"My Lord, we've arrived at Santa Forte."
"Thank you."
I climbed down from the carriage, tossing a pouch of 400 locs—the currency of Zenith—to the driver. It was a hefty sum Sister Martha had entrusted me with for my travel.
Turning my attention to the bustling plaza, I let out a breath.
Santa Forte, the trade hub of the region, was exactly as I remembered from the game. This city existed to connect every corner of Zenith, and it showed.
The plaza was a bustling of adventurers, mercenaries, mages, knights, merchants, and countless others.
But I wasn't here to sightsee.
The reason I was here was to continue my remaining journey.
Teleportation portals were the fastest way to get to the Empire, and if I wanted to make it to the academy in time, I needed one.
"Now, where was it again…"
If memory serves me right, there was a small, two-person portal west of here.
I pushed through the crowded streets, dodging an energetic merchant here and an oblivious knight there, until—
"Ah! There it is."
The portal stood just across from me.
Thankfully, it didn't seem occupied.
'That would have been the death of me…'
While teleportation only took seconds for those traveling, each portal required two full hours to recharge.
I quickly made my way to the portal.
Beside the portal was a stand with a diamond-shaped indent at its center.
I pulled out the runestone Sister Martha had given me.
It was specifically crafted to activate portals.
Technically, I could've infused my own mana and activated the portal with a mid-tier
"This is it."
I positioned the runestone above the diamond-shaped slot.
But just as I was about to press it down—
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop!"
An unfamiliar voice called out.
I turned around to see the owner of the voice, only to be met with…
Nothing.
Shaa~
Only the faint breeze stirred the air.
"Did I mishear it?"
"No! No! I'm right here, you—!"
I turned back again, only to be met with…
Nothing.
"Haa…"
Am I hallucinating?
Was this some late side effect of transmigrating into the game?
"I need to focus."
I sighed and went back to push down the stone—
Only for a hand to grab me.
"...Huh?"
This time, I turned to see someone slowly materializing.
She was small, barely five feet tall, and wore an oversized orange mage hat that nearly swallowed her forehead. Strands of blonde hair peeked out from underneath, and her golden eyes glared at me intensely, as if I had done something wrong.
Her uniform seemed oddly familiar, and the bag strapped to her back was almost comically large compared to her small frame.
I simply stared back at her for a while, before asking,
"...I'm sorry, but are you lost, child?"
"Child?!"
She half-yelled, half-jumped.
"I'm not a child, Mister!"
"Clearly."
"Hmph! Whatever!" She puffed her cheeks. "I'm here to tell you that I'll be using this portal first."
Ah. So that's why she was here. The other portals must've been packed.
"Sure. We can go together," I offered casually.
The portal was designed for two people, after all.
"Huh? Together?" She blinked, then pointed dramatically at herself. "Me? And you?"
"...Is there anyone else here?"
I asked earnestly, and she puffed her cheeks more.
"Of course! Bun Bun is right here, Mister! Are you blind?"
"Bun Bun?"
"Yes! My baby rabbit!"
She snapped her fingers.
I half-expected another person to materialize, but instead, a small white ear peeked out from under her hat.
"Don't be afraid, Bun Bun," She assured the white-ear, "I'll protect you from this evil Mister."
Evil…Mister?
Was she talking about me?
She patted her hat proudly. "So, as you can see, we will be using this portal. So steer clear!"
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
I retorted almost immediately.
The portals take two hours to return, which means I'll remain stranded here, and I'll never know what other kind of people I would run into that would disrupt the travel.
Her golden eyes narrowed. "Why not?"
"Because I was here first. Naturally, I should leave first."
"That doesn't matter here, Mister!" She said, "Do you even know who I am?"
"...I'm sorry, but who—"
"Anissa. Anissa Strelford of the Strelford Familia. You're welcome to refer to me as My Lady, but I prefer Miss Anissa."
She said with the most confident grin I had seen on a child.
"Right…Miss Anissa, good for you to have a family name, but…"
I looked down at my pocket watch.
It was 9 on the Erisum Time, and I was supposed to be at the academy in three hours.
This was my only chance to get there on time.
"...I have things to attend to."
"So do I!" she huffed. "Do you even know where I'm headed?"
"I'm sure it's a magnificent place, but—"
"Of course it is!" she cut me off. "My father personally recommended me to this place. Today's my first day, and I have to make an impression—ARGHH!"
Snap.
With a flick of my fingers, I cast a levitation spell.
"Huh?! Mister, what are you doing?! Put me down!"
She flailed mid-air.
"I can't do that."
"You think I can't break out of this?!"
She glared at me and snapped her own fingers, casting a low-tier
It was predictable, and entirely ineffective.
There were tiers to spell-casting and she was clearly not on the level as me.
"Wha—why isn't it working?!"
Ignoring her protests, I pressed the runestone into the portal's slot.
Energy crackled as the portal began to hum.
"Mister! Stop! Don't go!" she yelled, flailing harder.
I gave her a polite wave.
"Apologies, Miss Anissa. I'm on a schedule. Let's hope our next meeting is more pleasant."
The portal's energy surged, enveloping me in a blinding light.
Anissa's face was red with fury, her voice rising to a crescendo.
"MISTERRRR—!"
Zap.
And, I was gone.