The boy awoke from a nightmare, his scream shattering the silence of the surrounding darkness. He bolted upright, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. His heart pounded like a hammer, but he quickly regained his composure as he realized the place he was in was entirely different from what he remembered. To his surprise, he was no longer in the dark, cold forest where he had been fighting for his life but on a bed in a small, cozy wooden room. All around him were various items that gave the space a warm, almost homely atmosphere. Through the window, soft rays of the setting sun streamed in, signaling that evening was approaching.
Confused, the boy quickly noticed that he felt no pain, despite the wounds and fractures he had sustained during the fight. He looked at his body, hardly believing what he saw. His injuries were completely healed, as if they had never existed. At the same time, he noticed he wasn't wearing his jacket but only a black t-shirt and sweatpants. His unease grew when he realized something else was missing—his arm.
Shaken by this revelation, the boy grabbed his bandaged stump with his left hand, where his right arm had once been. Memories of the events leading to this moment began flooding back into his mind.
"Heh... so I survived," he muttered to himself, though his voice carried a hint of bitterness. "But how? And where exactly am I? Just a moment ago, I was dying in that cursed forest, and now I'm lying in a warm bed as if nothing happened, with my injuries... gone." His thoughts wandered to another pressing question. "And where is Leni?"
Suddenly, he remembered something crucial. The last time he had fallen unconscious and slept in this world, his soul had left his body. He didn't fully understand why this happened but suspected it had something to do with his unstable state. His unbalanced core made it so that prolonged sleep separated his soul from his physical form.
The boy glanced behind him to make sure he wasn't seeing his own body lying on the bed. With relief, he confirmed that his soul was where it should be—inside him. He had woken up like a normal person, unlike the previous morning in this world.
"Phew... luckily, this time my soul didn't leave my body. Maybe I didn't sleep long enough?" he thought, glancing at the sunlight streaming through the window, illuminating the small room.
Still clutching the spot where his right arm used to be, the boy felt a surge of anger and frustration.
"Damn it! My first fight with a monster, and I've already lost an arm... And to make matters worse, my jacket is gone. No phone, no headphones, no wallet. Everything I had that held any value in this world is just gone." He sighed heavily, trying to calm himself. "But honestly... those things didn't have much use here anyway. The fact that I found any use for them was just luck. A more important question is: where is Leni? I need to make sure she's okay... that my sacrifice... No... I just need to see if she's safe!"
As Edo prepared to get out of bed, the room's door creaked open, and a familiar figure stepped inside. A short man with short brown hair entered, dressed in elegant trousers and a pink sweater. His posture, though calm, exuded confidence, and his youthful face contrasted with the experience reflected in his eyes. In his hand, he held a brown leather bag.
Though Edo had only seen him in person once, he had appeared many times in Leni's memories. It was Emil, the greatest scammer Edo had known in this world.
" Well, well, I see you recovered quickly!"Emil spoke with a slightly mocking smile that seemed to accompany his every word. — With injuries like that, you should've been out for a lot longer. I must admit, you surprised me.
Edo, his voice tinged with obvious concern, ignored the remark and got straight to the point:
"Where's Leni? And where am I?" he asked urgently, not even bothering to greet him.
Emil let out a short, somewhat theatrical laugh.
— Oh, worried about my favorite client, are you? Hahaha! Relax, kid. Leni is in the room next door. She should recover soon—she's a tough girl. And as for you... you're in my shop. It's a big place, plenty of rooms to spare. You should be more worried about yourself. When I found you, you were in a pretty rough state.
Edo eyed Emil suspiciously before asking:
— How exactly did you manage to save us? Weren't you supposed to be selling some wand to a young noble?
Emil sighed theatrically, as though every question was an unnecessary burden, and replied:
— You see, kid, nobles are the kind of clients who always go for the most expensive items. Because in their world, expensive means better, right? And since everything in my shop is pricey... well, they don't really mind.
Edo scoffed with a sarcastic smile.
— Sure, especially since some of your "expensive goods" are completely useless. Leni's gotten burned on that plenty of times, hasn't she?
Emil's eyebrows rose slightly, clearly surprised by the comment.
" I don't know how you know that, kid, but yes, Leni is one of my best clients. Well, business is business,"he said with a shrug.
Edo rolled his eyes, his tone growing more assertive.
— Fine, but why did you go into the forest yourself? We were the ones searching for your stuff!
Emil's face turned serious, his voice cold and firm.
— I had a bad feeling. Something told me something was wrong, so I decided to check it out myself. And as you can see, I made the right call. Unfortunately, because I had to take care of you two, I had to leave my shipment in the forest. But saving a client like Leni is worth the sacrifice. No one's likely to go there anytime soon, so I'll head back for the rest tomorrow.
With that, Emil walked over to a desk, sat down in a chair, and placed his bag on the table. He opened it and began pulling out its contents. What Edo saw left him speechless. Emerging from the bag were his belongings: his phone, headphones, wallet, jacket... and a crystal. But what was inside the crystal stole his breath.
