Artoria Caster.
When this name came from the girl's mouth and reached Riezel's ears, only one thought crossed Riezel's mind.
'I knew it was her.'
How could Riezel not recognize her?
In this world, she was basically the main character.
'Can't believe I just got to this world and already ran into one of the most important people in it...'
Riezel stared at the girl in front of him, who wore a silly smile and looked just like some countryside bumpkin, and couldn't help but find the start of this dimensional travel strangely dramatic.
Of course, he didn't say any of this out loud.
"I'm Riezel Brynhart. Just call me Riezel."
Riezel introduced himself calmly and composedly.
"Um, just call me Artoria too."
Artoria responded easily, still wearing that silly smile, but then she tilted her head a little and asked with a hint of confusion,
"By the way, which fairy clan are you from? I've never seen you before."
What Artoria meant by 'fairy' was a unique kind of being in this world—a race different from humans, and even quite distinct from the demi-human races in the worlds of Danmachi and Overlord.
They appeared in all kinds of myths and legends.
In Western mythology, for instance, fairies sometimes appeared as winged ladies, sometimes as palm-sized tiny people, sometimes as elementals, and sometimes even took the form of elves, goblins, dwarves, or dragons—they were incredibly diverse and complex in nature.
In regions like Scotland, there were frequent rumors about mischievous fairies, while in Arthurian legend, there was even a tale of a 'fairy kingdom' said to be home to all kinds of fairies.
And just like the data shown by the Dimensional Magic Cube, this world was indeed a domain of fairies, known as Faerie Britain or the Fairy Kingdom of Britain.
In this world, fairies were everywhere, and they were even considered the dominant race.
Artoria, standing right in front of him, was also a fairy—though she looked like a human girl, she was a completely different kind of lifeform.
Meanwhile, the dwarf-like old man who had appeared earlier in the underground prison, along with those pointy-eared elves—they were all fairies too.
In this Fairy Kingdom, fairies were generally divided into six clans, including:
The Earth Clan, whose fairies loved crafting and running workshops, and took on the appearance of dwarves.
The Wind Clan, whose fairies looked the most like humans, had beautiful faces like elves and were quick at spreading information.
The Fang Clan, whose fairies were simple-minded but incredibly strong, usually appeared as beastmen.
Fairies, as such, had their own distinct appearances and fields of expertise, but regardless of the type, they were generally far more powerful than humans.
For this reason, back in the underground prison at Tintagel, even those so-called 'small fry' Riezel ran into were absurdly strong.
What confused Artoria now was where Riezel came from—what fairy clan he belonged to. After all, he didn't have the signature pointy ears of the Wind Clan, nor the distinctive looks of the Earth or Fang Clans, which made him feel unfamiliar to her.
As for the other three clans, Artoria hadn't seen them much, so she couldn't say for sure whether Riezel might be from one of those instead, which was why she asked.
However—
"I'm not a fairy. I'm a human."
Riezel answered while calmly shaking his head.
Upon hearing this, Artoria was stunned, and her body froze.
"Human?"
Artoria widened her eyes again, looking at Riezel with extreme surprise—her expression made it seem like she had just seen some kind of rare creature.
"S-So you're actually a human?"
Artoria was honestly really shocked.
In this land of fairies, humans did exist, but the status of humans here couldn't even compare to that of fairies. In fact, humans were basically considered the property of the fairies—just toys or pets they kept and raised.
In this kingdom, not only did humans lack the concept of reproduction, but even the number of individuals allowed to exist was strictly controlled. The existence of special ranches just for keeping humans said everything about their position in this land.
It was Artoria's first time seeing a 'legendary' human, which was why she was so shocked, extremely shocked.
What surprised her even more was that this young man, who claimed to be a human, actually had power that surpassed the average fairy.
Could humans really be this strong?
According to everything Artoria knew, humans were supposed to be weak creatures, so how did one suddenly show up with this much strength?
Was everything she knew wrong?
Were humans actually stronger than fairies?
Artoria was truly confused.
Nevertheless, the only thing she could be sure of was that this young man wasn't lying to her—everything he said was true, which was something her 'eyes' told her.
While Artoria was still caught up in her shock and confusion over Riezel's true identity, he suddenly changed the topic.
"So what are you gonna do now? You got locked up by those fairies in the village, right? Weren't they gonna hand you over to some execution squad or something?"
"Now that you've escaped, got anywhere in mind you wanna go?"
"Guess I'll play the good guy all the way and give you a ride."
Riezel's words left Artoria momentarily speechless.
"What's wrong?" Riezel raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you haven't even thought about where to go?"
"I... honestly have no idea..." Artoria mumbled, lowering her voice. "I didn't think that far... I've just been focused on how to escape the prison..."
