Chapter 4 – Toward Axel
The sound of wheels creaking over the ground broke the silence of the forest.
Haruto, who had been walking for hours along an old trail, slowed his steps and looked up.
A caravan.
Four wagons advanced slowly among the trees, escorted by a few guards armed with spears and swords. Sacks of goods were piled on the vehicles, while the merchants chatted, trying to ignore the fatigue of the journey.
Then came the shouts.
"Goblins! On the left!"
Dozens of small green creatures leapt from the underbrush, wielding rusty clubs, crooked knives, and improvised spears.
The guards reacted quickly, but the situation was unfavorable.
Two were already wounded.
Another had been knocked down, his sword slipping from his hand.
The goblins were slowly surrounding the caravan.
Haruto watched for a few seconds.
*'More than I expected... but still just goblins.'*
He tightened his grip on the crude spear he'd built during his first month in the forest.
In the next instant, he vanished from where he stood.
The first goblin didn't even register what had happened before the stone tip pierced its throat.
Haruto yanked the spear back and spun his body, striking another monster in the chest with enough force to send it flying into a tree.
The guards were stunned.
Even wielding nothing but a crude weapon, that young man fought with frightening precision.
A scream caught his attention.
The guard who'd lost his sword was now being surrounded by two goblins.
Without hesitating, Haruto threw his spear.
The weapon pierced through one monster's chest and kept going until it stuck into the ground.
Before the other goblin could react, Haruto ran to the fallen sword, snatching it up in a single motion.
The blade traced a silver arc.
The creature's head rolled across the dirt.
The sword was light, well-balanced, and infinitely superior to his improvised spear.
The third goblin tried to attack him from behind.
Haruto spun around.
The blade tore through the creature's chest while his other hand hurled a small sphere of water straight into another goblin's eyes.
The creature screamed.
Blinded for an instant.
Long enough.
A horizontal slash ended its life.
The merchants and guards stood frozen.
Everything was happening too fast.
The goblins tried to surround him.
Haruto simply raised his hand.
"Create Water."
Several spheres of water appeared around him.
With a simple flick of his fingers, they shot out like projectiles.
The force was enough to break noses, dislocate jaws, and knock the small creatures down.
Before they could get up, the sword finished the job.
Within moments, more than half the group was dead.
The remaining goblins hesitated.
Then they began fleeing in desperation.
Haruto didn't chase them by running.
He simply raised his hand again.
"Turn Undead."
Nothing happened.
He stood in silence for a few seconds.
*'...Right.'*
*'They're not undead.'*
Shaking his head, he advanced normally.
Even fleeing in desperation, the goblins couldn't escape.
A few minutes later, the last one fell.
Silence settled over the forest once more.
The merchants stood motionless.
One of the guards was the first to find his voice.
"I-is it over...?"
Haruto carefully cleaned the blood off the sword using water conjured by his magic and walked over to the wounded guard, handing it back to him by the hilt.
"This sword is yours."
The man took the weapon with trembling hands.
"T-thank you so much..."
The others exchanged glances.
That had been far too fast.
It seemed as though the blue-haired young man hadn't even considered those monsters a threat.
The man who appeared to be leading the caravan approached slowly.
"Sir... thank you so much. If it weren't for you..."
Haruto merely gave a small nod.
"It was nothing."
As they talked, he noticed something curious.
He understood every word.
There was no difficulty at all.
It was as if he'd been born speaking that language.
*'So that's it...'*
*'Every summoned person gets some kind of linguistic adaptation.'*
It made sense.
It would be absurd to send someone to another world unable to communicate.
The conversation continued.
The merchants soon learned that Haruto intended to head to Axel.
"We're headed there too!" the caravan leader replied. "If you'd like, you're welcome to travel with us."
Haruto accepted immediately.
Traveling with company would be safer.
Besides, he wanted to learn more about that world before entering the city.
While they prepared to set off, the merchants noticed the dozens of hides strapped to Haruto's pack.
"Do you intend to sell all of that?"
"Yes."
The man's eyes widened as he examined the goods.
There were hides of excellent quality.
Some even came from medium-sized monsters.
"I could buy them right now."
After a long negotiation, all the hides were sold.
Along with a small pouch full of coins, the caravan leader smiled and said:
"Consider this a thank-you for saving our lives."
He handed Haruto a set of noble robes made of dark blue fabric, along with a light overcoat of the same color, plus a long, slender sword of excellent quality.
"A warrior like you deserves better equipment than a spear made of branches."
Haruto accepted the gift with a slight nod.
After changing clothes, even the merchants themselves were impressed.
"He looks like a young noble..."
"Or a prince..."
Haruto just smiled.
The rest of the journey passed without major incident.
Along the way, Haruto asked several questions about the Kingdom of Belzerg, about Axel, the Adventurers' Guild, and the region's geography.
The merchant answered everything patiently.
Haruto listened attentively.
*'I need to learn this world's geography.'*
*'Just knowing the main events isn't enough.'*
*'If I get lost, all that knowledge will be useless.'*
Late in the afternoon of the following day, enormous walls appeared on the horizon.
Axel.
The city of novice adventurers.
The gates were bustling.
Merchants came and went constantly.
The guards recognized the caravan immediately.
"Good trip?"
"Aside from some goblins, all smooth."
The guards laughed.
They didn't ask any questions about Haruto.
Apparently, the merchants' word was enough.
As soon as he passed through the gates, Haruto noticed his appearance was drawing attention.
The long blue hair, the crystalline eyes, and the elegant robes made many people assume some young aristocrat had arrived in the city.
Wherever he passed, conversations dropped in volume.
Some women shot discreet glances his way and looked away when he noticed, blushing faintly before continuing on their way.
Others simply whispered among themselves.
Even some adventurers watched him with curiosity.
Haruto, however, remained indifferent.
His goal lay elsewhere.
Arriving in front of the massive Adventurers' Guild building, he said his goodbyes to the merchants.
"Thanks for the help."
"We're the ones who should thank you, Sir Haruto. Good luck."
He walked in.
The place was exactly as he'd imagined.
Tables full of adventurers.
Laughter.
Mugs of beer.
Quest postings scattered across the board.
Behind the counter, a beautiful receptionist was attending to newcomers.
As soon as Haruto approached, she looked up.
For a brief moment, she was caught off guard by the young man's unusual appearance.
But she quickly regained her professional composure.
"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild. How may I help you?"
Haruto smiled politely.
"I'd like to register as an adventurer."
She returned the smile.
"Of course. My name is Luna. It'll be my pleasure to handle your registration."