10 hours prior to the incident:
"What a great day for an execution, I must say."
The guard slid the bolt aside, inserted the keys into the lock, and turned them.
The iron door creaked open.
Inside, a single ray of sunlight pierced through a narrow slit in the wall, illuminating the arm of a man kneeling in prayer. He had only one arm left, his head bowed beneath the light. His face—despite the grime and exhaustion—was still charming, almost noble.
The soldier beside the door spat on the ground."Have we really gotten all the info we wanted from this one?" he asked, voice edged with unease.
"Yeah. He's told us everything he knows. Not that we can be sure of it, though."
"Let's get moving, Grit."
The prisoner—Grit—was forced to hop toward the platform, his feet bound together. The wooden boards creaked beneath him as he reached the center. There was nothing below, only the open drop.
One soldier grabbed his throat while another slipped the rope around his neck.
Grit was, more or less, regretful of the life he had lived till now, but what could he even do about it?
He was a murderer—a fiend who had slaughtered children simply because he could, and burned people alive in front of their loved ones.
This was a man who had a loving mother and father, yet he became a bandit because he couldn't live with the label of "average."
The only thing truly ordinary about him had been his modest lifestyle and starting wealth.
But all the gold he possessed would soon be offered to the very source of everything he had done for the past decade.
"To the Lord, glory to the Lord," he muttered.
Glory to the one whom Grit believed, without question, was better than him—someone he couldn't even wish to touch the hem of his garment, let alone surpass.
The executioner adjusted the rope."Any last words?"
"Well… I don't know, maybe…"
He thought of his family. They believed he had died a long time ago, but now they would receive his body and finally learn of all the monstrous things he had done—or perhaps they themselves had died already.
He couldn't be bothered checking up on them.
What mattered now was dying quickly—and him.
"Yeah," Grit said at last. "Him… Alvar Walter. I might as well tell you, that bastard is—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
"What were you saying? Continue," one soldier pressed.
Grit's eyes shifted.
At the far end of the room stood a man clad in full plate armor, watching silently. Grit's lips trembled as realization dawned — if he spoke, he'd die slowly.
His eyes widened, a sudden rush of fear pulling on his throat.
The fully armored man would somehow stop the execution from happening today just to slowly kill him, if he spoke of Alvar Walter.
After all that man is the general of the flame well brigade, "The blue turtle".
But the blue turtle, Grit's former ally, assumed what Grit was about to speak of being "Alvar is a secret subordinate of mine", but that wasn't the case at all.
What Grit wanted to say was "Alvar Walter that returned with the knights and is currently an adventurer, is not the real one — that he had stolen an ID."
But the blue turtle being close means Grit can't speak of this.
Despite the fact remaining "the blue turtle wouldn't connect the dots that the new Alvar had taken an ID from the old one."
He would just guess that "They have the same name", after all "how could one take an ID that is bound with one's mana signature and make it their own?"
No one has done that.
But Grit saw it.
And the fact that man, the new Alvar Walter, doesn't remember anything means he doesn't know his parents.
This means when the knights say "your parents are dead", there are 2 people aware of the truth.
Grit, and the blue turtle.
Grit though knows that Alvar Walter, the current one, is a fraud.
But the blue turtle will only think "Yeah, the parents the knights are referring to as dead are the parents of the Alvar Walter under Grit's wing."
But the other Alvar Walter who has amnesia will accept the fact his "parents" are dead, despite them being the parents of the subordinate of Grit.
This is the blue turtle's current thought.
After all, he thinks there are two Alvar Walters, and Grit unfortunately won't tell him the truth.
"Continue," the other soldier pressed.
"Oh," Grit muttered. He calmed himself and thought for a moment, 'No one would believe me anyways, if I told him the truth for the supreme leaders sake, he will still torture me.'
'I rather die quickly.'
He raised his head and spoke—
"Apologize to him," he said instead, a bitter smile tugging at his mouth. "I killed his whole family."
"Hmm. Sure. Enjoy your journey to hell."
Crack.
Grit's body went still.
The blue turtle waited until the executioner confirmed the death, then turned and walked out.
***
"Wow, a new menu?!!!" Alvar exclaimed, his eyes widening with delight.
"Yeah," said Matrye Wood, the innkeeper, puffing his chest with pride. "It was a very good idea — I tried to adopt it immediately."
The old menu had been nothing more than a wrinkled sheet of parchment with the food names and prices scrawled across it.
No one knew what the dishes actually looked like — only what the innkeeper described or what rumor passed between adventurers.
