Burying the dead guards wasn’t the easiest thing, I mean, I had Talos dig and place them inside and cover them, but it did take I’d say about an hour. Nephele took the reigns for the carriage, and I hopped in the back with Paris.

Paris.

Man, Paris of Troy here. Wild. So then, the Trojan War event hasn’t started. He’s a fair bit away from picking up Helen in Sparta though. I’m a bit curious why he’s here though, besides the whole running from the Hobgoblins part. Wonder if he’s had the chat with Zeus yet.

It’s almost nearing night from the looks of things. After burying the bodies, we continued with the carriage and have been on the road for a few hours now. I did take the time to learn the spells I got. Paris on the other hand hasn’t been too talkative, and I mean like he hasn’t said a word since we left.

I can’t really blame him though. I wouldn’t be much for talking if that happened to me. But he has been occasionally looking to me, well, more like staring for a few minutes before turning away and then later turning back.

I should probably try out some of the spells tonight, before sleep. I’ve got a decent arsenal right now. And well all that gold we got was also pretty helpful. I hope the prices for summoning spells aren’t that high.

The carriage comes to a stop and I hear Nephele hop down from the drivers seat. I open up the door and step out myself.

“We rest here tonight.” Nephele says as she sees me

I just nod to her and do a slight look around the place. Forests and clearings, nice combo. I do see a beach not too far as well. I think I’ll head there to test out my more offensive spells. And the staff, I need to figure out the staff as well.

I haven’t looked over the items I found either, the rings I mean, and I’ve got about five of them. I can hold off on looking over the miscellaneous stuff for later.

I summon Talos up and tell him to help out Nephele with anything. He just nods and heads to find her. I’ll just sneak off right about now and have a little downtime fun for myself.

I start moving away from the carriage and glance up to the sky. Nightfall in about thirty minutes maybe? I’ll hold of on trying Night Sight later. I can cast Bronzeskin though on myself, I think.

I extend my open arm and concentrate for a brief second before a light bronze layer forms on my skin and across my body. I feel faster and stronger. I’m not checking durability for obvious reasons. The spell has a time limit, but I can still cancel it out, I think.

I concentrate again and the bronze layer slowly tears itself off me. Not bad. Not bad indeed.

I can start to hear the waves as well. It’s a bit weird honestly. I’ve never seen any type of shore or beach or just any large body of water before being reincarnated. And just look at me now.

Standing before a beach watching the tide I think, gently move back and forth. It’s cool and peaceful.

Let me just start practicing before my brain gets mushed with random philosophy. I tap my staff against the ground and point it forward.

Nothing is really happening. Hmm.

Maybe if I strike a pose?

I push my right leg back and turn my body a bit and raise my staff a bit more.

Nothing? Come on.

I’m not going to shout a fucking catchphrase I’m saying that now.

Goddammit, work!

I slap the staff with my open hand but nothing.

Okay. Violence might not be the answer for this.

It has to shoot or do something. What if I try to focus one of my spells through it?

I take a deep breath and focus. I aim towards the sky. I think about the spell I want to cast.

The black markings across the staff begin to light up and the center of the strophalos glows for a second before firing the Firebolt spell into the sky with a little shockwave. Made my clothes and hair flutter. Shit is cool.

The Firebolt itself looked a bit bigger than when its cast from my hand. I’m guessing it partially enhances the spell damage wise. Bigger equals better is common idea when it comes to magic I think.

It shouldn’t be so goddam hard to figure out how to shoot whatever beams or compact blasts from a damn staff.

I tap my staff against the ground a few more times thinking about what to try.

It looks so easy when mages and wizards do it in media. Sorcerers are an entirely different bunch on the other hand. And Clerics and Druids, let’s not forget about them now. Though some cases can be added up to nature and faith magic bullshit.

I just sigh.

Keeping active when you’ve got no current priority is hard. I’d just be on my phone browsing the dumbasses on Twitter, but by the grace of whatever put me here, no such thing exists in this universe.

I wonder if my corpse has been found though. I’m also curious about the reactions it got. Was it like “Oh my God! He’s dead!” or a “I expected this to happen sooner or later.” kind of thing? I’m betting on the second surely enough.

