Chapter 1: Good luck on your Journey

The sun's rays hit my eyelids through the window, creating a magnifying glass effect. The heat and light become unbearable, so I decide to wake up. After looking around at my surroundings, I yawn and wonder what to do.

As I head downstairs, I see someone cooking in the kitchen. He is a young boy, around 14 years old, with Asian features, or so I think. His sleek short hair is covered by a grey hood, and he has bright, lifeless white eyes. He notices me and says, "Good morning! Eat breakfast before going for a jog," with a warm smile, though it seems a bit sinister in some ways. I playfully respond, "Man, if you were a girl, it would be way cooler." He gives a sarcastic remark, "Too bad that we're the only children in this village." I continue my joke, "I hope I can meet a girl so she can take care of me instead of you!" He replies, "Too bad that you will always be unlucky with women." Annoyed by his remark, I ask with a fierce tone, "Want to brawl it out?" I am now annoyed that he is jinxing me. "Oh? You have fallen with so little taunting?" he says with a smug tone. I proceed to throw a punch, but he dodges. "Bruh, how?" I ask with a disappointed look on my face. "You're slow," he says with a nostalgic look in his eyes, as if I triggered a memory of his. "All right," I compose myself and sit at the table.

"So, what's for breakfast?" I ask the black-haired goof. "Potatoes and eggs," he quickly responds, placing the plate in front of me and adding the necessary cutlery.

"Man, how are you able to dish out these delicacies? Are you secretly a girl?" I ask curiously to the white-eyed boy. He responds, "You don't need to be female to make good food. After all, I have been cooking since I was 4," with nostalgia in his eyes. I am amazed and respond, "You have been cooking for 10 years? Dang, that's insane!" He then takes the plates and cutlery and starts washing them. "If you dedicate yourself to something for 10 years, you will become good at it," he says. "Got it, effort always pays off," I respond, wholeheartedly agreeing. To succeed at something, you need to put in effort, even if you're talented. Hard work will always surpass natural talent.

After some time, I get up and start heading out of the house. "Take care," he says. I pause and realize the dark truth: he is a burglar! "How did you enter? I never gave you the key," I say, and then it dawns on me. "I asked the chief to give me a spare key to your house. After all, I'm your guardian," he remarks with pride in his words. "Aren't we the same age?" I ask curiously, wondering how he became my legal guardian when we're the same age. "You forgot? Well, it isn't that surprising. Anyway, I'm the first one to have found you in that forest, the first one to have approached you, and so on," he says with a nostalgic tone and nostalgia in his eyes. "Right," I remark after remembering how I came to this world.

Five years ago... I was extremely bored, browsing on the family home computer, doing normal stuff, when a pop-up appeared, asking, "What would you do if you were transported to a world where magic exists in the medieval period?" It had two options: "Accept" and "Refuse." Honestly, I thought it was some sort of game or online quiz. After clicking "Accept," everything became bright, and then I felt transported. I was met with an orb of light that spoke with an androgynous voice, "Young boy from another world, you will arrive in a world of swords and magic. The land's name is Tresacre. Now, choose any type of power you would like." Excited by the idea of becoming a hero, I said, "I want the power of..." and that's where my memory falls short.

After that encounter, I woke up in a forest, realising what had just happened and that it wasn't a dream. I met reality. A bear attacked me and nearly bit off my arm. I was crying, begging for someone or something to help me, and then, a young boy around my age arrived. He was wielding a blade that looked like a katana and swiftly killed the bear, healing my injuries. I thanked him, but he responded with some weird noises. I had my second realisation—I couldn't understand anything he said. The boy understood this and used hand signals, pointing in a direction and making a sleeping sign. I followed him like a duckling, and we entered a cheery village with plenty of people—women, elders, and young people. Some people who looked like hunters approached the boy, and they talked about something. I hid behind him, scared that they might make me a slave. It was a moment where I felt powerless and met true despair. Luckily, things improved quickly after that.

The boy tutored me, teaching me the language and daily life. Now, I am fluent in the general language, similar to English in our world.

"Hey, don't dilly-dally in the middle of the door," I hear a voice say. I quickly look around and notice my friend's annoyed face. It seems that I was lost in my thoughts. Oh well. "Oh, sorry. I was dreaming about a girl hugging me, my lovely wife," I say with pride in my voice. "You are so lonely that you resort to delusion. How hopeless," says the guy with sleek, short black hair and a smug face. I am now infuriated by his remark and storm out of my own house.