Most people stuck to the same safe choices, afraid to waste coins on something unfamiliar or pay extra for exotic herbs they couldn't picture.
But now, the new menu changed everything.
Each meal was neatly drawn with colored ink — showing the portion sizes, ingredients, and what the dish looked like when served. Adventurers could finally see what they were paying for.
Matrye grinned. "Since we put this up, customers order twice as much! They say the pictures make them hungry before they even eat. And we can charge fairly now, no more arguments about prices."
She placed a steaming bowl on Alvar's table. "Here — I've added two more bones to your soup. Enjoy."
Alvar smiled, stirring the broth and watching the steam rise. It wasn't just the food that warmed him — it was the quiet satisfaction of seeing his small idea make someone's business better.
[NICE WORK SHARING YOUR MIGHTY KNOWLEDGE, HIROKI]
"Yeah," he said, sipping his soup with a satisfied grin. "Well, from here on out, I should probably start saving some of my ideas — and invest money into them. Some of them could actually turn out very profitable."
[I AGREE. THE FAST-FOOD CONCEPTS, AND THOSE EXOTIC SNACKS AND CAKES YOU REMEMBER THE RECIPES OF — THEY COULD MAKE US RICH.]
Alvar chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah… thinking about it makes me happy. All hail Earth and it's fine creations!"
[ALL HAIL EARTH!!!]
7 hours before the incident:
For all the time I've spent here, my knowledge of this world is still very limited. Not that I can blame myself much — I had to hold back my curiosity and focus on magic first.
So now, I have to study, and there is no place better than the adventurers guild to do so.
After saying his goodbyes to the innkeeper, he slipped through the open front door.
He couldn't believe his eyes. "Are you Tibo's grandmother, by any chance?"
"Oh, you remember me?" she replied, holding the hand of a woman who seemed to be helping her.
What made this lady remarkable were her eyes—they were shiny and blue. So gorgeous, in fact, that even Tibo's blue eyes didn't glow this much.
"Yes, miss, what might I help you with?"
"Oh, nothing. You just caught me while I was bickering with myself about whether it was a good idea to eat food here or next to my shop."
"You have a shop… I mean, uhhh…" he trailed off.
"Yeah, my in-laws run it."
"I see… I can't say much about the quality of food elsewhere, but this one here is, quite frankly, the best I have eaten."
"Really? I might check it out, but not now."
"Would you mind escorting me? We seem to be going the same way."
"Yes, with pleasure."
Alvar, the old lady, and her companion walked together toward the guild. Along the way, he noticed subtle glances from a few people on the road—he could only assume it was because of how striking the woman's eyes were. A faint warmth ran through him at the thought.
They arrived at the shops where the three "crazy" people—the blacksmith, the cloth artisan, and the potion maker—were located.
The old lady said her goodbyes.
Before parting, she asked his name.
"I am Alvar Walter, an F-rank adventurer."
"I am Madam Debra Angel."
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have to tell you this… your eyes are very gorgeous. The most gorgeous I have ever seen."
She smiled warmly. "I have to tell you this as well… you are the third most gorgeous man I have ever laid eyes on—next to my husband, and then Tibo, of course. Call me Grandma from now on."
Alvar blinked, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. "Of course… thank you for the compliment."
He bowed lightly, then stepped away, leaving them behind.
[I AM BAFFLED BY THE FACT YOU ARE CALLED GORGEOUS ] the system remarked, its tone laced with disbelief.
Inside the guild:
The place was busier than usual. Adventurers and quest issuers scrambled around — some arguing at the counters, others rushing between boards and tables.
[THIS WEEK'S BUSY AS HELL. WONDER WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT DOESN'T CONCERN US; WE'RE THE LOWEST RANK HERE.]
'I agree. We'll check issues like this when we get promoted'
Alvar took a quick minute to browse through the shelves near the reception and bought a stack of handbooks from the guild's store: the Guild Rule Book, An Introduction to Guild Operations, The Geography of the Kingdom of Asteria, and Monster Manual for Dummies.
They were all beginner-level guides, nothing in-depth — but still, Alvar thought, for most citizens, there knowledge wouldn't surpass this
(The following are his thoughts!)
Page 1: GuildThe Guild is an association of soldiers, hunters, merchants, and civilians collectively known as Adventurers.
It was an association formed for the better control of dungeons and monster hunting.
It has 150 years of history but has increased significantly in power in the last 50 years.
The association's headquarters is found in the Blue Crystal Kingdom.
I read more and more about the Guild and what they do, including how one can get a Guild license and the general rules.They were more or less logical.
