I fall to my knees, tears spilling onto the map, my hands crumpling the fragile paper.
"There's no way... I'm nowhere near the Aethoria region, nowhere near home..."
As I kneel there, despair overwhelming me, the head chef looms over and lifts me by the collar, planting me back on my feet.
"Wha—?" I glance around, noticing the customers' uneasy stares. They're scared, probably because my emotions let my magic run wild, filling the air with dread and darkness.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.
The chef kneels beside me, placing a reassuring hand on my back and giving me a big smile, as if to say, "Don't give up."
That's right. Dad would never want me to give up. Neither would Mom, Aimi, or Kajiwara. I giggle to myself, imagining what they would do to me if I gave up.
I slam the map on the table with a loud thud, feeling a surge of determination.
The map shows six regions, each with its own kingdom. There are two rows, each divided into three parts, showing the division of the regions, with a total of six kingdoms.
I notice a red circle at the top right corner of the first row, likely marked by the adventurers who left the map, indicating our current location.
To confirm, I bring the map to the chef and point at the red circle and the restaurant.
He looks confused at first, but then he understands and gives me a thumbs-up.
Okay, at least I know where I am on the map now, but I can't read the labels on the kingdoms as they're in a foreign language.
I rub my chin, analyzing the geography of each kingdom, trying to figure out where Aethoria might be.
After a while, I make an educated guess: Aethoria is in the second row, at the bottom left.
Damn. I might be screwed here. Aethoria is halfway across the world. If the map is accurate, it could take months, maybe even years, to reach it.
I tug on the head chef's shoulder to grab his attention and point to the kingdom where I'm from.
He takes the map, twirling his mustache as he processes the information, understanding where I'm from but clearly puzzled about how I got here.
He sighs, giving up on figuring it out, but then he smiles and hands me some coins. He points to my clothes and covers his nose.
Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he's trying to convey.
I gratefully take the money and wave to him before walking out. Wow, I didn't know there were such kind people like him. Even though I looked like a total bum, he still gave me food and helped me. I swear, I'll repay his kindness one day.
First thing is first, I better buy new clothes first. I walk forward for a bit and I notice that a window is displaying some pretty affordable clothes in the window so I walk in.
The store clerk rushes in, acting like I'm the first customer in ages. He tells me something in their language, his excitement evident.
I look around; the shop is filled with men's, women's, and children's clothes alike, but there's not a customer in sight.
Turning to the clerk, I notice his expensive clothing—something a royal might wear. He sports a black top hat, a golden monocle, a watch, and a blue leather tunic with golden buttons and yellow trousers. He's a bit short but looks refined.
I point to my ears, signaling that I'm deaf. This might be my go-to excuse for not understanding their language.
I walk over and see a red hooded cape, which has the option to close fully and cover my uniform. This cloak is perfect for keeping my identity hidden and attracting the least attention.
I think about changing out of my school uniform but decide against it. It might be the only thing left to remind me of my past.
I show the clerk the cloak I'm interested in, and he smiles.
I reach out to give him one of my coins.
He looks at my coin and refuses to accept it. Then he holds up his hand, showing two fingers, with a cheeky smirk.
I get visibly upset. I don't have time for this. It's definitely worth only one coin. No wonder I see no one here.
I forcefully give him my one coin and start to walk out. He tries to stop me by grabbing my collar, but I push him away with ease.
I sigh, knowing I probably should have just given the cloak back. I remember seeing on the map that there's a river nearby.
I leave the town, heading west for a little while, and soon run into a peaceful river. It's crystal clear, with a few fish swimming around.
Perfect. I take off my clothes and wash them thoroughly, trying to get rid of the dog urine scent, then quickly wash myself.
I sit under the shade of a tree, dressed only in my underwear, leaving my school uniform to dry in the sun.
Resting my full weight against the tree, I watch the clouds drift and the birds fly freely.
Mom would be worried sick that I haven't come home. Now, it might take years before I can return. I wonder how long it will take Kajiwara and Aimi to realize I've disappeared.
I can't help but let a tear well up as I reminisce about the good old days. But I'll come back stronger and tougher, ready to protect everyone.
I get back up, pick up my school uniform, and put it on. Then I put on the red cloak I just bought from the store. I have to admit, I like how sleek it feels.
I walk back to town, wandering down the streets and wondering what to do. Maybe I should travel to the capital and see what happens from there. Should I just work for the chef guy for the rest of my life? I laugh to myself. Who am I kidding?
All of a sudden, something interesting catches my eye: a sign with magical writing and a logo of a brown boar. Intrigued, I walk inside.
The place is bustling with people equipped with weapons, magical wands, armor, and magical gear. To the right, there's a bar with people still drinking midday and some completely hammered. To the left is a training field where people are sparring and honing their skills. Many of them seem as strong as the royals back home, with high-level magic abilities.
At the front, there's a desk and a quest board. This must be an adventurer's guild, I finally conclude.
I walk up to the front desk, and a lady greets me and starts talking. I signal to her that I'm deaf and can't hear.
She looks embarrassed and bows in apology. Then she takes out a card with spots for a fingerprint and a name.
I put my fingerprint and write "Masa." The card starts to glow, and the clerk looks at it, momentarily confused by the unfamiliar writing of my name. Nonetheless, she accepts it.
She then brings out a magical ball and motions for me to place my hand on it.
I do, and it emits a very faint glow, almost negligible.
The receptionist giggles and hands me back the card, which now has one star beside my name.
I'm guessing this is my power level. She really had the gall to laugh at me, huh? I could knock her out with one punch.
I walk up to the quest board to see what I can take but sigh in frustration. Everything here is two stars or above. I can't take any quests with my current level.
I hear people snickering behind my back. I might be the weakest person to walk into this guild.
I need to do something. I can't just idly sit by and hope for things to change. The Masked Oni are running rampant, and who knows what they're planning with the Abyssal Wyrm's heart.
I need a way to get stronger. I haven't done any formal training yet. I have to find someone who knows something about my powers and can help me train in the right direction.
I look back up at the quest board, scanning it again for any quests I can take. Finally, I spot a one-star quest. Although I can't read it, I rip the page off the wall and take it with me.
My first step is finding a library that has books in both my language and this one, so I can translate the quest and understand what others are trying to convey to me.
As I leave the guild, something catches my eye at the entrance. I go closer to the bulletin board.
"Oh god... You've got to be kidding me..." I say out loud, in disbelief.