We passed through villages and beautiful sceneries.
The ride had been mostly quiet. The wheels of the carriage clattered against stone, echoing faintly as we moved closer to the capital
I sat awkwardly, still in the same tattered black shirt and pants I'd worn for… I don't even know how long. They were stiff with dried blood, monster guts, and weeks of dirt.
Lana sat across from me, legs crossed, her gaze flicking between the city passing outside and me. She wrinkled her nose.
"You really need a bath," she said.
"Not surprised," I muttered, glancing down at myself. "I think my clothes are trying to leave my body on their own."
She gave a small laugh, then pointed at my waist. "And what's that? A stick?"
I patted it—my trusted weapon, jammed through my belt like some prized relic. "Spear."
She gave me a skeptical look. "It's not even sharpened."
"It's killed over a hundred monsters," I said, serious.
That made her pause. Her eyebrows rose. "…That stick?"
I shrugged. "It works. Probably better than whatever fancy sword those knights carry."
A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "You're strange."
"You kidnapped me."
"I escorted you," she corrected, feigning offense.
The carriage passed through a massive stone gate and into the Capital proper. It was louder here—voices, clanging metal, the smell of baked bread and horse dung mixing in the air.
Tall buildings framed the streets, all white stone and blue-tiled roofs. Banners fluttered in the wind, marked with symbols I didn't recognize.
We didn't stop. The carriage kept going, winding up a road that curved toward a smaller hill on the eastern side of the city.
Eventually, we arrived at a modest royal hall—still grand, but not overwhelming. Elegant pillars, trimmed hedges, and soldiers standing guard at the entrance.
The carriage came to a halt.
"You'll be staying here," Lana said as the door opened. "There'll be an investigation… but nothing harsh. Just questions."
I looked up at the place. It was better than sleeping under a half-collapsed rock with a blood-soaked cloak.
"And a bath," she added quickly, covering her nose again. "Please. For the sake of everyone."
I stepped down, boots hitting the polished stone of the royal courtyard. Guards stood at attention near the tall doors of the hall, but no one said a word to me.
Lana moved ahead, speaking quietly to one of the servants. After a nod, the man turned to me.
"This way, sir. A bath has been prepared."
I didn't argue. After everything I'd been through, water that wasn't murky, freezing, or full of blood sounded like a miracle.
I followed him through a side entrance, clutching the small green stones in my pockets and keeping my spear tucked at my belt. It had survived everything with me—I wasn't letting it go now.
The servant led me to a quiet chamber. Steam drifted in from behind a wooden screen, and a fresh set of clothes waited on a low table.
He bowed and left.
Finally alone, I let out a breath and stripped off the filthy black clothes.
Warm water. Clean clothes. A solid floor under my feet.
The water was warm. My arms floated. For once, I wasn't sore, bleeding, or starving.
It should've felt good.
(Hey. What are you doing?)
(Are you insane? We just talked about you not doing dumb stuff!)
(I don't have a choice. Something… something's telling me. This portal—it won't stop. Not unless I do something.)
(Then promise me.)
(I will.)
(No. Out loud.)
(I promise I'll come back.)
The silence after those words rang louder than the memory itself.
I sat there, staring at nothing. The steam, the heat—it all faded to the edges.
She was still there. In that world. Waiting. Maybe hoping.
And I was here.
Safe. Resting. Forgetting.
I let out a breath, slow and tight. My hands trembled under the water.
What the hell am I doing?
I promised her.
I said I'd come back.
I need to find a way. No matter where I am. No matter how long it takes.
I'm not leaving her behind.
I stood, water dripping to the stone floor, steam clinging to my skin.
The air was cool, but I barely felt it.
On a table nearby—clean clothes. A dark tunic, rough trousers, a leather belt, and worn boots.
Simple. Travel-ready. Nothing fancy.
I dressed quickly. The tunic fit well, snug at the shoulders. The boots were sturdy enough to go far.
A knock came at the door.
I stepped over, still tightening the belt around my tunic. "Yeah?"
A soft voice answered, "The princess is waiting for you, my lord."
My lord?
I opened the door to see a young servant bowing quickly before hurrying off down the hall.
Right.
I followed.
The corridor outside was wide and sunlit, lined with stone columns and red banners. At the far end, near a pair of tall double doors, Princess Lana stood with a practiced grace—chin lifted, hands folded. Regal as ever.
When she saw me, her eyes widened just slightly.
"You are…" She paused, then gave a soft smile. "Surprisingly presentable."
I gave her a look. "That's your royal way of saying I look good?"
She straightened, voice shifting into a more polished tone. "You appear commendably well, given the circumstances. Quite dashing, in fact."
"…Right." I tilted my head. "What's with the sudden shift in speech?"
She exhaled through her nose, almost like a laugh. "I must speak like this when others are listening. It's expected of a princess."
"Sounds exhausting."
"You get used to it."
She turned, heading toward the tall doors behind her. "Come. The Royal Magisters are waiting."
"For questions, or tests?" I asked, falling in step beside her.
"Both," she said. "This is the capital. Strangers don't just show up out of nowhere, especially not ones who… do what you did."
"So I'm a suspicious anomaly."
"A dangerous one," she said lightly. "Until proven otherwise."
I glanced at her. "And you're still walking next to me?"
She didn't smile. "I have knights nearby."
Fair enough.
We reached the doors. She paused, her tone softening. "They won't hurt you—unless you give them a reason. Just answer what you can. Let the tests run their course."
I nodded once. "Let's get it over with."
The doors opened.
Inside was a high-ceilinged chamber glowing with quiet magic. Runes shimmered on the floor. A few books hovered in the air, slowly turning pages. Five mages stood waiting, eyes sharp, robes layered in deep greens and silvers.
Lana stepped back, her role done.
Time to meet the welcoming committee.
I slowly entered the room.
A younger mage—narrow face, sharp robes—gestured toward the center of a glowing circle. "Stand there."
I did.
The runes lit up under my boots, pulsing once, then fading.
Another mage raised a floating crystal. It drifted toward me, hovering just in front of my chest.
Silence.
The crystal dimmed, then dropped to the floor with a soft clink.
"…That's odd," the younger one muttered.
The older woman, clearly the leader, stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "Again."
They ran another scan. This time with incantations in a language that buzzed under my skin. Another stone, another rune flare.
Nothing.
One of them flipped through a book midair, muttering to himself. "No mana signature. No aura. No divine mark. Nothing."
"He's… inert," another said. "Like an empty shell."
A third mage tapped their chin. "Yet the report said he crushed a serpent with a punch?"
I raised a hand. "Still here. Can hear all of this."
None of them looked apologetic.
The leader finally addressed me directly. "You have no magic. No trace of spellwork. No innate energy. And yet you're standing in front of us, fully alive, completely stable… and you killed a serpent with one blow."
I shrugged. "Maybe I'm just built different."
She didn't smile. "That's not funny."
I didn't think it was either.
Silence pressed in.
The lead mage stepped forward, her gaze cool and unreadable. "You have no aura. No mana. No divine trace. So I'll ask plainly…"
"Where did you come from?"
I looked at her.
A thousand images rushed through me—mist, monsters, blood, the Eye. A promise whispered beneath rubble.
But I didn't even know what that place was.
A prison? A mistake? A grave?
I swallowed, voice low.
"I don't even know myself."
That gave them pause.
One of the mages narrowed his eyes. Another tilted her head, studying me like a puzzle with too many missing pieces.
But none of them spoke.