After fainting from pretending to destroy the village, one of the soldiers, feeling pity for the simple child who had lost his village, carried him. Meanwhile, Arin stared at a flat stone engraved with the words:
"Here passed the King of the Black, the Lord of Death."
Arin felt something strange; a bad feeling as if this world was on the verge of descending into utter chaos.
The atmosphere in the Salamander continent was tense and unstable. Although Arin was only a low-level commander, he had enough information to realize that the peace that had lasted for fifty years could collapse at any moment.
He expected a new round of massacres and wars to ravage the entire Salamander continent.
After confirming all the evidence and preparing the report he would submit to the city's leaders, Arin decided not to stay in that place any longer, fearing any danger lurking there. The villagers' bodies were buried respectfully, and then the soldiers departed to submit the report, where authorities would send specialists for further investigation.
The soldiers set out towards the city, carrying Eden, still unconscious. Thanks to their intense training, they reached the city within a day. During the journey, Eden regained consciousness and found himself approaching a massive city.
He saw the great wall surrounding the city from a distance, the watchtowers at its corners, and the soldiers patrolling atop the wall. At the giant iron gate, there was a long line of people undergoing identity checks and providing reasons for their visit, in addition to paying an entry fee.
Eden recognized this city well, for it was known as "Iron Fortress," the first line of defense against the Thousand Mile Forest, the land of monsters.
After the soldiers underwent identity checks and confirmed everything was in order, they entered the city. Eden saw large numbers of soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers. The city was bustling with life and activity. In his earlier life, when he formed his own mercenary group, their base was here.
Memories of his early life flooded back to him: the face of his wife who had betrayed him and the team that had abandoned him. A surge of intense anger overwhelmed him.
Eden muttered to himself:
"In this city, I'll make it your graves. Let's focus on the main objective."
The reasons Eden had come to the city now were twofold:
1. To acquire a piece he needed to enter the Academy of Light.
2. To meet a half-human, half-dwarf blacksmith, known as the King of Smiths.
This was the place where this important character was supposed to appear, but the original author of the novel had backed out of adding them. Although this world did not follow the novel's timeline exactly, it still adhered to the main course of events.
After walking to the military headquarters, Arin entered to submit the report, while the rest of the soldiers stayed outside with Eden.
It didn't take long before Arin came out after submitting the report and confirming Eden's identity, with Eden receiving an identity card. Eden parted ways with Arin and his soldiers without hesitation.
Eden wasn't interested in forming a friendship with Arin, as he was just a low-ranking soldier, not famous in either Eden's earlier memories or the novel, or the author's notes.
What Eden did not know was that Arin would, in the future, become a beacon of hope that would light his path, and would follow Eden's steps to change his fate. But that was in the future, not now.
Eden began wandering the streets of the city, where there were numerous shops and townsfolk walking around with smiles on their faces.
Eden wanted to change his dirty clothes and find a place to sleep first, then begin carrying out his plans. He quickly bought clean clothes and prepared himself for the next steps.
---
In the second-hand clothing store, Eden stood in front of a mirror after taking a bath at the public bathhouse. He bought second-hand clothes, but they were clean.
He stared at himself in the mirror with interest. His long black hair reached his neck, slightly wavy in a messy yet attractive manner, as if each strand chose its own path. His sky-blue eyes sparkled like precious jewels, reflecting the light in a way that made them seem to hold an endless depth. There was something mysterious in his eyes, as if they carried secrets yet to be uncovered.
His face exuded strength and coldness, with sharp features reflecting a life full of hardships. But despite his harshness, there was a hint of sadness in his expression, something from the past that he couldn't escape, which didn't match his age. His skin was slightly pale due to exhaustion, but this only added to his allure, giving him a mysterious appeal.
The clothes he chose were simple, yet they suited him perfectly. He wore a tight black shirt that highlighted his slender physique due to malnutrition, with dark-colored pants that allowed ease of movement. He completed the look with sturdy leather boots, which, despite being short, were attractive.
Afterward, he searched for a place to sleep and found an inn offering a cheap room and food, where he settled in.
In the evening, Eden had his meal and then went up to his room. He sat quietly on the edge of the bed, thinking about everything that had happened since his return to his original world.
"Four months should be enough for me to build some physical strength so I can join the Academy of Light."