Iveleth Town—this was the name inscribed in the Yarum language on a massive sign at the entrance of a place teeming with people. The area was bustling, and at the gate stood two guards. The first was a man with long brown hair and a scar on his forehead, wearing light armor with a sword strapped to his waist. The second, dressed in the same gear, had noticeably large breasts and long black hair, clearly identifying her as a woman.
"So... aren't we having dinner together tonight?" the male guard said with a teasing grin.
"Can you back off? My goddess! Just because we work together doesn't mean I know you. Shut up, you stranger," the female guard replied with a harsh expression, making the other guard fall silent as he focused on the long line of carriages and carts entering the town.
On one of these carts, Laos' eyes were about to pop out. He was staring at everything in the town, but what truly astonished him wasn't the town itself—it was the creatures. So many different races, races he never thought he'd see here. A tall man with a dog face wearing knightly armor, a short dwarf with a cat face holding a long wooden staff, and behind him, a massive lizardman draped in a long cloak. On top of the lizardman's huge head sat a dwarf with a rabbit face, wearing light armor with a silver dagger strapped to his leg. Dwarves with thick beards and stern gazes, humans clutching maps as they moved forward with their weapons.
"Oh... my... God!!!" Laos muttered, jolted by the cart's movement as it rolled over some rocks.
"Amazing, right?" Maris said, watching her stunned companion.
"No, it's not just amazing... it's incredible!!!" Laos replied, his voice a little loud, but it didn't bother anyone because of the sheer noise in the crowded town.
So this is Iveleth!! The town of adventurers. My god, look at that party—they're awesome! Look at that dark-skinned elf! Is that a cow walking on two legs?! This is beyond fantasy! It's insane! I can't even stop staring! I never imagined all these races would be gathered in one place. It's absolutely beautiful—houses everywhere, trees scattered around, weapon and potion shops... This is pure fantasy!!
After a long while of gawking, the cart finally stopped in front of a stable packed with other carriages. Well, our journey ends here. Damn, that was such a long trip, but it was worth it—every single second. Just look at this town. I swear I wouldn't even mind living here forever... How could I? This is my dream. Yes, this is the place I meant when I said my dream was to go to another world... This is the world I wanted. It looks like I've already achieved one of my dreams!
"Congrats on arriving safely," the driver said as he led his horse away.
"Thank you..." I replied while stepping away with Maris.
The place was packed with people, and I suddenly felt a strong urge to find a room and lock myself inside. Fuck!... How can I even explain this feeling? Well, back in my previous world, I hated crowds. Any place with a large number of people made me feel anxious and extremely tense. So, of course, that's exactly what's happening to me now. On top of that, I feel like a stranger in a foreign land. Which, to be fair, is precisely the case… but that doesn't mean I wanted to feel this way.
"You look uneasy," Maris said, holding my hand. God, how did she know?
"Well, as you know, this is my first time in this town. Plus, I prefer solitude over crowded places like this," I answered while scanning the area for an elf girl. I thought I'd see plenty, but all I could find were lots of humans and demi-humans, along with a few walking animals, dwarves, and even some dark elves.
"You'll get used to it. Besides, our work starts here, so there's no need to worry," Maris reassured me.
"We need to rent a room first," I replied.
"Alright. How much did the villagers give you as a gift?" Maris asked as we walked around.
"One nova," I answered.
"Good, we can rent a single room," Maris said. "Follow me," she added, quickly moving ahead.
As we continued wandering, I resumed admiring this incredible town. I swear, this is the most amazing thing my eyes have ever seen. Iveleth, you're absolutely stunning! If only I were a more social person, this would be the perfect life. No doubt about it. After a while, we arrived at a tavern—a rather large one with an open wooden door and a sign engraved with an ale mug. This is just like an RPG... My god, I'm so happy!!!
I just hope that event doesn't happen—the cliché scene where the protagonist enters a tavern, bumps into some troublemakers, and then a bar fight breaks out. Ugh, everyone gets excited over that, but no one ever spares a thought for the poor tavern owner. Fuck, the chances of someone trying to mess with me are high, all thanks to Maris being with me. I bet they'll get jealous.
The place was packed, and the noise was overwhelming. Some were drinking, others were playing card games, and of course, there were plenty of adventurers around. Just as I expected, most eyes turned toward us—especially toward Maris. What the hell? I just saw a man with dog ears sticking out his tongue while staring at Maris. Fuck! Do whatever you want, but no fights, please—I don't want any trouble.
A bit further inside, near the entrance, stood a woman—or rather, a human girl—wearing a slightly revealing outfit, dressed like a medieval-era waitress. She was pouring a drink into a wooden mug and handing it to a drunken customer, who was staring at her boobs like a dumbass. As I prepared to step forward and ask for a room, a wave of anxiety hit me. That familiar nervousness I always got when speaking to strangers—especially shopkeepers.
"I'll talk," Maris whispered, gently pushing me back as she stepped forward. Perfect timing! Hah, she probably did this just because the waitress was a woman. Guess I should practice talking to men without freaking out in the future.
"Can we rent a room for one night?" Maris asked.
"One room? Ninety-nine bils," the waitress replied.
