And there we were—finally heading out. Orin didn't waste a moment; barely two days passed before he announced our departure for Sandory. I can't say I'm complaining, though. Sandory is south, which means warmer weather. Anything beats the cold clawing at my face right now. But still… how long is this going to take? Days of walking? Weeks? My legs are not ready for this.
Who knew that years of lounging around like a sloth would come back to haunt me? I guess even in this world, karma finds a way. My grand adventure—dreamed up as I lay in bed in my past life—never included the parts about freezing wind, aching legs, and endless dirt roads. No one ever writes those parts into the fantasy stories.
The winds here are brutal. They cut through my coat like jagged knives, carrying with them the sharp scent of frost and pine. It's the kind of cold that bites at your nose and fingers, leaving you wishing for a crackling fire and a mug of something hot. I noticed the villagers wearing heavy woolen cloaks, thicker and more layered than anything I'd seen in other towns. No wonder. Without them, they'd be popsicles before sundown.
Lucky for me, I managed to grab a coat before we left. It's far from perfect, but it's better than nothing. Even so, this place is unbearable in winter. The village isn't too far north, but it's close enough to the mountain range that it might as well be. The snow-covered peaks loom in the distance, their icy breath creeping over everything. Moving south? Sounds like a brilliant idea.
I'd always wanted to see more of this world anyway. After all, wasn't that my first wish when I got dumped into this place? A grand adventure, the kind that would make my old, boring life a distant memory? Yet now that I'm actually here, trudging along a dirt path with my "party," I can't help but wonder… what if I'm not ready? What if I've bitten off more than I can chew? But then again, anything's better than freezing to death in a place where even the trees look like they're shivering.
At least this beats the mansion. Don't get me wrong—it wasn't a bad life. Cozy, comfortable, predictable. But I always told myself I'd leave someday. I had to. There's a whole world out there waiting to be explored, and sitting in a cushy chair all day wasn't going to cut it. Well, now here I am, out in the world with a guild party and all the rest of it. It feels strange, but... good. Strange and good.
"So, a labyrinth, huh?" Ronan, walking beside Orin, breaks the silence with a wide grin plastered across his face. "Damn. We haven't taken one of those on before. But I bet we'll crush it. Easy, right? Yeah." His voice brims with confidence, the kind that makes you wonder if he's ever tasted failure.
"Yeah, we'll clear it in no time!" Farren chimes in, matching Ronan's enthusiasm stride for stride. "I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of creatures we'll run into. Hopefully some tough ones, right?" His eyes practically glitter as he picks up his pace, as if charging ahead will somehow get us to Sandory faster.
"For sure, Farren," Ronan replies, his grin stretching wider. "But me? I've got my own plans for Sandory. I heard the women there are stunning. Might just be rumors, but hey, a man can hope. And the merchants? They're supposed to be everywhere. I'm hoping to snag some rare gear. You can never have too many toys when you're heading into a labyrinth." He casually folds his arms behind his head as he strolls, looking completely at ease. Must be nice.
"We'll need to strategize before we take it on," Orin cuts in, his tone as serious as ever. "It's not going to be as simple as you two think. And it's probably going to take a while to get through. I don't know much about this labyrinth yet, but I doubt it'll be a walk in the park. We'll get more information once we reach Sandory. Speaking of which, the journey itself isn't going to be easy. It'll take at least one or two weeks to get there—and that's assuming we walk every day, nonstop."
One or two weeks? Walking every day? Nonstop? My legs are going to give out before we even see Sandory. Surely we'll stop at some villages along the way, right? Please tell me we'll stop at villages. Please.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Farren replies, brushing off Orin's caution with a cocky grin. "But I still bet we'll finish it in no time once we're inside. How hard can it be?"
How hard indeed. My gaze drifts to Orin, who's leading the way like he's got every step of this journey mapped out. But does he even know where we're going right now? Because this… this doesn't look like a path at all. Just endless fields of snow-covered grass and the occasional cluster of trees.
"Hey, Orin, question," I pipe up, trying to keep the doubt out of my voice. "Where exactly are we walking right now? This doesn't really look like a path to me."
"Of course we're on a path," Orin replies, sounding slightly exasperated. "Right now, we're heading toward the next village. Once we get there, we'll rent horses to take us to the nearest town. From there, we'll stop for a bit before continuing on horseback for a while longer. After that, we'll have to walk again to reach the next village. Depending on how reliable the horses are, our travel time to Sandory could vary a bit."
Horses? Thank the gods. I don't care how long it takes, as long as I'm not walking the whole way. But knowing my luck, those horses will probably have minds of their own—and none of those minds will want to cooperate.
"I see… I'm lucky we won't be traveling every single day without a break…" Woops, didn't mean to say that out loud.
"Yeah," Orin replies firmly with a nod. And just like that, we're back to silence once mo—
"We're going to Sandory, we're going to Sandory, we're going to Sandory…!"
And just like that, the quiet is shattered.
Ronan and Farren practically start bouncing as they march ahead, their "song" more of a loud chant, completely off-tune. Before I can even process their sudden outburst—or escape it—Sela joins in. Her white hair bobs up and down as she matches their rhythm, giggling as she goes.
