Point of View: Kaori Tanaka

  "Young Tanaka, be careful with Abimael and our Majesty Eryndor. They will do anything to achieve their goals." I woke up with the memory of one of the things Lorian told me when we had tea. So far, I hadn't seen the other heroes who were brought to this world, and days had already passed. When I questioned Abimael, I got no response. The same happened with Captain Gregor, and Lorian evaded my question.

  I propped myself up on my elbows and observed the curtains separating my room from the balcony. I took a deep breath and let the morning air invigorate my body. I felt the mana around me touching every corner of the room.

  I had become stronger...

  Over the past few days, I learned to master a complete water-attribute spell. Now, I could break it down to control its intensity and combine it with rune representations of the water attribute. The learning process was complicated. It required memorizing the runes and establishing an order to create a spell. The chants we recite help refresh our memory of the runes and their sequences. In short, each spell depended solely on the mage or their teacher.

  I got out of bed and walked to the window, feeling the morning sun warm my skin. It was summer.

  "In the name of my own power, I summon the strength of the spring that grants life and divides nations. Surge."

  A small stream of water began to pour from my hands and trickled down the building below. I took the opportunity to wash my face and drink some fresh water. The chirping of birds mixed with the grumbling of a soldier.

  "What the...? Who's throwing buckets of water out the window?" I looked down and saw a completely drenched guard. My cheeks flushed. I hadn't noticed the man patrolling. "Ah, Miss Tanaka, I didn't see it was you. I apologize for my disrespect."

  I stepped away from the window. It was my fault, but I didn't need to deal with it right now.

  I walked over to my light armor, made from basilisk leather. The king himself had given it to me, along with a sword forged from arcane ferrum. According to Abimael, this alloy was a mixture of iron and powdered mana crystals, increasing its magical conductivity.

  I looked at myself in the silver mirror of the room. I wore black armor consisting of a breastplate, pauldrons, greaves, bracers, and boots, over my white shirt and beige leather pants. My golden hair cascaded down my back. I grabbed my sword, sheathed in a red scabbard with a small dragon design, and fastened it to my waist.

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  I took a deep breath before leaving the room and opening the door. On the other side, Gregor stood in a military stance, waiting for me. His serious, stern gaze made my stomach churn. The scar over his eye certainly didn't help my morning start well.

  "Good morning. How long have you been waiting for me?" I asked, placing my hand on the hilt of my sword. Somehow, it made me feel more secure. I felt capable.

  "Not too long. Miss, are you ready? We will escort Lord Lorian Vellorn to Drakenville." The man got straight to the point. I started moving, closing the door behind me.

  "I'm ready. It sounds simple, but I'm eager to see more of this world." In truth, I wasn't eager to accompany the redhead. I didn't like his personality, nor his appearance, and he certainly didn't seem like a person of good character.

  "Remember: this is a simple mission, so there's nothing to fear." Gregor seemed to be trying to reassure me. Even though I had been training for almost two weeks, I was still not an expert in swordsmanship or magic.

  "I'm not afraid." I replied. Lorian was weak but didn't seem incapable of handling himself. What really exhausted me was the thought of a long journey. "It's just going to be exhausting. Four days to get there and another four to return, just to spend a single day in Drakenville."

  "Oh, is that what you're worried about? It'll be fun! We can hunt. Who knows, maybe you'll come back with a dragon's head?" I saw a smile form on the old man's face, which made me a bit uneasy.

  We walked through the corridors in silence. I didn't feel like talking, and Gregor Olindar remained quiet. Despite his relatively high rank, I didn't feel threatened by him. In fact, as I understood more about mana, I could perceive the difference between the weak and the strong through their magical signatures.

  The carriage adorned with small golden serpents awaited me. This time, two lizards pulled it. Later, I learned they were a species of earth dragons.

  "You'll ride inside the carriage with Lord Lorian Vellorn." Gregor informed me as he headed for the horses. I made a face at him, to which he responded with a smile. Our relationship had improved. I made a mental note as I opened the carriage door to find Lorian Vellorn.

  The redhead wore a navy-blue coat that reached his knees. His white shirt had various embroidered patterns on the collar and sleeves. Maybe this world needed more colorful clothing.

  "Miss Kaori has decided to accompany me on my journey. I am honored by your presence."

  "I didn't have much choice here." I cut off his smile as I shut the carriage door behind me. "Lord Lorian Vellorn." I rolled my eyes as I said his title.

  He sighed deeply. I was still irritated about being taken to a slum. It felt like some kind of manipulation, which I deemed fruitless. I didn’t like that kind of behavior.

  "This will be a long journey. I prepared some snacks for us to enjoy while we talk." The redhead lifted one of the seats, surprising me. The seats were storage compartments. He pulled out a small wooden box and handed it to me. "There’s more inside."

  I raised an eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously.

  Sweets… my mouth watered. Inside the box were biscuits and cookies with a white coating. How long had it been since I last tasted sugar?