As I pick up speed down the hell slide, I see a glimmer of light ahead. I approach and pass it, then I realize it's like a white neon ring around the inside of the chute. I continue accelerating down the chute and pass more white rings with greater and greater frequency, until they blend into a dull white light.
The light continues growing brighter until I am practically blinded, then I feel a deep pit in my stomach and a lurching sensation. The temperature drops precipitously, and I feel a strong breeze rushing over my body. I blink my eyes to try and recover from the blinding light earlier, and I notice faint white spots spinning around on a black background in front of me.
As I try to focus on the image in front of me, I feel the pit in my stomach intensify and the breeze transition into a full gale against my skin.
It's bone-chillingly cold now, and it snaps me back to my senses. Then, I make a horrifying realization…those white spots are stars, and I'm currently plummeting towards the planet.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!" (Mizuki)
I can't help it; a piercing cry escapes my throat as the gravity of my situation (no time for puns) sets in. Below me I can see faint textures begin to emerge in my field of view, and they are becoming more pronounced with every second. I'm approaching the ground at breakneck speed.
I can't die before I even touch grass on this planet, can I? That would make this the worst isekai experience ever – I never even got to assemble my harem! So unfair!
At this point, I'm what seems like seconds away from impact with the ground, and I curl up in a ball and pull my arms up to protect my face in a last-ditch effort. Oh god no, here it comes.
No sooner than I think this, I feel a hot sensation spread over my body. Is this the feeling of death's embrace? Instinctively, I relax my body to wait for the end. However, my arms fall away from my face, and I notice my current predicament. I seem to be hovering about a meter off the ground.
Before I can process my situation, the forgotten ring from Azazel on my left hand glows brightly and breaks, and I'm unceremoniously dropped the remaining distance to the ground.
My forehead smacks the dirt below, and a sharp pain spreads from the point of impact. Damn, that stings! Out of the corner of my eye, I see two books materialize in a flash of light. Oh yeah, I forgot about those.
Rubbing my throbbing head, I pick myself up off the ground and gather my belongings. What the hell was that about? It seems like that ring Azazel gave me saved my life, thankfully. I guess that means he knew I'd be skydiving without a parachute.
I'm reminded of his strange shift in behavior after making my final requests, and I have a sneaking suspicion he just wanted to torment me. I can't let my guard down around that guy. He may seem nicer than Dio, but it's obvious he can be every bit as twisted when he wants to be.
Looking at my surroundings, I notice a faint glow off in the distance. That must be the city that Azazel mentioned – Elmesia, right? Whelp, I'm no expert, but I do know that it's not safe for me to screw around in the wilderness of a fantasy land after dark – that's when the goblins come to claim you.
Guess I better start heading that way.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Turns out the city was surprisingly far, so it takes me almost an hour to walk there.
As I get closer, I see an opening in the large stone walls that seem to fully encircle the massive city. That must be the entrance. As I make my approach, I hear a deep voice ring out threateningly.
"Halt! State your business stranger!"
I direct my gaze to the sound, and I notice that the entrance to the city is protected by a massive drop-down iron gate. Unfortunately, it's closed. Behind the gate, in a short torchlit corridor, two men in steel plate armor are staring at me expectantly. Those must be guards – I'm guessing one of them was the source of the voice I heard.
I make my way closer to the gate and offer them a response.
"Ah…uhm…yes, hello! I just turned eighteen and I was making my way here from my small village to register with the adventurer's guild." (Mizuki)
The first guard, presumably the one who called out to me, squints through the gate as if trying to discern my appearance. After a minute he closes his eyes and sighs deeply, as if exasperated.
"Kid, what the hell are you doing walking alone out there after dark? Putting aside the fact that it's a miracle you're still alive, don't you know that this city closes after dark to protect everyone inside – just what were you thinking?" (guard 1)
Uh oh, looks like this is not going as smoothly as I expected. Azazel didn't tell me that he'd be sending me here at night, or that they don't accept travelers after dark. Crap, what should I tell them?
Also, why is he calling me kid? Oh right, I had Azazel de-age me! That could work in my favor.
Putting on my most dejected attitude, like a child having been admonished, I cast an apologetic gaze back up at the guard.
"I'm really sorry, sir! My village is quite far, and this is my first time ever leaving it, so I really had no idea it'd take me so long to get here. Also, we didn't really have a gate like this or anyone strong enough to guard it for us back home, so I didn't think about how entering the city might be different here. I'm very sorry for my ignorance, and I hope I didn't cause too much trouble. I promise not to do it again…it's honestly pretty scary out here alone!" (Mizuki)
For my finisher move, I end my plea with a deep, apologetic bow. Heh heh, I definitely nailed that delivery. This guy would have to be a heartless monster to turn me away now.
Still in my bow, I sneak a glance towards the guards. The first guard is looking at the other guard with a conflicted expression that says, 'what do you think?', and the second guard just shrugs in response.
"I mean he still looks wet behind the ears to me. Look, he doesn't even have any gear, food, or water, just a couple books. He'll die before morning if we leave him out there. I don't see any reason to think he's lying, and he doesn't look like trouble." (Guard 2)
Seriously!? Should I be more scared? The first guard nods when hearing this, seemingly making up his mind.
"Hey there! Raise the gate, we've got a late arrival! No weapons or strange goods, he's all clear!" (Guard 1)
Aaaannnd, bingo. First skill-check complete.