Althea, on the other hand, lingers behind, walking at her own pace. She spares the three dorks a glance, her expression unreadable, before returning to her thoughts.
I wonder what she's thinking about. The labyrinth, maybe? Or something else entirely? Who knows.
"Hey, Orin." I pick up my pace, brushing off the lingering haze of my thoughts as I step up to walk beside him.
"Yes, Kaito?"
"About this town, Sandory…" I glance ahead, hesitating before I continue. "Have you been there before? I've read a lot about the eastern region—it's supposed to be a rocky, harsh desert, right? They call it the Deadlands, don't they?"
If Sandory is in that kind of environment, then… I don't know what to think. The Deadlands are supposed to be dangerous—a place where nothing thrives, a wasteland crawling with threats. Honestly, I'm not thrilled about the idea of going there.
Orin turns his head slightly, giving me a curious look. "Deadlands? A desert? No, there's nothing like that in the east—not as far as I know, at least."
"Huh?" I blink at him. "But that's what I read. Even Rina said so, and she's from there…" Accidentally said that last part out loud… He doesn't even know who Rina is…
"Maybe those books you've read got it wrong," Orin replies with a casual shrug. "I've been to Sandory once before. It's not a desert—nowhere near it. The only desert I know of is way down south. Now that place…" He trails off for a moment, his tone dropping ever so slightly. "I suppose you could call that a Deadland."
I stare at him, taken aback. "Wait… so the eastern region isn't like that?"
"Not at all," he says with a shake of his head. "Sandory's nothing like what you're imagining."
"...Huh. Maybe those books really were wrong…" I let out a forced chuckle, but unease creeps into my chest. No, those books weren't wrong. I'm sure of it. And Rina said the same thing—there's no way she'd lie about her homeland.
So why…?
The thought lingers, gnawing at the back of my mind.
Could it be…?
No. That's ridiculous. I couldn't have ended up in another world again. That's impossible. Right?
I shake my head. No. Don't think like that. This is still Septaria. It has to be.
"...So." I clear my throat, forcing myself to focus. "You've been to Sandory before. What's it like?"
Orin glances at me, snapping out of his own thoughts. "Sandory? Hmm… well, it's a green land, full of life. Travelers and merchants from all over go there to trade—it's always lively."
"Lively?" I echo, unable to hide my surprise. That sounds completely different from the barren wasteland I was expecting.
He nods. "Even monsters keep a decent distance from the town. And the mountains surrounding it…" He trails off, his expression softening. "They're beautiful. You'll see for yourself when we get there."
"Mountains, huh?" I murmur, imagining the scene.
"If I had to guess…" Orin's gaze drifts ahead as if picturing it himself. "The labyrinth might be somewhere near the mountains. Maybe even inside them."
I look at him, my unease fading just a little. His calm demeanor has a strange way of steadying me, even when my mind is racing.
"...It does sound like a nice place," I admit quietly.
Orin nods. "It is."
Quickly shaking it off my mind, I try to focus on what truly matters. Am I still in the world I know? The world of Septaria?
I glance at Orin, steadying my voice. "Orin, what is the name of this… no, sorry, our world?" My heart pounds in my chest. Please… please, say Septaria.
Orin raises an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. "What did that come from?" He tilts his head but shrugs it off. "Anyways, isn't that basic information? Eh, whatever, it's Solithra. Why do you ask?"
Solithra… My breath hitches as his words sink in. "Oh… I—see…" My voice falters. I'm not in Septaria.
How could this have happened? Can I… no, how can I get back? My chest tightens as my thoughts spiral. I'm alive, sure… but Luminara…
I clench my fists, forcing the words out. "Actually… I am… wait, no. Do you know anything about other worlds besides Solithra?"
He furrows his brow, scratching his head. "No, I don't."
"Never heard about Septaria?"
"Septaria…? Nope, never heard of it. Why?"
I hesitate, the weight of my admission pressing down on me. "I might come from there… I think." My voice wavers, but I push on. "I know I'm not from here. I'm from Septaria. Actually, before you guys found me, I had died… and then I found myself here. How, I don't know."
Orin stares at me, his mouth slightly open, processing my words. "...You're telling me, you—"
"I want to go back to that world, if possible." The words tumble out before I can stop them. "I want to go back to her… Yumiko…" The name slips through my lips, soft and unguarded.
Orin's gaze sharpens, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yumiko…?"
I nod stiffly, my throat tightening.
He exhales slowly, crossing his arms as he looks away, deep in thought. After a moment, he meets my eyes again, his expression firm. "I see. If you're actually telling the truth, I don't see any reason to doubt you." He pauses, his voice softening. "Though… another world? It's hard to believe. And revival after death? That's…" He shakes his head. "I'm not sure I can wrap my head around it. But…" His gaze hardens with resolve. "If I can, I'd like to help you, Kaito. I'll do whatever I can."
My chest tightens, this time with gratitude. "Thank you, Sir." I bow slightly, my voice heavy with sincerity. "I'm glad you can somewhat believe me."
Honestly… if I were in his place, I wouldn't even consider it. I'd probably laugh it off, not even give the idea of another world a second thought. I glance down, a faint relief washing over me. But he's not laughing. He's… willing to help. Even when it must sound completely insane.
"Really… I appreciate it," I finish, my voice quiet but genuine.