After running a couple of laps around the village, I met a young woman in her 20s. "Hello there," says the young female with amethyst hair and orange eyes. "Oh, hello Adele. What has brought you here?" I ask her. "Well, well, it's that time of the month," she says happily. My eyes shine with brightness. "What have you brought? Show me!" I say with excitement. She replies, "Calm down," turns around, and takes out a sword. "You always wanted to wield a sword. A friend of mine gifted me this, but sadly, I use bows." "That means this is for me?" I interrupt her words. "Yes," she gives a firm response, a bit disappointed that she couldn't tell the full story, but happy once she sees my warm smile.

We part ways, and I return to my house. The goof isn't there, so I take off my clothes and head to the shower. After having a cold shower that shocks my body and tempers my skin, I feel stronger and capable of running longer than weeks ago. "Effort always pays," I say to myself before admiring the blade that Adele gave me. I sheathe it and see myself reflected in it. After touching it, I can tell it's made of metal and not a fake training sword. With this, I can become a true swordmaster. I then proceed to swing it a few times. It feels a bit heavier than the blades I've used for training, but it fits nicely in my hand.

Then, I hear knocking. I open the door and see an old man with slicked-back white hair. He is tall with muscles showing dominance and immeasurable scars showing his battle experience. His deep golden eyes emanate the aura of a lifetime of opportunities and trials he faced. "Young man," he says with a deep voice. "I heard you are planning to leave this village that has nurtured you for the past 5 years." I respond with firm belief, "Yes, I plan to explore the world and become stronger. Ivyndor will always be my true home!" I shout. "Very well, but I cannot let you go alone," he says. My heart races, thinking I'll have a companion. Please let it be Adele, I silently pray. "Who will be my companion?" I ask. "You already know who it is," he replies. Adele! "The one who has always been with you, Kurashi," and just like that, the goof with black hair and white eyes appears from the chief's back. "Fuck," I say, then cover my mouth. "Are you unsatisfied with my choice?" he says, emitting a powerful pressure, as if I offended a monarch. "Naluto, don't worry. Hope expected a beautiful girl to be his companion, like Adele, so he is disappointed it's me, his old and best friend!" he said with a smug voice. He reads my face and thoughts as if I were an open book. "Y-Yeah, it's what Kurashi is saying," I quickly say with tears in my eyes. "I see. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we only have little girls or women in this village," he says like a father.

After some talking, he tells us to leave tomorrow morning, just before sunrise. Of course, the goof said he would wake me up. Man, it's annoying when it's just a guy and not a cute girl! I sigh to myself. After that encounter, Kurashi cooks dinner, and I eat it with him.

"Wake up," says a voice. I quickly snooze the alarm but instead, I hit something soft. Then, my face is hit by a powerful slap. It was so powerful that I woke up. As I open my eyes, I see an embarrassed Adele. "What the..." I say before getting stopped by her. "Morning, Hope," she says. Kurashi also approaches me and asks, "How was it, Adele?" She replies, "Kurashi, can you wake him up in the future?" with an angry tone in her voice. I then realize what I have touched. LET'S GOOOOOO! I say to myself. "How was it? Being woken up by a girl?" he asks. "Fantastic!" I immediately respond. "Hope, what were you trying to touch?" asks a slightly embarrassed Adele. "My alarm," I respond. "What's that?" they both ask. "It's something that makes noise at a certain time. Basically, it wakes one up," I explain, trying to be clear and concise. "Oh, I see," says Kurashi. "Do you know how to make one?" asks Adele, eager to have found something to sell. "Sorry, I don't know," I respond. She gets a bit sad. "Anyway, do you want juice or Noren?" I ask. "A nice cup of hot Noren would do," says Adele with a smile on her face. "I want some juice," I respond. What's Noren? It's a liquid like coffee, a tea made with Noren berries.

After finishing our drinks, we head out and see the chief waiting for us on the road that leads out of the village. "So, you have finally woken up," says Chief Naluto. "Yes, sir! I got woken up by Adele," I say with the utmost respect. "Good, thanks, Adele, for accompanying these two," he says to Adele with deep gratitude. "It's my pleasure. The items I bought were sold like hotcakes!" she says with laughter. "Kurashi, please watch over him," he says to the goof. "Don't worry. I've been watching over him ever since I found him," he says with a smile that I see as sinister. "Good luck on your journey. May the Creator and her four children bless your travel," says the chief, and then a gust of wind hits us. It's chilly but wakes me up completely.

We hop on the carriage, and Adele takes the reins. We talk a bit and admire the changing scenery.

By evening, we have booked two rooms in a nearby inn. Sadly, I can't sleep with Adele, but I have to sleep with my stinky friend. After having dinner, I head to bed and fall asleep.

"Reporting here, the child has finally left the village," says an androgynous voice, a voice that Hope can't hear. "No, I'm alone. Yes, it's my mission. No, I don't need more help. I just need the medicines," continues the voice while Hope peacefully sleeps.