Chapter 72

—I swore…? Swore what…?

Slowly, I opened my eyes and sat up. Moving my heavy head, I surveyed my surroundings.

“Where am I…?”

It was a place I didn’t recognize. A narrow wooden room containing only the bare minimum of furniture. There was a single window left wide open, allowing a cool breeze to drift inside. It was simple, yet a calming room—or so I thought.

A man sat in a chair, which was among those few pieces of furniture. He was a man with a fearless countenance. His name was surely—Palinchron.

My savior, Palinchron Legacy.

“—Oh. You’re awake, Kanami. Perfect timing; your sister just woke up, too. I’ll show you to her.”

Seeing me wake, Palinchron closed the book he was holding. He gave my shoulder a friendly pat before heading out of the room.

He told me he would lead the way, and I tried to follow him—but my body stiffened. I felt as if something important was mismatched, and my limbs wouldn’t move quite right.

It was like faulty wiring.

As if a doll’s arms and legs had been swapped.

An unpleasant, bizarre discrepancy.

—Something was wrong.

However, alongside that clinging sense of wrongness, I also felt a refreshing sense of liberation. It was a sensation as if a gaping hole had been hollowed out in my heart. Thanks to that, I felt as though my body had become lighter.

“Kanami, come on, hurry up!”

“Eh… Ah, right! I’m coming, Palinchron!”

At Palinchron’s urging voice, all those doubts vanished. First, I felt the obligation that I “must follow Palinchron, my savior,” and without thinking too deeply, I left the room.

I looked down the hallway and realized where I was. This was the headquarters of the guild, “Epic Seeker.” The room from a moment ago was the guild’s infirmary. I found it strange that I hadn’t realized that when I first woke up.

Still, I couldn’t spend all my time being puzzled. I walked down the corridor that I should have known well, yet felt strangely brand new. As I walked, I confirmed that I wasn’t in top form. I felt languid and dreamy, as if I had been asleep for days.

Shaking my head repeatedly, I followed behind Palinchron. We moved down the hall, went up the stairs, and reached a certain room. Palinchron stopped in front of the door and prompted me to enter.

Following his lead, I opened the door.

This room was wider than the infirmary, and a refreshing breeze was fluttering through it. At a glance, it was about five times the size. Massive bookshelves lined the walls, giving the room an intellectual impression. At the far end sat a large bed. A girl sat on that bed, looking out the window while feeling the wind sway the curtains.

She was a black-haired girl with bandages wrapped around her eyes.

Ah, that’s right. This girl was the one—the one from that oath—

“Your sister, Maria, is safe too. Good for you, Kanami.”

From behind me, I heard Palinchron’s voice.

“Sister”—?

…That’s right. She was my sister. More precious than anything, someone I had to protect even at the cost of my life. The sister I was entrusted with by our late mother; her name was… Maria.

My head throbbed with pain.

“Ah, yeah… Thank goodness. Maria was safe, too.”

“It was a huge fire, but everyone was saved. Not a single person was killed or injured.”

My drowsy consciousness gradually awakened. At the same time, the events of this alternate world came back to me one after another.

Maria and I were caught in a great fire and saved by Palinchron. This was the second time Palinchron had saved us. The first time was when we siblings first wandered into this world and he saved us in the Labyrinth. This time, being saved from the great fire in the city made it the second.

I certainly remembered the sight of the house burning. I could recall it. However, it was surprising that there were no casualties. I felt… like there had been one or two deaths.

“—Brother? Did you come for me?”

Maria noticed our arrival and turned her face toward us.

“Yeah, it’s me. You seem okay, Maria.”

“No, well, I suppose I’m okay, but…”

Maria and I exchanged words. As we did, I was enveloped in a sense of relief. It was an unnervingly deep sense of peace.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m not injured, but… for some reason, my head hurts…”

So saying, Maria placed a hand to her head. However, that was a common occurrence. My sister had been frail since childhood and had spent a long time in the hospital. It seemed that hadn’t changed even after coming to this alternate world. If anything, it might have worsened due to the sudden change in environment.

Just then, my eyes fell upon an accessory on Maria’s arm.