It was his arm. The very arm he had lost in the fight with the monster.
" That's... my arm! Why is it... in that weird crystal?! "Edo exclaimed, staring at the object in shock.
Emil, seemingly proud of his work, responded calmly:
— I used earth, air, and water magic to create a crystal that... how should I put it... preserves your arm. You know, so it doesn't "die." — He smiled slightly, clearly pleased with himself. — I don't mean to brag, but I'm a Level V mage in earth, air, and fire magic, so creating a crystal like this is no big deal for me. But... — he sighed theatrically — water magic isn't exactly my strong suit. I'm only Level III in it, so I can't reattach the arm for you. But at least I was able to heal your fractures.
Edo looked at him, recalling a certain healer mage from Leni's memories.
— Could someone like Adam attach it back?
Emil nodded.
— Yes. That's precisely why I preserved your arm in this state. Someone on Adam's level could reattach your limb without any trouble—if you pay the right price. But... there's something else we need to talk about. Something that made me decide to go into the forest myself.
Emil's tone shifted drastically, becoming serious, almost stern. Edo immediately sensed the gravity of the conversation.
— What exactly *are* you, huh?
"What? Uh, what are you talking about?"Edo asked, eyebrows raised, looking at Emil in confusion.
" Don't make me repeat myself. Answer me. What *are* you?" Emil repeated coldly, sitting behind the desk, his piercing gaze locked on Edo.
— I'm Edo... Edo Oka—
"No. I don't care about that. I asked what you are, not who. Do you think I haven't noticed? What are you up to, huh? What is a demigod doing here in the capital? What's your plan?"Emil's voice dropped, but his tone was sharp, like a blade slicing through the silence.
Edo froze, unsure how to respond. Emil's words hit him like icy shards piercing his heart.
— What...? I don't know what you're—
"Don't take me for a fool!" Emil suddenly shouted, his voice echoing through the room. Edo felt a cold sweat running down his back.
— You're out of luck... Edo. I'm one of the few mages in the kingdom capable of sensing energy in the surroundings. Every person absorbs energy to some extent through their core, which draws in small amounts. But you... you don't. Energy flows *around* you. You don't have a core—just like demigods. That's exactly why I decided to investigate the forest myself. While I didn't sense malicious intent toward my favorite client, I couldn't ignore this.
Edo glared at Emil, trying to suppress the anger rising within him. The accusation was absurd!
— I'm not a demigod! I'm just a regular guy! Do you think a demigod would end up like this after a fight with a monster? I barely survived!
" Silence!" Emil raised his hand toward Edo, and magical energy began to flicker around his fingers. — I can kill you in an instant, so now answer my questions. But first... let me tell you something. I didn't conclude you're a demigod solely because energy avoids you. Demigods are more resistant to magic that directly affects their bodies. When I tried to heal your fractures using Level III water magic—which easily heals broken bones—I encountered significant difficulty. That confirmed my theory.
Edo remained silent, unsure of what to say. His heart pounded wildly, and every moment felt like an eternity.
" I don't know how that monster managed to thrash you so badly, Edo, but you *must* have some sort of plan. And I won't let you see it through,"Emil continued, glaring at him with a mix of anger and suspicion.
Finally, Emil took a deep breath and added:
— Alright, let's get to the point. The things you had with you... That strange glass rectangle, the fluffy object, the wallet with foreign currency... and that jacket. All of these items look, I don't know, "out of this world." So tell me, Edo, what *are* you really?
Edo knew he had no way out. Emil would likely sense any lie.
" I... I'm... from another world,"he admitted reluctantly.
The room fell into heavy silence. Emil stared at him blankly before speaking again, his voice laced with irony:
— From another world, huh? Do you really expect me to believe that? You could've come up with a better lie.
" It's true!" Edo shouted, frustration building.
"Sure, sure... You're not fooling me with such a cliché,"Emil said, laughing mockingly.
Something about that laugh made Edo genuinely angry.
"You think this is funny? Do you?!" he yelled, clenching his fists. — You think I asked for this? Huh? I'm just an ordinary guy! I didn't ask for any of this! I wasn't unhappy with my life, but ever since I got here, everything's falling apart! People think I'm a demon, I keep getting beaten down, I don't know how to do anything—do you get that? Do you know what that feels like?!
Emil stopped laughing. He looked at Edo seriously, his hand slowly lowering.
— Another world, huh? Alright. Let's assume you're telling the truth. Do you have any proof?
Edo looked at him, hope flickering in his eyes.
— Maybe it's not enough, but the currency in my wallet has a language from my world that only I can read.
Emil opened the wallet and examined the banknotes.
" It's true; this is a language I've never seen before... but that's still not enough,"he said skeptically.
"Alright. That glass rectangle you mentioned is a phone. And that fluffy thing is a pair of headphones—technology from my world. There are inscriptions on these objects in the same language as on the banknotes," Edo explained.