As for what to do after getting out, she really hadn't thought about it.
Regardless, she didn't feel lost either, since she had always known she would leave the village someday.
Maybe she should just follow the original plan and start her pilgrimage journey?
However, realizing the Staff of Selection was still in the village, Artoria suddenly found herself feeling torn and conflicted.
"Alright..." Riezel nodded calmly, more or less understanding Artoria's current condition. "So, do you have anywhere to go for now?"
"A place to go...?"
Artoria muttered again, then suddenly seemed to think of something before turning her head and looking toward the coast.
"Over there?" Riezel asked, following her gaze.
"Yeah..." Artoria nodded. "I've got a friend living there. It's the only place I can think of to go right now."
As she said this, she gave a troubled smile.
"But I almost did something pretty messed up to him a few days ago. If I just show up like this... isn't that kind of shameless?"
Artoria was clearly hesitating.
Seeing her like this, Riezel had just one thing to say:
"No matter what, you're not welcome in Tintagel anymore. If you don't go see your friend now, once you really leave this place, you might never get another chance to see him again, y'know?"
Riezel's words hit Artoria deeply.
In truth, she felt the same way, that she probably wouldn't be able to come back here again. If she didn't take this chance to see 'Grandpa', it might be really hard to ever see him again.
Understanding this, the scale in Artoria's heart began to tip.
"Are you really going to take me there?"
Artoria turned to Riezel, asking seriously as she stared right at him.
Her eyes seemed like they could see straight through someone's soul—anyone who looked into them would instinctively feel a little uneasy.
Riezel, however, looked completely calm.
"You were the first person I ran into after arriving here. Guess that makes it fate?" Riezel replied calmly. "Besides, I'm the one who busted you out of that prison, so at the very least, I gotta make sure you're not gonna get dragged back in."
In truth, there was something else he didn't say out loud.
He knew very well that the seemingly innocent and carefree girl in front of him was about to face a harsh, painful fate.
Her ending in the original work left many with heavy hearts.
Her experiences in this world had made many feel nothing but outrage.
She hadn't reached that point yet, but since their paths had crossed and he didn't have any particular goal in this world, he figured he might as well lend a hand.
No need to think too far ahead—at the very least, for the tragedy about to unfold, he would help however much he could.
"..."
Artoria didn't respond, but in her eyes—those slightly unsettling ones as she looked at Riezel—something almost unbelievable flickered to life.
After a moment, the girl finally showed a bright smile.
"Thanks! You're such a nice guy!"
Just like that, Riezel got his very first 'Nice Guy Card' in less than an hour of arriving in this world.
"Alright, hang on."
With a calm expression, the so-called nice guy reached out his sinful hand toward the girl.
"Wait! Carry me differently, please!" Artoria shouted, strongly protesting.
She really didn't want to be tucked under his armpit again like some baggage.
"Hmm, okay."
Riezel agreed without hesitation and, just like that, hoisted Artoria up onto his shoulder.
"Isn't this even worse?!"
Artoria clung to Riezel's shoulder, letting out a loud, embarrassed scream.
"Greater Teleportation."
Riezel ignored Artoria's protests and struggles as he cast teleportation magic, vanishing from the hilltop.
===
Artoria's goal was a workshop located on a cape near Tintagel.
It stood alone at the edge of the coast, constantly battered by the waves. Like a lighthouse, it towered high, with a chimney on the roof puffing out smoke.
However, it wasn't the kind of smoke that evoked the warmth of daily life—it was the kind of industrial fumes one would see from a working forge.
According to Artoria, this was a forge that didn't actually exist in Tintagel.
A blacksmith from the Earth Clan named Ector had lived in this workshop for hundreds of years. He was eccentric, foul-tempered, rough in manner, and completely disorganized. If using Artoria's own words, he was just a bad guy.
Nevertheless, even someone like that was a rare friend Artoria had managed to make in her sixteen years of life, someone she even called 'Grandpa'.
*Swish!*
With a single teleport, Riezel brought Artoria here and set her down, as she lay slumped over his shoulder like she had no will to live.
"Alright, how long are you gonna stay all depressed like this?"
As soon as Artoria touched the ground, she crouched down, looking like she couldn't bear to face anyone, leaving Riezel speechless.
"I just carried you over, didn't I? I don't think I was being that rough."
At these words, Artoria shot Riezel a glare.
"Is this about how rough you were?! No, this is about your way of doing things being totally wrong!" Artoria snapped. "I'm a girl, y'know? Can't you treat me a little more gently or act like a gentleman or something?"
"If you want me to, I can treat you that way."
Riezel responded calmly, staring straight into Artoria's eyes.
