Part 3
Sunlight filtered through the white towers of Astralis, reflecting off the silver domes that crowned the temples.
The capital of the Kingdom of Estelaris was vast, noisy, alive. Polished stone streets, elevated bridges, carriages with golden emblems, and moon banners waving on every corner.
Kaito walked among the crowd, but he wasn't part of it.
He wore simple clothes given to him at the temple, more fitting for an average citizen than a hero. The broken sword hung from his back, wrapped in a white cloth.
He was just another face in the sea of people.
"You can't tell anyone you were summoned."
The words of the high priest still echoed in his head.
"And even less that you were a failure."
The sounds of the markets and the bustle of people reached him as if muffled, like he were floating in a void.
—Astralis, City of the Moon... —he murmured. —This all feels straight out of an RPG. Well, I guess the game did say that... though, this is real. I think.
Kaito lowered his gaze. Inside his leather pouch were the coins given to him along with the others. The exact same amount. Not a coin more, not a coin less.
As if that could erase the difference.
He stopped in front of a crescent-shaped fountain. Water fell gently, crystal clear, and in the center stood a statue of Mizuki. The goddess looked toward the sky with a serene, yet distant expression.
—Were you really the one who brought me here? —he asked quietly. —Or did the Church play god without your permission?
A light breeze moved his bangs.
No one answered.
A group of children ran past him, playing with wooden swords and pretending to be legendary heroes.
Kaito glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.
—Even the kids have better weapons than mine... —he sighed, crossing his arms. —But now that I think about it... why can I understand their language? And their writing?
He looked up at one of the market signs, listing prices and names of strange fruits.
—Could it be because of the summoning? Or some kind of hero ability?
He fell silent.
But if that were the case... why was he still here?
I can't go back home.
And I'm not a hero.
—So... what exactly am I supposed to do?
His stomach growled.
A small, almost comical detail... but enough to pull him back to reality.
—...Time to find some food —he said with a sigh.
—Right, according to the tutorial... I should be able to access some kind of status screen. How was it again...? Oh, right.
—Open status panel! —he murmured.
To his surprise, a translucent interface unfolded in front of him. It hovered in the air with a soft bluish glow. Though it only showed his name, level, and race, everything else was covered in question marks.
—Great, just what I needed... —he said sarcastically.
He scrolled down, searching for the elemental core section.
Nothing.
No glowing symbol. No element assigned.
—No element... this just keeps getting better —he muttered.
He tried to force himself to look on the bright side.
—Well, at least I've got a clue on what weapon to buy next. A sword, a bow, a dagger, a rocket launcher...
Then, a line appeared on the panel with a sharp chime:
Divine Weapon equipped. Cannot be replaced.
His expression froze.
He shut the panel with a quick swipe.
—Better stop looking at my stats before my only 100 gold Yue vanish too.
He walked past the stalls, checking what the merchants had to offer. He listened to fragments of conversations, trying to gather information without drawing too much attention.
Finally, he stopped in front of a small food stall run by a man with a wide smile and a booming voice.
—Welcome, young man! Looking for something in particular? —the vendor greeted him cheerfully.
—Yes, sir. What are you selling here?
—This one's the latest from the Satori Company. It's called takoyaki, octopus and onion-filled balls. I've also got meat skewers with veggies, steamed sweet potatoes... all fresh!
—That sounds fantastic. I'll take one of each... and something to drink. Water, if you have it.
—All right. That'll be two silver coins —the man said, wrapping up the food.
Kaito nodded and handed over a gold Yue.
—Here's your change, young man —he said, giving him back eight silver Yues. —You're not from around here, are you?
—Why do you say that?
—You don't look like a local. And if you ask me, you seem a little lost.
—Ah, yeah. I just got in today from Verdalis. My parents are farmers —he improvised, trying to sound convincing.
—I see... Welcome to Astralis. Be careful—there are lots of pickpockets and thieves hiding in the crowd.
—Thanks... do you know where I can find a blacksmith? I brought my father's sword, but it needs some repairs.