Emil carefully examined the items and finally nodded.
"Well... It's still abstract to me, but I can accept that you're telling the truth. Edo, I don't know how you ended up in our world or why. But you need to know I'll be watching you. Now… tell me how your 'technology' works."
"Curious, are we?" Edo asked, raising an eyebrow with a faint smile.
"Of course. Tell me, wouldn't you be curious if someone appeared in your world with items you'd never seen before? It's natural to be interested in this 'world of yours' and the things you have. After all, I am a merchant, aren't I?" Emil replied, a spark of interest gleaming in his eyes.
Edo studied him for a moment, seeing genuine curiosity. After a brief sigh, he said:
"Well, as for the 'glass rectangle,' it's probably useless now. I'm guessing it's out of power..."
"Out of power?" Emil furrowed his brows.
"Yeah, try pressing the button below the screen," Edo suggested.
Emil followed the instruction and pressed the indicated button, but nothing happened.
"Out of power, just as I thought," Edo sighed with slight regret. The phone was already a lost cause to him.
"And this fluffy thing you call headphones?" Emil pointed to the second item.
"Unfortunately, without the phone, they're useless too. They're used to transfer sound, but they only work with the phone," Edo explained.
Emil stared at the phone, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"Is there a way to charge this phone?" he asked with clear curiosity.
Edo shrugged.
"Yes, but it requires electricity—and a charger. Unfortunately, I don't have one with me."
Emil frowned, as if weighing his options, then asked:
"Can I take the phone and try to charge it? I may not look like it, but I'm familiar with electrical magic. Maybe I can make something work. I know the basics of working with objects that conduct energy."
Edo looked at Emil for a moment before sighing.
"Well, why not. I can't do anything with it anyway. Just charge the battery. You'll find it inside the phone—it's a gray rectangle. If you take the device apart, you should be able to remove it and try charging it, but be careful."
Emil nodded and stood from his chair.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot, but for now... it's time to sleep," he said, heading toward the door. "Goodnight, Edo."
Edo watched him with mild surprise.
"Hey, wait! You're just leaving? Don't you want to know more about my world?"
"No. The more I hear now, the harder it'll be for me to sleep," Emil interrupted with a smile. "You can tell me another time. Besides, it's getting late, and I had a long day. I need to get to bed early. Goodnight, Edo."
Emil closed the door behind him, leaving Edo alone. The boy let out a deep sigh, glancing toward the exit.
"Ugh, what a weird guy," he muttered under his breath.
"I'd better check if Leni is alright. I can't just rely on this scammer words," he thought.
Finally, he got up from the bed and headed toward the second door in the room, which led to an adjoining space.
Edo carefully opened the door, trying not to wake the sleeping girl. Through the crack, he saw Leni deep in sleep. But something caught his attention.
"Ugh... Why is she sleeping like that? My back hurts just looking at her," he sighed.
Leni was sprawled out in an incredibly awkward position—her head hung off the edge of the bed, her long black hair spilling onto the floor. Her left arm dangled beside her head, while her right arm was tucked beneath her back. One leg was propped against the wall, while the other was twisted at an odd angle.
Edo closed the door, shaking his head.
"Well, it seems like she's fine. Thankfully. I wouldn't forgive myself if I somehow ruined her plans," he thought with relief.
He returned to his bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts wandered to recent events and the memories of Leni that continued to trouble him.
"Damn it... What was I even thinking? I followed her, hoping to push the story forward, but I only caused more problems. If it weren't for me, she would've been more focused. She wouldn't have lost consciousness and would've definitely won that fight," he thought bitterly.
He clenched his fists, angered at himself.
"The truth is, in my current state, I don't stand a chance of returning home. This world is full of strong creatures—monsters and people. I need to get stronger… I need to find the demigod of Wisdom. That's my goal. But right now, I'm too weak..."
He remembered Leni's proposal about joining the Fourth Unit of Nolan, the court knight.
"This might be my chance. If I join, I'll be able to train, gain knowledge from the castle library, and at the same time, help Leni in her mission to improve the image of demons since Nolan's unit is entirely made up of demons. I'll also be able to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless. Sounds like a perfect plan. But... I'm not a demon... I don't have fire magic, and I can't fight the way they'd expect. And I refuse to use that disgusting death-vision power...
From Leni's memories—even though I don't understand why I saw them—I know that Nolan is currently away from the castle. If that's the case, I'll need a place to stay while I wait for his return. Maybe I can ask Leni to arrange a guest room for me in the castle. But whether that'll work out... It doesn't matter. I'll think about it tomorrow!"
Before falling asleep, he glanced at his crystal-encased hand, which rested on the desk. He quickly averted his eyes from the awkward sight, pulled the blanket over himself, and closed his eyes.
"Tomorrow is a new day. Everything will work out somehow," he whispered to himself before drifting off to sleep.