"Alright, we're going to play hide and seek. How about that, little Takagi?" said Grandpa.
"Yes, Grandpa! You start counting, and I'll hide," said six-year-old Takagi.
"1... 2... 3... 4..."
Takagi heard the numbers being counted and sprinted out of the room. He always managed to get lost in his grandpa's house, so there was plenty of room to hide. As he ran from hall to hall, passing numerous rooms, he thought, "Grandpa's house is big. There's no way he could find me fast." He found himself on the second floor and looked down the stairs, considering whether to find a spot downstairs. However, with Grandpa nearing 25 in his counting, he thought it probably wouldn't be a good idea.
Takagi continued to sprint until he stumbled upon a room with the door slightly open. He went inside and started searching for a place to hide. However, he got distracted by what appeared to be a large study room or office. He looked at the huge bookshelf on his left. Takagi wasn't the best reader, but he could read well enough. He noticed books like "Elves, Kingdoms, and Myths," "The Great Dragon Quest," "Alfheim," "The Great Book of Lore," "Fairies Are Real," and many more. Those books seemed to be in the genre his grandpa liked, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. Takagi then noticed framed photographs of his grandfather on the same wall. In one, his grandpa was in a place that didn't look like Japan—maybe Europe? His grandpa did mention that he traveled a lot. In another photo, he was in a forest, leaning against a giant tree, and in the next one, he was holding a box of white paper.
Takagi was so distracted by the portraits that he didn't notice an object in front of him. As a result, he crashed into a chair and fell to the ground, feeling pain in his rear. "Ow!" he screeched, getting up and removing the chair. He climbed on top of it to get a better view of the object on the desk.
"Drasil: A World of Mystery," he read. It was a book. He opened the first page, and it seemed to glow. Even at six years old, he could tell it was made of expensive paper. Skimming through the pages, he managed to read only the bold words that caught his attention: Alfall, Fanderfall, Okadio, and a couple more that he struggled to pronounce. Then, he reached an empty page, realizing it was a book his grandpa was working on and hadn't finished.
"Takagi! What are you doing in my office? This place is off-limits! You're not allowed to come in here!" screamed Takagi's grandfather, rushing into the room to find his grandson there.
Takagi felt the spanking his grandfather gave him afterward in the dojo. The sensation of the old man beating some sense into him woke him up. He found himself shaking from fear. Looking around, he remembered that he had been transported to another world. It had all been a dream, but the only memory he had was of his grandpa beating him in the dojo, which terrified him. He was still next to the log where he had been sitting last night, without a blanket or anything to offer warmth, not even a pillow.
"This world sucks, man," he whispered frustratedly.
The fire had kept him warm during the night, but now that it had gone out, the cold morning air made him shiver. Only smoke emerged from the pit. Takagi hugged himself, trying to generate some warmth. The only other person around was Mina, who was perched on a log. "Perhaps she fell asleep in that awkward position by accident," thought Takagi. Suddenly, he felt small steps in his head, and a large centipede appeared in front of his eyes.
"Ahh!" Takagi let out a loud, unmasculine scream and threw it to the ground.
"Haha, what's the matter? That's why we sleep sitting up, genius," laughed Mina, waking up after hearing Takagi's childish scream.
"Real funny. Where is everyone?" asked Takagi.
"Heads up! Right behind you!" shouted a voice from the distance, which Takagi recognized as Buluni's. He also heard what sounded like a galloping creature. He quickly ducked.
A large deer jumped over him and crashed into the fire pit. It had a dagger jammed into its lower neck and another one protruding from its head. Takagi could confirm that it was dead.
"Watch it, you big idiot!" screamed Mina.
"Whoa, sorry there, Mina. But maybe if you didn't sleep in and help, these shots would be more accurate," said Buluni.
"Did I startle you there?" asked Buluni.
Takagi replied after taking his arms away from covering the back of his head, "Um, I'm... I'm okay." Takagi was scared that he could have been crushed by the deer.
"Ah, I see you're up there, Takagi. Do you eat meat?" asked Fregran, coming out of the forest with a chopped, heavy-looking log around 5 meters long. Ameria and Estelar followed him, carrying all sorts of fruits and vegetables, while Drut wasn't carrying anything. Okadio walked behind them, holding a large, heavy axe on one shoulder and a large machete on the other.
"Yeah, I love meat," said Takagi nervously.
"Great, then you're going to love this stew Okadio is going to stir up. Aside from being a warrior, he is a wonderful cook," said Fregran, shooting Takagi a thumbs up.
"What's with the giant log?" asked Takagi
.
"Firewood!" replied Fregran.
"Does that mean we are staying a day or two in this forest?" thought Takagi. He got up from the ground and watched as Buluni removed his daggers from the deer.
"So, how about it? Is it good, isn't it?" asked Fregran.
The group had prepared the wood and food, and the stew smelled wonderful. They were now seated on logs around the same fire pit as the night before. The sun was still high in the sky, indicating it was midday. The weather was neither hot nor cold, perhaps similar to spring.
"It's delicious! I don't think I've ever eaten something this good in my life," said Takagi, finishing the wooden bowl carved from a log in his hands.