A bracelet.

This was something Palinchron had prepared for us “Outsiders” to solve our difficulties. As long as we wore these, Maria and I could adapt to the environment of this world and would have no trouble with the language. Apparently, they also had the effect of stabilizing our mana, which tended to go berserk.

Two of them, one for me and one for Maria. Palinchron wouldn’t tell me the price even when I asked, but they certainly couldn’t have been cheap.

Looking at the bracelets, I felt that I had to work harder for Maria’s sake and to repay my debt to Palinchron. I renewed that resolve.

“Maria. If your head hurts, you should rest a bit longer.”

I approached Maria, stroked her head, and laid her back down on the bed.

“Yes… Thank you, brother…”

Maria’s cheeks flushed red, and she lay down as I told her. As I thought, she didn’t seem to be in great shape. She looked as though she had a fever. It seemed her chronic tendency to run a fever hadn’t changed from the old days.

Holding her hand, I worried for her health. As I did, Palinchron interjected from behind.

“Is that enough of the heartwarming sibling love? We have a lot to do today.”

“Things to do?”

“Yeah. Today was supposed to be the day you joined the guild ‘Epic Seeker,’ wasn’t it? I almost forgot because of the fire, but since you seem to be in one piece, we’ll go ahead with it. The guild members are waiting, so no postponing.”

“Ah, right… That was the case.”

I remembered once more.

I had to earn money for the medical expenses of Maria, who was right in front of me. To that end, Palinchron had introduced me to a job.

That job was with the guild “Epic Seeker.”

It was a position within a legitimate guild descended from the lineage of Lauravia, one of the Allied Nations. Apparently, with my abilities, I was capable of becoming a member.

“That’s right. Brother, you were going to join the guild, weren’t you?”

Maria asked for confirmation, as if she, too, had only just remembered. Palinchron answered her with an air of triumph.

“Yeah. You two need to earn a decent living in this world. I figured the best way to handle that was to have you join my guild. A solid income is guaranteed, and you’ll expand your connections. Above all, coming under the protection of Lauravia is a good deal for you both. It’s the ideal setup for treating Maria at a steady pace, right?”

He was right.

When I had told him I wanted to repay my debt, Palinchron had hesitated before introducing me to the guild. At first, I refused, arguing that joining wouldn’t count as repaying a debt, but Palinchron kept pushing the idea until I finally accepted. Apparently, he wanted me to settle the score through the work I did for the guild.

That was the memory I held.

“Thank you, Palinchron. With this, I’ll be able to survive in this world.”

“It’s too early for thanks, you know? You still have to take the entrance exam. Just because it’s you, Kanami, doesn’t mean you get in for free. If you don’t pass the test, the whole deal is off.”

“Of course. Feel free to judge me strictly.”

Palinchron replied with a threatening edge, but it was exactly what I wanted. I let strength surge through my body and declared my resolve. Seeing that, Palinchron smirked, said “This way,” and started to lead me out. After bidding Maria farewell, I headed off to take the exam for Epic Seeker.

The training ground for Epic Seeker was a circular space covered in soft sand. The walls were made of stone, and the ceiling was open to the sky.

The grounds, roughly the size of a school sports field, were filled with the members of Epic Seeker. There were about thirty guild members in total, a mix of men and women, young and old. Some carried massive swords larger than themselves, while others wore nothing but tattered robes and held thin staves that looked ready to snap.

With all thirty pairs of eyes fixed solely on me, I stood beside Palinchron, a cold sweat continuously trickling down my skin. Palinchron confirmed that everyone had gathered and, after a brief greeting, brought me forward in front of the group.

“Go ahead, Kanami. Introduce yourself.”

“Uh, um… My name is Kanami Aikawa. I’m a Level 14 mage with a frost affinity. I also use a sword, more or less. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

As instructed, I introduced myself loudly enough for everyone to hear. The reactions from the guild members varied. Some listened intently, while others simply let the words drift by. However, many of their faces lit up when they heard my level.

“Level 14 at that age? Palinchron’s gone and snatched up another strangely talented kid.”