After that, Maris placed a nova coin, and the waitress returned the change—a small copper-colored piece, a single bil. Then, she handed over a small key to the room. Alright, our first step in this town was done. Damn, I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. My god, this was terrifying. I was in a shitty financial state. I needed money!
"Come on, Laos," Maris said as she headed toward the stairs.
"Are you hungry?" I asked.
"Yes..." she muttered.
"We need money," I replied.
Maris then opened one of the rooms after spotting a sign that read, "Unreserved Room." Fuck, it was tiny! There was only one window, and the smell was awful in here. The bed was worn-out and dirty, too. What the fuck, what kind of crap was this?! This was the worst place I had ever seen in my life—going to jail would be better.
"Damn, what is this room? It's impossible to live here," I muttered.
"..." Maris stayed silent. "I won't blame you. You're not used to places like this," she added as she stared out the window.
God no, why was I complaining to a girl?! I was the man here; she was the one who should be complaining. Fuck, I looked like a femboy, and Maris looked like the man. And it seemed like she was remembering her painful past as a slave. What a terrible husband I was... Fuck you NPC. She didn't turn around and just kept gazing out the window, so I slowly approached her and hugged her from behind. Would this make her feel better? I hoped so.
"Did it bring back those bad memories?" I whispered in her ear.
"Yeah... Thanks, Laos," she replied, holding my hands that had gently wrapped around her.
"So... Should we go to the Adventurers' Guild to register our names?" I asked as I let go of her.
"I want to rest for a bit. Let's go in the evening."
"No, let's go now! We need money. Let's register, then finish our first quest, get some money, and have dinner," I insisted.
"Laos, we need to pay a registration fee," Maris said as she brushed off some dust from the window sill.
"What?! Then how are we supposed to become adventurers when we only have one bil?!" I asked loudly. It seemed like life was about to get even harder. Fuck, what was this awful feeling I was having right now?
"It's simple. The guild allows us to pay later after completing some quests. The fee is three nova, so they'll keep deducting from our earnings until they get their three nova," Maris explained.
"So..."
"We'll be living without food or shelter until we earn three nova," Maris stated.
For a moment, I didn't feel scared or extremely upset. Normally, I'd be pissed if my wife came from a wealthy or middle-class family. But since Maris was a former slave, living without a home or food wouldn't be that bad. Fuck... She had lived a dark life, and it seemed like she would continue to live a hard one. Fuck, fuckt, I had to do something—not for me... but for her!
But how? How was I supposed to get money? I needed money by any means necessary. Think, Laos! You're in a fantasy world—one of the genres you have the most knowledge about. Where do you get money in RPGs besides completing quests? ...I got it! Selling items! Yeah, I just had to kill some monster and sell the materials I got from it. But I had no knowledge of the monsters in this world or what resources they dropped.
"Maris, I have an idea—to kill a monster and sell the materials I get from it," I said as I thought about my plan.
"The only monsters that drop materials worth selling are tier 4 and above," Maris replied.
"Give me an example," I said.
"Roottas," Maris answered.
"What are those?"
"They're shrubs with arms and legs. Their wood is extremely tough and hard to break. They can also shoot thorny plants, some of which are poisonous. You can sell the plants they shoot," Maris explained.
"Oh, I don't think I can beat those. Is there another monster?" I asked.
"If you can't beat Roottas, then you can't defeat any of the other monsters I was going to mention," Maris muttered.
Damn, why was she talking like that? Maris had changed—a lot. She was never like this before. The old Maris would have said, "What's wrong? Come on, let's go crush those Roottas! I'll be right beside you." But now she was too pessimistic. I hoped it was just because of the tough situation we were in right now. Yeah, I hoped she was just sad and hadn't actually changed, because if she had... I would hate that. I'd hate it so much that I'd consider leaving Maris.
◆ ◆ ◆
Inside a luxurious room, a girl wearing an orange dress with long blonde hair was asleep. Her head was resting on the table, and her hair was spread all over it. However, she was letting out an annoying whimper. After a moment, she lifted her head, revealing a beautiful white face and two blue eyes.
Then, a woman dressed in a black robe with a long witch's hat on her head approached her. She also had long black hair. Placing her hands on the blonde girl's shoulders, she said: "Your Highness, Tiana, don't worry. Everything will be alright."
"Alright?! My personal guard was kidnapped, and three servants escaped from the palace. You don't understand, Sabrina, but the shame I feel right now makes me want to kill myself over and over again... Curse you Deryal, it set us up," Tiana said with a sorrowful expression.
"We just need to confirm that the spy who kidnapped Gaziel was from Deryal. In the end, it wasn't the same two spies who intercepted you before. I saw him—he was a huge man with bulging muscles and terrifying horns. He might have even been a demon," Sabrina said.
"Is it possible that Deryal is allied with Diablos?" the grieving princess asked.
"It's possible... But for now, we need to strengthen the palace's defenses, or Deryal might ambush us at any moment," Sabrina replied.
After that, Sabrina withdrew from the room. It seemed the witch was continuing her work. But was her real work truly to comfort and assist Tiana, or did she have another purpose? A hidden task that no one in this palace knew about? Well, that was just how Sabrina was—her mysterious life continued to unfold within this palace, the same palace that was beginning to descend into chaos.