CHIRP–CHIRP
It was around six in the morning. I kept walking around, trying to remember exactly where the inn was.
"Couldn't they have put up a board or something?" I sighed.
Still, something else had been bothering me — Alice's gaze.It was obvious. A sudden change in someone's personality would shock anyone.
"What was that?? You could've done that long ago! Are you an idiot??"
She kept pestering me with questions.
Tsk. Pests.
Good thing she was still a child.
"Anna motivated me to stand up and do the right thing," I said."I just felt pathetic — a girl standing in front of me so bravely, filled with valour… while I lay there like an absolute extra. I wanted to change that!"
I spat out complete nonsense. A few compliments toward Alice included — had to seal the deal.
"W-Well… it's a good thing," she replied, a proud look forming on her face.
Dumbass.I smirked.
I still had an identity crisis to deal with — entertaining kids wasn't on my list.
We walked back inside the inn. It was brimming with customers now — shoulder to shoulder.
Understandable. It was noon. The sun was out.Perfect time for a packed tavern.
"Oh my, looks like our crybaby manned up. What's with the sudden change, brat?" Nara grinned.
Of course I wasn't dumb enough to miss her sarcasm.I just didn't care enough to respond.
"Nara… teach me swordsmanship."
I looked at her straight-faced.
The inn went silent.
Even the customers stopped moving.
'Pft.'
"Hahahahahahahahahahaaaa—!"
The entire place exploded with laughter.
I was dumbfounded.Two days. It had only been two days since I landed in this world.
And apparently, this body had made a name for itself.As a certified whiner.
Even Anna and Alice were shocked.
"The brat wants to learn the sword? It's been two years," one man said."What changed your mind? That street fight? No… a kid's fight?" he said sarcastically.
But there was no malice. Just mockery.
The entire crowd was laughing now.
'F*ck. That's embarrassing.'
The laughter went on and on — until I snapped.
"OH, shut the hell up! Can't I have a change of heart?! I just feel weak and useless.Everyone's not born great, are they??"
I shouted.
But… with my kid voice, it just sounded like someone screamed after seeing a lizard.
"Pft… hahahahaha!"
A bald man walked up and fist-bumped my chest.
It stung a bit, but I didn't flinch.
"That wasn't bad, Roy," he said, smiling.
Then everyone else followed — fist bumps, high-fives.I didn't know why they did it, but it felt good.
Once the commotion died down, I sat at the counter, gobbling down a bread sandwich and a huge cup of milk.
"Roy… that was surprisingly weird. Coming from you," a sweet voice said.
"Why do you think so, Anna?" I asked, turning toward her unreadable expression.
She didn't respond right away.She just looked at me for a long moment…
Then tapped my head gently.
"It's good to let go of the past, Roy. I'm happy."
She turned away before I could read her face.
'Let go of the past?What… did this kid go through?'
It was almost evening.I headed to the library — which, thankfully, was inside the inn.No need to go out again.
You might think it was a grand place, well-maintained, maybe even magical.
Nope.
It was huge, yes — but not well-maintained.
It was cleaned daily, sure — but cracks, faded walls, poor doors, and zero staff were its biggest problems.
You'd assume the inn made a lot of money, given the crowds, right?
Nope again.Half the people drank here for free.
I didn't know why.
I had a million questions.No answers.
I climbed to the top floor, where the library was.It was dead silent.
Dust was everywhere.
I ignored it and stepped into an average-sized hall.
There was only one bookshelf. Five rows. A few dozen columns.That was it.
This was a tiny library.
I picked up a book that read:"Topography and History of the Ancient World: Gaia"
I started reading… and holy sh*t, I was surprised.
From just a glance, anyone could tell — Gaia was WAY bigger than Earth.
There were ten continents in total.Four of them belonged to the demon realm.
The map showed a black line — a boundary that separated the remaining six continents from the demon territory.
Their names were:
Evernia
Avon
Lanark
Elvenheim
Konark
Elysium
These were the six non-demon continents.
The demon realm had only one named continent:Daemonheim.
Even just saying the name made me uneasy.
Among the six, Elvenheim looked like the largest.Avon was clearly the smallest — that's where I was.
I flipped through pages. Reading more. Soaking in lore.
And for the first time since coming here…I felt something heavy sink in my chest.
This world—
Was far more dangerous than I'd imagined.