A few days after the incident…
It was peaceful in the farmlands outside the Capital's walls. The group had found a nearby village and had their wounds treated. They sent word to the Capital about what had happened and were now waiting for an envoy to retrieve them.
The village lord was kind enough to let them stay at his estate while they awaited their allies' arrival.
"Fuuu, this feels nice," Estellia said as she leaned into the cushy chair. "Thankfully, this lord has a cozy chamber." She yawned, sipping her tea. Her expression turned more serious as she looked at Edwick, who was sitting across from her. His wounds had been attended to when they first arrived.
"We should make arrangements for the family members," she said softly, her eyes gazing into the fireplace.
Edwick nodded. "Very thoughtful of you, Your Highness." He added more wood to the fire, then cast a glance at their newest guest. "What about him, Miss? Shall we bring him back to the Capital? Your grandfather would surely be grateful to the man who saved us."
Estellia turned her gaze to Xora, who was busy stuffing his face with cakes, meat pies, and bread. "Hm, perhaps. Though I believe we should… fix up his appearance."
Xorathul—well, Xora had never in his previous life tasted such delicacies. Aside from consuming dwarf stars, he'd never eaten anything as delicious as this.
I never knew these mortals had such good food. I should've spared a few back then, he thought, chuckling at his bad joke while shoveling strawberry shortcake into his mouth.
"I hope the food is to your liking, Xora," Estellia commented, attempting to make small talk.
"It's very good! Better than squirrel meat," he replied, grinning and speaking with his mouth full. Edwick struggled to hide his disgust as he politely offered Xora a napkin.
Confusing the napkin for food, Xora simply ate it along with the rest. Estellia and Edwick exchanged incredulous looks, silently wondering what was wrong with this man.
"A-anyways," Estellia stammered, attempting to regain composure, "I'd like to reward you handsomely once we make it back home. My grandfather wouldn't mind paying you from our treasury."
Edwick hesitated, then whispered in her ear, "I don't think we can. The King is busy with negotiations with the elves and other tribes because of the Church's third crusade."
Estellia groaned. "Ugh, those weirdos. Things would be much better if the Kingdom controlled them."
Xora licked his fingers and interjected with a grin. "I don't mind if this is my only reward," he said, gesturing to the empty trays of food. Leaning back in his chair with a satisfied grunt, he added, "Can I get some more?"
Edwick rose and knocked on the door. A servant opened it. "Can we get three more servings of everything?" he asked. The servant, puzzled, glanced at Xora surrounded by empty trays and quickly understood.
Estellia got up from her chair and placed a hand on the table next to Xora, her eyes meeting his. "I refuse to reward you with just food. Tell me about your goals, and I'll choose a fitting reward for you."
Xora hesitated, thinking, How can I tell her that I'm a being from another world, trying to reclaim my status as a god? After a moment, he decided on an answer and looked at her with confidence.
"I want to become a god."
"Eh?" Estellia blinked in confusion.
"Eh?" Edwick echoed.
Estellia, taken aback, mulled over his words. 'A god? Does… does he mean that literally? Or maybe he wants to be called a 'God,' like one of those adventurers… a 'Sword God'? But he used a spear… Spear God? That must be it! He wants to be an adventurer! I know what he wants!' Feeling proud of her deduction, she brushed her golden hair back.
"I can invite you to the Academy or write you a recommendation! I can totally help you achieve your goal!" she said, smiling brightly. For the first time in her life, she felt excited to talk to someone outside her family and servants.
"Academy? What's that?" Xora asked. He sifted through the memories he had inherited fragments from those he consumed. None of the humans provided much insight except for their final moments, and the Hero's memories, though useful, weren't detailed in this regard.
"You seriously don't know about the Academy?"
"Nah."
"You're joking, right?"
"Nah."
She sighed and explained, "It's where people go to make a name for themselves and become successful in their chosen field. They offer courses, professional training, and on-site practice."
"I see."
"Do you really?" she prodded.
"Eh, I don't mind, as long as I can eat."
"I assure you, they have the finest chefs who will cater to your needs."
Satisfied with this, Xora nodded. Before he could say more, several servants entered, pushing carts laden with food. Grinning widely, Xora dug in as they placed the feast in front of him.
I don't really mind, he thought while eating. I do need to get stronger, and this Academy thing sounds promising.
