"What does curiosity give us?" The man on the upper floor of this study was shrouded in darkness and malice. His voice was so powerful it caused every cell in my body to tremble. I looked back at my coworker. He was in shock. "Please, take your time." The shrouded figure stated sarcastically.
"No, sir!" My coworker stuttered.
The shrouded figure sighed. "Curiosity has brought man many things—the discovery of fire, for instance. Man benefitted greatly from the power fire granted to them. However—" In an instant, the shrouded figure disappeared.
As he disappeared, I heard the sound of someone slamming against the wall. I turned my head slowly and saw my coworker sprawled out on the floor. Blood gushed from the hole in his abdomen.
"—fire also brought destruction to the weak who couldn't defend themselves against it." His voice came from behind me. I froze, every muscle wanted to sprint me out of that study, but my mind couldn't give the signal to run. It was as if I froze in place or something. However, I was still aware of what was happening.
"For those who are weak, is it not better for them to know their place? They don't deserve to wield the flame. The strong shall foster this power and rule over their lessers. Wouldn't you agree, Joshua?" His words etched into my heart an absolute truth. 'I am weak.' The thought permeated my mind.
"Yessir, I agree." My voice was calm. A quiet peace settled over my heart and mind. "Something has changed within me—" As I spoke the words aloud, he chuckled behind me.
"You're at peace now that you know your role within my society. Now, clean this filth up." He appeared at the top level of the study again. "Oh, and Joshua, please don't become too curious."
///
"So, where are we headed first?" The party was loading their camping supplies into the wagon. It was amazing how efficient they were as a team. Each of them performed their tasks like clockwork. "We are off to get you a mana core!" Franky chirped.
I scratched my head. "Yes, of course!" I helped load a rolled-up tent into the wagon. I paused for a moment after I set the tent down. "Wait, where can we find one of those?" This world was quite mysterious to me. "I don't know much given the fact my system isn't helpful."
"We are going to the great city of Faendel! Many shopkeepers possess the materials we require." Franky replied. Lana startled me by setting her hand on my shoulder. "We should get there by this evening. Oh, and we were headed there regardless." She answered my worries. "Good, I thought I was a burden."
I ignored that snide comment and looked at Lana. "So, how much will I owe you guys for this?" I felt guilt for just joining their party, even though they made the offer. Lana blushed, and a tiny smile painted her expression. "We would be honored by your companionship only. After all, 'Newcomers' are quite an asset to adventurer parties." I had forgotten that piece of information.
"Thank you. I appreciate your straightforwardness about this. You've been a great help!" I flashed a grin at her, and she nodded. "Let's get going then!" She motioned me into the back of the wagon. "You can ride in here for now. Have you ever ridden a horse?" I shuttered at the thought. 'Of course, I'll have to ride a horse sometime. It's only natural."
She smiled at my troubled expression. "Don't worry. It's easier than it looks." Her words did nothing to quell my anxiety, but I nodded my head. "Off to Faendel, I suppose." I muttered.
///
The journey was uneventful besides the occasional smell of horse shit that stuck to the wagon wheels. 'I will never get used to this.' I thought.
"Finally, we're here!" The elf healer exclaimed. I craned my neck to peer through the opening at the front of the wagon. The city was massive, with equally as impressive walls surrounding it. It had to have been the prettiest city I had ever seen. It was almost dusk, so the city had an ethereal glow as the sunset behind it.
"Wow, that's beautiful!" Lana giggled at my childlike wonder. "Indeed, it never gets old either." She adjusted herself in her saddle. "It is also my home." She added as we approached the gates.
A guard appeared above the gate and waved. "Hello, travelers—" He quickly took a knee and bowed, slamming his helmet on the guard railing. He winced as he stammered to find his words. "Welcome home, lady knight!" Lana blushed at the attention. "At ease." She griped.
'I guess she doesn't seem the type to want this type of attention.' I thought.
Franky chuckled and muttered something to himself. It was in that weird Latin-sounding language. "What language is that, Franky?" Franky glanced back at me in a confused manner. "It's a language the 'Newcomers' brought with them. I believe it was called Latin." My heart sank. 'Could it be possible that people from Roman times were Isekai'd as well? Maybe they were some stuck-up Harvard grad wannabees?' I nodded, satisfied with my conclusion. The thought of some dumb larping college grads made me chuckle.
As they rode through the gate, many strange smells struck me. The smell of food and animal shit were the two main culprits. "Ugh, medieval cities smell awful." I pinched my nose.
"You get used to it." Ferin laughed at my discomfort. "Well, maybe after a few months." My stomach churned at the thought.
'Month's of this smell is going to kill me.' It was now that I began to feel worse about reincarnation.
"Just stay with us, and we will get in and out fast!" Franky reassured.
"Asshole." I muttered.