Kazuki walked the dirt road toward the town, his shoes kicking up dust as he tried to shake off the strangeness of his situation. His mind was still buzzing with the announcement that had appeared in front of him—"Reincarnated as a Hero," it said, as if that was supposed to explain everything.
Hero? Demon King? Why me?
Kazuki scratched the back of his head in frustration. There were no answers yet, but he'd learned one thing from his previous life: there was no point stressing over things out of his control. He'd figure this out eventually. For now, all he wanted was to reach the town and get some food—his stomach had been rumbling ever since he woke up in that forest.
As he approached the gate, the town came into full view. High stone walls surrounded the settlement, and the gate itself was guarded by two men in armor, carrying spears. They were dressed like knights straight out of medieval Europe, but Kazuki could tell from their relaxed posture that they weren't on high alert. He approached, trying to act as normal as possible.
"Halt! State your business!" one of the guards called out, his eyes narrowing at Kazuki's modern clothes.
Kazuki raised his hands in a non-threatening manner. "I'm just a traveler. New to the area. Looking for some food and a place to stay."
The guards exchanged glances. One of them stepped forward, eyeing Kazuki suspiciously. "Traveler? You're dressed…strangely. Where are you from?"
Kazuki hesitated for a moment, then decided to go with the simplest explanation. "Far away. Really far."
The guard raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Fine. Just don't cause any trouble. There's an inn in the main square. You'll find food and rest there."
With that, they allowed him through the gate, and Kazuki entered the town. The scene inside was exactly what he had expected from a medieval fantasy world—cobblestone streets, bustling market stalls, and people wearing tunics and robes. Blacksmiths hammered away at anvils, while merchants shouted to advertise their wares. The smell of roasted meat wafted through the air, reminding Kazuki just how hungry he was.
"Alright," he muttered, glancing around. "First things first. Food."
He followed his nose toward a small stall selling skewered meat. The vendor, a stout man with a bushy beard, grinned as Kazuki approached.
"Hungry, eh? You've come to the right place, lad!" The vendor waved a skewer in front of him. "Freshly roasted, only five copper coins!"
Kazuki's heart sank. Coins? Right. I don't have any money in this world…
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh…about that. I don't really have any money. I'm new here."
The vendor's smile faded instantly. "No money, no food," he said flatly, turning away from Kazuki.
"Wait! Isn't there something else I can do?" Kazuki asked, trying to salvage the situation. "I could work for you or—"
"Ah, save it," the vendor interrupted, waving him off. "If you're that desperate, go to the Adventurers' Guild. They're always looking for able-bodied folk to do some dirty work. Make some coin, then come back."
Kazuki sighed, rubbing his temples. "Adventurers' Guild, huh?"
Of course there's an Adventurers' Guild. This really is a fantasy world.
With no other option, Kazuki set off to find the guild. He wandered through the town, weaving between groups of people, until he finally spotted a large building with a wooden sign hanging above the door. The sign depicted a crossed sword and staff—the universal symbol of adventurers.
Kazuki pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. The interior was just as lively as the outside streets. Adventurers of all shapes and sizes crowded the space, drinking, laughing, and boasting about their latest quests. The atmosphere was rowdy, but not unfriendly.
At the far end of the room was a large counter, where several staff members stood behind stacks of parchment and books. Kazuki approached one of them—a young woman with short, chestnut hair and a professional smile.
"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild," she said cheerfully. "Are you here to register?"
Kazuki nodded. "Yeah, something like that. I'm new in town and need a way to make some money."
"Perfect! We always need new recruits." The woman handed him a form. "Just fill this out, and we'll get you registered. You'll need to choose a class, of course."
Kazuki blinked. "A…class?"
"Of course! You know, your adventuring class," she explained patiently. "Warrior, mage, rogue…everyone has a class. It's how we assign quests and rank you."
Oh great. Now there are classes too. Kazuki glanced at the form, which had a list of available classes: Warrior, Mage, Archer, Rogue, Priest, and a few others. He tapped the pen against the paper, unsure of what to choose.
"I'm not really sure…" he mumbled.
The woman gave him a curious look. "Well, what kind of abilities do you have?"
Kazuki thought back to the fight with the beast in the forest. He had incredible physical strength and speed, but no idea what that made him. "I guess I'm…a warrior? I'm pretty good with physical stuff."
"Warrior it is!" The woman smiled and stamped the form. "You'll start as an E-rank adventurer. You can take quests from the quest board over there." She pointed to a large board filled with papers pinned to it. "Once you've completed a few quests, you'll be ranked higher and can take on more difficult jobs."
Kazuki thanked her and moved toward the quest board, but as he did, something caught his eye. Across the room, a man in a robe was demonstrating something to a group of onlookers. His hand glowed with a soft blue light, and a ball of fire appeared, hovering just above his palm. He launched it into the air, where it fizzled out harmlessly.
Wait…was that…magic?
Kazuki stared, wide-eyed, as the crowd clapped and cheered. He hadn't considered the possibility that magic existed in this world, but now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense. Fantasy world, adventurers, monsters…of course there was magic.
"Huh," he muttered to himself. "Guess I'm not as prepared for this world as I thought."
Still, it didn't bother him much. Magic or no magic, he had to make do with what he had. His physical strength was more than enough to handle the threats he had encountered so far, and that was good enough for him.
Kazuki turned back to the quest board, scanning the available jobs. Most of them were small-time tasks: clearing out wild boars, gathering herbs, delivering supplies to nearby villages. None of them seemed particularly exciting, but one quest in particular caught his eye.
Quest: Hunt the Forest Beast
Reward: 20 Silver Coins
Description: A dangerous monster has been terrorizing travelers on the forest path. Adventurers are needed to eliminate the threat.
Kazuki frowned. The description didn't give many details, but it sounded suspiciously like the creature he had fought earlier. "Forest Beast," huh?
"Well, I've already dealt with it once," he muttered. "Might as well make some money off it."
He grabbed the quest notice and brought it back to the counter. The woman behind the desk smiled as she took the paper from him.
"Ah, the Forest Beast quest! Good choice. It's a bit dangerous for an E-rank, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Just be careful."
Kazuki gave a half-hearted nod. "Sure, no problem."
As he left the guild, his thoughts drifted back to the strange window that had appeared earlier.
Hero, huh?
He wasn't sure what that really meant yet, but for now, he'd keep his focus on the small things. He wasn't interested in saving the world or fighting some Demon King. If anything, Kazuki just wanted to enjoy this second chance at life. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to live peacefully here.
But deep down, he knew that peace wasn't going to come easy.