“He’s quite polite. And he has a handsome face. Though that burn scar on his neck is a bit of a shame, isn’t it?”

“A mage who uses a sword, huh? Hmm, it’ll be a problem if he’s just mediocre at both.”

They each voiced their evaluations of me as they pleased. Then, they began to huddle with those nearby to discuss me further.

It wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling. I felt like a sideshow attraction and wished it would all just end quickly. As I scanned the reactions of those around me, I noticed one person reacting in a particularly unusual way.

She was a girl with long hair that billowed like ripples on the sea. Small horns peeking out from that beautiful hair proved she was a demi-human. Beneath her thick, folk-style clothing, a reptilian tail emerged, leaving no room for doubt.

“Eh…? Christ?”

The demi-human girl stood there with her mouth agape, staring at me in a daze. Then, she muttered the name “Christ.”

I was startled. I hadn’t expected to hear that word in this alternate world. For a fleeting moment, I hoped she might be a fellow countryman. However, the horns growing from her head immediately dispelled that hope. I wondered if it was a common name in this world. Or perhaps I simply resembled someone who went by that name.

“Ah, Snow. Come over here.”

Palinchron called the demi-human girl “Snow” and beckoned her over. Leaving me with a short “Go ahead and greet the guild members,” he moved off into the distance with Snow to talk.

Palinchron was one of the top leaders of this guild. Perhaps there was some official business to discuss.

“—Hey, Kanami. Looking forward to working with you.”

As I watched the two of them walk away, one of the members called out to me.

“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I replied as friendlily as possible. With that as the trigger, the guild members began to approach me one after another.

“Nice to meet you, Kanami. I’m Teiri; I’m a party leader.”

“Hey, don’t try to get a head start. Kid, I’ll teach you the sword later. Quit that magic stuff. And then, join my party.”

“Now, now. Don’t go trying to turn a mana-user into a meathead on purpose…”

“Nice to meet you, Kanami!”

A stern-faced mage, a giant swordsman, and people in almost comical outfits surrounded me. Even though I knew this was another world, having them crowd so close was a little intimidating.

“Ahaha. It’s a pleasure…”

I replied with a social smile, slightly worried that my face was twitching.

“Alright, alright, alright! That’s enough out of you lot!”

As I was deepening my interactions with the members, Palinchron clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention. His conversation with the girl named Snow seemed to have ended. She was sitting alone in the shade in the distance, resting.

If possible, I wanted to go greet her as well. Part of it was her striking beauty… but for some reason, I felt that talking to that girl was important.

“Kanami’s entrance exam isn’t over yet, you know? You’re all getting ahead of yourselves.”

Palinchron began to talk about the exam. I pushed the girl from my thoughts and sharpened my focus. For Maria’s sake, I absolutely could not afford to fail this test.

“Hey, Palinchron. Nobody you’ve brought in has ever failed, right? Just skip the exam and give the kid to my party already.”

The giant swordsman shouted. From his posture and the way he spoke, he seemed to hold a position of some authority. Above all, his scar-covered body made it clear he was no ordinary man.

“No, no, we don’t know that yet, do we? Anyway, I have a major announcement, so how about we quiet down?”

Palinchron didn’t let them break his pace. However, the heckling didn’t stop. I had imagined a state-run organization would have a more rigid atmosphere, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The air was quite casual.

“Just get on with it already. …Though, I’m taking that boy for my party anyway!”

A woman holding a staff smiled at me. Apparently, they were arguing over which group I would belong to. However, Palinchron ignored the entire flow of the conversation and made his declaration.

“—I’m sorry to say, but Kanami won’t be joining anyone’s party.”

He stated it flatly. Hearing that, the guild members began to buzz. Everyone turned their gaze toward Palinchron, demanding an explanation. Even so, Palinchron didn’t lose his composure. He answered them with an amused expression.

“That’s because Kanami is going to become the Guild Master of Epic Seeker.”

It was a concise, yet utterly outrageous reason. It took me several seconds to process the meaning of his words. The guild members were the same; they couldn’t immediately swallow what Palinchron was saying.

After a few seconds of silence, the training ground was engulfed in cries of shock.