"It's actually amazing how they used every piece of the wood that Fregran brought with him. I watched him chisel out several neat tools, and he seemed pleased to show me the different things that could be made with wood. I also got to see Okadio skin the deer and use every part of it. Estelar showed me the fruits and vegetables he picked and explained where they are usually found. It was a crash course on surviving in the forest," thought Takagi.
"So, do you guys mind if I join you on your adventure or whatever you're up to? You see, I don't know much about anything," said Takagi after placing down his bowl.
The group looked at each other for a few minutes, and the first one to respond was Fregran. "Slow down, you've only known us for a day," he said, laughing. Fregran's response made Takagi a little worried, but he realized that Fregran had a point. They had just met, and they didn't trust him enough to remove his cuffs and chains.
"We already know what to do with you," stated Estelar aloud.
"Huh? And what is that?" asked Takagi.
"Look, we won't take you with us. You're more of a burden to our group. We always have dangerous routes to cross and enemies to fight. We protect one another, but we don't babysit," said Buluni.
"Ouch, that sounded rude. What an asshole!" thought Takagi.
"You should thank Estelar that you're even eating with us right now," said Fregran.
"And why's that?" replied Takagi.
"Because if you're a true elf, it would be a disgrace to call myself an elf if I didn't make sure you were capable of living on your own," announced Estelar.
"Um, thanks," Takagi said, unsure of how to respond.
"Let me explain. We'll show you how to survive on your own for a few days, and then we'll leave. We have an important client waiting for us in Minrow, and we need to cross the border using one of the two entrances from Rovkre," explained Fregran.
"So, the woodworking introduction earlier was part of it?" asked Takagi.
"Yeah, that, and you've already gained insight on how to butcher an animal and gather fruits and other things," Fregran followed up.
"Fuck, this sucks! I swear, this is the worst tutorial for coming to a new world. I mean, what's that about? I'm transferred here as a slave, and now I have to learn how to live on my own for who knows how long! Oh no, what am I going to do for entertainment? There won't be any internet or hot chicks," Takagi thought, feeling stressed and panicked.
"Please don't worry, Takagi. We'll make sure you don't have a hard time," said Ameria with the most innocent voice Takagi had ever heard.
"What an angel," he thought, becoming mesmerized by her words.
"Do you know any magic?" Estelar asked Takagi.
Takagi picked up his bowl, only to realize he had finished the stew. "Can I have seconds?" he asked, to which Fregran nodded with a smile. After serving himself another bowl, he took a spoonful and felt his body relax.
"Oh!" Takagi screeched, realizing he hadn't replied to Estelar.
Takagi had to think deeply about his answer. "What would be the best thing to say? Saying that I pretty much came up with this world's magic would be a stretch. Actually, most of the magic was added by my grandpa. Come to think of it, I really changed up the world my grandpa had written about. I added all kinds of new spells and lore," Takagi contemplated.
"No, I have never used magic," he finally answered. "That answer should suffice. Technically, I'm not lying," he thought, satisfied with his response.
"Perhaps you have forgotten. I find it really hard to believe that a true elf is incapable of casting anything," proclaimed Estelar, showing a hint of growing suspicion.
"Well, what about the sword?" hissed Drut.
"Um, I've never wielded one... at least not that I can remember. Actually, maybe once or twice," replied Takagi. Memories of his childhood started flooding his mind. He pictured himself as a little boy, playing the hero. He would wear a cape and make a sword out of cardboard. "Does that count?" he thought.
"How about the bow and arrow?" asked Mina eagerly, hoping to find someone who shared her passion for that weapon.
"That, I'm sure of, is a big no," replied Takagi, quickly crushing Mina's excitement.
"What about hand-to-hand combat?" followed Buluni.
Takagi sat and thought for a bit. "Let's see. I remember when I used to visit my grandpa during summers, he would always have me in his home dojo, beating my ass. If there's something I learned, it's how to throw a punch, a kick, and dodge. I never bothered to learn any fancy movements, but I learned simple techniques just by watching him," reminisced Takagi. He replied, "Just a little." He didn't want to seem too confident and end up getting beaten by one of them.
"Marvelous, so... you're going to die," stated Buluni, who had lost all hope in him.
"Since you're eager to lose hope, why don't you spar with him, Buluni, using a sword?" laughed Fregran.
Takagi started to observe the major differences in each person sitting around the fire. For example, Fregran joked and laughed a lot but always gave off a tough impression. Buluni complained and joked, too. Drut always seemed angry and bothered. Ameria had an innocent aura. Mina acted younger than the others. Estelar was serious and knowledgeable, but Takagi felt increasingly suspicious of him. Okadio remained a mystery to Takagi. He was quiet, but everyone seemed to respect him as they would a senior. Takagi had many questions to ask Okadio, such as why he had introduced himself as Gulrn when his real name was Okadio, named after his home country. Takagi knew right away where the name Okadio came from—it was the continent and country where orcs originated.
After everyone finished eating and waited for their food to settle, Buluni got up from the log and took Drut's sword. Drut didn't like that, but he didn't protest, knowing what it was for and because it was an order from their leader, Fregran.
"Alright, Takagi, impress me, and you might earn my respect. We'll do this spar in private, so prepare yourself," declared Buluni.