The vendor brought a hand to his chin, thinking.
—I only know the king's blacksmith... Boris Terrafist, I think his name was. He's famous for picking fights with drunkards at the tavern —he said with a laugh.
—Sounds like a handful.
—He is. And I doubt he takes work that doesn't come from the palace. But if you follow the main street to District Six, you'll find some good blacksmiths.
—Thanks for the info, sir —Kaito said, leaving two silver Yues on the counter.
—Thanks for the tip, kid! If you need anything, you know where to find me.
—I'll keep that in mind —he replied, walking away calmly.
He spotted an empty bench in the main plaza and sat down peacefully. Despite everything, he was the kind of person who always tried to see the good in the bad.
For now, he was calm. No immediate problems... but he needed to think about how to earn money.
—What should I do now...? —he murmured. —If I jump straight into some adventure with this busted sword, things'll go south fast, and my story'll end before it even begins...
He looked at the folded document inside his jacket.
—I could go to the nobles' academy in Aldoria. After all, they gave me this noble title and a fake backstory as a farmer. According to this... I'm the youngest son of a Baronet. Sounds convincing enough.
His eyes then landed on someone sitting not far away.
Hooded, holding a metal cup in hand, silently begging for alms. But the strangest thing was how people avoided him. No one looked at him. Some quickened their pace as they passed.
One mother even pulled her child away when he got too close.
—I guess there are people down on their luck everywhere... —he whispered, just as he was about to take his first bite of takoyaki.
But he didn't look away
The more he watched, the more he noticed—he was the only person begging in the entire plaza.
Then, three teens walked by, laughing.
—There's that poor bastard again —one of them said. —Let's throw some rocks at him!
Kaito froze, the takoyaki halfway to his mouth.
The comment lit a fire inside him.
—I guess I can't ignore that... —he sighed, putting the ball back on the tray.
The boys approached the hooded figure.
—Get out of here, foreigner! —one of them yelled mockingly. —You're not welcome here!
He raised his hand, ready to throw a stone.
The hooded man barely managed to lift his arms, like a stray dog used to being kicked.
But the stone never flew.
A firm hand stopped the boy's arm mid-air.
—It's not polite to bother others —Kaito said seriously, looking him straight in the eye. —Especially when they haven't done anything wrong.
—And who do you think you are? Bet you're not even from around here.
—You're right, I'm not from around here... My name is Kaito, son of Baronet Amakawa —he said, showing the emblem of his supposed family.
—Pff, the son of a baronet doesn't scare me. You're no different from us.
—I might not be any higher than a common citizen —Kaito replied. —But... how about I call the guards? Maybe they'll see things differently. Or maybe... —he added, subtly shifting his gaze toward the visible hilt of his sword.
—Tch... a farmer swordsman. Now that's something you don't see every day... Let's go —the boy muttered, turning away. The three of them walked off reluctantly.
—Ugh... what a bunch of rude brats. —Kaito crouched down. —Kid, are you okay?
He reached out carefully. The cloak covered the child's face, but judging by the size, it looked like a kid.
The hooded figure didn't respond. Still curled up, like he was waiting for something bad to happen.
—Come on, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not like those guys... or the nobles. I'm just a regular person.
The figure stayed silent. The distrust didn't fade... but then his stomach growled.
Kaito smiled gently.
—Ah, I see... you're hungry. Then I don't have a choice.
He took out one of the extra food bags he'd ordered and placed it next to him, along with a bottle of water. He also dropped a small gold Yue into his cup.
—I'd like to give you more... but I'm a really poor noble, you know? —he joked.
There was no reply.
Kaito sighed, stood up, and turned to leave. He took a few silent steps, but just as he was about to disappear into the crowd, he heard something.
—...Thank you.
He stopped. He didn't turn around, but a faint smile formed on his face.
The voice was soft, almost a whisper. Vulnerable. Real.
Kaito didn't say anything else. He just kept walking, hands in his pockets, his heart a little lighter.
Maybe his adventure hadn't started the way he dreamed.
But that day... something had already changed.