought or image that never came up once?

No, don’t give up. There had to be a trick to this. A logic that my mind somehow came up with.

“Hey, are you alright?” Glen sported a worried look.

“I’m fine,” I brushed my sweat, which too felt eerily real. “It’s just … Glen-san, can I know how you made those flames appear?”

“Your knowledge only went that far, huh? Then I’ll have you know it’s part of my [Fire manipulation] skill. I can conjure and manipulate fire at will, though because my class is [Swordsman], I’m more comfortable placing it upon my blade.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. What is the origin of the fire itself?”

Despite looking utterly perplexed, Glen answered nonetheless. “Skills are the blessings of the Gods earned by gaining experience. For instance, the villagers of Wilmar worship Wenna, the Goddess of Harvest, and through the work of harvest, we gain skills relating to the act of harvesting like [Wind shear].”

Glen pointed at Renn, who through swinging his sickle, conjured winds so strong that it cut through the tall golden grass, separating the stalks from the roots, which he and the others then gathered and tied by hand.

“In addition, we also gain stats points that we can allocate, which we can then allocate as we please,” he explained. “Try to think of it like this.”

====================================================

Health Point = The amount of life someone has to continue living.

Mana Point = The amount of resources someone has to cast spells or holy blessings.

Strength = How much physical strength that can be exerted.

Defense = How much damage is reduced when taken.

Agility = How fast someone could move and dodge.

Intellect = How high of a spell level that can be acquired.

Wisdom = How high of a holy blessing level that can be acquired.

Charisma = How easy it is to convince someone.

Luck = How high of a chance someone has to gain something.

=====================================================

“Of course, it’d be better for you to learn on-field,” he said. “How about you start by casting a spell?”

“But I still don’t—”

“You can just cast the spell similar to what I showed you. It’s called [Flame Arrow],” Glen came to my side. “Don’t worry, you’re a mage. Your intellect should be high enough to learn this. Close your eyes and think of a fire, but instead of the ground, imagine it appearing on your palm.”

“Imagine?”

“Picture it in your head, a scene that appears vivid, a stuff of fiction suddenly becomes real.”

I didn’t get it, but tried nonetheless, conjuring a picture of a fire inside my head, filling my thoughts to the point where I could not tell the difference between dreams and reality.

“Shape it into a form of an arrow,” he added, and that I did. “Now open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes and witnessed, in front of me, an arrow made out of flames. Its heat grazed upon the surface of my skin, bringing it to a sweat, crisps and sparks. Its embers rippled into my ears, as did the smell of scorch and ash into my nose.

“For now, let’s just say it. The trigger word [Flame arrow], as you picture it releasing from your grasp and shooting straight ahead.”

The image formed almost instantaneously. My heart raced and my body bounced in excitement upon this one act I never once thought of doing.

After a long slow breath, I cried, “FLAME ARROW!”

The arrow expelled itself from my palm, shooting through the straight path, further and further until my eyes could no longer see it, as it struck the ground and vanished.

A ping then came and I rechecked the panel.

==============================

Skills : [Fire Manipulation D]

==============================

“This doesn’t make sense …”

“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it.”

No, he didn’t get it. The problem wasn’t that it did not make sense from a reality standpoint, but that it made sense under the context he made. Skills, spells, holy scriptures … and then this Wenna person, this ‘God’ … What the heck is a ‘God’?

The bizarreness of this dream brought so much fun, but at the same tie, I could not help but doubt its credibility. This stood against everything the teachers have taught us, everything that the overseers have enlightened upon humanity, something I never and could never have produced in my lifetime until today.

Was this even a dream? If so, then it was a dream I would never want to wake up in. Earth was such a dull and boring place, with the only life worth living was one engaged with friends. But what about here?

Sure, I missed them. I missed Sayuri and Chiho, their jokes, hangouts, and memories … but this place explored untold possibilities.

Although one day I would need to go back, however, it was not to return to that drab old place, rather it was to show them the wonders now unfolding right upon her vision. The exhilaration which she felt shall become a cornerstone to a never ending fun.

“You still can’t understand it? What the hell … This is all basic stuff that even children could understand!”

“Glen-san.”

“Yes?”

I wanted to know. I wanted to know and show everything this dreamscape—no, this world had to offer. And to do that was to first understand these curious new words that didn’t exist back on earth.

After casting that [Flame Arrow], I realized that in order to pursue this goal, I needed to know the context behind it. Context was everything in this very imaginative world.

“Please, tell me, Glen-san. What is fiction?”