I may as well leave the staff for a bit later. I raise my open hand and form a finger gun and just aim up.

Okay. Focus. Channel the weeb. Remember watching Yu Yu Hakusho as a kid. It won’t be exactly the same, but damn will be it enough for you right now!

A small crackling of purple begins forming right in front of my index finger. The small ball of purple grows for a few more seconds before lightning strike out into the sky.

Absolutely.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Utterly.

Awesome.

I’ll be able to deal some serious damage with that when I charge it up. I can also give individuals in water the toaster treatment. Amazing.

You know, now that I’m here. The moon is pretty bright. And it’s a full moon, I think. I got all this Hecate drip, and I can’t get her staff working. Aren’t performance issues a bitch?

I did check the description of the staff during the carriage trip but didn’t get much about it.

What if I do a swinging motion? Maybe I’m not attuned to it? I should be, but what if there’s a second step to it?

I’m going to fry my own damn head like this.

I grab the staff with my other hand and just jam it into the ground as deep as I can. I take a step back from it and just look at it.

Can’t believe I’m going to try this.

“Are you possessed by anything?” I ask it

No answer, like I expected. I’m also partially thankful for no answer. Not in the mood to deal with that kind of staff.

I place my hands back on the staff and nothing again. Don’t know why I was thinking that my eyes would suddenly start to light up after which I’d experience some weird vision that would make me be trippin balls. Imagination. A dangerous thing. Well, except if you’re against someone with the initials of Z and K.

Should I just try the swing? I mean it wouldn’t hurt.

Okay, how should I do this? Left foot forward or right foot? What kind of swinging motion does this thing need? So many questions…

Guess I just need to go for it.

I pull the staff from the ground and let it rest a bit in my left hand, feels pretty comfortable there. But hey, here goes nothing.

Just visualize what you what to happen. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus.

I take a step forward, throwing my arm forward and point the staff straight up. A glow of white appears in the center of the strophalos before firing a blast white energy into the waters and throwing me backwards onto the ground.

Woah.

Was that radiant energy? I mean, it has to be. Those tend to be a bit….forceful let’s just say. But hey, at least I figured it out, just maybe next time I shouldn’t use my back that much or something.

I just sigh with a chuckle.

So damn tired!

I miss pizza and other junk food. Why didn’t I study to be a chef or something. I could absolutely start the best goddamn restaurant in this world. I could have my pizza be the end and beginning of wars. Oh the dreams…

I mean what the hell do I want to do? I’m getting existential again…

I like to think I’ve got an excuse considering my situation.

I don’t feel like I want to adventure for all my life, and I now have a long ass lifespan. Ten thousand years minimum and that’s wishful thinking that I don’t bite the dust beforehand.

I know some stuff from the old world to try and bring into this one. I’m not an engineer or anything. I won’t be the one to invent cars or electricity.

Can this world even evolve with the passing of time? I think that’s another thing. Things are usually stagnated since it was a game. I sort of only have one way to find out. Live.

Ain’t that a challenge in itself?

Where the hell do I even plan on going from here? To my home lands? Some other Elven lands? The Free Cities? The world’s my oyster I guess when you think about it.

I just hope that knowing all the game’s lore and mechanics won’t bite me in the ass.

I could get married based off looks alone, could have a kid or something. Not that I know anything about flirting, hell normal conversation is difficult enough. Nephele’s been an oddly nice help to improve it, question is how long can I keep it up before I’m put in a difficult situation. Am I easily manipulated? That would be good to know.

Stars look nice tonight. I must have been here for a bit, but I’m not that far. All I can hear is the waves. Am I going to wake up now?

Probably not….

I’m an idiot for missing and not missing the old world.

I could just list off everything I miss and don’t miss.

Taxes, reality tv, BMW drivers, cyclists. Fuck em.

Woody’s, Twix, Wendy’s, Popeye’s, manga and light novels. Miss em.

The duality of man am I right? I just chuckle to my own jokes.

I sit up and just look forward. Sitting in the hook position is a bit odd with the big boobs and all. Man, respect to women, never going to say a bad thing about them for the rest of my life.

I could become a teacher of magic once I’ve learned enough spells as well. That’s a nice idea. Master Ynnessa or Grand Mage Ynnessa don't sound too bad.

