Author's Note: Hello everybody, Ejwaxy here again. This chapter is the start of the second arc, something I plan to be larger and more detailed than the introductory first arc. It'll be introducing several new concepts and characters, and fleshing out the world the story takes place in a bit more. As always, thank you for the amazing support you've all shown for the series, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

 

The rain poured down, seeming like it would never stop.

Each drop had its own rhythm, hitting the surrounding pavement over and over again until all that surrounded me was a cacophony of sound that drowned out even my wails.

"Mom! Dad! Help me!"

I must have been four or five, my small hands wiping at my running nose as the tears forcibly fell down my cheeks.

I was shaking like a leaf in the cold, not even having a jacket to use. However, my young body didn't even realize this as it tried to take in the scene before me.

Of course, nobody would be coming to help me, least of all my mother and father. How could they, after all, they were-

Stop

A voice inside me, something also my own, interrupted my other thoughts.

This happened a long time ago, you know that.

Yes, I remembered. That night that changed my life. But there was nothing I could change about it.

Wake up.

Thinking such, I opened my eyes.

---

I shot awake as the bumpy carriage shook, my heart beating fast. Beside me were Elena and Amber, resting on each others' shoulders as they slept peacefully.

Normally, the sight would be enough to make me smile, but for some reason the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach made it impossible right now.

Having that dream for the first time in so long, what could it mean?

Realizing I wouldn't be getting any more sleep, I adjusted myself and peered at the one other person besides us in the carriage.

You see, about a week ago when the three of us had stopped by the first city we'd reached after managing to walk that far, we'd joined a merchant caravan to take us the rest of the way.

Of course, we weren't the only ones, and the entire time we'd been part of the caravan we'd been sharing a carriage with one other person.

As I looked at the person across from me, my eyes scanned over them.

A long white cloak wrapped around their body, concealing them from top to bottom. A hood obscured their face in shadow, lending to the perfect image of secrecy.

However, one thing simply... shattered this image.

The snoring.

Loud and uninhibited, the figure snored whenever it slept. Of course, this made it virtually impossible to get a good night's sleep, but since nothing could really be done about it anyway I'd let it slide.

Not to mention the oversized, single-bladed battle axe that seemed to always be with him. Even now, it was resting against his leg.

Of course, during the past two weeks I'd experimented with my skills against some monsters and raised my level to 17. Seeing how much effort it took to get up just two levels using smaller monsters like slimes we encountered made me wonder just how strong that assassin had been to make me jump 15 levels at once. At this point, I didn't feel like I was weak anymore, seeing as Elena had said that the average level for common soldiers was only about 30 but they received lower status bonuses per level than otherworlders like me. However, in the end it did well to stay careful, as you never knew what monsters were hidden out there.

I slowly got up and moved to the back of the carriage, peering out and looking at the starry night sky.

"What're you doing awake?"

Behind me, Amber blinked blearily awake as Elena continued to sleep on her shoulder.

"Nothing, just... couldn't sleep, that's it."

I looked back at Amber with a complicated expression.

"We'll be getting into town in the morning. Though I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep, you should try."

"Jonathan, are you ok?"

Amber looked at me with worried eyes. It wasn't a good sign when she used my name instead of saying something like "dummy" or "idiot". To be honest, I felt bad worrying her over something meaningless like this.

"Yes, I am. Seriously, just a... bad dream, that's all."

Amber looked me up and down before sighing.

"Ok, if you say so..."

She didn't seem to entirely believe me, but let the topic go without further resistance.

"Sleep tight, then."

I smiled, my face slightly pale, and watched as Amber went back to a peaceful sleep.

---

For the rest of the night, I was immersed in memories. However, as the sun rose I pushed that from my mind.

As the carriage bumped along a dirt road, trees passing by on either side, a city came into view.

Shooting up from the surrounding flat land, grandiose white buildings reflected the light of the sunrise.

The city didn't look like some dilapidated village attacked by demons, which made it stand out on the list Pierre had put down of places attacked by demons.

Not only was it large and civilized, looking very similar to the Vatican City on Earth, but it was hailed as a haven for adventurers from what I'd heard. It was a place on Europa (the world we were currently in) where rare monsters of all sorts appeared around here, and there were numerous dungeons that provided the city with resources, too.

There was no sign of a demon attack, so what exactly was Pierre's point in listing it among the cities attacked by demons? Though almost nobody would know, what would be the point in designating it like that?

As the city came into view, the light seeped through the cloth covering the carriage. At this sign, the others in the carriage began to stir.

Elena was the first to wake up, lifting her head of off Amber's shoulder before slowly getting up and walking over to me, who was sitting on the edge of the carriage while looking out the front from beside the carriage's driver, a kind old merchant man.

"Wow..."

Elena breathed as she looked out at the breathtaking city before us. In response, I nodded.

"Yeah, it's... beautiful."

I smiled as I rested a hand on her head, causing her to look up at me. She rested her head against my shoulder.

"So... what now?"

She looked up at me inquisitively, causing me to smile.

"Well I suppose that, once we get there, we get settled. Then-"

"Stop being so loud, dummy..."

Amber groaned, interrupting me as she woke up once more and causing me to chuckle.

"Well, I suppose the specifics can wait for when we actually get there."

Apparently, the man sharing the carriage with also awake, as he had stopped snoring.

Amber approached, and the three of us looked out at the city as we got closer. The first real destination on our journey: the city of adventurers and courage, Valen.