"But that wouldn't be the real me—that'd just be me putting on an act, right?"
"So, which do you want? Me pretending to be someone I'm not, or the real me? If you want the fake version, I can change how I act right now."
Riezel's words, half meaningful, half casual, made Artoria fall silent.
"Just stay the way you are..." Artoria muttered, then got to her feet and walked straight toward the workshop.
Riezel couldn't help but chuckle, then followed behind Artoria as they made their way to the workshop.
As they walked, however, Artoria's footsteps began to slow and waver.
It was obvious she was getting nervous.
She must have remembered what she had done to Ector—something she clearly regretted. Just the thought of facing him again seemed to make her hesitate, but in the end, she made up her mind, pushed the workshop door open, and stepped inside.
Riezel followed after her, entering a forging workshop that felt cluttered and chaotic, yet somehow still managed to feel like a proper smithy.
*DING!* *DING!* *DING!* *DING!*
Inside the workshop, the sound of metal being hammered echoed repeatedly from the deepest part, right in front of a blazing furnace.
A burly blacksmith, with the typical appearance of a dwarf, swung a hammer, pounding away at a piece of red-hot iron. Judging by the shape of the metal, he seemed to be forging a weapon.
Riezel and Artoria's arrival didn't catch the blacksmith's attention.
At this moment, the blacksmith radiated a clear aura that suggested he didn't want to be disturbed, making people instinctively hold their breath and remain silent.
Artoria was no exception.
As soon as she saw the blacksmith, she quieted down and stood still.
Seeing this, Riezel wasn't in a hurry either.
Given that Artoria didn't seem eager to interrupt or speak up, he turned his attention elsewhere and started walking around the workshop.
He could see tons of things inside, like swords and other weapons, armor of various types, and even decorative items like headpieces, bracelets, and necklaces—there were even tools like hoes and shovels.
He couldn't help but feel that it felt less like a blacksmith's workshop and more like a general store.
However, what really surprised him was that every single item in the place had an incredibly high level of quality. Even the hoes and shovels were far superior to the ones made by ordinary humans, let alone the swords and armor.
'Even the worst of these could probably match third-class special equipment, right?'
Once again, Riezel felt the vast gap between fairies and humans.
Fairies were born with an innate sense of Mystery and were nothing like the frail, powerless humans who had no supernatural strength, especially those from the Earth Clan, known among the six fairy clans as the famed blacksmith clan. Any weapon forged by them was likely to be on par with special equipment made by a high-level blacksmith with the Blacksmith development ability in the world of Danmachi.
Riezel finished scanning the workshop and finally picked up a blade hanging on the wall.
It was a dagger, about the length of half a forearm, with a blade that gleamed with a cold light, looking razor-sharp.
Riezel took notice of it for two reasons.
One was because the blade was black, just like Hermit, while the other was that the dagger held strong magical energy within it, making its quality the highest in the entire workshop.
He didn't even need to use appraisal magic to tell—it could definitely rival second-class special equipment in the world of Danmachi, maybe even surpass them.
Just as he came to this conclusion, a deep voice rang out.
"What you hold is a dagger I forged a hundred years ago. Even though it's just a short blade, maybe because I used some top-notch materials, it turned out pretty damn nice. Honestly, it's one of the best pieces I've made in the past few centuries."
Hearing this voice, Riezel lifted his gaze from the dagger in his hand and turned his eyes toward the source of the voice.
At this moment, the dwarf-like blacksmith, who had just been hammering away at the forge, had already stopped his work.
No, it wasn't that he had finished, but had stopped halfway through.
Maybe drawn in by Riezel's actions, the blacksmith tossed aside the iron he had been working on so seriously just moments ago and walked straight up to Riezel while still gripping his hammer.
"Ec–Ector...?"
Artoria called out to him softly, but the dwarf-like fairy known as Ector ignored her and instead glanced at Hermit, hanging at Riezel's waist, which hadn't been stored away in the storage space, and let out a grunt.
"You've got a pretty damn good blade on you. With that thing, I doubt you'd care for my crap work, huh?"
Ector's tone was definitely rough, and his attitude was just as bad.
"A fairy who can make a blade like that… as far as I know, there isn't even one in all of Camelot. Where did you get it from?"
Riezel didn't answer right away, but held up the dagger in his hand instead.
"If I tell you, will you give this to me?"
Riezel's question made Ector raise an eyebrow.
"W–Wait!"
Artoria quickly stepped forward, trying to stop Ector, but unlike her expectation, he surprisingly didn't get angry.
"Take it if you want."
Ector let out a cold snort and agreed just like that, causing Artoria to freeze in place.
'H-He's actually being nice? Is this really the Ector I know?'