With Paris here that basically means event NPCs are around. I could swindle myself a kingdom or just a shitload of money and retire in some villa. I’ve got options actually when it comes to those, I just need to actually get to these locations and hope there's not a war there or something.

Maybe just not feeling alone would be a better thing to do first….

Even with Nephele, I still feel alone.

Am I the only one in this world that has been reincarnated? Because if so, then I’m in for a lonely fucking existence. If not, then, I can try and find the others. Maybe, just maybe.

“Excuse me.” I hear Paris’s voice from behind me

I glance to him. He still has the somber look on his face.

“Yes?” I ask

“The short woman asked me to look for you.” He says

Best to not mention her height in front of her face. I’m still unsure if she’s the sensitive type about bodies and such. Oh! He still doesn’t know our names.

“You can call her Nephele. I’m Ynnessa.” I tell him

He just glances back to the forest clearing and then back to me.

“And the skeleton?”

“Talos.”

“Right..”

Paris steps forward and turns his gaze to the waves. He slowly sits down near me and just stares in silence.

Am I supposed to make conversation right now? Or, wait, isn’t he supposed to be dragging me back to the camp or something? Are we just going to sit in silence? Does he want me to look at him? Ask him why he’s a femboy or trap or both? I mean, he’s cute, no homo.

Wait would that be homo? Wait a second. I had sex with a woman, does that make me gay or straight since I was a guy? Or..should I just not…think about that much? Apply the FATE rule? Don’t worry about it? Yeah, let’s just go with that at the moment.

“You must not know who I am.” Paris then says

Buddy, you have no idea. But I’ll play along. I shake my head to his words.

“I’m a prince. Or rather I used to be a prince. My home, Troy was decimated. I don’t know whether my family is alive or not.”

So, he’s pre-Zeus-fuckery, I think, not sure. But that’s a bit mad that Troy is completely gone.

“Can I ask how you came to this island?” Paris says

“Just…um…odd luck.” Yeah, let’s go with that “I just washed up here.”

“So you were sailing before?”

I nod. Yup. Yup. Was on a ship.

“It must odd, being so far from your home, I’m surprised at the proficiency you have with our language.” He says

I don’t think this counts as fantasy nihongo jozu.

“I’ve had time to learn.” I mention

He just nods with a faint smile, his eyes never really left the waves. He ain’t doing so well..

“What do you plan to do when you get to Scrya?” I ask

He actually turns to me this time before turning back away.

“I’m unsure.” He says “My mother told me that this would be the best place for me to hide. She thinks that they can help.”

“They won’t” I suddenly say

His eyes look to me.

“How could you be so sure?”

“They intend to protect their own island.”

“This war involves their island as well.”

“That doesn’t matter to them.”

“How could you know that?” he asks

I’m surprised he isn’t fuming. Maybe he is, just not showing it.

“That’s just the ways things are here. The queen will let you stay here most likely, but that’s about it.”

He looks away and pulls his knees to his chest. He just buries his face. Maybe telling him wasn’t the best? I mean it does save him from having false hope. I think he’d be more devastated if he was told by the queen herself. May as well be me. “Bad News” Ynnessa. I might actually use that later.

I hear a sniffle coming from him. I look to him, his fingers are digging into his clothes. I might’ve struck a little too deep….

Um….

What do I do?

I just move myself next to him and raise my hand to his shoulder but hesitate. I don’t know how to do this stuff.

I just awkwardly but gently pat his back. I can now hear him quietly crying. A few seconds later he looks up to me. Both his eyes just waterfalls basically. I meet his gaze.

“If you..um…need anyone to talk to, I’m here.” I tell him

That’s good right? That’s how normal people react to crying person right?

“I failed them.” He says “I couldn’t protect my home or people, what right do I have to be consoled?”

He’s choking up, that’s the phrase, I think. I mean Paris is the passionate kind of femboy.

“It isn’t your fault. None of the deaths are.” I tell him

He just raises his head, his lips tremble before he just hugs me and continues to cry, albeit a bit louder.

I hesitate for a second, but I do hug him back and pat him gently on the back.

It’s alright, buddy. Just let it out.

You’ll get through this.