Chapter 1 : A new world

As the sun set, a knight in white and red stood upon a pile of corpses as she cleaved another knight in half. Her breath is shallow as she leans on her sword, hoping to rest a little. However, her rest is cut short by a presence appearing in the corner of her field of view. A blond knight donned in silver and blue armor stands here, sword in hand. The first figure stood up, looking defiantly at the blond knight from under her helmet.

"How do you like it, Arthur? Your country is now finished! Face the consequences for your refusal to give me the throne!"

Arthur doesn't answer as she prepares herself for the inevitable fight. But the rebel continue.

"Do you hate me? Do you have such a deep hatred for me? Because I'm the child of a witch? Answer me, Arthur!"

As she screams, the knight charges at the king. She is pushed back, but she managed to disarm the king, sending Excalibur flying away. For the first time, the king answers, her voice cold and emotionless.

"Never once have I harbored hatred towards you. The reason I did not relinquish the throne to you..." As she speaks, she evokes her divine spear, Rhongomyniad, and appears in front of the knight almost instantly. "...was that you lacked the qualities required of a king."

As the knight is pierced by the emotionless king's spear, her helmet breaks, revealing a face identical to Arthur's. Breathing her last breath, she mutters "Father...". Before falling, the curse her mother placed on her activates, forcing her body to strike the king a deadly blow. The last thing she sees is the king walking away injured, never looking back, before everything fades to black.

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"I guess it's also a little my fault you lived like that. To atone for not taking action, let me give you a second chance."

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In a faraway place, the Sun rises, birds sing, and an acorn falls, landing on the helmet of a sleeping figure and waking her up.

"Where am I? Did I fall asleep before going back to Camelot? Wait, wasn't I killed by Father?! How am I still alive?"

Shaking off her drowsiness, she checks herself, expecting to find blood. However, she doesn't see any. She seemed unwounded under her armor, which was oddly restored to its original condition.

'At least it provides protection and hides my gender.'

She then looks around her warily, taking in the breathtaking view. She woke up under the shade of a giant tree, probably an oak because of the acorn that fell on her.

"Can't remember hearing of a tree like that before. And what with this weird-ass statue? It doesn't seem to represent anyone I know. Is it an ancient sacred tree or something?"

The statue depicts a hooded angel-like being with both of its wings surrounding it. It is holding a stone sphere. However, it seems like it wasn't maintained for a long time, as it is in ruins.

In the distance, she sees the walls of a city. With nothing to lose, she decides to go and see.

"Maybe I'll find someone to tell me where the hell I am."

After a few hours of walking, the knight arrives near the city. It is a fortified city with tall stone walls. It is located on an island in the middle of a lake, and the only way to access it is a stone bridge.

As she approaches the gates, a guard greets her.

"Welcome to Mondstadt, strange yet respectable guest! Please state your identity and intended destination. The Knights of Favonius are here to ensure your safety."

'Mondstadt? It sounds either Burgundian or Saxon, I'd say. However, I never heard of such a knight order, must be a bunch of small fry.'

"I am Mordred, a Knight of the Round Table. I came here because I'm lost."

"I can't say I ever heard of the Round Table. Anyway, welcome. I am Swan of the Order of Favonius. If you're tired, go have some of Mondstadt's famous wine at a tavern called 'Angel's Share'. If you want a map, the Adventurer's Guild should be able to help you."

"I see. Thanks for the tip, pal. I'll go check it now." She enters the city, thinking about what the guard said. 'He never heard of the round table? It means I'm either in a backwater place or really far from Camelot. The second possibility is more likely, but I guess I'll look at a map and see.'

As she enters the city, she can see the cheerful atmosphere, showing the prosperity of this city. It surprises her because she never heard of this place before, when a city like this should have been famous enough that she would have known it. Finding the place the guard told her about, she approaches the counter and is greeted by a dark-haired lady.

"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild. I am Katheryne, the receptionist here. How can I help you?"

"Why are you talking to me in Latin out of nowhere? More importantly, that guy at the entrance said you could give me a map. Is it true?"

"Latin? Is it the name of a language? Regarding the map, the answer is yes. A map is provided to every new adventurer along with the Adventurer's Handbook. Would you like to register as an adventurer?"

"I wondered since I heard the name of the place, but what do you call an adventurer? And what does registering as one imply?"

"The Guild collates all the complex word-of-mouth information it receives and redistributes it in the form of quests and adventures assigned to adventurers. An adventurer takes requests from the guild and is rewarded if the mission is successfully accomplished. Quests involve jobs ranging from finding kittens to exploring domains. The only rules to follow are to not attack citizens or other adventurers without having been assaulted first and to keep the privacy of your client."

"If it's just that, I guess I can register. But does it cost anything? I don't believe I have local money; I only have some denarii."

"Denarii? You surely use unusual terms. However, no, registering as an adventurer won't cost you any mora."

"Then let's do it. My name's Mordred. Can I get the map now?"

"Surely, here are your map and your adventurer's hanbook." As she says that, she hands both items to Mordred, who looks at the map, dumbfounded.

'Where the hell am I?! The Earth doesn't look like that at all! And what with those countries? Only seven of them, and they share the name with their capiltal? Talk about creativity.'

"Sir Mordred, is everything alright? You seem in a daze."

"Huh? Ah, yeah, don't worry about it. Anyway, can I get one of those jobs you talked about? One where I can kill monsters or stuff would be welcome."

'Having no money would only spell trouble; if I just need to kill a few things to get some, it'll be easy.'

"I can offer you a Hilichurl extermination; a half-dozen of them made a camp not far from the city. The reward would be 15,000 mora."

'I don't know if I'm being scammed, but it's not like I have a choice.'

"I'll take it."

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First chapter I ever wrote in my life. I hope you liked it, and if you have any advice, I invite you to give it, it would be really useful to me.