"Alright, I'll accept," he said.
Estellia smiled. "And again, thank you for saving us."
"It was no big deal," Xora replied between bites.
It really wasn't, he was trailing after a deer he shot, unfortunately the thing got into it and ruined the meat. He found out about the it though, it was the same species as himself, but a bit lesser to an extent, still it was a confirmation he wasn't the only thing that got summoned from his dimension. 'If I was summoned here.. then what about that _________ who killed me? did they also get summoned... nah it was too much of coward, wouldn't die too easily to get here'
During that fight he leveled up again, this time getting a new ability.
⌈ NAME: XORATHUL. LEVEL: 3
CLASS: NONE. TITLES: NONE
HEALTH POINTS:400/400
STRENGTH: 25. VITALITY: 20.
AGILITY:30. DEXTERITY:30.
INTELLIGENCE:10. LUCK: 0.
MAGIC: 2. ENDURANCE: 24.
FAITH: 4. CHARISMA: 4.
Available Points: 0.
NEW SKILL
THE THOUSAND EYES:
IS ABLE TO SEE AT TARGETS STATUS SCREEN.
COOLDOWN: NONE.
'I already invested my points into more strength and agility. the status screen is interesting, I now know that everyone else also has the system thing as me. let me try it out'
He looks at the Princess as he activates the ability
⌈ NAME Estellia Dawn. LEVEL: 20
CLASS: NONE. TITLES: NONE
HEALTH POINTS:200/200
STRENGTH: 9. VITALITY: 10.
AGILITY:12. DEXTERITY:14.
INTELLIGENCE:30. LUCK: 27.
MAGIC: 65. ENDURANCE: 20.
FAITH: 0. CHARISMA: 22.
Seems to be the opposite of my stats. Still, isn't hers a bit too much? I guess it's because she's of royal blood?
"Xora? You're staring at me…" Estellia said, glancing away as Xora realized what he was doing.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"…"
Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Edwick chimed in, "I believe we should pick out some clothes for Xora if he's to attend."
"That's a good point!" Estellia agreed with a bright smile as she stood up. "Oh, we should also get you situated—new clothes, a bag to carry them, a student ID, and…" She trailed off, suddenly flustered, placing a hand on her cheek. "I'm rambling, aren't I? It's like I'm trying to play dress-up with a homeless man. No offense."
She sank back onto the armrest, her expression thoughtful as she continued. "We'll be leaving for the Kingdom soon. I'll send a letter of recommendation to the Academy to get you admitted. Still, I believe they'll have you take an entrance exam to gauge your strength and rank."
"Rank?" Xora tilted his head.
"Yeah, you know, like C-rank to A-rank. Then there's also S-rank…" She paused, narrowing her eyes at him. "You're not from around here, are you?"
The question lingered in the air, the weight of her curiosity pressing down. Until now, they hadn't asked much about him when he saved them, assuming he was just an eccentric hunter. But now, his presence and demeanor didn't seem to match that assumption. The room grew quiet, an almost tangible tension filling the space.
Thinking quickly, Xora decided on the best excuse he could muster. "I have memory loss," he said with as much sincerity as he could manage.
"Oh, I see," Estellia replied, accepting his explanation without hesitation.
Knock, knock!
A servant stepped into the room and bowed. "We've prepared your rooms for the night."
"Shall we call it a night, then?" Edwick asked.
"I believe so." Estellia reluctantly stood, stretching her arms over her head. "You should head to bed too, Xora."
Xora hesitated, glancing longingly at the table of food he hadn't finished, but he relented and followed their lead. Estellia and Edwick headed to their respective rooms, while a servant guided Xora to his own.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, Estellia's voice rang out cheerfully. "Let's go, Xora! Put the bacon away!"
Xora shuffled toward her, looking decidedly uncomfortable in his new blue noble outfit. The carriage had just arrived, and Estellia, already dressed and eager to leave, practically dragged him out the door. Behind them, the servants and the village lord bid their farewells.
Sighing, Xora cast a wistful glance back at the estate. He had only recently discovered the addictive joys of human food, and leaving this place felt almost like a tragedy. Still, if this strange journey with the princess would help him get stronger, he resolved to continue. With one final longing thought of the bacon he left behind, Xora climbed into the carriage beside his new companion.