Next, the ranking system—
Adventurers are assigned a placement called rank.There are nine ranks in total, from F to SS in theory. Although there are no SS ranks, and even S ranks are extremely rare — you could probably count them on one hand.
'I'm an F rank. To get promoted, there are three main routes:'
Requesting an upgrade, which requires passing an exam and completing a specific number of quests.
Receiving a recommendation from the guild master or other guild officials.
Receiving the recommendation of a noble, someone of status, or the endorsement of sixty peasants.
No matter which route you take, the exam is unavoidable.
The difference in earnings between ranks is staggering.'An average F-rank adventurer earns half of what an E-rank does. A D-rank earns double that of an E-rank if they are good, and a C-rank makes roughly three times as much as a D-rank. This means there's a definite possibility that some C-rank adventurers earn eight to twelve times what I do — though I'm not exactly average.'
'They also are addicted to spending, typical I would say.I on the other hand, am very thrifty.'
[INDEED, WE CAN LIVE OFF THE 80 SILVER COINS WE HAVE FOR QUITE SOME TIME]
Next, monsters.
Monsters are entities of evil — or at least lesser evil — with a desire for something and a willingness to harm anyone to achieve it. They cannot coexist with normal "humane" beings — by which I mean humans, dwarves, elves, and the like.
Like adventurers, monsters are also ranked from F to S.I wonder if an SSS-rank monster actually exists… I hope not, at least for now.
The difference in power between a rank-X monster and a rank-X adventurer is about one rank, sometimes more, sometimes less.For example, an E-rank monster — say, a mature wind-type wolf — is typically one class above an E-rank adventurer.
Alvar opened the page. The next page had the picture of the wolf monster and an average E-rank with his gear and everything.
"Wait… that's the same wolf I fought before. Damn. This one is bigger, scarier — more muscle, taller, and its magical abilities are greater as well."
"Thankfully the one I faced was a baby. I should have killed it instead of focusing on the small ones, a wasted opportunity."
To make an adventurer party, you typically need…
"Sir Alvar? Is that you?"
A familiar voice called out.
It was Theodore — but without his usual knightly attire. He looked… different. Fresh, casual, and now that Alvar noticed, surprisingly handsome.
[YOU HAVE A VERY BAD SENSE OF TASTE IN EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW.]
'Well,' Alvar thought, 'you, on the other hand, seem to look at everything objectively. As for me, I like to take my time appreciating anything that isn't a cat.'
"What are you doing here?" Alvar asked, standing from the table.
"Well… I'm trying to go on a date with Veronica."
"A date? Like… that kind of date?"
"Yeah." Theodore's cheeks reddened just slightly.
[TRY NOT TO DO ANYTHING STUPID, OK.]
'Yeah, I know.'
"What were you reading?" asked Theodore, looking at the books he had stacked up.
"I'm learning about monster ranks, and also Adventurers."
"On that note, what rank are you, if knights have one?" asked Alvar.
"I am rank C+, while Veronica is C."
'Oho, very dangerous.'[INDEED]
At that moment, Veronica arrived. She wore tomboyish clothing — a fitted leather tunic with practical belts and straps, dark trousers tucked into boots, and a simple cloak that didn't hinder movement. Her short black hair framed sharp black eyes.
Wow… they both look good now that I notice it, Alvar thought.
They stood in front of him, talking quietly to each other while he lingered, watching.
[WHY NOT TAKE A LOOK AROUND?]
His eyes swept around the guild, and he couldn't believe it — it felt… human-premium. Each of the adventurers, quest issuers, and travelers looked striking in their own way. Alvar, or rather Hiroki, wasn't the kind of person to judge or care much about appearances. He'd always valued personality over looks, but… damn. Seeing people in proper fantasy attire actually looking gorgeous was strangely satisfying.
[WHY DID THEODORE COME HERE TO HAVE A DATE, THOUGH? AREN'T THERE FANCY RESTAURANTS IN THIS TOWN?]
'Now that you mention it… that is true,' Alvar muttered to himself.
"Are you actually going on a date here?" he asked aloud.
"Oh, no," Theodore said, waving a hand nervously. "We're just waiting for her sister."
"Her sister?"
"Yeah… you know, the emerald-eyed goddess of the guild? She's Veronica's stepsister."
Alvar started sweating buckets from his innocent body. Veronica's eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned against Theodore's chest.
Theodore, unknowingly, smiled at Alvar.
"Why not come with us, my friend?" — Theodore.
[SHIT.]
'SHIT!'
3 hours before the incident:
Yes, the real incident is far more than this…